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#KBO Heroes' 'Mr. October' comes through again in KBO postseason For the Kiwoom Heroes, clutch performances by their No. 9 hitter provided nice bookends to their opening round victory over the defending champions KT Wiz in the Korea Baseball Org...
As I type this, The Hunger Games is gearing up to oust Twilight as the go-to franchise for tweens; but this series actually has a far broader appeal. There's also more of an air of credibility here - mostly due to the much edgier plot (and Jennifer Lawrence). Still, this highly anticipated adaptation is far from perfect and suffers from a slow start and somewhat rushed ending.

Lawrence is tough, resourceful teen Katniss, who lives in a strange, futuristic North America that has been split up into twelve districts and a Capital City. After an attempted rebellion years before, the powers-that-be have punished the districts by hosting an annual 'Hunger Games' event. This involves a boy and a girl from each region taking part in a fight to the death with twenty-two other contestants - with only one victor emerging at the end. Katniss isn't selected by the 'lottery' that decides contestants - but her younger sister is. In order to to save her life, she volunteers to take her place, with Hutcherson's insular Peeta also picked to take part in the vicious event.

Having never read the books that The Hunger Games is based upon, it meant that I wasnt expectantly waiting for much-loved characters to emerge, or comparing the transmission of plot from page to screen. It's a tricky business adapting popular novels, but Ross paints it just broad enough not to piss off core fans or confuse newcomers. The futuristic setting is also extremely ostentatious, and one the director apparently didn't really have to budget to do justice. Instead, there is a lot of jarring handheld camerawork and close-ups to muffle the perhaps not quite fully-realised world. Pacing is also an issue with any dense adaptation, too, and that issue is no different here; the film starts off very slowly, picks up in the middle and ends with more of a nonchalant shrug than an explosive thud.

All of that said, there is plenty here that does impress. Lawrence is a superb lead, showcasing the same simultaneous inner strength and vulnerability that saw her nominated for an Oscar for Winter's Bone: she looks every inch the modern movie star. When Katniss is in survival mode the film comes into its own, and the battle of wills that ensues makes for anxious watching. It also pushes the boundaries of its rating, although the lack of on-screen blood and gore doesn't harm the overall intensity. Ross has also cast wisely across the board: the likes of uber-respected Stanley Tucci, Woody Harrleson and Elizabeth Banks all put in memorable turns. As for the male totty, Hutcherson is suitably overwrought, while Hemsworth has sweet F.A. to do until the sequels.

Flawed but still entertaining, fans will be delighted by the first Hunger Games, while the (quite probably doubled) bigger budget of the sequels should help the series find the scale it desperately craves.
YEREVAN, MARCH 26, ARMENPRESS. Norik Alikhanyan, the 64 year old Armenian villager who was wounded in the village of Berkaber by Azerbaijani fire, will not need surgery. As "Armenpress" reports, this was stated by the press secretary of Erebuni Medical Center Shushan Hunanyan. She noted that the patient will be transferred from the intensive care unit and will continue treatment in the department of thoracic surgery. "The condition of the patient who has been transferred to "Erebuni medical center from Tavush region is stable. The patient sustained a gunshot wound to the left upper shoulder. The soft tissue was mainly damaged, the gunshot did not penetrate. The patient also has a third rib fracture. Prior to being transferred to "Erebuni" medical center, the patient was treated in Ijevan MC and the bleeding had been stopped.

In "Erebuni" medical center immediate primary processing of the wound was carried out, foreign bodies were removed, "Hunanyan said.

On the evening of March 25, 64 years old Armenian citizen Norik Alikhanyan, a resident of Berkaber village, was shot and wounded near his home.

Another residents agriculture suffered big losses.

Resident of the Taghavard village of Artsakh, Yervand K. Firyan, born in 1989, engaged in agricultural activities, was also wounded as a result of the shelling.

The armed forces of Armenia and Nagorno Karabakh took actions at stabilizing the situation and suppressing the Azerbaijani side.
That this is not happening, as many of us agree, is simply not good enough.

Politics, and the facilitating public service mechanism, should serve one purpose alone: the welfare of the state and the betterment of its people  the fostering and maintenance of a successful society.

Politics and society affect each other intimately. We can ignore politics, but politics does not ignore us.

Clearly I have little faith in our current crop of political leaders, with few exceptions. I am in a sense a rebel. But I have a cause. My cause is society.

MOST readers may consider me a strong critic of Papua New Guinean politics and politicians. My recent poetry collection, O Arise!, was a testament to that tendency.

However, I believe that in time this situation can change. I believe that it is time we made a change.

In other comments made on this blog I wrote of achieving generational change: to work towards growing and supporting better leadership groups within our communities and nationally.

I dont think we can continue to recycle redundant, barbaric and inept leadership, and yet expect Papua New Guinea to move forward in this millennium.

More recently I commented on having respect for our shared history and the need for us to embrace the collective stories, myths and legends of our nation and those of other nations who become intimately involved with our people.

All this ranting may appear to be leading towards some kind of political manifesto. But I believe that I am driven by more than a puissant need to assault people with politics. I believe that I am exercising my right to encourage free thinking  the kind that leads to innovations in the way we live, with our conscience, in our Melanesian identity.

When it was claimed that I was a non-Melanesian I responded by welcoming everyone into a New Melanesia.

I believe that this exodus from the old Melanesia that PNG has suffered by must start today.

I believe the best way to start this exodus is to invest in our youth and in our children through sharing our home grown literature.

Our strategic objective is not political change, but social change. Society must determine the good politics that will serve its needs.

A society with the right thinking will foster politicians with a conscientious and respectful attitude towards their people, rather than the scurvy dog behaviour of those so-called leaders who laugh at the predicaments of their people on the floor of their own Haus Tambaran.

Our current society, ruled under this old guard, is ineffectual for creating the changes that we want to see happen.

The old guard have had their day. We are a new generation. We must behave in a new way and not sink into the mire of past mistakes. History will repeat itself when we have not learned from its lessons. Respect history because it can be a tough teacher.

One fact is certain: it is inevitable that the current political leaders will pass, and that history, the faithful scribe of time and change, will record them for what they truly were  thoroughly ineffective at the best of times, and downright corrupt for the most.

But we can change our society and improve our political representation if our will is strong and we are united.

While we have little control over time, we do have the ability to lead and manage change to keep up with it.

That is my rebellious cause as a poet and writer.

I invite writers and poets to join this rebellion by doing something very simple: to keep doing what you are doing. And then do more.

Heres an example.

Around the time that I was accused of being non-Melanesian I had been working on a new collection of poems. For this publication I will be in touch with a select number of poets whose work I found particularly valuable, in my estimation, for translating either into English or Neo-Melanesian, i.e. Tok Pisin (our new state already has an official language!).

I am hoping that this chapbook of poetry becomes a template for a new series, presented regularly by individual editors.

The presentation of poems in chapbooks was an idea I took from Phil Fitzpatrick  the production of a slim volume of writings, not too thick to discourage most PNG readers, but packed with enough good quality content to be of interest to a broad readership.

I have published two chapbooks on Createspace and given them away as freely downloadable PDF copies. Im waiting to see what happens next.

But I also want to put the books out in print. So, I have been buying copies myself and distributing them within my circle. It is a slow but inevitable process because I am determined.

A hard copy book is more useful in PNG than a soft copy. Chapbooks are versatile. My chapbooks can be rolled up and slipped into your back pocket. They can be read by lamp or torch light, when theres no electricity or your laptop, PC, pad or phone battery dies. And, if in dire straits, the pages can be torn out to either start a fire or wipe your arse. Magic!

It would be a valuable addition for other writers to take the lead in producing similar chapbooks for select collections of essays and short stories.

This is quite separate from the Crocodile Prize Anthologies, because these collections should be based on themes of relevance to specific audiences.

We have heard of the slogan a laptop for every child, so why not a chapbook for every child? They will be far cheaper.

It will cost us some in freighting though, but slowly and surely, depending on our will, we can begin to reach out to our readers, the young, in school or out, from the city streets, to the village bush-tracks.

We can begin to encourage and influence the change in mindsets that we all call for so fervently.

Become a rebel. Be the change.
Haven't we heard this before?

It's down to the final days before the state budget adoption deadline, and while the three leaders in Albany conduct secret negotiations on the most important legislation, the rank-and-file legislators sit around and wait.

This year, the hot-button issue is Gov. Andrew Cuomo's and the state Assembly's well-promoted push to increase the New York state minimum wage to $15 per hour.

Despite plenty of vocal opposition to this idea from upstate Senate Republicans, it appears their leader, downstate-based Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, is signaling a willingness to compromise. Perhaps a longer phase-in for the higher minimum? Maybe a slightly lower minimum for upstate New York counties, where cost-of-living is less? Perhaps a blend of both?

All of this back-and-forth negotiating is fine. In fact, that's what lawmakers are supposed to do  find some areas of compromise and pass legislation to help move the state forward.

But the problem with this particular negotiation at this particular time is that the resulting minimum wage legislation likely will have little or no time for the rest of the Legislature, the public, economists, business and labor leaders, and any other interested parties to assess what it could mean. That's because Cuomo, Flanagan and Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie will likely jam this into a last-minute batch of budget bills and pressure legislators to push it through so they can have an on-time budget.

Unless a few lawmakers finally say "no."

Upstate GOP lawmakers in a position to swing budget votes  such as Cayuga County representatives Sens. Michael Nozzolio, James Seward and John DeFrancisco  should vote against any budget bills that shoehorn a radical change in minimum wage law into them. Tell Flanagan to take a stand and bring this issue out of the budget so any compromise bill can have a proper review.

Doing this would take guts, which is exactly what Albany has so-often lacked over the years. Maybe in the first session since both chambers' past leaders were convicted on corruption charges, we can hope for a breakthrough.
HOUSTON  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.

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 email.

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 percent 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.

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.

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 March 17 the Arizona Daily Sun published a letter signed by seven women from the Heichal Baoranim Jewish community. As co-founders and longest standing members of Heichal Baoranim, the first organized Jewish community in Flagstaff, we would like to invite anyone to join us at any Chabad event, be it social or spiritual, so they can make an informed decision as to the kinds of activities Chabad offers.
Members of Lebanon's Shiite movement Hezbollah parade in the southern city of Nabatiyeh (AFP Photo/Mahmoud Zayyat) (AFP/File)

Dubai (AFP) - The Gulf kingdom of Bahrain has deported several Lebanese residents for links to the Shiite Hezbollah movement, classified by the Arab League as a terrorist group, the interior ministry said Monday.

"A number of Lebanese residents have been deported after it was confirmed that they belonged to and supported terrorist Hezbollah," the ministry said in a statement posted on its Twitter account.

The ministry did not provide any further details, including on the number of people involved. Lebanese press reported last week that up to 10 families had been ordered to leave Bahrain within 24 hours.

The move comes a day after Bahrain's neighbour Saudi Arabia warned that it will punish citizens and residents who "support or demonstrate belonging" to Hezbollah.

The Arab League on Friday declared Iran ally Hezbollah a "terrorist" group, after Gulf monarchies did the same earlier this month over the movement's support for the regime in Syria's war.

In January, Bahrain said it had dismantled a "terror" cell allegedly linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Hezbollah.

Shiite-majority Bahrain, which is ruled by the Sunni Al-Khalifa dynasty, has repeatedly accused Iran of meddling in its affairs, a charge categorically denied by Tehran.
(Repeats to additional clients)

By Serajul Quadir

DHAKA, March 27 (Reuters) - The new governor of Bangladesh's central bank has sent formal letters to the New York Fed, as well as central bank and money laundering chiefs in the Philippines, asking them to help recover its stolen $81 million, a senior central bank official said on Sunday.

The news came as Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith said the government was waiting to hear the recommendations of an investigation committee to decide whether the central bank should file a suit against the Fed after one of the biggest cyber heists in history.

Unknown hackers breached the computer systems of Bangladesh Bank in early February and 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 belonging to casino operators.

The central bank official told Reuters that Fazle Kabir, who became governor a week ago, had asked the NY Fed chief and the heads of the Philippines central bank and money laundering agency to assist Bangladesh in retrieving the funds.

Kabir asked the Fed to investigate if there had been any lapses or whether it had any involvement in the heist, the official said.

Kabir sent separate letters to the ambassador of Bangladesh at the U.N. headquarters, and its permanent representative, urging them to pursue the NY Fed.

The previous central bank governor, Atiur Rahman, resigned earlier this month after details emerged in the Philippines that $30 million of the money was delivered in cash to a casino junket operator in Manila, while the rest went to two casinos.

"In his letters the new governor sought all kind of help from them to retrieve the stolen money as we are following multiple efforts for the sake of the country," the official said.

Last week Bangladesh also formally sought assistance from the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation to track down the cyber crooks.

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Bangladesh has appointed law firms to weigh its options vis-a-vis the NY Fed.

"We will wait till the recommendations of the government- formed investigation committee," Finance Minister Abul Maal Abdul Muhith told Reuters on Sunday, referring to a three-member committee headed by Mohammad Farash Uddin, a former central bank governor.

"We will act as per its recommendations."

Earlier this month Muhith said Dhaka might resort to suing the Fed to recover the money: "The Fed must take responsibility," he said.

(Editing by Clelia Oziel)
TORONTO, March 27 (Reuters) - Canada's Liberal government believes the federal budget will be balanced in "about" five years due to higher growth spurred by deficit spending, Finance Minister Bill Morneau said on Sunday.

Speaking on CTV's "Question Period" political news show, Morneau said the budget unveiled on March 22 will bring economic growth that the government hopes will eventually cancel out the C$17.7 billion ($13.34 billion) deficit projected for 2019-20, the fiscal year by which the Liberals promised to return to surplus.

"We believe the growth will be higher, and we believe that we will be able to get into a balanced budget in about the five-year timeframe," he said.

In the election last year, the Liberals campaigned on running three years of deficits of up to C$10 billion before balancing the books by fiscal 2019-20. But the current budget projected a C$29.4 billion ($22.5 billion) deficit for 2016-17, nearly three times higher than what was promised.

The budget includes C$3.97 billion in infrastructure spending for the coming fiscal year, a major plank of the Liberal campaign.

The government gave no target date for eliminating the deficit when it unveiled the budget. Morneau had said the Liberals would be able to balance the books in five years only if the stimulus generated growth at the top range of forecasts.

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau told the Canadian Broadcasting Corp the year by which the budget will be balanced "depends entirely" on growth.

($1 = 1.3273 Canadian dollars) (Reporting by Ethan Lou in Toronto; Editing by Dan Grebler)
donald trump

Democrats have a new goal for the 2016 elections: Make Donald Trump like Todd Akin.

Akin, then a US Senate candidate in Missouri, ignited a media firestorm in 2012 when he asserted that women rarely get pregnant in cases of "legitimate rape" because they have ways to "shut that whole thing down."

Speaking to Business Insider last week, two operatives working for female Democratic US Senate candidates mentioned how Democrats hoped to use Trump's comments about women much as Democrats used Akin's comments in 2012.

And Democrats would appear to have plenty to work with when it comes to Trump.

The billionaire asserted that former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton got "schlonged" by then-Sen. Barack Obama during the 2008 election. He said Clinton's bathroom break during one of the debates was "too disgusting" to talk about. He mocked rival Carly Fiorina's appearance and voice.

As BuzzFeed pointed out, Trump repeatedly made derogatory comments about women during interviews with shock jock Howard Stern. Among other things, Trump rated women on a 10-point scale, ranked women he'd like to sleep with, and said his former wife had "nice tits, no brains."

While Democrats are quick to publicly condemn Trump's rhetoric, some party operatives see Trump's likely nomination as an opportunity to draw stark contrasts between Democratic rising stars with the GOP frontrunner.

Groups like Emily's List, which backs pro-choice, female Democratic candidates, contend that many of this year's Senate candidates are well positioned to use Trump as a foil for their own experiences and campaign platforms.

"Trump's offensive, out of touch comments towards women stand in stark contrast with our candidates' personal life stories," Emily's List Press Secretary Rachel Thomas told Business Insider in an email. "No one understands the challenges women and families face than women leaders themselves."



Thomas added: "Republicans won't be able to avoid the shadow of Donald Trump come November."

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Donald Trump.

There's plenty of evidence already that suggests Trump could have a difficult time wooing conservative female voters, who some Democratic operatives hope will be swayed to voting for their party's candidates across the board.

According to a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll, half of US women reported having a "very unfavorable" view of Trump, a far higher number than Trump's unfavorable rating among men. All of Trump's Republican rivals fare better among women.

Christine Matthews, a longtime pollster and consultant on Republican campaigns, told Business Insider that the GOP would have to work hard to brand their Senate candidates individually in order to motivate female voters to turn out to vote despite possible ambivalence about Clinton and Trump.

"If an incumbent has a strong brand and a strong identity, he or she will have a better chance of withstanding Trump at the top of the ticket than someone who is a challenger or less well-known," Matthews said.

She continued:

The US Senate campaigns will really have to step up their ID and turnout of Republican women who might be inclined to stay home and not vote for either Trump or Clinton. They will need these turned-off GOP women to come out to vote in the US Senate race.

Many female Democratic candidates have already attempted to draw comparisons between Trump and their Republican opponents, hammering Trump on his comments about women.

Last month, Democratic Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick of Arizona released her first ad of the campaign season: A spot hammering her opponent, GOP Sen. John McCain, over his promise to support Trump if he becomes the Republican nominee.

The ad plays through some of Trump's most provocative comments, including insults directed at Fox News host Megyn Kelly and Trump's announcement at a rally that one of his supporters had called rival Ted Cruz a "pussy."

"There was a time John McCain would have stood up to Donald Trump. Instead, McCain has decided to kowtow to Trump in the name of being a loyal Republican,'" Kirkpatrick said in a release accompanying the ad. "Trump has insulted women, Latinos, even McCain himself! But despite all that, McCain has decided to let party loyalty Trump what is best for Arizona."

Katie McGinty, locked in a tough Pennsylvania US Senate race with two Democratic opponents, has aimed her message specifically at working mothers and families. Though McGinty has said that she is troubled the media's heavy focus on Trump, her campaign is also attempting to contrast her platform with Trump's while tying the real-estate mogul to GOP Sen. Pat Toomey.

Campaign spokesperson Sabrina Singh criticized Toomey for not refusing to take money from the state Republican party over a fundraiser hosted by Trump last year. Toomey did not attend the fundraiser.

"Senator Toomey has already benefited from Trump's hateful rhetoric and offensive comments towards women when Trump headlined a fundraiser that directly benefited Toomey's reelection," Singh told Business Insider. "Katie is fighting for pay equity, paid family medical leave, and protecting a woman's right to choose  a message that will resonate with voters over Trump's bigotry and hatred."

Singh added: "The divisive speech coming from Trump already set up the clearest possible contrast in Pennsylvania, where women are facing economic challenges that have been ignored by Senator Toomey."

katie mcginty

Other candidates have explicitly linked Trump and their opponents' positions on issues important to some female voters.

North Carolina State Rep. Deborah Ross' US Senate campaign highlighted Republican incumbent Sen. Richard Burr's affirmative statements about Trump's candidacy.

"Given Donald Trump's comments about women, it's disappointing that Senator Burr is 'delighted' by his candidacy," Ross' communications director, Austin Vevurka, told Business Insider.

Vevurka then connected the Trump issue to federal policies:

Senator Burr has opposed the Violence Against Women Act, said no to equal pay for equal work, and voted defund Planned Parenthood, which provides important and lifesaving healthcare services to thousands women throughout North Carolina.

"The Burr-Trump combo is wrong for women and out of touch with North Carolina values," Vevurka said.

Even Republicans have joined in the fray. The anti-Trump Our Principles PAC, a Republican effort to thwart the frontrunner, recently ran an ad showing women reading out loud what Trump has said about other women. It's been viewed on YouTube over 2 million times:

As a whole, Republican candidates have largely attempted to steer the focus away from Trump.

When asked by Business Insider about Kirkpatrick's ad and whether the campaign was concerned that Trump's rhetoric was alienating female voters, McCain's spokesperson called the ad "cheap" and "pathetic."

"Congresswoman Kirkpatrick needs to come out of hiding and talk to the people of Arizona to explain her longstanding support for Obama's radical, liberal agenda. It's too bad that her only accomplishment in office is being a rubber-stamp for this president," McCain spokesperson Lorna Romero said in an email.

As Politico noted, some House Republicans are also increasingly looking to distance themselves from Trump's rhetoric about women and minorities.

For example, Republican Rep. Bob Dold  who faces a tough reelection bid in a moderate district in the Chicago suburbs  preemptively denounced Trump's comments about women and pledged not to support Trump in the general election.

A previous version of this post claimed that Sen. Toomey did not return money from a fundraiser last year hosted by Trump. The fundraiser was hosted by the Pennsylvania Republican party, not Toomey himself.

NOW WATCH: Here's the eye-opening data behind Trump's rapid rise in the race this year





More From Business Insider


CALGARY, AB--(Marketwired - March 24, 2016) - FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd. (TSX VENTURE: FLY) (FLYLF) (the "Company" or "FLYHT") today announced a sales agreement with Tri-Wing Aviation Resources Pte. Ltd. ("Tri-Wing") based in Singapore. Tri-Wing will represent FLYHT's technology and services as a sales team in South East Asia.

Tri-Wing has 25 years experience serving and supporting airlines, general aviation operators, military agencies and maintenance, repair and overhaul ("MRO") businesses in Asia. Tri-Wing will pursue SATCOM avionics hardware sales, flight tracking and flight data services opportunities for FLYHT and also establish contacts with regional regulatory authorities who may have an interest in FLYHT's technology for enhancements and safety of flight operations.

"We witnessed Tri-Wing's connections first hand at the Singapore Airshow in February," remarked FLYHT's VP of Sales and Marketing David Perez. "South East Asia is one of FLYHT's primary target markets and we anticipate Tri-Wing's ability to lead the hands-on sales efforts and communicate FLYHT's value proposition in the area."

FLYHT will maintain its own sales representation in China with Tri-Wing focusing on the surrounding countries in the Asia Pacific region.

"We believe the Asia Pacific aerospace industry will be extremely interested in the benefits which FLYHT's technology provides, optimizing flight operations and enhancing flight safety," stated Johnny Lim, President of Tri-Wing. "With our regional presence and the contacts we have established over the past 25 years, we can connect FLYHT's unique technology to those customers that have expressed a need."

About FLYHT Aerospace Solutions Ltd.

FLYHT is a leading provider of real-time aircraft intelligence and cockpit communications for the aerospace industry. More than 50 customers, including airlines, leasing companies and original equipment manufacturers, have installed our systems in order to increase safety, improve operational efficiencies and enhance profitability. FLYHT's proprietary technology, the Automated Flight Information Reporting System (AFIRS), operates on multiple aircraft types and provides functions such as safety services voice and text messaging, data collection and transmission, and on-demand streaming of flight data recorder (black box), engine and airframe data. AFIRS sends this information through the Iridium Satellite Network to FLYHT's UpTime ground-based server, which routes the data to customer-specified end points and provides an interface for real-time aircraft interaction. AFIRS has flown over 2 million aggregate flight hours and 1.5 million flights on customers' aircraft. FLYHT holds supplemental type certificates (STC) which allow for the installation of AFIRS on 95% of transport category aircraft.

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About Tri-Wing

Established in March 1992 Tri-Wing Aviation Resources has been serving and supporting the Airlines, MROs, General Aviation and the Military for their aviation needs for outright purchases, exchanges, repair and overhaul. This includes expendables, consumables, avionics, accessories, instruments and components under direct purchases or buyer/supplier furnished equipment programs. Tri-Wing supports various aircraft types ranging from commercial aircraft that includes Airbus, Boeing and other OEMs to military aircraft in both fixed-wing and rotary-wing. Tri-Wing holds Defense Department Trade Controls and International Traffic in Arms Regulations accreditation, is a TRACE Certified Company, a member of the Singapore Business Federation and a member of the Association of Aerospace Industries (Singapore). Tri-Wing with its head office in Singapore at the Seletar Aerospace Park has its regional presence in China, Indonesia, Philippines, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Myanmar and USA.

Join us on social media!

www.facebook.com/flyht

www.twitter.com/flyhtcorp

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www.flyht.com

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.
VANCOUVER, BRITISH COLUMBIA--(Marketwired - Mar 24, 2016) - Goldstrike Resources Ltd. (TSX VENTURE:GSR)(OTC PINK:APRAF)(KCG1.F). The Company pleased to report that due to continuing strong institutional demand, the non-flow-through portion of the private placement announced on March 23, 2015 has been increased by $1,500,000 and aggregate gross proceeds from the offering now total $3,030,000. The Company raised $929,902.38 on completion of its offering of flow-through units ("FT Units") and now has subscriptions for non-flow-through units ("NFT Units") totalling just over $2,030,000. Increasing the private placement fits well with the company's strategy to add strength by increasing budget flexibility for the upcoming exploration program and by adding additional financial strength to its position to optimize value to its shareholders going forward.

The Company will pay a finder's fee equal to 7% of the gross proceeds from a portion of the additional announced financing, in cash, in accordance with the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange. No finder's warrants will be issued. The proposed private placement and finder's fees remain subject to final TSX Venture Exchange acceptance.

About Goldstrike

Goldstrike's principal properties are its flagship Plateau South property, Plateau North and Lucky Strike, all located in Yukon, Canada, and all owned by Goldstrike. The Plateau South property covers a district scale gold-mineralized system known as the Yellow Giant Trend. Multiple high grade gold showings (rock grab samples up to 18.66 ounces per ton) have been exposed along the Hess River valley over a strike length of more than 25 kilometres and a vertical extent of more than 1,000 metres, and significant drill results have been obtained in multiple holes (best intersection to date 13.25 grams per tonne gold over 17.5 metres true width in the Goldstack Zone, including 35.88 grams per tonne gold over 5.7 metres) (News Release September 9, 2015). Fifty per cent of the holes drilled in 2015 intersected grains of native gold in the core. The gold is coarse, and appears to be free milling.

Trevor J. Bremner, P. Geo., Chief Consulting Geologist and Goldstrike Board Member, is a qualified person (as defined by National Instrument 43-101) for Goldstrike's Yukon exploration projects and has supervised the preparation of, and reviewed and approved, the technical information in this release.

Note: Grab samples are selective by nature, and are unlikely to represent average grades on the property. Due to the coarse nature of the gold, the Company is using metallics fire assays to capture the gold in the coarse fraction, providing the most accurate representation of the gold mineralization. Historically, regular fire assays have underestimated the grade of gold in coarse gold systems, and metallic fire assays and bulk samples can more accurately represent the true grade because they capture all gold including the coarse fraction, which otherwise could have been discarded.

ON BEHALF OF THE BOARD

Terrence E. King

President and Chief Executive Officer

For information on the Company, please visit Goldstrike's website at GoldstrikeResources.com.

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.

This news release may contain forward-looking statements including but not limited to statements regarding the amount of funds to be raised pursuant to the offering and the timing and content of upcoming work programs. 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. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements.
xi for linette

The president of China is looking for the authors of a mysterious editorial published earlier this month, accusing him of becoming an authoritarian and turning his back on the Communist Party.

That means people are disappearing.

The Financial Times reports:

On Friday Wen Yunchao, a New York-based human rights campaigner, said three of his family members had been detained by police in China after he was accused of helping publish the letter  a claim he denies.



That follows the disappearance 10 days ago of a well-known columnist called Jia Jia who, according to his lawyer, was also suspected of involvement with the letter, and the reported vanishing of several journalists from a little-known state-controlled Chinese news website that originally published it.

Late on Friday it emerged that Mr Jia had now been released, and had been seen by his wife.

The editorial was published by Wujie News, a media outlet located in Xinjiang, a province in Western China. It's a province known for its Muslim Uygher population and their contentious relationship with China's Han majority.

The editorial said that Xi was hurting the country  that because he had become an authoritarian, hoarding power that used to be dispersed throughout the party more equally, China is "now facing unprecedented problems and crises in all political, economic, ideological, and cultural spheres."

It should also be noted that this was written shortly after the Chinese government unveiled a bunch of new restrictions on the media. The editorial was taken down, but a cached version was found by The Washington Post.

The new restrictions, by the way, sound like this. From Xinhua News:

All news media run by the Party must work to speak for the Party's will and its propositions and protect the Party's authority and unity, Xi said.

Story continues

They should enhance their awareness to align their ideology, political thinking and deeds to those of the CPC Central Committee and help fashion the Party's theories and policies into conscious action by the general public while providing spiritual enrichment to the people, he said.

Pretty much all media in China is party media too, which is what makes the fact that this editorial was even published so incredible. According to The Washington Post, Wujie News is jointly owned by SEEC Media Group, Alibaba, and the government of Xinjiang.

For the full story, head to FT >>

NOW WATCH: Women in China are using sheets of paper to show how skinny they are





More From Business Insider


* Abengoa gets 75 pct backing from creditors for debt deal

* To seek on Monday more time from court to avoid bankruptcy

* Judge could allow an extra 7 months to seal restructuring (Adds details, background)

By Julien Toyer and Jose Elias Rodriguez

MADRID, March 27 (Reuters) - Spanish energy firm Abengoa has won the backing of around 75 percent of its creditors to restructure its high debt load and seek more time from a court for talks aimed at avoiding bankruptcy, according to a document seen by Reuters on Sunday.

The company, struggling under a 9.4 billion-euro ($10.5 billion) debt pile, is in pre-insolvency talks and would become Spain's largest ever bankruptcy if it failed to reach an agreement with lenders and bondholders.

Abengoa had until March 28 to win the backing of at least 60 percent of them and convince a Seville court to give the firm an additional seven months to reach the 75 percent creditor acceptance threshold for a wide-ranging debt restructuring plan.

"We have won the backing of 75 percent of financial creditors when we needed 60 percent to present a standstill agreement," said one of Abengoa's most-senior executives in an email sent on Sunday to other senior staff and which was seen by Reuters.

"Tomorrow at 0900 (0700 GMT) the agreement will be presented to the court in Seville," he also said.

Abengoa declined to comment.

Sources familiar with the talks had told Reuters earlier this week that more than 60 percent of creditors were expected to back a debt restructuring deal reached on March 9 by Abengoa and its main banks and bondholders.

Abengoa would also receive a new cash injection of 137 million euros to pay wages and providers, the sources added.

Under this deal, some creditors would lend up to 1.8 billion euros to the company over a period of five years, giving them the right to 55 percent of the restructured company.

Simultaneously, around 70 percent of existing debt would be swapped for equity, giving those other creditors the right to 35 percent of the company, Abengoa said.

Creditors who advanced an additional 800 million euros in financial guarantees to develop projects would get 5 percent of the restructured company. ($1 = 0.8957 euros) (Editing by Julien Toyer and Alan Crosby)
ted cruz

Ted Cruz may be gaining on Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump in the largest remaining state in the Republican primary.

A new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll of likely Republican voters published on Sunday showed the Texas senator, with 35% support, just 1 point behind Trump's 36% in California.

California is the largest and most delegate-heavy state remaining in the Republican nominating contest. In the poll, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, the third GOP candidate, logged a distant third with 14% support.

Other recent polls have mostly shown Trump with a large lead over Cruz and Kasich, and with the primary still over two months away, the polls could easily shift before election day.

Still, even if Trump wins the primary outright, Cruz's strength in California could still pose a problem for the real-estate magnate.

The Times/USC poll is one of the first released since Sen. Marco Rubio dropped out of the race, and could hint that Cruz has a shot at taking a large chunk of the delegates home in California. Thirteen delegates are awarded to the statewide winner, while the remaining ones are awarded by whichever candidate wins each district.

The Sunday poll also found Cruz's strength concentrated in Los Angeles County and the Central Valley, one of the more rural parts of the state. Some observers further speculated that Kasich could play well in Democratic-heavy coastal areas. Taken together, Cruz and Kasich's support in California could hinder Trump's goal of securing the 1,237 delegates needed to clinch the Republican nomination on the first round of voting.

California's primary is on June 7.

NOW WATCH: Everything you need to know about the Trump-Cruz debacle





More From Business Insider


Witnesses said a coach carrying 36 fans swerved near a roundabout before it landed on its side on a grass verge, killing one person and injuring 18 others (AFP Photo/Andy Buchanan) (AFP/File)

London (AFP) - Tributes were paid to a Muslim shopkeeper killed in what police described as a "religiously prejudiced" attack, as a Muslim suspect remained in custody.

Asad Shah, 40, died after being found with serious injuries outside his shop in Glasgow on Thursday evening.

He was believed to be a member of the minority Ahmadi Muslim community, and media reports said he was originally from Pakistan.

Police arrested a 32-year-old Muslim man on Friday, and a spokeswoman said: "A full investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death which is being treated as religiously prejudiced."

In a statement on Saturday, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK condemned the "completely brutal, horrific and unjustified attack".

The day before his death, Shah had apparently posted a message on Facebook reading: "Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation x!"

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined a vigil for Shah outside his shop on Friday night, while locals gathered again on Saturday to pay tribute to a man they said was a pillar of the community.

About 30,000 of Britain's roughly three million Muslims are Ahmadi, a sect with a strong missionary drive that is denounced as heretical by hardline Islamic scholars.
Abu Dhabi (AFP) - A top court in the United Arab Emirates jailed 11 people for life on Sunday after convicting them of jihadist links and plotting "terrorist" attacks in the Gulf country, state media reported.

The Federal Supreme court in Abu Dhabi jailed two others for 15 years, 13 for 10 years, six for three years, and two for five years, the official WAM news agency said.

Seven defendants were acquitted.

The 41 defendants were accused of seeking to overthrow the government to set up an Islamic State group-style caliphate in the UAE.

Two of those jailed for life were tried in absentia.

According to the Khaleej Times newspaper, the defendants were convicted of "plotting to carry out terrorist operations throughout the country."

They were also found guilty of "endangering the safety and security of the country and the lives of individuals, including the leadership and its symbols with the intention to cause damage to state and private infrastructure."

Other charges included "possessing firearms and ammunition with the intention of committing attacks," as well as contacting and raising funds for the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front, Khaleej Times reported on its website.

Authorities had reported their arrest on August 2 and their trial -- which was closed to international media -- began on August 24.

The UAE is part of a US-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria since September last year.

The wealthy Gulf state has stepped up security since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.
Whats faster: A Formula E race car that can wind its way through narrow streets up to 140 miles per hour, or a drone?

Mahindra Racing, one of the teams in the all-electric urban racing series, tried to answer the question by pitting a drone against one of its cars (and driver) at the Aut?dromo Hermanos Rodr?guez circuit in Mexico City. Mahindra Racing and FIA Formula E released the video Saturday.

In the video, Mahindra racing driver Bruno Senna and his Lumenier QAV210 quadcopter races against American racer Scott Speed, who was piloting the Spark-Renault SRT_01E Formula E car. The race was filmed right before the Mexico ePrix, which was held March 12.

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It was a great challenge, which is what flying these high performance drones is all about, Senna said in a release. My friends who have watched my drone videos know I am a bit of a daredevil when I am flying, but all I was thinking during filming was "don't break a propeller, don't break a propeller.

The drone versus Formula E car is a stunt--not so much a race--aimed at bringing attention to the series and boosting its appeal among younger and tech-centric fans. And it illustrates the racing series comfort with all things tech.

In addition to creating a successful business, Formula E aims to serve as a test bed for research and development around electric vehicles, generate interest in the cars, and promote clean energy and sustainability. The global racing series is overseen by the F?d?ration Internationale de l'Automobile, the same body that organizes Formula One. Formula E, which is in its second season, travels to 10 cities, including Buenos Aires, Paris, Long Beach, Calif., and London.

Formula E announced in November plans to launch a race series called Roborace, featuring autonomous electric cars starting in 2016. And it recently partnered with San Francisco VR-startup Virtually Live.

Story continues

Of course, theres plenty of tech on the race track as well. In the first season, all teams had to use the same single-seater cars designed and built by Spark Racing Technology along with partners McLaren, Williams Grand Prix Engineering Ltd., Dallara Automobili, Renault, and Michelin . This race season, teams can work with manufacturers to develop their own cars, including new powertrains. All of the cars still use the same battery.

See original article on Fortune.com

More from Fortune.com
The idea of Donald Trump atop the Republican ticket in November has Democrats wondering if they could soon return to early days of the Obama administration, when the party enjoyed healthy majorities in both chambers of Congress.

The GOP was already expecting to defend vulnerable Senate seats, -- 24 of 34 Republican seats are up for grabs this Election Day. There is also growing concern among establishment Republicans that their wide majority in the House could be endangered if Trump  whose controversial statements have alienated many female and minority voters and could prompt loyal poll-goers to stay home  is the 2016 nominee.

Related: The Five Most Endangered Senate Republicans

While retaking the lower chamber is an aspirational goal, for the time being, Democrats feel they can win more Senate seats beyond the five they need by tying Trump to Republicans running this fall. The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee DSCC recently unveiled a Party of Trump advertising effort to drive the point home.

The DSCC raised $6.2 million in February, compared to nearly $4.8 million for the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC). The NRSC has a cash advantage, though, with $16.2 million on hand versus the DSCCs $15.2 million.

Here are the Senate seats that could be snatched by Democrats:

Arizona. Polls show Senate Armed Services Committee chair John McCain in a statistical dead-heat against Rep. Ann Kirkpatrick. Not surprisingly, the five-term incumbent enjoys an enormous cash advantage over his challengers, about $5.1 million to less than $1 million.

Related: Trump vs. Cruz Is Turning Into a Bare-Knuckled Bar Fight

Last month Kirkpatrick releasing a web ad contrasting some of Trumps more incendiary statements with vows by McCain to support the eventual GOP nominee, even the billionaire.

Last week Trump won the states presidential primary handily, beating his closest challenger, Ted Cruz, 47 to 24 percent.

Pennsylvania. Sen. Pat Toomey could easily be put on the list of the five most endangered Republicans running this fall, but hes managed to stay below the radar as the Democrats sort out a messy primary to select his challenger.

Story continues

The DSCC is eager to shore up the Keystone State and last week endorsed former gubernatorial chief of staff Katie McGinty over Navy admiral and former Rep. Joe Sestak, even though McGinty trails in polls and hasnt raised as much money.

Related: Trump Might Win the Nomination, but Cruz Won the GOP

A RealClearPolitics average of polls shows Toomey with a healthy lead over Sestak. But he isnt taking anything for granted, and recently indicated he would be willing to meet with President Obamas Supreme Court nominee, bucking GOP leadership.

North Carolina. At first glance, one could ensure this Southern Senate seat; however, Obama carried the state in 2008 and lost it by a hair in 2012. Plus, the states Democrats have rallied around former state Rep. Deborah Ross after she cruised to victory in the recent primary.

A survey by the left-leaning Public Policy Polling survey released last week found Senate Intelligence Committee chair Richard Burr with just a five-point lead over Ross and suggested that lead could shrink with Trump atop the ticket.

Missouri. Democratic Senate candidate Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander has an uphill fight to take down Sen. Roy Blunt in a state that has gone in the GOP column the last two presidential elections.

Kander, who served as an Army intelligence officer at U.S. Central Commands Intelligence Division before volunteering to go to Afghanistan in 2006, hopes to make national security a core issue of the campaign. He has chastised Blunt, the Senate GOPs conference vice chair who sits on the Appropriations Committee, for playing politics with funds for the Homeland Security Department and the anti-ISIS fight.

Related: Why Clinton Cant Afford to Take Her Eyes Off Bernie Sanders

A 2015 Public Policy Polling survey last August showed Blunt ahead of Kander by 5 points.

Iowa. If theres a race where Kirkpatricks early tactics could be copied, its the Hawkeye State.

Former Iowa Lt. Gov. and Secretary of Agriculture Patty Judge entered the race earlier this month, in large part because Senate Judiciary Committee chair Chuck Grassley refused to meet, let alone hold hearings on Obamas Supreme Court pick  Merrick Garland.

During a presidential debate last month, Trump said the GOP-controlled Senate should block any potential nominee. "I think it's up to [Senate Majority Leader] Mitch McConnell and everybody else to stop it  it's called delay, delay, delay," the White House hopeful said in remarks that could easily be translated into ads.

A new CNN/ORC poll found two-thirds of Americans want the Senate to hold confirmation hearings on his candidacy, and a majority of Americans say the Senate should ultimately vote to confirm Garland.

That tracks with a Quinnipiac University poll released Thursday found registered voters said the Senate should consider Garland's nomination by a 2-to-1 margin.

Patty Judge visited Capitol Hill earlier this month to huddle with Senate Democrats who plan to keep hammering Grassley for his stance. Public opinion and pressure from Democrats could be working, since Grassley seems to be more open to Garlands appointment.

"The thing she said that was really very, very powerful is that she's one judge that Sen. Grassley can't ignore," Senate Minority Leader Harry Reid (NV) told reporters.

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I've been listening to a podcast series called the "Russian Rulers History Podcast" and it has given me a better, more thorough, and more-informed course in Russian History than I'm sure any of the hacks posing as liberal arts colleges would. It has provided me a lot of understanding about communism, its origins, as well as the reason it came about in Russia. However, in this particular episode I am amazed to hear,, his opinions on communism and economics in Russia.Not because he is basically admitting the economic policies of communism are failing his people.And not because (unlike pretty much every previous leader of Russia) he dares to admit it.But because of his complete naivety and cluelessness about economics.I would have figured an ardent communist, a former leader of the USSR, when writing his memoirs would have a FULLY REHEARSED, SCRIPTED, and POLISHED explanation as to why there was no food, toilet paper or meat available to the Russian people (especially under his reign). But it is amazing the man who was once pounding his shoe, telling the "Imperialist Western Capitalist Pigs" he would bury us, admits his economic policies are failing.The thing that really gets me though is how apparent it is he just doesn't get it. Here's a man in his 60's, maybe 70's, who went through the communist system his entire life, from the lowest ranked pledge in the youth communist party, to the premier of the Soviet Union, and if you ask him "why isn't there enough bread?" he has no answers.He has great observations.He has great explanations.His logic about how people reaction and behave in an economy is sound.But when it comes to solutions, all he can say is "I just don't get it."Perhaps he was too brainwashed to realize how free markets and free people would have solved all the economic problems of the USSR. Perhaps after serving under Stalin coming up with new ideas was just not possible for his psyche. The point is largely (and tragically) moot since hundreds of millions either died, starved, were murdered, tortured, or at minimum suffered MUCH lesser lives than was necessary simply because the leaders of this idiotic economic religion just couldn't admit they were wrong.Regardless, these precious words of Khrushchev, which make it painfully clear he was not only wrong, but had no clue what he was doing, is absolute mandatory listening for not just rightists, but especially leftists. Because if thewas so flimsy and weak on economics, then how much more weak and flimsy is your average spoiled brat liberal arts college student?Seriously, it's like the pope admitting Catholicism is all wrong, yet your commoner Catholics, who never read the bible, would argue that it's still "all right."
to ladders and such.BRUSSELS  As a dragnet aimed at Islamic State operatives spiraled across Brussels and into at least five European countries on Friday, the authorities were also focusing on a narrower but increasingly alarming threat: the vulnerability of Belgium s nuclear installations.The investigation into this weeks deadly attacks in Brussels has prompted worries that the Islamic State is seeking to attack, infiltrate or sabotage nuclear installations or obtain nuclear or radioactive material. This is especially worrying in a country with a history of security lapses at its nuclear facilities, a weak intelligence apparatus and a deeply rooted terrorist network.On Friday, the authorities stripped security badges from several workers at one of two plants where all nonessential employees had been sent home hours after the attacks at the Brussels airport and one of the citys busiest subway stations three days earlier. Video footage of a top official at another Belgian nuclear facility was discovered last year in the apartment of a suspected militant linked to the extremists who unleashed the horror in Paris in November.mole related
This year, by 21 March, 12% more passengers have been handled year on year by the Riga International Airport which also expects an increase in passenger traffic during the summer season.

In the summer season, several new carriers will commence their operations at Riga Airport: the airline Yanair will start flying from Kiev to Riga International Airport on 20 May, performing 7 flights a week. The Spanish carrier Vueling (Barcelona  Riga  Barcelona) will embark on its first flight to Riga on 25 June, and the Greek Aegean Airlines (Athens  Riga  Athens)  on 26 June, providing flights once a week.

The Latvian national carrier airBaltic on 28 May will open flights to the capital of Iceland Reykjavik, and, in cooperation with the tour operator Tez Tour, from 5 June flights will be performed to the Italian seaside city of Rimini.

The budget airline Wizz Air from 20 June is planning to commence flights from Riga to Tel Aviv twice a week.

On the whole, in comparison with the summer season of 2015, the planned number of flights this summer is expected to stay at the last years level. The highest flight frequency from Riga will be observed on the route to Moscow (66 times a week), Stockholm (49 times a week), Helsinki (45 times a week) and London (39 times a week).

In the summer season, Riga International Airport will provide the opportunity to fly to 79 destinations, by 21 air carriers: airBaltic, Aeroflot, Aegean Airlines, Belavia, Ellinair, Finnair, FlyEgypt, LOT, Lufthansa, Norwegian, Onur Air, Ryanair, SAS, SmartLynx Airlines, Turkish Airlines, Ukraine International Airlines, Utair, Uzbekistan Airways, Vueling, Wizz Air, Yanair.
V Air, a Taiwanese low-cost carrier, launched its first Taipei- Manila route today at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 1.

The maiden flight took off with over 80% load factor from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and marks another expansion in its network for this year 2016.

We at V Air are delighted to witness the 9th scheduled service from the Taipei-Manila route. As the first Taiwanese low-cost airline to tap the ever-growing Philippine market, we are looking forward to be the preferred airline of the traveling Filipino on a budget. Our operations in Manila will be significant in securing a strong foothold in the region, shares V Air Chief Commercial Officer, Bernard Hsu.

V Airs Manila-Taipei service, the carriers third route in Asia, will operate four flights weekly, every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. A travel to and from both cities is estimated at a two-hour flying time.

Flight Number Departure Arrival ETD ETA Aircraft type Frequency ZV085 TPE MNL 17:00 19:00 A321/A320 .2.4.67 ZV086 MNL TPE 20:00 22:00 .2.4.67

V Air is a Taiwan-based low-cost carrier, and has served over 250,000 passengers since it took to the skies in December 2014. The carrier has since then received commendations for its cordial style, one where a typical Taiwanese service is known for.
Where do Americans travel most outside the states last year? National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) gives the answer with the recent statistics.

North American markets received 55 percent of all U.S. international outbound travel. A total of 28,195,381 U.S. citizens traveled to Mexico in 2015, up nine percent. Mexico alone is accounted 38 percent of all U.S. international outbound travel. Canada ranked at second place with 12,468,380 U.S. citizens, up eight percent year-over-year. Air travel (3.6 million) was up seven percent.

U.S. travel to overseas markets (1) totaled 32.8 million, up seven percent for the year. Regional results were:

Europe, 12.6 million travelers, up six percent

Caribbean, 7.6 million travelers, up seven percent

Asia, 4.8 million travelers, up seven percent

Central America, 2.8 million travelers, up four percent

Middle East, 2.0 million travelers, up 15 percent

South America, 1.9 million travelers, up six percent

Oceania, 643,000 travelers, up seven percent

Africa, 351,000 travelers, down two percent

Only Africa is down in 2015.



U.S. travel to overseas locations accounted for 45 percent of total U.S. outbound travel, about the same as in 2014.
NORTHWOOD  Ten years ago, those who supported building a casino in rural Northwood promised a portion of the proceeds would fund college scholarships for Worth County students.

Deb Hanson remembers telling people that, based on revenue projections, the most they could expect was $2,300.

She was wrong.

Last year, 92 Worth County high school graduates each received $7,674 for college tuition from that casino, Diamond Jo Worth..

Expected by analysts to capable of producing $25 million to $30 million in annual revenues, the casino 7 miles west of Northwood at Highway 105 and Interstate 35 has exceeded revenue expectations since it opened.

Even that first year being a partial (operating) year, we already had doubled what we thought (in scholarships), said Hanson, now the chief financial officer of the casinos nonprofit license holder, the Worth County Development Authority.

Riverboat gambling came to Iowa amid farm crisis, heated debate DES MOINES  Gambling riverboats first paddled along the Mississippi River in Iowa on April 

Diamond Jo Worth generated $67.5 million in 2006-07, its first full year of operation. Last year, Diamond Jo reported adjusted gross revenues of $84.3 million.

In the past nine years, that revenue has pumped some $37.5 million in charitable donations to organizations, assistance to infrastructure projects, student scholarships and payments to schools in North Iowa, primarily Worth County.

Another $2.42 million has been paid directly to Worth County.

Education and grants

Originally licensed as a riverboat, Diamond Jo Worth was surrounded by a watery moat to comply with existing state gambling law when it opened on April 6, 2006.

Immediately outpacing expectations, the riverboat on dry land expanded three months after opening. Other than a dip in 2008, the casino has continued to build each year, said Diamond Jo Worth General Manager Kim C. Pang.

It now has 430 employees who oversee 1,000 slot machines, 32 table games, seven poker tables and roulette.

It has come back, year after year, and in the last three years we have done a good job, he said.

Per state law, Diamond Jo is required to pay 5.7 percent of revenue to the nonprofit group that holds its gaming license, the Worth County Development Authority.

Also known as the WCDA, the nonprofit license holder distributes revenue to schools, community projects and the county.

A 46.5 percent share of the WCDAs funds go to education, 46.5 percent to community grants and 7 percent to Worth County.

The education portion of the money funds the college scholarships, as well as payments to five school districts that have students living in Worth County.

School payments are based on the number of Worth County students in each school district. Northwood-Kensett receives the most money, some $440,000 in 2015 casino revenue, followed by Central Springs, Lake Mills, Forest City and St. Ansgar schools.

Worth County teachers get $1,500 a year for classroom supplies and students get a $75 gift card each year for school supplies. The Worth County Development Authority pays the tuition for all of the countys preschoolers.

Northwood-Kensett Superintendent Mike Crozier said the money has been used particularly helpful in upgrading technology. It also has been part of many of the districts renovations and facility upgrades, he said.

Diamond Jo profits paid for $148,000 of a $1.1 million renovation the district plans to begin in April.

Not that we wouldnt have done all the projects, but theyve been a big part of all the remodeling projects that weve done, Crozier said. We wouldnt have been able to do as many or as much as weve done in the past eight years without that money.

Community grant money has been used to fund city infrastructure upgrades, beautification projects, equipment for first responders and donations to smaller renovation projects and initiatives.

The future

The largest of the WCDAs community grant allotments, a total of more than $3 million, has gone into encouraging economic development at the Diamond Jo intersection at Highway 105 and I-35.

The WCDAs contributions helped fund a wastewater treatment plant, natural gas lines and a $950,000 project this year to improve water filtration at the site.

The casino has been very successful, but the goal now must be to leverage the infrastructure improvements into additional development at the interchange, said Teresa Nicholson, director of local economic development agency Winn-Worth Betco.

Now our job turns into peripheral development around that casino and to support that particular venture, and to make sure that venture stays solid as well, she said.

Those upgrades seem to be paying off.

On Friday, officials confirmed that West Des Moines-based Kum & Go had met with Worth County officials about a proposal to build a large convenience store at the Diamond Jo development.

Through additional development, the interchange can become an entertainment destination rather than the stand-alone casino it currently is, Nicholson said.

People will always come to a casino, but if were not able to capitalize on those developments around the casino were not doing our job to capture the most of the market as we can, she said.
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.
Congratulations on scoring 2 admits and scholarship money! I think the Poll results reflect your aspirations for elite recruiting.If you were willing to compromise that and settle for something more middle of the road (corporate finance, operations, etc) then with your work experience and with a Top 20 (Olin is #21) you can do well. It is still possible to get a consulting job of some level (probably even a cool one) but elite employment opportunities are usually centered around Top 10. Yale is a new entrant into that group but their numbers look strong.On the flip side, there is no guarantee that you will get a better job out of Yale than out of Olin but odds are better with Yale, plus you get ancillary benefits such as better classmates, better professors, and traditionally a better alum network - that's what $80K buys.P.S. I feel with Yale's non-profit and green tech focus you are likely to be connected with more projects happening in Africa than Olin. Also, don't forget about Yale's loan forgiveness program - that could be a full scholarship in a sense._________________
joshnsit wrote:

Wild cheetahs live in the African grasslands. Previous estimates of the size that the wild cheetah population must be in order for these animals to survive a natural disaster in the African grasslands region were too small, and the current population barely meets the previous estimates, At present, however, there is not enough African grassland to support a wild cheetah population larger than the current population.

The statements above, if true, most strongly support which one of the following conclusions?

(A) Previous estimates of the size of the existing wild cheetah population were inaccurate.

(B) The cheetah's natural habitat is decreasing in size at a faster rate than is the size of the wild cheetah population.

(C) The principal threat to the endangered wild cheetah population is neither pollution nor hunting, but a natural disaster.

(D) In the short term, the wild cheetah population will be incapable of surviving a natural disaster in the African grasslands.

(E) In regions where land is suitable for cheetah habitation, more natural disasters are expected to occur during the next decade than occurred during the past decade.



Please comment your reasons while giving answer options. I will come back with OA once I get some correct reasoning flowing in.

Also, let me know which kind of question type this question is...



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You should try to think ahead of what you are expecting from your answer option.Look at the argument:Previous estimates of 'cheetah population required to survive a natural disaster' were too small. (e.g. Previous estimate - if there are 100 cheetahs, they can survive a natural disaster. This estimate is too small. You perhaps need at least 200 to survive a natural disaster)The current population barely meets the previous estimates. (The current pop is barely 100)At present there is not enough African grassland to support a wild cheetah population larger than the current population. (So the population can't increase in the short term)What can you say from this? What does this lead to?That in the short term, if there is a natural disaster, the cheetahs probably will not survive it. (Option D)(A) Previous estimates of the size of the existing wild cheetah population were inaccurate.No. Previous estimates of 'cheetah population required to survive a natural disaster' were inaccurate. Not the estimates of current cheetah population.(B) The cheetah's natural habitat is decreasing in size at a faster rate than is the size of the wild cheetah population.The argument doesn't say that the natural habitat is decreasing. It only says that at present, it cannot increase. The rate of increase/decrease is anyway out of question._________________


Just over three weeks before the April 19th presidential primary, Brooklyn welcomed back its hometown candidate this morning, with over 300 Bernie Sanders supporters gathering to celebrate the opening of his campaigns Gowanus office. A few months ago, it seemed like an impossibility that the Brooklyn-born Sanders would still be running a campaign strong enough to keep New York State competitive. While the most recent poll [pdf] has Bernie lagging behind his opponent Hillary Clinton (though that might change after today's caucuses), for supporters, the fight for the state is just beginning.

As the only City Councilman supporting Bernie Sanders, Im proud to be here today, Councilman Rafael Espinal told the crowd. Im here today because Bernie Sanders stands up for my people. I represent East New York and Bushwick, some of the poorest neighborhoods in the state of New York and when Bernie speaks, he speaks for us, for the people that live here.

Though Sanders was off communing with nature in Oregon, Bern-ers entertained themselves with a performance by Kyp Malone (of Brooklyns own TV On The Radio) and speeches by prominent local supporters, who echoed Sanders' call for a political revolution that will put power in the hands of the people, and not the corporations.

You can go back forty years ago, and Bernie was still saying the same things he is today, said Linda Sarsour, the Executive Director of the Arab American Association,. Hes a man who sees all of us, progressives, whites, blacks, Jews, Muslims, Latinos, as equals. Hes a man who believes in equal access to higher education. A man who believes we should all be able to afford to live in Brooklyn.

The post-brunch crowd signed up at tables for door-knocking and volunteer shifts as vendors circulated selling Bernie Sanders pins, bandanas, and t-shirts. One man, wearing a Feel The Bern fitted hat, had already appended a small bird to it, referencing yesterdays possibly divinely-inspired moment. Several women in attendance could also be seen wearing Bernie is Bae t-shirts.

Volunteer Tabitha Holbert, a 28-year-old actor living in Brooklyn, was drawn to the campaign after seeing Sanders getting made fun of on The Daily Show.

It was a joke, but I was really curious. Why was this guy running for president? I started following him because he was such an oddity. How could a socialist run for president? When I finally saw his campaign platform, it was everything I already believed in, Holbert told Gothamist.

While the Sanders campaign has found much of its success in liberal, mostly white states, the rally appeared to reflect a diversity slightly more in keeping with Brooklyns demographics, drawing supporters of all races and ages.

At first I liked Donald Trump, but when he started talking out against Mexicans and Muslims, it got me thinking. I started looking over at the Democratic candidates, and being an undocumented person myself, I came to support Bernie Sanders. Hillary, she keeps changing her positions, said 22-year-old Gabino Morales, who lives in nearby Sunset Park.  Im 100% convinced Bernie Sanders will win New York.

The most passionate speech of the morning came from Ohio State Senator Nina Turner, who has been one of the most outspoken boosters for Sanders nationwide. Reflecting on the holiday weekend, Turner told the audience Not only was Jesus a revolutionary, but as my husband reminded me, he was a Socialist Jew. The crowd erupted. He wasnt with the status quo, he was with the people.

While many of the younger supporters voiced enthusiasm for Sanderss platform, a few older attendees were more tactical in their endorsement.

Hillary has a record, but its more like a criminal record at this point, said former City Council candidate Gwen Goodwin of East Harlem. And Trump is going to throw her under the bus in the debates. But Donald Trump has co-opted so much of Bernies good financial policies, that he cant go after him for voting for NAFTA or TPP, because he didnt. Theres nothing he can go after him on, so Trump will come out as a racist and a fascist, and Bernie will not.

Right before Kyp Malones set, the generator for the event gave out, leading organizers to resort to the Peoples Mic, a throwback to the days of Occupy. They slowly delivered instructions on how volunteers could pick up their clipboards for canvassing. After a brief pause, Malone took the stage and performed Smiling Black Faces, a song from his Rain Machine solo project.

With that, the crowd dispersed into the midday, outfitted with lists of potential voters and Bernie-approved talking points. Park Slope resident Greg Algarin, 50, shared the excitement of some of the younger supporters in attendance.

I think this makes for a great message. Hes a hometown kid done good, you know?
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The father of a flight attendant who is accused of abandoning 69 lbs of cocaine at LAX alleges that his 31-year-old daughter, Marsha Gay Reynolds, had no idea she was carrying the massive drug stockpile.

"Somebody gave her the bag," the South Jamaica, Queens man told the Post outside of his family home Saturday. Reynolds became visibly nervous when she was pulled aside for a random search at LAX last week. She quickly kicked off her heels and ran out of the airport, leaving behind luggage that contained multiple large bags of cocaine. Reynolds then made it onto a flight to New York City following her escape, but turned herself in to authorities at JFK shortly after landing.

Just before her arrest, Reynolds reportedly spoke with her father. "She broke down, of course," he said. "She said she didn't know what was in [the luggage]."

"I'm not in a good place right now," he added while speaking with the tabloid.

The drugs Reynolds had been carrying reportedly have a street value of $3 million. She was charged with cocaine possession with intent to distribute.

"She was such an ordinary kid," an anonymous friend of the flight attendant told the Post. "I only remember her as the nice, thoughtful, beautiful girl who was going to college, working and keeping in shape." Reynolds was granted a $500,000 bail package Thursday but was ordered to remain in jail until her April 7th arraignment by a California Federal Judge.
The Rodeway Inn, a beleaguered discount hotel on the Upper West Side, is at the center of a new weekend takedown piece in The New York Post. The city's infrastructure is struggling, police continue to harass innocent civilians, the MTA's budget is in shambles, the oceans are coming to drown us all, but dammit, this tumbledown flophouse has got to go!

"Something is going on there," a concerned parent told the Post. "Nobody knows for sure. Some people want to protest." The West 71st Street hotel made headlines earlier this month when burglars broke into the building's basement in broad daylight, turned off the electricity, pistol-whipped a manager, and made off with thousands of dollars. A worker at the Rodeway told CBS that the burglars had burst in wearing ski masks and immediately cut power to the building's lights and security cameras.

That led police sources to think out loud and on the record with the Post about how they were "99 percent sure it's an inside job. The perps knew the complete layout of the place."

"It doesnt belong in this neighborhood. Its crazy," resident Jackie Hashimoto told the Post earlier this month. Hashimoto also disparaged the Rodeway to CBS, stressing: "Theres always something happening, its cheap, its a cheap hotel."

And there is a lot happening at the Rodeway, which boasts 92 rooms at rates as low as $129/night. In addition to this month's robbery, a 27-year-old ex-con allegedly raped a stranger at knifepoint in the hotel last December. On June 9, 2015, it was at the homicide investigation involving a man found wrapped in plastic "after an apparent S&M session gone bad."

"Since 2006, there have been a murder, three robberies, four felony assaults, 13 burglaries, 23 grand larcenies and two auto thefts on the tree-lined block of West 71st Street between the park and Columbus Avenue," the Post found after analyzing NYPD crime stats. The paper intimates that the Rodeway is the wellspring of these disturbances. The Post adds: "On a block featuring luxury apartment buildings, brownstones, two restaurants, a Hindu temple, and many young families, the sketchy hotel does not fit in."

"What are they waiting for, something worse to happen?" the unnamed parent added.


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A review of 990PF forms filed to the IRS from 2005 to 2013 shows the pattern of giving from the Gianforte Family Foundation. Although recipients of grants in 2014 and 2015 are named on the foundations website, it does not include the value of the gifts. For a full list of recipients, visit this story online.

School choice and private schools, $13,698,066

The top recipient of foundation grants, totaling $11.1 million, is Bozemans Petra Academy, the private Christian school where Gianfortes children studied. He serves on the schools board, as well as the board of the Alliance for Choice in Education, a group that has received $2.3 million in foundation support for scholarships to Montana private schools. The foundation also has given $135,000 to the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice, another nonprofit that helps parents navigate their options and advocates for public policies to support charter and private schools. Gianforte has advocated for school choice and called a new state tax credit for private school tuition a step in the right direction. He has said he supports public schools, too, but insists that parents should get to make the decision. He has declined to discuss any related policy proposals he might bring forward.

Christian ministry, bible colleges or faith-based services, $10,854,888

The top recipients in this category were branches of Love In the Name of Christ, a national organization with local chapters that bring churches together for community service work. In total, they received $3.2 million. Another $2.8 million went to the Rafiki Foundation, which teaches the Gospel to children in Africa, and $1.8 million went to Bozemans Grace Bible Church, the Gianfortes congregation. Gifts also supported Christian colleges from Bozeman to New Zealand and faith-driven social service organizations, such as Reach Out and Care Wheels, a nonprofit that builds custom wheelchairs for people with disabilities in developing nations. Although Gianforte has openly discussed his faith in the past, it has not been a feature of his campaign that has so far focused on his business background.

Public institutions, museums and the arts, $2,470,295

The foundation reported more than $2 million in gifts to the Stevens Institute of Technology, the New Jersey college where Gianforte graduated in 1983. The foundation has reportedly pledged at least another $8 million to the university that has not yet been reported to the IRS, based on press releases from the school touting the gift as record setting. Locally, the foundation has supported Montana Shakespeare in the Parks, Intermountain Opera and the Gallatin Historical Society, among others.

Family, women's health or anti-abortion, $1,724,037

Both the Montana Family Foundation and the national advocacy group Focus on the Family have received more than $500,000 each from the Gianforte foundation. The groups promote abstinence-only sexual education, adoption by married same-sex couples and school prayer while opposing divorce, gay marriage and nondiscrimination ordinances that protect transgendered people. Others in this category include faith-based womens health centers that oppose abortion and groups, like Montana Right to Life, that advocate for its ban or at least restriction. Gianforte opposed Bozemans nondiscrimination ordinance, which created explicit protections for gays and lesbians, because he says such regulations are onerous and burdensome on businesses. He has previously said that discrimination is wrong and noted that his company hired on merit alone. Gianforte also described himself as pro-life. He declined to say if he would support legislation to expand restrictions on abortion.

Social welfare or health programs, $598,450

Foundation gifts also supported food banks, soup kitchens and health-related charities that assist people who live in poverty. Government has a responsibility to take care of people who cant take care of themselves, and I would do that as governor, Gianforte said. The best anti-poverty program is a job. Thats my primary focus. He has not offered proposals to strengthen the government safety net or specifics about any new job training programs he would create. In a Friday statement, Flint said the Department of Public Health and Human Services needs new leadership. We may also need to look at shifting some of their responsibilities to other agencies or departments if they are unable to get the ship steered in the right direction, Flint wrote. The campaign did not elaborate on what such changes might look like or why they felt the agency needed to change directions.

Creationism, $290,000

Liberal commentators have highlighted Gianfortes $290,000 in donations to the Foundation Advancing Creation Truth, the belief of some Christians that the Earth is 6,000 years old based on a literal interpretation of the Bible. The Glendive-based nonprofit operates a museum that shows early man living alongside dinosaurs. Gianforte has dismissed the comments as attacks on his faith and irrelevant to his campaigns goal to bring more jobs to Montana.

Conservative advocacy, $138,500

The foundation has supported members of the State Policy Network, such as the Montana Policy Institute. These nonprofit research and advocacy groups support conservative causes and are backed by superdonors, the Koch brothers. Gifts also have gone to two groups -- the Alliance Defending Freedom and the American Center for Law and Justice -- that fight in courts to protect religious freedoms, such as prayer in schools. The alliance also has opposed abortion and argued that healthcare workers have the right to opt out of participating in morally objectionable procedures. Asked if he could point to examples of religious freedom being infringed in Montana, he paused and said Im just thinking but did not name any incidences. When asked if he would support an Indiana-style religious freedom law, he has noted that the First Amendment already guarantees that freedom. Also among the top recipients in this category is the Foundation for Research on Economics and the Environment, which advocates for transferring ownership of federal lands to local trusts. Gianforte has said he does not think transferring ownership is likely to happen, but is interested in exploring options to contract with federal authorities for the state to manage those lands.

Conservation or outdoors, $2,200

A few small gifts have gone to Ducks Unlimited, the Montana Wildlife Federation and Touch the Sky, a group that encourages children to get outdoors. Gianforte has mentioned his love of hiking and hunting on the campaign trail but not proposed any related policies.

Other, $178,000

The foundation also has given to groups that did not neatly fit these categories. They included the Veritas Forum, a group that organizes public panels where Christian thinkers discuss big why questions with leaders of other faiths, and Wonders of Science, a magic-like show by a retired Christian school leader and doctor that promotes interest in science.
MISSOULA -- The Gianforte Family Foundation formed in 2004 as the charitable outlet for Bozeman tech entrepreneurs Susan and Greg Gianforte, who grew the nonprofit into Montana's second largest foundation behind only the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, according to a Lee State Bureau analysis of federal nonprofit records.

In 2005, the Gianforte Foundation made eight gifts totaling $150,384. In 2013, the latest year for which public records are available, the foundation issued 80 grants totaling almost $6 million, leaving it with $133 million in assets. The next largest trust, The Bair Ranch Foundation of Billings, held $91 million in assets and gifted $2 million that same year.

Gianforte, now running to become Montana's next governor, has talked little about his social stances, insisting that his campaign is focused on economic development. In the silence, his Democrat opponents have started to point to the foundation's giving as proof of an out of the mainstream agenda. Political scientists have described the donations as typical for a socially conservative Republican.

In an interview with the Lee State Bureau, Gianforte discussed some details of his familys giving but largely disagreed that it was relevant to his campaign to become governor.

Weve been incredibly blessed and we feel an obligation to give back, and thats the reason weve given more than half our income away in the last 10 years and why I am stepping up to offer my services to bring business expertise to get Montana out of being 49th in wages, he said. It all stems from the same root of wanting to serve, but they are two distinct, separate areas.

Asked what voters might learn about the policy stances and worldview of Gianforte the candidate from the spending and advocacy of Gianforte the philanthropist, campaign spokesman Aaron Flint called the question flawed, if not outright inappropriate.

Why isn't Bullock being asked about his faith, his charitable contributions (or lack thereof), organizations he associates with, and where he goes to church? Flint wrote in an email Friday. Greg and Susan donated 55 percent of their income to charity. Over $100 million given to charities -- mostly here in Montana. Montanans see this as a good thing. Its a giant leap to suggest that just because someone gives their own money to a charity, that they will then as a result give taxpayer money to that same charity.

Although the Gianfortes have given more than $100 million to their foundation, only about a third of that has been spent. Flint did not respond to two requests for details on foundation giving in 2014 and 2015. He has previously said that all the familys personal giving is done through the foundation.

Until Friday, Bullocks campaign had declined to say whether they would release tax returns and details of the familys charitable giving as the Gianfortes have done. Jason Pitt, campaign spokesman for Montana Democrats, now says those documents would be released in April after the Bullocks finish their 2015 filings.

Political scientists watching the campaign disagreed with Flint that the foundations giving was not fair game for voters to evaluate, describing the gifts as particularly illustrative for a candidate without any prior experience in public office.

Some of the earliest critiques from the left on this stuff were premature and way overblown and bordering on a kind of intolerance, University of Montana political scientist Rober Saldin said, referencing statements and blog posts by Democrats late last year that he thought might have focused too closely on Gianfortes faith. Now, were months into this thing and the primary is approaching. These are legitimate social-issue questions. Hes going to have to address them at some point.

Jeremy Johnson, a Carroll College politics professor, agreed that Democrats could use the donations as fodder in future campaign attacks while voters might start to evaluate the Republican beyond his focus to-date on economic issues.

He has donated to a large number of organizations that all share an agenda to promote conservatism in policy making, Johnson said. Although his campaign has not yet discussed policy positions in detail we can infer he has strong ideological convictions based on the sheer number of such donations.

Of the 395 grants awarded from 2005 to 2013, nearly half went to 52 Christian missions or faith-based social service organizations. Those donations totaled $10.8 million, about a third of the foundations spending. Another third, or $11.1 million, was gifted to Bozemans Petra Academy, the Christian private school attended by the Gianforte children and where Greg serves on the board.

We support these charities because we believe in the work theyre doing and having an impact in the community. We tend to give to organizations that we have relationships with and where we have confidence in their leadership, Gianforte said. We give to hundreds, so I dont want to get into individual charities.

Others want to do just that.

This is about the values and priorities that Greg Gianforte would bring to the governors office, Bullock campaign spokesman Eric Hyers said.

The donations that have drawn the most scrutiny in recent months are those that supported organizations advocating on social issues, often in addition to related educational or health programs. Some groups oppose gay marriage, seek to ban or restrict abortions, file lawsuits to defend religious freedoms such as prayer in schools, promote creationism and denounce evolution, propose transferring federal lands to state control or local trusts, and push for taxpayer-funded vouchers to private schools.

I dont see anything thats surprising for a non-denominational Christian and conservative Republican. Thats in addition to the plenty of apolitical donations to the arts and public universities and the like, Saldin said. It does suggest a social conservatism that hasnt been a prominent part of his campaign.

Gianforte has spoken briefly about some of the same issues when pressed by media, such as affirming his interest in proposals to transfer management, but not ownership, of federal lands to the state. On other topics, he has declined to discuss details or confirm his stance as a candidate. For instance, he said he is pro-life but refused to talk about whether he would support anti-abortion legislation as governor.

When asked about his charitable giving, Gianforte often emphasizes that IRS rules expressly prohibit private foundations, such as the one organized by his family, from contributing to political causes.

Every donation has gone to a 501(c)3 for non-political work, he said.

Denise Roth Barber, managing director of the National Institute on Money in State Politics in Helena, said political spending is narrowly defined in federal tax law primarily to limit or ban donations to campaigns. Depending on how nonprofits are organized, many can still promote policy stances or send report cards to voters that grade candidates on issues in addition to running community programs.

Nonprofits that are organized to do social welfare can engage fully in communications to the public about their issue. Thats what the majority of nonprofits do, she said. These groups can speak loud, speak clear and identify whatever candidate they want to. Theyre not limited on speaking, but disclosure requirements kick in when they do identify someone on the ballot.

With the passage of the Montana Disclose Act in 2015, those nonprofits will have to publicly disclose such spending to the Commissioner of Political Practices during the campaign season. They will have to identify the contributors who paid for political messages, but not those who supported other programmatic or operational costs. An original source could legally be obscured when one nonprofit donates general purpose funding to another nonprofit which then spends on electioneering.

As long as it mentions a candidate or a race then it is electioneering communication even if it doesnt take a position for or against a particular candidate, Commissioner Jonathan Motl said.

To date, none of the nonprofits that received gifts from the Gianforte Foundation and that are known to have spent money on campaign-related issue ads in previous election cycles -- such as Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group largely funded by conservative super donors the Koch brothers -- have yet to register with the commissioner.

University of Montana political science professor Christopher Muste cautioned that personal priorities, as might be inferred from the foundations grants, do not always translate into policy actions.

Those questions will have to be answered on the campaign trail, he said. If Gianforte doesnt elaborate, it could be a serious issue for moderate and independent voters.

Hell have to address it or risk losing them.
BOUSRA, Cambodia (AP)  For generations, the indigenous Bunong were famous as the great elephant keepers and masters of the forests in eastern Cambodia. They called the fertile, rolling hills of their ancestral homeland "meh ne," or mother  a source of food, livelihoods and self-identity.

From its rich red soil, they harvested rice, pumpkins and bananas. From the towering forests, they gathered honey, resin and medicinal plants. Under the leafy canopies, they buried their dead and worshipped spirits they believed lived in the rocks and trees.

All that changed in 2008, when without warning, bulldozers started razing their fields and forests to make way for rubber plantations the government had granted to a European-Cambodian joint venture that will likely feed China's burgeoning car market.

The long-term land leases, called economic land concessions, were meant to promote development in the poor, rural province of Mondulkiri, but for the roughly 800 Bunong families displaced from their ancestral land, the projects brought mostly hardship and loss.

It's a pattern that has been repeated across the country. The Cambodian human rights group LICADHO estimates that more than 200 concessions and other state-linked land deals have harmed half a million people. The U.N. has called land conflicts, including those created by the long-term leases, the country's No. 1 human rights problem.

In the seven villages of Bousra commune, losing land has meant residents must earn money to buy rice they once were able to grow. Yet most plantation jobs have gone to outsiders. Despite promised development, many roads are still dirt, sometimes impassable in rainy season.

Kop Let, wife of a village chief, says she struggles to feed her extended 17-member family after the plantation swallowed most of the family's 12 hectares (30 acres). She grows cassava as a cash crop on her remaining slice of land, sells homemade rice wine and has taken out a $3,000 loan. She worries that with the loss of land, her culture is dying out.

"Since I lost the farmland, I have now become a poor woman," she says. "Our identity as a people is disappearing little by little."

In a global land rush, many countries have sold or leased huge tracts to foreign investors, sometimes forcing out those who lived there. Josie Cohen, land campaigner at Global Witness, which investigates economic networks behind environmental destruction, said such leases are "altering the very fabric of rural societies" in Cambodia and nearby Laos and Myanmar, with ethnic minorities often suffering the most.

The Bunong say they never were warned their land would be taken and were not offered compensation before the land started to be cleared, two steps required under Cambodian law. Many say they felt forced to accept compensation when it was eventually offered, though they considered it inadequate.

Government officials failed to make developers comply with legal requirements for receiving concessions. And while Cambodia's 2001 Land Law protects the rights of indigenous peoples to manage their traditional land, it has been of no use to Bunong affected by the rubber plantations around Bousra.

The three joint ventures operating the plantations are held mostly by Socfinasia, a unit of Socfin, a Luxembourg-based agro-industrial company. Cambodian developer Khaou Chuly Development Co., or KCD, is a partner in two.

Socfin says the government invited it to develop the area and that it complied with the law. It disputes the villagers' account, saying they were informed and compensated beforehand, but it declined to provide evidence.

Socfin CEO Luc Boedt said the plantations, jobs and new markets have transformed the area.

"We brought wealth to a place where there was nothing," he told The Associated Press in an interview in Brussels.

"Bousra was a few huts," he said. "Now it's a little town."

Environment Minister Say Sam Al declined to comment on the Socfin leases, saying he wasn't familiar with the details. He defended the overall program but acknowledged problems in carrying it out.

"The idea was to build an economic pillar ... and in the process we hoped to improve the livelihoods of our people," he told the AP. "But I don't deny that in the implementation of the policy, we had problems. But we are changing that now."

Criticism of the overall program led the government to put a moratorium on new land leases in 2012 and to review each one. It has revoked 40, but many disputes remain.

Today, the hills around Bousra are covered in rows of rubber trees. Gigantic stumps and fallen trunks protrude here and there, reminders of the ancient forests. After seven years, many rubber trees are nearly ready to be tapped for their milky latex.

Many Bunong want their land back, but feel they have no recourse.

"We often complained to the authorities and the government about our land problems, but they didn't really care," villager Yin Rouey said. "They consider the Bunong as just stupid or uneducated people." Cambodia's Khmer majority, in fact, sometimes uses the word "Bunong" as an insult.

Most villagers are trying to negotiate with Socfin and key shareholder Bollore Group to seek better roads, services and jobs and to settle various disputes. They have joined forces with communities in four African countries  Cameroon, Liberia, Ivory Coast and Sierra Leone  that also have protested Socfin operations.

A smaller group of 83 villagers is taking legal action  not in Cambodia's corruption-prone court system but in Paris, next to the town where Bollore is based. They are suing the company, which holds 39 percent of Socfin, for their land to be returned, plus damages. Bollore declined to comment on the dispute.

"We have been waiting for negotiations and justice since 2008, when our hair was black," said one plaintiff, Plang Sin. "But now our hair is gray."
DECATUR  Vietnam War-era veterans have been painted in movies and other media as disgruntled, homeless misfits, often addicted to drugs or alcohol, with a large number suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder.

But Jerry Lay, who served as a helicopter pilot in Vietnam, told a group of veterans that they were just as great as the Greatest Generation, and mostly returned home to build successful careers and raise their families.

We served our country as honorably as our fathers did, said Lay, of Minooka, who served 38 years in the Army and Illinois Army National Guard. Our treatment was unfair, unwarranted and unprecedented. We had to overcome unfair stereotypes to succeed.

Lay, who was injured in Vietnam but returned to active duty during the Iraq War, was the keynote speaker at the fourth annual Vietnam Era Veterans Program, held Saturday in the Decatur Civic Center.

About 450 veterans and family members attended the event, which included a free lunch, a speech by documentarian Nicholas Walsh, a group photo of the veterans and plenty of time to socialize.

Lay told Army jokes, such as how a report complaining of a noise coming from beneath an aircraft instrument panel, which sounded like a midget pounding something with a hammer received a helpful response.

Someone assured the complainant that he took the hammer away from the midget.

On a more somber note, Lay, who also flew helicopters in Iraq with the National Guard from 2003 to 2004, said there were 2,202 helicopter pilots killed during the Vietnam War, as well as 2,704 nonpilot crew members.

Mostly a pilot of UH-1 Huey helicopters in Vietnam, Lay said more than 2,700 people were killed in those aircraft during the war.

Harold Stein, 91, of Decatur served in the Army and Army National Guard from the day he was drafted in 1943 during World War II to his retirement in 1976. His service included Vietnam and Korea.

When Stein heard Lay speak of the high rate of loss of helicopter pilots, that dredged up memories of some of the most difficult duties he had to perform during his career. When he was serving as an adviser to the National Guard's 66th Infantry Brigade in Decatur, one of his assignments was to notify the families of those who lost their lives in Vietnam.

I made notification of two helicopter pilots, he said, adding one was near Mattoon, while the other was in Shelbyville. At one of the homes, where he showed up at 2 a.m., there was a widow who was just 22 years old, with two preschool-age children.

Stein recently received a letter from that woman, in which she said he helped her in her time of despair. The woman remembered the kindness Stein had shown her more than 40 years ago. She wrote him after she saw a notice in the Herald & Review announcing his birthday.

She wrote in the letter, I will never forget you.

Stein attended the event Saturday with Beverly, his wife of 60 years, also an Army veteran. They met in New York City, his hometown, where she was assigned as an Army recruiter, while he worked one floor higher in the same building in the district recruiting command headquarters.

Harold Stein, who served as a tank platoon leader during World War II and base defense commander in Vietnam, said his Army career turned out to be a good one, despite hardships.

I entered as a private, retired as a lieutenant colonel, he said, adding that he earned a bachelor's and master's degree and went on to a successful business career after his service retirement.

But his military life was not without hardships.

Stein was almost killed by the Germans on four occasions. He was taken prisoner after his light tank was destroyed in Germany, and injured as he tried to escape capture. But he was released by the Germans just 15 days later, when U.S. soldiers of the 78th Infantry Division attacked at his prison camp.

Stein said he enjoyed the Vietnam welcome home event, the first one that he and Beverly attended. He liked the main speaker, but had some difficulty hearing some of his words, due to service-related hearing impairment.

While I was in Vietnam, my quarters were just behind a 175mm artillery battery, he said. They fired all night long.

Dave Freyling, one of the event's organizers, said next year's event will be the last one for only Vietnam veterans. From 2018 on, an event will be held the last Saturday of every March to honor military veterans from all eras.
Gov. Bruce Rauner said last week hes trying to arrange a face-to-face meeting with House Speaker Michael Madigan to discuss how to solve the states budget impasse.

So far, Madigan hasnt responded to the offer. Madigan, the all-powerful leader of the Democratic Party, may be thinking he holds the upper hand. Candidates backed by Madigan defeated Rauner-backed candidates in two primary elections on March 15. Rauner said citizens shouldnt put much stock in the results of two primary races. Hes right, except that in Illinois politics is paramount. That places a lot of emphasis on races that normally wouldnt attract attention outside of their local districts.

The budget impasse will enter its 10th month later this week. Although some believed there might be progress on the budget once the March 15 primary was over, there doesnt seem to be much momentum toward resolving the issue.

Thats unfortunate, since the impasse is hurting the states economy. Not only are state agencies and those that depend on state funding suffering, but nearly every business in the state is feeling the effects of this fiasco. Businesses are understandably reluctant to make investments or add jobs without knowing the impact of an eventual budget solution.

The situation isnt going to get any easier. Its estimated that the states unpaid bill backlog will reach $10 billion by the end of June. That hits close to home in a lot of little ways. The city of Taylorville, for example, voted last week to start charging the state a late fee for water fees at the state prison located there. The unpaid bill is more than $250,000.

The beginning of the 2016-17 fiscal year is just a little more than three months away. Its possible, some say probable, Illinois could enter its second year in a row without a workable budget.

Both sides have been irresponsible. Early on, Rauner focused too much on anti-union rhetoric, allowing good ideas like workers' compensation reform and giving local governments more say in what can be bargained in contracts to become buried.

At the same time, Madigan and the Democrats in the House and Senate have yet to propose a budget that is any way balanced. The General Assembly did pass a budget onto Rauner last spring, but it was at least $4 billion out of balance and included no tax or fee increases to make up the difference. Rauner vetoed all but the education spending portion of the budget. However, if that budget had been approved, the states financial situation would have been similar. In recent actions, the Democrats have passed spending bills, but have not addressed how to pay for them. Spending money the state doesnt have isnt governing.

Until Madigan, Rauner and the rest of the General Assembly understand that this budget will require real solutions, and not politically-expedient ones, the debacle will continue. Whats needed is something that has been sorely lacking in Illinois government for years, statesmanship and leadership.
DECATUR  Nate Brohard is among the Richland Community College Culinary Arts Institute students looking forward to eating and seeing how authentic Italian food is prepared.

Brohard has a goal to open an Italian restaurant with pizza baked in a brick oven. A spring trip with 18 students to Italy will be an experience that brings back memories for Brohard, who spent time as a child there and in other countries.

You really can't make a restaurant authentic unless you experience it, said Brohard, who now lives in Warrensburg. We don't have many gourmet authentic pizza places.

The immersion trip May 28-June 12 in partnership with Millikin University is just one of the many experiences Richland offers its culinary arts students, said Chef Brian Tucker, Culinary Arts Institute director. It has more than 60 students participating in the program, he said.

Richland has offered similar trips in the past, including two to China and one last year to Malaysia and Singapore, Tucker said.

We had a translator for the students in China, but they understood what was going on as they watched, Tucker said. Food is part of a shared international experience.

The students return to the U.S. after the trips and relate their experiences with other students and share what they learned through events such as a recent scholarship dinner the students organized, Tucker said. The scholarship dinner featured a 10-course meal based on cuisine from Malaysia and Singapore, including shrimp noodles and pork dumplings along with chicken and rice.

Tucker said the group will start in Urbania, then travel to the Emilia-Romagna region to learn about prosciutto, Parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar.

They will pass on what they learned at next year's scholarship dinner, Tucker said. It makes the students more well-rounded. They've experienced a different cuisine. It will be life changing for some students, some who have never flown before.

Ember Workman of Moweaqua is one of the students who has never left the country. She's eager to experience the Italian culture and will hold a sponsor dinner for those who have supported her studies based on what she learned sometime after the group returns.

They throw us into it, said Workman, who works at the Bistro Five Thirty Seven student-operated restaurant along with the Coffee House at Richland. The whole experience is hands-on. The more I do something, the better I get at it.

Workman is hoping to go into catering once she finishes culinary classes.

Tucker said running Bistro Five Thirty Seven is beneficial for the students, who learn all aspects of operating a restaurant from food preparation to service. He said the restaurant puts everything they learn throughout the program together.
A Portage voter waits to get his ballot in the spring 2015 election.
MADISON  The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation is best known for its work around global health and development, education and energy, but its also home to the equivalent of a venture capital fund that invests in emerging biotechnology and health companies.

Erik Iverson, who will become managing director of the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation this summer, helped get that fund off the ground during his seven-year stint at the foundation. Launched with about $400 million, the fund is now in the billion-dollar stratosphere and reaping returns on its early investments.

I remember the day when (Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates) asked: So, how can we better follow up on our own grants? Before long we started making equity and debt investments, Iverson recalled this week.

Thats one example of Iversons connections to the worlds of venture capital, technology transfer, academic research, law and business  all qualities he hopes to bring to his new role at WARF.

Iverson, who is now president of Business and Operations at the Infectious Disease Research Institute in Seattle, Washington, will succeed Carl Gulbrandsen, who will retire this summer after more than 16 years in WARFs top management seat. Iversons selection by WARFs board of directors signals a recommitment to initiatives pioneered by Gulbrandsen, especially in connecting large and small companies to WARF patents and licenses.

Working with companies is near and dear to my heart, Iverson said. That includes startups and emerging firms as well as some of the worlds pharmaceutical leaders, some of which have partnered with IDRI to develop vaccines and other technologies to fight infectious disease.

Iversons combination of well-rounded expertise and global connections should make him a strong fit at WARF, which is one of the oldest and largest university-affiliated tech transfer offices in the United States.

WARF was formed in 1925 to commercialize a Wisconsin professors vitamin D discovery that essentially wiped out rickets. Today, it manages more than 1,700 patents and an investment portfolio of $2.6 billion. It returns tens of millions of dollars to UW-Madison each year, works with campus startup companies, underwrites the Wisconsin Institutes for Discovery, and helps to support the WiSys Technology Foundation, which manages intellectual property for all other UW System campuses outside of UW-Milwaukee.

As respected as WARF is, nationally and internationally, it faces challenges in a world where development of drugs, diagnostics and medical devices takes time and lots of money. Its also a world in which patents are not the preferred source of intellectual property protection for software companies, which have shorter shelf lives. In addition, the rise of Internet-based peer review is changing traditional pathways for validating scientific research.

Finally, and, perhaps, most important, the flattening of federal aid for academic research since the mid-2000s has meant less funding for basic and applied research, which translates to fewer disclosures and patents. Still, WARF ranked seventh in the world in a review of 2014 U.S. utility patents filed by universities.

Iverson said he believes his contacts with countries outside the United States, a product of his work with the Gates Foundation and IDRI, could expand WARFs relationships around the world while building on The Wisconsin Idea. Recent examples at IDRI include the creation of Afrigen to transfer vaccine breakthroughs to nations that need them, and a partnership with Sanofi Pasteur to establish the Global Health Vaccine Center of Innovation.

Its also likely his knowledge of information, agricultural and cleantech technologies will help Iverson better understand how scientific disciplines can work together to remove procedural speed bumps.

When this native of Moorhead, Minnesota, packs his bags in Seattle for the move to Madison, he should bring with him an outsiders perspective that will help Wisconsin better define its economic future, and a Midwestern sense of getting things done. Thats promising news for Wisconsin.
Coming off two wins on Saturday, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders told a Madison crowd of more than 8,000 that Wisconsin is key to knocking off opponent and front-runner Hillary Clinton in the Democratic presidential contest.

Sanders, a self-declared Democratic socialist, gave a fiery, hour-long speech to an estimated 8,100 people at the Alliant Energy Centers Exposition Hall focusing on his populist message of being an independent candidate not beholden to heavy campaign contributors, and who would implement plans aimed at boosting the middle class and minorities.

While Sanders had won Saturday caucuses in Alaska and Washington  with results from Hawaiis caucus pending  former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is on solid footing to be the Democratic nominee.

Even so, Sanders said Saturday now we are coming big time into Wisconsin.

This is what momentum is. When we began this campaign, we were at 3 or 4 percent in the polls  60 points behind Secretary Clinton, said Sanders. Dont let anybody tell you we cant win the nomination or win the general election. We are going to do both of those things.

Sanders touted his plans for a Medicare-for-all, single-payer health care system, three months of paid leave for new mothers and fathers and a plan to provide free tuition to all students at public colleges and community colleges.

Fifty years ago, you had a high school degree and you could go out in this economy and could probably get yourself a damn good job and decent pay, Sanders said. The world has changed. The economy has changed. Technology has changed. Today, in many respects, a college degree is the equivalent to what a high school degree was 50 years ago and that is wrong.

To loud cheers, Sanders said free tuition and allowing graduates with student debt to refinance at the lowest available interest rates are key to improving the economy.

This is not a radical idea. Dont let anybody tell you this is a radical idea, Sanders said.

Sanders on Saturday also blasted Gov. Scott Walker on recent legislation that requires identification to vote, calling him cowardly.

In a time when this country has one of the lowest voter turnouts of any major country on earth, the idea that Gov. Walker, or any other governor who would make it harder to participate in political process, is beyond comprehension, Sanders said.

Sanders also poked fun at Republican candidates Texas Sen. Ted Cruz and real estate mogul Donald Trumps feud, recently illustrated with Cruz calling Trump a sniveling coward for making fun of Cruzs wifes appearance in a tweet.

The Republican candidates think elections are about attacking each others wives. Or behaving as if they were 10-year-olds in a food fight in a cafeteria, Sanders said. These Republicans are not just an embarrassment for the American people, they are an embarrassment for sane Republicans.

Madison Mayor Paul Soglin, one of a number of speakers opening the event, said Sanders was the only presidential candidate who wasnt beholden to special interests and created policy proposals with middle-class families and workers in mind.

The (current) agenda includes too many tax breaks for those who exploit workers in this country and abroad, Soglin said to a cheering crowd. Lets get a couple things straight  tax breaks for the rich do not create jobs.

Tax breaks for the rich make billionaires wealthier and concentrate their power so that public schools fail, bridges collapse and poison water flows into our homes, schools and our hospitals, said Soglin, referring to the water crisis in Flint, Michigan.

Substitute teacher Karen Urquidi, 56, said she came to the Madison rally to help figure out whether she wouldultimately support Sanders or Trump, the current GOP front-runner. She said after the rally she still hadnt made up her mind.

Urquidi said shes interested in the candidates plans to improve the economy, and especially in Sanders plan for free college tuition  a proposal that could cost $750 billion over 10 years.

Im trying to get a grip on if thats realistic, she said of Sanders plans. But the system needs changing, so lets get with it.

Lana Laney, 53, of Milton said her 19-year-old son Austin Lapper turned her on to Sanders campaign. Laney, a single mother, said Sanders free college plan would have greatly helped her sons search for the right college.

Lapper, a freshman at UW-Milwaukee, would have looked for a college better suited for his major  acting  rather than picking the college that was most affordable, Laney said.

Tuition is outrageous, Laney said. Its hard for us ... just trying to get him through college. He might have went somewhere more beneficial for his career (if tuition were free).Urquidi said the tipping point for her in narrowing down her choices to Sanders and Trump was the desire for a candidate that had true independence.

They dont seem to be bought by special interests, she said of Sanders and Trump.

Sanders is trailing Clinton in the delegate count, and national political observers view Wisconsin as a potential last stand for his campaign.

Clinton will campaign in Wisconsin on Monday and Tuesday, with events in Madison, Milwaukee, La Crosse and Green Bay. She is expected to talk about her plans to break down barriers that hold Americans back and to encourage state residents to take advantage of early voting, which ends Friday, according to her campaign. Additional details have not yet been announced.Clintons daughter Chelsea visited Madison, Milwaukee and Waukesha on Thursday.
Dane County faces big decisions on the Alliant Energy Center, the county jail, rural development and a homeless center.

The State Journal met with eight candidates seeking four competitive seats on the County Board in the April 5 election. The candidates highlighted here are best prepared to tackle the countys many challenges:

DISTRICT 1

Mary Kolar

This retired Navy captain has served ably on the County Board for three years and deserves another term. Kolar showed her commitment to Madisons lakes by pressing a pipeline company for answers  and insurance  in case of a spill. She also gets the need for urban growth and better transportation options to help the economy. Representing the citys Downtown, Kolars support is key to opening a day shelter for the homeless along East Washington Avenue. Her opponent, Rob Dz Franklin, is eager to serve, and we urge him to stay involved. A musician and library worker who lives near the top of State Street, Franklin knows Downtown and its challenges well. But Kolars experience and knowledge offer Downtown residents more effective leadership.

DISTRICT 5

Hayley Young

This recent UW-Madison graduate has the best handle on campus and county issues directly affecting her student-dominated district. Young also has political experience leading campus groups and working at the state Capitol as a legislative aide. That will give her more ability to get things done for her younger constituents, such as lake protection, bicycle trails and funding for a rape crisis center. She supports a day resource center for the homeless, who now congregate on State Street near campus. Her attention to data is welcome, as she targets racial disparities in the criminal justice system. Her opponent, UW-Madison sophomore Angelito Tenorio, is enthusiastic and well connected to campus life. But Young offers more specifics and tenacity.

DISTRICT 18

Adam Tobias

This Madison native and former journalist thinks Madisons North Side is being left behind, citing the looming closure of the Oscar Mayer plant and brazen crime. He wants the county to help the city find a food manufacturer or other user of the Mayer site. Noting the plants proximity to the airport, hed like to lure a hotel and perhaps create a high-tech incubator. Tobias is open to public investment in the site. His search for North Side solutions is welcome. So is his attention to good government priorities, including nonpartisan redistricting for supervisory seats and a commitment to open meetings. His opponent, Michele Ritt, a special education teacher, is friendly and focused on helping the homeless. But Tobias offers more attention to the North Sides economy and jobs.

DISTRICT 28

Nikole Nikki Jones

Jones was appointed to fill a vacant seat on the Dane County Board in October and has proven a quick study. She wants to balance rural development with environmental protection, noting this western Dane County district is a gateway to the scenic Driftless Area. Jones wants to help farmers succeed while luring more visitors to the area for recreation, which is good for the economy. The pharmaceutical sales representative and mother of four is engaging and thoughtful. We appreciate her opponent John Brixys call for careful spending. Hes a Blue Mounds town supervisor. But the well-rounded Jones shows more promise as a consensus builder.
Athens Macedonian News Agency: News in English, 16-03-27 Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article From: The Athens News Agency at <http://www.ana.gr/> CONTENTS [01] Calm restored to Idomeni after earlier tension eases [01] Calm restored to Idomeni after earlier tension eases A rumour that the borders were about to open was the cause of tension on Sunday in the refugee and migrant camp in Idomeni, next to Greece's northern border with the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM), with the refugees and migrants split into opposing camps: those that believed the rumours and those trying to dissuade them. The two sides were ranged against each other on the railway tracks in the no-man's land, with one group determined to cross the border and the other trying to explain that the border was not about to open and that it was futile. Calm was eventually restored by Sunday afternoon, after some intense arguments and heated moments, monitored by a strong police presence on both sides of the border. The Greek police, with announcements in Arabic and Farsi, tried to dissuade people from gathering, warning that the border will not open and that their lives would be in danger if they attempted to cross. Those massing at the border included people in wheelchairs and everyone was holding hands and waving white paper napkins in order to demonstrate - as they said - their peaceful intentions. Many were holding placards with the message "Don't strike us," "Freedom of movement is everyone's right," "Open the Borders" and "No violence. We only want to pass." Those gathering on the lines since early on Sunday were not only refugees and migrants from the camp but also from the relocation centres, such as Nea Kavala and Giannitsa, who had heard the rumours. "We heard that the borders will open today and we came to pass. They told us that the Red Cross is with us and 500 journalists from all over the world," said a young Syrian that had come with a group from Giannitsa earlier on Sunday. Italian activitists that arrived in Idomeni on Saturday and were reportedly among those inciting the refugees to attempt to cross the border on Sunday denied connection with the rumour. Athens News Agency: News in English Directory - Previous Article - Next Article
A Tsunami Is About The Hit The Music Business And Paul McCartney Is Riding The Wave

News that Paul McCartney was taking advantage of a US Copyright Act provision that allows songwriters to reclaim their catalog after 56 years has sent shock waves through the music industry. Imagine the impact on the bottom lines over the next decade as UMG, WMG and Sony lose revenue from hit song after hit song as songwriters exercise their rights.

___________________________________

Paul McCartney, one of the 10 richest musicians in the world, has launched a bid to reclaim the publishing rights of at least some of The Beatles' back catalog.

According to Billboard, McCartney filed a termination notice for 32 songs with the US Copyright Office in December, taking advantage of the US copyright act of 1976, which gives songwriters an opportunity to reclaim rights after 56 years.

UPDATE: The number of songs in McCartney's filing has now been reported to total 178.

The earliest songs in the Lennon-McCartney catalog become available for reclamation in 2018. An unnamed source told Billboard that McCartney would only regain the rights for his half of the compositions he wrote with John Lennon. Moreover, the act only applies to music in the U.S., so Sony/ATV would retain rights to the music for the rest of the world.

Early on in their career, The Beatles, following advice from their manager Brian Epstein, formed a publishing company, Northern Songs, with British music publisher Dick James. In 1967, James abruptly sold his stake in the company to ATV Music for 1.5m, without offering The Beatles an opportunity to purchase the rights for themselves.

Michael Jackson later acquired ATV's catalog for $41.5m and later sold his stake to Sony.

via CelebrityAccess

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YouTube, Google Play Reverse Course, Join T-Mobiles Binge On Free Streaming Plan

Google has been a strong public supporter of net neutrality and critic of "throttling" which would favor specific content providers. Apparently, those standards don't apply to its own Google Play and YouTube divisions.

By Karl Bode of Techdirt

Last year you'll recall that T-Mobile launched its "Binge On" zero rating program, which exempts the biggest video services from the company's usage caps (aka "zero rating"). Net neutrality advocates quickly complained that the practice violated net neutrality, since the very act of giving some companies an advantage automatically disadvantages some others. After T-Mobile spent some time lying about the nature of the program, the EFF came out with a detailed report noting that T-Mobile was just throttling all video files back to 1.5 Mbps, whether the content was being streamed or directly downloaded.

Net neutrality advocates like the EFF argued that the program should be opt in instead of opt out, voicing concerns that T-mobile continues to ignore. YouTube similarly initially complained about the program and that video partners were being throttled by default. But in a matter of months, Alphabet/Google appears to have completely changed its mind, issuing a new blog post that says it's now partnering with T-Mobile to zero rate Google Play Movies and YouTube content traveling over the T-Mobile network.

According to YouTube, T-Mobile made a number of changes to Binge On that satisfied YouTube's concerns, including new "short codes" that let users more easily opt out. T-Mobile also apparently was willing to listen to YouTube's concerns about throttling partner services by default with no dialogue between companies:

"While T-Mobile has always stated that any video service can join the program at no charge, prior to our discussions, video services were not given a choice about whether their streams would be managed by T-Mobile if they did not join the program. Going forward, any video service meeting traffic-identificationrequirements will be able to opt-out, and T-Mobile will stop including them in the Binge On program and will no longer modify their video streams. In addition, T-Mobile will now work with video services that wish to optimize their own streams, using an average data rate limit. This allows video services to offer users an improved video experience, even at lower data rates, by taking advantage of innovations such as video compression technology, benefiting T-Mobile, their customers, and video providers.

To be clear it's good that T-Mobile is being slightly more transparent, even though it lied pretty consistently about what it was actually doing in the first place. It's also great that the company is providing better, simpler opt-out tools for consumers (dial #263# to turn Binge on off, and dial #266# to turn it on again). And it's also a major improvement that T-Mobile's letting video service providers opt out, while giving companies more control over precisely how video traffic is managed. The problem is that none of this solves the core problem with zero rating: the horrible precedent set by zero rating in the first place.

The superficial consumer lure of "free data" overshadows the fact that zero rating, no matter how much lipstick you put on it, still puts some companies at a market disadvantage. In a press release announcing YouTube's inclusion, T-Mobile crows that there's now 50 Binge On video partners. But how many video services exist on the Internet? 500? 1000? How many non-profits, educational services, startups, and independents still aren't being whitelisted by T-Mobile's systems? How many even realize they're being put at a market disadvantage to bigger companies?

By opening the door to zero rating a sliver, we've opened the door to fundamentally changing how Internet business works. That's why numerous regulators in India, Japan, The Netherlands and elsewhere have banned zero rating outright. Here in the States, the FCC, wary of hindering usage cap driven "innovation," decided to let the zero rating story play out, addressing anti-competitive behavior on a "case by case basis." But the FCC has failed to act, and that failure has not only resulted in T-mobile's Binge On (potentially bad), but companies like Verizon and Comcast now exempting their own content from caps (immeasurably worse).

Despite its faux-punk-rock consumer friendly rhetoric, T-Mobile has never been a fan of net neutrality, repeatedly coming out against both net neutrality rules and the FCC's Title II push. Google, once a net neutrality champion, has consistently weakened its position on the subject as it realized it too could benefit from a distorted playing field (especially in mobile).

Because users get "free data" doesn't mean zero rating is a good idea. Because YouTube's now happy that it has a little more control, doesn't make zero rating a good idea. Because users and companies can opt out, doesn't negate zero rating's negative impact on the Internet economy. Because all-too-many consumers, analysts and journalists don't really understand what's happening here doesn't make zero rating a good idea. Setting arbitrary usage caps and then letting somecompanies bypass them aggressively distorts the entire landscape of the Internet. But because so many folks still don't appear to understand this, we're down the zero rating rabbit hole. And it's not really clear if we're ever coming back.

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The event marks a major milestone in Bentley's history, as customer cars for the brand's fourth model line - built in Crewe alongside the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Mulsanne.

By India Today Web Desk: Bentley Motors on March 22 handed over the first Bentayga to customers, at an exclusive event at the company's global headquarters in Crewe.

The event marks a major milestone in Bentley's history, as customer cars for the brand's fourth model line - built in Crewe alongside the Continental GT, Flying Spur and Mulsanne - commence delivery around the world.

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ALSO READ: Bentley cars to offer stone interior veneers

Taking more than 130 hours to produce each car, guests at the event in Crewe were given privileged access to Bentley's factory to see the skill and passion involved in Bentayga's creation, with insight from key people involved in the car's design, engineering and craftsmanship.

Kevin Rose, Member of the Board for Sales, Marketing and Aftersales commented, "This is an historic day for Bentley and it is a great testament to all the work which has gone in to producing Bentayga, the fastest and most luxurious SUV in the world.

"The customers joining us for the event have followed the Bentayga journey since we proposed the idea of a Bentley SUV, and were among the very first in the world to put their names down on the order book for First Edition cars - many before they had even seen the finished model. Today their confidence in Bentley is repaid as they take delivery of a car which has been unanimously praised by the world's media.

"I would also especially like to thank our 4,000-strong workforce in Crewe for their commitment in bringing Bentayga to life. Their passion, skill and dedication is a significant part of makes Bentley such an iconic and appealing brand right around the world."

ALSO READ: Bentley opens first showroom in Morocco

The Bentley Bentayga combines unparalleled luxury with effortless performance and everyday usability. It is designed, engineered and handcrafted in Crewe.



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Mercedes Benz is considering a convertible SUV to rival the recently launched Range Rover Evoque Convertible in the market.

Mercedes Benz recently unveiled the GLC Coupe, AMG C63 Cabriolet and AMG E43 4MATIC at the ongoing New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

By India Today Web Desk: According to Autocar, Mercedes Benz is considering a GLC cabriolet version to rival the rising competition in the convertible SUV segment.

Michael Kelz, Chief Engineer for Mercedes Benz GLC, CLS, and E-Class told Autocar, "It would be fun, and it's actually not that much of an engineering challenge."

ALSO READ: Mercedes Benz launches new C-Class 250d; priced Rs 44.36 lakh

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Mercedes Benz recently unveiled the GLC Coupe, AMG C63 Cabriolet and AMG E43 4MATIC at the ongoing New York International Auto Show (NYIAS).

The recently unveiled GLC Coupe, replacement for the GLK, is an inch-and-a-half shorter and over three inches longer than the GLC crossover and is designed to appeal to a growing group of buyers in the International market. The roofline of the GLC Coupe is shorter than the conventional GLC.

The Mercedes Benz GLC Coupe will be available in two trim levels, GLC300 and AMG GLC43. The Mercedes Benz GLC300 will come with a four-cylinder, turbocharged engine churning out maximum power output of 241HP, while the GLC43 will come with a twin-turbo, six-cylinder engine producing 362HP of peak power. Both cars come mated a nine-speed automatic transmission.

ALSO READ: Mercedes-Maybach S600 Guard launched in India for Rs 10.5 crore

The new GLC Coupe comes in eight variants with four diesel and four petrol engines to choose from including a plug-in hybrid and Mercedes-AMG.

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By PTI: From Youssra El-Sharkawy

Cairo, Mar 27 (PTI) At least 19 militants have been killed in army raids in Egypts restive North Sinai governorate, a day after 60 terrorists were killed in similar strikes in the country.

Nine militants were killed in Al-Gora village in south of Sheikh Zuweid in a heavy gunfire exchange with army during a security raid in the area.

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The military air raids also killed 10 militants in Abu Taweela village in Sheikh Zuweid. Six suspected militants have been arrested yesterday, the Al-Ahram newspaper reported.

A number of headquarters belonging to the militants have been wiped out which include 23 shelters, 27 unlicensed vehicles and two motorcycle.

In a separate incident, a bomb planted by unidentified militants targeted a security forces armoured vehicle and injured four police personnel in the governorate.

On Friday, army Spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said that 60 terrorists were killed and 40 others injured in army raids in the restive North Sinai cities of Rafah and Shiekh Zwayed.

The countrys North Sinai governorate has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military personnel shot up after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Over 700 security personnel have been killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses belonging to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip. PTI YES CPS

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By Utpal Kumar/Mail Today: Audrey Truschke's Culture of Encounters is an interesting book. It tells how over the course of 100 years, from 1560 to nearly 1660, the Mughals "cultivated a thoroughly multicultural and multilingual imperial image that involved repeated attention to Sanskrit texts, intellectuals and knowledge systems". According to the author, Sanskrit flourished in the Mughal court, especially under Akbar, Jahangir and Shah Jahan. It was only when Aurangzeb came to power that it started losing ground. Truschke, however, cautions against linking the decline with Aurangzeb's alleged bigotry, and instead cites two reasons for this: One, during the 17th century, especially in the second half, Sanskrit was slowly giving way to Hindi, and "Aurangzeb's reign simply happened to coincide with the waning of Sanskrit and the rise of literary Hindi". Second, the reason was political, rather than religious, as Aurangzeb had no option but to cut all ties with what the author calls "the Sanskrit cultural world", for this helped distinguish his "idioms of rule" from those of Dara Shikoh, the eldest brother he had to kill to reach the throne.

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Also read: 14 books to read in 2014



Political move

So far so good. But this still doesn't explain why Sanskrit, which was supposedly patronised by the Mughals, got decimated in no time. Truschke herself gives away the reason, without ever acknowledging it, when she writes: "Let me clarify that while Akbar inaugurated Mughal engagements with Sanskrit, he did so for slightly different reasons than many people think... Akbar was interested in Sanskrit for its political valence in his empire, not as some personal religious quest." This may be the reason why the Mughals did not pursue "this set of exchanges for the benefit of their population but rather mainly for themselves". They, through classical Sanskrit texts, writes Truschke, sought to understand what it meant to become rulers of India.

So, the Mughal endeavour to translate Sanskrit books into Persian, and also provide patronage to Brahmins and Jains, was hardly about ushering in a literary revolution; rather, it was about achieving a political end, of accruing political legitimacy for themselves. Badauni, for instance, writes quite despondently how the Brahmins would repeatedly say that Akbar "had descended to earth, like Ram, Krishan, and other infidel rulers who, although lords of the world, had taken on human form to act on earth."

Is it, therefore, any surprise that Sanskrit struggled to survive once there was an emperor who was indifferent, if not antagonistic, towards Sanskrit? For, the patronage for the language was an artificial construct, confined inorganically as it was at the highest echelon of the Mughal court.

Worse, the Mughals themselves played an important role in the decimation of Sanskrit. As Truschke writes, "Hindi was on the ascent as a literary language in the 17th century and? the Mughals increasingly looked to Hindi texts for classical Indian knowledge as opposed to seeking out Sanskrit works." What's contentious is whether it was inspired by religious motives or political objective. That's for the historians to decide.

What can be said with certainty is that, yes, the Mughals provided patronage to some Brahmin and Jain scholars of Sanskrit, but this backing didn't end up in the flowering of the Sanskrit language; it was a self-serving, political move on the part of the Mughals - here, one can draw parallels with Akbar opening the gates of the Mughal court for non-Muslims in the early 1560s. As in the case of Sanskrit, what's generally ignored is the political expediency that forced Akbar to follow this path.

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Compulsions

Akbar initially went for the broadening of the Mughal nobility due to political compulsions, thanks to the rebellion he faced from the foreign nobles. He could salvage his position only after he entered into matrimonial alliances with Rajput chiefs, and by reaching out to non-Muslims by abolishing the pilgrim tax (1562) and the jizya (1564). But once the rebellion was suppressed, Akbar changed his stance, massacring as he did 30,000 peasants in the Chittor fort in 1568, and even reimposing the jizya in 1575. It was only after he faced an even bigger rebellion in 1580-81, again from the foreign nobles, that made Akbar realise his folly and reach out to non-Muslims in a big way by, first, abolishing the jizya for the second time and then introducing the concept of sulh-i-kul (meaning peace with all in Persian).

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So, Akbar's idea of religious tolerance owes as much to the loyalty of Rajput chiefs in the face of Turani rebellions as to his evolution as a liberal emperor.

Be that as it may, but the fact remains that the Mughal court, especially during Akbar's time, interacted closely with a few Sanskrit scholars. The author should be commended for researching on this largely unknown episode of history. However, it needs to be reiterated that this was quite a self-serving, political move. With this, the Mughals brought Sanskrit to libraries and confined it there forever.

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By PTI: Kota (Raj), Mar 26 (PTI) Over 600 doctors today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement 85 per cent pictorial warnings on all tobacco product packages with effect from April 1, 2016.

As many as 653 doctors wrote individual letters to the Prime Minister requesting him to implement the larger pictorial warning on packages of tobacco products, Sanjay Seth, Chief of Operations of Voice of Tobacco Victims campaign said.

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They also requested him to reject the recommendation of Lok Sabha Committee on Subordinate Legislation for 50 per cent coverage on both sides of cigarette packs and up to 50 per cent on one side of beedi and chewing tobacco product packs.

Copies of the letters written by doctors, who are from various states of the country, have also been sent to Union Health Minister J P Nadda, Seth said.

Dr Pankaj Chaturvedi, Surgeon at Tata Memorial Hospital Mumbai, claimed that plethora of medical research have proven that tobacco is the only consumer product that has no good use except causing disease, disability and death.

Pawan Singhal, VOTV state patron and Associate Professor at SMS Hospital, saidlarge pictorial warning on tobacco packets is the most cost effective way to prevent youngsters from initiating the use and encourage consumers to quit the habit. PTI CORR DIP SK DIP

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By PTI: New Delhi, Mar 26 (PTI) Nearly 653 doctors and office bearers of medical societies across the country have urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to implement the new set of pictorial warning on tobacco product packages from April 1, to save millions of lives.

Doctors, cutting across specialities, in a letter, requested the Prime Minister to step in to prevent "powerful tobacco lobby" from subverting the anti-tobacco measures of the government.

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"The country is 136th in the qualitative ranking of the pictorial warning on tobacco products. Large pictorial warning on tobacco packets is the most cost effective strategy to prevent youngsters from initiating use and provokes current users to quit the habit.

"We the doctors of India urge you to reject the recommendations of Committee on Subordinate Legislation (CoSL) that aims to promote tobacco industry rather than save innocent Indians from falling prey to this fatal addiction. Effective pictorial warnings is all about awareness and it is being wrongfully equated with ban on tobacco," the letter said.

They quoted the Prime Ministers Facebook post on May 31, 2014, "Let?s pledge to spread awareness on the risks of tobacco consumption & work to reduce tobacco consumption in India. Tobacco not only affects those consuming it but also people around. By saying no to tobacco, let us lay the foundation of a healthier India." (MORE) PTI PLB DIP

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By PTI: From Gurdip Singh

Singapore, Mar 27 (PTI) A week-long Holi celebration in which over 1,000 people participated concluded here with performances from Indian dancers on the last day.

The celebrations ended with Indian folk dances and rare art display, replicating the village in Indian towns.

"Dancers from India performed at the close of day-long village festival which displayed Indian colours as part of the the week-long Holli celebrations, some 25 of which were held by Indians living in their residential precincts and sharing their joys with others in the multi-national Singapore," said Alka Sharma organiser and director of the Charkula Art Academy.

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"Dancers from UP, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharshtra, Bengal danced to a fusion of Kathak Odissi and Bharat Natyam while students from local Indian schools and associations showed their Indian dancing skill," Sharma said.

This years festival named Village Festival was supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, India Tourism, High Commission of India in Singapore and the India Council for Cultural Relations.

"Holi and many other Indian festivals are celebrated by the local community not only recapturing the joy of days back home but also as part of educating their children in the culture and festivals in India," Sharma said.

"We had on displays Indian fashions, jewelries, home decors, artefacts, handicrafts, paintings by local Indians among the wide range of displays," she said.

About a million Indians, including the local community and professionals as the Indian expatriates, hold regular cultural events and festivals every year to share their traditions and culture with Singapore?s multi-racial society. PTI GS ARK MRJ

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Hugh Jackman rescued his children Oscar and Ava and several others from drowning at the Bondi Beach in Sydney.

By India Today Web Desk: It was nothing short of a superhero moment, when star Hugh Jackman rescued his children from drowning. Hugh Jackman proved to his children that he is a superhero for them in real life as he rescued them from a rip tide caused in the sea.

The Wolverine star Hugh Jackman rescued his children and other swimmers from a rip tide in the sea, at Bondi Beach in Sydney on Saturday.

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In a video obtained by a The Nine Network, Jackman can be seen grabbing the arm of a man and pulling him around, as the man held onto his daughter Ava Eliot (10), reported aceshowbiz.com.

Jackman then helped his son Oscar, 15, from the same rip.

#HughJackman rescues son #OscarJackman and other swimmers from rip at Bondi Beach pic.twitter.com/ycx2bxXnBD HughJackMania Club (@HughJackMania) March 26, 2016

The 47-year-old actor was chatting with rugby and reality TV star Dan Conn and My Kitchen Rules' Lynzey Murphy when his children were caught in the current. After rescuing his kids the actor waved to the other swimmers to get back to the shore.

Lifeguards also launched into action, using boards and jetskis to make several other rescues.

Peter Adam, the man who was grabbed by the actor, told the news channel that he was helping the actor's daughter at the time.

"He wasn't rescuing me, I was assisting him to get his daughter up to the sandbar. He then grabbed my hand to get us up. He then went to get his son," Adam said.

The North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club took to Instagram to thank Jackman and the surf lifeguards on duty for their actions.

"WELL DONE to Patrol 13 captained by Rosie Taliano & Tom Bunting this afternoon who completed 43 rescues in total with only a limited 12 patrolling members rostered on. @thehughjackman was also spotted assisting with rescues! Thanks Hugh," the caption read.

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Hugh's representative issued a statement that read: "Hugh and his family are 100 percent fine. It looks a lot more dramatic than it was."

Jackman arrived in Sydney on Friday, after a month-long stint promoting his latest film Eddie the Eagle.

(With inputs from IANS)



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By PTI: From Ranvijay S Yadav

Kathmandu, Mar 27 (PTI) While acknowledging that multi- faceted Indo-Nepal ties witnessed "ups and downs" recently following the anti-Constitution agitation by Madhesis, India has described as a "misconception" the notion that it supports any one political group in Nepal.

"There is a misconception that India supports any one group. We have a policy for Nepal...not for any one group," Ranjit Rae, Indias Ambassador here, said.

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Rae was asked about his countrys stand vis-a-vis political parties representing Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin who have raised concerns over certain provisions in the new Constitution.

Madhesis reside in Terai region bordering India. Late last year, a four-month long agitation by Madhesis virtually crippled the landlocked country as the stir, which saw sporadic violence, severely affected supply of essential items through trade routes along Indo-Nepal border.

Nepal had accused India of imposing a proxy blockade by backing the Madhesis.

"India and Nepal share strong and multi-faceted relations which have seen ups and downs. Our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has visited (Nepal) twice in the last two-and- a-half years. This shows the importance India attaches to Nepal," Rae said when asked about the current status of bilateral ties.

He was interacting with a visiting group of Indian journalists at a tourism event organised over the weekend by state-run Nepal Airlines and KGH Group of Hotels, a leading player in local hospitality sector.

Asked about issues raised by Madhesis, Rae said "we have already welcomed two amendments made in the Constitution by the Nepal Government."

The amendments (made in January) referred to by the envoy related to proportionate and inclusive representation of all marginalised communities, including the Madhesis, in all state mechanisms and allocation of seats in Parliament on the basis of population.

However, Madhesis are still not satisfied. They are opposing carving out of seven provinces under the Constitution and demanding adequate protection of their rights.

Asked about this, Rae said all issues should be resolved through dialogue in a peaceful and democratic manner.

To a query about the China factor in Indo-Nepal ties, the Ambassador said Beijing, too, wants political stability, peace and development in the Himalayan nation.

"India and China want stability and development in Nepal. Nepal is a complex society. It has faced violence, insurgency in the past." PTI RSY NSA AKJ NSA

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By PTI: Dehradun, Mar 27 (PTI) Suspense continued over the fate of the nine rebel Congress MLAs ahead of the trial of strength in Uttarakhand Assembly as lawyers of these legislators today met Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal in a last ditch attempt to prevent action against them.

About half-a-dozen lawyers met Kunjwal in his chamber in the state Assembly seeking personal hearing and more evidence in support of the charges levelled against the MLAs in the disqualification notice served to them by the Speaker just a day after trouble erupted in the state assembly on March 18.

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It was their second meeting with the Speaker in two days. They had met him yesterday seeking personal hearing in the matter, a request turned down by the Speaker.

According to sources, replies to show cause notices issued to the MLAs are being examined and consultations are being held with legal experts on the issue.

Citing security reasons, the entry of mediapersons is not being allowed in the premises.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat and the Speaker held a prolonged meeting which went late into the night at the latters residence.

However, sources in the CMO said notification disqualifying the rebel MLAs is yet to be issued.

Disqualification of the rebel MLAs, which is being considered almost a certainty in political circles here, will deprive them of the right to vote against Harish Rawat government which is slated to go for a floor test tomorrow in the state assembly.

It will reduce the effective strength of the House from 70 to 61 and the simple majority figure from 36 to 31 which is likely to make Chief Minister Rawats task easier.

Rawat is left with 27 Congress MLAs after nine revolted against him.

He also has the support of the six-member PDF which take the tally to 33, two more than the simple majority mark in the House.

BJP, on the other hand, has 28 MLAs of its own and nine of Congress who if disqualified will be of no use to it at the time of voting in the state assembly.

However, it claims at least five more MLAs on the other side are only waiting to cross over to its side.

BJP sources said state BJP MLAs, who were travelling to various places like Delhi, Gurgaon and Jaipur, are expected to reach Dehradun by tonight. PTI ALM DPT AAR SC AAR

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By PTI: From Ranvijay S Yadav

Kathmandu, Mar 27 (PTI) Nepal Airlines plans to buy four new aircraft to expand its international routes, including to India, a top executive of the national carrier has said.

"We are planning to buy four aircraft - two wide-body and two narrow body -- preferably from Airbus with an estimated cost of USD 400 million," said Sugat Ratna Kansakar, Managing Director, Nepal Airlines Corp.

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The flag carrier currently has four planes (two each from Airbus and Boeing) for international operations. Besides, it operates a number of small aircraft on domestic routes. In India, the state-run airline has services for Kathmandu from New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

"We have received requests for starting services from Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Amritsar. Two of the new aircraft will be deployed on Indian sector (cities not yet decided) and the rest will be for China and Saudi Arabia," he said on the sidelines of a tourism-related event organised here by Nepal Airlines and KGH Group of Hotels, a leading player in the countrys hospitality sector.

The national carrier of the Himalayan country returned to Mumbai in September last year after exiting the city nine years ago due to unavailability of aircraft. It operates three direct flights (from the new T2 terminal) on the Mumbai- Kathmandu route (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).

Set up in July 1958, the airline has been making money despite having a very small fleet. "We have never been in the red," said Kansakar.

Bindu Thomas, Manager (Sales) of Nepal Airlines in Mumbai, said the carrier is currently filling up to 70 per cent seats from Mumbai and this figure will go up once peak tourist season starts (in April).

Asked about passenger profile, she said now mostly Nepalese citizens are travelling on the Mumbai-Kathmandu flight, but more Indian tourists are expected to join them in the coming months.

About tourism scenario, which is linked with aviation sector, Kansakar said things are looking up in Nepal after the last years earthquake and subsequent border agitation by Madhesi parties which had led to severe shortage of essential items in the landlocked country.

"We cant afford to have bad relations with India or China. Indo-Nepal ties are now improving," he said. PTI RSY AMS AKJ AMS

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By PTI: From Shirish B Pradhan

Kathmandu, Mar 27 (PTI) Nepalese Army Chief left for China today on a week-long official visit, hours after Prime Minister KP Sharma Oli returned home after his maiden visit to the Communist nation.

"General Rajendra Bahadur Chhetri left today for China at the invitation of the Chief of army staff of the Peoples Liberation Army of China, General Fang Fenghui," an army spokesperson said.

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This is General Chhetris first visit to China since assuming the top Army post in September.

He is accompanied by his spouse and six senior officials of Nepal Army.

He will inspect various Chinese army battalions and hold bilateral talks with his counterparts in China during the visit, according to Nepal Army headquarters sources.

"This is a regular visit as there is a tradition of paying visit to neighbouring countries by Nepal Army chief after assuming the top army post," the spokesperson said.

General Chhetry will return on March 2 after his visit. PTI SBP AJR AKJ AJR

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A five-member Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT) today arrived in India to probe the Pathankot terror attack. The team will be allowed to question witnesses but not security personnel, sources have said.

By India Today Web Desk: A five-member Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT) today arrived in India to probe the Pathankot terror attack. The team will be allowed to question witnesses but not security personnel, sources have said.

The five-member delegation comprises Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Additional Inspector General of Police Muhammad Tahir Rai, Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad. Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer, reported news agency PTI citing sources.

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The Pakistan team has been granted access to a limited set of witnesses. They will be allowed to question Gurdaspur SP Salwinder Singh, his friend and cook. The Pakistan team will also be allowed to quiz the 17 people who were injured in the attack. Security personnel of NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF will not be interrogated by the Pakistan team.

The team will be briefed thoroughly on March 28 at the NIA headquarters which will include a 90-minute presentation on the investigations carried in the case so far, the sources said.

This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are travelling to India to investigate a terror attack.

While India has made it clear that it will cooperate in the probe provided Pakistan reciprocates in the same way, the sources said the Pakistani side would be asked about some details that India had sought from them.

India has been pressing Pakistan for action over the brazen assault on the key IAF base on January 2 in which seven Indian security personnel were killed. In the gun-battle, six terrorists were also killed.

The attack led to the postponement of a scheduled meeting between foreign secretaries of Pakistan and India in January in Islamabad.



Also Read



Pathankot attack: Pakistan probe team to meet witnesses, not security personnel from NSG



Pathankot attack: 5-member Pakistani probe team granted visa, to reach on Sunday



Pathankot attack: NIA releases photos of terrorists ahead of Pakistan SIT's visit



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President's Rule has been imposed in the state of Uttarakhand following the recent political crisis.

By India Today Web Desk: After days of political turmoil, President's Rule has been imposed in the state of Uttarakhand. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.



This comes a day before Chief Minister Harish Rawat was to face floor test in the state Assembly.



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The recommendation for central rule was made by the Union Cabinet at its emergency meeting chaired by PM Narendra Modi on Saturday night. After the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley briefed the President late last night, the sources said.



The decision to impose central rule in the state was taken after Uttarakhand Governor KK Paul submitted a report to the Centre mentioning a complete breakdown on law and order in the state.

Meanwhile, the Congress denounced the decision calling it a "murder of democracy" and said it showed that BJP did not believe in democracy.



Earlier, addressing a press conference, Chief Minister of Uttarakhand Harish Rawat condemned the "threat" by the Centre to impose President's Rule in the state hit by a political crisis, saying it will be a murder of democracy and that it is not acceptable in a parliamentary system.

"The Centre is threatening a small state like Uttarakhand with President's rule. It is not acceptable in a parliamentary system. There is a procedure for President's rule, which has emerged following precedence," he told reporters on the eve of the floor test which he is due to face in the state assembly.

Rawat also accused Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of attacking democracy with money and muscle power in its bid to dislodge his four-year-old Congress government.

"They (BJP) have attacked democracy with money and muscle power," he said and appealed to the "right-thinking" people to condemn attempts by BJP to "murder democracy".

Rawat said BJP was not relying on people's mandate and accused it of using money power to overthrow the government in Uttarakhand. "It is low-level politics."



Also Read

Uttarakhand crisis: BJP threatening to impose President's Rule, says CM Harish Rawat



Uttarakhand crisis: CM Harish Rawat to meet Congress top brass in Delhi today

Uttarakhand crisis: BJP MLAs march to meet President Pranab Mukherjee

Uttarakhand crisis: Speaker disqualifies 9 rebel Congress MLAs, Rawat's task likely to get easier

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After Ranbir Kapoor- Katrina Kaif and Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma's break-up, Sushant Singh Rajput and girlfriend Ankita Lokhande have also decided to part their ways. Reportedly, the two have ended their six year long live-in relationship.

By India Today Web Desk: It seems 2016 is jinked for Bollywood couples. After Ranbir Kapoor- Katrina Kaif and Virat Kohli-Anushka Sharma's break-up, Sushant Singh Rajput and girlfriend Ankita Lokhande have also decided to part their ways. Reportedly, the two have ended their six year long live-in relationship.

ALSO READ: Sushant Singh Rajput and Ankita Lokhande have broken up? Is Parineeti Chopra the reason?

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The gossip mills are abuzz with the rumours of their break-up. And Sushant has now opened up on his break-up with Ankita Lokhande. According to a report in Hindustan Times, the Kai Po Che actor didn't respond to their calls but replied them with a message, "I can't talk about it right now. It is not a good feeling. Please, understand."

A source close to the actor also revealed to the leading daily, "As long as the two were on the same page professionally, it was fine. Sushant has had a successful run with films and Ankita's career in Bollywood is yet to take off. This created friction between the two and somewhere, along the way, their ideologies didn't match."

Sushant and Ankita were to get married this December and now they have also put their marriage on hold. "They still have a lot of love and respect for each other but their relationship isn't working. Their December wedding has obviously, been put on hold. Both of them are extremely disturbed with the way things have turned out for them. They are still trying to sort out their differences but it seems highly unlikely that they make amends," added the source.

The report also suggests that Sushant Singh Rajput is completely shattered and has immersed himself into his work. Ankita has been trying to reach out to the PK actor and sorting out their issues, but the two are unable to do so.

Not just their career differences, there are reports that Ankita's chronic alcohol addiction too added to the couple's problems and is one of the reasons of their split. Earlier, Sushant's Shudh Desi Romance co-star Parineeti Chopra was also said to be behind Sushant and Ankita's split.

On the work front, Sushant Singh Rajput has now flown off to Croatia to start shooting for Dinesh Vijan's Raabta.



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These words written by William Shakespeare 400 years ago that mirrors the ongoing Syrian refugee crisis will resonate in your mind!

By India Today Web Desk: It has been 60 months, nearly 1850 days and more than 43 thousand hours of conflict in the war ravaged Syria. What started as an uprising against President Bashar al-Assad's regime has become a major fight for the civilians against terrorist organisation ISIS. With international powers intervening, the loss here is only of the civilians.

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According to a Syrian Center Research report, more than 10 percent of Syria's population has been killed or injured in the war. Millions of civilians are fleeing their country and taking asylum in European countries.

The UNHCR has warned Europe that its refugee crisis is accelerating into a "self-induced humanitarian crisis". "Europe is on the cusp of a largely self-induced humanitarian crisis," UNHCR warned.

But this is not the first time that the world has to deal with such a crisis. The British Library has a proof!

The British Library is publishing a plea for mercy towards immigrants written by William Shakespeare around the year 1600.

The words from Shakespeare's only surviving handwritten script, The Book of Sir Thomas More will be made online for the first time along with books, maps, paintings, illustrations, pamphlets, ballads, playbills and photos relating to Shakespeare. And it will be hard for you to read and not relate it with the present day situation.

The speech talks about the treatment of migrants and mirrors the same discourse currently happening in Europe due to the refugee crisis.

There was a three-page handwritten revision done by Shakespeare.

You'll put down strangers

Kill them, cut their throats, possess their houses,

And lead the majesty of law in lyam [tied up with a leash]

To slip him like a hound.

Alas, alas! Say now the King

As he is clement if th'offender mourn,

Should so much come too short of your great trespass

As but to banish you: whither would you go?

What country, by the nature of your error,

Should give you harbour?

Go you to France or Flanders,

To any German province, Spain or Portugal,

Nay, anywhere that not adheres to England:

Why, you must needs be strangers.

These words were spoken by the character of Sir Thomas More, a famous advisor to Henry VIII. The speech is a part of the his only surviving handwritten script. The 300 manuscripts of the play will also be available online for the first time on the British Library's Discovering Literature website.





The British Library

During the 1590s, more than 15,000 Huguenots arrived in Britain which was followed by a series of anti-immigration riots. Huguenots, or French Protestants, were modern London's original oppressed refugees, reports Newsweek. They were inspired by the writings of John Calvin and majority of Huguenots endorsed the Reformed tradition of Protestantism. It was a time when religious conflicts across the continent were displacing people out of their homes.

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The play was originally written by Anthony Munday and later on revised by several writers including Shakespeare.

"As but to banish you: whither would you go? What country, by the nature of your error, Should give you harbour?"

Should we not take a hint and work for a better future of those Syrian refugees!

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The State Bank of India will on Monday for the first time launch a dedicated China desk for potential investors.

By Ananth Krishnan: The State Bank of India (SBI) will on Monday for the first time launch a dedicated "China desk" for potential investors, underlining the growing importance of the world's second largest economy as the Narendra Modi government looks to push its "Make in India" initiative.

Bank officials told India Today this will be the first ever China dedicated desk at any Indian bank, and will follow a Japan desk that was set up in New Delhi by the bank last month.

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The China desk will operate out of Shanghai, where SBI opened the first Indian bank branch on the Chinese mainland in 2006. The bank also has a branch in Tianjin in the north.

"The China desk will coordinate with SBI India and provide handholding and financial advisory services for Chinese investors," said K Swaminathan, the bank's Chief Executive Officer (Designate) in China.

The Shanghai-based desk will be handled by Chinese banking executives, Swaminathan said, and will be led by Jean Liu, a banking executive who worked earlier for several Chinese and foreign investment banks in China.

The launch of the desk comes at a time when India is courting Chinese investment to push the "Make in India" initiative and for a number of infrastructure projects, including industrial parks for automobiles, power, solar projects and real estate developments.

While there is increased interest among Chinese companies on account of both the slowdown in China and the renewed emphasis in New Delhi on seeking investment from China, officials in both countries acknowledge that translating the interest into on-the-ground investments has proved difficult.

The bank hopes to bridge that gap, SBI officials said, and will offer for Chinese investors, in Shanghai and elsewhere, handholding services, and, through the bank's investment banking subsidiary SBI Capital Markets, assistance on company formation in India, joint ventures, funding tie-ups and debt raising.

ALSO READ

Much awaited DPP to be out soon with focus on Make in India initiative



My idea of Make in India is very different from PM Modi, says Rahul Gandhi

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India and Australia clash in a virtual quarterfinal match in the World Twenty20 in Mohali and Sourav Ganguly feels MS Dhoni should promote himself to No.4 in the batting order.

By India Today Web Desk: India and Australia clash in a virtual quarterfinal match in the World Twenty20 in Mohali and Sourav Ganguly feels MS Dhoni should promote himself to No.4 in the batting order. (Kohli ready for Australia, says can perform even without provocations )



"I don't see any change in the playing XI for this match, but I would want to see Dhoni batting at No. 4 with Yuvraj Singh not being in great touch," Ganguly said.

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The former India skipper, however, backed Yuvraj and said Dhoni should have used him more as a bowler in turning conditions. "Dhoni has underutilized Yuvraj, he should have used him in turning conditions." (India vs Australia will be an open game, says Sachin Tendulkar )

However, Ganguly dismissed the poor form query regarding openers Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma and said they haven't got best of batting surfaces.

"The form of openers is not a worry, they are not batting on best of surfaces. Mohali pitch offers bounce with the ball coming on to the bat, so we can see them getting back to runs against Australia," Ganguly said.

When asked about Harbhajan Singh being included in the team for the Australia game, Ganguly answered in the negative. "Harbhajan can walk into any team, but other two spinners (Ashwin and Jadeja) are doing well."

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If youve ever driven along Steamwagon Road, the north boundary of Arbor Lodge State Park in Nebraska City, a large brick house just north of J. Sterling Mortons mansion may have caught your eye. The house, and even the street's name, have interesting stories that are a bit elusive.

Rollin M. Rolfe was born in Bath, New York, in 1830. At the age of 15, he began clerking in a general store for $4 a month plus board. Although his wages increased nearly threefold in a short period, he moved on, settling in Keokuk, Iowa, for a brief time.

In October 1860, Rollin and his brother DeForest arrived in Nebraska City, where they established a retail and wholesale grocery business, becoming known as the first wholesale jobbers south of the Platte River in Nebraska.

Alexander Majors, partner in the freighting firm of Russell, Majors & Waddell, had just arrived in Nebraska City two years earlier to set up a large operation to move federal government troops, mail and materiel as well as general freight west to Fort Kearny and on to Colorado, Utah and beyond. At that point in history the trail headed northwest from Nebraska City, to Ashland where it crossed Salt Creek on a limestone ledge, then paralleled the Platte River, joining the Oregon Trail about eight miles east of Fort Kearny.

Although Majors had been promised a more direct route would be sponsored by the local government, it was not forthcoming, and, in 1860, he personally hired Augustus Harvey to chart the Oregon Trail Cutoff, which cut more than 40 miles from the old circuitous route.

In 1862, the nearly 600-mile route to Denver was resurveyed and bridged with a local bond issue for use by a steam wagon -- virtually a steam locomotive pulling a train of cars without the constraint of tracks. That July 22 the first journey of the steam wagon set out, only to break the crankshaft 2.8 miles west of Arbor Lodge. Although the steam wagon itself was never repaired and considered a failure by some, the road still carries the Steamwagon name.

With the establishment of the cutoff, DeForest left his brother to form a clothing and outfitting company, later establishing a lumberyard and farm machinery business. He also became a member of the territorial legislature and was elected mayor of Nebraska City. Rollin Rolfe partnered with E.W. Terry as Rolfe & Terry Co., which began freighting supplies to Denver and various Colorado mining camps as well as establishing retail stores in Nebraska and Colorado.

In 1865, 75% of all the traffic moving westward from the Missouri River  moved along the Nebraska City Cutoff, but by 1867 the Union Pacific Railroad virtually took over the movement of freight westward and about a dozen freighting firms -- including Rolfe & Terry -- went out of business. Rolfe then sold his wholesale firm and joined James Sweet who, as Nebraska entered the Union as the 37th state, became state treasurer as well as owning banks in Nebraska City and Lincoln. Rolfe also joined a number of other Nebraska City businessmen in forming a syndicate headed by Sweet which, with a $15,000 treasury, became the largest single buyer of land in Lincoln.

A similar group of Otoe County investors, including Rolfe, established the Midland Pacific Railroad, which built from Nebraska City to Lincoln and became the second rail line to enter the capital city. Rolfe also began buying land in Gage County, was a trustee in Nebraska College and was elected to the city council in Nebraska City.

In the 1870s, Rolfe bought a tract of land on the north side of what was later named Steamwagon Road at what would be known as the suburb of Avondale. In 1879, he moved into a 4,000-square-foot, two-story Italianate home, featuring four bedrooms, brick with a limestone foundation and lintels. He named it Boscobel, which in Italian translates as beautiful woods. The family lived at Boscobel until 1886, when Rollins wifes health began to fail and they moved into Nebraska City.

Boscobel today is on the National Register of Historic Places and is considered one of the three best examples of Italianate architecture in Nebraska City, along with the 1880 brick Taylor House at 806 First Ave. and the frame Covell House at 419 N. 17th St. At least 35 other Nebraska City houses built from 1852 to 1896 are still standing, along with 11 museums, perhaps giving the city more museums per person than any city in the U.S.
There were five of them. And they were waiting ...

So begins Kevin Henkes latest award-winning childrens book, simply titled Waiting. It tells the story of five toy animals  an owl, a pig, a bear, a puppy and a rabbit  sitting on a childs windowsill, each waiting for something different to happen.

Written and illustrated by Henkes  a Racine native now living in Madison  the book was recently chosen by the American Library Association for two of the highest honors in childrens literature: a Caldecott Honor (for distinguished American picture books) and a Theodor Seuss Geisel Honor (distinguished beginning reader books). Henkes is the second author to ever receive both honors for the same book.

This is indeed an outstanding achievement, even for a celebrated author/illustrator like Henkes, whose many past praises have included other Caldecott and Geisel honors, as well as a Caldecott Medal (the highest Caldecott award) and two Newbery honors (outstanding contributions to childrens literature). And if thats not enough, The New Yorker magazine called him One of the best writers of contemporary picture books.

Not bad for a kid who grew up near Horlick High School and set out for New York City at age 19, armed with his portfolio, in search of a publisher. Henkes found that publisher at Greenwillow Books, right out of the blocks  a testament to his talents and ambition which bears repeating, even for those whove already heard the story. And hes been winning the hearts and minds of readers of all ages ever since, with the unforgettable characters, universal story lines and marvelous illustrations of his more than 40 mouse books, picture books and youth novels.

Yet Henkes, as always, isnt one to brag about his achievements. It is usually one of his family members here in town who notifies us about his latest accomplishments.

Still, the author seemed happy to talk about his latest work, mostly because he loves what he does. Most of all, I love sitting alone in a quiet room drawing and painting and writing, Henkes tells readers on his website (www.kevinhenkes.com).

Inspired by small sculptures

It was in the quiet of his home studio, in fact, that Henkes said he found the inspiration for Waiting.

The cast of five characters on the windowsill was sparked by a series of small, hand-built sculptures that the artist had made in a nearby clay studio, and since have taken up residence in his studio.

I look at them every day and one day I thought I might like to use them in a book, Henkes said in a recent phone interview. Hed also been thinking about the concept of waiting and thought that the figures, who seemed to be waiting for something, would be a good way to illustrate it.

Henkes first tried photographing the clay figures but said he soon realized that Im much better at drawing and painting than I am at making sculptures, and decided to draw the figures instead.

That way, too, hed have more control over the expressions of each figure, being able to change it with a tilt of the head, or movement of the eyes, he said.

Henkes said he also went back and forth for quite a while, trying to decide between using people or animals for the storys characters. And after consulting with his editor  who told him she knew hed figure it out  he turned to his wife, Laura Dronzek, for advice. Dronzek, who is also an artist and illustrator, suggested that Henkes try to imagine how hed feel if his editor had chosen one or the other, he said. That exercise led him to go with the animals  a decision that served him well.

Such collaborative exchanges between the two, who will celebrate their 31st wedding anniversary this year, happen often, Henkes said.

I always show Laura what Im working on and, if Im working on a novel, I often knock on her studio door and ask Would you let me read this to you?,  he said.

They also have worked together on books, including their most recent release When Spring Comes, written by Henkes and illustrated by Dronzek, and described by Booklist as Lyrical and elegant in its simplicity, this is an enchanting celebration of the season.

This book, which is meant for younger children, also has a lot of waiting in it, Henkes said, as its characters wait for the seasons to change from winter to spring.

Exploring the wait

Waiting is a concept the author said he was drawn to because kids wait all the time.

We could argue that we live in a culture of immediate gratification, but kids still wait for everything from dinner to their birthday, holidays and, during the week, they wait for the weekend. They might also wait for a new sibling to come. The word waiting is part of their daily vocabulary.

In his book on the subject, Henkes said he wanted to cast a different light on waiting. Instead of taking a little concept and making it seem bigger, as he usually does in picture books, he wanted to take a larger concept and make it seem smaller.

According to a New York Times book review, he succeeded, especially in those wordless sections of the book where the toys react to the changing vistas outside the window.

Its all very mellow and sweet  and calming in a way that emphasizes the theme of patience, the review said.

Meanwhile, Henkes fans may already be waiting for his next work, which the author said is a picture book for very young children called Egg, due out in spring of 2017. Hes also working on a graphic novel for preschoolers and is in the beginning stages of a novel for young readers.

But we may have to wait a while for those.
2 more MBBS grads caught with fake HS degrees

Police arrested two Nepal Medical Council (NMC) licensing examinees from Swoyambhu on Saturday after investigations revealed that they had used fake higher secondary degrees for their medical studies.
Bhairahawa emerges as top import route

As imports through Birgunj and Jaleshwor customs points continue to decline, other major border crossings have witnessed a significant rise in the trade activity in the first seven months of this fiscal year.
China to construct world's tallest Buddha idol in Damak

The private sector companies in China have expressed their desire for constructing International Cultural Centre along with the tallest idol of Lord Buddha at Damak of Jhapa district.
Exim Bank of India mulls opening representative office in Nepal

Export Import (Exim) Bank of India is considering setting up a representative office in Nepal, a senior official of the bank has said.
Govt urged to host Buddhist meet in Lumbini

Locals in Kapilvastu district have demanded the government hold the venue for the 2,560th International Buddhist Conference in Lumbinithe birth place of Lord Buddha. The government had announced to organise the event on May 19 and 20 in the Capital.
Man beats mother to death in Dang

A man from Lamahi Municipality in Dang district beat his octogenarian mother to death.
One dead in tractor accident

One person was killed when a tractor met with an accident at Govindapur of Siraha on Sunday morning. The deceased has been identified as Opin Sada, 20, of Dandatole of Govindapur-8.
Plan afoot to help out kin of migrants

Families of those who die at work to get Rs500,000 in compensation
Radar installation works at TIA, Bhatte Danda resume

Works on installation of two new radar systems at Tribhuvan International Airport (TIA) in Kathmandu and Bhatte Danda in Lalitpur, which had been affected by the April 25 earthquake and subsequent fuel shortages, have resumed.
'Suicide bomber' claims to be missing Nigeria schoolgirl

Authorities in Cameroon and Nigeria are investigating a claim from a would-be suicide bomber that she was one of a group of schoolgirls abducted in 2014.
The Solace of Art

Art Gallery depicts a wide range of emotional responses to the April earthquakes
Traders scramble to deliver food to drought-hit Karnali

With the Karnali region facing food crisis due to the worst drought in four decades, traders from Bajura are scrambling to deliver food items to rural areas of Humla, Mugu and Kalikot.
South Korea's government is moving to directly compensate companies that were forced out of the inter-Korean Kaesong Industrial Complex following the spike in cross-border tensions, an official source said Sunday.



"In 2013, when operations were suspended for several months at Kaesong, support was provided in the form of soft loans, but this time, the government is considering direct compensation for finished goods and materials left behind by South Korean firms," said the official, who declined to be identified.



On Feb. 10, the Seoul government ordered the shutdown of the industrial park just north of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) that separates the two Koreas. The South took the step after Pyongyang tested its fourth nuclear device on Jan. 6 and fired a long-range rocket on Feb. 7.



The North countered the South's move by declaring it will kick out the South Korean companies and declaring it will confiscate all assets left behind by these businesses. It said the complex will be turned into a military zone.



Launched in late 2004, the complex merges South Korean capital with cheap North Korean labor. Kaesong lies some 10 kilometers north of the DMZ in North Korea but is connected by a road to the South.



An emergency committee of the 120 companies ordered out of Kaesong had called for government compensation for fixed assets and manufacturing equipment left behind by using the inter-Korea economic cooperation insurance scheme. They have also asked for some sort of settlement for finished products and manufacturing materials they were not able to bring out.



These businesses claimed that the value of finished goods and materials left behind stood at 246.4 billion won ($210.6 million).



Related to such demands, the government has said that because many companies opted not to get insurance coverage there was no way they could technically receive the support, but there are clauses in the law governing the Kaesong complex, as a whole, that could allow some form of assistance to be given.



Seoul is currently in the process of providing 330 billion won in insurance coverage to Kaesong companies that had paid premiums in the past, with each firm getting a max 7 billion won.



"The government is looking at the pullout from the Mount Kumgang resort in 2008 as reference so it can compensate Kaesong companies," the official said, without providing more details.



South Korea halted all trips to the mountain resort after a North Korean guard shot and killed a South Korean tourist.



Seoul said that the ongoing probe on damages that will be compiled by April 10 will shed light on the extent of actual losses sustained by firms.



"Based on the findings, Seoul will come up with a plan to compensate companies for losses," the insider said. (Yonhap)




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GRACE HOUSHOLDER

The Mayors Youth Advisory Council (MYAC) meets in the Kendallville City Council chambers. MYAC works with Kendallvilles mayor and city council to make a positive difference in the community. Some of the MYAC members are: seated from left, Ethan Kessler, Leo Karst and Savanah Lageman; in the middle, Zainab Ali and Hailey and Jackson Meyer; in back Kristen Johnson, adviser; Ryan Johnson, Carmen Johnson and Alaura Linthicom.
LANSING, Iowa  Cross Colsch lives a lot of his young life by instinct.

Take, for instance, the Kee Lansing High School band, where 17-year-old Colsch is noted as a percussionist. It wasnt always that way; he played the clarinet for a year, but he felt he might like percussion more.

It just seemed better to me, Colsch, this years Extra Effort award-winner, said. A lot of the stuff I decide, I dont really know why. It just is. I feel like I see things from a unique angle because of my heritage.

His childhood, in nearby New Albin, Iowa, was a rocky one.

I never really found a comfortable place to be, Colsch said.

In large part, that was due to his parents fighting, which escalated at a rapid pace.

It was not something I could imagine at the time, he said. It just stuck out.

Things only got worse for him and two of his sisters, in large part because of his mothers drinking, he said.

His dad left the house. His older sister and mom fought a lot.

Ive been a pretty aware kind of child, he said, maybe because of my situation. It just feels like I always kind of knew.

He withdrew and became angry and quick to explode.

People had a negative image of my mother, and theyd take it out on me, Colsch said. It hit me hard.

By middle school, he started rebelling against her. He said hed throw her alcohol into the yard to get rid of it.

He said he has tried to provide more support for his younger sister.

I want to go to college, and I want a good future for my little sister, he said.

He said that proved even more challenging because their New Albin house was not only crammed with stuff, but it deteriorated to the point where the town literally had it demolished.

Im angry at my mother, but not for what shes done to me, he said. I can handle myself. I know what I can do.

Its his sisters he worries about, especially his younger one. Shes now been returned to her father, something Colsch was instrumental in bringing about. For his part, hes been able to develop a strong core, even if he is a little numb to emotions.

The turnaround came when he was a freshman in high school and started reaching out to others. He was, he said, able to be more me. He saw his more reclusive phase as helpful.

Im not the narcissistic person out there, he said, and Im not the ignorant person. Im the person who sits and listens, and then gets the facts, and gets to know whats going on.

Kee counselor Jeannine Hisel said Colsch is a phenomenal kid.

Hes grown into just the most likeable and impressive young man, Hisel said. Hes chosen to rise above.

Hes active in community service, holds down a job as a certified nursing assistant in Waukon, Iowa, and brought his grades up to the point where he plans to start his post-secondary education at Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, Iowa.

Colsch said his maternal grandmother was a huge source of support, but so was his girlfriend of three years, 17-year-old Marissa Dodd. It was Dodd and her family who took Colsch in to live with them since the summer.

I think hes really open with people, Dodd said. He would give all his stuff to (his friends) if they ever needed it.

If hes sometimes too honest, she said, that might well be because of his home life.

I feel like what hes been through has kind of affected who is he, she said.

Beyond that, it was hard to say more.

There arent words, Dodd said.
The Minnesota Corn Growers Association is expanding its cover crop research through the University of Minnesota with two new projects focusing on the potential for cover crop mixes throughout the state to reduce nitrogen fertilizer in waterways and in tile drainage systems.

Minnesotas cool climate and short growing season makes using cover crops challenging in many parts of the state, said Dr. Paul Meints, MCGAs research director. Our research focuses on making cover crops a more viable option for farmers, and works to quantify the conservation benefits of cover crops when it comes to keeping nitrogen out of our waterways.

Cover crops and tile drainage

A project being led by Jeff Vetsch, soil science research manager at the U of Ms Southern Research and Outreach Center in Waseca, will examine how cover crops can help reduce the amount of nitrogen entering waterways through tile drainage systems.

Were going to interseed cover crops late in the growing season while corn and soybean are still in the field, Vetsch said. We want to see how much nitrogen can be intercepted by cover crops and thereby minimize nitrogen loss through tile drainage. We believe the potential is there for real benefits.

If cover crops can prevent a significant amount of nitrogen fertilizer from leaving fields through tile drainage, it will help protect area water quality. Itll also improve a farmers bottom line by keeping the nitrogen on the field where it can support crop growth.

Vetsch plans to compare different types of cover crops. Cereal rye remains in the field during winter and is terminated before planting in the spring vs. annual cover crop blends that die in the winter. Cereal rye has been a successful scavenger of nitrogen in other states, and Vetsch would like to measure its effectiveness in Minnesota.

Three different nitrogen rates will be used: no nitrogen fertilizer or the soils natural nitrogen level, the U of Ms recommended nitrogen fertilizer rate and 15-20 percent above the U of Ms recommendations.

Multiple rates of nitrogen are needed to completely understand how cover crops impact nitrogen availability for corn, Vetsch said.

Cover crops throughout the state

When it comes to cover crops, what works in a dryer region like southwest Minnesota might not work in a cooler region like northern Minnesota. U of M assistant professor/cropping specialist Dr. Axel Garcia is set to begin work on a project that hopefully can help farmers better understand what types of cover crops might work best on their own farms.

When it comes to better managing nitrogen fertilizer, Garcias project looks at two key things: 1) Effectively managing cover crops to improve nitrogen use efficiency to keep it out of nearby waterway, and 2) determine the effect of cover crops on water and nitrogen use in corn.

Garcia will also try to quantify the amount of nitrogen that leaves fields through leaching with different cover crop mixes. Another goal of the project is to examine how various cover crop mixes can enhance diversity in our ecosystem.

Its important to try and get as much quantifiable data as possible, Garcia said. That information is good for both farmers and the general public to know.

Cover crops on corn fields may be seeded at either the beginning or end of the growing season. On soybean fields, cover crops may be seeded near maturity or post-harvest due to the overhanging canopy of the soybean plant.

Plant disease and weed population will be monitored throughout the projects duration. Many farmers already use annual rye as a cover crop, which is currently not researched at the U of M. Garcia plans to use annual rye and compare its results to winter rye.

To learn more about MCGAs research efforts, including its research into using cover crops in Minnesota, go to www.mncorn.org/research.
WASHINGTON (TNS)  For months, Democratic strategists viewed Donald Trump as a dream opponent in the 2016 presidential race  a clownish political novice who would gift their front-runner, Hillary Clinton, the White House in a landslide.

But the glee has given way to some pangs of anxiety as the Republican candidate marches to the nomination. Trumps unexpected success in the primary has revealed his uncanny ability to appeal to the fears of working-class Americans, which some Democratic and Republican operatives say could scramble the electoral map by putting in play Midwestern states that have voted Democrat in recent elections.

Hes unpredictable. He plays by his own rules. Hes thrown conventional playbooks out the window, said Tracy Sefl, a Democratic consultant who advised the now-defunct group Ready for Hillary. Sefl warns that Trumps idiosyncratic message of railing against trade deals and confronting countries where American jobs have migrated could have crossover appeal with blue-collar voters if Democrats dont counter it effectively.

Most Democrats continue to believe hed be the underdog against Clinton, and a new Bloomberg Politics national poll finds her leading Trump in a hypothetical general election match-up by 54 percent to 36 percent. But some in the party are bracing for a tougher battle than they once expected.

He could alter the map and make us fight in industrial Midwestern states we have not had to fight in for years, said one prominent Democratic strategist involved in the 2016 race, who was granted anonymity to speak candidly.

Trumps likeliest path to the White House hinges on winning Rust Belt states with high concentrations of white working-class voters, according to strategists and pollsters. Its a herculean task as some of these states have voted Democrat for the past six elections, but the brash billionaires unique economic pitch could help.

Trump could clinch the 270 electoral votes needed to become president if he holds the states Mitt Romney won in 2012 as well as Florida (29 electoral votes) and any three states between Ohio (18), Wisconsin (10), Michigan (16) and Pennsylvania (20). Two other states  Virginia (13) and Iowa (6)  are also plausible targets.

Pennsylvania could be in play. Michigan could be in play. Wisconsin  weve got a strong Republican governor, said Ed Rollins, a GOP consultant who managed Ronald Reagans re-election campaign in 1984. Theres obviously some disaffected Democrats in there. That hasnt been our turf, but it can be.  Trade has not been a cutting-edge issue because Republicans have been a pro-trade and pro-business party.

Trumps attacks on trade have the potential to win over voters. According to the Bloomberg Politics poll, 65 percent of Americans prefer more restrictions on imported goods to protect U.S. jobs, while 22 percent favor fewer restrictions. Forty-four percent said NAFTA, which took effect while Clintons husband, former President Bill Clinton, was in office, has been bad for the economy. Twenty-nine percent said its been good. Eighty-two percent indicated theyre willing to pay a little more for products made in the U.S., while 13 percent said theyd prefer the lowest possible price. A strong majority of Americans said theyd prefer a U.S.-owned factory that employed 1,000 workers in their community to a Chinese-owned factory that created 2,000 jobs.

I dont expect any of the states in the Republican camp for the last several cycles to go away. He sort of begins with North Carolina and Indiana, Rollins said of Trump. I dont buy the premise that its a Goldwater year, he added, referring to Republican Barry Goldwaters landslide defeat in 1964. Democrats automatically begin with some advantage, but I expect it to be a competitive race.

Democrats margins in some states Trump needs to win were modest in 2012. President Barack Obama squeaked out Florida by a margin of less than 1 percentage point; he won Ohio by 2 points, Virginia by 4 points, Pennsylvania by 5 points, Wisconsin by 7 points and Michigan by just under 10 points.

To be sure, carrying Midwestern states that have trended Democrat wont be easy. An analysis by demographer Ruy Teixeira found that unless Trump out-performs Romney among college-educated white voters, a victory would require improving on the GOPs 2012 share of working-class whites by 18 points in Michigan, 12 points in Wisconsin, 13 points in Pennsylvania and 6 points in Ohio.

Yet some Republicans compare Trumps current general election deficit to that of Reagan in 1980, who many Democrats initially thought would be an easy opponent.

Remember that when people tell you Trump is 8 points behind Hillary or something, Reagan was 25 points behind (Jimmy) Carter in March of 1980, former House Speaker Newt Gingrich said. Reagan closed the gap and won the popular vote by 10 points in a 44-state landslide.

In the Rust Belt, home to the once-vibrant U.S. manufacturing sector, there is evidence of Trumps appeal. A January study by the labor-linked group Working America found unusually high levels of support for Trump among white working-class voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania  even some Democrats took to his message. Labor leaders recently told The New York Times and Huffington Post that Trumps message about upending a system thats failing the working class appeals to their members.

If I win, Apple and all of these great companies will be making their product in the United States, not in China, Vietnam and all. And were not going to be losing our companies. You know, our companies are leaving our country rapidly. Rapidly, Trump said on March 15 after taking a leap toward the nomination. Frankly Im disgusted with it. And Im tired of seeing it. And theres no reason for seeing it. Its just gross incompetence at the highest level. We should not allow it to happen.

Recent polling in Ohio ranks debt to China, jobs shipped overseas and the decline in manufacturing among the top four concerns for voters.

Were already witnessing it. I dont think its a what if scenario. Theres a sense that, Im a Democrat, I vote Democrat, but boy, I sure like this guy who says the stuff about how we gotta beat China.  Trumps plain-spokenness, however perverse, rings true for people, Sefl said. But thats where it stops. Because what hes proposing is absurd at best and impossible in many cases.

In an era of globalization and stagnating working class wages, Trump would be the first major-party U.S. nominee to make opposition to free trade a centerpiece of his platform. He plans to attack Clintons mixed record on trade. Clinton in October came out against the Trans-Pacific Partnership accord negotiated with Pacific Rim countries after praising it repeatedly while secretary of state, including by calling it the gold standard in trade agreements in November 2012.

People are tired of the way that things have been working and theyre looking for a fundamental change to Washington, D.C., and I think that message is going to be strong in the general elation, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski said.

Lewandowski took a highly optimistic view, claiming that Trump could even compete in his home state of New York and in Massachusetts, two of the most liberal states in the country.

Some strategists doubt Trumps nationalistic and nativist vision has substantial appeal beyond angry conservatives and voters anxious about demographic changes in the country. They argue that his sky-high unpopularity among Hispanics (12 percent favorable versus 77 percent unfavorable, according to Gallup) effectively puts other swing states like Colorado and Nevada out of reach  perhaps even Florida.

Stan Greenberg, a longtime Democratic strategist and pollster who advised Bill Clinton, Al Gore and John Kerry, said he doesnt think Trump will be a formidable opponent for Clinton. The main reason? Female voters. Half of women have a very unfavorable view of the real estate mogul, according to a Reuters poll taken this month.
Geraldine Ferraro (1935-2011)

Geraldine Ferraro was a congresswoman and the first woman to run for the U.S. vice presidency on a major party platform. From a working class Italian background, she lost her father when she was 8. Her mother moved her and her two brothers to the South Bronx, where her mother worked as a seamstress. Geraldine went to college at 16 on a scholarship and became a public school teacher. She took night classes to become a lawyer and was an assistant district attorney before being elected to Congress. She served three terms and was a strong opponent of Ronald Reagans economic policies. She became Democratic presidential candidate Walter Mondales running mate in 1984 running mate. She remained active in politics for the rest of her life and was appointed U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Human Rights Commission.
Bridge focus of suicide prevention campaign  FLAGSTAFF, Ariz.  A steel arch bridge amid a landscape known for its red rock formations has become the focus of a mental health and suicide prevention campaign after an increase in jumpers. Four people died after jumping from the historic Midgely Bridge last year  twice as many as any other year in the past decade. The parking lot next to the bridge now has a sign showing a hotline number for those contemplating suicide.

Black Hawks deployed for Kansas wildfire  MEDICINE LODGE, Kan.  Firefighters trying to snuff out the biggest wildfire in Kansas history are getting help from military helicopters  and a potential assist from looming rain or snow. Four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Kansas National Guard were deployed Saturday in the effort to contain the persistent prairie blazes that since Tuesday have charred at least 620 square miles in Oklahoma and southern Kansas.

Herbalists family of 3 killed  LOS ANGELES  A popular practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine was found shot to death and wrapped in plastic along with his wife and 5-year-old daughter in their palatial two-story home in upscale Santa Barbara County. More than 170 miles to the south, a 27-year-old suspect was arrested in the San Diego area.Authorities said only that the two were recently involved in a business deal, and that financial gain could have been involved in the slayings. Pierre Haobsh, 27, of Oceanside was taken into custody at gunpoint at a gas station in San Diego County.

2 officers among 4 killed in wrong-way crash  DES MOINES, Iowa  Two police officers and a prisoner they were transporting were killed early Saturday in a fiery crash on an interstate highway in Iowa that investigators say was caused by a wrong-way driver, who also died. Des Moines officers Susan Farrell and Carlos Puente-Morales, who had been on the job less than six months, were killed in the crash that occurred around 12:40 a.m. Saturday on Interstate 80 west of Des Moines, police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said. The officers had been returning the prisoner from Council Bluffs to Des Moines when their sport utility vehicle was struck by a vehicle driving the wrong way on the freeway, police said.

Woman dies en route to mothers funeral  SALT LAKE CITY  A woman heading to her mothers funeral has died in a car crash in southern Utah. Utah Highway Patrol officials say a man driving a pickup truck Saturday morning on Interstate 15 just south of Beaver, Utah, lost control of the car. The pickup rolled several times, and 48-year-old Danielle Vale, of Mesquite, was ejected from the front passenger seat. She was pronounced dead at the scene. Vale, who was going to Salt Lake City for the funeral, was also carrying her mothers ashes, which troopers were trying to recover.
Russian airstrikes as Syrians fight IS  BEIRUT  Syrian government forces backed by heavy Russian airstrikes have seized three neighborhoods inside Palmyra, a town with famed Roman-era ruins that fell to the Islamic State group last May, state media reported Saturday. Russian jets carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra in the past day, hitting 158 targets and killing more than 100 militants, Russias defense ministry said.

Belgium charges 3 more suspects  BRUSSELS  Belgian prosecutors announced Saturday they have charged three men with terror offenses over the suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and subway, as organizers canceled a solidarity rally at the governments request because police are too strapped to cope. At a news conference in Brussels, officials confirmed that 24 of the 31 people killed in the attacks Tuesday had been identified, and a doctor who had served in Afghanistan said he and his colleagues have been shocked by the extreme burns suffered by some of the 270 people wounded.

Muslim shopkeepers death prejudiced  LONDON  Scottish police say the killing of a Muslim shopkeeper who wished Christians a happy Easter is being investigated as religiously prejudiced. Vigils were held Friday and Saturday in memory of 40-year-old Asad Shah, who was killed Thursday night in Glasgow. He had apparently posted messages on Facebook calling for religious harmony: Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation x! Police say a 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with Shahs death.

Irans president open to Saudis  ISLAMABAD  Irans President Hassan Rouhani said Saturday Tehran was not interested in maintaining tensions with Saudi Arabia and responded positively when Pakistan tried to mediate between the two rivals. Speaking at a news conference in Islamabad to mark the end of his two-day visit to Pakistan, Rouhani said Saudi Aradbia plays an important role in the Muslim world and that if there is any problem between two countries, it should be resolved through talks. Pakistan is a key ally of Saudi Arabia and shares a long border with Iran.

N. Korea warns of strike on Seoul  PYONGYANG, North Korea  North Korea warned Saturday that its military is ready to attack Seouls presidential palace unless South Korean President Park Geun-hye apologizes for treason and publicly executes officials responsible for what Pyongyang says are plans to attack its leadership. The warning, issued by state media in the name of a unit of the Korean Peoples Army, is the latest in a barrage of threats against Washington and Seoul over joint military drills now underway.
WASHINGTON (AP)  Bernie Sanders scored a duo of wins in Western caucus contests Saturday, giving a powerful psychological boost to his supporters but doing little to move him closer to securing the Democratic nomination.

While results in Washington and Alaska barely dented Hillary Clintons several hundred delegate lead, Sanders wins underscored her persistent vulnerabilities within her own party, particularly with young voters and liberal activists who have been inspired by her rivals unapologetically liberal message. The two Democrats were also competing in Hawaii.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Wisconsin as votes were still being tallied in Washington state, Sanders cast his performance as part of a Western comeback, citing recent victories in Utah and Idaho as a sign that his campaign still had a path to the nomination.

We just won the state of Washington  that is what momentum is about, he told more than 8,000 cheering supporters in Madison. Dont let anybody tell you we cant win the nomination or we cant win the general election. Were going to do both of those things.

Clinton anticipated the losses: She barely campaigned in the three states, making just one day of stops in Washington state, and was spending the Easter weekend with her family.

Sanders, whos found some success in the industrial Midwest, wants to leverage his fiery arguments against free-trade and working-class support into an April 5 victory in delegate-rich Wisconsin.

Before the contests, Clinton had a delegate lead of 1,228 to 976 over Sanders, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expanded to 1,692 to 949 once the superdelegates, or party officials who can back either candidate, are included.


Pakistani officials said a suicide bomber attacked a crowded public park in Lahore Sunday night, killing more than 50 people and wounding another 300.

A government official said most of the victims were women and children. He said some of those brought to the hospital were seriously wounded.

The Reuters news agency reported the bomb exploded in a parking area close to the childrens playground. Witnesses said Christian families celebrating the Easter holiday were in the park when the attack took place. But it is not clear if the bomber targeted the Christians, who are a minority in Pakistan.

Protest in Islamabad

Separately, in Islamabad, thousands of Pakistanis gathered to protest the execution last month of a man who had been charged with killing a provincial governor. Most of the protesters are activist members of Islamic parties.

In 2011, Mumtaz Qadri shot and killed Punjabs governor Salman Taseer. The governor had called for the countrys Islamic law against blasphemy to be changed.

Police fired tear gas to try to end the gathering. But the protest continued. The protesters were reported to be trying to reach the parliament building. Witnesses said police had little tear gas left to use on the protesters.

Some of the demonstrators set fires near a public bus service center that links Islamabad with neighboring Rawalpindi.

An Army spokesman said the government had told the military to help control the protesters and protect the area of Islamabad where parliament, the supreme court and other important government buildings and embassies are located.

Im Jonathan Evans.

Correspondent Ayaz Gul reported this story from Islamabad. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it for VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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

blasphemy  n. great disrespect shown to God or to something holy

tear gas  n. a gas that makes people unable to see by causing their eyes to be filled with tears and that is used especially by the police or military to separate large groups of people
Tuan Do of New York says Amazon has banned him from shopping on that website.

The reason? He returned too many Amazon purchases, he said on his website, TechWalls.com.

Do said he returned six items in the past two months. He said he was not satisfied with the quality of the products.

Amazon first sent him a warning about his unusually high rate of problems, Do said.

Later, when his wife returned a bicycle purchased on her Amazon account, the company cancelled both their accounts, Do said.

Mark Cohen is former chairman and chief executive officer of Sears Canada Inc. He is not surprised Amazon and other businesses are trying to stop frequent returns.

The costs are very high for a company like Amazon that offers many customers both free delivery and free returns, Cohen told VOA.

The website Dyanamic.action.com reported that returns cost merchants $642.6 billion a year worldwide.

But banning a customer can create bad feelings. Greg Nelson recently spoke to the Guardian newspaper after Amazon UK banned him from its shopping website.

Nelson said he sent back 37 of the 343 items he bought on the website. He said he had a good reason for each return.

I could understand if there were evidence that I had somehow tried to abuse the system, but I havent, Nelson told the Guardian.

Amazon said it only closes accounts in a tiny fraction of cases when it finds extreme account abuse.

Cohen, the former head of Sears Canada and now a Columbia University professor, said many returns are valid. It is fine to return clothing that does not fit, is the wrong color, or arrived damaged, he said.

But there are many cases of clear abuse.

Cohen cites the example of people who buy a dress or suit, wear it once to a wedding or other special event, and then return it.

Cohen said Sears Canada had a customer who bought items from the Sears Catalog all the time  and returned every single purchase.

Cohen said it seemed the customer wanted something to do and enjoyed placing orders, getting them delivered and sending them back.

Cohen said he had to convince his staff to ban the customer. Some staffers said a ban did not fulfill the companys promise to completely satisfy customers.

He helped write a letter to the customer. It explained she could no longer shop since we clearly have been unable to satisfy your needs as much as we have tried.

Cohen had won the argument.

On his TechWalls website, Do said he bought almost everything from Amazon. That included cheap items like groceries and toilet paper, and more expensive items like laptop computers.

He said the returned items costs more than the products he kept. But he said he only returns products when they dont meet my expectation.

Do had some support from his online readers. Bob wrote that he, too, was banned for too many returns.

It was a crazy high percentage in one bad month. But, yes, they were all defective. I wasnt abusing/trying and returning, Bob wrote.

Cohen said online businesses like Amazon are getting hit with more returns than traditional stores.

One reason, he said, is that shopping online does not allow customers to try on clothing or take a close look before buying.

Many products, he said, are returned after they have been taken out of their packages, often in bad shape. In the case of clothing, he said, returns often come in after the selling season ended for winter or summer.

That makes them hard to sell, or forces big price cuts, Cohen said.

I'm Bruce Alpert.

Bruce Alpert reported on this story for VOA Learning English. Kathleen Struck was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section or share your views on our Facebook Page. Let us know if you have returned products and what that experience was like.

_______________________________________________________________


A girl who may have been planning a suicide bombing in Cameroon said she is one of the Chibok girls kidnapped in 2014.

Cameroon officials received intelligence reports of three suicide bombers, all young women, crossing the Nigerian border into northern Cameroon.

They arrested one of the girls before she could blow herself up. A second girl surrendered and the third ran back to Nigeria. The girl who surrendered said she was one of the Chibok girls.

The 15-year-old girl looked tired and in need of food. She could not tell them more about her time in captivity or how she and the other girls were treated.

In 2014, the terror group Boko Haram kidnapped 270 girls from a Nigerian school in Chibok. Experts believe they were taken to the Sambisa forest, an area the group controls.

People around the world protested the kidnapping. An international campaign called Bring Back Our Girls was launched. About 50 of the girls later escaped. Nigerian officials still do not know where the remaining Chibok girls are.

Midjiyawa Bakari is the governor of the northern part of Cameroon. He asked investigators to find out if what the girls said is true.

Bakari said the terrorist group has changed the way it operates. The group has been using teenaged girls to carry out suicide bombings in Cameroon and in Nigeria.

Im Christopher Jones-Cruise.

Correspondent Ayaz Gul reported this story from Islamabad. Christopher Jones-Cruise adapted it into VOA Learning English. Hai Do 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

captivity  n. the state of being kept in a place (such as a prison or a cage) and not being able to leave or be free; the state or condition of being captive


A new group of human remains has been uncovered on the Plain of Jars in Laos. They are believed to date back to the Iron Age, some 2,500 years ago.

The Plain of Jars is in the central Lao province of Xieng Khouang. The area covers hundreds of kilometers in which can be found thousands of ancient stone jars. They are grouped together at about 100 sites.

The Plain of Jars has been a puzzle to archaeologistsscientists who study prehistoric people and their culture.

A joint research team from Australia and Laos found the remains.

Dougald OReilly teaches archaeology at Australian National University. He led the field work in Laos.

This is one of the great enigmas of the Jars sites, he said. These massive stone jars  some of them weighing up to 10 metric tons, that have been dragged eight to 10 kilometers from a quarry site and set up in groups.

Little is known about the people who made the jars. What did the jars hold? How and why did people place them where they did?

OReilly said a central question that needs to be answered is who created the stone jars. There are no known sites offering answers to the ethnicity and identity of the people who made them.

The latest field work uncovered an ancient burial ground in an area known as Site 1, in Xieng Khouang Province. It has more than 300 stone jars, stone discs and markers.

The scientists uncovered different burial methods. They include burial of whole bodies, the burying of bones grouped together, and bones placed inside ceramic vessels and then buried.

Louise Shewan of Monash University in Australia led one of the teams involved in the field work. Archaeologist Thonglith Luangkhoth, of the Lao Ministry of Information, Culture and Tourism, also led a research team.

Thonglith told Lao media the newly uncovered remains were found about eight kilometers from the center of Phonsavanh district.

This discovery marks a significant milestone since archaeological excavations began in the area in the 1930s in collaboration with a French archaeologist, he said.

Dougald OReilly said the researchers hope to get really good information from the find.

With our research, because weve been able to uncover a fair amount of human bone  weve got seven burials and four probable burials with ceramic jars  so a total of 11 mortuary contexts.

He said they are excited to have the opportunity to work at one of South East Asias more importantand probably least understood archaeological sites.

Scientists will do isotopic and chemical tests on the remains. They may provide information on the ethnicity of the people connected to the sites.

OReilly said it is possible that the Lao sites may be linked to similar jar sites in India.

The Australian Research Council is paying for the project. It will continue over five years with field work in Laos and some in northeastern India as well.

The effort may soon provide answers to one of Southeast Asias greatest cultural mysteries.

Im Anne Ball.

Ron Corben reported this story for VOA from Bangkok. Anne Ball adapted it for Learning English. Caty Weaver was the editor.

We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section and visit us on Facebook.

________________________________________________________________

Words in This Story

jar -n. a vessel to hold something inside

mortuary adj. of or relating to burial or death

quarry  n. place where large amounts of stone are dug out of the ground

ethnicity n. a particular race or group of people who have a culture different from the main culture of a country

disc n. a flat, thin, round object

burial n. the act or ceremony of burying a dead person in a grave.

significant adj. very important

isotope n. any one of different forms in which the atoms of a chemical element can occur
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KEARNEY,Neb.  Erica Con, a Lexington High School graduate and University of Nebraska at Kearney student, will be fundraising and preparing to spend about a month in Peru this summer.

Con, a Lexington High School graduate, will be raising money to spend four weeks volunteering at a girls shelter home in Cusco, Peru in June.

She graduated from UNK in May 2015 with a double major in political science and international studies.

While I'm in Peru, I will be volunteering at a girls' shelter for abused or homeless girls, as well as human trafficking victims. I will be helping them with homework and English, as well as leading activities and crafts. I know that hearing their stories will be incredible and I hope to become a more independent person from this, so I can keep helping people who need it, Con said.

Con continued, I also really hope to impact the lives of these girls so that they can learn more confidence and overcome the struggles they have experienced. I look forward to this trip and hope to return as a stronger person.

Once in Peru, Con said she will be helping girls, mostly 18 and under, who have been through domestic violence, human trafficking, or other bad situations.

She said she would be given training on how to best help the young girls, and would be spending a lot of time with these girls, whether it's teaching them life skills, helping them with homework, or just listening to their life stories.

I am so excited for this opportunity! My heart soars at the idea of making an impact in these girls' lives as well as being able to get to know another culture and country that is so different from the United States. I chose Peru because the indigenous population makes up about 29 percent of the country. I have indigenous roots in Guatemala, but Ubelong (the program I am volunteering with) didn't have a program in Guatemala, she said.

Con said she believed all indigenous cultures are beautiful. I am very passionate about learning about other cultures, and I am just enamored with the diversity of the world! I love the human differences and I want to meet people and learn about their culture, as well as make an impact on their lives if I can, she said.

Cost of the program for four weeks is $750, which includes a mentor, airport pickup, orientation, housing, two meals a day, and in-country support, Con said. She will pay for airfare, which will be about $1,500 or maybe a little more, medical insurance, which could range from $80-$160, and visas, which she estimated would be about $135

Dinner and miscellaneous spending such as snacks and toiletries are not included, and I may also have to pay for transportation to my volunteer location. I was told that most volunteers budget $5 to $15 for each day of their placement for additional expenses in the field. I estimate my total trip to cost around $3,500, Con said.

Con continued, I will try to pay as much as I can myself, but I am not able to work very much during the school year since I am taking 18 credit hours. If possible, it would be so kind for anyone to help me go on this trip.

For more information on Erica Cons trip or to make a donation visit her funding page at https://www.crowdrise.com/volunteertriptoperu/fundraiser/ericacon.
Dillon Margritz, a 2015 graduate of Overton High school, was inducted into two collegiate national honors societies on Sunday, March 13, 2016 at the University of Nebraska at Lincoln. He is the son of Dave and Alisa Margritz of rural Lexington.

Phi Eta Sigma recognizes first year students with a grade point average of at least 3.75 on a 4.0 scale and rank in the upper 20 percent of their class while carrying a normal academic load acceptable toward a bachelors degree. The Societys mission is to encourage and reward academic excellence among freshmen in institutions of higher learning.

Alpha Lambda Delta recognizes first year students maintaining a 3.75 or higher GPA or are in the top 20 percent of their class. Its mission is to encourage superior academic achievement, to promote intelligent living and a continued high standard of living, and to assist students in recognizing and developing meaningful goals for their unique roles in society.
By Deepa Gupta

Malini Awasthi is looking forward to being at the Rashtrapati Bhawan to accept her Padma Shri from the President of India on 28 March. Her daughter has especially flown in from the US where she is currently pursuing her Master's degree. The excitement in Awasthi's voice is palpable  the same voice that enthralls listeners when she sings folk numbers, and explains the folklore associated with the music.

Today, Malini Awasthi's is a name that is synonymous with folk music. She remains rooted in tradition and culture, even as she bends down to touch the feet of her elders seeking blessings right before a performance.

Currently busy with lots of shows, Malini has also recently recorded songs for films. In the pipeline are Prakash Jha Productions' Lipstick Wale Sapne, where she has an interesting wedding track set to the tune of traditional marriage songs from Afghanistan. In yet another film that stars Vivaan Shah and Akshara Haasan and releases in October this year, she has two songs to her credit.

Having sung earlier in films like Agent Vinod, Dum Laga Ke Haisha, Soundtrack and Jaanisar, Malini doesnt see it as much of a challenge. But Lipstick Wale Sapne was interesting because she could sing it her way.

For the film Soundtrack, she was asked to sing Yeh Jeevan hai, a track originally from Piya ka Ghar. I was surprised and I wondered how could I ever do justice to this Kishore Kumar number? But they told me to interpret it in my own way. So I did. I did not like it but they loved it, she laughs.

I did not have to struggle to sing in films. And that was never the intent. I want folk to gain respect. Especially Hindi folk which has been neglected for so many years. I have been working tirelessly towards that end. Its not about me being highlighted; even during my performances, it is the music that I am taking ahead with my rendition," says Awasthi, who is upbeat about her nomination in the Best Traditional Folk Single category in the GiMA awards this year.

I have always enjoyed live shows more because they give me an opportunity to connect with the common man, she states. I sing about the life of common man. Nothing gives a greater high than being among people. The connection with the audience is very powerful and that comes only when you are on stage in front of a large audience. It doesnt seem like work or performance. Mujhe lagta hai ki yeh mera farz hai," she tells us.

Having collaborated with Midival Punditz, she has also performed with them in the band. They are into lounge music and electronic music. I have done a few numbers with them  one in Bhairavi, one in raag Pilu and two thumris," she says. It was a different experience for Awasthi to work with this group and she saw it as an opportunity to take folk to a younger generation of listeners through this collaboration.

The impact of folk is so great that wherever I am going for performances since the last few years I have been getting a standing ovation. Even in places like Azamgarh, Benaras, Indore, Bhopal, Kolkata, Chandigarh, Hyderabad  who could have imagined that UP folk could be so popular in such places where the language is hard core Punjabi or Telugu... where language is completely

different," Awasthi says.

She speaks of her experience at a university in Greater Noida where she was performing before a very young audience: They had a DJ also after an hour of folk. I was taking this as a challenge because we have a very intelligent, rational young generation who wants to understand and go deep into the meaning of a song so that they can appreciate the same. I started performing and the one

hour stretched to four. My artists had a train to board and they had to miss the same. The registrar requested us to go on. After three hours my throat began to hurt. And the students would just not let go. And the next hour they only danced to my music. That experience said that I can rock the stage and I realised I can shake any audience anywhere. If I can connect with the youth, I can connect with any audience."

So does folk have a future?

Oh yes folk has a great future," says Awasthi. "It is an art form that has to pass on with the oral tradition. Everything is passed on from one generation to another. And today we have to take up this challenge of passing on traditional folk to the younger lot. In earlier days we did not have so many facilities. Now we have the support of technology. Its much easier to pass on traditions with the help of audio-visual aids, documentation, explanation, archiving etc. I think its the collective responsibility of the current generation to sensitise their children. They will listen to folk provided they understand it.
New Delhi: India plans to provide the probe team from Pakistan access to all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF.

On the eve of the arrival of Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team visit, official sources said India will also press for visit of its probe team to that country for carrying out investigations there.

The sources said the five-member delegation led by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Additional Inspector General of Police Muhammad Tahir Rai will not be provided complete access to the Pathankot air force base but to limited areas where Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with security forces.

The Pakistani team which also comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer will be brought to the airbase in a special plane on March 29.

The airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas.

The team will be briefed thoroughly on March 28 at the NIA headquarters here which will include a 90-minute presentation on the investigations carried in the case so far, the sources said.

This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are travelling to India to investigate a terror attack.

Witnesses, excepting personnel of NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF, have been lined up for the Pakistan probe team.

The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.

The three were kidnapped by the terrorists on the intervening night of 31 December and January one before they entered into IAF base.

The NIA will also share details about the four terrorists which includes their native villages, people who had cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through Bamiyal village on Indo-Pak border.

DNA samples were taken from the energy drink that they are believed to have consumed before carrrying out the sucide attack, they said.

Pakistani team will also be taken to the point where the Jaish terrorists had breached into India, the sources said.

While India has made it clear that it will cooperate in the probe provided Pakistan reciprocates in the same way, the sources said the Pakistani side would be asked about some details that India had sought from them.

This includes some phone numbers, persons involved which includes brother of Jaish Chief Masood Azhar and companies who had supplied the packed food to the terrorists.

India can make a request to Pakistan for allowing an Indian probe team there for investigations at a later date, the sources said.

India will also cite similarities between the Pathankot attack and those in Samba and Kathua last year like using same GPS and wirless sets, the modus operandi of hijacking cars, energy drink 'Red bull' (common in all attacks), identical wire cutters and arms and ammunition of Eastern Europe, Russian and Chinese make which available in the Af-Pak region.

The terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with the security forces at the IAF base from the intervening night of January 1 and 2. Seven security personnel were killed, while four bodies of terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed were recovered.

Confusion still remained over whether two more terrorists were involved in the attack. The NIA is now contemplating sending samples of some purported human remains, beleived to be of two terrorists, to a second CFSL laboratory.

NIA is still awaiting a Letters Rogatory from a Pakistan court so that the evidence collected during the probe can be handed over to the JIT "legally".

It had released photographs of the four terrorists killed during the operation with description of their height. The anti-terror probe agency has said one of the terrorists did not have toes in both the feet.

The pictures have been circulated and the public asked to share information about them. Anybody giving "relevant and correct" information would be rewarded up to Rs one lakh, NIA had said.

The agency has already approached the Interpol for issuance of 'Black Notice' for the four. An international notice is issued for identification of unidentified bodies found in a country.

India has already sent a Letters Rogatory to Pakistan seeking certain details about the four terrorists.

India has also been seeking details of the phone numbers dialled by the four terrorists ahead of the attack on the airbase on the intervening night of January 1 and 2.

The numbers are believed to be in the names of people connected with Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, including Mullah Dadullah and Kashif Jaan. The numbers shared belong to the Pakistani telecom operators like Mobilink, Warid and Telenor.

NIA has also sought details and picture from Khayam Baber of her son who was part of the suicide squad that carried out the attack.

Kashif Jaan, one of the key handlers of the attackers, had accompanied the terrorists till the border, the sources said.

The bodies of the four terrorists have been preserved.

Out of the four, two of them have been identified as Nasir and Salim. Nasir was the one who had called his mother Baber in Bhawalpur using the phone snatched from the jeweller friend of Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh.

NIA has also given details, including the batch numbers, of food packets used by the terrorists after infiltrating into India on 30 December. The terrorists had carefully buried the packets which had Pakistani markings and manufacturing dates of November and December 2015, the sources said.

PTI
A five-member team of Pakistani investigators on Sunday have arrived in New Delhi to carry forward the probe into the brazen Pathankot Air Base attack, blamed on Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants.

Led by Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department Additional Inspector-General Muhammad Tahir Rai, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) left for India on a special plane from Allama Iqbal International Airport in Lahore.

"The five-member Pakistani investigation team left for New Delhi around 11.45 today," Muhammad Tariq, an immigration official at the Lahore Airport said. Intelligence Bureau's Deputy Director-General Lahore Muhammed Azim Arshad, Military Intelligence's Lieutenant-Colonel Irfan Mirza, Lieutenant-Colonel Tanvir Ahmad of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Inspector Shahid Tanveer, a Punjab police officer based in Gujranwala, are the other members of the JIT.

India had blamed JeM militants for the assault on the IAF base in Pathankot in Punjab on 2 January, which triggered two days of gunbattle that left seven Indian security personnel dead.

India plans to provide the Pakistani probe team access to all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF. Official sources in New Delhi said on Saturday that India will also press for visit of its probe team to that country for carrying out investigations there.

The sources said the team will not be provided complete access to the Pathankot air force base but to limited areas where Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with security forces. The airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas.

The team will be briefed thoroughly tomorrow at the NIA headquarters here which will include a 90-minute presentation on the investigations carried in the case so far, the sources said. This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are travelling to India to investigate a terror attack.

The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people. The attack led to the postponement of a scheduled meeting between Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India in January in Islamabad. On 18 February, Pakistan had lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot terror attack without naming JeM chief Masood Azhar who India has accused of having masterminded the strike.

With inputs from PTI
Dehradun: Suspense continued over the fate of the nine rebel Congress MLAs ahead of the trial of strength in Uttarakhand Assembly as lawyers of these legislators on Sunday met Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal in a last ditch attempt to prevent action against them.

About half-a-dozen lawyers met Kunjwal in his chamber in the state Assembly seeking personal hearing and more evidence in support of the charges levelled against the MLAs in the disqualification notice served to them by the Speaker just a day after trouble erupted in the state assembly on 18 March.

It was their second meeting with the Speaker in two days. They had met him yesterday seeking personal hearing in the matter, a request turned down by the Speaker. According to sources, replies to show cause notices issued to the MLAs are being examined and consultations are being held with legal experts on the issue.

Citing security reasons, the entry of mediapersons is not being allowed in the premises. Chief Minister Harish Rawat and the Speaker held a prolonged meeting which went late into the night at the latter's residence.

However, sources in the CMO said notification disqualifying the rebel MLAs is yet to be issued. Disqualification of the rebel MLAs, which is being considered almost a certainty in political circles here, will deprive them of the right to vote against Harish Rawat government which is slated to go for a floor test on Monday in the state assembly.

It will reduce the effective strength of the House from 70 to 61 and the simple majority figure from 36 to 31 which is likely to make Chief Minister Rawat's task easier. Rawat is left with 27 Congress MLAs after nine revolted against him. He also has the support of the six-member PDF which take the tally to 33, two more than the simple majority mark in the House.

BJP, on the other hand, has 28 MLAs of its own and nine of Congress who if disqualified will be of no use to it at the time of voting in the state assembly. However, it claims at least five more MLAs on the other side are only waiting to cross over to its side. BJP sources said state BJP MLAs, who were travelling to various places like Delhi, Gurgaon and Jaipur, are expected to reach Dehradun by tonight.

PTI
The familiar politics of citizenship has peaked in poll-bound Assam with the BJP invoking the issue with a fresh promise to stop illegal infiltration from Bangladesh and take measures to detect and deport such migrants if voted to power in the State. BJP president Amit Shah, desperate to win a state for his party after the drubbing in Bihar and Delhi, said at a campaign rally in Assam on Friday that all these years, the states borders with Bangladesh was left open for illegal migrants from Bangladesh who have infringed upon the rights of the locals. Indirectly blaming the ruling Congress government in Assam, Shah promised to stop migration if the BJP comes to power. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, talked of halting influx into Assam during his campaign tour on Saturday.

The issue of illegal influx has a 30-year-old history, starting with the anti-foreigner (read anti-Bangladeshi) agitation that began in 1979 under the leadership of the All Assam Students Union (AASU). In 1985, after hundreds of people died in course of what turned out to be independent Indias biggest mass uprising, the AASU and other agitation groups signed an agreement with the Centre called the Assam Accord. It fixed 25 March 1971 as the cut-off date for detection and expulsion of illegal migrants, meaning anyone found entering India after this date were to be detected and sent back. In the three decades that followed, only a few thousand illegal Bangladeshi migrants have been expelled by successive state governments, which included the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), a party that was formed with the mandate of freeing Assam of illegal aliens. Many of these expelled people are believed to have come back.

Over the years, the illegal migrants issue has come to dominate the election rhetoric in the state with none of the parties, the Congress or the BJP, explaining as to how they have managed to send back those lawfully declared as illegal migrants because Dhaka maintains its nationals do not illegally move to India. The BJP actually has a lot more explanation to do because during the 2014 Lok Sabha poll campaign, the partys prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had vociferously stated that after the results were announced, meaning after the BJP comes to power, illegal migrants from Bangladesh would be identified and ousted. In the past two years, however, although New Delhis relations with Dhaka has improved many fold, no visible steps have been taken to make Bangladesh agree that the issue of illegal migration was a key problem in states like Assam. One is also not aware of any move towards reaching an agreement so that Dhaka accepts its nationals back.

Another dimension to this problem is the Muslim population growth in Assam, one of the reasons for which is believed to be the continuing illegal infiltration. According to the 2011 Census, the Muslim population in Assam, the most populated state in northeastern India, is 34.22 percent out of a total of 31.2 million. The Muslim population in Assam rose by 3.3 percent since the last Census in 2001. Interestingly, the population growth of Muslims in Assam is higher than in Jammu and Kashmir, where it increased by 1.3 percent between 2001 and 2011. The national average growth of Muslim population is 0.8 percent.

The BJP landed itself in some trouble after the Government of Indias decision to give asylum to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh. On 7 September 2015, the Union Ministry of Home Affairs issued a notification saying the Centre has decided, on humanitarian considerations, to exempt Bangladeshi and Pakistani nationals belonging to minority communities, who have entered India on or before 31 December, 2014 from the relevant provisions of rules and order made under the Passport (Entry into India) Act, 1920 and the Foreigners Act, 1946. That means these people will be allowed to stay on in India even without such documents or after the expiry of those documents, as the case may be.

Groups like the AASU opposed this decision saying it would amount to dilution of the Assam Accord. The AASU said anyone from Bangladesh residing in Assam from 25 March 1971 onwards, whether he/she is a Hindu or a Muslim, is an illegal migrant and therefore must be expelled from the State. The BJPs current ally, the AGP, too, had opposed this plan to provide stay rights to Hindu migrants from Bangladesh and elsewhere saying Assam would have to carry the burden of at least 20 lakh migrants from Bangladesh as a result of the Union Governments notification. The AGP termed the decision slow poison for the indigenous and linguistic identity of Assam and its socio-cultural fabric.

The perception that the influx issue can determine the poll verdict is still strong, and, therefore, the ruling Congress, too, has decided to highlight the problem of illegal migration ahead of the 4 and 11 April State Assembly elections. The Congress poll manifesto says the party would set up district vigilance committees to detect illegal foreigners and complete fencing the Assam-Bangladesh border in the next three years. The BJP promises the same  complete sealing of the Indo-Bangladesh border. Rhetoric aside, one would now expect Prime Minister Modi to implement his 2014 poll promise to free India of illegal Bangladeshi migrants and this can be done only if Dhaka recognises the problem and agree to reach a deal to take back its nationals. And, with India-Bangladesh relations reaching a new high during Modis tenure, New Delhis intent will be something that would be closely watched.

(Wasbir Hussain is a Guwahati-based political commentator and television talk show host.)
With the Centre imposing President's Rule in Uttarakhand on Sunday on the grounds of "breakdown of governance", Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat claimed in a press conference that the BJP-led Central government has wanted to destabilise his government from the start.

"BJP-led Central government pahle din se hi mere aur meri sarkar ke khun ki pyaasi thi," ANI quoted him as saying.

However, Arun Jaitley, who also held a press conference at the same time as Rawat, rubbished the allegation saying that the imposition of President's Rule was according to Constitutional provisions.

"We are not to blame; Congress party and leadership are to blame," said Jaitley.

The decision to impose President's Rule comes in the wake of a political crisis triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress.

The state Assembly is now in suspended animation. President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution on Sunday morning.

The recommendation for central rule was made by the Union Cabinet at its emergency meeting on Saturday night, chaired by PM Narendra Modi who cut short his visit to Assam. After the Cabinet meeting, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley briefed the President late Saturday night.

The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor KK Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state Assembly on Monday. The dismissal of the Rawat government however now renders Monday's confidence vote infructuous.

Rawat had earlier said that imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand will be a murder of democracy and that it is not acceptable in a parliamentary system. Rawat had also accused the BJP of attacking democracy with money and muscle power in its bid to dislodge his four-year-old Congress government.

Rejecting suggestions that there is a division within Congress that has led to the current crisis, Rawat had said, "We do not have any internal tussle. It is BJP and RSS which are hobnobbing with the Congress rebels to create the crisis."

Nine Congress MLAs had raised the banner of revolt against Rawat.

The chief minister had also said that Congress will take the attempts to destablise his government to the people of the state and that it will be up to them to decide whether "sting" and defections will determine the future of the state.

Claiming that the video CD of a purported sting operation, circulated by the rebel Congress MLAs, was fake, Rawat on Saturday had also cast doubt about the credentials of the man behind it and demanded a probe into his antecedents.

"The sting CD being shown on the news channels is fake. The reputation of the man behind it who is associated with a private news channel is not hidden from anyone. His antecedents must be probed," Rawat had said at a hurriedly-called press conference at his residence in Dehradun, soon after the sting CD was released before the media in Delhi.

Even though he called the video "false", Rawat had said if at all it indicates something, it is that the rebel MLAs have aligned with BJP for money.

With inputs from PTI
Rain will threaten Easter Sunday lunches around Sydney as the long-weekend's run of perfect weather looks set to come to an end.

According to the Bureau of Meteorology up to 5 millimetres of rain could hit Sydney from 1pm before clearing in the evening as the temperature hovers around the mid-20s.

The rains are coming to put an end to the fine Easter weather. Credit:Nick Moir

The first two days of Easter brought about a welcome relief from Sydney's drenching last week, with the delayed shift in seasons bringing in 86 millimetres in two days and a sharp drop in temperatures.

The wet looks set to return overnight, with the Bureau predicting a high chance of showers on Monday morning and afternoon.
Former Liberal Party leader John Hewson has urged Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to give his predecessor, Tony Abbott, a formal role in the federal election campaign to avoid disunity within the Coalition.

Mr Abbott said at the weekend he would campaign with colleagues in marginal seats when asked to do so, even though the Liberal Party has not organised an official role for him.

Mr Abbott has sought to defend his legacy over recent weeks, including giving a media interview on the day Mr Turnbull announced his plans for a double dissolution election.

Mr Abbott said he would be proud to campaign for the Turnbull government because it is seeking re-election largely on his government's policies - a claim that forced Mr Turnbull to explain the "continuity and change" between his government and Mr Abbott's.
In class, children are allowed to have fun, giggle and daydream from time to time. Finns put into practice the cultural mantras I heard over and over: "Let children be children," "The work of a child is to play," and "Children learn best through play."

The emotional climate of the typical classroom is warm, safe, respectful and highly supportive. There are no scripted lessons and no quasi-martial requirements to walk in straight lines or sit up straight. As one Chinese student-teacher studying in Finland marvelled to me, "In Chinese schools, you feel like you're in the military. Here, you feel like you're part of a really nice family." She is trying to figure out how she can stay in Finland permanently.

In Finland teachers are the most trusted and admired professionals next to doctors, in part because they are required to have a master's degree in education with specialisation in research and classroom practice.

"Our mission as adults is to protect our children from politicians," one Finnish childhood education professor told me. "We also have an ethical and moral responsibility to tell businesspeople to stay out of our building." In fact, any Finnish citizen is free to visit any school whenever they like, but her message was clear: Educators are the ultimate authorities on education, not bureaucrats, and not technology vendors.

Finland delivers on a national public scale highly qualified, highly respected and highly professionalised teachers who conduct personalised one-on-one instruction; manageable class sizes; a rich, developmentally correct curriculum; regular physical activity; little or no low-quality standardised tests and the toxic stress and wasted time and energy that accompanies them; daily assessments by teachers; and a classroom atmosphere of safety, collaboration, warmth and respect for children as cherished individuals.
Easter is just as important today as it was 2000 years ago: That was the message told by Christian leaders at Easter Sunday services in Sydney.

Churchgoers were reminded of traditional stories, like Adam and Eve, as they sang and prayed their way through hundreds of services.

Anglican Archbishop of Sydney Glenn Davies delivers his Sermon during the Easter Sunday service at St Andrew's Cathedral. Credit:Kate Geraghty

From performances by a children's group at St Andrew's Cathedral to public baptisms and confirmations at St Mary's Cathedral, there were celebrations for every denomination.

At St Mary's, the Dean of the Cathedral, Don Richardson, reminded the congregation of Jesus' actions and asked Catholics to think of that sacrifice every day, not just at Easter time.
Exiled Rebels Motorcycle Club boss Alex Vella is leasing out the national clubhouse for more than $100,000 a year after police put an end to the bikie haunt of almost 30 years.

It follows years of members pouring in their fees and contributions, supposedly to pay off the land.

Members of several of the bikers clubs in NSW gather at the Rebels' national headquarters for the United Motorcycle Council meeting, Leppington, in 2009. Credit:Kate Geraghty

The closure of the iconic Leppington clubhouse and the income generated from its lease comes as members dismayed at the gang's hierarchy continue to "patch out", or leave, the club.

The sprawling clubhouse, which has served as a Rebels OMCG institution since the 1990s, has seen little activity since NSW Police sought to declare it a restricted premises in 2014.
The fundraising body that has embroiled cabinet secretary Arthur Sinodinos in a campaign finance scandal did not tell NSW authorities it received almost $1 million in donations - including from property developers - the year it gave $693,000 to the Liberal party for the 2011 state election.

The controversial Free Enterprise Foundation (FEF), whose donation to the NSW Liberals is the subject of an escalating dispute with the NSW electoral commission, told the state authority it received no donations in 2010-11.

But it had received $958,000 from companies including Westfield ($150,000), Meriton ($50,000) and Walker Group ($100,000) in the same year - a fact it had disclosed in a separate declaration to the federal Australian Electoral Commission.
A woman has encountered a man masturbating before her for the second time in a month in a park in Sydney's inner west, police say.

The woman was walking on a track in Glebe's Jubilee Park about midday on Friday when she saw the man committing the indecent act.

Police believe this man can help with their investigation into the incident in Jubilee Park, Glebe. Credit:NSW Police

It is believed the same man masturbated in front of the woman at that location in late February.

Inspector Renee Holmes of Leichhardt police said the incident had "distressed" the woman and urged anyone who knew the man to call CrimeStoppers.
Last week's deadly attack in Brussels refocused America's attention on terrorism and elevated national security as a topic in the U.S. presidential contest.

Europe's second major terrorist attack in the last five months sparked heated rhetoric on America's presidential campaign trail. Republican Ted Cruz pledged to destroy Islamic State.

"And we will do that though overwhelming air power, through carpet-bombing them into oblivion," Cruz said at a rally in Wisconsin.

Meanwhile, Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said the United States is at risk.

"Terrorism is out of control," Trump said Sunday on ABC's This Week television program. "And if we're not very, very strong and very, very smart, we have a big, big problem coming up."

The Brussels attack did not cause President Barack Obama to alter his itinerary in Cuba and Argentina last week.

"We're going to root out and defeat ISIL," Obama said in his weekly address Saturday, adding that military might alone cannot root out terrorism and that America must lead by example.

"Our openness to refugees fleeing ISIL's violence. Our determination to win the battle against ISIL's hateful and violent propaganda  a distorted view of Islam that aims to radicalize young Muslims to their cause. In that effort, our most important partners are Muslim-Americans," the president said.

WATCH: Weekly presidential address

That message was echoed by Democratic presidential frontrunner Hillary Clinton.

"We cannot give in to panic and fear. It's not in keeping with our values, it's not effective in protecting us, and, and it plays into the hands of terrorists," Clinton said.

Republicans accuse Obama of weakness in the face of a growing terrorist threat.

"He [Obama] refuses to say the words radical Islamic terrorism.' But instead he lectures us on Islamophobia. Well, enough is enough," Cruz said. "Here's what we're going to do with ISIS. We should use overwhelming force, kill the enemy, and then get the heck out."

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders says Muslim nations must lead the fight.

"I am opposed to the United States getting involved in perpetual warfare in the Middle East," Sanders said on This Week.

After last year's terrorist attacks in Paris, polls showed a spike in Americans' security concerns in an election cycle in which economic themes often have been predominant.
Fresh off his sweep of three Democratic caucuses, Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders on Sunday declared his campaign has momentum and can now see a "path toward victory" over his rival, ex-Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

"We are going to win this nomination process," a confident Sanders told ABC, a day after winning by large margins over Clinton in the western states of Washington, Hawaii, and Alaska.

Even with the victories, Sanders faces a difficult challenge in catching up to the frontrunner Clinton.

Clinton still leads by just under 300 pledged delegates, which are allocated according to voting results. She also has the support of most of the so-called super delegates, which are free to support any candidate.

Rejects calls to drop out

Many political observers have said Clinton's lead is insurmountable, and argue Sanders should drop out and allow her to focus on the eventual Republican presidential nominee. Sanders on Sunday rejected those calls.

"I think the momentum is with us," Sanders said on CNN. "A lot of these super delegates may rethink their positions with Secretary Clinton."

Sanders has won five of the last six states, all located in the western part of the country. Clinton dominated the southern states earlier in the nominating contest calendar.

Democrats compete next on April 5 in Wisconsin and again April 9 in the sparsely populated state of Wyoming. Clinton is focusing on April 19 when voters in New York, the state she once represented as a senator, decide how to allocate their 291 delegates.

Trump details foreign policy views

Meanwhile, the leading Republican candidate, Donald Trump, has outlined his foreign policy views in an extended interview with The New York Times. During a pair of telephone conversations totaling 100 minutes, he gave a fuller picture of what policies and initiatives he would pursue abroad if elected.

Trump says he would threaten to stop buying oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies unless they commit ground troops to the fight against Islamic State or substantially reimburse Washington for fighting the militant group. He would also consider re-negotiating many fundamental treaties with U.S. allies, including the security pact with Japan, to make terms more favorable to the United States.

He said this could include allowing Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenals, asking countries to better compensate Washington for security agreements backed by U.S. armed forces and creating an alternative to NATO focused on counterterrorism. He also said he would consider using trade to push back on Chinas expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Trump did not rule out spying on American allies, and he criticized the Iran nuclear deal, saying it was particularly wrong-headed because it freed up some $150 billion in Iranian funds, but did nothing to repeal the sanctions that bar most U.S. companies from striking trade deals with Tehran.
Vermont Senator Bernie Sanders overwhelmingly won Saturday's Democratic caucuses in the western states of Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, inching closer in his bid to chase down party front-runner Hillary Clinton in the race to become the next U.S. president.

Sanders won 82 percent of the vote in Alaska and more than 70 percent in both Washington and Hawaii. Democratic rules award delegates on a proportional basis, meaning even with Saturday's losses Clinton still gets a chunk of delegates.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed west," Sanders said Saturday while campaigning in the northern state of Wisconsin. Clinton dominated the southern states earlier in the nominating contest calendar, but Sanders has won five of the last six states, all located in the western part of the country.

Even with Saturday's victories, Sanders trails Clinton - the former secretary of state - by just under 300 pledged delegates and faces a tough path to overtake her and seize the nomination.

Clinton's lead is even more substantial when taking into account the hundreds of so-called super delegates, almost all of whom support her.

Still, Sanders refuses to quit and remains a formidable opponent to Clinton in some places that have yet to hold their votes.

Democrats compete next on April 5 in Wisconsin and again April 9 in the sparsely populated state of Wyoming. Clinton is focusing on April 19 when voters in New York, the state she once represented as a senator, decide how to allocate their 291 delegates.

Clinton anticipated Saturday's losses. She barely campaigned in any of the three western states, making just one day of stops in Washington state, and was spending the Easter weekend with her family.

Clinton, in a speech Wednesday after the deadly attacks in Brussels, focused her attention on Republican candidates Donald Trump and Ted Cruz and what she called their "reckless" foreign policies.

"We need to to rely on what actually works, not bluster that alienates our partners and doesn't make us any safer," Clinton said.

Sanders, who is very popular with "millennials"  generally, people born from the early 1980s to 2000  and first-time voters, has said, "We need a political revolution."

Analysts had said Saturday's trio of contests might favored Sanders because Democratic caucuses tend to attract the most active liberal members of the party.

Trump details foreign policy views

Meanwhile, Trump outlined his foreign policy views in an extended interview with The New York Times that was published Saturday.

During a pair of telephone conversations totaling 100 minutes, the Republican presidential front-runner gave a fuller picture of what policies and initiatives he would pursue abroad if elected.

Trump said he would threaten to stop buying oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies unless they committed ground troops to the fight against the Islamic State, or substantially reimburse Washington for fighting the militant group.

He also said he would also consider renegotiating many fundamental treaties with U.S. allies, including the security pact with Japan, to make terms more favorable to the United States. He said this could include allowing Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenals, asking countries to better compensate Washington for security agreements backed by U.S. armed forces, and creating an alternative to NATO focused on counterterrorism.

The billionaire real estate developer also said he would consider using trade to push back on Chinas expansive territorial claims in the South China Sea.

Trump did not rule out spying on American allies, and he criticized the Iran nuclear deal, saying it was particularly wrongheaded because it freed up some $150 billion in Iranian funds but did nothing to repeal the sanctions that bar most U.S. companies from striking trade deals with Tehran.
The Idaho Professional Standards Commission took these disciplinary actions against south-central Idaho educators since 2005, according to state documents obtained through a public records request. The Times-News excluded cases that were dismissed.

2005

RODNEY MALONE

School district: Valley (Hazelton)

Ethics complaint: Malone allegedly sent a letter to school patrons that disclosed confidential information regarding students and failed to report to the Idaho Department of Health and Welfare or a law enforcement agency child abuse that Mr. Malone had reason to believe had occurred, according to state records.

Malone voluntarily waived his right to a hearing.

Disciplinary action: Letter of reprimand.

2006

EDWARD GREGORY

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: Gregory allegedly used school computers to deliberately view or print pornography, according to state records. Gregory voluntarily waived his right to a hearing.

Disciplinary action: Suspended teaching certificate for one year, starting April 13, 2006. Gregory was allowed to reapply after that, but with conditions: that he seek counseling, submit a written statement from a supervising counselor and complete the course of therapy recommended by a counselor.

2008

KENT STEWART

School district: Castleford

Ethics complaint: No details are included in the ethics commissions final order. Stewart voluntarily waived his right to a hearing.

Disciplinary action: One-year suspension of teaching certificate beginning Aug. 12, 2008, requirement to enroll in counseling and to submit written verification from the counselor before his suspension expired to show his counseling addressed the issue of pornography, according to state records.

2010

ANNA M. BETTENCOURT

School district: Bliss

Ethics complaint: While a certified teacher, Bettencourt was convicted of one felony count of sexual battery of a minor child 16 or 17 years of age in Gooding County, state records show. A judge in 2010 suspended jail time and placed Bettencourt on 10 years of probation, according to Times-News archives.

During her sentencing in September 2009, Bettencourt cried as she read a statement: I was the adult and should have exercised better judgment, which I did not.

She told authorities the student involved told others about their liaisons and it affected her work. I couldnt teach, she told the court. I was in a living hell.

Bettencourt told Judge John Butler during the hearing that she regretted the pain she caused to not only her family, but also the young man and his family. She said, I cant erase what Ive done  but will do whatever it takes to atone for my actions.

Disciplinary action: Permanently revoked teaching certificate.

LINDA BULCHER

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: The alleged unethical practice arose during administration of Idaho Standards Achievement Tests, state records show, but further details arent included. Bulcher surrendered her teaching certificate.

Disciplinary action: Revoked teaching certificate.

When a teaching certificate is revoked, the educator typically is allowed to apply for reinstatement. Thats different than a permanent revocation, which means the educator cant ever get his or her license back.

CHAD T. BURNETT

School district: Cassia County

Ethics complaint: While a certified teacher, Burnett was convicted of two felony counts of sexual battery of a minor child 16 or 17 years of age, state records show. He also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of a no-contact order. He was sentenced in 2010 to at least three years in state prison, the Times-News reported.

Disciplinary action: Permanently revoked teaching certificate.

LARRY W. LARSON

School district: Filer

Ethics complaint: Larson was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence May 9, 2009, and pleaded guilty June 9, 2009. Larson was also arrested for driving without privileges July 1, 2009, after a citizen called police to report inappropriate behavior at a local swimming pool. It was reported that Respondent was watching children in the park and had been drinking, according to state records. A final order from the ethics commission also outlines other complaints the Filer School District made to the state about Larsons conduct at school.

Larson voluntarily surrendered his teaching certificate and agrees that he will not engage in teaching in the state of Idaho, according to state records. In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, he agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Revoked teaching certificate.

2011

BRENT FAY

School district: Gooding

Ethics complaint: Allegations include that Fay told students to shut up, grabbed students by their hair to pull them toward him and whisper instructions in their ears, pushed a student against a wall, used inappropriate language in front of students and/or another teacher, failed to attend a professional development course but stated he did, punched another teacher in the arm during a fire drill at Gooding Elementary School and made one or more negative comments during a motivational speaker presentation at Gooding Elementary, according to state records. Students expressed fear of Fay and asked to be removed from his class.

Fay failed to request an ethics commission hearing or otherwise defend against the action, according to state records. Therefore, the allegations contained in the Administrative Complaint on file in this matter are admitted as true without the necessity of conducting a hearing.

Disciplinary action: Suspended teaching certificate indefinitely.

CYNTHIA MAY FULCHER

School district: Xavier Charter School (Twin Falls)

Ethics complaint: Xavier submitted a complaint alleging Fulcher intentionally withheld information concerning an applicant for a teaching position when making a recommendation to the School Board, according to state records.

In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, she agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Revoked teaching certificate, but allowed her to reapply after six months with conditions: submitting a reflective paper after a thorough review of the states code of ethics for professional educators, and submitting a new application for reinstatement and meeting background check requirements. She was also required to complete an accredited ethics course.

TOBY L. GLEAVE

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: Gleave entered pleas of guilty to driving under the influence of alcohol  a misdemeanor  in Twin Falls County in June 2004 and January 2008. In September 2010, Gleave was at Twin Falls High School during business hours and was believed by more than one co-worker to be under the influence of alcohol, which was confirmed by an alcohol test, according to state records.

In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, he agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Suspended teaching certificate indefinitely, with conditions prior to reinstatement: proof of submissions to a drug and alcohol evaluator, proof of successful completion of a certified drug and alcohol treatment program, and proof of successfully completing an accredited ethics course. If his certificate were to be reinstated, Gleave would be on probation for five years, including Idaho Department of Education background investigation checks every year.

CATHERINE ANN LOWDEN

School district: Blaine County

Ethics complaint: Lowden, an art teacher, allegedly became agitated after students had not adequately cleaned the clay working area, according to state records. Respondent twice threw masonite batts (devices used to keep clay in place on a potters wheel) from one sink to another. This was done in the vicinity of students and one of the batts ricocheted off a pottery wheel and a sculpture striking one student on the hand. The other batt also ricocheted and glanced off of the back of a different student.

In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, she agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Letter of reprimand.

2012

MICHAEL SCOTT BRINKERHOFF

School district: Cassia County

Ethics complaint: Brinkerhoff was sentenced to serve up to 12 years of supervised probation for felony sexual abuse of a child younger than 16, according to Times-News archives. He pleaded guilty to posing as a 15-year-old male in order to engage in sexually charged Internet conversations with a female student at Burley Junior High School, police said. Law enforcement said he sent multiple Facebook messages, many with sexual content, to his 14-year-old female victim.

Disciplinary action: Permanently revoked teaching certificate.

JANET TAYLOR JONES

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: A complaint against Jones  an extended resource teacher  included allegations that she struck a student on the head with a book, required a special needs student to remain in his wet clothing after he urinated in his pants during class and directed paraprofessionals to be meaner and more aggressive with special needs students, according to state records.

Ms. Jones testified that she was in a difficult situation, according to state records. From her perspective, she was placed in a new situation without adequate information about the students that would be in her classroom and without adequate administrative support from above or adequate paraprofessional support in her classroom.

Disciplinary action: Suspended teaching license until Sept. 1, 2013, with conditions before returning to the classroom: taking additional classes or other instruction to address classroom management, behavior intervention training, working with paraprofessionals and professional colleagues, and the ethics principles found in state board rules.

ROGER L. WELLS

School district: Castleford

Ethics complaint: Wells was accused of secretly videotaping a high school girl as she showered during an FFA convention in Moscow in 2011. He accepted a plea agreement in a Latah County courtroom, where he pleaded guilty to video voyeurism. Wells was sentenced to jail time, five years of probation and must complete sex offender treatment, according to the Moscow-Pullman Daily News.

Wells voluntarily surrendered his teaching license in July 2012.

Disciplinary action: Revoked teaching certificate.

2013

TARA BAGLEY

School district: Cassia County

Ethics complaint: Bagley, who was assistant principal at Burley High School, was convicted in July 2013 on two felony counts of sexual abuse committed by lewd or lascivious acts on a minor child 16 to 17 years old. Bagley was sentenced to two consecutive four- to 13-year prison terms after a plea agreement dismissed five charges of sexual battery of a minor.

In January 2013, Bagley voluntarily surrendered her standard secondary certificate and administrator certificate, state records show.

During her court sentencing in July 2013, balled-up tissues used to dry Bagleys tears piled up on the table in front of her. Bagley said six months earlier she was a successful vice principal, church leader, wife and mother of three. The only part that is true now is Im still a mother.

She characterized her acts as consensual, inappropriate relationships and said she takes responsibility for the harm she caused to the victims, school and community. First, I want to apologize to the victims and their families. Im so sorry for what happened  especially because I was in a position of trust and responsibility for these girls.

Bagley said she embarrassed and brought a bad name to the teaching profession.

Disciplinary action: Permanently revoked teaching license.

JEAN-JACQUES BOHL

School district: Blaine County

Ethics complaint: Bohl allegedly attempted to place duct tape over a students mouth for talking in class, grabbed a student by the neck and forcibly walked him to his seat while telling him to shut the f up, showed one or more male students how he could crush their testicles for talking in class by slamming wooden yoga blocks together and, when a student completed a class assignment to depict what other students would look like in 15 years, he copied and distributed a drawing of a student whose eyes had fallen out from playing video games, according to state records.

Bohl was forthright about what he had done and why it was inappropriate and retired from his 25-year teaching career under circumstances that embarrassed him and that prevented him from finishing his last year of teaching in his classroom and from speaking at the high school graduation ceremony, according to state records.

Disciplinary action: Suspended teaching certificate until Bohl completed two classes: one addressing anger management and one addressing controlling student behavior in the classroom.

AMY MARIANNE HARDIN

School district: Filer

Ethics complaint: Hardin allegedly sent a text message to a student asking if she could pull off a naughty teacher costume for Halloween, according to state records.

Ms. Hardin testified that she had not initiated the text message exchange with the student and that she had answered his texts about what she was doing in a humorous fashion and not a suggestive fashion, according to state records. Later the document states: Ms. Hardin now realizes that exchanging text messages with students is a poor practice.

Disciplinary action: Required one ethics class.

JEFFREY AARON MOORE

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: The school district alleged Moore may have provided false and/or misleading information in applications for employment, according to state records. Moore didnt provide an answer to the administrative complaint.

Disciplinary action: Revoked teaching certificate.

BELINDA J. TURLEY

School district: Jerome

Ethics complaint: Turley  while on school property during regular hours  allegedly uploaded two photographs from a personal flash drive onto her school computer and sent them via her school email to two co-workers, according to state records. They were of a male acquaintance and such photographs were inappropriate for viewing at school or through the schools email system.

In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, she agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Letter of reprimand and requirement of an accredited ethics course.

2014

ANDREW J. BACHA

School district: Bliss

Ethics complaint: Bacha stated he completed six professional development credits when he submitted an application in August 2012 to renew his certificate, but didnt complete the credits until October 2012, according to state records.

In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, he agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Suspended teaching license indefinitely, until he completed Ethics 202 at the College of Southern Idaho, a new background check and all conditions for a clear five-year certificate, including required testing.

REBECCA HUNSAKER

School district: Cassia County

Ethics complaint: Hunsaker, principal at Declo Elementary School, was the supervisor for a fourth-grade teacher who decided students who didnt make their accelerated reading goal must choose between having their faces painted by students or staying in for recess, according to court records. Hunsaker allegedly observed several students with painted faces, but did not timely address the situation with the teacher until the next day after receiving a parent complaint, according to state records.

In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, she agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Required to complete within six months: develop a Safe School Plan for staff, complete a classroom management course and a course on harassment, bullying and cyber-intimidation in schools.

SUMMER RAE LARSEN

School district: Cassia County

Ethics complaint: School district officials filed a formal complaint about Larsen, a fourth-grade teacher at Declo Elementary School. On Nov. 5, she allegedly allowed her students to draw with water-based markers on six classmates faces who failed to reach a reading goal, state records show. Students also had the option of staying in at recess. It was intended as a reading incentive for students.

In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, she agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Required to complete within six months: a literature review with a minimum of seven sources on effective motivational strategies for elementary students, develop an implementation plan of best practices for creating safe and effective motivational classroom climate and submit both to the Cassia County School District superintendent for review prior to sending to the state.

ATHENA LORENE MASK

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: Mask allegedly verbally informed a school district administrator she was resigning from her teaching job, but the district didnt release her in writing or otherwise, according to state documents.

Disciplinary action: Letter of reprimand, requirement to complete an ethics course before submitting an application for renewal of certificate.

REBECCA A. PENN

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: Penn, a special education teacher at Robert Stuart Middle School, allegedly hit a student in the face with an open hand; forcibly grabbed one or more students; used a frozen washcloth to scrub a students face, which left marks; made a student remain in soiled pants; and force-fed students, according to state records. Penn voluntarily surrendered her teaching certificate in November 2013.

Disciplinary action: Revoked teaching certificate.

CARL M. VAN VALKENBURG

School district: Twin Falls

Ethics complaint: Valkenburg allegedly used inappropriate physical force and called a student a bastard during an attempt to address inappropriate behavior by the student, according to state records. He voluntarily surrendered his teaching certificate in June 2014.

Disciplinary action: Suspended teaching certificate indefinitely, pending completion of any remedial training or coursework identified by the states director of professional standards and certification.

2015

TERRY SCOTT ROTHAMER

School district: North Valley Academy (Gooding)

Ethics complaint: Rothamer allegedly failed to fully respond to the Professional Standards Commissions request to submit documentation within 30 days to clarify results of a background check, according to state documents. In lieu of proceeding with formal disciplinary action, he agreed the ethics commission could enter a final order.

Disciplinary action: Letter of reprimand.

Julie Wootton
MONDAY the House Revenue and Taxation Committee approved a bill marrying an income tax cut desired by House Majority Leader Mike Moyle to a bill to collect sales tax on more online sales, an issue Twin Falls Rep. Lance Clow has been pushing for the past several years.

The House passed and sent on to Gov. C.L. Butch Otter a bill allowing the use of the Bible and other religious texts in public schools, siding with the little Supreme Court in Sage Dixons head over the constitutional concerns expressed by the Idaho attorney generals office and some of the bills opponents.

Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis said at the end of Mondays session that he hoped to wrap up on Wednesday. He missed his target, but not by much.

TUESDAY the Senate passed, by a single vote, ban on powdered alcohol, or palcohol, as well as a ban on harvesting tissue or organs from aborted fetuses. Outside of the Legislature, the big political event of Tuesday was the Idaho Democratic caucuses, which ended up backing Bernie Sanders by a 4-1 margin over frontrunner Hillary Clinton and brought some national attention to Boise, where the Ada County caucus was, according to some, the biggest in history and had to start a couple of hours late because of the blocks-long lines of caucus-goers waiting to get in.

WEDNESDAY House Health and Welfare, and then the full House, passed two health-care related bills  one to create an interim committee to study coverage for the 78,000 people in the Medicaid gap and work on a proposal for a Medicaid expansion waiver, one to give $5 million in grants to the community health centers that care for much of the gap population and spend $400,000 to study them and their health needs. Both measures came as a disappointment to those who had hoped for more substantial action on the issue, especially since the waiver proposal would require the Legislature to approve the application, pushing action into the 2017 session.

On a lighter note, Speaker Scott Bedke spent much of the day making unanimous consent requests to suspend further reading of a bill  a pro forma motion done before a debate starts  in limerick form, such as:

Wed all like to find a short way, to get out of here, tho not today/

So without your objection and with legal protection, debate may begin right away.

Legislative limericks are a bit of a tradition around here, mostly because of Spokane Spokesman-Review reporter Betsy Russell, who chronicles the session in her Eye on Boise blog and writes a number of them on there. Some other lawmakers joined in, and unanimous consent requests in limerick form were not uncommon on the House floor the rest of Wednesday and Thursday.

THURSDAY started with Senate Health and Welfare killing the proposal for an interim committee and amending the clinic grants bill to authorize the Health and Welfare director to apply for a waiver now, speeding up the process over the House proposal. The Senate passed it by a big majority, with the measures supporters saying lawmakers have debated and studied the issue for several years and it was time for action.

The ban on harvesting tissue or organs from aborted fetuses passed the House State Affairs Committee and then the House. The Democrats boycotted the committee meeting and some of them boycotted the House floor debate, accusing the Republicans of campaigning on the public dime by spending time on the issue.

Both chambers worked late Thursday, trying to pass as many bills as possible before adjourning. The budgets and everything that needed to pass to keep the state running got done. The attorney generals budget, which had been held because of political disputes between lawmakers and Lawrence Wasdens office, finally passed. The Senate adjourned sine die at 9:02 p.m., while the House decided to meet again Friday morning to take up the amended health care bill.

Note: sine die means without a day in Latin, and is the term used for when legislatures adjourn for the session, because they do so without setting a day for their next meeting. It is pronounced see-neh dee-eh in the Classical Latin pronunciation that is preferred nowadays, but lawmakers here generally use the traditional Anglo-Latin sigh-nee die pronunciation.

FRIDAY the House voted along party lines to shoot down the Senate bill on a Medicaid expansion waiver, essentially meaning that no action was taken on coverage for the gap population despite its being one of the main topics of debate all session. After Bedke dropped the gavel for sine die at 12:09 p.m., he said he would create a work group of lawmakers to study the issue during the interim.

The House passed a couple of bills before adjourning for the year, including an urban renewal reform that would, among other changes, allow cities and counties to make their urban renewal agency board elected rather than appointed if they so choose.

A few bills got left on the calendar without a vote. While some of them hadnt passed the Senate yet, and a vote on them would have been an exercise in futility at that point, a couple had, including one adding terrorism, human trafficking, hijacking and supplying firearms to a criminal gang to the list of felonies for which someone automatically loses their gun rights. The tax cut/Internet sales tax bill never even came to a vote, since its supporters didnt think it would have passed the Senate anyway.

NEXT WEEK the governor is scheduled to hold his yearly post-session news conference on Monday. Also worth watching will be which bills Otter signs, vetoes, or allows to become law without his signature. As of this Friday afternoon, some interesting/significant bills were still in limbo, including the religious texts in schools bill, a bill to let more people get protection orders, and the palcohol ban.

The next thing to watch for will be the work groups and interim committees. Bedke has said he wants the work group that will study how to cover the gap population to get going in May.
This appeared in the Lewiston Tribune.

If Idaho Attorney General Lawrence Wasden didnt know it already, he does now: He is very much a man standing alone.

Last week, Senate Majority Leader Bart Davis, R-Idaho Falls, pulled Wasdens office budget from that chambers calendar. At the same time, Davis was talking about decoupling Wasden from supervision over half of his deputies  those lawyers assigned to agencies spread across the state. Rather than answer to Wasden, theyd essentially report to Gov. Butch Otters appointees.

Davis says hes disappointed with Wasden because the attorney general is standing between the Idaho National Laboratory and research it hopes to conduct on spent fuel rods that were headed to Idaho. Thats a real problem for a state lawmaker whose Eastern Idaho legislative district depends on the national lab to drive the economy.

(Late Thursday, the Senate passed the budget for the AGs office on a 29-6 vote, but The Spokesman-Reviews Betsy Russell reported that Davis believes the budget should see some big changes next year.)

Wasden possesses the authority over fuel shipments under the landmark nuclear waste settlement agreement former Idaho Gov. Phil Batt signed with the U.S. Department of Energy 20 years ago.

The pact establishes cleanup milestones at the DOE site. To be fair, the federal government has accomplished most of those goals. But its out of compliance on two fronts:

 An accident has closed the Waste Isolation Pilot Plant at Carlsbad, N.M., leaving the INL with no place to send plutonium-contaminated clothing and equipment that has been retrieved from burial in the Arco desert.

 By the end of 2012, the DOE was supposed to have transformed about 900,000 gallons of high-level liquid wastes into a more manageable solid form. Those wastes still sit in three double-lined stainless steel tanks because the Integrated Waste Treatment Unit has failed to work properly.

Because the feds are violating the Batt agreement, they cant bring 50 rods in two shipments to Idaho without a waiver. Everyone from Otter to the congressional delegation has agreed, arguing INLs credibility as the nations lead nuclear research facility will falter if it cant work on spent fuel.

But the Batt agreement requires both the governor and attorney general to sign off on a waiver.

Wasden has refused, arguing  correctly  that a waiver undermines the cleanup settlements real leverage over DOE: the states authority to block shipments. Acquiesce just once and youve abrogated an agreement DOE has spent years trying to weaken both in the courtroom and in Congress.

On that score, the attorney generals allies include former Gov. Cecil D. Andrus as well as Batt, both of whom bear the scars of fighting DOE shipments in the past.

Pore over his office correspondence and youll find Wasdens attempts to find some kind of legal compromise. Bring the IWTU on line or scratch the machinery and come up with a Plan B, Wasden said, and hell grant a one-time waiver as he did five years ago.

Failure to reach agreement meant the first shipment was rerouted and last week, the scheduled transfer of 25 rods of spent fuel from the Byron Nuclear Generation Station in Illinois put off for at least six months.

Make no mistake; postponing this project has lasting national security implications as well as financial and capability consequences for the laboratory and the state of Idaho, Lab Director Mark Peters told INL workers on March 16. And so its vital that we continue working with state leaders to ensure INL has the tools needed to fulfill its mission as the nations lead nuclear energy research laboratory for decades to come.

Within a day, Davis made his move.

So did his fellow Idaho Falls Republican, Rep. Jeff Thompson, who introduced a resolution calling on Wasden to back off and issue a waiver. The House passed it Wednesday 53-16.

Its one thing to scrutinize a gubernatorial appointee or even give an agency budget a good going-over in committee or on the floor.

Now weve entered a brave new world when a prominent lawmaker can hold a constitutional officers budget hostage to settle a parochial political score.

If Wasden capitulates, other legislative bullies would follow suit.

Or worse. New targets could emerge. A higher-education budget gets stalled because one part of the state doesnt like how the money is allocated. Or the judiciarys budget is spiked in retaliation for a Supreme Court decision.

Whatever your opinion of the INL, the Batt agreement or Wasden, that prospect should give you pause.
When I was a boy, because of the song, I thought there really was an Easter parade, but the Easters came and went without one. But here's a glimpse of just a little piece of a parade by Kim Dower, who lives in Los Angeles. Her forthcoming book is Last Train to the Missing Planet, Red Hen Press, 2016.

I Wore This Dress Today for You, Mom,

breezy, floral, dancing with color

soft, silky, flows as I walk

Easter Sunday and you always liked

***

to get dressed, go for brunch, "maybe

there's a good movie playing somewhere?"

Wrong religion, we were not church-goers,

***

but New Yorkers who understood the value

of a parade down 5th Avenue, bonnets

in lavender, powder blues, pinks, hues

***

of spring, the hope it would bring.

We had no religion but we did have

noodle kugel, grandparents, dads

***

who could fix fans, reach the china

on the top shelf, carve the turkey.

That time has passed. You were the last

***

to go, mom, and I still feel bad I never

got dressed up for you like you wanted me to.

I had things, things to do. But today in L.A. 

***

hot the way you liked it  those little birds

you loved to see flitting from tree to tree 

just saw one, a twig in its mouth, preparing

***

a bed for its baby  might still be an egg,

I wish you were here. I've got a closet filled

with dresses I need to show you.

***

We do not accept unsolicited submissions. American Life in Poetry is made possible by the Poetry Foundation (poetryfoundation.org), publisher of Poetry magazine. It is also supported by the Department of English at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Poem copyright  2015 by Kim Dower, I Wore This Dress Today for You, Mom, from Rattle, (No. 48, Summer, 2015). Poem reprinted by permission of Kim Dower and the publisher. Introduction copyright  2015 by The Poetry Foundation. The introduction's author, Ted Kooser, served as United States Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 2004-2006.
On March 18, the International Rescue Committee announced its intention to reopen an office in Missoula after the U.S. State Department gave it the green light to proceed. The IRC expects to hire two full-time and one half-time positions to staff the office and begin the process of resettling an estimated 25 families, or up to 100 individuals, in the Missoula area over the course of a year.

This means Missoula will soon become a doorway into this country for refugees escaping destruction in their homelands and seeking to build a better life in the land of opportunity. In the months and years ahead, we should do our utmost to offer a heartfelt welcome to those who have suffered violence, death and injustice in their home countries.

We should also do our utmost to make sure the refugee resettlement process is as effective as possible.

From the beginning, residents across western Montana have voiced legitimate concerns about the potential impacts of accepting refugees. They rightly want to know whether the refugee vetting process is as secure as it must be to protect against the threat of terrorism. They are troubled about the costs involved in processing refugees and in helping them to get established in American communities. And they wonder whether new cultural and religious practices will be a good fit with those already in place in Montana.

Last things first: The United States, and Missoula, have a long and proud tradition of welcoming immigrants of all kinds and cultures. Missoulas first resettlement office opened in 1979 and helped hundreds of Hmong refugees make their homes in Missoula. The office also helped many Belarusian and Ukrainian settlers begin new lives in Missoula, although by 2008 it closed, in large part because of a lack of new refugees.

Sadly, there is no lack of refugees now. There are more than 15 million refugees in the world; an estimated 4.8 million are Syrian refugees forced to flee their home country.

The U.S. has traditionally taken in only a fraction of these migrants, however, last year, President Barack Obama proposed increasing the total number of refugees accepted in fiscal year 2016 to 85,000, primarily by expediting the approval process for as many as 10,000 Syrian refugees. In 2015, the U.S. admitted 70,000 refugees; only 3 percent were from Syria.

***

The costs involved with refugee resettlement warrant closer scrutiny.

In fiscal year 2015, the Office of Refugee Resettlement budget was $1.56 billion; of this, $948 million was spent attending to unaccompanied minors who crossed the U.S. border with Mexico. The office reported spending about $300 million on medical services and cash payments (refugees usually get a one-time stipend of at least $1,000 to help them pay for necessities such as food and clothing). Social services (including job training and language education) totaled another $150 million.

Its worth debating how much up-front cost the U.S. is willing to bear to accommodate refugees who may be the victims of political, religious or other persecution in their countries of origin. However, as part of this debate, its also worth paying attention to the multiple studies that have found that, over the long term, refugees actually provide a net economic gain in their host countries. Refugees are more likely than other immigrants to open small businesses, earn higher wages and create higher-wage jobs. After a few years, studies show, their contributions to the tax base equal or exceed whatever costs were necessary to help them get established.

Indeed, refugees are even required to pay back the cost of their plane ticket to the U.S.

***

Its safe to say that security is the most pressing concern.

Along with our fellow Americans, Montanans have watched with horror as Islamic extremists have carried out deadly terrorist attacks in Bussels, Belgium; Paris, France; and San Bernardino, California  to name but a few of the atrocities committed by groups including the Tabliban, Islamic State and Boko Haram.

European countries and the U.S. want to welcome those fleeing the violence of a common enemy  but we do not want that violence to follow them here. Unlike Europe, where displaced populations press against the borders, the U.S. is far enough removed geographically to be more selective in choosing who to accept.

Refugees who register with the United Nations may qualify to undergo an extensive background check required by the United States. Specialists with multiple security agencies verify biometic data, screen databases and conduct interviews in a process that typically takes longer than 18 months. Just because it takes the federal government a long time to do something doesnt mean its being done correctly or thoroughly, however, the refugee vetting process is far and away the most secure system the U.S. has in place for admitting immigrants. But the system is only as good as the information on which it is based, and unfortunately, few refugee applicants are able to provide reliable documentation and questions have been raised about the legitimacy of information collected by U.S. intelligence agencies that are used to conduct the background checks.

Therefore this process  along with other immigration programs  must be closely scrutinized for any gaps that could allow a terrorist to slip through. It is clear already that there is room for improvement.

***

Montanas U.S. senators and representative are approaching these improvements in very different ways.

Rep. Ryan Zinke, Montanas lone congressman, co-authored the Security Against Foreign Enemies (SAFE) Act, a bill that would pause refugee processing until a more extensive background check system could be implemented and require intelligence directors to sign off on each Syrian refugee admission to the U.S. It passed the House with strong support but fell shy of 60 votes in the Senate.

Sen. Steve Daines was among the senators who supported the SAFE Act. He is also a supporter of the Syrian Refugee Verification and Safety Act, which would prohibit funding for refugee admissions from certain countries into the U.S. until stricter security protocols are established.

Sen. Jon Tester has sought to drill down on the details of the refugee vetting process; in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Jeh Johnson, he itemized 11 categories of concerns and in response got an overview of the refugee vetting process. We support the senator in pressing for answers to his very reasonable questions. Of Montanas three congressional delegates, his approach seems the most measured  and most likely to lead to meaningful reforms.

All three of Montanas congressional delegates have questions surrounding the data that our intelligence agencies use to conduct refugee background checks. Those who describe the system as thorough are relying on the idea that there is adequate information at hand to conduct a background check, which doesnt appear to be the case. Many national security experts have said the data has huge gaps and cannot always be relied upon. Tester is asking the right questions but getting the run-around. And Zinke seems convinced its a mess.

Now that Missoula is getting ready to begin resettling the states first new refugees in several years, Montanas congressional delegates must redouble their efforts to assure that the vetting process is as secure as it can possibly be. They should listen to the concerns of their constituents in the Missoula area, demand answers on our behalf and push for immediate improvements.
Anna Stetsovskaya and John Wesley Hamilton were married March 26 at the Holman Ranch in Carmel Valley, Calif., by Alan C. Schoen, who was appointed a temporary deputy marriage commissioner by Santa Clara County.

The bride, 30, is taking her husbands name. She works at Alphabet in Mountain View, Calif., where she is a product-marketing manager for its broadband Internet and television unit known as Google Fiber. She graduated cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania and received an M.B.A. from Harvard.

She is the daughter of Diana Stetsovsky and Vladimir Stetsovsky of Princeton, N.J. The brides father is a senior consultant at Chilworth Technology, a company in Princeton that provides process safety management, training and consulting services to industries such as pharmaceuticals, food, and oil and gas. These services are intended to prevent fires and explosions that could potentially result from the processing of chemicals and other substances. Her mother, who works from Princeton, analyzes health care data for Truven Health Analytics, a health care company with headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich.

The groom, 31, is studying for a law degree and an M.B.A. at Stanford, from which he graduated. He also received a masters degree, with honors, in diplomacy from Norwich University in Northfield, Vt. He was in the Air Force from 2006 to 2014, having served in Afghanistan and achieved the rank of captain. He was last stationed at the Royal Air Force station near Mildenhall, England.
Can the Holocaust and art co-exist?

Thats what Montana Tech professor Henry Gonshak sets out to learn in a new book called "Hollywood and the Holocaust." The film studies book, which came out last October puts more than two dozen movies under the critical microscope with a writing style thats smart and (dare I say it?) fun.

Gonshak opens the book by asking Can Hollywood get it right? then proceeds to discuss, in depth, Hollywoods various depictions of the last centurys darkest blot  everything from Charlie Chaplins timeless classic The Great Dictator to Quentin Tarantinos bloody, cartoonish Inglorious Basterds.

His discussion focuses strictly on films made by major studios in Hollywood and ignores foreign and independent films like The Pianist, The Tin Drum and Au Revoir, Les Enfants. Though I was surprised and a little disappointed by the exclusion of some movies, his decision is understandable. To include every Holocaust film would have made for a much longer book.

As I read Hollywood and the Holocaust, it felt like I was embarking on a lively film studies course  indeed, many of the chapters sent me to Netflix and YouTube to watch films Id never seen before, or in some cases to revisit ones Id seen years ago.

Hollywood and the Holocaust begins with Charlie Chaplins first talkie, The Great Dictator, which Gonshak calls a masterpiece. Released in 1940, the film has incited controversy over the years (some critics say Chaplin wasnt hard enough on Hitler), but Gonshak reminds us that The Great Dictator was made in a time well before the world learned about the full extent of concentration-camp life.

On the other hand, the postwar The Diary of Anne Frank (1959) seemed to signal a turning point in Hollywoods depiction of the Holocaust. Gonshak says it is the one film that by far exerted the greatest influence on audiences and critics. Still, he takes it to task for the way it all but ignores the Frank familys Jewish faith and, in particular, he objects to Annes oft-quoted closing line: In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart. Gonshak writes: Its an expression of belief so vaporous that no one (except perhaps the most cantankerous atheist) could possibly object to. How, after all, can anyone be against a God manifested in trees and flowers and human goodness? On the other hand, one might ask, why has such a benevolent deity sanctioned the Holocaust?

Gonshak holds filmdoms feet to the fire and can be unrelentingly critical: The real problem is not that we have too many Hollywood Holocaust films but rather that we have too few good ones. But he measures each of the movies with a judicious yardstick. He rightly calls the Oscar-winning Life is Beautiful a Holocaust fable that consistently downplays the horror of the camps in order to ensure that nothing undermines its message about the imperishability of love.

The longest chapter in the book is devoted, perhaps predictably, to Schindlers List, which Gonshak says is the one Hollywood Holocaust film that best treads the precarious middle ground between pure horror and schmaltz. Steven Spielbergs 1993 film is such a cultural touchstone that for most Americans, Schindlers List isnt about the Holocaust; it is the Holocaust.

Even as it entertains us, Hollywood has a way of making us numb to genocide (which, as Gonshak later points out, is not confined to Germany during World War Two, but also includes the Hutu massacres in Rwanda and Cambodias killing fields). Over time, have we become complacent about the horrors of Hitlers Final Solution? Gonshak thinks theres a very real danger of that happening.

To illustrate his point, he mentions a scene he witnessed in the Student Union Building at Montana Tech when the main lounge area had a display of posters depicting the Holocaust:

Although this exhibit of graphic photos took up almost the whole room, many Montana Tech students refused to allow its presence to curtail their normal activities in the lounge. As a result, alongside photographs of starving children slumped on the streets of the Warsaw ghetto and emaciated camp inmates staring blankly through barbed wire stood groups of fresh-faced Montana Tech students making amiable chitchat with their friends, scarfing down a hot dog or slice of pizza before class, even sprawled in easy chairs watching daytime TV soaps. In many ways, this juxtaposition was as chilling as the photos themselves, since it seemed unwitting confirmation of the bleak truth that humanitys self-absorbed indifference to the suffering of others can allow an atrocity like the Holocaust to occur.

But is it the job of movies to shake us to wake us or to merely entertain us (as much as the Holocaust can be called entertaining)? These are just some of the big questions Gonshak wrestles with in his smart, thoughtful book: Can the Holocaust be truly represented in art? And should it be?
It is always amazing to me how, in the political arena, the good intentions and programs of some, can be misconstrued in such a way that will actually cause harm to the very people the programs were designed to protect. The clientele at Montana Developmental Center, the good people of Boulder, and the state of Montana could potentially be taken for a ride if the citizens of Montana, and the Legislature, do not wake up and stay vigilant.

In the 2015 legislative session, we stood strong as a bipartisan Legislature to make the very difficult decision to close the Montana Developmental Center in Boulder. The decision was extremely difficult, but in the end was the right thing to do. With the testimony of abuse and neglect over the years, it was apparent the state was failing the very people we were charged with caring for. Governor Bullock received the same information, and apparently agreed with the findings, by signing SB 411. With the main objective being to protect those at MDC who are less fortunate the rest of Montana citizens, the sponsor of the bill took great care, and worked across the aisle, to make sure the closing of MDC, would be as painless as possible.

Additionally, the sponsor of the bill included language in SB 411 making sure the state of Montana would fulfill a perceived obligation to the people of Boulder, to help in any way possible, making sure the small community of Boulder could survive.

The directive in SB 411 was very clear. Close the Montana Developmental Center, develop better solutions for people currently at MDC, and re-purpose the facility at Boulder. It is with great disdain that I read in the headlines, an attempt by some, to confuse the issue of why the Legislature and the governor of Montana actually made the decision to close MDC. The misguided blame against the sponsor of the bill is nothing more than an ill-fated attempt to derail the process of the commission, appointed by Governor Bullock, to carry out the tasks directed by SB 411.

The most important objective should be to take care of the client base at MDC. The commission has begun that process by moving more than half of that clientele into a community-based program, where they belong. The commission is to be commended, and should continue to look at options to finalize the process, acknowledging that Montana still needs a secure facility for those forensic clientele than do not belong in our communities! This can be done! We need leadership on the commission that will allow the members to look at all options before finalizing their plan for closure. Many states do not have state-run facilities like MDC! Montana should be no different.

Secondly, I am saddened for the good people of Boulder who have to bear the brunt of this decision, but have asked the state to at least look at how we can re-purpose the facilities at Boulder to allow the community to survive. As this process unfolds, I become agitated when I learn of the most recent 20-year, $25,000,000, new lease agreement signed at a non-state-owned facility in Galen. The leasing of this facility, completed without legislative oversight or knowledge, will house a forensic population from the overcrowded Montana State Hospital in Warm Springs.

The good people of Boulder need to ask the question as to why Boulder was not considered for this population. Knowing that the directive of SB 411 was to re-purpose the state-owned facility at Boulder, would one not wonder why the Boulder facility was not high on this list? Without a doubt, some remodeling would have had to happen, but this clientele may have been perfect for Boulder. Has the commission, tainted by a lack of information needed to make good decisions, missed an opportunity to fulfill the legislative directive to re-purpose Boulder? You can bet the 2017 legislature will be asking these questions.

Governor Bullock, where is your leadership? You appointed this commission, and the chairman is your budget director. You signed SB 411 to protect the clients at MDC. We need to close this failed state institution, as directed with your signature on SB 411, and we need to re-purpose the facilities in Boulder. Stand by your decision Governor Bullock! The 2017 Legislature, the good people of Boulder, and the citizens of Montana will stand for nothing less!Clo

-- State Rep. Ron Ehli, R-Hamilton, serves House District 86. He chairs the appropriation subcommittee on Health and Human Services, and is chair of the interim committee for Children, Families, Health and Human Services.
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 []
After the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7 in South Africa in March, there were a number of reports of cellphone store robberies.

Six armed men robbed an MTN store in the Coastlands Gatemax centre in Umhlanga on the morning of the launch of the S7.

The Telkom Direct store in Centurion was robbed that weekend (12 March), with criminals walking off with all its stock  including its S7 smartphones.

Thieves also tried to break into an MTN store at the Musgrave Centre in Durban on 13 March, but failed.

The increase in reports is not indicative of an increase in cellular store robberies, however.

These robbery incidents have occurred in the past, long before the launch of the Samsung S7 devices, said Ike Dube, general manager for business risk management at MTN SA.

There is no link that MTN is aware of between the launch of the S7 and the robberies that took place.

Dube said MTN was working with the industry and law enforcement agencies to curb the recurrence of store robberies without negatively impacting customer service.

Cell C echoed MTNs statement, saying it did not see a link between the arrival of the S7 and robberies of its stores.

We are aware that there has been an increase in store robberies, particularly in KwaZulu-Natal, where all cellular stores have been targeted, said Cell C.

We have implemented additional security measures to minimise our losses.

More on the Samsung Galaxy S7

I tried to buy a Samsung Galaxy S7 and only Vodacom would take my money

Samsung Galaxy S7 launched in SA  Vodacom and MTN contract prices compared

Samsung will fix your Galaxy S7 for free in one hour if you drop it

Free Google Music with Samsung Galaxy S7 in South Africa
South Africans heading to the United States and wanting to apply for a visa exemption must watch out for shady operators online, according to a report in the Sunday Times.

The report stated that several websites and email scams are currently trying to trick travellers into believing they are US government affiliates which can help them apply for the exemption.

The online exemption application is known as the Esta (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), and is used by people wanting to travel to the US under the Visa Waiver Programme.

It involves an $18 (R275) fee, stated the report.

Several sites claim to be third-party companies linked to the official Esta site, and charge users a fee to assist with registering and submitting their applications.

Such businesses are not endorsed by the US government but are designed to appear as if they are. Although deceptive, they are not illegal and if you find yourself making an application through such a site, you will be liable for their fees, stated the report.

More about the Internet

Massive security flaw in CCTV systems

How to choose hacker-proof passwords
After 40 years of making music, selling millions of records and performing for fans all over the world, country music's most famed group ALABAMA will embark on a brand new tour to celebrate their very first concert at The Bowery in Myrtle Beach, SC. The Back to the Bowery Tour will launch in South Carolina and run throughout the year, making stops along the way in Alabama, Canada, Connecticut, Georgia, Miami, New York and more. Additional dates are expected to be announced soon. Tickets will go on sale in select markets beginning Friday, February 15. Pre-sale perks will be offered for fan club members and VIP tickets will also be available for each market. For more ticket information visit www.thealabamaband.com.

The Back to the Bowery tour marks the first time ALABAMA has announced an extensive run since 2002. To commemorate this special occasion, they have chosen to perform in smaller, more intimate rooms in an effort to create special up-close-and-personal memories for their fans.

"I'm so excited to celebrate 40 years since our first show at The Bowery," says ALABAMA frontman, Randy Owen. "We still love one another, have played music together all these years, and are blessed to still be around. Most importantly, we are ever grateful for the fans, many having been with us since we used to play for tips, so to be able to go back out and play for them will make this a very special year."



It was 1973 when Randy Owen, Teddy Gentry and Jeff Cook  who all hail from Ft. Payne, Alabama  landed their first ever residency, a summer-long gig playing at The Bowery as the house band. Within just a few years, ALABAMA honed in on their sound, and began to dominate the world of country music with hit after hit, including "If You're Gonna Play in Texas (You Gotta Have a Fiddle in the Band)," "Song of the South," "Love in the First Degree" and "Dixieland Delight."

Their career to date has resulted in 21 Gold , Platinum  and multi-Platinum  albums, 43 number one singles and more than 73 million records in sales. They have received over 150 industry awards, including eight honors for Entertainer of the Year, two Grammy wins and two People's Choice Awards, as well as their very own "star" on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. The band received the Academy of Country Music's Pioneer Award in 2003, was inducted into the Country Music Hall of Fame in 2005, and most recently won the American Country Awards' "Greatest Hits" Award in 2011.

In addition to the tour and a new album slated for release later this year, ALABAMA will also embark on their very first musical cruise. The Alabama and Friends Festival at Sea  a four-night cruise from Miami to Nassau, Bahamas and Great Stirrup Cay  will set sail on October 24, 2013. For reservations and more information on the cruise visit www.alabamafestivalatsea.com.
"I was part of the group that decided which international bands were going to perform at jazzahead!," says Tim Jackson, the Monterey Jazz Festival Artistic Director and jazzahead! jurist. This will be his first time attending the massive event that takes place April 21-24 in Bremen, Germany. jazzahead! was founded in 2006 in this Northern German city about one hour from Hamburg. It is hosted in the Exhibition Center Bremen, easily accessible by air and train.jazzahead! is the most important international jazz trade show today, including its integrated showcase festival, featuring world-class jazz from Europe, the United States and beyond. It's a place where the jazz scene meets, exchanges ideas and does business. In 2015, there were 929 exhibiting companies from 64 countries, with more than 3,000 registered delegates, and more than 110 concerts and showcases on more than 30 stages!They asked me to participate in this jury of about seven or eight other presenters, I think they were mostly from Europe," Jackson continues. They set us up on a website with lots of bands from all over the world, but mostly Europe, North America and South America. We had some strong criteria and it was very well organized on their side. You want to make sure you have the proper criteria, so you can work within those parameters and try to choose the music and the artists that fit, for what the guidelines are for the jury."The jurors this year included: Peter Schulze (jazzahead!), Derya Bigali (Akbank Jazz FestivalTurkey), Andre Ishak (Oslo Jazz FestivalNorway), Stephanie Moretti (Montreux Jazz Artists FoundationSwitzerland), Amy Pearce (London JazzUK) and Huub van Riel (BimhuisNetherlands).Overseas Night" will feature the following bands:Two Rivers Ensemble (USA), Bokani Dyer (South Africa),(USA),'New Day' Trio (USA),(Canada), Maite Hontele (Columbia),(USA) and TheTrio (USA).It's good outreach for me and it's good for my work at festivals, to check out some of the European jazz artists. I was at the festival in Norway recently. It's fun to listen to. The European style is a little bit different and there's some really incredible musicians. So, I'm looking forward to it," Jackson Regarding the selection process, Jackson ponders, Wisely, the overriding concern is artistic excellence, that's job #1. From there it was interesting new music, diversity and different types of styles. I think where we ended up was with a really nice mix of mostly young artists from different continents and stylistically different, but still several groups that followed true to the jazz tradition. Going through the process, they said it was, by far, the largest representation of American bands." In 2016, the U.S.A. has a powerful presence with five bands out of eight performing.It was a strong, artistic crew that was on the jury," he continues. We were mostly in sync with the groups, it was really not a difficult process. I was happy with the choices that were made. The cream rises to the top and I think it did and most people recognize that. We were all agreed on the artistic excellence part of this."Jackson has already gained much respect for the organizers, They are certainly working hard to build their awareness internationally and it is well-run and focused and there are sharp people involved. 'Overseas Night' will feature the artists that we chose. It seems a little bit like APAP, where there are exhibit rooms, different venues, different festivals, different presenting organizations, probably different groups. It seems very comprehensive."American jazz artists have long had a love affair with Europe and its people. There's no question that there's an allure for Europe for U.S. artists and there's still a strong market there," Jackson explains. I'm part of the International Jazz Festivals Organization. It's a consortium of 15 of the world's leading jazz festivals, mostly European-focused, because they started out as the European Jazz Festivals Organization. I see, firsthand, the artistic power of these festivals and they leave a big footprint in their countries."Jackson stresses the importance of people going out to see jazz performed in the clubs and festivals. Again, the technology rules are changing all the time. I think one area that remains strong is the presentation of 'live' music, particularly in a festival setting. While the vehicles for people to listen to recorded music over the years has changedfrom CDs to onlinepeople still crave the 'live' music experience...that 'live' one-on-one relationship with the artist and their music, and those being in the audience. I think the marketplace is healthy right now."Jackson looks forward to attending the great gathering for the first time. For me, because I have relationships with a lot of the European festivals I do feel a certain collegiality there. I'm sure they'll be a lot of people that I know. Several of my friends have been going to jazzahead! for several years and in some cases, since its inception. I'm definitely looking forward to checking it out!Meanwhile, jazz heavyweight Jeff Levenson, has been an integral part of the event, as a jazzahead! consultant. His role is to promote engagement with and from North Americaie: labels, artists, media, presenters and gatekeepers. Levenson is also a Recording Academy National Trustee. He states, jazzahead! began showing what it could do, actuated by Euro gatekeepers possessing an egalitarian approach to jazz-that is, the all of jazz, with myriad sub-genres worth celebrating, without any of the parochialism or condescension often heard in American diatribes." Levenson is one of the key players in the American record business and longtime observer and benevolent supporter of jazzahead!Levinson concludes, It seemed that jazzahead!'s timing was perfect. It filled the hole created by the demise of the IAJE. In short order, jazzahead! became a global showplace where members of the jazz ecosystem could gather to exercise their roles, interests and shared commitment to jazz."
Iranian MP: Iran will conduct military exercises wherever it deems necessary

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Deputy Director of Institute of Oriental Studies of RAS: Baku's goal is that Karabakh has no Armenian population

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The group left for a 20-day yatra (pilgrimage) to India on March 18 through the Thar Express via the Munabao rail link, the Express Tribune quoted Laxman, the family member of one of the arrested individuals as saying.

The Indian media said the Rajasthan Police arrested the Pakistani Hindus for allegedly violating their visa restrictions.

The pilgrims had visas for Mathura and Haridwar cities but they instead visited Ramdevra.

Laxman's wife Saroopi, 12-year-old daughter Savita, seven-year-old son Sahil, five-year-old daughter Shardha and brother-in-law Vinod Goswami are among those detained in India.

The arrests came a day after Pakistan protested with India after capturing a man suspected of being an Indian spy, sparking a new diplomatic tiff between the two Asian neighbours. (ANI)
The Nepal Army chief, General Rajendra Chhetri left on a week-long visit of China on Sunday, the day Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli returns from his official tour of the neighbouring country. This is Chhetri's second foreign visit since September last year when he was appointed the chief of the army staff. One of his mandates has been to strengthen military ties with Nepal's powerful northern neighbour. China would increase slots of military training for the Nepal Army, said a statement from the Nepal Army. General Chhetri's visit to China is taking place exactly two months after his trip to India, where he was conferred with the honorary rank of general of the Indian Army. According to Nepal Army spokesperson Tara Bahadur Karki, the visit is aimed purely at strengthening the relations between the national defence forces of the two neighbouring countries. No long-term deal is on the cards, he said. Since the abolition of century-old monarchy in Nepal, China is looking for political stability in Nepal to anchor its relations with its smaller neighbour. Pro Shree Dhar Khatrai, an expert in international relations, says that China is still seeking a stable political force in Nepal and in that respect it had tried to establish relations with Maoists in the past and with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) later. Since the abolition of monarchy in Nepal, China has actively started interacting with thearmy, other security agencies, bureaucracy, media, civil society, political parties and parliamentarians. Chhetri's predecessor General Gaurav Shumsher Rana had in July 2013 signed a deal with his Chinese counterpart Fang Fenghui as part of which the northern neighbour provided military equipment worth around 50 million RMB (Rs.821 million) to the Nepal Army. Two mobile military hospitals were also provided to the Nepal Army. Karki said the Chinese government has already handed over two hospitals which were used in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in April and May last year. The Nepal Army has already received various military and medical support worth 50 million RMB (Rs.821 million), said Karki. --Indo-Asian News Service giri/kb/vt ( 358 Words) 2016-03-27-16:09:32 (IANS)
"Heard about the blast in Lahore. I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased & prayers with the injured: PM," Modi tweeted from his PMO India account.

More than 50 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Sunday evening near the main gate of the crowded Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in Lahore, media reports said.

--Indo-Asian News Service pm/vd

( 92 Words)

2016-03-27-21:27:31 (IANS)
The team comprises of officials from both the military intelligence as well as civil administration.

The team, which was granted visas on Friday, would visit the NIA headquarters on March 28 and Pathankot on March 29.

According to sources, the JIT comprises of Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) AIG Rai Tahir as convener, Intelligence Bureau Lahore Deputy Director General Azim Arshad, Lt. Col Tanvir Ahmed of the ISI, Lt, Col Irfan Mirza of MI and Gujranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.

However, reports state that the team's movement would be restricted only to the area of the engagement between security forces and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj earlier said that Pakistan's joint investigation team would arrive in India on March 27 and start functioning from the very next day.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier said that the modalities for conducting the Pathankot attack probe would be worked out once Pakistan's joint investigation team arrives in the country.

On January 2, terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force.

Four terrorists were killed and two security personnel were martyred in the gun battle. (ANI)
Before coming to the Barak Valley, he will also address a rally in Rangapara in Sonitpur district.

Barak Valley is very crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) because it is contesting alone on all the 15 seats of valley. The valley will go to the poll in the first phase on April 4.

This will be Prime Minister Modi's first visit to Barak Valley since becoming the Prime Minister.

He had addressed a rally at Ramnagar in Cachar district in 2014 during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

The Prime Minister will be accompanied by all the 15 BJP candidates of the Barak Valley and some senior leaders.

Adequate security arrangements have been made to avoid any untoward incident.

The Election Commission has announced two-phase voting for the 14th Assam assembly elections on April 4 and 11. The votes will be counted on May 19. (ANI)
With more than half of arable land certified as organic, tiny state of Sikkim is all set to lead the other states in the country toward healthier lifestyle by opting for organic farming.Nearly 30,000 hectares of land area out of the total 58,128 hectare of available cultivable land has been certified as organic in Sikkim by the soil scientists. Regions of North-Eastern and Eastern states where consumption of chemical fertilisers and pesticides is already low, are the next thrust areas of the Agriculture Ministry to encourage organic farming among the local farmers. The Government has already started a new centre of Indian Council of Agricultural Research(ICAR) in Eastern part of the country recently to promote organic farming in these regions.The Government has also set up National Organic Farming Research Institute at Gangtok in the state which will provide research and technological backstopping to organic production system in the country in general and North East hills region in particular. The institute will undertake basic, strategic and adaptive research on efficient, economically viable and environmentally sustainable organic farming systems for improving productivity, resource use efficiencies and quality of produce. Besides, it will impart vocational and advanced training to stakeholders for promotion of organic farming in the country. Required financial resources, manpower and infrastructure facilities will be made available accordingly. The organic farming mandates meeting the complete nutrient requirement of the crop only through permitted organic inputs and pest management by non-chemical methods. However, in view of large requirements of food in terms of cereals, legumes, oil seed, fodder, fruit, vegetables, and fibre organic farming is expected to be promoted in the niche areas. In view of some "sincere efforts" made by Sikkim for agricultural products investments, various techniques of crop production and marketing of products the organic retail stores are being started by Government of Sikkim in New Delhi and there are plans to open more stores across major cities of India to market the organic produce.According to the Ministry, a tremendous growth in agricultural production was achieved during the last 40 years through input intensive chemical energy based agriculture with adoption of nutrient-responsive high yielding varieties. But while it increased the foodgrain production, it also aggravated the second-generation problems associated with Green Revolution. Sustaining of soil productivity has become a major issue as lands are being intensively tilled under multiple and intensive cropping systems. Such intensification in irrigated agriculture coupled with indiscriminate use of agrochemicals has resulted in many problems such as nutrient leaching and loss, widespread deficiency of secondary and micronutrients due to substantial decline in relative contribution of organic manures as a source of plant nutrients, salinity, sodicity, lower input-use efficiency and deceleration of total factor productivity.Furthermore, indiscriminate use of chemical pesticides to control various insect-pests and diseases over the years has destroyed their many natural enemies and soil microflora. This has created a pressing need for adoption of sustainable agricultural practices such as integrated nutrient management and integrated pest management.UNI PRA SB 1015 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0384-654958.Xml
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday talked about good health ahead of World Health Day on April 7, adding India will be healthy if its citizens are healthy. Prime Minister Modi, who was addressing the nation in the 18th edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, said the World Health Day is dedicated to diabetes this year. "Our lifestyle is the biggest reason of rising cases of diabetes. A few days ago there was TB day. To fight TB you need correct and complete treatment. World TB day was observed on 24th March. We are not scared of this disease anymore because we know that it is curable," he said. "In a few days new Vikram Samvat will begin, I wish everyone Happy New Year. It is fortunate for me that I will get a chance to go to Baba Saheb Ambedkar's birth place Mhow (MP) on April 14th," he added. (ANI)
Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Sardar Sham Singh, who put the Sikh shrines and their upkeep on world front, breathed his last on Sunday at the Combined Military Hospital in Lahore. He was not well for the last one month and admitted in the hospital for a prolong illness. He was the first president of the PSGPC, formed by the Pakistan Government in 1998, and was elected for various terms to head the bodies that look after the Sikh shrines spread all over the neighbouring country especially Pakistani Punjab. Born on December 11, 1936, Sham Singh, an agriculturist who hailed from Faislabad, was chosen to head the body which was carved out by the Pakistan Government to take control of the Sikh Gurdwaras which were earlier being looked after by the Amritsar headquartered Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), the premier body of the Sikhs. The PSGPC was brought under Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board, which was then headed by former ISI chief Javed Nasir. Sham Singh would be remembered for face lifting of Sikh Gurdwaras and bringing large number of pilgrims from across the world to visit Pakistan. Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, Gurdwara Babye Nanaki, Gurudwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Dass and many more were declared open for the pilgrimages unlike the previous times when Pakistan allowed devotees to visit only a couple of Gurdwaras in Pakistan where as there are about 172 historical Sikh shrines in the country. Sham Singh's tenure was also marked by some controversies. After his appointment as the PSGPC chief, the then president of the SGPC Bibi Jagir Kaur stopped sending jathas (groups of pilgrims) to Pakistan in protest. She also objected to the appointment of Sham Singh as the PSGPC president. But many Sikh organisations, including Delhi Sikh Management Committee, American Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, Sikh Committee of Switzerland, Canada and many more endorsed Pakistan Committee and Sham Singh as its president. Later, the SGPC also recognized the existence of the PSGPC. Though both committees still holds different opinion over the dates of celebrating the Sikh dates and functions. Sham Singh was firm over observing the Sikh religious functions according to the original Nanashahi Calendar, which was released by Akal Takht in 2003 whereas the SGPC has adopted the amended but controversial Sikh Calendar. The Sikh world condoled the death of Sham Singh. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh condoled the death of the departed soul. Harcharan Singh, the chief secretary SGPC, said that he was saddened over Sham Singh's demise. DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK also expressed grief over the demise. AGPC chief Jaswant Singh Hoti and coordinator Pritpal Singh recalled the services of Sham Singh, saying he was able to protect the Sikh shrines and worked hard to safeguard the interest of the Sikhs in Pakistan as a community. Paramjit Singh Sarna, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), said that Sham Singh was a pillar of strength for the Sikhs in Pakistan and he held a prominent place amongst the Sikh institutions. Sham Singh, a farmer, belonged to village 62 Chak Kadrabad in Ukara tehsil of Mintgmri in (Faislabad). He is survived by his son Sikandar Singh and daughter Simran Kaur who live in Pakistan. Condolences were also expressed by Daljit Singh Bedi, secretary public relations of the SGPC and Kanwerpal Singh from Dal Khalsa. Talking to ANI from Pakistan, Sikandar Singh said that his father was ill for more than months and he breathed his last early this morning. He added that the family was around him when he breathed his last. He said that his father wished to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple but he was not able to visit Amritsar due to health problems. Sham Singh used to actively participate in Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Sikh inter-faith meetings organized in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan. He was involved in the arrangements for the stay of Sikh pilgrims from India to celebrate Gurpurbs and other Sikh religious functions. (ANI)
All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi is slated to visit this capital city of Uttar Pradesh tomorrow.He was forced to postpone his trip after district authorities denied him permission to address a public rally on March 17. During his around 10 hours stay, Owaisi is slated to visit Devashariff Shrine in the adjoining Barabanki district. Uttar Pradesh president of AIMIM Shaukat Ali told UNI here today that the party president is expected to reach Lucknow at 0830 hrs tomorrow morning and from Amausi airport he will go to Dewashariff."Mr Owaisi will return to Lucknow at 1200 hrs and will go directly to Nadwa, where he is expected to stay for two hours. Thereafter, he will go to meet prominent Shia cleric Kalbe Jawwad at his residence at 1400 hrs ," Mr Ali said.He said the AIMIM president will meet the party workers and leaders at Chanda Palace guest house in Bulaki-ki-adda at 1550 hrs. Mr Owaisi is also interact with the media at the guest house. Mr Ali said Mr Owaisi will return to New Delhi by evening flight.However, no written orders were issued by the district administration for denying permission. Citing law and order problem, the administration orally conveyed to state leaders of AIMIM that it's unable to provide security to Owaisi so permission cannot be granted.The AIMIM president had already been denied permission for 16th time in a row in last three years to hold public rally in Agra, Azamgarh, Allahabad and Lucknow. The AIMIM has been upbeat with its performance in the recently held bypoll for Bikapur Assembly seat in Faizabad district in February. The AIMIM candidate from Dalit community finished fourth after SP, RLD and BJP candidates. Mr Owaisi had also addressed two election meetings in Bikapur.UNI MB SB 1311 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0094-655343.Xml
A 62-year-old Sadhvi of Jain community was killed and five other members were injured, when a truck rammed into their van during their padyatra on National Highway 53 near Chachhan Hills in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district early today, police said. Sadhvi Smriti Prabha, who was on a wheelchair, died on the spot, as the van overturned after the truck dashed into the van from behind. Five other members of the community, including two women, sustained injuries and were admitted to Mahasamund District Hospital. One seriously injured victim was referred to the state capital. According to Tumgaon police sources, there were 15 members of Jain community in the group, who were travelling on foot from Mumbai to Jharkhand. While some members were in the van, others were travelling on foot and wheelchairs. The mishap took place at about 0500 hrs soon after the community members resumed their yatra from Kodar Temple near Tumgaon. The body of the Sadhvi was sent to Mahasamund for autopsy. UNI SS PS RJ VN1446 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0044-655442.Xml
Rebel Congress MLAs' lawyer Chetan Chauhan on Sunday said there is no question of disqualifying them as only partial documents have been submitted, which are not verified. "Only partial documents have been submitted, despite giving show cause notice to submit full documents. Moreover, the partial documents are unverified. According to rules, these documents do not hold importance," Chauhan told the media here. "The Speaker has been asked to review all the documents. We have received the documents in parts. According to the Supreme Court judgment and rules, seven days are allocated to verify these documents and respond accordingly. The procedural hearing on documents is going on right now. There is no question of disqualification right now," he added. The reported decision to disqualify the nine legislators from the Congress Party, who have revolted against Harish Rawat and joined hands with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), would reduce the effective strength of the 70-member assembly to 61. The rebel Congress legislators yesterday released a sting video of Rawat and alleged that he is indulging in horse-trading to save his government. The video purportedly showed him bargaining with rebel party lawmakers to win their support ahead of the floor test on Monday. Meanwhile, President's rule has been imposed in the state after Governor K.K. Paul submitted his report. (ANI)
BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya told a TV channel that the problems in Uttarakhand were of the making of the Congress leadership and its state leaders.

"It was the weakness of the party, disappointment of the leaders and growing corruption in the state," he said, adding that given an opportunity, the BJP would explore options of forming the government in the state.

Former agriculture minister and important Congress rebel Harak Singh Rawat, said it was immaterial who formed the next state government, "what we want is good governance for the people of Uttarakhand".

"The CM House had become a hot spot of corruption and now that the state is out of the clutches of a corrupt government, we will plan future strategy," he added.

This is Uttarakhand's first brush with central rule in 16 years of its existence.

--Indo-Asian News Service md/sd/vt

( 182 Words)

2016-03-27-15:47:30 (IANS)
A mentally deranged youth was lynched after he stabbed one person to death and injured another at Sarsi village under the same police station area in district today. Police said the youth first attacked one Umesh Yadav, who died of multiple stab injuries. Later, he also stabbed another villager Kishan Yadav before being controlled by the villagers. Angry villagers brutally assaulted him before he was rescued by the police. He succumbed to his injuries at a government hospital. While the injured has been admitted to Sadar hospital here, identity of the accused youth could not be established so far.UNI XC IS PL RJ VN1506 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-655406.Xml
The Congress Party on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indulged in misuse and abuse of power to plot the Uttarakhand conspiracy and said that the nation would give them a befitting reply in the upcoming assembly polls. Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asserted that his party would not bow down neither it will be deterred in wake of the latest political developments in the hill state. "Extensive use of money and misuse of power was done by BJP leadership. They utterly failed in that sinister attempt then they (BJP) hatched a conspiracy through a fake sting operation," Surjewala told ANI here. The Congress leader also used the occasion to take potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah. "Having failed in all conspiracies and sinister attempts, suddenly President's rule has been imposed in Uttarakhand. 130 crore people of this country are witnessing this saga of conspiracy, misuse, abuse of power as also misuse of money and muscle by both Modi ji and Amit Shah ji," said Surjewala. "They will be suitably punished like they have been done in Delhi and Bihar. The people of this country will punish them in the five states, which are going to polls," he added. Surjewala further said that the Congress would not bow down or be intimidated by such sinister conspiracies. "We will fight this battle legally, constitutionally and more so in court of the people of Uttarakhand and the people of India," he added. President's rule was imposed in the hill state on Sunday which comes as a major setback to the Congress as Arunachal Pradesh also witnessed similar situation earlier. The Uttarakhand Assembly has been kept in suspended animation following President's rule in the state. The recommendation for central rule was made by the Union Cabinet at its emergency meeting last night, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Earlier, Harish Rawat-led Uttarakhand government had been asked to prove its majority by March 28, after nine rebel MLAs of the Congress sided with the Opposition BJP to destabilise the government. (ANI)
He said acting on specific information, a police party of Police Station Batamaloo apprehended a notorious car thief Bashir Ahmad Sheikh alias Bashir Nindra, resident of Chari-Sharief Budgam.

During investigation, it surfaced that he had stolen two vehicles from Batamaloo and Karan Nagar area of district Srinagar and other six vehicles from district Anantnag.

Bashir Ahmad had changed number plates of all these vehicles; however there seems no tampering in engine and chassis numbers.UNI BAS ASM RJ RK1741

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Professor of Linguistics at Punjab University Prof Joga Singh, listed the negative impacts of English being used as a medium of education in lieu of mother tongue in schools in India. Speaking on 'Language and medium of education: excluding disparities, including diversities' in the first session of the concluding day of the 3-day national seminar on 'Impact of commercialisation and communalisation of Education in Naga society' organised by All India Forum for Right to education (AIFRTE), at Patkai Christian College, near Dimapur recently, Prof Singh said using English as a medium of education not only adversely affects the growth of a child, but has also social and political ramifications. Prof Singh said due to wide circulation of English as medium of education in many schools throughout the country, 196 Indian languages and dialects are on the verge of extinction. Prof Singh said a foreign language as a medium in schools tends to divide families as the child finds it difficult to communicate with her parents or grandparents and vice versa, since school language also becomes the first language of the child. He was also of the opinion that children who do not get education in their mother tongue cannot become efficient administrators, teachers or doctors as they would not be able to effectively communicate with the grassroots people who form the majority of India's population. "The knowledge you get from other mediums, you cannot take it back to your society," he said. Prof Singh also hinted on the possibility of caste-like system creeping into Naga society between children, who study in expensive private English medium schools and those in Government schools. On social and political ramifications, the Linguistics professor said Bangladesh decided to severe itself from Pakistan, since Pakistan insisted on Urdu as the official language whereas the then East Pakistan wanted Bengali also to be included as official language. He said of the 50 leading universities in Asia, Singapore and Hongkong top the list and universities in these countries teach in their own mother tongues. "Mother tongue allows you to develop your linguistic abilities in a better way and these abilities can, in turn, be transferred to learning other languages," Singh said. In conclusion, Singh added the only way to have a common school system in India is to introduce respective mother tongues as medium of education in schools. Dr Mimi K Ezung, Associate Prof Department of Tenyidie, Nagaland University, speaking on 'Communalization through language: The Nagaland Context,' briefed on the classification of Naga languages, native language, societal language and pedagogical language. Highlighting facts on Naga languages, she noted how UNESCO has listed Naga languages among endangered languages. She raised the question of where the native Naga languages/dialects stand today in terms of development. She explained how Nagamese, the lingua franca, may climb up the social ladder and find itself a seat among native Naga languages. Further, Dr. Ezung raised a thought provoking question of the policy of Central Government to promote Nagamese in Nagaland, rather than trying to discuss serious concerns of the state. She went on to add whether the promotion of Nagamese was a ploy to pose Nagamese as a threat so that an alternative, that is Hindi, be preferred by the native Nagas. This is a case of communalism through language, she said. UNI AS PL SHS RJ RK1720 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0211-655656.Xml
Justifying the imposition of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday alleged that the rules set by the Constitution were being violated by the Congress regime under the leadership of Harish Rawat in the hill state. Jaitely told ANI that the Union Cabinet took the decision with the consent of the President following Section 356 of the Indian Constitution which elaborates 'provisions in case of failure of constitutional machinery in the state'. "Yesterday, a meeting of Union Cabinet was held where a detailed discussion over the Uttarakhand political crisis took place. After which we informed the President that provision of the Constitution was being violated and that the assembly there should be held under animated suspension and an inquiry under Section 356 should be done. Many people expressed their views in this regard... I believe Section 356 cannot be used in a better situation," he said. "From the past nine days, the Uttarakhand Government has been violating all rules set by the Constitution. Government is formed through majority, bills are passed through majority but wonders happened in the Uttarakhand Assembly where bill was passed without the consent of majority," he added. The Finance Minister further said there is one more grave problem, which is still persisting, which is when the Appropriation Bill failed in Uttarakhand no expenses can be taken care of as this Bill is the key to allocation of public funds in the state. "It has never happened in the history of Independent India that the budget and appropriation bill was not passed in a state. In such situation after Section 356, under Section 397, the Centre with the help of President has to come up with provisions so that from 1st April Uttarakhand can access its fund," he said. Jaitley further accused the Congress government of misleading the assembly. "The Governor of the state asked the Chief Minister to prove his majority in two-three days but the Chief Minister said that he will call the assembly on 28th, why so late so that he wanted to use this time to lure his party inmates and for horse trading," he said. After almost seven days of verbal battle between the Congress and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the political crisis in Uttarakhand, President's rule was imposed in the hill state on Sunday. The Uttarakhand Assembly has been kept in suspended animation following President's rule in the state. The recommendation for central rule was made by the Union Cabinet at its emergency meeting last night, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. (ANI)
Banking service union of IDBI Bank, AIIDBIOA today said that it will go on a four-day strike against the government's move to privatise the lender.The All India IDBI Officers' Association (AIIDBIOA) will go on strike from March 28-31."Finance Minister in his Budget speech had said the government may consider reducing its stake below 50 per cent in IDBI Bank. His statement has caused anxiety not only in employees, but in customers too. Earlier, government had 80 per cent stake in the bank, but now it has come down to 72 per cent, after selling its shares to LIC. In this regard, we have called a four-day nationwide strike from tomorrow,'' said AVV Koteshwara Rao, Convenor, AIIDBIO.The union said it needs assurance in writing from the government that it would not dilute the government's share below 51 per cent and implementation of wage settlement pending since November 2012, immediately.Mr Rao questioned the government over its move to privatise the lender and said so far, no scheduled commercial or government banks have been privatized for the last 60 years. ''After nationalisation, in 2004, IDBI Bank has emerged as a government bank by catering to services for the common man of this country. Whatever may be the attempt of the government, but it seems it's a threat to the public sector banking system in India,'' he added.Mr Rao further added if the bank becomes private entity, then the main focus would be profit maximisation and social objectives will take a backseat. He also added that consolidation of public sector banks will lead to limited options for customers, compromising quality of services, as a result of no competition in the banking system. ''The union can alter or change its stand, if the government gives an assurance in writing. Else, we are seeking support from our customers and other unions too,'' Mr Rao added.UNI ASH RJ 1906 -- (UNI) -- C-1-1-DL0388-655885.Xml
A 55-year-old man and his 19-year-old son died after their bike was hit by a speedy tempo at Laxmi Petrol pump near Kagal municipal town of this district, on Pune-Bangalore National highway this afternoon.According to Kagal police, the deceased were identified as Rangrao Dalu Dafale and his son Naresh, residents of Malge-Budruk in this district. They were on their way towards Kolhapur city to purchase some domestic material, when a speedy tempo dashed their motorcycle from behind. The duo were seriously injured in the accident. They were rushed to Chhatrapati Pramila Raje hospital, but died during medical treatment. The tempo driver fled from the spot with his vehicle.Police said it was investigating the incident. UNI SSS NP RJ 1928 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-655832.Xml
A railway staff was today killed by snatchers at Konnagar Station Road under Uttarpara Police Station area in Hooghly district of West Bengal. Police said a 50-year-old Eastern Railway's staffer, Jai Prakash Gupta, was going to Howrah to join his duty, when he was attacked by 4-5 snatchers early morning. When he tried to prevent the miscreants from snatching, he was stabbed badly. Mr Gupta was rushed to Uttarpara State General Hospital, where he was declared brought dead. The miscreants, however, fled from the spot, after looting Jai Prakash's purse and mobile phone. Locals alleged that it was a very common incident in the area and four more people were stabbed and looted by the same miscreants this morning. Police however, started investigation into the matter. Nobody has been arrested so far. Meanwhile, a youth allegedly stabbed his Facebook friend in city's satellite town Salt Lake area last night. Police said Rajesh Mukherjee, a resident of Bhadreswar in Hooghly district, met his Facebook friend- Arpita Khan- for the first time in front of Baisakhi Apartment under Bidhannagar East Police Station area in Salt Lake. During conversation, the youth suddenly stabbed the girl. When Arpita shouted and locals rushed to the spot, Rajesh tried to commit suicide by cutting his vain, a senior police official said. However, both have been admitted to Bidhannagar Sub-Divisional Hospital. Police have started probe into the matter.UNI BM RJ BL1851 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-655797.Xml
Midnight and early morning mass were conducted in all the Churches here to mark the occasion.Besides Christians run school and college buildings were tastefully decorated .

Extending his Easter greetings state Governor Ramnath Kobind said, "Easter is a festival of hope and a special day to remember God's sacrifice for the freedom of mankind."

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar in his message said "let us hope that the blessings of God fill our heats with peace and joy and make us a better human being." UNI IS BM AY RJ BL2001

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The main opposition BJP in Bihar today accused the grand alliance government of being a victim of two power centres for alarming rise in crime graph as even legislators of ruling parties were breaking laws in an unbridled manner. Addressing party leaders and workers on the first day of the two-day party`s executive meeting here, state BJP president Mangal Pandy said while the "constitutional" authority or centre of power was vested with Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, RJD Chief Lalu Prsad had been acting as an "unconstitutional" authority not only interfering in the government work but was also not hesitant in imposing his "authority" in governance. Mr Pandey said the officers at large were virtually in a flux due to the two power centres they were confused in number games with JD (U), accounting for with 71 MLAs, still short of 9 members compared to its Coalition partner RJD.MORE UNI DH IS BM RSA BL2044 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-656063.Xml
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CPI-M on Sunday accused the BJP of shielding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress in the Saradha scam and the recent bribery scandal. Referring to a sting operation by Narada News where several Trinamool leaders were purportedly caught accepting bribe, Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) West Bengal secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra wondered why Modi wasn't sending the footage to the Rajya Sabha ethics committee. On a day when Modi campaigned in Kharagpur of West Midnapore district for the West Bengal assembly polls, Mishra in a series of tweets, hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool for forging a tacit understanding. "Who is stopping the prime minister to send the Narada sting to the Rajya Sabha ethics committee? PM's party is trying to shield Trinamool, that's evident & clear. Setting," said Mishra. "Why the CBI slowed down Saradha investigation? Who protected West Bengal chief minister and top TMC leaders? PM is silent in election meeting in Bengal. "Why the influential ones behind the Saradha cam could not be identified even in two years? Is the BJP-TMC match fixing the reason? The PM must answer," said Mishra referring to the multi-crore chit fund scam in which several of Trinamool leaders were interrogated/arrested for their alleged complicity. With Modi in his address calling the people of Bengal to vote for BJP, Mishra asserted: "Let killers of Gandhi & worshippers of Godse be busy in establishing busts of Nathuram!! Bengal vows not to let an inch of it to them." He also sought to know the outcome of National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe in the Khagragarh blast in Burdwan district in which Bangladeshi militant outfit was found to be involved. "Why did it take 7 days to order a NIA probe into d Khagragarh blasts? What is the Aoutcome of d NIA probe? The PM should answer," he posted. --Indo-Asian News Service and/vd ( 333 Words) 2016-03-27-21:59:30 (IANS)
The Pungro sub-division in Kiphire district of Nagaland, is situated near Indo-Myanmar border in the remotest eastern part of Nagaland, tugged in the rugged mountains is blessed with rich biodiversity still has a sizable area covered with dense virgin forests, the Fakim Village of the Pungro Sub-division today became the first complete LED Light Village of Nagaland. According to a release issued by Kamdi Hemant Bhaskar, Wildlife Warden, Kiphire Wildlife Division today said remoteness comes with package of problems like in Pungro sub-division there are 42 remotely located villages, some even without road and electricity. The Power Department, with low on manpower and resources, often faces problems in dealing with issues like load shedding and frequent power cuts and the worst sufferer are the common people and students in particular who often loose crucial study hours without light. Owing to these problems the Department of Environment, Forest and Climate Change took up the initiative with the help of District Administration and Power Department in organizing a programme today during special Easter Sunday service celebration around the three fringe area villages of Fakim Wildlife Sanctuary for distribution of eco friendly materials and to disseminate the information about the benefits of using eco-friendly technology like LED Bulbs and Solar lam In Fakim Village today, the Deputy Commissioner of Kiphire Chumremo Odyuo participated in Easter Sunday Church Service, where he shared his thoughts on saving electricity by adopting energy efficient and eco-friendly technology like Light Emitting Diode (LED) bulbs and Solar lamps. He also extolled the villagers to follow the example of Christ and to bring a change in their lives for the common good of the society. Later in the programme all the villagers submitted their traditional 100 watt tungsten bulbs to Deputy Commissioner and received 15 watt LED bulbs making Fakim as the First Complete LED Light Village in Nagaland. UNI AS AY RSA RAI2130 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-655854.Xml
West Bengal Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress (AITC) supremo today said it is because of the people peace has returned in Jangalmahal. Ms Banerjee said, "Our biggest challenge was to establish peace in Jangalmahal. We succeeded in that feat." Addressing an election rally here at Purulia district of West Bengal, Trinamool supremo said before 2011, people lived under fear and even trains did not run at night in Jangalmahal. She said it was because of the cooperation and resilience of the people that peace has returned to the region and now filmmakers from across the country were coming to Jangalmahal to shoot. Ms Banerjee said Jangalmahal has made huge strides in the development of infrastructure and social sectors which has reinforced the faith of the people in her. AITC supremo slammed the previous Left front government for neglecting the development of Jangalmahal "Centre allotted Rs 100 crore for Beti Bachao scheme, we allotted Rs 1500 crore for Kanyashree," the chief minister said. She said, ''now, folk artistes are getting stipends, more artistes from Purulia will be inducted into the scheme and now we have started Jala Sathi scheme worth Rs 500 crore to fight water scarcity.'' Ms Banerjee said, "We will develop the tourism infrastructure in this district and investments are coming in for Raghunathpur industrial belt in Purulia." The Chief Minister said the new coal block at Deocha-Panchami in Birbhum will generate a lot of employment for the region. She highlighted the 'Khadya Sathi' scheme under which eight crore people in the State are receiving rice at Rs 2/kg. "This is our biggest achievement," Ms Banerjee added.UNI BM RSA RAI2138 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-656123.Xml
US Consul General in Mumbai Thomas L Vajda today said that relationship of the USA with India stays on its own and its qualitatively and quantitatively different from other countries. Addressing a press conference along with Ann Cataldo, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Army for Defense Exports and Cooperation ASA(ALT), and General Dennis L Via, Commanding General, Mr Vajda, who was here to participate in the Defense Expo 2016, said,'' Its almost unprecedented that USA is working so closely with India to help build India's indigenous capabilities and support India's strategies and desire to emerge as a bigger and global leader. We are working in various areas and the relationship goes beyond buyer and seller relationship to have much more stronger partnership in production, development; the partnership that expands in defense institutes also in many capabilities.'' When asked as to what has changed after NDA Government came to power at the Centre, he said,'' There is no doubt that personal relationship exists between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Barack Obama but it goes beyond that. There is tremendous interest in the private sector in US-India collaboration andacademia in universities. Its really growing confluence of interests of the two countries which are largest democracies of the world.'' On selling F16 fighter aircraft and talk on selling twin engine multi-role F18 fighter aircraft to Pakistan, he said ''the US has long standing military relationship with Pakistan designed to help Pakistan fight with extremists but I would like to underscore that there is tremendous interest on the parts of the US Government tosupport and facilitate the growing defense ties among our (Indian and the US) industries and private sector as well. We look forward to support and facilitate engagements and partnerships in number of projects also.'' Stating that US has broader interest in partnering with India, Mr Vajda said,'' We want India to expand its capabilities. There are various ways through which we want to collaborate such as military exercise, facilitating and supporting relationships between India and American companies in the defense sector etc.'' When asked can the US be India's best partner in the Make In India campaign. he said, ''US President has already said the US is India's best partner and naturally cross all the different areas that we collaborate. Defense collaborate is one of the very important area wherein we can help India, facilitate and support in Make In India initiative.'' UNI AKM NP AY BL2242 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0169-656075.Xml
Christians in Nagaland today joined the world in celebrating Easter to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ after crucifixion. Thousands of believers congregated in churches across the state for prayers early this morning. Churches are decorated with beautiful lilies and lights. Senior Pastors and priests led the Easter mass and shared on the life and resurrection of Christ which comes with a message of hope and love. In the state capital Kohima, a special Sunrise Service was held at the World War II Cemetery signifying Jesus's victorious triumph over death. Singing of hymns, reciting scriptures of Easter and presentation of victory songs by choir from various churches are the main features of the Easter Sunrise Service. Nagaland Chief Minister T R Zeliang extends warm greetings to all on the joyous occasion of Easter. In his message Mr Zeliang said Easter Sunday reminds of God's unconditional love and that he gave us his only son, so that all might live through Him. He wished that Easter would renew all with the assurance of hope, healing, salvation and everlasting joy. Christians celebrated the festival with grand Holy Mass with Most Rev DrJames Thoppil, Bishop of Nagaland, presided over the vigil service at the Cathedral Church, and was the main celebrant at Christ King Church, Kohima Village. In both Churches, Easter Egg was distributed after the Holy Mass. The Bishop preached the homily taking the clue from the Easter egg. The most fundamental and deepest significance of Easter is that it is the beginning of a new era, new life. After the homily, the Bishop blessed the water, sign of purification and life, reminding us of our baptism and he administered the renewal of baptismal promises which was followed by baptism of the new members and the Eucharistic celebration. Rev Fr Carolus and Salew Peter Sdb , the parish priests of the two respective parishes accorded the warm words of welcome to bishop in their respective parishes. The youth choir in both parishes dressed in traditional attire sung melodiously and prayerfully. After the Holy Masses Easter eggs where shared out to young and elders of the parish community and greeted each other, "Happy Easter." UNI AS BM RSA RAI2240 -- (UNI) -- C-1-DL0214-656144.Xml
Bernie Sanders swept to resounding victories in Democratic presidential nomination contests in the Western caucus states of Washington and Alaska, but failed to shake Hillary Clinton's frontrunner status. Hawaii is also holding caucuses Saturday as well, but results are expected after midnight here. "We knew things were going to improve as we headed West," Sanders said at a jubilant rally before 8,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin -- a state that will hold the next major contest in 10 days. "We have a path toward victory." Clinton has built up her delegate lead on the back of a strong run in the South, but Sanders argued Saturday that the map now offers more opportunities for his campaign because his wins are being powered by huge turnout among younger voters. "With your help we're going to win right here in Wisconsin," he said. "So don't let anyone tell you we can't win the nomination, or win the general election. We're going to do both of those things." But even with his big victories on Saturday, Sanders faces steep hurdles in catching Clinton in the delegate count. While Washington had 101 delegates up for grabs, Hawaii and Alaska were relatively small prizes -- with just 25 and 16 delegates at stake respectively. With over 90 percent votes counted, Sanders held a wide lead over Clinton in Washington, 72 percent to 28 percent and 80 percent to 20 percent in Alaska. As delegates are distributed proportionally in Democratic contests, Sanders is likely to get more than three fourths of the delegates in the two states. Clinton did not address the results publicly on Saturday, but her campaign sought to raise money off her losses in Saturday's contests, portraying them as a warning to donors, according to CNN. The size of Sanders's margins on Saturday served as a warning shot to Clinton, allowing him to make the argument at his rally in Madison that he was "making significant inroads" into Clinton's delegate lead, CNN said. In Hawaii, Sanders is backed by the first Hindu-American member of the US House Tulsi Gabbard, who broke with Democratic Party leadership to show her support for Sanders. In an emotional Sanders campaign ad featuring Gabbard, who served a 12-month tour in Iraq, she talks about the importance of Sanders's vote against the Iraq War. "The American people are not looking to settle for inches," Gabbard says in the ad. "They're looking for real change." (Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in) --Indo-Asian News Service ak/tb ( 426 Words) 2016-03-27-09:23:32 (IANS)
Australian actor Hugh Jackman turned real-life action hero at Sydney's Bondi Beach on Saturday, when he helped his son and another man to safety from strong currents in the surf. Jackman is shown linking hands with a man and pulling him from a fast-flowing channel on to a sandbar, where the water is shallow, in television footage broadcast by the Nine Network. The network said Jackman later helped his own son, Oscar, 15, from the same current.Mariah Carey cancels show in Brussels amid safety concernsUndated -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0094-655243.Xml
The family of an American man missing along with his wife since the suicide bombings in Brussels that killed at least 31 people has learned that he died in the attacks, his brother said.Justin and Stephanie Shults, originally from Tennessee and Kentucky and who were living in Belgium, were last seen dropping off her mother at the Brussels airport shortly before the check-in area was rocked by a powerful explosion on Tuesday."We found out today that cowards took my brother's life just weeks after his 30th birthday," Levi Sutton said in a post on Twitter."He was smart and kind and generous. I never met a single person who didn't like him. He worked hard his whole life and achieved goals that most could only dream about," Sutton said in the post.Stephanie Shults remains missing. Sutton tweeted earlier on Saturday that her car had been found at the Brussels airport.A US State Department official declined to comment out of respect for the families.Sutton told Reuters earlier this week that a State Department official informed his mother the couple had been found, but that a social worker called back an hour later to say that information was incorrect.Stephanie Shults works for food company Mars Inc, and Justin was employed by Clarcor Inc, a Tennessee-based filtration system company."We grieve with his family and continue to offer our support as they mourn this unimaginable loss," the company said in a statement posted on its website.Family members of the couple had been among those waiting anxiously for word of their loved ones following the attacks at the airport and a metro station in Brussels.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.On Friday two Dutch siblings who lived in New York, Alexander and Sascha Pinczowski, were confirmed to be among the dead.The Pinczowski siblings were at a ticket counter in the airport, planning to return to New York, when the attacks occurred, news outlets reported. They were speaking by phone with a relative when the connection abruptly ended, according to the New York Daily News.Among the Americans injured in the bombings were three missionaries from the Utah-based Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as well as a US Air Force airman and four members of his family. REUTERS PS PR0406 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0137-655150.Xml
Chile has confirmed its first case of the Zika virus having been sexually transmitted, the health ministry said in a statement on its website.The virus is linked to thousands of suspected cases of birth defects in Brazil.The new case in Chile is that of a 46-year-old woman whose partner was infected while in Haiti. Chile, where the mosquitoes that transmit the virus are not found, has confirmed 10 cases of Zika involving people infected outside the country.There is growing evidence that suggests a link between Zika and microcephaly in babies. The condition is defined by unusually small heads that can result in developmental problems.Brazil said it has confirmed more than 900 cases of microcephaly and considers most of them to be related to Zika infections in the mothers.US health officials recommend that women wait at least two months, and men at least six, before attempting to conceive after infection with Zika.REUTERS PS PR0644 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0137-655160.Xml
Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested in Bellizzi, a town in the costal province Salerno in Italy, on suspicion of producing fake documents that might be used by extremists related to the attacks in Paris and Brussels, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

As Italian police revealed, Belgium authorities issued the European arrest warrant against Ouali, on the charge of participation in a criminal organisation by making fake documents and abetment of irregular immigration.

According to investigators, the name of the man has appeared in October 2015 when authorities in Brussels seized near 1,000 of photos of fake identity documents.

--Indo-Asian News Service py/vt

( 132 Words)

2016-03-27-12:43:31 (IANS)
Iran will respond to sanctions imposed on the country by the US for its ballistic missile programme by "further boosting" its missile power, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said. "We will respond to recent US measures against Iran's missile programme by further boosting our missile power," the minister said, adding that there are no limits to Tehran's missile programme "because this programme has nothing to do with nuclear weapons". On Thursday, the US announced economic sanctions against two Iranian companies for supporting Iran's ballistic missile programme, EFE news reported. These sanctions were imposed after Iran test-fired several long-range ballistic missiles earlier this month, which the US said could violate UN resolutions on Iran. These resolutions forbid Iran from developing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, including ballistic missiles. However, Tehran claims its weapons are not designed to carry warheads and only seek to boost the country's deterrent and defencive power. These new sanctions, as well as the debate on the Iranian missile programme, are beyond the scope of the agreement signed between the Asian country and Group 5+1 (the US, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany) that saw international sanctions on the nation lifted in January. Zarif said the US is legally bound to respect the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action, reached between Iran and the six world powers in July 2015, and that it should comply with its obligations in practice, irrespective of who is in power. --Indo-Asian News Service ksk/vt ( 256 Words) 2016-03-27-13:09:31 (IANS)
Rouhani said this while addressing a press conference in the federal capital before his return on Saturday, reports Dawn.

Rouhani denied having such a discussion, saying, "whenever Iran comes closer to Pakistan such rumours are spread."

During the meetings, the Iranian President said the two sides held wide ranging discussions for cooperation in the areas of trade, economy and energy as well as regional and international issues of mutual interest.

Pakistan's Director General of Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR), Lt. Gen. Asim Bajwa, shared the text of Army Chief General Raheel Sharif's meeting with the Iranian President.

"There is one concern that RAW is involved in Pak, spec Bln&sometimes also use the soil of our brother country,Iran.I request,they should be told to stop these activities &allow Pakistan to achieve stability," tweeted Bajwa. (ANI)
The Syrian army fully recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria on Sunday, following days of intense battles against the Islamic State (IS) group. The Syrian army and its allied fighters destroyed the last position of the IS in Palmyra, and started combing the city to dismantle and seize explosive devices, Xinhua reported. More than 400 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in the battles, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday. During the three-week-long military campaign backed by Russian and Shia fighters, the Syrian army lost 180 of its soldiers, the monitor group said. The General Command of the army said that the defeat of the IS in the ancient city of Palmyra is the start of a further collapse of the group. "Recapturing Palmyra is a strong blow to the IS terrorists and will usher in a further collapse of the morale of that terror group and the beginning of its defeat and collapse," the army said. Retaking Palmyra, the statement added, "is a sign that our army in cooperation with the friends is the only power capable of eradicating and rooting out terrorism." A military source said that the IS withdrew from the city under heavy attack and shelling of the Syrian army. The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the IS militants pulled out toward the town of Sukhneh, east of the central province of Homs. The ancient city of Palmyra is booby-trapped, said the source, adding that bomb squads have started defusing the explosives. The city fell to the IS militants last May and the Syrian army started a broad offensive to recapture it several days ago. Since capturing it last May, the IS group destroyed the city's military prison and several Islamic tombs and ancient archaeological sites. The IS also put on public executions of 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 centres 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 civilisations. --Indo-Asian News Service py/vt ( 384 Words) 2016-03-27-16:11:31 (IANS)
At least four Islamic State militants were detained by Turkish police, the Turkish armed forces said on Sunday. The four suspected IS militants, crossing into Turkey illegally from Syria, were captured on Saturday in Kahramanmaras province, Xinhua nes agency quoted the military as saying, adding that the detainees were all foreigners. The arrests came at a time when the Turkish security forces are on high alert to catch IS militants who have been detected inside the country and are allegedly trying to carry out attacks across the country. --Indo-Asian News Service py/vt ( 101 Words) 2016-03-27-16:57:32 (IANS)
President Bashar al-Assad said the recapture of Palmyra by Syrian government forces today showed the success of the army's strategy in combating terrorism, Syrian television said."The liberation of the historic city of Palmyra today is an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism," it quoted Assad as telling a visiting French delegation, including parliamentarians. REUTERS SHS VN1816 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-655778.Xml
Italian police arrested an Algerian suspected of making documents for militants linked to the Brussels bombings and Belgian authorities charged a man connected with a French raid as the investigation into the attacks spread to other countries.With links to the Paris attacks in November becoming clearer, and amid criticism that European countries have not done enough to share intelligence on suspected Islamist militants, cooperation appeared to be deepening.The suicide bomb attacks targeting Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train on Tuesday killed 31 people, including three of the attackers, and injured hundreds more. Islamic State has claimed responsibility.Belgian press agency Belga said today prosecutors charged the man in connection with a raid in Paris on Thursday that authorities say foiled an apparent attack plot.Belga named him as Abderamane A. who prosecutors had said yesterday was being held after being shot during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek. The prosecutor's office could not immediately be reached for comment.In southern Italy, Algerian Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was arrested by DIGOS anti-terrorism police after a series of raids and arrests in Belgium and Germany since the attacks, Italian media said on Saturday.He was suspected of having made false documents for militants connected to the attacks, Sky TG 24 television and other media said. His name was found in documents in a raid in an apartment near Brussels last October, including some with photos of militants involved in the attacks in Paris and in Brussels and the aliases they used.Belgian prosecutors also charged three men yesterday including Faycal C., whom Belgian media identified as Faycal Cheffou and said he was "the man in the hat", as he has become known, in last Tuesday's airport CCTV footage that showed three men pushing baggage trolleys bearing luggage.However, investigators have still not fully confirmed that Cheffou is that man, a person close to the investigation told Reuters.The two others in the picture are believed to have blown themselves up.Cheffou was charged with taking part in the activities of a terrorist group, and actual and attempted terrorist murder.The other two charged yesterday, Aboubakar A and Rabah N., were accused of terrorist activities and membership of a terrorist group. Rabah N. was also wanted in connection with the raid in France.Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur told Le Soir newspaper that Cheffou had been detained a number of times at a park where he sought to encourage asylum seekers to turn to militancy.JITTERY MOODAs the web of links between the suspects and attacks emerges, German lawmakers said Europe urgently needed to improve the way its security agencies share information.Organisers called off Sunday's Belgian solidarity march after officials including the city's mayor urged people to stay away in order to spare the over-taxed police force amid fears of another attack.A video posted on social media outlets used by Islamic State on Saturday showed a Belgian militant in the group's de facto capital Raqqa, Syria, taunting his home country in Flemish."You learned nothing from the lessons of Paris, because you continued fighting Islam and the Muslims. For this I want to tell you that the attack in Brussels is reaping what you had sown with your own hands," Hicham Chaib, whose nom de guerre was given as Abu Hanifa al-Beljiki, said."Just as you bomb the Muslims with your F-16s, we will fight your people."The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by Reuters.Officials said 24 victims from nine different nationalities had been identified so far from the attacks in Brussels, where the European Union and NATO are headquartered. Fourteen were identified at the airport and 10 on the metro. A further four people remain unidentified.In addition, 340 people were wounded, according to the latest official toll yesterday, of whom 101 are still in hospital, 62 of them in intensive care, many with severe burns.With the march cancelled and many celebrating the Easter holiday, the streets of the jittery capital were quiet today."It's obvious we cannot celebrate Easter as we usually do," said Monseigneur Jozef De Kesel, archbishop of Brussels, told Reuters at the central cathedral."The foundations of our society, freedom, respect for others, have been hit, attacked."REUTERS SHS BL1825 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0329-655820.Xml
A blast killed 15 people outside a public park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore today, rescue officials said, striking at the heart of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political heartland of Punjab.The blast occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, just outside the exit gate and a few feet (metres) away from children's swings.Eyewitnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the parking lot once the dust had settled.The park was particularly busy today evening due to the Easter holiday weekend."At least 15 people have been killed in a blast outside Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park," Jam Sajjad Hussain, a rescue service spokesman, told Reuters, adding that more than 30 people had been injured and taken to various hospitals in the city.Most of the injured were women and children, Hussain said.Police said it was not yet clear whether the blast had been carried out by a suicide bomber or a remote-controlled devise."We cannot rule out that this was a suicide attack but things will be clear soon," Haider Ashraf DIG Operations Lahore said.Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province.In 2014, Pakistan launched an offensive against Taliban and affiliated jihadist fighters in North Waziristan, seeking to deprive them of safe havens from which to launch attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.Punjab has traditionally been more peaceful than other parts of Pakistan. Sharif's opponents have accused him of tolerating militancy in return for peace in his province, a charge he strongly denies.Last year, a bomb killed a popular Pakistani provincial minister and at least eight others when it destroyed the minister's home in Punjab.REUTERS AY BL2035 -- (Reuters) -- C-1-1-DL0352-656089.Xml
Doha (AFP) - Qatar's state-funded broadcaster Al-Jazeera on Sunday announced a fresh round of job cuts with around 500 positions being lost, most of them at the network's Doha headquarters.

On top of existing losses of 700 jobs following an announcement earlier this year that Al-Jazeera America is to close, it means the broadcaster is set to shed more than 20 percent of its global workforce.

In total, the job cuts will reduce Al-Jazeera's staff numbers from around 5,200 to 4,000.

The cuts come at a time when gas and oil-rich Qatar is readjusting its spending priorities as it grapples with the global slump in energy prices.

Al-Jazeera said on Sunday that after a management review it was "expected that around 500 positions worldwide will be impacted, the majority of which are in Qatar".

Announcing the job losses in a statement, acting Director General, Mostefa Souag, said the cuts would allow the network "to evolve our business operation in order to maintain a leading position and continue our recognised commitment to high quality, independent and hard-hitting journalism around the world.

"While our decision is consistent with those being made across the media industry worldwide, it was difficult to make nonetheless."

He added: "However, we are confident it is the right step to ensure the network's long-term competitiveness and reach."

According to one Al-Jazeera official, up to 60 percent of the job cuts -- 300 positions -- could come at the broadcaster's Doha base.

The official told AFP that job losses could begin to be enforced within the next week, and most would be in non-editorial positions.

Staff members were apparently told on Sunday that Al-Jazeera English would be spared.

One employee at the network, who did not wish to be named, told AFP that the job losses were expected but that had created "a lot of paranoia" among staff as they waited to be officially told.

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"We have been waiting for this announcement. Since the middle of January we were told next week, then next week, there was a lot of speculation."

Another told AFP that the majority of job losses would be in sections such as IT and that each employee laid-off would receive at least two months' salary.

Al-Jazeera media network broadcasts in several languages.

It has around 80 bureaus worldwide and Al-Jazeera English reaches 270 million homes every day, says the broadcaster.

Al-Jazeera Arabic is watched by 27 million viewers daily while its online channel "AJ+" has received some 1.2 billion views since launching last September.

- 'Shake-up' needed -

The latest job losses come at a time when Qatar, a major gas and oil producer, has seen its revenues drop sharply as energy prices nosedived.

Qatar has already forecast a budget deficit of more than $12 billion in 2016, its first in fifteen years.

In addition, the emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani warned last December of "wasteful spending, overstaffing and a lack of accountability" across Qatar.

The current financial issues are probably the greatest the network has faced since it began broadcasting 20 years ago.

Khaled Hroub, professor of Middle East politics and Arab media at Northwestern University in Qatar, said the broadcaster needed a "shake-up" but the cuts sent out a "bold message".

"I think by this decision, Qatari officials attempt to deliver a bold message to everyone, including their own citizens, that a current policy of huge cuts and vigilant spending is very serious, due to the continuation decline in oil prices.

"Applying these cuts even to Al-Jazeera, one of the most cherished institutions in the country, sends a warning that nobody and no institution could be spared."
Washington (AFP) - An American couple reported missing after last week's terror attacks at Brussels' airport and metro were among the people killed, the company that employed the husband said.

Justin and Stephanie Shults, a husband and wife who were reported missing after dropping her mother off at Brussels airport, were killed in the blasts there, his employer said.

"We have learned today that Justin and Stephanie Shults died in the bombing at Brussels airport," Clarcor, the filtration company where Justin worked, said in a statement posted on its website.

A Twitter account that US media said belonged to Shults' brother, Levi Sutton, also confirmed their deaths.

"We found out today that cowards took my brother's life just weeks after his 30th birthday," Sutton wrote in a message posted Saturday.

"I was blessed to have Justin as a big brother. He was smart and kind and generous," he said.

"Stephanie was always so happy. I really enjoyed any chance I got to be around her. The world lost two amazing people today. It's not fair," he added.

The couple had lived in Brussels since 2014, Clarcor said. Both were accountants, according to NBC News.

On Friday, the US State Department confirmed that two Americans were killed in the Brussels attacks on Tuesday and that other US citizens were missing.

Thirty-one people lost their lives and 300 others were wounded in the suicide blasts that have been claimed by the Islamic State group.
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)
Miami (AFP) - Reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber rallied to reach the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Miami Open on Sunday when 108th-ranked Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens retired due to illness.

The German second seed, who upset top-ranked Serena Williams two months ago at Melbourne for her first Grand Slam title, was leading 1-6, 6-2, 3-0 when Bertens met her at the net and said she could not continue.

"I was not finding a rhythm at the beginning of the match," Kerber said. "I had to stay strong, believe and keep fighting. I hope she gets well soon but I'm glad to be in the next round."

Kerber next faces Hungary's 49th-ranked Timea Babos, who ousted 18-year-old Japanese 104th-ranked wildcard Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-0. Kerber is 3-0 against Babos, with 2012 wins at Cincinnati and the London Olympics and another in last year's first round of the French Open.

The 28-year-old left-hander became the first German woman to win a Slam crown since Steffi Graf in 1999 at Wimbledon, but since then Kerber had lost opening matches at Doha and Indian Wells after withdrawing from Doha with a right thigh injury.

After exchanging breaks to open, Bertens broke Kerber twice more -- when the German swatted a forehand wide and on her own backhand drop volley winner -- then held to claim the first set in 31 minutes.

Kerber held to 3-2 in the second set when Bertens called for a trainer to help combat the heat and stomach pain. Bertens fought on but Kerber won the next six games before her rival retired.

Eighth-ranked Victoria Azarenka, who won 2009 and 2011 Miami titles, eliminated Polish qualifier Magda Linette 6-3, 6-0.

The 26-year-old from Belarus is trying to become only the third woman to sweep the Indian Wells-Miami US double after Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005.

Azarenka hit a backhand winner to break for the first set, then saved two break points in an 11-minute opening game of the second set and breezed to victory from there.

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"I won the first set and I took the energy and I stayed on top," Azarenka said.

- Federer fill-in wins again -

Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a lucky loser who replaced Roger Federer in the draw when the 17-time Grand Slam champion withdrew due to illness, advanced to the fourth round, rallying to beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Zeballos, ranked 112th, had not won a match since last July before beating countryman Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round. He will face Belgian 15th seed David Goffin on Tuesday for a quarter-final berth.

Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych reached the last 16, outlasting US 31st seed Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem moved into the fourth-round path of world number one Novak Djokovic by dispatching 124th-ranked Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes.

Thiem captured his fifth career ATP title last month by beating Australia's Bernard Tomic in the Acapulco final.

Two-time defending champion Djokovic, who won his 11th Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open two months ago, first must get past Portugal's 38th-ranked Joao Sousa in a later match at the hardcourt event.

Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi's record of six career Miami crowns, has won 11 Miami matches in a row and 25 of his past 26 matches at the venue, the only loss in the span coming to Tommy Haas in 2013.

The 28-year-old Serbian also has won titles at Doha and Indian Wells this year and hopes to complete the US double sweep at Miami and Indian Wells for the third consecutive year.
Amman (AFP) - United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Sunday welcomed the removal of Islamic State jihadists from Syria's ancient Palmyra, calling for the site to be protected for future generations.

In a news conference in Jordan, Ban said he was "encouraged" that the UNESCO world heritage site is out of extremist hands and that the Syrian government "is now able to preserve and protect this human common cultural asset".

He called on "all the people around the world to protect and preserve this common asset of humanity."

IS seized Palmyra in May last year and destroyed the grand Temple of Bel, the shrine of Baal Shamin and several funerary towers which the jihadists consider blasphemous.

Syrian government forces recaptured the city on Sunday.

Known to Syrians as the "Pearl of the Desert", Palmyra boasted temples, colonnaded alleys and elaborately decorated tombs that were some of the best preserved classical monuments in the Middle East.
Lille (France) (AFP) - Belgian cyclist Antoine Demoitie has died after he was struck by a motorbike following a fall during the Gent-Wevelgem race in Belgium, police said.

The 25-year-old, a member of Belgium's Wanty-Gobert team, was involved in a fall along with three other riders around 150 kilometres (90 miles) into the race on Sunday as it lopped briefly out of Belgium into northern France.

He was then hit by a race motorbike while on the ground, before being transported first to Ypres hospital and then being transferred to an intensive care unit at Lille, where he succumbed to his injuries.

"The rider died. An inquiry is under way to determine the circumstances," Frederic Evrard, spokesman for the Nord-Pas-de-Calais regional gendarmerie in France, said late on Sunday.

A witness quoted by Belgian daily SudPresse said four riders were involved in a fall in front of the motorbike, which "literally fell on top of" Demoitie.

Other witnesses said the Belgian rider was hit on the head.

The cyclist's team earlier said Demoitie was taken to hospital in "extremely serious condition".

"His wife and his family are at his side," the team wrote on Twitter.

The International Association of Professional Cyclists (CPA) said on Monday that they wanted "light to be shed upon the circumstances" of Demoitie's accident.

"In this moment of grief and sorrow we do not want a debate, but we do feel a lot of frustration," said CPA president Gianni Bungo.

"We have always maintained that the cyclists' safety must be first in the discussions of the different key players in cycling.

"We do not want to accuse anyone, but to reflect on the responsibilities of everyone to ensure that attention, awareness and control over safety standards are maintained to a very high level."

The Gent-Wevelgem cobbled classic lived up to its gruelling reputation on Sunday, with riders battling strong winds as they tackled 10 climbs over a 243 kilometre route.

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Former Belgian national champion Jens Debusschere was also hospitalised after he sustained a concussion following a heavy crash, his Lotto-Soudal team said.

The race, which includes two ascents of the hills of Kemmelberg, was won by Slovakia's Peter Sagan.

A number of accidents have struck the sport this year, including the death of young hope Romain Guyot.

The 23-year-old Frenchman died on March 3 when he was hit by a truck at a crossroads in the west of the country.

In January, six racers from the Giant-Alpecin team, including German John Degenkolb and French Warren Barguil, were injured in a collision with a car during a training ride south of Valencia.

In 2011, Demoitie's compatriot Wouter Weylandt died from injuries suffered in a crash during the third stage of the Giro d'Italia.

On Saturday, 22-year-old Belgian rider Daan Myngheer suffered a heart attack during the Criterium International race in Corsica. He was put on artificial respiration and was said to be in a coma.

Demoite joined the Wanty-Gobert team in early 2016 after three seasons at Walonnie-Bruxelles

An excellent sprinter, particularly in uphill finishes, he won the Tour of Finistere in France in 2014, and was second in the Handzame Classic and GP Stad Zottegam in Belgium in 2015.
Brussels (AFP) - Belgian riot police fired water cannon to disperse far-right football hooligans who disrupted mourners at a shrine for victims of the Brussels attacks, as police arrested several suspects in a series of new raids.

In scenes that compounded a week of grief for Belgians, black-clad protesters shouting anti-immigrant slogans moved in on the makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse where hundreds of people had gathered in a show of solidarity.

Under-fire Belgian authorities meanwhile detained four terror suspects after carrying out 13 raids as they seek to round up a web of jihadists with links to the carnage in the Belgian capital and to attacks and plots in France.

The clashes between the far-right demonstrators and police underscored the tensions in Belgium after Tuesday's Islamic State suicide attacks on the airport and the metro system in which 31 people died and 340 were wounded.

"This is our home" and "The state, Daesh accomplice" around 300 hooligans chanted, using an alternate term for IS, as they gathered near the square by the stock exchange building, AFP journalists witnessed.

Some trampled on the carpet of flowers, candles and messages left at the site by mourners in recent days while at least one wore a mask with a well-known far-right symbol.

Police urged the mourners, who included some Muslims, not to provoke the hooligans, but some chanted "Fascists! Fascists! We're not having it!"

Riot police with helmets and shields corralled the hooligans before dispersing them with high power water jets, and marshalling them onto trains out of the city.

Around 10 people were arrested, police told AFP.

The mourners gathered despite the fact that organisers had earlier called off a "March Against Fear" in Brussels on Easter Sunday at the request of Belgian authorities, who said police needed the resources for the attacks investigation.

- Death toll rises -

Meanwhile, the Belgian Crisis Centre said 31 people had died in the airport and metro attacks, up from an earlier toll of 28. The figure does not include the three suicide bombers.

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All but three of the victims have now been identified, it said.

According to an earlier statement, a total of 340 people from 19 countries were wounded, of whom 101 remain in hospital -- 62 of them in intensive care.

The US State Department on Sunday confirmed the death of two more Americans, bringing the total to four.

As Belgium struggles to come to terms with the tragedy, recriminations continue over whether the authorities could and should have done more to prevent the carnage, as the links to the November Paris attacks by IS grow clearer by the day.

Police carried out 13 raids Sunday across Brussels and the towns of Duffel and Mechelen to the north, the federal prosecutor said, questioning nine people and holding four for further inquiries.

In the latest piece in the puzzle of the jihadist cross-border networks, police arrested a 32-year-old French national in Rotterdam Sunday on suspicion of planning a terror attack, Dutch prosecutors said, following a raid carried out at the request of French authorities.

The man is thought to have been planning an attack in France in the name of the Islamic State group along with Reda Kriket, a terror suspect who was detained near Paris on Thursday, a French police source told AFP.

Belgian prosecutors at the weekend also charged two men with involvement in a terror group over the foiled plot to attack France.

- 'Molenbeek in France' -

French minister for cities Patrick Kanner on Saturday sparked debate by claiming that "around a hundred neighbourhoods" in France could be compared to Molenbeek, the gritty Brussels district which has been home to several jihadis.

"We know that there are today around a hundred neighbourhoods in France which have potential similarities to what has happened in Molenbeek," he said during a radio interview, though some in his own Socialist Party questioned the statement.

Also on Saturday, a Belgian suspect identified as Faycal Cheffou, widely thought to be the fugitive third bomber from the airport, was charged in Brussels with terrorist murder and participation in a terrorist group.

There has been intense speculation he is the man wearing a dark hat and light-coloured jacket seen in airport surveillance footage alongside Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui who blew themselves up.

Brussels Airport said it would carry out a test run on Tuesday to see if the repair work in the wrecked departure hall was satisfactory, but it could not give a firm date for resuming services.
Brussels (AFP) - Belgians gathered Sunday in solidarity and defiance in central Brussels to remember victims of the country's worst-ever terror attacks as prosecutors charged a second man over a foiled attack in France.

As mourners gathered at a square which has been transformed into a shrine to the victims of Tuesday's attacks on the airport and the metro system, prosecutors said they had charged a second man with involvement in a terror group over a foiled plot to strike France.

It was the latest piece in the puzzle of the jihadist networks straddling France and Belgium.

The suspect, Abderamane A., was the second person to be charged by Brussels prosecutors in as many days in connection with Thursday's arrest of a man in Paris who had assault weapons and explosives in his flat and who was allegedly plotting a new attack in France.

In a bid to allow police to devote all their resources to tracking down the Islamic State cell linked to Tuesday's Brussels attacks and the November carnage in Paris, officials asked organisers to postpone an Easter Sunday march.

Meanwhile, the Belgian Crisis Centre said 28 people had died in the airport and metro attacks, down from an initial toll of 31 which had included the three suicide bombers.

Of the 28 who died, 24 have been identified, among them 13 Belgians and 11 foreign nationals, it said. A total 340 people from 19 countries were wounded, of whom 101 remain in hospital -- 62 of them in intensive care.

"Not in the name of Islam," read one banner on the columns of the stately former stock exchange building in Brussels city centre where people, some tearful, milled around under the watchful gaze of heavily-armed police and soldiers.

"This is our dream," read another among a sea of flags from all over the world, as the carpet of flowers, candles and messages grew steadily larger.

"I come here every evening and stay here until midnight in a gesture of solidarity," said Mohamed Said Si Ahmed Haddi, 50, a Belgian from Algeria.

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"We must not hide away."

In a homily at the nearby medieval cathedral of Saints-Michel-et-Gudule, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malines-Brussels Jozef de Kesel said the attacks "defy understanding."

"We are confronted with evil on an unimaginable scale which causes so much innocent and useless suffering," the Belga news agency quoted de Kesel as saying.

"Easter celebrates victory over evil," he added.

As Belgium tries to come to terms with the tragedy, recriminations continue over whether the authorities could and should have done more to prevent the carnage as the links with the Paris massacre grow clearer by the day.

Overnight, Italian police arrested an Algerian national in connection with the production of fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers, suggesting their networks spread far and wide and will not be easy to dismantle.

- Algerian held in Italy -

On Saturday, a man widely thought to be the fugitive third bomber from the airport was charged in Brussels with terrorist murder and participation in a terrorist group. He was the first suspect to be formally charged over Tuesday's attacks.

Federal prosecutors identified the man, who was arrested on Thursday, as Faycal C, with a source close to the inquiry giving his full name as Faycal Cheffou.

There has been intense speculation he is the man wearing a dark hat and light-coloured jacket seen in airport surveillance footage alongside Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui who blew themselves up.

A source close to the inquiry told AFP: "That is a hypothesis the investigators are working on."

Brussels Airport meanwhile said an examination of the building housing the wrecked departure hall showed the structure was stable and authorities will now see if temporary check-in desks can be installed.

- 'An endless nightmare' -

It had earlier said it would not reopen before Tuesday, with a partial resumption of passenger services, as it repaired the damage and put in place new security measures.

Ministers insist they did everything possible to prevent Tuesday's attacks and track down a network also linked to the Paris attacks but the government has faced a torrent of criticism for failing to stop young Belgian fighters going to Syria.

Two senior ministers offered to resign after it emerged airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported from Turkey as a "terrorist fighter."

"It is an endless nightmare for a country turned upside down," said Le Soir daily in a front-page editorial.

It was a sharp change of tone from a week ago when it hailed the March 18 arrest in central Brussels of key Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam.
Rome (AFP) - An Algerian held in Italy as part of a probe into fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers was interrogated Sunday but refused to answer questions, a judicial source said.

The suspect, named as Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was detained under a European arrest warrant near the southern city of Salerno on Saturday, and questioned in prison by prosecutors, the judge in charge of the preliminary inquiry said.

Salerno police chief Alfredo Anzalone said he was confident Ouali's extradition to Belgium would be approved. A hearing on the matter is scheduled for Friday.

Ouali was held on Saturday evening at a bus stop in a joint swoop involving anti-terrorism officers and a police special operations unit in the town of Bellizzi, an area with a large population of transient seasonal workers, many from North Africa.

Belgium had issued a European arrest warrant for Ouali, suspected of being part of a criminal network that produced fake documents for illegal immigration.

Brussels prosecutors said the network is thought to have supplied fake ID documents to some of the Islamic State attackers behind the November terror assaults in Paris that killed 130 people.

The false papers were "probably" also used by Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving Paris attacks suspect, they said.

The probe was still determining whether the same network also produced documents for those behind the March 22 attacks in Brussels that killed 31.

Suspicions were raised after Italian immigration officials checked Ouali's residency permit. Police had been searching for a man with the same name linked to the suspected network since January 6.

Hundreds of digital photographs were then seized from a counterfeiter's workshop, including three of those who planned the attacks in Paris.

One of those photographed was Najim Laachraoui, a suicide bomber at Brussels airport, reports quoted police as saying.
WASHINGTON (AP) - Bernie Sanders won Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska, Washington state and Hawaii on Saturday, victories he hopes will stoke a spring comeback against the commanding frontrunner, Hillary Clinton.

The Vermont senator was trying to build his enduring support among liberal activists into a three-state sweep that could help him narrow a gap of 300 delegates won in primaries by Clinton. Sanders needs to win 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates through June to be able to clinch the Democratic nomination. So far he's only winning 37 percent.

With 25 Hawaii delegates at stake, Sanders picked up 17. Clinton gained eight. That means in Saturday's contests, Sanders won a total of 55 delegates, having also won Washington state and Alaska. Clinton picked up 20.

While Sanders faces a steep climb to the nomination, a string of losses for Clinton would highlight persistent vulnerabilities within her own party. Sanders continues to attract tens of thousands to his rallies - drawing more than 17,000 in Seattle this week - and has collected more than $140 million from 2 million donors.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, before voters in Hawaii gathered for their caucuses, Sanders cast his wins Saturday as part of a Western comeback, citing recent victories in Utah and Idaho as a sign that his campaign still had a path to the nomination.

Read More: Bernie Sanders Takes Los Angeles: 12 Hours in the Maelstrom

"We just won the state of Washington. That is what momentum is about," he said. "Don't let anybody tell you we can't win the nomination or we can't win the general election. We're going to do both of those things."

Most of his dozen primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats. He's heavily favored by younger voters, who were a key part of the coalition that boosted Obama to victory twice.

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In Spokane, Washington, a huge line of caucus attendees snaked around a high school parking lot on Saturday morning.

"I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students," said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. "And getting big money out of politics. He's not paid for by billionaires."

Retiree Dan McLay, 64, attended the caucus in a hard hat, which he joked he needed because he was one of the relatively few Clinton supporters in the big crowd.

"Look at this thing in Brussels," McLay said, referring to the deadly bombings. "We need a real experienced leader."

For Sanders, turning passionate support into the party nomination has grown increasingly difficult.

Clinton had a delegate lead of 1,223 to 920 over Sanders going into Saturday's contests, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expanded to 1,692-949 once the superdelegates, or party officials who can back either candidate, were included.

Read More: Bernie Sanders Talks Trump, Brussels Attacks on 'Kimmel'

Based on that count, Sanders still needs to win 58 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by June's end.

His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall - from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates - to prevail.

Because Democrats allocate their delegates on a proportional basis, meaning that the popular vote loser can still pick up a share, his Saturday victories netted Sanders a gain of at least 27 delegates to at least five for Clinton.

Sanders spent several days campaigning in Washington state and dispatched his wife, Jane, to Alaska and Hawaii. Clinton campaigned in Washington state for one day and did not send any high-profile supporters to either of the other two states.

Clinton has been looking past the primary contests and aiming at potential Republican challengers. In interviews, rallies and speeches this week, she largely focused on Tuesday's deadly attacks in Brussels, casting GOP frontrunner Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as unqualified to deal with complicated international threats.

Her campaign sees the April 19 contest in New York as an important one, not just because of the rich delegate prize but because losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate would be a psychological blow. She hopes to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later.

Sunday, March 27 at 7:10 a.m. Updated with Hawaii results.

Read More: Comedy Central's '@Midnight' Stages Trump vs. Sanders Debate
By Sharon Bernstein

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (Reuters) - California lawmakers and union leaders have reached a tentative deal to raise the state's minimum wage to $15 over six years that could avert a campaign to bring the issue to voters, two California newspapers reported on Sunday, citing unnamed sources.

The deal, if passed in the state legislature and signed into law by Governor Jerry Brown, would add to a wave of minimum wage increases at the state level in the United States, where the federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour for more than six years.

The agreement, as reported by the Los Angeles Times and the Sacramento Bee, would gradually raise the minimum wage in the most populous U.S. state from the current $10 to $15 in 2022. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have one extra year to comply with the proposed law.

The Bee said Brown is part of the agreement, while the Times said the Democratic governor could make a formal announcement on a deal as early as Monday.

A spokesman for Brown was unavailable for comment on Sunday.

Sources told the Times that lawmakers could vote on the proposed agreement by the end of next week by amending an existing wage-hike bill.

To pass in the legislature, any minimum wage hike would have to win the approval of moderate Democrats, who in the past have blocked key legislation backed by the governor and the majority party's more liberal leaders.

INCOME INEQUALITY

Raising the minimum wage to fight income inequality has cropped up on many Democratic candidates' agendas ahead of the November presidential, congressional and state elections.

But the idea has drawn fierce opposition from conservatives and some business groups, who have said a higher minimum would harm small businesses and strain the budgets of government agencies forced to pay more to workers.

"Let's start by calling this irresponsible," said Michael Saltsman, research director at the Employment Policies Institute, a fiscally conservative think-tank that has argued against minimum wage hikes.

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"When you talk about these really massive jumps it's no longer an impact at the margin, its the sort of thing that could be the difference between a business staying open and closing," he added.

In 2013, Brown signed into law a measure that gradually increased the minimum wage from $8 to $10 an hour in 2016. But he said earlier this year that any future increase has to be done "very carefully" and over time.

The latest proposal would allow a sitting governor to stop the increases in the event of a recession, the Bee reported.

Labor unions' proposal to raise California's minimum wage to $15 an hour by the year 2021 has qualified to be listed on the upcoming November ballot in the state.

Supporters of a minimum wage increase who pushed for the ballot question are optimistic the deal would allow them to withdraw that initiative, the papers reported.

But Steve Trossman, a spokesman for the Service Employees International-United Healthcare Workers West, told the Times the union wanted to see the details of the deal before withdrawing the initiative.

Trossman was not immediately available for comment.

Fourteen states and several cities began 2016 with minimum wage increases. Many are now in the midst of multi-year phase-in plans that will ultimately take them to between $10 and $15 an hour.

(Additional reporting by Brendan O'Brien in Milwaukee; Editing by Alan Crosby and Mary Milliken)
Low-wage workers in California will soon get a massive raise.

On Saturday afternoon, members of the California state legislature and representatives from labor unions shook hands on a "tentative deal to raise the statewide minimum wage to $10.50 an hour next year and then gradually to $15," the L.A. Times reports.

If the deal is eventually passed into law, with just a few exceptions the entire state of California  the nation's most populous, with nearly 39 million residents  will begin making $15 by 2022. The pay raise will phase in over multiple years, with the current state wage of $10.00 increasing to $10.50 on Jan. 1, 2017 and increasing by a dollar per year after then, according to the Times. Small businesses with under 25 employees will get an additional year.

At $10.00 an hour, California is already tied for the highest state minimum wage in the country with Massachusetts. California Gov. Jerry Brown "had resisted multiple efforts to revisit the issue at the legislative level unt they were prepared to take the issue directly to voters," the Times reports, but signed on to the new deal after two union-sponsored bills qualified for the November 2016 general elections.

Important reminder of why unions are so goddamn important. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-minimum-wage-deal-20160326-story.html ... pic.twitter.com/N17BCOKe8B https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CehWe2UWIAEF-QK.jpg:large

CA minimum wage deal avoids a costly political fight, delivers $15/hr by 2022. http://www.latimes.com/politics/la-pol-sac-minimum-wage-deal-20160326-story.html ...

Seattle, Washington became the largest city in the country to begin the process of increasing its minimum wage to $15 when a hotly disputed ordinance went into effect in 2015, though the economic effects of the bill are not yet clear. Fast-food workers in New York won a similar victory in 2015, convincing state labor officials to sign off on a sector-specific $15 an hour minimum for fast food workers and Gov. Andrew Cuomo to endorse the same amount statewide.

In 2014, 600 economists signed a letter endorsing a federal minimum wage increase to $10.10 an hour, the wage endorsed by President Obama. The higher $15 amount is a more ambitious goal set by labor organizers who used a series of high profile strikes and protests to draw national headlines.
By Justin Madden

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel has rejected three finalists for the job of police superintendent and will name a veteran African-American officer on an interim basis to lead a force rocked by charges of racism, local media reported on Sunday.

Eddie Johnson, who currently serves as chief of patrol and did not apply for the top job, would take charge of the department at least temporarily, the Chicago Tribune reported, citing four unnamed sources.

Emanuel's surprise decision underscores the political sensitivities in naming a successor to Garry McCarthy, who was ousted as superintendent in December after days of protests over a white officer's shooting of a black teenager.

The department delayed for more than a year the release of video footage that led to first-degree murder charges against the officer, touching off outrage and calls for Emanuel's resignation. He has vowed to complete his second term.

Johnson would replace the current interim superintendent, John Escalante, who applied for the job but was not a finalist.

A spokeswoman for the mayor confirmed to the Tribune that Emanuel rejected the three finalists selected by the Chicago Police Board but she would not comment on the choice of Johnson as interim superintendent.

Neither the mayor's office, a representative of the police board nor Johnson could be reached for comment.

The law requires Emanuel to pick a candidate recommended by the board, which winnowed down the list from a field of more than three dozen. According the Chicago Sun-Times, Emanuel would ask the board to conduct a second search after rejecting its first slate of finalists, and presumably Johnson would apply.

Sources told that paper that the mayor is convinced that only a non-polarizing insider such as Johnson could succeed in restoring public trust in the department.

Emanuel's plan drew a rebuke from Rev. Jesse Jackson, the civil rights leader who has been a vocal critic of the mayor's handling of the crisis triggered by the video of the shooting of 17-year-old Laquan McDonald.

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"By circumventing the long established procedure for picking the city's top cop, Mayor Rahm Emanuel has loaded Chief Johnson down with baggage that reeks of backroom deals," Jackson said in a statement.

The police board held public hearings on a new superintendent at which many Chicagoans said they wanted an African-American as the new superintendent. At the packed meetings, many expressed concerns about racism on the force and slow and ineffective discipline after police misconduct.

Of 405 people shot by Chicago police over the past eight years, 74 percent were black. The city's population is roughly one-third black.

The three finalists recommended by the board included two African-Americans: Cedric Alexander, public safety director of DeKalb County, Georgia; and Eugene Williams, Chicago's police deputy superintendent. Anne Kirkpatrick, retired police chief of Spokane, Washington, is white.

(Writing By Frank McGurty; Editing by Mary Milliken)
Beirut (AFP) - More than 360 civilians were killed during the first month of an unprecedented ceasefire in Syria, the lowest monthly toll for four years, a monitoring group said on Sunday.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights told AFP that 174 civilians, including 41 children, had died since February 27 in areas where the ceasefire had come into force.

The truce does not include territory where jihadists like the Islamic State group or Al-Qaeda's local affiliate are present.

The Observatory said that in jihadist-held areas, 189 civilians had died over the past month.

The total of 363 dead represented a major drop from the previous month, when more than 1,100 civilians, among them 234 children, were killed.

And it was the lowest number of civilian deaths since November 2011 -- just eight months after the conflict erupted -- when 296 civilians lost their lives.

"The difference is huge. This is a very positive development," Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman told AFP.

Syria's conflict has left more than 270,000 people -- among them nearly 80,000 civilians -- dead since it erupted in March 2011 with anti-government protests.

The ceasefire deal, brokered by the United States and Russia, has brought relative calm to swathes of the war-ravaged country.

But fighting has broken out among rival groups and with jihadist factions.

According to Observatory head Rami Abdel Rahman, 122 rebel fighters have been killed since the deal came into effect.

A total of 637 government and allied fighters also lost their lives.

More than 739 Islamic State group militants and another 247 hardline Islamist or jihadist fighters died in the same period.
Stockholm (AFP) - Dreams of fame and fortune turned into a nightmare for a once-renowned Italian surgeon who compared himself to Doctor Frankenstein and now stands accused of using patients as guinea pigs.

Sweden's Karolinska Institute (KI), which awards the Nobel Prize for Medicine, fired Paolo Macchiarini this week after years of controversy.

A pioneer in regenerative medicine, Paolo Macchiarini was born in Switzerland in 1958 and won international renown in 2008 after undertaking a grafted windpipe transplant using stem cells.

In medical circles, his star was rising, and he was invited to Stockholm's KI as a visiting professor in 2010. He attained world fame for completing the first synthetic trachea transplant using stem cells in 2011.

Macchiarini used an ingenious artificial windpipe made of plastic and seeded it with the patient's own stem cells, which are immature cells that grow into specialised cells that ultimately make up each of the body's organs.

His work was initially hailed as a game-changer for transplant medicine, with the surgeon performing three such operations in Stockholm and five others around the world.

"We want to create new organs, like Frankenstein," he said in a documentary broadcast on Swedish public television in January 2016.

But by that time, his star was fading fast.

His troubles began back in 2014 after several surgeons at KI filed a complaint alleging that Macchiarini had downplayed the risks of the procedure.

Six of his eight patients reportedly died, and allegations ensued that the risky procedure had been carried out on at least one individual who had not, at the time, been critically ill.

Karolinska suspended all synthetic trachea transplants shortly after.

Macchiarini also carried out clinical work in Krasnodar, Russia where patients undergo surgery for research purposes.

But his time there was overshadowed by an internal investigation at KI, as well as the growing number of news stories in the Italian and Swedish media about the doctor's troubled past.

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Prosecutors in Florence, Italy have begun a preliminary investigation into Macchiarini after patients accused him of violating the Hippocratic Oath by charging excessive sums of money, sometimes as much as 150,000 euros ($170,000).

Swedish police are investigating Macchiarini on suspicion of gross negligent manslaughter and bodily harm, which could entail up to six years in prison.

- 'Ethical Chernobyl' -

On Wednesday, the Karolinska Institute decided to dismiss him, permanently cutting ties with the surgeon.

"His actions have had tragic consequences for the individuals concerned and their families," said Mats Engelbrektson, the institute's director of human resources.

"His behaviour has damaged the credibility of KI and research in general."

An article in the Swedish medical journal, Lakartidningen, described the Macchiarini case as an "ethical Chernobyl" for the institute.

KI's vice-chancellor Anders Hamsten, and the general secretary of the Nobel Assembly Urban Lendahl, both resigned in February. The Karolinska Institute's board has largely been replaced in the wake of the controversy.

Macchiarini's dismissal was greeted with relief by the scientific community.

"I think we're in a very bad period now in Sweden, with this case of fraudulent behaviour, it makes people lose their motivation, especially young people, and it makes people question our integrity," said Lena Claesson-Welsh, a member of the Royal Academy of Sciences.

The doctor is accused of lying about his research by claiming that he conducted tests on animals before attempting similar transplants on human beings. He also faces allegations that he lied about his scientific research and his past experience with prestigious medical research centres.

"Paolo Macchiarini supplied false or misleading information in the CV he submitted to KI," the institute said, adding that he "demonstrated scientific negligence" in his research.

Vanity Fair magazine published an article in February chronicling how Macchiarini and his former fiancee Benita Alexander, a producer for US television network NBC, became engaged.

During their courtship, the doctor reportedly told her he had operated on Bill and Hillary Clinton, Emperor Akihito of Japan and US President Barack Obama. He apparently also promised her that Pope Francis would officiate at their wedding.

Macchiarini's lawyer, Bjorn Hurtig, declined comment for this story.

Earlier, in an interview with state broadcaster Swedish Radio, he said: "His intention was positive, he only wanted to help people, now he's been scandalised and portrayed negatively throughout the world."
AMSTERDAM(Reuters) - Dutch anti-terrorism police on Sunday arrested a 32-year-old man in Rotterdam on suspicion of preparing an attack on France and also detained three other people, national prosecutors said. "French authorities on Friday requested the arrest of the French citizen, who had been identified in a terrorism investigation," prosecutors said in a statement. He was suspected of "involvement in preparing a terrorist attack". The arrests were carried out by a specialized anti-terrorism police squad, and the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD and prosecutors also took part in the operation, prosecutors said. Two of the others detained were described as aged 43 and 47 and "having an Algerian background," while the third had not yet been identified. Police were searching two addresses in western Rotterdam associated with the suspect, and people living in nearby buildings had been evacuated as a precautionary measure, the prosecutors said. The suspect will be extradited to France as quickly as possible, they said. The arrests came with Europe on heightened alert after Tuesday's suicide bomb attacks at Brussels Airport and on a rush-hour metro train that killed 31 people, including three attackers, and injured hundreds more. Islamic State has claimed responsibility. Late on Sunday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve congratulated intelligence services' work and the cooperation among European countries that he said helped thwart a potential attack in France. Cazeneuve said their work helped result in a first arrest outside of Paris on Thursday, then another in Brussels on Saturday and a third in the Netherlands. "Intelligence services work relentlessly to protect our territory in a context of high threat," Cazeneuve said in a statement. (Reporting by Toby Sterling and Astrid Wendlandt; Editing by Richard Balmforth and Peter Cooney)
Madrid (AFP) - Basque separatist group ETA called Sunday for peace talks with the Spanish and French governments and the return of ETA prisoners to the northern Basque region.

In a lengthy article printed in Basque newspaper Naiz, ETA's traditional mouthpiece, the group said "we are not where we expected" five years after declaring a "definitive end to armed activity".

"A process of dialogue for peace and resolution has not been started, with either the states or the political forces in Euskal Herria (the Basque Country)," it said.

"The consequences of the conflict have not been resolved, the main knot being the situation of Basque political prisoners which still has not been untangled."

ETA is blamed for more than 800 killings in its campaign of bombings and shootings to create an independent Basque homeland in northern Spain and southwestern France.

The group's last deadly attack in Spain was in August 2009.

In October 2011, it declared a "definitive end to armed activity" but it has yet to formally disband or disarm as the Spanish and French governments demand.

The group wants negotiations on several issues, including the fate of around 400 ETA prisoners, before it fully decommissions its armed wing.

The Spanish and French governments have refused to negotiate with ETA.

"A democratic agreement has not been reached based on Euskal Herria's right to decide which would put a definitive end to the political conflict," the ETA statement added, referring to Basque demands for an independence referendum.

ETA criticised Paris and Madrid in the article for failing to offer comprehensive proposals to "satisfy the minimum demands of Euskal Herria and Basque citizens".

The group traditionally publishes a statement on Aberri Eguna (Fatherland Day), a holiday in the Basque Country coinciding with Easter Sunday.

Opinion polls show most of the Basque Country's two million people do not want full independence from Madrid and the region already enjoys considerable autonomy.
Aden (AFP) - Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out a series of raids in southern Yemen on Sunday targeting Al-Qaeda positions that killed five suspected militants, a Yemeni military official said.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the jihadists were killed in air strikes that targeted buildings in the city of Zinjibar, including an intelligence and special forces headquarters occupied by the militants.

Several people were also wounded and taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Jaar, the official said.

An abandoned army weapons factory in Jaar which the jihadists had taken over was also hit, the official added, but was unable to say if there were any casualties.

Other raids carried out by the Saudi-led coalition struck suspected Al-Qaeda positions in second city Aden at dawn, according to the same official.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or injured.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) 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.

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.

Last week a US air strike on an AQAP training camp in Hajr, in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, killed 71 fighters, according to provincial officials.

The militants have seized parts of Hadramawt including its provincial capital Mukalla in April last year.

The Saudi-led coalition launched its intervention in Yemen a year ago against the Huthi rebels but it has recently turned its guns on jihadists in southern Yemen.
Antibes (France) (AFP) - Environmental campaigners said Sunday they were taking legal action against a French marine park, Europe's largest, over the treatment of its orca whales and other animals after many were killed in a recent storm.

The Antibes Marineland reopened a week ago after suffering severe damage in deadly storms that struck the Cote d'Azur, on France's Mediterranean coast, in October.

Many animals and fish at the park were killed in the storm, including Valentin, a 19-year-old orca whale which succumbed to internal injuries a week later.

The park was deluged with mud, killing sharks, sea lions and turtles because it was left without electricity to pump in clean water.

International NGO Sea Shepherd organised a protest attended by around 250 people outside the park on Sunday, saying the orca enclosures remain highly unsatisfactory and the animals should never have been subject to such dangers in the first place.

"We are against the keeping of orca whales in captivity because it is simply not where they should be," Paul Watson, founder of the NGO, told reporters.

There has been growing global opposition to keeping orcas, also known as killer whales, in captivity, particularly since the release of a widely seen 2013 documentary Blackfish on the treatment of orcas at SeaWorld in the United States.

SeaWorld announced earlier this month that it would no longer breed captive orcas and that the current generation would effectively be its last.

Sea Shepherd has lodged a legal complaint against Antibes Marineland, saying the park mistreats its animals and pollutes the local environment. It expects a first hearing to be held in September.

Marineland denies charges of mistreatment and said in a statement on Sunday that "the conditions of well-being of the marine mammals are carefully and strictly controlled by several organisations, as well as European and international regulations."

The park is already subject to a preliminary investigation following complaints of animal cruelty by three French NGOs.
DOHA (Reuters) - Yemen's Houthi movement said on Sunday it had exchanged prisoners with its foe Saudi Arabia as a first step toward ending a humanitarian crisis prompted by a year-long conflict that has killed at least 6,000 people. "A first step of understanding and respect for the humanitarian aspect [of the conflict] was the exchange of prisoners today," Houthi spokesman Mohammed Abdul-Salam said in a statement. The Houthis had handed over nine Saudi prisoners in exchange for 100 of their own fighters, he said. Riyadh and a coalition of Arab states entered Yemen's civil war a year ago in an attempt to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi after the Houthis and forces loyal to former president Ali Abdullah Saleh ousted him from power. (Reporting by Mohamed Ghobari, Writing by Tom Finn, Editing by Angus MacSwan)
Stockholm (AFP) - Swedish striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic confirmed Sunday that Premier League clubs have indicated an interest in signing him from French champions Paris Saint-Germain.

The 34-year-old has been linked with a move to the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal and is out of contract with PSG at the end of this season.

"There is an interest, yes. I can confirm that and we will see where it leads," Ibrahimovic told reporters on Sunday in Stockholm where he is preparing for Tuesday's friendly international against the Czech Republic.

"I think the Premier League is the most high-profile league in the world. It is making most of the headlines.

"But it would have to be like a marriage -- both sides have to want it as much."

Ibrahimovic has won league titles in four different European countries.

He arrived in Paris in July 2012 from AC Milan but after helping PSG to a fourth successive league title earlier this month he appeared adamant that he would not be in the French capital next season.

"For the moment I am not at PSG next year," he said before cheekily adding: "If they replace the Eiffel Tower with a statue of me, I will stay at PSG. I can promise that!"
Dublin (AFP) - Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Dublin on Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, a rebellion against British rule that paved the way for independence.

Ireland staged the largest commemorative event in its history to mark the six-day revolt, when rebels seized buildings across the capital and declared an Irish republic on Easter Monday 1916.

Members of the global Irish diaspora and descendents of the rebels were among those who turned out to watch a parade by almost 4,000 members of the armed forces and emergency services, complete with tanks and military aircraft.

President Michael D. Higgins began the day's events by laying a wreath at Kilmainham Gaol, where 14 of the 16 rebel leaders executed by the British were killed by firing squad.

Under a clear blue sky, he later laid another wreath at the General Post Office (GPO), the rebel headquarters during the revolt, before leading a minute's silence for all those who died.

A military band played "Danny Boy", and an army officer read out the 1916 proclamation declaring "the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland".

"It is quite emotional," said Patrick Morrison, a 72-year-old who travelled from the US state of Pennsylvania with his grandson for the commemorations.

The government sought to stress the "inclusivity" of the events, highlighting the 250 civilians and 130 British armed forces who died alongside more than 60 rebels.

"It is important that we bear witness this centenary year to all those who gave their lives during Easter 1916," Prime Minister Enda Kenny said.

- Boost for independence -

The uprising began on April 24, 1916, when over 1,000 militants took over prominent buildings in the city centre.

Britain sent reinforcements and began shelling the city, sparking days of fighting that ended when the rebels surrendered on April 29.

Public opinion was initially against the rebels, but the arrests of thousands of people in the subsequent crackdown caused outrage and a surge in support for independence.

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Within six years, Britain had agreed to the creation of an independent nation, though without the northeastern part of the island, which still remains part of the United Kingdom as Northern Ireland.

The Rising "gave people the courage to believe we could achieve total independence", Eamon O'Cuiv, deputy leader of political party Fianna Fail and grandson of 1916 rebel Eamon de Valera, told AFP.

The rebels were ahead of their time with their promise of equality and religious liberty, but President Higgins noted that "in many respects we have not fully achieved the dreams and ideals for which our forebears gave so much".

Ireland currently has a caretaker government, after an election last month failed to give any single party a parliamentary majority, leading to deadlock.

- 'Inclusive' commemoration -

On an island where political violence is hardly a distant memory, the anniversary prompted debate over how best to mark the armed nature of the uprising.

Northern Ireland's first minister Arlene Foster, the leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, refused to attend any events commemorating what she described as "a very violent attack on the state".

Police also warned that militants were planning to mark the centenary with attacks on police and army targets in the province, which was once plagued by sectarian violence.

Britain's minister for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, welcomed Dublin's efforts to ensure the commemorations were "inclusive and designed to promote reconciliation".

But Gerry Adams, leader of the left-wing Sinn Fein party, accused the Irish government of "betraying" the rebel leaders as he attended an Easter Rising event in Belfast.

"The southern state is not the Republic proclaimed in 1916," he said, according to local media, adding: "A united Ireland means the unity of the people of this island."
Jerusalem (AFP) - An Israeli parole committee heard on Sunday the request of former president Moshe Katzav to have his seven-year rape sentence reduced by a third, an official said.

A justice ministry spokeswoman said the three-person committee, comprised of a retired judge and two representatives of the public, heard Katzav and his lawyers argue for his early release, which would take place at the end of April if approved.

A representative of the justice ministry also appeared at the 12-hour hearing and expressed the ministry's opposition to Katsav's early release.

The spokeswoman said Katsav had not proved "he was worthy of an early release," primarily due to his not accepting the court's verdict, responsiblity for his crimes, or undergoing rehabilitation.

The panel was to convene again on April 3 to reach a decision on Katzav's request.

Katzav, 70, was sentenced in 2011 to seven years for two counts of rape as well as sexual harassment and obstruction of justice, in a scandal that rocked Israel.

The former president, forced to step down due to the allegations, consistently denied the charges and claimed to be the target of a media plot, insisting any contact he had with his female staff while tourism minister and president was consensual.
Kfar Pines (Israel) (AFP) - With its moat, wall, barbed wire, armed guards and security cameras, the facility could be mistaken for a military base if it weren't for the pungent odour of marijuana in the air.

Here, on the outskirts of a quiet village in northern Israel, 50,000 plants of 230 varieties grow at the country's second-largest medical cannabis plantation.

"For cannabis, we are in the promised land with a good climate, 300 days of sunshine each year and perfect levels of humidity," said Tamir Gedo, head of BOL Pharma, a company authorised by the Israeli health ministry to grow and distribute medical cannabis.

The recreational use of cannabis is illegal in the Jewish state, but for the past 10 years its therapeutic use has not only been permitted but also encouraged.

Last year, doctors prescribed the herb to about 25,000 patients suffering from cancer, epilepsy, post-traumatic stress and degenerative diseases.

The purpose is not to cure them but to alleviate their symptoms.

The use of cannabis in medicine divides doctors around issues of addiction and behavioural problems such as aggression.

Nevertheless, it has long been known to revive lost appetite and to help in treating sleep disorders, anxiety and inflammation, its supporters say.

They say much research remains to be done but it is advancing faster in Israel, where authorities allow human clinical trials, than in many other countries.

Entrepreneurs, investors and researchers are increasingly entering the business and searching for the holy grail of medicinal marijuana: a purified form of the drug with minimal side-effects and which can be administered in accurate doses.

Inside the fortified premises of BOL (Breath Of Life) Pharma are laboratories and greenhouses, with each plant monitored by software that remotely controls its biochemical parameters.

Growing cannabis for medical use demands careful supervision of active ingredients such as tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), which gives recreational users their high but is not recommended for all patients, particularly children.

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"With the support of the (health) ministry, which has always had a pioneering attitude to this issue, we have built up expertise in clinical trials and we can share it with companies in the United States and Europe," said Gedo.

He cites initial results of trials on patients with Crohn's disease, which is characterised by chronic inflammation of the intestine, diarrhoea and recurrent abdominal pain.

- A world hash hub? -

Forbidden to export its cannabis plants, Israel is concentrating instead on marketing its agronomic, medical and technological expertise in the hope of becoming a world hub in the field.

The prestigious Hebrew University of Jerusalem has just opened a cannabis research centre joining 19 other teams from local academic institutions.

About 200 industry players gathered in Tel Aviv this month for Canna Tech, an international conference on the industry.

Suited salespeople, some a little red-eyed despite a ban on consumption laid down by the organisers, exhibited products including electronic cannabis cigarettes, cannabis-based creams and ointments and a remedy for dry mouth.

Some startups are focused on the plant's by-products, others on user accessories, but a few have bigger ideas.

"Look at what has happened in the past two years, the speed at which legalisation of cannabis is advancing," said Saul Kaye, head of the first Israeli incubator for cannabis industry startups.

"We're not going to miss this opportunity, and seeing what the first investors are putting on the table, we feel that it is going to be very big."

In January, US tobacco giant Philip Morris ploughed $20 million into Israeli company Syke, which produces precision inhalers for medical cannabis.

At the same time, Israeli firm Eybna announced it had isolated therapeutic organic compounds from the plant without the psychoactive ingredients which make unprescribed use illegal.
Rome (AFP) - An Algerian national wanted by Belgium over a probe into fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers was arrested in Italy on Saturday, local media reported, citing police sources.

The suspect, named as Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was detained under a European arrest warrant in the southern region of Salerno, the reports said.

Ouali was arrested in the southwestern town of Bellizzi as part of a joint operation between anti-terrorist forces and Rome's special operations police, they said.

He was suspected of being part of a criminal network that produced fake documents for illegal immigration, the AGI news agency reported.

The alleged accomplice of the Brussels attackers would be extradited to Belgium in the coming days, it added.

Suspicions were raised after local immigration officials checked Ouali's residency permit. Police had been searching for a man with the same name and belonging to the same organisation since January 6.

Hundreds of digital photographs were then seized from a counterfeiter's workshop, including three of those who planned the deadly attacks in Paris in November.

One of those photographed was Najim Laachraoui, a suicide bomber at Brussels airport, reports quoted police as saying.

Investigations are ongoing as to how Ouali came to be in Italy and into the networks of which he may have been a part.
Washington (AFP) - Jim Harrison, the American novelist and poet who explored the natural world in such works as "Legends of the Fall," has died, his publisher confirmed Sunday. He was 78.

Harrison, who US media said passed away at his home in Patagonia, Arizona, relished a reputation as a rugged outsider far removed from the East Coast literary scene.

He produced 21 volumes of fiction and 14 books of poetry as well as essays and a children's book.

A heavy drinker, smoker and self-described manic depressive, Harrison's fictions were extensions of his love of wild places, and his passions as a hunter, fisherman and cook.

"America lost one of its greatest writers and we at Grove lost a family member," his publisher, Grove Atlantic, tweeted Sunday, adding that "his work lives on."

Harrison had just published another novella, "The Ancient Minstrel," and a book of poetry, "Dead Man's Float," earlier this year.

Born in Grayling, Michigan, he had a difficult rural upbringing, blinded in one eye as a child and losing his father and sister in an automobile accident when he was 21.

He was often described as a "macho" writer in the vein of Ernest Hemingway, but Harrison said it was his subject matter that prompted the comparison.

- 'That macho thing' -

"All I have to say about that macho thing goes back to the idea that my characters aren't from the urban dream-coasts," he said in a 1986 interview with the Paris Review.

"But you know what it's like here and up in the Upper Peninsula. This is where I grew up. How is it macho that I like to hunt and fish? I've been doing it since I was four," he said.

He considered himself primarily a poet, but gained fame as a novelist and often earned a living as a Hollywood screenwriter.

His first novel "Wolf: A False Memoir," (1971) tells a man's angry life story as he tracks a wolf in the Michigan wilderness.

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He said he wrote it while convalescing from a fall off a cliff while bird hunting.

The 1979 "Legends of the Fall" comprised three novellas, Harrison's preferred fictional form. The title story is an epic that takes place in the Rocky Mountains, and became a film starring Brad Pitt.

"Dalva," (1988) one of his best known novels, tells the story of a woman's search for the son she gave up for adoption.

Much of it is written in the woman's voice, something Harrison said took three years of hard work to achieve.

"Why that's been brutally hard is that you don't get to use any of your easy accumulation of male resonances," he told the Paris Review.

"I don't know if she's going to talk to me today or not. It's been sort of spooky," he said.

His work has been showered with critical acclaim and honors, including grants from the National Academy of Arts, a Guggenheim fellowship and election to the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Carlsbad (United States) (AFP) - Lydia Ko took sole possession of the lead after shooting a bogey-free 67 and Lee Min-Jee aced a 275-yard par four in the third round of the Kia Classic.

World number one Ko, of New Zealand, is at 14-under overall and has a three shot lead over Park Sung-Hyun (68), Brittany Lang (70), and Jenny Shin (71) in the LPGA Tour event.

"You don't get that many opportunities where you're going into the final round with a few-shot lead," Ko said. "But I'll take it. I'd rather be a couple shots ahead than a couple shots behind."

The day was special for Australia's Lee as she made a hole-in-one on the 16th at the Carlsbad course. Lee becomes just the second in history to hit a hole-in-one at a par-four on the LPGA Tour, following Jang Ha-Na's albatross earlier this year in the Bahamas.

Park carded five birdies in a row before a stumble on the par-five 17th hole with a double bogey. Park rebounded and finished her round with a birdie on the 18th, putting her in a tie for second place.

Ko holds the 54-hole lead for the 10th time in her career. She has won four of those tournaments.

If she holds on Sunday it will be her first title of 2016 and the 11th of her career. She has had two runner-up finishes this year.

Lang is seeking her second career LPGA win. Second round leader Shin is looking for her first victory, as is Park.

World number two Park In-Bee shot a 70 and is in sole possession of fifth at 10-under, four shots adrift of Ko.

Norway's Suzann Pettersen climbed up the leaderboard with a 66. She is tied for seventh place and Candie Kung shot the low round of the day with a 65. Kung is in a tie for 10th place.
Tripoli (AFP) - The Libyan coastguard on Sunday stopped three boats carrying 600 migrants including pregnant women trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, an official said.

The coastguard "intercepted three large dinghies off the coast of Sabratha" around 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of Tripoli, Colonel Ayoub Qassem, a spokesman for the Tripoli government's navy, said.

He said all the migrants were from Africa, adding "there were 80 women including some who were pregnant."

The colonel rejected a statement from French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday that some 800,000 migrants were in Libya hoping to cross to Europe.

"The number is exaggerated," he said.

Around 330,000 migrants have landed in Italy from Libya since the start of 2014.

Libya has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, with Italy some 300 kilometres (185 miles) across the sea.

People smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business there in the chaos that followed the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.

European leaders fear that a deal with Turkey to tackle the EU's worst ever migrant crisis will increase crossings attempts from Libya.
Vienna (AFP) - An Iraqi man hauled off an easyJet flight in Vienna just before takeoff after a passenger thought he might be an Islamic extremist, has been released, officials said on Sunday.

"There was nothing suspicious found and he has been allowed to continue his journey," interior ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told AFP.

"The only thing outstanding is a detailed analysis of his mobile phone," he said of the incident which took place on Saturday.

A woman sitting next to him on the London-bound plane had alerted cabin crew after seeing what she thought could be messages related to the extremist Islamic State (IS) group on his phone.

All passengers had to disembark while the Airbus and all bags were checked. It finally took off three hours later but without the man or the woman, who were questioned.

The incident comes as Europe steps up security following Tuesday's bombings in Brussels, in which three suicide bombers killed 28 people in a series of attacks claimed by IS.
In Mexico, Easter tradition dictates that a much-loathed politician be burned in effigy, symbolic retribution against Judas for his betrayal of Jesus. The subject usually hails from within the country, but this year, the dubious honor went to Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. His consistently offensive rhetoric on the subject of Mexicans warranted an exception to effigy norms.

"With all of the stupid things he has said about Mexicans, I thought people would like to see him burning as Judas," said Leonardo Linares, a fifth-generation Mexico City maker of papier-mache Easter effigies, according to the Guardian.

It makes sense. Trump has made many slights against Mexico: Indeed, he launched his bid for the presidency with a claim that Mexican immigrants were drug dealers, criminals and rapists. He's also proposed a Lucille Bluth-style plan to close the U.S. border with Mexico by building a giant wall  or, more exactly, to have Mexico build and pay for said wall.

Mexico's president, Vincente Fox, rejected that proposal in the clearest possible terms.

"I am not going to pay for that fucking wall. I am not," he told Fox News' Maria Bartiromo. "[Trump] should know that, and I am not going to apologize."

According to the Guardian, the choice of annual effigy "is a good barometer of social discontent in Mexico and an indicator of the issues that most infuriate the country's population." Understandably, the people of Mexico are none too fond of Trump.

"For Latinos here and in the U.S., he's a danger, a real threat," Linares told the Washington Post. When Trump's 10-foot-tall likeness was set aflame in the streets of Mexico City on Saturday, the Post reported, it was amid chants of "death!" and, eventually, "thunderous cheers" when the dummy's head exploded.

According to the Post, a figure of a cigar-smoking, Cuban flag-waving Obama also burned, along with an ISIS combatant toting a kalashnikov.

"They're the same," Linares said, according to the Guardian, when asked about the Trump-ISIS connection. Which is as telling an indicator of national discontent as one could ask for.
Miami (AFP) - Something didn't look right about the tennis ball in Andy Murray's grasp and when he looked at it he discovered it was from the women's tour, not the men's.

That second-set revelation, and taking the ball out of play, helped the British world number two finish off a 6-3, 7-5 triumph Saturday over Uzbekistan's 76th-ranked Denis Istomin at the ATP and WTA Miami Open.

Murray, the 2012 US Open and 2013 Wimbledon champion, seeks a third Miami title. He won in 2009 and 2013 and was runner-up to Novak Djokovic in 2012 and last year.

The ball controversy began when Murray, trying to avoid being broken in the fifth game of the second set, noticed the ball in his hand bore a red logo used only on a WTA ball, not the black one on ATP balls.

"I just saw it as I was about to bounce the ball," Murray said. "There was just a women's ball. I had just hit two balls long. They are smaller, livelier balls and when you are just about to serve at break point down, you don't want to use a completely different ball.

"I was a bit frustrated over that."

Murray said he could not be certain that the women's ball was the one used when he hit two crucial shots long to set up Istomin's break chance.

But the 28-year-old Scotsman did complain to chair umpire Mohamed Lahyani of Sweden that he and Istomin likely had been playing with the improper ball, one designed to go farther, for at least a couple of points.

The ball was taken out of play but some spectators whistled their irritation, seeing Murray's talk as a delay tactic.

"I felt like he should say something to the crowd because it looked like I was stalling intentionally. I did have an issue," he said. "It's not his fault. He can't see if it's a women's ball or not. It's difficult."

An upset Murray netted a forehand to give Istomin the break and a 3-2 lead.

Murray gave Lahyani an earful when he came to sit down.

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"For me, that's not good enough," Murray said. "Unacceptable. It's not right."

"I'm hitting the ball long because it's the wrong ball. You know how different the balls are."

"The point stands," Lahyani replied. "It's the same for both."

Murray responded by breaking back in the next game, denying Istomin on a break point in the 11th game with a backhand drop volley and breaking again in the final game, Istomin netting a forehand to end matters after 98 minutes.

But Murray still had no idea how the women's ball got mixed among those used by the men, speculating that it lurked in flower beds near the court after a women's match and was found and inserted by ballpersons.

"I don't know where it came from," he said. "Throughout the day a bunch of balls end up in the flower beds. It could have come from them."
London (AFP) - Nigerian Thelma West is a rare gem in the diamond world as a woman in a male-dominated sector with few Africans, despite the continent being the main source of the precious rocks.

The first in her family to work in diamonds, West is used to being an outsider, having been raised in a Jewish family in a country where Jews number fewer than 50,000 out of a population of around 180 million.

"I'm the only Nigerian Jewish woman in the trade, and I don't know of other African women in the business," the 32-year-old told AFP at her London-based business as she greeted customers with a broad smile and sparkling diamonds on her hands and wrists.

Discretion and security are essential, with the anonymous-looking building guarded by an encrypted intercom system and a reinforced door, all under the gaze of a bank of security cameras.

- Lagos to Antwerp -

After attending the most prestigious international school in Lagos, West travelled to Britain aged 16 to finish her education.

"I wanted to become an engineer because at that time in Nigeria, you had to choose a solid career, such as doctor, lawyer, engineer," she told AFP.

But, as the saying goes, "Diamonds Are Forever" and the sparkle of the stones, which had captivated West since childhood, was an irresistible allure.

"My mum had loads of jewellery," said the daughter of a Guinness drinks company employee mother and a property developer and industrialist father.

"We were always playing with her jewellery box and she would always clean her jewels, and I would help."

West headed for Antwerp, the world's diamond capital, aged 17 despite "not knowing anybody" in the Belgian city.

There, she enrolled at the internationally renowned Hoge Raad Voor Diamant school to hone her skills.

"Even though you go to school, most of your knowledge comes from working with diamonds day-to-day," she said.

After trying for six months in vain to secure an internship, she was eventually taken under the wing of an Orthodox Jew diamond dealer, who worked with her every evening after school for a year.

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She was then recruited by one of the biggest diamond suppliers in Europe based in Spain.

"It was being sent in at the deep end," she recalled. "I was 19 and I was responsible for every single diamond the company had".

Teaming up with school friends from Lagos who had moved into investment banking, West set up her own business in London to trade the precious stone.

- Exclusive client list -

Metal tongs in hand, West explained the secrets of some of her stock.

"Diamonds have fire," said West.

"That stone is too flat but it's got a lot of life in it, it was cut about 100 years ago," she said, pointing to one tiny rock.

"This one cost just over 100,000 ($141,000, 126,000 euros), it's got a low colour but it has been cut perfectly so it reflects light in such an amazing way."

Fewer than 50 clients, 12 of whom are investors, have access to West's knowledge.

"I can find a diamond and call them and say 'we have to buy this diamond, trust me' and they follow me," she said.

Her multinational client base -- introduced by word-of-mouth -- includes Swiss, Russians, Ghanaians, Nigerians and "a handful of French".

Helped by a 10-woman team, West creates all of her company's products, which come with a lifetime guarantee. Her most ambitious creation was a custom-made necklace worth around 2 million.

She plans to open a workshop in Nigeria, "where I'll train girls in the art of making jewellery".

West gives little away but also said she is creating "a revolutionary tool" that will help people in her business.

"That tool should be part of every diamond dealer and every shop".
Vatican City (AFP) - Pope Francis on Sunday spoke out against the "rejection" of refugees as the European migrant crisis saw its latest desperate scenes on the Greek border with Macedonia.

The pontiff used his Easter address to urge people to offer "welcome and assistance" to those fleeing war and poverty, as Europe struggles with its worst migration crisis since World War II.

Countries along Europe's "Balkan route" have toughened their stance on migrants in recent weeks, closing their borders to those seeking to transit in search of a better life in the continent's wealthier northern states.

The shutdown has led to a bottleneck at the Greece-Macedonia frontier, where the Greek authorities have been trying to evacuate an estimated 11,500 people stranded at the squalid Idomeni camp.

But on Sunday, dozens of migrants who had left, rushed back to the camp following a rumour that journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia.

The EU and Turkey struck a deal earlier this month that will see new migrants arriving on the Greek islands returned to Turkey, in the hope of discouraging them from making the dangerous sea crossing.

During Good Friday prayers, the pope decried what he called Europe's "indifferent and anaesthetised conscience" over migrants and on Sunday he took up the theme again.

"The Easter message of the risen Christ... invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees... fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice," the pope said.

Francis has long called for the global community to open its doors to refugees and fight xenophobia -- appeals which have intensified since the controversial EU-Turkey deal.

In his Easter address, the pope also referred to Syria's "lengthy conflict, with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law", voicing hope for a positive result from UN-brokered peace talks that opened in Geneva in mid-March and are to resume in April.

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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.

- Influx slows dramatically -

The United Nations and human rights groups have condemned the EU-Turkey deal as unethical and possibly illegal, but it appears to have dramatically slowed the tide of refugees crossing the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the Greek islands.

Before the deal, thousands of migrants were landing every day on the islands. This week, this number fell to 600 on Tuesday, 260 on Wednesday and zero on Thursday.

The Turkish coastguard on Sunday intercepted five boats carrying some 350 migrants who were trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos, local media reported.

Libya's coastguard also halted three boats carrying 600 migrants trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, a navy spokesman said.

Greek authorities have used the relative calm to put in place logistics to send people back to Turkey, including the deployment of 4,000 security personnel and asylum experts.

But the recent closure of the Balkan route has left around 50,000 migrants stuck in Greece.

In Idomeni, about 300 people gathered by the border fence, singing and shouting slogans, an AFP correspondent said, in a largely peaceful demonstration watched by Greek riot police.

Some in the crowd attempted to move towards the police line but were blocked by others who formed a human chain, the correspondent said.

As the border with Macedonia remained sealed, calm returned to the camp on Sunday afternoon and Greek authorities resumed transporting migrants away from Idomeni to other centres.

In Rome meanwhile, security was tight as Francis presided over an Easter mass with huge crowds gathered below the central balcony in St Peter's Basilica.

The pontiff mentioned a spate of recent attacks in his address, including Tuesday's attacks in Brussels that killed 28 people.

He condemned "terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world, as in the recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Ivory Coast".
Moscow (AFP) - Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hailed Syria's recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra, while stressing the role of Moscow's military in reversing the Islamic State tide.

The recapture of the ancient city represents a major victory over the Islamic State group, whose fighters had destroyed many monuments at the UNESCO world heritage site since they overran it in May last year.

Putin phoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to personally congratulate him Sunday, the Kremlin said.

"Putin congratulated Assad on Syrian forces successfully completing a large-scale operation to liberate Palmyra with the support of Russian air and space forces," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Assad in turn "expressed gratitude for the effective help given by the Russian ... air forces to Syrian forces," the Kremlin said.

The Syrian leader told Putin "successes such as the liberation of Palmyra would be impossible without Russia's support," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti state news agency.

Backed by a barrage of Russian air strikes, Syrian troops and allied militia launched a major offensive to retake the desert city earlier this month.

Moscow pledged its full support despite announcing on March 14 a surprise order from Putin to start withdrawing armed forces from Syria.

Russian state television on Sunday emphasised that its troops played a key role in the liberation of Palmyra.

"The support of Russian aviation helped to fully push out terrorists from ancient Palmyra," reported state-controlled Channel One television.

The Rossiya-1 channel has repeatedly aired spectacular aerial footage obtained from a drone it sent up over Palmyra, showing the colossal damage wreaked by IS to the historic monuments.

"What the rebel fighters did not have time to destroy while they controlled Palmyra, the Syrian army has saved, with support from the Russian air and space forces," reported Rossiya-1's war correspondent from Palmyra on Sunday.

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- Mine-clearing operation -

Putin has ordered the defence ministry to provide "maximum assistance to the Syrian side in clearing mines in the liberated territories, taking into account their significance for world culture," the Kremlin said.

Putin told Assad he hoped "international experts will be able to start work on preserving and restoring the historic appearance of ancient Palmyra immediately after the mine-clearing operation finishes," the Kremlin said.

Putin earlier Sunday spoke by telephone with UNESCO chief Irina Bokova about the fate of Palmyra.

Putin and Bokova agreed that UNESCO, along with Russia and Syria, will soon be able to assess "the damage caused by terrorists to Palmyra and also develop a plan to restore what can still be restored," Peskov said.

Assad described the conflict in Syria, now in its sixth year as a "struggle for oil" to Putin, while adding: "There is a lot of oil everywhere but there is only one Palmyra", Peskov said.

The Syrian leader praised "Russia's political and diplomatic efforts" in resolving the conflict, the Kremlin said.

Russian armed forces will continue to help the Syrian regime to "fight terrorism and rid their land of extremist groups" Putin was quoted as saying by Peskov.

Both Assad and Putin expressed "hope for progress to be reached in dialogue between the Syrian sides and in promoting constitutional reforms," the Kremlin said.
By Alastair Macdonald BRUSSELS (Reuters) - When Brussels police caught Salah Abdeslam, suspected sole survivor of Novembers suicide assault on Paris, they knew they were in a race against time to stop a new Islamic State attack. It was the afternoon of Friday, March 18, and one of Prime Minister Charles Michel's cabinet ministers tweeted "We got him!" after Europes most wanted man was seized at a house in the capital's Molenbeek neighborhood. But Michel was worried, according to a government official who was present at the time. The premier raced to his crisis command center from a European summit nearby. Security forces had orders to increase vigilance but lacked intelligence to justify a citywide lockdown such as Michel imposed after the Paris attacks. "Our first thought was that ... this will set off a ferocious response," the aide told Reuters, speaking on condition that he not be named. Those fears were well founded. The suicide bombings of Brussels airport and a metro train that killed 28 bystanders laid bare the inability of the Belgian authorities to counter Islamic State militants, no matter how high the level of alert. Missed connections, leads not followed and suspects let slip have exposed deficiencies in security services. They have also shown how Europe's Syrian-trained Islamist cells can react with deadly speed to events such as Abdeslam's arrest. "It was a race against time," said Vincent Gilles, head of Belgium's main police trade union SLFP. But with the intelligence service understaffed - by some estimates by about half the level for other rich European states - it was a race the authorities could not win. YEAR ON ALERT Belgium is, for its size, the biggest European supplier of foreign fighters in Syria. Islamic State has appealed to an alienated generation descended from mostly Moroccan immigrants of the 1960s. Belgian authorities stepped up their searches for activists after January 2015. That month, days after the bloodshed at Paris magazine Charlie Hebdo, Belgian police foiled a plot in the town of Verviers that revealed an Islamic State campaign to send some of the 300 or more young Belgians who have fought in Syria back to Europe to strike on their native soil. In Verviers, police killed two men who returned from Syria with Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Killed in a shootout in Paris days after the attacks there, he emerged as "the spider in the web", in the words of a Belgian minister, of an extensive network. Yet though Belgian authorities questioned numerous contacts of Abaaoud, notably from his old Molenbeek neighborhood, the trail went cold. Among those interrogated and released were Salah Abdeslam and his brother Brahim. In the first half of 2015, Belgian courts convicted dozens of radical preachers and their followers for recruiting for Syria. But new cells were forming elsewhere. Last summer, the Abdeslams, petty drug dealers who ran a Molenbeek bar, put together what Salah has since told interrogators was a logistical plan to prepare for the attacks on Paris. Salah drove across Europe more than once and appears to have transported quantities of guns, explosives and people. It was with shock, after 130 people died on a Friday evening in the French capital and trails led back to Brussels, that Michel's government realized it had an urgent problem. He locked down transport and public spaces for days as he was near "100 percent certain" of a threat. At the center of those fears was Salah Abdeslam, whose brother had blown himself up at a Paris cafe. Abdeslam had slipped back across the Belgian border ahead of a French dragnet. The morning after Paris, he went to ground in Brussels. NEW RESOURCES, TOO LATE Michel pledged cash and legal reforms to beef up a security system that officials accepted was understaffed. An intelligence service of about 700 staff for a country of 11 million struggled to cope, as did a police force that is about 20 percent below full strength. Police and security services have also struggled with a lack of communication and coordination across a multiplicity of departments that cross Belgium's Dutch-French language divide. Two of Tuesday's suicide bombers - Najim Laachraoui and Khalid El Bakraoui - were on counter-terrorism watchlists. The former was a suspected bombmaker for the Paris attacks; the latter rented a safe house for the Paris cell and the flat where police picked up Abdeslam's trail. Bakraoui's brother Brahim, was a convicted armed robber in breach of his parole who was expelled last July from Turkey. Ankara warned Belgium he had been caught trying to reach Syria. In December, police in the town of Mechelen had a tip about a family sheltering Abdeslam. The tip included the address where he was eventually apprehended. But officials acknowledge the tip was never passed on to Brussels colleagues. The revelation has led to criticism - strongly denied - that Mechelen's town hall might prefer to suppress a tip to avoid irritating local Muslims, a key electoral constituency. In their four-month search for Abdeslam, police pulled in dozens of people, holding 10 by last month. Dozens of homes were raided to no avail. Police reject suggestions it was chance that led them to a house in the Brussels borough of Forest on March 15. Four officers were wounded in a shootout before one gunman was killed. The apartment, rented under a false name by Khalid El Bakraoui, the Brussels metro bomber, yielded a fingerprint belonging to Salah Abdeslam. Police homed in on a cellphone he was using, leading to his capture three days later. THREE DAYS OF FEAR Over the three and half days following that arrest, the government considered locking down Brussels but decided against it because they had no clear clues that an attack was in the offing, the government official said. When the bombers struck at the morning rush hour on Tuesday, the authorities tried to moved fast. A taxi driver who took the bombers to the airport led police to the apartment where he had picked them up. That produced a evidence including chemicals and another bomb. One report said the bombers left it behind after a confused taxi dispatcher sent a smaller cab than they ordered. It also produced a witness who, investigators say, has since identified a third man seen on airport cameras with the two bombers. Police have been rolling up contacts and acquaintances of those identified, including another suspected plotter in Paris. Michels government is also cracking down on fake documents which seem to have allowed the likes of Laachraoui and Abaaoud, to slip across Europe from Syria. The government has sought new legal powers over, and in cooperation with, Internet and telecoms firms to track suspects. But officials caution that it could take years to fill the gaps in the security structures of a country that is host to the European Union and NATO. So it was with a note of resignation that Belgium's leaders reacted to the worst bloodshed in their country since World War Two: Michel declared simply: "What we feared, has happened." (Additional reporting by Ingrid Melander; Editing by Alessandra Galloni/Janet McBride)
US News

San Francisco mayor bans city employees from going to N.C. over anti-LGBT law

In response to a new anti-LGBT legislation approved by North Carolina lawmakers, San Francisco Mayor, Ed Lee has banned city employees from traveling to North Carolina, unless it is necessary. San Franciscos move is the latest backlash against North Carolinas legislation, joining several organizations and businesses that have also publicly expressed their dissent, aiming to deprive the state of revenue. Tech giants Facebook and Apple have also lent their voices to the big businesses that are not pleased with a new law.

We are standing united as San Franciscans to condemn North Carolinas new discriminatory law that turns back the clock on protecting the rights of all Americans including lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender individuals. Mayor Lee

North Carolina Gov. Pat McCrory signed the legislation into law Wednesday, voiding a Charlotte City ordinance that was set to take effect in April. The ordinance, passed in February, banned discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation, gender identity, and included a provision that allows transgender residents to choose restrooms corresponding to the gender which they identified with. Advocates of the new law in North Carolina frame it as a public safety issue, contending that such a measure could allow sexual predators to use women bathrooms and other spaces rendering them unsafe for residents.
Riyadh (AFP) - Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday that Iran must change its "behaviour" towards his country if it wants normal ties with the oil-rich Sunni kingdom.

Jubeir, speaking at a joint news conference with his South African counterpart, said Riyadh "wants to have peaceful relations" with Tehran and that it had tried to forge closer ties with Iran for more than three decades but "in exchange we received nothing".

Instead of "relations and friendship" with Iran, Saudi Arabia has been "confronted with interferences in our domestic affairs... attacks against our embassy," he said.

Saudi Arabia severed all links with the Islamic republic of Iran in January after crowds attacked the kingdom's embassy in Tehran and a consulate in second city Mashhad.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf nations also accuse Iran of supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen, as well as attempting to destabilise their own regimes.

They also support rebels in Syria's five-year-old war while Tehran openly backs the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.

Jubeir said Iran "knows what to do to have normal relations with Saudi Araba and the rest of the Islamic world and that is to change its behaviour... and the door will be open for normal relations."
An explosion in Lahore, Pakistan has killed at least 60 people, and the death toll is still climbing.

Rescue officials said that at least 300 others were injured in what is thought to be a suicide bombing, which took place as Christian families gathered to celebrate Easter in Gulshan Iqbal Park. Reuters reports that most of the victims appear to be women and children.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack. A spokesman for the militant group told the Associated Press that the suicide bombing deliberately targeted the Christian community, and said that more attacks would follow.

Large crowds had gathered to picnic in the park, which features sprawling lawns and and a boating lake. According to a local police chief, the blast took place near a set of children's amusement rides just as many families were beginning to head home.

Rescue workers remove a body from the site of a bomb explosion in Lahore, Pakistan.

Hospitals around the city were placed on emergency alert as doctors worked to attend to the wounded.

Javed Ali, who lives near the park, told the Independent that the blast shattered the windows of his home and left human flesh stuck to the walls.

"[The park] was overcrowded because of Easter  there were a lot of Christians there. It was so crowded that I told my family not to go," he said.

The severity and frequency of attacks on Pakistan's religious minority has been a problem for years, with the country currently facing a Taliban insurgency along its border with neighboring Afghanistan.

March 28, 2015, 11:45 p.m.: This story has been updated.
ADEN (Reuters) - Air raids killed 14 men suspected of belonging to al Qaeda in southern Yemen on Sunday, medics and local residents said, in one of the largest U.S.-led assaults on the group since a civil war broke out a year ago. The air strikes took place as fresh signs emerged that tensions were easing between the Iran-allied Houthis who control most of northern Yemen and Saudi-led forces after a year of fighting that has killed more than 6,200 people. Residents in southern Yemen said an aircraft bombed buildings used by al Qaeda in the southern coastal Abyan province and destroyed a government intelligence headquarters in the provincial capital Zinjibar that the militants had captured and were using as a base. Medics said six people were killed. Earlier on Sunday a suspected U.S. drone attack killed eight militants gathered in courtyards in the villages of al-Hudhn and Naqeel al-Hayala in Abyan, residents told Reuters by phone. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) has taken advantage of a war pitting the Houthis against forces loyal to exiled President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to seize territory and operate more openly. The group has carried out attacks against the Yemeni state for years, plotted to blow up U.S.-bound airliners and claimed responsibility for the January 2015 attack in Paris on the French magazine Charlie Hebdo that killed 12 people. The United States has kept up a drone campaign against the militants, although it evacuated the last of its military and intelligence personnel from Yemen in March last year. Its attacks have killed some of AQAP's top leaders, including its chief, Nasser al-Wuhayshi, who was struck by a drone in June. Last week, U.S. war planes killed at least 50 people and wounded 30 more in an attack on an al Qaeda training camp in the mountains of southern Yemen. Al Qaeda's local wing, known as Ansar al-Sharia, on Sunday acknowledged the March 22 attack, saying the recruits were being trained to fight Houthis who control most of northern Yemen. "We note that the brigade which was struck by the Americans ... was preparing to join the mujahideen assigned to liberate al-Bayda province ... but it appears that the Americans and their agents were not pleased with that," the group said in a rare statement posted on Twitter. A coalition led by Saudi-Arabia has been trying to shore up Hadi, who was ousted by the Houthis last year. Al Qaeda militants, many of whom are drawn from Sunni tribes in south and eastern Yemen, have also been involved in the fighting against the Houthis, who hail from the Zaydi branch of Shi'ite Islam, regarded by al Qaeda as heretics. The United States has acknowledged using drones but declines to comment on specific attacks. The United Nations, trying to build on a lull in fighting along the Saudi-Yemeni border, said this week that the warring parties had agreed to a cessation of hostilities starting at midnight on April 10 followed by peace talks in Kuwait from April 18 as part of a fresh push to end the crisis following two rounds of failed talks last year. The border truce came about after a prisoner swap between Saudi Arabia and the Houthis. In a further sign of the easing of tensions between the two sides, a Houthi spokesman, Mohammed Abdul-Salam, said on Sunday that his group had, for a second time, exchanged prisoners with Saudi Arabia. "A first step of understanding and respect for the humanitarian aspect [of the conflict] was the exchange of prisoners today," Abdul-Salam said in a statement posted on Facebook, adding that nine Saudi soldiers had been freed for 100 of its members captured inside Yemen. A spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition was not immediately available to comment on the report. (Reporting By Mohammed Mukhashaf and Mohamed Ghobari; Writing by Tom Finn; Editing by Sami Aboudi and Richard Balmforth)
Palmyra (Syria) (AFP) - Syrian troops recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group and pledged to build on the win with an advance against other jihadist strongholds.

President Bashar al-Assad hailed the victory as "important," as his Russian counterpart and ally Vladimir Putin congratulated Damascus for retaking the UNESCO world heritage site.

An AFP correspondent inside Palmyra said monuments destroyed by the jihadists, including the iconic Temple of Bel, were in pieces but much of the ancient city was intact.

Residential neighbourhoods in the adjacent modern town, where 70,000 people lived before the war, were deserted and damage was widespread, the correspondent said.

Syrian soldiers, pro-government militiamen, and Russian fighters strolled among the ruins in awe, while a group of regime fighters kicked around a football in the middle of a street.

But one Syrian fighter stood sobbing loudly in the old ruins.

"I'm sad to see some of the old city destroyed, but I'm also weeping for my brother, who died in the battle here," the soldier said.

"By taking the city, I feel I've avenged his death."

Islamic State jihadists sparked a global outcry when they started destroying Palmyra's treasured monuments, which they consider idolatrous, after seizing it in May 2015.

But Syria's antiquities chief on Sunday said the priceless artefacts had survived better than feared.

"We were expecting the worst. But the landscape, in general, is in good shape," Maamoun Abdulkarim told AFP from Damascus.

"We could have completely lost Palmyra... The joy I feel is indescribable."

The Syrian army said that Sunday's victory meant the city would now serve as a base to "broaden operations" against IS, including in its stronghold of Raqa and Deir Ezzor further east.

- Symbolic, strategic prize -

Backed by Russian air strikes, Syrian troops and allied militia launched a major offensive to retake Palmyra this month.

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The city is both a symbolic and strategic prize for Assad's forces, as it provides control of the surrounding desert extending all the way to the Iraqi border.

At least 400 IS fighters were killed in the battle for the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On the government side, 188 troops and militiamen were killed.

"That's the heaviest losses that IS has sustained in a single battle since its creation" in 2013, the director of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.

A military source told AFP on Sunday that IS militants had retreated towards the east as the army made its final push.

After seizing Palmyra last year, IS blew up two of the site's treasured temples, its triumphal arch and a dozen tower tombs, in a campaign of destruction that UNESCO described as a war crime.

The jihadists used Palmyra's ancient theatre as a venue for public executions and also murdered the city's 82-year-old former antiquities chief.

Palmyra, northeast of Damascus, drew some 150,000 tourists a year before Syria's civil war and is known to Syrians as the "Pearl of the Desert".

Syrian state television broadcast footage from inside Palmyra's famed museum, showing jagged pieces of sculptures on the ground and blanketed in dust.

- Gains against IS -

IS, behind a string of attacks in the West including last week's Brussels bombings, is under growing pressure from Syrian and Iraqi forces determined to retake bastions of its self-proclaimed "caliphate".

On Thursday, the Iraqi army announced the launch of an offensive to eventually recapture second city Mosul, held by the jihadists since June 2014.

Russian forces, which intervened in support of longtime ally Assad last September, were heavily involved in the Palmyra offensive despite a major drawdown last week.

Russian warplanes carried out 40 combat sorties around Palmyra in the last 24 hours, striking 117 "terrorist targets" and killing 80 IS fighters, Moscow's defence ministry said Sunday.

Putin telephoned Assad to congratulate the Syrian leader, adding that "successes such as the liberation of Palmyra would be impossible without Russia's support," a Kremlin spokesman said.

Assad said the victory was "fresh proof of the efficiency of the Syrian army and its allies in fighting terrorism".

IS and its jihadist rival, the Al-Qaeda-affiliated Al-Nusra Front, are not party to a ceasefire in force across Syria since February 27.

The truce has brought relative quiet to many areas across Syria, where more than 270,000 have been killed and millions had fled their homes in the last five years.

The Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday that 363 civilians had been killed since the truce went into effect -- the lowest monthly toll in four years.
Damascus (AFP) - Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday hailed his troops' victory over the Islamic State group in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra as an "important achievement."

"This is an important achievement and fresh proof of the efficiency of the Syrian army and its allies in fighting terrorism," Assad said of the recapture of Palmyra, during a meeting with French parliamentarians in Damascus.

He also hit out at the global coalition striking IS in Syria and Iraq, saying his army's victory "shows the coalition -- led by the US and including more than 60 countries -- isn't serious about fighting terrorism".

Russian-backed troops and allied militia pushed the jihadists out of the ancient city earlier on Sunday in a major strategic and symbolic win.

Syria's government has strived to position itself as the primary anti-jihadist force in the country.

The army pledged on Sunday to build on its win in Palmyra by pushing their offensives against IS strongholds in northern Raqa and Deir Ezzor in the east.

The US-led coalition has been carrying out strikes against IS in Syria since September 2014, and Russia began its own air campaign in support of Assad one year later.
Introducing a new concept of D-I-Y kaisendon.

Teppei Syokudo storefront-2

Teppei Syokudo, an expansion of the popular Teppei Restaurant, has introduced a brand-new approach to savouring its trademarked kaisen don. Termed DIY Kaisen Don, it offers Teppeis diners the freedom to customise their very own sashimi rice bowl.

Teppei Syokudo DIY station-2

This innovation was brought in with the launch of Teppei Syokudos fifth outlet settled in the heart of ION Food Hall, the fourth lowest basement level of ION Orchard. At this point of review, the option of having the DIY Kaisen Don is exclusive to this new branch.

Teppei Syokudo interior

Prior to the opening of this outlet, Teppeis brand has been well-reputed for its concept of kiosk/casual dine-in. This infant branch also adopts the style of a more casual, takeaway setting.

Here at ION Orchard, patrons can opt to have their rice bowls on-the-go, or choose a spot to nestle oneself within the comforts of this cosy restaurant parlour. Placing orders for the DIY Kaisen Don simply requires the patron to fill up an Order Form, which spells out the steps to building your own kaisen don.

Teppei Syokudo order form

Having marked down your selections for the key ingredients, the next stage of your dining experience is interesting and entertaining. Youll get to watch the chefs build your personalised kaisen don.

Teppei Syokudo choice of sashimi

The chef will first scoop into a mixing bowl, the cubes of sashimi according to your selection of fish and raw meats. The options available for fish include salmon, tuna, swordfish and yellowtail. At the same time, choices for raw meats include whelk, baby scallop, octopus and squid.

Watch as your choice of fish and raw meats are being mixed into a delectable sashimi bowl. The chefs are skilful indeed. I very much love the open-kitchen concept here at this restaurant.

An important point to highlight at this step is the use of Teppei Syokudos specialty house sauce in marinating and mixing the sashimi.

Preparation of Sushi Rice

As the sashimi ingredients are being mixed, another chef prepares the sushi rice that will form the base of your kaisen don. The base of this dish is made of high-quality Japanese short-grain rice and Teppei Syokudo flavours the base with the use of seaweed and onions.

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Placing of sashimi over sushi rice

Sashimi placed over sushi rice

The next step is placing the sashimi mix over the sushi rice base. The chef was really meticulous in doing his work, as I watched him painstakingly arrange the sashimi ingredients to form an aesthetic display.

Searing of unagi

The choice of unagi is a new flavour introduced by Teppei Syokudo for its kaisen dons. Should you happen to opt for it to go with your sashimi rice bowl, youll have the joy of watching and having it pan-seared on the spot.

The result is a caramelised and crispy slice of this signature ingredient, which works wonders in providing rich texture and flavour to Japanese kaisen dons and chirashis. A flavourful fish that pairs splendidly with a bed of rice.

Placing the Add-on Ingredients

After which, the chef proceeds to include the Add-On items which you have indicated on the Order Form. I was very much captivated by the scene before my eyes, as I watched my bowl of Kaisen don being built close to finish.

Placing the Add-on Ingredients2

With the accompaniment of these rich and flavourful toppings, my bowl of self-desgined kaisen don looks even more glorious. Finishing up the assembly of the rice bowl involves the chef placing a dollop of wasabi by the side. By doing so, diners can decide upon eating, the amount of wasabi they wish to mix into their rice.

Note that it costs $0.50 for any additional topping of wasabi. Same rule applies for the specialty marinade sauce.

Teppei Syokudo Kaisen Don

Topping it off, Teppei has introduced fresh avocado cubes as one of the available flavours for garnishing your DIY Kaisen don.

The rice was fragrant, emitting a tinge of savoury saltiness from the brilliant work of the specialty house sauce. The latter had also provided a luscious lick-off as I savoured the thick and aromatic slice of unagi. I like it that Teppei Syokudo cubes their fish, so that it doesnt absorb too much of the sauce. Thus preventing it from becoming overly salty in terms of taste.

On the whole, Teppei Syokudo was a wonderful dining experience ranging from the service provided to the quality of the dish conjured. Come try out this new and innovative dining experience. For our first 100 readers, simply quote SethluiciousTeppeiDIY upon placing your order at Teppei Syokudo and you will get to enjoy 15% off your total bill.

Expected Damage: $16  $20 per pax

Teppei Syokudo: 2 Orchard Turn, ION Orchard, #B4-57, Singapore 238801 | Tel: +65 65099882 | Facebook | Opening hours: mon-sun: 10am-10pm

The post Teppei Syokudo Singapore: Create Your Own D-I-Y kaisendon appeared first on SETHLUI.com.
Bangladesh's Supreme Court Sunday found two ministers guilty of contempt after they criticised the country's chief justice, casting doubt on their future in the cabinet.

It fined the two lawmakers 50,000 taka ($625) each, with seven days in prison if they fail to pay the penalty.

Food Affairs Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Haq had publicly criticised Chief Justice SK Sinha earlier this month.

They asked him to step aside from an appeal case involving a top Islamist leader sentenced to death for war crimes.

The court said their remarks were tantamount to intervention in the judiciary, according to a report in the online edition of the Bengali daily Prothom Alo.

"They have offered unconditional apologies. But the court rejected their apologies and fined them 50,000 taka each," Abdul Baset Majumdar, Islams lawyer, told reporters.

The Supreme Court had asked the men to explain their "derogatory and highly contemptuous comments", which "undermined the dignity and prestige of the Supreme Court and the office of the chief justice".

Attorney General Mahbubey Alam said the cabinet, led by Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, would now decide whether it would retain them as ministers despite their conviction.

The Supreme Court upheld the death sentence of the Islamist leader.

Critics said the ministers' comments were aimed at putting pressure on the court ahead of the Islamist's appeal verdict.
Miami (AFP) - World number one Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Miami Open, defeating Portugal's 38th-ranked Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1.

Two-time defending champion Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi's record of six career Miami titles, needed only 78 minutes to win his 12th match in a row at the hardcourt event and 26th in his past 27 Miami starts.

"That first set could have gone either way," Djokovic said. "I managed to hit the right balls at the right moment and make it to the finish."

The 28-year-old Serbian, who won his 11th Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open two months ago, also has crowns at Doha and Indian Wells this year and hopes to complete the Miami-Indian Wells sweep for the third consecutive year.

Djokovic's next foe will be Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem, who dispatched 124th-ranked Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes.

"He has one of the most powerful baseline games in tennis," Djokovic said of Thiem.

"He likes to construct his points so I will try and take away his time. He's had one of the best years of his life. He's beaten Nadal on clay. He's one of the players in the next generation we should all look out for."

Thiem captured his fifth career ATP title last month by beating Australia's Bernard Tomic in the Acapulco final and downed 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal on the way to a Buenos Aires claycourt crown.

"I'm sure he wants to showcase all that he's got in his arsenal but I will be sure to be ready for him," Djokovic said.

Sousa fell to 0-3 against Djokovic and 1-21 against top-10 foes with his 19th such loss in a row since beating David Ferrer in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

"He came out with a clear game plan," said Djokovic. "He wanted to take his chances. He did not have much to lose. It can be dangerous. I know the importance of stepping up a few levels and delivering my 'A' game."

Story continues

- Kerber, Azarenka advance -

Reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber and last week's Indian Wells winner Victoria Azarenka, who each upset world number one Serena Williams in the final to win those titles, reached the last 16 on the women's side.

German second seed Kerber advanced 1-6, 6-2, 3-0 when 108th-ranked Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens retired due to illness.

"I was not finding a rhythm at the beginning of the match," Kerber said. "I had to stay strong, believe and keep fighting. I hope she gets well soon but I'm glad to be in the next round."

Kerber next faces Hungary's 49th-ranked Timea Babos, who ousted 18-year-old Japanese 104th-ranked wildcard Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-0.

Eighth-ranked Azarenka, a 26-year-old from Belrus who won 2009 and 2011 Miami titles, eliminated Polish qualifier Magda Linette 6-3, 6-0.

She next faces last year's Wimbledon runner-up, Garbine Muguruza. The Spanish fourth seed ripped 74th-ranked US wildcard Nicole Gibbs 6-1, 6-0 in 55 minutes.

Two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka is trying to become only the third woman to take Indian Wells and Miami in the same year after Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005.

- Federer fill-in wins again -

Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a lucky loser who replaced Roger Federer in the draw when the 17-time Grand Slam champion withdrew due to illness, advanced to the fourth round by overcoming Spain's Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Zeballos, ranked 112th, had not won a match since last July before beating countryman Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round. After winning two in a row for the first time in more than two years, he faces Indian Wells semi-finalist David Goffin for a quarter-final berth.

"Life changed for me a lot here," Zeballos said. "Beating 'DelPo' and Verdasco, two better players than me, I greatly improved both the ranking and economically."

The South American is assured $67,590, which will help since his wife is due to give birth to their first child on April 10.

"I am living happy moments," he said.
Washington (AFP) - The United States condemned as "cowardly" an apparent suicide attack on a crowded park in Lahore that killed at least 65 people Sunday, vowing to work with Pakistan to defeat those sowing terror in the country.

Children were among the dead and more than 200 people wounded when the apparent suicide bomb ripped through the parking lot of the popular park where Christians were celebrating Easter.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms todays appalling terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan," National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a White House statement.

"This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured."

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency since 2004, with groups such as the Pakistani Taliban routinely carrying out attacks as part of their struggle to overthrow the government.

But Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital that lies on the country's eastern border with India, has been relatively more peaceful in recent years.

"We will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region, as together we will be unyielding in our efforts to root out the scourge of terrorism," added Price.
Prince paid tribute to the late David Bowie during his Toronto concert on Friday night.

While sitting at the piano and playing the keys at the Sony Centre for the Performing Arts, Prince performed a live cover of Bowie's "Heroes" for his Canadian audience.

Multiple concertgoers recorded footage of the song and posted it on social media, capturing the musician's performance in front of a multicolored background on stage.

"Heroes," a single from Bowie's Heroes album, was released in 1977.

Watch the footage, first reported by Vulture, below.

So..... This would be Prince covering Bowie "Heroes", and really that's all you need to know about tonight

A video posted by Cameron Sorensen (@cam10013) on Mar 25, 2016 at 8:02pm PDT

Read More: David Bowie Mural in South London to Be Preserved
Washington (AFP) - Stroll around the office or neighborhood six times a day, and earn $1.50 toward your health insurance. Step up activity a bit more and bring the total to $1,400 annually.

The catch: you need to wear a special activity tracker that monitors steps taken, "intensity" levels and other physical indicators.

That's the offer in a new insurance product marketed by UnitedHealthcare, the second-largest US health insurer, one of many programs aimed at boosting physical fitness and reducing health insurance costs for employers and employees.

"One of the greatest challenges we have is how to incentivize and motivate individuals to be accountable for their own heath and well- being," said Steve Beecy of UnitedHealthcare.

He called the Trio Tracker device, introduced with technology partner Qualcomm, "a game-changer."

Across the US, employers are stepping up the use of technology in "wellness" programs that encourage healthier lifestyles.

Wellness programs aren't new, but technology like activity trackers has transformed them with more precise measurements and automated uploads to verify activity.

A survey of more than 200 large employers by the National Business Group on Health found 37 percent used activity trackers in 2015 and another 37 percent planned to adopt the technology in coming years.

"There is a strong interest (in the use of technology) because of the impact on an employer's long-term health care costs," said Scott Marcotte of Xerox Human Resources, which participated in the study.

Makers of activity trackers such as Fitbit and Jawbone have been expanding their efforts to be part of corporate wellness programs.

One of the biggest tie-ups was announced last year when US retail giant Target said it would offer free or discounted Fitbit trackers to its more than 300,000 employees.

- 'Gamification' -

As a further incentive, Target said it would allow teams of employees which log the most average daily steps to collect more than $1 million for local non-profit organizations.

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This strategy of providing financial incentives for healthy activity is known in the industry as "gamification."

Jimmy Fleming of the consulting group HealthyWage said financial incentives can make a difference in spurring healthier behaviors.

"We have a lot of clients who want to subsidize the program and make it free, but it's less effective," Fleming said. "There has to be both a carrot and a stick."

One program being offered through health services firm Vitality Group provides an Apple Watch for $25, a fraction of the retail cost. But employees must "pay" for the device by completing workouts and gym visits each month.

Growth in such programs over the past few years coincides with incentives to meet Obamacare goals on preventive care, and with new research suggesting that more activity can ward off many medical ailments.

- Data mining -

But the new programs raise questions about private data collected and stored by insurers.

While employers and insurers must comply with US privacy regulations so that health data cannot be seen or used by employers, critics still worry.

"Technology is outpacing the legal protections in place," said Bradley Shear, a Washington lawyer specializing in privacy.

"While some employee wellness programs and the data collected may be protected under (federal privacy law), others may not be."

A report this year by the University of Toronto's Citizen Lab warned of potential problems. For example, there have been situations where fitness tracker-related information was introduced in sexual assault cases or personal injury claims.

"Such data, if it can be manipulated, brings such evidence into question as well as the broader trustworthiness of fitness tracker data ... there are also concerns that the radios in fitness trackers could be used to monitor their wearers' movements," the report said.

Barbara Duck, a technology consultant who writes a blog on health privacy, said the financial incentives are not worth it.

Duck said that although insurers cannot sell or disclose personal health data, "they can put a score on your head and sell that."

"It's not about making you healthier in the long run, it's about collecting more data to sell and to score you with," she said.

Also, some employees will feel compelled to participate because they cannot afford the financial penalties if they don't, Duck said.

Sales of wearable tech devices surged nearly 200 percent in the third quarter of last year to 21 million units, according to the latest IDC survey.

Some surveys show as many as 20 percent of Americans use a fitness tracker.

IDC analyst Lynne Dunbrack said it will take time to see if fitness trackers take hold in the workplace and achieve their goals.

"Part of the challenge with these programs is that the ones who tend to use it the most and stay with it are not the target population for the chronic problems," she said.
Riyadh (AFP) - He's had no salary for six months, he cannot pay his children's school fees and his permit to reside in Saudi Arabia has expired.

But Robert still holds out hope that things might improve for him and thousands of other workers at Saudi Oger Ltd, the once-mighty construction giant led by Lebanon's billionaire former prime minister Saad Hariri.

Delayed receipts from a Saudi government whose oil revenues collapsed over the past two years have left employees of the company struggling to survive while they wait to be paid, Robert and other sources say.

Other contractors are also affected, but sources say problems at the 38-year-old Saudi Oger go deeper than the kingdom's current economic strains.

"Already when I worked at Saudi Oger there were delays in salary payments to local employees," a former staffer told AFP.

"It seems the situation got worse."

Saudi Oger employs around 50,000 people of various nationalities, from managers to labourers, and Robert said the salaries of nearly all have been delayed.

But at six months without a pay cheque, he is among the longest-suffering.

"I don't have money," he said. "It's hard."

The veteran employee of Saudi Oger says he has "no choice" but to stay with the firm because he cannot find another job.

Robert, whose name has been changed because he asked for anonymity, said the company promised in a letter that salaries will flow at the end of March.

- Poor management blamed -

"It's a desperate situation," a well-informed source said, describing expatriate families facing a similar plight to Robert's.

"They can't pay for the tickets" to even fly home, the source said, adding that many senior officers of Saudi Oger support families in Lebanon, meaning remittances to that country will be affected.

He also noted the impact on Saudi Oger's lower-income workers.

The informed source said poor management "is one of the main problems" at Saudi Oger, but this has been compounded by the economic challenges of a kingdom confronting a projected budget deficit of $87 billion this year.

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France's embassy, concerned for the many French employees at the company, sent two letters to the firm, which responded with its promise to start paying the salaries.

"The thing is, do they have the funds to keep their promises?" the informed source asked.

"The group's treasury has for a long time been badly run," said a Lebanese businessman who works in the kingdom.

- Political tensions -

He said the plight of the Hariri family company raises two questions: "Will Saudi local banks continue to finance Saudi Oger, and secondly, will the Hariri clan manage to enlist an investor willing to provide new investment?"

The Hariris have been a political and economic force in Lebanon for decades.

Saad Hariri, whose political bloc is close to Saudi Arabia and the West, was catapulted into Lebanese politics 11 years ago after the assassination of his father Rafiq.

Longstanding problems at Saudi Oger peaked as tensions escalated this year between Sunni-dominated Saudi Arabia and its Shiite rival Iran, which back opposing sides in wars in Syria and Yemen.

Tehran also supports Hezbollah, the Shiite militant group leading a powerful Lebanese political bloc in opposition to Hariri's faction.

Riyadh has accused Hezbollah of exerting a "stranglehold" on the Lebanese state.

"If Hariri can prove he is still useful, the Saudis may help him," a Lebanese banker said. "But if not, they won't."

Attempts to reach a Saudi Oger spokesman were unsuccessful.

The company built some of the most grandiose complexes in Riyadh, including the palatial Ritz-Carlton hotel.

Among its ongoing projects, Saudi Oger's website lists a five-star hotel and office tower along with a monorail in the King Abdullah Financial District.

Cranes perch, unmoving, atop more than two dozen towers that were nearing completion at the northern Riyadh project.

Robert confirms the Financial District is among the stalled Saudi Oger projects but he adds that none have been cancelled.

Most towers in the complex are being built by local construction giant Saudi Binladin Group, which is "also having problems", according to a veteran contractor.

King Salman suspended the Binladin Group from new public contracts after one of its cranes working on a major expansion of the Grand Mosque in Mecca, Islam's holiest site, toppled in September killing at least 109 people.

In a business which is ultimately all tied to the government, construction projects have been "slowed down" and cash "is not coming in on time," the contractor said.

As he waits for his money to arrive, Robert does not have the air of a man who is beaten.

He remains "somewhat positive" the company can take a "new direction", and recalled with pride Saudi Oger's projects like the Ritz-Carlton.

"It was one of the best companies," he said.
2 shot dead in Gonzales, Morvant

Even a bag of rubbish can be dragged into the garbage dump.

But to drag a woman from her car, beat her up and bus up her mouth too? And according to victim, Ms Michelle Roxanne Ramdoolar, 25, when she reported the matter to the police, she was told that the police cannot take her report because the station was short-staffed. Now this is the Lenten season where Christians are supposed to be charitable, God-fearing and sympathetic to those in distress.

Suffering from male advantage and needing help from the police and public, she said she wants justice. A lot of sympathy and pledges to fight down the terrorists are being rightly offered over the triple bombings in Brussels which so far caused 34 deaths and over 230 wounded - far away from us. But when you read the savage attack unjustifiably put upon this young woman here two Fridays ago by an apparently out-of-control man, we get quite sympathetic  even angry.

Ms Ramdoolar, a business-school student, explained: I was driving in the vicinity of the Savonetta Fire Station when the man overtook a long line of traffic and squeezed in front of me. I allowed him to cut in to avoid a possible accident but then he stopped abruptly to let out a passenger. Doesnt this sound very familiar to you? Ms Ramdoolar continued: I blew my horn, went around him and continued on my way only to realise he was driving at the side of me, cursing, and asking if I was trying to damage his car. He also tried to run me off the road. (Guardian, March 20, p 6) That seems bad enough, but then the violent bus mouth came. She said: In a fit of rage, he pulled in front of me, blocking traffic on both sides of the road. He raff  open my door and cuffed me multiple times on my face, dragged me out of my car by my hair and beat me up in the road, bursting my mouth in multiple places and bruising me all over my body. She has pictures to prove it.

But this man, suspected by Ms Ramdoolar of being a PH taxi driver, wasnt satisfied. He had more licks to share. So, as she further reported, when her mother, Tara, and sister, Rachell-Anne Ramdoolar, tried to save her from further licks, the man turned and beat up both of them too. In this period of well-advertised community policing and the need for public support, all this licks and criminal conduct deserve thorough police attention. The three beaten women went to the Couva District Health Facility where they got medical treatment. So there are records and pictures for the police and the court. It is also important to make a report to the police who should be anxious to investigate and respond to the beaten womans cry for justice. Has the Police Victim Support Unit contacted her? Ms Ramdoolar said when they went to the Couva Police Station, they were told that a report could not be taken as the station was short-staffed. The Guardian reporter, of course, rightly called the Couva police who told her that they were aware of the incident and were conducting investigations. The latest report is that a warrant has been issued for a Gasparillo man whose photo is being circulated on-line. (Newsday, March 23) There are three things about this woman dragging and beating incident. One, if Acting Commissioner Stephen Williams expects the public to help the police, such publicly-profiled incidents must receive proper police attention, and the results provided to the public and victims.

Two, given the nature of this reported road rage violence, the Acting Commissioner should quickly instruct the senior superintendent in charge of the division, if not done already, to investigate exactly how Ms Ramdoolars report was initially handled.

Three, in this country justice doesnt come easy. You often have to fight for it. Ms Ramdoolar and her two relatives should therefore be prepared to work closely with the police. Both police and Ms Ramdoolar should keep us updated.

Use this as an example of effective policing.
Neikishas head, answer to how she died

Well, the major rule is if there is no body, there is no issue, so in my understanding, probably the solution cant be had until the head is found, forensic pathologist Dr Valery Alexandrov explained to Sunday Newsday yesterday, commenting on the inconclusive autopsy of the 26-year-old woman.

Fellow pathologist Dr Eastlyn McDonald Burris, who examined Teesdales headless torso and severed lower body, at the Forensic Science Centre in St James last week, could not conclude the exact cause of death.

Undetermined, is how the young womans death has been classified. Although Teesdales body had been cut in two, there were no marks of violence or wounds on her remains.

Her missing head may hold the answer to how she died; among the possibilities could be a blow or gunshot to her head.

Teesdales brother, Keron, told Sunday Newsday the family will going ahead with a funeral service for the mother of three, on Tuesday, although the pathologist could not determine the cause of death.

Keron said police investigators have widened the search for his sisters head which was the latest official police update family members received yesterday.

They said that the cause of the death is undetermined because it have no signs on the body to say they kill her, or stab her or anything to say what was the cause of the death. It was undetermined, Keron told Sunday Newsday. Her family also wants her head so she can be buried whole.

Asked by Sunday Newsday to explain the implications of an inconclusive autopsy for the police investigation, Alexandrov said while someone can be tracked down and arrested in relation to the death, proving a case of murder may be a challenge without a cause of death.

Explaining the complexities of a medico-legal examination, Alexandrov said there would have been no reasonable conclusions, if no fatal injuries had been found on the body to indicate how Teesdale had died. Inconclusive, he explained, means a forensic pathologist cannot state with 100 percent of medical certainty that a particular injury killed a person.

So in my understanding, if she (Burris) did not find any fatal injuries on the body to have killed this woman, most likely there was something in the head. He further said most times, the dismembering of a body is done post-mortem, that is, after the person is dead.

Cutting up of the body does not take place when the person is alive, Alexandrov said reiterating the importance of the police search to find the womans head.

On March 15, Teesdales decapitated body was found in a steel barrel floating in the Plum Mitan River in Manzanilla.

Teesdale worked as a cleaner at the Eric Williams Medical Sciences Complex, Mt Hope, and lived with her family at Embacadere.

She was reported missing when she did not turn up for work a day before the body was discovered.

There have been reports that her death, which many say is murder, was linked to a violent relationship she had with a man.

Teesdales funeral service takes place on Tuesday from 3 pm, at Guides Funeral Home, San Fernando and her remains will be buried at the Embacadere cemetery.
Mother loses third son to gunman

Is best they kill me instead of killing out my children like this, said Sharon Thompson, who on Friday lost a third son to gun violence.

My children now start to live. If they want something let them kill me and done. Leave my children let them live their lives. They dont be on nobody. I dont know if I could deal with this. Sunday Newsday understands that at about 2.25 pm on Good Friday, Hall was at a garage on Jacaranda Blvd, Phase 4, La Horquetta, when a gunman approached and shot him three times.

The mechanic who owned the garage told Newsday the man who killed Hall seemed to be a seasoned killer simply by the way he carried out the act.

He just walked up with his head down while we were jacking up the car, said the mechanic who wished not to be named.

As he shot him (Hall) I just ran inside.

As I went inside I heard two more. The mechanic noted he did not see the mans face; and even if he did, he would not tell a soul, because he knows that a harbinger of death can find him where he lives.

Halls mother told reporters that in less than ten years she had lost three sons at the hands of gunmen. Her second son, Jabari Thompson, was shot less than three years ago and her eldest son Shawn Thompson was killed two years prior to Jabari s murder.

She also told Sunday Newsday that Sherwin was a family-oriented man who lived for his five-year-old son.

He was feeling sick and whole week he was seeing about the car. I gave him some garlic tea to drink this morning and he said he felt better and like he went to see about the car and that is when it happen, She said.

I was going to plait someones hair and I heard the gunshots echo. Homicide detectives are trying to ascertain a motive for Halls death.

In the meantime, family members, close friends and neighbours came together to pay condolences and show support to Sharon as she mourns the death of her son.
Monsters among us

A failure to do so will result in continued homicides and other extreme cases of violence, especially for run-of-the-mill disputes, criminologist Daurius Figueira warned on Thursday as he lamented the countrys spiralling murder rate.

This country, as of yesterday, recorded 118 murders, a few of which were particularly heinous.

In one incident, on March 15, the headless and mutilated body of Eden Nekeisha Teesdale, a mother of three, of Embacadere, San Fernando, was recovered from a plastic barrel along the Mitan River, Manzanilla. Reports said jealousy played a part in Teesdales murder.

Days later, Darian Nedd, a 14-year-old student of Siparia East Secondary School, was chopped and killed by two men who later set his familys home in South Trinidad ablaze. Nedd, it was reported, had been an informant in the area.

While conventional wisdom often suggests the killings may have been drug-related, given their severity, Figueira warned of the dangers in such inferences. He said each case must be viewed independently.

Certain people want to infer that the dismemberment is coming from the illicit trades but what persons must understand is that you have to look at the victim rather than jump to conclusions, he told Sunday Newsday.

The fact that the victims were dismembered does not necessarily mean that they were involved in the trade. Rather, Figueira, a lecturer in Government and Criminology at the St Augustine campus of the University of the West Indies, observed that the level of impunity in the society appeared to be fuelling violent behaviour.

In a society where you have a dismal criminal detection rate for murder and other crimes and the length of time it takes for cases to be called, you have ordinary people who are becoming emboldened by impunity, he said.

Figueira, whose expertise includes the illegal gun trade and human trafficking in the Caribbean, observed the problem was being compounded by the availability of illegal guns to anybody who could afford to get one. So, we have situations where there is a heightened level of violence whenever there is conflict, he said.

Simple cases of domestic or interpersonal conflict escalate into graphic violence where a lot of anger is released. Referring to recent stabbing incidents along Ariapita Avenue, Woodbrook, one of which was over the purchase of a gyro, Figueira said the entire nature of interpersonal relations in society had changed dramatically.

The roles of engagement in the social order have now broken down completely and violence is the order of the day, he said.

Figueira said institutions charged with the responsibility to promote integrity in the police and State structure must be better scrutinised to purge those who operate with impunity.

The message has to go out that this wanton violence will be purged and punished and once that is done we then have to move against the gun trade. Illicit gun possession emboldens those intent on violence, he said.Criminologist Ian Ramdhanie, weighing in on the grisly killings, reflected the seriousness with which the perpetrators were placing on their targets.

He told Sunday Newsday: They are ensuring that the job is done and the right message is sent. They are not just shooting you and leaving you for dead. They are making a statement to the victim, their families and society at large. Ramdhanie said many murders and violent acts were carried out by contract killers.

They are employed to do a job and may try to impress those that hire them, he said.

They may be dared to do certain things and promised particular remuneration if done a particular way. This is how it is done elsewhere. Ramdhanie added: These gruesome murders show that we have monsters among us right in our homes, families, streets, communities and workplaces. Some of them may have shown some signs in the past; others none. They just needed that psychological trigger to set them off and that incentive, and opportunity, to do it for contract drug and gang killings. Ramdhanie said the media had a significant role to play in how violence was being played out in society.

Persons are re-enacting what they see elsewhere. Trinidad and Tobago has always been a copycat society, he said.
JP Khan, family calls on Pope to visit TT

Making this observation to His Holiness, leader of the Roman Catholic Church, in the Vatican, Rome last week, was veteran Justice of the Peace (JP) Akbar Khan and his daughter, Jennifer, who both extended an invitation to the Pope to pay an official visit to Trinidad and Tobago.

Speaking to Sunday Newsday from Rome yesterday, Jennifer, a businesswoman, said when she shook Pope Francis hands she told him, Your Highness, I am from Trinidad and Tobago and our Prime Minister is a young man who needs help with the youths. A visit by you to our country would be a blessing.

Please visit us. Khan, his family and Inter-religious Organisation (IRO) president Harrypersad Maharaj paid a three-day official visit to the Vatican last week where they met with Pope Francis.

Khan took along his wife Cecile, daughters Jennifer, Ruth, and his grandson, Jordhan.

Khan said the meeting took place before a crowd of 3,000 people in St Peters Square, and, when he greeted the Pope with a handshake, he, like his daughter, extended an invitation to His Holiness to visit Trinidad and Tobago.

I told the Pope that our country elected a new prime minister who is faced with a multiplicity of problems, especially among the young population.

I invited the Pope to visit our country and I told him that he would be very much welcomed.

I told him to pray for our country. Khan, 84, has been a JP in Trinidad for the past 55 years and as a mark of honour for community service, the office of the Pontiff presented him with a certificate and a medal bestowing on him the title of professor. His wife, daughters and grandson were presented with tokens.

Harrypersad said after meeting the Pope, he shared with His Holiness the work of the IRO in this country.

The IRO president told Sunday Newsday he also spoke to the Pope about his attendance at a conference in Berlin, Germany, on combating anti-Semitism.

That conference, he said, was attended by ministers of government from over 40 countries including members of the House of Lords in England and the attorney general of Canada. Harrypersad said he was impressed by the invitation that was extended to the Pope to visit this country.
Christlyn keeps moving forward

She was re-elected political leader of the Tobago Forwards but she also lost her father.

But she presses on, continuing her rise from humble beginnings to a successful legal practice to an unexpected life in politics.

Sunday Newsday sat down with Moore for a candid interview at her legal chambers at Maraval Road, Port-of-Spain.

Born in Lambeau, Tobago, the 44-year-old Moore is one of three children for her mother, a seamstress, and one of eight for her late father, a policeman.

Growing up in Lambeau, life for Moore was simple, pastoral and the village raised all the children.

At age four, she would walk 500 metres to nursery school.

Her family was not wealthy people at all and because the community knew her parents were struggling they would help out. Asked how poor they were, Moore explained that she ate so many eggs from the familys chickens she has not had egg since age 18. Her cousins would also send the family food including a pot of soup.

It was not the easiest existence, she said.

Moore described her mother as a tiger mom who had an unsurpassed passion for education and would help her out with her studies.

I owe a lot of credit to my mother, she stressed.

Moore is a from a matriarchal family and inherited her independent thinking streak from her mother, grandmother and great-grandmother.

At the Lambeau Anglican Primary School some of Moores teachers, a Ms Baird and Ms Marva McLatchie adopted her and sponsored her including buying her school uniform.

Her secondary school education was at Bishops High School and there she continued to build her strong public speaking foundation.

She recalled that she would participate in every debate competition hosted by Petrotrin forerunner, Trintoc. On the negative side, she also recalled getting licks in school for fighting.

Her entry into law came via an offhand comment from a history teacher, Arthur Small.

Moore was engaged in an argument with Small when he told her you should simply do law. She was 14 at the time and looked up to then prime minister Arthur NR Robinson who was one of us (a fellow Tobagonian) and also a lawyer. Basdeo Panday, also a former prime minister, and Ramesh Lawrence Maharaj SC, who has been an attorney general, were two other larger than life figures and she considered studying the degree of law, politics and economics.

For me, language has always been my tool, she said.

However, the multi-pronged degree at the University of the West Indies (UWI) would not allow her to practise law and she chose to study law alone. She was one of 36 accepted out of 4,000 applicants.

After passing the bar, Moore launched into private practice and recalled the experience was terrifying.

I had never run a parlour, she quipped.

She went through ascending stages of panic until a moment where she was slapped out of (her) nonsense. In 1996, a year after passing the bar, a friend from pre-school to whom she would write letters and complain about her struggles sent her a card with $100 enclosed.

And that changed my life. Because I thought I had been given so much, she said.

After that she stopped the griping, self-pity and bitching and really the start of me walking in the dream I had been dreaming for a long time.

She recalled that attorney Ken Wright provided her with office space and as a young attorney she was mentored by Pennelope Beckles, Theodore Guerra and the late Oscar King.

At her first trial in the magistrates court she went for an adjournment but the magistrate, Deborah Thomas-Felix, told her to proceed.

She recalled that Penny told her to calm down and volunteered to take her notes while King advised her.

That is the kind of professional support that used to be common at the bar, she said.

It was the mentorship that she received which inspired her to mentor in-service trainees at her chambers not simply as a courtesy to the Hugh Wooding Law School but to provide a safe space should they fail and be a safety net for them.

Tobago suffered under PP While the path to becoming a lawyer began since her early teens, Moores entry into politics was not planned. When she was asked to serve as Senator and Justice Minister by the previous Peoples Partnership (PP) it was unexpected but Moore felt she had been given so much that she should give back.

And for her it was also a tribute to her parents, community and teachers who invested in her.

I dont know if your country asks you to serve if you can say no, she said.

But after one year as Justice Minister she was replaced by Emmanuel George. Moore recalled she was disappointed that she was asked to leave but not bitter.

She believes her replacement may have been due to the stock of the Tobago partner, Tobago Organisation of the People (TOP), having dropped.

Ultimately it did not matter. I did not feel it was a reflection on what I had done or failed to do, she said.

Moore noted she was pleased that some of the initiatives she had begun were now coming into fruition including plans to close Carrera Convict Prison, the Juvenile Court system, reform of the prison rules and a phone service for prisoners.

On leaving the TOP and forming the Tobago Forwards, Moore recalled the TOP had asked her to fix some party constitutional matters and her suggestions were not well received.

She said this, coupled with the concern that the TOP was dead a year after the Peoples National Movement (PNM) whitewash in the Tobago House of Assembly (THA) elections, led her to start Tobago Forwards in 2014.

She has been calling for Tobago opposition forces to unite but not as a version of the Peoples Partnership because (it) has a whole set of connotations that has nothing to do with simply coming together. Peoples Partnership is now a shorthand for corruption thanks perhaps to the media, but thanks to some of the nonsense, the unquestionable nonsense that happened under the watch of the Peoples Partnership.

She added, Tobago suffered politically with regard to the Peoples Partnership. Yes there was some things the Partnership allowed to take place in the Tobago space. I think the idea was good but somewhere along the line I think you got into a role of big partner/small partner.

Which replicated Tobagos historical issues with Trinidad. Double standards in politics She also commented on the controversy regarding a photo she posted during Carnival Monday.

She recalled being surprised it was such a big issue because she plays mas every year and always in beads and bikini.

Moore said she is not held to the same standards as a male politician but that does not make it right. She stressed that the artistic discussion about Carnival attire and vulgarity are two different discussions and she objects to them being married.

Dont ask your leaders to be fake. To start living a forced, contrived life, she said.

When not practising law or in the political arena, Moore, a divorcee, hits the gym to relieve stress and channel rage.

I live a pretty boring life, she said.

She said there were so many people she is thankful too and she hopes her life and conduct, including Carnival pictures, would make them proud. She noted her family has been a huge source of support.

She recalled her late father, bedridden since 2006, made the effort to be present when she won the Tobago Forwards internal elections. A die-hard PNM supporter, he told her he would be wearing her blue Tobago Forwards T-shirt but had on the red PNM one below.

He was very, very proud, she said.

Asked what was her end game, Moore responded that she is living her dream.

I remember my childhood.

Nothing in my past should have led me to this point, she said.

She noted that once a dream is accomplished there is more to accomplish, including the goal of better governance for Tobago.
Four Day National AROGYA Fair Begins in Goa

New Delhi, Sun, 27 Mar 2016 NI Wire

Shri ShripadYessoNaik releases Yoga Protocol for International Yoga Day 2016

A National level AROGYA Fair organized by the Ministry of AYUSH, Government of India in association with Goa State Government and Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) began in Goa at Dr. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Indoor Stadium at Goa University Campus at Bambolim near Panaji. Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for AYUSH, Shri ShripadNaik inaugurated the four day conference in the presence of Goa Chief Minister Shri LaxmikantParsekar, Speaker of Goa Legislative Assembly Shri AnantShet, Deputy Chief Minister Sh. Francis D'Souza, Forest Minister ShRajendraArlekar, Science and Technology Minister Ms. Alina Saldanha and leader of opposition Shri Pratap Singh Rane.

On the occasion, the Union Minister of State (IC) for AYUSH, Shri ShripadNaik also released the Yoga Protocol for the second International Day of Yoga falling on 21st June, 2016.

In his inaugural address, the Minister said Ayurveda is Indias gift to the globe. Taking into consideration this fact, India has entered into an agreement with World Health Organization to popularize this traditional system of medicine across the world. Mr Naik Said, India has also signed anMoU with Amercia for a Joint Research under AYUSH in the field of Cancer.

The Union Minister informed that the Union Government contemplates to open one AYUSH Hospital in every district of the country. He said, the AYUSH Ministry has also plans to establish an All India Institute of Yoga and Naturopathy and a unit of each Pathy in Goa in the near future.

The four day fair aims to create awareness among the members of the public about the efficiency of the AYUSH systems, their cost-effectiveness and the availability of herbs and plants used for prevention and treatment of common ailments at their doorstep through various mass media channels to achieve the objective of Health for all.

Source: PIB
Actor Tanuj Virwani gives vacation a miss for "One Night Stand"

Bollywood, Sun, 27 Mar 2016 NI Wire

Being an actor requires one to go deep and, often time very seriously; almost too seriously. Young actors are serious about their work and don't take any time out from it. Quite often we hear of their busy schedules and insane shoot hours.

Despite this, our Bollywood actors manage to be punctual and stay true to their profession. Most of our top B-town actors are known for being committed to their work.

Recently Tanuj Virwani turned as an disciplined actor and cancel all his plans for his upcoming movie promotion with Sunny Leone "One Night Stand".

Tanuj was in Caribbean to have fun time with his friends but return to Mumbai for the movie which is going to be release on 22nd April. As Tanuj promotion dates clashed with his holiday plans, the actor was in quite a plight.

But being a true professional Tanuj decided to wrap up his "One Night Stands" commitments before taking his much-needed break.

Tanuj Virwani said, "I love to party and to have fun but work come first for me. As my priority is acting so I have to do all needed thing which is require for my profession."

"One Night Stand" Teasure: One Night Stand (Teaser) Latest Movie Sunny Leone, Tanuj Virwani

View More : 'One Night Stand'
Nitish demanded for special category status for Bihar

Patna, Sun, 27 Mar 2016 NI Wire

In a bid to change the scenario of state, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has said his government required Centre's support in the form of a 'special category status. He has said that it is essential to push the state's all round development especially in the industrial sector and he is committed to do the same.

Kumar said that his government is working in every sector. Industries are growing but there is still a huge scope and potential for industrial growth in the state. We have Industrial Incentive Policy but it requires support from central government. He further said that be it a (new) package or repackaging of old ones, whatever is given I would not mind.

He further said that if the state is granted special category status, it would bring investments as people would get tax exemptions and other benefits. People are watching Bihar as a destination with lots of curiosity because of the fact that it is related with their history.

Mr Kumar said Bihar had constantly been ignored and meted out with injustice both during British regime and post-independence era, irrespective of the party which ruled at the Centre.

Needless to say, Nitish Kumar has been working hard for the state and his government for the new innings and he has said that development is the important factor for his government.
Japan discussed the technological strengths of their submarines compared to French and German competition.

Japanese submarines can dive much longer without having to surface. This is a significant technology. Japans Ministry of Defense has said it plans to replace conventional lead-acid batteries with more powerful lithium-ion cells, which will enable the vessels to cruise at high speeds underwater.

The Japanese submarine is as capable in combat as the German boats. Japan is also advanced in combat systems (which can pick out specific sounds of the enemy from surrounding noise and conduct operations based on this information). In addition, Japan has a well-developed supply chain for submarine building. There are companies that can custom-make even a single screw for a submarine.

Military ships require special steel plate processing. The inner shell of the boat should be as tough as it can be to resist the high pressure deep under the sea. The work requires skilled welding techniques that cannot be acquired overnight.
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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.
Berners cheering their Bernie in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday night. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

Bernie Sanders collected three commanding victories on Saturday, winning the Democratic caucuses in Washington, Alaska, and Hawaii by considerable margins over front-runner Hillary Clinton. Sanders won Washington by roughly 73 percent to Clintons 27 percent, Alaska 81 percent to 18 percent, and Hawaii 70 percent to 30 percent. In all, Sanders banked 55 new delegates from Saturdays contests, while Clinton gained 20:

Bernie Sanders: 'Momentum is with us' following big wins  campaign live https://t.co/GoPAfaKfX4 pic.twitter.com/tlWYgbAtmj  The Guardian (@guardian) March 27, 2016

Its also worth noting that when Washington allocates 67 more delegates awarded by congressional district, Sanders will likely add another 40 or so net delegates, reducing Clintons lead in pledged delegates to the neighborhood of 230.

Next up on the calendar for Democratic voters: Bernie could score an upset win in Wisconsins open primary on April 5. Then theres a caucus in Wyoming on April 9, followed by the very big deal that is New Yorks closed primary on April 19, when 247 delegates will be up for grabs.

Why did Sanders clean up on Saturday? On one hand, thats because Sanders typically performs well in caucuses, while Hillary Clinton, dating back to 2008, doesnt. So far this cycle, Clinton is losing to Sanders in caucuses by 26 percent, while in 2008 she lost caucuses to Obama by 34 percent. On the other hand, as the Washington Posts Phillip Bump details, Washington and Alaskas electorates were also predominantly non-black, continuing what has become a decisive trend:

When the composition of the black Democratic electorate has been below seven percent for states where Democratic primary exit polling in 2008 or 2016 was available, Clinton has lost by an average of 30 points this year. Over that percentage? Shes won by 26.

(Hawaii, interestingly, didnt fit that mold, as it still overwhelmingly caucused for Sanders despite the states Democratic electorate being 13 percent black.)

In a separate post, Bump has some more bad news for Sanders supporters feeling bullish after Saturday:

Theres an argument that Sanderss big victories on Saturday will help swing the upcoming states  the momentum idea and all that. Sure! Possible! When Sanders won New Hampshire by a mile, though, it was followed by Clinton crushing him in South Carolina. When he won Michigan against all odds  he then lost Illinois and North Carolina and Ohio in a five-state Clinton sweep. He lost Florida  where Clinton netted about 70 delegates alone. Demographics that have proven to be the more reliable predictors of victory than momentum.

Sanders addressing supporters in Wisconsin, where Democrats will vote a week from Tuesday. Photo: Scott Olson/Getty Images

And only three caucuses remain moving forward, none of which will yield many delegates, so Sanderss big advantage in that area is finished, and few states with predominantly white Democratic electorates remain either. The crucial stocks of remaining delegates will thus be awarded via diverse, big-state primaries, and Clinton has been beating Sanders in those contest by over 23 percent so far this year. Regardless, Sanderss wins on Saturday re-justify his continued presence in the race and will likely help him raise more money to keep going, which will in turn help fund advertising pushes in the next two big states, New York and Pennsylvania. Plus, fundraising is already one area where Sanders has been defeating Clinton handily, and mostly via small donors. Meanwhile, Clintons attempts to woo Sanders supporters have mostly fallen flat, as the Atlantics Yoni Appelbaum summarizes:

Clinton has, in recent months, embraced many elements of Sanderss platform. Shes adopted the language of intersectional politics. Shes echoed his skepticism of trade deals. Shes insisted shell be tougher on Wall Street than hed be. But so far, at least, shes had little success in winning over his supporters, and shes struggled to inspire a similar degree of enthusiasm among her own backers. Sanderss voters seem undeterred by Clintons advantages. I feel like probably for the first time since Ive been voting I connect with somebody I really believe in and that I trust, one supporter told the Seattle Times. Saturdays vote suggests shes not alone. Party officials in Washington said that at least 225,000 voters showed up, rivaling the record turnout of 2008; the 10,600 who voted in Alaska exceeded that states 2008 tally; and the 33,716 in Hawaii, while below the 2008 level, included 7,000 new Democrats registered since late last year.

Nonetheless, as most political analysts continue to point out, Sanders will still need to broaden his supporter base in order to overcome both Clintons primary-voter advantage, as well as her pledged-superdelegate total, though those party insiders can, as many did in 2008, change their pledges before the convention  which is exactly what Sanders suggested they would do on Sunday morning. Times Sam Frizell outlines Sanderss not-so-clear path to the nomination, noting that Sanders will need to win at least 57 percent of the remaining pledged delegates to take the majority, plus convince superdelegates to switch sides. Frizell also points out that Team Sanders seems to be working on a back-up plan to make sure his campaign has a lasting impact, no matter what:

His advisors have begun discussing demands they may make at the Philadelphia convention if their candidate is not the nominee, including pushing the Democratic Party to adopt new resolutions against using super PAC money in primary races. Sanders himself has envisioned realigning the Democratic Party and overhauling many of the values and tenets ushered in by President Bill Clinton in 1992. The former presidents wing of centrist Democrats advocated for welfare reform and ultimately, free trade deals that Sanders despises. If I cant make it, we want to completely revitalize the Democratic Party and make it a party of the people rather than one of large campaign contributors, Sanders said in an interview last week.

This post was updated to include information about the additional delegates that will eventually be allocated from Washington.
Women mourn the death of relatives killed in the blast. Photo: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images

At least 65 people have been killed and 280 injured after a Taliban-linked suicide bomber struck a crowd of largely Christian families at a recreational park in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday night, according to Pakistans Geo TV. Reuters reports that the bomber struck a parking area outside the park, and most of the dead and injured were women and children, according to a local police superintendent. A faction of the Pakistani Taliban later claimed responsibility for the attack, according to the Associated Press, adding that they were specifically targeting the countrys small Christian minority. Lahore is in Punjab, Pakistans largest and wealthiest province, as well as the political power base of Pakistani prime minister Nawaz Sharif. Pakistan has been fighting a Taliban insurgency, but has also been plagued by sectarian violence.

The aftermath of the attack. Photo: Arif Ali/AFP/Getty Images

The Punjab government closed all parks in the province as a result of the bombing, and the main shopping centers in the area were also shuttered. Three days of official mourning have also been announced in response to the attack.

Two Christian churches in Lahore were bombed during Sunday mass a year ago, killing 15 people and injuring at least 70. The Punjab government eventually linked that attack to the Taliban.

This post has been updated to incorporate new information regarding the attack.
Keep it secular, kid. Photo: Amanda Edwards/Getty Images

The separation of church and state is a vital issue, a cornerstone of Americas foundation, one of the core values of our society that every citizen respects. Which is why the parents of Cobb County, Georgia, are absolutely horrified that their children are practicing yoga in school.

When yoga classes and mindfulness exercises were introduced at Bullard Elementary School to help students manage their stress, parents were immediately concerned that it was an attempt to push Hinduism on their impressionable kids. Religious practices (at least Near Eastern ones) dont belong in the classroom. No prayer in schools. Some dont even say the pledge, yet theyre pushing ideology on our students, a vigilant mother told Atlanta TV station 11alive. Some of those things are religious practices that we dont want our children doing in our schools.

The school issued an apology and promised to rectify the situation. The yoga classes will continue, but students will no longer color mandalas, put their hands over their hearts, or say namaste, because these are all things related to Hindu religious tradition. Luckily, kids are still free to practice yogas greatest tradition, lying in childs pose and taking a nap.
"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!

We've spent a lot of time this Bar Month listing off your picks for your favorite Milwaukee bars. It only seems fair, though, that we hand out an award for your favorite Milwaukee drink served up in those favorite Milwaukee bars as well. So, for this year's edition of the Bar Month poll, we added the new category of best Milwaukee drink, and the inaugural winner is the Bloody Mary served up at The Wicked Hop.

Though it finished in second place in the hotly contested best Bloody Mary category, when it comes to readers' favorite Milwaukee drink overall, The Wicked Hop's Bloody Mary is a first place beverage. Maybe it's the Bloody Mary itself. Maybe it's the garnishes, namely the mozzarella whips festooning the top of the drink.

No matter your favorite part, together they create your favorite Milwaukee drink, scoring well ahead of two Old Fashioned recipes  one from Packing house, the OnMilwaukee editors' pick, and one from Burnhearts  a Camp Bar drink with Milwaukee right in the name and Spy's Demise from Safe House.

OnMilwaukee editors' pick: Old Fashioned from Packing House



Runners-up:

2. Old Fashioned from Packing House

3. Mittenfest Korbel Old Fashioned from Burnhearts

4. Milwaukee Mule from Camp Bar

5. Spy's Demise from Safe House
While boutiques and entrepreneurs have made Milwaukee's Historic Third Ward the premier shopping destination near Downtown, non-profit icon Goodwill Industries is ready to also call the neighborhood home. Its Retique will open in May.

Goodwill, as a part of its continued store growth in Milwaukee and Chicago, will open a 5,343-sq. ft. retail outlet 190 N. Broadway, the site of former high-end florist, Private Gardner. Goodwill, at the end of February, opened a similar concept store in Carol Stream, Ill.

Like many of Goodwill's newer retail stores, it will target a more middle-class shopper with a clean, bright, well-organized layout and merchandising flair that rivals fashionable chains and boutiques.

"Retique will be Goodwills first boutique featuring some wonderful designer fashions, vintage items and brand name accessories," said Pat Boelter, vice president of marketing for Goodwill Industries of Southeastern Wisconsin.

"Opening a boutique is a new business model for us, but one that certainly supports our mission. While this is the first boutique for our Goodwill, other Goodwills throughout the country have had tremendous success in opening and running boutiques."

Goodwill began an effort to "upscale" many of its retail stores with the creation of amazinggoodwill.com, a site for which OnMilwaukeee.com did the back end development.

Retique will reuse fixtures from other boutiques and retailers as it completes the build out of the space.

"Reuse is very important to us and part of our operating philosophy," said Boelter. Overall, she added, when compared to the "typical" Goodwill store, the store will be smaller and will look "totally different."

Goodwill is working with occasional OnMilwaukee.com blogger Bjorn Nasett, a fashion consultant and stylist at Beauty, on some of design and marketing elements.

Retique will remain true to the Goodwill mission, noted Boelter.

"As with all our stores there will be a variety of clothing, accessories and household items. However, we are hoping to offer more name brands, designer labels and vintage items than our usual store. We will also be selling artwork and crafts from Goodwill participants at this location to support our mission."

A grand opening celebration is being planned for mid-May.

"We will have a lot of 'extras' planned to celebrate the grand opening of Retique, with the help of some of our new Third Ward neighbors," said Boelter.
Supports Bernie, but even Trump over Hillary



Dick Cheney Now Available in Female

(Image by Bailey Magno) Details DMCA



My guest today is Coleen Rowley, former FBI special agent, whistleblower and one of TIME magazine's "Persons of the Year" in 2002.

JB: Welcome to OpEdNews, Coleen. You've been critical of the War in Iraq virtually from the get-go. What did you know that so many people within the Beltway didn't?

CR: Thanks! Here's what I knew and warned FBI Director Mueller about on Feb 26, 2003 (published in the New York Times on March 6, 2003):



1) The diversion of attention from al-Qaeda to invade Iraq, would be a step likely to bring an exponential increase in the terrorist threat to the U.S., both at home and abroad.

2) The Bush Administration was threatening Mueller with breaking up the FBI which served as additional pressure on him to politicize intelligence and keep him from voicing any objection to the plan to attack Iraq, a country that had no connection to Al Qaeda or to the 9-11 attacks. I knew the Bush Administration had lied and confused people so much that, incredibly, they had gotten 70% of all Americans to believe that Iraq was behind 9-11.

3) I knew that the figure that were leaked estimating thousands of Al Qaeda terrorists already in the U.S. ("sleeper cells") was greatly exaggerated.

4) I knew that the objectives and justifications that officials were giving about increasing people's security and preventing future terrorist attacks rang hollow inasmuch as officials were not even attempting to interview the first real Al Qaeda terrorist suspects in custody, Zacarias Moussaoui and Richard Reid, the "shoe bomber" to learn what they knew of other plots.

5) I knew that launching war on Iraq would damage liaison with European law enforcement and intelligence agencies who were more on the frontlines than the U.S.

6) The color code threat alerts touted after 9-11 were in many ways ludicrous and proving counterproductive.

7) None of the 1000 or so people rounded up and indefinitely detained after 9-11, mostly in the NYC area, had any connection to terrorism. It was just a way for the FBI to demonstrate it was doing something.

8) The looser "preemptive strike" rationale being applied to Iraq (and other situations abroad) was not consistent with deadly force policy. I warned that the looser standard could migrate back home, fostering a more permissive attitude towards shootings by law enforcement officers in this country.

9) Lacking patience to allow the U.N. Inspectors to do their job and instead launching an attack on Iraq was analogous to the FBI Swat Teams who, a few years before, had lost patience and improvidently rushed the Davidian Branch Compound at Waco, which resulted in the deaths of all the children there.



The NYT's article and my letter warning FBI Director Mueller to warn the President to reconsider launching war on Iraq are here and here.

JB: That's quite a list, Coleen. Among other things, #8 certainly reverberates today with the police shootings of unarmed civilians, largely black males, happening all over the country. Let's cut to the chase. With all due respect, taking your concerns to your boss accomplished exactly what? Was it enough to stop or even slow that incessant drumbeat for war echoing through the halls of power and the media?

Next Page 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

(Note: You can view every article as one long page if you sign up as an Advocate Member, or higher).
Lately I've encountered a surprising number of people in public who seemed to be talking to themselves. Often when this happens, I assume these folks are talking to me, so I respond in some way as polite custom dictates, only to be ignored--or to receive a disapproving glance for having invaded someone's privacy bubble. Usually by this point I would realize the person was talking on a cell phone or similar electronic device, and I would feel like a fool.

I first apprehended the potentially adverse social consequences of personal electronic devices in, appropriately, 1984. I was attending Humboldt State University, and I noticed a classmate wearing Walkman headphones day after day and commented in class that he seemed to be using them to tune the rest of us out. For me this was the beginning of what I now see as a deleterious trend that is getting so much worse than I initially anticipated.

In the 1990s I boarded a train in Taiwan and got a preview of the cell phone madness that would soon afflict the States. Bizarre sounds began to erupt all over the car--ringing, buzzing, beeping, Beethoven. These noises would happen, and there would be several people engaging in solo conversation, often in loud and sometimes angry voices. Acknowledging cultural relativity, I unsuccessfully resisted the feeling that imposing one's personal conversation on others is a bit churlish.

Within a year after my return from Taiwan, these gadgets began showing up in California, and soon they were everywhere. I started teaching at a high school near Sacramento in 1999, and back then school officials still fantasised that they could control cell phone use. The administration at the school where I taught prohibited students from having their phones out and would confiscate them. On this particular campus cell phones had been used by gang members to stir up blue/red rivalries and organize brawls (as do other demographics). It was a sensitive issue. Parents at this school and all over the state complained, however, demanding convenient contact with their kids, so schools eventually caved, and now the devices' presence on campuses is ubiquitous. The damage to students' educations is already apparent. In my last ten years of teaching I have seen students' attention spans steadily decline as their interest, presence and focus are increasingly lured from the "real" world of physical human interaction to the strange new dimension called "cyberspace".

The problem is not only evident on high school campuses. I was teaching classes of primarily first-year international students on the U.C. Davis campus, and the problem there seemed worse. I passed a bus enclosure near the campus one day and saw five people, presumably students, all perched like birds on a wire, uniformly staring at a fixed point near their knees as they cradled their cherished screens.

The influence of these devices is showing up in formal essays too. College students are now unthinkingly inserting texting shorthand into their academic papers. A student, for example, might quote G.K. Chesterton writing, "I would maintain that thx are the highest form of thought." When I asked students to explain, they invariably said they had done it unconsciously. I believed them. This isolated example may seem trivial, but it points to a larger pattern of communication decay. Communications are increasingly characterized by textual "soundbites"--fragments of ideas rather than more developed ones. Unfortunately, when one reads and writes in fragments and is exposed to fragmented images and messages in advertising through whatever medium, one also tends to think (or suspend thinking) in like manner. It's contrary to the academic notion that one's cognitive abilities can be developed, resulting in improved comprehension and communication.

Again I think of George Orwell, who imagined that Big Brother would impose the means of intrusive thought monitoring and control. He would be amazed to know that people would stand in long lines voluntarily in the freezing rain to buy such equipment at high prices, providing at their own expense the means of their own surveillance.

I would like parents to understand that teachers now are competing for students' attention with electronic devices to which your kids are addicted. If "addicted" is too raw, substitute "compulsively habituated". Only recently I saw an article on MSN called, "Are you addicted to your Smartphone?", and the answer was pretty clear. If parents can't recognize what's happening, perhaps the inability stems from their own habitual reliance on the same devices, and "addiction" and "compulsion" really are appropriate terms. I've seen many students deprived of their devices by school officials, often eliciting reactions of agitation and panic. Responses are little different for adults, and a recently minted term expresses this pathological condition: "nomophobia," which indicates a fear of being without a mobile device, or beyond mobile phone contact. It's already affecting your families. Experts are arguing back and forth now about the existence or extent of device addictions, compulsive behaviors and related pathologies, but the observations I'm reporting, anecdotally, suggest that such addiction/compulsion is real and pervasive.

I'm sufficiently convinced by my observations to have acted on them. I had a cell phone for a short time in the 1990s when I was covering the California capitol, but it didn't work very well. I couldn't hear adequately to report outdoor rallies or protests to the news anchors, so I got rid of it.

Thereafter I saw companies continually rolling out product after product that the public swarmed to buy, and I realized that trying to keep up with the latest technology in terms of consumerism is a fool's game, so I resolved to quit playing it. Most of these devices are just toys really--comforting diversions and distractions if we're honest with ourselves. I acknowledge that some of these devices have utilitarian value, but that value is overrated, and considering the obsessive and unhealthy manner in which people generally are using these technologies, I suspect that their adverse effects far exceed the benefits.

We have only begun to learn about these devices' ill effects on personal and public health along with a range of cognitive and social consequences. Change is not necessarily progress. We don't need to accept every new technological fad that comes along, and the ones we do accept, we should approach with prudence and caution as we would any habituating influence. At the more extreme end of the spectrum, some people are becoming so enchanted with electronic gizmos that they are killing themselves (and others). The dangers and results of texting while driving are well known, but there are stranger cases of people dying after walking off of cliffs and into traffic while preoccupied with the objects of their obsession.



It can happen so quickly. The man has not yet had time to react.

(Image by Shawn Hamilton) Details DMCA



As I suggested previously, certain technology related trends appear in Asia well before they show up widely in the United States. The "into traffic" [Warning: Graphic Video] hyperlink leads to a clip that attests to what I fervently hope does not become a trend in the US or anywhere else. It's graphic and disturbing, so I caution readers although it needs to be seen. I showed it to my son who will be driving soon. The roughly two-minute video was compiled from surveillance cameras in various Asian cities. It shows what can happen in the blink of an eye when one's awareness and attention are hijacked by captivating electronic distractions.



--end

(Article changed on April 1, 2016 at 03:21)
Reprinted from Consortium News

Secretary of State John Kerry has rebuffed a request from the father of the only American citizen killed aboard Malaysia Airlines Flight 17 for Kerry to disclose the radar and other data that he cited in 2014 in claiming to know the precise location of the missile launch that allegedly downed the airliner over eastern Ukraine killing 298 people.

In a letter to Kerry dated Jan. 5, 2016, Thomas Schansman, the father of American-Dutch citizen Quinn Schansman, asked Kerry to turn over that data to aid the investigation seeking to identify who was responsible for shooting down the plane on July 17, 2014. In a letter dated March 7, 2016, but just delivered to Thomas Schansman on Thursday, Kerry expressed his condolences and repeated his claim to know where the missile launch originated, but did not provide new details.

Kerry wrote, "The assessment I provided to the media three days following the shoot down remains unchanged, and is corroborated by the findings of the Dutch Safety Board [DSB]. Flight 17 was shot down by a BUK surface-to-air missile fired from separatist-controlled territory in eastern Ukraine."



But Kerry's assertion is not entirely correct. Despite Kerry's claim on July 20, 2014 -- three days after the shoot-down -- to know the location of the missile launch, the Dutch Safety Board reported last October that it could only place the likely launch site within a 320-square-kilometer area that included territory under both government and rebel control. (The safety board did not seek to identify which side fired the fateful missile.)

Why the U.S. government has dragged its heels about supplying the evidence that Kerry claimed to possess just days after the tragedy has become a secondary mystery to the allegations and counter-allegations about whodunit. That Kerry would not even elaborate on that information in response to the father of the lone American victim is even more striking.

In an email to me with Kerry's letter attached, Thomas Schansman wrote, "the message is clear: no answer on my request to hand over satellite and/or radar data to DSB or public."

Plus, Kerry's credibility has come under a darkening cloud because of recent disclosures undermining his repeated claims on Aug. 30, 2013, that "we know" that Syrian government forces were responsible for the Aug. 21, 2013 sarin gas attack outside Damascus. Despite Kerry's assertions of certainty in that case, he presented no verifiable evidence and it has since been confirmed that the U.S. intelligence community lacked "slam dunk" proof.

Nearly a year after his "we know" performance regarding the Syria-sarin case, Kerry staged a reprise expressing similar certainty about the MH-17 case -- again dumping the blame on the target of an intensive U.S. propaganda campaign, this time Russia, which was backing the rebels in eastern Ukraine. Kerry again failed to supply supporting evidence (beyond some dubious references to "social media").

Cracks in the Story

Also, some of Kerry's MH-17 assertions have shown cracks as more information has become available. For instance, despite Kerry's putting the blame on the ethnic Russian rebels and their supporters in Moscow, Western intelligence now says the only functioning Buk anti-aircraft missiles in the area were under the control of the Ukrainian military.

According to Dutch intelligence -- and implicitly corroborated by U.S. intelligence -- Ukraine's Buk batteries were the only anti-aircraft missiles in the area capable of hitting a commercial airliner flying at 33,000 feet. That information was contained in a little-noticed Dutch intelligence report last October citing information from the Netherlands' Military Intelligence and Security Service (MIVD).

MIVD made its assessment in the context of explaining why commercial aircraft continued to fly over the eastern Ukrainian battle zone in summer 2014. MIVD said that based on "state secret" information, it was known that Ukraine possessed some older but "powerful anti-aircraft systems" and "a number of these systems were located in the eastern part of the country."

MIVD added that the rebels lacked that capacity, having only short-range anti-aircraft missiles and a few inoperable Buk missiles that had been captured from a Ukrainian military base. "During the course of July, several reliable sources indicated that the systems that were at the military base were not operational," MIVD said. "Therefore, they could not be used by the Separatists."

U.S. intelligence, which had eastern Ukraine under intensive overhead surveillance in summer 2014, implicitly corroborated MIVD's conclusion in a U.S. "Government Assessment" released by the Director of National Intelligence on July 22, 2014. It listed weapons systems that Russia had provided the rebels but made no mention of a Buk missile battery.

In other words, based on satellite imagery and other intelligence reviewed both before and after the shoot-down, U.S. and other Western intelligence services could find no proof that Russia had ever given a Buk system to the rebels or introduced one into the area. If Russia had provided a Buk battery -- four 16-foot-long missiles hauled around by trucks -- it would have been hard to miss.
Congress Switchboard: 202-224-3121

"Just as The Tipping Point provides an explanation for big changes, Rob Kall offers a unified explanation for the magic behind the success of the biggest tech companies, the Arab Spring, Occupy and the social media revolution An important, big picture, visionary approach weaving together technology, economics, evolution, science and personal relationships -- even happiness -- to describe a wave of change as significant as the invention of the printing press that is well under way -- a wave that could rescue the planet from the top-down system that afflicts the planet."



Thom Hartmann, host of nationally syndicated radio show, The Thom Hartmann Program, since 2003 and a nightly television show, The Big Picture, since 2008
Louisiana health officials say tests confirmed that the water in the town of Donaldsonville is safe to drink.

The Department of Health and Hospitals said in a news release Saturday they lifted a notice advising people not to drink the water.

Residents in the small town southeast of Baton Rouge were advised Tuesday not to drink the water after an inspection showed the possibility it contained chlorine dioxide levels four to five times national guidelines.

Louisiana health officer Jimmy Guidry said Thursday that test by the water company was not properly followed up with more tests. He said the advisory was issued out of an "abundance of caution."

The agency said Saturday they took five samples at different sites and all showed the water was safe to drink.

 2016 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
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DANVERS, Mass. | John Clift McKnight passed away March 17, 2016, in Beverly, Massachusetts after a short illness. He was 86.

John C. McKnight was a 44-year resident of Danvers, Massachusetts. Born April 19, 1929, he was the son of Leland and Evelyn (Clift) McKnight. He was raised in West Hebron and was a graduate of the Salem Washington Academy in Salem. He received a bachelors degree from Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania in 1951. He served in the Army from 1955 to 1957, and was stationed in Germany as a radio repair technician. After returning from Germany, he spent several more years as a reservist.

John spent his career as a broadcast engineer, most recently at WGBH in Boston. He was fascinated by technology all his life, was an audiophile and photographer, and spent hours teaching himself to use and build computers. In retirement, John was a frequent visitor to Sharpsville, Pennsylvania, where he enjoyed singing in the Sharpsville United Methodist Church choir.

John is survived by his sister, Mary Nelson of Sharpsville; his brother in law, Donald Mesick of Williamstown, Massachusetts; several nieces and nephews; and numerous grand-nieces and nephews. His sister, Jane Mesick, predeceased him.

A memorial service will be held in Salem at a later date.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Flint Public Library in Middleton, Mass., the Salem Central School District in Salem, N.Y., or to Westminster College in New Wilmington, Pennsylvania.

To offer condolences to the family, please visit the website: www.gariepyfuneralhomes.com.

Funeral arrangements are with the McClellan-Gariepy Funeral home, Inc., 19 East Broadway, Salem, NY.
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, he added.

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.

Mr. Shigeru Umetsu, the Deputy Chief of Mission of the Embassy of Japan, said the project will contribute to the development of SMEs in Ghana.
The Union is also asking for the implementation of the 50% salary adjustment proposed for railway workers last year so that they could cope with the harsh economic conditions they faced.

The General Secretary of the Union, Mr. Godwill Ntarmah, made this appeal at a merger conference held by the Railway Workers Union and the Rail and Allied Transport Workers Union, in Takoradi.

The two-day conference saw the two rival unions being merged as the 'Ghana Railway Workers Union as part of the Ghana Trades Union Congress, (TUC) with a common objective of championing the welfare of all railway workers in the country.

It was held on the theme: 'Effective Rail Transport: A Pre-requisite for National Development', and it brought together railway workers across the country to deliberate on issues affecting the welfare of railway workers.

Mr. Ntarmah reiterated the need for capital injection into rail transport for it to contribute significantly towards the national socio-economic development.

He said the neglect of the rail sector over the years had adversely affected the rail transport system and its contribution to national development, explaining that, railway tracks, terminals and locomotives were in dilapidated states while workers in the sector were also grappling with decent work deficits.

He said: Revamping railway infrastructure and systems in Ghana for efficient rail transport is, therefore, an imperative for our development.

Mr Ntarmah, therefore, asked politicians to stop the political rhetoric and rather resuscitate the rail transport industry so that it would play its critical role in national development.

Minister for Transport, Mr. Fifi Kwetey, gave the assurance that the government would continue supporting the rail sector and cited the Sekondi-Kojokrom rail lines currently under construction in the Sekondi-Takoradi Metropolis.

He explained that the government was sourcing for funds to construct the Eastern rail lines and Boankra In-land Port in Ashanti to make the Ghana Railway Company more viable in order to contribute its quota towards the socio-economic development.

The Transport Minister stated that resuscitating the rail transport was a collective responsibility of all stakeholders, including the leadership of railway unions.

He, therefore, tasked the newly elected executives of the Ghana Railway Workers Union to propose creative ideas that would facilitate the effort of revamping the railway sector.

The Conference elected new national executives to steer the affairs of the Union.

They include, Mr. Joseph King Edu, as the Chairperson, Mr. Charles Thompson, the First Vice Chairperson and Mr. Godwill Ntarmah, as the General Secretary.

The rest are Mr. Joseph Kwesi Baidoo, the Deputy General Secretary in charge of Administration, Mr. Isaac Bonarpart Werehene, the Deputy General Secretary in charge of Operations, and Mr. Solomon Aminasa, as the Treasurer.
WE ARE SADLY DISAPPOINTED IN VOLTA REGIONAL POLICEAfter several meetings, discussions and agreements on a march, routes of the march and conduct of the organisers with the Volta Regional Police, even as recent as just last night, we were shocked by the sudden U-turn of the police to halt a peaceful march for change.The Ghana Police Service, in their usual 'Order From Above' nonsense, sought to halt, intimidate and aggressively threaten us in an attempt to block a peaceful health March, details of which had extensively been discussed and agreed upon with them.The Public Order Act allows us as citizens to express our disaffections and put across our views through demonstrations, peaceful assembly, etc. of which by legal requirements, we notified the police long ago.We are therefore still in a state of utter surprise as to why the Ghana Police will, on the morning of the march, come in to disperse the peaceful and lawful gathering with no sensible reason, under the flimsy refrain of 'Order From Above'.We are calling on the Ghana Police Service to be professional in their duties and protect all citizens with respect, no matter the backgrounds of the persons involved. We also urge them to uphold and respect, without ill or favour, the fundamental and constitutional rights of all citizens to embark on such marches. Finally, kudos and bravo to all members of Volta For Change, as well as all Voltarians, for the courage and commitment shown towards ensuring the success of this March.
He claimed that the youngest among them is widely travelled  he frequents Iraq and that is history that you cannot discount The BNI did no wrong in swooping in to undertake the exercise to find out exactly what was happening.

He argued that no self-respecting security agency anywhere in the world will not have taken the action that the BNI took upon learning that you have persons from another country engaged in some form of training in an obscure part of this country; especially, given the heightened security awareness in this country, around West Africa and around the world.

The BNI last week arrested three South African Police Officers for allegedly training the New Patriotic Partys (NPP) private security men on weapon handling among others

The three are; 54-year-old Major Ahmed Shaik Hazis (Rtd.), 39-yearold WO/ Denver Dwayhe Naidu (Rtd.) and 45-year-old Captain Mlungiseleli Jokani (Rtd.)

Contributing to a panel discussion on Joy FM, Mr. Kwakye-Ofosu said the state cannot allow a situation where political parties form private armies of some sort under the guise of protecting their leaders.

He said the NPPs explanation for bringing in the three former Police Officers from South Africa is the most incompetent and abysmal defence.
The acting National Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay in an interview on Joy FM said the National Democratic Congress (NDC) is determined to create destabilization in this country and they must be stopped.

Some supporters of the NDC have accused the NPP of planning to cause mayhem in the 2016 elections following the arrest of three South African ex-Police Officers by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

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 last Thursday for allegedly training the NPPs private security personnel on weapon handling, among others.

Deputy Communications Minister, Felix Kwakye-Ofosu said the the BNI's actions are justified because state cannot allow a situation where political parties form private armies of some sort under the guise of protecting their leaders.

The NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo on Sunday clarified that he is not a violent person.

Everyone in Ghana will attest to the fact that I am a very patient man. Patience is one of my characteristics. I am not and have never been a violent person. Opponents, for their selfish political interests, spew out falsehoods all in their bid to smear my reputation. It has not worked and it will not work, because Ghanaians have seen through the lies, he said.

According to Freddie Blay, the NPP leadership will make sure it keeps its members and sympathizers in check despite the machinations of the government.

The NDC maybe, that is exactly what they want to happen; they want to provoke ISIS, they want to distract Ghanaians from seeing what is going on, he claimed.
In December, the telecoms regulator NCC reduced the fine to $3.9 billion, but on Wednesday lawmakers in the lower house of parliament said the original fine could not be altered unless the law was amended.

"For you to adjust the fine, you have to adjust the law, that is where I am finding difficulty," said Yakubu Dogara, speaker of the House of Representatives, according to parliament's minutes seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The house launched a probe after lawmaker Ehiozuwa Agbonayinma asked, in a motion read out by Dogara, for the MTN fine to be more than tripled to $15.6 billion.

Agbonayinma also demanded that MTN face criminal charges, saying the firm's failure to disconnect users SIM cards had led to the death of some 10,000 Nigerians as criminals had used the unregistered cards, according to the motion.

MTN had angered the house by snubbing an invitation to its Nigeria Chief Executive Ferdi Moolman to appear at the telecoms committee, a lawmaker said.

Instead of sending Moolman, MTN issued a letter telling lawmakers "appropriate government agencies ... are in a position to furnish your committee with relevant information on this issue," lawmakers said, according to the minutes.
``For two months now, peace has returned to Mushin. Thanks to our governor,who picked up the gang leaders and their boys disappeared.

``Mushin is now safe, no longer a hotbed of criminality. The hoodlums are killingthemselves and not hoodlums versus the people,'' he told the News Agency ofNigeria (NAN).

Olatunji, a Mushin chairmanship aspirant for the July council polls, said:``We aregrateful to the governor for his intervention; the criminals are not from Mushin, but from other parts of the state.

``I am born and bred in Mushin and like others, we grew up to imbibe some virtuesto become responsible citizens. Not everybody in Mushin are criminals."

He noted that gangsterism, not robberies had reigned in the area, saying "the supremacy fight between the gangs had always unleashed a reign of terror on Mushin.''

Olatunji, an Area Pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, alsoacknowledged the efforts of an ethnic militia -- Odu'a Peoples Congress (OPC) --in helping to rout armed robberies several years ago in the area.

The Business Administration graduate and erstwhile South-West spokesman of Nigerian students, said: "Youth empowerment is a must for local and state governments because the youths reside in their council areas and states.
arba Shehu, spokesperson for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, said the Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroon, Hadiza Mustapha, has been in contact with Cameroonian authorities who have shown a willingness to assist the Nigerian government.

The abduction of about 270 school girls by Islamic militants from a school in Chibok on April 14, 2014, sparked international outrage and a campaign #bringbackourgirls. While about 50 of the girls managed to escape, 219 of these girls remain missing.

Military and local government sources on Friday reported that one of two girls arrested in northern Cameroon carrying explosives claimed to be one of the missing Chibok schoolgirls.

"We hope that the Chibok parents will be able to identify the girl and determine whether she is indeed one of their missing students," Shehu told the Thomson Reuters Foundation in a telephone interview in Abuja on Saturday.

Shehu said the government was keen to ascertain the girl's identity so she can be brought back to Nigeria and possibly assist the government in investigations regarding the fate and whereabouts of the other missing Chibok girls.

He said the two parents from Chibok selected to embark on the trip to Cameroon are Yakubu Nkeki, chairman of the Chibok Abducted Girls Movement, and Yana Galang, the group's women leader, whose 16-year-old daughter Rifkatu is among the missing.

The trip is being arranged by the government in partnership with the Murtala Muhammed Foundation in Nigeria, a non-government organisation which has been supporting the parents association and has offered to partly sponsor the trip to avoid any delays.

"If it is true, we are very happy about it. If we see her with our eyes, we will know where our girls are," Galang told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Shehu said the two girls will be brought by the Cameroonian government to Douala, the country's largest city, on Monday for further checks into their identities.

Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan was criticized for his slow reaction to the Chibok abductions, seen by many as indicative of his response to Boko Haram, which at its strongest held large swathes of northeastern Nigeria.

Muhammadu Buhari, who defeated Jonathan in a 2015 election, ordered a new investigation into the kidnappings in January.
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The allegation, which was raised by the verified Twitter handle of the Peoples Democratic Party on Saturday, March 26, 2016, was subsequently denied by Shehu.

Reacting to the allegation, Shehu said, It is a lie by PDP to say I bought $800,000 from the CBN. I had only two forex purchases since coming into government: Eight thousand Dollars ($8,000) sent to my daughter and nephews through United Bank for Africa. This is verifiable."

Speaking further, 'Im not a forex trader. The day I choose to start trading in forex, I will resign as a presidential spokesman. If I know the coward and psychopath behind the official PDP handle, I will launch a defamation suit against him or her. And I will claim money in millions as damages.'
The unit commander, Mr Korie Zeph, who made the statement, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in Eket on Saturday that the FRSC was committed to ridding the local government area of fake drivers license.

``In Enugu where l came from, I arrested 5,000 holders of fake drivers license. I have stayed in Eket for one month and I have arrested 20 holders of fake drivers license.

``I believe that before the special patrol is over, more holders of fake drivers license will be apprehended, Zeph said.

The unit commander alleged that people touting within the premises of the Board of Internal Revenue were responsible for producing fake drivers license in the state.

He said that the command had commenced special patrol to ensure safety and free movement for motorists during the Easter celebration.

``We have commenced special patrol for Easter celebration to make the roads safe and free for motorists in Eket.

``Motorists will be arrested for possession of fake drivers license, expired drivers license, over loading among others.

``Road users and motorists are hereby cautioned to always put on their seat belt while driving in order not to sustain serious injuries during road crashes,
The company said We wish to put the records straight that the fire incidence at Sabon-Gari market never emanated from power spark.

It is also on record that the two dedicated transformers supplying the market are still intact and had no sign of any power surge after the incidence.

It condemned a statement by an official of the state fire service, linking the Sabon Gari market fire incident to electrical fault.

"The fire service never called us to alert us of the incidence as they normally do when there is a fire outbreak, but unfortunately for us they just went ahead to blame us", the statement said.

The company commiserated with the victims, Emir of Kano , and the Government and people of the state over the inferno.
Punch Newspaper reports that Col. Inusa was kidnapped around the Kamazo area in Chikun Local Government of Kaduna State.

Said to be serving with the Nigerian Army School of Infantry in Jaji, near Kaduna State, it was gathered that the gunmen dropped off Col Inusa's wife and zoomed away with him.

Confirming the abduction, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, One-Mechanized Division, Kaduna, Col. Usman Abdul confirmed the incident in a statement issued on Sunday.

The Army spokesman in the statement entitled: A senior army officer abducted-Col. Samaila Inusa, the spokesman noted that the gunmen whisked the colonel away in a Mercedes Benz GLK Black colour with registration number Abuja, KUJ 154 TZ.

This is to inform the general public that the above named senior officer of the Nigerian Army serving in Nigerian Army School of Infantry Jaji Kaduna was abducted around Kamazo near NNPC junction, Kaduna.

The abductors dropped off his wife and left with him in his car. The car headed towards Abuja.

Anybody with useful information or assistance should please assist in tracking these abductors.

They are in a Mercedes Benz GLK Black colour with registration number Abuja, KUJ 154 TZ. This happened at about 7:30pm on Saturday 26 March 2016.
The Coordinator of the council in the state, Alhaji Abubakar Umar, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kano.

Umar said 42 of the cases were criminal, while the remaining 22 were civil cases.He said the council had disposed eight of the criminal cases and nine civil cases, while theremaining were pending in various courts.

``Some of the complainants prefer to solve their cases at our office. Complainants are always encouraged to resolve their cases out of court to ensure amicable solution.

He said most of the civil cases recorded were on inheritance, marriage, debt and land disputes, while the criminal cases were on rape, homicide and armed robbery, among others.

``Inadequate fund has been a major challenge to our operations. So, we need more funds to enable us to carry out our duties.
Akanbi gave the assurance on Saturday during a town hall meeting he held with Owala, Temidire, Isokan, Akataapa and Ekerin communities at Owala playing ground, Ologuneru in Ibadan.

He urged the people to be patient with and support the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, saying the nation's dwindling economy would soon be revived.

``The last administration mismanaged so much of our resources not minding the future of the country.

``The president had since the inception of his administration being confronted with transforming the economy.

``He has shown more commitment to rejuvenating the economy and Nigerians would soon smile. I implore you all to give him maximum support in achieving this," he said.

Akanbi, who is the Chairman, Senate Committee on Solid Minerals, exonerated the president from allegation of being one-sided in his fight against corruption.

He said that the list of corrupt persons was devoid of ethnic, class and political influence and urged the people to assist the EFCC with useful information on corrupt practices.

``I can tell you authoritatively that Buhari is more Nigerian than being an APC member," he said.

Akanbi said that the local content bill before the senate would ensure that Nigerians are engaged in the execution projects, while people without expertise would be engaged and trained for the job.

``Any public office holder, who rose to a position on the people's mandate and run away from them, will definitely run back to them at the end.

``You people deserve the best from government and that I will always be committed to. I wont relent in building human capacities, empowering the people and convey your needs to the executive," he said.

Earlier, Mr Taiwo Adewuyi, the Interim Chairman, Owala community had commended Akanbi for assisting the community.

He noted that the senator assisted the community in the construction of Owala bridge and rehabilitation of the road in 2015 before he was elected senator.
Tinubu took a swipe at the Minister on Saturday, March 26, 2017 saying he has not only strayed but needs to guide his utterances as a public servant.

In a statement by Tinubu titled, Kachikwu Needs to Know That Respect and Good Performance Will Do What Magic Cannot, he said, I make no attempt to hide it. I am an avid and partisan supporter of this government and of the progressive policies of the party, the APC, upon which this government is based.

'With that, I do reserve the right and the duty as a Nigerian to voice my opinion when I believe a member of this government has strayed from the progressive calling required of this administration. I do this because my greater devotion and love are for this nation and its people. Party and politics fall secondary.

'Much public ire has been drawn to the statement made by the Minister of State (for Petroleum Resources) Ibe Kachikwu that he was not trained as a magician and that basically Nigerians should count themselves fortunate that the NNPC under his stewardship has been able to bring in the amount of petrol it is currently doing.

'Perhaps the statement by Kachikwu was made in a moment of unguarded frustration or was an awkward attempt at a joke. Whatever the motive, it was untimely and off-putting. The remark did not sit well with the Nigerian people; they were as right to feel insulted as the minister was wrong to have said such a thing.

'The fuel shortage is severely biting for the average person. They are forced to remain in lines far too long  for too much time  to pay too much money for too little fuel. This is no joking matter. Livelihoods and peoples welfare are at stake.

'With so much on the line, Kachikwus flippancy was out-of-line. He was basically telling Nigerians that they should be lucky that they are getting the inadequate supply they now suffer and that they should just be quiet and endure the shortage for several weeks more,' the ex-governor stated.

Continuing, he said, 'It insulted the people by its tonality. He spoke with the imperious nature of a member of the elitist government the people voted out last year and not the progressive one they voted in.

'He is a public servant. The seat he sits upon is owned by Nigerians, not by him. The company he runs is owned by Nigerians, not by him. They are his boss. He is not theirs. Power is vested in the people. He is a mere custodian or agent of their will.

'In talking to us in such a manner, he committed an act of insubordination. If he had talked so cavalierly to his boss in the private sector, he would have been reprimanded or worse. If wise, the man should refrain from such interjections in the future.

'As his ultimate bosses, the people have a right to demand the requisite performance and respect from him. He should apologise for treating them so lightly in this instance.

'Instead, he seems to be standing above them, telling them to take it or leave it,' Tinubu added.

In conclusion, Tinubu said, 'He must ask them to work with him and, perhaps, to endure a bit longer but with the knowledge that he is working to resolve this matter as fast as he can and as permanently as possible; that he is dedicated to the position that once these current lines are gone, never again shall they reappear, as long as he has any influence in the matter.
The council's Head of Test Administration, Mrs Frances Iweha-Onukwu, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

She, however, noted that the council was gradually winning the war as it kept introducing new cutting-edge technology to stop the ugly trend.

``One major challenge we are battling against, since inception, has been that of examination malpractice, but we are happy that we are winning the war.

``We know that the candidates might want to beat our technology, but we will continue to make sure that we check them in any way they try, she told NAN.

According to Iweha-Onukwu, another major challenge is the 'rogue website'.

``Tackling rogue website has been a serious challenge the board is facing, she said.

NAN reports that a rogue website is one that subverts a legitimate web site by appearing to replace it.

Iweha-Onukwu said that perpetrators of such act use rogue website to distract lazy candidates, who, instead of studying hard for their examination, busy themselves logging onto the rogue website.

She, however, said that many operators of the fake sites were being apprehended with the help of security agents.
Every now and then, Tracy Schwind takes a step back and realizes something about herself: Im really not afraid to take a chance, she says, though she doesnt always realize it in the moment.

Like when she moved from Davenport to Dallas in the 1980s to sell cars. She didnt pay attention to her male coworkers who called her little lady or darlin. And when she was 22, she politely ignored the folks who suggested she just go find a man to marry.

Looking back on it, its kind of unbelievable, she said. Honestly, it was kind of a big deal for me to take a chance like that.

After she started a family back in the Quad-Cities, she did something even more gutsy in the eyes of some. She kept working.

"Society still looks at moms with careers in a different light," she said. "And you can feel guilty being a working mom."

But something, usually the voice of other women she admired, told her to keep going.

"I wouldn't be where I am without the help of other strong women," Schwind said.

Over the years, the Athena nominee has added a litter of leadership titles and roles to her resume, from working 20 years at Lujack NorthPark Auto Plaza to a stint at United Way of the Quad-Cities Area and hours and hours of volunteering. She changed careers when she was 45 and started a marketing job at Northwest Bank & Trust Company, Davenport.

Sometimes, you just cant be afraid to try something new, she said. Thats probably one of the biggest things Ive learned.

Now, Schwind is the senior vice president of marketing at Northwest Bank & Trust, and general manager of Stratman Solutions, the business unit of the bank.

Joe Slavens, president and CEO of Northwest Bank & Trust Company, nominated Schwind. He says he is amazed at how she spends her time and energy.

I couldnt be more impressed with how she handles herself, professionally and personally and in the community, Slavens said. Shes so well-balanced and she also is an extremely hard-worker.

Inside and outside of the office, Schwind's passion for mentoring has also left an impression.

"She genuinely wants to help the younger generation," he said. "And that really stands out."

Schwind serves on the board of directors of Girl Scouts of Eastern Iowa and Western Illinois and River Music Experience. She also volunteers at the Davenport Public Library and at area schools.

But she also hopes to be a mentor in quieter, informal ways.

I hope women can look at me and say, I can do that, she said. It's not like it's a big secret ... my story is just about continuing to follow my passions and what I cared about.

She also wants to help younger women, like her daughter, Sara who is a junior in college, learn from her path.

Schwind attended the University of Iowa, but didnt graduate, a decision she calls a big regret.

I didnt graduate, and that bothers me tremendously, she said. But I havent let it stop me.

Schwind also has a message for women, whether they're in the workplace, or not: "Let's pull each other along."

As women, we sometimes try to one-up each other, and there's a guilt with everything, she said. Thats where need to lift each other up, and not tear each other down ... it's about women helping women."
DES MOINES  Riverboats first paddled along the Mississippi River in Iowa on April 1 a quarter century ago, dropping anchor in a few of the cities suffering most from a crippled state economy.

The riverboat gambling era was not ushered in without controversy or heated debate, however.

Twenty-five years later, most of the riverboats are docked and retired, having given way in some instances to land-based casinos that now dominate Iowas gambling market.

The industry has generated more than $6 billion in tax revenue and creates an annual economic impact of more than $1 billion, according to the Iowa Gaming Association, a nonprofit organization that represents the states gaming facilities.

It all started on the Mississippi River 25 years ago Friday.

Ailing economy sparks interest

In the mid-1980s, Iowa was feeling the full impact of the farm crisis and an exodus of manufacturing jobs. Unemployment soared past 9 percent in 1983, more than double what it had been just three years prior.

Tom Fey, a former state legislator from Davenport who now works as a Statehouse lobbyist, remembers people leaving the Quad-Cities in such great numbers that the city of Rock Island removed some traffic lights and replaced them with stop signs.

Fey and his fellow state lawmakers, scrambling for ways to spark the states economy, began considering riverboat gambling in the mid-1980s, a novel concept at the time.

Now every state has gambling.  Back then, it was a big deal, said Don Avenson, who was speaker of the House in the late 1980s and also now lobbies at the Statehouse.

The push for riverboat gambling was particularly strong in eastern Iowa cities such as Davenport and Dubuque, which were especially struggling at the time.

The riverboat gambling concept came from Davenport, Avenson said. Davenport was struggling economically, and we thought it would help their economy.

The interest had been stated, and the groundwork laid. But it would take state lawmakers four years to pass legislation legalizing riverboat gambling.

Chips on the table

Legislators who played central roles in the passage of the riverboat gambling bill in 1989 remember the time vividly and say they still carry some scars from the heated political debate.

Pardon the pun, but its always a crap shoot, Fey said of passing gambling legislation. Its a real challenge to try to get a majority vote on a gaming proposal.

Fey managed the legislation in the House. He said it took four years of extensive work to earn enough support from lawmakers to pass the bill.

Ill be honest with you: I spent as much time on riverboats (in 1988 and 1989) as I did as chair of the Human Resources Committee, maybe more in the off-session, to try to shepherd that through, Fey said. We had to twist arms and work on amendments and try to appease everyone we could possibly appease, bring in as many chamber (of commerce) people, whoever else would support it.

Opposition, which was strong from some, largely centered on concerns about the impact gambling could have on the state, including gambling addiction and increased crime.

Everybody just thought everything would go to hell, the people that were against gambling. Were going to have crime and prostitution and stealing and people going bankrupt. Everything you could think of, that was going to happen, said Sen. Wally Horn, D-Cedar Rapids, who managed the 1989 riverboat bill in the Senate.

Fey said he heard strong words from the critics as well.

Im not kidding you: Id go out in public forums back home, and there were people that accused me of being involved with the mob, Fey said. Some fundamentalists all but accused me of being the devil.

Gov. Terry Branstad, who was serving during his first stint as the states governor, initially was hesitant to support riverboat gambling. And Avenson said he was unsure the legislation would pass the House when he called it up for debate in 1989. Normally, leaders do not call up a bill for debate unless they are confident it has enough support to pass.

According to multiple legislators who were in the chamber that day, with just a few votes left to be cast, the bill was stuck on 50, needing one more for a majority and passage. One of the legislators yet to vote was Mike Van Camp, a Republican from Davenport.

Eventually, Van Camp cast his yes vote  with a member of the governors staff watching from nearby, Avenson said  and the bill passed.

Not only that, but I got a real chewing out from the governor at the time, Van Camp said recently from his home in California. That was one of those issues that the (Republican) party didnt want, the governor, God bless his soul, was opposed to. But the district wanted it. So I thought, well, thats why Im here.

After the bill narrowly passed both the House and Senate, Branstad signed it into law that summer.

Its something the people of Iowa wanted, Branstad said last week. My concern was I wanted to protect the integrity of the state, so we built in significant safeguards. Im proud to say its been well-managed, its been honest, and weve kept corruption out. Thats not the case in many other states. I think we can be proud of that. 

Its not been without controversy, but I think its been well-managed.

Quick to impact, evolve

Two years after the legislation passed, the first five riverboats showed up on Iowas river shores. The President in Davenport, Diamond Lady in Bettendorf and the Casino Belle in Dubuque were the first to launch on April 1, 1991.

It just was a tremendous jolt, to create the kind of energy that was needed at the time, for these to start there and obviously grow across other counties across the state in subsequent years, said Wes Ehrecke, president and CEO of the Iowa Gaming Association.

Fey said the impact was almost immediate in Davenport.

Our downtown was just like most downtowns, just dying on the vine, Fey said. Initially, it helped revitalize many central (business) districts along the river ways, the Mississippi and the Missouri.  I thought it was really a great benefit to the community.

In large part because of competition with neighboring Illinois, the state of Iowa in the years that followed loosened many of the restrictions in the original legislation, including measures limiting the amount of money individuals could wager. By the mid-1990s, the state legalized land-based casino operations.

It was the slippery slope to full-fledged casino gambling about which some opponents of the original riverboat proposal warned.

Im somewhat disappointed that it was opened up so quickly, Fey said.

25 years of doing business

Gaming and gambling in Iowa has exploded since the riverboats first hit the water 25 years ago. There are now 19 commercial casinos in Iowa.

Supporters point to gamings economic benefits. In addition to the tax revenue it generates, the industry supports more than 9,500 jobs, and a provision that requires casinos disperse some of their revenue through charitable grants has produced $1.4 billion in 29,000 grants, according to the Iowa Gaming Association.

If Iowas going to continue to be a quality place to work and live because of what we have to offer  great education, work ethic  we also have to have a place for them to be entertained, Ehrecke said. I think weve exceeded all those expectations in an extraordinary way.
BELLE FOURCHE | Peggy Davis, 92, died peacefully in her sleep on Tuesday, March 22, 2016, at the Sandstone Manor in Spearfish.

Peggy Jean Pannell was born Sept. 13, 1923, at home near Mona, WY, the daughter of Walter and Hazel (Lull) Pannell. She attended country schools and Sundance High School, graduating from Old Stoney in 1940. Peggy received her teaching degree from Black Hills Teachers College and was a teacher at Johnson School in Seeley, WY. She lived and worked in Denver for a period of time, before moving to California, where she was married to Robert S. Davis in San Diego on Nov. 14, 1942. After Bob was discharged from the U.S. Marine Corps, they moved to the Davis Ranch located on Indian Creek, north of Belle Fourche. They lived there until 1960, when they moved into their new home on Owl Creek. After Bobs death in 1961, Peggy continued to run the ranch. In 1963, she was married to Harold Coe, and they were divorced in 1972. Peggy continued ranching until 1992, when she moved into Belle Fourche, and ranching duties were turned over to her son, Chance.

Peggy was very community minded and very active in many organizations. In 1981, she became the first woman to become a Director of the SD Stockgrowers Association. She published the WWII Center of the Nation 50th Anniversary Book with Billie Jane Hamblin. She was also a member of the National Cattleman Assn., the National Cattlewomens Assn., SD Cattlewomen Assn., American Veterans Auxiliary, Women of the Moose, Belle Fourche Country Club, Belle Fourche Chamber of Commerce (Past Director), Economic Development, and the National Republican Women. In 1998, she was honored to be the Grand Marshal for the Black Hills Roundup. Peggy traveled all 50 states and many countries, including China, Australia, Kenya, Brazil, Panama, Mexico, Hong Kong, Spain, England, Ireland, and Nova Scotia. She was an avid bridge player, and a wonderful mother and grandmother. She will be missed greatly.

Peggy is survived by her three children, Pat (John) Schaefer of Fort Morgan CO, Tead (Jo) Davis of Sioux City IA, and Chance (Cindy) Davis of Belle Fourche; nine grandchildren; 11 great-grandchildren; a great-great-grandson; and numerous nieces and nephews.

She was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, Robert Davis in 1961; sisters, Louise Blankenship in 1960, and Sue Svoboda in 2010; and brother, Bill Pannell in 2012.

Visitation will be from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. Monday, March 28, at Leverington Funeral Home of the Northern Hills in Belle Fourche.

Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday, March 29, at the United Methodist Church in Belle Fourche. Interment will be at Pine Slope Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, memorials are preferred to the Tri-State Museum and the Belle Fourche Fire Department.

Friends may leave written condolences and view Peggys video tribute at funeralhomeofthenorthernhills.com.
President Obama has nominated Merrick Garland, a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit, to replace Justice Antonin Scalia on the U.S. Supreme Court. If confirmed, he could serve on the court for at least a decade and tip the balance in favor of the liberal block of justices who routinely side with government over employers.

The consequences for the economy, and especially for small businesses, could be harsh and long-lasting. Thats why the National Federation of Independent Business, the countrys leading advocate for small-business owners, has been vetting Judge Garlands record for weeks. Our legal experts have been pouring over his decisions, rulings and public statements related to hundreds of cases.

After studying his record, NFIB found that Garland has sided overwhelmingly with regulators, labor unions, trial lawyers and environmental activists. Small employers have been almost always on the losing end of his decisions.

For example, in NAHB v. EPA, Judge Garland in 2011 rejected a Regulatory Flexibility Act claim by the National Association of Home Builders against the Environmental Protection Agency. He did so despite the fact that the RFA is unambiguous. It requires certain agencies to analyze the effect of their actions on small employers. Thats an important protection for small businesses, who struggle with the costs of regulations. In fact, according to the Small Business Administration, the typical small business must spend $12,000 per worker annually to comply with federal regulations. Theres little doubt that Judge Garland would defer to regulators as a Supreme Court justice.

In another case, Rancho Viejo, LLC v. Norton, in 2003, Garland argued that the federal government can regulate private property in California under the Commerce Clause because of the presence of a unique species of toad. The Commerce Clause applies to interstate commerce. The toad wasnt part of any interstate commercial activity. Nevertheless, Garland twisted the Commerce Clause into a pretzel in order to rationalize federal regulation. Would he be just as creative as a Supreme Court justice in giving regulators more power over private property? NFIB believes thats very likely.

On the Circuit Court, Garland ruled in many cases involving the National Labor Relations Board. The NLRB is supposed to be a neutral arbiter of labor disputes. Often, however, it acts more as an agent of the labor unions. Thats been especially true under President Obama. Garland ruled in two cases that when employers are found guilty of violations, not only should their business assets be penalized but their personal assets as well. In other words, according to Garland, a business owners personal assets, like homes and retirement savings, are fair game for regulators.

In fact, in 16 major labor decisions, Garland ruled in favor of the NLRB in all but one case. In that case, he voted with the union. Thats the pattern throughout his long tenure on the bench. He strongly favors government power over private enterprise. He has deep sympathies for labor unions over employers. And he is certain to bring those views to the Supreme Court, where big decisions affecting the economy are likely to be made in the future.

NFIB is a plaintiff in two very important cases that could land at the Supreme Court soon. It is challenging the EPA Waters of the United States rule, which would require local business owners to seek federal approval for even the smallest property improvements as long as there is water nearby. The applications will cost thousands; the delays will be endless; the threat of litigation will hang over every project.

The EPA Power Plan rule is just as potentially damaging. It forces states to switch from coal as a source of electricity to more expensive alternatives. Even the EPA predicts it will significantly increase the cost of electricity. That means higher fixed costs and lower profits for small businesses that are already struggling.

After examining his record, its a fair assumption that Judge Garland would readily side with the government in both of these major cases. Small business knows where he stands. NFIB is firmly opposed to this nominee.
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.
Kansas State football at TCU: Live notes and updates

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 "Cities begin to challenge a bedrock of justice: Theyre paying criminals not to kill" | Main | "Time, Death, and Retribution" 

March 27, 2016

Effective previews via SCOTUSblog before an exciting upcoming SCOTUS week for sentencing fans

This coming week brings two interesting Supreme Court cases about sentencing issues via Betterman v. Montana, to be argued on Monday, March 28, and Welch v. United States, to be argued on Wednesday, March 30. I will likely have plenty to say about both cases after the oral arguments; helpfully, two great pre-argument previews done by Rory Little over at SCOTUSblog provides an opportunity to gear up for this year's SCOTUS sentencing March madness. Here are links to, and the start of, these SCOTUSblog previews:

Argument preview: A clean constitutional question  does the speedy trial right apply to sentencing?

The Sixth Amendment provides various rights for all criminal prosecutions. Among those listed is the right to a speedy and public trial. Next Monday, March 28, in Betterman v. Montana, the Court will consider whether the speedy part of the right applies to a criminal defendants sentencing that happened about fourteen months after he was convicted by guilty plea. The briefing in the case is very good, and Betterman is represented by an experienced appellate advocate (Fred Rowley, making his first Supreme Court argument), as well as the UCLA Supreme Court Clinic. Montanas solicitor general, Dale Schowengerdt, will argue for the state, and Assistant to the U.S. Solicitor General Ginger Anders will argue on behalf of the United States as an amicus in support of Montana.

Argument preview: Complex retroactivity questions arising from Justice Scalias void-for-vagueness decision last Term

It seems increasingly clear that the current Supreme Court Term will have to be headlined Justice Scalia is sorely missed. Next Wednesday, March 30, the Court will hear argument in yet another criminal case in which the unexpected passing of Antonin Scalia on February 13 will leave an unanswered hole in the Courts deliberations. Last June, Justice Scalia wrote the opinion in Johnson v. United States, in which, after an eight-year campaign originating in Justice Scalia dissents, a majority declared the residual clause of a federal repeat-offender statute unconstitutionally vague. The question quickly arose whether that ruling should be applied to federal cases on collateral review, even though they were final before Johnson was decided. That is, should Johnson apply retroactively? To answer that question, the Court chose (from among others) the petition in Welch v. United States. (On a tangential note, some courts of appeals have differed on the question of retroactivity for initial versus successive collateral review requests; this case will apparently answer for both contexts.) Interestingly, the federal government has told the Court that it agrees with Gregory Welch that Johnson should be fully retroactive, and that Welchs case should be remanded for resentencing. Thus, the Court has appointed an experienced amicus, Helgi Walker (a former clerk to Justice Clarence Thomas and partner at Gibson Dunn), to defend the judgment below, and the amicus brief, while likely controversial, is excellent.

March 27, 2016 at 12:55 PM | Permalink

Comments

Superficially, Betterman is an easy case--the state should win. But underneath I find it quite difficult. With 90% of cases ending in pleas, the reality is that in many cases the only "trial" that anyone every gets is the sentencing hearing. This is especially important, in my view, because the constitution envisions PUBLIC trials and there is a real danger that of sentencing can be kept from the public view and so can the trial (via plea agreements) the public nature of justice is at risk of passing by the wayside.

The reality is that criminal justice has changed so much since the founding that if Betterman wins I will not complain, even though on rational grounds a sentencing hearing clearly isn't a trial. Or phrased differently, the state has the better of the dictionary but Betterman has the better public policy argument.

Posted by: Daniel | Mar 27, 2016 6:17:18 PM

How is Betterman about public sentencing? Everything I've seen says that it implicates only the speedy trial portion of "speedy and public trial". As far as I am aware Betterman's eventual sentencing was in fact open to the public.

I actually find this case more interesting for the likely hood that even if the court rules that the speedy trial right does attach to sentencing that the delays were of Betterman's manufacture.

Posted by: Soronel Haetir | Mar 28, 2016 12:51:19 AM

Betterman is full of rich, subtle, broad implications.

For example, I have read many scholars talk about "sentencing trials" when they refer to the finding of an aggravator which increases potential punishment. If finding an ag is a exercise covered by the Sixth Amendment, do the Rules of Evidence apply? I think so.

I am litigating several cases where the principles of Nixon v Florida, relating to whether a lawyer can concede guilt, apply to sentencing. I think so. In other words, there are three ranges of potential punishment in NC. Can a lawyer, consistent with Nixon, concede the def shouldn't receive the lower range without consent?

Sentencing is the new trial, and jury determinations of guilt or innocence have been relegated to a rarity. Due primarily to the enormous shift in power over sentencing from the judge to the prosecutor.

bruce

Posted by: bruce cunningham | Mar 28, 2016 8:36:44 AM

@Soronel

The exact phrase is "speedy and public trial". So does one read that as two separate criterion (speedy AND public) or one compound phrase (speedy and public). This is not a new dilemma when dealing with compound phrases in the English language. If one reads it as a single compound phrase then the fact that his trial was eventually held in public is not relevant, because it failed to be speedy and the inverse is true. We don't analyze these two criteria separately but as one and the same thing.

Posted by: Daniel | Mar 28, 2016 2:33:05 PM

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SIOUX CITY | The two hospital systems in Sioux City combined to contribute $324 million to the local economy last year, according to a new study.

The Iowa Hospital Association study pegged Mercy Medical Center's total economic impact at $186 million, and UnityPoint Health St. Lukes at $138 million.

Mercy generates 1,320 jobs that add nearly $128 million to the local economy. Mercy employees spend $54.4 million on retail sales and contribute $3.3 million in state sales tax revenue, according to the IHA.

The impact Mercy Medical Center has on the vitality of Siouxland is significant, said Jim Fitzpatrick, Mercy president and CEO, said in a statement. Our focus on faith-inspired service and healing is consistent with the mission left to us by Sister Catherine McAuley more than a century ago.

UnityPoint St. Lukes generates 2,890 jobs that add more than $138.1 million to economy, according to the IHA. UnityPoint employees spend $58.7 million on retail sales and contribute over $3.5 million in state sales tax revenue.

We are privileged to work in an industry that not only has the opportunity to improve the health of the community but also make a major economic impact," Lynn Wold, president and CEO of UnityPoint Health  St. Lukes. "Our mission is not only to provide the best outcome for every patient every time but also to improve life for those in Siouxland.

The IHA study examined the jobs, income, retail sales and sales tax produced by hospitals and the rest of Iowas health care sector. The study was compiled from hospital-submitted data on the American Hospital Associations annual Survey of Hospitals and with software that other industries have used to determine their economic impact.

The study found that Iowa hospitals directly employ 71,348 people and create another 44,935 jobs outside the hospital sector. As an income source, hospitals provide $4.3 billion in salaries and benefits and generate another $1.8 billion through other jobs that depend on hospitals.

The Iowa health care sector, which includes offices of physicians, dentists and other health practitioners, nursing home and residential care, other medical and health services and pharmacies, contributes $15.5 billion to Iowas economy while directly and indirectly providing 312,821 jobs, or about one-fifth of the states total non-farm employment.
JACKSON, Neb. | When Siouxland Ethanol first fired up its machinery in 2007, the plant had the capacity to produce 50 million gallons of ethanol per year.

Nine years later, as U.S. output of ethanol continues to grow and as alternative blends become increasingly common at gas pumps, the Dakota County plant is ratcheting up its production in a big way.

In February, the company completed a push that streamlined its processes, tweaked some ingredients and added some new equipment. As a result, production capacity grew from 50 to 65 million gallons per year.

Now, Siouxland Ethanol's board of directors is eyeing another push that could raise it as high as 75.

Ethanol production is based on a lowest-cost-producer model, and we intend to be the lowest-cost producer of ethanol in the area, said Pam Miller, Siouxland Ethanol's board chairwoman. Were looking to take advantage for our shareholders by increasing production, and it will allow for an increase in the bottom line.

To do this, the plant has hired an engineering firm to design a plan and provide a cost estimate for the necessary upgrades. The board will then review it before setting any official goals.

While Miller said the steps the company will take to increase efficiency depend on the plan, she said it will not require more construction and will not likely add to the plants current staff of 37.

With better technology and improved technology, were able to increase without increasing our number of employees, she said.

Siouxland Ethanolss 24/7 facility is backed by some 700 investors, most living within a 100-mile radius of Jackson. Along with ethanol, the plant also manufactures distillers grain and corn oil used for livestock feed.

Revenue in the plants 2015 fiscal year, which ended in September, totaled about $10.5 million. Thats a respectable amount, Miller said, in a year following a monster 2014, when the plant brought in $36 million.

Things are a little bit tighter right now because of the price of ethanol, but it was a positive margin (last year), she said. Were able to make money, and well maximize that.

According to the Renewable Fuels Association, U.S. ethanol plants produced 14.81 billion gallons of ethanol in 2015, up 470 million gallons from 2014. Nebraska is the nation's second-largest producer of ethanol behind Iowa.

Leading the charge at Siouxland Ethanol is new interim president and CEO Nick Bowdish, who started with the company in December. Bowdish is a former general manager for Platinum Ethanol in Arthur, Iowa, and project developer at Fagen Inc. in Granite Falls, Minnesota.0

He is very visionary about where we can go, and hes driven to make it happen, Miller said. They have seen our production and our yield go up dramatically since he came on board.

Miller said the company has been working with Urban Air Initiative, a nonprofit seeking to fight harmful toxins in the air caused by gasoline, to encourage the Environmental Protection Agency to call for reduction of toxins in gasoline. Since ethanol is cleaner-burning, both organizations see it as an important alternative.

Miller also applauded the effort of companies like Kum & Go, which expanded its E15 fuel offerings in 2015. E15 fuel contains 15 percent ethanol.

E15 is catching on. We think theres a greater value and benefit of having an even higher blend, Miller said. Wed like to see E20 and really E30, and what wed like to see is choice at the pump so that consumers can pick what level of ethanol they would like.
WASHINGTON -- Before House Speaker Paul Ryan's "Address on the State of American Politics" Wednesday, an aide went to the microphone to instruct the crowd.

"You don't 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. It's fine."

Forgive me if I don't join in the ovation.

Ryan's 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 Trump's 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 don't resort to scaring you; we dare to inspire you."

"If someone has a bad idea," Ryan lectured, "we don't insult them into agreeing with us."

And who, pray tell, might be the target of this generic piety? One young man, after Ryan's prepared remarks, asked about the presidential race. "I'm not going to ask you to name names," he began.

"I'm 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 isn't denouncing him, or even saying he won't support him.

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 he's in a tight spot, and it's true: As chairman of the Republican convention, he will be the enforcer of rules if Trump's claim to the nomination is challenged -- hence Ryan's 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 was warning to "spill the beans" about GOP rival Ted Cruz's wife -- threatening an unspecified smear -- after a group unaffiliated with Cruz issued an ad featuring an old fashion photo of Trump's wife. Trump is also supporting Cruz's 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.

Ryan's 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 didn't 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 don't 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.
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.
Its Easter Sunday so Im going to talk a little church today. Church as in faith, not as in building."

My Catholic faith is key to who I am. I think a lot of it comes from my late father. Guy Wharton was a convert. As a 30-year old he was drafted into the military. Dad left behind my mom, my sister Marilyn and brother Butch to join the U.S. Armys 7th Armored Division in the Ardennes forest where he fought in the Battle of the Bulge. Hitler threw everything he had at the allied forces, including a mortar shell that hit my dad. It was while in a military hospital in Belgium that dad was baptized a Catholic.

Many years later dad, although he was very hesitant to talk about his WWII experience, would tell me how his guardian angel was with him that day.

That statement resonates with me.

Two months ago I was on my way to Des Moines for a board meeting of LifeServe Blood Centers. I joined that board as a volunteer because of the critical role the organization plays in the treatment of the sick and injured. It was snowing that day so I left my office at the Siouxland Community Health Center an hour earlier than normal to give me more time to make the drive to Des Moines.

An hour into the trip, I made the obligatory stop at McDonald's in Missouri Valley. I remember the nice young lady at the drive-through telling me to be careful out there as the snow continued to come down. Not a problem, I said. Five minutes later things changed.

Heading south on I-29, I came upon a semi doing about 50 miles per hour. I was moving at 55 mph, so I flipped on my turn signal and moved over to the passing lane. No sooner had I moved to that lane than a pickup truck appeared out of a cloud of snow and hit me head-on. The truck was ahead of me and ran into the back of a snowplow. When he hit the snowplow, it flipped him 180 degrees, right into my path. I had no warning. I never saw the truck. Did my life flash before my eyes? No. There simply wasnt time.

My car was full of smoke from the detonation of the air bag. The driver door was wide open and I couldn't close it. It was snowing and cold. My horn was blaring and wouldn't turn off. A voice came over my phone from Harrison County Emergency Services, asking me if I was injured. The lady said help was on the way. I called my wife, Bev, to tell her I was in an accident, but I didn't tell her where. Thats about all I remember other than an Iowa state trooper telling me to stay awake because an ambulance was en route.

Minutes later I heard the sirens. I was in the back of an ambulance and asking the EMT where they were taking me. He said the Missouri Valley hospital. I told him I didnt know they had a hospital in Missouri Valley, that all I know about Missouri Valley is McDonald's. Thankfully, the EMT had a sense of humor and said we were going straight to the hospital and would stop at McDonald's later.

Having worked at Mercy Medical Center I know a little bit about small-town hospitals. They serve their communities very well. Im glad Missouri Valley has a hospital.

When I arrived at the CHI Missouri Valley hospital, the emergency room crew was waiting. There were five people in the truck that hit me and four of them, including three children, were injured, as well. I heard from across the curtain a little boy named Robert who was a passenger in the truck. I heard the doctor ask Robert how old he was. Through the tears Robert said he was six. My grandson Cal is six, and thats all I could think of. Dear God, please tell me these kids are OK, I said to myself.

Dr. Robert Cunard, who is part of the CHI Health Clinic in Missouri Valley, came into my ER room and said that, despite some serious injuries, everyone would be OK. I closed my eyes and thanked God for watching over us. My sternum was fractured and my wrists were messed up, but I will heal.

At various times in my life, particularly when I need help, I think of my dad. Now I know what he meant when he said his guardian angel was with him in the Ardennes forest.

So was mine in Missouri Valley.

Happy Easter.

Next week: Steve Warnstadt

Jim Wharton is director of marketing and fund development at the Siouxland Community Health Center in Sioux City. He is a former member of the Sioux City Council and a former mayor of Sioux City. He and his wife, Beverly, who is president of Briar Cliff University, have one daughter, Dr. Laura Giese, and three grandchildren.
In an interview with the Austrian newspaper Die Presse , Fayman stated that political relations between the Austrian government and German Chancellor Angela Merkel are strained.

"I have good personal relations with her, but political [relations] remain tense," Faymann said.

The politician argued that Germany uses Austria as a "buffer zone" in the migration crisis. According to Faymann, such approach to his country is "very unfair".
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday held a telephone conversation with Syrian President Bashar Assad to congratulate him on the liberation of the historic Palmyra city from jihadists, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"In a conversation with the Syrian president, Vladimir Putin congratulated his counterpart on the liberation of Palmyra from terrorists by the Syrian military and noted the importance of preservation of this unique historic city for the world culture," Peskov said.

"Putin underlined again that despite the withdrawal of the main contingent of Russian forces from Syria, the Russian military would continue providing assistance to the Syrian authorities in fight against terrorism and liberation of [Syrian] territory from extremist groups," Peskov added.
PALMYRA (Sputnik)  Earlier in the day, the Syrian Armed Forces confirmed that it had liberated the historic city of Palmyra from the Daesh terrorist group with support of national aviation and Russian Aerospace Forces.

After the sappers managed to clear mines at the entrance and in some parts of the city, the military unblocked the road and allowed journalists to start working in Palmyra and its national museum.

The militants broke all pedestals and display cases and scattered pieces of statues across the floors. As a result of hostilities, the museum's roof was broken and a wall was severely damaged.
"He mentioned Kurds and the fact that they talk about federalization. To his mind, it will not be a good idea, especially, concerning the Arab population in the area. He said that in Syrian regions with Kurds population, Kurds, actually, represent only 30 percent of the population, so they will be a minority on their own territory," Dhuicq said.

Assad believes that central state should play a permanent role in Syria while some areas can be granted more autonomy, Nicolas Dhuicq told Sputnik.

"He said that he is thinking about a new states organization or structure. Assad has mentioned ideas of decentralization, something that we have here in France. According to his vision, some areas in Syria may be granted more freedom and power but the permanent role of the central state and authority will remain."

Bashar Assad disagrees that Muslims should have an exclusive right to hold a presidential post in Syria, Nicolas Dhuicq, the member of the French lawmakers' delegation visiting Damascus said.

"He has mentioned a new constitution and the fact that he disagrees with proposals to introduce in a new constitution a legislative that set forth a right of only a Muslim to become a president. 'It is unacceptable', he said adding that all citizens in Syria must have same rights," Dhuicq said.
MOSCOW (Sputnik)  Russia supports legitimate authority in Syria, not President Bashar Assad personally, Russian Foreign Ministry's spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said Sunday.

"We are supporting not Assad [himself]. Do not forget: he has not been the best friend of ours, but he has been the friend of West. We have backed the maintenance of the legitimate government, of power, because we have understood that if the president leaves, the government will follow him, the executive authorities as well as the army will disintegrate," Zakharova told reporters.

She added that Russian Aerospace Forces had been deployed to Syria to prevent collapse of the country and to fight with terrorism in the Middle East, not to support Assad in the civil war.
"Many believe that then-Prime Minister Erdogan had to have known what was going on," the article read.

Turkey is concerned about the case being handled by a US attorney known for tackling tough cases. Preet Bharara, the US attorney for the Southern District of New York who prepared the indictments against Zarrab, became a sensation in the Turkish oppositions social media.

The pro-government wing, in turn, took countermeasures. Some accused the US prosecutor of being part of a conspiracy. The pro-government daily Sabah even declared Bharara a member of the Fethullah Gulen terrorist group.

"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," according to Al Monitor.

The author underscored that one of the reasons why Zarrab could have surrendered to the US authorities may be the death sentence for his partner Babek Zencani in Iran.

"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," former Justice and Development Party (AKP) deputy Fevzi Isbaran was quoted as saying.

He added that Zarrab would have to say what he knows in exchange to get a lighter sentence and save part of his wealth. If Zarrab speaks out the case will become internationally important, he concluded.
"While there is no country that can muster the overall capability in all sectors of space as remarkably as can the United States, there are any number of countries that can do some things as well, or better," they wrote for the Huffington Post.

Figures and policies back their assertions. For instance, the US produces less than 20 percent of all satellites in the world. Fifteen years ago America's share of the global satellite manufacturing amounted to 75 percent.

Chiao and Pulham are particularly concerned with lunar exploration. The US, they say, has only a "vague idea" of sending piloted missions to Mars in the coming decades, while "China, Russia and Europe are planning, with firm schedules, to send their astronauts to the Moon in the next decade."
If they truly wanted to help Europe they would have allowed for European and Russian security agencies to restore cooperation. They also could have asserted influence over Turkish President Erdogan Yevseyev told Radio Sputnik.

The expert added that the methods used by the US simply do not work and create a lot of problems for the Europeans. He also warned that the security threat in Europe would get even worse than it is now.

The terrorist acts are just the tip of the iceberg. It wont be long before the militants who are being trained right inside Europe will be ready to blow it up. <> Much of the problems Europe is now facing stem from the migrant crisis, caused by ill-advised US and European foreign policy. Still, it looks like Europeans just dont realize the magnitude of this terrorist threat. They think that the problem will soon disappear all by itself, Yevseyev said.

He also noted that, in view of the Americans inability to solve this problem, Europeans would be better off enlisting the help of Russian security agencies.

Europe is in a state of shock and it doesnt seem it will be able to recover on its own. <> The US will not start solving Europes domestic problems. And while cooperation between US and European security services looks good on paper, it was unable to prevent the terrorist attacks in Paris and those which just happened in Brussels, Yevseyev said.

Under the circumstances working with Russia would be the best option but, unfortunately, Europe hasnt realized this yet, the expert added.
The latest in a long line of military robots made in Russia, the Uran-9 unmanned ground combat vehicle is loaded with a machine gun, a 30mm cannon that fires 350 to 400 rounds per minute, a coaxial 7.62mm machine gun and a battery of supersonic guided missiles.

The Uran-9 is remotely controlled, so theres always a human directing the machine. It was developed to provide reconnaissance and fire support to infantry and counter-terror units.

According to the developers, Uran-9 will not be treated as a weapon system but rather deployed with an infantry unit.
Flyhawk Thriller pulled off the upset in the Open Handicap Trot on Saturday night (March 26) at Saratoga Casino and Raceway.

With no Sunday racing this week, there were co-features on the 13-race card as the $15,000 Open Handicap Trot joined the regular Saturday feature, the Open Handicap Pace. Both races were contested at a distance of 1-1/16 miles.

Flyhawk Thriller was dismissed at odds of 34-1 while starting from post four in the Open for high-steppers. Driver Jim Devaux moved the longshot into the pocket and tracked rival Waiting On A Woman (Jordan Derue) every step of the way. J A T O (Stephane Bouchard) brought a lengthy win streak into the Saturday co-feature and came charging up to challenge Waiting On A Woman. Flyhawk Thriller popped the pocket around the final turn before getting up to win by a half-length in 2:01.3. J A T O came on for second while Waiting On A Woman had to settle for the show spot.

Flyhawk Thriller returned $70.50 to win and led an exacta and triple that paid $229.50 and $2,080, respectively. The son of Cash Hall is trained by Bert Belanger for owners Lyse Belanger of Ballston Spa, New York and Mario Bourgea of Stanbridge East, Que.

Chris Marino trainee Spinarama prevailed in the co-featured Open Pace behind a strong effort on the front end, which saw him score in 1:59.3. Stephane Bouchard piloted Spinarama, who was the races 6-5 betting favourite. The Cams Card Shark gelding is owned by Michael Casalino Jr. of Freehold, New Jersey.

(With files from Saratoga Raceway)
Trot Insider has learned that Henri 'Ben' Carriere, a longtime horseman and a regular fan at Rideau Carleton Raceway, passed away on Sunday, March 20 at the age of 89.

He was the son of the late Eugene Carriere and the late Eva Lagace. He was predeceased by his beloved wife Fleurette Sigouin as well as his partner Carmen Boissonneault. He is survived by his daughter in law, Lise St-Laurent, his sisters Pauline and Marie-Luce and several nieces, nephews and friends. He was also predeceased by his sisters Therese, Pierrette, Jacqueline, Marie-Blanche, Suzanne and Teresa, his brothers Hormidas, Reginald and Laurentien, his sisters in laws and brothers in laws.

A Memorial Mass will be held on Tuesday, March 29 at 2 p.m. at St-Francois-de-Sales 799, rue Jacques Cartier, Gatineau, Que. The family will receive condolences at 1:30 p.m.

In memory of Ben, donations to the Heart and Stroke Foundation would be greatly appreciated. For information, please call 819-561-1969. Condolences may be sent to www.racinerobertgauthier.ca.

Please join Standardbred Canada in offering condolences to the family and friends of Henri 'Ben' Carriere.
The sun could easily decide to go all superflare on our asses and screw up pretty much everything... But it probably won't.

Two Italian archaeologists have figured out what Jesus ate at the Last Supper. I smell the ultimate murder mystery dinner theater.

The city had crews out yesterday hunting down rabid troupes of tumbleweeds. I'm still crossing my fingers that a video will pop up of a city worker chasing down a loose onein double-speed with the Benny Hill song in the background.

Not all corporate mascots can be as attractively designed and congenially mannered as Ronald McDonald or Toucan Sam. Take a look at the completely uninspired Bill Dingmascot of a chain of construction supply stores in the 50's.

A 3D X-ray imaging technique has been used to decipher charred scrolls discovered in the mess left behind the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD79. While hunting for legible text, physicists discovered lead, pushing the date of the first known use of metallic ink back four centuries!

Last Friday in White Sands, the Army successfully tested out a new badass multi-mission missile launcher which can fire all sorts of different ammo types. Yippee! Remember kids: when you wish upon a Longbow Hellfire missile, your military industrial murder dreams come true!

The NRA has published its first reimagined fairy tales: Little Red Riding Hood (Has a Gun) and Hansel and Gretel (Have Guns). The wolf leaned in, jaws open wide, then stopped suddenly. Those big ears heard the unmistakable sound of a shotgun's safety being clicked off. Nuff said.

A rare bread mold can be used to produce a material that will change the future of rechargeable batteries. I hear bread mold gets you high, too.

Check out this awesome photography collection of Californian nuns growing dope by Shaughn Crawford and John Dubois. Praise Him!

A Las Cruces Unitarian church got a cinder block through their window after putting up Black Lives Matter signs. Sometimes, it's hard to remember that we're living in the twenty-first century.
EASTBOROUGH, Kan.  Kelsey Cary humbly says shes just a good copycat.

Long before she and her husband bought their house in Eastborough, Kan., in 2014, the stay-at-home mom had pinned a photo of the exterior of a Georgia house that shed fallen in love with  white brick, black windows, set back in the trees  to a board on Pinterest.

After the Carys bought the Eastborough house  red brick, dark-green trim, set back in the trees, like something out of Hansel and Gretel  Cary called forth the photo that shed put on the Pinterest social-media bulletin board.

The photo had come from the blog of a Georgia company that was chronicling a house it was redoing.

I followed them on Instagram and asked them, What color did you paint that house? and they actually replied and said, Natural Choice by Sherwin-Williams, Cary said. It was like, ah! I can execute my vision.

Cary is one of millions of people who go to social-media sites such as Pinterest and Instagram and the craft site Etsy for home decor ideas and DIY projects. Pinterest is a sort of online bulletin board where you see images  photos, diagrams, recipes  and pin them to bulletin boards you create to refer back to later. You can follow certain people or businesses to see what theyre pinning, and you can repin what you like to your own boards.

Thanks to Pinterest and Instagram, the Carys house is now bright where it was dark, painted Natural Choice  not too white, but more natural, naturally  and cars slow down to examine the new look on the 1940 house.

The exterior is only one of many home-decor ideas Cary has pinned to Pinterest boards under such categories as boy bath, girl room and shut the front door. The stay-at-home mom uses the site to organize ideas for the house as well as other areas of life such as recipes, clothes for the kids and vacations.

Whereas some people pin vicariously, dreaming of things they pin that never see the light of day, Cary sees Pinterest as something quite practical.

I dont have to go out and find my own color, she said of painting the house, for example. Its the perfect color.

With inspiration from Pinterest shes also redone a bathroom, decorated a hallway  and tore into the fireplace wall in the den. One red-brick wall was taken up with a fireplace, a long narrow mantle, and built-in shelves.

I got inspired on Pinterest one day and tore out all the built-ins on the side. I texted my husband and said, Hey, I started a project!

Jay Carys response: Youre killin me!

It turned into a team project. Kelsey painted the red brick white. My husband took down the mantle and sanded it, and I stained it, and we put it back up together. For $50, it totally changed the look. Except for the built-ins, that is; theres still the hole in the wall where they were. The contractor has been called.

Inside the entryway, along the wall at the base of a staircase, this little nook is Pinterest-y and -inspired. I saw an image I liked and thought, I could do something like that, Cary says.

She bought a wooden bench at Juliana Daniel Antiques, some pillows on Etsy, art from last years local Young Life Art Show, and a basket online. It kind of worked out perfectly.

But her biggest Pinterest project was gutting a bathroom on the first floor of the house. It started with a pin of some tile shed fallen for because of its unique pattern  again, before theyd moved into the house.

The floor was the main piece, and I had pinned that floor like a year and a half ago. Then I saw this bathroom that had the tile, and I said, No way. Ive gotta have it. 

She tracked down the source of the tile and saw that it wasnt available locally. But she talked to Designers Expo in Wichita and found out that it was getting ready to become a distributor for the manufacturer of the tile. So she ended up being able to buy it locally.

When people see the tile, they say, Are these floors original? Because they have that 40s vibe.

Almost all of the other elements in the bathroom are also exactly what Cary saw on Pinterest, or its pretty darn close, from the brass hardware to the custom-built cabinet vanity.

Ah, I love it, Cary said. Every time I walk in the door.

Kathy Haines of Designers Expo who worked with Cary says that while customers can be overwhelmed in a store, not able to see different elements pulled together, such online tools as Pinterest or Houzz can help with that.

In the past we were loathe to send customers to the internet, Haines said. But now they are able to show us things they like. Its something that makes it much easier to get inside their head.  We refer people back to it all the time because you do a search of Carrera marble backsplash and you get millions of pictures and they can usually find something they like.

Cary says she thinks she gets her love of design from her mother, who, among other things, was always rearranging the furniture. Cary tells the childhood story of the time her father carried her and her sister to bed and dropped them on the floor because her mom had moved the beds and not told anyone.

She was of that generation that tore ideas out of magazines and collected them, and this is kind of our generation of that, Cary said of Pinterest. Its all online. Makes it pretty easy.

And Cary has only just begun. The kitchen still has to be finished, and she wants a big firepit out back.

All this gives me a sense of accomplishment, she said.
WASHINGTON  We have the Europe we deserve, admitted French Prime Minister Manuel Valls on Wednesday. The question is how Europeans can build the security structures they need.

The first requirement is solidarity, within each country and among the 28 nations of the European Union. This begins with better links with the Muslim communities, the angry, alienated people at Europes table. Yes, Europe needs to be more welcoming, but thats only half of it. Muslims need to embrace the obligations of European residence and citizenship.

What would this solidarity look like? After Sept. 11, 2001, Muslims in America by the thousands volunteered for the U.S. military and intelligence agencies. They despised the terrorist acts that had been committed in their name by al-Qaeda, and wanted to show themselves and their fellow citizens that they were loyal Americans.

European Muslims should step up now in a similar way. In immigrant neighborhoods like Molenbeek in Brussels or the banlieues that surround Paris, Muslim leaders who want change should organize campaigns to enlist their neighbors in the army, police and security services; these leaders can create a new social compact by showing their fellow citizens that they are ashamed of what the jihadist thugs have done and are unafraid of retribution. European Muslims need to feel ownership of security, rather than viewing the police as an occupying army.

The jihadists often emerge from a youth-gang subculture of violence and intimidation. No wonder the Belgian authorities stumbled for four months looking for Islamic State fugitive Salah Abdeslam. No wonder they couldnt find the suicide bombers who struck Tuesday, four days after Abdeslams arrest, even though they suspected an attack was coming. Nobody would talk to them. The community was deaf and dumb, as the mobsters liked to say about ethnic neighborhoods in America.

The second requirement is fairness. The European Union has largely been a project of the elites. The powerful companies (and nations) have prospered. The weak have suffered. When the bills came due, the haves told the have-nots to tighten their belts. Should it surprise us that this arrogant system is cracking at the seams?

The Greeks may have exploited a system that gave them a financial free ride, but the Germans then insisted on imposing an impossible debt-repayment scheme that was meant to teach the debtors a lesson. The Germans should have known better: The punitive repatriations plan imposed by the allies after World War I created the bitter payback of Nazism.

The third requirement is for Europe to grow up about intelligence. Many Europeans seem to think that good intelligence is created by immaculate conception, rather than through the hard and sometimes intrusive work of surveillance. The authorities often dont mind if America does the counterterrorist snooping, so long as they dont have to admit it to their publics.

Europeans dont like to talk about intelligence, and they often pretend their countries dont spy. This immature approach leaves them unable to demand accountability from the security services after chronic intelligence failures like the ones we have seen in France and Belgium. How can you reform something if you wont talk honestly about how it works?

A fourth requirement is for a trans-Atlantic partnership thats equal to the seriousness of this crisis. All the alarm bells are ringing. The leaders of America and Europe should meet in a crisis summit  Brussels would be a good spot  and they should stay until they have agreed on plans for collecting and sharing intelligence together, so that citizens across Europe are safer.

Bureaucracy, a modern European specialty, is the enemy: To forge an alliance that can succeed, Europeans must break through national, regional and international barriers to fight a global adversary. President Obama, perhaps more popular in Europe than in America, can lead this trans-Atlantic partnership and create a legacy thats worthy of him.

The final requirement is to think ahead about changes that will create better stability in the future. If its 1941 in terms of the shock, it should be 1944 in terms of planning for the future  devising the post-crisis equivalents of the International Monetary Fund, the World Bank and the United Nations that can cope with the explosion of rage that has swept Muslim Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. Its an interconnected problem, and the solutions require shared, visionary ideas about governance, economic development and global tolerance.

Fix it or lose it. Thats the challenge today for Europe. They wont get it right without American help. Now is the time to start.
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South Korean technology giant Samsung Electronics has been given the green light by Vietnamese Prime Minister Nguyen Tan Dung to build a $300 million research and development centre in the capital Hanoi, the media reported.

Once operational in 2019, the 21-storey facility will cover three hectares, employ about 6,000 people and develop high-tech electronic and telecommunication products, the company said.

It will also operate rent-free for 50 years, EFE news reported.

Vietnam has become one of Samsung's biggest production hubs, and the firm has invested almost $15 billion in two production facilities in the country's north, and in Saigon.

Producing Samsung products has helped Vietnam replace clothing and footwear with smartphone and electronics manufacturing as the country's largest source of export revenue.

Smartphone exports alone were worth $30 billion last year, making up 18.6 percent of the Communist country's total export revenue.

The worlds biggest maker of smartphones and memory chips had announced recently that it plans to adopt a corporate culture akin to a startup, seeking to become more nimble as growth slows. Samsungs 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 Koreas 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 had said in a statement.

IANS
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Verizon Communications 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.

The vulnerability, which was investigated and fixed, did not leak any data on consumer customers, Verizon said in a statement. The company is currently notifying customers impacted by the breach.

Verizon Communications had recently started a process to sell its data center assets, hoping to fetch more than $2.5 billion, as the U.S. telecommunications conglomerate focused on its core business. A sale would represent the latest effort by Verizon, the No. 1 U.S. wireless carrier, to streamline its portfolio following a divestment last year of a chunk of its landline business and a portfolio of wireless towers.

Reuters
Volleyball results from Thursday

Friday, Oct. 7, 2022, 8:34 a.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- The Almont varsity volleyball team beat Madison Heights Lamphere and New Lothrop in a triple header at Almont Thursday. Dryden beat Bay City All Saints...

Golf and tennis regional results

Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, 5:41 p.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- Boys' high school tennis regionals and girls' golf regionals took place yesterday. Lapeer girls' golf placed 11th at the Div. 1 regional hosted by Oxford...

Friday night football scores

Friday, September 30, 2022 10:15 p.m.  LAPEER COUNTY  Lapeer beat Grand Blanc 39-17 at Lapeer to remain undefeated at 6-0. Almont upset Croswell-Lexington 37-26 North Branch routed Richmond 62-10 Imlay City/Dryden fell to Yale...

Summer sports camps/clinics

Wednesday, June 15, 2022, 4:40 p.m. -- LAPEER COUNTY -- Below is a list of the summer sports camps and clinics that will take place through early Aug. The regular sports update posting of high...
Comments about CJ: SC fines Qamrul, Mozammel Tk50,000

UNB, Dhaka: The Supreme Court (SC) on Sunday fined ministers Qamrul Islam and AKM Mozammel Huq Tk50,000 each for their controversial comments about Chief Justice SK Sinha in connection with the war crimes case against Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Quasem Ali. A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division, led by the chief justice, passed the order after finding Food Minister Qamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq guilty during the hearing of the contempt rule in this regard.



The ministers will have to suffer seven days jail in default of the payment of the fine, the order said.



The bench rejected a plea seeking exemption of the contempt charges, filed by the duo.



Earlier, the ministers appeared before the court around 9am to give their explanations for the controversial comments.



The court also ordered giving the fine money to Islamia Eye Hospital and Liver Foundation of Bangladesh.



On March 20, the same bench had fixed March 27 (today) for a fresh hearing on the contempt rule after the hearing on a court order which asked the two ministers to appear before it on the day with their explanations.



The court rejected the explanation of Qamrul and accepted Mozammels explanation partially.



On March 14, ministers Qamrul Islam and Mozammel Huq offered unconditional apology to the court for their remarks.



They begged the pardon in separate applications submitted to the SC through their lawyers.



On March 8, the Supreme Court summoned the duo to appear before it on March 15 for their reactions to the remarks of Chief Justice SK Sinha about the prosecution as regards the trial Mir Quasem Ali in a war crimes case.

The court then ordered them to explain their comments before it by March 14.



Qamrul and Mozammel had demanded resignation of the Chief Justice for his reported remarks that the prosecution is doing politics with the trial of condemned war criminal Mir Quasem Ali.



They made the demands at a roundtable discussion organised by Ekatorrer Ghatak Dalal Nirmul Committee in the city on March 5.



During the hearing of arguments on Mir Quasem Ali's appeal petition on February 23, the Chief Justice purportedly expressed dissatisfaction over the activities of the prosecution and the investigation agency.
3 BD nationals among 4 killed in Libya clash

Four people, including three Bangladeshi nationals, were shot dead when unidentified gunmen fired shots on them in Benghazi, the second largest city of Libya, on Friday evening, said an official on Sunday. ASM Ashraful Islam, councillor of Bangladesh Embassy in Libya, told UNB that the three Bangladeshi nationals -- Hasan of Jessore, Rahim of Rajbari and Humayun of Jhenidah -- were killed during the shooting. However, the identity of another deceased could not be known yet, but he is believed to be a Pakistani national, he added. Ashraful Islam said clashes are regularly taken place there and it is very difficult to get the exact information as there are no available easy means to do so. We came to know about the incident from co-workers over phone, said the official mentioning that the three Bangladesh nationals came under the gun attack when they tried to flee the trouble zone seeing the gunmen. Ashraf said the workers used to live together with their friends from other countries and they were trying to come out from their shelters. Its very difficult to get exact information here. Were yet to get their passports. If we get their passports, then well be able to contact with their family members in Bangladesh, he said. Responding to a question, the official said bodies are now kept at Benghazi Medical College Hospital. So, there is no decision yet when the bodies will be sent back Bangladesh. Meanwhile, State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam on his Facebook post wrote on Sunday that four Bangladesh nationals were killed in a clash between two conflicting groups in Benghazi. He identified the victims as Humayun Kabir of Mymensing, Jasim Uddin and M Hasan of Rajbari while identity of another Bangladesh national is yet to be known. The State Minister also mentioned that Bangladesh Embassy in Tripoli is working on necessary steps. -- Dhaka, Mar 27 (UNB)
Migrants rush to Greek camp on rumours border will open

Aid packages are distributed in the makeshift refugee camp at the northern Greek border point of Idomeni, Greece on Saturday.

AFP, Idomeni (Greece) : Hundreds of hopeful refugees flooded back to Greece's overwhelmed Idomeni camp on the border with Macedonia on Sunday following rumours that the closed frontier would be forced open.The renewed influx came as Greek authorities were trying to evacuate an estimated 11,500 people who were stranded at the squalid camp after Balkan states slammed shut their borders, cutting off the migrant route to the European Union.By late morning, around 250 people of all ages had gathered by the railway tracks and the border fence, singing and shouting slogans, an AFP correspondent said, in a largely peaceful demonstration watched by around 50 Greek policemen in riot gear."No violence, we just want to cross," read one banner, while another said: "Freedom of movement is everybody's right."The wave of new arrivals appeared to be triggered by a rumour that international journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia, a young Syrian refugee told the Athens News Agency."We heard today that the border will open and we came here to cross," he said."They told us the Red Cross and 500 journalists from all over the world will be with us," he said, without specifying the source.Another young Syrian refugee said his sister, who is living in Germany, read the same claim on the Internet and alerted him."People have been here for a long time. I think it's very dangerous to cross, especially for the children but what should we do?" 24-year-old Qasim Mosawy from Afghanistan told AFP.Dozens of other migrants could be seen heading through the fields towards the Idomeni crossing, an AFP reporter said."We are trying to step up our information campaign to the refugees. Some people, for reasons we don't understand, are creating false hope," said Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman of the SOMP agency which is coordinating Athens' response to the refugee crisis.Using loudspeakers, Greek officials told those gathering that the crossing would remain closed, repeating the message in both Arabic and Farsi, the Athens News Agency said.Two weeks ago, hundreds of people were stopped by Macedonian troops after crossing a surging river on the border. Bypassing the regular crossing, they tried to wade through the swift-flowing water, clinging to a rope strung between the banks in order to cross the frontier.Three Afghan migrants, including a pregnant woman, drowned. The rest were stopped by Macedonian troops and sent back to Greece, along with journalists travelling with them."Macedonia will not allow (the) reopening of the Balkan route," said Ivica Bocevski, a representative of President Gjorge Ivanov in the wake of the incident. The bottleneck has left a total of around 50,000 refugees and migrants stranded across Greece, which has stepped efforts to evacuate Idomeni.On Friday and Saturday, 11 buses transported around 600 refugees from Idomeni to other camps in northern Greece.
BD missions abroad celebrate Independence Day



Bangladesh missions abroad have celebrated the 46th anniversary of the Independence and National Day in a befitting manner by holding different programmes.

According to messages received here yesterday, like other Bangladesh missions abroad, Permanent Mission of Bangladesh to the United Nations, Bangladesh High Commission in London and Bangladesh Consulate General in Istambul observed the day by paying glowing tributes to the Liberation War martyrs who laid down their lives for the country's independence in 1971.

Besides, the day's programmes included: hoisting of the national flag, discussion meetings, recitation from the Holy Quran, special prayers seeking divine blessings for salvation of the departed souls of the 1971 martyrs and for the continued development, peace and progress of the country. Messages from President Abdul Hamid, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina, Foreign Minister AH Mahmood Ali and State Minister for Foreign Affairs M Shahriar Alam were also read out by heads and officials of the missions, according to messages received here.

In New York, Bangladesh Missions held a discussion at Bangabandhu Auditorium there on the 46th Independence and National Day. Permanent Representative of Bangladesh Mission in New York Masud Bin Momen, expatriate Awami League leaders and media personalities took part in the discussion.

As part of Independence Day programme, Bangladesh High Commission in London also organized a discussion at London's Kensington Town Hall with High Commissioner Mohammad Abdul Hannan in the chair.

The discussion was followed by a dinner with the participation of different professionals, expatriate leaders of Awami League and its associate bodies, various cultural organizations and senior journalists of print and electronic media.

Bangladesh Consulate General in Istambul also celebrated the day with great enthusiasm and in a befitting manner at the Consulate premises on March 26, 2016. Ambassador M Allama Siddiki was present as the chief guest with Consul General F M Borhan Uddin in the chair. The officials of the Bangladesh Consulate General, members of expatriate Bangladesh community living in Istanbul and students pursuing higher studies in Istanbul participated in the celebration.




Moutushi out of acting for last one month

Sheikh Arif Bulbon :After travelling popular TV actress of present time Moutushi Biswas has returned to Dhaka from Kolkata on March 24. After returning she did not start to work in any new project. She has identified two reasons behind it. One reason was she did not get any fundamental to work and another reason was she had to give more time to her family right now. As a result, she was totally out of acting for last one month. But Moutushi gave assurance to this correspondent that within very short days she will return to acting again. March 26 was her birthday. She did not have any specific plan to celebrate her birthday. In the evening of her birthday, she planned to enjoy a movie along with her only daughter Aria. She went to a cinema hall to watch her acted recently released a movie Krishnopokkho. Moutushi played in role of Niru in the movie.While talking in this regard Moutushi told this correspondent, Those who appreciate my acting after watching Krishnopokkho they told me they had intention to watch my role Niru again. Fortunately the movie is being screened in fifth week in a row. Its my great pleasure. Everybody pray for me.On the other hand, for the first time, Moutushi worked with Sadia Islam Mou for the promotional shots of fashion house Rong recently. Moutushi acted new drama serial is Sumon Rezas TV Poribar. Therefore, her two serials - Cholitechhey Circus and Shatti Tarar Timir - are being aired on Banglavision and ATN Bangla respectively now.
Is Anushka keeping herself busy to forget Virat?





Bollywood actress Anushka Sharma is super busy these days as she is currently working on three films simultaneously.

The NH10 actress is shooting for Sultan, where she plays a female wrestler from Haryana.

Co-starring superstar Salman Khan, the film involves intense wrestling scenes and is overall a demanding and thrilling project.

On finishing the shoot for Sultan, Anushka will travel to Jaipur for the final leg of shooting for filmmaker Karan Johars Ae Dil Hai Mushkil.

While working on both films together, the Dil Dhadakne Do star has also been involved in readings of her next home production, Phillauri.


Pakistan explosion leaves many dead at Lahore park

The blast happened in the early evening

BBC Online: At least 50 people have been killed and many others injured in an explosion at a park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, officials say. It happened in the early evening when the park was crowded with families. Police told the BBC it appeared to be a suicide bomb. No group has said it was behind the blast. There is speculation that Christian families out for the Easter weekend may have been the target, says the BBC's Shaimaa Khalil, in Lahore. All the major hospitals in the area have been put on an emergency footing, local media report. The explosion appears to have been at the main gate to the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in an area where cars are usually left - and a short distance from the children's swings. Most of the dead and injured are women and children, a senior local police officer told Reuters news agency. One eyewitness said there was chaos, with a stampede breaking out and children separated from their parents in the rush to escape.
Why PM silent over Tonu murder, asks BNP

Comilla University blocked the Dhaka-Ctg Highway (top), stage demonstration (bottom) for several hours on Sunday demanding justice and exemplary punishment to killers of Sohagi Jahan Tonu as there has been no arrest even after 5 days of murder.

UNB, Dhaka :

Questioning the Prime Minister's 'silence' over the murder of Comilla college student Sohagi Jahan Tonu, BNP leader Khandaker Mosharraf Hossain on Sunday demanded a judicial investigation into the incident for ensuring proper punishment of the perpetrators.

"We demand that a judicial probe committee be formed so that the real perpetrators are tracked down through it and meted out exemplary punishment," he said. Mosharraf made the demand while speaking at a human chain programme arranged by Comilla's Residents, in Dhaka in front of the Jatiya Press Club protesting Tonu's killing.

Tonu, 19, a second year history student of Victoria College and a member of Victoria College Theatre, went missing in the evening on March 20, hours after she had got out of her home at Comilla Mynamati Cantonment for private tuition. Later, her body was recovered from the Cantonment area at night.

Police suspected that she had been raped before the murder. Pointing at the Prime Minister, the BNP standing committee member said, "You had taken to the streets and waged a movement after the killing of Yasmin (during BNP's rule in 1995).
Modi slams Congress for influx from BD

The Economic Times, Tinsukia :

After almost two years Prime Minister, Narendra Modi brought back the issue of illegal influx from Bangladesh to attack the ruling Congress in Assam.

Modi who addressed as many as four election rallies in Assam on Saturday said, " We are working to ensure that there will not influx in Assam, the new BJP government will ensure that those who are here are send out."

BJP government in Centre faced ire of several organisation after it passed the Indo-Bangladesh land swap agreement in parliament.

Modi said, "Infiltrators are considered as own while Assamese are not considers own. They (infiltrators) are given everything on golden platter."Modi also racked up the issue of killing of one horn Rhino in Assam. "Two days back we have done an agreement with Bangladesh for internet gateway. Assam and Northeast India will hugely benefit from this agreement as there will more bandwidth available now."

Modi has made illegal influx and killing of Rhino as election issue in Lok Sabha polls in 2014.

Modi launched broadside on ruling Congress in Assam and said that congress eat up the river island of Majul and reduced its size from 1200 sq km to 400 km sq km.

Modi who was addressing election rally in Majuli from where BJP's chief ministerial candidate Sarbananda Sonowal is contesting said, "Congress has done grave injustice to Assam. Congress has the habit of eating money however I never knew that it eat up beautiful island of Majuli which is largest sweet water island of Asia, a he .. Modi added that this small place of Majuli is the Vashnavite centre ." Those states where BJP is ruling or ruled had seen fast development be it be Karnataka, Gao, Maharastra, Gujarat, Punjab, Madhy Pradesh, Jharkhand, Rajasthan, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and Haryana. Those states ruled by congress there is no development.' The prime minister said that despite having natural resources there is under development and unemployment in Assam. " Per capita power consumption of Assam is abysmally low. Around 40 percent people live in darkness."

He said that the state government is day in and day out busy in Modi bashing. Modi added his fight is not against Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi but against poverty and under development of Assam.

" Soon Gogoi will turn 90 years, it is our culture to respect old and elderly people gives blessings to younger. I do not intend to fight with Gogoi."

Tarun Gogoi has recently said that his fight is against Modi in this assembly polls. Assam will have two phase polls on April 4 and 11.

Modi said " Around 2000 villages do not have electricity. NDA government in less than two years have started electricity connection in around 1000 villages. There is CAG report, Assam government is yet to give proper accounts of money spent. Money meant for building houses of poor are thrashed in bank account. Assam government has not used a large sum of it. Assam has one of highest rate of infant mortality and maternal mortality."


Coordinated effort launched to recover stolen fund

Kazi Zahidul Hasan :

Bangladesh Bank (BB) has launched a "coordinated effort" to recover the $101 million which was stolen in a cyber heist last month from its reserve account with the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

As part of the move, the BB authorities wrote to four international agencies requesting their action and help to get back the stolen fund, BB spokesman Subhankar Saha told The New Nation on Sunday evening.

The new BB Governor, Fazle Kabir, has sent letters to the New York's Federal Reserve Bank, Philippines Central Bank and its Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) and the Bangladesh representative in the United Nations (UN), he said.

"The Governor has sent the separate letters to the heads of the above mentioned international institutions and the UN's Bangladesh representative seeking their help to recover the stolen money," Saha said.

He said, the Governor in the letter to New York Federal Reserve Bank President William C. Dudley also requested him to investigate whether the US Bank had any involvement with the cyber heist.

"The letters have been issued as part of BB's effort to recover the stolen money in a coordinated manner," added Saha.

Earlier, Bangladesh central bank (BB) in a report criticized the New York Fed for the cyber heist saying that the US bank allowed five of 35 fraudulent payment instructions to go through.

"We view this as a major lapse," said BB in the report.

Denying the BB's claim, the New York Fed earlier said that it had no evidence of any breach of its systems related to an account held there by Bangladesh's central bank.

The BB report also said that it was considering "preparing the ground to make a legitimate claim for the loss of funds" against the New York Fed "through a legal process."

When asked, Subhankar Saha said, "BB is yet to file any lawsuit against the US bank in connection with the fraudulent transactions. BB's enlisted lawyers are working to find out grounds for making a legitimate claim in this regard."

On February 5, a group of unidentified cyber criminals attempted to steal nearly $1 billion from BB's account with the New York Federal Reserve Bank.

The size of the transactions triggered concern, which led to the Fed blocking some of the withdrawal, but the thieves were able to move about $81 million to accounts in the Philippines and $20 million to a bank in Sri Lanka.

The cyber theft later led to the resignation of BB Governor Dr Atiur Rahman and several other senior officials of the central bank.

The heist, which surfaced after a month, irked the government and eventually led to assign the former bureaucrat Fazle Kabir as a new Governor and major changes in the top management of Bangladesh central bank.

Regarding the steps taken by the Philippines authorities, Subhankar Saha said, the money-laundering scheme is under investigation by the country's Senate Blue Ribbon Committee, central bank and the AMLC.

"They are serious about the case and the Philippines AMLC has already filed criminal complaints against two Chinese businessmen who were allegedly involved in laundering of $81 million BB's stolen fund through the Philippine financial system," he said.

Besides, he said, "The authorities of Philippines Rizal Commercial Banking Corp (RCBC) also fired two of its officials for withdrawing the fund through four fake bank accounts."

The officials are also facing probe by the country's Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for facilitating the release of the stolen funds. It will conduct its third hearing on the money-laundering case on March 29.

The BB spokesperson also said that they have been maintaining close contact with the Philippines authorities to bring back the money.

Meanwhile, the Governor on Sunday sat for a meeting with senior BB officials to discuss and review the cyber security of the central bank after the heist.

All executive directors and general managers of the bank were present at the meeting.
Protest all over

Tonu's killing case handed over to DB: Parents being interrogated

Joynal Abedin Khan :

People across the country continued to protest demanding justice over the killing of Comilla college student Sohagi Jahan Tonu.

With no remarkable progress, protests are surfacing everywhere in the country. General students and activists of different cultural and right organizations yesterday held massive protests nationwide through bringing out protest rallies and holding human chains to draw attention of the authorities.

They also blocked roads and key intersections demanding immediate arrest of the culprits for exemplary punishment. The killing of Tanu sparked protests everywhere as law enforcers could not trace the killers after seven days of the sensational murder.

Meanwhile, the Detective Branch (DB) of police has been given the charge of investigation in Tonu murder case as the local police could not unearth the mystery even in seven days.

"The case has been transferred to the DB police to speed up the investigation. We have got some clues and are now analysing those to solve the mystery behind the murder. We hope to arrest the real culprits as soon as possible," Md Shah Abid Hossain, Superintendent of Police of Comilla, told The New Nation on Sunday.

Apart from the DB, elite force Rapid Action Battalion (RAB) is also investigating the case that has created much hype across the country.

In the capital, students and Ganjagaran Mancha activists blocked a key intersection at Shahbagh, brought out separate processions and marched to Comilla in protest. They have chanted various slogans demanding immediate arrest of Tonu's killers.

In Comilla, students of different colleges, alongside Comilla Victoria College, the institution the victim belonged to, and Comilla University, took part in a protest blocking Dhaka-Chittagong highway at Nandanpur Bishwa Road in the monrning.

Later, the Ganajaran Manch activists joined the protest rally, demanding exemplary punishment of those responsible.

In Faridpur, students of four colleges participated in a human chain on Mujib Road in front of Faridpur Press Club from 11:00am to 11:30am raising the same demand.

In Laxmipur, 'Priyo Laxmipur Jela', a volunteer online organisation, formed a human chain in front of the district administrator's office in the morning.

Earlier, protesters raise candles in front of National Parliament building on the first hour of Independence Day on Saturday, demanding justice for Tonu

Meanwhile, Home Minister Asaduzzaman Khan Kamal has said that the killers of Tanu will be tried.

He said this while responding to the journalists after an Independence Day programme at Razarbagh Police Lines in Dhaka held in honour of the police martyred in 1971 on Saturday morning.

"We have unearthed the mysteries of many big incidents. So, the mystery of Tonu murder will also be unearthed though it may take a little bit time," said the minister.

The detectives and police are working together, he said adding that it will not right to comment in advance as the case is under investigation now.

On the other hand, RAB-11 chief Khorshed Alam said that the victim's family members were brought to the RAB office for some information. He refused to disclose any further details about it.

Earlier, in a statement issued on Friday night, the army authorities said that they were providing full support to the police in investigating the murder case.

The statement issued by Inter-service Public Relations (ISPR) said that the unconscious body of Tanu was found in the bordering area of the cantonment by her father and he then informed the military police.

The body of Tonu, a second year history student of Victoria College, was found only 100 yards from their house inside the cantonment around 10:00pm on March 20. She was reportedly raped before being murdered while returning home from tuition.

Also, a team of RAB-11 took away Tonu's parents, two brothers and paternal cousin around midnight on Friday for interrogation. They were later brought back to the house around 4:30am, sources said.

Alal Hossain, an uncle of Tonu, said that the RAB team had interrogated Tanu's family members and also his daughter, who used to live in the same room with Tanu.

Sohagi Jahan Tonu, 19, a second year history student of Victoria College and a member of Victoria College Theatre, went missing on Sunday evening, hours after she had got out of her home at Comilla Mynamati Cantonment for private tuition.

Later, Tonu's father Yar Hossain found his daughter senseless with severe injuries in her body at a bush adjacent to his home.

She was then whisked off to Combined Military Hospital where doctors declared her dead.
Will they go now?

2 Ministers convicted of contempt: Punishment a message to all undermining dignity of judiciary: SC Cabinet to decide their fate: AG

Staff Reporter :The Supreme Court (SC) has convicted two ministers, fining them Tk 50,000 each on charge of contempt of court by making contemptuous remarks about the Chief Justice. A seven-member bench of the Appellate Division of the SC led by Chief Justice SK Sinha on Sunday passed the order after finding Food Minister Quamrul Islam and Liberation War Affairs Minister AKM Mozammel Huq guilty during the hearing on the contempt rule. The apex court also rejected the two ministers' plea seeking quashing of the contempt charges.According to the court's order, the two ministers have to pay the fined-money to Islamia Eye Hospital and Liver Foundation of Bangladesh within seven days. Otherwise, they will serve seven days jail sentence. The SC said in its verdict that punishing the two Cabinet members is a warning for all against undermining the judiciary's dignity. "We, the judges of the top court, have evaluated everything meticulously. The reports (ran by media on the discussion where the ministers' comments were made) stated many other names. We did not draw proceedings against everyone. The contempt proceeding against the ministers has been done to send a message," the chief justice said before announcing the verdict. After the verdict, Attorney General Mahbubey Alam elaborated it. "The message which the Appellate Division wanted to give is that under no circumstances, the judiciary's dignity can be undermined," he said. Replying to a question, Mahbubey Alam said that the Cabinet would decide whether Quamrul Islam and Mozammel Huq can hold the office as ministers following the judgement. It is a question of morality, he added. Earlier in the morning, the two ministers appeared in the court to submit their explanations about their controversial comments.On March 20, the same SC bench fixed March 27 for a fresh hearing on the contempt rule after the hearing on its earlier order which asked the ministers to appear in the court on the day with their explanations. On March 14, Quamrul Islam and Mozammel Huq sought unconditional apology for their remarks. On March 8, the Supreme Court issued the contempt rule on the two ministers and asked them to explain their derogatory and highly contemptuous statements and appear before it.During the hearing of arguments on Mir Quasem Ali's appeal petition on February 23, the Chief Justice purportedly expressed dissatisfaction at the activities of the prosecution and the investigation agency.Commenting that they ministers have lost the rights to remain in the Cabinet, senior lawyer of the Supreme Court and constitution expert Dr Shahdeen Malik said that the ministers do not have the ethical right to remain in their posts, as they have been convicted by the apex court. So, there is no provision to appeal. It is the final verdict. So, they should resign immediately. He said that Quamrul Islam and Mozammel Haque should resign before the Cabinet meeting to be held today (Monday). Senior lawyer and president of the Supreme Court Bar Association (SCBA) Advocate Khandker Mahbub Hossain said that the two ministers should resign for moral reason, as they were found guilty. "If they do not do this, the prime minister should take step to remove them immediately," he said while briefing journalists at the SCBA auditorium.Advocate Abed Raza, a lawyer of the Supreme Court, said that the ministers must go, as they violated the Constitution. Referring to resignation of former Inspector General of Police (IGP) Shahudul Haque who was convicted of contempt of court in 2004, he said that if the IGP had to go for court's fine of Tk 2,000, why the two ministers should not go for the same offence? On the other hand, former law minister Barrister Shafique Ahmed told media that there is no legal bar for the ministers holding their posts. According to article 66 (2) (D) of the Constitution, "A person shall be disqualified for election as, or for being, a member of Parliament who has been, on conviction for a criminal offence involving moral turpitude, sentenced to imprisonment for a term of not less than two years, unless a period of five years has elapsed since his release." Shafique Ahmed said that the two ministers have not been convicted for moral turpitude.Meanwhile, Quamrul Islam and Mozammel Huq refrained from making any reaction. Quamrul Islam, however, said that he would decide whether to file petition for a review of the verdict after discussing with his counsel.Abdul Baset Majumder, who represented the ministers in the court, said that a decision on a review plea would be taken after he speaks with his clients.
Independence Day observed

The 46th Independence and National Day was observed in the capital, elsewhere across the country and also all Bangladesh missions abroad in a befitting manner amid different programmes.The nation paid glowing tributes to the martyrs of the Liberation War, particularly to the freedom fighters who made supreme sacrifices to free the dearest motherland from the clutches of the then Pakistani occupation forces in 1971. Hundreds of thousands of people from all walks of life, who converged at the National Memorial at Savar since early morning to recall with gratitude the sacrifices of the martyrs, took a fresh vow to uphold the spirit of the Liberation War and build a happy, prosperous and digital Bangladesh.President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina paid rich tribute to the martyrs of the War of Liberation by placing wreaths at the National Memorial here Saturday morning marking the 46th Independence and National Day. President Hamid first placed a wreath at the altar of the memorial followed by the Prime Minister.After placing the wreaths, the President and the Prime Minister stood in solemn silence for some time as a mark of profound respect to the memories of the martyrs of the Great War of Liberation in 1971. A smartly turned-out contingent drawn from Bangladesh Army, Navy and Air Force presented a state salute on the occasion while the bugles played the last post. Speaker Dr Shirin Sharmin Chaudhury, Chief Justice Surendra Kumar Sinha, ministers, advisers, parliament members, chiefs of the three services, freedom fighters, diplomats and high civil and military officials were present on the occasion. Flanked by senior leaders of the party, Sheikh Hasina, also the president of Bangladesh Awami League, laid another wreath at the National Memorial on behalf of her party.Later, Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina also paid her rich tribute to Father of the National Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman by placing wreath at his portrait in front of at Dhanmondi Bangabandhu Bhaban. She as a president of Bangladesh Awami League (AL) also placed another wreath there in the morning.Subsequently, senior AL leaders- Industries Minister Amir Hossain Amu, Commerce Minister Tofail Ahmed, Dr Mohiuddin Khan Alamgir, Agriculture Minister Matia Chowdhury, Advocate Sahara Khatun, Disaster Management and Relief affairs Minister Mofazzel Hossain Chowdhury Maya, Bir Bikram, Shipping Minister Shajahan Khan, Satis Chandra Ray, Mahbub-Ul-Alam Hanif, Advocate Jahangir Kabir Nanak, Dr Abdur Razzak, Dr Abdus Sobhan Golap, Dr Badiuzzaman Bhuiyan Dablu, Advocate Afzal Hossain and Food Minister Advocate Quamrul Islam, among others, were present there. Besides, Chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP) Begum Khaleda Zia and Jatiya Party Chairman HM Ershad also placed wreaths at the altar of the memorial at Savar as a mark of respect to the martyrs along with their senior party leaders respectively. On March 26, 1971, Bangabandhu declared Bangladesh's independence following the crackdown on unarmed Bangalis by the Pakistan occupation forces.The call for independence was first raised on March 7, 1971, when Bangabandhu-during his historic 7th March speech at the Suhrawardy Uddyan (previously known as Race Course Maidan)-- urged citizens to join the struggle for independence. "The struggle this time is for our emancipation, the struggle this time is for our independence," Sheikh Mujib said in his 19-minute speech. President Abdul Hamid and Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina have issued separate messages greeting citizens on the occasion of Independence Day. The national flag was hoisted since sunrise atop all government, semi-government, autonomous and non-government buildings and different important buildings and establishments on the occasion.As part of marking the day, leaders and workers of different political and socio-cultural organisations like Bangladesh Chhatra League (BCL), Bangladesh Awami Juba League, Swechchasebak League, Jatiya Sramik League, Mohila Awami League, Krishak League, Bangabandhu Sangskritik Jote, Muktijoddha Foundation, Awami Muktijouddha Projanma League, Matswajeebee League, Hawkers League, Tanti League, Muktijouddha Janata League, Bangabandhu Soinik League, Ulema League, Jatiya Bidyut Sarmik League, Bangabndhu Ain Parishad and Dhaka-based Patuakhali Journalist Forum also paid rich tribute to the Father of Nation by placing wreaths at the portrait of Bangabandhu at Dhanmondi in the morning.The day was also observed in divisional cities, districts and upazilas, universities, colleges and schools, government and non-government institutions across the country. Our Chittagong Office reports: The 46th Independence and National Day was observed in the port city with renewed pledges to take the country forward in line with the spirit of Independence. Besides government programmes, different political parties, their associate organizations, educational institutions, professional and trade bodies and socio-cultural organizations observed the day through daylong programmes. Identical programmes were also organized in Rajshahi, Khulna, Sylhet, Mymensingh, Barisal, Rangpur, Narayanganj, Gazipur, Comilla, Jessore, Kushtia, Pabna and Dinajpur as well as other districts.
Fighting terrorism requires massive social motivation

George Friedman :

Another terrorist attack took place in Western Europe on 22 March. Security will now be on alert around the world. The terrorists will avoid attacks during this time because the danger of interception and failure are too high. Therefore, there will be no more terror attacks in the coming days, although there will be constant alerts about empty boxes and suspicious people. In due course, the special alert will not end as much as fade away. Terrorists will begin planning for new attacks and as the events of today blur in our memory, a new attack will take place and the cycle of terrorism and counterterrorism will turn its crank once more.

Being constantly on full alert is impossible. A single human being on highest alert on a permanent basis will either self-destruct from adrenaline exhaustion or will decline into a haze. The same can be said for a police or security force. Its ability to endure a constant crisis posture is as limited as for a single person - because the force consists of people.

That is what drives this cycle. The surge of adrenaline following an attack is natural. It also takes place at a time when a new attack is most unlikely. Surging the force later, when it has been months since the last attack and the threat is distant, is extremely difficult. You can't order up the adrenaline - individual or collective - required to go on full alert. The threat must be real, and the terrorist organization understands this, so it works hard to take advantage of the human tendency to regard the rare as an illusion.

Any successful counter to terrorism can't be carried out by security forces. It must be carried out by intelligence services. Security services respond and create a presence that must be evaded. Intelligence services probe into the intentions of the enemy. Their job is to identify those who wish to carry out terror attacks, trace their network and leave it to the police and security forces to capture them.

The intelligence problem is simple. How do you discern intention? Most intelligence focuses on capabilities, but the capabilities required by a terrorist are readily available and transportable. You cannot track capabilities because virtually anyone could be capable of the attack. The Middle East is awash with explosives.

Traffic - legal, illegal and refugees - moves in masses from the Middle East to Turkey and then to Europe. Similarly, explosives are readily available in the former Soviet Union, especially in places like Chechnya. Intercepting the explosives needed for a suicide bomb is possible, but the flow is so massive that all of the explosives flowing cannot be interdicted. And some of the explosives can be made in Europe, from fairly common material by those who know how to do it. And such people are readily available and can't be identified as bomb-makers just by looking at them.

The intelligence challenge is to identify those with the intent to carry out terror attacks and ability to access the material. Identifying both is critical. The world is filled with loudmouths announcing coming heroic events who have neither the access nor the knowledge to carry them out. The security forces have limited capacity. If they went after everyone claiming to be the Jihad King, their resources would be exhausted. In fact, terrorists would encourage all of their followers to publicly declare their intent to blow up something. That would leave an opening for actual terrorists.

Alternatively, if you went after everyone with plastic explosives, you would be chasing shadows. How do you know if they have access to an explosive like C-4? The usual solution is to get an unbelievably expensive piece of portable hardware that will sniff out C-4, which will be available in four years, and produce as many false positives as false negatives. Technology is useful, but relying on it is hard. And taking it to the right place to sniff - well you are back to intelligence.

And 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. The problem is that terrorism, by its nature, gives out limited signals. It can be carried out by very few people. It requires limited resources. It requires little money. It requires limited communication. Unlike organized crime, which involves money laundering, the delivery of massive amounts of interesting smelling products or the ownership of fleets of vehicles - all of which might point you to the right place - terrorism has a much lighter footprint. There are no fleets of cars or massive movements of products and limited money.

So how do you find the terrorists? To the extent they can be found, it requires a massive intrusion into society. Since there is no exchange of millions of dollars, you must inspect transactions of $500. Since there is no massive flow of product, you must subject all cars to inspection.

Obviously, there is one common denominator in this group of terrorists. They are Muslims and for the most part - but not exclusively - from a region ranging from North Africa to the Middle East to Afghanistan. That is a common denominator but actually not a very useful one. Assuming that most terrorists are part of this group, they are an infinitesimal part.

I say this not because it is politically correct but because it is true. If they were more numerous they would be easier to catch. One of the strategies of terrorism is to keep the number of terrorists extremely small. If they expand and communicate with others, they will be detected. So given the number of Muslims in Europe, the exclusion of Swedish grandmothers from the profile you are looking for still leaves a number that dwarfs police security intelligence and the army as well. Racial profiling doesn't work because terrorists aren't stupid.

So what would work given the resources available? The most important measure would be the penetration of the command structure of terrorist organizations with spies. Some would sneer at this, saying it is old fashioned and that technical means of intelligence from satellites to telephone intercepts are superior. The problem with this is that the terrorists are well aware of government capabilities. They understand the value of not speaking on the phone and conducting conversations by writing instead. And they knew this long before Edward Snowden revealed what those interested already knew.

Human intelligence is required at all levels of terrorist operations, to win the trust of the members, carry out terrorist (but not suicide) attacks, and become one of them, but this is extraordinarily difficult to achieve. However, I would argue that the electronic search for the infinitesimal will identify some terrorists, but not the most dangerous.

They understand that every credit card transaction is being fed into the system, and every car rental and every phone call is being tracked. Even if this isn't true, they must assume it. Human penetration of IS by reliable sources with access to all levels of the organization is stunningly difficult and likely to fail as well. But if it works, it is the one way the enemy might lower its guard.

It is possible that this is actually being done systematically. Those who know don't talk and those talk don't know.

I certainly have no idea. But as I survey the strategic options and disciplined nature of terrorists, I don't see how automated collection of information can solve the problem. As for human intelligence, I fear that it is much like Will Rogers' approach to German U-boats in World War I. He suggested that the Atlantic be boiled away, and the U-boats captured on the floor of the ocean. When asked how he proposed to do that, he said that he was a policymaker, and this was a technical problem.

(George Friedman is an internationally recognized geopolitical forecaster, New York Times best-selling author and the Founder and Chairman of Geopolitical Futures, a global analysis company).
Making better use of coal deposits of Northwest zone

Dr. Idris Miah :

Food and fuel are two very essential amenities for human survival. At present Bangladesh is a food self-sufficient country, but still it has fuel crisis. Basically, agriculture based Bangladesh was never mineral rich country. Before five decades, mineral resources of this country were nearly none. Natural gas was started to discover from fifth decade of last century. Coal has been discovered under the soil of this land before and after the independence of Bangladesh. All the coal basins are situated under fertile paddy fields.Now these natural gas and coal are main mineral resources of the country. On the other hand, during last few decades, an unexpected revolution in the field of agriculture has been occurred in Bangladesh. In this period, farmers and related people of this country increase production of food grain and other crops into few times. At present Bangladesh is a proud owner of extremely valuable coal and natural gas. These natural fuels are the sources of our electricity production. Actually, natural gas is the main source of electricity production of Bangladesh. But its existing reserve is limited in comparison to its gradually increasing demand. Reserve of natural gas is decreasing day by day due to lack of new discovery and increasing new demands. As a result electricity sector is being declining towards exported diesel and furnace oil. Alternative fuel of this country is coal. Geoscientists of the country have discovered high quality coal in the northwestern part of the country, but we cannot forget that this high quality coal is discovered under very fertile agricultural land.

All the shallow coal fields are situated in the north-western greater Rangpur and Dinajpur districts. Land of this area is very fertile. Every year, farmers of this area grow abundant crops, mainly paddy. Financial value of these crops is thousands of millions of Taka. So, extraction of high quality coal by destroying economically very profitable fertile land demands logical consideration. In this case, complicated agro-economical calculation and comparison with financial benefits of natural resources is required. The decision should go towards more profitable side of this calculation. In this situation, it is expected that both of these wealth have to use for the benefit of the country.

Discovered Bangladeshi coal is bituminous, which is high quality. Amount of energy per pound of coal is 11000 to 13000 BTU (British Thermal Unit).Each kilogram of Bangladeshi coal produces 1000 kilowatt of electricity. Amount of generated electricity from this coal is more than that produces from same amount of imported lignite type coal. In this process, the amount of pollution that produces during electricity generation from our coal will beless and the production cost will be comparatively less too. Soif it is possible to generate electricity from Bangladeshi coal instead of imported coal, then the country will be benefited in many folds. That means this coal can play a vital role in the development process of the country. The amount of coal reserve that discovered in Barapukuria, Khalaspir and Dhighipara coal basins of northwest Bangladesh is few thousand million metric tons. Butmineable amount of coal depends on applied technique. Most of the reserve coal is mine able by open crust method. On the other hand, maximum one third of reserve may be possible to extract by underground mining technique. What every the extracted amount of coal that will contribute in long time solution of present energy crisis of the country.

In this case, a drastic loss in the field of agriculture is confirmed. Every year this area produces huge amount of agricultural items like food grains especially paddy, a part of which will be completely stop. Farmers will lost their job and have to change their profession. Inhabitants will be expelled from their houses. That means present food self-sufficient Bangladesh may have to face the risk to be a country of food crisis again. Anomaly may arise in social balance. Thus scope of serious thinking and extended research to overcome this complicated problem and able to use these two valuable wealth, food grains and coal, for the need of socioeconomic development of the country.

A committee of multi-disciplined experts may be able to reach a logical decision after detail discussion and follow up research if needed. This committee has toform by geoscientist (geologist, geophysicist, geochemist etc.), agriculturists, environmental expert, engineers and experts from other essential fields. Considering all sides, it will not be excess to say that open crust mining of coal may not be very profitable in socioeconomic point of view. But if is there any favourable place found in the coal deposit area, where the land is less fertile, less populated and sandy river side, then attempt may be taken to establish open crust mining in experimental basis. In other places underground mining is expected in suitable sites. Attempt of coal mining is essential for the development of the country on emergency basis. It is very much essential to use this valuable wealth for quick development of the country. In future, there may discover any new technique by which electricity could be generated from underground coal keeping them there. Convert coal to gas is such a technique. Besides this, extraction of reserve methane gas in coal bed of these coal basins may be another possibility. Possibilities of this coal bed methane extraction from deep coal basin are more suitable like Jamalganj coal basin. Methane gas is being extricating by converting coal into gas in different countries of the world. In this process neither enough hampered in agricultural production nor much loss of people inhabitation. That means both coal and food grains will be useful wealth for the country.

Both crops (mainly paddy) and coal are our national wealth. Paddy is our staple food grain. Its production cannot be reduced instead of anything. On the other hand Bangladesh is a country of energy deficit. Demand of energy is very much essential for the development of the country. Electricity requires for the production of paddy. On the other hand, coal and gas is essential for the production of electricity.

So, quick decision requires for extracting coal keeping as minimum loss of paddy production as possible. In this case, less coal production is very much acceptable. Considering everything, it will not be practically logical to extract coal using open crust method by destroying residential houses and paddy producing agricultural land. Detail land survey to find sufficient non-agricultural vacant land is important. If vacant land under which coal deposit exist is available, then attempts of open crust mining may be taken. Besides underground coal mining may be started in other areas. Immediate decision is logical and essential. Though in this process coal extraction will be very much less, but loss of paddy and other agricultural production will less too.



(Dr. Idris Miah, Retired Director, Geological Survey of Bangladesh. Email: [email protected] )
Bangladesh bashing in Assam election campaign



NEWS reports in Indian and Bangladeshi media said Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has said in electioneering campaign in the eastern state of Assam over the past few days that if his party BJP goes to power in the State election scheduled for early April, they will deport all 'illegal immigrants' from Bangladesh. Earlier during the Lok Shabha election in 2014, Mr Modi then the Prime Minister candidate made similar rhetoric exploiting the sensitive communal card to polarize Indian voters to vote for BJP against Congress. In the state of Assam, Congress is in power for the last 15 years and BJP as an ultra-nationalist party is impatient to oust it and capture the state.

This is essentially an election fight between the two major parties - one is vying to continue in power and the other is bent upon winning the state. But what is quite frightening in this case is BJP's targeting of the immigrants, what is synonymous of Muslim population of Assam, to isolate them from mainstream state politics. This is a dangerous game that may cause communal tension and even violence during the elections.

It is true that a big segment of the Muslim population of Assam is Bangalee origin but they are invariably local people with their roots to the soil. There are some others who settled in the State under the British rule. But they can't be treated as illegal migrants, because they are living there over generations and also being registered as voters. It appears that BJP does not hesitate to use the sensitive issue from a communal point of view to create a nationalistic urge to the election but the risk of such politics to breaking peace and communal harmony is always enormous.

Minorities in any country can become vulnerable to violence and existential threats if political leaders don't care to ensure peace and harmony among different communities. But when the Indian Prime Minister speaks of divisive politics the safety of the minorities become threatened. The Gujarat riot of 2002 is an example in hand. But what appears noteworthy is that despite BJP's election pledge of expulsion of Bangalee people from Indian states on the border during the last Lok Shabha election, the post-election activities showed no sign of such expulsion so far. But such rhetoric always pollutes the environment and contributes to creating mistrust, which may be productive to local Indian politics but not at all friendly to the people of Bangladesh.

The present Awami League government in Bangladesh is having a very close political relation with India and making many strategic concessions to Delhi as one way traffic. But when the Indian government leaders and specially its Prime Minister make highly critical communal comments targeting Bangladeshis that makes the Bangalees more vulnerable.

It is true that some Bangladeshis are working in India and they are working hard and contributing to the Indian economy. Similarly about half a million Indians are reputedly working in Bangladesh. We need to create a conflict-free situation that does not hurt our pride and sense of friendship.






If cantonment is unsafe, where people may be safe





AS it appears that students and rights activists in the capital and at most other places have joined the protest against the mysterious killing of Sohagi Jahan Tonu, a student of Victoria College in Comilla on March 20. The body of the 19-year old girl who was also a theatre activist was found in a bush inside Comilla Cantonment deepening the mystery. Investigators believe she was raped before being killed. The incident showed once again the collapse of the law and order situation in the country when the criminals are at large to kill people at their will. What is most surprising is that why the culprits did not feel that crimes like rape and murder inside the Cantonment area is highly risky and they can't go undetected. The other question may be whether the security inside the Cantonment is not enough.

Daughter of an employee of the Cantonment Board, the recovery of the body from inside Cantonment area has raised many questions suggesting that the culprits may have come from around but it is yet to be identified. Moreover the incident has raised question about security of people in the Cantonment area, which is not like any other unprotected area. The girl was kidnapped from around and was raped and killed. How the Cantonment Management will answer why its security eyes failed. The security at Cantonment needs to be foolproof and the vulnerability suggests the military base itself and its people are not well protected either.

What makes many wonder is why the Cantonment Authorities and police have so far failed to identify the killers. It is already one week the killing remained clueless in an area where every movement was supposed to be watched. As is natural, the incident has already sparked protest in social media and in other forms throughout the country bringing pressure on the authorities concerned to unlock the mystery. Students of Comilla Victoria College and Comilla University laid siege on Dhaka-Chittagong Highway over last two days paralyzing the traffic with the Port city. At Dhaka, Gonojagoron Manch blocked Shahbagh intersection last evening demanding immediate arrest of the killers and putting them on trial. Roadblocks, march on highways and human chain were also held in other districts and educational institutions.

Ill-fated victims like Tonu capture headlines almost on daily basis. What is frightening is that criminals are not bothered to respect human lives and rather taking sadists satisfaction in such killing. Since the government is not in a position to execute laws where police are busy in haunting people critical to government, criminals are taking the advantage. Media outcry is not enough to desist criminals from committing crime. But how long such killing will continue is the question.
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.
President Joe Biden has decided to ban Russian oil imports, toughening the toll on Russia's economy in retaliation for its invasion of Ukraine. The United States generally imports about 100,000 barrels a day from Russia, only about 5% of Russia's crude oil exports, according to Rystad Energy. Last year, roughly 8% of U.S. imports of oil and petroleum products came from Russia. Gas prices have been rising for weeks due to the conflict and in anticipation of potential sanctions on the Russian energy sector. The U.S. national average for a gallon of gasoline soared 45 cents a gallon in the past week and topped $4.06 on Monday, according to auto club AAA. Should the US ban Russian oil imports over Ukraine war?

You voted:
The sextoy market is growing quite rapidly in India right now.

Although it is not a big trend, it is a hot topic on the internet as it is secretly expanding its market.

In this article, we will focus on sextoy and introduce recommended sextoy for Indian beginners of sextoy by gender.

India, the birthplace of the Kama Sutra, is very strict about sex.

Also, premarital sex is basically not allowed. Therefore, there are many people who are sexually restricted.

But what happens when you continue to be sexually restricted?

Frustration may build up and you may end up taking your sexual stress out on your partner.

If you are able to adopt sextoy in a timely manner, you can get rid of those problems.

I want to have more exciting sex than Im having now.

I want more variation in masturbation

I want to get even stronger pleasure than I do on my own.

If you have any of these problems, please stay with me until the end.

What is sex toys for Indian?

Sextoy, as the name implies, is a toy used during sex and masturbation.

It is a generic term for vibrators, Egg-vibrators, Electric massagers, dildo, handcuffs and condoms.

They are used to make regular sex more exciting or to make masturbation more pleasurable.

Because sextoy is very stimulating, it can help you to get rid of the problems and frustrations of being in a rut of sex with your partner for a long time, or if you are unhappy with the lack of pleasure in sex with your partner.

The ability to satisfy your desires with movement, texture, and size, which cannot be done by a normal human being, can help you to be satisfied with sex and, as a result, improve your relationship with your partner.

It is also said to help improve sexual dysfunction (inability to get an erection or ejaculate) and difficulty in feeling during sex (insensitivity), which is attracting more attention than in the past.

In recent years, the demand for sextoy has increased due to the spread of smartphones and the Internet and the increasing number of people using online shopping.

Even those who are concerned about the appearance of sextoy (and find it difficult to purchase) can now easily obtain it by using mail order.

In the case of online shopping, most of the stores have taken steps to ensure that the contents of the products delivered to you are not revealed, so you can purchase them without your family members knowing.

Until a while ago, you had to go to the store where the adult goods were sold to buy them, so it was quite a hurdle to overcome.

Also, many people may have an image that sextoy is somehow embarrassing to own.

But nowadays, some of them are so stylish and cute that you cant believe they are sextoy at a glance.

More and more people are using them for travel and outdoor use because they are not too bulky and are suitable for carrying around.

Sextoy situation in India

Before introducing the recommended sextoy for Indians, lets talk about one of the sextoy situations in India in recent years.

In India, due to the high concentration of population, the following six cities have particularly high sales of sextoy in India.

Mumbai

Kolkata

Bangalore

Delhi

Chennai

Hyderabad

These cities account for roughly 70 percent of sextoy sales in India.

In the future, the percentage of sextoy use will gradually increase in other cities in India as well.

If you never talk about sextoy publicly, that girl in your neighborhood might be a sextoy user too.

If you are interested in sextoy, you dont have to suppress your desire for it.

What are Sextoys for beginner?

Among all sextoys, sextoy for beginners are vibrators, dildo, masturbators, Sex Lubricants, and condoms.

Sex Lubricants and condoms, which are familiar to people who have had sex, are also a great beginners sextoy.

I will explain the details of each toy later, but there are many sextoy products that are painful to use and can only be used after some anal expansion.

I assume that the Indian readers of this article are people who have not had much experience with sextoy.

If such people use professional sextoy suddenly, they are at risk of injury or trauma.

Therefore, to introduce sextoy, you need to start with a beginners version and gradually become familiar with it.

Advantages of using sextoy for Indians

There are three advantages of using sextoy for Indians

You can masturbate in a wide variety of ways.

Can have stimulating sex

Can develop new sexual zones

If you try to masturbate with your own fingers or hands, it tends to be a pattern.

However, with sextoy, you can easily masturbate in a variety of ways.

You will definitely be fascinated by the attraction of new stimulation.

Also, your daily sex life will be more exciting than ever.

There are many things in sextoy that are visually stimulating and give you a strong and intense feeling of pleasure.

This allows you to see your partners promiscuity in a way that you wouldnt normally see it.

When you are in a relationship, sex with your partner may become a pattern, but it can also eliminate these problems.

It can also lead to the development of new sexual zones (which is the training of sexual stimulation to allow you to feel orgasms).

For more information on the development of new sexual zones, see the following articles

[Women's Erogenous Zone]How to find and develop, 7 hidden sexual zones !![In India] In this issue, we will dissect the female erogenous zone! ..." Many of you may be like that. Men, in particular, shou...

Thus, the use of sextoy can only be a good thing for the men and women of India.

Sextoy for beginner men in India

So, lets continue with the recommended goods for Indian sextoy beginners.

For ease of understanding, we will introduce them by gender. Lets start with the men!

The following five goods are recommended for novice Indian sextoy men

Masturbator

Cock rings

Love Doll

Sex Lubricants

Toys for the prostate

Lets check each one in detail.

Masturbator

The masturbator is a sextoy for men that elaborately reproduces a womans vagina, mouth, and anus, and is one of the most popular sextoy products.

It is used by men to masturbate, and it is popular because it provides stronger stimulation and pleasure more easily than using hands.

Most are made of good quality silicone, and their softness is something that cannot be achieved with ones own hands.

They can provide stronger pleasure than a real womans vagina, so be careful not to overuse them. (You wont be able to have an orgasm in a womans vagina anymore.)

Again Male masturbators are a wonderful toy. I do not need any favourite timing, bothersome bargaining. You do not have to worry too much.

Revolutionize your masturbation time! ! !

Made in Japan is a wonderful kinky toy.#sextoysindia #SexToyIndia #Japanhttps://t.co/4k70QGzoTP pic.twitter.com/tRVdxTKPpa   SEXToys India PR  (@SextoysIndia) November 12, 2018

Some of them are disposable, while others can be washed and used over and over again, so its fun to buy a few to use depending on your mood.

If you want to know more about masturbator, please click here

Really pleasant male masturbation and how to do it Are you in a rut with your daily masturbation routine? I'm going to show you five ways men masturbate that you might ...

[For Beginners] How to choose and use a male masturbator without fail Gentlemen.Have you ever used a masturbator? The person who sees this article is probably the one who has not experien...

Cock Ring

A cock ring is literally a ring-shaped sextoy that is worn on a mans penis.

It maintains an erection by binding the penis with a ring of rubber and blocking blood flow.

It is sometimes used as an accessory to be worn on the penis, and may be made of metal or plastic as well as rubber.

In some cases, cock rings have parts or vibrators attached to them that stimulate the vagina, so they kill two birds with one stone, giving a woman pleasure while maintaining an erection.

Cock rings are also sometimes used to treat erectile dysfunction.

It can help with erectile dysfunction, where the penis doesnt get hard when you get an erection or doesnt last long when you try to insert it.

Men who are prone to breakage or who are unsure of the hardness and size of their erections can use a cock ring to increase the size of their penis and maintain an erection for a longer period of time.

Cock rings vary in price from around RS700 to over RS2000 with a vibrator function.

Some of them do not fit your penis, so you should check the size of the cock ring before you buy.

You should know the size of your partners or your own penis when it is erect.

[Penis enlargement] What is a cock ring? Types and usage Cock rings can make your penis bigger and harder. It also makes sex with women more fulfilling and increases your sat...

Love Doll

Love dolls, also known as Dutchwives, are dolls with the appearance of a woman who can experience simulated sex.

There are dolls that look like a woman, but they have no face and only have their breasts and lower torso cut off, and some dolls are so realistic that they can actually be mistaken for real women.

Some expensive dolls can cost more than 1 million yen, and the quality of the doll is easily influenced by the price.

The higher the price, the higher the quality of the doll will be, the closer it will be to the real woman, and the cheaper the doll will be, the less elaborate it will be, making it look like a real doll! Something is wrong! That is also true.

You cant go wrong if you choose a balance between price and taste.

There are stores that allow you to make custom-made love dolls, so you can create a girl of your choice.

You can make a girl of your choice. You can start with inexpensive love dolls at first, and once you get used to it, you can try custom-made love dolls.

If you want to know more about Love doll, please click here

Thorough explanation of the charm of sex dolls! Have you ever heard of sex dolls that are used primarily for pseudo-sex purposes? It is a doll that is quite close to...

Sex lubricants

Sex lubricants are used as a substitute for lubricating fluid during sex or as a lubricant for men to use masturbator rules.

It is not uncommon for women to have difficulty getting wet, depending on their physical condition, or to have difficulty getting wet due to their constitution.

Forcing the penis into the vagina at such times can cause painful intercourse.

There are various types of Sex Lubricants, some with a warming effect, some with a cooling effect, and some with a scent.

Changing the Sex Lubricant used during play is recommended as a good sex accent.

If you want to learn more about Sex Lubricants, click here.

What is sex lubricant?Explain the difference and usage of each ingredient The word "sex toy" may seem like a hurdle to overcome, but lotion is actually one of the most familiar sex toys. Many...

Toys for the Prostate

Another sextoy for men is prostate toys.

The most famous prostate toys include Enemagra, which was originally a prostate massager developed by an American urologist to treat an enlarged prostate line.

Modern prostate toys are imitations of Enemagra that have spread as sextoy for men.

Many people think of prostate toys as being used by gay men, but in fact they are often used by straight men.

What is the prostate?

The prostate is an organ found only in men. It is a walnut-sized organ located deep in the pelvis, just below the bladder, and its primary role is to protect and nourish sperm.

You cannot touch the prostate gland from outside the body, but you can touch it by inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus.

By inserting a finger or sextoy through the anus and touching the prostate and developing it, you can feel intense orgasms.

Orgasms felt in the prostate are mainly dry orgasms, which are orgasms that do not involve ejaculation. (You can also feel orgasms with ejaculation through prostate stimulation.)

The prostate is called the male G-spot, and dry orgasms can be much more intense than ejaculation.

Therefore, men who are able to develop a prostate can become addicted to the pleasure.

sextoy for beinner women in India

The following are the recommended goods for Indian women who are new to sextoy.

The following three are recommended for use by women who are new to sextoy.

Vibrator.

Dildo

Electric Masserger

Lets check out what each one is in detail.

If you want to check out womens toys, click here.

[BEST25]Sex Toys for Women in IndiaThat Can Help You Have an Orgasm There are many women who pretend to feel orgasm during sex. But don't worry, you don't have to pretend to feel orgasm...

Vibrators

A vibrator is a sextoy that vibrates with an Egg-Vibrator to provide stimulation and is often referred to simply as a vibrator.

Some vibrate as well as rotate, and there are many variations of sextoy.

It is quite a popular sextoy, and is well recognized by people who do not know much about sextoy.

Its usage is similar to that of a massager, but it is more compact and easier to carry than a massager, and many of them look as cute as a lipstick or a macaroon, so they are popular among women.

For a while, a famous influencer on twitter said, This is good! You may have heard of the topic of this article by introducing the recommended vibrators.

Vibrators are great for women to use on their own, but they are also recommended for men who have difficulty satisfying women with sex.

Since it is powered by electricity, it is far less tiring than moving your hands by yourself.

This makes it easier to satisfy a woman with sex because you can caress her for longer than usual.

Vibrators are mainly used on the female side, but they can also be used on men.

When used on men, they are used to attack the nipples and glans, and in both cases it is recommended to wear a condom for hygiene reasons.

Introducing how to use the vibrator, its purpose, and how to choose it! Vibrator uses the vibrations caused by the rotation of the motor to provide stimulation. It is one or two of the most...

Dildo

A dildo is a model sextoy made to mimic a male penis.

It can be made of silicone, elastomer (think of it as a material similar to PVC), metal or glass.

A dildo can be used by a man for his female partner during sex, or by a woman for masturbation to get pleasure from it.

They are mainly inserted into women, but some can be used in the male anus as well.

It is sometimes used synonymously with vibrators, but the vibrator is not the same thing as a vibrating device.

A model of a penis that does not vibrate is a dildo.

Some of them have suction cups that can be attached to the floor or wall so that you can enjoy realistic masturbation without using your hands.

For fun, there is a dildo made in the shape of your partners penis.

This one is also popular as a gift, and if youve been together for a long time and are having trouble finding a gift for your partner, you might want to pick one.

To learn more about dildo, please click here.

What is Dildo: Orgasms with Dildos for Men and Women A dildo is a model of a male organ that is used by women for masturbation and by men to stimulate the prostate gland. Th...

Electric Masserger

A Electric Masserger is a hand-held electric massager, also known as a handheld massager, and can usually be purchased at electronics stores.

It was originally designed to relieve stiff shoulders and back pain, so the hurdle of buying one in a physical store is quite low.

Many people may have seen or used it in some form or another, as it is often installed in leisure hotels.

Such a massager is highly recommended for beginners because it is easy for women to get pleasure from it when they use it during masturbation.

It is larger than Egg-Vibrator and vibrations are stronger than those of Egg-Vibrators and vibrators, so even just hitting the clitoris can give you a great deal of pleasure.

For those women who have never had an orgasm during sex with their man, the massager may be a good way to get a feel for what it feels like to have an orgasm.

It looks and feels like an electric massager, so you wont have to feel awkward if your roommate finds out.

If you are in a rut of having sex with your partner, if you want to feel an orgasm through masturbation, or if you are thinking of using a sextoy, why dont you try it from a simple massager?

To learn more about Electric Masserger, click here.

What is a massager? Introducing types, selection methods, and usage Originally, the Magic-wand vibrator and the massage machine were sold as a home massage machine used for the back and th...

How to choose a sextoy for Indian

Now that weve covered the different types of sextoy, heres how to choose one.

Especially if you are trying sextoy for the first time, pay attention to the following three points:  Does the size fit you (the partner)?

Does the size fit you (your partner)?

Is the environment able to produce sound without problems?

Price range

First of all, the choice of size is quite important.

Most sextoy are used against or inserted into the genitals, but the genitals are very delicate organs for both men and women.

For this reason, using an inappropriate size may cause damage.

Secondly, the environment should be able to produce sound without problems.

Some sextoys not only wear, but also rotate and vibrate. Its easier to get pleasure from something that moves than something that doesnt, but the fact that it moves means that the internal rotors make some noise.

If you live in a house with thin walls or if you have roommates, you may not be able to concentrate because of the noise, so it is best to choose one that is silent or has a low noise level.

Especially in India, where many people live with their families, it is very important that you dont have to worry about sound when you use it.

Finally, there is the price range.

The price range of sextoy ranges widely, from around RS500 at the cheapest to RS10,000 or more at the highest.

Its good to consider how much money you can afford and how much you want to buy.

Do you want your family to not find out about sextoy?

I live with my family and want to use sextoy without them finding out! If you are a man, you should buy a camouflage sextoy that does not look like a sextoy at first glance.

For men, there are many masturbators that do not look like a sextoy, and for women, there are vibrators that only look like cosmetics.

If you choose such a type, youll be safe in case your family members find out.

How to buy sextoys in India

The best way to purchase sextoy is through online shopping.

For more information on how to purchase sextoy, please see the article below.

Sextoy is one of them.

Therefore, you can easily get sextoy in India by using online shopping.

SexToysINDIA is a long established and stable sextoy store and you can have sextoy delivered to any place in India.

They also offer cash on delivery, so those who are worried about shopping with a credit card do not have to worry.

Of course, the latest security is in place, so your information will not be taken out when you use your credit card.

To begin with, many people may be concerned about whether they are legally allowed to purchase sextoy.

ikmAs it turns out, its not illegal.

Right now, it is not open to the public because the Indian adult market is still in the development stage, but it will gradually spread from now on.

Take advantage of sextoy and open the door to new pleasures and culture.

Cautions for Indians using sextoy

When using sextoy, keep the following three things in mind

Keep sex toys clean

Watch out for electrical leakage

Beware of the heat generated by the body while using a sex toy

As I mentioned earlier, many sextoy products are used for the delicate zone.

Therefore, it is most important to keep the sextoy itself clean. It is very important to keep the sextoy itself clean, because if a slight scratch is created by friction, bacteria can enter and breed there.

It is safe to wear a condom when using the masturbator, just in case.

In addition, many sextoy devices are powered by a power source, so if they are not waterproof, there is a possibility of electric shock or malfunction due to wetness.

Some may even develop heat during continuous use. If the fever becomes too much, you may get burned, so be careful.

If you get a fever during use, stop driving the sextoy immediately and refrain from using it.

You will enjoy sex more if you keep it safe and use it correctly.

Summary

What did you think?

In this article, we have introduced the recommended sextoy for the beginners of sextoy in India.

The sextoy market is growing rapidly in India and it will continue to grow steadily in the future.

As India is a rather closed-minded country, it can be difficult to be open about ones sexual habits and values.

However, being faithful to ones desires by properly dissolving ones sexual desire is very effective for ones physical and mental health.

If this is your first time to learn about sextoy, or if you are interested in using sextoy, why not give it a try?

Indian Sextoys for ur best! will introduce you to sextoy and other trivia about sextoy, sexuality, and sexuality for men and women.

I want to read more! If you think its a great idea, please bookmark it.
Banterra is the exclusive ticket outlet for this great value and event. Tickets go on sale at 11 a.m. Friday, March 18 at Banterras Kroger location in Marion.

As part of the on-sale event, the public is invited to join Banterra Bank, This Able Veteran and River Radios Z100 in the Kroger parking lot from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. Z100 will have a radio remote and assist Banterra with prize giveaways, and attendees can see first-hand some of the dogs trained for This Able Veteran program. Guests will also enjoy free hot dogs and drinks provided by Banterra. Tickets will then be available at all Illinois Banterra branches beginning March 19.
The Illinois Supreme Court issued an opinion Thursday denying a former Carbondale Police officer's complaint for injunctive relief against the city of Carbondale.

Jeffrey Vaughn, former Carbondale police officer, was seeking injunctive relief to stop the city of Carbondale from discontinuing to pay the entire premium of his health insurance plan.

Due to the Public Safety Employee Benefits Act, an employer that employs a full-time law enforcement officer that suffers a catastrophic injury shall pay the entire premium of the employers health insurance plan. This includes the employees spouse and children.

The decision from the Illinois Supreme Court reversed the ruling from the Appellate Court, Fifth District, which ruled in the favor of Vaughn. The appellate court originally reversed Jackson Countys circuit court, which ruled in the favor of the city.

In June 2005, Vaughn was assisting a motorist in the University Mall parking lot when he received a call from a dispatcher in his vehicle. He had a radio on his uniform but it was turned off, according to the court opinion.

When Vaughn reached in his car to reach the radio, he hit his head on the door causing him to see stars and experience a sharp pain in his arm, the opinion said.

Vaughn reported the incident to his superiors and was off work for a week. In July of 2005, his physician informed his he had a compression fracture in his vertebrae. He never returned to work with the police department after this appointment, the opinion said.

In April 2007, the Carbondale Police Pension Board found that Vaughns injury was not a result of an on-duty injury and that he was not disabled to the extent that he couldnt return to work as a patrol officer.

After this decision, Vaughn filed a complaint with Jackson County Circuit Court and the decision was reversed. The appellate court also upheld the decision by Jackson County.

In January 2012, Vaughn sent a letter to the city requesting health insurance benefits from the public safety act, the opinion states. In May 2012, the pension board made Vaughn submit to a physical exam which is required by the Illinois Pension Code. Dr. Jeffrey Ripperda concluded that Vaughn was physically able to return to work as a police officer.

In June of 2012, the pension board voted to accept Ripperdas finding and voted to terminate Vaughns disability pension, meaning the city would no longer pay the full premium of his health insurance.

Fourteen days after the pension board meeting, notification was sent to Vaughn stating his benefits were terminated as of June 26, 2012.

In August 2012, Vaughn filed a petition for a rehearing with the pension board on the grounds of having a great defense to the termination and that he was not notified of the meeting. The board later denied his request. Later that month, Vaughn filed a review in Jackson County Court of the boards decision, the opinion states.

Almost a year later in June 2013, the circuit court affirmed the pension boards decision.

Vaughn then filed an appeal and the appellate court reversed the decision in June 2013, finding that the pension board violated Vaughns due process rights by terminating his benefits with notice or a proper hearing.

According to the opinion issued, the Supreme Court allowed the citys petition to appeal.

In that appeal, the city notes that a section in the public safety act, it not only requires a catastrophic injury, but also provides that the injury must have occurred in response to fresh pursuit, an unlawful act perpetrated by another, during the investigation of a criminal act or what is reasonably believed to be an emergency.

The opinion states that the only situation applicable was that Vaughn believed it was an emergency. Vaughn stated that all actions he took, which resulted in his injury, were before he had any knowledge of the nature of dispatchs call.

The Supreme Courts opinion says it agrees with the city that the facts of the case do not fit within the emergency situation. It says a call from dispatch could evolve into an emergency situation, but it doesnt mean that every call from dispatch is an emergency until proven otherwise.

There are not facts establishing any imminent danger to a person or property requiring an urgent response surrounding the call from dispatch, the opinion reads. For those reasons, there is no evidence that plaintiffs (Vaughn) injury was suffered in response to what was reasonably believed to be an emergency.

Additionally, the opinion states that Vaughn said he reasonably relied upon the health insurance benefits which induced him to drop the health insurance he had at the time.

The Illinois Supreme Court states it disagrees with Vaughn. The opinion says the fact that the city will no longer pay the entire premium of its health insurance plan doesnt prevent Vaughn from continuing his health insurance or obtaining his own health insurance.
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."
The humanitarian crisis in civil war-torn Syria has evolved into a worldwide effort of trying to figure out what to do with hundreds of thousands of refugees who are impoverished, unemployed and hurting.

During my recent five-week visit to Jordan, I met many Syrian families who had escaped the civil war in their nation. Every family I met had a tragic story to tell about what had happened to them. Some still have loved ones in Syria, where war continues.

I hope for peace, said a 37-year-old wife and mother from Syria, who sitting on a cushion wearing a black headscarf and a long pink velvet dress with large pale pink diamond-shaped buttons on the sleeves. It is the same outfit Bahelah (name changed to protect her identity) wore when her family fled from Homs, when they thought they would return in a little while. The family decided not to carry anything with them, including additional clothes. Bahelah regrets that now, she said.

When the mortars started to be shooted near our house  the things that were happening around us made us afraid. We decided to leave. We tried to stay but had to flee, she said.

The family, along with a few neighbors, walked to the countryside and nearby villages until they reached Damascus. But not everyone was able to escape. Bahelah said she lost a brother and her husband lost two brothers, one who was killed when he went to buy food and another who was killed when he went to work.

We never thought this would happen to Syria, she said.

Eventually, the family ended up in Jordan. Syrian refugees are not allowed to work in Jordan because of concern they will take jobs away from Jordanians. Bahelahs husband was caught working, and Jordanian police told him if he was caught working again, they would send the family back to Syria.

Bahelah and her family now rent a sparse, two-room, one-bathroom apartment, which costs 120 Jordanian dinars a month (about $170). With electricity and water bills, monthly expenses add up to 150 JDs, an exorbitant amount for a refugee family.

Many Syrian people are from Homs, some from Aleppo and Damascus. One Syrian family from Homs said they lived a wealthy life there; the dad owned a truck, they lived on a farm and owned many houses. Then war came. The husband and three of his brothers and their families decided to flee but had to leave all their possessions behind to escape. Now, they are faced with poverty in addition to all the other tragedies of war.

A slim 21-year-old, one of the sons in the family, was in high school when war broke out. He said he would like to go back, but there is fighting and even little boys have guns. He said Syria is miserable.

I asked him about his hope for the future. He said there is no future; they live day by day.

I met another Syrian family with 10 children, ranging in ages from 22 years to 14 months. Large families like this are not unusual here. I was told that two years ago in Syria, some of the girls were cooking in the kitchen when a missile struck the gas stove and it exploded. Two of the younger girls have severe, disfiguring scars on their faces. The child most severely injured was in the hospital having plastic surgery and skin grafting, to replace an ear that had melted.

Medical care is available but limited here. Most Syrian refugees cannot afford medical care, even at reduced cost. I met families where children needed operations, ranging from heart operations to hiatal hernias, but could not afford to pay. I was told the cost of surgery for a hiatal hernia is $400.

We talked with a man who has been to dialysis twice at a cost of 85 JDs ($120) for each treatment. He said he is concerned he cannot afford future treatments.

One Syrian woman had a blood glucose level of 519. A diabetic, she said the war separated her from her three children. She was grieving because she said did not know where they were.

Many people here have post-traumatic stress disorder. A Syrian widow from Damascus, who suffered from PTSD, said she was tortured, with her stomach sliced open and her ankle broken. A 25-year-old man, who complained of stomach pain, said he had been tortured with water and then electric shocks administered on his stomach and heart. One woman said her children get upset when they hear fireworks because it reminds them of the war in Syria.

I met two boys who looked much older than their ages, 16 and 17. Both were traumatically affected by the war, especially the older one who was only 12 when the fighting started. His father said his older son now dyes his hair black because half of it turned white from what he experienced. During their escape for Syria, he said his son hid in a storage area above the bathroom for six hours, then hid in a moving vegetable truck for 15 hours. He said his son saw and heard missiles being fired every day for months.

A Syrian woman told me that soldiers attacked people in their homes and raped daughters in front of their fathers, then killed them. She said her older brother was killed and another brother and his 12-year-old son were shot while riding in a car. She said the bullet killed the boy, hit the windshield, then ricocheted into his father, who was injured. She said her injured brother is still in Syria.

A 35-year-old mother of nine children, ages 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 16, 17, 18 and an older child, said her husband was imprisoned during the war. She said he didnt do anything wrong  they just put people in prison. She said he died there.

I also met a family with six children, one a grandchild. The father, dressed in a gray, shiny gown, sat upright on a cushion and chain smoked cigarettes. His regal bearing was in contrast to the environment around him  unfinished looking door frames and empty, rough walls. A broken mirror hung on one of the white walls.

The father said his family was smart. They escaped during the night because they knew the army was coming, and he said the soldiers did arrive one morning at 7 a.m. He said there were three Christian villages nearby and the Christians helped him. This man said he did not know why Muslims fought each other.

He pointed to an energetic 4-year-old girl wearing a shirt with a panda decoration and the word cute on it, just like the dark-haired child. The shirt was donated like everything else the family has.

The man said the little girl did not know her father. She heard this and walked boldly to the man, put her arms around his neck, leaned on him and said, Why do you say I dont know you?

The childs father, the chain-smoking mans son, was killed by a bomb when he returned to their home to get clothes for the children. He went back because his father told him to. The chain-smoking man also sent another son. That son was injured and his leg has still not healed.

A family of five who I met lived in the harsh desert for 17 days with no tent. They left Homs due to bombing, left Damascus due to bombing and then lived in a village outside Damascus. The father said this is where his two sons were walking and holding hands when someone shot and killed one of them. The family left this village, and then traveled and lived in the sand of the Jordanian desert, grieving and with few supplies. They were eventually allowed to cross the border into Jordan because of the medical need of the son, who was eventually diagnosed with severe eczema.

Another family told me that they lived in the desert for seven days with only one blanket for 27 people. The father described himself as a wealthy Bedouin who had moved to Homs. He said his home was completely destroyed by the shelling.

He said he used to own a tent but not like the tents here, referring to the vinyl coverings given to refugees by humanitarian agencies. He said his tent was large and he entertained people from many nations, including Americans who would come to his tent to eat. They would even take photos because his tent was so wonderful, he said.

This was the first home we visited where a family had a musical instrument. The guitar-looking instrument, called a rababa, hung forlornly on a large white wall. The father strummed a few chords and laughed, but his heart didnt seem to be in it.

Also during my time in Jordan, I met a 14-year-old young man whose family now lives in a camp near Azarak. They have been there a year since leaving Zaatari refugee camp, where they also stayed a year after fleeing Homs. Zaatari, located 10 miles from Syria, currently houses 80,000 Syrian refugees. Reportedly, no one can get in or out of the barbed wire-encircled refugee camp without security clearance, except possibly the little boys who dig tunnels and bring contraband into the camp.

I asked the teenager what he liked about living where he does now, and he said they have clean drinking water, food packages, and they live in a caravan. He said their home is one room with wooden walls and a metal roof with metal sheeting on the outside.

He said his current residence is safer than the Zaatari refugee camp, that they even have security cameras to prevent crimes, and if someone commits a crime, they are prosecuted. I have heard that security officers leave Zaatari at the end of day and there is no law once the sun goes down.

I also visited a woman who left Syria with her two children, while her husband stayed to protect their belongings. She said the war escalated and the border closed between Jordan and Syria, preventing her husband from joining his family. She said he is currently at a refugee camp in Lebanon. I was told the only way to leave this camp is if someone from Saudi Arabia hires him. A neighbor of the woman said the same thing happened to her husband.

I took off my shoes before entering a room with dark gray walls and a single light bulb hanging from the ceiling. I was directed to sit on a floor cushion next to a small heater, the best spot in the house. The mother of nine children, who is eight months pregnant, said she and her husband plan to get a divorce after the baby is born. She said her husband has another wife and cares nothing about the children.

I asked her how old she was and she said either 39 or 40. She appeared healthy, and said she never had a problem during childbirth. I said she shouldnt have any worries then. She said she does have a worry. I asked her what it was, and she said she worried what would happen to her children if she died.

I was told that men from Saudi Arabia, visiting in the summer, pay a large bride price for 13- or 14-year-old Syrian girls, marry them for the summer and leave. Often the men will not return and the families are left with the bigger problem of the girl being pregnant and now having to take care of a baby. When a Syrian baby is born in Jordan, the baby remains Syrian.

The threat of harm is the main reason why many Syrian families do not send their young daughters to school. One Syrian family said they do not send their 13-year-old girl to school because it is far away and they feared she would be raped. They said their neighbors do not send their girls to school either because of this. Their daughter has not been to school since the second grade.

Taking the opportunity to visit a historical site, I went to a site housing the ruins of a former village dating back 2,000 years ago.

This moment to examine history was joltingly interrupted by the present-day reality of war as bombs exploded 5 miles away in Syria. Loud booms echoed across the village ruins.
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President Hassan Rouhani in a meeting with Pakistan Chief of Army Staff Lieutenant General Raheel Sharif here on Saturday urged Muslim states to unite against terrorists, IRNA reported.

Rouhani, referring to close cooperation between the armed forces of the two countries as well as deep cultural ties between the two nations said that Pakistan is of strategic importance as is Iran for Pakistan and this reality has been proven in hard times.

Rouhani said that the Iranian and Pakistani governments intend to develop their regional cooperation and this necessitates that the two countries develop their relations and have closer defense cooperation.

He felicitated the Pakistani armed forces in their success in fighting terrorism and underlined necessity of protecting and strengthening security of their common borders.

Rouhani expressed hope that the security agreement between the two countries would take into effect promptly and more cooperation between the two armed forces in the fight against terrorism would take place in order to bring stability and development to the region.

Referring to deep cultural, historical and religious commonalties between the two nations, Rouhani added that Iran is interested in cooperation between the two armed forces with their valuable experiences.

Concerning the sorrowful situation in some countries, the president said that the sole solution to regional conflicts is political and constructive dialogue and added that time is ripe for the Islamic states to be united and act together against terrorists.

Iran and Pakistan, as two important and influential countries in the region, may make joint effort in this concern.

General Raheel Sharif, for his part, underlined that the Pakistani Army supports development and strengthening of cooperation between Tehran and Islamabad and believes these kinds of relations are beneficial to both nations.

He emphasized that the Pakistan army's firm encounter with terrorists will continue and added that the two countries will witness a basic development in security of common borders soon.

General Sharif said that Pakistan will not allow any action against Iran to take place from Pakistan territory.

Referring to regional problems, he said the use of military force is not an appropriate option to remove problems, adding that efforts should be made to strengthen cooperation and unity among Islamic states.
Belgian nuclear power plants may be the target of cyberattacks in the next five years, EU Counter-Terrorism Coordinator Gilles de Kerchove said on Saturday.

Earlier this week, the newspaper reported that the nuclear power plants in the country were the original targets for the attacks.

"I wouldn't be surprised if in the future the nuclear sector becomes the target of cyberattacks," Kerchove told the Belgian Libre daily.

He added that the attempts to use the Internet for terrorist attacks could take place within the next five years.

On Tuesday, two suicide attacks took place at the Brussels Airport departure hall in the northeastern municipality of Zaventem and another explosion occurred at the Maelbeek station near EU institutions. At least 31 people were killed and some 340 were injured in the attacks, responsibility for which was claimed by Daesh terrorist group.
The process for a new constitution is to be accelerated to meet the expectations of Turkish people, said Turkish Prime Minister Ahmet Davutoglu on Saturday, Anadolu Agency reported.

Davutoglu spoke during World Turkish Entrepreneurs Assembly of Foreign Economic Relations Board in Istanbul.

Stating that a roadmap had been set, he added a constitution committee had been established within the Justice and Development (AK) Party.

"Today, we carried out a long and detailed work with the members of this committee in Dolmabahce office. As of the following week, our committee will start writing it [the new constitution]. I hope, we are planning to complete writing it within the next month. During this process, we are open to any proposal from our business world."

AK Party has made constitutional reform a central part of its government program.

A "Constitution Conciliation Committee" of 12 deputies -- three from each of Turkeys four parliamentary parties -- had first met on Feb. 3 in a bid to redraw the current constitution, which dates back in parts to Turkeys military regime of the 1980s.

The Turkish parliamentary committee tasked with planning the new constitution broke up on Feb. 17 after opposition party members walked out of it amid disagreement over the presidential system, which was proposed by AK Party.
Tehran and Islamabad agreed to increase Irans electricity export to Pakistan by 40 percent, the Iranian governments official website reported.

The agreement was achieved during the meeting of Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Islamabad on March 26.

The increase will be realized based on an amendment added to former agreement between the two countries which was signed in 2000.

The two ministers also held primary negotiations to increase the capacity of Irans electricity exports to Pakistan to 3000 megawatts (MW).

It was agreed that the issue to be concluded during the visit of the Pakistani water and power minister to Tehran which is scheduled for May.

Earlier the Deputy Energy Minister of Iran Houshang Falahatian announced that exporting 3000 MW of power to Pakistan is possible. Without specifying the details, he also said that the delayed debt of Iran's neighbor power clients is about $1.5 billion.

Pakistan has about four percent share in Iran's 10-billion kWh electricity energy export, according to the annual report of Irans Energy Ministry.

Coming to Pakistan's debts to Iran, The Express Tribune reported on March 10 that Pakistan is already importing 73MW to meet the requirement of Gwadar but payments could not be made since 2011. "Now that sanctions have been removed from Iran, officials believe banking channels will be opened, paving the way for payment of outstanding bills," the report said.
The Abu Dhabi government is set to hand over 2,048 homes to its citizens across the emirate, including 236 units in Al Ain and 349 in the Western Region, said a report.



The announcement was made by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces, following the directives from President His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan.



Besides this, about 4,495 plots will also be distributed to the citizens including 2,432 plots in the UAE capital, 1,713 in Al Ain and 350 in the Western Region, reported the state news agency Wam.



The municipalities will begin the handing over of the residential units and plots in a few days. A total of 1,463 houses have been allocated for Abu Dhabi city.



All these homes are located in residential compounds with full community services and high-quality infrastructure, said the report.



They have been designed as per global standards are set to achieve an Estidama sustainability rating of two pearls, it added.
The first phase of the Dh25-billion ($6.8 billion) Dubai One Project being developed at the Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum City in Dubai, UAE, is scheduled for completion by 2020, said a report.



It will come up on a 50-million-sq-m area offering a range of striking features and activities including parks, man-made beaches and a 7-km stretch of Crystal Lagoons offering a true beachside and active lifestyle, according to the state news agency Wam.



UAE Vice President and Prime Minister and Ruler of Dubai, His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, reviewed the progress of the Dubai One Project, located between Meydan and Al Khail Road.



By the time of the project completion, Dubais population is forecast to reach 3.4 million, stated the report.



Sheikh Mohammed, who was accompanied by Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Crown Prince of Dubai, inspected the project's show villas, featuring Modern Arabic, Mediterranean, and Contemporary styles.



The Dubai ruler lauded the architectural designs of the villas and the project in general describing it as an integrated and smart project.



He then endorsed the project and directed the speedy implementation of all the four phases, it added.
UAE-based Saadiyat Development and Investment Company (SDIC) has awarded Gulf Contracting Company (GCC) the landscaping contract for its luxurious beachfront neighbourhood in Abu Dhabi.



Hidd Al Saadiyat, which comprises nearly 1.5 million sq m of natural beachfront land and 7 km of waterfront with easy access to the beach from every unit, is conveniently located in Saadiyat Island, the cultural district of the UAE capital.



Surrounded by world-class hotels, resorts and museums, offering a perfect blend of community living, Hidd Al Saadiyat is a project being managed by Lead Development.



The hardscaping of the neighbourhoods, which kicks off in 2016, will include pavement of driveways, pathways and road signage, benches, light poles, and bollards, said the company in a statement.



Furthermore, underground services including irrigation, electrical, manholes and concrete bases for signage will be implemented.



Planting is set to take place in a phased approached working from the beginning of the development towards the end, it stated.



Greg Slingerland, the project director, said: "Our aim is to cater to our clients through lavish landscape elements and world-class designs. Hidd Al Saadiyats partnership with one of the most distinguished leading landscape consultants proudly marks the projects final steps towards completion."



Awarded the Estidama Pearl Two rating for compliance with Abu Dhabis sustainability standards of new projects by the Abu Dhabi Urban Planning Council (UPC), Hidd Al Saadiyats landscape will include interconnected park spaces, childrens play areas, open lawn spaces and shaded seating areas, stated Slingerland.



The developments open spaces are designed for water conservation, with native plant species, and materials selected specifically for solar reflection. The projects green areas stretch across 20 per cent of the total masterplan.



The masterplan development conceives many strategies such as the primary and secondary pedestrian walkways that aim to ease the accessibility within the development, said Slingerland.



These include access to linear and neighbourhood parks, shaded public realm spaces and beachfront as well as the integration of bicycle paths, he added.-TradeArabia News Service
Shifa Al Jazeera Group of Hospitals and Polyclinics plans to invest about RO50 million ($129 million) in Omans health sector in the next five years, a top official said.



Around RO 30 million will be earmarked for the first three medical facilities comprising both premium class and access hospitals in Al Khuweir, Ruwi and Al Khoudh followed by 10 polyclinics across the country, Dr K T Mohammed Rabeeh Rabiullah, the companys chairman and managing director was quoted as saying in an Oman Observer report.



We will be investing SR250 million ($66.5 million) for the first three medical facilities which comprise both premium and access clinics in three locations in Muscat in the next one year half of which is already pumped in, he added.



We will be investing an additional SR120 million for ten polyclinics across the country with special focus on Muscat, Sohar, Barka, Saham, Nizwa, Buraimi and Salalah.



Shifa al Jazeera has tied up with a local business entrepreneur Abdulrazak Haji who will be the vice chairman for the polyclinic ventures in Oman under the name of Badr al Tamam and the 10 clinics set to open in January, 2017, the report said.
Future Technology Week, an upcoming event in Dubai, UAE featuring four of the regions leading technology events, will host an event that will see the regions leading young entrepreneurs pitch unique start-up concepts.



The Hive, the debut event, has been billed by organisers Dubai World Trade Centre (DWTC) as the Start-up showdown of the century.



During The Hive, the contestants will present breakthrough business concepts to a live audience and judging panel in a five-minute pitch on the first day of Future Technology Week.



The panel of judges includes Ibrahim Tadros, head, Business Development and Strategy, Wamda; Muhammed Mekki, founding partner, AstroLabs; Jonny Voon, IoT Lead, Innovate UK, and Shaun Moore, CEO and founder, Chui  the worlds smartest doorbell.



A one-day event, The Hive is supported by Dubai SME, the agency of the Department of Economic in Development (DED) in Dubai mandated to develop the SME sector, Wamda and Astrolabs, and runs in parallel with four specialised shows - Gulf Information Security Expo & Conference (Gisec), the Internet of Things Expo (IoTX), The Big Data Show and Gulf Enterprise Mobility Exhibition & Conference (Gemec)  being held from March 29 to 31 at DWTC.



The Hive is a dedicated innovative platform for budding, ambitious entrepreneurs to present their entrepreneurial ideas and innovative start-up business concepts. Its the start-up showdown of the century, said Trixie LohMirmand, senior vice president, Exhibitions & Events, DWTC, the Future Technology Week organiser.



The contestants submissions will be judged on six criteria including practical use of product or solution, innovative use of technology, ease of implementation, sustainable business model, user adoption to date and difference to other products in the market. The Hives ultimate winner will be awarded a cash prize of Dh50,000 ($13,610).



Technology and innovation together make an ideal SME platform for entrepreneurs and start-ups to pursue success. A key finding in our State of the SME report was that innovative SMEs tend to be more internationally oriented. The Hive initiative should be supported because any effort to inspire entrepreneurs and tech SMEs is an investment in sustaining innovation and enterprise growth, said Saeed Matar Al Marri, deputy CEO of Dubai SME.



IoT is driving many innovative start-ups and l expect listening to bright minds pitching their concepts will be informative and fun. I look forward to identifying the winner and keeping track of their evolution over coming months and years, said Tadros.



Dubai is quickly becoming a global hub for tech start-ups  specifically those targeting emerging markets - and AstroLabs is thrilled to see entrepreneurs from all over the world choose this city as their home. We are looking forward to hearing from the selected start-ups as they pitch their innovative concepts during the competition, said Mekki.



The expansive Future Technology Week format will feature an interactive conference, innovative tech exhibition, security workshops, a Microsoft-sponsored live Hackathon and capture the flag code breaking competition.



IoTX opens on March 29 and concludes on March 30, the one-day Gemec runs on March 29, Gisec opens on March 30 and ends on March 31, and the one-day The Big Data Show runs on March 31. Meanwhile, the exhibition segment runs for three days from March 29 to 31.  TradeArabia News Service
A court in the UAE has sentenced 11 people charged with terrorism and raising money for Al Qaeda and Islamic State in Syria to life imprisonment, state news agency Wam reported on Sunday.



A total of 41 defendants were charged in October with "possessing firearms and ammunition with the intention of committing terrorist crimes against the country and its security," according to Wam.



It added that the men also faced prison for "raising funds and financial support to other terrorist groups such as Nusra Front and Daesh in Syria," using Arabic names which refer to Al Qaeda's branch in the war-torn country and Islamic State.



Twenty three of the remaining 41 defendants were sentenced to between five and 15 years behind bars and the rest were acquitted.



The statement on Wam did not specify the suspects' nationalities. It said two of those given life terms were sentenced in absentia.



Islamic State has pledged to overthrow the monarchies of the Gulf and mounted a series of attacks on Shi'ite Muslim mosques and security forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia. - Reuters
Souq.com, a leading e-commerce company in the region, has launched major sales campaign with a tag line Its yours, offering over 1.5 million products at the most competitive prices.



The company will mark the new campaign with a huge sale event, the Everything For You Sale from March 27 to April 2.



Following its recent Dh1 billion ($275 million) funding announcement, Souq.com is implementing its dynamic new plans - launching new product categories and bringing even more value to its customers and merchants, a statement said.



Ronaldo Mouchawar, Souq.com CEO and co-founder said: E-commerce today is empowering buyers to make better choices as they have access to more brands and options on click of a button and hence get the best value.



E-commerce also enables small and medium businesses to grow exponentially by the power to reach millions of customers on one platform. At Souq.com, we understand the untapped spending potential in the region as well as the key drivers which will convert consumers to shop online more, or for the first time, and so this is a key part of our strategy moving forward. As part of our new Its yours. campaign, we are proud to further broaden our portfolio across fashion, beauty, lifestyle and home categories which will convert into a better experience for our new and existing customers.



We are constantly innovating and evolving across our platform - we recently updated our logo and brand identity as well as added more effective features on the website and mobile app to improve the consumer experience whilst shopping on the go, he added.



The Everything For You Sale will see 7,000 new deals on all categories with a special focus on the new ones. Hundreds of new fashion clothing, shoes and make up brands have been added to Souq.coms vast portfolio to further enhance its offerings.  TradeArabia News Service
Jordan's Queen Alia International Airport (QAIA) welcomed the arrival of the first Pegasus Airlines flight from Ankara to Amman in the presence of Sedat Onal, Turkish Ambassador to Jordan.



This step corresponds with Airport International Groups, the Jordanian company responsible for the rehabilitation, expansion and operation of QAIA, ongoing efforts to expand its airline network and to develop route incentive schemes that encourage airlines to operate flights through QAIA.



Bringing the low-cost Turkish airline to Jordan for the first time, the inaugural flight marked the commencement of three regular roundtrip Pegasus Airlines flights between QAIA and Esenboga International Airport in Ankara, Turkey.



Tickets are available through Naouri Group, Pegasus Airlines general sales agent in Jordan.



Pegasus Airlines represents a welcome addition to QAIAs ever-expanding airline network, providing increased options to our passengers while also reinforcing Jordans position as a dynamic hub for business, leisure and investment within the region, said Kjeld Binger, CEO of Airport International Group. Our efforts to attract a greater number of regional and international airlines to QAIA are consistent with our support of National Tourism Strategy objectives, under which we strive to contribute to the kingdoms economy as a whole by enhancing its ability to attract foreign direct investments and bolstering tourism to the kingdom.



On his part, Ibrahim Naouri, chairman of Naouri Group, said: Pegasus Airlines, a leading low-cost airline in the region, was founded with the mission that everyone has the right to fly, and we are pleased to be bringing the airline here so that it may now exercise that philosophy in Jordan. We have introduced a variety of packages to cover different travelers tastes, providing affordable passage to most parts of Europe, which will surely reflect positively not only on the local travel industry, but also Jordanian-Turkish business and tourism relations. - TradeArabia News Service
Taiwanese low-cost carrier V Air launched its first Taipei- Manila route today at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) 1.



The maiden flight took off with over 80 per cent load factor from Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport, and marks another expansion in its network for this year 2016.



We at V Air are delighted to witness the ninth scheduled service from the Taipei-Manila route. As the first Taiwanese low-cost airline to tap the ever-growing Philippine market, we are looking forward to be the preferred airline of the traveling Filipino on a budget. Our operations in Manila will be significant in securing a strong foothold in the region, said V Air chief commercial officer, Bernard Hsu.



V Airs Manila-Taipei service, the carriers third route in Asia, will operate four flights weekly. - TradeArabia News Service
German Restaurant Brauhaus at Beach Rotana Abu Dhabi has welcomed Pedro Kimmig as its new specialty outlet chef.



Originally from Nuremberg, Germany, Kimmig has worked in many restaurants around the world, including a four-star Michelin restaurant in Cologne. In 2008 he moved to Seoul to work for an Austrian and a German restaurant in the South Korean capital, before relocating to Abu Dhabi as sous chef in 2013.



I am excited to have joined such a great team at Brauhaus. I have always liked the restaurant for its great atmosphere and service. I see a lot of potential in this busy and popular place and I am looking forward to bringing my favorite dishes from home to it. My goal is to make Brauhaus, the best German restaurant in the UAE," Kimmig said. - TradeArabia News Service
So when they butt-stroked me to the head from an AK-47 and I was bleeding down the side of my face and they threw me back in the cell I could
Spring has arrived in Wyoming, snow is melting quickly, and its time to get outside. This year, many Wyomingites will, as they have in the past, head to their favorite spot on public land to hike, camp with the family, hunt, fish or ride horses.

This year, however, when they do, they will find something is different. The trails they rely on to get to a waterfall, atop a peak, or to a secluded spot in the forest arent what they once were.

Picture this: On a beautiful blue-sky June day, a family heads out to the Bridger-Teton National Forest for a hike. With excitement, they pile out of the car at the trailhead and head down the trail. A half-mile in, the trail is blocked by a downed tree. Undaunted, they climb over it and continue. A bit farther, the trail is overgrown with bushes that block the trail. After fighting through that, they come upon a footbridge in a dangerous state of disrepair. Eventually, they give up, crestfallen, and return home.

This scene repeats itself every year on forests throughout Wyoming and across the United States as the trails Americans rely on slowly crumble. Some trails are eroding away. Others are choked with brush or clogged by downed trees. Still others are simply impassable or unsafe, and more are becoming so every year.

Only a quarter of the trails in our national forests receive adequate maintenance. Almost two-thirds of the trails receive no maintenance at all. As a result, Americans are losing access to the places they love. Without trails, we simply cant get to our favorite places on public lands.

The lack of maintenance is also driving up future costs. The old adage an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure could not be truer: The Forest Service is facing a whopping $500 million backlog in trail maintenance costs.

What can be done about this impending crisis on our public lands? The easiest answer is money. The Forest Service budget has gone down dramatically in recent years, thus squeezing already-short dollars from the trail maintenance budget. Whats more, the costs of fighting wildfire now account for more than half of the agencys spending. As a result, trail crews have been laid off, and the agency is forced to simply make do with less.

More money will certainly help, but in an era of declining budgets and increasing debt, increased maintenance funding is unlikely. Thats why Wyomings U.S. Sen. Mike Enzi and Rep. Cynthia Lummis developed another approach. They introduced legislation in the U.S. Congress that will help improve trail maintenance on our forests without costing taxpayers.

Called the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act, the proposal requires the Forest Service to come up with a comprehensive strategy to increase the use of volunteers in maintaining trails. It requires the agency to prioritize trail maintenance in the areas where Americans want it most and credits outfitters and guides for their efforts to maintain forest trails. With fewer dollars to go around, and so many Americans ready to roll up their sleeves and help our public lands, this proposal just makes common sense.

The proposal has gained incredible support, but remains stuck in Congress. Endorsed by 80 representatives and 12 senators, split almost evenly between Democrats and Republicans, it was recently named the most bipartisan bill in Congress. Despite this, the bill has never been brought up for a single vote.

None of the solutions in the National Forest System Trails Stewardship Act are a silver bullet, and none will fix the $500 million backlog of trail maintenance. But they will help stem the loss of trails that threatens to eliminate access to the great outdoors and that is a worthy goal.

Democrats and Republicans in Washington, D.C., dont agree on much, but they agree that this bipartisan bill will do a lot of good. Congress should pass it immediately.
For a brief moment, it seemed as though the national political spotlight was going to shine on Wyoming.

People here were certainly fired up  for one reason or another  after both Bernie Sanders and Bill Clinton scheduled appearances on the same day last week in the Cowboy State.

Vermont Sen. Sanders would have visited Casper and Laramie; former president Clinton would have stumped for his wife, Hillary, in Cheyenne. Those two visits were all it would have taken to significantly lengthen the list of campaign appearances in the state, as so far Ted Cruz is the only Republican left in the race who has visited Wyoming in this election cycle.

Unfortunately, wintry weather kept both Democrats from the area that day. Wyoming will have to wait to meet Sanders, the Clintons and their chief rivals  Republicans John Kasich and Donald Trump  during their 2016 White House bids.

But we hope the state doesnt have to wait long. On that point, were cautiously optimistic: The Facebook announcement for Sanders appearance lists the event as postponed, rather than canceled entirely, which is welcome news.

Regardless of political affiliation, the state should encourage national candidates focus on Wyoming. We would have been equally disappointed had the weather forced Republican candidates  Ohio Gov. Kasich and billionaire businessman Trump  to cancel campaign appearances. We were happy to see Republicans Ben Carson, Bobby Jindal and Rand Paul visit the state before they ended their respective campaigns as well.

After all, Sanders and Clintons visits would have represented opportunities for Wyomingites to learn more about people who might be the next occupants of the White House. The U.S. Constitution says the president of the United States is the commander in chief of the armed forces, the top diplomat, the chief administrator, the chief legislator and the chief magistrate. That person is also the head of their party and fills several other key roles. In short, this is a person Wyomingites should have the opportunity to meet.

Already, Wyoming voters are too often left out of the national conversation because of the states late Republican primary date (Aug. 16; Democrats will caucus April 9) and its relatively low population. These visits represented a rare shot for Cowboy State residents to hear firsthand what Sanders and the Clinton campaign envision for the nations future and  no less important  for the candidates to hear directly from Wyomingites.

Our population is small, but our people are important, well-informed and opinionated. The entire slate of presidential contenders could benefit from becoming better acquainted with Wyomingites and their priorities. We urge them to reschedule those visits soon.
Each Sunday we ask you a question about an issue important to Wyoming, then print what you think the following Sunday. We call it Open Air because its a chance to examine a topic from all sides  wide open like Wyomings sky.

You can reply through our website or by email, postal mail, Facebook or Twitter. Be sure to specify youre responding to the Open Air question. Please keep your responses to 350 words and include your full name, town and contact information so we can verify your submission. Be sure to submit your comment by Tuesday, or it might not make our deadline.
SANDHILL CRANES Above, sandhill cranes fly above the Shiawassee National Wildlife Refuge near Wahl road. Below, trees are decked out in the fall foliage at the refuge.

STC township, village renew MMWA contracts ST. CHARLES  Both the St. Charles Township Board and St. Charles Village Council voted to approve the new membership agreement with the Mid-Michigan Waste...
The historic Arizona Inn is getting new neighbors.

Tucked behind a fence of oleanders north of the hotels parking lot, on Elm Street between Campbell Avenue and Tucson Boulevard, luxury housing is under development.

Called Casa Seton, the project consists of 11 single-story Spanish Colonial homes, matching the architecture of the Arizona Inn, said Jose Ceja, principal architect with Exa Architects. The models are between 2,500 and 3,500 square feet and include three-car garages. Prices will range between $775,000 and $1.1 million.

The homes will be built with an emphasis on natural light to showcase art that residents will hang on the walls, Ceja said. A master suite, guest suite and optional office/third bedroom will be available.

The three-acre parcel had been owned by the Arizona Inn. Instead of putting the property on the market, owners handpicked some local developers to gauge interest and ideas, said investor Bob Gugino, who was approached, as was builder Chris Kemmerly, owner of Miramonte Homes.

They decided to team up, along with Guginos partners Rusty Garrett and Jeannine Mortimer.

They bought the land for $1.3 million and have begun prepping the site for utilities.

Zoning allowed for up to 22 homes, but developers decided on a smaller number with bigger lots, Kemmerly said.

Its more befitting the Arizona Inn, he said. This will be the poster child for infill projects.

Neighborhood board took no position

Given its location and mature vegetation, developers were braced for some resistance.

That began when they received a demolition permit to tear down a boarded-up 1924 house that once belonged to the founder of La Fiesta de los Vaqueros, Frederick Leighton Kramer.

Historians and some area residents bemoaned the demolition and the loss of open space.

Colette Altaffers house is one of two that backs up to the future development.

A resident of the historic Catalina Vista neighborhood since 1992, she said the noise from construction is upsetting.

Theyve been out there for weeks and you can hear all of the equipment, she said.

Although the development is surrounded by a construction fence, Altaffer said shes seen large pine trees come down.

They were really magnificent, she said. The trunk size was so large you couldnt put your arms around it. How many neighborhoods do you know that could offer that?

Altaffer said she doesnt care for the Spanish Colonial theme.

Given that they tore down a Craftsman house, they should have built Craftsman homes, she said. Otherwise, it seems more like a competition versus a compliment to the Arizona Inn.

Gugino understands the angst and said it was the reason the team chose single-story versus two-story homes so they wouldnt stand out like sore thumbs.

He wants the new neighbors to be welcome, especially since he will live in one of the homes.

The president of the Catalina Vista Neighborhood Association, Alison Hughes, said the board had not taken a position on the development. There are about 350 residents in the neighborhood.

Calls to the Arizona Inn were not returned, but in a statement to the Star last year, Will Conroy, the great-grandson of Arizona Inn founder Isabella Greenway King, said the land-sale proceeds would fund necessary work on the hotel that had been deferred.

Conroy approached attorney Larry Hecker to quietly put the word out to those few good local builders and developers we felt might best understand and value our neighborhood and would propose appropriate, viable, high-quality ways forward for the property, his statement read.

Arizona Inn viewed

as an amenity

Given the volume of interest that has already been expressed, investors expect the homes to sell quickly.

The demographic is a buyer who wants to come down from the Foothills or out of a five-bedroom house, Gugino said.

A lot of people have expressed interest in putting up their guests at the Arizona Inn instead of having a guest room, he said. They see the Arizona Inn as an amenity.

Kemmerly said the lure of downtown is a big motivator for buyers, who will be within walking distance of the streetcar stop on Helen Street, just west of Campbell Avenue.

And, they can walk to the UA games, Gugino said.

They expect executives from Banner Hospital and the University of Arizona to be customers and hope to start signing contracts in April, with the project built out by early 2017.

The ingress-egress road, Potter Place, will be widened to two lanes and access will be from Elm Street.

Updates on the development can be found at the Miramonte Homes website, miramontehomes.com by clicking on the communities button.
Todd Chmielowiec was born in Tucson, Arizona on January 30, 1960 and passed away on March 8, 2016. He attended and graduated from Sabino High School in 1978. Being exceptionally skilled with his hands, Todd took up work in the family's masonry business for 10 years followed by numerous jobs in the masonry, tile and stone industry. In 1996, Todd started a small two person stone counter top business. His business flourished and grew into a custom stone fabrication facility with several employees utilizing stone from Brazil and other parts of the world. In 2009, Todd sold his business and lived out the remainder of his life pursuing his many diverse interests. Todd was passionate about the outdoors and spent his spare time adventuring into the many mountains, lakes and forests of Arizona and Brazil. He was an avid hunter, snow and water skier and enjoyed all types of outdoor activities. Todd is survived by his father, sister, three brothers, his sister-in-law and adoring nephews and nieces. A private gathering is being arranged to celebrate his life and accomplishments. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Dodge Chapel.
With the strength that he showed throughout his life, Ed maintained it to the end. Edward Jacobsen, age 69, of Prescott Valley, formerly of Tucson, passed away on March 8, 2016 from GIST cancer. He was born at Brooklyn Naval Hospital in Brooklyn, NY to Francesca "Frances" (Verusio) and Erling "Whitey" Jacobsen on August 19, 1946. Ed was proud of the Norwegian and Sami (indigenous Scandinavian) heritage from his father and the Italian heritage of his mother. When he was two, the family moved to Tucson. Ed believed in the power of public education and was a terrific example of their quality after attending John B. Wright Elementary, Doolen Junior High, Catalina High School (1965), Northern Arizona University (B.A. 1970, M.A.Ed. 1971), and receiving his Educational Administration Certification from the University of Arizona (1978). He taught high school vocational arts-machine shop, welding, woods, sheet metal, automotive, and communications-for 30+ years for both Tucson Unified School District (Pueblo, Rincon and Palo Verde High Schools) and Marana Unified School District (Marana High School, Marana Middle School) where he also served as an Associate Principal. Ed loved the 23 years he worked at MUSD. For several years, he taught evening welding courses for Pima Community College as well. Ed had a smile that could light up a room. Ed exuded a warmth and interest in people's lives that made them feel special and important. He was always genuinely delighted when he ran into former students, and his legacy truly lives on in those h e taught and positively influenced, which is several thousand youth in Pima County. Ed particularly loved family, friends, stories, good food, hunting, travel, movies, campfires, working on his properties in the Tortolita Mountains and later in Durango, CO, and the three T's: toy trains, old trucks, and tractors. Ed was a believer in blood donations and he gave 115 units of blood in his lifetime to the Red Cross. In 2007 Ed converted to Catholicism, which brought him great comfort. Ed was married to his wife, Carolyn for over 23 years and he adored spending time with her during summers in Colorado, and traveling throughout the USA and to Mexico, Alaska, and Norway. On a trip to Norway in 2013, he was so grateful to reconnect with cousins Solveig, Gunn and Kiesten of Sogne. Ed was predeceased by his parents and his brother, Brian "Jake" Jacobsen. He leaves behind his wife, Carolyn of Prescott Valley, AZ; beloved son, Eric; daughter-in-law Jenny and grandchildren Taylor and Rebecca of Henderson, NV; grandson, Erik "EJ" Smith of Minot Air Base, ND; father and mother-in-law, George and Judith Townsend of Sun Lakes, AZ; favorite brother and sister-in-law, Bill and Deb Dierker of Phoenix; niece, Theresa Dierker Stickney (Brent) and children of Scottsdale; niece, Katie Dierker of Phoenix; nephew, Chris Dierker (Jacquelin) and children of Moreno Valley, CA; best hunting buddy, Bob Newman (Cyndi) of Tucson; dear friends, Dan and Beth Gapp of Tucson; godson, Ryan Gapp of Flagstaff; "sister", Karen Friel of Tucson; many friends and coworkers; and his two finest girls and walking companions, Lucy and Molly. A Memorial Mass will be held on Saturday, April 2, 2016 at 12:00 noon at St. Mark Catholic Church, 2727 W. Tangerine Road, Oro Valley, AZ 85742 with a Celebration of his Life immediately afterwards in the parish hall. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the Marana Food Bank, Southern Arizona Humane Society, the Good Samaritan - Marley House Hospice in Prescott, AZ or your local public school district. Vaya con Dios, Eduardo!
age 97, passed away at home on Sunday, March 20, 2016. He was born January 31, 1919 in South Dakota and grew up in Los Angeles. He attended architecture school at UCLA but this was interrupted by World War II. In the U.S. Army he served as a Field Artillery Sgt. in the 104th Infantry Division. He was always very proud that his Division contributed to the final Allied victory in Europe which helped bring an end to the War. After his discharge from the Army he returned to California where he met his wife, Helen Winn. George moved to Tucson in 1962 and became a commercial general contractor; a business that spanned almost 50 years. In his free time he enjoyed the outdoors, especially fishing and camping under the southern Arizona skies. He is survived by his wife of 67 years and three sons, Jay, Michael (Marylyn) and Bill (Teresa); grandchildren, Mason, Megan and Sam and great-grandchildren, Madylyn and Winn. A Memorial Service was held on Friday, March 25, 2016 at the ANGEL VALLEY FUNERAL HOME in Tucson. In lieu of flowers please consider a donation to the Salvation Army. Arrangements entrusted to ANGEL VALLEY FUNERAL HOME, 520-327-6341
MD, FACP, FACC, medical pioneer and Bronze Star double recipient in World War II, died at age 99 on March 5, 2016 in Tucson, Arizona. Born December 3, 1916 in New York City, he grew up in Chicago, IL. He married Marie Claire (Penny) Harle June 1940, and later earned his M.D. from Northwestern in 1941. He served as a combat surgeon in the 12th Armored Division of the United States Army from 1942 - 1945, fighting through the Battle of the Bulge. A Major, he was one of the first American physicians to volunteer in the typhus- ravaged Dachau concentration camp. After the war, he completed his residency in Internal Medicine at Saint Luke's Hospital in Chicago and earned an M.S. in Physiology. In 1952 the family moved to Casper, Wyoming where he practiced Internal Medicine for 20 years, specializing in Cardiology. He set up a local Health Fund to support a successful campaign he created to prevent rheumatic heart disease which previously had ravaged the area. He led a crusade against silicosis and lung cancer among miners in bentonite and uranium mines in Wyoming, resulting in industry wide health standards to protect miners. In 1971, he moved to Tucson to join the Cardiology Department of the new University Arizona College of Medicine. He later became Chief of Cardiology at Pima County Hospital in 1975. During his medical career in Tucson, Brendan taught and mentored medical students, wrote cardiology texts, and advocated for quality universal health care. Penny Phibbs, his wife of 34 years, died in Tucson in 1975, mourned by friends in both Casper and Tucson. Brendan wrote a memoir of his WWII experiences, "The Other Side of Time", published in 1987. Awarded the Pen West award for Nonfiction, it was also chosen a Book of the Month Club Selection. Dr. Phibbs married Liana Fernandez de Castro in 1982. They shared their passions for literature, art and the outdoors until her death in 2011. Brendan was an active member of the ACLU, served on the National Board of the Audubon Society, volunteered with Tucson's Holocaust Education Committee, travelled to Navajo and Tohono O'odham American Indian communities to hold free cardiology clinics. Dr. Phibbs is survived by his brother, Roderic Phibbs, MD (Jane), their four sons, by his children, Susan Breznay (George), Henry Phibbs (Leslie Pedersen), Judith Phibbs, Hugh Phibbs (Joan Warburton), seven grandchildren and two spouses, two grandsons-in-law, two stepnieces and two stepnephews and their families and two great-grandchildren. A Memorial will be held in the Kiewit Auditorium at the Banner-University Medical Center in Tucson on Wednesday, March 30, 2016 at 4:30 p.m., and a celebration for friends and family will be held at Corona Ranch, 7595 E. Snyder Rd. in Tucson on Friday, April 1, 2016 at 3:00 p.m. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in Dr. Phibbs' memory to the University of Arizona Sarver Heart Center at P.O. Box 245018, Tucson, AZ 85724. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Avalon Chapel.
Fall and early winter rains relieved drought conditions in the Southwest, but also grew a lot of grasses that have cured in the abnormal heat and deficient rain of the last couple months.

Ive been at the fire station 17 years, and I havent seen it look as bad as it does right now, said Oracle Fire Chief Larry Southard.

Southard said the oak/manzanita grasslands of his district on the north side of the Santa Catalina Mountains are knee-high, contiguous and thick.

His department responded to three brush fires in February, a month that is normally pretty slow, he said.

Regionally, the fire danger is normal, according to a fire season prediction from the Southwest Coordination Center in Albuquerque, which manages wildland fire resources for New Mexico, Arizona and West Texas.

Exceptions to that prediction are in western Arizona and the southern portions of Arizona and New Mexico, where the same rains that relieved drought create loading and continuity of fine fuels. Those conditions point to above-normal fire danger, especially when winds and available fine fuels align, according to a March 11 report from the centers predictive services.

Wind and fuel aligned last week to spread the Baker Canyon Fire in a remote area of southeastern Arizona at the New Mexico line. The fire, which began about 28 miles northeast of Douglas, is still burning on land managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management, Arizona State Land and the Coronado National Forest. It has burned across 7,050 acres of brush and grasses.

One home and six outbuildings are threatened by the fire, which has crossed into New Mexico and is about 15 percent contained.

The U.S. Forest Service has already battled 11 fires this year on more than 8,000 acres of grassland in the Coronado National Forest, said spokeswoman Heidi Schewel.

She noted that the last fire of 2015 was on Dec. 26 and the first fire of 2016 broke out on Jan. 16. The new normal on the Coronado National Forest is that fire season is year-round, Schewel said.

The Coronado manages land on or adjacent to Southern Arizonas Sky Island mountain ranges, where fire danger in late spring and early summer is greatest in the high-altitude conifer forests. Now, those areas are still moist from winter precipitation and snow patches remain in the highest elevations, said Schewel.

In the grasslands, the danger is now. There are abundant fuels that have cured out at lower elevations, Schewel said.

This time of year, fires are usually assumed to be human-caused. Only one of the 11 fires on the Coronado this year was naturally caused  a lightning strike during an unusual winter thunderstorm.

In Oracle, all three February fires were of human origin, Southard said. Two were along roads where dragging tow chains, tire blowouts and discarded cigarettes are the usual culprits. The other fire resulted from backyard disposal of warm fireplace ashes, said Southard.

In addition to the usual warnings about responsibly tending campfires and cooking fires, officials are again promoting a one less spark campaign to prevent fires from starting.

Use situational awareness, said Schewel. There are no restrictions in place at the moment, but on a dry, windy day in the grasslands, fires can start easily with a dragging tow chain or even a lawn mower blade hitting a rock, she said.

After two months of temperatures well above normal and negligible rainfall, the grasslands are primed to burn.
It used to be a sort of hobby for Arizona legislators.

Theyd hear about some ungodly liberal thing going on in Bisbee, Tucson or Tempe, and theyd pass a law to prevent any Arizona city from doing it anymore.

Tucson held a gun-buyback program in January 2013 and moved to destroy the guns, for example. That spring, the Legislature quickly passed and the governor signed a bill mandating that cities resell any precious guns received in a buyback, not destroy them.

Pre-emption is what these bills are called, and it used to be plain legislative fun, a way for the GOP-led Legislature and governor to shut down ideas coming from Democrat-dominated cities.

You say you want to ban plastic bags? Then well ban cities from banning plastic bags! That was one of them.

Now, though, pre-emption has become a legislative obsession in Phoenix, their joie de vivre, their reason for being.

There were three pre-emption bills introduced in 2013, according to a count maintained by the Arizona League of Cities and Towns. That number went down to two in 2014, then jumped to nine in 2015.

This year, there have been 14 bills introduced intending to overrule cities self-governance. One would exempt some rental-property owners from paying local rental taxes. Another would make illegal any fees imposed by cities on pawn-shop transactions. Another would prohibit counties from imposing regulations not permitted by state law.

This Legislature, this session, is expressing the most hostilities to cities, towns and counties in my time as mayor, Tucson mayor Jonathan Rothschild told me Friday. I dont have a good sense of why.

Of the 14, four have been signed into law so far. SB 1487, which Gov. Doug Ducey signed March 17, is the granddaddy of all pre-emption bills.

That atomic bomb of a law allows any individual legislator to report to the state attorney general if that legislator believes a city ordinance or regulation violates state law. If the attorney general rules it does, and if the city doesnt address the problem within 30 days, then the city loses its state-shared revenue, which is redistributed to other cities.

If the city decides to fight the decision, it must post a bond equal to the value of state-shared revenue its received in the previous six months. To give a sense of the importance of this money source, it makes up $134 million, or about 27 percent, of the city of Tucsons general fund this year.

This was a ham-handed abuse of power, intended to turn even the slow-witted members of our Legislature into masters of all they survey. It also creates an unfair venue for deciding these conflicts when a perfectly acceptable one already exists: the courts.

This isnt to say pre-emption is never justified. Jonathan Paton, a former Republican state senator from Tucson, introduced several pre-emption bills while in the Legislature. He said they are often a necessary protection against local governments that are hard to fight.

At the city level, theres a whole host of regulations that are up against the small business and the city resident, he said. The only thing protecting them is the state constitution and state law.

He also noted that in the past, the cities have had strong lobbies that shot down many pre-emption bills. But now, even some of the Republican mayors and council members across the state are starting to get fed up with pre-emption excesses.

What possible hubris could drive one single legislator to think he or she has more wisdom than the local elected officials who have been chosen by the voters to govern their communities? three mayors  Mark Nexsen of Lake Havasu City, Jay Tibshraeny of Chandler and Mark Mitchell of Tempe  wrote in a letter requesting that Ducey veto the bill.

Nexsen and Tibshraeny are Republicans, Mitchell a Democrat.

They must be bored up there, Benson City Council member Chris Moncada, a Republican, told me. They delve into this stuff that has nothing to do with them.

If they want to run a city, they should run for city council.

Marana Mayor Ed Honea, a Republican with close ties to the legislative majority, told me he understands what they and the governor are trying to do by pre-empting cities who want to set their own business regulations or labor standards, such as minimum wages and paid sick leave. The idea is to make even, dependable regulations for businesses across Arizona.

But hes winced at some examples of overreach, such as when the state ordered cities like Marana not to hold elections in March and May.

We would like to have as much authority here as we can possibly can, Honea said. There are things the state wants to do  its just how far in the weeds does the state want to go?

Charter cities such as Tucson have some protection from the state. Our election procedures, for example, are up to us, courts have ruled. And some other power grabs by the state could be challenged in court. But newer municipalities such as Marana, Oro Valley and Sahuarita are not charter cities and are less likely to win a challenge.

All that is bad enough, but of course the states zeal for pre-emption also comes with heaping helpings of hypocrisy.

The most obvious example, a point that has been made many times to no avail, is that the Legislatures other obsession is complaining about federal government mandates and overreach. Theyre so upset by this that both houses have committees assigned to act on issues of federalism.

But their grasp of the importance of local control seems to end at the doors of the state Capitol. It does not extend to our far-flung city halls.

The other hypocritical point: The state itself is imposing unfunded mandates on the cities and counties at the same time it is trying to wrest the local governments power away. Legislators are even limiting the way cities and counties can raise revenue, while at the same time passing off more expenses on them.

The most notorious example is a change in the law governing how sales tax is collected. The Legislature ordered the state to take over collections of all municipal sales tax in 2013, but lawmakers still havent been able to create a system that works. The current estimate is that the state may be ready by the end of the year, Tucson finance director Silvia Amparano told me.

But in the meantime, the state has needed money to set up the collection system, and it has charged the municipalities for that. Last year, the city of Tucson was assessed $1.5 million to build this system it doesnt want and still cant use.

This is the breathless depth of the cynicism of the Legislatures power grab. It will charge cities for powers the state has taken away.

The rejection of diversity inherent in these moves is also breathtaking. On some issues, a city ought to be allowed to be different. To a constitutional extent, it ought to be allowed to reflect its local culture and experiment with new policies.

But the Legislature and governor have declared this year that they know better.

We all know how likely that is.
Becoming a math teacher in Arizona just got a little easier.

In an effort to address the shortage of qualified math teachers, the State Board of Education has opted to test an educators ability to teach foundational-level math courses only. Teachers will no longer need to demonstrate proficiency in trigonometry and calculus.

Last week, the board agreed to use California math exams while Arizona develops an assessment of its own for algebra, geometry and consumer math for grades six through 12. Those interested in teaching higher-level math courses would still be required to pass the states existing assessment.

School administrators suggested the change as they struggled to find qualified applicants to teach middle school and lower-level high school math courses.

While the Arizona Department of Education would prefer to hire educators who can teach at any level, concessions are being considered to ensure the state has enough qualified teachers, said ADE Associate Superintendent Cecilia Johnson.

The Tucson Unified School District, which has more than 100 vacant teaching positions, believes the change is much-needed.

I think its a very wise move, said TUSD Leader H.T. Sanchez. If you look at where most schools have vacancies in mathematics, its not in trigonometry and calculus, usually its in your algebra 1 level, algebra 2 level, also middle school mathematics levels  those tend to be the areas where you find people have a general knowledge of math and would do fine in those areas but maybe dont have an interest in teaching the upper-level trig and calculus.

In Texas, where Sanchez worked before coming to Tucson, proficiency tests in both math and science were divided by subject matter. During his tenure in Tucson, Sanchez has met several out-of-state teachers who are certified to teach foundational-level math but are discouraged by the way Arizonas assessment is structured.

When they take a look at our assessment here and they havent engaged in upper-level calc or trig in so long, they just dont take the test or they sidestep the state and choose to do something else somewhere else.

A similar struggle has been seen among science teachers, who are expected to be proficient in both life sciences and physical sciences. That means a biology teacher would have to be proficient in physics even if he or she never intends to teach that subject.

Whether the two science focuses can be split is something that will likely be reviewed next, Associate Superintendent Johnson said.

It would not be our desire to do that, but we understand we have a teacher shortage, so to be able to get effective, qualified educators we are looking at that option, she said.

Other compromises the state has had to make due to the teacher shortage include extending the length of time a substitute is allowed to serve in a school. Previously that could not exceed 120 days, but the state is now approving requests from school districts to retain subs for the entire school year.
The University of Arizona wants to become an oasis of tolerance in Tucson.

Amid student complaints of racism and homophobia on campus, school officials say they are stepping up efforts to make things better for minorities.

President Ann Weaver Hart has announced a new diversity task force to tackle student concerns, and the school is poised to hire a new six-figure administrator responsible for overseeing improvements.

Creating a more welcoming environment could give the UA a competitive advantage in the higher education marketplace, Provost Andrew Comrie said.

Institutions that embrace differences  in race, culture or sexual orientation, for example  often are more attractive to academics and high-achieving students, he said. And all stand to benefit from the cross-pollination of ideas that results from exposure to different perspectives.

It is well established that diversity in background, view and approach is absolutely key to achieving excellence in teaching and research, the provost said in a recent essay on a UA website.

More than 16,000 minority students attended the UA last year, close to 40 percent of the schools population. In the 1980s, by comparison, about 10 percent of UA students were minorities.

Diversity has been on the UAs radar for years  the school has given out annual diversity awards to its employees since the 1990s  and Comrie said the institution already is doing a pretty good job.

Even so, its not uncommon for black UA students to encounter the N-word on campus. Asian, Native American, Hispanic and transgender students also have reported episodes of discrimination or harassment from faculty members as well as fellow students. Some female students report similar problems.

Complaints surfaced early this year when UA faculty leaders conducted a listening tour with minority groups. And in November, several dozen black students held a protest for equality on the steps of Old Main.

Comrie said the schools latest push to address diversity issues was not in response to student protesters. It began about a year ago when he appointed an internal committee to start planning the effort, he said.

Final interviews are underway for a new vice provost who will serve as chief diversity officer and oversee efforts to improve. The salary for the job has yet to be determined, but UAs other two vice provosts make between $175,000 and $220,000. (See box)

Hart, in a statement last week announcing the diversity task force, called it the beginning of what I hope will be a comprehensive response to the concerns that our students have expressed.

My goal is to unify UA to work together to become a more inclusive, diverse and safe community, the president said.

UA faculty chair Lynn Nadel, who led the recent listening tour with minority students, is hopeful the effort will bear fruit.

We have the kind of culture at the UA that might allow us to do something good in this arena, Nadel said.

My sense is that from the president on down we are rolling up our sleeves, looking at this challenge as an opportunity to live up to our values.
The early history of the Globe-Miami district involved the development of large, low-grade, disseminated copper deposits.

The Miami smelter resulted from the need of refining the concentrates of the Miami Copper Co. and Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co. that operated mining properties in the area.

These porphyry copper deposits ores averaged 2.5 percent copper, including those from the Warrior Mine, Iron Cap Mine and Arizona Commercial Mine.

Early concentrates were sent to Cananea, Mexico, for smelting. However, the 1910 Mexican Revolution redirected ore shipments to the International Smelting and Refining Co.s smelter at Toole, Utah.

Rising output from local mines and the completion of the Miami and Inspiration mills demanded a local smelter. The International Smelting and Refining Co. purchased 32 acres from the Miami Copper Co. to erect a smelter. Work started in 1913 with the grading for a railroad connection and necessary steel building components.

Louis D. Ricketts, the consulting mining engineer for Inspiration Consolidated Copper Co., was credited with having designed and constructed the Miami smelter along with the Arizona Copper smelter at Clifton-Morenci and the Calumet and Arizona smelter in Douglas.

Ricketts Miami smelter design was focused on efficiency, with the ability to create wire bars from 97 percent of the copper in the concentrates. Additional precautions were taken in transport, including the use of closed cars and specially housed spreading beds and belt conveyors to prevent the loss of fine concentrates to the desert wind.

Dust recovery during the copper- roasting operation proved successful through the installment of two Cottrell electrostatic treaters, the first used in Arizona.

Blown in at a cost of $3 million in 1915, the Miami smelter has been a landmark. It has stood the test of time involving multiple expansions, renovations and upgrades.

The following year, the Miami-Inspiration-Globe area surpassed copper production in Bisbee.

Upon the closure of the Old Dominion smelter in 1924, Miamis International smelter assumed additional shipments, including those from the Arizona Commercial Mine.

Modifications within the next decade included a reverberatory furnace plant composed of four furnaces to further improve the smelting rate.

Acquired by Inspiration Consolidated Copper in 1960, the International smelter was expanded to handle heightened production including concentrates from the recently acquired Christmas Mine.

Copper production in 1962 reached 104.6 million pounds, the largest peacetime production at that point in the smelters history.

The smelter was updated in 1974 to meet Clean Air Act regulations. Cyprus Minerals Co. acquired the Miami open-pit mine and smelter in 1988, upgrading the smelter with an ISASMELT furnace during the early 1990s.

It was the first use of ISASMELT process in the United States. The ISASMELT process was developed to enhance the production of non-ferrous metals (not magnetic, corrosion-resistant metals lacking iron) such as copper, reducing copper-production costs while increasing smelting capacity.

Today, the Miami smelter, rod mill and open-pit mine are operated by Freeport-McMoran Copper & Gold Inc., producing 420 million pounds of copper and 725,000 tons of sulfuric acid annually used in the leach-solvent extraction-electrowinning (SX/EW process) of copper from oxidized ores and mine wastes.

It is one of only two smelters currently operating in Arizona. The other smelter is operated by ASARCO at Hayden.

The Miami smelter is the only one in the United States to receive the International Organization of Standardization (ISO) 9001:2000 certification for quality management.

The Miami smelter treats copper concentrates from Freeports mining operations in Arizona and New Mexico. It includes four Hoboken-style converters and one Inspiration converter.

Planned upgrades by 2017 to the smelter necessitated by recent EPA environmental regulations involve a company expenditure of $450 million. They include the ability to capture more than 99 percent of its SO2 emissions, while boosting copper production by 30 percent.
Golder Ranch firefighter Justin Lewis said of all the emergencies he sees, drownings and near-drownings are the worst because they so often involve a child.

And as the father of a boy with autism, Lewis knows children like his son are at greater risk due to their intense attraction to water.

Statistics show how deadly that fascination can be: Between 2009 and 2011, the National Autism Association reports, 91 percent of the deaths of children with Autism Spectrum Disorders were by drowning.

That statistic shocks people, said Lewis, who started Firefighters vs. Autism in 2013. The goal is not only to prevent drownings but to raise awareness about other issues families face, including one that provides a frightening connection to drowning: the tendency to wander.

A national study published in Pediatrics in 2012 shows that of more than 1,200 families surveyed who had a child with autism, about half of those kids had tried to wander away from safety  their home, school, a relatives house  at least once. And about half of the wanderers had narrow misses with drowning or other life-threatening occurrences, such as being hit by a car.

Lewis is trying to prevent such tragedies by perfecting Puzzle Alert, a notification system similar to Amber Alert.

Puzzle Alert will provide critical information about missing children and adults with autism that will go to subscribers across the United States and in Canada. His group hopes to launch the system in April.

Nationwide, he said, someone with autism goes missing every day.

He urges parents and caregivers to have people in the community learn about their children, such as how much they talk and how to reach the parents in case of an emergency.

Autism is the fastest growing childrens disability in America, said Nicole Glasner, executive director of the Autism Society of Southern Arizona, with current estimates at 1 in 64 Arizona children. That number is expected to increase later this month, when the Centers for Disease Control releases its latest findings.

Because many kids with autism are attracted to water, the Autism Society helped start the Sonoran Dolphin Swim Club, with classes provided by Saguaro Aquatics for children ages 3 to 5.

Tucson mother Amber Hester said her son loves the water and has since he was very young. She said swim lessons, tailored to children with special needs through Tucsons YMCA, have provided a wonderful outlet for him.

The numbers are just so shocking, she said of drowning deaths. It was one of my greatest fears. Just imagine being in a pool, unable to swim, and strip away your communication, your self-awareness and your familiarity with your own body.

Hester said she feels better knowing her son has become more skilled at swimming.

With autism, she said, its so hard to gauge what a child actually knows and is aware of.

Advocates know that its easy for children and adults with autism disorders to become overstimulated, Lewis said, so they are trying to help raise awareness among first responders.

Six big guys jumping off a firetruck and barreling into the house can cause someone with autism to quickly experience sensory overload, he said.

When we go through the fire academy, he said, we learn all about the heart and the lungs and the brain, but we dont learn anything about people with special needs.
OPINION: "To be sure, we have much more to accomplish at our borders, most notably by fixing our dysfunctional immigration system. But the pending progress on border infrastructure through port modernization is a monumental achievement and a big part of the picture that needs to be taken ful
When kids are acting out and not focusing at school, the problem might be grief.

Based on demand and the prevalence of local young people who have lost a loved one, the Tucson-based nonprofit Tu Nidito Children & Family Services this month began offering a new, free grief-education program.

The one-hour session is geared toward employees at community agencies, schools or any adult who works closely with children and teens.

One in nine Americans loses a parent by the time they are 20 years old, according to research by the Virginia-based nonprofit Comfort Zone Camp, which provides childhood bereavement camps.

Other children may suffer the loss of a friend, a sibling, or another close family member.

It could be that a teacher died in the middle of the school year. Or a high schooler died by suicide. Or a parent died years ago. Tu Nidito officials frequently respond to all those types of scenarios, which is why they are hoping community grief education will be helpful.

When the adults around a grieving child dont notice or intervene, that childs future is at risk, experts say.

EXPERIENCING GRIEF

The grief program, designed by Tu Nidito community impact manager Amanda Marks, aims to promote awareness and understanding of childrens grief over losing someone to death. Tu Nidito will go out to agencies or have people attend sessions at its central Tucson location at 3922 N. Mountain Ave.

Children grieve differently than adults, Marks said during a recent session attended by local school counselors and social workers. And shes talking about all kids from infants to 18-year-olds.

Teenagers may look like adults, but they are still children and need unique and focused attention when they go through a loss, said Marks, who is a licensed social worker.

For one thing, kids will typically grieve in different ways throughout their developmental stages. So a child may begin acting out years after a loved one has died because as they mature they are re-experiencing grief in a new way, Marks said.

Grief is not linear. It lasts for a as long as it lasts, Tu Nidito officials say.

Its not that a school subject isnt interesting to them. You just never know, Marks said. It could be the anniversary of their dads death. It could have happened six years ago but the child has hit a new developmental milestone.

THREE TASKS OF GRIEVING

Kids may also regress and wet the bed or insist on sleeping with a parent because of a death.

Anyone in the community can become aware of the milestones and be better equipped to support that child, Marks said.

The session takes participants through what Tu Nidito officials have identified as three main tasks children face as they grieve. The tasks were developed from Harvard psychologist J. William Wordens often-cited Four Tasks of Mourning.

The three childrens tasks identified by Tu Nidito: The child wants to understand what has happened when a significant loss has occurred; the child wants to express their feelings about loss; and the child wants to continue to live fully in the present and open up to the future.

NO CHILD GRIEVES ALONE

Tu Nidito, which has a motto of, No Child Grieves Alone, has a sole focus of supporting children, teens and families who are grieving the death of a loved one or are facing a serious medical diagnosis.

The name Tu Nidito means your little nest in Spanish and refers to the 20-year-old organizations aim of providing a safe place for kids.

Its quite often that I see children endure deaths in the family. Where I am a counselor there are lots ot tatas, nanas, tios and tias, a lot of extended family, said Ed Rothlisberger, a counselor in the Tucson Unified School District who attended a recent grief education session taught by Marks.

We have to help them out. It is hard to focus on schoolwork when they are grieving. We need resources for kids.

Preparing herself with tools and information she will inevitably need in her career is why TJ Von Isser, a social work intern at Mission View Elementary School, attended the session.

She values knowing the services the agency provides in the community, including at local Boys and Girls Clubs. And Von Isser was impressed with the agencys approach to handling grief in children through peer support and play rather than adult-child talk therapy.

Im here for information gathering, knowing how to support children when the topic comes up, Von Isser said.

Nearly 70 percent of teachers in the U.S. has at least one student in their class who has lost a parent, guardian, sibling, or close friend in the past year, a 2012 study by the New York Life Foundation and the American Federation of Teachers found. That same study found only seven percent of the teachers surveyed had received bereavement training.

Failure to address a childs grief can result in devastating outcomes like delinquent behavior, alcoholism, incarceration, running away and mental health issues, experts say.

AVOID PASSED AWAY

Anyone old enough to love is old enough to grieve, said Marks. She said infants younger than six months old can sense an absence.

She urges adults to be truthful when they talk about death and to stay away from more vague terms like passed away. Use more concrete words like dead, and a clear explanation, like their body stopped working, she advises.

Admit it when you dont know the answer, and empower children by involving them in the dying and mourning process. That means describing in detail what to expect at a funeral, for example, and giving children the option of being there, Marks said. Tell them how many people will be there and how long will it last. Its all about giving them choices, Marks said.

She also teaches reflective listening.

They are more looking to be heard than for an answer, Marks said. They need a safe place where their answer is okay.
AUSTIN, Texas  The Dell Match Play has produced a semifinal that is almost bigger than Texas.

Even without Jordan Spieth.

Jason Day powered his way to two victories Saturday to assure that he will return to No. 1 in the world.

But this is no time to celebrate. His reward is a semifinal showdown against defending champion Rory McIlroy, who ran his unbeaten streak to 12 matches and needs two more to join Tiger Woods as the only back-to-back winners. This is only the second time the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds have met in the semifinals since the Match Play began in 1999. They are the last two winners of this event.

Play away, please.

I expect it to be very, very tough and very stressful out there, Day said. And thats the stuff I enjoy.

Day and McIlroy have never met in match play.

Id love to play Jason, McIlroy said. Id really relish it. Hes playing really well at the minute, coming off a win last week. Id be really up for it. Its a big match.

Spieth, who led the Texas Longhorns to an NCAA title in 2012 and had the gallery on his side all week, wont be around for all the excitement.

He lost his fourth-round match to Louis Oosthuizen, and then he lost the No. 1 ranking when Day advanced to the semifinal. Spieth was more concerned about how his swing got out of sorts than losing the No. 1 ranking.

To be honest, it could be a good thing for me going into the Masters, he said.

Day and McIlroy were all square going to the back in their matches. Day won two of the first three holes to pull away from Brooks Koepka, closing him out on the 16th hole. McIlroy ran off four birdies in six holes for a 4-and-3 victory over Chris Kirk.

Its been a bit of an up and down week, especially emotionally, said Day, who considered withdrawing when his back seized up on him after his first match of the week. Its been quite amazing to be able to start the week, not really thinking Im going to be able to play with what happened Wednesday, and then turn around and Im No. 1 in the world. Its a strange feeling. Im glad I stuck it out.

Oosthuizen, who eliminated Spieth with a 4-and-2 victory in the morning, took advantage of Dustin Johnsons blunders in the quarterfinals to win, 2 and 1. Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain also advanced to the semifinals by beating Ryan Moore, 2 and 1.

Oosthuizen and Day are the only semifinalists who have yet to play the 18th hole in competition at Austin Country Club.

I didnt make it very hard on Louis today, which is unfortunate, said Spieth, who lost holes with three bogeys and a double bogey. I was off from when I hit my first 10 shots on the range. Ive had incredible control of the ball this week and of my wedges. Im not exactly sure what happened.

There were 11 Americans in the round of 16 at the start of the day, none at the end of it. This is the first time since 2010 that no Americans advanced to the semifinals.

Day has played the fewest holes this week  69 holes over five rounds  helped by an ill Paul Casey pulling out after six holes on Thursday.

Day squared the match against Koepka on the eighth hole, pulled ahead with a birdie on No. 10 and then hit out of the bunker to about 20 feet for an eagle that was conceded to go 2 up. Koepka never won another hole.

McIlroys toughest work came in the morning against Zach Johnson, who battled McIlroy to the very end. McIlroy was leading 1 up when he hit wedge to 3 feet on the 18th that seemingly wrapped up the match, except that Johnson made a 20-foot birdie putt and McIlroy had to roll in his birdie to win.
Help India!

New Delhi : The union cabinet, headed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, met here on Saturday evening to discuss all possibilities, including Presidents Rule, in the hill state of Uttarakhand.

The cabinet meet was called after a BJP delegation met President Pranab Mukherjee and sought his intervention to dismiss the state government.

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Earlier in the day, Congress rebel legislators released a sting video of Chief Minister Harish Rawat which, they alleged, showed him indulging in horse-trading to save his government.

The sting showed the chief minister allegedly offering money to legislators to vote for his government in the vote of confidence mandated by Governor K.K. Paul before March 28.

Releasing the video, rebel Congress lawmaker Harak Singh Rawat said the chief minister was trying to bribe the nine rebel Congress legislators as well as as few of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). He also alleged that the rebels have been receiving life threats.
Item numbers have become a common phenomenon and a great selling proposition for Bollywood movies and looks like King Khan Shah Rukh Khan himself is going all out to make sure Raees captures all the required attention. A special set has been erected for the item number in Shah Rukhs upcoming Bollywood movie Raees. The song will feature Sunny Leone alongside the star. The actress has been famous for her item numbers in movies like Shootout at Wadala with the song Laila and Pink Lips in Hate Story 2.

Shah Rukh Khan who recently turned 50 will be seen dancing with Sunny in the item song which is a revisited version of 1980s blockbuster hit Laila O Laila from the classic movie Qurbaani.

Reports claim that the item song is a dance track and shall be featured in the Film itself and will not be shown during end credits like the song Lungi Dance from Chennai Express was.

The set for the song is that of an old retro bar and the situation in the song is that the bar sells alcohol under the name of soft drinks. This is the bar when Sunny Leone is seen dancing. Raees is directed by Rahul Dholakia and is set in 1980s Gujarat. The movie is about Shah Rukh Khans character who is a bootlegger whose business is eventually raided and shut down by police officer played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui.

The item song will be huge and will be reportedly shot in a span of four days with 50 junior artists and 20 dancers.

This song will be the first time where Sunny Leone will share the screen with Bollywoods biggest star Shah Rukh Khan. Sunnys face off with a journalist in a rude interview resulted into a lot of support being showered on her for her calm , cool and composed replies to the rude questions thrown at her. Everyone in the Bollywood industry from Amir Khan to Alia Bhatt was seen tweeting her their support.

Raees is slated to release on Eid 2016 and marks the Bollywood debut of Pakistani actress Mahira Khan and is produced by none other than Gauri Khan, Ritesh Sidhwani and Farhan Akhtar.
President Xi Jinping's visit to the Czech Republic is of both "strategic and pragmatic" significance as it it is designed to lift political trust to a new level and seek synergies to meet each other's agenda and economic priorities, according to China's Ambassador to the Czech Republic, Ma Keqing.

"Based on my understanding of the status quo of the bilateral relationship and the detailed arrangements of this visit by President Xi, it will be a trail-blazing event for both sides," said Ma during an exclusive interview with China Daily before Xi's departure.

The Czech Republic is the only country that Xi will visit before he attends the World Nuclear Security Summit in Washington. Czech President Milos Zeman visited China last September, and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka visited last November.

Ma said that during the recent two years, the bilateral relationship has been developing at an "accelerating pace" with more frequent high-level dialogue, unprecedented active trade and investment activity and growing people-to-people exchanges. "Our relations are in the best era ever," she said during the interview at the Chinese embassy in Prague.

Ma said Xi's visit is the first one by a Chinese president since the two sides established diplomatic ties, and his first trip to Central and Eastern Europe since he was elected president in 2013.

It is his first visit to Europe this year; he visited Western Europe in 2014 and 2015.

"So this visit has attracted a lot of attention from the Czech Republic and the rest of Europe," said Ma.

"It will become a landmark visit to boost the relationship with Central and East European countries and a kickoff visit to deepen Sino-EU relations this year."

Ma also said the visit aims to boost pragmatic cooperation between the two countries by jointly seeking synergies of each other's mega-projects by implementing China's Belt and Road Initiative.

"The Czechs have responded actively to echo with President Xi's Belt and Road Initiative to boost connectivity and treated it as a chance to take on China's train of development and further stimulate its economy," said Ma.

Last November, when Prime Minister Sobotka visited Beijing, both sides signed an agreement on cooperation over the Belt and Road Initiative. And it is expected that both sides will sign a document on an action plan to further deepen cooperation in this regard during Xi's visit.

Following Pakistan, Indonesia, Russia, UK, France, Hungary, Poland and other countries, the Czech Republic is expected to become one of the new forerunners to join China's Belt and Road Initiative, which President Xi proposed more than three years ago. Official figures have shown that more than 70 countries have agreed to join this initiative, and more than 30 countries have signed cooperation documents.

"The Czech Republic is a European power in terms of manufacturing and industry and there is great potential for both sides to work together to improve connectivity," said Ma.

Ma said the Czech Republic has also proposed making Prague China's financial center in Central and Eastern Europe, which, Ambassador Ma says, is welcomed by the Chinese side.

Ma said China is willing to deepen financial cooperation, using each other's currencies for trade and investment, and discuss the feasibility of setting up a renminbi settlement mechanism in Prague.

"It is necessary to set up such a settlement mechanism as the trade and investment activities between China and the countries in Central and East Europe are rapidly growing," said Ma.

Ma said she is very confident that both sides could deliver on deeper cooperation in different areas because strong political will, vision and courage have worked as foundations.

"At the same time, the people of both sides have already boosted mutual understanding, and the recent poll in the Czech Republic has shown that more than 70 percent of Czechs support further development of bilateral relationship," said Ma. "Czechs in all walks of life and myself have been full of expectations towards Xi's visit."

Contact the writer at fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
President Xi Jinping's historic visit to the Czech Republic, starting on Monday, is expected to "renew and energize" bilateral ties, with the planned signing of more than 20 cooperative documents.

The 49-hour trip will be the first state visit by a Chinese president both to the Czech Republic and former Czechoslovakia since 1949, when the People's Republic of China was founded.

Xi is scheduled to meet Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka, witness the signing of cooperative documents, attend a press conference, talk with Senate chairman Milan Stech and Chamber of Deputies Chairman Jan Hamacek, and meet with businesspeople.

The delegation will meet Zeman at the Lany chateau, west of Prague, where the two presidents together will plant a tree, according to information released by the Czech Presidential Office. Xi will be the first foreign president welcomed at the Lany chateau, the countryside residence of the Czech president.

In an article published in the Pravo daily on March 26, Xi called on joint work "to renew and energize the development of China-Czech ties and usher in a bright new era of China-Central and Eastern European countries cooperation and China-EU relations".

"As people say in China, a tree can grow tall only when its roots are strong. China and the Czech Republic should consider upgrading the bilateral relationship in due time," Xi said in the article.

The release of a joint declaration of strategic partnership will be the main result of the visit. A number of memorandums of cooperation in investment, finance, aviation and healthcare are expected to be signed. Zeman has said previously that he expected Chinese investments worth 45 billion crowns ($1.84 billion).

The declaration will include enhancement of cooperation in the sphere of finances, including the Czech Republic's interest in becoming a center for Chinese financial institutions in the region, the Czech News Agency reported.

Vaclav Klaus, former president of the Czech Republic, told China Daily that Xi's visit is "of historic meaning", which has shown both sides are serious about developing the relationship.

"Now it is for us to keep closer ties with China," he said.

In a story published on its website early this month, Radio Prague commented that the Czech Republic is "looking to finally get a bigger slice of the Chinese investment cake after long lagging behind neighbors such as Poland and Hungary".

Ma Keqing, the Chinese ambassador to the Czech Republic, said that Xi's visit will be a landmark occasion to boost relations with Central and Eastern European countries.

According to the ambassador, China is willing to deepen financial cooperation, encourage the use of each other's currencies in trade and investment, and engage in talks on the feasibility of setting up a renminbi settlement mechanism in Prague.

Contact the writers at anbaijie@chinadaily.com.cn and fujing@chinadaily.com.cn
Italy escalates alert after Brussels terror attacks Updated: 2016-03-27 03:41 (Xinhua)

An Italian masked police officer patrols in St. Mark's square in the Venice lagoon, Italy, March 24, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

ROME -- Italy has deported nine possible terror extremists since the start of the year and raised its security level to the second degree, the highest possible in the absence of a direct attack following the Brussels tragedy.

All the measures taken in Italy indicated that the country had escalated alert on possible assault after the Paris terror shootings last November.

According to Interior Minister Angelino Alfano, a total of 75 were expelled from Italy in 2015.

He said a Moroccan man, the former president of an Islamic center in Chieti, a central Italian city, was deported on Thursday because the man was "known for his fundamentalist stance" and expressed a desire "to go and fight in Syria" on several occasions.

An Iraqi man, identified by France and Belgium as having links to terrorist groups, was arrested near Naples on Tuesday, just hours after attacks in Brussels which killed 31 people and injured some 300.

In the hours following the three blasts of March 22 in the Belgian capital, European countries reinforced their own security measures with checks and inspections at national borders and airports.

Italy incremented such screenings in its whole territory, extending the guard to all the main sensitive points mapped across the country.

Right after the Brussels blasts, Italy held an emergency meeting of the national public order and security committee.

Alfano said at a press conference that besides the strict coordination between the police forces and the Italian intelligence services, the priority for intervention would be given to three directions: upgrading of controls and scans at airports and maritime ports; boosting of the surveillance on the Internet about the level of probable consensus expressed on the web (among targeted extremist environments), raised by the recent attacks; intensification of the expulsions of radicalized persons, whose actions in Italy had been in any case monitored.

In Tuesday afternoon, Rome airports of Fiumicino and Ciampino, Milan Linate and Malpensa, the main railway stations as well as the other basic infrastructures were protected by an increased presence of police personnel.

The greatest worry of the Italian authorities consists in the safeguard of the Easter rites, which, in 2016, coincide with the Jubilee Year.
UN chief to help Iraq overcome financial crisis, fight IS Updated: 2016-03-27 04:18 (Xinhua)

UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon (2nd R) arrives at Baghdad International Airport in Baghdad, capital of Iraq, on March 26, 2015. The UN chief is scheduled to attend the parliamentary session on Saturday. [Photo/Xinhua]

BAGHDAD -- United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday paid an official visit to Baghdad, aiming at showing the international community's support to the Iraqi government to confront economic crisis and fight against the Islamic State (IS).

The UN chief, who was accompanied by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Ahmad al-Madani, was received at the Baghdad airport by Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, and the two sides held a meeting before heading to the office of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

In a joint news conference by Abadi, Ban and the two bank chiefs, Abadi welcomed the visiting top officials and said their visit was aimed at assisting Iraq in its war against the IS, and also to help Iraq overcome the ordeal of the acute fall of oil prices.

"I heard from the visiting top officials that there are plans by the international community to help Iraq, and the plans will kick off next week," Abadi told reporters without giving further details.

After his meetings with Abadi and Jaafari, Ban said "our visit were successful, and we have held positive dialogues with the prime minister and the foreign minister, in which we have discussed issues of security, politics, economy and human rights in Iraq."

Ban urged the Iraqi government to step up reconciliation efforts between the Iraqi factions to close the ranks in fighting against the IS, in particular the Sunni community who say they were marginalized by the Shiite-led government.

"National reconciliation is an important part of the strategy to defeat the IS, who have ruthlessly exploited divisions and targeted the marginalized and disenfranchised," Ban said.

The World Bank chief told reporters that "more economic and administrative reforms are needed to restore stability to the areas that are liberated from the IS," adding that the World Bank has allocated 250 million dollars for this purpose.

The IDB chief also said the Islamic Bank "will be supportive and cooperative with the government reform program," asserting that it "will play a substantial role in rebuilding the areas freed from the IS."

After the news conference, Ban, Jim and Madani paid a visit to the Iraqi parliament in the Green Zone in central Baghdad, and attended a session chaired by the Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, said a statement issued by the parliament media office.
Tagging it as the "most important diplomatic event" in years, the Czech Republic's leading politicians and statesmen extended their warmest welcome to President Xi Jinping, who is paying the first visit by a Chinese president to Prague in 67 years of diplomatic relations.

During interviews with China Daily prior to Xi's departure, former Czech president Vaclav Klaus, former prime ministers Jiri Paroubek and Jiri Rusnok and former foreign minister Jan Kohout, an adviser to Czech President Milos Zeman on China affairs, have all expressed their delight and optimism at the visit.

Klaus said Xi's visit has a "historic meaning" and is the "logical development" of the situation, which has shown both sides are serious in developing the strategic relationship.

"This visit is significant for us and also China should feel it is in its strategic interest in developing such high-profile relations with a European country like the Czech Republic," said Klaus.

Czech president from 2003-13, and prime minister before that, Klaus set up a research institute in Prague on global affairs after he left the presidential palace.

Klaus has visited China several times, and now it is only logical, he said, for his country to start to engage with China more.

In 1993, the country that was Czechoslovakia split in what was called the "Velvet Divorce". Klaus said it was natural that the new Czech Republic should develop sound relations with its close neighbors first and so it has been relatively inward-looking. Trade with European countries accounts for nearly 80 percent of its total, but it is time to expand. "Now it is up to us to develop closer ties with China as well," he said.

Calling Xi the "Father of the Belt and Road Initiative", Kohout, who was twice foreign minister, said about the initiative that "China is not pushing each country to join, and China is not putting pressure on. This is mutual. It is up to every county to decide."

"We are focusing on highways, high-speed trains and infrastructural projects and also on soft projects. This is what we aim for. But right now, we are looking forward to President Xi Jinping's visit, which is historic for us," said Kohout.

Ten years ago, when Jiri Paroubek was prime minister, he was visionary enough to fly to Beijing and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao to strengthen business relations.

"I am very happy with this change (closer ties with China), following my talks with the Chinese leadership to consider a strategic partnership 10 years ago," said Paroubek.

He appreciated the "courage and vision" of leaders of both countries to upgrade the relationship to a strategic level and President Xi Jinping's visit will be warmly welcomed and bring tremendous changes to the bilateral relationship's development.

Paroubek said his country is ready to cooperate with China, especially in boosting bilateral trade. He boasts that industrial competitiveness in the Czech Republic is very strong and the quality of its products compares to those made in Germany.

"We have the same quality but our prices are lower. So we need to catch up to boost imports to China.''

Paroubek also believed it is hugely important to boost the Beijing-Brussels relationship but, he believed, on many fronts Brussels is heavily influenced by Washington.

"We can see the European Union lacks independence as some of its policies, such as those on refugees, the Ukraine crisis and relations with Russia, are influenced by the United States," said Paroubek.

As to China's market economy status, Paroubek says the European Union should recognize this as well as China's economic contribution globally and its contribution to European development. "The West should know these very well and recognize them," said Paroubek. "But for some reason, the United Sates is still exerting an influence over the European Union."

Former prime minister Jiri Rusnok also said it is time for his country to catch up to deepen cooperation in "all areas", following the steps of European peers, such as Germany and the UK.

"In many, many areas, the bilateral relationship is not as good as it could be. Many of our peers are much more advanced in this aspect," said Rusnok, who will soon be his country's central bank chief.

The visit, he stressed, is extremely important for the Czech Republic, and it proves the bilateral relationship is enjoying its best time ever.

"I am sure this will boost our relationship in all areas," said Rusnok, adding that the relationship will be deepened from business to culture, health, education, research, transport to science cooperation.

Sitting in his office in Prague, Rusnok highlighted the potential of ties and pointed out that Hungary, Poland and Western European powers such as Germany, France and the UK have already set up strategic cooperation partnerships with China.

"So it seems we are catching up on something we missed in recent decades and I welcome the progress made by my president and prime minister during the last two or three years," he said.
That democratizing impulse has always been part of Jewish Renewal, which Reb Zalman described as a new "turning" of Hasidism. Reb Zalman, z"l, reached deep into the treasure trove of our tradition. He translated prayers and teachings and experiences into a vernacular designed to reach people where they are. Today it is his students, and their students, who carry on that holy service of connecting seekers with our tradition and with God.

The Baal Shem Tov taught that access to God didn't depend on mastery of Talmud. He taught that God is available to all of us, no matter who we are or what we know. For the Baal Shem, connection with God was for everyone. Deep spirituality was for everyone. Jewish joy was for everyone. As the idea of being a nation of priests expands the hereditary priesthood to the whole community, the Baal Shem's teachings expanded God-connection to the community of all who yearn.

Here we are on Shabbat, the seventh day, reading about the ancient priests and their seven-day ritual. And maybe this ritual feels distant and foreign to us, as maybe the priesthood itself feels distant and foreign to us. But Torah also teaches ( Exodus 19 :6) that the hereditary priesthood of old isn't the only kind of priesthood. The whole community of Israel is instructed to be a  , a nation of priests. The priesthood wasn't just for them or for then. All of us are called into holy service. Shabbat, as the seventh day, is the day of smicha for everyone: the completion of readiness for holy service.

My ordination as a rabbi, the seal on years of study, happened on a single day -- but the ordination of Aaron and his sons as priests lasted for seven. Seven is a meaningful number for us. Think of the six days of creation culminating in the seventh day which is Shabbat, or the seven colors of the rainbow, or the seven weeks of the Omer between Pesach and Shavuot. The Hebrew word for seven, , contains the same root letters as the verb meaning to swear an oath or make a covenant. With seven days of ordination, Aaron and his sons entered into a covenant of service to the children of Israel and to God.

When I received smicha from ALEPH , my teachers placed their hands on me as they spoke the words which transformed me into a rabbi. I experienced the press of their hands as a conduit for the transmission of wisdom and blessing. Afterward the only thing I could compare it to was the birth of my son: a feeling of yielding to a great transformative process which was rewriting me from the inside out.

This week's Torah portion includes a description of the smicha (ordination) of Aaron and his sons -- the first ancient Israelite priests. The word smicha comes from a root meaning "to lean," as in the laying-on of hands. Aaron and his sons place their hands on a ram, which is then slaughtered. Blood from the ram is painted along their ears, thumbs, and big toes, perhaps representing the charge to seek holiness in all that they hear, in all that their hands create, and in every place where they walk.

And that holy service involves a lot of inner work -- or it should. Reb Zalman taught about this in his workshop on Spiritual Leadership in the summer of 1996. (Coincidentally, summer of 1996 was the last time I was blessed to be here in Vancouver!) That workshop was a weeklong meditation on what he called "rebbecraft." Being a rebbe, he taught, isn't just about the external, visible stuff but about what a rebbe does on the inside, in working on her- or him-self, in order to serve.

For Reb Zalman, rebbe was not a fixed identity, but a relational role. One who serves as rebbe shouldn't be locked into that role -- indeed, it's better both for the rebbe and for the community if the rebbe is also able to slip out of the role and be an ordinary person who eats sushi and watches television, or has a day job, or writes poetry in her spare time. Rebbe is a temporary state. And like the angels in our morning liturgy who give each other permission to pray, we give each other permission to serve in that capacity -- and to serve when we aren't in the rebbe role, too.

There's a great story about how Reb Zalman used to host gatherings around his Shabbes tisch. (Some of you here experienced this; as a student of his students, I know it only as lore.) He would sit in the Rebbe Chair at the head of the table and give over Torah. And then he would rise, and everyone would move one seat to the left, and then someone new would be in the rebbe chair, both literally and metaphorically. Someone else would get to be the rebbe -- and Reb Zalman would get to be the hasid. "These are temporary roles," he said; they are roles "that we assume for the benefit of that mutuality which we try and create."

For the benefit of that mutuality, we are called to be a    , a nation of priests and a holy people. No less than Aaron, we are called to holy service. Maybe that service takes the form of being rebbe sometimes. Maybe that service takes the form of opening the riches of our tradition to those who thirst. Maybe that service takes the form of leading davenen, or teaching chant, or facilitating a spiritual direction relationship in which divine flow can be discerned. Maybe that service takes the form of tending to our planet as a living Temple where the presence of holiness is manifest. Maybe that service takes the form of feeding the hungry, clothing the naked, providing loving care for the sick.

Jewish Renewal, like the expressions of Hasidism which came before us, teaches that direct experience of the Holy One of Blessing is available to all of us. There's no way we can "repay" God for that. But we can respond to that flow of shefa, that flow of blessing and abundance, by keeping our channels open and seeking to pass on that flow to others. We can seek to listen in a way that is holy, to build structures both physical and metaphysical in a way that is holy, to walk on paths of righteousness in a way that is holy.

In this week's Torah portion, Aaron and his sons have their earlobes painted with blood as an embodied bracha for holy listening. David and I are here in Vancouver this weekend to listen to all of you. We're dedicating the first year-and-a-bit of our term as chairs of ALEPH to the holy work of receptive listening. We're doing this listening via zoom videoconference calls and email correspondence, via coffee dates and conference sessions, and via Shabbatonim like this one where we hold open mike sessions to harvest hopes and dreams from the community. We want to know what ALEPH and Jewish Renewal mean to you. We want to know how ALEPH has served you well -- and also how ALEPH has let you down. We want to hear your stories, your frustrations, and your visions for what Jewish Renewal might yet become.

In this week's Torah portion, Aaron and his sons have their thumbs painted with blood as an embodied bracha for holy building. David and I are here in Vancouver this weekend to dream big and build with all of you. Just a few weeks ago we completed the cycle of Torah readings describing the construction of the mishkan, the place where God's presence dwelled with and within the children of Israel. ALEPH is like that mishkan, built with the freewill offerings and loving craftsmanship of the community. ALEPH can be a holy container for the presence of the Divine. And just as Aaron and his sons were consecrated to serve in that mishkan, all of us here today have the opportunity of dedicating ourselves to sacred service. We want to know what forms that service might take. David spoke last night about keeping our spiritual fires burning: what holy flames are burning in you?

And in this week's Torah portion, Aaron and his sons have their big toes painted with blood as an embodied bracha for holy walking. David and I are here in Vancouver this weekend to walk with all of you. We are blessed this morning with the presence of Rabbi Daniel Siegel, your founding spiritual leader, who taught us halakha when we were in rabbinic school. Halakha doesn't just mean "the law." Halakha is a perennial conversation between past and present, between reality and hope. Halakha is our Jewish way of walking. Just as the feet of Aaron and his sons were consecrated to walk on holy paths, so we seek to consecrate our feet by the act of walking with you for this short time -- and continuing to walk alongside you even once we have returned home again. Because even when we're not physically co-present, we remain fellow travelers.

The work of his hour -- the work of dreaming, and visioning, and building, the next turning of Jewish Renewal -- belongs to all of us. It always has. That's the nature of , renewal: if it isn't constantly being renewed, it fails to live up to its name. We want you to help us renew.

May we truly be a nation of priests. May we empower each other to be sometimes hasid, and sometimes rebbe. May our shoulders feel the imprint of the generations before us as they transmit their wisdom and their love. May our ears hear for the sake of good, may our hands build for the sake of God, may our feet lead us in paths of righteousness. And may our service bring joy to us, to the Holy One, and to the world.

Deep thanks to the community of Or Shalom for honoring R' David and me with the opportunities to help lead davenen and to offer divrei Torah at Kabbalat Shabbat and Shabbat morning services.
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Field is exhausted in southern Ninh Thuan Province. The Government should offer policy support for rice farmers in chronically drought-stricken areas, enabling them to switch to other crops.  Photo dantri.com.vn

HCM City  The Government should offer policy support for rice farmers in chronically drought-stricken areas, enabling them to switch to other crops, a conference to review the 2015-16 winter-spring crop in the south-central and Central Highlands provinces heard.

Farmers need such policies to feel secure, Nguyen uc Hoa, deputy chairman of the Binh Thuan Province Peoples Committee, which hosted the conference, was quoted as saying in Thoi bao Kinh Te Viet Nam (Viet Nam Economic Times) newspaper.

Since the 2014 summer-autumn rice crop, drought has been a regular occurrence in south-central coastal provinces like Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa. This year the drought has appeared earlier, hitting the winter-spring crop, and is likely to worsen by the time of the summer-autumn crop.

According to the Crop Production Department, with the drought and a reduction in the cropped area, the 2015-16 winter-spring crop is likely to see output fall by 129,000 tonnes year-on-year to 1.8 million tonnes.

To cope with the drought, the department has urged the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development to instruct farmers to plant earlier this year.

Because of El Nino, high temperatures set in very early on a wide area and rainfall was 15  30 per cent lower than average; there was no rain at all in some places, Nguyen Van Hoa, deputy head of the Department, said.

This has severely affected agriculture in south-central and Central Highlands provinces.

Statistics show that around 177,000ha in these provinces suffer from severe drought, including 167,000ha in the Central Highlands.

The drought will continue and affect the next crop this year, Hoa added.

Quang Nam, Quang Ngai, and Binh inh provinces have advanced their cultivation schedule by 10 days to limit the impacts of the drought at the end of the crop. However, Binh Thuan, Ninh Thuan, and Khanh Hoa provinces have been unable to do that due to the effect of last years drought and a late harvest.

The Central Highlands provinces of Kon Tum, Gia Lai, and ak Lak started planting as early as the end of last year.

The department encouraged farmers and local authorities to cultivate short- and very-short-term rice strains to avoid the impacts of the drought.

According to the Irrigation General Department, the dry season started in December 2015 and will end in June in the south-central region and in April in the Central Highlands.

Reservoirs in these provinces have mostly run out of water, causing shortages for both daily use and irrigation.

The Government has agreed to provide VN500 billion (US$23 million) to 34 provinces to fight the drought, Nguyen Van Tinh, deputy head of the Irrigation General Department, said.

We are considering using the money to drill wells, dig ponds and transport water. - VNS
Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong receives Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan in Ha Noi on March27.  VNA/VNS Photo Tri Dung

HA NOI (VNS)  Viet Nam wants to co-operate with China to sustain peace and stability in the East Sea on the basis of respecting mutual interests and abiding by international law, Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong said on March 27 in a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Chang Wanquan in Ha Noi.

Chang has been on a three-day visit to Viet Nam, which ends on March28.

General Secretary Trong also suggested that the neighbouring nations continue organising high-level meetings and carrying out defence co-operation mechanisms - like the Defence Policy Dialogue and joint patrols on the Tonkin Gulf and along the borders - in order to further strengthen bilateral ties.

Chang said China highly values its relationship and comprehensive strategic co-operative partnership with Viet Nam, and that the Chinese army would co-operate with the Vietnamese army to peacefully and stably promote the bilateral relationship. On the same day, Minister of National Defence General Phung Quang Thanh and his Chinese counterpart, Chang Wanquan, candidly discussed the sea dispute that has affected relations between Viet Nam and China.

The two ministers stressed that the two sides will continue to handle the issue through peaceful and friendly dialogues on the basis of regulations and mechanisms defined by international law, including the 1982 UN Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

They agreed the two sides will exert all efforts to seek fundamental and long-term solutions acceptable to both sides, abide by agreements reached by the two countries high-ranking leaders, strictly observe the principles and spirit of the Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the East Sea (DOC) and work towards a Code of Conduct in the East Sea (COC).

The two defence ministers agreed that the two armies should exercise restraint, keep control of the situation, avoid conflicts and avoid threats to use force.

The two sides also vowed to strengthen their bilateral affiliation in a pragmatic, effective, stable and sustainable fashion, thus making defence co-operation one of the pillars of the traditional solidarity and friendship between the two countries.

Minister Phung Quang Thanh emphasised that Minister Changs visit was an opportune time for the two defence ministries to discuss relevant issues in realising the duties of the two countries leaders, as well as to implement the bilateral agreement on defence collaboration towards enhancing political trust and promoting defence ties between the two countries.

On this occasion, the two ministers witnessed the signing of a memorandum of understanding on co-operation between the two defence ministries in the field of UN peace-keeping missions.  VNS
HA NOI  No Vietnamese citizens were among victims at the recent bomb attacks in Brussels, Belgium, announced the Foreign Ministry.

A day following the bombing in Brussels last Tuesday, the Belgium Crisis Centre informed the Vietnamese embassy that no Vietnamese has been recorded in the list of injured.

Student o Nguyen Thao Vi could not be contacted by her family in recent days, but the embassy verified that she was safe and learned that she had been sick and it was unrelated to the attacks.

On Wednesday noon, she made contact with her family in HCM City.

The Vietnamese embassy in Belgium will continue working closely with host authorities to update the latest information.  VNS
Long history: Ao dais evolution dates back to the 19th century, when it was born from ao tu than (four-flap dress), a loose dress worn outside a white thin blouse over a halter, along with a fabric belt. Photo Anh Tuan

Though Viet Nams famous traditional dress has taken many forms over the centuries, its allure and appeal has never died.

People all over Viet Nam are familiar with poems featuring the beauty of the countrys national dress, the ao dai, its slim-fitting tunic with long side splits from the waist, worn over palazzo-style trousers. The traditional womans dress has been mentioned in many poems, stories and songs for centuries.

Poet inh Vu Ngoc likened it to the countrys S-shape in her poem Chiec Ao Dai Viet Nam, which was roughly translated as:

"The fatherlands dress, slender shape

"The national beauty split into two flaps

"The flap on the side of the East Sea with sparkling waves

"The flap on the side of the Truong Son Mountains is brilliant with flowers

"The wide flap in the South flying in the wind

"The waspy waist of the Central region

"The heartbeat of Ha Noi on the chest

"The fragrance of three regions, the fragrance of flesh.

The ao dai is considered by Westerners to be one of the most elegant and feminine national costumes in the world with its close-fitting bodice, free-flowing front and back panels, and long silk trousers.

It is a delicate and airy garment.

But many people are unaware that it has undergone many transformations over the years to reach its current form.

Its evolution dates back to the 19th century, when it was born from the ao tu than (four-flap dress), a loose dress worn outside a white thin blouse over a halter, along with a fabric belt.

The Vietnamese at that time wanted to simplify it and joined the two narrow panels, setting the stage for the very first appearance of the modern ao dai.

In the 1930s, it was transformed into a gown with two elegant panels reaching to the ground, fitting the wearers body by using pins and a nipped-in waist. It had a raglan sleeve based on Western fashion techniques, which eliminated the clumping of material under the arms of the ao dai, bringing it a step closer to its current form-fitting style.

Until 1958, the ao dai was a daily outfit in the North, but by that time, it had fallen out of fashion in the trendier South.

Tran Le Xuan, the wife of a brother of the former president of South Viet Nam Ngo inh Diem, infamously known as the Dragon Lady, made a fashion statement by wearing an ao dai with a bateau neckline and snug upper body, influencing nearly all Southern women to wear the style.

The bateau style remained popular until the 60s when the hippie trend reached Sai Gon, and knee-length panels then became de rigueur.

Following reunification and post-war depression, fabric became more expensive, so women shifted to the ao ba ba, a simpler version of the ao dai with the flaps ending at the hipline and a front button used for access.

The ao dai was then relegated to use for special occasions and diplomatic events.

In recent years, artists and people who love the costume have managed to resurrect its use in daily life.

For three consecutive years, the southern commercial hub of HCM City, for example, has organised the ao dai festival to preserve national traditional culture and embed the national dress in the cultural and spiritual life of its citizens.

During this years festival, which was held over one month, the city encouraged its residents to wear the ao dai every day.

Vietnamese women should wear the ao dai at school and at work as well, ang Thi Truc Linh, a senior at the HCM City University of Social Sciences and Humanities, said, while working as a volunteer at the opening ceremony of Ao Dai Festival 2016.

Though these long, flowing panels are something of a hazard when riding a bicycle or sitting side-saddle on a motor scooter, the ao dais advantages far outweigh its drawbacks as it helps to hide unshapely legs, thick ankles and knobby knees, Linh added.

Nguyen Thi Hong Hanh, a visitor to the event, said: Firstly, the ao dai makes wearers feel pretty and charming. Secondly, its very practical. We dont have to wonder what to wear every day.

However, Tran Thi Tu Uyen, a journalist at the Phap Luat newspaper, said that if the city requested every female official to wear ao dai to work, she would obey.

But my career requires a more modern costume, like jeans, Uyen said.

The plain white ao dai can be a common uniform in high schools as wearing it can teach students how to behave. It can impart modesty, caution and refinement.

We should also let others have the freedom of choice to wear what they want, Uyen added. We can see the trend of wearing ao dai blooming in the city in recent months. Theyre now more fashionable and more modern in many colours with shorter flaps, and they can be worn with jeans.

Dieu Anh, a fashion designer who follows the trend, said: the ao dai is beautiful only when people wear it voluntarily and confidently. Fashion is not only about wearing something beautiful but also about revealing your personal characteristics. When the ao dai can satisfy all these criteria, there will be no reason to prevent people from choosing their own ao dai.

Anh said that many competitions over the years have been held to choose the countrys favourite national costume.

But it resulted in nothing, she said. Then, as natural as the wind, the ao dai, over time, with its widely diversified designs, has roused the long tradition of the country, and its popularity has spread thanks to the love of the people who wear it.

In an online discussion recently held by a local newspaper about whether female students at high schools should wear the ao dai, some readers said they were disappointed that uniforms had changed to shirts and skirts or a shirt and trousers in a variety of styles and colours.

In the 80s, the Ministry of Education and Training required female students to wear the ao dai, which created beautiful images of groups of students riding bicycles with the white ao dai flying in the wind, Cao Nguyen, 21, said. That image is no more. What a pity!

Others said wearing the ao dai in hot weather causes difficulties for students. School uniforms should be aesthetically and climatically appropriate, and simple and cheap, help girls be comfortable while they study at school.

Ao dai can be worn on Mondays when they take part in the flag-saluting ritual, or on national holidays.

If people wear ao dai in daily life, the dresss beauty and significance tends to be less appreciated as the national costume, Huynh Trung Nghia, 55, said.

Famed ao dai designer Thuan Viet said that the ao dai at schools should be made with moisture-absorbing materials and have several adjustments, including a low upright collars, looser-fitting tunic and shorter and narrower pants.

We should have a 2-cm collar, and flaps ending at 15cm at 25-cm wide cuffs for the convenience of female students, Viet added.

Modernising the ao dai

Sy Hoang, a well-known designer whose name is connected closely to the ao dai, said people were now thinking of modernising the ao dai. But the dress has already gone through a period of modernisation.

The ao dai, traditional but not conservative, has always been modernized to meet the aesthetic taste of people in each period, Hoang said.

The ao dai that people consider modern now is truly the ao dai of the 70s, he said. The convenient and modern ao dai freed women and helped them to become more active. Let each person decide what kind of ao dai they want to wear.

Ao dai is a costume that will never be out of date. It is worn by all people of all social classes and gender, and I believe that the costume has a beginning but will not have an end, he added

Since 1997, Hoang has shown his ao dai designs in 20 countries. In 2006, one of his collections is on permanent display at the Museum San Jose of Quilts and Textilles in San Jose in the US.

Hoang has introduced his ao dai collections that combine traditional ao dai with costumes of other countries, including France, the US, China, Japan, the Philippines Singapore, South Korea, and India.

We need to internationalise the ao dai, and create a trend of wearing ao dai worldwide, Hoang said. Foreigners should wear ao dai as a costume of fashion, beauty and convenience.

Duong Thanh Thuy, a representative of the Trung Thuy corporation, which is well-known for the brand Miss Ao Dai, said she was embarrassed when tourists ordered traditional ao dai as there is no clear definition about what a traditional ao dai is.

Is the ao dai of the 30s, 40s or 60s considered traditional? Should we develop standards to define a traditional ao dai? Thuy said

Despite the disagreements over the design and definition of the ao dai, many people, as well as the government, want to continue to show off their love of the national costume.

Last year, Nguyen Thi Thu Thuy, also known as Juliette Nguyen, who attends the William Angliss Institute in Melbourne, created a fanpage on Facebook named Ao Dai around the World, encouraging people to send photos of themselves wearing the traditional Vietnamese costume.

This is a community project of a young girl who loves her traditional Vietnamese dress and wants to share it with the world, her Facebook page says.

Every day, the page posts about two to three photos with captions depicting the readers stories.

Thuy writes on her page: You can see her [Thuy] somewhere in photos on this page. She always takes photos of herself in every single place she has visited. This is not her page, it is the Ao Dai Around the World page and an ao dai lovers page. She will be much happier if this page becomes a community project. So friends, no matter who you are, where you go, whatever your gender or nationality, please share with the world a photo of you in an ao dai. She might not be in all countries or all provinces and cities around the world. But together, we can do it.

So far, 3,595 Facebook users have liked the page and have uploaded thousands of photos capturing the ao dai in 40 countries.

One reader, who uploaded her photo last week, wrote: I was so happy that I brought the ao dai with me on my trip to Europe. The Vatican was a perfect place for it! Places where there were lots of restrictions on clothing, the ao dai made me stand out, and, of course, I got lots of attention. VNS

Elegant dress: More than 1,000 people wore ao dai at the opening ceremony of the HCM City Ao Dai Festival 2016.  VNS Photo ao Quang Chau

Globetrotting: Ao dai is worn at the Vatican. - VNS Photo from the fan page Ao Dai Around the world

Hats off: More than 1,000 people wore ao dai at the opening ceremony of the HCM City Ao Dai Festival 2016.  VNS Photo ao Quang Chau

Ladies in white: A chorus performs at the HCM City Ao Dai Festival 2016.  VNS Photo Nguyen Tan at
Eat your colours: Roasted lobster, spinach and porcini.

Thuy Hang

Social Club, which is perched on the 23rd level of the M Gallery Hotel des Arts in HCM City, is one of the most talked about destinations for pretty locals and expats nights out, so we headed up there for a dining experience.

Stepping out from the elevator, we walked into a spacious venue that looks decidedly mellow with velvet chairs and couches. Conceived by the internationally acclaimed Super Potato design firm of Japan, Social Clubs gorgeous, sumptuous interior is reminiscent of 1930s Indochina. Here, guests can enjoy modern European cuisine, paired with an array of spirits, fine wine and champagnes as well as artful, handcrafted cocktails from the stunning oak wood bar. Most notably, from such a high level, diners also have a great birds-eye view overlooking the city.

On the day we visited the restaurant, we were lucky to be treated to delicious creations made by the hotels Executive Chef Anne Cecile Degenne, who described herself as a passionate and creative professional in the culinary arts. Before moving to HCM City last September to charm the taste buds of connoisseurs at Social Club, Degenne accumulated experience in several luxury hotels, such as Sofitel So Singapore, Sofitel Manila and Eden Rock in St Barthelemy.

Our dinner opened with Hokkaido scallop ceviche, pomelo and daikon  a very fresh and light starter. The cube-sized scallop was perfectly marinated with lime juice and accompanied by juicy pomelo and sliced red turnip. The fresh taste of the dish was enhanced by additional seasonings, including green spring onion, white onion and diced tomato. A small and crunchy slice of bacon topped the portion, adding an interesting contrast to other soft ingredients in the dish.

The dinner continued with seared foie gras, beluga lentils and celeriac, or turnip-rooted celery. The foie gras had a nice caramel colour on its surface while still remaining buttery and smooth tasting inside. I loved the feeling when it melted in my mouth. The tiny black and glistening lentils, named for the caviar they resemble, were braised perfectly to pair with the foie gras, aiming to reduce the fatty feeling of the high-protein luxury food.

While waiting for the next course to be served, we were quite excited to observe chef Degenne and her team working in their open kitchen.

The beautiful chef was very active in conducting her kitchens orchestra to prepare our next course  roasted lobster, spinach and porcini. Visually, I especially liked this creation, as it looked like art with a nice layout and brilliant colours  the red of the lobster against the yellow of the pumpkin mash bed. Sauteed green spinach and brown porcini completed the plates layout.

It is really a wow dish. The Canadian lobster was succulent; the pumpkin was lightly sweet (thank God for this because if it was as sweet as it usually is, the dish could be considered a dessert), the spinach was lightly crunchy, and the porcini was aromatic altogether offering a great experience in taste and flavour. Moreover, the foam of the white wine paired with orange zest brought a very unique taste to the dish.

The next main course was grilled beef tenderloin, asparagus and shallot confit. Needless to say, the course was very nice. While the ruby-coloured beef was tender as it should be, the confit shallot brought a delightful twist to a traditional dish. I also liked the green dash underneath the tenderloin created from asparagus and basil. It not only served the decors function, but also gave diners a healthy feeling.

Our gourmet experience ended with a lemon tart. Unlike the traditional version, in which the filling was contained inside a pastry shell, chef Degenne placed the lemon-flavoured filling on a bed of almond crumble with lemon sorbet on top. She also used tiny marshmallow bars and ginger jelly to adorn her dessert creation. After having so much protein-rich food, the lemon dessert was really a nice way to balance the calories.  VNS

Social Club Restaurant & Lounge

23rd Floor, Hotel de Arts Saigon

76-78 Nguyen Thi Minh Khai Street, District 3, HCM City

Opening hours: 5.30pm - 2.30am

Comment: Excellent food, fantastic view, and a nice atmosphere.

Succulent: Seared foie gras, beluga lentils and celeriac.

With a twist: Lemon tart. VNS Photos Thuy Hang
In response to a global commodities glut, the Board of Safeguards will take a final call on Monday over recommending extension of up to 20 per cent levy on certain steel products to protect domestic sector. The board, an inter-ministerial panel chaired by Commerce Secretary Rita Teaotia, with representation from the steel and heavy industries ministries, will decide whether to extend safeguard duties on hot-rolled steel products till March 2018. Based on the board's recommendation, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley will decide within a week, according to sources.

The Directorate General of Safeguards has recommended continuation of the 20 per cent safeguard duty (minus anti-dumping duty) till September 13 and a reduction to 18 per cent in the next six months (till March 2017), and to 15 per cent during the six months after that. A 10 per cent safeguard duty has been recommended for six months from September 14, 2017 till March 13, 2018.

The decision will be taken amid stiff resistance from free-trade agreement (FTA) partner- countries such as South Korea and Japan, which have argued the move will severely impact their investments in India, considering most imports were for captive use. The two countries have said action should have been taken under the FTA provisions rather than the general safeguards route.

Multinational companies, including Posco, Maruti Suzuki, Hyundai and ArcelorMittal Brasil, beside the Indian end-user industry, have made a strong pitch against imposition of safeguard levy. They argued the move will be counter-productive to the government's Make in India campaign and impact investments into India.

For instance, Posco has been hit by the safeguard duty as it was importing products from its domestic manufacturing facility in South Korea for processing.

India had imposed a 20 per cent provisional safeguard duty on hot-rolled steel in September 2015 for 200 days as cheaper steel import from China, South Korea and Japan posed a threat to the domestic industry. Beside, import duty has been raised by five per cent on all categories of steel. The protectionist measures are being taken for a few primary steel producers, on the ground that they are over-leveraged and their bank loans could become non-performing assets (NPAs).

Japan, South Korea and China accounted for about half of iron and steel imports into India in the first six months of the financial year, worth about $3 billion. In February, the government imposed a minimum import price on 173 steel products, ranging from $341 to $752 a tonne.

The asset quality of banks deteriorated in the third quarter of the current financial year on account of higher provisioning requirement for NPAs. Gross NPAs of all banks rose to $69.2 billion in December 2015 from $53.8 billion in September 2015, owing to stress from sectors such as steel, power and textiles.

The range of protectionist measures over the past several months have led to a decline in steel imports. These fell 8.7 per cent in January and 9.3 per cent in February, year-on-year. Steel imports had grown 20.5 per cent in April-February, compared to 71 per cent growth in 2014-15. JSW Steel, Essar Steel and Steel Authority of India had petitioned for a safeguard duty.

According to the FTA with South Korea, the import duty imposed by India is only 0.85 per cent on majority of steel products. India's comprehensive free-trade pact with Korea came into effect from 2010 and with Japan in 2011. India agreed to eliminate duties on 75 per cent of products imported from South Korea on a custom-value basis during the eight years from 2010. South Korea agreed to remove duties on 93 per cent of its products from India during the period.

Safeguard duty is a World Trade Organization (WTO)-compatible temporary measure, brought for a certain timeframe to avert damage to a country's domestic industry from cheap imports. However, the country concerned has to prove injury to domestic industry from cheaper imports.

Chief Economic Advisor Arvind Subramanian in the Economic Survey argued India should resist seeking recourse in protectionist action and instead opt for WTO-compliant procedures to deal with perceived threats.

The commerce department had earlier attributed the impact on domestic manufacturers to global factors. It argued 85 per cent of steel demand was being met domestically, and that Indian steel companies were operating at nearly 80 per cent capacity compared to 70 per cent globally. India's peak steel import in the current financial year has been 15 per cent of total domestic steel consumption, compared to nine per cent in previous years.

STEELING THE SHOW

Government hikes import duty by 5% on all categories of steel in June and August 2015

Imposed minimum import price on 173 steel products, ranging between $341 and $752 per tonne in February

Foisted a 20% provisional safeguard duty on hot-rolled steel in September 2015 for 200 days

Placed anti-dumping duty of up to $316 per tonne on imports of hot-rolled steel from 3 countries, including China, in June 2015
Pentagon chief used personal email

WASHINGTON (AP)  Defense Secretary Ash Carter used his personal email account for government business for nearly a year, until December 2015, when news reports revealed the practice, according to hundreds of Carter emails released by the Defense Department.

The 1,336 pages of emails and attachments from Carters personal account were released late Friday in response to Freedom of Information Act requests. None contained classified information, and most pertained to routine business.

The Pentagon has long banned the use of personal email for official business.

New Mexico girl, 14, allegedly torched home

ROSWELL, N.M. (AP)  A 14-year-old Roswell girl was charged with deliberately burning down her home.

Authorities believe she started the fire Wednesday just before 2 p.m. after arguing with her stepmother.

Police say they had been fighting about the girl skipping school. The stepmother and her two sons then went outside. That is when the fire erupted.

Fire investigators discovered a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid in the backyard and believe it was an accelerant to start the fire.

Drunk co-pilot forces flight cancellation

DETROIT  A co-pilot for American Airlines was arrested at Detroit Metro Airport Saturday because he appeared to be drunk, forcing authorities to cancel a flight to Philadelphia.

The co-pilot, who was not identified pending possible charges, failed a sobriety tests administered by police, according to an airport spokesman.

Police were called after Transportation Security Administration personnel reported that the co-pilot, who is from Pennsylvania, was acting as if he had been drinking when he passed through a security screening .

Suicide bombing kills 41 in Iraq

BAGHDAD (AP)  The death toll from a suicide bombing at a soccer stadium claimed by the Islamic State group has climbed to 41, with another 105 people wounded.

The security and public health officials provided the updated toll Saturday.

The bombing took place Friday during a match in the small stadium in the city of Iskanderiyah, 30 miles from the capital, Baghdad. IS claimed the attack, saying it had targeted Shiite militiamen.

Woman dies on way to moms funeral

SALT LAKE CITY (AP)  A woman heading to her mothers funeral died in a car crash in southern Utah.

Utah Highway Patrol officials said a man driving a pickup truck Saturday morning on Interstate 15 just south of Beaver, Utah, lost control of the car. The pickup rolled several times.

Danielle Vale, 48, of Mesquite, was ejected from the front passenger seat. She was pronounced dead at the scene.

A 28-year-old woman also in the car is listed in serious condition. The 48-year-old driver was also hospitalized.

Alabama crash kills medivac crew, patient

GOODMAN, Ala. (AP)  Four people died in a helicopter crash in southeast Alabama.

Alabama Emergency Management Agency spokesman Greg Robinson said three crew members and a patient were aboard the ambulance helicopter when the crash occurred around 12:17 a.m. Saturday. The aircraft had responded to a wreck in which the patient had a broken leg and was unconscious.
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If youre looking to try out an online casino, there are several things that will help you make a decision. Heres what you should look for when choosing an online casino

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Mar 27, 2016 | By Alec

Unregulated 3D printing and copying. It can be found at the heart of the 3D printing community, where passionate makers are dedicated to open source principles and share their designs for free. Its arguably one of the main reasons behind the communitys success, but it is seen as a dangerous development by many established companies, such as toy manufacturers. Its one thing to share a DIY component to fix your broken chair, but Disney obviously sees their profits threatened by unregulated 3D printing of Frozen figurines. A team of experts from the University of Exeter, in collaboration with specialists from other institutes, will therefore explore the options for setting up an automated licensing platform framework that could regulate authorized 3D printing.

Its perhaps an understandable reaction to 3D printing, as any successful company can feel threatened by disruptive technologies. Disney themselves have recently filed a patent application for embedding identification elements into authorized 3D printed toys, to make 3D printing at home by paying users a possibility.

This latest effort by the University of Exeter can be seen as part of that trend, but then one that goes beyond toys to tackle piracy and copyright issues as a whole. In particular, they will focus their research on China and Chinese copyright laws, but in such a way that international law can also be involved. The project will run until December 2016, and will also involve academics from the University of Nottingham Ningbo China, Durham University's Law School, the University of Sussex, and the Chinese University of Political Science and Law. Funding has been provided by those institutes and by the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

Disney's concept for embedded RFID identification.

And they are certainly ambitious. Like Disney, they are hoping to develop a single copyright system that protects intellectual property throughout the world. This automatic licensing platform could operate as a framework for 3D printing companies to issue licensed 3D printable content and files through, perhaps, an online database. Embedding watermarks (digitally) could also be an option to protect 3D printable files. Most importantly, it will require a viable digital system backed by a workable legal framework.

Initially, the focus will be on analyzing the impact these changes would have on copyright law in China and the world. The academics are therefore specialists in IP law, international law and contract law, and will interview 3D printing companies to discover how their efforts can support those companies as well. The project will be led by Dr James Griffin, from the Law School We are in contact with 3D printing companies who wish to develop a new means of creating and disseminating 3D printed content utilizing their 3D printing systems and to capture new business opportunities, he said of the new project. However, to date they have been limited in their opportunities to do so because of the complex legal licensing environment and the lack of appropriate digital licensing standards. We can enable these companies to learn how to exploit their products.

Inspiration for the proposed system might come from the UKs Copyright Hub, a regulatory body that previously set out licensing standards for online systems. The question is if those can be viable in China or internationally. It remains to be seen how these efforts affect the open source 3D printing community, but the researchers believe the proposed system would simply help the developing 3D market expand and grow.

Posted in 3D Printing Application

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jinx wrote at 3/28/2016 10:06:01 AM:who gonna adopt such a system at home. how will it be enforced "nazi knocking on the door". it's a waste of research funds, imagine a kid can make a bot that trawls the internet looking for unauthorised models but it still doesn't stop me from printing it. "Unregulated 3D printing and copying. It can be found at the heart of the 3D printing community." which community is that again the ones I've seen got better things to do bringing new things into the world rather than copy those over priced toys of Disney and friendsshin wrote at 3/28/2016 6:56:43 AM:if they want to corrupt their files and add 3 extra weeks to basement hacker efforts to debug them, fine. But the Momzy effect is probably the best copyright. After a file goes through subdivisions, the number of vertices becomes so dense that slipping in some text or symbol into the print, similar to a serial number or maker's mark becomes quite easy. As printer resolutions increase, it will be increasingly more difficult to spot. Painters have been doing signatures for thousands of years. Same concept.




Robert Zaretsky in the Los Angeles Review of Books:

On March 25, 1946, the French anthropologist Claude Levi-Strauss, having left the rainforests of Brazil for the concrete canyons of New York City, confronted a social structure as complex and harsh as those he had found in the rainforests of Brazil. Moonlighting as the French Embassys cultural attache, Levi-Strauss received an unexpected visit from a group of French passengers who had just arrived on an American freighter, theOregon. Immigration officials had detained one of them because he refused to give the names of friends who belonged to the Communist Party. Levi-Strauss dispatched a colleague to the docks, and the French visitor, frazzled and frustrated, was finally released.

With this faintly absurd event began Albert Camuss only visit made to America.

Camus was no ordinary tourist. Frances Ministry of Foreign Affairs had sent him as an official representative of the recently liberated country. Who better to speak to American audiences about Frances experience of occupation and liberation? By 1944 and the liberation of Paris, the young French-Algerian writer was not just the author of The Stranger and The Myth of Sisyphus, both published to critical acclaim in occupied Paris. He was also the editor of Combat, the most influential underground paper of the French Resistance. With a suddenness that both touched and troubled him, Camus had become the one marketable export left to a bloodied and brutalized country: the French intellectual for whom ideas were a matter of life and death.

His friend, Jean-Paul Sartre, had preceded him to New York in 1945. Playing the role of existentialisms John the Baptist, Sartre spoke at great length about Camus to a reporter from, of all places, the American edition of Vogue. Praising the new literature that had taken root in the liberated soil of France, Sartre declared, its best representative is Albert Camus, who is thirty years old.

More here.
Putting the Pegasus through its paces

As the Air Force gets ready for the arrival of its newest aerial refueling and strategic military transport aircraft, a diverse group of Airmen is working hard to make sure the KC-46A Pegasus is ready to meet the services needs. Lt. Col. John Mikal is one of them.



Mikal, a reservist KC-135 Stratotanker instructor pilot assigned to the 370th Flight Test Squadron, is also a KC-46 test pilot and member of the team thats putting the Pegasus through a series of critical pre-production tests.



The Boeing Company developed the KC-46 from its 767 jet airliner and is scheduled to deliver 179 of the aircraft to the Air Force by 2028. The first 18 combat-ready tankers are scheduled to be delivered by August 2017.



To meet that timeline, Boeing is working closely with the Air Force to put the KC-46 through its paces. The companys first test aircraft, a Boeing 767-2C, touched down at Edwards Air Force Base for the first time Oct. 15 for several days of fuel onload fatigue testing. During these tests, the KC-46 flew in close formations with a KC-135 and KC-10 Extender to see how the aircraft performed in different aerial refueling positions. While no fuel was passed, Boeing engineers were able to test the stress and strain on the Pegasus.



Mikal flew as the aircraft commander of the KC-135 during the first aerial refueling maneuvers of a KC-46 behind a KC-135 and in close formation with both the KC-10 and KC-46 on Oct. 19. Two days later, he flew as a pilot aboard the KC-46 during an aerial refueling receiver onload fatigue test behind a KC-10. He was the first Air Force reservist to fly the 767-2C, the commercial test variant of the KC-46.



It was a tremendous honor to participate in and conduct KC-46 testing with the test team, Mikal said. The KC-46 will be an amazing operational aircraft, and Im humbled to have the opportunity to be a part of this amazingly talented test team.



Mikal isnt the only Air Force reservist from the 370th FLTS qualified to take part in the KC-46 testing. The 370th has two KC-46 initial cadre boom operators -- Master Sgts. Aaron Ray and Scott Scurlock -- who will be taking part in Pegasus refueling testing in the coming months.



The 370th FLTS is an embedded Air Force Reserve unit with a mission of providing KC-135 aerial refueling test support to both operational and test-configured receiver aircraft at Edwards AFBs 412th Test Wing. The Reserve unit also leads management and execution of the business effort mission at Edwards AFB, which utilizes operational Air Mobility Command KC-135 and KC-10 tankers to support routine refueling of non-test configured 412th TW receiver aircraft.



Since some 370th FLTS pilots are test pilots and some of its boom operators are flight test boom operators, they augment the KC-135, KC-10 and KC-46 flight test and aerial refueling flight test for Air Force Test Center programs.

On Jan. 24, the KC-46 successfully completed its first in-flight refueling demonstration as it passed 1,600 pounds of fuel to an F-16C Fighting Falcon.



These are exciting times for the KC-46A program, Col. Chris Coombs, the KC-46 system program manager at the Air Force Life Cycle Management Center at Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio, said after that flight. We have had plans on paper and data from simulation labs, but this in-flight demonstration shows we are truly making progress on bringing this capability of the next-generation of tankers to the warfighter supporting our global missions for years to come.



After the refueling test with the F-16, the KC-46A had a robust in-flight refueling demonstration schedule for the next few weeks. The test with the fighter jet fulfilled the requirement to connect to a light/fast receiver aircraft. The remaining tests with the boom were scheduled to use an A-10 Thunderbolt II as the light/slow receiver and a C-17 Globemaster III as the heavy receiver.



Mikal said the KC-46 test aircraft will be spending a lot of time at Edwards AFB in the coming months as it goes through aerial refueling certification testing with a host of Air Force and coalition aircraft.



There are about 18 different aircraft that need to be tested as they take on fuel from the KC-46, he said. A lot of that testing will take place here at Edwards, and I am ready to help out with that testing however I can.



Edwards AFB continues to be the premier base for flight testing the Air Forces newest capabilities, and the Air Force Reserves 370th FTS continues to support when needed.



The KC-46A Pegasus is intended to replace the Air Forces aging tanker fleet, which has been refueling aircraft for more than 50 years. With more refueling capacity and enhanced capabilities, improved efficiency, and increased capabilities for cargo and aeromedical evacuation, the KC-46A will provide aerial refueling support to the Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, as well as allied nation coalition force aircraft.



In October, the Air Force selected Seymour Johnson AFB, North Carolina, as the preferred alternative for the first Reserve-led KC-46A Pegasus main operating base.



Tinker AFB, Oklahoma; Westover Air Reserve Base, Massachusetts; and Grissom ARB, Indiana, were named as the reasonable alternatives.



It is absolutely critical that we replace our aging tanker fleet with the KC-46A Pegasus aerial tanker, said Air Force Secretary Deborah Lee James. I am pleased to announce Seymour Johnson AFB as the first Reserve-led location because it is a testament to the Air Forces commitment to the total force.



We must use all three components -- active, Guard and Reserve -- operating cohesively and seamlessly as one team so we can realize the full potential of airpower.



James also explained the KC-46A program is just the first phase of a three-phase effort to replace the aging tanker fleet. The first phase of tanker recapitalization will complete with final deliveries in fiscal year 2028.



(Some information for this article was taken from an article written by Daryl Mayer, 88th Air Base Wing Public Affairs, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio.)
At least 53 people, including children, were today killed as a powerful blast triggered by a suicide bomber ripped through a crowded public park in Pakistans eastern city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

The explosion occurred at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in a posh locality near the citys centre. Eyewitnesses said there were pools of blood and scattered body parts in the park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening.

The crowd was unusually large because of Easter, an eyewitness was quoted as saying by the Dawn. Iqbal Town Superintendent of Police Muhammad Iqbal said that the explosion was a suicide attack.

There was no security present in and around the park, the report said.Rescue officials and police rushed to the explosion site in a renowned residential area of Lahore.

An emergency has been declared at all government hospitals in the city, and a heavy contingent of police has cordoned off the area.
Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday accused the BJP of deliberately promoting debate on nationalism to divert peoples attention from the main issue of Indias poor economic condition.

The entire country is discussing and debating nationalism, instead of how to progress and achieve high growth rate for development, thanks to a deliberate move by the people in power at the Centre to divert the attention of people from their failures, Nitish Kumar said at a function here.

He targeted the Narendra Modi government, saying it raised such an issue to engage everyone in debate across the country.

All people are engaged in such debate some are in favour and some are against. In such a situation, there is no need for the central government to do anything, said the Janata Dal-United leader.

Nitish Kumar said some leaders had made big promises to people ahead of the general elections, but when they realised they would not be able to fulfill them, they started such a debate to engage everyone and divert peoples attention from the real issue of development.

Real issues are missing from the debate and discussion. Instead, useless and non-issues are getting prime focus, he said.
Upholding the conviction of three persons for gang-raping five mentally challenged girls in an orphanage run by them, the Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the state Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for failing to do its duty as a watchdog.

A division bench of justices RV More and Anuja Prabhudessai upheld the conviction of Ramchandra Karanjule, Nanabhau Karanjule and Khandu Kasbe on charges of gang-raping and molesting five girls, including three minors, at an orphanage, run by private trust Kalyani Mahila Bal Seva Sanstha at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai.

Ramchandra Karanjule and his wife were trustees of the orphanage.

In its 120-page judgement on March 11, the high court has come down heavily on the CWC for not doing its job properly and failing to keep a watch on the orphanage.

The CWC is a primary body for addressing needs of children in need of care and protection. The CWC is required to play a role of watchdog at the district level and ensure that standards of care are maintained and the incidents of exploitation and abuse in all child care institutions are addressed, the high court said.

In the present case, facts clearly indicate that the CWC members have not acted in the best interest of the child. The insensitive role of CWC in adopting I see no wrong and hear no wrong greatly perturbs our judicial conscience, the bench observed in its order.

Had they (CWC) performed their duties sincerely and with sensitivity, the truth would have been unearthed and these young helpless vulnerable victims would not have been physically, sexually and emotionally traumatised, it said.

The HC, while upholding the conviction of the three persons, observed that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt their case that the girls were raped.

The court observed that Ramchandra, as director of the orphanage, portrayed himself to be a savior, protector and guardian of such girls who were abandoned by their families and shunned by the society.

The girls were totally dependent on him for food, clothing, shelter and the other basic necessities for survival. They had nowhere to go and no one to confide in or complain to and had to accept the situation as part of their life, by suppressing their feelings, emotions and anger.

It was only after the committee appointed by this court took the girls into confidence and encouraged them to give vent to their feelings that they expressed their fear, shame and anger, the court said.

The high court commuted the death sentence awarded to Ramchandra, and allowed the appeal filed by him challenging his conviction under section 302 (murder) of IPC for allegedly causing the death of one inmate.

The high court had upheld his conviction for gang-rape and sentenced him to ten years in prison.

The HC, while acquitting Ramchandra on charges of murder, observed that the prosecution was not able to adduce evidence to prove that the death of an inmate was caused due to physical and sexual abuse.
Oscar-winning filmmaker Alfonso Cuaron is fascinated with the culture of China and wishes to make a movie in Chinese.

The 54-year-old Gravity helmer was among the headline speakers at the inaugural China-US Motion Picture Summit, held here on Friday, said The Hollywood Reporter.

For me, the content always goes before the deals, so I dont feel much of the effect in terms of where the money comes from.

But in my specific case, Im very intrigued about China. Im intrigued about the possibility, sometime in the future, to do a film here, but a film in Chinese. Im fascinated by this culture, Cuaron said.

The Mexican filmmaker said the creative challenge of working in the Chinese language and storytelling tradition excites him.
Kirit Somaiya says that there is an alleged nexus between Sena and garbage contractors.

The Deonar dumping ground fire has already been doused but political blame games have started over this issue. BJP MP Kirit Somaiya has held Shiv Sena responsible for the fire incident. Somaiya said that there is an alleged nexus between Sena, garbage contractors and no steps have been taken by them to resolve this issue.

He added that even though Sena is ruling the BMC but the party is least bothered about the hardships faced by Deonar residents and people living in the vicinity. Somaiya had held a demonstration and demanded the relocation of the Deonar dumping ground. He also demanded the closure of the Mulund dumping ground and scientific disposal at all other sites in the city. Somaiya has called for a judicial probe into this issue. His move to protest on the issue is being seen as an attempt to corner the Shiv Sena. BJP is the junior partner in the BMC which is ruled by the Shiv Sena.

Kirit Somaiya said, The state government has decentralised garbage disposal at the ward level. However, the BMC is not executing the work. According to experts, at least 7,000 metric tonnes of garbage is generated daily in Mumbai, but the civic body has paid contractors for 10,000 metric tonnes. There is a huge scam going on.

On the other hand, Sanjay Nirupam criticised BJP-Shiv Sena for its inability to tackle recurring fires erupting at Deonar dumping ground. He said, The BJP is least bothered about this issue despite being in power. Residents are already complaining about irritation and suffocation due to smoke emanating from the dumping ground.

On Saturday Congress workers on Saturday staged a rasta roko (road blockade) near the Deonar dumping ground and demanded that it be shifted to Taloja in Navi Mumbai.

Entire Mumbai is turning into a gas chamber and people are forced to live by adjusting with the emission of the toxic gases. We are here to warn the concerned politicians and bureaucrats that this will not be tolerated now and this menace of frequent fires has to stop, Nirupam added.

Deonar dumping ground was to be closed in 2000 as it was overfull, but due to lackadaisical approach of the bureaucrats and the ruling Shiv Sena-BJP corporators, it was still in use, he said. Solid Waste Management department of Mumbai corporation has a budget of almost Rs 2,000 crore this year, but it could get only 11 cctv cameras (for vigilance at Deonar ground), he alleged.

Somaiya nonetheless blamed Nirupam for politicising the Deonar dumping ground issue. He said, Nirupam is playing politics of garbage. He should stop deriving political mileage out of this issue.

The Shiv Sena is yet to pass any comment about the fire incident. The BMC had claimed that the recent fire at the Deonar dumping ground was an act of sabotage, but police officials have denied any sabotage angle in the incident. However, a case was registered against unknown persons.
Shiv Sena MP Sanjay Raut on Sunday said making Shreehari Aney Maharashtras Advocate General (AG) was like appointing alleged Pakistani terrorist Hafeez Sayeed as Pakistans High Commissioner (HC) to India.

The day (Shreehari) Aney first spoke about granting separate statehood for Vidharbha, he should have been asked to go, Raut said in his weekly column Rokhthok in party mouthpiece Saamana.

Appointing Shreehari Aney as the state lawyer is like appointing Hafeez Sayeed as Pakistans High Commissioner in New Delhi, he said.

Raut alleged that not even the Mughal harmed Maharashtra as much the remarks of splitting the state do.

Drawing an analogy from horse racing characters Bookies and Punters, the Shiv Sena leader said for a Punter victory of the popular horse is must.

However, for the Bookie the victory is damaging. In the case of Aney, the bookie and the punter were one and the same. New smaller states would mean additional non-plan expenditure for creating political posts like Governor, chief minister, ministers, secretariat, employees, official residences and other infrastructure facilities, Raut said.

The same money can be used for construction of schools, hospitals, industries, roads, communication infrastructure and other purposes, he added.

Raut further said instead of setting up States Reorganisation Commission for carving out new states, thought should be given to how the number of existing states is reduced.

He also recommended that Goa should be merged with Maharashtra, Diu-Daman, Dadra-Nagar-Havelli needs to be merged with Gujarat, Puducherry and Port Blair be merged with Tamil Nadu and states like Bihar, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh be redrawn again.
Syrian troops backed by Russian forces recaptured the famed ancient city of Palmyra from the ISIS in a major victory over the Daesh terrorists.

Army sappers were defusing mines and bombs planted by ISIS in the citys ancient ruins, a UNESCO world heritage site where the terrorists sparked a global outcry with the systematic destruction of treasured monuments, a military source said.

ISIS lost at least 400 fighters in the battle for the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On the government side, 188 troops and militiamen were killed.

Thats the heaviest losses that ISIS has sustained in a single battle since its creation in 2013, the director of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told Agence France Presse.

It is a symbolic defeat for ISIS comparable with that in Kobane, a town on the Turkish border where Kurdish fighters held out against a months-long siege by ISIS in 2014-15, he added.

ISIS, behind a string of attacks in the West including last weeks Brussels bombings, is under growing pressure from Syrian and Iraqi military offensives to retake bastions of its self-proclaimed caliphate.

On Thursday, the Iraqi army announced the launch of an offensive to recapture second city Mosul, held by the terrorists since June 2014.

After heavy fighting during the night, the army is in full control of Palmyra  both the ancient site and the residential neighbourhoods, the military source told Agence France Presse.

ISIS fighters pulled out, retreating towards the towns of Sukhnah and Deir Ezzor to the east.

Troops also captured the airport southeast of the city, the source added.

The Observatory said the pullout had been ordered by ISIS high command.

A handful of ISIS fighters are refusing to leave the city and seem to want to fight on to the bitter end, Abdel Rahman said.

ISIS overran the Palmyra ruins and adjacent modern city in May 2015.

It blew up two of the sites treasured temples, its triumphal arch and a dozen tower tombs, in a campaign of destruction that UNESCO described as a war crime punishable by the International Criminal Court.

The terrorists used Palmyras ancient amphitheatre as a venue for public executions, including the beheading of the citys 82-year-old former antiquities chief.

UNESCO chief Irina Bokova on Thursday welcomed the Syrian government offensive to recapture the city.

Palmyra has been a symbol of the cultural cleansing plaguing the Middle East, she said.








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A Tennessee witness at Jasper reported having a strange feeling that caused him to move outside where he watched a silent, rectangle UFO larger than his apartment complex hovering nearby, according to testimony in Case 74637 from the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON) witness reporting database.

The witness was at home in his bedroom when he had a strange feeling to go outside about 6:30 p.m. on October 30, 2015.

So I jumped up and ran out as fast as I could, the witness stated. And I look straight up and there it was  a gigantic, black rectangle with red lights in the shape of a pyramid and one light off to itself on the edge of the craft.

The witness was amazed at how large the craft was.

It was so big that it was bigger than the apartment complex I live in.

The object was moving very slowly.

I watched it slowly move by. And I mean slowly  almost a hover for about 10 minutes until it got so far I could not see it anymore. Ive been around military aircraft my whole life and I live close to an Air Force base so I see and have seen every type of flying machines known to man. I have never seen anything like this or that big.

The witness is not sure what he saw.

I dont know if it was a UFO, but its the biggest, slowest and most quietist thing that Ive ever seen in the sky. I would like to know why I felt it as strong as I did and wasnt able to hear it. The feeling of it being there was so strong that I practically ran as fast as I could outside and then it went away when I saw it right above my head just floating by like a skyscraper flying.

Tennessee MUFON is investigating. The case was submitted to MUFON on February 23, 2016. No images or videos were included with the report.

Jasper is a town in Marion County, Tennessee, population 3,279. Please remember that most UFO sightings can be explained as something natural or man-made. The above quotes were edited for clarity. Please report UFO activity to MUFON.com.

Read more....
March 25, 2016

On March 23, federal prosecutors revealed that an Iranian man who had been acting as a consultant to Irans mission to the United Nations in New York had been charged with violating US laws related to Iran. A number of Iranian websites have published analyses that the US primary goal in the arrest is to do another prisoner swap.

According to Reuters, Ahmad Sheikhzadeh was accused of receiving a cash salary by the Iran mission that was deposited in a Citibank account. The indictment says that he also used that account for side transactions with two US-based co-conspirators who wished to invest in Iran.

Sheikhzadeh, who is 60 and according to his attorney has been living in the US since he was 18, was charged with conspiracy to evade US sanctions against Iran, money laundering and helping arrange false tax returns.

The arrest of Ahmad Sheikhzadeh, consultant to Irans mission to the United Nations on behalf of American prosecutors is a type of hostage taking, wrote one of the most prominent conservative voices in Iran, Mehdi Mohammadi, who was an adviser to former hard-line nuclear negotiator Saeed Jalili. Mohammadi continued, I think the prime goal of this hostage taking is for the freedom of the Namazis [Siamak and Baquer], people who the Americans call the biggest source of information on Iran in the last decade.

Iranian-American businessman Siamak Namazi, who was based in Dubai, was arrested in October by the Intelligence Organization of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps while visiting Tehran. His father Baquer, a former senior UNICEF official who is 80 years old, was arrested in February.

It is not certain why Mohammadi believes that the United States views the Namazis as a source of intelligence. The last time the US government addressed their case was on March 18, when State Department spokesman John Kirby said the United States views that both reported detentions are unjust. Kirby added, We call on Iran to allow consular access by Swiss authorities and to release both as soon as possible.

Iran and the United States last exchanged prisoners in January, just after both sides announced the implementation of the nuclear deal. Four Iranian-Americans held in Iran were released in exchange for the pardoning of seven Iranians in the United States, most of whom were charged with violating sanctions on Iran. While a possible exchange of Sheikhzadeh, if he ever is convicted, for the Namazis would fit this previous pattern, it is far from a certainty given the unique circumstances of that exchange.

Regardless of the reduction in tensions between Iran and the United States in the last two years, in Mohammadis view, The United States has entered a new phase of intelligence-security confrontation with Iran in which its economic role is prominent. Mohammadi believes this is why US President Barack Obama in February 2015 tapped David Cohen, former undersecretary for terrorism and financial intelligence, to become the deputy director of the CIA. Cohen has been called the principal architect of the economic sanctions on Iran.

Interestingly, the assistant US attorney in Sheikhzadehs case, Tali Farhadian, was also born in Iran. Farhadians marriage to Boaz Weinstein, whose mother is Israeli, prompted Mohammadi to claim that Sheikhzadehs arrest has also been set up in a manner in which Zionists are linked.

Taking a jab at President Hassan Rouhani and Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif, who had a positive and friendly relationship with US Secretary of State John Kerry during the nuclear negotiations, Mohammadi concluded, Lets see what reaction Mr. Kerrys friends in Tehran show.
March 24, 2016

This was one of the strangest episodes to emerge from the Israeli government, and in a country where reality sometimes exceeds all imagination, its no easy competition. Israeli Minister of Agriculture Uri Ariel (HaBayit HaYehudi) decided last November not to pass the budget for spaying and neutering stray cats  a policy experts agree is effective in diminishing their reproduction. Ariel thought that the process violates the Jewish belief that forbids causing pain to animals. Cats in Israel surely breathed a sigh of relief at the ministers unwillingness to snip their private parts, but the nation of cats certainly wasnt prepared for the alternatives he proposed. In a letter he sent to Avi Gabbay, the minister of environmental protection, Ariel proposed using the funds for one of two alternatives: research on alternatives to the invasive procedure or  and this is the strange part of the whole story  using the budget to deport stray dogs and/or cats of one sex (all the males or all the females) to a foreign country that agrees to accept them. The Israeli public didnt know whether to laugh or cry and immediately dubbed the episode the Cat Transfer Plan.

Online, Israelis couldnt resist laughing, and for good reason. Raz Tsipris uploaded a meme to Facebook that used the memory of the disengagement from the Gaza Strip, which Ariel prominently and vocally opposed, stating a Jew does not expel a Jewish cat, which echoes the slogan of opponents of the 2005 Gaza disengagement, A Jew does not expel a Jew. Others took the issue a bit more seriously and established a protest group on Facebook against stopping spaying and neutering in the name of Halakhah [Jewish law]. In short, the episode became an amusing/pathetic testimony to the absurd outcomes that the dissonance between religion and healthy reason could lead to. Activists at the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Let the Animals Live wonder today, if Ariel is so concerned with issues of animal rights in Jewish law, why other laws that touch on this issue are being delayed, like inhumane shipping of animals or raising chickens in cages. Theres a sense that theres strong adherence to only certain instructions in Jewish law, attorney Yosi Wolfson of Let the Animals Live said cautiously. On March 15, animal rights day, however, the Ministry of Agriculture published data that shows, according to the ministry, uncompromising action in this field, like advancing relevant legislation such as advocating an amendment to the Animal Welfare bill.

Ariel quickly realized how ridiculous his proposal was, and chose the other option, of dedicating the budget to research, perhaps following the reactions of media across the world, which wondered how the cat transfer would work, by chartered flights, little parachutes? But this attempt by the minister was also quickly thwarted. Let the Animals Live sued the minister over the decision at the High Court, which put the ball in the hands of the attorney general, who himself obligated Ariel to dedicate the budget to spaying and neutering as the law requires.

While the episode was a blow to Ariel, his move still did some damage. On Dec. 31, 2015, the Ministry of Agriculture released a press release that announced a program to fund spaying and neutering stray cats for 2015. Perhaps this is amusing, but not to Wolfson, who said, We lost a year of spaying and neutering in an area where continuity is critical. The Ministry of Agriculture also takes pride in the advancement of an ordinance that would obligate municipalities and organizations that operate animal shelters to place only neutered and spayed animals for adoption, but Wolfson claims that they are delaying this ordinance, which turns the shelters into part of the problem  the offspring of the animals theyre placing for adoption will come back to them as abandoned animals.

Despite that, there is still hope. The announcement from the Ministry of Agriculture attests that it recognizes the method as the most efficient means to control reproduction of the stray cat population in Israel. Their plan, on paper, seems serious: They declare that only spaying or neutering of 75% of the cat population would be efficient, and thus they focused on localities where this percentage could be reached. The plan is budgeted at 4.5 million shekels ($1.17 million) a year, and local authorities are supposed to dedicate a similar sum.

The Ministry of Agriculture also declared that it would give preference in support for municipalities that take additional steps, from other sources, which would help the goal of spaying and neutering in caring for the welfare of street cats, including: setting up organized feeding stations and setting up buried or sealed garbage bins that street cats wouldnt be able to access  and tracking and monitoring the cats. The Ministry of Agriculture explained that without such activities, the process wouldnt achieve the desired results.

The program will be put to the test in 2017, which is rapidly approaching, when the next budget will be passed. If the budget will be passed without any problems, and there will be continuity in the program, the situation could improve. But if it turns out that Ariel intends to repeat the delay that he caused for another year, the situation could return to square one  to the joy of Israels street cats and the disappointment of animal rights advocates.

The Ministry of Agriculture responded, We continue to support spaying and neutering programs in order to prevent the reproduction of stray cats. No response was received from Ariels office at the time of publication.
March 24, 2016

Secret talks between senior Israeli and Palestinian security officers on new security arrangements for the West Bank were reportedly held in recent weeks. After almost six months of random individual terror attacks on Israelis, West Bank Palestinians are coming to the conclusion that this round of violence  defined by some as a third intifada  is not producing any political benefit nor is it affecting Israeli public opinion or provoking an awakening of the international community.

In a recent public opinion poll published on March 14 by the Jerusalem Media and Communication Center, 41% of Palestinians oppose continuation of the violent uprising against Israel. Among the opposing voices, 51.6% are from the West Bank. This has led, according to this poll, to a moderation in Palestinian public opinion: Support for Fatah in the West Bank and Gaza Strip is 35.5% as opposed to only 16.5% who support Hamas. Of those participating in the poll, 82% oppose the Islamic State. Most importantly, 69% of those responding support a two-state solution against only 24.8% who support a binational state. Surprisingly perhaps, 52.7% of the Palestinians favor security cooperation with Israel.

These trends have not gone unnoticed by the leaders of Israels security establishment. According to a senior Palestinian security official close to President Mahmoud Abbas, the discreet talks by officers of both sides are aimed at reaching new understandings regarding Israels military activity in Palestinian cities in Area A.

According to the Oslo Accord, the Palestinian Authority has full security and civilian jurisdiction over all Palestinian West Bank cities. Ever since Operation Defensive Shield in March 2002, Israel has decided, unilaterally, to allow its army to enter Palestinian cities for the arrest of suspected terrorists and inciters, despite Israeli-Palestinian security cooperation. Palestinians view this as an abolition of the Oslo Accord and a deepening of the occupation.

The senior Palestinian security official told Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity that in these talks their side insisted on reinstating the situation on the ground precisely according to the Oslo Accord (pre-March 2002 status) in one move that would include all Palestinian cities  as a condition for continued security cooperation with Israel.

The Israeli side, he said, insists that in instances of imminent danger alerts, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) would still be able to enter Palestinian cities. Furthermore, the Israeli generals suggested that this arrangement be carried out in Ramallah and Jericho first and then extend to other cities based on successful implementation of this pilot stage. The Palestinians rejected what they consider to be a staged and partial offer that would legitimate Israeli intrusion into the other Palestinian cities.

The issue now rests with both political leaderships. According to a confidant of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who spoke to Al-Monitor on condition of anonymity, the prime minister and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon gave a green light to this exploration between security officials and also shared this with US Vice President Joe Biden during his March 8 visit to Jerusalem.

It is convenient for Netanyahu to stay behind the scenes of this initiative in order to keep deniability vis-a-vis his right-wing ministers. According to this Netanyahu adviser, who is also periodically involved in talks with the Palestinians, the initiative for these proposals came from the security establishment  both the IDF and the Shin Bet. They are extremely concerned with a possible deterioration of the current violence into a full-fledged armed intifada. They see, as also indicated in recent Palestinian polls, a public disillusionment with the current sporadic violence and believe that now is the opportune time for such an initiative. They also favor the creation of a Palestinian harbor in Gaza with outside Israeli security control for incoming shipments  something Netanyahu objects to.

They, unlike the political level, give Abbas credit for his stand against violence and for the security cooperation with Israel. The higher echelons of the security establishment favor a political process, but understand that it cannot happen now in view of the current government composition. The move out of the Palestinian cities  although only a restoration of previous agreements  is something they believe would ameliorate the lives of Palestinians, alongside economic measures.

There is a mirror image on the Palestinian security side to these Israeli assessments, with a skeptical political level that is hesitant to consider a partial agreement with Israel without a viable two-state solution.

According to the senior Palestinian security official, their security establishment favors a comprehensive deal on reinstating full Palestinian security jurisdiction in the West Bank cities, as it is their duty to stabilize the internal situation vis-a-vis radical groups, primarily Hamas.

Talking to both sides, one can conclude that even these very limited proposals have little chance to materialize. The Palestinian side is very suspicious that any such security arrangement would not be implemented by Israel. According to the Palestinian security official, Israel feels and acts as the master of the West Bank and is not capable of real security cooperation beyond giving us instructions. On the Israeli side, the security establishment has a more pragmatic understanding of the need to meet minimal Palestinian needs. The political level, and especially the prime minister, wants these explorations in order to stall international initiatives for the renewal of a negotiation process until after the American elections. Nothing will be done that could endanger Netanyahu's unholy alliance with the HaBayit HaYehudi party and the settlers.

Therefore, one must take reports about secret security talks and so-called generous security proposals with a grain of salt.

The only way for Israel to stop the current wave of violence is to engage in a realistic and viable two-state solution process. Anything else is too little, too late.
March 26, 2016

United States, Russia on right course in Syria

On March 27, the cessation of hostilities in Syria will have held for one month. Yes, there have been violations, but the agreement has held. Given where we were, and where we are, we might put the present state of affairs in the category of a small miracle, a breakthrough for US-Russian leadership and cooperation and, hopefully, a turning point for the Syrian people.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said in Moscow on March 24, There has been a fragile but nevertheless beneficial reduction in violence  some say as much as 85-90%  in Syria. Its also true that the cessation in hostilities has produced the first significant flow of humanitarian assistance to people, some whom havent seen that assistance in several years. But we both know that more needs to be done in terms of both a reduction of violence and the flow of humanitarian aid.

There is of course much more to be done, and if the cessation of hostilities continues to hold and expand, it will be the result of a deep and impactful partnership between Kerry and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Kerry said March 24 that the United States and Russia have agreed to press for expanded humanitarian assistance, the release of detainees and an acceleration of the political process leading to a transition government, a new constitution and elections. The same day, UN Special Envoy for Syria Staffan de Mistura said that both the Syrian government and the opposition delegations had taken the first round of negotiations very seriously. Talks are expected to resume in April.

And lets add a bit more good news: The Islamic State (IS) is losing ground in Syria and Iraq. IHS/Janes reported March 15 that IS has lost 22% of its territory in both countries, mostly in Syria, since January 2015, a trend that accelerated with the Russian military intervention on behalf of the Syrian government in September. US Special Operations Forces killed top IS financier Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli last week, and as this column goes to press, Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air power, are poised to retake Palmyra from the terrorist group.

As IS loses ground in Syria and Iraq, its fighters are already seeking new territories, especially in Libya, and new targets, including in Europe, as evidenced by the deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels on March 22, which claimed 31 lives.

Maxim Suchkov wrote, Putin now holds an important position for the shaping of a political transition in Syria. Russia acquired the air base in Khmeimim [or Hmaimim], which it did not have before. Its geopolitical standing is secured as a power broker in the Middle East, while its weapons are in great demand across the region. The global outreach is incredibly important as well. Some would even argue it was central to the idea of the operation from the very beginning. In addition, Russia showcased its military might, sending signals to those who might have been tempted to put it to the test. Russia also excelled on the public relations side of the art of modern war. Detailed daily reports from the Defense Ministry, accompanied by high-definition maps and video footage, prevented opponents from manipulating its campaign results in the media. Even if Moscow doesnt save [Bashar al-] Assads presidency, his departure will be a negotiated event, not forced, an important element for Putin personally and for Russias vision of its role in contemporary international affairs.

Ali Hashem, speaking with official Syrian and Iranian sources, confirmed that when Russia decided it was time to withdraw the major part of its forces from Syria, the announcement, on March 14, came as no surprise to its allies in the Syrian civil war. The Syrian government, Iran and Hezbollah had been informed in advance.

This column appreciates the complexity and fragility of the Syrian peace process, and the long game against IS and al-Qaeda, but we admit to being cautious optimists. The Obama administration is on the right track in Syria, with admittedly a long way to go. In our very first column, in December 2012, we identified the role of Russia as one of four trends that might signal if and when there is an endgame in Syria  and what that endgame would be. The Russian trend is indeed shaping the Syrian endgame, and the United States is right to work with it. Russias interests in Syria are not a perfect match for the United States, but neither are the interests of Americas traditional allies in the region. While some may understandably second-guess Russian intentions, and rightly criticize its at times indiscriminate bombing campaign in support of Syrian government forces, as this column has done, it might also be useful to create a scorecard or tally comparing Russias record with those of other regional powers in both seeking a peaceful end to the conflict and undertaking direct attacks on IS and Jabhat al-Nusra, al-Qaedas affiliate in Syria. Our back-of-the-envelope calculation is the Russian score on these counts would probably fare well compared to US regional allies. The attacks in Brussels last week reveal the stakes in Syria are linked to a struggle against IS, al-Qaeda and other terrorist groups. In Syria, as in the broader international battle against terrorism, the United States and Europe are well-served by collaboration, rather than confrontation, with Russia.

Barzani promises crackdown on corruption

Massoud Barzani, president of the Kurdistan Region of Iraq, told Amberin Zaman in an exclusive interview for Al-Monitor that the Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) and the Democratic Union Party (PYD) are exactly one and the same thing, and that the United States turns a blind eye because of the priority to fight IS.

In regard to the referendum on independence for the Kurdistan Region, Barzani said with utter conviction that, barring circumstances beyond our control, that yes, we are trying to do it this year.  I think it will be before October. He said that the wording of the referendum question, or questions, are still being worked out, and that we are talking to Baghdad, we will talk to Iran at the same time that we talk to Turkey. We want to do it [transition to independence] in a peaceful and balanced way.

Barzani acknowledged popular discontent with a lack of transparency in Kurdistan Regional Government energy deals and promised to fight corruption and to fight those people who exploited their government position for oil contracts, sales of agricultural land and things like that. Whoever will be responsible from the Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Peshmerga, prime minister, any minister, any leader of the party, any security official  they all must be held responsible for what they have done.
Photo by Sharon Steinmann | ssteinmann@al.com

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AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk

Your free time is precious, so how to spend it? Here are five ideas for Birmingham this week, March 27-April 2, 2016.

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Phot by Sharon Steinmann | ssteinmann@al.com

Get messy for Holi. This Hindu festival acknowledges the arrival of spring in a particularly colorful fashion. Revelers toss bright powder in the air, squirt colored water from toy guns and fling water-filled balloons that splash in multi-hued ways. The goal: to decorate anyone and everyone in sight. A party atmosphere prevails, typically accompanied by music, food, drinks and laughter. To cover yourself in splendor, head to the UAB Mini Park on Saturday for a Holi celebration presented by the university's Indian Cultural Association. It's part of a monthlong IndiaFest.

IndiaFest, kicks off April 2 at 11 a.m. with "Holi  A Festival of Colors," presented by Indian Cultural Association of UAB, University of Alabama at Birmingham Mini Park, University Boulevard between 13th and 14th streets South.

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Holi is one big color party

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Photo by Ben Flanagan | bflanagan@al.com

Double up at Happenin Fest. This year's event  a showcase of indie bands organized by the Happenin Records label  stretches to two days and two separate venues. The Friday night lineup at Saturn includes Deer Tick, Jeff the Brotherhood, Pujol and more. At Saturday's daylong fest, Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires will headline, preceded by Jacuzzi Boys, White Reaper, Wray and more. A total of 14 acts is on the agenda, plus food trucks, a mechanical bull, a special festival brew and other goodies.

Happenin Fest 2016, April 1 at 7:30 p.m., Saturn, 200 41st St. South; April 2 at 2 p.m. Good People Brewing Co., 114 14th St. South; $19 Friday, $20 Saturday, tickets via Happenin Records website.

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Lee Bains III & the Glory Fires

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AL.com file photo/Frank Couch

Pretend you're a character in "Jurassic Park," but do it safely at the Birmingham Zoo. More than a dozen animatronic beasts are on display in a new exhibit, "Dino Discovery  They're Back!" Head down a trail in the Alabama Wilds area, and you'll find moving, roaring creatures of the prehistoric kind, some nearly 20 feet tall. T. Rex rules the pack, of course, but his scaly friends are equally impressive.

"Dino Discovery  They're Back!," through July 31, Birmingham Zoo, 2630 Cahaba Road, $4-$6 plus $11-$16 zoo admission, 205-879-0409.

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What was it like to be a dinosaur?

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AP Photo/Warner Bros. Pictures, Jaap Buitendijk

Attention, Muggles! You won't need magic to enter the wizarding world, thanks to the Harry Potter film series. Even better, you won't need a ticket to see all eight movies on Monday and Tuesday at the Homewood Public Library. A free Harry Potter Movie Marathon begins at 9:30 a.m. each day, dividing the saga in half. Day One: "Philosopher's Stone," "Chamber of Secrets," "Prison of Azkaban" and "Goblet of Fire." Day Two: "Order of the Phoenix," "Half-Blood Prince" and "Deathly Hallows  Parts 1 and 2." Bonus: Drinks and snacks are on the house.



Harry Potter Movie Marathon, March 28-29 at 9:30 a.m., Homewood Public Library auditorium, 1721 Oxmoor Road, free admission, 205-332-6600.

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Harry Potter movie trailers

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AL.com file photo/John David Mercer

Feel foolish  and like it  at the Wacky Tacky Masked Ball. April Fool's pranks are planned for this lighthearted event, a benefit for the Fresh Air Family's summer science camps. The dress code is casual and silly the wacky-tackier the better!  and a mask is required for Thursday night festivities at Buck Mulligan's Public House in Five Points South.



Wacky Tacky Masked Ball, March 31 at 7:30 p.m., Buck Mulligan's Public House, 2011 Highland Ave. South, $25, $30 at door, benefit for Fresh Air Family's Gross Out Camps, 205-540-6642, tickets at Fresh Air Family website.
Brookside shooting.jpg

Anthony Lukeen Edwards was arrested Friday night after pointing a gun at a Brookside police officer. The officer fired at Edwards, but Edwards wasn't strucl

(Brookside Police Department)

A Brookside officer fired on a drug suspect Friday night when, police say, that suspect stood over the officer pointing a gun at him.

Brookside police Chief Jason Springfield said officers, as part of an ongoing Operation Crackdown in that community, were carrying out a "buy-bust" on suspect Anthony Lukeen Edwards about 10:30 p.m.. Edwards, he said, tried to run and officers pursued him into a wooded area behind a home.

The lead officer slipped and fell by a creek bed, Springfield said, and that's when Edwards stood over him pointing a handgun at him. The officer, whose name hasn't been released, pulled his service weapon and fired one round at Edwards, who continued to flee through a residential neighborhood.

Springfield said officers put out a call for help, and a number of officers from surrounding agencies responded including the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office and Adamsville police. A sheriff's tracking dog also was brought to the scene. Edwards was found and taken into custody.

Edwards was taken to a hospital emergency room to be evaluated for his injuries. Springfield said Edwards was not struck by the bullet. The chief said he is thankful that none of the officers were injured.

Edwards, a 31-year-old Birmingham man, faces charges of menacing, three counts of distribution of a controlled substance, attempting to elude and resisting arrest.

"We are thankful that no one was seriously hurt with this guy's reckless behavior,'' the chief said. "We are especially thankful that, for whatever reason, the offender either didn't or couldn't shoot our officer."

"Drugs are a serious and dangerous business,'' Springfield said. "They are ruining many lives."

Brookside police have arrested at least nine people in recent weeks during an operation aimed at cracking down on crime in the community. Springfield said the arrests wouldn't have been possible without the public's help.

"We ask that you please continue to forward us information, even if you think it is small,'' he said. "You never know when your information may be the only piece of information that we need to close a case."
Shirah.png

Lauren Shirah (Facebook)

A 20-year-old Montevallo woman was killed Saturday morning when the vehicle she was riding in overturned on Interstate 65, five miles north of Jemison.

Lauren Elizabeth Shirah was a passenger in a 2006 Pontiac G6 that left the roadway, struck a ditch and overturned, according to Alabama state troopers. Shirah wasn't wearing a seat belt and was ejected from the vehicle.

Shirah was later pronounced dead at UAB Hospital.

The driver, Megan Hall, 20, of Montevallo, was transported to a local hospital with injuries.

The crash occurred at around 10:15 a.m. on Interstate 65 at the 222 mile marker, five miles north of Jemison.

Troopers continue to investigate.

Friends and family took to social media to express their shock and share their condolences.

My heart aches for all of Lauren Shirah family and friends! Keep them all in your prayers I can't imagine the hurt they are going through right now! Posted by Brittany Smith on Saturday, March 26, 2016

I am truly shocked with this news. It breaks my heart. The things that happen in life are so unfair. Fly high Lauren Shirah. You will be missed. Prayers for her family in this tough time. Posted by Myranda Rae Willis on Saturday, March 26, 2016

RIP Lauren Shirah, I just saw you last week and we caught all up on the girl's lives and each others!!! It had been... Posted by Ashley Nicole Smith on Saturday, March 26, 2016

prayers for the family of Lauren Shirah... I can't believe what I just heard. my heart breaks for the family of a friend... Heaven gained an angel. I can tell you that. Posted by Bri Smith on Saturday, March 26, 2016
Elmore Correctional Facility

An Elmore Correctional Facility inmate told AL.com via text message Saturday about conditions at the facility following a Friday fatal stabbing. (photo via www.doc.state.al.us)

The Elmore Correctional Facility remains on partial lockdown Saturday evening, more than 24 hours after an inmate was

during a Friday fight with a fellow inmate.

An inmate described the conditions inside Elmore to AL.com via text message Saturday evening, saying that movements have been severely restricted and that the environment is tense but not hostile.

"We're on a partial lockdown," the inmate, who spoke with AL.com on condition of anonymity, wrote in text messages that have been lightly edited for grammar, spelling and clarity. "It's controlled movement, we're restricted to our dorms. Only able to leave to go to chow or take medication ... Our movements are very restricted to five minutes to enter the chow hall, 5 or ten minutes to eat and leave dorm by dorm."

He said that the response among inmates has not been hostile thus far, but that he believes the situation could change quickly under certain circumstances.

"The situation isn't hostile at this point, but will be if the inmates remain confined to the dorms with the capacity of 190 inmates per dorm," he said. "The mood is normal but will change from zero to 60 within seconds if the lock down continues after the weekend. We think the goon squad will be here Monday to search the entire prison."

The Elmore inmate confirmed that authorities detained a suspect - identified by the Alabama Department of Corrections on Friday as Latarian Martel Frison, 25 - following the stabbing. The Department of Corrections identified the victim of the fatal stabbing as convicted murderer 31-year-old Johnny Lee Spears, who was pronounced dead by a corrections physician at 5:56 p.m.

The inmate told AL.com Saturday that officials are investigating the stabbing as being "somewhat of a lover's disagreement that ended up becoming violent."

In July 2006, Spears was sentenced to life in prison by a Madison County judge for the December 2003 murder of Anthony Armstrong Jr.

Frison is serving a 20-year sentence for a 2008 second-degree robbery conviction in Mobile County.
Pakistan Blast

Pakistani police officers stand guard at the site of a bomb blast in a park in Lahore, Pakistan, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. A bomb blast in a park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore has killed tens of people and wounded scores, a health official said. (AP Photo/K.M. Chuadary)

(K.M. Chuadary)

A suicide bomber in Pakistan killed 63 and injured over 300, according to NBC News.

The bomb exploded Sunday evening in a children's park in Lahore, the capital of the Pakistani province Punjab.

Because of the holiday, there was a large number of women and children in the park, including many Christians, Lahore police chief Dr. Haider Ashraf said to NBC.

The body of the bomber has been recovered, but his or her identity has not been revealed.

The news report said a group of the Pakistani Taliban, Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul Ahrar (TTP-JA) claimed responsibility for the attack.

Ehsanullah Ehsan, the spokesperson of the group, called NBC News shortly after the attack to explain that Christians in the community were the target of the bomb.

The blast mainly killed and injured women and children, but Ehsan said the group's target was Christian men.

The province is in a state of emergency and the Chief Minister, Shabaz Sharif, said there will be a three-day mourning period in Punjab.
Justin Shults.png

Justin and Stephanie Shults (Facebook)

Tennessee native Justin Shults died in the Brussels airport bombing on Tuesday, The Tennessean reported today. His wife, Stephanie, a native of Kentucky, remains missing.

Shults, a native of Gatlinburg and graduate of Vanderbilt University, had been missing since the bombings that killed at least 31.

Shults' employer, CLARCOR, learned of his death today and confirmed it in a statement to The Tennessean.

"We have learned today that Justin Shults died in the bombing at Brussels Airport," the company said in a statement "We grieve with his family and continue to offer our support as they mourn this unimaginable loss. Justin has been an integral member of our global finance team since May of 2012 and he has lived with his wife, Stephanie, in Brussels since 2014. He will be remembered by his CLARCOR community as an intelligent, kind and loyal friend and employee. Justin will be greatly missed by those who knew him.

"We do not have news yet about Justin's wife, Stephanie, and ask that you keep her and her family in your prayers," the statement continued.

Two siblings from New York City were also killed in the bombing.

Justin Shults' half-brother, Levi Sutton, tweeted on Saturday that Stephanie Shults' car was found at the Brussels airport.

"We found out today that cowards took my brother's life just weeks after his 30th birthday," Sutton tweeted. "I was blessed to have Justin as a big brother. He was smart and kind and generous. I never met a single person that didn't like him. He worked hard his whole life and achieved goals that most could only dream about. He traveled the world leaving each destination better than when he arrived. Knowing that I'll never be able to see him again hurts but it's worse that my future children will never get to know their uncle Justin as he would've been a tremendous role model. Please pray for my mom."
utahhighwaypatrol.jpg

(Utah Highway Patrol/Facebook)

SALT LAKE CITY -- A woman heading to her mother's funeral with her ashes Saturday died in a pickup truck crash in southern Utah.



A man driving the truck at about 7 a.m. on Interstate 15 just south of Beaver, Utah, lost control of the vehicle and slid on the wet and icy road, Utah Highway Patrol officials said. The pickup then rolled several times.



Danielle Vale, 48, of Mesquite, was ejected from the front passenger seat, KUTV of Salt Lake City reported. She was pronounced dead at the scene.



The Utah Highway Patrol said a 28-year-old woman also in the car was listed in serious condition. The 48-year-old driver was also hospitalized, but his immediate condition was unknown.



Authorities said Vale, who was going to Salt Lake City for the funeral, was also carrying her mother's ashes. Troopers were trying to recover the ashes at the crash site Saturday.

"It is believed that her mother's ashes were in the truck at the time of the crash," according to a Utah High Patrol news release, the Salt Lake City Tribune reported. "Troopers are searching for the ashes and when they are located, UHP Troopers will transport the ashes to Salt Lake to the waiting family."



According to the highway patrol, neither woman was wearing a seat belt.



The cause of the crash is under investigation.
Jon Mason

Rebekah Caldwell Mason's husband, Jon Mason, earns $91,000 a year as executive director of Gov. Robert Bentley's Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives. (photo via servealabama.gov)

Allegations that Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley had an affair with top advisor Rebekah Caldwell Mason have dominated political headlines for the past few days.

Mason's high-level position in the Bentley administration, her alleged intimate relationship with the governor, and her alleged ability to influence him on key issues of state concern have raised questions about whether Bentley misused state funds in connection with their personal relationship.

Mason's husband, Jonathan P. Mason, has remained at his wife's side throughout the scandal, which first emerged last year and resurfaced earlier this week when Spencer Collier, Bentley's former Alabama State Law Enforcement Agency director, publicly accused the governor of having a sexual relationship with Ms. Mason.

But Jon Mason also collects a state paycheck, serving as executive director of the governor's Office of Faith Based and Community Initiatives, also known as Serve Alabama.

The scandal currently rocking Montgomery has generated serious concerns about Rebekah Mason's high-power position in the Bentley administration and about hundreds of thousands of dollars Bentley's campaign paid to a company owned by the couple, RCM Communications, during the 2014 campaign.

It also raises the question of why Jon Mason, who worked as a weatherman before joining the Bentley administration, was chosen to head up an important taxpayer-funded state agency that controls millions of dollars and is overseen by the governor's office.

Jon Mason spoke with AL.com via email Saturday about his qualifications for the position and how he was selected to head a major state agency despite having no government experience.

Prior to his hiring by the state in January 2011, Jon Mason served as a weatherman for Tuscaloosa-based local news station, WVUA. He had 18 years' experience - only 12 of which he says were full-time - as a meteorologist in Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, according to a professional profile posted on Auburn University's website. He has a bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Alabama and received a meteorology certificate from Mississippi State University, according to the profile.

"The qualifications that led to my selection as director of Serve Alabama included my 12 year career as meteorologist with local television stations in Birmingham and Tuscaloosa," Jon Mason told AL.com via email Saturday evening.

He wrote that his experience in meteorology "included delivering disaster preparedness messaging" and "working with local Emergency Management officials in our market area and communicating with the National Weather Service on disaster prep and occasionally response situations."

As for how he came to be approached about the position, Jon Mason wrote that "[a]s the transition to the new Bentley administration was unfolding in late 2010, early 2011 ... I was approached by administration officials about this position because of my work in meteorology and the disaster prep/response field."

The state paid Jon Mason an annual salary of $91,400.08 in fiscal years 2014 and 2015 for his service as head of Serve Alabama, according to the state Department of Finance. He received an 18.7 percent raise between fiscal 2013 - when he was paid a salary of $76,999.92 - and fiscal 2014. He also received $76,999.92 in fiscal 2012, his first full fiscal year working for the state.

"The Serve Alabama Director salary of $77,000 in January 2011 was the lowest at the time of cabinet/agency heads," he wrote. "As Serve Alabama began long term recovery work post April 2011 tornadoes and began administering the nation's largest FEMA disaster case management program (at the time), doubling the size of our staff in 2012/13, the administration brought the Director of Serve Alabama salary in-line with the standard base salary of a cabinet director ($91,000)."

Serve Alabama "works to increase an ethic of service and volunteerism in the State of Alabama, strengthen the capacity of Alabama's faith and community-based organizations, and promote collaboration among individuals and organizations striving to meet some of the greatest needs in our state," according to its website.

It "serve[s] as the Alabama State Service Commission, granting and administering (10) State AmeriCorps Programs across Alabama," is "the state's lead agency for Volunteer and Donations Management after disasters," which in recent years has seen the agency respond to Hurricanes Ivan and Katrina, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill and the devastating tornadoes of April 2011 - just three months after Mason took over as head of the agency. Serve Alabama also administers the Governor's Emergency Relief Fund and the state's disaster preparedness campaign, ReadyAlabama.gov.

Two former Serve Alabama employees agreed to speak with AL.com about Jon Mason's performance as head of Serve Alabama. Both said he was a competent and kind boss who seemed to be a good fit for the position.

Northport resident Charlotte Allen worked under Mr. Mason as a public policy intern for Serve Alabama in either 2012 or 2013. She told AL.com via phone Thursday that "[h]e was a very nice man. There was nothing wrong, I couldn't see anything," adding that she was not aware of any problems related to his service as director of the agency.

Allen said she also never heard anything about an affair between Rebekah Mason and Bentley or any other scandal involving the Masons during her time at Serve Alabama.

"He was very Christian faith - I mean, a very nice man," she said. "I didn't see any of this, I just think something went wrong down the windpipe. He was very nice but something went wrong on the other end. Hey, people make bad choices."

Another former Serve Alabama employee who declined to be identified speaking about the agency, said that Jon Mason "was always great to me; never heard anything like that when I was there," speaking in reference to the allegations that Rebekah Mason and Bentley had an affair. "He was a good boss, I'd say," the former employee added.

Serve Alabama's budget in 2011 was about $4 million, with "about 97 percent of that coming from the federal government," The Tuscaloosa News reported in January of that year.

"AmeriCorps is probably the biggest program we administer," Jon Mason told the newspaper at the time. "I don't know how many volunteers we have in the state -- you'll have to bear with me, I'm still learning -- but they are dozens of them."

He also told The Tuscaloosa News at the time that Bentley's office was setting up an office in Tuscaloosa that he would be able to use once it was in operation, though he expected to mainly work in Montgomery.

The Masons have owned and operated a communications and marketing business in Tuscaloosa since at least March 2006, when the first archived version of the website www.caldwellmason.com is available via The Wayback Machine web archive service. The 2006 version of the site listed their business name as Caldwell Mason Marketing & Design, and listed a range of clients it had worked with "[o]ver the past few years," including the University of Alabama, the city of Tuscaloosa and creditbureau.com.

Caldwell Mason's website was down Saturday afternoon and earlier this week appeared not to have otherwise been updated since 2009. Rebekah Mason is listed in official filings as the lone officer of RCM Communications, which was paid more than $400,000 by the Bentley campaign between RCM's formation in July 2013 and November 2014 for consulting and polling work, according to state campaign finance records.

Jon Mason has stood by his wife throughout the ongoing scandal over Collier's allegations that she and Bentley engaged in a sexual relationship. On Friday, he described Rebekah Mason as "my amazing wife of nearly 20 years, a loving and dedicated mom, a sweet compassionate daughter, a gifted 27-year communications professional, and friend" in a Facebook post.

"I wanted to share that I long ago resolved the personal issue playing out now for everyone this week,"

in the post, as

. "Please continue to support families, the governor, and our state with prayers as we all move forward."
Thousands stuck at a makeshift camp across Greek-Macedonian border are clueless about what is going to happen next.

During the past three days at the makeshift camp across Greeces border with Macedonia  all we heard were questions.





People dont know who to believe. There are a lot of rumours, a lot of misinformation and  deliberate or not  the thousands of refugees and migrants are being kept in the dark, deceived and misled.

We were aware that a group of refugees were planning to push their way across the border on Sunday morning.

The people behind the plan were those who have been trying to convince people not to move into government-run accommodation centres.

They want people to stay at Idomeni because their presence attracts the worlds cameras  and hope it will pressure EU leaders to revise their decisions.

READ MORE: Inside Idomeni refugee camp, nothing left but hope

But information about the planned march was not disseminated on social media. Instead people were told the border was to open.

While we were driving to Idomeni, we saw dozens of migrants and refugees carrying their belongings and walking for kilometres in the cold.

We are so happy, Mahdi, a Syrian Palestinian told me. Finally we can cross.

There has been no official announcement that the border is to open, we told him. Mahdi and the others with him refused to believe that. They kept walking, only to find dozens of refugees preparing to break through Greek police lines.

It didnt take long before they changed their minds. They realised that crossing the border by force would not change anything. They have attempted that in the past, only to be arrested by Macedonian authorities and sent back.

IDOMENI: On the brink of a humanitarian catastrophe

And so they announced that they wouldnt be marching. We are peaceful people, one man said on the loudspeaker. We wont cross unless the Red Cross is with us and there is a decision by the European Union to let us in.





Instead they held a peaceful protest and sent a message to the world not to forget them.

It was clear that as days pass, more and more of the 50,000 refugees and migrants who are stuck in Greece are resigned to the fact that Europes open-door policy has been shut.

They cling on to hope that things will change but deep in their hearts they know they are trapped.

They come to us, journalists seeking answers to questions. Is it true that they are taking people to military camps? Is it true we will be sent back to Turkey? Should we agree to move to government-run centres? Are conditions better there? Is it true we will be given priority if we stay at the border?

There are others who are now talking about going back home. How can we do that? I heard they are giving free tickets so that we can go back. Where do we go to get those tickets?  were questions we heard from quite a few people.

READ MORE: A day in Idomeni

The UNHCR and other aid agencies do have offices at the makeshift camp where people have been struggling to survive in the cold and rain for weeks now.

But they dont seem to have all the answers  and they are overwhelmed.

Others are now accepting that they may have to wait months or even years before their asylum requests are processed or they are relocated under an EU plan.

Chaos, uncertainty, suffering, desperation, frustration  that is the atmosphere in Idomeni today.

And it is not only in Idomeni. Just travel a few kilometres along the highway to Thessaloniki, and the mood is similar among refugees and migrants who live in tents near petrol stations.

I only have 40 euros left and I want to save it to pay for the taxi to go to the border. Do you think it will open soon? Abu Hassan, a refugee from Syria, asked us.

It is hard to tell people that they may be holding on to a dream. Greek authorities are taking people to centres where they can live while they wait for their papers to be processed, we explained.

He was shocked. What buses? What accommodation centres? Where can we find these buses? How can we apply? Abu Hassan asked.

The EU may have decided on how it wants to deal with the migrant crisis but it seems to have failed to give these people the answers they are desperately seeking.
How sanctions on the UKs unemployed are creating an impoverished and desperate underclass.

Manchester, UK  If youre on 140 ($201) a fortnight in benefits, where do you get 220 quid [pounds] ($316) from?

I am on pay-as-you-go metres, so they have got to get fed. Every fortnight you have to put 20 quid ($29) on your gas, 20 quid on your lecky [electricity], so you are left with 90 quid ($129). Then youve got to budget for your food. You also have to factor in bus fares.

James Denton, an unemployed middle-aged man living in the centre of Manchester, completed a UK government-funded training course to hold an SIA (Security Industry Authority) licence, required to work in security-related jobs. But when he finished the course, he couldnt afford the 220 ($316) fee required to gain the licence.

James was on the dole, living on government welfare payments while unemployed in return for actively looking for work.

These benefit payments, however, did not give James enough money to pay for the licence that would help him return to work. The government welfare office  the Jobcentre  would not supplement the required 220 ($316) fee.

I just couldnt get over it, James says.

I eventually got a charity to donate 100 ($144) towards my SIA badge and the Jobcentre still wouldnt put in the other 120 quid ($172).

Obviously, you could say that I could strap myself for a fortnight and just pay for it, but on the other hand I really didnt fancy going without food and lecky and gas for two weeks.

It was like living in hell

James had previously worked in many jobs, including telesales and ticket inspection on the local train services, but had found himself  like more than 1.6 million others in the UK  unemployed.

He had been on the dole for around a year when he was sanctioned, meaning that for three months his benefit payments were stopped.

Sanctioning is the punitive measure introduced by the countrys last government  a Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition  seemingly to encourage the unemployed to seriously search for work while claiming benefits.

However, as James soon found out, the practice of sanctioning can have a hugely detrimental effect on quality of life. James simply couldnt afford to pay his bills.

I dont think they [the Jobcentre] realise what they do to you. It was February, it was the middle of winter. How do you survive with no lighting? How do you survive with no heating? he says

I am not fortunate enough to have come from a good family and my family just didnt want to know. There was no help forthcoming there.

His friends did help out a little, but with mortgages and childcare to pay for themselves, there wasnt much they could do.

He says he wasnt told about the Jobcentres hardship payment  a reduced amount of benefits for those who cannot afford to pay for essentials during sanctioning.

It is shocking that they didnt actively inform me of a thing called hardship. I think thats terrible and I cant be the only one that they have not done this for, he says.

They stopped my rent [payments] as well, which meant after three months I was over 2,000 ($2,872) in rent arrears. Ive [since] gone to work, paid a lot of it off, but I am still in arrears.

James was sanctioned as he couldnt cope with the new universal job match online system, a website where all Job Seekers Allowance (JSA) recipients have to log on daily to record their efforts to find a job that day.

James had never worked with a computer before and says he is computer-illiterate.

How do they expect you to keep applying for jobs when youve got absolutely nothing, and I mean nothing? Even if you are on hardship [payments], it is less than half of what you were on  and half the dole aint a great deal, he says.

I used to sit in the library a lot. At least it was warm and I could read.

Prior to the sanction I weighed 70 kilos. After three months I weighed 54. What was there to eat?

With no food and no warmth I just descended. It was like living in hell. I used to see people begging on the streets and think they have more money than me. By the end of it, even when I did try to eat, a banana would fill me up.

Anything that was of value had gone

James would go to different supermarkets to save 10p ($0.14) on reduced items.

When youre that poor youve actually got to consider where every single penny is going, he says.

He even considered committing crimes and begging to supplement his income.

Anything of value that was in my house was either pawned or sold, and at the end of those three months, I looked around my house  I didnt have a television, I didnt have a stereo, I didnt have a mountain bike. Anything that was of value had gone.

At the end of those three months I had carpets, I had a sofa, I had a microwave and I had a cooker, and that was it.

I wondered why I was going a bit doolally [crazy], but if youre not eating properly it affects you. Youve got all this time on your hands and all youre thinking is how can I do this? Ive got absolutely nothing. You cant even read a book in the dark.

When youre unemployed, youre unemployable

Despite the toll poverty had taken on James physical and mental health, he continued to apply for countless jobs.

Then, one day, he received a call from a friend to say that there was a job for him at a train station in Birmingham. It was a two-hour commute away  meaning that he would have to travel for four hours a day  but he immediately accepted it and started work.

He has since been offered a job closer to home.

Working has done me the power of good, absolutely brilliant. Its been wonderful, he says.

When you are unemployed, you are unemployable. When youve got a job, its much easier to get a job. You can get a proper CV and references. Sometimes you just need a little helping hand to get you to the next step up.

But his feelings towards the Jobcentre havent changed.

The Jobcentre isnt there to help people, he says. The Jobcentre is there now to trip you up into the traps they set for you.

They say that there are all these jobs everywhere, but not everyone has got the skills.

Its a sentiment shared by many others who have experienced sanctions.

Im choosing a better life for my children by letting them go

Bob is from Ashton in Greater Manchester. He has been repeatedly sanctioned and suffers mental health problems.

After being sanctioned I was seriously worried about my mental state. How can they be so relaxed while putting you through so much stress? he asks.

He says he received a long-term sanction after the Jobcentre booked him for two compulsory appointments just minutes apart but at opposite ends of town. He cycled as hard as he could but arrived at the second Jobcentre five minutes late.

When he broke down at the Jobcentre after being told that he would be sanctioned, he was arrested.

Soon after, his two children were put into the care of the local authorities. Bob attributes that to the way the sanctions affected him and his finances.

His children are now living with foster parents who receive a government allowance for looking after them.

But Bob isnt fighting to regain custody of them; he says theyll have a better standard of living with somebody else.

I am not chasing for my children, he explains. They go on holiday with their foster parents to Disneyland or wherever. I could never afford to do that. Im choosing a better life for my children by letting them go.

The reasons cited for sanctions can often seem unfair  whether its a disabled person being sanctioned for arriving late to an appointment because of the snow or because a letter informing somebody of a change to their appointment time got lost in the post.



They keep them demoralised

At a local Jobshop (a free help service for those looking for work), a middle-aged man with four children sits, having just been informed that he will receive a three-month sanction.

I was sanctioned as my Jobcentre consultant did not feel like I was looking for a job hard enough, he explains, asking me not to use his name.

Around 50 percent of appeals against sanctions are accepted, but it can take weeks for an appeal to be processed and that means weeks with no benefits.

The Ashton-under-Lyne-based group Tameside Against The Cuts organise a weekly demonstration outside the Jobcentre where they give advice and support to locals using the services.

Charlotte Hughes, a member of the organisation, believes that the benefits system is a breach of human rights and deliberately counter-productive in helping people out of poverty.

They keep them demoralised, keep them walking on a treadmill to keep them depressed and compliant, she says.

Its not about helping them, it is about power. It is humiliating being in the Jobcentre. They make you give all this personal information in front of everyone in the room.

James remembers how he was treated at the Jobcentre.

They speak to you like you are not even a human being, not even like you are lower than them, like you are lower than society, he says.

I think thats what they are aiming for, to create an undercurrent of people who are so poor that they are never going to get out of it.
Despite US admissions that it tortured people after 9/11, little has been heard from the victims themselves.

There is a proverb that a human being is stronger than a stone and more tender than a flower.  Habib Rahman, brother of Gul Rahman (Prisoner #24) who died in CIA custody

Just days after the 9/11 attacks, US President George W Bush authorised the CIA to begin covertly detaining people it suspected of being terrorists. Within the year, Department of Justice lawyers provided the first set of memos that would draw a legal line between so-called enhanced interrogation and torture. Up to that point, secret imprisonment was considered a violation of human rights.

While I was starving, near freezing, naked and cut off from my family, my torturers would keep me awake for days.... From all the beatings, I learned that sleep meant pain. by Ammar al-Baluchi, victim of the CIA torture programme

CIA black sites were set up all over the world, and suspected terrorists were rendered, detained and subjected to brutal abuses: sleep deprivation, sensory deprivation, auditory overload, rectal rehydration, waterboarding and stress positions, as well as other forms of treatment designed to humiliate and degrade.

The torture years continued for nearly a decade until, in 2009, President Barack Obama signed an executive order putting an end to the practice.

In December 2014, the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence (SSCI) released what is now known as the Torture Report, the 500-page executive summary of a roughly 6,700-page still-classified investigation. The abridged version was declassified despite fierce objections from the CIA, some Republicans and even the White House.

It revealed that the programme was not only more brutal than the CIA had let on for years, but also ineffective  suggesting that the agency had wilfully misrepresented its tactics usefulness to policymakers and the public. Dianne Feinstein, chairwoman of the Intelligence Committee, a Democratic senator from California who has supported the agency in the past, concluded that: Under any common meaning of the term, CIA detainees were tortured.

READ MORE: Covering the CIA torture report

To this day, only one individual has been jailed in connection with the CIAs torture programme: John Kiriakou, a former analyst and case officer-turned-whistleblower, who was the first person to confirm the agencys use of waterboarding in 2007.

No survivor of the CIAs torture programme has had a day in a US court: claims have been repeatedly shut down by invoking state secrecy and immunity doctrines.

In the first year of his presidency, Obama said: Nothing will be gained by spending our time and energy laying blame for the past.

Still, survivors continue to seek accountability. ACLU lawyers are pursuing a case on behalf of three former CIA detainees, including Mohamed Ahmed Ben Soud, the family of Gul Rahman, and Suleiman Abdullah Salim. The case targets James Mitchell and John Bruce Jessen, the two psychologists contracted by the CIA to design and implement the agencys torture programme.

While officials may prefer to close the book on that dark period in Americas history, for the CIAs victims, the effects of their experiences live on in their bodies and minds. Within the Torture Report was an official list of 119 names belonging to men who had been detained and interrogated in secret prisons.

The list is a window into the breadth of the programme. According to The Bureau of Investigative Journalisms Rendition Project, which has compiled some of the most extensive reporting on the individual cases to date, would-be CIA prisoners were picked up from more than 20 countries, with nearly 60 nations identified as being complicit in the rendition and/or detention of these prisoners.

Although detained as suspected terrorists, many of these men were never charged with crimes by the US. Many were picked up on the basis of thin or faulty intelligence; a few entered the programme because of mistaken identity. According to the SSCI review, 26 individuals did not meet the CIAs own standards for detention.

Inside the Dark Prison

Although the locations of the CIAs prisons have never been officially confirmed, more than half of the 119 CIA detainees are thought to have passed through a black site believed to be near the international airport in the Afghan capital Kabul.

It is widely believed to be the same prison that the Senate Investigation code-named Detention Site Cobalt. The men who had been detained there knew it as the Dark Prison. According to the Senate investigation, one CIA official described the place as a dungeon and considered the prison itself an enhanced interrogation technique.

Fault Lines sent several questions regarding Cobalt to the CIA. One, on behalf of a family whose loved one died in custody there more than 14 years ago, was simply, Where is his body?

In response a CIA spokesperson referred Fault Lines to documents on the CIA website, and sent back a statement that read, in part, the programme had shortcomings and the Agency made mistakes. CIA has owned up to these mistakes, learned from them, and taken numerous corrective actions over the years.

The remains of the detainee were not mentioned.

Are the torture years over?

Despite the disclosures of the Torture Report, the individuals who were detained have not been approached by the Senate for their testimony.

Today it happened to us; tomorrow it'll happen to someone else... Maybe in the future the American government will consider some segment of the population as threats and it will torture them as well. by Mohamed Ahmed al-Shoreiya Ben Soud, former Dark Prison detainee

In the course of making The Dark Prison, Fault Lines spoke with 14 prisoners in almost a dozen countries, some of whom had never spoken to the media before  but all of whom had spent time in Cobalt.

Many were too traumatised, angry or afraid to speak on record, others were in countries Fault Lines could not access for security reasons.

Throughout this years presidential campaign, candidates such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have repeatedly called for techniques used during the USs torture years to be reintroduced in the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group, which is also known as ISIS.

In response to the attacks in Brussels, Belgium, Trump said on the Today show, If they could expand the laws, I would do a lot more than waterboarding.

Mohamed Ahmed al-Shoreiya Ben Soud, one of the men who spoke to Fault Lines about his experience in the CIAs programme, doesnt think the torture years are officially over.

Today it happened to us; tomorrow itll happen to someone else, he said. Maybe in the future the American government will consider some segment of the population as threats and it will torture them as well.

Ben Souds story, as well as those of four other men, appear below  told, where possible, in their own words.

MEET THE DARK PRISONERS

Prisoner #52: Mohamed Ahmed al-Shoreiya Ben Soud

Mohamed Ahmed al-Shoreiya Ben Souds detention began in April 2003. He was captured outside the house he lived in with his wife and daughter in Peshawar. Khalid al-Sharif, who was staying with Ben Soud, was detained with him.

Both men were native Libyans and were members of the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG), a movement formed in the 1990s in external opposition to the authoritarian rule of Muammar Gaddafi. The US State Department labelled LIFG a terrorist group in 2004.

Ben Soud was in US custody for roughly 16 months after which he was released to the Libyans. He remained in jail in Libya for nearly seven years and was released in 2011.

In a series of interviews with Fault Lines, Ben Soud described what it was like in the Dark Prison  and also shared drawings of his memories of how the facility was laid out.

Fault Lines: How did you learn whose custody you were in?

Mohamed Ahmed al-Shoreiya Ben Soud: In my first interrogation shortly after having entered, I was brought in naked and stood there in the interrogation room. They removed the bag over my head. I found a female interrogator with the American intelligence saying to me in the harshest tone as she banged on the table, You are now a prisoner of the United States of America. You now have no rights since the events of 9/11.

Can you remember what the prison looked like?

The prison was basically a warehouse with a high ceiling. It was divided into two sections. One section consisted of interrogation rooms. Another section contained cells where prisoners were held.

Could you see into any of the other cells?

No, you couldnt see anything. There was an opening that was about 10cm by 30cm below the door. Thats it. It was only for ventilation. There were metal bars through the opening. Perhaps they thought you could escape through the 10cm-by-30cm opening.

The entire building was dark. Inside the room it was dark. There was no light. When they would enter the cell, they would use a headlamp or a flashlight. I would not have known what the room looked like but for the flashlights they used. I would see whats right next to me. Otherwise you learn by feeling. You figure out what youre eating through feeling it. This is rice.

The music was miserable and filled the place. It was rock music, ugly and horrific.

What do you remember about the cell?

There was nothing in it. Just a small mattress. Everything else was a regular floor. What stood out to me was the bathroom that we would use, which was a bucket. We would remove the lid, and the smell would fill the room.

The area around the cells would be filled with mice. When they would give you the food, you would see a small amount of it left. The rest was eaten by the mice.

You can still picture it exactly?

Yes, exactly. I lived in this cell for an entire year. I memorised its details and still remember them now. Its measurements, how it looks, the writings I wrote on the wall. These details are carved in my mind.

This ring, which was hung up from the ceiling, we were hung from it, in different positions. We suffered from it a lot. We would be hung for long periods and we would be in tiring and exhausting positions. The prisoner would sleep while his hands and feet hung from the ring. The guard would pass by here and use his flashlight to see that you were awake and not asleep.

The first five months that we spent in this room, we did not take a shower. We did not touch water unless we were being tortured. Our hair was not cut. Our fingernails looked scary. Five months without any care or attention. After five months, on September 3, 2003, they allowed us to cut our nails, to use the bathroom, to wash ourselves, once a week. They started to cut our hair. This was a very difficult time. Everything, every section of this room, tells a story of great suffering.

The water that we used to use to drink, wash and use for the bathroom was two small bottles. Each bottle was 1.5 litres. Three litres a day you would drink, wash your face, that was it. They would not give us clean water, but a metal jug filled with dirty water.

Can you tell us more about how they used the ring?

My left leg was broken. When they would put us in this stress position, they would tie my two hands to my right leg. Right now I have to lean on my left side so that I can have some relief. Even now, if I sit on my left leg, even for a little while, I immediately dont have any feeling in it. Even if I walk for a little bit, I still feel pain.

They could do anything - hit, kill... anything. Because there were no human rights, no humanity, no principles, no ethics.... No one was holding them accountable or supervising them. by Mohamed Ahmed al-Shoreiya Ben Soud, former Dark Prison detainee

Weve heard about a smaller room where prisoners were occasionally taken.

Did you see it?

It was a cell. Or rather, it was a grave.

There was a rod that hung from the highest ceiling. It was all covered in blood. They would hang the prisoners hands from the ceiling, with this rod. So the prisoners toes would barely touch the floor.

I was hung from this place for a day and a half, and my leg was broken. The blood went down to my leg so it got swollen. It was frightening. For a day and a half, I did not drink water or use the bathroom or pray. I was naked.

The entire time we were in this place, the most dangerous thing I was thinking of was that they had no red lines.They could do anything  hit, kill, they could do anything. Because there were no human rights, no humanity, no principles, no ethics.

This is what was scary about this place. There were no limits, there were no standards as far as how these people would act. No one was holding them accountable or supervising them.

What do you think they were trying to achieve with this treatment?

I think that the lone intention was to break our spirits as prisoners, to break our will so we would reach a point of personal deterioration and lose hope for everything.

Prisoner #37: Ghairat Baheer

In the 1980s, Dr Ghairat Baheer was a political ally of the United States. He was a senior member of Hizb-e-Islami, an armed, counter-insurgent group within the Afghan mujahideen that drove the Soviets out of Afghanistan and was supported by the CIA. In the decade following the Soviet withdrawal, Baheer was part of official channels between Afghanistan and other countries, including Australia and Pakistan. Things changed after the 9/11 attacks. Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, the leader of Hizb-e-Islami and Baheers father-in-law, opposed the US invasion and occupation of Afghanistan. Baheer brought Fault Lines to a quiet neighbourhood of Islamabad where he was arrested in his home on October 29, 2002. Walking through the deserted residence brought back many difficult memories for the 53-year-old doctor and politician. It was two in the morning. They were pressing that bell at my house. My eldest daughter was suffering from hepatitis A and had a pretty severe fever, and I was awake sitting with her. I came out and opened the gate. I think more than 30 people entered. They had guns and pistols. They said: Were going to search the house.

Interrogation was another torture.... If you're not cooperating, they will put you in a long box, like a coffin, and they will close the door on you. There is no oxygen. It's completely closed. Stones are put on your top. You feel as if you're dying. by Ghairat Baheer, former Dark Prison detainee

They tied my hands and ankles, put goggles [over my eyes], mufflers over my ears and put a hood on me. I could not breathe. There was a chain from my ankles to my waist. It was very difficult to walk. They were punching me and pushing me backwards and forwards.

My wife was in the house and my five daughters and two sons. The eldest daughter at the time was in grade 11, and the youngest was a six-month-old baby. I didnt say goodbye, there was no opportunity given.

This was the last time I saw my family for six years.

I was a peaceful man. I was a politician. During the jihad period, everyone participated in armed struggle against the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan. Even in that time, I remained on the political side of the Afghan struggle. After 9/11, I was vocal in my opposition to Americas policy towards Afghanistan and the region.

Americans believe in freedom of speech. I was not doing anything related to any kind of militancy. There was no link between me and the Taliban. There was no link between me and al-Qaeda.

I was shifted to Kabul. The facility as a whole was dark. The Americans working there were using torches in order to see. It had three loudspeakers  they were on 24 hours, with a very huge voice, Michael Jackson or some other stuff. You could not hear anything else. They would not let you sleep. Once in a month they used to change the cassette. So in this period of two or three or four minutes, we could feel some kind of calmness.

At one stage I almost reached a breaking point. I was in that Dark Prison. I had a very high fever, I had a very severe stomach problem. I was starving to death, almost. I was beaten very badly. The room was very cold. An American guard was passing, and I told him Im sick, please take me to the doctor. He hit me with his torch. I became unconscious. The waste bucket also dropped on the floor, so the room was very messy and smelly. Then they took me to the interrogation.

Interrogation was another torture. You are locked to the wall. They will not let you sit down. Two people will be punching you. If youre not cooperating, they will put you in a long box, like a coffin, and they will close the door on you. There is no oxygen. Its completely closed. Stones are put on your top. You feel as if youre dying.

I was not expecting that I would survive or that one day I would be a normal human being living with my family.

My release was extraordinary. I was brought from prison to the palace, and I was the guest of Afghan President [Hamid] Karzai for at least one week. I then met my family members and one of my daughters who is now finally at medical college. Her name is Tiaba.

I was asking, Wheres Tiaba? She was standing in front of me. She says, Im Tiaba. I said, Is that you? You have grown up.

Prisoner #24: Gul Rahman

Ghairat Baheer was not taken into custody alone. When security forces came to arrest him in October 2002, his driver, two security guards and a former employee named Gul Rahman were also taken into custody. Rahman was in Islamabad for an appointment with an asthma specialist and had planned to spend the night with the Baheer family before returning home.

Rahman would become Prisoner #24 in the CIAs programme. His interrogation included rough takedown  where interrogators bum-rushed a prisoner in his cell, stripped him naked, placed a hood over his head and assaulted him  and cold water dousing.

He is the only CIA prisoner acknowledged by the agency as having died as a result of his treatment.

The SSCI report cites an internal CIA review of Rahmans death, which determined he most likely died of hypothermia. He was short-chained to a wall, with his hands and feet bound closely together, and left half naked in the Dark Prison where temperatures dipped to near freezing.

Rahman died only weeks after he was detained, but it would be years before his family would learn of his death. That was thanks to Kathy Gannon and Adam Goldmans reporting for the Associated Press in 2010. Rahmans relatives said they werent able to believe the story until the Senate report confirmed it.

The Rahman family lives in the Shamshato refugee camp on the outskirts of Peshawar. The camp is usually off-limits to journalists, but Fault Lines was able to enter it and speak to members of the Rahman family with the help of Baheer.

Habib Rahman, Gul Rahmans brother:

If I were to tell you the memories I have about my brother, they would never end. I wish you had the time to stay with me for a night and I could understand your language, so that I could tell you what kind of a personality he had. I never saw or heard anything from him that made me disappointed in him. He was nice to everyone. He was very special and very caring. After he was arrested, I made a lot of effort to find a channel to contact the Americans. I would spend two or three months at a time in Kabul, but no one would listen to me. The Americans denied to us that they were holding him. We thought he was with the Pakistanis, and that he was alive. They should have told us the truth. They should have given us his body. Now we are asking: Why was it kept a secret? What had Gul Rahman done? The important thing for us is that the persons involved in this crime receive punishment. I wish that they are dealt with in accordance to the law, that justice is done. Hajira, Gul Rahmans eldest daughter: Americans themselves always speak out on human rights. If they want to implement them, then this is the time. Why did these criminals kill my father in this manner? Why did they put him in such a cold place? What proof did they have for what they did to my father? Even now they should give us his body. They should find it. Those who did this injustice to my father know where it is. They should give us his body so we can bury it according to Islamic culture.

Obaidullah, Gul Rahmans nephew:

I read the [Senate] report. It was a bit of a shock to think how the human mind could arrange this kind of interrogation. I was crying because of my uncle. That was the first time that we understood the Americans had used these methods to intimidate him.

The psychologist  I think hes responsible for all these things that were done. He is the one who was leading the interrogation process. He was a psychologist, not an official CIA man. He was controlling, ordering and doing all those cruelty techniques to my uncle.

If I had a chance to speak with the Americans, I would ask them, are you human? I dont think that a human would do these things, this cruelty.

My uncle died in 20 days. Our family waited 14 years with no information.

Morwary, Gul Rahmans mother:

Since that year and until now, my body is on fire. How can one forget her child? Our grief is the same every night. It has never changed.

What crime did my son commit? If he had committed a crime, you could have detained him for 10, 20 years or maybe a lifetime. But at least tell us what his crime was. There was no trial for him. He has died, and we dont even have his body.

I only say this: Did he commit such a big crime that you hid his bones from us?

Prisoner #55: Ammar al-Baluchi

Ammar al-Baluchi is the nephew of alleged 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. He is accused of transferring money to the hijackers. A citizen of Pakistan, he was captured there in 2003 and spent his first days in CIA custody at the Dark Prison. He is portrayed in the opening scenes of the controversial movie Zero Dark Thirty as a detainee who the CIA says provided useful information under torture. The agency has cited his case to justify its use of enhanced interrogation techniques, but the Senate investigation refuted the claim. Baluchi was one of 36 CIA detainees who were then sent on to Guantanamo. Until recently, even the memories of these detainees were considered classified information by the US government. According to Baluchis attorney, James Connell, since the release of the Senate investigation summary, that designation has slowly started to change. Fault Lines sent a list of questions to Baluchi focusing specifically on the enhanced interrogation techniques he experienced in US custody. He answered some of them in his own handwriting; others were retyped during a government classification review process. (Some were either not answered or did not pass the classification review process.) Below is a portion of that Q&A, which constitutes the first time Baluchi has communicated directly with the media.

Fault Lines: Can you describe how water was used during your interrogations?

Fault Lines: How was sleep deprivation used during interrogations, and what effect did it have on you?

Fault Lines: What was the single worst experience you had while being interrogated by the CIA?

Fault Lines: Is there anything you would like to say to the designers of the CIA programme or your interrogators?

Prisoner #24: Jamil El-Banna

In 2002, during a business trip to Gambia, Jamil El Banna says he was kidnapped by Gambian intelligence officers and handed over to Americans. He would soon end up on the floor of a private plane to Kabul with his legs and hands bound.

El Banna had told his wife he had be in Gambia for two to three weeks. He wasnt able to speak to her again for more than four years. According to the CIA torture report, el Banna (or number 36) was in the Dark Prison for six or seven days.

He disputes this, claiming he was there between three weeks and a month before being transferred to a military prison in Bagram, 50km north of Kabul. Three and a half months after his initial detainment, he would be taken to Guantanamo Bay.

During his interview with Fault Lines last summer in London, he noted that the sound of an airplane passing over reminded him of his five years in captivity.

Fault Lines: You remember your experiences when you hear the noise of a plane?

El Banna: I always remember them. Id never forget. They were very tough times. I try to forget, but I cant. The horrible moments, the insults, the torture. There are some things I have forgotten.

In the report on the CIA torture programme, it says you were put in a stress position while in the Dark Prison. Can you describe what it was?

What is meant by stress position is that they tie your arms to a metal bar, so youre half-standing. So neither standing nor sitting, practically bent over. You cant move at all. Youre stuck. There are placeholder holes in the wall. They tie you up like this for days. Then they bring it down and tie you like this. And then they lower it further.

My back probably cant straighten itself any more. Its angled a bit. So imagine being in this position for three or four days. And then theyd tie you to the ground and you wouldnt be able to stand up or move at all. Of course youre hands are tied up. Youre abdomen is tied up. Your feet are tied up, and then youre tied to the wall. This is the torture that is called stress position.

They just left me for a whole month. I would scream at the top of my lungs because of how painful it was. At that moment, I preferred death, and not to be tortured in this manner.

Youve gone through this horrific ordeal. How does it affect your life today?

Of course my memory, Ive lost it. Ive lost the ability to focus and to remember. I could put this phone down here and then forget where I put it. Previously my memory was excellent. My wife tells me my memory is gone. Shes the one who tells me these things.

I also have night terrors. My wife knows this best. I wake up scared, lost and sweating. In those moments, Im remembering those situations.

My back is in pain. I cant stand for more than 10 minutes. Im taking pills. Sometimes I cant sleep because I get extremely worried. I have prescription sleeping pills so I can sleep.

Can you estimate how long will it take before you can put that experience behind you?

I dont think thatll happen. Im going to stay like this. Im going to remember everything and what Ive lost. My brothers are gone. My mother is gone. [Editors note: All died while El Banna was in custody.] Those losses have shattered my heart. Theyve had a vast impact on me. How could I have a normal life? I cant.

Do you think you were a different person than you were before?

Of course. When I entered Guantanamo, I was in my 40s. I had dark hair and a dark beard. When I left, all my hair was white.

Do you ever get depressed? Have there been any other psychological impacts?

If I get depressed, I take a pill and I feel better. I have a report on my case written by top doctors thats about 200 pages on my psychological situation.

How often do you talk about your experiences with family and friends?

I dont talk about it typically. This is the first time I talked about it to anyone. I get depressed when I talk about it. I get dizzy. I dont like to talk about it.
Instead of being places of care and refuge, medical facilities have become the sites of massacres and looting.

Malakal, South Sudan  The aid worker could only watch as hundreds of survivors of an attack on the Malakal Protection of Civilians (PoC) site in South Sudan frantically looted the only surgical facility for hundreds of miles.

The 48,000 residents of the UN camps sea of metal shelters had sought protection from the countrys civil war there. But on the morning of February 18, the war caught up with them.

At least 25 people were killed and around half the shelters destroyed in an act Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, said could constitute a war crime.

The following day, as the thousands who had fled returned, they began to scavenge through the rubble for anything that could be of use. Metal pots and plastic jugs that could transport water became as valuable as money.

The medical clinic run by the International Medical Corps (IMC)  a simple tent with metal sides  seemed to hold the greatest promise. It offered basic surgeries but was equipped with valuable medical equipment.

Children sat in the shade, rummaging through piles of now meaningless paperwork for any valuables. Women collected scraps of wood in the rubble. A small boy marauded around the site with a machete, aimlessly hacking away at empty boxes.

No surgeries for you! the aid worker shouted over and over at nobody in particular.

About 100 metres away, a clinic run by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) was still smouldering from the fire that had swept through the camp the day before. This was a primary healthcare centre with a maternity ward, family planning centre and a programme focused on preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission. When NGO workers toured the site, they said it appeared deliberately torched  the surrounding buildings were relatively untouched by the flames.

Most of the expensive equipment here was also gone  lost to the fire.

A disturbing trend

According to a report by Human Rights Watch, medical facilities in South Sudan are at long-term risk of destruction, but in recent months they have come under increased attack.

Less than a week after the destruction of the health facilities in Malakal, a clinic run by Doctors Without Borders (MSF) in Pibor, about 250 miles from Malakal  the only healthcare provider in the region, according to the organisation  was looted.

Currently, its as pervasive as its ever been in terms of the lack of respect for medical functions [worldwide], said Leonard Rubinstein, the director of the programme on Human Rights, Health and Conflict at Johns Hopkins University in the US.

The reasons vary from country to country, but its a disturbing trend.

And South Sudan has become one of the most dangerous places for medical facilities.

A casualty of war

A few miles from the rubble of the two healthcare clinics in the Malakal PoC lies the Malakal Teaching Hospital. It was once the primary hospital in South Sudans second-largest city, but when fighting engulfed Malakal in 2014, it became the scene of a massacre.

One man, who did not give his name, sat in the shade of the hospital entrance, as if to guard the nothingness behind him.

He remembered what had taken place there. When the Nuer White Army attacked, around 3,000 people took shelter in the hospital.

The population was settled [in the hospital], and when the ambush came, all of them were massacred. I cant tell how many were here, he said through a translator.

According to a recent UN report, the attackers went round the hospital demanding money and valuables, and beat or shot those who didnt have anything to give.

They targeted specifically Dinka and Shilluk persons and allowed Nuer persons to leave the hospital, the report continued.

Investigators found 15 bodies, but witnesses said that many had been transported to the Nile River, a few hundred metres away.

The hospitals equipment is now long gone.

The man who sat outside gave a tour of the hospital, winding through the piles of rubbish and pointing to the bullet holes in the wall where he said people were shot.

Medical structures are at risk when insecurity erupts, said Tim Fillip Ros, the healthcare-in-danger project manager at the International Committee of the Red Cross.

To stop the destruction of medical facilities, he believes hospitals must be thought of as a communal asset and not just as another building.

If you damage a healthcare system, you are not just damaging your perceived enemy, you are damaging your entire community for years and years to come. Its not something which is easily set right, he said.

After war, rebuilding a hospital

In Leer, a major town on the southern tip of Unity State, the population and its medical infrastructure have been devastated by the conflict which has swept through this town.

On a recent Thursday morning, a line of women in colourful dresses waited patiently outside the gates of a recently opened MSF clinic, carrying children, many of whose eyes were caked closed with a white substance. A nurse who was new to the country said she had never encountered it before but it seemed to cause the eye to become infected.

The absence of medical organisations since the autumn meant that existing health conditions had worsened without care.

When asked what the most urgent medical problem facing the population was, one nurse responded: Malnutrition, malnutrition, malnutrition.

Building or rebuilding a clinic such as this one is a massive task. Everything must be flown in from Juba, and like most newly constructed facilities in wartorn areas, this one doesnt have electricity.

We have been on the ground for a few weeks, so we are still looking into options in a very basic way and [having to] concentrate to serve the most immediate needs, said Frauke Ossig, MSFs emergency coordinator in Leer. Its not like we are arriving at a place with a fully functioning hospital and we can start the services [the locals need].

One of the biggest challenges for the clinic is finding qualified staff as many local doctors and nurses have themselves been displaced.

We had long-term MSF staff in our project that for sure have been displaced or fled because of the conflict. Its more difficult to find our staff again, and to see if they are still available to work with us, said Ossig.

Little hope for the future

Around 50 percent of the countrys medical facilities have been destroyed, according to estimates by the South Sudanese ministry of health, and those that are open are running at a lower capacity.

Dr Thuou Loi Cingoth, the director general of the ministry of health, said the government has a three-step plan to restore access to medical care.

The first is to rebuild and provide infrastructure  buildings, electricity and equipment. Cingoth said the government was working on this but didnt specify how.

Number two, supplies  drugs. We are doing that, Cingoth said. South Sudan is the only country in the region where drugs are provided free of charge, he added, sitting below a banner in his office featuring motivational quotations by intellectuals such as Ayn Rand.

In fact, the free drugs are provided by donor countries or humanitarian organisations.

The third point in the governments plan is to make sure that the country has enough doctors and support staff.

Many medical personnel have fled the civil war, leaving the country with a shortage.

We dont have a single doctor in the Bentiu hospital, said Wigo Gual, the director general for health in Unity State.

During the spring of 2014, the Bentiu hospital, the largest in Unity State, became the scene of one of the most horrific massacres in the region.

According to a UN report, residents of Bentiu often took shelter in the hospital.

The town had flipped back and forth between government and opposition control in the weeks before April 15. But on that day, opposition fighters launched an attack on it. The fight made its way into the hospital, where residents had fled, seeking safety.

Nuer opposition fighters arrived at Bentiu Hospital, started calling names of government officials and shot and killed several individuals of Dinka ethnicity they appeared to recognise. Reportedly, they also fired through the closed door into a staff room where Nuer medical personnel was hiding and killed at least four persons, the UN report stated.

According to witness accounts, at least 33 fighters, medical staff and civilians were killed.

The hospital also lost its much of its equipment and 17 doctors, who fled to less dangerous areas, Gual explained.

Now, even if they were to move back, what would they return to? The hospital no longer has the resources they need to do their jobs and the town remains too unsafe to send valuable medical equipment to, Gual added.

Some 20 months after the Bentiu hospital was attacked, much of the carnage remains. It has been looted many times over. Bullet holes mark the walls and an ambulance that sits beside one of the buildings. Glass and syringes litter the floor.

Only a mobile clinic run by the International Rescue Committee and a UNICEF child nutrition site were running when Al Jazeera visited, but a maternity ward run by the IOM has just opened. They serve about a tenth of the number of patients the hospital used to.

One of the doctors who was in the hospital at the time of the attack, and who asked not to be named for fear of reprisal, described what happened.

The soldiers were running to the hospital, and when they came in, they killed.

When asked why the fighters had entered the hospital in the first place, he looked puzzled. He had come to accept that in this civil war, killing the enemy had become more important than protecting your own people.

I am fighting, I chase you, he said, resigned. And you enter inside the hospital, I will come after you.
New Democratic Party wants to save Japan from one of the deepest crises of democracy it has faced in 70 years.

Tokyo, Japan  Since his return to power in December 2012, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has sailed with remarkable smoothness through the usually choppy waters of Japanese political party politics.

He has already led the ruling party to three landslide victories in national elections, and if he succeeds again in the House of Councillors elections this July, his ruling coalition might gain two-thirds majorities in both parliamentary houses and could push through just about any legislation it desires.

For Abe and Japanese conservatives like him, this summer will present an unparalleled opportunity to rewrite the nations pacifist constitution and to reshape the education policies, business practices, and the political culture of the Japanese nation according to their own vision, often drawing their inspiration from those elements of pre-World War II Japan that conservatives wish to revive.

For the defenders of the pacifist culture and moderate legaciesof post-1945 Japan, however, the current juncture is not one of opportunity at all, but in fact one of the deepest crises of democracy that the nation has faced in 70 years.



WATCH: Will Japans Abe be the third-longest-serving prime minister?

It is in this context that Japans No 1 and No 3 opposition parties  though divided in many of their policy preferences  came together on Sunday to form a merged political party. The new political party will be called Minshinto in Japanese, which will be rendered into English as The Democratic Party (DP).

At the founding convention of the DP held in Tokyo, Secretary-General Yukio Edano painted a dire picture of the current situation. The Abe administration is destroying constitutional government, democracy, and the livelihoods of the people. There is not much time remaining to save Japan, he said.

Challenges

Public opinion polls suggest that the new opposition force still has a very long way to go. A recent Sankei Shimbun-FNN poll put Shinzo Abes ruling party at a 36.7 percent support rate and the new DP at only a 12.8 percent rate.

Almost no analyst believes that the DP can achieve its overall goal this year of becoming a party that could decisively defeat Abe and form its own government, but the more realistic  and many would say necessary  objective is to at least prevent Abe from gaining super-majorities in both houses of Japans parliament, which would make him virtually unstoppable. A majority of two-thirds by the ruling coalition, according to Japans parliamentary system, would allow it to pass any desired legislation, and even at the committee level pass its policies with minimal disruption as it would control most of the assignments and debate time.

As part of efforts to fulfil this blocking role, one of the few opposition politicians to draw blood from Abe in recent parliamentary debate, Shiori Yamao, has been catapulted into the position of policy chief of the DP.

Yamao, a 41-year-old second-term House of Representatives member, has become a rising star after embarrassing the prime minister in debate over the lack of daycare facilities for working mothers and Abes absence of a policy to address that shortcoming.

More broadly, however, the new DP shares one of the same vulnerabilities as its predecessor, the Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ)  a lack of a consensus among its politicians about most specific policy issues or even whether the party should be identified ideologically as basically conservative, moderate, or liberal.

Coordination and alliances

House of Representatives member Takatane Kiuchi responded to this concern, telling Al Jazeera that the important thing is that we need to become the ruling party again. We can think about the policies then.

Policy coordination is likely to become even more difficult as the DP is expected to absorb several liberal micro-parties in the months ahead.

Another challenging issue for the DP is what posture to take towards the Japan Communist Party (JCP), which has recently become the second-largest opposition force and often polls a respectable 5 percent public support level nationally.



WATCH: Japan passes controversial security laws

On the one hand, the DP cannot afford to fight a two-front battle against both Abes ruling party and the Communists and still expect to have hope of making headway. Election cooperation with the Communists, therefore, does seem a necessity.

On the other hand, Prime Minister Abe has already been denouncing the Democratic Party-Communist alliance, causing considerable annoyance to the many conservative politicians within the opposition.

For his part, Kiuchi says: I am allergic to communism and so are all of my supporters.

But he then adds that the practical policy of DP should be to proclaim disdain for Communists in public while working with them closely under the table.

Michael Cucek, adjunct professor at Waseda University and renowned analyst of Japanese politics, on the other hand, told Al Jazeera that he believes a better approach for the DP is to go to the public and explain what the constitutionalist alliance of parties means and why cooperating with the Communists makes sense.

Indeed, as discussed during the convention, the basis of DP-JCP cooperation is their shared perspective that Prime Minister Shinzo Abe is threatening the very foundations of constitutional government in Japan and that he must be stopped very soon. They also agree that the controversial security legislation passed last September is unconstitutional and must be abolished as soon as possible.

Members of the public did not express any enthusiasm over the establishment of The Democratic Party in response to inquiries from Al Jazeera.

A 47-year-old man on the streets of Tokyo, walking near the venue where the new opposition party was being formed, said: The DPJ was a very irresponsible party while they were in authority, so I dont want to see them return.

A 25-year-old man wasnt as opposed to the DPJ government of 2009-2012, but stated that he wasnt excited about politics generally and that he felt nothing is going to change with the establishment of the new political party.

From this weak starting point the liberal and centrist opposition parties are entering what could be the decisive struggle over Japans pacifist constitution.

Follow Michael Penn on Twitter: @ShingetsuNews
Why is there not a wider celebration of the life and legacy of Hashem Beni Torofi in Iran and the Arab world?

Whoever heard of Hashem Beni Torofi? Have you ever heard of Hashem Beni Torofi? Of course not  how could you? Dont try to Google him. You will find nothing in English, and very little in Persian or Arabic.

On March 23, a noble man died peacefully in his home in Tehran. There was no official announcement of his death. Scarce anyone except his immediate family, friends, and comrades took notice of his death.

The ignorance of people in both Iran and the Arab world, and by extension, around the world about who Hashem Beni Torofi was and the significance of his passing is no comment on his precious life, cherished legacy, and revolutionary ideals, and far more, a gloss on the calamity that has befallen both Arabs and Iranians who no longer recognise their mutual and common heroes.





A life dedicated to justice

Born in 1926 and raised in my hometown Ahvaz in southern Iran to a poor Arab family, Beni Torofi grew up to become a widely loved and respected physician and principled revolutionary activist committed to the cause of social and economic justice in his homeland.

After his early education, Beni Torofi entered Tehran University to study medicine in 1947. Soon after, he joined the newly founded Iranian Tudeh (Socialist) Party.

After the CIA-sponsored coup of 1953, he was arrested and jailed for three years. Released from jail, he returned to his medical studies at Tehran University, and with the Tudeh Party now banned, he continued with his principled commitments to the cause of the poor working-class throughout his life.

ALSO READ: Lady Macbeth or just Princess Ashraf Pahlavi?

He was again arrested in 1959 and spent another 15 years in jail and in exile in the poor and disenfranchised parts of the country. He used this period to read and translate books that kept the critical edge of his mind sharp and alert. He returned to university again, and this time was allowed to finish and become a physician specialising in and practising general medicine.

Soon after the Iranian revolution of 1977-1979 and the regrouping of the Tudeh Party, he rejoined his comrades and became a member of the Central Committee of the Party.

During the devastating Iran-Iraq War (1980-1988), he was in his native city practising medicine until he was arrested yet again  this time by the ruling Islamist regime  and sent to jail for yet a third time.

Upon his release from prison in 1986, he returned to practising medicine and treating the poor in Ahvaz. He continued this until 2008, when he suffered a stroke. Having lost his ability to speak, he was forced to go to Tehran, where his wife provided the peace and comfort of his final years.

The happy few, the mournful many

I had, of course, heard of the significance of Dr Hashem Beni Torofi. But I was not aware of his death before mutual friends, both his Arab and Iranian comrades, informed me. A few scattered but heartfelt eulogies have started to appear celebrating his life in both Persian and Arabic by his friends and comrades.

Was Beni Torofi an Iranian or an Arab, a Sunni or Shia? Neither this nor that; both this and that. by

But why is that the case? Why is there not a wider celebration of the life and legacy of Beni Torofi in Iran and the Arab world? The answer must be placed in the diabolic calamity of both Arab and Iranian ethnic nationalism and sectarian politics that have now befallen them both.

Was Beni Torofi an Iranian or an Arab, a Sunni or Shia? Neither this nor that; both this and that. The absurdity of even asking this question marks the cataclysmic catastrophe that has befallen the political cultures of both Arabs and Iranians, having forgotten what binds them together and what pulls them apart.

Beni Torofi was both and Arab and an Iranian by virtue of the exemplary life he led and in which he transcended the pathetic politics of both such compromising identities and rising to the revolutionary responsibilities of his people  both Arabs and Iranians.

The life and legacy of Beni Torofi are an enduring testimony to a world that is now thickly covered up by a ghastly ethnic nationalism and religious sectarianism manufactured by the ruling class to divide people to rule them more effectively.

Like any other massive political organisation, the Tudeh Party is correctly criticised for many historic mistakes its leadership has made. But the legacy of a massive political movement is not judged only by such mistakes. It must also be remembered by the noble souls like Beni Torofi, who peopled and gave it meaning and purpose.

The Arab and Iranian world in which beautiful people like Hashem Beni Torofi were born and raised will be forever lost to a false and nasty set of binaries engineered between Arabs and Persians, or Sunnis and Shias, if the rich and fulfilling life of forgotten heroes this world has seen are not actively remembered and justly celebrated.

Hamid Dabashi is Hagop Kevorkian Professor of Iranian Studies and Comparative Literature at Columbia University in New York.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
The danger of impunity is the very foundation of most violent crimes against humanity.

Abed al-Fattah Yusri al-Sharif was killed. In the style typical of Israeli aggression against unarmed Palestinians, he was first wounded after allegedly attempting to stab an Israel occupation soldier in the occupied city of Hebron.

He lies on his back, his arms stretched across the road, and his head moving about. A soldier confers with his superior officer, before moving to confirm the kill  a term used by the Israeli military in reference to field executions of Palestinians.

The soldier walks to Abed, lying on the ground and clearly posing no threat to anyone  and, in full view of onlookers, shoots him in the head.

The above scene would have been relegated to the annals of the many contested killings by Israeli soldiers, were it not for a Palestinian field worker with Israels human rights group, BTselem, who filmed the bloody event.

Culture of impunity

The incident once more highlights a culture of impunity that exists in the Israeli army which is not a new phenomenon.

Decades ago, there was no equivalent to media such as BTselem, Breaking the Silence, or Machsom (Checkpoint) Watch, no social media to spread the news, and few international groups that cared to report on Israels violent birth.

Instead, thousands of Jewish militiamen roamed Palestinian towns and villages, armed with a mandate to ethnically cleanse an entire nation within months.

OPINION: Israel-Palestine  the delusion of a two-state solution

Thousands of Palestinians were killed in the cleansing process, so Israel could proclaim itself independent. Israeli poet, Nathan Alterman, attempted to convey an instance of the horror inflicted by Jewish gangs, which later formed the Israeli army, proclaimed by some as the most moral army in the world:

Across the vanquished city in a Jeep he did speed 

A lad bold and armed, a young lion of a lad!

And an old man and a woman on that very street

Cowered against a wall, in fear of him clad.

Said the lad smiling, milk teeth shining:

Ill try the machinegun  and put it into play!

To hide his face in his hands, the old man barely had time

When his blood on the wall was sprayed.

In Palestine, no one is immune to violence. Young and old are shot for the mere suspicion that they may pose danger to the life of Israeli Jews; and Israelis who dare report on these very incidents are shunned by their own society. by

The poem entitled About This was published on November 19, 1948, when Israel had almost completely secured the self-imposed borders of its new state, assigning Palestinians to perpetual exile  a journey of pain and blood that is yet to conclude.

Nathan Alterman, tried, although failed, to break the silence on Israeli impunity.

No accountability

Since then, despite their insistence on embracing life with hope, Palestinian history continues to be delineated by charts crowded with endless bloody statistics.

Palestinians are under attack  systematic, government-led, ordered, or encouraged attacks that point at only one unmistakable conclusion: Israel strives to perpetuate violence and war.

This is grounded in the fact that Israel has been created through war, and has convinced itself that it can only survive through war.

The result is a terrifying culture of violence and impunity  of men and women armed with machineguns, and children who are taught that violence is the only language that their Arab enemies understand. The Palestinian, for them, only exists to be subdued, controlled, cleansed and  when necessary  killed.

Recently, Israels chief Sephardic Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef had called on Israelis to kill any Palestinian they believe poses a threat, with no regard for the law or the High Court of Justice.

But, for Yosef, the High Court of Justice, is already on his side. Indeed, it was Israels judiciary that had approved targeted killings of Palestinians suspected of allegedly committing or planning to commit acts of violence.

According to the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), between September 2000 and March 2008, some 500 Palestinians were assassinated by the Israeli army; 228 Palestinian civilians were also killed in what was consigned as collateral damage. Among those pulverised by Israeli missiles were 77 children.

No one was ever held accountable for those murders.

OPINION: What Palestinian-Israeli security cooperation?

If one is to list the crimes that are committed routinely by the Israeli army, the list would be endless. The above statistics are a mere glance at a culture that has no regard for Palestinians, thus violating every written or implied rule of war of military ethics or occupation under international law.

Armed settlers rampage through villages of occupied West Bank and the neighbourhoods of East Jerusalem. The number of their violent crimes have grown tremendously in recent years, and even doubled since 2009.

In August 2015, months before the current uprising, Human Rights Watch senior researcher, Bill Van Esveld, wrote:

Settlers attack Palestinians and their property on a near-daily basis; there were more than 300 such attacks last year, but few attackers faced justice. In the past decade, less than two percent of investigations into settler attacks ended with convictions.

These settlers complete the violent rule expected of them, alongside the more violent Israeli army.

In December 2015 Israels 972Mag wrote about the hundreds of violent incidents of Israeli forces targeting Palestinian medical staff. Palestinian rights group, Al-Haq, documented 56 cases in which ambulances were attacked, and 116 assaults against medical staff while on duty.

No one is immune to violence

In Palestine, no one is immune to violence. Young and old are shot for the mere suspicion that they may pose danger to the life of Israeli Jews; and Israelis who dare report on these very incidents are shunned by their own society.

Israels Defence Minister, Moshe Yaalon, recently accused Breaking the Silence of committing treason. The supposedly traitorous act of that small Israeli NGO  powered mostly by volunteers  was collecting testimonies by Israeli soldiers and whistle-blowers as evidence that the army is violating Israeli and international law.

Meanwhile, the government is itself actively pushing for yet new laws that criminalise dissent in Israel. One of such bills, championed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself, would allow elected members of the Knesset to vote to oust their own elected peers.

OPINION: The 100-year Intifada

While Israels culture of being licensed to do as it pleases is older than the state itself, it is fed by a right-wing ruling elite that incessantly promotes fear and disseminates a confining siege mentality.

At the end, in the State of Israel, as I see it, there will be a fence that spans it all, said Netanyahu in February. In the area that we live, we must defend ourselves against the wild beasts.

Netanyahu is of course, never a fan of the truth or common sense. His last war on Gaza in the summer of 2014 had killed a total of 2,251 Palestinians  including 1,462 civilians, among them 551 children, according to a report prepared by the UN Human Rights Council.

During that war, only six Israeli civilians were killed, and 60 soldiers. Who, then, is truly the wild beast?

Majority of Israelis have long been sold on the idea that their country, despite its brutality is a villa in the jungle. According to a recent Pew survey, nearly half of Israelis want to expel Palestinians Arabs  Muslims and Christians  from their ancestral homeland.

In the government, the judiciary, the army, society and the countrys highest moral authorities, which advocate violence and ethnic cleansing and promote genocidal activities, what options are left for Palestinians?

The danger of impunity is not merely the lack of legal accountability, but the fact that it is the very foundation of most violent crimes against humanity.

This impunity began seven decades ago, and it will not end without international intervention, and concerted efforts to hold Israel accountable and bring the agony of Palestinians to a halt.

Ramzy Baroud has been writing about the Middle East for more than 20 years. He is an internationally-syndicated columnist, a media consultant, an author of several books and the founder of PalestineChronicle.com. His latest book is My Father Was a Freedom Fighter: Gazas Untold Story.

The views expressed in this article are the authors own and do not necessarily reflect Al Jazeeras editorial policy.
In Bosnia, we are as far away from reconciliation as we were before the Radovan Karadzic trial.

On March 24, the international tribunal in The Hague delivered the Radovan Karadzic verdict  more than 20 years after he was indicted and eight years after he was finally arrested. By this judgment, like most of those delivered by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) judges, nationalistic ideologies were described as the reason behind the killings, tortures, forced detentions, mass rapes, ethnic cleansing and genocide.

Unfortunately, people from the Balkans, but also in other parts of the world, did not grasp the message hidden behind the legal jargon. Over the years, international tribunals have never put enough effort to make their decisions clearer to average people; and this is often abused by politicians who interpret those decisions however they like.





The Radovan Karadzic judgment is a document that can end the war that is still raging in our heads. For many people in the Balkans, even for children born after 1995, the war is still going on.

Facing the facts

In order to stop this war, we must make known the facts established about what happened by the tribunal, as well as who is responsible. Afterwards, people have to find a way to talk about those facts, to face them, and to try, at least, to overcome the consequences.

That is why this judgment is very important for the Balkans. It established the facts about the entire war in Bosnia, from its preparatory phase to the end, and touches upon all the crimes committed by Karadzics followers.

ALSO READ: Does Europe judge Radovan Karadzic or itself?

The judgment concludes that the crimes, including mass killings, expulsions, torture, rape, terror, were organised, and planned by the nationalists who were in power at the time.

However, the judgment is spelled out over 2,500 pages, and only a limited number of people will actually read it and understand it.

Additionally, the judgment is available only in English. In this case, as in other ICTY cases, it will take probably years for it to be translated into local languages. For people in the Balkans, it means that our lives will still depend on Karadzic.

Let us take, for example, one mother from Srebrenica: Karadzic was found guilty of ordering and planning the murder of her child. He is also guilty of ordering the ethnic cleansing of the region she used to live in until 1995.

The same goes for any Serb soldier who was part of the Bosnian Serb Army from 1992 to 1995, and who followed orders and participated in torturing people in Sarajevo. They also need facts to confront the past and decide if what they did was wrong.

The ICTY was, and is, an institution distant from the region  not only geographically, but in every possible way.

The official language used by the institution is not one of the regional languages; personnel by large do not come from the region; the law they operate under has nothing to do with regional laws; when and if judges or prosecutors are coming to the region, they often act as aliens towards locals, being distant and reserved in their contacts.

Tool of political manipulation

All this makes its work and decisions hard to grasp and comprehend for people whose lives are deeply affected by it. And instead of making these judgments a way towards facing the past, they remain a tool of political manipulation by the regional political elite.

ALSO READ: Bosnia still digging up its tortured past

They will use the lack of translation and distance of the court for their own purposes. They will praise the court when it makes decisions they like and dismiss it when it is something they do not like. They will accept or reject decisions in accordance with their political goals.

And this is one of the reasons why most of the people in the Balkans, besides media frenzy, felt exhausted after this verdict.

Most of the people living in the region will never know what is written in the verdict, as in all other judgments made by the tribunal. Their hopes to end the war are trapped in the walls of international bureaucracy while they are being once again exposed to political manipulation.

It will hardly affect their lives, their reality or change anything in their perception of war events.

After 23 years of work, the international tribunal in The Hague did not succeed in having a real impact on the people of the region. We did not hear loudly and clearly the judgment against nationalism, even though the judges did issue many.

Not only that, the important messages were not transferred even internationally, and it looks like nobody learned the anti-war lesson that is buried inside the decision. Thousands of refugees that are walking towards Europe are reminding us about that.

In Bosnia, now we are as far away from the reconciliation as we were before the Karadzic trial. We still have the same ideas pervading local politics and, in some cases, either the same politicians that were there during the war or people who were close to them.

We do not have peace, but peace accords between warring sides. And the international community is ignorant, trapped in their faraway, well-secured buildings, and huge bureaucracy apparatus. We can only hope that the new generation will overcome all that and be able to find a way to stop the war. We can only hope they will be brave enough to do that soon.

Nidzara Ahmetasevic is an independent scholar and journalist from Bosnia and Herzegovina, and she was a fellow with the Alliance for Historical Dialogue and Accountability at Columbia University.
Al Jazeera Media Network on Sunday announced a reduction of its workforce as part of an optimisation initiative in connection with the ongoing transformation of the media landscape.

It is expected that around 500 positions worldwide will be affected, the majority of which are in Qatar.

Over the past few months, we have carefully evaluated every option available to the Network in order to ensure that we are best positioned in light of the large-scale changes under way in the global media landscape, said Mostefa Souag, the acting director general of the Network.

Based on this review, we have embarked on a workforce optimisation initiative that will allow us to evolve our business operation in order to maintain a leading position and continue our recognised commitment to high-quality, independent and hard-hitting journalism around the world.

He added: While our decision is consistent with those being made across the media industry worldwide, it was difficult to make nonetheless. However, we are confident it is the right step to ensure the Networks long-term competitiveness and reach.

The optimisation initiative furthers the Networks other announcements this year that reflect the organisations commitment to its mission to inform and engage audiences, no matter who they are or where they are, and consequently, to evolving its business operations.

Recently the Network announced the future expansion of its international digital service across multiple platforms into the United States.

An alternative voice

Al Jazeera strives to deliver content that captivates, informs, inspires and entertains.

Launched in 1996, it was the first independent news channel in the Arab world dedicated to providing comprehensive news and live debate.

It challenged established narratives and gave a global audience an alternative voice  one that put the human being back at the centre of the news agenda  quickly making it one of the worlds most influential news networks.

Since then, it has added new channels and services and grown to more than 70 bureaus around the world, while maintaining the independent and pioneering spirit that defines its character.

Each subsidiary around the world follows the same principles  values that inspire it to be challenging and bold, and provide a voice for the voiceless in some of the most under-reported places on the planet.
Prosecutors charge man in connection with a raid in France that authorities say foiled a plot to carry out an attack.

Brussels prosecutors have charged another man with belonging to a terrorist group, the Belgian press agency Belga reported.

Belga on Sunday named the man arrested as A. Abderrahmane, who prosecutors had said on Saturday was being detained for a further 24 hours after being shot during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek.

It said he was charged in connection with a related raid in France this week that authorities say foiled an apparent attack plot.

The prosecutors office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Belgium charges three men linked to attacks in Brussels

Separately, Italian police said they arrested an Algerian man wanted by Belgian authorities for his alleged involvement in the Belgium-based network implicated in the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels.

The attacks in Paris on November 13 left 130 people dead, while the most recent attacks on March 22 in Brussels left 31 people dead, including three suicide bombers.

Several people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Belgium, France, Germany and Italy since the attack in Brussels.

Germanys Die Welt newspaper reported in its Sunday edition that European security authorities were searching for at least eight further suspects.

The men, mostly French and Belgian, were believed to be on the run in Syria or within Europe, the newspaper reported, citing security sources.
At least 70 people dead and more than 300 wounded as bomber kills mostly women and children in Pakistans Lahore.

At least 70 people  mostly women and children  have been killed at a crowded park in Pakistan in a suicide blast that also wounded more than 300 people, officials said.

A faction of the Pakistani Taliban, Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, later claimed responsibility for the attack in the eastern city of Lahore and said that it was aimed at Christians.

Al Jazeeras Kamal Hyder, reporting from the capital, Islamabad, said Christians were celebrating Easter Sunday at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, which is popular with families, when the bomber blew himself up a few metres from a childrens play area.

On Monday, authorities said they would launch a manhunt for those behind the attack after Jamaat-ul-Ahrar issued a direct challenge to the government.

We want to send this message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that we have entered Lahore, a spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said. He can do what he wants but he wont be able to stop us. Our suicide bombers will continue these attacks.

IN PICTURES: Bomb blast in Pakistans Lahore

The group claimed responsibility for several big attacks after it split with the main Pakistan Taliban in 2014. It declared allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant but later said it was rejoining the Taliban campaign.

We must bring the killers of our innocent brothers, sisters and children to justice and will never allow these savage inhumans to overrun our life and liberty, military spokesman Asim Bajwa said on Twitter.

TV footage showed children and women standing in pools of blood outside the park, crying and screaming as rescue workers, officials, police and bystanders carried injured people to ambulances and private cars.

READ MORE: Islamabads Christian slums face demolition

The bodies of those killed continued to arrive at the citys hospital morgues early on Monday, where worried friends and family also looked for and registered loved ones still missing. But local media reported that many of the bodies were being kept in hospital wards as morgues became overcrowded.

I was a few blocks away from the blast, witness Mian Ashraf told Al Jazeera. Many people were running and screaming like the world had collapsed. Until when will we see our loved ones getting killed in such attacks?

Other witnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the ground once the dust had settled after the blast.

When the blast occurred, the flames were so high they reached above the trees, and I saw bodies flying in the air, said Hasan Imran, 30, a resident who had gone to the park for a walk.





String of attacks

In 2014, Pakistan launched an offensive against the Taliban and affiliated groups in the North Waziristan region, seeking to deprive them of safe havens from which to launch attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Lahore is the capital of Punjab, which has normally been more peaceful than other parts of Pakistan.

Last year, a bomb killed a popular provincial minister and at least eight others when it destroyed his home in the region.

Earlier this month, an explosion on a bus carrying government officials in the north of the country killed at least 15 people.

And a suicide bomber killed 13 people on March 8 after blowing himself up outside a court in Charsadda, in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, about 30km from Peshawar.

Soon after Sundays attack, the Punjab government ordered all public parks closed and declared three days of mourning. The main shopping areas were closed and many of the citys roads were deserted.

We were just here to have a nice evening and enjoy the weather, Nasreen Bibi told the Reuters news agency at the Services Hospital, crying as she waited for doctors to update her on the condition of her two-year-old wounded daughter.

May God shower his wrath upon these attackers. What kind of people target little children in a park?
Iraqi forces launch the Nineveh Liberation Operation but not much success has so far been made.

Near al-Nasr village, Iraq  Four 120mm mortar launchers blasted, one after another, leaving a cloud of dust as Iraqi soldiers cheered and whistled.

The mortars were targeted just a couple of kilometres away, towards al-Nasr village, which is under the control of fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group.

Several dozen Iraqi soldiers in armoured vehicles, many hoisting Iraqi flags, awaited orders to charge forward.

A mix of excitement and frustration was in the air.

This was the scene over the weekend, during what Iraqi defence officials say was the first episode in a series of battles to recapture the northern Nineveh province, including Mosul, from ISIL, which swept this territory in a lightning offensive through Iraq in June 2014.

The challenging fight over the hilltop village metaphorically illustrates the uphill battle that the Iraqi forces face in defeating ISIL in Nineveh.

The pace of the offensive has been slow. We have been shocked by ISIL snipers and planted bombs. by Hussein, an Iraqi army sergeant

At one point, the soldiers near Nasr village burst into applause as they watched a cloud of smoke and dust from an unknown blast rise above the village.

They said the explosion was likely from an artillery shell or missile fired by another Iraqi army unit or US troops stationed nearby.

The blast was so dramatic that Major General Najm al-Jobouri, the commander of the Iraqi armys Division 15, could not hide his euphoria.

This was not your hit, he told soldiers. This was a hit by God.

Jobouris division had been given the critical task of retaking the area between the Makhmour and al-Qayyara towns, south of Mosul.

Makhmour is currently under the control of Kurdish Peshmerga forces, but Qayyara, which is home to oil fields and an airbase, remains under the control of ISIL.

READ MORE: Iraq army enters last ISIL stronghold in Ramadi

So far, progress has been slow for the Iraqi troops. After three days of fighting last week, they managed to retake the three villages of Koudila, Karmerdi and Kherabardan, but as of Sunday morning, the forces have not yet been able to retake the strategic hilltop village of Nasr.

On Saturday, the Iraqi forces briefly entered the village but pulled out due to heavy resistance from ISIL fighters. The pace of the offensive has been slow, Hussein, an Iraqi sergeant who would not provide his last name, told Al Jazeera. We have been shocked by their snipers and planted bombs, which are plentiful.

Suicide attacks by ISIL fighters in explosive-laden vehicles have also slowed progress for Iraqi forces. On Friday, ISIL dispatched at least two suicide car bombers near Koudila village, according to a senior Kurdish military source. Hussein said ISIL fighters had dug a trench, forcing Iraqi forces to enter the village on foot.





Over the past few days, casualties in the area among the Iraqi army and their local allies include at least three dead and 20 injured.

The scene near Nasr village on the weekend indicated that Iraqi forces still have a long way to go in terms of readiness and organisation.

At one point, panic overshadowed the group amid rumours of incoming ISIL mortars; soldiers rushed away in a hurry, their vehicles kicking up clouds of dust. But no mortars came, and the soldiers soon returned.

The incident was indicative of disorganisation and lack of proper intelligence.

The relationship between the Peshmerga and Iraqi forces near Nasr village can be best described as a tense cooperation. The Kurdish units provide a support role, and are not actively participating in combat in the area.

They [the Iraqi army] have got all these weapons and [armoured] vehicles, but have not been able to take this village, said Major General Ziryan Shekhwasani, the deputy commander of the areas Kurdish forces.

The question is at the current pace of their advances, how long will it take for them to reach Mosul?

OPINION: Beware the liberation of Mosul

The Iraqi army has also been aided by local tribal forces who are part of the Popular Mobilisation Units. One of these fighters, Mohammed, appeared upset after he returned from the battle in Nasr.

We pushed them out of the village, but they returned again half-an-hour ago, he said in an angry tone.Im angry because there is no air support  Were fighting them, but the warplanes are not supporting us.

US-led coalition aircraft could be heard hovering nearby, but no air strikes landed in Nasr when Al Jazeera was at the site on Friday afternoon, perhaps due to the strong wind and dusty conditions. A coalition statement said eight air strikes were carried out in the area in Nineveh where the Iraqi army and its allies are currently conducting their offensive.

As the afternoon drew to a close, soldiers stared at the flashes up on the hillside, caused by exchanges of gunfire between Iraqi soldiers and ISIL fighters.

We have got the means to succeed, said an Iraqi army colonel who spoke on condition of anonymity. As soon as the weather conditions get better, we should be able to charge forward.
Thousands march in Ireland to commemorate the 1916 revolt that led to its independence from Britain.

Hundreds of thousands of people lined the streets of Dublin on Sunday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising, a rebellion against British rule that paved the way for the independence of Ireland.





Ireland staged the largest commemorative event in its history to mark the six-day revolt, when rebels seized buildings across the capital and declared an Irish republic on Easter Monday in 1916.

President Michael D Higgins began the days events on Sunday by laying a wreath at Kilmainham Gaol, where 14 of the 16 rebel leaders executed by the British were killed by firing squad.

Members of the global Irish diaspora and descendants of the rebels were among those who turned out to watch a parade by almost 4,000 members of the armed forces and emergency services, complete with tanks and military aircraft.

Higgins later laid another wreath at the General Post Office, the rebel headquarters during the revolt, before leading a minutes silence for all those who died.

A military band played Danny Boy, and an army officer read out the 1916 proclamation declaring the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland.

The government sought to stress the inclusivity of the events, highlighting the 250 civilians and 130 British armed forces who died alongside more than 60 rebels.

Boost for independence

The uprising began on April 24, 1916, when more than 1,000 rebels took over prominent buildings in the city centre.

Britain sent reinforcements and began shelling the city, sparking days of fighting that ended when the rebels surrendered on April 29.

Public opinion was initially against the rebels, but the arrests of thousands of people in the subsequent crackdown caused outrage and a surge in support for independence.

Within six years, Britain had agreed to the creation of an independent nation, though without the northeastern part of the island, which still remains part of the UK as Northern Ireland.

Ireland currently has a caretaker government, after an election last month failed to give any single party a parliamentary majority, leading to deadlock.

Inclusive commemoration

Northern Irelands First Minister Arlene Foster, the leader of the pro-British Democratic Unionist Party, refused to attend any events commemorating what she described as a very violent attack on the state.

Police also warned that armed groups were planning to mark the centenary with attacks on police and army targets in the province, which was once plagued by sectarian violence.

Britains Minister for Northern Ireland, Theresa Villiers, welcomed Dublins efforts to ensure the commemorations were inclusive and designed to promote reconciliation.

But Gerry Adams, leader of the left-wing Sinn Fein party, accused the Irish government of betraying the rebel leaders as he attended an Easter Rising event in Belfast.

The southern state is not the Republic proclaimed in 1916, he said, according to local media, adding: A united Ireland means the unity of the people of this island.
Basra, Iraq  For almost 15 months, Basra has been home to Afaf Rahim, an Iraqi Christian in her early fifties who fled Mosul when fighters with the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group captured the city and the Nineveh plains in June 2014.

I took my three children out at noontime, and that night, the city and the surrounding area were in the hands of ISIL fighters, Rahim recalled.

She fled to the nearby city of Kirkuk  140km southeast of Mosul  and managed to rent a small house. A few months later, Rahim could not afford to pay the rent any more.

My husband left Iraq before ISIL attacked Mosul. He needed medical care, and his brothers who already live in Germany offered to help him. He left, and I dont think he can ever come back, Rahim told Al Jazeera.

Rahim decided to take her family to Basra, south of Iraq, where the St Thomas Chaldean church, one of the few churches remaining in Basra, offered to assist her.

We had a good life before ISIL; now we are refugees in our own country.

The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees estimates that since fighting broke out between Iraqi forces and ISIL, also known as ISIS, in 2014, more than four million Iraqis have been internally displaced or have fled to other countries. Forty percent of them are Christians.

Not long ago, it was inhabited by Muslims, Christians and Mandaeans, but the city has undergone a major demographic change, especially since 2003. by Father Habib al-Noufaly, archbishop

In 1987, an official census counted 1.4 million Christians in Iraq, but ever since, their numbers have been decreasing dramatically.

During Iraqs civil war, between 2005 and 2007, thousands of Iraqi Christians found shelter in Syria, while hundreds more settled in Lebanon and Jordan.

When the Syrian uprising broke out in March 2011, some Christian refugees returned to Iraq, while a few families crossed the Mediterranean Sea into Europe.

In 2015, the Hammurabi Human Rights Organization, an Iraqi NGO, said the number of Iraqi Christians had dwindled to fewer than 400,000.

Iraqs Christians have been undergoing persecution since 2003 [the US invasion of Iraq], said Father Habib al-Noufaly, archbishop of the Chaldean church. He added that Christians had been targeted systematically, leading to big waves of migration out of Basra and the rest of Iraq.

Christians have protected Basra for centuries; our forefathers fought the Persian empire and the Mongolian invaders and Ottomans, and remained in this land. Now, only 70 Christian families live in Basra, Noufaly told Al Jazeera.

READ MORE: Last remaining Christians flee Iraqs Mosul

The Chaldean church has been virtually abandoned since 2003, after the Iraq war broke out. When Rahim moved to Basra, she sought the Archbishops permission to settle in the church. He agreed. Dust covered the monument of Christ, the seats were scattered around, and some parts of the rooftop were demolished, Rahim recalled.





[For hosting] me and my children  I offered to look after the building in return, added Rahim, whose family lives on small amounts of donations offered by Christian residents in Basra, as well as some Muslim families.

Rahim shares the church space with another Christian family.

After fleeing Mosul with her daughter and grandchildren in 2014, Georgette Mikhas family took refuge in the church.

I cant afford to rent a house, said Mikha, who lost her husband during the Iraq-Iran war in the 1980s. My late husbands pension is 750,000 Iraqi dinars [$670], and if I use it for rent, I will have nothing left to live on.

Although Basra was once inhabited by a majority of Christians, Noufaly says it is no longer the perfect place for Iraqi Christians. Basra is losing its diversity, he lamented. Not long ago, it was inhabited by Muslims, Christians and Mandaeans, but the city has undergone a major demographic change, especially since 2003.

Now, Muslim Shia constitute the majority of the population of Basra.

When asked about the future of Iraqs Christians, Noufaly acknowledged that it does not look very bright.

The Iraqis have lost all faith in the country since 2003. The governments failed to gain our trust, he added. I am not sure what will happen, but I would like to think that our home will always be ours.
Politicians from across spectrum led by ex-PM Mahathir Mohammed call for Najib Razaks ousting over corruption scandal.

Leaders from across Malaysias political spectrum and hundreds of their supporters led by former longtime Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad have rallied in Kuala Lumpur, calling for the removal of the current prime minister over a $700m corruption scandal.

Opponents of Najib Razak said on Sunday that they planned to petition the countrys Islamic royalty seeking the removal of the scandal-plagued prime minister, who has been mired into graft allegations to the tune of $700m.

(Najibs) leadership undermines the very existence of our institutions, said 90-year-old Mahathir, who dominated Malaysia as prime minister for 22 years before retiring in 2003.

We want the rule of law, and the actions of Najib have destroyed it. He no longer deserves to be the prime minister, Mahathir said at the gathering attended by leaders from the ruling party, opposition and civil society.

The highly unusual grouping of heavyweights from both from the ruling party and the opposition groups was formed in early March, when it issued a call to save Malaysia from disaster by removing Najib.

Former deputy prime minister Muhyddin Yassin and Democratic Action Party senior leader Lim Kit Siang were to speak at the gathering as well, the DPA news agency reported.





Jailed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim has endorsed the movement, despite a history of conflict with Mahathir.

Najib has been under pressure to resign since July, after the Wall Street Journal newspaper suggested that nearly $700m in his bank accounts came from the state-funded 1Malaysia development fund.

He has denied wrongdoing, saying the funds were campaign donations sent by Saudi Arabia and have since been returned.

The attorney general has decided not to prosecute Najib, saying most of the money was a personal donation from Saudi Arabias royal family.

However, the Saudis have not confirmed that, claim agencies said.

READ MORE: Malaysian alliance  scandal-hit PM Najib must be ousted

It is, however, unclear if the Malaysian royalty can or will take any action.

Swiss authorities said recently up to $4bn may have been stolen from Malaysian state firms, mainly 1MDB, and that they were investigating possible fraud and money-laundering.

American, British, Singaporean and Hong Kong authorities are also scrutinising 1MDB-related money flows.
Having resettled in Australia, refugees are offering their time to help save communities from dangerous bushfires.

Melbourne, Australia  Every summer, parts of Australia go up in flames as hot and windy conditions spark wild bushfires.

The job of containing and stopping them from destroying lives and homes often falls to volunteer firefighters. Having fled war and persecution, some refugees are now stepping forward.

The hoses are very heavy. Especially when theres water going down. For me  maybe not for the men. But for me its very heavy, Aida Pahang, a refugee from Iran, told Al Jazeera. But I like it. I like to save people. Even trees, even nature. I love it.

She has resettled in the Noble Park suburb, which is near Melbourne.

READ MORE: What would you do if your house was on fire?

Though Australia has recently limited the number of refugees it accepts, tens of thousands who arrived between 2010 and 2013 were allowed to stay. A high number settled to the south and east of Melbourne, an area facing a shortage of firefighting volunteers.

Five years ago, there werent enough volunteers to run even a training exercise  let alone enough to have enough people, reliably on call for when real fires broke out, Terence Sandford of the Noble Park Fire Service said.

We had about 12 members in the brigade and thats really not enough for what we want to do in the community, so we really had to do something to change that around.

The fire service has made an effort to recruit from ethnic minorities, particularly resettled refugees. Today, of the 52 volunteers based at Noble Park, half are from immigrant backgrounds.

READ MORE: Australia considers strict screening of Muslim refugees

They helped us, said Abbas Abdollahi, Aidas husband. They accept us to be in Australia, so I should do something. I want to do something. Its like paying back.

Matthew Pond, who works for the Country Fire Authority of Victoria, said that the refugees were useful additions to the teams, given their diverse language skills.

Quite often we have members responding who can speak other languages and can offer comfort and support for people in their time of need, he said.
Belgian riot police have clashed with hundreds of protesters at a temporary shrine honouring victims of the Brussels suicide bombings, as investigators launched fresh raids related to the attacks.

Brussels police used water cannon when scuffles broke out on Sunday in front of the Bourse, which has become a symbolic rallying point for people to pay their respects to those who died in Tuesdays attacks.

Black-clad men carrying an anti-Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL, also known as ISIS) group banner with an expletive on it trampled parts of the shrine, shouting Nazi slogans.

Ten were arrested and two police officers injured.

We had 340 hooligans from different football clubs who came to Brussels and we knew for sure that they would create some trouble, Police Commissioner Christian De Coninck said.

Far right riot in Place de la Bourse, police use water cannons #Brussels pic.twitter.com/JFpakxrQnu  Dana Regev (@Dana_Regev) March 27, 2016

It was a very difficult police operation because lots of families with kids were here.

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur expressed his disgust, with Belgium still in mourning over the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and subway, which killed at least 31 people and injured some 270.

The police were not deployed to protect people from these hooligans but a whole other threat, said Mayeur told RTL television.

People trying to pay their respects were also dismayed.

IN PICTURES: Tight security and tributes after the Brussels attacks

It was important for us to be here symbolically, said Samia Orosemane, a 35-year-old comedian. But, she added: There were lots of men who were here and doing the Nazi salute, shouting death to Arabs and so we werent able to get through.

Theophile Mouange, 52, said: We are all here today for peace, and for the brotherhood among peoples. Not for right-wing ideas. Its neither the time nor the place.

More arrests made

On Sunday, investigators launched raids in Brussels and two other cities, taking four more people into custody.

As part of the European Union-wide hunt to nab suspects, Dutch police arrested a 32-year-old man in Rotterdam at Frances request. The man is to be extradited to France.

Meanwhile, Brussels prosecutors charged another man with belonging to a terrorist group, the Belgian press agency Belga reported.

Belga named the man arrested as A Abderrahmane, who prosecutors had said on Saturday was being held for a further 24 hours after being shot during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek.

It said he was charged in connection with a related raid in France this week which authorities say foiled an apparent attack plot.

The prosecutors office could not immediately be reached for comment.

Belgium charges three men linked to attacks in Brussels

Separately, Italian police said they had arrested an Algerian man wanted by Belgian authorities for his alleged involvement in the Belgium-based network implicated in the recent attacks in Paris and Brussels.

The attacks in Paris on November 13 left 130 people dead.

Several people have been arrested on terrorism charges in Belgium, France, Germany and Italy since the attack in Brussels.

Germanys Die Welt newspaper reported in its Sunday edition that European security authorities were searching for at least eight more suspects.

The men, mostly French and Belgian, were believed to be on the run in Syria or within Europe, the newspaper reported, citing security sources.
Government troops, backed by waves of Russian strikes, take ancient city in central Syria after days of intense battles.

Syrian government forces, backed by Russian air power, have recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) after days of intense fighting, state media and a monitoring group said.

Syrian state television quoted a military source as saying the army and allied militias had taken complete control over the city of Palmyra.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said gunfire could still be heard in the eastern part of the city on Sunday morning, but that the bulk of ISILs forces had retreated.

The groups director, Rami Abdulrahman, said that 400 ISIL fighters died in the battle, which he described as the biggest single defeat for the group since it announced its self-declared caliphate in Iraq and Syria nearly two years ago.

SANA quoted Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as saying: This is an important achievement and new evidence of the effectiveness of the strategy followed by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism.

READ MORE: Syrian regime seeks symbolic victory in Palmyra

The effectiveness of this strategy is further highlighted especially as opposed to the US-led coalition involving more than sixty countries and its lack of seriousness in fighting terrorism and the very little it has achieved since its establishment one and a half years ago, Assad added.

Palmyra, known as the bride of the desert, used to attract tens of thousands of tourists a year before the conflict started in 2011.

The army was now trying to dismantle booby trap bombs in some of the citys neighbourhoods, sources told Al Jazeera.

We know from previous battles that ISIL may try to plant IEDs (improvised explosive devices) and booby traps in some homes before they leave, Al Jazeeras Omar al-Saleh, reporting from the Syrian-Turkish border, said.

In May, ISIL took Palmyra in a matter of days and later demolished some of its best-known monuments. The fate of the remaining artifacts is unknown.

The group also destroyed the infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of government opponents were reported to have been tortured.

Capturing the city will be seen as a major strategic victory for President Bashar al-Assads government. It opens up for a possible advance much of the eastern desert, stretching to the Iraqi border to the south and ISILs heartlands of Deir al-Zor and Raqqa to the east.

With Russian support, Assads troops have made steady gains in recent months against ISIL, also known as ISIS, and other groups it is fighting.

Earlier this month, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the withdrawal of some fighter jets from Syria, but said that strikes against ISIL and another group, the Nusra Front, would continue.

Those groups have been excluded from a Russian and US-brokered ceasefire that began on February 27 and has largely held.
The men are accused of raising funds and financial support to groups such as al-Nusra Front and ISIL.

A court in the United Arab Emirates has sentenced 11 people charged with terrorism and raising money for al-Qaeda and the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) in Syria to life imprisonment, state news agency WAM reported.

A total of 41 defendants were charged in October with possessing firearms and ammunition with the intention of committing terrorist crimes against the country and its security, according to WAM.

The statement on Sunday did not specify the suspects nationalities. It said two of those given life terms were sentenced in absentia.

Four other defendants were sentenced to six months in prison for the possession of non-explosive weapons.

WAM added that the men also faced prison for raising funds and financial support to other terrorist groups such as al-Nusra Front and Daesh in Syria, using Arabic names which refer to al-Qaedas branch in the war-torn country and ISIL.

Twenty three of the remaining 41 defendants were sentenced to between five and 15 years behind bars and the rest were acquitted.

ISIL has pledged to overthrow the monarchies of the Gulf and mounted a series of attacks on Shia Muslim mosques and security forces in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia.
We take a look at Frances high unemployment rate and explore who will benefit from the proposed labour law reforms.

France has been gripped by a wave of nationwide strikes and protests as enraged unions, students and workers take to the streets against a new and unpopular labour reforms bill.

The eurozones second-largest economy has been struggling to reduce its record-high unemployment rate, which stands at 10.6 percent, and President Francois Hollandes socialist government has been pushing for legislation that will overhaul the labour market and make the country more competitive.

But the proposal has been denounced as being too pro-business and threatening workers rights.

Named after Labour Minister Myriam el-Khomri, the el-Khomri draft law aims to make it easier for companies to increase working hours beyond the current 35hour working week and enable companies to justify layoffs by citing economic reasons such as falling sales or operating losses.

Jean-Marc Daniel, an economist at ESCP Europe, joins Counting the Cost to discuss why workers are unhappy and who really benefits from the proposed changes.

Switzerlands flagging economy

Its a country known for its low taxes, strong infrastructure, efficient capital markets and really good chocolate, but as of late, the chocolate industry has been one of the few sure things about Switzerlands flagging economy.

For over a year, consumers prices have been falling, exports suffering and unemployment rising  with unemployment projections for 2016 as high as 3.7 percent, up from 3.3 percent in 2015.

And the Swiss economy as a whole has not been performing much better, with just 1.2 percent growth expected for this year.

For a country with a giant export sector the numbers dont make for great news.

To a large extent, the Swiss problems can be traced back to January 2015 when the Central Bank decoupled the Swiss franc from the euro.

Dr Sergio Rossi, a professor of economics at the University of Fribourg, joins the programme to discuss Switzerlands decision and its real effects on the economy.

We also speak with Jean-Claude Biver, the CEO of watchmaker Tag Heuer, about the state of the Swiss economy and the future of the luxury watch business.
Over the past couple of decades, Thomas Strnen has become, perhaps, best-known for his unfettered improvisational forays in electro-centric contexts: sometimes freewheeling and frenetic, as in, the drummer/percussionist/electronics wizard's hardcore duo with his similarly inclined Norwegian partner, keyboardist Stale Storlkken (and occasional guest, singer); other times more spaciously ambient in the atmospheric Anglo/Norwegian collaboration,initially a quartet that has, since releasing Last Supper (Rune Grammofon, 2005), whittled down to a core duo with British saxophonist, along with various invited guests including trumpeterand guitaristsand Prakash Sontakke, on ECM releases including 2010's Quiet Inlet , 2013's Mercurial Balm and 2015's This Is Not A Miracle.But those fortunate enough to have been in Oslo on March 20, 2013, had the chance to witness a very different Thomas Strnen: a composer of music that may have incorporated no shortage of improvisation, but was also some of his most structured work in some time and some of his most lyrical music ever. It was on that date, at the Norwegian capital's Nasjonal Jazzscene Victoria club, that Time is a Blind Guide had its first live presentation : a song cycle written for Connexions, the series curated by British journalist/radio presenter Fiona Talkington with a core premise of bringing together musicians from Norway and Britain. Previous Connexions shows included's exceptional collaboration with Britten Sinfonia at Oslo's larger Rockefeller venue, as Ultima Festival's closing concert in September, 2012.But whereas Jaga Jazzist's collaboration was largely about rearranging existing music for an even larger instrumental context than its usual eight-or-nine-piece group, Time Is A Blind Guide represented a brand new set of music, written by Strnen specifically for this brand new constellation of musicians. An octet featuring two rising British stars in pianistand cellist Lucy Railton, it was also founded on the contributions of, including Strnen, five Norwegians, including three percussionists and one of the group's most important anchors and melodic foils, double bassist Ole Morten Vagan. One of the hardest working bassists in Norway seemingly everywhere at almost every festival attended between 2008 and 2015 Vagan has been, amongst many, many projects, a member of Motif, The Deciders and, alongside Strnen, a member of Swedish pianist's trio, while the more internationally known violinist, Hardanger fiddler and viola d'amore players,, brought his unique ability to meld antiquity with modernity. At the time, Strnen described the project as "probably a dream come true...but a dream I didn't know I had."The group has changed slightly for this overdue release of Time Is a Blind Guide, with the three percussionists trimmed back to two because, as Strnen recently explained, "I felt that two percussionists left a little more space, which I felt the music needed. Often, when we play live now, we play with only one." Additionally, some of the original compositions were trimmedor eliminated entirelyand more new music has been written; in fact, since the 2013 performance, Strnen has written so much new material that he could have easily released a double-disc set; but as has always been clear to anyone with the pleasure of speaking with him, Strnen is an intensely thoughtful artist more concerned with a finished set of music that tells a clear story than simply shoe-horning as much music as possible onto a release.And so, while the original performance of Time Is A Blind Guide ran, with the inclusion of spoken introductions, considerably longer than the 60 minutes of music that was ultimately broadcast by NRK (Norway's public radio and TV network), the album release has been pared back further still, to a 53-minute suite that feels like there's not a single superfluous note. As outstanding as the live performance was, on record Time Is A Blind Guide demonstrates the benefit that time, distance and consideration can provide when coming to record music as a permanent document.One noticeable change to the lineup, beyond trimming the percussion section, is the replacement of Nils Okland with violinist Hakon Aase, described by Strnen as "a young, extremely promising musician who plays (and reads) very well, and who I wanted to give this chance when Nils decided to leave the band and put more energy into his own group." The blending of Aase with Railton is positively empathic, with each player demonstrating an ability to shine individually; both, in particular, demonstrate remarkable skill with a bow, sometimes playing so lightly as to feel like a whisper.Strnen recently described the project as being "important for me to make a strong form as well as putting in surprises. By listening from the beginning, I think the first four tracks all come as surprises compared to what you might expect." Certainly, the opening "The Stone Carriers" possesses more than its share of the unexpected: an atmospheric pedal-tone introduction, with bowed cello, pizzicato bass and delicately articulated violin, all bolstered by percussive color, lead to the suite's first major melodic statement. A six-note ascending phrase driven by Strnen's light brush work, Vagan's muscular anchor and Downes' fourths-driven voicingscreates the context for a lengthy melodic passage played by Aase, Railton and Downes, leading into a lengthy piano solo that clarifies, in just a few short minutes, how he has evolved into one of the most important young British pianists of his generation. Downes builds his solo with motivic care and harmonic sophistication, bolstered by Strnen's increasingly powerful stick work, leading to the first of Time Is A Blind Guide's numerous climactic peaks.Downes' clear allegiance to the jazz tradition, combined with Strnen's desire to demonstrate his own predilection for music that, if not swinging in a conventional sense, absolute swings in a more visceral and openly defined one, blend with the unshakable Vaganwho, perhaps more than any other Norwegian double bassist, possesses the muscular potency and rhythmic drive of- -to create a core trio that brings an unrelenting sound of surprise to Time Is A Blind Guide...even to those fans who've followed Strnen's career closely over the past two decades.A brief percussion feature, "Tide," leads into "Everything Disappears," the first of two variations. "Everything Disappears I" is a piano/drums duo that will sound more familiar to Strnen fans, despite it being in a more acoustic context than much of his work has been in recent years. His ability to create fluttering flurries of percussion seems informed, perhaps, by the work of British drummer, but Strnen's approach has ultimately evolved into something more personal...more dynamic, He moves around his kit with an effortless combination of hands, alongside small and conventional sticks to create a textural expanse ranging from deeply resonant bass drum shots to delicate cymbal strokes, as a spare form gradually unfolds in Downes' playing. The two players function as a single voice that's all the more remarkable considering how relatively rarely they've played together since Time Is A Blind Guide's premier.After two appealing but slightly more avant pieces, "I Don't Wait For Anyone" is an epically constructed piece that manages to compress a great deal into its six-and-a-half-minute duration. Opening with a series of fifths-driven bass lines, it's a perfect confluence where a melody, tripled by violin, cello and piano, creates a sense of time where there often is none, before the piece finally blossoms into a more decidedly tempo-driven section with the kind of lyrical appeal possessed by some ofand' best collaborations...but never with this kind of open-ended freedom somehow blended into its formal arrangement. Its simple, singable and utterly memorable theme returns after Downes takes another set-defining solo; taken as a single composition, it's clear evidence of Strnen's ability to blend complex ideas brimming with detail and seemingly simpler, more accessible concepts.What's perhaps most appealing about Time Is A Blind Guideits title taken from the first sentence of Canadian author Anne Michaels' book, Fugitive Pieces (McClelland & Stewart, 1996)is the broad terrain it traverses. Beyond percussive sections that bring together a variety of cultural touchstones, the music also covers a surprising amount of territory. Beyond being the closest thing to a "real" jazz album (whatever that is) that Strnen has made, there are unmistakable hints of Norwegian traditionalism blended with Oriental folklore ("Lost Souls"), as well as allusions of music even more timeless. The closing "Simples," with its open time, haunting strings, blend of melodic and atonal pianism and Strnen's piercing bells, makes for music that is somehow of its time yet, at the same time, completely and utterly timeless.Sonically, the album is exceptional, with the 24-bit/96Khz high resolution version even more impressiveand revealingthan the CD release. The mix contains, alongside the music, its own surprises and its own story...one well worth telling. According to Strnen: "The recording was done in the beginning of June [2015] and mixed just a week later, due for release in mid-September. I took the finished mix on holiday at the end of July and listened repeatedly, while reading Soul Mining, by [producer] Daniel Lanois. The biography tells his story, as well as his recording techniques and how he has worked with various artists. He has remarkable focus and has put so much energy into following his ideals in order to serve the music properly."Maybe no masterpiece as a book, but it pushed me to dig deeper and to not be relaxed about the small issues I had with the mix," Strnen continues. "Slowly, I realized that I wasn't 100% confident with the final mix and I had ideas how to make it better. I spoke to Sun Chung from ECMwho was the recording's producer and who also mixed it with meand he agreed: almost is never good enough. I spoke to [label head/producer] Manfred [Eicher] and he gave me the green light to make a new mix on my own, together with [engineer] Jan Erik Kongshaug, at Rainbow studios [in Oslo]."Only ten hours after I got back home from my holiday, I was back in studio. The most crucial change we made was altering the overall stereo panning to the drummer's perspective, so hi-hat in the left ear, ride in the right. Of the 4,000 records Jan Erik has mixed, this was the first time he ever did this. After going through all the recorded material over again, I ended up satisfied...and very much relieved. This was in the beginning of August. When the group landed in Tokyo to play its first release concert in mid-September, the CDs were waiting for us at the venue."It's always dangerous to talk about any album as representative of "The ECM Sound," given how, so often, any attempts to quantify just what that means are quickly laid to waste by examples drawn from the label's 47-year discography. Still, there is something perhaps indefinable about Time Is A Blind Guide that makes it an album whose home simply had to be with ECM Records. Strnen's story about remixing the album may be one of the best reasons why: few labels, with such a tight production deadline, would allow for a last-minute complete remix because "almost is never good enough."The end result of a remarkable commission first realized in 2013; a recording where Strnen's consideration about how to best articulate exactly what the music meant; and the refusal to accept anything less than precisely what the percussionist felt was needed to ensure it was best represented, including a rare mixing approach that renders a distinctive suite of music all the more so: all of these factors combine with a septet of exceptional musicians to bring Time Is A Blind Guide to life with so many surprises that it continues to yield new revelations, even after more than a dozen spins.Time Is A Blind Guide is, quite simply, a stunning record that stands out in Strnen's already impressive discography as one of his most expansive, cinematic and flat-out lyrical albums to date. An album so compelling that it truly deserves the term masterpiece, in a time when the word "classic" is bantered about far too often, it also creates hope that there will be more Time Is A Blind Guide compositions to come from Strnen's pen...and from this nimble group, clearly responsive and connected to his music at the deepest, mitochondrial level.
           2005     ..        










Informations To stop terrorism in Europe refrain from arming Saudis, Alkhalifa

Alwihda Info | Par Bahrain Freedom Movement - 27 Mars 2016





The bloodbath in Brussels is despicable act by ISIS terrorists. It is evil butchery which contradicts basic teachings of Islam and human values. To stop these atrocious crimes the world must address the sources of these groups, schools that promote extremism and the sources of their finances. Saudis and Alkhalifa must be challenged for their unquestionable role in the rise of modern day terrorism.



Calls to stop arming Saudis have intensified in recent days as their aggression on Yemen approaches its first anniversary. Yesterday Amnesty International (AI) called on Washington and London to halt arms deliveries to Saudi Arabia which is leading military coalition in an aggressive war on Yemen. In a statement released one year into the Saudi-led aggression AI said: Saudi Arabias international partners have added fuel to the fire, flooding the region with arms despite the mounting evidence that such weapons facilitated appalling crimes and the clear risk that new supplies could be used for serious violations said James Lynch, AIs regional deputy director. The group said it had documented since the beginning of the conflict at least 32 air strikes by the Saudi-led coalition that appear to have violated international humanitarian law. The strikes killed almost 361 civilians including at least 127 children. On 25th February the European Parliament called for an EU-wide arms embargo against Saudi Arabia.



Meanwhile concern is rising for the safety of at least three youths from the Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia after reports circulated of their imminent execution including Ali Al Nimr. UKs Foreign Minister said last year after his Saudi visit the he would not be executed. The situation in Eastern Province is tense especially after the arrest this week of most prominent senior cleric, Sheikh Hussain Al Radhi after calling fro reforms.



On 18th March The United Nations Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders, Michel Forst, called on the Government of Bahrain to immediately release prominent Bahraini womens rights and social media activist Zainab Al-Khawaja, and urged them to drop all charges for having exercised her right to free expression. Ms. Zainab is detained purely for her critical views against government authorities, he said. Such criticism is not only fully legitimate according to Bahrains obligations under human rights law. The ongoing harassment and criminalization of activists in Bahrain should stop, the human rights expert stressed. I urge the authorities to cease such persecution and immediately drop all the charges against Zainab Al-Khawaja. Furthermore, Index on Censorship called for the immediate release of Zainab Al-Khawaja, who was arrested on Monday 14 March 2016 with her one-year-old son Abdulhadi. Zainab Al-Khawaja is facing retaliation for exercising her right to freedom of expression, said Indexs senior advocacy officer Melody Patry. Bahraini authorities have been harassing her and her family for years and this arrest  based on absurd charges  further shows Bahrains determination to silence its critics.



The Human Rights Watch (HRW) has demanded the Bahrain regime to stop deporting citizens after stripping them of their citizenship, saying the illegal expulsions are causing numerous sufferings. "These unlawful deportations are ripping families apart and causing untold suffering," HRW's deputy Middle East director, Joe Stork, said on Sunday 20th March. "Bahrain should stop the deportations immediately and restore citizenship to those who have been left stateless, especially when this was done without justification or because they criticized their government," he added.



In another development, 153 medical professionals, including the Irish Nursing and Midwives Organisation and the Irish Institute for Trauma and Orthopaedic surgery have called for Dr 'Ali al-'Ekri's immediate release. Dr 'Ali al-'Ekri trained side by side with Irish doctors and now medical professionals from across Ireland and beyond stand in solidarity with him on the fifth anniversary of his arrest. Dr 'Ali al-'Ekri was arrested on 17 March while operating on a child in Salmaniya Medical Complex in Manama. He had treated injured peaceful protesters and vocally denounced the excessive force used by the armed forces against peaceful protesters during the February - March 2011 protests.



In the week 14-20th March the Bahrain Human Rights Centre (BHRC) documented at least 22 arrests including one child and one woman. About one third of these were carried out in illegal house raids. It also documented 44 protests in 20 villages. At least five of them were attacked by regimes mercenaries using chemical and tear gases as well as shotguns on peaceful protesters. On 20th March Hajji Hassan Jaffar was detained while visiting his detained sons at the notorious Jaw Prison.





Dans la meme rubrique : < > India should enter into military-treaty to get US-boots on ground for retrieving Indian territory from China & Pakistan and for independence of Tibet Tchad : 17 membres du bureau executif de lUDT, allie a la majorite presidentielle, jettent leponge Tchad : un mort et plusieurs blesses dans un accident routier a l'Est Pour toute information, contactez-nous au : +(235) 99267667 ; 62883277 ; 66267667 (Bureau N'Djamena)
Is it any wonder that citizens in the U.S. and Western Europe are increasingly viewing their political leaders with disdain and are seeking to oust them? Is it any wonder that Americans now focused on the nature of the threats, question the outdated international organizations in which our country carries the burden for a passel of freeloading impotent Western Europe (NATO) leaders and anti-Western tyrants (UN)?

As various sites in Belgium were the scenes of civilian and infrastructure devastation, Americans saw our president and his entourage posing before Cubas dreaded Ministry of Interior, which is decorated with a huge sculpture honoring the racist, homophobic butcher Che Guevara. We learned the names and biographies of the dead and missing as he tangoed in Buenos Aires, to which he took two Air Force planes to facilitate sightseeing for the first family and their large entourage. (Burning up large amount of carbon fuels is the new status symbol of the rich and powerful. The best-known climate change advocates are known for their conspicuous consumption of fossil fuels on themselves.)

If that werent enough to reveal his belief that terrorism is not a big deal and that his heart is not with the West, he made a very brief (seconds long) acknowledgement of the Brussels attacks and then poked his countrymen in the eye with his overseas pronouncements: 

Speaking to reporters in Havana Monday, President Barack Obama said that, hopefully, the United States can learn a thing or two from Cubas record on improving basic, human rights. Our starting point is that we have two different systems, Obama explained. What I have said to President Castro, is that we are moving forward and not looking backwards. President Castro, I think, has pointed out that it, in his view making sure that everybody is getting a decent education or health care, has basic security in old age, that those things are human rights as well. The goal of the human rights dialogue is not for the United States to dictate to Cuba how to govern themselves, the president continued. Hopefully, we can learn from each other.

Revealing her far left blinders hadnt slipped, we got this from his chief adviser Valerie Jarrett:

Valerie Jarrett  @vj44"Cuba has an extraordinary resource - a system of education which values every boy and every girl"

Get used to losing seems to be Obamas message to us as Wretchard observes:

In a Tweet responding to the Brussels attacks Obama said, "the whole premise of terrorism is to try to disrupt people's ordinary lives. And one of my most powerful memories and one of my proudest moments was watching Boston respond after the marathon... THAT IS THE KIND OF RESILIENCE AND THE KIND OF STRENGTH THAT WE HAVE TO CONTINUALLY SHOW IN THE FACE OF THESE TERRORISTS". (Emphasis his). In that view all that is necessary to defeat Islamic terror is to stoically bear its hurts. To get up with your own leg blown away and hop to the finish line like it happened every day. And just maybe -- it will. In other words, it's the new normal; exactly what he said the Paris bombing would never herald. Maybe that's political progress. To the concept of "leading from behind" one can add "winning by getting used to losing".

Canadas leader is just as nutty:

Justin Trudeau: If you kill your enemies, they win.

In Europe, maybe they too are catching on to the incompetence of their leaders and the internal threats those leaders have enabled. You might have to go to the foreign press if you want to get details. There you will learn things like this: three Brussels suicide bombers were flagged by Turkish authorities and left to commit mass murder in Europe. In fact, the details the incompetent Belgian authorities seem to have been given were very specific:

Belgian intelligence services received specific warnings ahead of Tuesday's attack but failed to properly investigate them, Haaretz has uncovered. The intelligence centers in Brussels, as well as in other Western countries, knew that terrorists would strike the Zaventem airport and, probably, the city's railway in the near future. However, they did not properly appreciate the imminent threat and the limited follow-up investigation was insufficient to avoid the tragedy. It is now believed that the attack was planned in al-Raqqa, ISIS's capital in northeastern Syria. The terrorists who carried out the Brussels attack were closely connected with those responsible for the Paris attack in November.

In the national press here youll get pictures of memorial candles, flowers, teddy bears, and hashtags. These maudlin displays are getting a lot of people even angrier -- but not the enemy who understandably views these as signs of weakness. Already jihadi sites are asking what color will they light up the Eiffel Tower next.

The great Iowahawk captures my feelings:

David Burge @iowahawkblog Taste our hot tears of abstract cartoon sadness, genocidal lunatics Retweeted David Burge (@iowahawkblog): If only Twitter were around 75 years ago, we could've prevented WWII with poignant cartoons of crying pineapples. #JeSuisPearlHarbor

Behind the scenes, the Belgian and French authorities began finally doing their job -- rounding up suspects, patrolling known trouble spots, and otherwise responding with more than greeting-card gestures.

Like overindulgent parents of feckless spendthrift children, we have to consider tough love as the next step to their redemption. We have subsidized NATO by hundreds of billions of dollars to protect it from external dangers which at the moment seem insignificant.

They in turn have spent their money on social welfare programs instead of defense and tried to make up the burgeoning cost of those programs and a demographic disaster by welcoming in and not assimilating millions of people determined to kill them off.

To those of us in the US, the presidential campaign now unfolding has particular significance.

Which of the candidates is best suited to deal with this? Jeffrey Varasano on Facebook argues that it is Trump:

Trump is on the right side, against a lot of pressure. If the west is inviting enemy troops across the front and inviting them in for lunch so they can kill grandma before tea, what is Trump supposed to do about it? Here's the deal. This is not about Leadership, the way that Cruz means. Cruz means engaging in the old political realm -- offering military aid, intelligence, moral support. But what we know is that the old political realm is dead, or at least it's determined to commit suicide. So if you want to help "the people", you have to support a new politics and form a new allegiance with new leaders. For example, consider PEGIDA. Merkel would love to say, "listen, America is rejecting Xenophobia by electing Sanders or Hillary or Jeb. The whole civilized world is against PEGIDA." That rhetoric works to stifle PEGIDA's recruiting and marginalize them. In contrast, if Trump pulls ahead, PEGIDA can say the opposite - "Look, even America gets it. If they can do it, so can we. We are not alone. We are right." These seem like minor effects, BUT THEY AREN'T. Minority parties need to be able to point to some success or support, in order to recruit. It's ALL about justifications. This is why you see domino effects, where revolutions in one country spark more in other countries. Again, like with most issues, this is about recruiting a team and not about policy. Our side, wrapped up WITHIN the system debating policy, doesn't understand revolutions and wars fought OUTSIDE the system and that determine the very existence of the system. For example, many conservatives bash both "Hope and Change" and "Make America Great Again" as empty slogans. I hate to tell them but the fate of whole nations have risen and fallen on slogans. Thus they aren't empty. Are they devoid of bureaucratic policy? Yes. Do they start wars and flip governments, shaping the world? Oh, yes, that. Give me Liberty or Give me Death. Liberte, egalite, fraternite. How many Cambodians died because of "Make Love not War". Bucking PC, which Trump does, is nothing more than "Speaking Truth to Power". That's a first step in recruiting for any war. Thus Trump does more to embolden the Invasion Resistance than any candidate. Trump IS Leading. By Inspiring replacement forces. What does Cruz do? Will he inspire? Cause he can't really DO much as president. He can't invade Europe. What can he do? He has to recruit people on the ground towards a new allegiance that resists. Will he? Can he? Trump does."

As if to underscore his point, Slovenians marched in the streets this week against the EUs immigration policies, shouting Trump! Trump! So preposterous have the Europeans become that multiculturalism and political correctness have tied the hands of any sane moves to prevent these attacks. The EU has forced countries to admit immigrants and then denied them the right to resettle them in ways that will minimize creation of enclaves of unassimilated, dangerous immigrants.

How do you stop ghettos like Molenbeek from forming, and what do you do about them once they have formed? [snip] [Y]ou force the residents to live elsewhere. Conceptually easy. In practice, difficult. The European Court of Human Rights recently ruled against Germany, which sought to do exactly that. Having accepted a million Syrian refugees and immigrants, the Germans wanted to prevent the development of Muslim ghettos by dispersing these immigrants throughout the country. The Court ruled that this was against their fundamental human rights, among which is the right to form several -- or many -- Molenbeeks.

I find it impossible to disagree with Robert Spencers view:

"The political and media elites have failed Europe and the free world, and put Europe on a course toward civil war and bloodshed unseen on the continent since the days of Hitler." It is time to sweep them out. All of them: the multiculturalists, the cultural relativists, the internationalists, the levellers, the elites who have brought this death and destruction upon Brussels today, and Paris yesterday, and the rest of Europe tomorrow. Europe, if it is to survive as a home of free people, must turn out its entire political and media establishment."

Its not just the political and media elites in Europe. Our own need to be swept bare. Had you any doubts at all, consider the most ridiculous editorial of the year -- in the Washington Post, which obviously under the misimpression that Trump was the president, not Havana Obama, argued that 'The horror in Brussels is a rebuke to Trumps foreign policy.'

The horror in Brussels, to the contrary, is a rebuke to the muddled thinking of people like the editors of the Washington Post.
Democrats are imitating Jihad in the art of double-speak. Hillary and a Muslim propagandist presented a five-minute pack of lies in defense of Jihad, with Hillary only nodding, nodding, and nodding, and never saying a word  like a properly submissive woman under Sharia law.

The purpose of imam-approved wife-beating in Islam is to turn women into nodding slave dolls. Hillary is signing over and over again that she has been properly beaten by her man.

Since college Hillary has gone from a screeching harridan to a bobbing-head doll, showing submission to the most woman-abusing patriarchy in the world. She is singing for her masters. Islam means submission, not peace. Even before taking the Oath of Office, Hillary has signaled her real loyalty, which has nothing to do with the Constitution.

By nodding so fervently to the Arab propaganda artist speaks for her, Hillary is signaling that she is running to become a Jihad mole in the White House. Just five minutes of video says it all.

This is like Bernie Sanders giving the clenched fist salute of Stalinism, which he has never disavowed, and Liz the fake Cherokee bending over her lectern in exact imitation of Vladimir Lenin haranguing the Bolsheviks in Russia. In Cuba Obama just showed his famous grin in front of a giant painting of Che Guevara.

Radicals in the Democratic Party used to follow Moscow. Today they follow Tehran and Riyadh. Our population has been dumbed down so much that Americans are blind to clear and present danger.

Three totalitarian war doctrines  Nazi, Soviet, and Jihad  three wars of deception and slick propaganda. We are still the target. Hitler infamously said that Communists make for enthusiastic Nazis, but that Social Democrats (the old mainstream liberals) were lousy recruits. That is still true today. It is the basis for the new Left-Jihad alliance that started in the 1970s when Saudi Arabia learned to buy up Western politicians with OPEC money and price manipulation.

By spreading a psychology of scarcity and peak oil, the Green Left helped the Saudis to raise the international price of oil, any time the oil Sheikhs needed to twist political arms in Europe and the US. You dont need to cut the actual oil supply when you can make suckers around the world believe that oil is running out. And besides, like coal, oil is dirty. The facts dont matter when the propaganda monopoly can turn people into lo-fos. To please the Saudis Obama has just tried to destroy the US coal industry, and none of our heroic media have said a word. Its the sounds of silence.

Double-speak acts are signals to both Muslim and Red totalitarians, while normal Americans are being played for suckers. Last month, when the US sucker media celebrated Obamas first public visit to a mosque, the imams put out a big sign, proclaiming There is no Progress without Struggle. The Arab word for Struggle is Jihad. They all know that, and Americans dont.

By visiting that (radical) mosque with its double-speak sign, the President of the United States was endorsing Jihad. After all, there is no Progress without Jihad, right?

It was another double message: the word Progress is a Pavlovian bell for the radical Left, and word Struggle signals Jihad to the Muslims.

Shortly after Obamas first day in office, Air Force One was reported to have buzzed the Statue of Liberty in New York City, within sight of the flattened Twin Towers. The Feds denied those reports, of course, but thousands of people saw the big plane descending to fly near Lady Liberty with its tourists. People saw it.

I wondered about the biggest symbolic finger in the world buzzing Lady Liberty, but it seemed too farfetched to be true. It was the power of audacity, which appeals to Obamas personality.

Now we know the Air Force One stunt was just another Obama F-U, not an accident. Obama uses the Goebbels Big Lie all the time, doing things too audacious to be believed. By now Americans are no longer fooled.

The 9/11 Jihadists were brainwashed by their Wahhabi priests in Arabia that Jihad is a lifelong obligation for all Muslims. The goal of Jihad is always to force the infidels to submit to Allah (i.e., the imams), now that Christianity and Judaism are losing believers in the Western world. Jihad can mean genocide, but it can also mean mass immigration, infiltration and propaganda. It can even mean inner struggle, as the propaganda claims. Those double and triple meanings are key, because Jihadists can say peace while thinking war, they can say justice while thinking tyranny, and compassion while thinking genocide. After all, the only peace in their delusional system comes after complete surrender to the imams, or after death.

Marxism, Nazism and Jihad are war doctrines, based on carefully planted lies. The lies are their most basic tool. Bernie Sanders just lied about Hamas, because in his training way back in the Stalin time he was taught to lie for the cause. But Hamas is a tool for the Muslim Broederbund (paleo-Nazi) and now for the mullahs in Iran. Which might indicate that Bernie may be getting lots of money from those sources.

For Christians the Crusades stopped in the year 1200. For Muslims the Crusades never stopped. Islam is therefore entitled to kill and sabotage Christian nations in revenge for what they think happened a thousand years ago. And no, turning your Christian nation into atheism, like Sweden, is no better to the Jihad crowd. They hate atheists even worse.

If you talk to your liberal friends, you can see the propaganda clicking into their receptive minds. Whenever we see talking heads on TV, they are either mouthing the Jihado-Marxist Line or just nodding, nodding and nodding, like Hillary.

With Charlemagne Christian Europe mounted a defense against Jihad, popularized in the Song of Roland, the self-sacrificing Christian knight who warned the Franks by blowing his elephant horn, as a last gesture as he was dying.

The purpose of the Chanson de Rolande was too warn against the deceiving Saracen invaders (Jihadis from North Africa). One of the most famous lines is this: He lied with every word he spoke, meaning the Saracen knight.

The physical weapons of war have changed, but the war of lies has not.

Understanding Jihad lies is the first step toward self-defense.

But Jihad may be running out of Gulf oil money, due to the genius of Texas oil engineer George Phydias Mitchell, from Greece, who made shale exploitation practical, Shale exploitation is exploding around the world in countries that never believed they were energy producers. There are good reasons: It feeds the ravenous energy appetites of developing countries like China and India. Its cheap and efficient. The hydrocarbons can often be found as gas, which is environmentally friendly. And finally, fracking in your own country cannot be used by the Gulf radicals to infiltrate and destroy your country.

Some estimates give the Saudis only five more years of sitting on their hoard of gold, and some Saudi princes have bought luxury escape mansions in locations like Aspen, Colorado.

Dynastic monarchies like the Saudis dont adapt well when the money runs out, and 50 miles away the mullahs are casting greedy eyes on Mecca and Medina. Thanks to Texas George P. Mitchell, violent Jihad may be starved of its money and power sooner rather than later.

With mullahs and Saudis getting nukes, the world might just escape by the hair of its teeth. Or not. Obama is certainly doing nothing to stop it.
Whenever a major new scientific theory comes along, there is a tendency to mix it together with religion, and the outcome is often both unexpected and unfavorable. When the distinction between science and religion is clearly understood, such problems can be avoided. The history of the Big Bang theory is a fine example of how to do it right, thanks to one man who had that clear understanding.

A century ago, we had no idea of separate galaxies. There were some fuzzy objects out there, but telescopes weren't good enough to resolve what they actually were. Astronomy was still a fascinating field, but there was not yet a field of cosmology. Then in 1916 came Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which was a comprehensive theory uniting space, time and gravity.

That theory was totally different from what people had previously assumed. However, Einstein's previous accomplishments (four important new theories in 1905) assured that many scientists at least paid attention. By 1919, a prediction of Einstein's theory was verified via an experiment conducted during a solar eclipse, and that greatly enhanced the credibility of General Relativity.

Soon many more scientists got interested, because it was possible to associate the huge amount of observed astronomical data with a theory that made sense of it all. The measurable difference in light arriving from some very distant stars (the red shift) provided convincing evidence that the universe was expanding  and that begged for an explanation. Einstein's equations of General Relativity involved tensor calculus, which was unfamiliar to most scientists at the time; but a few set out to solve those equations for special conditions of the universe. Einstein, who once said, I want to know God's thoughts...the rest are details, himself believed that the universe was in a steady state, hardly changing at all.

In 1922, the Russian Alexander Friedmann worked out a solution for a universe expanding from a singular starting point; unfortunately, he died soon thereafter and his work wasn't noticed. Working independently, Georges Lemaitre, a Belgian Catholic priest, solved Einstein's equations for a universe starting at time t = 0 and expanding from a singular point to its present size. He submitted that as his doctoral thesis to both Harvard and M.I.T. in 1925, and that was quickly noticed in the western scientific world.

When Einstein heard of Lemaitre's work, he scoffed at it; and that disdain put Lemaitre into an uphill struggle. The notion of a Steady State unchanging universe out there was very strong in those days, where new particles just came into existence as the universe expanded. The thought of everything starting off at a single tiny point was incomprehensible to most physicists.

The disdain for Lemaitre didn't last long. Better telescopes were built, and other galaxies beyond our own Milky Way were discovered. By 1929, Edwin Hubble's observations permitted a calculation of how fast the universe was expanding, and it was all consistent with Lemaitre's theory. Einstein himself eventually came to agree with Lemaitre  for the simple and honorable scientific reason that Lemaitre's theoretical solution accounted for the data. Einstein's Theory of General Relativity, meanwhile, became fully accepted throughout the scientific world. The term Big Bang theory didnt come along until decades later.

With his scientific respectability secure, Fr. Georges Lemaitre moved in higher circles within the Catholic Church, and became a key scientific advisor to Pope Pius XII. In 1950, a most interesting backstage drama took place, which shows what real scientists think about even the best scientific theories. Pope Pius XII saw that the Big Bang theory coincided nicely with the narrative in Chapter one of the Book of Genesis, and considered making it a doctrine of faith, declaring it true. Obviously that would have been a huge accolade for Lemaitre, a permanent vindication of his theory.

Instead of rejoicing at this, Lemaitre himself talked the Pope out of it. Lemaitre explained that NO theory in physics, however elegant or reliable, is truly final. Every theory can always be revised; every theory can be contradicted (and thereby destroyed) by a single experiment. Lemaitre knew his history well: only a century earlier, the ether seemed a sure thing.

In 1963, new evidence from radio astronomy gave further confirmation that indeed the universe originated in a sudden explosion, and the competing Steady State theory was abandoned. The Big Bang became the only game in town. However, with the passage of yet another half-century, recent observations have indicated that some correction may be necessary to Einstein's theory: there may well be some additional force (customarily termed dark energy) that causes the expansion of the universe to accelerate. In the years ahead, will General Relativity or the Big Bang be corrected? Stay tuned.

It is enormously to the credit of Fr. Georges Lemaitre that he stood up to sustain the independence of science and religion. Lemaitre had an enduring confidence that both science and religion are complementary pathways to knowledge, but scientific theories can stand or fall on their own, and don't need religion to referee. As Albert Einstein said, "Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind."

More recently (1987), Pope John Paul II stated their complementary relationship very cogently: Science can purify religion from error and superstition. Religion can purify science from idolatry and false absolutes. Each can draw the other into a wider world, a world in which both can flourish.

Dr. Thomas P. Sheahen is the Director of the Institute for Theological Encounter with Science & Technology.
Andrew Breitbart loved our Constitution and he loved his country. He had seen the United States through the lens of liberal thought when he was a young college graduate; leftism was at odds with his natural buoyancy, optimism and intellect. His search for truth led him, inevitably, to conservatism. He once said, "It's almost embarrassing to go back into my liberal background because it was about as shallow a belief system as humanly possible."

Four years ago Andrew was taken from us at the age of 43. He was really just getting started. His death was a catastrophic blow to family, friends, colleagues, and admirers, and a punch in the gut to the Tea Party movement in which he was heavily invested. Those close to him who were privy to his vision, however, can see a horizon filled with the affirmation and promise of his brief life's work, and it is not only the Breitbart News Network.

Upheaval at Breitbart News Network and the recent resignation of several editors and staff including Ben Shapiro, former Editor-at-Large, has caused some to call Andrew's legacy into question. Shapiro, Editor-in-Chief of The Daily Wire , says after Andrews death Breitbart News was understandably, a chaotic mess. His loss at such an early age was something no one could have anticipated, and provisions had not been made for that eventuality. Ben cited a small group of leaders in the organization, the brain trust, had held things together as best they could in the aftermath, and its been trudging along that way since.

Recently Ben Shapiro spoke with me about his mentor and dear friend: "Anyone who took him for some rabid right winger didn't understand Andrew at all...he was significantly more Libertarian [than I] on social policy...but he wasn't very political, almost not political at all. His focus, Ben said: "You don't get to be a bully."

Asked to speculate on what Andrew would think of the current turmoil in conservative circles, he was hesitant to suggest any predictions. "He'd be very upset. He wanted to see the right unify in opposition to the bullies on the American left. I think what Andrew would say is, 'Think as individuals, stop following the herd. Dont just follow the one you see as the strong man, stand up for what you believe. If you believe in decent behavior, stand up for decent behavior. Andrews intolerance for bullying may lead one to believe he would have significant issues with Donald Trumps campaign antics. Without guessing his choice of candidate, remember he said of Trump in 2011: Of course hes not a conservative. He was for Nancy Pelosi before he was against Nancy Pelosi.

After Andrew's death, Ben explained, people would say, "Who's going to pick up his torch?" He answered, "No one is going to pick up Andrew's torch. The good news is that he gave us all lighters. In the spirit of the guy that liked British alt-rock, that's who he was."

Knowing Andrew Breitbart only through his television appearances, writing, and the recollections of his colleagues and friends, it's clear that he had an infectious spirit, a grand sense of humor, and steadfast loyalty to his principles. Breitbart inspired his detractors to ever new levels of contempt, and no wonder: He drew them in, got them to agree with a premise, and then sprung the trap exposing their lies or agenda.

He didn't hesitate to go into the enemy's lair and to hit hard with the truth, or to belabor a point with liberal hosts to the point of distraction. He stayed focused and on point, becoming a prominent voice in the culture wars. Andrew lived unapologetically, standing always on the side of truth.

Walk toward the fire. Dont worry about what they call you. All those things are said against you because they want to stop you in your tracks. But if you keep going, youre sending a message to people who are rooting for you, who are agreeing with you. The message is that they can do it, too. -- Andrew Breitbart

He encouraged his followers to be unafraid, take the bullies on, and never to apologize for being conservative. He said, "I like being liked, who doesnt? But I love being hated."

Andrew Breitbart's legacy goes far beyond his namesake, Breitbart News Network. Ben Shapiro states, "Andrew's legacy is all the people he touched, and all of those people are still out there fighting." I concur. His legacy is in everyone who dares to bring up politics with friends and neighbors because he no longer fears being labeled a racist and a bigot, or because the current election cycle is so important hes been moved to speak out. His spirit is in the millennials who have embraced conservative principles and values, and show up to work at a campaign phone bank or to hand out literature door to door. Andrew Breitbart was the proverbial pebble tossed in a lake, and we are the outward flowing ripples, keeping his philosophy and memory alive in the American political realm. Conservatives are no longer willing to allow the left to define us. Thank you Andrew Breitbart; we owe a debt of gratitude for your courage, your mirth, and your indomitable fire.

Julie Custer has written for The Philadelphia Inquirer and The Blaze. She can be contacted at her website: www.southernwrites.com.
Labor bosses and Democrat pols have reached a deal that will throw striving poor people out of work, and make it difficult for low-skilled people to enter the work force, and no doubt they are already congratulating themselves on their compassion. A triumph for the Democratic Party's alliance of stupidity and venality. The Associated Press reports:

California legislators and labor unions have reached an agreement that will take the states minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour. Sen. Mark Leno, a Democrat from San Francisco, said Saturday that a deal has been reached. The proposal would go before the Legislature as part of his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year. Leno said the deal would avoid taking the issue to the ballot. One union-backed initiative has already qualified for Californias November ballot and a second, competing measure is also trying to qualify.

Assuming the deal goes through  and why wouldnt it, since California is a one-party-dominated state government?  California will have the highest state minimum wage in the union, after the contemplated increases phase in. The strongest impact will be on rural areas, where agricultural labor will be increasingly mechanized out of jobs, and on service industries like fast food restaurants, which will also automate and in some cases close down.

Seattles experience with a $15 an hour minimum wage proves the case that it is a job destroyer. Following implementation of it:

 while the city of Seattle experienced a sharp drop in employment of more than 11,000 jobs between April and December last year (light blue line, BLS data available here), employment in Seattles neighboring suburbs outside the city limits (the Seattle MSA jobs less Seattle city jobs) increased over that period by nearly 57,000 jobs and reached a new record high in November 2015 before falling slightly in December.

That will happen across state lines as well. Manufacturing, agricultural processing, and other jobs will flee to Arizona, Nevada, and more distant states.

The labor bosses support this move because many contracts are pegged to the minimum wage, specifying X dollars more than the minimum wage. But for politicians who claim to care about poor people, the motives are more complex. Some are simply stupid, unable to reason two or three logical steps ahead, or completely ignorant of or ideologically opposed to the notion of price elasticity of labor, and relying on the gospel of intentions. But I suspect for many others, all that counts is the labor union political donations and organizational support.

California already has the highest poverty rate in the nation, at 23.5%. This deal will ensure that it keeps that crown, and will take away opportunities for people to escape poverty through hard work.
Clashes between militias trained by the CIA and the Pentagon are intensifying as bitter fighting has broken out near Aleppo and the Turkish border.

Chicago Tribune:

The fighting has intensified over the past two months, as CIA-armed units and Pentagon-armed ones have repeatedly shot at each other as they have maneuvered through contested territory on the northern outskirts of Aleppo, U.S. officials and rebel leaders have confirmed. In mid-February, a CIA-armed militia called Fursan al Haq, or Knights of Righteousness, was run out of the town of Marea, about 20 miles north of Aleppo, by Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces moving in from Kurdish-controlled areas to the east. "Any faction that attacks us, regardless from where it gets its support, we will fight it," said Maj. Fares Bayoush, a leader of Fursan al Haq. Rebel fighters described similar clashes in the town of Azaz, a key transit point for fighters and supplies between Aleppo and the Turkish border, and March 3 in the Aleppo neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsud. The attacks come amid continued heavy fighting in Syria and illustrate the difficulty facing U.S. efforts to coordinate among dozens of armed groups that are trying to overthrow the government of President Bashar Assad, fight the Islamic State militant group and battle one another all at the same time. "It is an enormous challenge," said Rep.Adam Schiff of California, the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who described the clashes between U.S.-supported groups as "a fairly new phenomenon." "It is part of the three-dimensional chess that is the Syrian battlefield," he said. The area in northern Syria around Aleppo, the country's second-largest city, features not only a war between the Assad government and its opponents, but also periodic battles against Islamic State militants, who control much of eastern Syria and also some territory to the northwest of the city, and long-standing tensions among the ethnic groups that inhabit the area, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen.

If anything demonstrates the incompetence, futility, and danger of the president's policiy in Syria, it's this almost comic clash between fighters trained by two separate wings of our national security apparatus.

Did it really have to be like this? In late 2011, the main organized force fighting President Assad was the Free Syrian Army. At that time,. FSA was made up of deserters from Assad's army and were almost entirely secular in nature. No Islamist militias. No Gulf states support for extremists. No ISIS. No Hezb'allah or the Russians assisting Assad.

It was a critical point. Should the US arm and train the Free Syrian Army? I acknowledge there were serious arguments on both sides of the question. The president feared that supporting the overthrow of Assad would commit the US to a course of action that may eventually have required ground troops. Even back then many people realized that if America were to commit ground troops to Syria, it would force Russia to intervene.

But Assad's army was falling apart. Thousands were deserting or refusing to fire on civilians. This little history lesson is necessary because we forget there were alternative paths that Hillary Clinton and President Obama didn't take. A strong show of support for the FSA supplied with heavy American arms might have brought the civil war to a relatively quick end without the fractured, quarrelling opposition and extremist militias wreaking havoc on anyone who disagrees with them.

But Clinton-Obama played it safe and now we are presented with a Gordian Knot that appears hopelessly tangled. Each strand that is unravelled leads to another strand tightening.

None of the many sides in this conflict appear ready to stop fighting. Perhaps that will only happen when they run out of people to kill or they run out of modern weapons and are forced to fight with sticks and stones.

I don't envy the next president who has to manage the slaughter to keep it from spilling over Syria's borders and further embroil the region in conflict.
In these turbulent times with a myriad of external threats against the West, there is a ray of light for hopefulness that the general population has not yet tumbled off the precipice of sanity into utter depravation -- and that is its overwhelming refusal to support those that control Green Parties at various levels of government.

In Canada, the federal Green Party jumped from 0.8% of the popular vote during the 2000 election up to 4.3% in 2004, and has since declined to 3.4% in the latest 2015 election. At the provincial levels, Greens are stuck at less than 0.5% in Alberta, 0.9% in Nova Scotia, 0.5% in Quebec, 0.7% in the Yukon Territory, and less than 3% in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.

The deeply politically and societally disfunctional province of British Columbia has seen support for the Green Party slide from a high of 12.4% in the 2004 provincial election down to 8% in 2009 and 2013. Similarly, in Ontario the Greens dropped from 8% in 2007 to 4.8% in 2014. Only in the small and perpetually problematic provinces of Prince Edward Island (increasing from 4.4% in 2010 to 10.8% in 2015) and New Brunswick (4.5% in 2010 to 6.6% in 2014) does Green support appear to be rising.

The Green Party of the United States (with the lovely acronym GPUS -- i.e., gee-pus) hit 2.7% of the popular vote during the 2000 presidential election, and has since dropped to 0.4% in 2012. The GPUS also sits unflinchingly at about 0.3% of the total popular vote in Congressional races.

Across the Pond in the U.K., the Scottish Greens were at 4% in the 2011 Parliamentary elections, down from a high of nearly 7% in the 2003 elections. Their share of the European Parliamentary election vote is stuck at about 8%, and the Scottish general election vote share is only just above 1%. For the devolved legislative elections in Northern Ireland, Greens are picking up less than 1% of the vote, and are at only 1% in the Westminster elections. In Ireland itself, the 2016 Dail Eireann elections put the Greens at 2.7%, which is where they were in the late 1990s.

Sadly, the Green Party of England and Wales may be increasing its support, moving up from 1% in the 2005 and 2010 general elections to 3.8% in 2015. But at least the party is not headed upwards in the European Parliamentary elections, remaining mired at between 6% and 8% since 1999.

In Switzerland, its Green Party peaked at 9.6% of the popular vote for the National Council and Council of States elections in 2007, since dropping to 7% in the 2015 elections -- meaning the party hasn't made any real electoral progress since the mid- to late-1980s.

Sweden's Green Party has been stuck at no higher than between 5% to 7% in the Riksdag elections since 1988, and while the country's European Parliament elections saw the Greens receive 15% of the popular vote in 2014, this is below the 17% share obtained in 1995.

At the western tip of the Continent, Portugal's populace has only given the Greens about 8% of the Portuguese Parliament vote since 1991, down from 12% in the late 1980s. In local elections, support for the Greens has dropped by about half from 20% to around 10% since the 1980s. For the European Parliament, again the Greens are not seeing the Portugese back their goals, with support (as part of the Unitary Democratic Coalition that includes, unsurprisingly, the Portuguese Communist Party) unchanged at between 9% and 14% since 1987.

Norway saw support for the Greens surge from an average of 0.3% between 1989 and 2009 up to 2.8% in 2013 in the Storting elections, but this could be an anomalous result that gets corrected in the next election once the public comes to their senses and realizes the real threats to their nation come from mass illegal migration and a sluggish economy.

Finland's Green Party has been hovering between 7% and 8% in parliamentary elections since 1991. The same applies for the Finnish local elections, whereas the European Parliament share going to the Greens dropped from 13% in 1999 to 9.3% in 2014.

Down in New Zealand, the latest election in 2014 saw the Greens holding at 11%, not that much higher than they were in 1990 (7%).

The Netherlands isn't buying what the Greens are selling, either. Their support is just 2% for the House of Representatives elections, down from 4% in 1989, and the last European Parliament elections put the Greens at less than 7%, down from 12% in 1999.

Support for the Greens in the Italian Parliament and Senate is consistently around 2% since 1987, while the 2014 European Parliament elections saw the Greens slide to only 0.9%, their worst showing on record.

Germany is often held up as the model success for the Greens, but the federal parliament (Bundestag) elections have witnessed no increase in the Green's support above 8% since 1987. European Parliament support has been holding steady at just 10% to 12% since the mid-1990s.

While more popular centrist and left-wing governments in many of these regions have gradually adopted some select principles from the Green parties, the voters have clearly identified the Greens' membership and leaders as even more dangerous than their policies. For the sake of Western Civilization, let us hope that this resistance holds.

Let the Green Party supporters play by themselves in their shallow end of the electoral pool, and meanwhile the rest of civil society can continue to largely ignore them and instead begin to refocus on the real democratic challenges that lie ahead of us.


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Lahore (AsiaNews) - At least 64 people were killed in a suicide attack in the Gulshan-i-Iqbal park in a residential area of Lahore. The explosion took place at dusk, when there were many people walking near the exit door and close to the childrens play area.

The attack was claimed by the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul Ahrar, one of several groups of local Taliban. The police said they had found the suicide murderer's head and found many, tha shrapnel that with the explosion injured at least 200 people.

Eyewitnesses interviewed by the Dawn newspaper say that there were many people in the park at that hour, because of the Easter Sunday, recognized as a holiday by the Punjab Province, and the upcoming evening market. Some suspect the attack was directed against Christians, , but for the time being there is nothing to confirm this sectarian aspect of the killing.

Ambulances, rickshaws and taxis used to transport the wounded to the hospital, had to cross heavy traffic jam.

According to people who were present, the park, while having a lot of entrance gates, did not have any surveillance.

For years, the Taliban and the army had found a way to live with respect to each other and to each own areas of influence, until the Taliban claimed an area of the North-West as their territory, excerpted in Pakistan. In 2014 the army launched an offensive to reduce the power of al-Qaeda and Taliban in the Northwest.
by Piero Gheddo

Reflecting upon the mystery of Easter, a fact of history and faith, Fr Gheddo says that it leads life towards positive outcomes, even when it is hard and poverty-stricken. Marcello Candia and the Blessed Clemente Vismara are examples to follow.

Milan (AsiaNews)  Easter is the celebration of our faith. We are Christians, disciples of Christ, because He rose from death. "[I]f Christ has not been raised, your faith is vain," said Saint Paul. What does it mean to be a Christian? It means believing in the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, which changes in a positive way the history of humanity and of every man and which changes and improves our own small life. Let us see why and how.

There are three levels of understanding of Easter:

1) The phenomenological level. The Resurrection of Christ is an historical fact to the extent that it actually occurred in history and was witnessed by many people: the empty tomb, and the risen Jesus that pious women and the disciples saw and touched. The 2000 years of Christian and Church history are rooted in this extraordinary historical fact: the Son of God became man to save us from sin (the offence against God, i.e. selfishness) and death. The Resurrection is not a myth, a fairy tale, but an historical fact that cannot be denied. Otherwise, we might as well deny the existence of Julius Caesar and Buddha, Mohammed and many other historical figures, for whom there are fewer witnesses and documents than for Christ.

2) The level of faith. The Resurrection is also a mysterious, humanly inexplicable fact. It is a "mystery of faith" that requires faith, Gods gift, in order for it to be understood and believed. Today we worship the Risen Lord, and we ask God to increase our faith in Him, the only Saviour of man and the world. The classic example is that of the Apostle Saint Thomas, who was not present when Jesus appeared to the other Apostles, and did not believe he had risen. However, when he saw Jesus and touched the wounds on His hands and side, he believed that he had truly risen. From the undeniable historical fact, he went straight to faith in Christ the Son of God, "My Lord and my God!"

The Venerable Dr Marcello Candia, a lay missionary among the lepers of the Amazon, often said, "Lord, increase my faith." I told him that he had a lot of faith, but he replied, "Remember Piero, that faith is never enough!" Today the modern secularised world makes us "live as if God did not exist." But God exists and died on the Cross in the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, Jesus Christ, who opened the gates of Heaven.

How many people live without knowing why they live! Their life is almost exclusively material, without a light from high above to enlighten it, without the hope of reaching the goal of eternal life with God! The existential pessimism so prevalent today among us Italians, more than 90 per cent of whom are baptised, is educationally harmful for young people and comes precisely from the fact that the risen Christ, who is a beacon of hope and an invitation to rise with Him, is no longer meaningful. The faith children receive neither enlightens nor warms life. Even if some devotions survive, they now no longer bring serenity and the joy of living.

3) The third level of understanding of Easter is that of love and imitation of Christ. It is not enough to believe in Him intellectually. What does it mean to believe in the risen Christ? It means to live Christs life, to know and love Christ, to set off seriously and joyfully on the path of imitating Christ, and to bear witness more and more to him in our lives. The gift of faith I received was not given to me just to experience it for myself and my family, but was also given because in Italys and the worlds miseries, we are the light and salt for people, the yeast for the society in which we live.

Easter gives meaning and indicates a goal in our lives. If Jesus rose from the dead, I will rise again with Him. This is the real novelty of Christianity. The resurrection from the dead to live an eternal life with God is a truth that no other religion has revealed; only Christ has and even promised to us.

The level of faith is comforting; it makes our life real and happy. But how hard it is! We must live the life of Christ, fall in love with Christ, imitate Christ by getting rid of sin, and correct our faults and bad habits. The Jubilee of Mercy of God calls us to convert. We must all convert ourselves. We priests too are sinners called to convert. It is a journey that lasts a lifetime, that keeps us young at heart, and gives us the enthusiasm to live in Christ and with Christ, doing good. Love covers the multitude of our sins.

Last thought. According to a popular saying, "I am happy like an Easter (clam)"* when I am moved by great joy. The Risen Christ is a source of joy and hope, and gives us an optimistic outlook on our life and on the world we live in. It makes us see the world around us through Gods eyes. No through our eyes but through Gods eyes.

The Blessed Clemente Vismara, who was a missionary in Burma for 65 years, led a hard a painful life, among the poor and lepers, famine and pestilence, guerrillas and dictatorship. He endured hunger and thirst, and put up with repugnant foods (mice, worms, etc.). In the first eight years of his mission, he slept in a shed made of mud and straw, and when it rained, used an umbrella to avoid getting wet. And yet, he managed to set up two Christian centres for more than 300 orphans and disabled people.

Despite this, Clemente Vismara was called "the priest who always smiles. He was always happy. In a letter, he wrote, "We are living here the life of the poor of Christ, but we feel a heavenly joy and our worries for tomorrow are relatively light, because the work is not ours but belongs to the Lord Jesus who sent us here." In another letter, he wrote, "We have never lacked in heart-felt joy and peace. We lead the life of cheerful missionaries, who enjoy in sacrifice, anticipating the reward that will be given to those who abandoned their father and mother to follow Jesus."

His nephew Guido, the son of his sister Stella Vismara, once wrote to him saying that the world was foul. In his replay, the Blessed said, Dear Guido, even though I live in a pagan world, uglier than the Christian one in which you live, I tell you that the world is beautiful and that life is more beautiful still. Otherwise, what is faith?"

* Contento come una Pasqua is rendered in English as Happy like a clam.
During Easter vigil, Francis said that Christians are called to awaken and resurrect hope in hearts burdened by sadness, in those who struggle to find meaning in life. The ambassador of South Korea to Italy, Yong-Joon Lee, and his wife Hee Kim are among the twelve who were baptised. Their counterparts to the Holy See act as godparents.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis on Saturday evening led the Easter Vigil in St Peters Basilica, with the baptism of eight women and four men from Italy, Albania, Cameroon, Korea, India and China. The latter included the South Korean Ambassador Yong-Joon Lee, and his wife, Hee Kim, with their counterparts at the Holy See acting as godparents.

In his homily, the pope said that the hope [that] does not disappoint, and the certainty of Resurrection must shed the light of the Risen Lord upon our problems, which We see and will continue to see [. . .] both within and without us. For him, we should not allow darkness and fear [. . .] distract us and control us; we must cry out to them: the Lord is not here, but has risen!

Hope, he noted, is what prompted Peter, after the story of the women, to go to Jesus' tomb. He did not remain sedentary, in thought; he did not stay at home as the others did. He did not succumb to the sombre atmosphere of those days, nor was he overwhelmed by his doubts. He was not consumed by remorse, fear or the continuous gossip that leads nowhere. He was looking for Jesus, not himself. He preferred the path of encounter and trust.

The women too, who had gone out early in the morning to perform a work of mercy, taking the perfumed ointments to the tomb, had the same experience. They were frightened and bowed their faces, and yet they were deeply affected by the words of the angel: Why do you seek the living among the dead?

We, like Peter and the women, cannot discover life by being sad, bereft of hope. Let us not stay imprisoned within ourselves, but let us break open our sealed tombs to the Lord so that he may enter and grant us life. Let us give him the stones of our rancour and the boulders of our past, those heavy burdens of our weaknesses and falls. Christ wants to come and take us by the hand to bring us out of our anguish. This is the first stone to be moved aside this night: the lack of hope which imprisons us within ourselves. May the Lord free us from this trap, from being Christians without hope, who live as if the Lord were not risen, as if our problems were the centre of our lives.

The words of the angel who announced the Resurrection are the foundation of our hope, which is not mere optimism, nor a psychological attitude or desire to be courageous. Christian hope is a gift that God gives us if we come out of ourselves and open our hearts to him.

The Paraclete does not make everything look appealing. He does not remove evil with a magic wand. But he pours into us the vitality of life, which is not the absence of problems, but the certainty of being loved and always forgiven by Christ, who for us has conquered sin, death and fear. Today is the celebration of our hope, the celebration of this truth: nothing and no one will ever be able to separate us from his love (cf. Rom 8:39).

Strengthened by such certainty, Christians are called "to awaken and resurrect hope in hearts burdened by sadness, in those who struggle to find meaning in life. [. . .]. However, we must not proclaim ourselves, but must announce the Risen One by our lives and by our love; otherwise we will be only an international organization full of followers and good rules, yet incapable of offering the hope for which the world longs.

Such hope must be nurtured by remembering Gods works, the history of his love and faithfulness towards humanity. Let us not forget his words and his works, otherwise we will lose hope. Let us instead remember the Lord, his goodness and his life-giving words which have touched us. Let us remember them and make them ours, to be sentinels of the morning who know how to help others see the signs of the Risen Lord.

Dear brothers and sisters, Christ is risen! Let us open our hearts to hope and go forth. May the memory of his works and his words be the bright star which directs our steps in the ways of faith towards the Easter that will have no end.
Francis focused his message on the conflicts in the Middle East, Africa and the Ukraine, on persecuted Christians, migrants and refugees, and those in our society who have lost all hope and joy in life, on the elderly who struggle alone and feel their strength waning, on young people who seem to have no future. May the Resurrection offer us the comforting assurance that the abyss of death has been bridged and, with it, all mourning, lamentation and pain.

Vatican City (AsiaNews)  Pope Francis delivered his Easter message today, following Mass in St Peter's Square. Speaking to some 70,000 people gathered in the square and to millions via TV around the world, Pope Francis also mentioned the certainty of the Resurrection in a world burdened by angst and fear.

May the Resurrection, he said, point out paths of hope to beloved Syria, and promote a fruitful encounter of peoples and cultures in other areas of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Yemen and Libya. May it favour concord between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, lead to a solution to the war in Ukraine as well as draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world. May it draw people together in Venezuela, water the seeds of hope and prospects for peace in Africa, and give courage to our brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith.

Not only are some places burdened by war and violence, but also migrants and refugees who together with those in our society [. . .] have lost all hope and joy in life, as have the elderly who struggle alone and feel their strength waning, or young people who seem to have no future. In view of this, May the forthcoming World Humanitarian Summit not fail to be centred on the human person and his or her dignity.

Jesus Christ, the incarnation of Gods mercy, out of love for us, died on the cross, and out of love he rose again from the dead. That is why we proclaim today: Jesus is Lord!

His resurrection fulfils the prophecy of the Psalm: Gods mercy endures for ever; it never dies. We can trust him completely, and we thank him because for our sake he descended into the depths of the abyss.

Before the spiritual and moral abysses of mankind, before the chasms that open up in hearts and provoke hatred and death, only an infinite mercy can bring us salvation. Only God can fill those chasms with his love, prevent us from falling into them and help us to continue our journey together towards the land of freedom and life.

The glorious Easter message, that Jesus, who was crucified is not here but risen (cf. Mt 28:5-6), offers us the comforting assurance that the abyss of death has been bridged and, with it, all mourning, lamentation and pain (cf. Rev 21:4). The Lord, who suffered abandonment by his disciples, the burden of an unjust condemnation and shame of an ignominious death, now makes us sharers of his immortal life and enables us to see with his eyes of love and compassion those who hunger and thirst, strangers and prisoners, the marginalized and the outcast, the victims of oppression and violence. Our world is full of persons suffering in body and spirit, even as the daily news is full of stories of brutal crimes which often take place within homes, and large-scale armed conflicts which cause indescribable suffering to entire peoples.

The risen Christ points out paths of hope to beloved Syria, a country torn by a lengthy conflict, with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord. To the power of the risen Lord we entrust the talks now in course, that good will and the cooperation of all will bear fruit in peace and initiate the building of a fraternal society respectful of the dignity and rights of each citizen. May the message of life, proclaimed by the Angel beside the overturned stone of the tomb, overcome hardened hearts and promote a fruitful encounter of peoples and cultures in other areas of the Mediterranean and the Middle East, particularly in Iraq, Yemen and Libya.

May the image of the new man, shining on the face of Christ, favour concord between Israelis and Palestinians in the Holy Land, as well as patience, openness and daily commitment to laying the foundations of a just and lasting peace through direct and sincere negotiations. May the Lord of life also accompany efforts to attain a definitive solution to the war in Ukraine, inspiring and sustaining initiatives of humanitarian aid, including the liberation of those who are detained.

The Lord Jesus, our peace (Eph 2:14), by his resurrection triumphed over evil and sin. May he draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world, as in the recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Cote dIvoire. May he water the seeds of hope and prospects for peace in Africa; I think in particular of Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan, marked by political and social tensions.

With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death. His son Jesus is the door of mercy wide open to all. May his Easter message be felt ever more powerfully by the beloved people of Venezuela in the difficult conditions which they are experiencing, and by those responsible for the countrys future, that everyone may work for the common good, seeking spaces of dialogue and cooperation with all. May efforts be made everywhere to promote the culture of counter, justice and reciprocal respect, which alone can guarantee the spiritual and material welfare of all people.

The Easter message of the risen Christ, a message of life for all humanity, echoes down the ages and invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees  including many children  fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice. All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance. May the forthcoming World Humaniarian Summit not fail to be centred on the human person and his or her dignity, and to come up with policies capable of assisting and protecting the victims of conflicts and other emergencies, especially those who are most vulnerable and all those persecuted for ethnic and religious reasons.

On this glorious day, let the earth rejoice, in shining splendour (cf. Easter Proclamation), even though it is so often mistreated and greedily exploited, resulting in an alteration of natural equilibria. I think especially of those areas affected by climate change, which not infrequently causes drought or violent flooding, which then lead to food crises in different parts of the world.

Along with our brothers and sisters persecuted for their faith and their fidelity to the name of Christ, and before the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people, let us hear once again the comforting words of the Lord: Take courage; I have conquered the world! (Jn 16:33). Today is the radiant day of this victory, for Christ has trampled death and destruction underfoot. By his resurrection he has brought life and immortality to light (cf. 2 Tim 1:10). He has made us pass from enslavement to freedom, from sadness to joy, from mourning to jubilation, from darkness to light, from slavery to redemption. Therefore let us acclaim in his presence: Alleluia! (Melito of Sardis, Easter Homily).

To those in our society who have lost all hope and joy in life, to the elderly who struggle alone and feel their strength waning, to young people who seem to have no future, to all I once more address the words of the Risen One: See, I am making all things new To the thirsty I will give water as a gift from the spring of the water of life (Rev 21:5-6). May this comforting message of Jesus help each of us to set out anew with greater courage to blaze trails of reconciliation with God and with all our brothers and sisters.
Super Dad Hugh Jackman Rescues His Kids From A Beach Riptide

Trending News: Hugh Jackman Acts Like A True Superhero And Saves His Kids From A Riptide

Why Is This Important?

Because Wolverine's regeneration ability isn't passed down genetically.

Long Story Short

While swimming at an Australian beach with his family, Hugh Jackman reacted to a dangerous riptide and saved his children from the waves.

Long Story

We all know Hugh Jackman as the superhero Wolverine in X-Men, but who knew he was a super hero  and super dad  in real life.

During a family outing to Bondi Beach near Sydney, Australia, Jackman sprang into rescue-mode when the waves became dangerous and suddenly turned into a riptide. The actor, who is set to play Wolverine again in X-Men: Apocalypse, worked with another swimmer, Peter Adam, to pull Jackman's 10-year-old daughter out of the water.

"His daughter was struggling to get on to the sand bar so I reached down, grabbed her arm and put my arm up to Hugh to make a chain to pull us up on the sand bar," said Adam to Nine News who has a video of the rescue on its website. "That's what you do with any family out there."

After that, the Eddie The Eagle star found his 15-year-old son Oscar struggling with the strong current and motioned to him. Lifeguards got to Oscar before Jackman did, but one of the guys who helped told Nine News that the actor performed admirably.

"I think he was under a bit of pressure with the two kids at once but he was pretty cool, calm and collected, as Hugh always is I suppose," said lifeguard Dan Conn. "[Jackman was] definitely a bit of a super dad, superhero, and he's a super bloke too."

The North Bondi Surf Life Saving Club has since thanked the super dad on Instagram.

"@thehughjackman was also spotted assisting with rescues! Thanks Hugh."

Own The Conversation

Ask The Big Question

Is Jackman getting credit for something the other swimmer and lifeguards should be congratulated for?

Disrupt Your Feed

All that bulking and cutting Jackman does to train for movies couldn't have hurt when he had to react to real life emergency.

Drop This Fact

When training for Wolverine, Jackman's trainer got the actor doing heavy weight exercises with low reps (1-5) with higher rep exercises like HIIT sprinkled in after  the fundamentals.
Partner (Residence) (class BS) Partner (subclass 801) visa



My wife and I were married in Australia just over 3 years ago and have lived together for 3 years 7 months and in the final stages of said visa.



I received a letter from Medicare alerting me that DIBP had informed them that my visa status had changed and that I was no longer eligible for Medicare. Upon telephoning immigration I was informed that decision had been made and I should report to the compliance office in Brisbane and see the compliance office.



After getting married and sending in our marriage certificate we then waited the 2 years before the second stage of the partnership visa could be commenced. Due to a misunderstanding I thought this was automatic and phoned DIBP on 7th July 2015 and asked what was happening with my application and they replied they had sent me instructions via email to open an IMMI account. I did not receive this communication email and the person I spoke to sent the required information and I finally opened an IMMI account. I have no doubt that this counted as a black mark towards me as immigration queried why I had taken so long to open the IMMI acount. They then said they sent another email in October asking for further information. They insist it was sent and because I nominated to receive email communication they are not obliged to contact me any other way and it is my responsibility to ensure email filters are set correctly.I maintain that I did not receive it or it somehow ended up in junk mail and and was inadvertently deleted. I find this attitude ridiculous to say the least.



Because of missing this email a decision was made 7th December 2016 notifying me of refusal of our partnership visa and that I had 21 days to apply to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) for a merits review. This date has long gone, this email did not arrive too and it was only the Medicare letter that indicated that there was problem.



Upon attending the compliance office in Brisbane I was informed that my visa had been refused with no right of appeal and given until 3rd April 2016 to present a departure ticket and exit Australia by 10th April 2016.

This couldn't have happened at a worse time, Easter week-end and my wife and I have spent a miserable and frustrating week-end. We have filed a written complaint with immigration and contacted the Commonwealth Ombudsman, of course nothing can be done until after the long week-end.

My wife also contacted her Federal MP and was informed that he could not intervene in this matter.



We need to take legal advice on this first thing Tuesday and would welcome a recommendation for an expert immigration lawyer in Brisbane. Also any advice would be greatly appreciated.





Forgot to mention, Immigration have said that my only option now is to leave the country and reapply for offshore Partner 309 Temp 100 Permanent, which will cost a fortune with all these price increases. My wife asked them if this first refusal would be counted against me and they were very non committal.
Unlike other thefts, the one we are talking about in this article happened in a dealership, and it was all captured on camera.Thanks to the video footage, published by the Tampa Police Department on its YouTube account, investigators will have an easier job ahead of them, as they know how many suspects they need to find.Since this is an ongoing investigation, the Tampa PD did not specify whether they managed to obtain any fingerprints from the scene of the heist.However, they know the modus operandi of the crooks, so they might link this heist with other criminal activities performed by the group.According to reports, the group was formed of ten people, so keeping a secret in a group this big is difficult, and it also increases the chances of one of the crooks to make a mistake.The Tampa PD has already found two of the stolen vehicles, and one of them was involved in a single-car crash on the Interstate 4, Tampa News reports.This may be bad news for the Prespa Auto Sales, the dealership that got robbed, but it provides investigators with information regarding the direction the crooks were heading.It all happened in Florida, and the footage and strategy look like they come from a sequel to Gone in 60 Seconds. There is no Nicholas Cage or Angelina Jolie in the video below, as the bold thieves were covering themselves with hoodies and possibly balaclavas.It appears that two members of the group broke into the dealership, discovered where the keys were being kept, and made off with eight cars. The other thieves were waiting in the parking lot, and got into the stolen cars as soon as they got the keys. Here comes the Gone in 60 Seconds part: they arrived in a stolen Honda Odyssey minivan, which they used to ram the gate of the dealership to ensure their exit.The entire heist took about 35 minutes, camera footage reveals, but they left in such a hurry that they hit some cars in the parking lot. As the single-vehicle accident that happened on the Interstate 4 shows, some of them were not excellent getaway drivers.
The labrator (we're no dog experts, so don't quote us on this part of the story) enjoys resting his head on the door of the 950 hp hybrid and this isn't the only reason we've awarded it the accolade mentioned in the title above.Pay attention to the driver of the Maranello halo car and you'll understand this dog is owned by @racewife, who's used to getting around in her LaF.We're talking about Kristine, the wife of Google VP Benjamin Sloss Treynor. Don't let yourself be fooled by the mild city driving maneuvers you see in this clip (hat tip to Redditor LunchboxJT for the footage).We're talking about a driver involved in Ferrari's Corse Clienti (customer racing) program, who gets to double her LaFerrari experience on the street with FXX K stints on the track.While her husband still races his 599XX, Kristine gets to work on her driving skills in the new FXX K. Sure, chivalry is not dead, but there's a deeper reason for this, as the Google VP has explained in the past: Honest answer? I'm typically 2-3 secs/lap faster than her on track day, and giving her a car which is 3 secs/lap faster than mine (at Fiorano, anyway) puts us on even footing. She's improving faster than I am however, so soon I'll have a runaway bride to chase on-track. And that's a great way to spend the day together.While, on many occasions, a dog and its owner play the lookalike game, we can't help but notice that, this time around, there seems to be a slight connection between the pet and the 950 hp hybrid. It all has to do with the appearance of its fur and the Giallo Tristrato (that's triple-layer yellow in Italian) hue of the Ferrari.
However, there is a possibility of this car being offered on the Old Continent, but the company needs to fit it with a diesel engine to ensure it has a shot across the Atlantic.Initially, Mazda said that it would not sell the CX-9 in Europe, but Jeff Guyton, Mazda's European boss, said that there was still a chance for this model to be sold on the Old Continent after all.In an exclusive interview with the Brits at Auto Express , Guyton stated that selling the CX-9 in Europa was a possibility.As some of you already know, when an executive says that something is a possibility, chances are it might not happen.After all, it is the executive's job not to disclose company plans for future products until they are ready to be unveiled. Otherwise, the disclosure could make the top brass of the company dismiss that executive.So, take this with a grain of salt, as the CX-9 has just been launched on the US market . The car only comes with a 2.5-liter turbocharged gasoline engine. That is fine for the United States of America, but European customers might not buy a family car with an engine that big and prefer a diesel instead.Unfortunately, Mazda does not have another powertrain option in the CX-9 range yet, so those Europeans dreaming about owning this model will have to wait and hope for some time. Mazda does sell a 2.2-liter SkyActive Diesel in Europe, which complies with Euro 6 standards, so this will be the only diesel option for the Japanese company's engineers to fit into the CX-9's engine bay.However, before installing it, Mazda executives must first have favorable market studies that show that this model would sell in sufficient numbers on the Old Continent.As in the case of other models and other brands, if market researches indicate that a product or an engine option would not be successful on an entire continent, the company will decide against green-lighting it for development and production.According to Mr. Guyton, the seven-seat crossover from Mazda does not have enough sales prospects in Europe at the moment, so the business case for this model is quite difficult.The situation is not Mazda's fault, as the seven-seat crossover segment has many players that suit different needs, but the Japanese brand needs to have a clear strategy to make this car sell in Europe. Until then, interested buyers can only choose a CX-5, or a Mazda6 Wagon, but the company should make a decision after the CX-9 gets a start sale in the US.
27 March 2016 14:08 (UTC+04:00)

The World Banks (WB) Board of Directors will discuss the Absheron Lakes Cleanup and Rehabilitation project on July 18, 2017, said the WB.



The estimated cost of the project is $100 million, $85 million of which are the means of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is a part of WB group, while other $15 million  of the countrys government.



Bank financing would consider investment opportunities regarding four lakes - Khojasan, Lokhbatan, Gu, and Girmizi, according to the WB.



Both the government and industry are paying increasing attention to the improvement of environmental quality in urban areas as a way to sustain investments and development. The residential expansion of the Baku area will occur to the west and to the east, where polluted lakes and lands are located, said the WB.



Urban lakes are a key feature of the landscape that could, if properly cleaned up, significantly contribute to the improvement in the quality of life in the Greater Baku area. Land redevelopment, if managed appropriately, will also bring development and employment opportunities and share of prosperity to the local population, according to the WB.



Pollution from the oil sector is acutely observed and documented in many locations of the Absheron Peninsula  the center of the oil production area, which makes the Peninsula one of the regions with significant land contamination, said the WB.



There are an estimated 220,000 ha just in Greater Baku, of which about 23,000 ha, or approximately 10%, are oil-contaminated lands, and 7,200 ha contaminated lakes, according to the WB.



The government of Azerbaijan undertook a strategic effort to clean up a part of the Boyuk Shor Lake and has already started the lakes second phase cleanup, said the WB. The government of Azerbaijan is committed to scaling up the cleanup and revitalization of the Absheron lakes and the surrounding area.



Regulating authorities also recognize that addressing such issues is highly complex, and requires a systemic approach and high level of technical expertise as well as significant financial resources, according to the WB.



The government of Azerbaijan is therefore seeking external support from the World Bank and other international financial institutions, said the bank.

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27 March 2016 11:03 (UTC+04:00)

Turkmenistan and Russia have discussed the prospects for intensifying the interregional cooperation in various spheres, said the message from Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The sides focused on the spheres of mechanical engineering, energy, chemical, oil and gas industry, agriculture, textile industry, pharmaceuticals, logistics and finance.

The discussions were held during Russia-Turkmenistan economic forum in Yekaterinburg.

During the forum, Alexander Rybakov, vice-president of Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the two countries are interested in using national currencies in payments for export and import operations. Moreover, he emphasized the necessity of creating joint ventures in light industry and agriculture.

Russia holds a leading position among Turkmenistans largest foreign trade partners.

Turkmenistan has intensified the cooperation with Russias largest regions such as Tatarstan, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan and Sverdlovsk.

However, Russia suspended the purchase of Turkmen gas in 2016.

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27 March 2016 15:08 (UTC+04:00)

Iran is in serious talks with the UAE Crescent Petroleum to supply gas in order to pay its fine to the company, Fars news agency reported.



Reportedly, some senior Iranian oil ministry officials want to supply gas from Iran's Salman gas field to Crescent Petroleum instead of paying the fine, the source said.



The UAE-based energy company Dana Gas said in 2014 that an international tribunal had issued a favorable ruling in the dispute over a natural gas supply contract between its affiliate Crescent Petroleum and Iran.



The tribunal ruled a 25-year contract for National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) to supply gas to Crescent was valid and binding on both parties, and that NIOC has been obligated to deliver gas since December 2005.



Previously, Iranian media outlets quoted the industry minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh as saying that Iran has been fined $18 billion over the case.



NIOC and Crescent signed the 25-year contract in 2001, with the price linked to oil. Based on the contract, Iran was supposed to export unrefined natural gas from Salman gas field to the United Arab Emirates. However deliveries were delayed as oil prices rose and some officials and politicians in Iran called for a revision to the gas pricing formula.



The Iranian source said that intensive talks are underway between Irans oil ministry and Crescent, adding it is expected that the contract price will be amended.



The source further said that the two parties seek to finalize the talks and implement the deal during the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 20).

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27 March 2016 16:00 (UTC+04:00)

Tehran and Islamabad agreed to increase Irans electricity export to Pakistan by 40 percent, the Iranian governments official website reported.

The agreement was achieved during the meeting of Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Islamabad on March 26.

The increase will be realized based on an amendment added to former agreement between the two countries which was signed in 2000.

The two ministers also held primary negotiations to increase the capacity of Irans electricity exports to Pakistan to 3000 megawatts (MW).

It was agreed that the issue to be concluded during the visit of the Pakistani water and power minister to Tehran which is scheduled for May.

Earlier the Deputy Energy Minister of Iran Houshang Falahatian announced that exporting 3000 MW of power to Pakistan is possible. Without specifying the details, he also said that the delayed debt of Iran's neighbor power clients is about $1.5 billion.

Pakistan has about four percent share in Iran's 10-billion kWh electricity energy export, according to the annual report of Irans Energy Ministry.

Coming to Pakistan's debts to Iran, The Express Tribune reported on March 10 that Pakistan is already importing 73MW to meet the requirement of Gwadar but payments could not be made since 2011. "Now that sanctions have been removed from Iran, officials believe banking channels will be opened, paving the way for payment of outstanding bills," the report said.

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For the 12th consecutive year, Bay News 9 celebrated the community-minded efforts of seven Everyday Heroes at a luncheon ceremony this week.

The event celebrated the work of all the Everyday Heroes profiled every Monday evening during a segment hosted by longtime Tampa TV news reporter Bill Murphy. The luncheon brings as many of them together as possible to honor them, but also so they can share each other's stories.

"It's about people who give back to the community," said Alan Mason, Corporate Vice-President, Local Programming Group, Bright House Networks. "Because theyre people who volunteer, or whove come up with an idea to help out, theyre passionate. They want to tell their stories."

And those stories, one and all, were inspiring.

There's Patrick Jackson-Williams, an ordained minister at the age of 16 who the event honored as its "Young Hero."

For Jackson-Williams, who overcomes mild cerebral palsy every day as he works to further community outreach for his ministry, Angels on Assignment, the recognition was humbling.

"Its a humbling experience, because I dont see myself as a hero," Jackson-Williams said. "Im just a regular person just trying to make lives better. Its humbling for me."

Jackson-Williams says Angels on Assignment is about bringing love, smiles and hope to those who need it everywhere.

"Just being able to see the smiles on peoples faces," Jackson-Williams said. "I may never see them again, but I know they had a smile on their face. And people dont forget that. They dont forget the impact. They dont forget the love. Theyll forget words, but they wont forget that."

Someone else who had an impact on the lives of others was Jessica Purcell, honored as 2016's "Hero of the Year."

Purcell, a U.S. Army active reservist and airborne soldier, was there to help when Reginald D. White of Bradenton fell from the Sunshine Skyway Bridge while changing a blown tire on his SUV.

"I dont really feel that Im that deserving of this title," said Purcell when asked about her feelings about the recognition for her actions. "[I'm] certainly thankful, but I dont really feel that I did anything to deserve this title that I just did something that I felt like anybody should do."

Unlike so many others driving by in those terrifying moments, Purcell stopped, assessed the situation, called 911 and stayed with White's wife, also named Jessica. They both called down to Reginald in the water, talking to him, reassuring him they weren't going anywhere until help arrived.

"Really, I came here to see Reggie and Jessica myself," Purcell said. "I was hoping they could make it and just give them a big hug because I feel tied to them for life."

The list of all those honored at the 2016 luncheon were:

Young Hero - Patrick Jackson-Williams Volunteer Hero - Chuck Donaghe Health Advocate - Bob O'Brien and Vince Blancato Animal Advocate - John and Angela Spillis Education Hero - Scott Malone Viewer's Choice - Ralph Zuckerman Hero of the Year - Jessica Purcell

Check out their inspiring stories again or for the first time in the links below. "Everyday Heroes" airs on Bay News 9 at 5:53 every Monday evening.
Oregon Coast Beach Cleanup Finds the Odd, Spooky and Amusing

Published 03/26/2016 at 6:51 PM PDT

By Oregon Coast Beach Connection staff





(Oregon Coast)  The spring beach cleanup put together today by SOLVE was a smashing success, with nearly 5,000 volunteers pulling some 90,000 pounds of litter and marine debris from Oregon coast beaches. (Photo: sifting small plastics at today's SOLVE Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup).

One cleanup effort included the help of goats.

This time around found beaches in a particularly dirty state, with winter waves being the culprit rather than Man. Storms had swept a lot of things in. Zone captains of the Spring Oregon Beach Cleanup described copious amounts of blue plastic crates with Asian writing, which have been alarming beach experts in recent months. These appear to be tsunami debris from fishing vessels struck down in Japan in 2011's earthquake.

There appeared to be more of these on the central coast than farther north.

Curiosities found included a few custom glass balls from artists that were left on the beaches of the south and central coast, along with wire fencing at Bayocean, a bottle with a note inside at Port Orford, half a kayak near Florence and an aluminum boat near Port Orford.

Sage DeLuna, zone captain for several beaches in the Newport area, said her group found lots of items from ships that had Asian writing on them, such as crates, helmets and buoys. But with a couple experts on hand, they were able to determine they weren't necessarily tsunami debris. Some had Korean writing on them.

Many items had been out to sea for quite awhile, as evidenced by a great deal of gooseneck barnacle growth.

One interesting find was a bottle from Asia that was miraculously unbroken. Others included some items so huge they had to call for the city to help haul them away, including a huge tarp heavily laden with wet sand.

Plenty of tires hit places like Nye Beach, DeLuna said, and there was gobs of fishing line.

Her area included the help of goats from the Cascade Packgoat Club. At Beverly Beach and the southern face of Otter Rock, the goats were packed down with discarded ropes and buoys. They have actually been helping SOLVE clean the beaches for over a decade.

The Sand Lake area just got hammered, said Kari Kaiser, zone captain for that part of the north Oregon coast near Pacific City. Her area got many of the plastic crates as well.

There were alarmingly large chunks of broken plastic, as big as a 55-gallon barrel. But one surprise created a few laughs.

There was a saki bottle that maybe still had some saki in it, Kaiser said. But there were no volunteers to test it."

Crews found so much rope it created two massive stacks that had to be hauled away separately by a vehicle.

There was not a lot of everyday litter, Kaiser said. It was all things that had come out of the ocean.

In the Seaside area, zone captain Coral Cook said there were large chunks of sheet rock, all so large and so heavy they could not be carried. City workers had to be called for that one. These were found near Avenue S near a homeless camp.

At Netarts, captain John Anderson said there was lots of tsunami debris with Japanese marking on it, and plenty of the plastic crates. The oddest find was a large propane tank. Oregon Coast Hotels in these areas - Where to eat - Maps and Virtual Tours. More of some of these Oregon coast below:













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Leaving the European Union would leave the NHS facing a "real challenge", Jeremy Hunt has said.

In a warning that prompted claims of government scaremongering, the Health Secretary said the economic shock caused by Brexit could starve the cash-strapped health service of investment.

Some of the 100,000 foreign EU citizens on the workforce could also quit the country amid "uncertainties" over the status of visas and work permits, he said in the Observer.

Mr Hunt said he believed Britain would survive economically outside the bloc and would strike trade deals, but not without "years of economic uncertainty".

It would "inevitably mean less money for public services like the NHS", he wrote, in the latest intervention by a senior minister.

"Those who want to leave need to explain how they could protect the NHS from this economic shock," he said.

"No savings can compensate for the economic volatility that would follow a vote to leave.

"Another issue is the damage caused by losing some of the 100,000 skilled EU workers who work in our health and social care system. Uncertainties around visas and residency permits could cause some to return home, with an unpredictable impact on hard-pressed front-line services.

"Our doctors and nurses have never worked harder. Their passion and determination is to do the right thing for patients. Against that backdrop, Brexiteers need to be honest that a period of economic uncertainty and volatility poses a real challenge to the NHS."

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, argued that Brexit would release funds to improve the NHS.

"Does this government's scaremongering know no bounds?" he asked.

"Under Jeremy Hunt's stewardship, the NHS has plummeted into a financial crisis.

"If we vote to leave we can stop wasting money on EU bureaucrats and instead spend our money on our priorities like the NHS."

Mr Hunt said those savings had been spent several times over in anti-EU campaigners' manifestos.

Stephen Dorrell, a Tory former health secretary and ex-chairman of the Commons health select committee, told the newspaper: "EU research programmes and single market legislation have greatly strengthened European co-operation in this area with substantial benefits for both healthcare and employment in the UK. It is a simple fact that Brexit would put all this at risk."

But Tory MP Stewart Jackson said: "Jeremy Hunt has to explain how uncontrolled EU migration and Turkish EU accession will help an overstretched NHS on his watch and afterwards."

Former cabinet minister Liam Fox said: " How many more colleagues will be forced into absurd and demeaning scare stories? Very sad."
Anthea Turner will fight a legal action against her with "teeth and claws," as the trustee of her former husband's bankrupt estate sues for 1.6 million, her lawyer said.

The 55-year-old TV personality is facing court action over the sale of the former marital home she shared with Grant Bovey - whom she divorced last year after he had an affair.

It is understood the 57-acre property in Surrey called Barbins Grange was sold in 2009 for 10 million, after the collapse of Mr Bovey's buy-to-let property business during the financial crisis.

And instead of an equal split of proceeds, the Daily Mail reports that Turner received more than 3 million, which she used to buy a new home in her name, while her then husband got just over 400,000.

Court papers lodged at Guildford County Court and seen by the Mail, state the basis of the legal claim is that the majority of the proceeds were kept out of reach of the lenders - who were owed millions by Mr Bovey.

Details of the legal action, being funded by litigation funding group Manolete Partners, show that Chris Farrington, the trustee of Mr Bovey's bankrupt estate and a partner at Deloitte, is asking the court to force Turner to repay 1.6 million.

Turner's lawyer, Mike Stubbs of Mischon De Reya, told the Press Association that the Surrey estate is one she bought and owned before she married Mr Bovey and that the claim will be "fiercely defended".

"The action is being brought six years into the bankruptcy - literally three days before limitation expires. And is based on information which the trustee has had since the beginning," he said.

"It won't be successful, if they had a case they would have brought it five years ago. What they are trying to do is to put pressure on my client so she pays something to make them go away.

"This will be fiercely defended. Anthea will fight back with her teeth and claws - but as always with elegance."

He said if any money was recovered, the trustee and the professional advisers would get paid before the creditors, and that the majority of Mr Bovey's creditors were in fact banks - calling him a "victim" of the crash.

"This is one of the percentage of cases that the professionals and funders will lose because there is no viable case," he added.

In 2003 Mr Bovey set up his property business called Imagine Homes, rumoured at one point to have been worth 100 million, before it went into administration in 2008 owing a reported 50 million.

From the sale of their Surrey estate it is understood that Turner used the proceeds to clear a 6 million mortgage, receiving 3.3 million for herself and her husband 420,000.

Turner used the cash to buy another property in her name, where the couple, who married in 2000, then moved.

In the court papers, Mr Farrington says the proceeds should have been split equally at the time of the house sale, that Mr Bovey's bankrupt estate is owed 1.6 million, and that the couple took the conscious decision to use the cash in just Turner's name to keep it out of creditor's' hands.

Mr Farrington says Mr Bovey, at the time of the sale, was under "mounting pressure" from creditors, including banks, and that the court should "redress the balance" of distribution after Turner received a "disproportionately excessive share."

Mr Stubbs told the Press Association: "The idea that even if the claim had legs, that Anthea could afford 1.6 million is wishful thinking in the extreme."
Flags on display as the largest military parade in the history of the Irish Republic passes the GPO as part of the 1916 Easter Rising centenary commemorations in Dublin

Sectarianism and division in Ireland must be tackled if the vision of the 1916 Rising is to be realised, Gerry Adams has told a centenary commemoration in Belfast.

The Sinn Fein president addressed a crowd of thousands at Milltown Cemetery in the heart of his former parliamentary constituency in the west of the city at the culmination of a parade organised by his party to mark the rebellion against British rule.

The Louth TD said 100 years on from the pivotal moment in Irish history, much work was still needed to create the society envisaged in the leaders' proclamation of independence and heal divisions between unionists and nationalists.

"The peace process and the (1998) Good Friday Agreement marked a historic shift in politics on this island," he said.

"For the first time, the roots of conflict were addressed and a democratic route to Irish unity opened up.

"But there is much yet to be done. Hurts must be healed, divisions ended and the scourge of sectarianism must be tackled."

Crowds lined both sides of the Falls Road as the parade passed by with an Irish wolfhound called Tara at the lead.

A pipe band played republican anthems such as Foggy Dew and many participants dressed in military uniforms of the period, some carrying replica weapons.

The parade ended at the republican plot at Milltown Cemetery, where wreaths were laid. Among those to place a wreath was Sean Kelly, the man convicted of the IRA's Shankill Road bombing in 1993.

Mr Adams told the crowd: "For our part, the 1916 Proclamation remains the mission statement for Irish republicans today.

"It is a freedom charter for all the people of this island which guarantees religious and civil liberty and promotes equal rights and opportunities for all citizens.

"The Proclamation is also a declaration of social and economic intent for a rights-based society in which the people are sovereign."
The shadow home secretary says it is 'no time' to be cutting back on border security

The shadow home secretary said it is 'no time' to be cutting back on border security

Labour has accused the Government of planning significant cuts to the Border Force that would weaken UK security against a Brussels-style terror attack.

Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham renewed calls for its budget to be published after hearing from insiders that staff were told to anticipate 6% reductions this year and next - a total of 88 million.

He has written to Theresa May, warning it is the "worst possible time" to squeeze spending and criticising the "highly unusual" failure to release the budget just days before the start of the financial year.

The Home Secretary was "going to great lengths to hide these cuts" because she was aware of the dangers "in her heart of hearts", Mr Burnham said.

The Home Office said "all necessary measures" would be taken to protect the UK's border but conceded that the Border Force budget was still be be finalised.

A spokesman pointed to a 41 million investment in additional officers as part of a crackdown on border crime and millions spent improving security in French ports.

"Over the next four years, we will increase the counter-terrorism budget by 500 million and invest 130 million in state of the art technology at the border.

"All necessary funding and investment will be in place by the start of the next financial year."

Mr Burnham said: "This is not good enough. The public has a right to know about the Government's plans for the UK border and that is why I call on them to publish these figures without delay and to drop these damaging cuts.

"This decision is yet another consequence of George Osborne's botched Spending Review and Budget. It has nothing to do with the EU Referendum and everything to do with a Government with its priorities wrong and whose austerity drive is putting our country at risk."

In his letter he said he was "worried you are about to make a very serious mistake with respect to the resourcing of UK border security".

Mr Burnham wrote: "As you know, the Border Force has already experienced consecutive years of cuts in the last Parliament and is already stretched to the limit. It is in no position to absorb further cuts on this scale.

"So that there can be a proper debate about the Government's plans for the UK border, I would urge you to confirm without delay whether it is your intention to inflict cuts of this scale on the Border Force, and whether you think this can be achieved without compromising border security.

"It is my strong view that, in the wake of the terrible events in Brussels and Paris, this is the worst possible time to be cutting UK border security.

"As we learn more about the extent of the terror networks in Belgium, there will be increasing focus on the UK-Belgium border and whether security is strong enough across all air, sea and rail terminals.

"Now is the time to be strengthening our borders, not weakening them. I urge you to drop these damaging cuts."

The Home Office said Mrs May "will respond to Mr Burnham's letter in due course" adding that it was "not uncommon" for budgets to be finalised so close to the start of the financial year.
Tony Blair was rumoured to have been planning a comeback

Military intervention is needed to ensure Islamic State is "crushed", Tony Blair has said.

The former Labour prime minister described the attacks in Brussels as "shocking", but said the attacks would keep on coming unless extremism was tackled.

Writing in the Sunday Times, he said that the roots of Islamism, including the immaturity of political systems and the exploitation over a genuine sense of injustice over the Palestinian issue, needed to be understood in order to counter it.

Mr Blair argued that a new strategy was needed to defeat extremism that included greater co-operation between intelligence agencies.

An effective system of processing refugees was also needed to stop the security risk of uncontrolled flows of people across Europe, he said.

But he also argued that IS, also known as Isis, needed to be eliminated more quickly.

Mr Blair said: "We can use local allies in the fight, but they need equipment and where they need active, on-the-ground, military support from us, we should give it.

"The Americans are doing this now - at least to a degree and with effect.

"But to have allowed Isis to become the largest militia in Libya right on Europe's doorstep is extraordinary. It has to be crushed."

Mr Blair founded the Tony Blair Faith Foundation which provides practical support to counter religious conflict and extremism. He previously served as peace envoy to the Middle East and works in eight African countries advising presidents.

He was prime minister during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and is expected to come in for criticism in the official inquiry report into the Iraq war - the Chilcot report - when it is finally published.

In the article he called for Western ground forces to take action wherever a terrorist group emerges as they were necessary to win the fight against extremism.

He said that in the long term, education promoting religious tolerance and effective aid and development policy needed to be prioritised.
The former Labour prime minister described the attacks in Brussels as "shocking", but said the attacks would keep on coming unless extremism was tackled.

Writing in the Sunday Times, he said that the roots of Islamism, including the immaturity of political systems and the exploitation over a genuine sense of injustice over the Palestinian issue, needed to be understood in order to counter it.

Mr Blair argued that a new strategy was needed to defeat extremism that included greater co-operation between intelligence agencies.

An effective system of processing refugees was also needed to stop the security risk of uncontrolled flows of people across Europe, he said.

But he also argued that IS, also known as Isis, needed to be eliminated more quickly.

Mr Blair said: "We can use local allies in the fight, but they need equipment and where they need active, on-the-ground, military support from us, we should give it.

"The Americans are doing this now - at least to a degree and with effect.

"But to have allowed Isis to become the largest militia in Libya right on Europe's doorstep is extraordinary. It has to be crushed."

Mr Blair founded the Tony Blair Faith Foundation which provides practical support to counter religious conflict and extremism. He previously served as peace envoy to the Middle East and works in eight African countries advising presidents.

He was prime minister during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and is expected to come in for criticism in the official inquiry report into the Iraq war - the Chilcot report - when it is finally published.

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In the article he called for Western ground forces to take action wherever a terrorist group emerges as they were necessary to win the fight against extremism.

He said that in the long term, education promoting religious tolerance and effective aid and development policy needed to be prioritised.
Belgian riot police have clashed with hundreds of right-wing hooligans at a temporary shrine honouring the victims of the Brussels suicide bombings, as investigators arrested four more people amid fresh anti-terror raids.

Police used water cannon when scuffles broke out in front of the Bourse, which has become a symbolic rallying point for people to pay their respects to the 31 people who died in Tuesday's attacks in the capital.

Black-clad men carrying an anti-Islamic State (IS) banner trampled parts of the shrine, shouting Nazi slogans. Ten were arrested and two police officers injured.

Police commissioner Christian De Coninck said: "We had 340 hooligans from different football clubs who came to Brussels and we knew for sure that they would create some trouble.

"It was a very difficult police operation because lots of families with kids were here."

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur expressed his disgust, with Belgium still in mourning over the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and subway, which also injured 270 people.

"The police were not deployed to protect people from these hooligans but a whole other threat," Mr Mayeur said.

Meanwhile, prosecutors said Sunday morning's raids were linked a "federal case regarding terrorism" but did not specify whether it had any links to the March 22 attacks.

Thirteen raids were launched in the capital and the northern cities of Mechelen and Duffel. An investigating judge is to decide later whether to keep the four people arrested in custody. Five others were released after questioning.

Belgium's interior minister has sought to contain the growing criticism of the government's handling of the tragedy.

Interior minister Jan Jambon conceded that decades of neglect had hampered the government's response to violent extremism.

He said the government has invested 600 million euro (474 million) into police and security services over the past two years, but admitted Belgium's justice system and security services are still lagging behind.

Mr Jambon, whose offer to resign Thursday was declined by the prime minister Charles Michel, also acknowledged some shortcomings prior to the attacks.

"There have been errors," he said on VRT television.

Mr Jambon said it takes time to hire anti-terror specialists and specialised equipment and insisted that the government's new investments need time before they become visible to the public.

As international pressure has mounted on Belgium after the country serving as an unwitting rear-base for extremist fighters who launched the November 13 massacres that left 130 dead in Paris, the government has felt forced to defend its choices and the actions of investigators.

Politicians, meanwhile, are demanding an inquiry.

Belgian police and the army have been deployed, sometimes around the clock, at major buildings and sites in the capital in increasing numbers since November, when Brussels went into lockdown over fears that top Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam had returned and was hiding there.

As it turned out, Abdeslam did return, but police did not find and arrest him until March 18, four days before suspects from his network exploded suicide bombs in Brussels.

Belgian investigators have been slammed for not questioning Abdeslam long enough or hard enough after he was shot in the leg during his arrest. Police have also been criticised for taking too long to get to Zaventem airport on Tuesday morning after two suicide bombers blew themselves up there - and left an even bigger third suitcase full of explosives that did not go off.

Mr Jambon and justice minister Keen Goens were grilled by politicians on Friday over how authorities failed to arrest suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui before he blew himself in the packed departure hall at Brussels Airport.

Turkey has said that Bakraoui - whose brother Khalid was the suicide bomber at the Maelbeek subway station on Tuesday - was caught near Turkey's border with Syria in 2015 and Ankara had warned Brussels and the Netherlands that he was "a foreign terrorist fighter."

Belgian authorities said they did not know he was suspected of terror-related activities until after he was deported to the Netherlands.

Mr Jambon also said the Brussels subway network had been told to shut off services around 20 minutes before the attack at the subway station, which is close to both the European Union headquarters and the US embassy. He did not fully explain why it was not closed in time, raising more questions about the efficiency of Belgium's security services.

On Sunday, Italian police in the southern city of Salerno said they had arrested an Algerian wanted in Belgium for an alleged false ID crime ring.

Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested Saturday in the town of Bellizzi, said Luigi Amato, the head of Salerno police's anti-terrorism squad.

Ouali, 40, was being held in jail while authorities expect extradition procedures to soon begin.

Belgian prosecutors said the man is thought to have made false documents for some of the attackers in the November 13 massacre in Paris, including top suspect Salah Abdeslam.

Investigators are trying to establish whether the same false ID ring provided papers for the March 22 attackers.
The man is suspected of being involved in planning a terrorist attack

Dutch police have arrested a 32-year-old Frenchman in the port city of Rotterdam at the request of French authorities who suspect him of "involvement in planning a terror attack".

Residents were evacuated from homes near addresses on two streets that were raided by anti-terror police, who also took three other men into custody.

French officials requested the arrest on Friday after the suspect emerged during an investigation, according to a statement from the Dutch national prosecutor's office.

Spokesman Wim de Bruin declined to give more details about the alleged plot, saying it was a French investigation.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, is expected to be extradited to France soon.

Three other men were detained in Sunday's raids; two with Algerian backgrounds, and a third man whose identity could not immediately be established.

Mr de Bruin said the three were held in relation to a Dutch investigation, and gave no further details.

The raids come with Europe on high alert following last Tuesday's suicide bombings in Brussels, which killed at least 31 people.

The suspect was allegedly involved in a plot disrupted by police in the Paris region last week, French prosecutors said.

Another Frenchman, Reda Kriket, was detained on Thursday in relation to that alleged plot and remains in custody.

An official with the Paris prosecutor's office said there is no sign of a link at this stage between Kriket's purported plot and the network behind attacks in Brussels and Paris in recent months.

The arrest was part of a broad intelligence operation to thwart a plot to stage an attack in France, French interior minister Bernard Cazeneuve said.
Company owner Christian Von Koenigsegg has said it before, he refuses to use electric technology to achieve the hyper levels of horsepower in todays hypercars. So that made the announcement that the Regera will be using a hybrid power source very conflicting. But Koenigsegg himself will be the first one to correct you and say dont call it a hybrid. And in Koenigsegg fashion, this isnt your typical hybrid. It has no transmission, but well get back to that later.

Onboard the Koenigsegg is a 5.0L turbo V8 conventional gas motor but theres also three electric motors. The electric motors are powered by a 9kWh, 620-volt water cooled batter. There is one electric motors are assigned to move the drive shaft producing 215hp, and two separate electric motors powering each rear wheel making 241hp each totally nearly 700hp on just electric power. On full electric mode, the Regera has a range of about 22 miles. Once the gas motor kicks in, the combined power output bumps to approximately 1,500hp and 1,475lb/ft of torque. All of that power delivers a 0-100km/h sprint in a mere 2.8 seconds



So back to the point mentioned earlier about this car having no transmission. Koenigsegg developed a Direct Drive system which uses a single gear ratio instead of a traditional transmission to convert power from the engine to the drive line. At speeds above 30mph, the gas engine kicks in and works together with the electric motor to accelerate the car. With the transmission out of the equation, the weight savings is balanced off by the added weight of the hybrid system which nets a near zero weight gain for a lot of added technology.

This innovation by Koenigsegg completely turns the concept of hybrid power on its head and continues to push the boundaries of integrating new technology into a vehicle to continue increasing performance and efficiency.
A state ceremony has taken place outside the GPO on O'Connell Street in Dublin to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

It was led by President Micheal D. Higgins, who laid a wreath in honour of those who lost their lives in the rebellion of 1916.

Meanwhile, thousands have lined the streets of Dublin city centre to witness the Easter Rising Parade.

Today's State ceremony and parade are the centre piece of the State's 1916 centenary commemoration events.

A parade featuring thousands of members of the defence forces and emergency services paused on O'Connell bridge, as a State ceremony took place outside the GPO.

Children from the four provinces of Ireland laid bunches of daffodils at the pillars of the GPO.

Captain Peter Kelleher, whose Grandfather and Grand uncle were both members of the First Southern Brigade of the Old IRA in West Cork who fought in the war of Independence orated the 1916 Proclamation outside the GPO: We declare the right of the people of Ireland to the ownership of Ireland, and to the unfettered control of Irish destinies to be sovereign and undefeatable.

President Michael D Higgins laid a wreath on behalf of the people of Ireland, to remember those who lost their lives in the Easter Rising.

A minute's silence was observed, before the national flag was raised to full past above the GPO.

The ceremony concluded with the national anthem a flypast by the Air Corps.

Around 4,000 members of the defence forces along with members of the emergency services marched from St Stephen's green to O'Connell street.

The parade is due to finish after 2pm on Bolton Street on the Northside of the city.
The death toll from the Brussels terror attacks will probably rise, authorities have warned, as Belgian prosecutors charged three men with terror offences over the suicide bombings at the capital's airport and Metro.

Twenty-four of the 31 people killed in the Tuesday's attacks have been identified and a doctor who served in Afghanistan said he and his colleagues were shocked by the extreme burns suffered by some of the 270 people wounded.

But authorities say the death toll was likely to rise as some body parts had still not been identified.

Belgian prosecutors said a man identified as Faycal C, who was arrested on Thursday, has been charged with "involvement in a terrorist group, terrorist murder and attempted terrorist murder."

Belgian media say he is Faycal Cheffou, the man in the light vest and hat pictured on security video with two men who blew themselves up at the airport. Cheffou is described as a local activist known to police for trying to rally asylum-seekers and homeless people to radical Islam.

Prosecutors would not confirm the Belgian media reports. A police raid was conducted at his home but no arms or explosives were found, they said.

Two other suspects detained on Thursday and identified as Raba N and Aboubakar A were charged with "involvement in the activities of a terrorist group." In addition, a man named as Abderamane A, who was taken into custody on Friday after he was shot by police at a Brussels tram stop is being held for at least 24 more hours.

Meanwhile, police in Salerno, Italy, said they arrested an Algerian wanted by Belgium for facilitating travel of illegal migrants in connection with the November 13 attacks in Paris. Authorities believe both the Brussels attacks and the Paris bombings that killed 130 people were plotted from Belgium.

Brussels prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch said 11 of the dead were foreigners, including a former Belgian ambassador to the United States, Andre Adam.

Of the 270 wounded, 93 are being treated at a Brussels military hospital. Fifteen people are in a serious burns unit, five of them in intensive care.

Dr Serge Jennes said he had treated similar injuries during his service in Kandahar, southern Afghanistan, but said he and his colleagues were shocked to see such injuries on women and children.

"I've never seen this before in my 20 years at the centre for burns," he said. "Injuries linked to the blowback from the blast, which can mutilate."

He said almost all the wounded had burst eardrums and added that his colleagues were likely to need psychological counselling to help cope with what they had witnessed.

In a sign of the tensions in the Belgian capital and the way security services are stretched across the country, Belgium's interior minister appealed to residents not to march in Brussels on Sunday in solidarity with the victims.

"We understand fully the emotions," interior minister Jan Jambon said. "We understand that everyone wants to express these feelings." But, he added, "we invite the citizens not to have this demonstration".

Organisers quickly granted his request, postponing the march.

Brussels airport chiefs, meanwhile, have begun to assess the damage caused by twin explosions at Zaventem Airport's departure terminal.

Authorities have wrapped up their investigation of the crime scene at the airport, and engineers were let in to check the building's structural safety and information technology systems and to see whether any damage could be repaired quickly.

The airport, which handles 23.5 million passengers a year, said it would be Tuesday at the earliest before flights resumed. About 600 flights a day are being cancelled or diverted.

The transport disruptions will do little to ease the worries of jittery Europeans, who are wondering how many violent extremists remain at large, and where and when they might strike again.

Heavily-armed police swept into several Brussels neighbourhoods on Friday in operations linked to the attacks. Signs of a large police operation remained visible on Saturday at the tram station in the city's Schaerbeek district where a man was shot in the leg by police on Friday.

The man, who was sitting with a young girl and holding a bag, was ordered by police "to put the bag far from him". After he did so, police shot him twice.

Residents had mixed feelings about the police intervention.

"The security services are doing their work," said Timothee Bunkyezi, 54, who believes that for such a large-scale operation, the police intelligence must have been solid.

But Marie-Madeleine Yamotia, a 40-year-old nurse who lives opposite the tram stop, expressed concern for the girl who had been with the suspect.

"It's traumatising for the little one," she said. "We don't know. Is he really a suspect? Here, we doubt it a little."

The man arrested near Salerno came to Italy's attention by applying for a residency permit. Police on Sunday said he had the same name as a man sought by Belgium for alleged involvement in "a criminal network dedicated to false documents on a large scale" that emerged last year in Brussels.

Belgium issued a warrant in January, three months after a raid in the Brussels suburb of Saint-Gilles yielded about 1,000 digital images used for false documents.

Police are investigating why the man was in Italy and expect extradition procedures to begin. They did not identify the man or specify when he was arrested.
Dutch police have arrested a 32-year-old Frenchman in the port city of Rotterdam at the request of French authorities who suspect him of "involvement in planning a terror attack".

Residents were evacuated from homes near addresses on two streets that were raided by anti-terror police, who also took three other men into custody.
Belgian media are reporting that four suspects have been detained in 13 raids today.

It is understood the raids were carried out across three cities in the country in the last number of hours.

It is after a man shot and arrested at a tram stop in Brussels on Friday was been charged with participating in a terrorist group.

Earlier an Algerian suspect wanted by Belgian investigators was detained in southern Italy.

Italian police say the man is suspected of forging documents for the jihadi network behind the Brussels and Paris attacks.

Meanwhile, a Brussels square that has been a memorial site turned agitated on Sunday when black-clad men started shouting slogans and carrying a banner with an expletive against the Islamic State group.

Hundreds of people were remembering the 31 victims of Tuesday's attacks when dozens of men, some in balaclavas and anonymous masks, barged to the centre of Place de la Bourse and mounted the steps of the stock exchange building.

Riot squads joined plainclothes policemen to move the protesters away from the square. A water cannon sprayed the protesters.

The anti-IS rally came despite government appeals not to hold a march against fear Sunday in Brussels since the security forces were stretched too thinly to provide security.
Pushy parents were compared to locusts after an Easter egg hunt turned into a shoving match at the US visitor centre of sweets company Pez.

Saturday's event in Orange, Connecticut, drew hundreds of people, some of whom ignored the rules and did not wait for the starting time.
Syrian president Bashar Assad has described his army's recapture of Palmyra as a "significant achievement".

In comments reported by Syrian state TV, he said that the overthrow of the Islamic State group in the historic town offered "new evidence of the effectiveness of the strategy espoused by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism".

Government forces had been on the offensive for nearly three weeks to try to retake the town, which is home to famed Roman-era ruins and was once one of Syria's top tourist destinations. It had been in the hands of militants from IS group since May.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that "the armed forces and groups of popular defence committees have fully taken control of Palmyra". The popular defence committees are militias allied with the government.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed IS has lost the town, saying there were many deaths among the extremists.

The advance marks both a strategic and symbolic victory for the government. Its forces are now better positioned for a future advance on Raqqa, the IS group's de facto capital, and the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, which is mostly held by the extremists.

IS drove government forces from Palmyra in a matter of days last May and later demolished some of the best-known monuments in the Unesco world heritage site, including two large temples dating back more than 1,800 years and a Roman triumphal archway.

The extremists have destroyed a number of historical sites across their self-declared caliphate, viewing such ruins as promoting idolatry.

IS also demolished Palmyra's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of government opponents were reportedly tortured.

Syrian culture minister Issam Khalil hailed the recapture of Palmyra as a "victory for humanity and right over all projects of darkness".

Maamoun Abdulkarim, director of the government's museums and antiquities department in Damascus, said damage to the Great Colonnade at Palmyra is minor. "We will rebuild what you have destroyed", he said, addressing IS.

Syrian state TV interrupted its normal programmes to air a documentary about the town and its archaeological sites. "It's 10 in the morning Palmyra time. Our morning is victorious," a TV announcer said.

Later a TV reporter spoke live from inside Palmyra, showing troops in the centre of the town. Some of the nearby buildings had been reduced to rubble.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three weeks of fighting killed more than 400 IS fighters, as well as 180 troops and pro-government militiamen. Residents said that IS evacuated all of Palmyra's civilians to other territories under its control before government forces entered the city.

Government forces have advanced on a number of fronts in recent months, aided by a Russian air campaign. Moscow announced earlier this month that it would begin drawing down its forces, but said it will continue to target IS and other extremist groups.

Russian jets carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra in a 24-hour period, hitting 158 targets and killing more than 100 militants, Russia's defence minister said Saturday.

The government has also benefited from a US and Russian-brokered ceasefire that has sharply reduced violence across the country since it took effect last month. IS and the al Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front are excluded from the agreement. The truce is intended to support peace talks under way in Geneva that were adjourned last week.

Syria's conflict began a little more than five years ago with mostly peaceful protests against the Assad family's four-decade rule. A fierce government crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a full-blown civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.
Government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May, Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say.

The government forces have been on the offensive for nearly three weeks to try to retake the town, which is home to famed Roman-era ruins and was once one of Syria's top tourist destinations.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that "the armed forces and groups of popular defence committees have fully taken control of Palmyra". The popular defence committees are militias allied with the government.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed IS has lost the town, saying there were many deaths among the extremists.

The advance marks both a strategic and symbolic victory for the government. Its forces are now better positioned for a future advance on Raqqa, the IS group's de facto capital, and the eastern city of Deir el-Zour, which is mostly held by the extremists.

IS drove government forces from Palmyra in a matter of days last May and later demolished some of the best-known monuments in the Unesco world heritage site, including two large temples dating back more than 1,800 years and a Roman triumphal archway.

The extremists have destroyed a number of historical sites across their self-declared caliphate, viewing such ruins as promoting idolatry.

IS also demolished Palmyra's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of government opponents were reportedly tortured.

Syrian culture minister Issam Khalil hailed the recapture of Palmyra as a "victory for humanity and right over all projects of darkness."

Maamoun Abdulkarim, director of the government's museums and antiquities department in Damascus, said damage to the Great Colonnade at Palmyra is minor. "We will rebuild what you have destroyed," he said, addressing IS.

Syrian state TV interrupted its normal programmes to air a documentary about the town and its archaeological sites. "It's 10 in the morning Palmyra time. Our morning is victorious," a TV announcer said.

Later a TV reporter spoke live from inside Palmyra, showing troops in the centre of the town. Some of the nearby buildings had been reduced to rubble.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said three weeks of fighting killed more than 400 IS fighters, as well as 180 troops and pro-government militiamen. Residents said that IS evacuated all of Palmyra's civilians to other territories under its control before government forces entered the city.

Government forces have advanced on a number of fronts in recent months, aided by a Russian air campaign. Moscow announced earlier this month that it would begin drawing down its forces, but said it will continue to target IS and other extremist groups.

Russian jets carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra in a 24-hour period, hitting 158 targets and killing more than 100 militants, Russia's defence minister said Saturday.

The government has also benefited from a US and Russian-brokered ceasefire that has sharply reduced violence across the country since it took effect last month. IS and the al Qaida-affiliated Nusra Front are excluded from the agreement. The truce is intended to support peace talks under way in Geneva that were adjourned last week.

Syria's conflict began a little more than five years ago with mostly peaceful protests against the Assad family's four-decade rule. A fierce government crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a full-blown civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.
LAHORE: The activists of PTI took to the streets on Friday in protest after the Election Commission of Pakistan...
From Monday, new rules spell out the rights of bus passengers to carry bulky items on to buses, but also set in stone the right of the driver to make the final decision.

But the government has held off on a decision about whether to allow "small domestic animals" on buses.

A bike rack on an ACTION bus, but what are you allowed to carry on the inside? Credit:ACT Bus

ACT Transport Minister Meegan Fitzharris said the new policies would allow passengers to take fold-up bikes and other bulky items on board. They would also mean more certainty for passengers and make buses a more convenient and attractive option.

Asked for examples of bulky items, her spokeswoman cited furniture, luggage and musical instruments. But the policies don't list allowed items, and make it clear that it is up to the driver to decide.
Franklin leads Sydney to huge win over Magpies

Goals only part of the story for Buddy

Buddy: I'm glad I shared my mental health struggle

Collingwood confirm Swan suffered broken leg Collingwood champion Dane Swan is hopeful the foot and leg fractures he suffered in Saturday night's thrashing by the Swans in Sydney will not end his AFL career. Swan, 32, broke his fibula and a bone in his foot during the Pies' 80-point loss at the SCG. While it remains unclear how long he will be on the sidelines, the fractures are likely to keep the 2011 Brownlow medallist out of action for much of the 2016 season. The 2010 premiership hero is out of contract at season's end, and has previously declared that this could be his final campaign.

While the 258-game veteran conceded there was some uncertainty surrounding his condition, he remained reasonably upbeat on arrival at Melbourne Airport on Sunday. Bad start: Dane Swan went down in round one. Credit:Getty Images "I hope that's not my last game but we'll see how we go," Swan said. "Hopefully not, but if I'm out for the year or whatever it is then I'll have a think about it. But that's the worst case scenario." Asked how he was coping with the frustration of a serious injury just minutes into a new season, Swan was circumspect.
A key consumer group has warned the government might need to overhaul the way power prices are set, as the latest pricing decision in NSW is faced with further legal challenge, jeopardising planned price cuts and threatening to delay the Baird government's power privatisation.

On Thursday, the Australian Energy Regulator sought a judicial review of a decision late in February by the Australian Competition Tribunal that had set the scene for planned price cuts of about $300 to the annual household power bill to be unwound. The legal challenge is set to take several months to resolve.

We may have to wait longer for cheaper power bills. Credit:James Davies

However, Energy Consumers Australia, the consumer representative body established by the federal and state governments, says the competition tribunal's rejection of planned price cuts is "inconsistent".

"The decision of the Australian Competition Tribunal did not reflect its obligation to make a decision that was materially preferable as a whole in the long-term interests of energy consumers," Energy Consumers Australia head Rosemary Sinclair said.
Forget "social" and concentrate on what has always made advertisements successful  relevance  Facebook global head of travel Lee McCabe says.

Facebook is challenging traditional media businesses, such as newspapers and television networks, for advertising revenue. In the three months to the end of 2015, the social media giant brought in $US5.6 billion ($7.44 billion) in advertising sales revenue, a 57 per cent increase on the previous corresponding period. Eighty per cent of that revenue came from mobile advertising.

Interestingly, as Facebook guns for advertising dollars from traditional players, it was the biggest new spender on television advertising in Britain in 2015. Facebook contributed 10.8 million ($20.9 million) in advertising revenue  the most of the 877 new advertisers or those returning to TV after not spending for at least five years.

Travel advertising is one of the social media network's fastest-growing categories for the company and it is one it is keen to promote.
There was a time when Belgium was at Europe's vanguard. It was the second country in the world to industrialise, the founder of art deco and surrealism, and a producer of Nobel scientists who discovered  among other things  the God particle.

I was born and bred in this country, but I fear we are now trailblazing a much less positive path for Europe.

Although Islamic State has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels, they were also symptoms of a profoundly Belgian failure. The institutions of a well-policed and efficiently governed state have been evaporating for decades.

Belgium has been torn by the demands of its warring Flemish- and French-speaking communities. At the same time it has been squeezed by an ambitious European project that subsidised and empowered the country's regions at the expense of the state. Belgian institutions were left hollowed out, impotent to address the strains of immigration and incompetent to penetrate a rising extremist threat.
Rod Holesgrove, O'Connor Malcolm Turnbull has cynically cashed in on the terrorist tragedy in Brussels by wrongly asserting the attacks were the result of uncontrolled refugee movements. There is absolutely no evidence to support this. The Prime Minister is playing to those Australians with a penchant for racial or religious bigotry. We are invited to believe that Australia's inhumane refugee policies are providing superior security compared to those of Europe. What grubby, low-grade politics by the Prime Minister. Keith Croker, Kambah Pay out all the profits

Clancy Yeates thinks companies pay their shareholders too much in dividends, and should retain a higher proportion of their profits in the business for reinvestment ("Dividends: too much of a good things?", BusinessDay, March 24, p14). Actually, there's a strong case for the reverse of that: a legal requirement for companies to pay out as dividends the whole of their profits and leave it to shareholders to say how much of their annual dividend they want to reinvest in the business. The introduction of dividend imputation 30 years ago, whereby shareholders pay tax on the company's pre-tax profit (but receive a credit for the company tax already paid), was at last a recognition that a company is no more than its shareholders collectively operating a business (and it was therefore unfair to tax the profit twice, once in the company's hands, and again when the profit was distributed as dividends). Consistent with that recognition, it should be shareholders  not "the company", which is merely the shareholders' "agent"  who decide what to do with the profits they've made, how much to take in cash and how much to re-invest in the business. R. S. Gilbert, Braddon Empathy for the rich Arthur Sinodinos says reducing company tax will drive wages growth, and it seems that history tends to agree with the Liberal senator ("Corporate tax cuts 'benefit workers"', March 21, p4). While Australia's corporate tax rate was falling from its peak of 49per cent in 1986 to its current rate of 30per cent, the average earnings of ASX100 chief executives increased from 17 times the average Australian wage to 42 times the average in 2009  phenomenal wage growth by any measure!

It's hard enough for the teenage children of chief executives growing up on Sydney's North Shore as it is, without having to suffer the ignominy of driving a non-BMW to school every day, or endure the deprivations of 14 hours in the economy-class cattle car to reach the family's ski lodge at Aspen every year. Just because the "trickle-down effect" tends to leave the bitter taste of urea in one's mouth is no reason not to show a little empathy for the battlers at the top-end of town every once in a while. James Allan, Narrabundah Weapon rules ignored The standard way of carrying the latest assault rifles, barrels pointed down, breaks the first rule of weapons handling, especially in crowded urban environment. The rule is never point a weapon at anybody (unless you are prepared to use it).

The main photograph on page 1 ("Manhunt as Brussels mourns", March 24) shows three soldiers and one policeman so armed at "Brussels central station". A woman civilian is about to walk past one of the soldiers. If she continued en route, the rifle would be pointed at her hip. This is completely unacceptable even if the stance does allow the most rapid deployment of the weapon. Gary J. Wilson, Macgregor No need for MoU

Alex White of UnionsACT can crow all he likes about how proud he is of the memorandum of understanding with the Barr government (Letters, March 24) but he must explain why the MoU is needed at all. Any detailed reading by an unbiased person cannot help but conclude that UnionsACT has the ACT government over a barrel when it comes to who gets government work in this city. The MoU contravenes sound procurement practice and is simply not needed. Andrew Barr needs to explain why it has been effectively kept secret for so long and not use its unknown longevity as the pathetic excuse that it is. M. Silex, Erindale Listen to us oldies We, the elderly, are growing in number. We support the economy by looking after grandchildren for free, allowing daughters and daughters-in-law to get back into the workforce. We buy petrol (even if we'd prefer more environmentally-friendly sources of energy) to take children to extra-curricula activities.We buy vitamin and mineral supplements and mobility aids, bolstering pharmaceutical companies. We are robbed through the nose by investors in aged-care facilities and private medical insurance companies. Politicians will have to listen to us sooner or later about our needs and end-of-life choices.

Susan MacDougall, Scullin Christian dedication blinkered approach Simon Smart says he is perplexed by how a "non-believer" could find good news in a "godless and singularly material universe" ("Reason for joy at a funeral", Times2, March 24, p4). No more perplexing than finding so much bad news in a supposedly "god-inspired" universe. At least the non-believer doesn't need to try to rationalise the often contradictory and decidedly harmful decisions of a divine creator. What is even more perplexing, and unexplained by Smart, is how he and his fellows arrive at their Christian dedication to the exclusion of all other religions. The "other believers", of course, each being equally certain their particular brand of faith is the only correct one, including, critically, the non-acceptance of Jesus as the son of God. Eric Hunter, Cook

Simon Smart says that if Christianity "happens to be true" then the joy present at his friend's funeral was not based on a delusion constructed by humans. However, if another religion happens to be true, Christians may be out of luck. For example, access to an afterlife may depend on being mummified. Smart has studied atheism, Judaism, Christianity and Islam. He has decided that Christianity is the best bet, but that's probably because he was brought up as a Christian. Of course, people sometimes adopt a particular religion for other reasons. For example: I want the Nile to keep flooding every year; we need all the help we can get to beat the Trojans; I want to protect my firstborn; he's a good speaker, he seems like a decent chap, and the miracles clinched it; I don't fancy being burned at the stake; one wife is not enough; the missionaries made me do it; I need the cargo; I want to clear my engrams; I examined the evidence for the existence of each of several thousand gods, and chose the best-supported one(s). (OK, I admit I made up the last one.) Mike Dallwitz, Giralang Your defence, Mr Hanson, of a nomination fee fails to impress

Jeremy Hanson's defence of the extortionate nomination fee for Liberal Assembly pre-selection candidates is thoroughly unconvincing ("Liberal leader Jeremy Hanson defends $3300 preselection nomination fee", March 15, p3). The plain fact is that the Canberra Liberals are dead broke after years of financial mismanagement. The fees are a desperate attempt to raise much-needed cash by fleecing party members who want to throw their hat into the ring. Even if you are not preselected, you will get only $1000 back. That the Liberals have a substantial debt in a year when there are two elections to be fought is an indictment of the members of Parliament and their staff who comprise two-thirds of the party executive. The largest source from which the party's funding will be obtained this year will be the $8 per vote that the ACT's political parties will receive from the taxpayer in election funding.

Without the benefit of this public largesse, there would be no Liberal campaign at all. Gary Kent, former president of the Canberra Liberals (2000 to 2007), Griffith Liquor licences Fredrik Limacher's letter (March 23, p3) is a nice story, but it is apocryphal. I know this to be true because I was the registrar of liquor licences about 20 years ago. First, there was no "police licensing branch" then; second, there was no capacity under the Liquor Act for anyone to intervene in any application to cancel a licence, if it were made; and, finally, in my 18 years as registrar the police never applied to delicense any licensed premises under the act.

The record shows the police then, as now, rarely, if ever, took action against liquor licencees. And in that lies the core problem with the conduct of licensed premises and the actions of drunks. Hospital statistics will, as with all other evidence on the effectiveness and need for strong regulatory control of licensed premises, not result in a more effective policing effort. Tony Brown, Fadden Medical profession

Bruce Haigh has chosen to devote an entire column ("Patient or a piece of meat?", Times2, March 21, p4) to a single personal negative experience with the medical profession without any attempt at wider research or context. Of course, no valid conclusions can be drawn from such an isolated example. Haigh might wish to consider whether the airing of such a personal grievance is a responsible or, rather, a self-indulgent use of the privilege of access to a regular newspaper column. To balance the record somewhat, I would like to add that I have had many positive experiences with surgeons and the medical profession generally. Helmut Simon, Watson

Positive employment I'm reluctant to comment on industrial disputes but can't resist offering an insight into your editorial ("Crunch time for the CPSU", March 23).12 The reason I'm hired in Canberra as an IT contractor is simple. I negotiate my own rate, show for work every day, deliver proactive software to clients, whinge less, shuffle a minimal amount of paper and have no sickies or paid leave (maternal or long service). The bonus for the government is that I actually know what I'm doing professionally. Of course, nothing lasts forever. I'll move on to other opportunities soon and let my position be filled by a permanent with a dubious work ethic.

In all fairness, I've worked with some very smart and cluey public servants in IT. Gerry Murphy, Braddon Transport pendulum During the 19th century, major cities installed rail networks in the form of tram or underground railway. In the 20th, as a result of growing prosperity, combined with Henry Ford's industrial genius, personal motorised transport become the symbol of achievement of every family in the western world, and the city tram declined.

But as the car as a commuting mode grew, with the growing inconvenience and expense of parking at the cluster destination, the utility of the city tram has begun to dawn again, and more and more enlightened cities have revived their old rail networks, or built new ones. As a crowning moment of this trend, at the very pinnacle of global motoring, Detroit, the five kilometres of the M-1 rail will connect downtown to the New Centre, the former headquarters of General Motors. The pendulum has swung, and our enlightened administration is ensuring that our city is not left behind. The desperate status of the personal car owner is not threatened, merely regulated, and the Canberra tram will ensure that we remain among the leaders of urban renewal. Jack Palmer, Watson

Why not fast buses?It will be interesting to hear the case for the "more ambitious stage 2" light-rail plan "taking in the wider parliamentary triangle", predicted by Chief Minister Andrew Barr ("Barr puts Russell tram plan on shelf", March 23, p2). Or will it be another railroading exercise in spite of compelling evidence against the development of a light-rail network in Canberra? The government's stated attitude on traffic congestion in Civic is as follows: "in several locations delays and queues could result in a compromised performance of the wider road network" and "impacts are expected and in some instances encouraged to facilitate a mode shift to public transport" (Capital Metro Authority, September 2015). Encouraging a mode shift to good public transport has merit. However, in this case not only will there be a serious impact on the wider road network, the resulting public transport ride from Gungahlin to the parliamentary triangle will take at least 50 minutes, with most passengers standing, given that commuters have already made their way to the tram line. The journey by express bus service could take less than 30 minutes if we had bus ways.

A. Smith, Farrer TO THE POINT NO DRUMS, JUST SMOKE Ah, the joy of the changing seasons. Now with the onset of cold weather we might expect not to have to endure outdoor music, with its attendant torture of jungle drumbeat. But alas, we are now about to suffer wood smoke from those who persist with wood fires, despite the attendant ecological message to desist. Norman Lee, Weston

NUMBERS GAME Max Jensen (Letters, March 24) thinks the ACT and the Northern Territory have a low Senate representation that is clearly undemocratic. Don't look for representative democracy in the Senate. NSW's population is more than 30 times that of the NT, but it has only six times as many senators. Frank Marris, Forrest HORSES FOR COURSES Perhaps, Simon Kaminskas (Letters, March 24), the early settlers were unable to harness kangaroos and emus and, therefore, had to import horses, and later camels, to carry/haul heavy loads.

Ken McPhan, Spence NO REAL CHOICE We are now essentially in campaign mode after the double-dissolution threat. Refugee policy is a key issue but voters have no real choice: children locked up overseas either way. What are we meant to do when none of our current or prospective representatives represent us? Christopher Budd, Turner FANCY FOOTWORK

I'm still trying to work out how our Prime Minister changed overnight from ditherer to statesman, in the media's estimation. I didn't hear any announcement of policies to make the nation fairer, healthier, better-educated or less wasteful. The thing that brought on this transformation was some fancy footwork aimed at putting himself in the best position for the coming election. Is this what passes for statesmanship? Jenny Andrews, Aranda FROZEN PEAS PUZZLER Trying to decide which brand of frozen peas to buy recently, I noticed that one popular brand claims that its peas are "farm-picked". I wonder how peas sold under other brand names find their way into supermarket freezers if they are not picked on the farms where they are grown? Marlene Hall, Kingston
Against the background of the tragic events in Europe's capital, just a stone's throw from the heart of the European Union's key institutions, we saw the start of the fourth segment of the coronial inquest into the Lindt cafe deaths.

Looking to prevent similar incidents, NSW Coroner Michael Barnes emphasised the need for speed in the inquest.

That will be difficult: the inquest commenced five months after the event in December 2014. It's not set to report until later this year. The coronial inquest into Numan Haider's attack in Melbourne in September 2014 has also just started.

Compare this to Belgium. It's already commenced its inquiries into the Brussels attacks, while dealing with the ongoing high threat of attack.
We are on holiday now and not in May only because of an accident of faith, given that Jesus apparently rose from the dead on two different days, five weeks apart.

For the Western churches, the resurrection is marked this year on Sunday, March 27. For the Orthodox Church, it's still weeks away, on May 1.

For the rest of us, for whom Jesus didn't rise at all, the dates for our second-longest holiday break are imposed not by law nor by rational agreement, but by the result of a weirdly convoluted and ancient calculation that's part lunar, part religious, and all lunacy.

It was declared at an ecumenical council in 325, and the calculation now has little to do with modern life in which Easter is, for most, a civil public holiday with little-to-no religious significance. Each year, Easter could be any Sunday in a month and a half.
Full Melbourne International Comedy Festival coverage

COMEDY

ALEX EDELMAN - EVERYTHING HANDED TO YOU

Melbourne Town Hall, until April 17

Alex Edelman has a focus on the humour of social awkwardness that would do a British comedian proud.

"I love being American  as long as I never have to see other Americans," Alex Edelman says, and we're off on an escalating story of his encounter with the two worst US tourists in London.

Edelman, a fresh-faced Jewish boy from New York who has travelled the world, isn't your conventional stand-up comic. Rather he's a charming if nervy raconteur, telling tales of encounters with other humans  and how he overthinks them.
The earliest surviving account of music at Farm Cove is by Lieutenant-Governor David Collins, who described a 1795 tooth-removal ceremony there by the Gadigal and Cammeraygal people in Volume 1 of his Account of the English Colony in New South Wales .

With the fourth Handa Opera on Sydney Harbour, modern Sydney is developing its own rituals around this beautiful place, with Utzon's Opera House looking on serenely across the water like a forsaken temple.

Spectacle and fireworks, of course, are indispensable, the last mentioned posing a particular challenge in Puccini's Turandot because of its absence of celebratory moments until, perhaps, the last scene.

In the end, the popularity of Nessun Dorma provided the pretext, adding new meaning to its text "none shall sleep".

Stage director and choreographer Chen Shi-Zheng fills the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the space adroitly, with the billowing sleeves of dancers at ground level, while other performers literally scale the heights with the assistance of cranes and towers.
The doctors' peak body has hailed the prospect of a $7 billion emergency hospitals funding deal between Canberra and the states as a welcome break from the policies of the previous Abbott government.

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull will meet premiers and chief ministers on Friday for a much-anticipated Council of Australian Governments (COAG) meeting, with health and education funding at the top of the agenda.

Catherine King criticised the potential funding deal, calling it a short-term fix to silence state leaders in the lead-up to the federal election. Credit:ABC

As well as extra money for hospitals, the leaders will also discuss NSW Premier Mike Baird's plan to spread out the final two years of Gonski school funding across four years.

The states have been pushing hard for the government to backtrack on an $80 billion cut to funding for schools and hospitals announced by the Abbott government in its first budget.
Delhi: A "cure for cancer" using yoga could be scientifically proven within a year, India's alternative medicine minister has claimed.

Shripad Yasso Naik said researchers at a Bangalore institute had found evidence that yoga techniques could be used to prevent or arrest the disease.

India's alternative medicine minister claims yoga can be used to prevent or cure cancer. Credit:iStock

"The institute has found a technique of yoga for the prevention and cure of cancer. They have proved it. The process uses only practising of special asanas [poses]," said Mr Naik.

At a conference in Goa on Saturday, Mr Naik said the technique could be prescribed within a year, once research documents submitted to the ministry had been verified, and could even replace chemotherapy.
The national president of the Nomads outlaw motorcycle gang has been arrested and charged in relation to a luxury car fraud.

Sleiman "Simon" Tajjour was arrested on March 18 after a nine-month investigation into $2 million of home and car purchases by Nomads members.

Police have targeted the Nomads gang in a nine-month fraud investigation. Credit:Darren Pateman

Mr Tajjour, 35, was pulled over in Merrylands on January 28 driving a Mercedes Benz with no number plates.

Police said the car had been sold in Queensland without the owner's consent.
NSW councillors have been told to reapply for their jobs, as the NSW government lays the groundwork to terminate existing councils as early as next month and begin amalgamations.

On Thursday, all councillors received a letter from the Minister for Local Government Paul Toole, telling them he was considering interim arrangements for councils until elections are held after September. He said he was looking at options of a single person acting as administrator of a new merged council, or the continuation in office of some or all of the councillors in the new larger council area.

Councillors have been ordered to submit an expression of interest by April 15, explaining why they would be suitable for the interim council or why they are qualified to act as an administrator.

General managers and mayors are also required to apply for the jobs in the new larger councils
A decision on reopening Parramatta jail could be made as soon as this week, as opposition to the move swells in western Sydney and divides members of the state government.

Corrections Minister David Elliott is pushing for the jail, which was closed in 2011, to be opened again to cope with record numbers of inmates and overcrowding in prisons.

But the move would be a blow to the government's property development arm UrbanGrowth NSW, which plans to turn the rundown swath of land next to the jail in North Parramatta into a new residential centre with thousands of homes.

David Morris, the Sydney West managing director of property consultancy firm Knight Frank, said property prices within one kilometre of the jail could fall as much 30 per cent if the jail reopened.
As Lucina Boldi lay on the floor of her Badgerys Creek home pretending to be dead, she could hear her house being ransacked.

Thousands of dollars in takings from her husband Keith Cini's pig farming business were locked in a safe nearby.

Police at the Cini's home in Badgerys Creek in May, 2014. Credit:Brendan Esposito

Her alleged attackers got away that morning in May 2014, with three cameras and an iPhone.

They left behind a terrified Ms Boldi, suffering a fractured arm, and her husband, dead after being allegedly bound and beaten with a bat.
A late-night argument outside an inner-Brisbane kebab shop has resulted in a man facing court for assault.

Queensland police will allege that two men were involved in a verbal argument outside a kebab shop on George Street, between Elizabeth Street and the Queen Street Mall, about 2.40am on Monday.

A man has been charged after an argument outside a kebab shop in Brisbane's CBD. Credit:Thinkstock

A 28-year-old man was pushed to the ground and hit multiple times in the face and head, police allege.

Paramedics treated the injured man for a cut to his head and a nose injury before he was taken to hospital.
Two police officers have been injured - with one bitten on the hand - in a violent arrest in Nerang.

Early Saturday police intercepted a 25-year-old Ormeau man's car after he allegedly attempted to evade police on Hinkler Drive at 3am.

A police officer was bitten in a violent arrest in Nerang on Saturday morning Credit:Tom Threadingham

The man refused to leave his car and resisted arrest followed by a "violent struggle", during which a male officer was bitten on the hand and another officer suffered a torn ligament chasing the alleged offender.

After the man was detained police searched his car and allegedly found large amounts of psuedoephedrine, used to produce methamphetamine.
Police have found both missing teenagers from the Toowoomba area.

A 14-year-old had been missing for a week but police found her at a Wilsonton address just after lunchtime on Monday.

Missing teens from Toowoomba have been found.

A 14-year-old Upper Lockyer boy who was last seen in Toowoomba on Sunday night was found later on Monday afternoon.

There is no connection between the two.
The New Zealand born journalist and author has been spurred on to make every moment count since suffering a transient ischemic attack , known as a TIA or mini-stroke, when she was 22.

The violet-tressed force of nature has morphed from a crime reporter on the Gold Coast to pop-culture extraordinaire, nabbed an international publishing deal and caught Quentin Tarantino's attention, all by 27.

Coming out of the blue, with no family history or stroke risk factors, the attack robbed her of the ability to communicate and left doctor's at a loss as to why it occurred.

With the same force of will that would see her win a publishing deal at 25, Maria tackled the long-road to recovery and became an ambassador for the National Stroke Foundation. It also changed her world view.

No more would she put off what could be done. And so Tommi Grayson and all the other characters that make up Who's Afraid, her debut novel, found themselves fully formed and shopped around to publishers, with UK publisher's Little Brown Books wanting not just the first story, but also the next.

Now, in between getting the next Tommi Grayson adventure ready for its January 2017 release (tentatively titled Who's Afraid Too), Maria is travelling the world talking not just werewolves and rainbow hair, but strong female characters, a subject close to her heart  and the need to look deeper, to question and to battle, and not just in fiction.

"Strong female characters don't need to be defined by their physical strength and we don't need to justify them by their masculine traits," she said from Contact2016, the 55th Australian Speculative Fiction Convention, held in Brisbane this weekend.
Chairman Mao's Cultural Revolution may have made the imperial dragon unfashionable in the rest of the world, but it survived in Bendigo's Easter parade because of the support of the Victorian country town.

According to Golden Dragon Museum Bendigo general manager Anita Jack, the Chinese communist leader's mid-1960s movement relegated traditions to the past.

Sun Loong, the world's longest imperial dragon. Credit:Elysia Baker

"Mao introduced a thing called the four olds policy," she said.

"Old customs, old culture, old habits, and old ideas were to be thrown out the window. And the idea was to bring out a new thought process.
To the beat of electric drums, 10 girls with braided hair shimmied and swayed down the church aisle.

Their uniform orange, brown, blue and green skirts, topped with crisp white T-shirts, twirled and bobbed in the red coloured light of the stained window above as they made their way to the front of the congregation.

Girls from the Sudanese community dance at the Easter Sunday Service at the Holy Eucharist Parish in St Albans South. Credit:Chris Hopkins

Hal-le-lu-jah, hal-le-lu-jah, the choir sang.

And so began the Sudanese Easter service at the Holy Eucharist Parish in St Albans South.
Two kangaroos have been mutilated and killed on a residential street in Melbourne's southeast, in a sickening case of animal cruelty.

Graphic photographs taken of the remains show one kangaroo had its throat slit and leg hacked off, while the other was disembowelled and a fetus cut out of its womb.

Blood is smeared on the street where two kangaroos were savagely beaten to death. Credit:Robert Bishop

Lysterfield South resident Robert Bishop said he saw a group of young men attacking the kangaroos in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

He called triple zero but the group had left the area by the time officers arrived, leaving the mutilated bodies of the animals on a vacant block of land on Battersby Way.
A second person has been charged after a body was found in a disused mine shaft at Whroo in northern Victoria.

Ebony Rhodes, the 30-year-old girlfriend of a man accused of his father's murder, was charged with accessory after the fact in the early hours of Monday morning.

The abandoned mineshaft at Whroo where the man's body was found. Credit:Channel Seven

Nathan Missen, 26, was charged with murdering his father Mark Missen overnight on Friday.

Prospectors discovered the body of the 56-year-old wrapped in tarpaulin down a disused mine shaft near Rushworth on March 12.
Instead of getting help at a rehab clinic, Debbie Warner's ice-addicted son has just spent three weeks in a hospital psychiatric ward as he languishes on a public waiting list.

He was admitted after another one of her sons found the 22-year-old wandering the streets with tools in his hands under the delusion he was on his way to work.

Debbie Warner tells of her worry. Credit:Paul Jeffers

"He ended up not really knowing where he was, becoming really paranoid  he had paranoid psychosis," Ms Warner said.
Shane Paris Sissoko shortly before his death in 2001. Credit:Family photo "I can't explain human behaviour. Nobody can explain human behaviour," Mason said Thursday in delivering his verdict. "And I think we all know enough, at this age in our lives, that you can't judge by appearances." Sissoko had been convicted before in the death - in 2002 - and was sentenced to life in prison. He appealed, lost, and later asserted that he'd had ineffective lawyering during the earlier case. Last year, a different Montgomery Circuit judge, Ronald Rubin, agreed that Sissoko deserved a new trial because his original defence lawyer had failed to call a pediatric neuroradiologist as a witness to discuss Shane's injuries or medical condition, and instead relied on a less qualified neuropathologist. Sissoko remained locked up pending the outcome of the new trial. Rubin's opinion underscored the medical debates at the heart of the case. In Sissoko's new trial, prosecutors said that he inflicted head trauma on Shane. Defence lawyers said prosecutors could not prove what happened and that Shane died from an accident or natural causes.

"This is a medical mystery," an attorney for Sissoko, Robert Bonsib, told Mason at trial. "Killing his son was not his plan. His son died. He was as devastated as anybody by it, and he's had to spend a long time in jail." Each side was able to present a case because there were no marks on Shane, or as Mason put it: "The trauma was insufficient to leave external evidence of the point of the impact." In the end, Mason concluded that medical evidence, along with the life insurance plan, showed Sissoko had planned and willfully killed Shane. "The defendant inflicted abusive head trauma upon the deceased that was the cause of his death - by either shaking and/or causing soft impact trauma to the child," Mason said. Sissoko returned to jail and is set to receive a new sentence May 26.

For Shane's mother, Paris, the judge's verdict came as a huge relief. "Like a weight lifted off my shoulders," she said after the hearing. She is now 34 and has a 9-year-old daughter, Shanna. About three years ago, she said, she began telling Shanna about Shane. "You have a baby brother," Paris said. She regularly visits Shane's grave. On his birthday and at holidays, she will leave presents - a teddy bear, a kite, an Easter basket. "Stuff I think he'd like," Paris said. In 1999, she was still in high school in Montgomery County when she and Sissoko started dating. "My first real boyfriend," she said.

In the fall of 2000, the two learned Paris was pregnant. A short time later, Sissoko went to Florida to attend college. He later asked Paris to terminate the pregnancy. "I don't want you to have it anymore," he said, according to court records. Sissoko returned to Maryland, and on June 29, 2001, was at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring for Shane's birth. Sissoko moved in with Paris and Shane, and took a job at a lock and security company, according to court records. It was around this time, Mason said, that Sissoko began pursuing the $US750,000 ($998,000) life insurance policy, naming himself as sole beneficiary. On August 18, 2001, a representative from State Farm told Sissoko that Shane would have to have a medical evaluation, prosecutors Deborah Feinstein and Sherri Koch wrote in court papers. Sissoko made the arrangements, telling Paris a doctor would visit their home, but that the visit was related to a health insurance matter. When Paris questioned that, Sissoko told her he would cancel the appointment, but he didn't - and arranged to have the evaluation done while Paris was at work, court files show.

Around that time, as Paris learned of messages left at their home from State Farm. Sissoko said they were related to car insurance and renter's insurance. In making his ruling, Mason spoke chiefly about medical evidence. But he also homed in on the life insurance. "Any reasonable person is going to ask: 'Why would you put a $US750,000 policy on a newborn infant?' " Mason said from the bench. "It seems to make no sense, just on its face." Mason addressed what Sissoko had told an investigator years earlier: That the policy was a form of college savings plan. But the judge noted Sissoko was making $US1,500 a month, yet was signing up for a policy that would cost him $US150 a month. "It frankly defies logic and reason," Mason said.
London: A Siamese cat has survived eight days in a box after she was accidentally put in the post by her owners.

Cupcake travelled with an order of DVDs from Falmouth in Cornwall, England to West Sussex  over 400 kilometres away.

Cupcake (right) reunited with her friends. Credit:Grove Lodge Vets via Facebook

The recipient was stunned to discover Cupcake, who was extremely dehydrated, inside the box along with the DVDs.

They contacted the RSPCA who collected the cat and took her to Grove Lodge Vets in Worthing for a health check.
Abuja: The Nigerian government is sending parents from the Chibok community of north-east Nigeria to neighbouring Cameroon to verify whether a suspected female suicide bomber is one of the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram nearly two years ago.

Garba Shehu, spokesperson for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, said the Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroon, Hadiza Mustapha, has been in contact with Cameroonian authorities who have shown a willingness to assist the Nigerian government.

The abduction of about 270 school girls by Islamic militants from a school in Chibok on April 14, 2014, sparked international outrage and a campaign #bringbackourgirls. While about 50 of the girls managed to escape, 219 of these girls remain missing.
Mr Najib, the 62 year-old son of a former prime minister who has close ties to Australia, has refused to explain how more than $1 billion turned up in his personal banks accounts or what happened to millions that remains unaccounted for.

The group comprising members from Malaysia's ruling and opposition parties and civil society organisations says it will send the petition after obtaining one million signatures.

An influential group of political rivals and activists plans to petition Malaysia's Islamic royalty to remove scandal-plagued prime minister Najib Razak from office.

Criminal investigations are also underway in the United States and several other countries into Malaysia's heavily indebted state investment fund 1Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) that Mr Najib set-up in 2009 and oversees through his chairmanship of an advisory committee.

Malaysia's former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad: "People are afraid of this government." Credit:Vincent Thian

The move to petition the sultans comes as Mr Najib's younger brother Nazir, a leading banker, declared that those responsible for mishandling the affairs of 1MDB, which is struggling to repay billions of dollars to banks, should be held to account.

"The future is about making sure that 1MDB never happens again," said Mr Nazir, the chairman of the CIMB banking group, one of the largest financial service providers in Malaysia.

"We have to look at the past and understand what happened so that we learn the lesson, so that people responsible for it are held accountable, so that nobody dares to do it again, and that is a process that is still at work," he told a business conference.
Washington: In a mathematical squeeze to make up ground in the Democratic presidential race, Bernie Sanders is preparing to ratchet up his attacks on Hillary Clinton ahead of a New York showdown that could establish how easily the party can pull itself back together for the general election.

The Empire State's April 19 primary looms as potentially determinative: A win by Mrs Clinton, who is favoured, would further narrow Senator Sanders' path, while a loss in the state she represented as a senator would embarrass her and hand Senator Sanders a rationale to continue campaigning until the final votes are cast in June.

Mrs Clinton had enjoyed a lead of roughly 300 in pledged delegates, but in one of the most successful days of his campaign, the senator from Vermont closed that gap by easily winning in Alaska and Washington state and was well positioned to carry Hawaii as well.

To capitalise on his fresh momentum, Senator Sanders plans an aggressive push in New York, modelled after his come-from-behind victory a few weeks ago in Michigan. He intends to barnstorm the state as if he were running for governor.
German-headquartered medical travel agent Medigo recently set up an office in Sydney after watching enquiries from Australians rocket by nearly 70 per cent since the start of 2015.

An estimated 15,000 Australians headed overseas for major dental and cosmetic treatments last year and Malaysia has been racing its Asian neighbours for a bigger piece of that growing trade.

Inside this airconditioned glass box the letters on glossy logos morph into stethoscopes, there are clinical leather couches and flat screen TVs spruiking "cutting edge" treatments.

It's hard to miss the lounge and "concierge" for medical tourists at Kuala Lumpur's international airport, part of an aggressive push by its Ministry of Health to attract foreign patients.

Malaysia has become Australia's second most popular medical tourism destination, picking up more than 5 per cent of its market last year, while Thailand continues to dominate with more than 85 per cent, according to Medigo.

Speaking to foreign media in Kuala Lumpur recently, Malaysia's Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam, said it had attracted 800,000 "healthcare tourists" in 2015 and was expecting to reach 1.3 million this year.

Malaysia established a health tourism board within the Ministry of Health, which has been working with private hospitals, hotels and Malaysia Airlines to boost its position in the market since 2009. "I think the opportunity is huge with the market in Australia," Malaysia Healthcare Travel Council's chief executive Sherene Azli told Fairfax Media.

Flicking through the guest book at the DentalPro clinic in KL, dozens of testimonials scrawled by Australians date back more than a decade. "Will be returning on next visit," one Melbourne woman wrote, her hand-written thank-you followed by that of an Indonesian governor.

Foreign visitors like to fly in, get their teeth checked and casts made, and while veneers or implants are prepared spend a week on an island before having them fitted, chief executive Datin Rozita Talib said. They had been getting about 500 new international patients each year and Australians accounted for about 30 per cent of these.
Beirut: Syrian government forces drove Islamic State fighters out of Palmyra on Sunday, the army said, inflicting a major defeat on the militants who seized the desert city last year and dynamited its ancient temples.

The army general command said in a statement it had restored security and stability to the city in an operation it said showed Islamic State was beginning to retreat and collapse.

Syrian soldiers gather around a Syrian flag in Palmyra on Sunday. Credit:SANA

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there were still clashes on the eastern edge of Palmyra, around the prison and inside the airport, but the bulk of Islamic State forces had withdrawn and retreated east, leaving Palmyra under President Bashar al-Assad's control.
London: The West will be weakened in its fight against terrorists if Britain votes to leave the European Union, one of America's top generals has warned.

In a dramatic intervention in the Brexit debate, David Petraeus says Britain would be at greater risk from jihadists plotting to attack "the streets of our cities" without support from European allies.

The general, who commanded British and US troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, used an article in Britain's Sunday Telegraph to appeal directly to voters to "think twice" about deciding to pull out of the EU at the referendum in June.

He warned that the "isolationist" approach of so-called "Brexit" would be a strategic "dead end" that could be "calamitous for the entire world", repeating Winston Churchill's words: "There is only one thing worse than fighting with allies, and that is fighting without them."
A seven-year-old girl has died in Britain after she was blown about 150 metres on a bouncy castle, thought to have been swept away by a sudden gust of wind at an Easter fair.

Families had gathered at Harlow Town Park in Essex on Saturday for the third day of the event organised by Thurston fun fairs over the holiday weekend.

A woman's body has been found near Cabarita Wharf. Credit:Getty Images

A man and a woman, understood to be from the family-run bouncy castle firm, have been arrested by police on suspicion of manslaughter by gross negligence.

East of England Ambulance Service said crews were called to Harlow Town Park shortly after 4pm to reports that a girl had been seriously injured when the bouncy castle she was on blew "some distance" away.
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A significant number of IDBI Bank's nearly 18,000 staffers, including officers, will strike work from Monday as a protest at the government's plan to divest stake in the lender.

The employees have demanded a written assurance from the government that its stake in IDBI Bank will not be reduced below 51 per cent. The government currently has 72 per cent shareholding in the bank.

The strike has support from all major trade unions, including the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-supported Bharatiya Mazdoor Sangh (BMS). In Delhi, officers and employees will hold a protest at the Jantar Mantar, a popular agitation venue. They're likely to be joined by leaders of BMS, the Congress-affiliated Indian Trade Union Congress and Left unions All India Trade Union Congress and Centre for Indian Trade Unions.

The All India IDBI Officers' Association has given a call for a four-day strike; the Employees' Association will observe a day's strike on Monday. Unions and management had two inconclusive conciliation meetings with the labour commissioner in Mumbai on March 18 and 21.

This is the second such strike on the issue. The first was one in November, when the government had first proposed reducing its stake. On February 29, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley in his budget speech had said: "The process of transformation of IDBI Bank has already started. The government will take it forward and also consider the option of reducing its stake to below 50 per cent."



Said a seniuor IDBI official: "We have spoken to employees and asked them to call off their strike, as it is (the financial) year-end. We also held meetings with the employees and have spoken to them at length."



The unions have demanded that orders to suspend officers who'd during the meetings put forth the point of view of others against the government's decision be rescinded. "We are opposed to the government move. The government needs to consult all stakeholders, including the unions, before taking any decision. We are against this 'trial and error' method to privatise banks because of increasing non-performing assets without any intent to make it work," said Ashwini Rana, vice-president, National Organisation of Bank Workers, affiliated to BMS.

IN A NUTSHELL
The bigwigs of India Inc, the Tatas, the Birlas, the Ambanis or the Ruias, restrict criticism of their bitterest rivals to their boardrooms or private conversations, never engaging in a public spat.

A new set of entrepreneurs of start-ups and internet-driven businesses, however, care little for such corporate propriety, and often engage in sparring on social networking platforms.

In this club, rewriting the rules of corporate rivalry are Sachin Bansal, Kunal Bahl and Rahul Yadav, the founders of Flipkart, Snapdeal and housing.com, respectively. More than anything else, they care for the next round of dollar funding or the heady valuation of their companies.

Traditional corporate bosses have dragged each other's companies to court, engaged in advertisement wars - at times even espionage. The most public break-up was between the Ambani brothers back in 2004.

There was no Twitter then. Asked whether there were differences, Mukesh Ambani, elder of the two, told a TV channel: "There are issues, which are ownership issues. These are in the private domain."





Now, things have turned a little different. Aamir Jariwala, secretary, e-Commerce Coalition, said the way new-age entrepreneurs criticise each other in public is reminiscent of how Bill Gates and Steve Jobs went at each other.

The founders of Microsoft and Apple often attacked each other in public. According to reports, in 1995, Jobs had criticised Microsoft for making "really third-rate products." Gates famously said, "There's nothing on the iPad I look at and say, 'Oh I wish Microsoft had done it'."



But, they did become friends before Jobs died in 2011.

"We did much worse sometimes," Gurcharan Das, author, commentator and former chief executive officer of Procter & Gamble India, told Business Standard.

When P&G launched washing detergent Ariel in 1990, Surf from Hindustan Unilever was already a popular brand.

"Hindustan Unilever and P&G took each other to court seeking to stop the competing product," said Das.

The absence of social-networking sites is a telling factor between then and now.

A source recalled how when The Economist published a piece criticising RIL Chairman Mukesh Ambani, a rival group bought a large number of the weekly. But no one tweeted on it.

For the traditionalists, wars on Twitter and Facebook smack of immaturity.

A former chief executive officer of a telecom company, who did not want to be named, said "Only immature people get into such open rivalries." He was referring to a spat between Sachin Bansal, executive chairman, Flipkart and Snapdeal co-founder Kunal Bahl.

Bansal had tweeted last week: "Alibaba deciding to start operations directly shows how badly their Indian investments have done so far."



Alibaba, the Chinese e-commerce giant, has invested in Snapdeal and also in Paytm. But now, it is planning to venture alone into the Indian market.

Reacting to Bansal, Bahl tweeted, "Didn't Morgan Stanley just flush $5-billion worth market cap in Flipkart down the toilet?" He was referring to Morgan Stanley's recent markdown of its investment in Flipkart.

According to Ajay Shriram, a former president of the Confederation of Indian Industry, this is certainly not business as usual.

But he attributes the change in expressing rivalry to the age of the entrepreneurs and also to the many modes of communication available now.

"Unless there's a strong story, it's not desirable for these clashes to come out like this," Shriram said, adding that rivalry in the corporate world is a given.

The list of such personality corporate wars is endless. Oldies remember Dhirubhai Ambani versus Nusli Wadia, with Ramnath Goenka playing a cameo.

Pointing at differences between company heads and owners, an industry representative spoke of the spat between Bajaj Auto's Rajiv Bajaj and Venu Srinivasan of the TVS group over "infringing patent rights" on a technology.

That was 2007. When the two came together at an industry event, there was much speculation over how they would behave with each other. Reports suggested that "the duo was a picture of civility". Both said, there's nothing personal; it's about business.

Abraham Koshy, a professor at the Indian Institute of Management, Ahmedabad where corporate rivalries are part of the syllabus, said "This is all about one up-manship."



According to Koshy, one showed anger in the marketplace through investments and strategic decisions in business. Now, promoters and founders express anger through tweets. "There's no censoring or restraint in the new-age companies," said Koshy. He added anything that's very positive or very negative goes viral on social media.

Aamir Jariwala, secretary, e-Commerce Coalition, batting for the new-age companies, said "it happens everywhere. Coke and Pepsi are at each other even after centuries."



The internet is about ideas and founders are the heroes who realise that "polarity leads to results." People like Bansal and Bahl are trying polarity to create brands that consumers associate with, he believes.

Like what Pepsi had said in its famous commercial to hit out at Coke, "nothing official about it."
Saahil Goel loved designing websites from his teen years. The e-commerce upswing in 2010-11 provided him the opportunity to turn his hobby into business.

A stint in the US with health insurance company Highmark as a big data analyst and experience as systems architect and management consultant with multinational companies made him more confident.

"I spoke to childhood friend Gautam Kapoor after returning to India and we decided to build a platform with a focus on sellers," says Goel. They decided to build a platform where small sellers can build an e-commerce-enabled website.

The idea took shape when they launched KartRocket, an end-to-end e-commerce solutions provider, aimed at helping small and medium enterprises (SMEs) and individual entrepreneurs to sell their products online, in 2011. The company helps SMEs in building websites, integrating payment and logistics options, providing promotion tools and an integrated platform, where a seller can manage placements and orders from various online marketplaces and social media.

"There are about 50 million homepreneurs (entrepreneurs working out of home) and small sellers in India, with no other medium to make their products available online. By bringing such sellers online, we're building a supply base of unique products for buyers to choose from," says chief executive officer Goel.

Smaller players within SMEs



It raised a seed fund of $2,50,000 in July 2013, from angel investors 5Ideas Startup Superfuel and 500 Startups. In October 2014, it received $2 million in a Series-A round from Nirvana Venture Advisors, 500 Startups and Beenos. The money enabled them to scale up. In August 2015, they launched another model, Kraftly, a mobile-first platform for small sellers mostly in the customer-to-customer (C2C) market, for whom the existing model was not working.

Rajan Mehra, co-founder and managing director at Nirvana Venture Advisors, sees KartRocket's focus on bringing sellers on online platform as an advantage in a space where most players target buyers. "It offers end-to-end services to sellers, which would bring more to the platform," he says. Goel says the idea of having two models was to bring both larger and smaller players within the target group to the online market.

While KartRocket is a platform to support larger players in the small and medium businesses, Kraftly enables individual entrepreneurs to start their own domain and sell products online through its app. It also enables sellers to sell through WhatsApp, Facebook or Instagram.

The company has a built-in logistics exchange, where it integrates hyper-local service providers like Roadrunnr, Parcelled and Pickrr, and national ones like BlueDart and Fedex. "By doing this, we allow sellers to utilise any of our shipping services at a click," says Goel.

Business model



The business model is different for KartRocket and Kraftly. On KartRocket, sellers are charged a flat monthly fee, payable quarterly or bi-annually. It ranges from Rs 3,000 to Rs 15,000 a month. KartRocket sellers, who run their own website, generate a gross merchandise volume of $50 million annually.

On Kraftly, it only takes a commission of five per cent on the sales.The company might monetise the business by charging for some of its tools. It could be a Freemium model, where sellers get to share a certain number of models of their products on Instagram or Facebook for free but are charged on exceeding the limit. A model based on ad revenues could be another option.

Goel says they are reaching break-even in KartRocket. "The revenues are healthy and we are close to $2-3 million annually. We will break even in three to four months," he says. The company plans to be aggressive on marketing to make it happen soon.

Kraftly hosts around 16,000 shops and KartRocket has about 2,500 sellers.

KartRocket attracted $8 million in a third round of funding between January and March 2016. The company now wants to go big with larger brands and is looking to have 5,000 merchants by year-end. For Kraftly, it expects 150,000-200,000 sellers by then.

"I would be happy if we have 100,000 sellers in Kraftly doing one order each a month," adds Goel.

There are quite a few in this segment. While KartRocket has competition Zepo and Primaseller, the single biggest one for Kraftly could be Snapdeal's Shopo, a business similar to it and launched almost at the same time. According to reports, Snapdeal is planning to invest around $100 million over two years in Shopo to ramp up the technology and in brand building.

"The integration Kraftly offers and other supports that KartRocket can offer cannot be found in others," says Goel.

FACT BOX

EXPERT TAKE: Chirag Dagli

January 2012End-to-end e-commerce solutions provider$250,000 from 5Ideas Startup Superfuel and 500 Startups in July 2013, $2 mn from Nirvana Venture, 500 Startups and Beenos in 2014, $8 million raised from Bertelsmann and a Japanese investor and others in 2016

Chirag Dagli is co-founder & director, e-commerce strategies of Ecumen, an Ahmedabad-based e-commerce consulting & technology provider
Paytm, Indias mobile payment and commerce platform has appointed ex-head of Alibaba Group Holdings wholesale business, Bhushan Patil as the companys new President. Bhushans key areas at would include building companys cross border commerce.

Before joining Paytm, Patil served 5.5 years at the Chinese company, where he was handling operations of Alibaba.com. He was instrumental at leading new initiatives for Global Markets business development across SME linked associations, Banks and Government trade organizations, local trade services and e- .



On the announcement, Vijay Shekhar Sharma, CEO and Founder, said, We want to offer Indian merchants a compelling commerce platform and Bhushan brings incredible experience of building cross border commerce. It will help Indian merchants to sell globally too. As continues to grow at an exponential pace, it is important for Paytm to expand its operations outside India for further development."



Bhushan, as a major accomplishment had also incepted, led and launched B2B Trade-Trust products across 50 countries in Asia/Europe and Americas & was instrumental developing new India plans for Alibaba.com B2B business.

Validating Paytms expansion opportunity, Bhushan Patil, President, Paytm said, It is indeed an honour to be a part of the Paytm vision and strategy both towards national cashless economy and the plan to take Paytm overseas."
When most cement players have stuck to the acquisition route for expansion, Shree Cement, the fourth largest in the sector, is looking to ramp up capacity by another 10 million tonnes (mt) in the coming three years.

Shree Cement has lined up a capital expenditure of Rs 6,000 crore to construct three new clinker plants. Clinkers are lumps usually formed during the manufacture of cements, and are usually ground to a fine dust to be used as a binder.

The first in the line - a plant in the Baloda Bazar-Bhatapara district in Chhattisgarh, with a minimum capacity of three mt - will be announced in four months. The company has recently won a bid for limestone reserves at the Karhi-Chandi area in the state, through an e-auction in February.

This block has an estimated reserve of 166 mt, with 80 mt cement-grade limestone.

Commissioning of these new plants will take Shree Cement's total clinker plant count to six, while six to seven grinding units will remain operational throughout this phase.

With this, in three years, the cement maker's total capacity will increase to 33.6 mt from the current 23.6 mt.

In Karnataka, in preparation of the expansion, the company has already purchased 1,500 acres over five years.

These expansion plans will be funded from the company's internal accruals.

However, with tapered demand in the cement industry, its net standalone profit margin shrunk from 17.96 per cent in 2013 to 13.37 per cent in 2014. It further dipped to 6.61 per cent in 2015.

Its net profit also took a hit, falling from Rs 1,003.97 crore in 2013 to Rs 787.24 crore in 2014, and then to Rs 426.33 crore in 2015.

During the July-December period this year, the company registered a net standalone profit of Rs 231.59 crore, while the profit margin fell to 6.52 per cent.

Unlike most of the other players in the sector, Shree Cement has always opted for the organic route to expand its business and portfolio.

Its managing director reasoned that India still needs capacity expansion which is possible only through the green-field route while brown-field projects may enhance existing capacities.

According to Bangur, while the cement industry has a 370-mt capacity at present with 300 mt cement demanded annually, over the coming 10 years, the demand would scale up to 600 mt, which will call for 700-mt capacity.

"Takeovers are popular in the western world where there is enough capacity but in India we have to build it first," he said.

Besides, the company, which is keen to maintain its own "contained work culture" doesn't like acquisitions.

"When one takes over a unit or a plant, one has to compromise. We want to remain immune from compromises," Bangur, a chemical engineer from IIT-Bombay, said.

Other companies such as Ultratech, Birla Corporation, and JSW Cement have been in the race for acquisitions, relying on takeovers and mergers, besides focusing on green-field projects.

One of Shree Cement's competitors said acquisitions are the easiest route when it comes to expanding a company's capacity as it involves less hurdles.

"The cost of land acquisition has rocketed now. Besides, there are other operational issues associated with green-field projects. Compared to that an acquisition is an easier option," the competitor said.

Besides, organic expansion always carries with it the risk of overstressing a company's cash reserves or leading it into a vicious debt trap, especially in a low-demand market.

"In the past we have seen what happened to the Jaypee Group and Reliance Cement," Rahul Shah of Motilal Oswal said.
Tata Motors has said it has signed a follow-on contract with the Indian Army to supply 619 units of its 6X6 HMV (high-mobility vehicle) multi-axle truck.

Built with a material handling crane, the Tata 6X6 HMV is meant for loading-unloading and transportation of ammunition pallets, spares and other operational equipment.

This is in conjunction to an earlier order awarded by the Army to Tata Motors for 1,239 units of the 6X6 HMV. This is the single largest order awarded to an Indian private original equipment manufacturer in land systems by the Indian Army under the defence ministrys defence procurement procedure, Tata Motors stated.

Developed indigenously, the Tata 6X6 high-mobility all-terrain all-wheel drive vehicle has been designed to cope with extreme on or off-road loads and has gone through trials, including deep water-fording, on cross-country terrains and plains.

Vernon Noronha, vice-president (defence and government business) at Tata Motors, said, We, at Tata Motors, are extremely encouraged by the countrys thrust towards indigenisation, which not only helps strengthen the countrys defence manufacturing base but also emphasises on cost-effective maintenance, serviceability and upgradation of defence equipment. We have successfully competed against products from rival bidders, from top European and global defence companies, underlining the stringent requirements of the Indian Army and the global standards of our defence offerings.
A report by security agencies says India has not accorded specialised Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) security cover to about 24 sensitive airports for the last five years owing to lack of funds.

A total of 27 such functional airports are being secured by other security forces, such as CRPF, India Reserve Battalions (IRBs) or state police units, keeping the designated aviation security force CISF out. A report by a department related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Transport, Tourism and Culture early this year had also expressed its concern, saying it found it quite scary to know that the security of eight of our hyper-sensitive and 19 of our sensitive airports are not covered by the CISF which has now become the only specialised force for aviation security.

Out of the 26 airports in the country, 18 are under CISF cover while six like Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir and others are not. Under the sensitive category there are 56 airports out of which only 37 have the paramilitary's cover and among 16 normal airports only four have CISF security. To sum up, of the 98 functional airports, 59 are under CISF cover leaving out 39. The about-142,000 personnel-strong CISF has a dedicated and trained unit for the task under its establishment called the Aviation Security Group and has almost 22,000 men and women commandos.

A report recently prepared by the CISF and intelligence agencies has borrowed from the observations of the Parliamentary committee to underline the need for stepping up security at the airports.

Airports are critical infrastructure and very vital from the perspective of national security. Any large-scale damage or terrorist attack on the airport would be catastrophic with far reaching grave implications for the citizens and the economy. Explanations given to the committee for non-deployment of CISF at remaining airports was lack of funds, the report, accessed by PTI, said.

The report also speaks about the status of CISF security cover given to airports till now, adding the committee has recommended that the force should be deployed on priority to hyper-sensitive and sensitive airports in the first go.

Out of the 59 airports under CISF cover, 53 are operated by the Airports Authority of India (AAI) and six by joint ventures or private players.

"The Committee has observed that security must be adequate and in proportion to the threat perception. Funds should not come in the way of providing security. The committee has recommended that security component of PSF needs to be enhanced to be commensurate with the security expenditure and ensure that security is not compromised and the PSF security component must be deposited in the Consolidated Fund of India," the report said.

Passenger Service Fees (PSF) is levied to meet the expenditure on airport security and passenger facilities at Indian airports.

"The committee recommends all the airports rated hyper-sensitive from security angle be given to CISF as soon as possible followed by the sensitive airports. In view of shortages of manpower and logistics available with CISF, security of normal airports can continue with state police for the time being. But these airports also be given all modern equipment, training etc," it said.

Bomb threat at IGI Airport



Security at the Indira Gandhi International Airport in Delhi was scaled up, after a local hotel received a call about bomb threat to half a dozen flights. The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee was checking whether the call was specific or non-specific, a source said, adding operations at IGIA were absolutely normal at this stage. Some of the flights mentioned by the anonymous caller do not exist, the source said. In the last one week, several such calls have been received by various airlines.
Prime Minister will embark on a three-nation tour on Wednesday, during which he will hold a bilateral summit with the European Union (EU) in Brussels, attend the Nuclear Security Summit (NSS) in Washington, and become the first Indian PM to go to Saudi Arabia in six years. Modi will be in Brussels on Wednesday for the first India-EU summit in four years. His office has announced that the terrorist attacks in the city will not alter his plans.

EU Ambassador to India Tomasz Kozlowski said in a media interaction that India was an extremely important partner and the economic and social agenda of the government was especially attractive. He said the relationship had not met both sides' expectations, despite the potential.

With India being an important trading partner of the 28-nation politico-economic union, he said the EU was "really interested" in completing a free trade agreement with it.

PM Modi had met presidents of the European Commission and European Council, Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, respectively, on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Antalya, Turkey last November.

Modi will be in Washington the next day for the NSS, expected to be attended by leaders of around 50 countries.

On his way back, Modi will stop in Riyadh. This assumes significance in the face of the current regional situation and strained relations between the Gulf kingdom and Iran, another strategically important country for India.

Saudi Arabia is also the palce of livelihood to nearly three million Indian expatriates, mostly blue-collar workers.

SP chief's daughter-in-law Aparna enters politics



Aparna Yadav, second daughter-in-law of Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, has entered politics and will be the party's candidate from a Lucknow Assembly seat next year.

Aparna, 26, will contest the 2017 Assembly election from Lucknow's Cantonment seat, senior minister and Mulayam's brother, Shivpal Singh Yadav, said. At present, the seat is being held by Congress' Rita Bahuguna Joshi. Aparna is wife of Mulayam's younger son, Prateek Yadav. The SP chief, his elder daughter-in-law, Dimple Yadav, his nephews Dharmendra Yadav, Akhshay Pratap and Tej Pratap are Lok Sabha members.

While another brother Ramgopal Yadav is in the Rajya Sabha, his elder son UP Chief Minister Akhilesh is a member of the Legislative Council.

Vijender Gupta in trouble for seeking abolition of RS



Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLA Vijender Gupta appears to be in trouble with Delhi Assembly Speaker Ram Niwas Goel seeking an explanation from him, after a communication from Rajya Sabha chairman Hamid Ansari to initiate necessary action against him for allegedly favouring "abolition" of the Upper House. Ansari had asked the Delhi Speaker to take necessary action against Gupta holding that "the matter seems to involve prima facie question of privilege" while acting on a complaint by JD(U) MP K C Tyagi, who accused the BJP MLA of casting aspersions on the members of Rajya Sabha.

Referring to a newspaper article written by Gupta, who is leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly, Tyagi alleged that the BJP MLA sought to underline the differences between the two Houses of Parliament and had suggested abolition of the Rajya Sabha.

Pak team to probe Pathankot attack arrives



A five-member joint investigation team (JIT) from Pakistan that included an Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official reached New Delhi on Sunday to carry out a probe into the attack at the Indian Air Force base at Pathankot, the first-ever such visit to the country to probe a terrorism case. The team is headed by the chief of the Punjab's counter terrorism department (CTD), Muhammad Tahir Rai and, comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau, Mohammad Azim Arshad, ISI official Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.
India's Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) would be launched online during Defence Expo India-2016, to be held in south Goa from tomorrow, Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said.

"We will be launching the Defence Procurement Policy online during DefExpo. It will be put on Ministry's website," Parrikar told PTI ahead of the inauguration of the two-day mega event.

Parrikar said expo's current edition is one of the most important events in the field of production, exports and Indianisation of the sector.

He, however, clarified that 'Make In India' in the defence sector and DefExpo are two different things.

"The basic concept of Defence Expo is a commercial exchange between various companies which will happen here," the former chief minister said.

The website of Defence Expo, monitored by the Defence Ministry, has listed 1,054 companies who will be setting up their stalls for the exhibition to be held at Naqueri-Betul village in South Goa.

"Defexpo India is clearly steering the path of steady growth and has been receiving overwhelming and unprecedented international response with each edition," ministry's website on the mega event said.

The exhibition will have live demonstration of air display on March 28-29 at the site which is located adjacent to the Arabian Sea.

The land that was acquired for setting up an industrial estate has been temporarily allotted to the Defence Ministry for the expo. The exhibition would be spread over six lakh square metres of land.

The event earlier witnessed protest by locals and activists claiming that they were not taken into confidence. Petitions had also been filed before the Goa bench of Bombay High Court opposing it.

The HC, which would be hearing the matter on Wednesday, refused to stay the event.
As Madhya Pradesh gears up to join the recently-announced (NAM) platform, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is likely to launch it from the state. The PM is expected to visit Mhow (near Indore) on April 14 to mark B R Ambedkars birth anniversary.

The state government through its Mandi Board had recently sent a proposal to launch the platform from Karond mandi (10 km away from Bhopal).

Modi had announced the platform during his recent visit to nearby Sherpur village of Sehore district, where he addressed a mega rally of farmers.

We are fully geared up to join the initiative announced by Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently. Well start operation soon after the launch of this platform on April 14, said Rajesh Rajora, principal secretary of state farmers welfare and agriculture development department.

Initially, the state government would include only one commodity  chana (gram)  for e-auction through the NAM platform.

According to well-placed officials in the Mandi Board, the central government has agreed to release Rs 15 crore for all 50 mandis to equip them with online support system, software, hardware, and grading of farm yield.

The Mandi Board will also chip in with further funds if required to upgrade mandis to enable them to sync with the NAM platform. The state might also demand additional fund for recurring expenses.

Since mandi traders who participate in regular auction of commodities carry localised mandi licence, the trading would take place only in Karond mandi. At a later stage, the state will have to make rules so that traders can obtain a single licence for the entire state and country.

Since single licence fee is very high (Rs 1 crore), it would require a simpler procedure and less fee to attract more traders to participate in the e-auction of commodities through the NAM platform. They may opt for nation-wide licence once necessary rules and framework is ready, said Vinay Nigam, upper commissioner of Madhya Pradesh Mandi Board.

The NAM platform requires a regulator, a warehousing agency, a grading agency, aggregators and third-party payment system to complete the process of e-auction. A complete system will be in place at a later stage, Nigam added.

Trading would gradually include more commodities to be auctioned through the NAM platform.

For logistics management, states will rope in transporters for traded commodities across India. Once the commodity is delivered, the trader will make online payment through public finance management system to the mandi.

At present, farmers sell their farm yield only at nearby mandis by transporting their farm yield.

A fair quantity is lost either in transportation, distress or need-based sale and fetch low returns to their farm yield.

Besides Karond, 50 out of a total of 257 mandis in the state will also have similar facility for farmers in the near future.
Fearing more exodus of high-paying industry consumers opting for the open access clause, the government of Maharashtra is mulling a levy on such transactions.

The government fears a big hit on finances of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company, referred to as MahaVitaran.

Open access allows large users of power  typically having a connected load of 1 megawatt and above  to buy cheaper power from the open market. The idea is to allow customers to choose among a large number of competitors instead of being forced to buy from the (usually state-run) electric utility monopoly. The (national) Electricity Act of 2003 had enabled this, though states have resisted its enforcement.

Already, 1,200-1,400 Mw is being drawn under open access in the state, worth Rs 1,200 crore.

Of MahaVitaran's 25 million consumers, 346,900 are from industry and pay the highest highest rate. This payment cross-subsidises Rs 10,000 crore annually for the lower rates charged for agriculture and power looms. Of the state's daily power demand of 16,000 Mw, industry consumers need 6,500-7,000 Mw.

MahaVitaran charges industry consumers Rs 8.23 a unit, compared with Rs 6.8 in Karnataka, Rs 6.35 in Gujarat, Rs 6.6 in Andhra, Rs 6.9 in Madhya Pradesh, Rs 5.75 in Chhattisgarh and Rs 5.10 in Goa. The power purchased through open access is cheaper by at least Rs 1.50 a unit.

Energy Minister Chandrashekhar Bawankule told this newspaper: The introduction of ED (electricity duty) on open access transactions is under consideration. It will be possible through amendments to the Maharashtra Electricity Duty Act. MahaVitaran's interests will be protected through the move.''



Kameswara Rao, partner at Price Waterhouse, said: ''Restricting open access is counterproductive, and states must realise they are hurting chances of growing investment, employment, and tax revenues. In contrast, some states are offering unfettered open access to attract industrial investment and economic activity.''



Jayant Deo, former member, Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission, said: The falling sales tax revenue, decreasing employment and falling electricity consumption by industries in Maharashtra for three years are signs of lack of understanding. It is equal to killing the hen that gives a daily egg.''
The Telangana government has formulated a new information technology (IT) policy as it seeks to achieve the numero uno position in the country's IT map by doubling software exports from the state to Rs 1.36 lakh crore over the next five years.



To be formally released by Infosys founder NR Narayana Murthy in the presence of chief minister K Chandrasekhara Rao in Hyderabad on April 4, the new policy would lay more emphasis on doubling the number of IT jobs, besides leveraging the recent spurt in the growth of Tier-II and Tier-III cities like Warangal, Karimnagar and Nizamabad to create IT hubs there.



Telangana currently houses around 1,300 IT companies, together employing over 371,000 professionals. About 90 new companies are setting up operations in the state every year.



According to officials, the state government had taken significant steps, including providing up to 50 per cent capital investment subsidy, and reimbursement of stamp duty, transfer duty, electricity charges and patent charges to encourage IT companies that opt to set up shop in Tier-II and Tier-III cities.



Start-up focus



The state government has also drafted four sub-policies - an innovation policy to attract startup firms, an electronic system design and manufacturing (ESDM) policy to encourage manufacture of electronic products, a rural tech policy to provide employment opportunities to rural youth, and an animation and gaming policy.



"The new policy aims to foster more startup companies in the state. The government is targeting to create one million sft of incubation space for startups over the next five years, besides facilitating financial aid to the tune of Rs 2,000 crore through international investment firms. The idea is to incubate and mentor 2,500 startups in the state in the next five years," the officials said.



Stating that the government is sharpening its focus on encouraging establishment of business process outsourcing (BPO) centres in rural areas, the officials said the government was readying plans to setup a rural tech centre in each of the 10 districts and provide employment to 2,500 youth in each district in the first phase.



"The proposed BPO call centres will provide employment to Telugu-speaking intermediate and graduation pass outs. The government is making arrangements to train 10,000 rural youth at TASK (Telangana Academy for Skill and Knowledge) in areas such as data processing, data entry, data management, document digitisation, voice-related services, customer support HR finance and legal services," they said.
Chairman Chiefs of Staff Committee (COSC) and Chief of the Air Staff Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha is on a four day goodwill visit to the State of Israel. The visit is aimed at consolidating the existing robust bilateral military to military cooperation between India and Israel. .

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During his visit to Israel, the Air Chief is scheduled to call on the Israeli Defence Minister Mr Moshe Yaalon. He would also meet Lieutenant General Gadi Eisenkot, Chief of the General Staff, Israel Defense Forces (IDF), Major General Amir Eshel, Commander of Israeli Air Force and Mr. Ophir Shoham, Director of the Ministry of Defense (MOD), Directorate for Research and Development MAFAT. The meetings would essentially focus on a wide range of bilateral issues pertaining to the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries. .

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During his visit to the various operational air bases, Air Chief Marshal Raha would also visit the Israeli Air Force, Flight School, at Hatzerim air base. He would also be updated on the progress of various defence projects being carried forward as joint ventures between the two countries. .

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The itinerary also includes a visit to 'Yad Vashem', Israel's Memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 and a visit to the 'Memorial of Indian Soldiers' built in commemoration of sacrifice of the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World War I in the liberation of Haifa. .

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In recent years, there have been several close and high level contacts at the political and military levels between the two countries. Air Chief Marshal Arup Rahas visit to Israel would further boost bilateral relations between two Air Forces and is likely to provide greater convergence at the operational level. .

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RCD/MKR/BIS
The Common Yoga Protocol for the 2nd International Day of Yoga falling on 21st June, 2016, has been released. Shri Shripad Yesso Naik, Minister of State (IC) for AYUSH launched the Common Yoga Protocol booklet during the inaugural function of National Arogya Fair held at Panaji, Goa on 26th March, 2016. The Chief Minister of Goa, Shri Laxmikant Parsekar, Deputy CM and Health Minister Shri Francis DSouza and other dignitaries were also present during the launch. .

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The booklet gives a brief overview about Yoga and Yogic practices to orient one towards comprehensive health for an individual and the community. The present edition of Common Yoga Protocol is an improvised version of last years Yoga Protocol. Some Yoga practices e.g. Yogic Sukshma Vyayama , Yogasanas, and Pranayama have been added in the 2nd revised edition. Apart from 45 minutes Common Yoga Protocol, a provision has been made for leading Yoga instutuions to incorporate 15 minutes Institutional Yogic practises e.g. Pranayama, Yoga Nidra, Dhayana, Satsang, etc. before Sankalpa as deemed fit. This makes the total duration of one hour of Yoga practice on International Day of Yoga. .

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Belgian police briefly used water cannon to control several hundred rowdy protesters in central Brussels on Sunday after they ignored an official call for marches to be postponed following Tuesday's bombings.

Amid fears of further attacks, officials wanted to give police the scope to focus on investigations which have widened to other countries, leading to the arrest of an Algerian in Italy and intelligence cooperation with Germany. Police carried out 13 new raids in Belgium itself.

Hundreds nevertheless gathered at the Bourse to express solidarity with the victims of the suicide bomb attacks at Brussels airport and on a rush-hour metro train. Thirty one people were killed, including three attackers, and hundreds more injured. Islamic State has claimed responsibility. Most of the protests were peaceful but white-helmeted riot police used the water cannon against a group of protesters, many of whom local media described as right-wing nationalists, who burst onto the square chanting and carrying banners denouncing Islamic State. "It is highly inappropriate that protesters have disrupted the peaceful reflection at the Bourse (stock exchange). I strongly condemn these disturbances," Prime Minister Charles Michel said according to Belga news agency.

Brussels Mayor Yvan Mayeur said the group were "scoundrels". In and around Brussels and Antwerp, police carried out 13 new raids in connection with the attacks, with nine people questioned and five later released, the prosecutor's office said.

With links to the Paris attacks in November becoming clearer, and amid criticism that Europe has not done enough to share intelligence about suspected Islamist militants, cooperation appeared to be deepening.

Belgian press agency Belga said on Sunday prosecutors had charged a man in connection with a raid in Paris on Thursday that authorities say foiled an apparent attack plot.

Belga named him as Abderamane A. who prosecutors had said on Saturday was being held after being shot in a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek.

After a series of raids in Belgium and Germany, Italian police also arrested Algerian Djamal Eddine Ouali who is suspected of making documents for militants linked to the bombings, Italian media said on Saturday.

His name was found in documents in a raid on an apartment near Brussels last October, including some with photos of militants involved in the attacks in Paris and in Brussels and the aliases they used.

WEB OF LINKS

As the web of links between the suspects and attacks emerges, German lawmakers said Europe urgently needed to improve the way its security agencies shared information.

But Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office was among the European security agencies still hunting for at least eight mostly French or Belgian suspects, Die Welt am Sonntag newspaper reported. They are thought to be on the run in Syria or Europe.

Belgian prosecutors also charged three men on Saturday including Faycal C., whom Belgian media identified as Faycal Cheffou and said he was "the man in the hat", as he has become known, in last Tuesday's airport CCTV footage that showed three men pushing baggage trolleys.

However, investigators have not confirmed that Cheffou is that man, a person close to the investigation told Reuters.

A video posted on social media outlets used by Islamic State on Saturday showed a Belgian militant in the group's de facto capital Raqqa, Syria, taunting his home country in Flemish.

"You learned nothing from the lessons of Paris, because you continued fighting Islam and the Muslims. For this I want to tell you that the attack in Brussels is reaping what you had sown with your own hands," Hicham Chaib, whose nom de guerre was given as Abu Hanifa al-Beljiki, said.

"Just as you bomb the Muslims with your F-16s, we will fight your people."



The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by Reuters.

Officials said 24 victims from nine different nationalities had been identified so far from the attacks in Brussels, where the European Union and NATO have their headquarters. Fourteen were identified at the airport and 10 on the metro. A further four people remain unidentified.

In addition, 340 people were wounded, according to the latest official toll on Saturday, of whom 101 are still in hospital, 62 of them in intensive care, many with severe burns.

Away from the protests on the Bourse square, Brussels was largely quiet on Sunday, with many celebrating Easter but Monseigneur Jozef De Kesel, archbishop of Brussels, told Reuters it would be difficult to celebrate as usual.

"The foundations of our society, freedom, respect for others, have been hit, attacked," he said.
Donald J Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, said that if elected, he might halt purchases of oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies unless they commit ground troops to the fight against the Islamic State or "substantially reimburse" the United States for combating the militant group, which threatens their stability.

"If Saudi Arabia was without the cloak of American protection," Trump said during a 100-minute interview on foreign policy, spread over two phone calls on Friday, "I don't think it would be around."



He also said he would be open to allowing Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenals rather than depend on the American nuclear umbrella for their protection against North Korea and China. If the United States "keeps on its path, its current path of weakness, they're going to want to have that anyway, with or without me discussing it," Trump said.

And he said he would be willing to withdraw US forces from Japan and South Korea if they did not substantially increase their contributions to the costs of housing and feeding those troops. "Not happily, but the answer is yes," he said.

In Trump's worldview, the US has become a diluted power, and the main mechanism by which he would re-establish its central role in the world is economic bargaining. He approached almost every current conflict through the prism of a negotiation, even when he was imprecise about the strategic goals he sought. He again faulted the Obama administration's handling of the negotiations with Iran last year - "It would have been so much better if they had walked away a few times," he said - but offered only one new idea about how he would change its content: Ban Iran's trade with North Korea.

He argued that the best way to halt China's placement of military airfields and antiaircraft batteries on reclaimed islands in the South China Sea was to threaten its access to American markets. "We have tremendous economic power over China. And that's the power of trade." He did not mention Beijing's ability for economic retaliation.

He agreed with a suggestion that his ideas might be summed up as "America First." "Not isolationist, but I am America first. I like the expression." He said he was willing to reconsider traditional American alliances if partners were not willing to pay, in cash or troop commitments, for the presence of American forces around the world. "We will not be ripped off anymore."



In the past week, the bombings in Brussels and an accelerated war against the Islamic State have shifted the focus of the campaign trail conversation back to questions of how the candidates would defend the US and what kind of diplomacy they would pursue. Trump explained his thoughts in concrete and easily digestible terms, but they appeared to reflect little consideration for potential consequences. He personalised how he would engage foreign nations, suggesting his approach would depend partly on "how friendly they've been toward us," not just on national interests or alliances.

Like Richard M Nixon, Trump emphasised the importance of "unpredictability" for an American President, arguing that the country's traditions of democracy and openness had made its actions too easy for adversaries and allies alike to foresee. "I wouldn't want them to know what my real thinking is," he said of how far he was willing to take the confrontation over the islands in the South China Sea, which are remote and lightly inhabited but extend China's control over a major maritime thoroughfare. But, he added, "I would use trade, absolutely, as a bargaining chip."



Asked when he thought American power had been at its peak, Trump reached back 116 years to the turn of the 20th century, the era of another unconventional Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, who ended up leaving the party. His favourite figures in American history, he said, include two generals, Douglas MacArthur and George S Patton - though he said that, unlike MacArthur, he would not advocate using nuclear weapons except as a last resort. (He suggested MacArthur had pressed during the Korean War to use them against China as a means "to negotiate," adding, "He played the nuclear card, but he didn't use it.")



Pressed about his call to "take the oil" controlled by the Islamic State in the West Asia, Trump acknowledged that this would require deploying ground troops, something he does not favour. "We should've taken it, and we would've had it," he said, referring to the years in which the US occupied Iraq. "Now we have to destroy the oil."



He did not rule out spying on American allies, including leaders like Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, whose cellphone was apparently a target of the National Security Agency. Obama said the agency would no longer target her phone but made no such commitments about the rest of Germany, or Europe. "I'm not sure that I would want to be talking about that," Trump said. "You understand what I mean by that." Trump was not impressed with Merkel's handling of the migrant crisis, however: "Germany is being destroyed by Merkel's naivete, or worse," he said. He suggested that Germany and the Gulf nations should pay for the "safe zones" he wants to set up in Syria for refugees, and for protecting them once built.

Throughout the two conversations, Trump painted a bleak picture of the US as a diminished force in the world, an opinion he has held since the late 1980s, when he placed ads in newspapers calling for Japan and Saudi Arabia to spend more money on their own defence.

Trump's new threat to cut off oil purchases from the Saudis was part of a broader complaint about the US' Arab allies, which many in the Obama administration share: that they often look to the United States to police the Middle East, without putting their own troops at risk. "We defend everybody," he said. "When in doubt, come to the United States. We'll defend you. In some cases free of charge."



But his rationale for abandoning the region was that "the reason we're in the West Asia is for oil, and all of a sudden we're finding out that there's less reason to be there now." He made no mention of the risks of withdrawal - that it would encourage Iran to dominate the Gulf, that the presence of American troops is part of Israel's defence, and that American air and naval bases in the region are key collection points for intelligence and bases for drones and Special Operations forces.

Trump seemed less comfortable on some topics than others. He called the United States "obsolete" in terms of cyberweaponry, although the nation's capabilities are generally considered on the cutting edge.

In criticising the Iran nuclear deal, he expressed particular outrage at how the roughly $150 billion released to Iran (by his estimate; the number is in dispute) was being spent. "Did you notice they're buying from everybody but the United States?" he said. Told that sanctions under United States law still bar most American companies from doing business with Iran, he said: "So, how stupid is that? We give them the money and we now say, 'Go buy Airbus instead of Boeing,' right?"



But Trump, who has been pushed to demonstrate a basic command of affairs, insisted that voters should not doubt his foreign policy fluency. "I do know my subject," he said.



2016 The New York Times News Service
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Domestic investors have a lot to learn from their foreign institutional counterparts, who seem to have mastered the art of timing, raking in the moolah in the midst of market volatility.

On the other hand, domestic investors mostly buy when foreign institutional investors (FIIs) are booking profits at higher valuations, limiting their own upside.

For example, in the current rally, most of the FII purchases were in 2012 and the first half of 2013, when the price-to-earnings (PE) multiple of BSE 500 companies had hit a multi-year low.

In contrast, most of the accumulation by domestic investors, through mutual funds and insurance companies, occurred in 2015 when BSE 500 companies were trading at a multi-year PE high. FIIs accumulated India's top-listed companies at an average valuation of around 16 times and offloaded it to domestic investors at around 24 times their value (see chart).

The analysis is based on the end-of-quarter shareholding pattern, market capitalisation and quarterly net profit of BSE 500 companies, beginning the March 2006 quarter. The sample is based on the data for 358 companies where the data is comparable across the period.

Analysts attribute this to the steady nature of fund flows FIIs receive, while domestic institutional investors are at the mercy of inflows from retail investors, which tend to take place late in the cycle.

"When FIIs were buying in 2012-13, insurance companies and mutual funds were still facing redemption, forcing fund managers to sell their holdings even when the valuations were low. Inflows turned positive only in late 2014 and 2015, when domestic retail investors were convinced about the rally," said Dhananjay Sinha, head, institutional equities, Emkay Global Financial Services.

In comparison, FIIs receive a significant portion of their funds from large institutional investors in Europe and the US, whose investment sentiment remains steady over a long period.

Others also point to differences in the investing styles of FIIs and their domestic counterparts.

"FII investments are largely fundamental and research-driven compared to domestic investors, most of whom tend to get swayed by market sentiment and herd mentality," said G Chokkalingam, the founder and chief executive officer of Equinomics Research & Advisory.

This explains why a majority of domestic investors fail to make money in the market, he added.

A similar trend was visible in the rally before the global financial crisis, when FIIs were net sellers for nearly two years in the run-up to the September 2008 crash while domestic investors were buyers.

Despite the trends, some analysts differ.

Nitin Jain, the president and chief executive officer of global asset and wealth management firm Edelweiss Capital, said there is no evidence of domestic investors being less smart than their foreign counterparts.

"We should not paint all FIIs with the same brush. Investment flows from exchange-traded funds, which is retail money - as volatile and sentiment-driven as domestic retail and mutual funds flows. FIIs, on the other end of the spectrum, also get pension money and sovereign wealth funds, which are long-term and their investment style is similar to that of domestic insurance companies," said Jain.
A group of 35 Hindu pilgrims from southern Sindh have been detained from southern Sindh state of Rajasthan in Pakistan over 'incomplete travel documents'.

The group left for a 20-day yatra (pilgrimage) to India on March 18 through the Thar Express via the Munabao rail link, the Express Tribune quoted Laxman, the family member of one of the arrested individuals as saying.

The Indian media said the Rajasthan Police arrested the Pakistani Hindus for allegedly violating their visa restrictions.

The pilgrims had visas for Mathura and Haridwar cities but they instead visited Ramdevra.

Laxman's wife Saroopi, 12-year-old daughter Savita, seven-year-old son Sahil, five-year-old daughter Shardha and brother-in-law Vinod Goswami are among those detained in India.

The arrests came a day after Pakistan protested with India after capturing a man suspected of being an Indian spy, sparking a new diplomatic tiff between the two Asian neighbours.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi will hold an election rally in Karimganj of the Barak Valley in Assam on Sunday.

Before coming to the Barak Valley, he will also address a rally in Rangapara in Sonitpur district.

Barak Valley is very crucial for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) because it is contesting alone on all the 15 seats of valley. The valley will go to the poll in the first phase on April 4.

This will be Modi's first visit to Barak Valley since becoming the prime minister.

He had addressed a rally at Ramnagar in Cachar district in 2014 during the Lok Sabha election campaign.

The prime minister will be accompanied by all the 15 BJP candidates of the Barak Valley and some senior leaders.

Adequate security arrangements have been made to avoid any untoward incident.

The Election Commission has announced two-phase voting for the 14th Assam Assembly elections on April 4 and 11. The votes will be counted on May 19.
The Congress Party on Sunday alleged that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) indulged in misuse and abuse of power to plot the Uttarakhand conspiracy and said that the nation would give them a befitting reply in the upcoming assembly polls.

Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala asserted that his party would not bow down neither it will be deterred in wake of the latest political developments in the hill state.

"Extensive use of money and misuse of power was done by BJP leadership. They utterly failed in that sinister attempt then they (BJP) hatched a conspiracy through a fake sting operation," Surjewala told ANI here.

The Congress leader also used the occasion to take potshots at Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

"Having failed in all conspiracies and sinister attempts, suddenly President's rule has been imposed in Uttarakhand. 130 crore people of this country are witnessing this saga of conspiracy, misuse, abuse of power as also misuse of money and muscle by both Modi ji and Amit Shah ji," said Surjewala.

"They will be suitably punished like they have been done in Delhi and Bihar. The people of this country will punish them in the five states, which are going to polls," he added.

Surjewala further said that the Congress would not bow down or be intimidated by such sinister conspiracies.

"We will fight this battle legally, constitutionally and more so in court of the people of Uttarakhand and the people of India," he added.

President's rule was imposed in the hill state on Sunday which comes as a major setback to the Congress as Arunachal Pradesh also witnessed similar situation earlier.

The Uttarakhand Assembly has been kept in suspended animation following President's rule in the state.

The recommendation for central rule was made by the Union Cabinet at its emergency meeting last night, which was chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier, Harish Rawat-led Uttarakhand government had been asked to prove its majority by March 28, after nine rebel MLAs of the Congress sided with the Opposition BJP to destabilise the government.
The Congress Party on Sunday criticised the BJP-led NDA Government's move to permit Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team (JIT) to visit the country to probe the deadly terrorist attack on the Pathankot Air Force Base and said

this is an abject surrender of country's interest.

Congress leader Manish Tewari told ANI it's unfortunate that the Government of India has decided to give access to the Pakistanis without the principle of reciprocity having being let down.

"Pakistanis never gave access to Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi or to the other 26/11 accused . On what basis of reciprocity access is being given?... So, therefore, there is an abject surrender of India's interest," he added.

Tewari asked the government to give an explanation for this move and asked as to under what pressure the ruling dispensation was at this point of time.

Highlighting that the past meetings between the two arch-rivals gave no conclusive solution, Tewari said that nothing will come out of the meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif who are likely to hold talks on the sidelines of Nuclear Security Summit in Washington on April.

"Nothing is going to come out of the meeting. Nothing came out of the earlier meetings, nothing came out in Ufa, nothing came out of the Lahore visit which god alone knows why the Prime Minister undertook and nothing is going to come out of Washington," he added.

The JIT team would visit Pathankot on March 29 through a helicopter.

The Indian authorities are still working on modalities authorities. As of now, it is said that they will not go by road and will only fly to Pathankot.

On January 2, terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force.

Four terrorists were killed and two security personnel were martyred in the gun battle.
New Delhi, Mar. 27 (ANI): Actress Evelyn Sharma is on a mission to make India a fashion forward country with her NGO 'Seams for Dreams'.

The actress is also setting up an institution with the name 'School of Seams' wherein the people would be given vocational education about fashion designing.

"Fashion makes me happy and I want that happiness to be shared by everyone and that's the reason why I started this NGO. Since the age of 15, I wanted to promote fashion through noble cause. And now, it makes me so happy to take my dream an edge higher with the launch of 'School of Seams', which will educate people with the craft of fashion designing," the 29-year-old actress told ANI.

"There's so much going on in my life right now. All the time either I am travelling or taking care of my NGO work. But I know that one day I would love to start my own line which would be all about comfort. Maybe of Pajamas," she added.

Evelyn confirmed that she has been offered an American TV series but she is yet to read the scripts. Apart from that, she has been vigorously working out to lose five kilos with celebrity trainer Yasmin Karachiwala for an unnamed film scheduled to be shot in Japan.
Nepal Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli returned home on Sunday after a week-long official visit to China.

During his visit to China, both sides sealed ten separate agreements and MoUs on using the northern neighbour's sea port facility, building a regional international airport in Pokhara and exploring the possibilities of signing a bilateral free trade agreement, reports The Himalayan Times.

During his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, Oli discussed matters relating to mutual interests and bilateral cooperation.

The duo also exchanged views on further consolidation of bilateral relations.

The Prime Minister also held bilateral official talks with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang during which the duo discussed matters of mutual interest and common concerns.

He also met Yu Zhengsheng, Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference.

The Prime Minister addressed scholars, academics, business people and students at Renmin University on the theme of 'Nepal-China Relations in the context of Belt and Road Initiatives'.

The head of the government had addressed the Boao Forum for Asia on the theme 'Asia's New Future: New Dynamics, New Vision' at Boao, Hinnan province of China.

Oli also inspected earthquake reconstruction zone and a hydroelectricity project in Sichuan province.
The interrogation of arrested Indian intelligence operative Kulbhushan Yadav has revealed that he had been imparting Naval fighting training to Baloch separatists in an attempt to target the Pakistani ports.

The Pakistani Government claimed to have recovered travel documents and multiple fake identities of Yadav, establishing him as an Indian spy who entered into Balochistan through Iran holding a valid Iranian visa.

Yadav was after his arrest shifted to Islamabad for interrogation during which it was revealed that he had purchased boats at the Iranian port in Chabahar in order to target Karachi and Gwadar ports in a terrorist plot, the official said, adding that the 'RAW agent' is believed to be an expert at Naval fighting techniques, reports Dawn.

Yadav was also transporting 'anti-state elements' from Pakistan to New Delhi for training by RAW, he said.

Security has been tightened across Balochistan, especially at the shared borders with Iran and Afghanistan.

After his arrest, Pakistan summoned Indian High Commissioner Gautam Bambawale to lodge a formal protest over 'India's spying activities' in Balochistan and Karachi.

The arrest comes just days before a possible meeting between Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi at the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington.
Pakistan's joint investigation team (JIT) arrived in the capital on Sunday to probe the deadly terrorist attack on the Pathankot Air Force Base.

According to sources, the JIT comprises of Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) AIG Rai Tahir as convener, Intelligence Bureau Lahore Deputy Director General Azim Arshad, Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed of the ISI, Lt, Col Irfan Mirza of MI and Gujranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.

The team would visit Pathankot on March 29 through a helicopter.

The Indian authorities are still working on modalities authorities. As of now, it is said that they will not go by road and will only fly to Pathankot.

Reports state that the team's movement would be restricted only to the area of the engagement between security forces and the Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terrorists.

On January 2, terrorists attacked the Pathankot Air Force Station, part of the Western Air Command of the Indian Air Force.

Four terrorists were killed and two security personnel were martyred in the gun battle.

(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.)
New Delhi, Mar. 27 (ANI): Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Sardar Sham Singh, who put the Sikh shrines and their upkeep on world front, breathed his last on Sunday at the Combined Military Hospital in Lahore.

He was not well for the last one month and admitted in the hospital for a prolong illness. He was the first president of the PSGPC, formed by the Pakistan Government in 1998, and was elected for various terms to head the bodies that look after the Sikh shrines spread all over the neighbouring country especially Pakistani Punjab.

Born on December 11, 1936, Sham Singh, an agriculturist who hailed from Faislabad, was chosen to head the body which was carved out by the Pakistan Government to take control of the Sikh Gurdwaras which were earlier being looked after by the Amritsar headquartered Shiromani Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee (SGPC), the premier body of the Sikhs.

The PSGPC was brought under Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board, which was then headed by former ISI chief Javed Nasir.

Sham Singh would be remembered for face lifting of Sikh Gurdwaras and bringing large number of pilgrims from across the world to visit Pakistan.

Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, Gurdwara Babye Nanaki, Gurudwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Dass and many more were declared open for the pilgrimages unlike the previous times when Pakistan allowed devotees to visit only a couple of Gurdwaras in Pakistan where as there are about 172 historical Sikh shrines in the country.

Sham Singh's tenure was also marked by some controversies. After his appointment as the PSGPC chief, the then president of the SGPC Bibi Jagir Kaur stopped sending jathas (groups of pilgrims) to Pakistan in protest.

She also objected to the appointment of Sham Singh as the PSGPC president. But many Sikh organisations, including Delhi Sikh Management Committee, American Gurdwara Parbhandhak Committee, Sikh Committee of Switzerland, Canada and many more endorsed Pakistan Committee and Sham Singh as its president.

Later, the SGPC also recognized the existence of the PSGPC. Though both committees still holds different opinion over the dates of celebrating the Sikh dates and functions.

Sham Singh was firm over observing the Sikh religious functions according to the original Nanashahi Calendar, which was released by Akal Takht in 2003 whereas the SGPC has adopted the amended but controversial Sikh Calendar.

The Sikh world condoled the death of Sham Singh. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh condoled the death of the departed soul. Harcharan Singh, the chief secretary SGPC, said that he was saddened over Sham Singh's demise.

DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK also expressed grief over the demise.

AGPC chief Jaswant Singh Hoti and coordinator Pritpal Singh recalled the services of Sham Singh, saying he was able to protect the Sikh shrines and worked hard to safeguard the interest of the Sikhs in Pakistan as a community.

Paramjit Singh Sarna, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), said that Sham Singh was a pillar of strength for the Sikhs in Pakistan and he held a prominent place amongst the Sikh institutions.

Sham Singh, a farmer, belonged to village 62 Chak Kadrabad in Ukara tehsil of Mintgmri in (Faislabad). He is survived by his son Sikandar Singh and daughter Simran Kaur who live in Pakistan.

Condolences were also expressed by Daljit Singh Bedi, secretary public relations of the SGPC and Kanwerpal Singh from Dal Khalsa.

Talking to ANI from Pakistan, Sikandar Singh said that his father was ill for more than months and he breathed his last early this morning. He added that the family was around him when he breathed his last.

He said that his father wished to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple but he was not able to visit Amritsar due to health problems.

Sham Singh used to actively participate in Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Sikh inter-faith meetings organized in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan.

He was involved in the arrangements for the stay of Sikh pilgrims from India to celebrate Gurpurbs and other Sikh religious functions.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday talked about good health ahead of World Health Day on April 7, adding India will be healthy if its citizens are healthy.

Prime Minister Modi, who was addressing the nation in the 18th edition of his 'Mann Ki Baat' programme, said the World Health Day is dedicated to diabetes this year.

"Our lifestyle is the biggest reason of rising cases of diabetes. A few days ago there was TB day. To fight TB you need correct and complete treatment. World TB day was observed on 24th March. We are not scared of this disease anymore because we know that it is curable," he said.

"In a few days new Vikram Samvat will begin, I wish everyone Happy New Year. It is fortunate for me that I will get a chance to go to Baba Saheb Ambedkar's birth place Mhow (MP) on April 14th," he added.
Prince William, who is on a four-day trip to Kenya, recently graced the wedding of his former girlfriend Jessica Craig.

According to a source, the 33-year-old Duke of Cambridge was spotted chatting with friends at a champagne reception where he was among about 150 guests, People magazine reports.

The 34-year-old Kenyan socialite is married to conservationist Jonathan Baillie at Lewa Wildlife Conservancy.

The Duke of Cambridge seems to be really close to Craig family, as he had earlier attended Craig's brother's wedding in 2008.

In the wake of this visit, he will be missing the first Easter morning of his 10-month-old daughter Princess Charlotte.

During his four days trip, he will also meet with a team of rangers at Lewa Conservancy, co-founded by Ian Craig, to learn about their work protecting rhinos from poaching.

It is being said that William was romantically linked to Jessica during his gap year before university and he proposed to Kate Middleton in 2010.
Security in the capital was beefed today evening after a call was received by a five star hotel which warned of terror strikes in the city.

The call was received at the reception of the Radisson Hotel. The caller said that he was calling from Dubai and that he has information about possible terror strikes at several parts of the city.

He asked the Delhi Police to be wary of the attacks.

The police has beefed up security and ordered probe in the matter.
As Uttarakhand crisis deepens, the fate of nine rebel Congress MLAs would be decided today with their viewpoints to be put forth to Uttarakhand Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal.

The Congress MLAs' lawyers and representatives have reached the Uttarakhand Assembly, while the media persons have been prohibited from entering the assembly premises by the Speaker.

Late last night, there were reports that after his meeting with Chief Minister Harish Rawat, the Speaker disqualified the nine legislators.

However, Uttarakhand Minister Indira Hridayash confirmed that the nine rebel Congress MLAs were not suspended and it was a rumour.

The Speaker had given the MLAs time till March 26 to respond to a notice stating why their Vidhan Sabha membership should not be terminated under the anti-defection law.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi called an emergency meeting in Delhi late last night to take stock of the situation.

The meeting lasted for over an hour, but there is no official word on what transpired during the discussion.

Congress general secretary Ambika Soni accused the Modi Government and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of desperately trying to dislodge the Congress government through the imposition of President's Rule.

The rebel Congress legislators yesterday released a sting video of Chief Minister Rawat and alleged that he is indulging in horse-trading to save his government.

The video purportedly showed him bargaining with rebel party lawmakers to win their support ahead of the floor test on Monday.

Reacting to the video, the BJP demanded President's Rule in the state, saying Chief Minister Rawat has no right to continue.

A delegation from the party also met President Pranab Mukherjee to press for their demand.
It has been five years since Reese Witherspoon and Jim Toth got married and the very much in love couple are celebrating their anniversary on social media.

The 40-year-old actress recently took to her Instagram page and shared a black and white pic of her and Toth sitting on a couch together with her hand touching his and captioned it as, "Happy anniversary to my sweet husband I love you, JT! #5years" E! Online reports.

The 'Wild' actress and talent agent Jim, who have a three-year-old son Tennessee James, wed on March 26, 2011, at her ranch in Ojai, California, in front of family and friends.

Witherspoon had earlier marked her and Toth's fourth wedding anniversary with a sweet Instagram snap along with a heartfelt message.
A total of 53 militants gave up fighting and surrendered their weapons in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Sunday.

"Today (Sunday) we are welcoming 53 former armed oppositions, including 43 Taliban and 10 fighters of Islamic State. I am calling upon all armed opposition groups to give up fighting," Xinhua news agency quoted a senior official as saying.

The militants were active in Achin, Nazian, Shinwar and Pachir Hagam districts over the past couple of years, the official said.

All the insurgents handed over their weapons to the authorities.

Speaking on the militants' welcoming ceremony, Nangarhar provincial governor Salim Khan Kunduzi promised to provide job opportunities to them.

Over 10,000 Taliban militants have given up fighting and reintegrated with their communities since 2010, according to Afghanistan High Peace Council, the government-backed peace agency.

However, Taliban militants rejected the claim, insisting that no fighter of the group has surrendered.
chief Arup Raha is on a four-day 'goodwill visit' to Israel, an official statement said on Sunday.

The visit of Air Chief Marshal Raha, who is also the chairman of the chiefs of staff committee, is aimed at consolidating the existing robust bilateral military to military cooperation between India and Israel, it said.

During his visit to Israel, he is scheduled to call on Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Israeli Defence Force Chief of General Staff, Lt. Gen. Gadi Eisenkot, Israeli Air Force commander, Maj. Gen. Amir Eshel, and the defence ministry's Directorate for Research and Development (MAFAT) chief Ophir Shoham, it said, adding the meetings will focus on a wide range of issues pertaining to the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries.

Raha would also visit the Israeli Air Force's Flight School, at Hatzerim air base. He would also be updated on the progress of various defence projects being carried forward as joint ventures between the two countries.A

The itinerary also includes a visit to 'Yad Vashem, the memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, and to the 'Memorial of Indian Soldiers' built in commemoration of sacrifice of the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World War I in the liberation of Haifa.

"In recent years, there have been several close and high level contacts at the political and military levels between the two countries. Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha's visit to Israel would further boost bilateral relations between two Air Forces and is likely to provide greater convergence at the operational level," the statement said.
Describing the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand as a "murder of democracy", ousted Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Nabam Tuki on Sunday said the Narendra Modi government is trying to destabilize democratically elected non-BJP governments in the country.

"They have successfully experimented with my democratically elected government in Arunachal. They have succeeded with their dirty political game plan in Uttarakhand. They will surely target other non-BJP governments in other states," Tuki told IANS.

"They are adopting these dirty political game (President's Rule) realizing that people are no longer supporting them after they failed to implement their tall electoral promises," he said.

"The people have outrightly rejected them (BJP) in Bihar. I don't see much that people in Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal and Puducherry would give the BJP a chance to rule after Modi totally failed to deliver 'ache din' (Good days) and for their divisive politics," Tuki said.

Tuki, whose Congress government was dismissed by imposition of President's rule on January 26 after 21 party legislators revolted against him, accused the BJP of disrespecting the constitution.

"They overthrow my government citing breakdown of law and order. Similar steps were adopted against the Harish Rawat-led government in Uttarakhand. Are they following rules outside of the constitution?" he asked.
Airport authorities in Nepal on Sunday evacuated passengers from a Delhi-bound Jet Airways flight at the Kathmandu airport after receiving a threat about a bomb on the plane, officials said.

"We conducted a search in the plane after evacuating all the passengers," said Devendra K.C., spokesperson of the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Nothing was found inside the plane after a thorough search, and officials were now searching the luggage of the passengers.

All national and international flights were cancelled up to 6 p.m., officials said.
Airport authorities in Nepal on Sunday evacuated passengers from a Delhi-bound Jet Airways flight at Kathmandu's Tribhuvan International Airport after receiving a threat about a bomb on the plane, officials said.

"We conducted a search in the plane after evacuating all the passengers," said Devendra K.C., spokesperson for the Civil Aviation Authority of Nepal.

Nothing was found inside the Boeing 737 plane after a thorough search, and officials were now searching the luggage of the passengers.

The plane was scheduled to take off at 4.20 p.m. carrying 169 people, including crew members.

All national and international flights were cancelled up to 6 p.m., officials said.

Deputy Inspector General Madhav Joshi, who is also the spokesperson of Nepal Police, confirmed that airport security officials received information about a bomb on the Delhi-bound flight.

"We evacuated the pasengers and are conducting a search. Passengers were told the flight was delayed due to bad weather. The flight was put on hold and a search is going on," he said.

Defence analyst and retired army officer Major General Ashok Mehta, who was to take the flight, told IANS: "We have not been told anything about the flight delay. We heard rumors about a bomb being planted. Officials are searching the plane."

Security was beefed up at airport after the threat.

The plane was kept in an isolation bay and searched by a bomb disposal squad of the Nepal Army.

Officials said someone made a phone call at the Jet Airways office in New Delhi and informed airline officials that a bomb has been planted on the Delhi-bound plane.

The information was immediately relayed to Kathmandu, and all inbound and outbound flights at the airport were suspended temporarily following the bomb scare.

Nick Talbot, a passenger and mountain climber, tweeted: "We are only plane to land in fog in Kathmandu and being held in a secure zone without hand luggage, apparently we are a security risk!"

"Airport closed as apparently someone reported a bomb on our plane. Yes now lined up on runway," he posted later.

(Anil Giri can be contacted at girianil@gmail.com)
A large Lutheran church in Ylivieska, northern Finland, was destroyed in a fire lit apparently on purpose.

Police detained a local man born in the 1980s, who has initially confessed, Xinhua quoted police as saying. There were no fatalities.

Built in 1786, the Ylivieska church represented tall Finnish wood church architecture. It could seat 700 people. Nothing could be salvaged, vicar Timo Maatta said.

The church had wall paintings by Swedish artist Thomas Kiempe from the 1780s and Sigurd Wettenhovi-Aspa from 1892.

Saturday's fire in Ylivieska culminated in the crash of the tall steeple. Locals spread photos of the scene on social media.

The fire occurred some hours before a scheduled Easter night vigil. After the church was destroyed, around 500 people attended an outside ceremony near the ruins, which was presided over by Oulu Lutheran bishop Samuli Salmi.

Finnish Minister of Education and Culture Sanni Grahn-Laasonen issued a statement deploring the loss of "centuries of local culture".

Church arson is relatively frequent in Finland. In 2006, a young man caused a fire that destroyed the Cathedral of Porvoo, the site of the declaration of Finnish autonomy by Czar Alexander of Russia.
Profits of China's major industrial firms rose 4.8 percent year on year in the first two months of 2016, reversing the downward trend of last year, official data showed on Sunday.

Profits at industrial companies with annual revenues of more than 20 million yuan (about $3.1 million) totalled at 780.7 billion yuan in the January-February period, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said.

The profits registered a 4.7 percent year-on-year fall in December and a 2.3 percent annual decrease in 2015, Xinhua news agency reported.

He Ping, an official with the NBS Department of Industry, attributed the latest profit growth to increased sales and a milder decline in factory product prices.

In the first two months, revenues from the firms' primary business climbed 1 percent year on year, improving from a 0.6 percent drop in December 2015 and a 0.8 percent increase for last year.

In the January-February period, China's producer price index, which measures prices of goods at factory gate, slipped 5.1 percent year on year, narrowing from a drop of 5.9 percent in December and 5.2 percent for 2015.

Despite the recovery, part of the industrial profit growth was a result of the lower base in the same period of last year, He noted.

Industrial profits dipped 4.2 percent year on year in the Jan.-Feb. period of 2015, NBS data showed.

Compared with the same period of 2014, the Jan.-Feb. industrial profits of this year only inched up 0.4 percent, He added.
Bernie Sanders swept to resounding victories in Democratic presidential nomination contests in the Western caucus states of Washington and Alaska, but failed to shake Hillary Clinton's frontrunner status.

Hawaii is also holding caucuses Saturday as well, but results are expected after midnight here.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed West," Sanders said at a jubilant rally before 8,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin -- a state that will hold the next major contest in 10 days. "We have a path toward victory."

Clinton has built up her delegate lead on the back of a strong run in the South, but Sanders argued Saturday that the map now offers more opportunities for his campaign because his wins are being powered by huge turnout among younger voters.

"With your help we're going to win right here in Wisconsin," he said. "So don't let anyone tell you we can't win the nomination, or win the general election. We're going to do both of those things."

But even with his big victories on Saturday, Sanders faces steep hurdles in catching Clinton in the delegate count.

While Washington had 101 delegates up for grabs, Hawaii and Alaska were relatively small prizes -- with just 25 and 16 delegates at stake respectively.

With over 90 percent votes counted, Sanders held a wide lead over Clinton in Washington, 72 percent to 28 percent and 80 percent to 20 percent in Alaska.

As delegates are distributed proportionally in Democratic contests, Sanders is likely to get more than three fourths of the delegates in the two states.

Clinton did not address the results publicly on Saturday, but her campaign sought to raise money off her losses in Saturday's contests, portraying them as a warning to donors, according to CNN.

The size of Sanders's margins on Saturday served as a warning shot to Clinton, allowing him to make the argument at his rally in Madison that he was "making significant inroads" into Clinton's delegate lead, CNN said.

In Hawaii, Sanders is backed by the first Hindu-American member of the US House Tulsi Gabbard, who broke with Democratic Party leadership to show her support for Sanders.

In an emotional Sanders campaign ad featuring Gabbard, who served a 12-month tour in Iraq, she talks about the importance of Sanders's vote against the Iraq War.

"The American people are not looking to settle for inches," Gabbard says in the ad. "They're looking for real change."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
Hillary Clinton felt the 'Bern' as rival Bernie Sanders swept all three Democratic presidential nomination contests, giving the frontrunner a warning that the race for the party's nomination is far from over.

The self-styled Democratic Socialist dominated the Pacific Northwest on Saturday, routing Clinton in Washington state by 72.3 percent to 27.5 percent, smoked her in Alaska by 80.7 percent to 19.3 percent and won in Hawaii by 70.6 percent to 29.2 percent.

While Washington had 101 delegates up for grabs, Hawaii and Alaska were relatively small prizes -- with just 25 and 16 delegates at stake respectively.

As all three states allocate delegates proportionately, Sanders would likely corner three fourths of them.

Sanders called the results of the Western caucuses a "resounding" win and proclaimed his campaign has a "path toward victory".

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed West," Sanders said at a jubilant rally before 8,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin -- a state that will hold the next major contest in 10 days. "We have a path toward victory."

But as of Saturday evening, Clinton was maintaining a 278-delegate lead over Sanders and a 469-to-29 advantage among super delegates, party officials and functionaries who are free to vote for any candidates.

Clinton did not address the results publicly and tweeted on Saturday: "We need serious leadership, shouting and chest-beating are not a strategy."

Sanders in a speech in Wisconsin criticised Republican rivals Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for "spending time attacking each other's wives".

"How crazy is that?" he said. "The reason we are doing well is because we are talking about the real issues facing America and we're telling the truth."

Sanders added that the one issue on which he and Clinton agree is that "no Republican should make it to the Oval Office."

In Hawaii, Sanders was backed by the first Hindu-American member of the US House Tulsi Gabbard, who broke with the Democratic Party leadership to show her support for Sanders.

An emotional Sanders campaign ad featuring Gabbard, who served a 12-month tour in Iraq, said: "The American people are not looking to settle for inches. They're looking for real change."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
Former West Bengal minister and Congress candidate Manas Bhuniya on Sunday accused Trinamool Congress goons of trying to kill him during an attack on a party procession in West Bengal's West Midnapore district.

Campaigning for the assembly polls in his constituency Sabang, Bhuniya claimed the attack was a "conspiracy" by the Trinamool and police to kill him.

"A Trinamool rowdy, by the name of Sadhan Mondal repeatedly attacked our people. Armed with weapons, Trinamool goons attacked our procession. At least 10 of our people have been seriously injured," he said.

The former state irrigation minister subsequently staged a demonstration outside the Sabang police station accusing police of being hand in glove with the attackers.

"Defying the orders of the higher police and administrative officers and even the Election Commission, the officer-in-charge here, joined hands with the Trinamool to get me killed," added Bhunia, an ex-state Congress president.
The Congress on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, saying the move was a "naked negation of the Constitutional norms".

"The governor had asked the Congress government to prove its majority on March 28. What, then, is the justification for imposition of President's Rule 24 hours before the floor test to prove majority? It shows complete lack of respect for the constitution on part of the prime minister," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters here.

"The Supreme Court has categorically held that once a floor test has been ordered, the governor cannot recommend President's Rule based on his subjective satisfaction," he said.

Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal challenged the authenticity of the sting operation which has been made a reference point by the central government in disposing the Harish Rawat government.

"Which constitutional breakdown has taken place in Uttarakhand, they are talking about? Has any riots taken place in Uttarakhand? Will the cabinet decide about the authenticity of a sting operation now?

"Thousands of sting operations have happened in Madhya Pradesh. What about them?" asked Sibal, insisting that the move reflected "an unprecedented arrogance of power and position on part of the prime minister".

Earlier in the day, President Pranab Mukherjee approved the decision of the union cabinet to impose central rule in Uttarakhand on grounds of instability and breakdown in law and order situation in the state.

The cabinet recommended the central rule on Saturday night after an hour-long meeting chaired by Modi. With this, the Uttarakhand assembly was placed under suspended animation.
Hitting out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the CPI-M on Sunday accused the BJP of shielding West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and her Trinamool Congress in the Saradha scam and the recent bribery scandal.

Referring to a sting operation by Narada News where several Trinamool leaders were purportedly caught accepting bribe, Communist Party of India-Marxist's (CPI-M) West Bengal secretary Surjya Kanta Mishra wondered why Modi wasn't sending the footage to the Rajya Sabha ethics committee.

On a day when Modi campaigned in Kharagpur of West Midnapore district for the West Bengal assembly polls, Mishra in a series of tweets, hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Trinamool for forging a tacit understanding.

"Who is stopping the prime minister to send the Narada sting to the Rajya Sabha ethics committee? PM's party is trying to shield Trinamool, that's evident & clear. Setting," said Mishra.

"Why the CBI slowed down Saradha investigation? Who protected West Bengal chief minister and top TMC leaders? PM is silent in election meeting in Bengal.

"Why the influential ones behind the Saradha cam could not be identified even in two years? Is the BJP-TMC match fixing the reason? The PM must answer," said Mishra referring to the multi-crore chit fund scam in which several of Trinamool leaders were interrogated/arrested for their alleged complicity.

With Modi in his address calling the people of Bengal to vote for BJP, Mishra asserted: "Let killers of Gandhi & worshippers of Godse be busy in establishing busts of Nathuram!! Bengal vows not to let an inch of it to them."

He also sought to know the outcome of National Investigation Agency (NIA) probe in the Khagragarh blast in Burdwan district in which Bangladeshi militant outfit was found to be involved.

"Why did it take 7 days to order a NIA probe into d Khagragarh blasts? What is the Aoutcome of d NIA probe? The PM should answer," he posted.
Christians in Kerala on Sunday celebrated Easter in all its splendour with a bit of everything -- prayers, good food and drinks.

From early morning, most homes saw activity as people got ready to go to their churches for the Easter mass.

The parish vicars handed over a piece of cake to the believers, and in some churches, a sip of wine, signalling the end of the 50-day Lent, when the most devout Christians turn vegetarian.

The Easter breakfast had delicious items like appam (pancake made of rice flour mixed with toddy), chicken stew, beef roast, duck dishes, steamed bananas, egg roast and cake.

After the meal, most people rested awhile as for the past one week, prayers in churches were generally held either early in the morning or at night.

In many homes, the Easter lunch on Sunday had the conventional rice dishes accompanied by various curries and non-vegetarian items like fish and meat.

Many people had steaming hot biriyani.

For many people, Easter is never complete without a drink.

"We returned from church around 6 a.m. and had a drink. We then had our breakfast and soon went to bed. Got up around noon, had another round of drinks and had lunch. We will have another round and this year's Easter comes to a close with dinner," said K.J. Abraham, who has come for a short vacation from Kuwait.

According to the latest census report, of the 33.4 million population of Kerala, there are 61.41 lakh Christians. Of this, Catholics account for over 50 percent.
The Egyptian army killed 19 militants south of Sheikh Zuweid city in the restive North Sinai province on Saturday, the state-run Al-Ahram news website reported.

The security forces also arrested six terrorist suspects and destroyed 23 hideouts, 27 vehicles, two digging loaders and two motorbikes, Al-Ahram quoted security sources as saying.

On Friday, similar security operations killed 60 militants and wounded 40 others in Sheikh Zuweid and Rafah, according to a statement by the military spokesman.

Increasing terror attacks have killed hundreds of policemen and soldiers nationwide since the military overthrew the former Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in July 2013.

Last week, a mortar attack on a security checkpoint in North Sinai's Arish city killed 15 policemen.

Most of the anti-government attacks were claimed by a Sinai-based militant group calling itself "Sinai State" which vows its loyalty to the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria.
Around 20 people were killed when a powerful explosion devastated one of the main gates of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park here on Sunday evening, officials said.

The deafening explosion -- apparently caused by a suicide bomber -- hit gate no.1 around 6.30 p.m. when the park was teeming with families, specially women and children, dazed witnesses said.

More than 100 people were injured and rushed to hospitals, where many of them were said to be in critical condition, The Nation and Dawn newspapers said.

Witnesses were quoted as saying that there were pools of blood and scattered body parts in the park.

Rescuers, including police, and more than 20 ambulances rushed to the park and began ferrying the wounded.

ARY News said 5-6 kg of explosives may have been used in the explosion, which was heard in a large part of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

Samaa News said the explosion took place inside the parking stand located near the main gate of the park.

Some reports said the bomb might have been fixed on a parked motorbike.

Xinhua said the injured were shifted to Sheikh Zaid hospital where several of them were said to be in critical condition.

An emergency was declared in all government hospitals in Lahore. Police cordoned off the park.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack.
The government is seeking to reduce its stake in IDBI Bank to less than 50 percent as a test case owing to the institution's peculiar employee profile, said a leader of the trade union that is calling for a four-day strike in the bank.

"The reason for central government to take up IDBI Bank first to dilute its holding to less than 50 percent could be two. Firstly, the bank has more number of officers than clerks unlike in other nationalised banks," Amara Venkata Vithal Koteswara Rao, general secretary, All India IDBI Officers' Association (AIIDBIOA), told IANS on Sunday.

"The other reason is that the bank falls under the IDBI Repeal Act -- or Industrial Development Bank (Transfer of Undertaking and Repeal) Act, 2003 -- and not the law under which the private banks were nationalised in 1969," he added.

Rao is the convenor for United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions (UPIDU) that has called for a four-day strike from March 28 to 31 in IDBI Bank.

The UPIDU consists of AIIDBIOA and IDBI Employees Association-Eastern Zone.

The four-day strike should mean that the IDBI Bank would be shut for nine days from March 24 to April 1. March 24 was Holi, March 25 was Good Friday, March 26 being fourth Saturday was a closed day, and April 1 being the beginning of the new financial year is a closed day too.

Rao, however, said it would not be an unbroken nine-day off because the bank was open on March 26.

"There is no closure of bank for nine consecutive days. We had worked on March 26, which was the fourth Saturday of this month. Normally second and fourth Saturdays are bank holidays."

Though the IDBI Bank has far more number of officers as compared to clerical and other cadres, they cannot remain silent when the survival of the bank and its employees are threatened, Rao said.

"Many people have joined IDBI Bank recently, leaving their jobs in other nationalised banks," Rao said.

Earlier, All India Bank Employees Association (AIBEA) clarified that it has called for only a day's strike in IDBI Bank - i.e. on Monday.

Employees of only IDBI Bank would strike work to protest the government's proposal to reduce its equity in the bank to less than 50 per cent, AIBEA said.

Rao acknowledged that AIBEA -- as well as All India Bank Officers Association (AIBOA) -- has called for only a day's strike on Monday while United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions has called for a four-day strike.

"There is no conflict with AIBEA and AIBOA, nor is there any split in the IDBI Bank officers association," Rao said.

"We will change our agitation programme if there is positive news from the government side," Rao added.

According to him, the union is reaching out to all its members to make the strike a total success.
Iran has sold 14 million barrels of crude oil to European countries since the international sanctions were lifted in January, authorities said on Sunday.

According to Shana, the Iranian Petro Energy Information Network, the purchases, which are seeking to overcome existing financial, legal and logistical obstacles, have been led by France's Total, Spain's Cepsa and Russia's Litasco, EFE news reported.

The French oil company has bought 11 million barrels, while the Spanish and Russian ones have bought 2 million and 1 million barrels respectively.

Before imposing sanctions on Iran over its nuclear programme, Europe -- particularly the southern Mediterranean countries such as Greece, Italy and Spain -- used to import around 800,000 crude barrels from the Islamic Republic daily.

During this period, Iran exported about 2 million barrels of oil a day, most of them to Asian countries.

In the past two months, Iran has increased its exports to reach 2.2 million barrels per day.
Iran will respond to sanctions imposed on the country by the US for its ballistic missile programme by "further boosting" its missile power, Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif said.

"We will respond to recent US measures against Iran's missile programme by further boosting our missile power," the minister said, adding that there are no limits to Tehran's missile programme "because this programme has nothing to do with nuclear weapons".

On Thursday, the US announced economic sanctions against two Iranian companies for supporting Iran's ballistic missile programme, EFE news reported.

These sanctions were imposed after Iran test-fired several long-range ballistic missiles earlier this month, which the US said could violate UN resolutions on Iran.

These resolutions forbid Iran from developing missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, including ballistic missiles.

However, Tehran claims its weapons are not designed to carry warheads and only seek to boost the country's deterrent and defencive power.

These new sanctions, as well as the debate on the Iranian missile programme, are beyond the scope of the agreement signed between the Asian country and Group 5+1 (the US, France, Russia, China, Britain and Germany) that saw international sanctions on the nation lifted in January.

Zarif said the US is legally bound to respect the Comprehensive Plan of Joint Action, reached between Iran and the six world powers in July 2015, and that it should comply with its obligations in practice, irrespective of who is in power.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu softened his stance on Sunday against a soldier accused of killing a Palestinian attacker at point blank while lying wounded on the ground.

Netanyahu said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) "maintain high ethical values" and rejected those who challenge "the IDF's morality", at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Xinhua news agency cited a statement from his office as saying.

"Any challenge to the morality of the IDF is outrageous and unacceptable," Netanyahu said.

He also said that the soldiers were dealing with "bloodthirsty murderers", talking about Palestinian attackers, and added that the military's investigation of the incident should take into account the "difficult operational conditions" the soldiers faced.

"I am certain that... the inquiry takes into account all conditions. We must all support the IDF and our soldiers who safeguard our security," Netanyahu said.

On Thursday, a volunteer for the B'tselem organisation, an Israeli organisation advocating for human rights in the occupied territories, captured footage of a soldier shooting a Palestinian attacker in the head after an attack in Hebron.

The graphic footage showed that the soldier shooting the Palestinian at point blank while he was lying on the ground injured and was unarmed.

The IDF has suspended the soldier and said he would be facing murder charges amid a military police investigation.

It took place shortly after two Palestinian attackers stabbed an Israeli soldier and injured him lightly. Soldiers at the scene shot them, according to the IDF. The two died eventually.

Back on Thursday, Netanyahu said that this event does not reflect on the ethical stance of the IDF, but he had since slightly altered his position, amid voices of right-wingers who defended the soldier.

Netanyahu also said on Saturday that the soldiers who find themselves in "murderous terror attacks" deserve support.

The soldier's family and supporters claimed over the weekend that the soldier feared the attacker had an explosive device on him.

Furthermore, the soldier won the support of Israeli right-wing ministers like nationalist Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who said the claims against the soldier are "absurd" as "we are at war".

A total of 28 Israelis have been killed in a wave of violence which started in October, in shooting, stabbing and car-ramming attacks.

Nearly 190 Palestinians were killed during the period, some during clashes in protests with Israeli security forces, while many others were gunned down at scenes of attack after allegedly carrying, or trying to carry out, attacks against Israelis.

Israel faced criticism from human rights groups, the Palestinians, Europe and the US for shooting and killing Palestinian attackers even though they no longer posed a threat at the scenes of the attacks.

Recently, Israeli officials locked horns with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, who called to investigate Israel's "extra-judicial" killings of Palestinian attackers.

Israeli officials in response said she is "biased" against Israel and "anti-Semitic."

Israeli leaders say the reason for the wave of unrest is the Palestinian Authority's incitement to violence, whereas the Palestinians say it is the result of frustration amid 49 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, where they wish to establish a Palestinian state.
He may be a political greenhorn pitted against battle-hardened adversaries, but Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose's grand nephew Chandra Kumar Bose is hopeful of emerging as the David slaying the political Goliath as he aspires to uphold the revolutionary leader's ideals of nationalism in mainstream politics.



Taking on the might of Trinamool Congress supremo and West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from her stronghold South Kolkata's Bhowanipore in the assembly polls, the Netaji scion and BJP candidate asserts it is not a clash of personalities - rather a fight for development against neglect.

While the electoral arrangement between the Congress and the CPI (M) led Left Front may have created a buzz in the political circles, Bose counts out the LF-backed Congress nominee and former union minister Deepa Dasmunsi from the race.

"The unholy tie-up will prove futile. It's a two-way fight," Bose told IANS in an interview, dismissing the Congress-Left adjustment.

Bose, who joined the saffron party earlier this year, says the electoral contest has given him a great opportunity to be a worthy soldier of the BJP.

"It is always better to fight against someone who has established herself rather than fighting a non-entity. It's not a clash of personalities, rather a fight between the BJP's agenda of development and the Trinamool's misgovernance and neglect," the 55-year-old Bose said when asked about being up against the formidable Mamata Banerjee.

"From industry to law and order, from health to education, there is complete anarchy and the state is steadily heading towards destruction," he said, while going door-to-door and interacting with the voters.

One of the state's most cosmopolitan constituencies - home to sizeable number of Gujaratis, Sikhs, Biharis, Marwaris and various other communities living alongside Bengalis - Bhowanipore has over 200,000 voters.

But Bose said even Bhowanipore, despite being the chief minister's constituency and housing her residence, lacked many basic amenities.

"It is one of the first places in the city to get submerged during the monsoon. Only cosmetic changes have been made, but nothing has been done to improve the drainage system."

Drawn to the BJP by "country's foremost nationalist leader" Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Bose's aspiration behind taking the political plunge is to "establish Netaji's ideal of nationalism in mainstream politics".

Defending his decision to join the BJP instead of the All India Forward Bloc founded by Netaji, Bose said: "The irony is the Congress and the Left parties, who have successfully obliterated Netaji's ideals and beliefs, are now pointing figures at the BJP. The most communal party in the country is the Congress which has been instrumental in numerous communal riots since independence.

"And the most unfortunate thing is the All India Forward Bloc preferred to join hands with the Left, forgoing Netaji's principles," says the grandson of Netaji's elder brother, Sarat Chandra Bose.

Having actively campaigned for the de-classification of secret government files on Netaji, Bose refuses to give any credit to Banerjee for making public 64 classified files last September, nearly four months ahead of the centre coming out with 100 such secret files on January 23.

"She chose to make them public only when the assembly polls were not far away. This is nothing but an attempt to derive political mileage."

"On the other hand, it took Modi just over a year to declassify the secret files which contain far more critical information. Not only that, his government has been constantly endeavouring to get foreign governments, including Russia and Britain, to declassify files in their possession," said Bose, claiming the centre has already handed over at least 700 more classified documents to the National Archives of India which will come in the public domain shortly.

Having worked nearly two decades as a management consultant with a global enterprise and a voluntary human rights activist, the London-educated Bose affirmed his experience of dealing with the masses would help him at the hustings.

"Our ancestral house has been in Bhowanipore, so I know the people, realise their problems and their aspirations," he said refering to Netaji Bhavan located in the area.

Bose claimed his newcomer tag would also work to his advantage.

"Often politicians make tall promises and then forget. And I, being a non-political persona, people will give me their support," added Bose who has been holding marches, and urging the people "to hand over the state's baton to the BJP".
Italian police arrested an Algerian man suspected of being involved in the deadly attacks in Paris and Brussels, the media reported.

Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested in Bellizzi, a town in the costal province Salerno in Italy, on suspicion of producing fake documents that might be used by extremists related to the attacks in Paris and Brussels, Xinhua reported on Sunday.

As Italian police revealed, Belgium authorities issued the European arrest warrant against Ouali, on the charge of participation in a criminal organisation by making fake documents and abetment of irregular immigration.

According to investigators, the name of the man has appeared in October 2015 when authorities in Brussels seized near 1,000 of photos of fake identity documents.
on Sunday started daily non-stop services from Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto to its new European gateway in Amsterdam.

In a release here, said the three flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on schedule.

Ahead of the departure of the first flights to Amsterdam, a multi-faith ceremony with lamp lighting was performed at both Mumbai and Delhi airports, it said.

The Netherlands Ambassador to India Alphonsus Stoelinga was present on the occasion at Delhi airport, while the Netherlands Consul General Geoffrey van Leeuwen was among those at the event at Mumbai airport, it added.

"Today (Sunday) marks the start of our new service connecting three continents, together with our code share partners KLM and Delta Air Lines," Chairman Naresh Goyal said in the statement.

"We are happy to operate daily flights to Amsterdam from Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto, thereby providing greater choice and connectivity to our guests and facilitating trade and co-operation between India and the Netherlands.

"Through Amsterdam our new European gateway and along with our codeshare partners, we will now offer seamless connectivity to over 30 destinations in Europe and 11 destinations in the United States and Canada to our guests," he added.

The relocation of the Indian carrier's European gateway from Brussels has taken place even as the airport at the Belgian capital was the target of suicide bomb attacks last Tuesday that killed over 10 people and injured many, including two Jet Airways staffers.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif after the Lahore park blast that killed at least 65, and expressed his condolences.

"PM Narendra Modi called Pakistan PM Nawaz Sharif to express his deep condolences at the terrorist attack in #Lahore," Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Vikas Swarup tweeted.

Terming the attack as cowardly for targeting women and children, Modi underlined the need for 'uncompromising efforts' to fight terror.

"During the conversation, PM Narendra Modi underlined the need for uncompromising efforts to fight against terrorism."

At least 69 people were killed and over 250 injured, mostly women and children, when a powerful blast ripped through a public park in Lahore where Christian families were celebrating Easter on Sunday.
A powerful blast ripped through a public park in Lahore where Christian families were celebrating Easter on Sunday, killing 65 people and wounding over 250, mostly women and children.

The blast, apparently caused by a suicide bomber, occurred in a parking lot at Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, one of the largest parks in Lahore, the capital of Punjab province, said Haider Ashraf, a senior police official here.

"Some 65-70 people have been killed, included women and children, and over 250 were injured," an Edhi spokesperson told IANS.

The splinter group Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a faction of the Pakistani Taliban, claimed responsibility for the attack and said it deliberately targeted Christians on Easter Sunday.

"We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter," a spokesperson for the terrorist group was quoted by the Telegraph as saying.

"It was part of our annual martyrdom attacks we have started this year," he said and warned that more attacks would follow.

"We had been waiting for this occasion... we want to convey... to the prime minister that we we have arrived in Punjab and we will reach you," it added.

The 67-acre park is frequented both by residents and visitors to the city, and is popular with families. It has walking paths as well as rides for children.

"It was a soft target. Innocent women and children and visitors from other cities have been targeted," Ashraf said. "Apparently, it seems like a suicide attack."

The explosion coincided with violence in other parts of the country as hundreds of protesters took to the streets to condemn the February 29 execution of Mumtaz Qadri, who had killed Salman Taseer, a governor who campaigned for changes in the country's blasphemy laws, in January 2011.

Sunday was the 40th day since Qadri's execution, a mourning observance called 'chehlum' in Pakistan, and drew his supporters into the streets of a number of cities, including Rawalpindi, one of the country's largest urban areas.

Taseer had tried to soften the blasphemy laws, which he said had been used to persecute religious minorities. But to many in Pakistan, the idea of altering the blasphemy laws was itself criminal, and to his supporters Qadri has become a revered figure.

Protesters clashed throughout the day with police in Islamabad, marching on the main avenues of the city and trying to force their way into the Red Zone, a high-security area that includes the parliament building, the Supreme Court and many diplomatic missions.

Police used tear gas to disperse the protesters, but appeared to be overwhelmed by their numbers. The protesters said they planned to hold a sit-in on Sunday night in front of the parliament building. Army was called in to secure government buildings.

A state of emergency was imposed on hospitals in Lahore after the blast. Television footage showed rescue workers and ambulances rushing to the park and ferrying victims to hospitals.

Distraught relatives milled about in hospital corridors as the wounded were treated.

"There was no prior intelligence report about the attack," Muhammad Usman, the district coordination officer in Lahore, told reporters.

Usman rebutted some reports that Christians were targeted in the blast. "The park belongs to all," he was quoted as saying.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif announced a three-day mourning in the province.

India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif and expressed his grief over the blast.

"The coward terrorists attacked children and women," Modi said.

"It's condemnable to attack innocent children and women. We are with the Pakistani nation at the time of this grief movement," Express News quoted Modi as saying.

"Heard about the blast in Lahore. I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased & prayers with the injured: PM," Modi tweeted from his PMO India account.

Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaaf leader Imran Khan strongly condemned the blast. "Strongly condemn the terror attack in Lahore in which our innocent citizens including women & children lost their lives."

The US condemned as "cowardly" the suicide attack, vowing to work with Pakistan to defeat those sowing terror in the country.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms today's appalling terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan," National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a White House statement.

British Prime Minister David Cameron also expressed shock over the deadly attack and expressed his desire to give all possible support in the hour of grief.

"I'm shocked by the terrorist attack in Lahore. My thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims. We will do what we can to help," Cameron tweeted.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province but has traditionally been more peaceful than other parts of Pakistan.
Mahakaleshwar temple here, one of the 12 most venerated shrines of Lord Shiva in India, has ramped up by four to five times its production of sweets used as 'prasad' to cater to the rush of devotees ahead of Simhasth Kumbh.

The Simhasth Kumbh pilgrimage is expected to witness the arrival of about five crore (50 million) people in Ujjain over April 22-May 21 in one of the largest spiritual congregations anywhere in the world.

Visit to the Mahakaleshwar temple by a pilgrim is considered a must after a dip in the Shipra river at the Simhasth Kumbh.

On a routine day, the temple produces about 1,000 packets of 'laddu' to be used as an offering to Lord Shiva, says Priti Chauhan, the temple's assistant administrator.

That has already been increased to 4,000 to 5,000 packets weighing from 200 gm to one kg, she said.

The stepped up production anticipates the increase in daily arrival of pilgrims ahead of and during the Simhasth Kumbh, she said.

The capacity will further be increased as the need arises, she added.

'Prasad' is a devotional offering made to a god, typically consisting of food that is later shared among devotees.

In making its laddu, the Mahakaleshwar temple administration uses besan (gram flour), rava (a coarser wheat flour), ghee (clarified butter), cashew nuts, raisins, sugar and cardamom.
Firing on all cylinders, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday dubbed West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee as a "Shahenshah", raised the sting operation that showed a number of Trinamool Congress leaders allegedly accepting bundles of cash and called the Congress-Left Front poll adjustment a challenge to Bengali pride and wisdom.

Modi held responsible the 34 years of Left Front rule followed by the five-year Trinamool regime for "ruining Bengal" and urged the people to give one opportunity to the Bharatiya Janata Party to turn the state around and take it to heights of development.

Addressing his maiden election rally in the state ahead of the assembly polls, the prime minister said that while the industrial scene was bleak, bomb-making factories thrived in villages, with the Banerjee government giving a free run to the criminals in exchange for the miscreants ensuring votes for the ruling party during elections.

He launched a direct attack on Banerjee, saying she no more cared for the state.

"Five years back, I had been hearing of 'poriborton' (change). I also thought change will come (in West Bengal). Change did come, but it came in didi's (elder sister - as Banerjee is affectionately called), nature, her motives, her manner of work. But Bengal did not experience any change.

"As an opposition leader, she used to fight on the streets. But that Mamata didi changed so much that she does not care for anybody. She has become a shahenshah. Such a change is not desirable in democracy," Modi said, addressing a huge turnout in this town in West Midnapore district.

Modi also came down heavily on the Banerjee-led Trinamool by referring to the Saradha chit fund scam and the purported sting operation carried out by the Narada News portal that showed several Trinamool leaders, including former unions ministers, current state ministers, MPs allegedly taking money.

Asking the people whether they had brought the Trinamool Congress to power in 2011 to see them go neck deep in corruption, the prime minister said: "First, there was Saradha, now Narada. In Narada, the entire leadership (some even said) when will you give the next instalment?"

"Did you want such a poriborton? That they will take bundles of notes before the camera?"

"This is your money, this is the money of the janta janardan (people), which has been looted, and is now been distributed."

Drawing a contrast with the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance government at the centre, Modi said: "I am also in power in Delhi for almost two years. But has there been even one spot on us? Has there been even one rupee of graft?"

Modi asserted that he would rather prefer to go hungry than "steal from people's pockets".

Turning to the poll adjustment between the Congress and the Left Front, the prime minister said: "The Congress and the Communists have challenged Bengalis' wisdom. Bengalis will not pardon them."

He said that while the Congress and the Communists were fighting one another in Kerala, they joined hands in Bengal.

"Kerala me kushti, or Bengal me dosti (they wrestle in Kerala, but are friends in Bengal). Is it not an insult to Bengali pride?" asked Modi.

The prime minister alleged that the Left Front and the Communists were trying to keep their relations "behind the curtains" in Bengal, and said that if these parties had the guts "they should have openly said they are opportunists, who are only interested in capturing power, and not bothered about Kerala or Bengal".

Modi said the Congress, Left Front and Trinamool were united in their opposition to the BJP.

"We have not yet reached the Bengal assembly, but they are already afraid of us. Did the Left and the Congress launch any movement against didi? Only BJP did, and so our workers were beaten, killed, jailed."

Modi said there was a time when Bengal was the leader in industrialisation. "But while the Left Front broke the back of the industries, Banerjee has sent the state to the grave in this respect".
A mentally challenged man was beaten to death by a mob in Bihar's Purnea district on Sunday after he stabbed to death an old man, police said.

The attacker, in his mid-30s, was lynched at Jiyanganj area, about 350 km from here.

"The mob attacked and beat to death the mentally challenged man after he stabbed to death an old man following heated exchange of words," said a district police official.
An effigy of US Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump was set on fire along with other figures during a traditional Easter celebration in Mexico, the media reported on Sunday.

The over three-metre-tall effigy, sporting the distinct blonde toupee, blue suit and white shirt of the presidential hopeful, who branded Mexican immigrants in the US as criminals and drug-traffickers, was burnt on Saturday night during "Burning the Judas" celebrations in Mexico City, EFE news reported.

The figure, fashioned out of brown paper, newspaper, paint and thread, burst into flames before exploding amid loud cheers.

The spectacle was part of Easter weekend celebrations during which Mexicans burn figures of devils and even the popular faces of politicians to ward off evil spirits, and in the memory of Judas, the apostle who betrayed Jesus Christ.

This year, other effigies included US and Mexican presidents Barack Obama and Enrique Pena Nieto as well as a figure carrying an Islamic State banner.
While going all guns blazing against the Trinamool Congress as well as the Left Front, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on his maiden campaign for the West Bengal assembly polls, stopped his speech midway following azaan (Islamic call to prayer) from a nearby mosque.

Canvassing for BJP candidates at the BNR Ground here in West Midnapore district, Modi halted his speech as soon as the sound of azaan was heard and waited patiently for its completion.

Even as thousands of people who had gathered there egged him to continue, Modi gestured with his hands signalling them to calm down.

"Excuse me, azaan was on. Because of me, there should not be any problem to anyone's worshiping, so I paused for a few minutes," Modi said, before resuming his speech where he castigated the Communists and the Mamata Banerjee-led Trinamool for destroying Bengal.

Earlier in November 2014, BJP president Amit Shah had taken a similar pause during his address in Kolkata.
At least 67 people were killed and over 300 others injured in a deadly suicide explosion near the crowded and popular Gulshan-e-Iqbal park here on Sunday, rescue and security officials said.

"Some 65-70 people have been killed, included women and children, and over 250 were injured," an Edhi spokesperson told IANS.

Superintendent of Police Muhammad Iqbal of Iqbal Town area, where the park is located, confirmed it was a suicide attack.

Many of the injured were in critical condition in various hospitals which frantically appealed to Lahore residents to donate blood.

The deafening explosion took place around 6.30 p.m. when the park was teeming with families, especially women and children, enjoying the Sunday and Easter holiday.

Police officials said the blast occurred only a few metres from the children's swings.

Media reports quoted witnesses as saying that body parts were strewn everywhere.

Daily Pakistan said the park was packed when the attack took place. "There were body parts everywhere," the Dawn quoted a witness as saying.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Usman also confirmed that it was a suicide attack and said that ball bearings used in the explosive had been found at the parking lot.

Police rescuers and over 20 ambulances ambulances raced to the park, which is crowded every weekend, and ferried the injured to hospitals.

Others who survived the explosion helped to take the injured to hospitals in taxis and and rickshaws.

Pakistan Army troops have been deployed as the park and surrounding area has been cordoned off by the security forces.

The first international reaction came from India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi denounced the deadly blast.

"I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased and prayers with the injured: PM," Modi tweeted.

In Pakistan, shocked leaders condemned the brutal terror. They included President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of Punjab.

ARY News said 5-6 kg of explosives may have been used in the explosion, which was heard in a large part of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

An emergency was declared in all government hospitals in Lahore. While police cordoned off the park, troops were also rushed to the site to help the civilian authorities.
The Nepal Army chief, General Rajendra Chhetri left on a week-long visit of China on Sunday, the day Prime Minister K.P. Sharma Oli returns from his official tour of the neighbouring country.

This is Chhetri's second foreign visit since September last year when he was appointed the chief of the army staff.

One of his mandates has been to strengthen military ties with Nepal's powerful northern neighbour.

China would increase slots of military training for the Nepal Army, said a statement from the Nepal Army.

General Chhetri's visit to China is taking place exactly two months after his trip to India, where he was conferred with the honorary rank of general of the Indian Army.

According to Nepal Army spokesperson Tara Bahadur Karki, the visit is aimed purely at strengthening the relations between the national defence forces of the two neighbouring countries. No long-term deal is on the cards, he said.

Since the abolition of century-old monarchy in Nepal, China is looking for political stability in Nepal to anchor its relations with its smaller neighbour.

Pro Shree Dhar Khatrai, an expert in international relations, says that China is still seeking a stable political force in Nepal and in that respect it had tried to establish relations with Maoists in the past and with the Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist-Leninist) later.

Since the abolition of monarchy in Nepal, China has actively started interacting with thearmy, other security agencies, bureaucracy, media, civil society, political parties and parliamentarians.

Chhetri's predecessor General Gaurav Shumsher Rana had in July 2013 signed a deal with his Chinese counterpart Fang Fenghui as part of which the northern neighbour provided military equipment worth around 50 million RMB (Rs.821 million) to the Nepal Army.

Two mobile military hospitals were also provided to the Nepal Army.

Karki said the Chinese government has already handed over two hospitals which were used in the aftermath of the devastating earthquakes in April and May last year.

The Nepal Army has already received various military and medical support worth 50 million RMB (Rs.821 million), said Karki.
The NSCN-Reformation, one of the strongest armed groups in Nagaland, will observe Monday as a black day to protest against a year of abrogation of ceasefire by the NSCN-Khaplang group.

"March 28 is a black day for us as instead of considering peace, the Khaplang group last year abrogated the ceasefire with the Indian government," Wangtin Konyak, president of NSCN-R, told IANS.

The NSCN-R came into existence in April 2015, immediately after the NSCN-Khaplang broke the ceasefire with New Delhi.

The founders of the NSCN-Reformation, who were formerly senior leaders of the Khaplang group and opposed to abrogating the peace pact, now have a ceasefire with the Indian government.

The group was the first among other armed groups of Nagaland to publicly support the framework agreement inked between the NSCN-IM and the central government on August 3, 2015.

The abrogation of the ceasefire by the Khaplang group was followed by a series of attacks on the Indian army, including the killing of four Assam Rifles personnel in Mon district of Nagaland and the later killing of 20 Dogra Regiment soldiers in Chandel district of Manipur.
Over 10,000 troops marched on Sunday to commemorate Myanmar's 71st Armed Forces Day in the capital city of Nay Pyi Taw.

Ranks, mobile rocket launchers and military transport vehicles joined the ceremonial parade by about 12,300 personnel from the navy, air force and army, and a marching column of women soldiers, EFE news reported.

In the air, Navy Seal soldiers descended from military helicopters by ropes, and a formation of fighter jets flew over the parade grounds, leaving in the sky trails of yellow, white and red smoke -- the colours of Myanmar's new national flag.

In the background at the Parade Ground towered the three enormous statues of former kings who founded the Myanmar kingdom.

Commander-in-Chief of Myanmar's military General Min Aung Hlaing addressed the ceremo9nial parade and the gathering, lauding the Tatmadaw's (military) resistance to the Japanese invasion in the Second World War.

While he emphasised the importance of unity among the military, the government and the people, he acknowledged the reality of economic and political reforms in the country, and that the military must take the initiative in pursuing multi-party democracy.
Taking credit for the restoration of peace in the Maoist-affected Junglemahal region, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday urged people not to vote for the "unethical Congress-Left Front alliance".

"People are now living in peace in Purulia. When our government came to power, the challenge was to restore peace in Juglemahal (forested stretches comprising large areas of Bankura, West Midnapore and Purulia districts known to be Maoist pockets)," Banerjee said at a poll rally in Baghmundi block in Purulia, around 320 km from Kolkata.

Banerjee said people were stricken by fear during the 34-year rule of the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front.

"There was fear of police, fear of getting arrested after being labelled a Maoist, or fear of bullets."

Banerjee said that while buses had stopped plying, train services were halted at night, and schools and colleges got over by day time.

"But now peace prevails in Jungelmahal. This is our biggest achievement," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

Describing the Congress-Left Front understanding as "selfish" and "unethical", she said those who love the CPI-M, should not vote for the Congress.

Nepal Mahato, the Congress legislator from Baghmundi, is seeking re-election with the support of the Left Front.

"I will ask those who love the CPI-M, and the All India Forward Bloc, don't vote for the Congress candidate. The CPI-M and the Congress have struck an immoral, selfish and unethical understanding," she added.
President's Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on Sunday, days after nine Congress legislators rebelled against Chief Minister Harish Rawat.

Official sources said President Pranab Mukherjee approved the decision of the cabinet to impose central rule in Uttarakhand.

The cabinet had recommended the central rule on Saturday night after an hour-long meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the sources said.

The Uttarakhand assembly has been placed under suspended animation on the recommendation of the cabinet, they said. The assembly was to consider a crucial trust vote on Monday.

The Congress called the decision on President's Rule a "murder of democracy".

"Neither the ruling of the speaker nor vote on house floor has occurred. Yet President's Rule pre-emptively imposed," Congress spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi tweeted.
President's Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on Sunday after days of political uncertainty triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress, prompting Chief Minister Harish Rawat to accuse the BJP-led central government of murdering democracy.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan source said President Pranab Mukherjee approved the union cabinet's decision to dismiss the Rawat-led Congress government. The cabinet met Saturday night with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair and recommended central rule in the hill state.

The president signed the proclamation, which also recommended placing the state assembly in suspended animation, the source said. This is Uttarakhand's first experience with President's Rule since it was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Governor K.K. Paul, the chief minister did not spare the central government and Prime Minister Modi too.

Modi had the "blood of the aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand on his hands", he said, alleging that the BJP-led central government slashed the budget for his state and even cut funds for the restoration of the Kedarnath temple, devastated by the 2013 flash floods, and the Kumbh Mela.

He hinted that the Congress may move court against the decision to impose President's Rule.

"We will take support to all legal options. This will be decided by our advocates. I was heading a very delicate majority. If Congress comes back to power, we will increase the Vidhan Sabha seats from 70 to 90."

The central government justified the Uttarakhand decision, saying the state was "a textbook case for enforcing President's Rule" on grounds of "breakdown of governance".

"I believe there cannot be a better example (for implementing President's Rule)," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in New Delhi. "For the last nine days, the constitution was being violated in Uttarakhand."

The crisis in the state began when nine Congress legislators, including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, who Rawat replaced, revolted against the chief minister and turned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was happy to support them.

On March 18, things came to a head when the assembly passed the budget appropriation bill by voice vote even as more than half the members in the house sought a division, which would have led to recorded voting.

The rebel Congress lawmakers supported the BJP's demand for a conscience vote. Speaker Govind Kunjwal declined the request.

Before the rebellion, the Congress had 36 members in the 70-member house and the BJP 31. With nine of its lawmakers aligning with the BJP, the Congress was left with 27 and six from smaller parties backing the Rawat government. The chief minister was asked to prove his majority on Monday but the central government decided to act a day earlier.

On Saturday, the 69-year-old chief minister was shown striking an alleged multi-crore rupees deal for bringing the rebels back into the party. The sting operation was aired by an Uttarakhand channel.

The Congress leader denied the allegation and accused the BJP of "buying" the Congress rebels to topple his government. He said his two former colleagues - Bahuguna and Harak Singh Rawat - had connived with the BJP.

The Congress said it was not surprised.

"The real desire of the government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner," party general secretary Ambika Soni said.

"At every step, constitutional rules have been broken...it is so glaring for everyone to see."

The Uttarakhand decision also came under fire from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said his party was not averse to forming the next government in Uttarakhand if given an opportunity.
The Russian government said on Sunday that it supports legitimate authority in Syria, not Syrian President Bashar al-Assad personally.

"We are supporting not Assad (himself). Do not forget: he has not been the best friend of ours, but he has been the friend of West," Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told reporters.

"We have backed the maintenance of the legitimate government, of power, because we have understood that if the president leaves, the government will follow him, the executive authorities as well as the army will disintegrate," RIA Novosti news agency quoted Zakharova as saying.

She reiterated that Russian air forces were deployed to Syria to prevent collapse of the country and to fight with terrorism in the Middle East, not to support Assad in the civil war.

After conducting anti-terror airstrikes in Syria for over five months, Russian air forces started withdrawal of main forces on March 15 under the order of Russian President Vladimir Putin and the agreement of Assad.

Russia has been supporting the Assad administration in Syria, which led to disputes with the US and its allies as they insisted Assad to step down.
A strong wind blowing across Assam is all set to uproot the ruling Congress in the forthcoming assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday and appealed to people for a decisive mandate in favour of the BJP.

He was addressing a public rally at Rangapara, located on the north bank of the Branhmaputra river, in Assam's Sonitpur district.

The two-phase assembly polls in Assam's 126 constituencies are scheduled to take place on April 4 and April 11.

"Today my programme was at 10 a.m. and I was wondering how the people will come so early? There are no roads also here. But I am happy to see such a large gathering... I assure you that I'll return this love of yours with interest by doing development works," Modi told people at the rally.

"...this time, I can see that there is a strong wind of change blowing here, which will uproot the Congress. The bad governance of 15 years will end and there will be a new sunrise of development," he said.

Targetting the Congress party for the problems of people in Assam, Modi appealed for a decisive mandate.

"When you press the button on April 4 and April 11, keep in your mind the Congress' misrule of 60 years. The reason behind your problems is only these people (Congress). Press the button in such a way that BJP and its allies get absolute majority. Never give an indecisive mandate, otherwise your future will be left insecure."

Modi said people of India gave a decisive mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 Lok sabha polls. And now India is getting applauded worldwide.

"If you want to listen to the same applause for Assam, vote for absolute majority to BJP and its allies in the forthcoming polls."

Highlighting lack of development in Assam's northern region, Modi said: "This area is left out from development. In Assam, they spend money from state exchequer only in those assembly seats which they can win to form a government. They are not bothered about others. This is the reason why this area has remained left out from development."

Stating that there are over one crore people in Assam living below the poverty line, the prime minister said this poverty is a gift from those who have been in power for 60 years.

"We want to change Assam. Education for children, income for youth and medicine for elderly is our motto and this is alone enough to change the living standards of people of Assam," he said.

The prime minister said his dream is to provide a house to every poor man in the country by 2022.

"I know it's a big work but my country is also a big one. We sent money to Gogoiji for making houses for the poor. He assured me to work but you'll be shocked to know that only one-third of the amount given by Centre is utilised so far and the rest has been rotting in banks."

"If there is a will, change can be brought about. After our government came to power in Delhi, the Centre has spent so much money in eastern region of India for spreading the rail network which no government had spent after Independence," he said.

"I am happy that 510 km of broad gauge rail connectivity have been completed on north bank of Brahmaputra," Modi said, accusing Gogoi for betraying the people of Assam for 15 years.

On Saturday, Modi launched the BJP's campaign in the poll-bound Assam by addressing four public rallies and a citizens' meeting in four districts of the state.
More than 50 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Sunday evening near the main gate of the crowded and popular Gulshan-e-Iqbal park here, officials said.

Superintendent of Police Muhammad Iqbal of Iqbal Town area, where the park is located, confirmed it was a suicide attack and said 53 people had been killed.

More than 200 people were injured in the ghastly tragedy. Many of them were in critical condition in three main hospitals which frantically appealed to Lahore residents to donate blood.

The deafening explosion took place around 6.30 p.m. when the park was teeming with families, especially women and children, enjoying the Sunday and Easter holiday.

Police officials said the blast occurred only a few metres from the children's swings.

Media reports quoted witnesses as saying that body parts were strewn everywhere.

Daily Pakistan said the park was packed when the attack took place. "There were body parts everywhere," the Dawn quoted a witness as saying.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Usman also confirmed that it was a suicide attack and said that ball bearings used in the explosive had been found at the parking lot.

Police rescuers and over 20 ambulances ambulances raced to the park, which is crowded every weekend, and ferried the injured to hospitals.

Others who survived the explosion helped to take the injured to hospitals in taxis and and rickshaws.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Haider Ashraf said the suicide bomber blew up in the parking lot. Xinhua news agency said that the terrorist's body parts were found at the site.

The first international reaction came from India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi denounced the deadly blast.

"I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased and prayers with the injured: PM," Modi tweeted.

In Pakistan, shocked leaders condemned the brutal terror. They included President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of Punjab.

ARY News said 5-6 kg of explosives may have been used in the explosion, which was heard in a large part of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

An emergency was declared in all government hospitals in Lahore. While police cordoned off the park, troops were also rushed to the site to help the civilian authorities.
The Syrian army fully recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra in central Syria on Sunday, following days of intense battles against the Islamic State (IS) group.

The Syrian army and its allied fighters destroyed the last position of the IS in Palmyra, and started combing the city to dismantle and seize explosive devices, Xinhua reported.

More than 400 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in the battles, Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Sunday.

During the three-week-long military campaign backed by Russian and Shia fighters, the Syrian army lost 180 of its soldiers, the monitor group said.

The General Command of the army said that the defeat of the IS in the ancient city of Palmyra is the start of a further collapse of the group.

"Recapturing Palmyra is a strong blow to the IS terrorists and will usher in a further collapse of the morale of that terror group and the beginning of its defeat and collapse," the army said.

Retaking Palmyra, the statement added, "is a sign that our army in cooperation with the friends is the only power capable of eradicating and rooting out terrorism."

A military source said that the IS withdrew from the city under heavy attack and shelling of the Syrian army.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the IS militants pulled out toward the town of Sukhneh, east of the central province of Homs.

The ancient city of Palmyra is booby-trapped, said the source, adding that bomb squads have started defusing the explosives.

The city fell to the IS militants last May and the Syrian army started a broad offensive to recapture it several days ago.

Since capturing it last May, the IS group destroyed the city's military prison and several Islamic tombs and ancient archaeological sites.

The IS also put on public executions of 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 centres 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 civilisations.
UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon on Saturday paid an official visit here, aiming at showing the international community's support to the Iraqi government to confront economic crisis and fight against the Islamic State.

The UN chief, who was accompanied by World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and President of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Ahmad al-Madani, was received at the Baghdad airport by Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari, and the two sides held a meeting before heading to the office of Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi, Xinhua reported.

In a joint news conference by Abadi, Ban and the two bank chiefs, Abadi welcomed the visiting top officials and said their visit was aimed at assisting Iraq in its war against the IS, and also to help Iraq overcome the ordeal of the acute fall of oil prices.

"I heard from the visiting top officials that there are plans by the international community to help Iraq, and the plans will kick off next week," Abadi told reporters without giving further details.

After his meetings with Abadi and Jaafari, Ban said "our visit were successful, and we have held positive dialogues with the prime minister and the foreign minister, in which we have discussed issues of security, politics, economy and human rights in Iraq."

Ban urged the Iraqi government to step up reconciliation efforts between the Iraqi factions to close the ranks in fighting against the IS, in particular the Sunni community who say they were marginalised by the Shiite-led government.

"National reconciliation is an important part of the strategy to defeat the IS, who have ruthlessly exploited divisions and targeted the marginalised and disenfranchised," Ban said.

The World Bank chief told reporters that "more economic and administrative reforms are needed to restore stability to the areas that are liberated from the IS," adding that the World Bank has allocated $250 million for this purpose.

The IDB chief also said the Islamic Bank "will be supportive and cooperative with the government reform program," asserting that it "will play a substantial role in rebuilding the areas freed from the IS."

After the news conference, Ban, Jim and Madani paid a visit to the Iraqi parliament in the Green Zone in central Baghdad, and attended a session chaired by the Speaker Salim al-Jubouri, said a statement issued by the parliament media office.

During the session, Jubouri presented his vision to get rid of terrorism, which is based on "strengthening the social fabric and sustainable development," the statement said.

Ban said in his address in the parliament that "Iraqis are confronting major challenges in particular that terrorists are targeting innocent people, and they can't be defeated only by military means without addressing the roots of the crisis," according to the statement.

Ban's visit came as Iraq is currently witnessing a wave of violence since the IS took control of parts of Iraq's northern and western regions in June 2014, while the country is striving to overcome wide spread corruption amid acute economic crisis.

The country, which relies on oil revenues for nearly 90 percent of its budget, is facing formidable difficulties with the decline of oil prices in the markets.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday accused his two former colleagues - Vijay Bahuguna and Harak Singh Rawat - of conniving with the BJP to topple his government.

Harish Rawat told the media that he was yet to get a formal notification of President's Rule in the state.

The Congress leader accused Bahuguna, whom he replaced as chief minister, as frustrated and former agriculture minister Harak Singh Rawat of being blinded by ambitions.

The chief minister did not spare the central government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi too.

Emerging from the Raj Bahwan where he met Governor K.K. Paul, he said Modi had the "blood of the aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand on his hands".

"It had become evident since yesterday (Saturday). They had been threatening the Uttarakhad government and the state governor," Rawat said.

He addressed the media hours after President Pranab Mukherjee okayed the union cabinet's decision to sack the Rawat government and impose President's Rule in the hill state.

Rawat said he will go to the people and expose the conspiracy hatched by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) against his government.

He also charged the BJP with "openly threatening" the governor, and added that the central government had been conspiring against him and his government from day one.

The chief minister said the BJP-led central government slashed the budget for Uttarakhand and even cut funds for the restoration of the Kedarnath temple, which was devastated in the 2013 flash floods, and the Kumbh Mela.

He alleged that various corporates had funded the mission to overthrow his government, and that Rs.25 crore was paid to strike a deal with the disgruntled Congress legislators to rebel against him.

Rawat questioned the urgency which marked the decision to impose President's Rule since his government had to prove its majority in the state assembly on Monday.

He asked television journalists to visit his official residence and see for themselves that he still lived a simple life, contrary to the allegations of graft levelled against him.
Twenty-three-year-old G. Nelson Chinnadurai decided to handle the tilling machine and toil on the family's 3.5 acre dry land in Karisalpatti panchayat in Tirunveli district instead of handling a computer mouse after obtaining a BCA two years ago.

"I have been involved in the farming activity since my school days. I decided to do farming instead of going for a job," Chinnadurai told IANS.

According to him, the decision to toil in the land was also facilitated by the watershed project implemented in the village by the social arms of three corporates - Sundaram-Clayton Ltd, TVS Motor Company Ltd and Coca-Cola India Foundation.

Located in Tirunelveli district, the farm land in the hot Karisalpatti depends on rain for cropping.

"The other problem is that the terrain is sloppy and the rain water would run off without perculating into the soil and charge the ground water table," T. Jayaraj a farmer with five acres told IANS.

Farmers were able to grow only one crop in a year. As a result, people started to migrate in search of livelihood which in turn resulted in farm lands turning fallow, he added.

"Migration has its own effects on the people's culture. The attitude of people who migrated would change and similarly those who remained in the old places would also change. On the whole, the basic culture foundation would change," Ashoke Joshi, chairman, Srinivasn Services Trust (SST) told IANS.

The SST focusses on five areas - economic development, health, education, infrastructure and environment.

In 2014, SST tied up with Coca-Cola India Foundation to implement a watershed project in Tirunelveli district, one of several such it is working with NGOSon across India.

"We got Rs.1.75 crore from Coca-Cola India Foundation for the project. We have built check-dams, levelled the sloppy terrain to prevent rain water run-off, dug ponds and also assisted farmers in setting up drip irrigation systems," Joshi said.

He said the SST tapped funds available from various government schemes and only Rs.65 lakhs has been spent by SST from the amount sanctioned by Coca-Cola India Foundation.

"Our land used to be very sloppy. With SST's help the land was levelled, shrubs were cleared and the embedded rocks were taken out. As a result the area of cultivable land has gone up to five acres now from the earlier one acre," Jayaraj said.

He has planted egg plant (brinjal), cucumber and tomatoes and will be planting gooseberries.

A 2.7 lakh litre capacity pond dug up in the land of farmer Jhon Deva Pichai is now filled with water, which in turn has recharged the water table.

Pichai is also planning to farm cucumber, gooseberries in his land.

"Earlier, ground water was available only at around 60 ft. Now it is available at around 20 ft," Jayaraj said.

According to E. Murugan, field director at SST, seven check dams have been constructed out of the targeted nine.

He said farm and percolation ponds, check dam drainage and desilting have also been done to prevent soil erosion check walls and bunds have been built.

Due to these efforts, the area of cultivable land has increased in Karisalpatti village, Murugan added.

On the occasion of World Water Day celebrated on March 22, the Coca-Cola India Foundation dedicated its 150th water conservation structure - checkdam - to the community of Cheranmahadevi panchayat union in the Tirunelveli district.

According to Coca-Cola India Foundation some significant achievements of Tirunelveli watershed project are:

* 1035.7 hectare of fallow land covered through soil and water conservation, of which 789.8 hectare of dry land covered under dry land agriculture, horticulture and agro-forestry

* 231 farmers got monthly income of Rs.4,500 to Rs.6,000 through dry land farming after three decades

* Of 1,673 livestock, 1,245 livestocks were immunised, deworming. There is no epidemic disease found in the livestock since last 3-years

* The weight of goats has improved and the milk yield from cows have also gone up by around 1.5 litres to 6.5 liters per day

* Out of 197 wells and 127 bore wells, the water table level of 107 wells and 89 bore wells has increased from 2.5 metres to 5 metres

(Venkatachari Jagannathan visited Tirunelveli at the invitation of Coca-Cola India Foundation. He can be contacted at v.jagannathan@ians.in)
India is possibly the first country to introduce the concept of equalisation levy on specified e-commerce transactions that involves a foreign organisation without a permanent establishment in the country. Rashmin Sanghvi, partner, & Associates, and a member of the government-appointed Committee on Taxation of E-Commerce that proposed the levy, explains to Sudipto Dey how the tax will work. Edited excerpts



Could you take us through the logic of imposing an equalisation levy on e-commerce transactions?



First of all, I would like to clarify that this is my personal . I am not representing the e-commerce committee or the Government of India. The law is simple in understanding, compliance and administration but the logic behind equalisation levy is a complex issue of international taxation.
Come April 1, 2016, 1,000-odd companies whose net worth is at least Rs 500 crore have to mandatorily switch to the IFRS-compliant new accounting standard, . Effectively, the first quarter would be the first such reporting period in the first phase. Tax and accounting experts assess the gaps in corporate India's reporting standard that need to be plugged



Half of corporate India is yet to plan: Sumit Seth




The resounding win by a Google artificial intelligence programme over a champion in the complex board game Go this month was a statement - not so much to professional game players as to Google's competitors.
The Supreme Court has ruled that subsidies given as incentives to industries set up in backward areas are deductible under the . In a large number of appeals moved by the commissioner of income tax against judgments of the Gauhati high court, the apex court rejected the contention of the tax officials that amounts received as subsidies were revenue receipts and did not qualify for deduction under Section 80.
Companies are hacked all the time, but it's not often made public. The recent US prosecution of a cyber attacker who broke into Boeing's systems is a rare example. The FBI wants to know about cases of corporate espionage, but firms often don't want to come forward. Regulators could help by doing more to encourage disclosure and less - for now - to punish the victims.

Breaches have become an epidemic. A record 79 per cent of respondents said they detected at least one breach over 12 months and large companies discovered an average of 446 hacks each in the period, according to a 2015 report from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Cyber security professionals say more than 80 per cent of intrusions go unreported while 87 per cent of IT workers surveyed by Lieberman Software last year said big financial hacks are happening more often than reported.

One problem is that both the technological landscape and enforcers' responses are evolving. Reporting a breach can be embarrassing, and the result unpredictable. Only Boeing was mentioned by name in Chinese businessman Su Bin's guilty plea, released by prosecutors on Wednesday. But his associates also sought data on other companies' products, including fighter jets made by Lockheed Martin.

Meanwhile, regulators have increased enforcement actions for inadequate cyber security, according to legal experts. The Securities and Exchange Commission, bank watchdogs and others have already imposed penalties. Lax defences need to be policed, but it's challenging to fight determined hackers in a fast-changing technological environment - as the US government knows, having suffered breaches at the White House, the Defense Department and elsewhere.

This environment makes companies reluctant to come clean with investors, and the rules generally don't require them to do so except in cases where personal information is hacked. Yet intellectual property breaches can be at least as damaging because rivals may learn about pricing, research and development and future plans. Prosecutors link job losses at US Steel to a cyber attack there by the Chinese military.

The SEC says companies should disclose material breaches but the regulator's guidance is vague and leads companies to cite general risks rather than specific attacks. Just as businesses disclose lawsuits and other potentially expensive mishaps, hacks that could matter to investors need regulatory sunshine.
Venkat Naishadham, 43, working for Citibank in Mexico City, plans to shift back to India this summer. After 17 years abroad, he is excited about being back in the country and hopes to devote more time to philanthropic activities (he has adopted a village near Hyderabad). But, he is also worried about whether his children will be able to cope with the heat, the crowds, and the challenges of day-to-day living in India. Non-resident Indians (NRIs) like Naishadham should also give a lot of thought to the financial aspects of shifting back to India and the challenges that arise in its wake.When an NRI returns to India, he should be aware of his tax residency status and file his income tax returns accordingly. Tax residency status is determined by an individual's actual physical presence in India during the financial year. To qualify as a resident, you would have to satisfy one of the following conditions: Your stay in India during the financial year should be 182 days or more; or your stay in India during the financial year should be 60 days or more and it should be 365 days or more in the four financial years preceding the current one.Once you qualify as a resident, you need to find out whether you fall in the category of ordinarily resident (OR) or not ordinarily resident (NOR). If you meet any of the following conditions, you will qualify as an OR: you should be a resident in India in nine out of the previous 10 financial years; or, your stay in the seven years preceding the relevant financial year should altogether be 729 days or more. If you don't meet these criteria, you would be an NOR.If your status is that of an NOR, you need to pay tax only on your Indian income but not on your global income. Once you fall in the category of OR, your entire income in India and abroad becomes taxable in India.Once you become a resident Indian, you need to report all your foreign assets under the Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets Bill, 2015. "Since July 2015, you have to ensure that you report all your bank accounts, financial interests, immovable property and trusts held abroad in your tax returns. These assets need to be reported even if you have no income from them. Failure to report could result in a penalty of Rs 10 lakh," says Sonu Iyer, partner and national leader, people advisory services, EY (see table: High penalty for not disclosing foreign assets).As an NRI, you would have held NRO, NRE and FCNR accounts. The moment you become a resident Indian, the status of the NRO and NRE accounts should change to resident accounts. The FCNR account should be converted into a resident foreign currency (RFC) account. The taxation status of these accounts also changes. The NRO account is always taxable. The moment you become a resident, interest income from both NRE and FCNR accounts becomes taxable. Notify your bank and request for a change in status.A major challenge NRIs face is in transferring the wealth they have accumulated back to India. The complexity arises especially in dealing with the money lying in your employer's retirement account, such as the 401 (k) account in the US. Since you no longer work for that employer, you may want to bring the money completely under your control. You have two options: Leave it in the US but transfer it to other types of accounts, or bring it to India. If you decide to keep the money in the US, you can move it into a traditional IRA or a Roth IRA account, which are also retirement schemes.

IRA accounts are offered by asset management companies. In a 401(k) account or a traditional IRA, you pay tax at the time of retirement, that is, at the age of 59.5 years. If you decide to pay taxes on the money right away, you can invest it in a Roth IRA account, where it becomes tax-free at the time of withdrawal. There are other challenges if you decide to bring the money to India. "You might have to pay penalties for premature withdrawal and tax on capital gains. You will have to take into account whether India has a double taxation avoidance agreement (DTAA), and whether it covers retirement funds. If there is no DTAA, you might end up paying taxes in both the countries, and could well lose 50-60 per cent of the corpus," says financial planner Ankur Kapur of ankurkapur.in. Each of these decisions could lead to penalties for premature withdrawal and tax liabilities whose impact needs to be studied in detail. You may have to seek professional help as the issue is complicated. NRIs also need to decide whether to dispose of their real estate abroad. The main criterion should be whether you plan to use the property in the near future, say, if you wish to return to that country in a few years or plan to visit it periodically. Usually, it is not advisable to retain the property for rental income. "In countries like the US, you are not left with much after paying the high management fee and taxes. The appreciation in rental from year-to-year is also low," says Kapur. Buy insurance Whether you buy a term plan on your return should depend on your age and the amount of assets you have accumulated. Someone with a corpus of, say, Rs 20 crore, may not need to buy term insurance, while another person with an asset base of only Rs 50 lakh will need to buy one. NRIs should also buy a personal health cover for their family. "Buy a health cover a few years prior to shifting to India so that the waiting period for pre-existing diseases is crossed while the family is still abroad and the family is fully covered on its return to India," says Vishal Dhawan, chief financial planner, Plan Ahead Wealth Advisors. Purchasing property NRIs, who are accustomed to the more streamlined processes and higher degree of professionalism abroad, could find themselves at sea when trying to buy a house in India. One challenge is to ascertain whether the features and amenities that the developer has advertised will come true. The second is to assess whether the developer has the financial strength to deliver the project on time. Third, developers might advertise that various infrastructure projects will come up in their area, which will boost the prices of apartments in their project. NRIs need advice regarding whether these projects will come up at all and whether this will happen within the time frames mentioned. Before setting out to make a purchase, NRIs should do a lot of homework. Many developers provide information about their projects on their web sites. Property portals also provide listings of projects with details about them. "Zero in on a few reputed developers and a few projects whose specifications match your requirements," says Ashutosh Limaye, head of research and REIS, JLL India. To evaluate a developer, look at the construction quality of his past projects and his track record for timely completion and providing the promised specifications. For most NRIs, it might be a good idea to engage a professional broking agency. "That agency should be able to tell you whether all the permissions are in place and offer advice on the infrastructure projects slated to come up in the area. It should also be able to offer an assessment of the project's potential for price appreciation," says Limaye. HIGH PENALTY FOR NOT DISCLOSING FOREIGN ASSETS

The Undisclosed Foreign Income and Assets (Imposition of Tax) Bill, 2015, provides for criminal liability for attempting to evade tax on foreign income

All income and assets outside India should be disclosed and filed in returns

Penalty for non-disclosure of foreign income will be three times the amount of tax payable, in addition to tax payable at 30%

Penalty for not furnishing I-T returns on foreign income or assets is Rs 10 lakh. Assets with a value of Rs 5 lakh or less excluded

Attempt to evade tax or non-disclosure of foreign assets can also result in imprisonment and fine
At the Congress party's strategy meetings for the Uttar Pradesh and Punjab polls, a tall, spectacled and kurta-clad figure sat in attentive silence for four hours, listening to as many as 40 leaders in each meeting, taking copious notes.None questioned the presence of this 'outsider' at these closed-door sessions. For, the man in question, Prashant Kishor or PK, has a biodata showing delivery of landslide victories for Narendra Modi as Prime Minister in 2014 and Nitish Kumar's alliance in Bihar. He's now taken on the seemingly impossible task of securing Congress wins in Punjab and Uttar Pradesh (UP) in 2017.Thus far, he's known as having taken only "winning projects". Many believe Kishor's record would be dented in UP, where the Congress has been out of power for 27 years. In Punjab, they say, there might be a chance with 'Captain' Amarinder Singh as the chief ministerial face. Kishor appears confident and undeterred. At a meeting of UP Congress Committee and district chiefs in Lucknow, earlier this month, he'd said: "Mein yahaan Congress ki seat badhane nahi aaaya hoon, Congress ko jeetane aaya hoon (I haven't come here to merely increase the Congress tally; I have come here to make the Congress win)."His style had been to work with a personality, a face, around whom an entire poll campaign is built. As with Modi in 2014 and Nitish Kumar in 2015. For the coming polls, he will not change his tested template. For Punjab, where his team has begun some groundwork, party sources disclose he has come up with Punjab da Captain, Captain da Punjab.Kishor is known for outwitting the opponents with fresh communication and marketing strategies. As a rule, he never repeats his tactics.

Social media publicity and 3D hologram videoscreens projecting Modi worked as winning tools in 2014. In the Bihar campaign, there was more of grassroot interaction. Training and deputing college students to remote villages on cycles mounted with hoardings listing the seven poll promises of Nitish Kumar clicked with the masses. The Kishor team invested in large billboards in Patna but not a single television ad was put out. "To dismiss Kishor as another marketing and communication guy would be wrong," says a party insider in the know of things. "The fact that he does not have any fixed job description and his only remit is to win the state (Punjab, UP) speaks volumes about the kind of confidence the leadership reposes in him," says the leader. Party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi himself has been overheard saying he has known Kishor for long. Kishor had worked with Gandhi in Amethi, way back in 2007, when he was still a public health activist, taking a break from a job at the United Nations. Insiders say for the grand old party with its back against the wall, Kishor seemed the man for the job. His record so far shows, he does whatever it takes to make his client win, with innovative strategies and sharp election management skills. The party is also banking on Kishore's ability to come up with realtime arsenal, especially in a state as politically sensitive as UP. His 'chai pe charcha' gambit to foil Mani Shankar Aiyar's jibe at Modi as a 'chaiwallah' was as effective as the strategy to make Janata Dal (United) workers send 100,000 samples of their (Bihari ) strands of hair to counter Modi's dig at Lalu Prasad and Nitish Kumar's 'DNA being faulty'. Ahead Kishor is also far from being the management type of executive who is politically naive. At that meeting in Lucknow, he also made it amply clear to UP Congressmen that the party would have no tie-ups with regional parties, Samajwadi or Bahujan Samaj Party. "I believe 100 per cent the Congress can win UP," Kishor asserted confidently and exhorted Congressmen to do the same. Party circles are abuzz that Kishor might manage to get Priyanka Gandhi to be the Congress' face in UP. And, thereafter, successfully galvanise the election campaign around her. The party is keeping its cards close to its chest, saying there's still a year before the polls and lots could happen till then. While seniors are tightlipped on the issue, they concede the lack of an acceptable face in UP is a major problem.

KNOW THE MAN Born in 1977; his father was a doctor in Bhojpur district in Bihar

Started his career as a public heath activist, worked on the pulse polio campaign in Bihar and the HIV AIDS awareness campaign in Andhra Pradesh

Worked with the United Nations (UN) for close to a decade

In 2007, on a break from the UN, he worked briefly with Rahul Gandhi in Amethi

2010: Deputed to UN aid mission in Chad, West Africa; headed UNICEF's Social Policy and Planning

2011: Met then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi & assisted him successfully on the 2012 Gujarat Assembly poll campaign (operated out of the CM's house)

2012: Formed the Citizens for Accountable Governance (CAG) an election management consultancy group which managed the Lok Sabha 2014 polls for Narendra Modi & BJP

2015: CAG gave way to Indian Political Awareness Committee (IPAC) which managed the Bihar elections for Nitish Kumar and the Grand Alliance

2016: IPAC, with Kishor as mentor, takes charge to help the Congress win 2017 polls in Punjab and UP

IMPRESSIONS

Winning strategies

Chai pe charcha: A hugely successful outreach programme for Modi

3D hologram rallies: Bharat Vijay rallies from where Modi's speech was projected to 100 villages

Slogans: Har Har Modi, Ghar Ghar Modi
After the rebellion by nine ruling Congress MLAs and a sting operation against former Chief Minister Harish Rawat, Uttarakhand was brought under the President's rule on Sunday.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under the Article 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Harish Rawat government a day before the crucial floor test. The state Assembly was placed under the suspended animation. Rawat immediately decried the move saying it was "the murder of the democracy." The Congress might move the Supreme Court against the imposition of President's rule, party leader Ambika Soni said. "I can't say it now but the decision whether we should move the Supreme Court will be taken by the collective Congress leadership."



President's rule came following the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. The Cabinet had held an emergency meeting on Saturday night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short a visit to Assam. The Cabinet considered several reports sent by Uttarakhand Governor K K Paul, who had described the political situation in the state ahead of the floor test on Monday as volatile. Now, there will be no floor test on Monday in the state Assembly.

The Congress is of the view that the imposition of President's rule is arbitrary since the Governor has given time till Monday to the chief minister to prove his majority on the floor of the House. As Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal was just about to disqualify the nine Congress rebels from the Vidhan Sabha, the report of President's rule in the hill state took the ruling party by storm.

Congress party workers held demonstrations at a number of places in the state in protest against the decision.

On the other hand, the Bharatiya Janata Party welcomed the move. "The state was sinking in deep corruption. The sting operation exposed the chief minister. In such a situation, the President had no option but to impose President's rule in the state," said state BJP chief Ajay Bhatt.

The political developments began when the Finance Bill was declared as passed in the state Assembly on March 18 by voice vote by the Speaker despite the BJP's demand for a division of votes. The BJP along with the nine rebels alleged that the Bill had been defeated in the House and, hence, Rawat should resign.

On that day, only 67 members were present. The BJP alleged that 35 members including nine Congress rebels had opposed the Bill. The next day, the governor asked the CM to prove his majority by March 28. Last Sunday, the Speaker issued notices to the rebels as part of the move to disqualify them. In these circumstances, the Rawat would have saved his government in the floor test.

Weapon of last resort: use of Article 356



In 1977, the Janata Party government dismissed nine Congress state governments - Bihar, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Karnataka, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh (UP). In retaliation, in 1980, the Indira Gandhi government dismissed nine non-Congress governments - Bihar, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Punjab, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu and UP. Punjab has had the longest spell of President's rule so far - from 1987 to 1992 - for more than four years. Jammu and Kashmir saw Governor's Rule for more than six years, because of the militancy situation there. Manipur is the state where President's rule has been imposed the most number of times - 10 followed by UP (nine times), and Bihar and Punjab (eight times each).
In 2014, though the BJP-led alliance posted a stunning Lok Sabha victory, the Congress drew comfort from the fact that it had a government in eight states. In the past few weeks, the party has seen two states slip out of its grasp and is fighting for survival in a third. Aditi Phadnis analyses the situation as Uttarakhand went under President's Rule on Sunday, hours before the Harish Rawat-led Congress govt was to prove its majority



ARUNACHAL PRADESH :

Read more from our special coverage on "SONIA GANDHI" Country in critical phase: Sonia

The new chief minister of Arunachal Pradesh and chief of the People's Party of Arunachal (PPA), the country's newest political party, formed barely a month before, is an interesting man.

Kalikho Pul has pulled off the seemingly impossible task of breaking the ruling 47-member Congress Legislature Party in the state Assembly (which has 60 members), headed by Nabam Tuki. And, with the help of 11 Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and two independent legislators, forming a government of rebel Congress MLAs.

Pul became a rebel after he was dismissed from the Tuki government in mid-2015. He was finance minister and was shifted to health. When he publicly criticised the way the government was handling its finances, he was dropped from the council of ministers and also expelled from the Congress.

Tuki was, at the time, facing a problem of plenty. With every second legislator a Congressman, it was hard for him to distribute offices.

Two legislators fell out at first. This sounded alarm bells for Tuki, who became strict, verging on the dictatorial. He took signed resignation letters from MLAs, promising them these would stay with him. He controlled the legislative assembly with the help of cousin Nebam Rebhia, whom he appointed Speaker. Tuki relied on the fact that the SR Bommai judgment on defection and the testing of majority was clear - the majority of any government needed to be tested on the floor of the House, not in the Raj Bhavan. As long as he had his man as Speaker, he could control the House.

Pul's first task, then, was to topple the Speaker and replace him. He opted to work on the Deputy Speaker and sought to introduce a motion in the Assembly that argued the Speaker was being dictatorial in his conduct and needed to be replaced.

When Congress MLAs saw Pul had half a chance of succeeding in his mission, many of them decided to back him.

Simultaneously, the Governor ordered that a session of the assembly be convened. When MLAs went to the assembly premises, they found it locked. The assembly was convened in a nearby hotel and the Speaker replaced. The new Speaker allowed a motion of no-confidence to be passed against the government. That done, it was a matter of electing a new legislature party head. Made easier because MLAs loyal to Tuki boycotted the 'session' and BJP members supported the motion. And, Pul became CM on February 19.

MANIPUR :

Restive pot simmers



Nothing in Manipur is as it seems. At the time of forming his ministry in 2012 for a third consecutive term, Chief Minister Ibobi Singh assured the Congress Legislature Party (CLP) members that at the end of two and a half years, there would be a major reshuffle to accommodate some of them. Under the statutory provisions, in a 60-member Assembly, the Chief Minister is allowed a ministry of 12. To circumvent this rule, some prominent legislators were appointed parliamentary secretaries with Cabinet rank. However, dissidents wanted more. Ibobi Singh found this was easier said than done.

Restive legislators said they wanted ministers whose performance was sub-optimal and those perceived as corrupt to be dropped from the council of ministers. They had another condition - that the one man, one post policy be applied strictly. Their target was Gaikhangam, both a minister and the state party chief.

Congress President met representatives of the 25 dissident Congress legislators and decided the party did not want a repeat of Arunachal in Manipur, where rebellion by Congress MLAs brought down its Government.The dissidents have made it known that they would change loyalty, either by joining the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) or forming a new party of their own, if their demands are not met.

This is not the only challenge to Singh's government. In the tension between Naga and non-Naga tribes in the state, Gaikhangam who was caught in the crossfire. As Deputy CM and home minister, he reportedly endorsed police action against the Naga Students Front. Later, realising this could become a politically volatile issue, he took action against the police personnel but the damage was done. Nongthombam Biren, Congress MLA, called a meeting of Naga MLAs at his residence and passed a resolution demanding action against Gaikhangam.

In the legislative assembly of 60 members, the ruling Congress party has 48, the Trinamool Congress has five, Naga People's Front has four, the BJP has two and the NCP and LJP one each. If 25 Congress MLAs revolt and join hands with the smaller groups, they can form a government or clear the no-confidence motion against the government.

The situation has not reached that point yet. The Congress high command has summoned Singh and Gaikhangam twice to Delhi in the past week. But, the BJP is beginning to say now the government has lost the confidence of the assembly. Combined with Naga/non- Naga tensions, the situation could escalate unless Governor V Shanmuganathan (holding additional charge of Manipur along with Meghalaya after the death in office of incumbent V Syed) intervenes. Either way, the Manipur government is high on the vulnerability index of state governments that can be toppled.

UTTARAKHAND :

Adversaries from own house



Uttarakhand went under President's Rule on Sunday.

When Raj Babbar was named the Congress candidate for the Rajya Sabha seat from the state, former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, expecting to be the party's nominee, was very disappointed. For some time, he'd been trying to rehabilitate himself, after the government headed by him was held to be a big failure in dealing with floods in the state. It had resulted in Bahuguna being repl-aced with Harish Rawat.

Rawat then rushed to Delhi and returned to Dehradun the same day, presumably on the strength of some assurances from the high command. He was advised to delay seeking a vote of confidence. Earlier, some party leaders had tried to defuse the crisis by accepting most of the dissidents' demands. However, several BJP leaders claimed that 12 Congress MLAs were in touch with them; the BJP has 28 MLAs.

State Congress chief Kishore Upadhayay had claimed the ruling party MLAs were being offered hefty sums of money. A purported sting operation gave heft to the charge. A few days later, the "conduits" between BJP and Congress - party General Secretary Anil Gupta and Vijay Bahuguna's son Saket - were thrown out of the party. The BJP MLAs were spirited away to Jaipur, presumably to keep them "safe" from allurement. For the moment, the Assembly has been kept in suspended animation - which means the governor will administer the state. But, for the BJP, even if it cannot form the government immediately, it is a major victory. It has been able to topple yet another government, purely by leveraging internal dissidence in the Congress.
Government expects vessels of 1,000 dead weight tonnes (DWT) to navigate by the end of this year on the Allahabad and Haldia stretch of Ganga for transportation of goods and passengers.

The 1,620-km stretch -- the National Waterway 1 -- falls under Jal Marg Vikas project that aims at providing an assured depth of 3 metres of fairway to enable safe navigation of 2,000 DWT (dead weight tonnage) vessels.

"The work has begun to augment National Waterway 1 and we expect vessels of 1000 DWT capacity to navigate this year on the Varanasi-Haldia stretch under Jal Marg Vikas Project," an official said.

The Jal Marg Vikas' project envisages developing a fairway between 1,620 km Allahabad and Haldia stretch at a cost of about Rs 4,200 crore.

The official said that once the navigation starts it will boost cargo transport through water, which is environment friendly and cost effective mode of transportation.

The World Bank is providing assistance to the project.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had announced the 'Jal Marg Vikas' (National Waterway-1) project to be developed between Allahabad and Haldia covering a distance of 1,620 km at an estimated cost of Rs 4,200 crore, to be completed in six years.

The project would enable commercial navigation of 2,000 DWT vessels.

The central government has designated the IWAI as the implementing agency, with a Project Management Unit (PMU), for the Jal Marg Vikas Project.

National Waterway-1 (NW-1) is a waterway passing through Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, potentially serving the major cities of Haldia, Howrah, Kolkata, Bhagalpur, Patna, Ghazipur, Varanasi, Allahabad and their industrial hinterlands including several industries located along the Ganga basin.

The development of NW-1 would result in a viable supplementary mode of transport and huge quantities of bulk cargo can be transported thereby helping in economic development of this region.

A Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed between IWAI and the Dedicated Freight Corridor Corporation of India (DFCCIL) in March 2015 for creation of logistics hubs with rail connectivity at Varanasi and other places on the National Waterways.

As per the MoU, IWAI and DFCCIL will collaborate for the project and also facilitate business development in the hinterland and its feeder routes.
At least 19 militants have been killed in army raids in Egypt's restive North Sinai governorate, a day after 60 terrorists were killed in similar strikes in the country.

Nine militants were killed in Al-Gora village in south of Sheikh Zuweid in a heavy gunfire exchange with army during a security raid in the area.

The military air raids also killed 10 militants in Abu Taweela village in Sheikh Zuweid. Six suspected militants have been arrested yesterday, the Al-Ahram newspaper reported.

A number of headquarters belonging to the militants have been wiped out which include 23 shelters, 27 unlicensed vehicles and two motorcycle.

In a separate incident, a bomb planted by unidentified militants targeted a security forces' armoured vehicle and injured four police personnel in the governorate.

On Friday, army Spokesperson Brigadier General Mohamed Samir said that 60 terrorists were killed and 40 others injured in army raids in the restive North Sinai cities of Rafah and Shiekh Zwayed.

The country's North Sinai governorate has witnessed many violent attacks by militants since the January 2011 revolution that toppled ex-president Hosni Mubarak.

The attacks targeting police and military personnel shot up after the ouster of Islamist ex-president Mohamed Morsi in 2013 by military following massive protests against his rule.

Over 700 security personnel have been killed since then.

The military has launched security campaigns in the area, arrested suspects and demolished houses belonging to terrorists, including those facilitating tunnels leading to the Gaza Strip.
With President's Rule being imposed in Uttarakhand, 27 BJP MLAs of the state, who were in Jaipur in the wake of a political crisis there, left for Delhi on Sunday.

The MLAs were in Jaipur since Wednesday following the crisis triggered by a rebellion in Congress.

was brought under President's rule on grounds of "breakdown of governance".

"We have left Jaipur and are on our way to Delhi and will reach tomorrow," BJP MLA Madan Kaushik told PTI over phone. "Now our party leadership will decide next move."



Another MLA Adesh Chauhan said, "It was a corrupt government and has gone now. BJP will now be able to form government.
Five pilgrims were killed and fifty people were injured when the bus they were travelling in collided with an oil tanker at Khara village in Jodhpur district on National Highway 15.

The incident took place yesterday around 10 PM when the bus carrying people on a pilgrimage tour from Gujarat collided with the tanker coming from the opposite direction and overturned, trapping people inside it.

The pilgrims were heading to Jaisalmer after attending a religious function in Phalodi.

Police have arrested the driver of the tanker who was allegedly in an inebriated state.

"When they reached near the bus stand of village Khara at about 10 PM, a speeding oil tanker coming from opposite direction hit the bus head on," a police official said.

"The injured were rushed to the local hospital from where some badly injured were later shifted to the MDM Hospital in Jodhpur," he said.

Two women pilgrims died on the spot and three others including two women died during transit to the hospital.

50 others sustained minor to serious injuries and were taken to the hospitals in Phalodi and Pokhran areas.
Saudi-led coalition warplanes carried out a series of raids in southern Yemen today targeting al-Qaeda positions that killed five suspected militants, a Yemeni military official said.

The official, who requested anonymity, said the jihadists were killed in air strikes that targeted buildings in the city of Zinjibar, including an intelligence and special forces headquarters occupied by the militants.

Several people were also wounded and taken to a hospital in the nearby town of Jaar, the official said.

An abandoned army weapons factory in Jaar which the jihadists had taken over was also hit, the official added, but was unable to say if there were any casualties.

Other raids carried out by the Saudi-led coalition struck suspected Al-Qaeda positions in second city Aden at dawn, according to the same official.

It was not immediately clear if anyone was killed or injured.

Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) 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.

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.

Last week a US air strike on an AQAP training camp in Hajr, in the southeastern province of Hadramawt, killed 71 fighters, according to provincial officials.

The militants have seized parts of Hadramawt including its provincial capital Mukalla in April last year.

The Saudi-led coalition launched its intervention in Yemen a year ago against the Huthi rebels but it has recently turned its guns on jihadists in southern Yemen.
At least 51 people, including women and children, enjoying Easter holiday at a popular park, were today killed and nearly 200 others injured when a powerful suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

A large number of people including Christians were present in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Iqbal Town area of the city when the blast occurred, leaving many in a pool of blood.

"It was a powerful blast. It is suspected that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of the main gate of the park," Deputy Inspector General Lahore Police Haider Asharaf said.

Punjab province minister Bilal Yasin confirmed that at least 51 people died in the blast while nearly 200 were injured.

The park is located in a posh-locality in Lahore, the hometown of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. The city is comparatively peaceful in an otherwise violence-wracked Pakistan.

Eyewitnesses said there were scattered body parts in the park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening. The crowd was "unusually large" because of Easter.

"Still a good number of people are in critical condition," Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122 spokesperson Deeba Shahnaz said.

Over 100 injured have been shifted to different hospitals of Lahore, she said. Doctors said the death toll may rise.

Emergency has been declared in all city hospitals in Lahore. Appeals have also been made to people to donate blood for the injured.

Children and women were among the dead.

"My two children were on the swing when a powerful blast occurred. The children and I fell on the ground. I was semi-unconscious. When I fully regained consciousness, I ran to find my children. Thank God, they were alive and have injuries on their head," one of the victims, Saleem Shahid, said at Mayo Hospital.

A heavy contingent of police has cordoned off the area.
525 candidates are in the fray for 61 Assembly seats in Assam which will go to the polls in the second phase on April 11, an official release said today.

Altogether 593 persons had filed their nominations out of which the papers of 33 candidates were rejected while 35 candidates withdrew from the race, the release said.

Among the 525 candidates in the fray, 481 are men and 44 women with the ruling Congress having the highest number of 57 candidates, followed by AIUDF with 47, BJP with 35 and its alliance partner-the AGP with 19.

BJP's other alliance partner - Bodo Peoples' Front is contesting in ten seats, while CPI is contesting in five, CPI-ML(L) in one, CPI-M in nine, SUCI in 11, independents in 217 and others in 114, it said.

Among the prominent candidates in the fray are Congress Ministers Rakibul Hussain, Sukur Ali Ahmed, Dr Nazrul Islam, former Congress Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who joined the BJP last year, AIUDF Chief and Dhubri Lok Sabha MP Badruddin Ajmal, former AGP chief minister Prafulla Mahanta, former AGP ministers Atul Bora and Chandramohan Patowary (both in BJP now).

There are altogether 566 candidates -- 522 men and 44 women-- vying in first phase on April 4 with the prominent candidates being Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi from Titabor and BJP's chief ministerial candidate and union minister Sarbananda Sonowal from Majuli.
At least 56 people, including women and children, enjoying Easter holiday at a popular park, were today killed and nearly 200 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

A large number of people including Christians were present in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Iqbal Town area when the powerful blast occurred, leaving many in a pool of blood.

"It is suspected that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the main gate of the park," Deputy Inspector General Lahore Police Haider Asharaf said. He said about 8-10 kilogrammes of explosive might have been used in the blast.

District Coordination Officer Lahore retired Capt Muhammad Usman said: "At least 56 people have been killed and over 126 injured in the blast."



He, however, ruled out that Christians were the target of the attack. "It was not a Christian park. Christians may be among the dead."



Punjab minister Bilal Yasin said over 200 people have been injured in the blast. "The death toll may rise as a number of injured are in critical condition," he said.

An official of the Punjab police told PTI that the suicide bomber -- believed to be in his 20s -- managed to enter the park and blew himself up near the swings. "It appears that the suicide bomber's main target were children," he said.

The park is located in a posh-locality in Lahore -- a comparatively peaceful city in an otherwise violence-wracked Pakistan which is also the hometown of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The army has joined rescue officials to shift the injured to hospitals. An emergency has been declared in city hospitals and appeals have been made to people to donate blood.

Eyewitnesses said there were scattered body parts all around the park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening. The crowd was "unusually large" because of Easter.

"My two children were taking swings when a powerful blast occurred. Me and the children fell on the ground. I was semi-unconscious. When I fully regained consciousness I ran to find my children," Saleem Shahid, one of the injured in the blast, said at a city hospital where he was being treated.

His children sustained injuries in the blast. "Thank God! They were alive having injuries on their head. I tore my shirt and made a bandage of it," Shahid said.

Police tried toevacuatethe park but people looking for their kins refused to leave the place.

"Still a good number of people are in critical condition," Emergency Services Rescue spokesperson Deeba Shahnaz said.

Punjab government has announced a three-day mourning in the province. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, have condemned the blast.

Christians leaders also strongly condemned the attack.
At least 69 people, mostly women and children, enjoying Easter holiday at a popular public park, were today killed and more than 300 injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

A large number of people including Christians were present in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Iqbal Town area when the powerful blast occurred at 6.40pm, leaving many in a pool of blood.

"It was suicide attack. A suicide bomber blew himself up inside the park," Deputy Inspector General Lahore Police Haider Asharaf told PTI. "It has been confirmed that it was a suicide blast. Some 10 to 15 kilogramme explosive might have been used in the blast."



District Coordination Officer Lahore retired Capt Muhammad Usman said the head of the suicide bomber was recovered. Ball bearings were also found at the site.

He, however, ruled out that Christians were the target of the attack. "It was not a Christian park. Christians may be among the dead."



"The death toll has climbed to 69. More than 300 people have been injured," a Punjab government spokesman said.

Another official said the park was a soft target. "Terrorists targeted children and the minority community to achieve their nefarious designs," he told PTI.

"The death toll may rise as a number of injured are in critical condition," Punjab minister Bilal Yasin said.

An official of the Punjab police said the suicide bomber -- believed to be in his 20s -- managed to enter the park and blew himself up near the swings. "It appears that the suicide bomber's main target were children," he said.

The park is located in a posh-locality in Lahore -- a comparatively peaceful city in an otherwise violence-wracked Pakistan which is also the hometown of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The army has joined rescue officials to shift the injured to hospitals. An emergency has been declared in city hospitals and appeals have been made to people to donate blood.

Eyewitnesses said there were scattered body parts all around the park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening. The crowd was "unusually large" because of Easter.

"My two children were taking swings when a powerful blast occurred. Me and the children fell on the ground. I was semi-unconscious. When I fully regained consciousness I ran to find my children," Saleem Shahid, one of the injured in the blast, said at a city hospital where he was being treated.

His children sustained injuries in the blast. "Thank God! They were alive having injuries on their head. I tore my shirt and made a bandage of it," Shahid said.

Many eyewitnesses said there was no security in and around the park.

"Still a good number of people are in critical condition," Emergency Services Rescue spokesperson Deeba Shahnaz said.

Punjab government has announced a three-day mourning in the province. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, have condemned the blast. Christians leaders also strongly condemned the attack.
Pope Francis concluded a bleak week in Europe with a message of hope during an Easter Vigil service Saturday, saying darkness and fear must not prevail and "imprison" the world with pessimism.

Francis' call to hope on the eve of the most joyful celebration in the Christian calendar contrasted sharply with his sharp condemnation in recent days of the attacks in Belgium and elsewhere by Islamic extremists.

Francis entered the silent and darkened basilica with just a single candle guiding him at the start of the vigil. As he reached the altar, the basilica's floodlights flipped on in a symbolic show of light after the darkness of Good Friday, which recalls Jesus' death.

In his homily, Francis said the hope that Easter brings is a lesson for the Christian faithful to cast aside the pessimism that can "imprison" people inside of themselves.

"We see and will continue to see problems both inside and out. They will always be there," he said. But he insisted: "Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us and control our hearts."



"Today is the celebration of our hope," he said. "It is so necessary today." The Easter message recalling Christ's resurrection, "awakens and resurrects hope in hearts burdened by sadness," he said.

The lengthy vigil service included a papal baptism for 12 adults hailing from China, South Korea and other countries around the world. Early Sunday, Francis will preside over Easter Mass and offer his annual Easter blessing.

During remarks Friday at the Colosseum capping the "Way of the Cross" procession re-enacting Jesus' crucifixion, Francis denounced the "terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence."



While the pope was at the Colosseum, his chief alms-giver was out on the streets of Rome giving out sleeping bags to the homeless Friday night in a show of papal support for the city's least fortunate.
Air India's Dreamliner woes continue with a technical problem forcing the carrier to ground one of its planes in Paris on Friday even as the US aircraft maker is planning to advance deliveries of the remaining six aircraft by a few months.

The grounding of another Boeing 787-800 comes close on the heels of Air India's Kolkata-Delhi fight hitting the same problem last week, forcing a midnight replacement.

Significantly, AI's engineering union had urged the management last year to defer deliveries of the remaining aircraft till Boeing does not address the technical issues and 'pay' compensation for the adverse impact on the carrier's on-time performance due to grounding of the planeshas already inducted 21 such planes in its fleet and six more are to be delivered to it by August 2018.

"The Boeing Dreamliner, which was to operate Paris-Delhi flight, is grounded in Paris due to a technical issue. The airline has rushed its team of engineers to fix the problem," a source said.

Alleging that the Boeing has "perpetually failed" to address the technical issues with Dreamliners, which result in frequent grounding of these planes with Air India, the source said, " needs to talk tough with the US aircraft maker on these problems as the airline is not only losing revenue due to grounding of the planes, but it is also impacting its on-time performance."



At the time of Kolkata incident, Air India had admitted that it was facing teething technical glitches in Dreamliner aircraft.

Air India, which was one of the first customers of the Dreamliner planes, currently has 21 Boeing 787-800s in the fleet, of the 27 planes it had ordered with the US aircraft maker in 2005.

"The association requests the management to put on hold further deliveries of B787s till all technical problems are resolved to the satisfaction of Air India. Boeing should also extend the warranty of aircraft from four years currently to minimum 6 years or till the utilisation of B787s is improved to considerably," Air India Aircraft Engineering Association had said in a communication to the management last year.

The association had also urged that the manpower for frequent unscheduled snags be compensated, including damages towards hampering the airline's on-time performance.

"Besides, Boeing should also be asked to keep float (inventory) of items which are repeatedly failing," it said.

As a part of its fleet expansion plans, Air India had in January, 2006, placed orders with Boeing Company for 68 aircraft, including 27 Dreamliners and 41 B-777s and B-737- 800s.

A senior airline official, however, said that most of the issues with the planemaker had been sorted out and the average utilisation period of the aircraft has also increased considerably in the last six months.

"The issues with Boeing have been sorted out. The problem issues relating to parts and components supply have also been resolved. We have signed a 10-year Rotational Exchange Programme with Boeing, under which the aircraft maker will make us available any part/component for Dreamliner within 24 hours of the requirement.

"The tie-up is effective from June and this would reduce the grounding period of the aircraft," the official said.

Meanwhile, according to the official, Boeing is in talks with Air India to revise the delivery schedule for the remaining planes.

"As of now these planes are to be delivered to the carrier by August 2018 with two such planes expected to join the fleet in November-December this year. However, Boeing wants to deliver all the six planes by March 2018," the source said.
A battle over background checks for Uber drivers at the world's busiest airport comes as cities like Los Angeles and Austin, Texas, consider more thorough screenings to prevent criminals from getting behind the wheel.

Uber has objected to the Atlanta airport's plan to use fingerprints to check criminal records of its drivers, saying its own record checks are sufficient.

But the district attorney in Uber's hometown of San Francisco has called the ride-booking firm's process "completely worthless" since drivers aren't fingerprinted.

In Houston, city officials say they found that background checks without fingerprints allow criminals who have been charged with murder, sexual assault and other crimes to evade detection in a variety of ways.

Atlanta's city council on Wednesday is set to consider the airport's plan for screening drivers for Uber, Lyft and other ride-booking firms when proposed new rules go before the council's transportation committee.

Uber has agreements with more than 50 US airports, none of which require the fingerprint-based background checks being proposed by Atlanta' s airport, the company said in a statement. Those airports include major air hubs in Denver; Los Angeles; Memphis, Tennessee; Charlotte, North Carolina; and Salt Lake City, Utah.

But New York City does fingerprint drivers, and the mayor of Los Angeles this month asked state regulators to allow his city to do so as well.

Houston, the fourth-largest US city, was among the first in the nation to require drivers for Uber and other ride-booking firms to undergo fingerprint-based background checks using the FBI's database.

Houston's program began in November 2014, and city officials there say they're far more thorough than any other way of checking someone's criminal past.

"Public safety is our No 1 priority that's something the city of Houston does not compromise on," said Lara Cottingham, Houston's deputy assistant director of administration and regulatory affairs. "That's the reason we license any vehicle for hire."



Since Houston's ordinance went into effect, the city's fingerprint-based FBI background checks have found driver applicants who have been charged with murder, sexual assault, robbery and indecent exposure, among other crimes.

Those drivers had already cleared the commercial background checks used by ride-for-hire companies, according to a city report released this month.

Potential drivers can pass background checks that don't rely on fingerprints simply by using an alias, the report found. For instance, one driver cleared by a company that does background checks for Uber underwent Houston's fingerprint check, which turned up 24 alias names, 10 listed social security numbers and an active arrest warrant, the report states.
Police in southern Italy have arrested an Algerian man wanted by Belgian authorities for alleged involvement in a Belgium-based network which provided false IDs used by people implicated in the Paris and Brussels attacks, investigators said today.

Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested yesterday in the town of Bellizzi, outside of the port city of Salerno, said Luigi Amato, the head of Salerno police's anti-terrorism squad.

Ouali apparently "didn't know he was wanted" by Belgian authorities and applied for a residency permit about 10 days ago in Italy, Amato said in a telephone interview.

Ouali, 40, was jailed while authorities expected extradition procedures to soon begin, the police official said.

Ouali had entered in Italy sometime after late December, Amato said. His wife, also Algerian, is also in Italy.

A statement from police in Salerno noted that authorities' interest in Ouali was triggered when they noticed he had the same name of man sought by Belgium for alleged involvement in "a criminal network dedicated to false documents on a large scale" that emerged last year in Brussels.

Belgium issued a warrant in January, three months after a raid in the Brussels suburb of Saint-Gilles yielded some thousand digital images used for false documents.

That raid discovered "photos and of some aliases used by the three terrorists belonging to the group which planned and carried out the attacks in Paris" on November 13, 2015, the Italian police statement said.

The Italian agency ANSA said the aliases included Soufiane Kayal, the name used by Najim Laachraoui, one of the suicide bombers in last week's Brussels airport attack, as well as one used by Mohamed Belkaid, who was killed during the hunt for Salah Abdeslam, as well as an alias, Yassine Baghli, used by Abdeslam, the suspected ringleader of the attacks.

Amato said Oauli declined to answer investigators' questions. The official stressed he couldn't elaborate on what links the documents' falsification had to the suspects in the Paris and Brussels attacks. Italy's investigation of Oauli's activities on Italian territory is also continuing.
Bangladesh Supreme Court today fined two senior ministers Taka 50,000 each, finding them guilty of contempt for their derogatory remarks against the chief justice during the appeal hearing of a major 1971 war crimes convict, making their position in the Cabinet doubtful.

"We are convicting the ministers of serious contempt of court," pronounced chief justice Surendra Kumar Sinha as food minister Quamrul Islam and liberation war affairs minister Mozammel Huq appeared before the full bench of the apex court.

The chief justice said the top court took a lenient stance in punishing them as the two ministers previously sought unconditional apology but the top court decided not to pardon them as they held positions in the cabinet "under an oath to protect the Constitution".

"(Despite their oath) they made derogatory comments belittling the Chief Justice and the apex court, defying the constitution... Which appeared 'intentional'," Sinha said.

According to the judgment Islam and Huq would have to deposit Taka 50,000 (USD 625) each, in next seven days to the bank accounts of two specialised private hospitals which offer philanthropic services to poor patients, failing which they have to spend seven days in prison.

The ministers declined to make any comments on the judgment.

Earlier this month, the two ministers had publicly snubbed the chief justice for his comments criticising investigators during the appeal hearing of a major 1971 war crimes convict, Jamaat-e-Islami leader Mir Qashem Ali.

Ahead of delivering the verdict upholding Ali's death penalty on March 8, the full bench of the court ordered the two ministers personal appearance to clarify their "contemptuous comments".

Islam had called for a re-hearing of Ali's appeal prayers excluding the chief justice as he earlier questioned the investigators efficiency in collecting evidence against the accused.

"Through a comment of the chief justice in the court, we have realised what verdict will be delivered in the case. We have realised that there is no scope for awarding the death penalty," the food minister had said.

Asked if the two ministers now could retain their position in the cabinet, attorney general Mahbubey Alam said according to his knowledge the constitution did not specifically suggested any measure in this regard.

"But the issue involves the question of ethics... It is upon the cabinet (of Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina) whether they will retain them," Alam said.

Hasina had in a cabinet meeting earlier snubbed the two ministers for "embarrassing" the government through their comments and said her government did not own their "private comments".
Belgian police detained four people for questioning in connection with terrorism after 13 raids today across Brussels and the towns of Duffel and Mechelen to the north, the federal prosecutor said.

"In connection with the terrorism dossier, 13 raids were carried out this morning... In all nine people were questioned, with five of them later released," the prosecutor said in a statement.
Belgium charged a suspect thought to be the fugitive third Brussels airport bomber with terrorist murder, as a peace march today for the victims was cancelled for security reasons after the attacks in the heart of Europe.

The postponement of the Easter Sunday rally underscored the tension in Belgium as police track members of an Islamic State group cell linked to both Tuesday's Brussels attacks that killed 31 as well as the Paris assaults in November.

The airport suspect officially identified as Faycal C, and named by sources close to the inquiry as Faycal Cheffou, was arrested on Thursday night as investigators believe he could be the third man pictured in airport surveillance footage alongside two suicide bombers.

The third man, wearing a distinctive dark hat and light- coloured jacket, has been the subject of a massive manhunt after he fled the scene when his device failed to go off in the attack at Zaventem airport.

In the grieving Belgian capital, a defiant "March Against Fear" had been planned for today from the central Place de La Bourse, which has become a shrine to the victims, but was called off after authorities said the mass gathering could draw much-needed resources away from the investigation.

"Let us allow the security services to do their work and that the march, which we too want to take part in, be delayed for several weeks," Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur said.

March organisers said the "security of our citizens is an absolute priority. We join the authorities in proposing a delay and ask people not to come this Sunday."



Brussels airport meanwhile said an examination of the main building housing the departure hall wrecked by two suicide bombers showed the structure is stable and authorities will now see if temporary check-in desks can be installed.

In a separate statement earlier the airport said it did not expect to be able to reopen before Tuesday, with a partial resumption of passenger services, as it repaired the damage and put in place new security measures.

Ministers insist they did everything possible to prevent Tuesday's attacks and track a network also linked to November's Paris attacks, but the Belgian government is facing a torrent of criticism at home and abroad.

Many believe it failed to do enough to stop young Belgian fighters going to Syria, and two senior ministers have offered to resign after it emerged airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported from Turkey as a "terrorist fighter".

"It is an endless nightmare for a country turned upside down," said Le Soir daily in a front-page editorial.

Heavily armed soldiers and police patrolled Brussels and the airport yesterday, as the city that is home to the EU and NATO headquarters remained on high alert.

Prosecutors charged three people including Faycal C, who is the first person formally accused over the suicide attacks on the airport and the Maalbeek metro station.

Le Soir said on its website that the suspect had been identified by a taxi driver who drove the three bombers to the airport on Tuesday.
After was brought under central rule, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday accused the Modi government of being "anti-democratic" and alleged that it wanted to impose President's rule across the country.

"Prez rule imposed one day before trust vote? BJP is anti-democracy. BJP/RSS want dictatorship, want to rule India thro Prez Rule," Kejriwal tweeted.

Aam Aadmi Party leader Ashutosh also took to Twitter to criticise the Centre's decision, saying it was "murder of democracy".

"Whatever has happened in Uttarakhand, is murder of democracy. A govt has majority or not should be proved on the floor of the house," he tweeted.

He also said, "Modi govt does not want opposition govts at all. After Arunachal Pradesh, Dismissal of govt is dangerous trend."

"Has BJP/Jaitley forgotten Sher Singh in Delhi who was caught on camera to buy AAP MLA to form BJP govt before assembly election in Delhi?" Ashutosh asked.

President's rule was imposed in on Sunday by the Centre on grounds of "breakdown of governance" in a controversial decision which came in the wake of a political crisis triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress.

Earlier in January, Kejriwal had expressed "shock" at Cabinet's recommendation for imposition of President's rule in Arunachal Pradesh, terming it as "murder" of the country's Constitution.

"Union Cab recommending Prez rule in Arunachal shocking. Murder of Consti on Rep D eve. BJP lost elections. Now acquiring power thro back door," Kejirwal had tweeted.
Firefighters trying to snuff out the biggest wildfire in Kansas history are getting help from military helicopters and a potential assist from looming rain or snow.

Four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Kansas National Guard were deployed yesterday in the effort to contain the persistent prairie blazes that since Tuesday have charred at least 1,600 square kilometres in Oklahoma and southern Kansas, destroying at least two homes and some livestock. No serious human injuries have been reported.

At least two of the helicopters have 2,500-litter buckets that will be used to dump water from local sources onto the flames, said Ben Bauman, a spokesman for the Kansas Adjutant General's Office.

The National Guard also was contributing a fuel tanker truck and another ground support vehicle.

Firefighters focused again yesterday southwest of Wichita in Butler County, where only 15 percent of the blaze that has scorched 1,106 square kilometres of the county was contained, said Darcy Golliher, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Incident Management Team.

The National Weather Service said the area where the fire has raged, which borders Oklahoma, may get one-tenth to a quarter inch (0.25 to 0.64 centimetres) of rain or snow last night or this morning.

Shawna Hartman, a Kansas Forest Service spokeswoman, said slightly windier conditions prevailed yesterday compared with the previous day. And while she expects the forecast precipitation to add welcome moisture, "it really won't do anything to the fire that's actively burning."



Still, she said, "we don't anticipate the perimeter (of the fire) increasing at all."



The prospect of relief from rain may offer little solace to 87-year-old Don Gerstner, a Korean War veteran who along with his wife, Carol, lost their home near Medicine Lodge to the fire after the two narrowly escaped it.

Gerstner said he looked out his kitchen window Wednesday and saw what he described as a fast-approaching "wall of fire." He yelled for his wife to get her pocketbook, and the couple fled with their dogs, at times driving through flames to make their getaway.

The couple watched from afar as the fire consumed their home of 54 years, much of the structure built with bricks from the county's old courthouse.
Bolivian President Evo Morales has said that his country has decided to file suit against Chile at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over a water dispute.

Bolivia argues it owns the Silala spring in its southwest department of Potosi and that it is not being compensated by Chile for use of its waters, which flow across their shared border.

Chile, however, argues that it is an international waterway.

"We have decided as a pacifist country to go to The Hague so that Chile respects our water in Silala," Morales said at a public event yesterday.

Chilean Foreign Minister Heraldo Munoz has said his country could file a counterclaim.

The move would mark the second legal action taken by Bolivia against Chile at the Netherlands-based court that oversees disputes between countries.

Last year, the ICJ agreed to take up another, century-old dispute between the two nations, in which La Paz seeks to regain former access to the Pacific Ocean.

Bolivia became landlocked after losing a four-year war against Chile at the end of the 19th century, forfeiting territory and its access to the sea.

After a number of fruitless negotiations with Santiago over the issue, La Paz lodged a complaint to the ICJ in April 2013.
Nearly 170 people onboard a Jet Airways flight from Delhi had to be evacuated at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport here today after authorities received a threat about a bomb on the plane, briefly halting flight operations.

An unidentified person made a call to the airport authorities saying that explosives have been planted onboard the Jet Airways Flight 260 that took off from New Delhi in the afternoon.

Shortly after the aircraft with 169 people including crew landed at the airport at around 4:30 pm, the passengers were safely evacuated.

Search operations were carried out inside the aircraft which was taken to the isolation area.

Security personnel conducted a thorough check of the plane after a threat alarm was communicated to Jet Airways office in Kathmandu Delhi, officials said.

There was panic in the airport as soon as the was spread.

However, after the inspection was complete, the bomb threat turned to be a hoax. No explosives were found inside the aircraft.

"We had carried a thorough investigation of all the baggage, passengers and aircraft seats, where noting was found," a senior official at the airport said.

Passengers were safely evacuated from the Jet Airways after it touched down at the airport here.

All domestic as well as international flights were suspended for about an hour due to the incident.

The airport authorities gave the all clear signal at 5.30 pm (local time) after going through necessary investigations.

Earlier, the Jet Airways plane had experienced difficulty in landing due to poor visibility in Kathmandu. The aircraft had to make six rounds above Simara in Bara before making an emergency landing following the bomb threat alert, Himalayan Times reported.

Security personnel, including Nepal Army's bomb disposal squad were mobilised for carrying out search operations.

Security was tightened inside the airport after the threat was received. The flight services were resumed as normal after the search operation.
Authorities arrested a 23-year-old man in the Toronto suburbs on a terrorism-related charge, but stressed it was not linked to the deadly suicide bombings in Brussels.

Kevin Omar Mohamed was arrested under a "Fear of Terrorism Offence" law, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police said in a statement, suggesting he was preparing to travel abroad to train with extremists.

He was also charged with carrying a concealed weapon and possession of a weapon dangerous to public peace. If convicted, he could face a maximum of 10 years in prison.

"While there was no indication of any plans for a domestic attack, we must remain committed to preventing individuals from traveling abroad to gain training and expertise that could be used in the planning and implementation of future attacks on Canadian soil," Superintendent Lise Crouch was quoted as saying in the statement.

Mohamed was scheduled to be indicted on Tuesday at a court in Brampton, a suburb west of Toronto, Canadian police said.

Around sixty Canadians who traveled abroad to join terror groups are now back in the country, and another 180 are estimated to be overseas engaged with extremists, Canada's spy chief Michel Coulombe told a newspaper last month.
A pet cat in the UK has survived an eight-day ordeal in the post, after apparently falling asleep in a box.

Owner Julie Baggott did not spot her pet Cupcake when she packed up a box of DVDs and sent it off to a customer.

Eight days later, the female cat arrived in Worthing, West Sussex, after somehow surviving the nearly 420-km journey from Falmouth in Cornwall.

The customer was understandably "somewhat startled", vets said, when the box of DVDs was opened and Cupcake jumped out.

After being contacted, an animal welfare charity collected the cat and took it to a veterinary hospital.

Dr Ben Colwell, a vet at Grove Lodge who treated Cupcake, said: "She was quite dehydrated and obviously really quite scared, quite nervous.

"She's done really, really well, she's responded to fluids really well. Luckily she was micro-chipped."



After scanning the cat and discovering the microchip, they found Baggott's details and got in touch.

The owner had been distraught at the loss of her cat. She and her family had put up posters and searched around Falmouth for days.

"When I realised she was missing, two weeks ago, it was the most horrible, scary feeling," she told BBC.

"I feel terrible about what's happened... I put everything in the box and I sealed it straight away, so I don't know how she managed to get in there.

"It was a miracle she was alive, she's managed to survive that awful ordeal."



Cupcake required several days of treatment for dehydration but has made a full recovery since being collected by Baggott and taken back to Cornwall.

Although the Royal Mail does accept some live insects, bees and earthworms in the post, it does not accept live animals.

In 2006, a Cambridge University student was fined 750 pounds and banned from keeping animals for 10 years after he and a friend posted a hamster as a prank.

The hamster gnawed through the envelope and was rescued by a postman, who decided to name him First Class.
CBI has registered two fresh cases against gangster related to alleged murder of suspected rivals and assassination attempt on a businessman in Mumbai at the request of Maharashtra government authorities.

CBI sources said the first case relates to Bhendi Bazar shoot out allegedly executed by hired shooters of Rajan in February 2010 in which two persons--Shakeel Modak and Irfan Qureishi--were killed while one Asif Dadhi was injured.

Modak was believed to be very close to a well known politician who had been an MLC and an MLA. Modak owned a fishing trawler. Qureishi used to work in a printing press.

Dadhi was under the Mumbai police scanner over alleged illegal activities but was cleared by the competent court.

The agency sources said a case has been registered against four unknown persons under various sections of IPC related to murder and provisions of the arms act.

They said the second case relates to an alleged attempt made on the life of Mumbai-based businessman and hotelier B R Shetty in October 2012 by two motorcycle-borne shooters suspected to be linked to Rajan.

The case, which was probed by Amboli Police, has now been taken over by CBI, which has registered a case against two unknown persons under the IPC provisions related to attempt to murder, arms act and stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

When asked about these cases, CBI spokesperson R K Gaur confirmed the development.

"CBI has taken over the investigation in these two cases which were earlier registered by the Mumbai police," he said.

Maharashtra authorities have referred to CBI over 70 cases in which involvement of Rajan is suspected. The agency has so far registered three cases including these two. Earlier, it had registered the case relating to the murder of journalist J Dey, who was allegedly shot dead on the instructions of Rajan.

CBI FIR does not name Rajan because according to rules, the agency takes over the report registered by the local police. After the probe, the agency may add or delete names of suspects in its final report submitted to the court.

Rajan was detained by Indonesian Police in Bali on 25 October last year on his arrival from Australia following a Red Corner Notice by the Interpol. He was later deported to India on November 6, 2015.

CBI has also charge-sheeted him for allegedly using a fake passport which he used to dodge enforcement agencies.
Bihar Chief Minister on Sunday accused the Centre of deliberately playing out the emotive issues like 'nationalism' to divert people's attention from its "failure" on all fronts.

He said no one was talking about economic issues.

"Now everyone is busy on the debate over 'nationalism' in the country. First they (BJP) showed dreams to the people and when they realised that it was not possible to translate those dreams into realities, then emotive issues are being played out to divert attention," Kumar told a conference of the Asian Development Research Institute here.

Read more from our special coverage on "NITISH KUMAR"

No one was talking about economic issues, the chief minister said.
A popular practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine was found shot to death and wrapped in plastic along with his wife and 5-year-old daughter in their palatial two-story home in upscale Santa Barbara County. More than 170 miles to the south, a 27-year-old suspect was arrested in the San Diego area where he lives.

What connected the two men remains largely unclear. Authorities said only that the two were recently involved in a business deal, and that financial gain could have been involved in the slayings.

Pierre Haobsh, 27, of Oceanside was taken into custody at gunpoint at a gas station in San Diego County, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bob Brown said Friday.

Investigators with an arrest warrant had been following a red Lexus that belonged to him, Brown said. A loaded handgun and property belonging to one of the victims was found inside the car, the sheriff said.

Deputies who went to check on the welfare of 57-year-old Weidong "Henry" Han on Wednesday found the bodies of the physician, his 29-year-old wife, Huijie "Jenni" Yu, and the couple's 5-year-old daughter, Emily Han, in the family's multimillion-dollar home on the outskirts of Santa Barbara.

Their bodies were found shot, wrapped in plastic and duct-taped in the garage, a sheriff's statement said. They had last been seen the night before they were found.

"This investigation is far from over," Brown said. "It is complex and ongoing."



Two business associates of Han went to his home after he failed to show up for a meeting something they told authorities was highly uncharacteristic of him. The associates called authorities when they found the front door ajar and the family's cars parked outside.

Authorities didn't say what led them from the palatial two-story home that sits on 7 acres surrounded by avocado trees to the Oceanside area, where Haobsh was arrested, more than 170 miles to the south.

Haobsh is a US citizen, authorities said, but few other details about him were released.

Nadine Jolie Courtney, a beauty blogger and author, wrote in an email message yesterday that Haobsh was her brother. She condemned the killings and extended her prayers to the Han family.

"We cannot wrap our minds around this tragedy and are in a state of shock," she wrote on behalf of herself and her husband.
Christians in the Holy Land and across the world are celebrating Easter, commemorating the day followers believe Jesus was resurrected in Jerusalem 2,000 years ago.

The cavernous Holy Sepulcher church in Jerusalem was packed with worshippers today. The site is where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected.

A Mass is expected later in Bethlehem's Nativity Church, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus was born.

At the Vatican, Pope Francis presided over a solemn vigil service yesterday night. In his homily, Francis said darkness and fear must not prevail and "imprison" the world with pessimism.

The call to hope on the eve of the most joyful celebration in the Christian calendar contrasted sharply with his condemnation of the attacks in Belgium and elsewhere by Islamic extremists.
A confederation of civil services officers association today met Union Minister Jitendra Singh and requested him to alter the composition of a high-powered panel created recently to process the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission as they were "apprehensive" of its neutrality.

The confederation members led by the Convenor and General Secretary of the All India IRS (Income Tax) Jayant Mishra, Gen Secretary of the IPS Association P V Ramasastry and President of the Indian Information Service (IIS) Ranjana Dev Sarmah including office bearers of four other services met Singh, the Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions.

The delegation of the Confederation of Civil Service Associations (CoCSA) said Singh, assured them that their concerns will be "appropriately examined."



"The Government has formed a Committee of Secretaries to examine the Report of the 7th Central Pay Commission.

Unfortunately, eight of the 13 members of the Committee belong to one particular Service and therefore the CoCSA is apprehensive of its neutrality on issues related to parity and equality of opportunities.

"We, therefore request the Government to implement inter Service parity related issues as recommended by a majority decision of the Pay Commission as such because the recommendations have been made by a body headed by retired Supreme Court Judge which has meticulously examined the issues for about 20 months after a wide consultation with all the stakeholders.

"If the Government, however, feels the necessity to examine the matter further, it may be done by a Service neutral body and not the present Committee," the confederation said.

The Centre, in January this year, had set up a high-powered panel headed by Cabinet Secretary P K Sinha to process the recommendations of the 7th Pay Commission which will have bearing on the remuneration of 47 lakh central government employees and 52 lakh pensioners.

The group of civil servants also expressed their grievances in the delay in empanelment of their respective cadres for working in higher government posts.

"It may be recollected that the Commission (7th Pay Commission) recommended with a 2:1 majority, to end the exclusive edge to the IAS in the matters of pay, deputations and promotions.
The Opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh today alleged that journalists are being "implicated in false cases" in Bastar at the behest of the ruling BJP dispensation.

Journalist Deepak Jaiswal were held yesterday while another scribe Prabhat Singh was arrested on March 22 by Bastar police on separate charges.

"We oppose the arrest of one more journalist Deepak Jaiswal. They are being deliberately harassed by police at the behest of ruling BJP in Bastar. They are being implicated in false cases," Congress state general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi alleged while talking PTI.

Police are being continuously misused in Bastar to suppress the voices of those who are speaking in open against the alleged loot of minerals in the region, he said.

"Innocent tribals are being killed branding them as Naxals. Neither social activists are being allowed to work in Bastar, nor political leaders. Those who oppose police action, they are being tagged as Maoists," Trivedi said.

To establish peace in Bastar all steps should be taken which are legitimate under the law of the land, but, in the name of police action, journalists, public representatives and common men should not be harassed, he said.

Prabhat Singh was arrested on March 22 under the Information Technology Act for allegedly posting objectionable content on a Whatsapp group and three other cases. Jaiswal was held yesterday on a complaint for allegedly entering the school premises without permission during an exam and manhandling the staff members.

In the past one year, four journalists have been arrested at separate places in Bastar division.

Meanwhile, AAP leader and tribal activist Soni Sori also lashed out at police for action against "innocent" journalists.

Terming the arrests of journalists as a "conspiracy", she said, "The democracy is being murdered in Bastar."



"What's happening in Bastar. Why the voices of journalists are being suppressed. Bastar police is continuously targeting local journalists of the region who are raising the issue of tribals. They are being targeted under a conspiracy and we oppose it," Sori told reporters here.

Prabhat was actively reporting on issues of tribals. He had exposed the false claims of police in some incidents for which he is paying the price today, she said.

"Chief Minister Raman Singh is responsible for the entire incident (arrests and law and order situation in Bastar) as he is the head of the state...It is his responsibility to ensure protection to journalists," she said.

Sori also said that she will soon stage a massive protest in Bastar opposing the arrest of journalists.
DCW has issued notices to CBI, the Delhi government and a company contracted to provide sanitary napkins to Delhi government schools after taking suo motu cognisance of a media report that the supply was discontinued under the influence of the investigative agency.

In its notice to the company, Delhi Commission for Women (DCW) chairperson Swati Maliwal has sought a detailed report on the item and inquired as to the reasons for the discontinuation of the supply of sanitary napkins.

Under the Kishori Yojana, free-of-cost sanitary napkins are provided to an estimated 7.3 lakh girls between classes 6 and 12 at all Delhi government schools since 2012, she said, adding that "the discontinuation of supply of sanitary napkins shall adversely affect the health and hygiene of adolescent girls".

"It may also affect their school attendance during menstruation... The sudden withdrawal from the contract by the said company may severely impact the supply of sanitary napkins to Delhi government schools and be detrimental to the welfare of adolescent girls in Delhi," she said in the notice.

Maliwal asked CBI Director Anil Sinha to submit a report on the allegations made in the story.

"CBI is entrusted with the role of being the highest enforcement agency of the country. The newspaper report is very disturbing and needs to be urgently enquired into," she said in her notice sent to the investigative agency.

The DCW chief further sought an "enquiry report on the allegations raised in the report and, if found guilty, details of action proposed against personnel responsible for the lapse".

In the notice to the state government's Directorate of Education, she has sought to know the status of the present buffer stock of sanitary napkins and the details of the plan of action to ensure its supply is not discontinued or delayed.

Meanwhile, against the backdrop of the rape of three



minors, Maliwal strongly urged the Centre and Delhi government to work together to to ensure that no child rapes occur in the city. There should be no politics over women's safety in the national capital, she said.

She also called for the creation of a forum "wherein the LG, Union Home Minister, GNCTD, DCW and the Delhi Police Commissioner must meet at least once a week to review the progress of the measures being taken for improving the safety and security of women in Delhi".

She also urged Delhi Lt Governor Najeeb Jung to notify police station-level committees that will fix accountability of Delhi Police for effective law and order enforcement.

Jung was further urged to notify the revised compensation scheme for sexual assault victims.

"DCW worked with the Delhi government to increase the quantum of compensation to rape victims from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 10 lakh; and to acid attack victims from Rs 3 lakh to Rs 12 lakh and for time-bound disbursement of these funds. However, the victim is not able to avail the support that the government wishes to extend to them as the Delhi Victim Compensation Scheme is yet to be notified.

"It is the earnest request of the commission that the same be notified at the earliest," she said.
The ninth edition of DefExpo India, a biennial exhibition of Land, Naval and Internal Homeland Security Systems, starting tomorrow in Goa, would be the largest one in its history, the Defence Ministry said today.

The exhibition would be inaugurated by Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar.

Over 1,000 companies, both foreign and Indian, are taking part in the exhibition this year. With a total of 510 companies, participation by Indian companies has doubled since 2014 which saw a participation by 256 companies. A total of 490 foreign companies are participating this year against 368 in DefExpo 2014.

"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 fourth generation fighter aircraft," an official release said.

"With the changes in government policies on defence acquisition and 'Make in India' campaign, considerable impetus is being given to indigenisation in defence sector," it said.

"The exhibition would be showcasing India's capabilities in Land, Naval and Security Systems as well as its emergence as an attractive destination for investment in Defence sector.

"This year's exhibition will be the largest DefExpo held to date," the ministry said.

In all 47 countries will be taking part in the exhibition against 30 countries last time.

They include Australia, Brazil, Canada, Egypt, Finland, France, Germany, Israel, Japan, Russia, Sweden, UK, and USA.

In all,at least 1,000 companies,both Indian and foreign,



are taking part in the exhibition this year, which isover one-and-a-half-times more than that in Defexpo 2014.

With a total of 510 companies,participation by Indian entities has doubled from 2014 when 256 firms had taken part in the event.

A total number of 490 foreign companies are participating this year, up from the 368 in2014.

Around 950 delegations as against 511in 2014 are expected to visit the exhibition this year providing great synergy in business to business (B2B) activities in a short span of four days.

A total of 204 official delegations from 44countries and around 750 non-official business delegations are attending the show.

The net area sold in this edition is 40,725 sqm against 27,515 sqm in 2014.

Thegross areaof exhibition hasincreased over three foldsto 1,50,000 sqm as against 45,000 sqm in 2014.

Till now the exhibition used to be held in Pragati Maidan in Delhi but it has been moved to Goa this time because of lack of space.

Amid protests by some groups against the exhibition being held in Goa, the Defence Ministry statement said, "Care is being taken to preserve the ecology of the site".
MSG All Trading International Pvt Ltd, a firm, on Sunday said it has introduced 151 products including food items.

The products, launched by the sect's head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, includ basmati rice, tea, pulses and biscuits, a Dera spokesman said.

The company's Director C P Arora said the products will meet international standards.

The company, which plans to open outlets across the country, said it will also sell organic fertiliser.

The products will be sold online through teleshopping and mobile Apps, Arora said.

Singh also launched a website 'MSG my God and your choice' on which details of products will be available.

He said that there is demand for the company's products from Canada, England, Germany, Australia and USA.

"We don't want to ruin our cars with spurious adulterated fuel, but do we even care about what we eat? Indeed, it is for this reason that India has become the heart disease and diabetes capital of the world. MSG is the first brand to come out with an organic line of products, nationwide," Singh said.

Apart from the organic range, MSG products include premium and standard choices, which go through a rigorous selection process, he said.

Singh encouraged farmers to take up organic farming and has held farm fairs to disseminate appropriate know-how.

"The MSG products are also a step in the direction of having a healthy food business with eco-friendly and sustainable development at its heart," he said.
A 60-year-old man was stabbed to death and another injured allegedly by a deranged youth who was later lynched by a mob in Jain Ganj area here today.

Umesh Yadav was stabbed to death by a mentally unstable youth. Kishan Lal Yadav was injured when he tried to save Umesh. A mob later lynched the attacker, police said.

Banmankhi sub-divisional police officer Kundan Kumar said the identity of the attacker could not be ascertained.
Government will soon come out with detailed norms to operationalise the decision to permit 100 per cent foreign direct investment (FDI) in the sector.

The FDI in sector, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, will help farmers in getting good prices of their produce besides eliminating wastage of food produce.

Read more from our special coverage on "FOOD PROCESSING" FDI in food processing to push local sourcing

"There is a lot of food being wasted in the country because there are no storage capacities. Wastage is there because timely procurement does not happen," she told PTI in an interview.

The minister said "there are a lot of people who are interested in putting funds for creating value addition in agricultural produce. Therefore if FDI is permitted, they can come, procure from the farmer, give him a fair price, do value addition and avoid wastage of produce".

On when the government will come out with detailed guidelines on FDI in food processing, the minister said: "It has to come out sooner".

The Department of Industrial Policy and Promotion (DIPP) is in the process of finalising the cabinet note in this regard along with Ministry of .

Recently, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley held a meeting with top officials of food processing, commerce and industry ministries to work out the modalities for allowing 100 per cent FDI in marketing and processing of foods products.

With a view to benefit farmers and reducing wastage of fruits and vegetables, the government in the Budget proposed allowing 100 per cent foreign direct investment in marketing and processing of food products.

In his Budget speech, Jaitley had said the move would benefit farmers, give an impetus to the food processing industry and create vast employment opportunities.

During April-December, FDI into the country grew by 40 per cent to USD 29.44 billion.
Rahul Gandhi tonight reacted sharply over the imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand, telling Prime Minister Narendra Modi bluntly that "don't let your love of power overrule people's mandate".

"Modiji don't let your love of power overrule ppl's mandate. @INCIndia is ready-fight elections, seek ppl's mandate, don't usurp their right," the Congress Vice President said on micro blogging site Twitter.

Party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala also issued a strongly worded statement targeting the Centre.

"Post-Arunachal, democracy has been murdered in broad day light, Constitution has been negated with defiant impunity and Raj dharma has been shred to pieces by Modi government with imposition of President Rule in Uttarakhand", he said.

"Congress Party will not be deterred, will not be cowed down and will not back track in face of such conspiracies to topple its governments.

"We will exercise all our Constitutional rights besides taking the battle to people's court," Surjewala said adding that the party was "certain" that the BJP will be "punished" in the five-election going states.

He alleged that the Prime Minister and BJP leadership first hatched a conspiracy last night to trample upon Constitution and violate democracy in a meeting of Union Cabinet.

"Despite stiff opposition and adverse opinion, Modi government implemented the sinister conspiracy today by bulldozing democracy and imposing President's Rule.

"More so, Uttarakhand Assembly has been kept in suspended animation with a view to propagate and perpetuate horse-trading of MLAs with active abetment and conspiracy of BJP leadership", he alleged.

Claiming that the BJP used money power and muscle power in Uttarakhand to destabilize the Congress government, he said itmiserably failed.

"BJP then sponsored a petition in the High Court through disgruntled legislators to prevent the Speaker of Assembly from exercising his constitutional powers under anti-defection law.

"High Court of Uttarakhand negated this conspiracy and dismissed the petition," he said alleging that the BJP leadership then resorted to the "pettiness of a fake sting operation" against Chief Minister Harish Rawat and Congress government.

This fake sting operation also could not cut any ice, he said.

(REOPENS DEL 83)



"Having failed in all conspiracies to convert majority into minority in Uttarakhand, Modi government has resorted to complete abuse of powers by imposing President's Rule.

"It reflects an unprecedented arrogance of power and position on part of Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi and BJP President, Shri Amit Shah," Surjewala alleged.

He insisted that "naked negation" of the Constitutional norms can be simply gauged from the fact that Uttarakhand Governor had asked Congress government to prove its majority tomorrow in accordance with established principles of S R Bommai's case.

"What, then, is the justification for imposition of President's Rule 24 hours before the floor test to prove majority? It shows complete lack of respect for the Constitution on part of Prime Minister besides establishing that all sinister conspiracies to unseat an elected government have utterly failed.

In fact, in S R Bommai's case, Hon'ble Supreme Court categorically held that once floor test has been ordered, Governor cannot recommend President's Rule based on his subjective satisfaction.", Surjewala said.

He said that "miserable losses "of BJP in Delhi Assembly, Bihar Assembly and multiple by-elections have established that Modi government "cannot come to power through ballot in any State."



"Consequently, it seeks to bulldoze, coerce and subjugate elected governments of opposition parties through misuse of power and money.

"People of country are a witness to these blatant and partisan acts of murdering democracy and violating Constitution.

"We are certain that BJP will again be punished in the five election going States.", he added.
A co-pilot for American Airlines was detained at Detroit airport on suspicion of being drunk, leading to the cancellation of a flight, an airport spokesman said.

The co-pilot was taken into custody after allegedly failing a Breathalyzer test administered by airport police, Detroit Metropolitan Airport spokesman Michael Conway said yesterday.

As a result of the incident, American Airlines canceled Flight 736 from Detroit to Philadelphia yesterday.

"We are re-accommodating our customers on other flights," American Airlines spokeswoman Laura Nedbal said in a statement.

"Safety is our highest priority and we apologise to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans."



Airport police were called to the North Terminal in the early morning hours in response to a report of a pilot who was "exhibiting signs of being drunk," Conway said.

The co-pilot was administered a more precise sobriety test at a local police department. Both tests showed he was over the legal limit for operating an aircraft, CNN quoted the airport police as saying.

Authorities did not name the co-pilot pending possible charges, but said he was born in 1965 and is a resident of Pennsylvania.

He was later released from custody after his alcohol level dropped, Conway said.

Airport police are now developing a case to present to the local prosecutor's office, Conway said, noting that these kinds of incidents are "extremely rare.
Dutch police arrested a 32-year-old Frenchman in the port city of Rotterdam on Sunday at the request of French authorities who suspect him of "involvement in planning a terror attack," prosecutors said.

Residents were evacuated from homes near addresses on two streets that were raided on Sunday by anti-terror police, who also took three other men into custody.

French officials requested the arrest Friday after the suspect emerged during an investigation, according to a statement from the Dutch national prosecutor's office.

Spokesman Wim de Bruin declined to give more details about the alleged plot, saying it was a French investigation. The suspect, whose identity was not released, is expected to be extradited to France soon.

Three other men were detained in Sunday's raids; two with Algerian backgrounds and a third man whose identity could not immediately be established.

De Bruin said the three were held in relation to a Dutch investigation, but he gave no further details.

The raids came with Europe on high alert following the deadly suicide bombings in Brussels.
Director E Niwas is working on two film projects in different genres - one a love story and another a revenge drama which would be woman-centric.

"I am working on two projects, one is a love story, a romantic-comedy, and another is a revenge drama which is a women-oriented script," Niwas told PTI.

The "Shool" director is giving final touches to the script. He is in talks with actors, but is not willing to share any names.

"We will have reasonably good actors in the film. I usually have actors in mind while I write script, but I can't reveal names as talks are on," Niwas said.

The revenge drama will be shot in Mumbai and Hyderabad while the rom-com will be shot in Mumbai, Pune and Coorg.

Niwas is likely to start shooting the revenge drama film first from September.
Thousands of faithful thronged churches for holy prayers as Christians across Kerala today celebrated Easter to mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ after crucifixion.

The resurrection of Christ was announced at the stroke of midnight at churches and special prayers and services were held to mark the occasion.

Cutting across denominations, senior prelates and priests led the Easter masses and gave out the message of hope and spiritual revival to the devotees, who congregated in churches in the wee hours.

Easter also marked the end of the Holy Week of prayers and penitence recalling the final phase of Christ's life from his arrest and crucifixion, followed by resurrection.

The Syro Malabar Church Archbishop Cardinal Mar George Alencherry led the special Easter prayers and services at the St Mary's Basilica, the headquarters of Syro Malabar Catholic Church, in Kochi.

In his Easter message, the Cardinal urged people to fight against the evils in the society including corruption, violence and environment pollution.

Archbishop M Soosai Packiam presided over the mass at St Joseph's cathedral of Latin Catholic rite here.

Sumptuous traditional feasts were served in most Christian homes, marking the end of the 40-day season of Lent when believers shun luxuries and worldly pleasures.

Governor Justice (Rtd) P Sathasivam, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy and leaders of various political partiesgreeted Keralites on the occasion.
Seeking sustained dialogue between India and Pakistan, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah today said the state would be the biggest beneficiary of peace in the neighbourhood even as he batted for free movement across borders in the subcontinent along the lines of the European Union.

Hostility between the two countries has impacted peace and tranquility in the J-K, he said, adding that he hopes the sub- continent's nations would eschew "myopic tendencies" and work to ensure that people led a peaceful and dignified life.

He also said a situation needs to be created like in the European Union wherein people can move around freely across the various countries.

"If EU could do it, why not India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries," he said at a conference organised by the Bangladesh-Bharat-Pakistan Peace Forum on the importance of initiatives for fostering peace and unity among the three nations.

"How long shall the hostilities of the past cast a dark shadow on the present and future in a fast-changing global scenario," he said.

People in the continent, too, have a right to live in a "free and fearless environment", the National Conference leader said, adding the era of mistrust and suspicion has retarded the growth of the countries in the subcontinent.

"This disgusting situation needs to end," he said while accusing the western powers of "promoting the terror scourge".

India and Pakistan must engage "seriously and purposefully' to take the peace initiative forward as neither country can wish the other away, he said.

Noting that confrontation has no place in bilateral ties, Abdullah hoped the two countries will take concrete steps to continue their interaction.

The former J-K chief minister also underscored his unflinching commitment to secularism and said that is the cornerstone of his party's policies.

He said "unity in diversity" has been the "biggest strength" of J-K and cautioned against those who wanted to end this time-tested ethos. National Conference would stand like a rock against those who "even think of polluting the composite culture of J-K", he added.

Abdullah lauded the people for keeping the flame of secularism alive "during the most testing times" and said this was the only ideal that can lead the state to peace, progress and development.

He also called for channelising the energies of the youth towards positive pursuits.

"This can be achieved only when the young people are provided vistas of opportunities to excel in academics and pursue their avocations in a peaceful atmosphere," he said.

(Reopens DES44)



Earlier, Abdullah paid tributes to veteran leader Girdhari Lal Dogra and described him as a legendary politician who worked tirelessly for uplift of poor and progress of Jammu and Kashmir.

"Dogra Sahib has left an indelible mark of public service and he continues to be remembered as a towering leader for his tremendous connect with the masses," he said while offering tributes to Dogra on his 29thdeath anniversary.

He said Dogra was among the few leaders of the state whose contribution towards its development is remembered even now.

"As a true democrat, he had earned a niche for himself and endeared so much among the people that he never lost any election," the former Chief Minister said.

"Such people are rare, who keep aside politics and treat everyone equal, irrespective of caste, creed, colour or regional affiliation," the NC President said, adding that he will always remain an inspiration for younger generation of political activists, who really want to serve the people and the state by giving their best.

He said Dogra had unflinching faith in secularism and all his life he worked for strengthening the bonds of amity and brotherhood between various segments of society.
Flight operations in Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport here was affected today after airport authorities was warned of a bomb onboard a Jet Airways flight that left from New Delhi this afternoon.

An unidentified person made a call to the airport authorities saying that a Jet Airways aircraft that took off from New Delhi today afternoon had explosives inside it.

There was panic in the airport as soon as the was spread.

Shortly after the aircraft landed at the airport at around 4:30 pm, search operations were carried out inside the aircraft which was taken to isolation.

However, after the inspection was complete, the bomb threat turned to be a hoax. No explosive was found inside the aircraft.

"We had carried a thorough investigation of all the baggage, passengers and aircraft seats, where noting was found," a senior official at the airport said.

Passengers were safely evacuated from the Jet Airways Flight 260 after it touched down at the airport here.

All domestic as well as international flights were suspended for about an hour due to the incident.

The airport authorities cleared the ground at 5.30 pm (local time)after going through necessary investigations.

Security personnel, including Nepal Army's bomb disposal squad were mobilised for carrying out search operations.

Security was tightened inside the airport after the threat was received. The flight services were resumed as normal after the search operation.
Four Bangladeshis have been killed in gunfights between rival groups in the war-torn Libyan city of Benghazi, a minister said today.

State minister for foreign affairs Shahriar Alam told AFP authorities did not yet have full details on the dead.

Alam said embassy officials had received three bodies and they were being stored in a hospital in Libya. The fourth body had not yet been recovered.

"They died in clashes between two Libyan groups in Benghazi on Saturday," Alam said.

An estimated 20,000 Bangladeshis are believed to be working in Libya even though Dhaka some six months ago banned the sending of workers to the war-racked country.

Last year two Bangladeshi workers were abducted by suspected Islamic State militants from a southern Libya oilfield. They were freed after more than two weeks.

Libya has descended into chaos since the 2011 ousting of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, allowing jihadists including the Islamic State group to gain ground in the oil-rich country.

The country has had two rival administrations since mid-2014 when an armed alliance overran the capital, setting up its own authority. The government backed by the internationally recognised parliament fled east.
Four persons, including a truck driver, were killed when their vehicle fell into a deep gorge in this district of Jammu and Kashmir.

The mishap happened when the vehicle skidded off the road and fell into the gorge in the Sumbar area of the district last evening, a police officer said today.

He said all the four persons were working with Hindustan Construction Company, which is constructing the railway tunnel in Sumbar area.

A case has been registered and investigation is on to ascertain the cause of the accident, the officer said.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today countered Prime Minister's comment on his advancing age, saying he was as enthusiastic as a youth.

"I may be old, but my enthusiasm is not less than any young person. I need the blessings of the people. The more blessings we get, the more energy we will receive to continue working for people," Gogoi told a poll rally at his constituency Titabor.

He was responding to Modi, who, in response to Gogoi's call for a direct fight, had brought up the issue of his age yesterday, saying, "Gogoiji, in a few years you will be 90 years. You are my elder. I come to Assam to pranam (respect) you and not fight with you."



In his tirade against BJP, Gogoi said it claimed to be for the poor but was still to implement the National Food Security Act. Prices of essential commodities are rising during its rule at the Centre.

He accused BJP of betraying six tribes of Assam, saying BJP got votes during the last general election by promising ST status to the tribes but did not give it. "Now it has made a U-turn saying it will look into it," he said.

"We will show that you (BJP) cannot discriminate against Assam and do injustice... BJP is sweet in talk but bitter in work as it has discriminated Assam in the last two years," he said.

Continuing his attack, Gogoi said "They (BJP) also say that I am corrupt. Then what is Himanta? His name is entangled in so many corruption charges. Why is he with you now?"



Himanta Biswa Sarma, a former minister in Gogoi government had joined BJP in August last year after a 23-year-long association with Congress.

The Assam Chief Minister also accused BJP president Amit Shah of distorting state's history at a rally in the state last week.

He said the focus of Congress is rural areas and it is committed to the development of the downtrodden. "We have launched many schemes for the poor."



He said he will continue to distribute clothes and blankets to the poor.

"I will give more. How will the poor sustain if we do not give them ways to earn their livelihood?" he said, adding the government will support the needy by giving them other means of livelihood like poultry and farming products.

Assam goes to the hustings on April 4 and 11.
The government will not coerce companies like Vodafone Group and Cairn Energy to avail of its one-time offer to settle their retrospective tax cases and it was for them to take a call on it, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday.

The option before such companies was either to accept the offer of paying principal tax amount and get waiver from interest and penalty, or continue litigation, he said during an interaction with journalists at the PTI office here.

This is an alternate route which I have suggested. The option is theirs. Nobody is being coerced to accept one route or the other, he said.

The government, he said, has no issues with companies not wanting to accept the offer and continue litigation. If they want to continue with the litigation, so be it... the outcome of the litigation will determine (the fate of tax demand). Asked about the tax notices sent to Vodafone and Cairn last month despite the issue being under arbitration and government commitment not to create fresh demand using retrospective tax law, Jaitley said notice would go if there are pre-existing assessment orders.

You must accept one thing. That if there are pre- existing assessment orders in existence, obviously notices will go for those, unless those notices are stayed or stuck down.



And if the concerned officer doesn't even issue the notice, tomorrow some CAG or CBI will ask him why did he keep sitting on the file? Sending notices and enforcement of notice are two different things, he said.

UK oil explorer Cairn Energy is facing a tax demand of Rs 10,247 crore on alleged capital gains made in a 2006 business reorganisation it carried out in its India unit before getting it listed. The total tax due after including interest comes over Rs 29,000 crore.

British telecom giant Vodafone is also facing a total of Rs 14,200 crore in tax, interest and penalty over its $11-billion acquisition of 67 per cent stake in the mobile- phone business owned by Hutchison Whampoa in 2007. Both the firms have disputed any tax was due and challenged the demands by initiating international arbitration.

The retrospective tax scheme is to open on June 1 and companies availing of it must provide a proof of withdrawal of all legal proceedings including arbitration.

Jaitley said he had in his Budget for 2016-17 proposed four different schemes to clean up past tax issues. The first scheme pertains to any direct tax that may have escaped assessment, I have offered a settlement by payment of tax and some penalty, he said.

I have offered the same for where first appeals are pending. Where appeals are pending, pay tax plus interest as of assessment order and be done with. The same facility I have then given for service tax, excise duty and customs, in addition to the Income Tax Act, he said.

The fourth scheme pertains to those who faced any form of retrospective taxation. They can pay just the principal and get away with it.

So, these are four different ideas that I have given. So therefore in order to clean up your taxation, these can be of considerable help to people who want to use this, he said.

Sources said the government was of the view that the arbitrations are not just time consuming but were also costing the government a lot besides getting India a bad name.

The settlement scheme was proposed to put an end to all of it.

In order to give an opportunity to the past cases which are ongoing under the retrospective amendment, I propose a one-time scheme of Dispute Resolution for them," Jaitley had said while presenting the Budget in Parliament on February 29. He had then stated that "they can settle the case by paying only the tax arrears, in which case liability of the interest and penalty shall be waived."



WHAT HE SAID
Government has notified fresh recruitment norms for various positions at the Serious Fraud Investigation Office (SFIO) as it continues efforts to strengthen manpower at the probe agency.

The recruitment rules, which have been in the works for quite sometime, would come as a boost for the white collar crime investigation agency which has been grappling with staff shortage.

The Corporate Affairs Ministry notified recruitment rules for various positions at the SFIO, including that for assistant directors and deputy directors.

Recruitment rules are now in place for the post of assistant directors in the areas of investigation, law, banking and corporate law, among other posts, according to a recent notification.

SFIO comes under the Corporate Affairs Ministry.

In December last, the Ministry had informed the Lok Sabha that it was in the process of notifying 20 recruitment rules for various posts at SFIO.

As many as 57 post were vacant out of the 130 sanctioned positions at the agency during the start of 2015.

Concerned over inadequate capacity building at SFIO, a Parliamentary panel, in December last year, had pulled up the Ministry for failing to finalise recruitment rules for the probe agency.

In its report tabled in Parliament on December 3, the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Finance said it was constrained to observe that capacity building has not materialised at SFIO.

Meanwhile, the agency has been looking to hire people, including experts, to help in probe and related works.

Recently, the agency empanelled 91 chartered accountant firms to carry out forensic audit and analysis of financial statements on a case to case basis.

The Corporate Affairs Ministry has ordered SFIO probe for alleged fraud against 196 companies in nearly three years, with 42 of them coming under the scanner in this fiscal.

SFIO was asked to probe the affairs of 83 companies in 2013-14 and the number stood at 71 in 2014-15.
A gang of unidentified armed gunmen today attacked Pakistan's Karachi Press Club, damaging the historic property and thrashing staffers of a private channel.

Some armed men who could not be identified attacked the press club premises in the evening and caused damage to the property and vehicles parked there, said senior police officer officer Fazil Jamali.

"All the members had to rush out for safety as these armed men broke windows and furniture and spread terror," Jamali said.

The armed men also grabbed cameras from five vans parked near the club and attacked the staff of one of the private channels who were standing near their van.

Sindh Home Minister Anwar Siyal has ordered an immediate investigation into the matter by senior police officials.

"The armed men fled before the arrival of the police and rangers," a club member said.

The attack came when supporters and activists of different religious groups were observing Chehlum of Mumtaz Qadri, assassin of former Punjab governor Salman Taseer, who was executed earlier this month.

Qadri who was on VIP security duty for the late governor had pumped dozens of bullets into Taseer in Islamabad for allegedly talking about reviewing the blasphemy law.

The religious groups were complaining about a media blackout on the coverage of their activities about Qadri.

Karachi Press Club was the first press club established in Pakistan's Karachi city. Its first election was held in 1958.
The joint action committee for social justice of the Hyderabad Central University (HCU),the students organisation which is leading the protest over Rohith Vemula issue, today called for boycott of classes "at all the (college) campuses" in the country tomorrow.

The call is in protest against alleged police brutality on students of HCU and in Kozhikode, Mumbai and Chennai, the JAC said in a release.

It also demanded dropping of all charges against students, faculty members at HCU and elsewhere in the country and immediate removal and arrest of P Appa Rao, Vice Chancellor of HCU, under the SC/St (Prevention of Atrocities) Act.

Its other demands include "demilitarisation of the campus, action against police for the unnecessary and targeted violence, false detention, misinformation about the detained people and physical and sexual assault on women students and faculty, and introduction of Rohith Act," according to JAC's press release.

Several students were arrested following attack on VC's residence on March 22 after Appa Rao, who had gone on a long leave after Dalit scholar Vemula's suicide, resumed the duty.
A week-long Holi celebration in which over 1,000 people participated concluded here with performances from Indian dancers on the last day.

The celebrations ended with Indian folk dances and rare art display, replicating the village in Indian towns.

"Dancers from India performed at the close of day-long village festival which displayed Indian colours as part of the the week-long Holli celebrations, some 25 of which were held by Indians living in their residential precincts and sharing their joys with others in the multi-national Singapore," said Alka Sharma organiser and director of the Charkula Art Academy.

"Dancers from UP, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharshtra, Bengal danced to a fusion of Kathak Odissi and Bharat Natyam while students from local Indian schools and associations showed their Indian dancing skill," Sharma said.

This year's festival named 'Village Festival' was supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, India Tourism, High Commission of India in Singapore and the India Council for Cultural Relations.

"Holi and many other Indian festivals are celebrated by the local community not only recapturing the joy of days back home but also as part of educating their children in the culture and festivals in India," Sharma said.

"We had on displays Indian fashions, jewelries, home decors, artefacts, handicrafts, paintings by local Indians among the wide range of displays," she said.

About a million Indians, including the local community and professionals as the Indian expatriates, hold regular cultural events and festivals every year to share their traditions and culture with Singapore's multi-racial society.
Faycal Cheffou, the sole person charged so far in Belgium's terror attacks, lived in a four-storey townhouse on a quiet residential street a stone's throw from the EU's headquarters.

Listed as an 'art nouveau' wonder by turn-of-the-19th-century Belgian architect Franz Tilley, the house is just a few hundred yards away from the huge European Commission buildings.

On a list of tenants by the door a scrawled name says "Faycal Cheffou", but no one answers the bell.

Read more from our special coverage on "BRUSSELS ATTACKS"

Until police showed up on Thursday to search the Cheffou flat, "it's always been calm around here," says a baker whose shop is a couple of doors away.

"We'd never have imagined anything like this," she adds.

It's all quiet otherwise "chez Cheffou" on this Easter Sunday. The neighbours are either out, on holidays or avoiding the press.

A source close to the inquiry told AFP this weekend that Faycal Cheffou was the man charged with terrorist murder on Saturday. He was named only as Faycal C by the federal prosecutor.

The source refused to comment however on whether he was the same man captured on video footage Tuesday in the company of the two airport suicide bombers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui.

So the question in everyone's mind is whether Faycal is or isn't "the man in the hat", glasses and light-coloured coat seen wheeling a trolley with a large black bag like the other two, but whose device did not go off.

He is however the first and only person yet to face terrorist charges over the bloodiest attacks ever to strike the symbolic capital of Europe.

In the Brussels media world, Faycal Cheffou claimed to be a freelance journalist who took a special interest in refugees.

But he was accused last year by Brussels Mayor Yves Mayeur of trying to recruit jihadists among asylum-seekers and migrants living at a refugee centre set up by local charities and NGOs at Maximilien park near the northern rail station.

Mayeur considered him to be "dangerous" and repeatedly tried without success to have him legally expelled from the centre. Finally, in September, the mayor issued a ban to keep him out of the park.

A YouTube video from 2014 shows him presenting himself as a freelance reporter concerned with the plight of hungry Muslim asylum-seekers at the Steenokkerzeel migrant centre.
Air Force chief Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha today left on a four-day visit to Israel during which key ongoing and future defence projects between the two countries will be discussed.

Raha's visit is aimed at consolidating the existing robust bilateral military to military cooperation between India and Israel, IAF said.

During his visit to Israel, the Air Chief is scheduled to call on the Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Ya'alon besides holding meetings with other senior defence officials of that country.

The parleys would essentially focus on a wide range of bilateral issues pertaining to the ongoing defence cooperation between the two countries, it said.

IAF plans to purchase two more Phalcon Airborne Early Warning and Control Systems (AWACS) from Israel.

In addition to the AWACS, India is also looking at procuring four supplementary Rafael/IAI radar-equipped aerostats for low-level air and sea surveillance by the IAF.

Earlier, India had procured two such aerostats in 2007-08.

During his visit to the various operational air bases, Raha would also go to the Israeli Air Force Flight School at Hatzerim air base.

He would also be updated on the progress of various defence projects being carried forward as joint ventures between the two countries.

The itinerary also includes a visit to 'Yad Vashem', Israel's memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 and another to the 'Memorial of Indian Soldiers' who laid down their lives in the liberation of Haifa during World War I.

In recent years, there have been several close and high level contacts at the political and military levels between the two countries, IAF said.

Raha's visit to Israel would further boost bilateral relations between the Air Forces of the two countries and is likely to provide greater convergence at the operational level, it said.
While acknowledging that multi- faceted Indo-Nepal ties witnessed "ups and downs" recently following the anti-Constitution agitation by Madhesis, India has described as a "misconception" the notion that it supports any one political group in Nepal.

"There is a misconception that India supports any one group. We have a policy for Nepal...Not for any one group," Ranjit Rae, India's Ambassador here, said.

Rae was asked about his country's stand vis-a-vis political parties representing Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin who have raised concerns over certain provisions in the new Constitution.

Madhesis reside in Terai region bordering India. Late last year, a four-month long agitation by Madhesis virtually crippled the landlocked country as the stir, which saw sporadic violence, severely affected supply of essential items through trade routes along Indo-Nepal border.

Nepal had accused India of imposing a proxy blockade by backing the Madhesis.

"India and Nepal share strong and multi-faceted relations which have seen ups and downs. Our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has visited (Nepal) twice in the last two-and- a-half years. This shows the importance India attaches to Nepal," Rae said when asked about the current status of bilateral ties.

He was interacting with a visiting group of Indian journalists at a tourism event organised over the weekend by state-run Nepal Airlines and KGH Group of Hotels, a leading player in local hospitality sector.

Asked about issues raised by Madhesis, Rae said "we have already welcomed two amendments made in the Constitution by the Nepal Government."



The amendments (made in January) referred to by the envoy related to proportionate and inclusive representation of all marginalised communities, including the Madhesis, in all state mechanisms and allocation of seats in Parliament on the basis of population.

However, Madhesis are still not satisfied. They are opposing carving out of seven provinces under the Constitution and demanding adequate protection of their rights.

Asked about this, Rae said all issues should be resolved through dialogue in a peaceful and democratic manner.

To a query about the China factor in Indo-Nepal ties, the Ambassador said Beijing, too, wants political stability, peace and development in the Himalayan nation.

"India and China want stability and development in Nepal. Nepal is a complex society. It has faced violence, insurgency in the past.

(Reopens FGN 6)



About Nepal's post-quake reconstruction efforts, Rae



said India has committed assistance worth USD 1 billion (USD 250 million as grant and remaining as soft loan) and it is up to Kathmandu to decided on how to use this money.

India is focusing on eight sectors for reconstruction, including health, housing, public buildings, power and infrastructure, Rae said.

New Delhi is also assisting Nepal in hydro-electricity generation. Indian entities, including private player GMR, are involved in hydro-electricity projects of 6,000-7,000 MW capacity envisaging investment of USD 10 billion, Rae said.

Nepal Government providing incentives to Bollywood for film shoots in the picturesque nation and linking Buddhist sites like Lumbini (where Gautam Buddha was on born) with India's "Buddha circuit" will go a long way in deepening the bilateral ties, the Ambassador said.
An Indian nurse and her infant son have been killed in the shelling of a residential area in a town west of the Libyan capital, the UN has said.

"Libya Humanitarian Coordinator condemns (the) indiscriminate shelling Friday in a residential area" in the town of Zawiya "that killed Indian Nurse & her child," the UN mission in Libya UNSMIL tweeted yesterday.

It said that "Ali Al-Za'atari calls on all parties to conflict in Libya to refrain from shelling civilian areas and respect Int'l humanitarian law".

India's External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj confirmed the death of the nurse Sunu Sathyan and her infant son Pranav, and said they had died when a rocket hit their apartment.

Libyan hospitals have long depended on staff from India and the Philippines, with large communities of expatriates from those countries living working in the North African country.

New Delhi and Manila have frequently advised their nationals to leave Libya citing the deteriorating security situation in the country.

Libya has had two rival administrations since mid-2014 when an armed alliance overran the capital, setting up its own authority and causing the government backed by the internationally recognised parliament to flee east.

The United Nations has been pushing for the two sides to cede power to a unity government under a power-sharing deal announced in December, but both have rejected the new authority headed by prime minister-designate Fayez al-Sarraj.

Libya has descended into chaos since the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi, allowing jihadists including the Islamic State group to gain ground in the oil-rich country.
Several hundred Iraqis and Syrians in the Idomeni border camp stood between protesters and police today, thwarting the protesters' efforts to march toward the fence separating Greece from Macedonia. Scuffles broke out between the two groups.

The protesters twice broke through the barrier the Iraqis and Syrians have formed, only to be pushed back by Greek riot police who used only their shields.

People speaking for the Iraqis and Syrians, including Kurds from both countries, have told police that they are not taking part in today's protest and that the protesters are from Afghanistan and Pakistan.

"There were people, whom we do not know, telling us that they would help us open the border at noon today, but obviously this was not true," Syrian refugee Hassan Fatuhlla told The Associated Press.

Fatuhlla, one of those who have formed a chain around the police, has been at the camp for 37 days. His child was born in a tent 10 days ago, he said.

Iraqis and Syrians are allowed into the European Union as war refugees, although the route through the Balkans is now closed and refugees discouraged from taking the perilous sea journey to Greek islands from Turkey.

Leftist activists from Greece and other European countries have staged protests outside the transit centers and appear determined to sabotage the deal.

The rumors spread by them that the border would open today led some people who had gone to the centers to return to Idomeni. These people then protesting that the border has not opened.

Greek police said they stopped two buses and 10 cars carrying Italian activists slightly over 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the border protest.
An Algerian national wanted by Belgium was arrested in Italy in connection with a probe into fake ID documents used by the attackers behind the Paris and Brussels terror assaults, local media reported, citing police sources.

The suspect, named as Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was detained yesterday under a European arrest warrant in the southern region of Salerno, the reports said.
A 62-year-old Jain sadhvi was today killed and five others, including two women, were injured as a speeding truck hit them on Mumbai-Kolkata NH-53 in Chhattisgarh's Mahasamund district, police said.

Sadhvi Smriti Pragya, who was wheelchair-bound, was heading towards Jharkhand from Mumbai along with other sadhvis and her followers when the incident took place in Chhachhan Pahadi area under Tumgaon police station limits, early this morning, Tumgaon police station SHO M L Shukla told PTI.

A truck hit Sadhvi Pragya leaving her dead on the spot, while two sadhvis, who were pulling the wheelchair, and three other men sustained injuries in the mishap, he said.

Soon after getting of the incident, a police team was rushed to the spot, he said.

Those injured were admitted to Tumgaon hospital from where they were shifted to Mahasamund for further treatment. Their condition was stated to be normal, the SHO said.

A case has been registered against the unidentified truck driver and efforts are on to trace the vehicle, he said.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Raman Singh expressed his condolence over the death of Sadhvi Smriti Pragya.

He also prayed for the speedy recovery of the injured and instructed the officials to ensure quality medical treatment to them.
Akhil Bhartiya Jat Aarakshan Sangharsh Samiti (ABJASS), the body that spearheaded the Jat quota stir in February, today threatened to resume the agitation if its demands are not met by the end of this month.

"If Jats are not accorded reservation, the next agitation would be bigger then the previous one. The Jat community is not in the mood to wait more," ABJASS president Yashpal Malik said.

He said a meeting of representatives of the Jat community from 13 states will be held in Delhi on April 3 where an announcement will be made regarding the mode of agitation.

In February, 30 people had lost their lives during the nine-day violent agitation by Jats demanding 10 per cent quota in government jobs and educational institutions.

Several districts including Rohtak, the epicentre of Jat agitation, Jhajjar, Kaithal, Jind, Sonipat and Bhiwani had witnessed violence.

Jats are also demanding withdrawal of FIRs registered against the protesters, compensation to those killed during the stir and action against BJP MP from Kurukshetra Raj Kumar Saini for his anti-Jat reservation stand.
today started daily non-stop services from the national capital, Mumbai and Toronto to Amsterdam, the airline's new European hub.

The carrier has shifted its European gateway from Brussels as scheduled. Days before shifting out, the airport at the Belgian capital saw bomb attacks on March 22 that killed over 10 people and injured many, including two staffers.

In a release, said the three flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on schedule.

"Today marks the start of our new service connecting three continents, together with our code share partners KLM and Delta Air Lines," Jet Airways Chairman Naresh Goyal said.

Through Amsterdam and along with its code share partners, the airline would offer seamless connectivity to more than 30 destinations in Europe and 11 destinations in the US and Canada, he noted.

"We are happy to operate daily flights to Amsterdam from Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto, thereby providing greater choice and connectivity to our guests and facilitating trade and co-operation between India and the Netherlands," Goyal said.

The flights to Amsterdam departed from Mumbai and Delhi with a full complement of Premiere and Economy guests on board its Airbus 330-300 aircraft.

Ahead of the departure of the first flights to Amsterdam, a multi-faith puja and lamp lighting ceremony was performed at both Mumbai and Delhi airports, the release said.

Those flying from Amsterdam would be able to access Jet Airways' network of 48 destinations within India as well as those in the Indian subcontinent and Asia through Mumbai and Delhi, it added.

The airline operates 116 aircraft, comprising Boeing 777-300 ERs, Airbus A330-200/300, next generation Boeing 737s and ATR 72-500/600s.
JNU has debarred two candidates from applying for appointment for five years after they filed complaints against each other of being ineligible for the post and alleged irregularities in the recruitment process.

They had sought appointment as professors at the Centre for Indo-Pacific studies under School of International Studies.

A woman complainant, listed second by the selection committee, had last September alleged that the selected candidate's experience does not match with requirements advertised for the post. She had also accused the candidate of plagiarism in his published papers, on the basis of which he had applied to the university.

Based on the complaint, the university had constituted an enquiry committee in November last year. However, the male candidate filed a counter complaint of plagiarism against her.

The university, at its Executive Council (EC) meeting held



last week, decided to bar both the candidates for five years from applying for any position in the university. However, the charges have not been specified.

"I had raised my objections to the selection process. A committee was constituted and now I have been debarred from applying for five years. Not even once I have been told what charges have been levelled against me.

"The committee has not heard me. I have not been provided any documents despite my repeated requests and I have been debarred for five years just because I objected to the irregularities," said the female candidate, who is also an alumni of JNU.

While a senior university official confirmed the development, he refused to comment on the specific charges due to which the candidates have been debarred and the findings of the enquiry committee.

Calls and text messages to JNU Vice Chancellor Jagadesh Kumar and the male candidate, went unanswered.

JNU is currently caught in a row over an event on campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised. The students, who are under the scanner for alleged violation of discipline norms have also raised questions about the university's enquiry process.

The council also decided to reconsider proposal of



certain courses including that on Yoga and Indian culture which was debunked in a council meeting last October.

"It was also decided that the admissions committee will investigate why reservation in direct PhD not being fulfilled," the council member said.
Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the Republican presidential campaign has descended into "an embarrassment" that raises awkward questions abroad about the reliability of the United States.

Kerry said that everywhere he goes, every leader he meets asks about what is happening in America.

"They cannot believe it. I think it is fair to say that they're shocked. They don't know where it's taking the United States of America," Kerry said in an interview on the Sunday CBS show "Face The Nation."



"It upsets people's sense of equilibrium about our steadiness, about our reliability, and to some degree I must say to you, some of the questions, the way they're posed to me, it's clear to me that what's happening is an embarrassment to our country."



Kerry was asked out the impact abroad of the Republican campaign with its calls for bans on Muslim immigrants, surveillance of Muslim neighborhoods and the return of waterboarding, an interrogation practice regarded as torture.

Frontrunner Donald Trump and his chief rival Ted Cruz have stepped up the anti-Muslim rhetoric since the suicide bombings in Brussels Tuesday that left 28 dead.

In an interview with The New York Times, Trump described his approach to foreign policy as "American first," borrowing the isolation slogan of Americans who wanted to keep the United States out of World War II.
Family of a Pakistani woman journalist, who was allegedly kidnapped while pursuing the case of an Indian engineer recently jailed over espionage charges, today sought Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's help to trace her after her distraught brother committed suicide.

"Helping an Indian prisoner in Pakistan has cost us dearly - my sister is missing for the last seven months and my brother hanged himself after losing hope to get reunited with her," said Salman Latif, brother of the missing journalist Zeenat Shahzadi.

"Our family cannot bear more mental torture. We urge Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene and help in securing the release of my sister as she has not committed any crime in helping an Indian national," Latif told PTI.

24-year-old Zeenat, a local reporter of Daily Nai Khaber and Metro TV channel, went missing on August 19, 2015, when some unknown men allegedly kidnapped her while she was en route to her office in an auto-rickshaw from her home in a populated locality of Lahore.

Police have registered an abduction case against 'unknown men'.

Latif said Zeenat had filed an application with the Supreme Court's Human Rights Cell on behalf of Fauzia Ansari, the mother of Indian national Hamid Ansari, who had gone missing in Pakistan since November, 2012.

She secured in August, 2013 a special power of attorney from Ansari's mother. She also pursued his case in the Peshawar High Court.

Ansari was reportedly in love with a Pakistani girl of Kohat, a district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, whom he had befriended on Facebook.

According to an official of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, unable to get a visa for Pakistan, the then 28-year-old IT Engineer and MBA from Mumbai managed to arrive in Kabul, on November 4, 2012.

He somehow reached Pakistan around November 12, 2012 and stayed with one of his online friends till another friend got him lodgings in a hotel in Kohat.

From there, police took Ansari away on November 14, 2012 and handed him over to an officer of a security agency, the rights official said.

The official said attempts to register an FIR for his arrest and detention failed.

Zeenat submitted application to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances that ordered registration of the FIR in 2014. At the same time, she also filed a habeas corpus petition in the Peshawar High Court.

"Zeenat received threats from unknown persons who asked



her not to pursue this case any more. We also asked her not to put her life at risk but she said she wanted to help Ansari out of humanity. When she spoke to Ansari's mother she literally cried along with her and vowed to help," Latif said.

Ansari was sentenced to three years' imprisonment on charges of illegally entering Pakistan and 'spying' reportedly by a military court last month.

Her younger brother Saddam, who was emotionally attached to her and very much disturbed by her mysterious disappearance, on Thursday committed suicide.

The death of Saddam, an intermediate student, has hit the family which was already in a state of dejection because of Zeenat's disappearance.

"My mother's condition has deteriorated after the suicide of Saddam. My father is already in a state of shock. He has stopped talking. Our only plea to the authorities concerned to help free Zeenat," Latif said.

On the intervention of the court, Zeenat's case has been included in the missing persons cases being probed by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Lahore.

"I along with my mother had appeared in the JIT meeting in last month. Some officials in the meeting had assured us that Zeenat would be back home soon," Latif said, adding his family is hoping the JIT would keep its words.

The next meeting of the JIT will take place in Lahore in April.

Meanwhile, rights activists have also voiced for the release of Ansari, saying that since hehas served his sentence, he ought to be set free now.
A group from Los Alamos, once the building site for an atomic bomb, is making an unprecedented trip this month to a country that was devastated by the weapon.

Los Alamos Historical Museum representatives are traveling throughout Japan to gain that country's perspective on the impact of nuclear warfare for a planned exhibit. Museum director Judith Stauber, along with a museum registrar and a student intern, flew to Japan Thursday.

The team will visit Tokyo, Kyoto and the two cities that were targeted with the bomb Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

They will meet with a bomb survivor, researchers and leaders from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Stauber said.

The trip has been in the works for two years. It is partially funded by a USD 10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported.

It also has gotten support from the New Mexico Japanese Citizens League.

The planned exhibit will open in December. Aside from visiting Japan, Stauber plans to collaborate with Japanese-Americans on a display on World War II internment camps in New Mexico.

Los Alamos, known as Atomic City, is home to the Los Alamos National Laboratory. The community is considered one of the wealthiest in the US because of an economy tethered to one of the nation's largest science laboratories. It's a city where colorful symbols of atomic energy are displayed almost everywhere.

Bo Jacobs, a researcher at the Hiroshima Peace Institute who will meet with Stauber, said the history surrounding atomic energy is not a story of scientific discovery in Japan.

Instead, it's a story of "people who were killed, who lost family members, who were injured." In an email, Jacobs said the bomb's invention took a human toll of anywhere from 129,000 to more than 200,000.

"The differences between the US and the Japanese narratives of the attack they couldn't be more different," Jacobs said.

Stauber said she hopes this visit will help build an exhibit that can bridge that gap between narratives.

"What do we know, and how do we know it?" she said.
A Delhi court has sentenced a 27-year-old man to seven years in jail for trying to rob an auto-rickshaw driver at gun point.

The court gave the verdict relying on testimony of the victim even though no one from public joined the investigation as witness. "Mere non-joining of independent witnesses cannot be said to be fatal," it observed.

Additional Sessions Judge Manoj Jain handed down the jail term to Sonu, a resident of north Delhi, after holding him guilty of attempting to commit robbery when armed with deadly weapon under IPC, saying the defence could not impeach the version of the complainant in any manner.

"It is quite evident that the incident had taken place at dead hour of night and the complainant did not lose his nerve and shouted for help. This made the accused little bit bamboozled and he started running away when he sensed that shouts of the complainant had invited the attention of public," the judge said.

The court noted that despite best efforts of police, no one from public joined the investigation.

"Mere non-joining of independent witnesses cannot be said to be fatal... Undoubtedly, public persons had gathered at the spot and they did not come forward to join the investigation. However, investigating officer did his best to join them in the present case but they had their own apprehensions...

"In such a situation, testimony of the complainant cannot be discarded. The accused has not bothered to explain as to why the complainant would implicate him, with whom he had no animosity," the court said.

According to prosecution, auto driver Nageshwar Bhagat had lodged a complaint alleging that on the intervening night of February 11 and 12, 2015 he parked his auto on Main Road, near Wazirpur here when the accused suddenly appeared in front of him and tried to rob him while pointing a pistol at him.

Nageshwar shouted for help and some passersby came to his rescue after which the accused, who tried to flee from the spot, was apprehended by two patrolling policemen, it said.

During the trial, the accused had denied the allegations and claimed he was falsely implicated.

The court rejected the contention of the accused and also refused to believe the statement of his aunt who appeared as a defence witness, saying she was an "interested witness".

"I cannot attach much importance to the testimony of aunt of the accused. She is an interested witness and it seems that she has deposed merely in order to save her nephew from the clutches of law," the judge said.
A 73-year-old man allegedly killed his son-in-law over a monetary issue at a village in the district, police said today.

The victim, Kondam Mahender Reddy (45), had apparently been demanding money from his father-in-law Guda Raji Reddy, Kamalapur police sub-inspector V Ganesh said.

Irked with his demands, Raji Reddy hit his son-in-law with an axe while he was sleeping in the former's house at Gudur village under Kamalapur police station limits, about 60 kms from here, at around 11.30 PM last night, he said.

Mahender Reddy was taken to MGM Hospital in Warangal, where he succumbed to his injuries this morning.

A case of murder has been registered against Raji Reddy and investigation is on, the SI said.

The victim's body was handed over to his family members after a postmortem at Government Hospital in Huzurabad, he added.
An Iraqi man hauled off an easyJet flight in Vienna just before takeoff after a passenger thought he might be an Islamic extremist, has been released, officials said today.

"There was nothing suspicious found and he has been allowed to continue his journey," interior ministry spokesman Karl-Heinz Grundboeck told AFP.

"The only thing outstanding is a detailed analysis of his mobile phone," he said of the incident which took place on Saturday.

A woman sitting next to him on the London-bound plane had alerted cabin crew after seeing what she thought could be messages related to the extremist Islamic State (IS) group on his phone.

All passengers had to disembark while the Airbus and all bags were checked. It finally took off three hours later but without the man or the woman, who were questioned.

The incident comes as Europe steps up security following Tuesday's bombings in Brussels, in which three suicide bombers killed 28 people in a series of attacks claimed by IS.
From widening the streets to sprucing up Ganga riverfront, Patna City region and the iconic Sikh shrine nestled in its womb are undergoing a massive facelift as a large number of pilgrims are expected here during the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.

Patna Sahib, the birthplace of the tenth Sikh Guru, is considered one of the holiest places by Sikhs around the world, besides being a major tourism attraction for people from all communities.

Bihar government has drawn up plans for grand celebrations in January 2017 to mark the historic occasion and is gearing up to put its best foot forward.

As people from several parts of India, and outside including Canada, the UK, the US, Australia are expected to converge here, a temporary tent city has been planned and the Patna Sahib shrine is racing against time to finish the new constructions on its premises.

"A temporary tent city spanning over 75 acres has been proposed to be set up on the banks of Ganga near Kangan Ghat. The area has already been earmarked. All facilities including toilets, lighting, water would be provided to pilgrims there," a top government official said.

Commissioner, Patna Division, Anand Kishor said, "On the 350th birth anniversary, all roads will lead to Patna. And, we want to be fully ready to welcome this huge rush of pilgrims. It is not about one event, but Bihar's image itself."



"The countdown has begun and timelines have been defined. All projects would be completed in time-bound manner. Inter -departmental conflicts have been resolved and 7-8 committees and sub-committees have been set up to smoothly execute the big plan," Kishor told PTI.

Old streets like Guru Gobind Singh Path are being widened and new roads are being constructed in Patna City, the old region of Patna, endowed with narrow lanes and alleys and heritage buildings, falling on the eastern side of the present capital. Ganga ghats in the city are also being redeveloped.

Guru Gobind Singh was born in Patna in 1666 to Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru and Mata Gujri. The current shrine of Patna Sahib or Takht Sri Harmandirji Saheb, signifying the birth of Guru Gobind Singh was built in the 1950s over the remains of the structure erected by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the late 1830s which were damaged in the deadly 1934 earthquake.

The original house that stood there at the time of the birth and the subsequent structure that came up in the 19th century were considerably damaged in a devastating fire. At the time of his birth, Sikh devotees had undertaken long journeys to see him.

The gurudwara management committee is also undertaking huge constructions in its campus, as most of the old guest house complex has been dismantled and a new structure is coming up in its place, which will include provisions for parking to accommodate the massive rush expected in January.

New structures have also come up in the campus



surrounding Gurudwara Bal Leela where young Guru Gobind Singh used to play. A multi-storeyed building has been completed in its adjoining campus replacing the old building that once served as a warehouse.

Road construction work is going on in full swing and the Patna Commissioner said, "All new roads are to be completed by May. There are 40-50 such streets."



The Commissioner holds regular meeting with all other stakeholders including the District Magistrate, Patna Police administration, Tourism Department, Railways officials to chalk out "both short-term and long-term measures" to make the event a "grand success."



"All police officials including the Senior SP have been briefed to ensure foolproof security. We will be installing 200 CCTV cameras to monitor the situation," Kishor said.

"Sanitation and beautification drive is also being taken up and Patna Municipal Corporation has been instructed to ensure cleanliness in the streets and premises around the gurudwara.

"Besides, we will be beautifying the city areas with street lamps and other lighting. People coming here should experience a wonderful Patna and great Bihar," he said.

Bihar government, besides the religious congregation, is also looking to tap the immense tourism potential of this mega event and had earlier even hired Delhi-based Indian National Trust for Art and Culture (INTACH) to prepare a micro-plan for tourism-related assessment of Patna Sahib area.

"We had made a study of the area, which is the old region of Patna, with layers of several centuries of history and heritage. The area has winding lanes and narrow roads, including the main road, the Ashok Raj Path that goes in front of the shrine and therefore had suggested a few measures to decongest the area," a senior INTACH official told
The Indian media is becoming an "agenda-setting institution" forcing politicians to respond in line with this changed character of the press, I&B Minister said today.

"Governments have also realised that there is multiplicity and different trends. Now one of the trends is that media is no longer a reporting institution, it is also becoming an agenda setting institution. Therefore within that media you have to find space for reporting institutions," Jaitley told PTI at an interaction here.

He was responding to a question about how government perceives the coverage it is receiving in the media.

"You can (in this situation) find space in social media, some space in conventional print media. You may or may not be able to find space on electronic media because space for news on the electronic media is depleting," he added.

Asked about the perception that the government seems to prefer one-way communication, with even the Prime Minister not holding a Press Conference, Jaitley said he and the government communicate regularly but quipped that "just as the character of the media has changed, the character of politicians too has changed."



Jaitley said that often he does not give TV bytes as the journalists are only interested in a comment to be run for the 9 pm prime time show.

It's a question of who sets the agenda, he said.

The government thinks it should set the agenda and media should report and the latter thinks that it sets the agenda, he added.

Referring to comments made by him on the media in recent times, Jaitley said that often a person is not sure of facts even after going through the newspaper or watching TV as there is an "overdose" of opinion.

It is here, Jaitley said, that there is a chance for conventional media to strike back. He lamented that excellent speeches were made by female MPs on budget, but they hardly got any media coverage.

Talking about the growth of FM radio, Jaitley said that while AIR news has already been allowed, giving a nod to overall news could take longer.

In news, he said there is no censorship but only a monitoring mechanism. Presently, the required monitoring mechanisms for FM radio are not in place, he said while refusing to put a timeline as to when this "next step" of allowing news on radio could be taken.
To give impetus to Make In India initiative, Home Ministry gave security clearance to more than twice the number of fresh investment proposals in 2015 compared to previous year after conducting national risk assessment.

As many as 1,744 industrial projects were given security clearance in 2015. In comparison, 815 investment proposals were cleared in 2014 and 712 proposals in 2013, a Home Ministry official said.

The huge jump in investment proposals geting the nod came after the Home Ministry issued policy guidelines for assessment of proposals for national security clearance on July 1, 2015.

"The aim is to ensure an objective balance between the requirements of national security and the imperatives of rapid economic growth," the official said.

The objective of the national security clearance is to evaluate potential threats, visible or embedded in proposals received by the Home Ministry and to provide a national risk assessment from the point of view of threats falling within national security concerns.

The Home Ministry has defined security rating parameters to evaluate the proposals uniformly.

The national security clearance policy was drawn up by the Home Ministry to fast-track the security clearance process within 4-6 weeks as part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's ease of business mantra under the Make In India initiative.

As per the policy, the promoters, owners and directors of the company are mandated to give self declarations regarding any criminal history on their part which reduced the period required to give security clearance from 2-3 months earlier to to just 4-6 weeks now.

Security inputs from Intelligence Bureau, CBI, Enforcement Directorate and other agencies are sought only in serious crimes and not in case of minor offences.

A total of 14-15 parameters have been set out in 8-9 sensitive areas like telecom, ports, civil aviation, uplinking/ downlinking of TV channels or FM stations.

The Home Ministry has also spelt out locations where foreign investment is not welcome - such as locations close to border and vital installations.
Stating that BJP has no credible leader in Assam, Congress General Secretary C P Joshi today claimed that poor response of people and thin presence in rallies of the Prime Minister in the state indicated that teh party was losing the Assembly elections.

"I am happy to see the poor response the Prime Minister is getting in Assam. I have watched his speeches in the rallies with thin audience. The body language of Modi and content of his speech indicate that BJP is losing badly in Assam," Joshi said at a press conference here.

Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's rallies and 'padyatra' earlier this month at many places in Upper Assam had attracted a huge number of people and the response was overwhelming, he said.

"Our preparedness and public participation indicate that there is a Congress wave in the state. We'll form government for the fourth time in Assam under Tarun Gogoi's leadership," he said.

Stating that BJP has no credible leader in Assam, Joshi said "Modi in 2014 Lok Sabha election campaigning had promised many things for Assam, which believed him and gave the party a chance with a minister in his cabinet. That minister is now BJP's CM candidate."



"Has Modi fulfilled any promise? Rather we have seen many U-turns in these two years," he said.

The senior Congress leader said the Centre had failed to deport Bangladeshi infiltrators, did not accord ST status to six tribes and also did not provide jobs to the youths. Modi was also renaming old schemes and launching those by taking undue credit.

Criticising Modi for mocking Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in his speeches at rallies, he said "Modi is a Prime Minister and head of the government. He is not BJP head. He should speak with dignity while attacking a chief minister."



As RSS did not take part in the freedom struggle, Joshi said, they now wanted to own Mahatma Gandhi, Bhagat Singh, Azad, Netaji and other freedom fighters.
Kickstarting his West Bengal poll campaign, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today mounted a blistering attack on Trinamool Congress over corruption charges against it and also on CPI-M and Congress for their alliance in West Bengal but as rivals in poll-bound Kerala.

Observing that no industry was coming up in Bengal in the last five years and that the only one flourishing in it is the "bomb making industry", Modi said the only change seen in the last five years in Bengal is in the attitude of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee. "She behaves like a 'shehanshah'(emperor ) these days," he said, as he accused her of failing to bring about any change in the state.

Modi while hitting hit out at the ruling TMC on the issue of corruption from "Saradha (scam) to Narada (sting operation)", alleged that its leaders are reportedly asking when will they get the "next instalment" of bribe.

"I want to ask the people of Bengal did they vote in favour of corruption? Have the people formed the government for the sake of corruption? First Saradha then Narada (sting operation). The entire (TMC) leadership in front of the camera seen taking bribe, asking when will they get the next instalment," he said.

"It was the money of the people which is being looted, Modi said, adding, "We (BJP government) are also in power in Delhi for nearly two years. Have you ever heard of any scam? We would prefer to starve than loot the money of the masses."



The 34-year-long Left regime had "destroyed" Bengal and the TMC in the last five years have broken the aspirations of the masses and their dreams, he said. "They (TMC) have ruined Bengal," he added, as he sought people's support for BJP for once.

"Five years back I had thought that there will be change in Bengal but our aspirations have failed," the prime minister said, adding no industry was coming up in Bengal and the only one flourishing in it is the "bomb making industry".

"The state government is not taking offence to this (bomb making) industry. You can't win the hearts of the masses by blasts and using goons. The people will give a befitting reply as you have betrayed the masses," Modi said.

Modi while launching a scathing attack on the Left and Congress said they are "challenging and insulting" the wisdom of Bengalis by coming together in West Bengal but fighting each other in Kerala.

"Congress and Communists have challenged the wisdom of Bengal and Bengalis will not spare anyone who tries so. Communists and Congress are contesting in Kerala and Bengal. While they are fighting and baying for each other in Kerala, they are playing a game behind the curtains in Bengal. In Kerala they do wrestling and in Bengal, they do friendship. This is a challenge to the wisdom of Bengalis.

"Are they not challenging the wisdom of Bengal and insulting that? Is it not an insult of Bengal's self respect? This is an insult of Bengalis. If they had the courage, they should have admitted that they are opportunists and are only hungry for power and have nothing to do with Kerala or Bengal," he said.
Reaching out to Muslims in poll-bound West Bengal, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today paused for several minutes in the middle of his speech at a poll rally here as a muezzin called for prayers at a nearby mosque.

Modi, who had launched into a tirade against the ruling Trinamool Congress and the CPI(M)-Congress alliance, was in full flow when he abruptly stopped his speech as the muezzin made the call for prayer.

The rally was being held at BNR maidan here, which is located behind the Golbari Masjid.

"This is our parampara (heritage). We should pay respect to all religions and respect their rituals and customs.

"We should be respectful so that the unity of India is maintained," Modi said after the muezzin's call for evening prayers had ended.

The prime minister then spoke for about 20 minutes more at the rally, which saw a huge turnout.

Four worshippers, who identified themselves as Aftab and Sheikh Firdaus from Kharagpur town and Imtiaz Ali and Amir Khan from Midnapore town were all praise for Modi for "respecting" all religions.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister today condemned the imposition of President's rule in the state as a "murder" of democracy and the Constitution and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hands were dipped in the "blood" of the "trampled" aspirations of the people.

Alleging that central rule was a result of a "premeditated conspiracy" hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically elected Congress government in the state, Rawat also said the BJP was "thirsty for his blood" right from the day he assumed office on February one, 2014 and did not want his government to stabilise.

"It is a murder of democracy and the Constitution. Modi's hands are dipped in the blood of the trampled aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand,"Rawat said at his first news conference here after the imposition of President's rule capping the ten-day long political upheaval in Uttarakhand after nine Congress rebels raised a banner of revolt against him and supported BJP.

"What has happened is the result of a premeditated conspiracy hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically elected Congress government in the state," he alleged, adding there was a "propaganda blast" against him by raking up issues relating to alleged corruption.

Claiming that he had clear majority in the state assembly, Rawat said it was part of a conspiracy by the BJP to impose president's rule even before giving the state government a chance to go for a floor test in the House.

The four-year-old Congress government was slated to go for floor test in the state assembly tomorrow.

Rawat alleged that there was a money deal to lure the Congress rebels, adding "some people say it is Rs 1,000 crore, some say Rs 500 crore".

He said BJP had decided not to let his government stabilise from the day he took over and "slashed my head" as the first opportunity presented itself.

"The way we were being given repeated threats since yesterday, the way the governor was publicly issued a threat at a press conference in Delhi it was clear things were moving towards this eventuality. That BJP was thirsty for my blood was clear from day one. They had decided at the very outset that they won't let government stabilise," he added.

Accusing the Centre of always being step-motherly in its treatment of Uttarakhand as it was a Congress governed state, Rawat claimed it did not release money for reconstruction in Kedarnath and Ardhkumbh forcing a disaster-hit state to manage its affairs out of its own limited resources. "What has happened in Uttarakhand is also the murder of Baba Sahab Bhimrao Ambedkar's vision on the Constitution maker's 125th birth anniversary year.

Before the Central rule was imposed, Rawat accused BJP of attacking democracy with money and muscle power to dislodge his four-year-old Congress government.
Nepal Airlines plans to buy four new aircraft to expand its international routes, including to India, a top executive of the national carrier has said.

"We are planning to buy four aircraft - two wide-body and two narrow body -- preferably from Airbus with an estimated cost of USD 400 million," said Sugat Ratna Kansakar, Managing Director, Nepal Airlines Corp.

The flag carrier currently has four planes (two each from Airbus and Boeing) for international operations. Besides, it operates a number of small aircraft on domestic routes. In India, the state-run airline has services for Kathmandu from New Delhi, Bengaluru and Mumbai.

"We have received requests for starting services from Kolkata, Ahmedabad and Amritsar. Two of the new aircraft will be deployed on Indian sector (cities not yet decided) and the rest will be for China and Saudi Arabia," he said on the sidelines of a tourism-related event organised here by Nepal Airlines and KGH Group of Hotels, a leading player in the country's hospitality sector.

The national carrier of the Himalayan country returned to Mumbai in September last year after exiting the city nine years ago due to unavailability of aircraft. It operates three direct flights (from the new T2 terminal) on the Mumbai- Kathmandu route (Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays).

Set up in July 1958, the airline has been making money despite having a very small fleet. "We have never been in the red," said Kansakar.

Bindu Thomas, Manager (Sales) of Nepal Airlines in Mumbai, said the carrier is currently filling up to 70 per cent seats from Mumbai and this figure will go up once peak tourist season starts (in April).

Asked about passenger profile, she said now mostly Nepalese citizens are travelling on the Mumbai-Kathmandu flight, but more Indian tourists are expected to join them in the coming months.

About tourism scenario, which is linked with aviation sector, Kansakar said things are looking up in Nepal after the last year's earthquake and subsequent border agitation by Madhesi parties which had led to severe shortage of essential items in the landlocked country.

"We can't afford to have bad relations with India or China. Indo-Nepal ties are now improving," he said.
A Nepalese youth was arrested with an explosive substance from Rupaidiha area along Indo-Nepal border here, an SSB official said today.

Deependra Raj Hamal (18), a native of Kalikot area in Nepal, was arrested from the border area yesterday, Deputy Commandant of Seventh Battalion of SSB said.

The official said 21 fuses, 37.5 feet of wire along with 1.12 kg of a class-two explosive substance were recovered from his possession.

Hamal worked in Rudraprayag in Uttarakhand.

He has been handed over to Rupaidiha police and is being interrogated by SSB, local intelligence unit and other security agencies.
National Green Tribunal has rapped the Delhi government over delay in devising strategy for better implementation of pollution control laws and directed it to convene a meeting in this regard within two weeks after a plea drew attention to violation of rules during weddings.

Noting that bursting of crackers, use of diesel generators and loudspeakers were the main sources of air and noise pollution, the green panel asked Delhi government to strictly enforce the laws on pollution in the capital.

The green bench was hearing a plea by Delhi resident Ved Pal who said that wedding processions in Delhi-NCR violate the laws on noise pollution that restrict any loud music system without prior permission from the authorities.

"It is made clear that the meeting of the Sub-Divisional Magistrates shall be convened within two weeks and the applicant (Pal) shall be invited and his suggestions shall also be considered in the meeting," a bench headed by Justice M S Nambiar said.

On February 1, the tribunal had ordered the government to call a meeting of all Sub-Divisional Magistrates in this regard. "It is not in dispute that standards for controlling air and noise pollution are in place. Question is only of implementation."



However, when the matter came up for hearing, the Delhi government told the tribunal that the meeting on the issue could not be convened and sought more time.

The matter is now listed for next hearing on April 27.
Nigeria is sending a team to Cameroon today to verify a would-be suicide bomber's claim that she is one of the 276 school girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram from the northern town of Chibok.

With less than a month before the two-year anniversary of the brazen kidnapping which shook the world, 219 Chibok students are still missing and there are few signs that the Nigerian government is making progress on securing their release.

The Nigerian government today said it would be sending a team to the Cameroonian capital Yaounde to meet the girl, who was arrested along with another would-be bomber.

They will "verify whether a female suicide bomber arrested...Is one of the missing school girls abducted in Chibok," Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari's spokesman Garba Shehu said.

There was no guarantee that she was speaking the truth, said Shehu.

"Doubts have crept into the claim following new information from Cameroon that the two girls were aged about ten years," Shehu said.

"One of the two is also believed to be heavily drugged and therefore not in full control of her senses," he said.

The two arrested would-be bombers each wore a 12 kilo (26 pound) belt of explosives.

The "Bring Back Our Girls" advocacy group today said that the Nigerian government needed to move fast and see if she was indeed a kidnapped Chibok student.

"For us if the claim turns out to be true brings hope that the girls are alive," spokesman Rotimi Olawale told AFP.

"The Chibok community is hopeful that this will be a breakthrough," said Olawale.

"But it brings a sense of urgency because Boko Haram may be using these girls as suicide bombers."



However, Olawale said the youngest Chibok girl captured by Boko Haram was 16 years old.

"I think that the details are sketchy," Olawale said. "We expect that in the next 48 hours the government will have gotten to the bottom of this."



In total, 276 schoolgirls were kidnapped by Boko Haram on April 14, 2014 as they were preparing for end-of-year exams in the remote northeastern town.

Boko Haram has carried out suicide bombings often using girls as part of its armed campaign to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

Some 20,000 people have been killed in the Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state -- where Chibok is located -- according to a report for the World Bank that puts the cost of destruction at USD 5.9 billion.
Bihar Chief Minister today said his government required Centre's support in the form of a 'special category status' to push the state's all round development especially in the industrial sector.

"We are working in every sector. Industries are growing but there is still a huge scope and potential for industrial growth in the state. We have Industrial Incentive Policy but it requires support from central government... Be it a (new) package or repackaging of old ones, whatever is given I would not mind," Kumar said while addressing ADRI silver jubilee function here.

"If the state is granted special category status, it would bring investments as people would get tax exemptions and other benefits. People are watching Bihar as a destination with lots of curiosity because of the fact that it is related with their history," Kumar told a conference of the Asian Development Research Institute (ADRI).

ADRI has organised a five-day international conference starting today in the state capital on 'Development and Growth: Experience and Theories'.

Kumar said it was ADRI which first prepared a report that Bihar should get 'special category status'.

Quoting ADRI's member secretary Shaibal Gupta, Kumar said Bihar had constantly been ignored and meted out with injustice both during British regime and post independence era, irrespective of the party which ruled at the Centre.
The Centre today justified imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, contending that there was "no better example" for invoking Article 356 as the Harish Rawat government was "unconstitutional" and "immoral" since March 18 when it "lost" majority in the Assembly.

As Congress cried "murder of democracy" after losing power in second state after Arunachal Pradesh, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley countered by accusing the state government of "murdering" provisions of Constitution every day for the last nine days.

Speaking to media shortly after President's Rule was imposed in the hill state, he said there were "cogent, relevent and extremely important grounds" on which the Union Cabinet came to the decision.

"There is no better example than this for invoking Article 356 of the Constitution. For the last nine days, every day provisions of Constitution are being murdered.

"It was not only appropriate but the demand of the time that such an immoral government did not continue in which has lost its majority. There was complete breakdown of the Constitution in Uttarakhand," he said.

While referring to March 18, he said in the 71-member Assembly, 67 members, excluding the Speaker, were present out of whom 35 wanted Division of Votes on the Appropriation Bill.

The Division of votes was sought in writing in advance by the 35 members who also voted against the Bill, despite which the Speaker showed the legislation as passed, Jaitley said.

"That was the first violation of Constitution," he said.

Citing other reasons for dismissing the government, he spoke about the "hard evidence" of Rawat offering allurements to win over MLAs to change the composition of House, discriminatory use of anti-defection law by the Speaker with regard to his action against rebel MLAs of BJP and Congress.

Jaitley said Governor K K Paul had also mentioned that he had "serious doubts" over what happened in the Assembly on March 18 and said his report played a key role in the Cabinet's decision.

Asked about criticsm, especially by BJP, of the Governor's decision to give Rawat nine days to prove his majority, he said there was no reason for him to arrive at such a conclusion after going through his report.

The Governor had repeated asked the Chief Minister to convene the Assembly in two-three days for floor test but he deliberately prolonged it by insisting that he would do so only on March 28, Jaitley said.

"He wanted to use the time period for allurement, horse-trading to change the composition of the House...During each of the nine days, provisions of the Constitution were violated," the Union Minister said.

About the sting operation against Rawat, he said, "This is the first time that there is hard evidence about horse-trading by a Chief Minister who has been caught on camera."



On the Congress charge that BJP was destablising its governments, he said the opposition party should put its House in order as it was a crisis created by Congress itself. "There was rebellion in Congress as the party high command had been refusing to even meet their leaders," he said.
Prime Minister K P Sharma Oli today refused to compare Nepal's relations with a particular nation against another as he returned home after completion of his maiden visit to China during which the two countries inked 10 agreements including a landmark trade and transit treaty.

"Our policy is clear that we will strengthen and expand existing relationships with all friendly nations on the basis of equality and mutual interests, and we will not compare relationships with neighbours," Oli said upon his arrival at the Tribhuvan International Airport from China today.

During his week-long visit, Nepal signed 10 separate agreements with China on using the northern neighbour's sea port facility, building a regional international airport in Pokhara and working out the possibilities of signing a bilateral free trade agreement and exploring the possibility of oil and gas reserves in Nepal among others.

China also agreed to Nepal's request to build a strategic railway link between the two countries through Tibet to reduce land-locked Nepal's total dependence on India and to donate solar panels to 32,000 Nepalese households during the visit.

The prime minister termed his week-long maiden visit to China as "successful".

He told journalists that many important deals were reached during the visit.

Oli said he was successful in pursuing China for a remarkable financial assistance to Nepal for various projects including on building Pokhara International Airport.

Prime Minister Oli had called on Chinese President Xi Jinping and held bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart Li Keqiang at the Great Hall of the People.

During the meeting, they discussed matters relating to mutual interests and bilateral cooperation.

Oli addressed the Boao Forum for Asia on the theme "Asia's New Future: New Dynamics, New Vision" at Boao, Hainan province of China.
The country's exports declined by 10 per cent to 6.95 lakh tonnes during April-December period of the ongoing fiscal due to restrictions on outbound shipments.

However, exports rose by 44 per cent in value terms to Rs 1,961.60 crore in the first nine months of financial year 2015-16 on higher realisation, according to the data compiled by Horticultural Research and Development Foundation (NHRDF).

exports stood at 6,95,231.32 tonnes during the nine-month period as against 7,76,291.13 tonnes in the corresponding period of the last financial year, according to the data.

The exports dipped in the volume terms as the government had hiked the minimum export price (MEP) to USD 425 per tonne in June and then to USD 700 per tonne in August last after prices skyrocketed on lower output due to unseasonal rains.

The government had on December 25, 2015 scrapped the MEP to push exports as domestic prices crashed. MEP is the rate below which no trader is allowed to export.

In value terms, however, the exports increased to Rs 1,961,60 crore in the first nine months of this fiscal from Rs 1,364.76 crore in the corresponding period of 2014-15 fiscal due to higher sales realisation, the data showed.

The average price realisation stood at Rs 28,215.12 per tonne so far this fiscal as against Rs 18,506.56 per tonne achieved in the entire 2014-15.

India had exported 10,86,071.85 tonnes of onion for Rs 2,009.94 crore in the full 2014-15 financial year.

Onion production stood at 189 lakh tonnes in 2014-15 crop year (July-June). In the 2015-16 crop year, production is estimated at 206 lakh tonnes.

Maharashtra, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh are the top three onion-producing states in the country.

Onion prices are currently ruling at Rs 20-25 per kg in the retail market of the capital.
At least 30 people including women and children, enjoying Easter holiday at a popular public park, were today killed and over 100 others injured in a powerful suicide blast in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

A large number of people including Christians were present in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park when the blast occurred in the evening, leaving many in a pool of blood.

"It was a powerful blast. It is suspected that suicide bomber blew himself up at the gate of the main gate of the park," Deputy Inspector General Lahore Police Haider Asharaf said.

"Initial reports suggest that it was a suicide blast," he added.

The park is located in a posh locality in the city, which is comparatively peaceful in violence-hit Pakistan.

Eyewitnesses said there were scattered body parts in the park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening. The crowd was "unusually large" because of Easter.

Punjab Emergency Services Rescue 1122 spokesperson Deeba Shahnaz told PTI that 30 people had been killed in the blast.

Earlier, the Dawn reported saying at least 53 people were killed from the blast.

"Still a good number of people are in critical condition," she added.

Over 100 injured have been shifted to different hospitals of Lahore, she said.

Doctors said the death toll may rise.

Emergency has been declared in all city hospitals in Lahore. Appeals have also been made to people to donate blood for the injured.

Children and women are among the dead.

"My two children were on the swing when a powerful blastoccurred. The children and I fell on the ground. I was semi-unconscious. When I fully regained consciousness, I ran to find my children. Thank God, they were alive and have injuries on their head," one of the victims, Saleem Shahid, said at Mayo Hospital.

A heavy contingent of police has cordoned off the area.
Rescue teams today recovered two more bodies of students from the debris after nine people including eight students were buried in a avalanche that strucknorthwest Pakistan earlier this month.

District police officer Asif Iqbal saiddead bodies of two more students have beenrecovered from the snow at Sosom valley of Chitral district in Khyber Paktunkhwa.

The bodies of fivestudents are still missing and strained under avalanche debris, the police official added.

Nine people including eight students and one passerby were buried under heavy avalanche on March 19, at Sosom valleywhen they were coming back afterappearing in examination of ninth class paper.

Local people had recovered two dead bodies soon after the incidentand seven were missing since then.

The search for the remaining five students is still going on.
A five-member team of Pakistani investigators today left for India to carry forward the probe into the brazen Pathankot Air Base attack, blamed on Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants.

Led by Punjab Counter-Terrorism Department Additional Inspector-General Muhammad Tahir Rai, the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) left for India on a special plane from Allama Iqbal International Airport here.

"The five-member Pakistani investigation team left for New Delhi around 11.45 today," Muhammad Tariq, an immigration official at the Lahore Airport said.

Intelligence Bureau's Deputy Director-General Lahore Muhammed Azim Arshad, Military Intelligence's Lieutenant- Colonel Irfan Mirza, Lieutenant-Colonel Tanvir Ahmad of Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) and Inspector Shahid Tanveer, a Punjab police officer based in Gujranwala, are the other members of the JIT.

India had blamed JeM militants for the assault on the IAF base in Pathankot in Punjab on January 2, which triggered two days of gunbattle that left seven Indian security personnel dead.

India plans to provide the Pakistani probe team access to



all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF.

Official sources in New Delhi said yesterday that India will also press for visit of its probe team to that country for carrying out investigations there.

The sources said the team will not be provided complete access to the Pathankot air force base but to limited areas where Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with security forces.

The airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas.

The team will be briefed thoroughly tomorrow at the NIA headquarters here which will include a 90-minute presentation on the investigations carried in the case so far, the sources said.

This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are travelling to India to investigate a terror attack.

The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.

The attack led to the postponement of a scheduled meeting between Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India in January in Islamabad.

On February 18, Pakistan had lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot terror attack without naming JeM chief Masood Azhar who India has accused of having masterminded the strike.
A five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan that included an ISI official reached here today to carry out a probe into the attack at the IAF base at Pathankot marking the first-ever such visit to the country to probe a terror case.

It will also analyse investigations being carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) so far.

The team, which was received by officials of the NIA and Pakistan High Commission, will on Tuesday visit Pathankot for the probe into the attack at the Indian Air Force base carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed(JeM) terror group on January 2. It flew in here by a special flight from Pakistan.

The team is headed by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Muhammad Tahir Rai and comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.

During 26/11 Mumbai attack case, Pakistan had sent a judicial commission to cross-examine some of the witnesses in the case.

The team would be going to the NIA headquarters tomorrow morning where they would be given a 90-minute presentation by NIA team about the probe conducted so far and evidences that show that the terror attack was planned from across the border in Pakistan, official sources said. Seven security personnel were killed in the attack.

In the post-lunch session, the Pakistani team would be raising their set of questions to the NIA investigators to clear doubts, if any, before they fly to Pathankot in a special plane on Tuesday morning, the sources said.

The IAF airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas and NIA team would show some of the areas where the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour-long gun battle with security personnel.

India plans to provide the probe team from Pakistan access to all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF.

The sources said that cooperation to the Pakistani team would be based on the principle of reciprocity hoping that an Indian team would be allowed to travel to Pakistan at a later date.

Witnesses, excepting personnel of NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF, have been lined up for the Pakistan probe team.

The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.
Ancient artefacts in the city of Palmyra are in much better shape than expected, Syria's antiquities chief said today after regime forces recaptured the desert oasis from the Islamic State group.

Antiquities director Maamoun Abdulkarim said much of Palmyra's old city was intact and his department would try to restore relics destroyed during the jihadists' nearly year-long rule over the city.

"We were expecting the worst. But the landscape, in general, is in good shape," he said.

"We could have completely lost Palmyra," said Abdulkarim.

"The joy I feel (today) is indescribable," he told AFP in a telephone interview from Damascus.

Known to Syrians as the "Pearl of the Desert", Palmyra is a well-preserved oasis and boasts colonnaded alleys, elaborately decorated tombs and ancient Greco-Roman ruins.

Since it overran the city in May 2015, IS destroyed the grand Temple of Bel, the shrine of Baal Shamin, and several funerary towers, which the ultraconservative Sunni Muslim extremists see as blasphemous.

The jihadists used the city's spectacular Roman theatre for executions and murdered the 82-year-old former antiquities chief of Palmyra.

Abdulkarim said the old ruins, located southwest of Palmyra's residential neighbourhoods, were in better condition than he expected.

Many of the most important ruins, including the Agora, Roman theatre, and city walls, were only lightly damaged, he said.

"The really great is about the Lion of Al-Lat," the famous 15-tonne lion statue destroyed by IS last July, Abdulkarim said.

The limestone statue at the temple of Al-Lat, a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, dates back to the 1st century BC.

Abdulkarim said the broken pieces "could be put back together - we didn't lose this great statue."



The citadel west of the city had suffered some of the most severe damage, with parts of it walls blown off by shelling.

"We will discuss with the United Nations how to restore the two temples (of Bel and Baal Shamin)," said Abdulkarim.

An AFP correspondent said most of the stones from the collapsed Temple of Bel appear to be still on the site.

Abdelkarim said he would travel from Damascus to Palmyra soon to assess the damage.
Crime and nuisance during Holi scaled new heights with a record number of calls reporting criminal offences received by Delhi Police's control room on the day of the festival this year.

As many as 11 cases of murder, 21 of rape and molestation, 211 eve teasing cases, 46 instances of road rage, around 40 cases of shootout and firing, and 142 cases of stabbing were reported by dialing 100 on the day of Holi on March 24, according to the police data.

"The police also received around 13,250 cases of quarrel, of which more than 50 per cent were cases of drunken nuisance at public places," a senior official said.

The murder cases which were reported on March 24 include the case of the dentist who was dragged out of his house and beaten to death by a group, including a woman and at least four juveniles, in west Delhi's Vikaspuri area.

Auto-lifting gangs were apparently extra-alert to make the most of the situation as 184 vehicle theft cases were reported on the day of Holi, against the average of 86 reported on any normal day in Delhi, the official said.

"In the 24-hour span starting 6 AM on March 24, the police received around 370 calls urging officials to get loud DJ systems closed," he said.

The police also received calls about 20 cases of burglary, one dacoity, 81 robberies and 90 snatchings on March 24. Their hectic day did not end there as the control room also received as many as 23 calls complaining about theft of cow and one about a pig been stolen.

Calls regarding six suicide cases were also received.

"This Holi, Delhi Police's control room received as many as 35,890 calls, against the daily average of 24,000. Action was taken in 18,480 of them," the senior official in Delhi Police's Operation wing said, adding that figures for total calls and action taken are the highest ever.

Last Holi, around 27,000 persons had dialled 100, of which around 12,000 were distress calls. While PCR teams attended around 9,500 of them, the others were directly transfered to local police.

In a special drive conducted by Delhi Traffic Police during the day of Holi and the evening preceding that, around 2,500 motorists were challaned for drunken driving and their licences seized.

At least four fatal accidents were also reported on the day of Holi, police said.
Days after Madras High Court pulled up police over the publication of a photograph of the accused in a murder case, the Tamil Nadu police chief today issued instructions that such instances should be "avoided strictly" and warned of disciplinary action against erring personnel.

In a circular issued in the wake of the publication in some newspapers of the photographs of five persons alleged to be involved in a suspected honour killing case in Udumalpet early this month, DGP Ashok Kumar said high court had taken a "serious" view of the publication of such photographs.

"The Hon'ble High Court had also observed that publishing photos of the accused in the media will hamper the test identification parade," he said.

Since the witnesses would have a chance to see the accused in the media before going for the test identification parade, that process "will not have much evidentiary value", the DGP pointed out.

Noting that certain investigating officers had exposed the identity of the accused to the media despite a circular advising against the same, the DGP said that "such exposure of accused or witnesses or other sensitive details to media will affect the investigation adversely".

"It should be avoided strictly... All the unit officers are instructed to strictly adhere to the instructions already issued in this regard and take necessary disciplinary action against the police personnel who expose the identity of the accused or witnesses," he said.

On March 16, high court had taken suo motu cognisance of the publication of the photographs of the accused in an alleged honour killing case despite past orders issued by it against such practice and sought an explanation from the state government in this regard.

The court had said "the photograph found in newspapers prima facie shows it was taken when the accused were in police custody. The accused were handcuffed behind. This court has said that should not be done. How this could come in newspapers?" it had asked.

The court also pointed to its earlier direction to the DGP seeking issuance of a circular to all police stations that it be ensured that no photographs of the accused are released to the media as it hampers the investigation and trial.

"Despite the direction to the police, the photographs of the accused were published in some newspapers," it observed.

Public Prosecutor Shanmughavelayutham had then informed that action would be taken if police personnel were found to be at fault. He had also said a new circular would be issued in this regard and copies circulated among the media.
Four members of an alleged gang from Mewat led by a civil-engineer were arrested today with police claiming that the accused were involved in a string of robberies in areas adjacent to Delhi-Gurgaon border.

Acting on a tip off, police nabbed Afsar, Shobin, Junid and kingpin of the gang Anjum- a civil engineer, Gurgaon ACP Hawa Singh said, adding the vehicle, which they used during the crime, was seized from their possession.

All of them were history-sheeters and involved in over three dozen cases of robbery and they used to brutally assaulted the victims whom they used to loot by giving them lift on Delhi-Gurgaon expressway.

All the accused hailed from Mewat and were active in Gurgaon for past couple of months.

Gang members used to drive a car having no registration number and would offer lifts to passengers at Rajeev Chowk, Iffco Chowk, Manesar and other places in the late evening hours.

When passengers accepted their offers, the accused used to snatch their belongings after taking them to secluded areas. They also brutally assaulted victims for putting up resistance, the ACP said.

Anjum used to work with a city based private company, police said he was running the gang to maintain a lavish lifestyle.
An army official is being probed in connection with his wife's murder four years ago and has undergone a lie-detector test.

Lt Col Santosh M Badhkharke, posted with 65 Field Regiment here, underwent a polygraph test on March 18, Inspector S S Randhawa, who is probing the case, said today.

Badhkharke's wife, Vanita, was found dead under mysterious circumstances in their residence in the cantonment area on March 14, 2012, he said.

Randhawa had accompanied Badhkharke to the Central Forensic Science Laboratory, New Delhi, where the lie-detector test was conducted.

He said DCP Kaustub Sharma had recommended the polygraph test after Vanita's parents approached police suspecting the army official's role in her murder.

Citing their complaint, Randhawa said the entry of outsiders is restricted in the cantonment area and Vanita was found murdered a day after Badhkharke had gone out for some work.
Imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand today kicked up a political storm, with Congress dubbing it as "murder of democracy" and "unconstitutional" step even as the Centre justified the action, arguing that Harish Rawat government was "unconstitutional" and "immoral".

Rawat, who lost his government, condemned the imposition of President's rule and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hands were dipped in the "blood" of the "trampled" aspirations of the people.

Alleging that central rule was a result of a "pre-meditated conspiracy" hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically-elected Congress government in the state, Rawat said in Dehradun that the BJP was "thirsty for his blood" right from the day he assumed office on February one, 2014.

A host of Congress leaders slammed the Modi government over the development.

Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi termed the action as "murder of democracy" and "subversion" of the Constitution. He said the people as well has courts are likely to take a "very dim view" of the development.

The Party's chief spokesman Randeep Surjewala said Congress will fight it "politically, constitutionally and avail all legal rights that the party has got with it".

"It is not surprising...The real desire of the government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner," Congress general secretary Ambika Soni said.

"It's a blatant and brazen display of authoritarian, anti-democratic and anti-Constitutional mindset of the Modi government," said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

Today's action, he said, is a grim reminder of the threat the democratic institutions of the country are facing and accused the Modi government of having breached all records in trampling the democratic norms and Constitutional traditions.

The Centre, on its part, justified the decision, contending that there was "no better example" for invoking Article 356 as the Rawat government was "unconstitutional" and "immoral" since March 18 when it "lost" majority in the Assembly.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said there were "cogent, relevent and extremely important grounds" on which the Union Cabinet came to the decision.

"There is no better example than this for invoking Article 356 of the Constitution. For the last nine days, every day provisions of Constitution are being murdered.

"It was not only appropriate but the demand of the time that such an immoral government did not continue in Uttarakhand which has lost its majority. There was complete breakdown of the Constitution in Uttarakhand," he said.

While referring to March 18, Jaitley said in the



71-member Assembly, 67 members, excluding the Speaker, were present out of whom 35 wanted Division of Votes on the Appropriation Bill.

The Division of votes was sought in writing in advance by the 35 members who also voted against the Bill, despite which the Speaker showed the legislation as passed, Jaitley said.

"That was the first violation of Constitution," he said.

Citing other reasons for dismissing the government, the Union Minister spoke about the "hard evidence" of Rawat offering allurements to win over MLAs to change the composition of House, discriminatory use of anti-defection law by the Speaker with regard to his action against rebel MLAs of BJP and Congress.

Jaitley said Governor K K Paul had also mentioned that he had "serious doubts" over what happened in the Assembly on March 18 and said his report played a key role in the Cabinet's decision.

Asked about criticsm, especially by BJP, of the Governor's decision to give Rawat nine days to prove his majority, he said there was no reason for him to arrive at such a conclusion after going through his report.

The Governor had repeated asked the Chief Minister to convene the Assembly in two-three days for floor test but he deliberately prolonged it by insisting that he would do so only on March 28, Jaitley said.

"He wanted to use the time period for allurement, horse-trading to change the composition of the House...During each of the nine days, provisions of the Constitution were violated," the Union Minister said.

About the sting operation against Rawat, he said, "This is the first time that there is hard evidence about horse-trading by a Chief Minister who has been caught on camera."



On the Congress charge that BJP was destablising its governments, he said the opposition party should put its House in order as it was a crisis created by Congress itself. "There was rebellion in Congress as the party high command had been refusing to even meet their leaders," he said.

Rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna welcomed the decision, saying the government headed by Rawat needed to be dismissed as it was involved in "corruption".

Bahuguna, a former Chief Minister, expressed hope that the central rule will not prolong and fresh elections would be held in his state.

"I welcome it..It is a good step," he said while commenting on imposition of the central rule in his state.

He also alleged that the developments in Uttarakhand prior to imposition of President's Rule amounted to "murder of democracy" as he criticised the role of the Speaker in the whole affair.

Bahuguna, a bete noire of Harish Rawat, said the happenings in the state, including the sting operation against the Chief Minister, necessitated dismissal of the state government.

"I hope the President's Rule will not be there for long time and fresh elections will be held early," he said.

At the same time, he said if there is a possibility of formation of a government within the present Assembly, it would be good.
Pope Francis today spoke out against the "rejection" of refugees as the European migrant crisis saw its latest desperate scenes on the Greek border with Macedonia.

The pontiff used his Easter address to urge people to offer "welcome and assistance" to those fleeing war and poverty, as Europe struggles with its worst migration crisis since World War II.

Countries along Europe's "Balkan route" have toughened their stance on migrants in recent weeks, closing their borders to those seeking to transit in search of a better life in the continent's wealthier northern states.

The shutdown has led to a bottleneck at the Greece-Macedonia frontier, where the Greek authorities have been trying to evacuate an estimated 11,500 people stranded at the squalid Idomeni camp.

But today, dozens of migrants who had left, rushed back to the camp following a rumour that journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia.

The EU and Turkey struck a deal earlier this month that will see new migrants arriving on the Greek islands returned to Turkey, in the hope of discouraging them from making the dangerous sea crossing.

During Good Friday prayers, the pope decried what he called Europe's "indifferent and anaesthetised conscience" over migrants and today he took up the theme again.

"The Easter message of the risen Christ... Invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees... Fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice," the pope said.

"All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance."



Francis has long called for the global community to open its doors to refugees and fight xenophobia -- appeals which have intensified since the controversial EU-Turkey deal.

In his Easter address, the pope also referred to Syria's "lengthy conflict, with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law", voicing hope for a positive result from UN-brokered peace talks that opened in Geneva in mid-March and are to resume in April.

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.
Slamming the imposition of President's rule in Uttarakhand, CPI and JD-U today alleged that the Centre's decision betrays a larger design to "not only make a Congress-free India but Opposition-free India".

"BJP leaders were talking about a 'Congress-free India'. They claim that already has happened in Arunachal Pradesh and is now happening in Uttarakhand.

"I believe the design is not just to make a Congress-free India but Opposition-free India. This is how fascist forces aim to capture power. It's a challenge to all democratic forces," said CPI National Secretary D Raja.

President's Rule in the hill state is a "blow" to democracy and the constitutional and parliamentary processes, he said.

"Narendra Modi's slogan is being translated into reality. It means destabilisation of non-BJP state governments is BJP's design. This kind of destabilisation, subversion of democracy is not in the interest of our constitutional practices," he said.

Condemning the Centre's action as another constitutional "impropriety", JD-U general secretary KC Tyagi said it was an attempt to "sabotage" the constitutional mandate.

"This act also shows the BJP's mindset towards co-operative federalism. The Uttarakhand Chief Minister would have proved his majority in the Assembly on Monday. What was the need to be so impatient?



"Same was the case in Arunachal Pradesh. This is nothing less than a conspiracy by the Centre to destabilise the elected governments of the small Indian states," he said.

Tyagi called upon all non-BJP political parties, including those that are allies of the saffron outfit, particularly TDP, Akali Dal, Shiv Sena and PDP, to oppose this "egregious and unconstitutional" act and raise the issue strongly in Parliament.

JD-U also requested President Pranab Mukherjee to reconsider the decision of imposing President's Rule in Uttarakhand.
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad today, congratulating him on his forces retaking Palmyra, the Kremlin said.

The recapture of the ancient city represents a major victory over the Islamic State group, whose fighters had destroyed many monuments at the UNESCO world heritage site since they overran it in May last year.

"In a conversation with the Syrian president, Vladimir Putin congratulated his colleague on Syrian forces liberating the city of Palmyra from terrorists," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, quoted by RIA Novosti state agency.

"Despite the withdrawal of the main part of Russia's military contingent from Syria, the Russian armed forces will continue to help the Syrian authorities to fight terrorism and rid their land of extremist groups," Putin was quoted as saying.

Assad in turn "praised the help given by the Russian space and air forces" and said "successes such as the liberation of Palmyra would be impossible without Russia's support," Peskov said.

Backed by a barrage of Russian air strikes, Syrian troops and allied militia launched a major offensive to retake the desert city earlier this month.

Putin told Assad of "the importance of preserving this unique historic city for world culture," Peskov added.

Putin also spoke by telephone with UNESCO chief Irina Bokova about the fate of Palmyra, telling her that members of the Russian military will work with Syrian forces to clear mines in the city, Peskov said.

Putin and Bokova agreed that UNESCO, along with Russia and Syria, would soon be able to assess "the damage caused by terrorists to Palmyra and also develop a plan to restore what can still be restored".

Assad told Putin that the conflict in Syria, now in its sixth year, was a "struggle for oil", adding: "There is a lot of oil everywhere but there is only one Palmyra", the Kremlin spokesman said.
All Rajasthan State Government Employees Federation today said it will hold a demonstration near the legislative assembly on Tuesday to draw the BJP government's attention towards its "unfulfilled pre-poll promises".

"14 promises were made for the welfare of state employees in election manifesto but not a single promise has so far been fulfilled by the government.

"Therefore, we will hold a dharna near the assembly on March 29," President of the Federation Gajendra Singh Rathore said.

Rathore said a representation will also be submitted demanding implementation of all 14 promises, including regularisation of para teachers, aanganwadi workers and other employees, formation of a committee to address anomalies in salaries of ministerial employees and other sub-ordinate services as per sixth pay commission, regular pay grade in probation period, among others.
Thanking Prime Minister Narendra Modi for urging people to defeat diabetes and eradicate TB, Health Minister J P Nadda today said the government is focused on combating non communicable diseases (NCDs), including diabetes, and soon new TB diagnostic test will be made available in each district of the country.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his monthly radio programme 'Mann ki Baat' today urged people to work for defeating diabetes and eradicating TB from the country.

Read more from our special coverage on "TUBERCULOSIS" Blood test to predict your risk of developing TB

"I thank Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi Ji for highlighting importance of prevention and cure of Diabetes and TB in #MannKiBaat"Recently strengthened RNTCP; introduced additional 500 CBNAAT machines, new anti-#TB drug Bedaquiline & 3rd line drugs for HIV. New rapid #TB diagnostic test - CBNAAT to become available in all districts in the country," Nadda said in a series of tweets.

Cartridge-based nucleic acid amplification testing (CBNAAT) machines can detect the presence of TB bacteria in a span of two to three hours while the conventional methods of testing for the disease take anywhere between a week and one-and-a-half-months.

He said recently launched Bedaquiline medicine will save more lives of patients suffering from drug resistant TB.

"Use of Bedaquiline will save more lives of drug resistant #TB patients. 4 lakh DOT Centres and 13,500 DMCs are functioning in the country to provide treatment for #TB," he tweeted.

The drug has been approved by Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) for the treatment of pulmonary Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) in combination with an optimised background regimen.

Nadda also said that his Ministry is supporting research on effect of yoga on diabetes.

"Focus of Govt on combating NCDs including #Diabetes. Nat Prog for Prevention & Control of Cancers, Diabetes, Cardiovascular diseases & Stroke (NPCDCS) aims to prevent & control chronic NCD.

"Under NPCDCS, nearly 6 crore people have been screened for #Diabetes and Hypertension. Ministry of Health is supporting research on the effect of Yoga on #Diabetes," Nadda tweeted.
Even as Congress cried foul, Government today justified imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, saying the Harish Rawat government was "unconstitutional" and "immoral" since March 18 when the "failed" Appropriation Bill was shown as passed.

"There can be no better example of implementation of Article 356 (imposition of President's Rule). There was complete breakdown of the Constitution in Uttarakhand," Union Minister for Finance and Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley told reporters in New Delhi.

"There were very good grounds for the Union Cabinet to recommend President's Rule in the state. The Chief Minister had lost majority on 18th (of March) and his continuation was unconstitutional and immoral," he said, adding it was the demand of time that the government should have been dismissed.

While referring to March 18, he said in the 71-member Assembly, 67 members, excluding the Speaker, were present out of whom 35 wanted Division of Votes on the Appropriation Bill.

The Division of votes was sought in writing in advance by the 35 members who also voted against the Bill, despite which the Speaker showed the legislation as passed, Jaitley said.

"The Speaker said in writing that 'the Division was sought but I treat the bill as passed'. This is for the first time in the history of Independent India that a bill is shown as passed even when it has been defeated. That was the first violation of the Constitution," said Jaitley.

The Appropriation Bill empowers the government to draw funds for expenses from April one and if it is defeated on the floor of the House, the government has to resign.

Among other reasons cited for dismissing the Rawat government were attempts to "change the composition of the Assembly", "allurements" allegedly offered by the Chief Minister and long time given to him to prove his majority.
Rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna today welcomed the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, saying the government headed by Harish Rawat needed to be dismissed as it was involved in "corruption".

Bahuguna, a former Chief Minister, expressed hope that the central rule will not prolong and fresh elections would be held in his state.

"I welcome it..It is a good step," he said while commenting on imposition of the central rule in his state.

He also alleged that the developments in Uttarakhand prior to imposition of President's Rule amounted to "murder of democracy" as he criticised the role of the Speaker in the whole affair.

Bahuguna, a bete noire of Harish Rawat, said the happenings in the state, including the sting operation against the Chief Minister, necessitated dismissal of the state government.

"I hope the President's Rule will not be there for long time and fresh elections will be held early," he said.

At the same time, he said if there is a possibility of formation of a government within the present Assembly, it would be good.

Uttarakhand was brought under President's rule by the Centre on grounds of "breakdown of governance" in a controversial decision which comes in the wake of a political crisis triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Art 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.

The Cabinet had held an emergency meeting here last night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short a visit to Assam to return to the capital for the purpose.

The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor K K Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state Assembly tomorrow.

The dismissal of the Rawat government now renders tomorrow's confidence vote infructuous.

It also came amidst reports that Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had disqualified 9 rebel Congress MLAs that would have enabled Rawat to sail through in the trust vote.
England opener Jason Roy and fast bowler David Willey have been fined for breaching the ICC Code of Conduct during their side's ICC World Twenty20 match against Sri Lanka here yesterday.

Roy, who scored a 39-ball 42, was found to have breached Article 2.1.5 of the ICC Code of Conduct for Players and Player Support Personnel, which relates to "showing dissent at an umpire's decision during an international match".

Roy displayed dissent on two accounts after he was given out leg before in the 13th over (obscene language on being given out and then throwing his bat and helmet as he left the field) for which he has been fined 30 per cent of his match fee.

Willey, who took two for 26, was found guilty of violating Article 2.1.7 of the Code, which relates to "using language, actions or gestures which disparage or which could provoke an aggressive reaction from a batsman upon his/her dismissal during an international match".

Willey, after dismissing Milinda Siriwardana in the third over, used obscene language and pointed to the pavilion in giving the batsman a send-off. For this offence, Willey has been fined 15 per cent of his match fee.

Following the match, both the players admitted the offences and accepted the sanctions proposed by match referee Jeff Crowe. As such, there was no need for formal hearings.

The charges were levelled by on-field umpires Paul Reiffel and Rod Tucker, third umpire Chris Gaffaney and fourth official S Ravi.

For all first offences, Level 1 breaches carry a minimum penalty of an official reprimand and a maximum penalty of 50 per cent of a player's match fee.
The Select Committee of Rajya Sabha on the Enemy Property (Amendment and Validation) Bill, 2016 will hold its first meeting on Monday during which Home Secretary Rajiv Mehrishi will give a presentation.

The Select Committee, headed by BJP member Bhupender Yadav, has been asked to carry out a detailed scrutiny of the measure that seeks to guard against claims of succession or transfer of properties left by people who migrated to Pakistan and China after the wars and amend the Enemy Property Act, 1968.

The panel has been tasked to scrutinise the bill and submit its report in the opening week of the second part of the Budget Session.

Since it is the maiden meeting of the committee, which was set up on March 15, besides holding preliminary discussion on the bill it will discuss and finalize its sittings.

The panel will hear the presentation by the Home Secretary during the meeting where members are expected to seek clarifications regarding some provisions, which have raised eyebrows.

The Upper House had on March 15 adopted a motion for referring the Bill, which seeks to amend the Enemy Property Act, 1968, and the Public Premises (Eviction of Unauthorised Occupants) Act, 1971, as passed by Lok Sabha.

The panel was asked to submit the report by the last day of the first week of the second part of the Budget session.

The first part of the session, which began on February 23, concluded on March 16 while its second part will commence on April 25 and wrap up on May 13.

All parliamentary committees to which such Bills have been referred are expected to speedily scrutinise the bills during this recess period and submit them to Parliament when the second part of the session commences.

The Bill was passed by Lok Sabha on March 9 with the government overruling demands by some opposition parties that it be sent to the Standing Committee.

In the wake of the Indo-Pak wars of 1965 and 1971, there was migration of people from India to Pakistan and, under the Defence of India Rules framed under the Defence of India Act, the government took over the properties and companies of such persons as had taken Pakistani nationality.

These 'enemy properties' were vested with the Custodian of Enemy Property for India.

The amendments say that once an enemy property is vested



in the Custodian, it shall continue to be vested in him as enemy property irrespective of whether the enemy, enemy subject or enemy firm has ceased to be an enemy due to reasons such as death, etc.

The new Bill also ensures that the law of succession does not apply to enemy property; that there cannot be transfer of any property vested in the Custodian by an enemy or enemy subject or enemy firm and that the Custodian shall preserve the enemy property till it is disposed of in accordance with the provisions of the Act.

The amendments are aimed at plugging the loopholes in the Act to ensure that enemy properties that have been vested in the Custodian continue that way and do not revert to the enemy subject or enemy firm.

The Enemy Property Act was enacted in 1968 and provided for the continuous vesting of enemy property with the Custodian.

The Centre, through the Custodian, is in possession of enemy properties spread across the country. In addition, there are also movable properties categorised as enemy property.
RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat on Sunday said the organisation wants to make the country exploitation-free and full of self-respect and whole world to salute India.

"We want the whole world to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. We want to make Bharat (India) rich, free from exploitation and full of self-respect. For that we will have to live that Bharat in our lives," Bhagwat said at the launch of a book on the life of late Madan Lal Agarwal, co-founder of Friends of Tribals Society.

The RSS chief said after partition, Pakistan did not stake claim over the name 'Bharat' because it does not accept the qualities which are in Bharat.

He said the Vedas, 'Dev Bhasha', 'Aadi Bhasha' and even the grammar of Sanskrit was created in the region that now belongs to Pakistan.

"But they (Pakistan) took their own name and left the name 'Bharat' for us because the qualities which they don't accept are in Bharat," Bhagwat said.

Referring to the Ramayana, whose veracity is questioned by many, Bhagwat said: "We say that it is very ancient but it is history."



On a lighter vein, Bhagwat said he was lucky to be leading RSS. "I don't know what would have happened if there was an election. But here it is appointment. I am lucky," he said.

Earlier this month, the RSS chief's remark that youth should be taught patriotic slogans triggered a debate after AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi refused to chant "Bharat Mata ki Jai" citing he was not obliged by the Constitution to do so.
Bernie Sanders swept to resounding victories in the Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska and Washington, putting the brakes on front-runner Hillary Clinton's drive to secure the party's nomination for the White House.

Sanders, 74, won Washington state by getting more than 72 per cent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 80 per cent of the votes.

For Clinton, 68, who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.

Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders.

He aimed for a third victory in Hawaii where he has been bolstered by the endorsement of Tulsi Gabbard, the first ever Hindu elected to the US Congress, who resigned from a high post within the Democratic party to support the Vermont Senator and has appeared in an ad on behalf of his campaign.

Clintons, including the former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsie Clinton, spend quite a bit of time in Washington.

In Alaska, which has 16 delegates at stake, the wife of Sanders campaigned for a few days.

"It is hard for anybody to deny that our campaign has the momentum," Sanders yesterday told more than 8,100 cheering supporters who filled an arena on the University of Wisconsin campus last night after results of the primaries in Washington and Alaska were out.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed West," Sanders said.

He said the momentum building behind his campaign comes from big crowds at rallies, from overwhelming victories, from record turnouts at caucuses and primaries, from a grassroots campaign taking on the political establishment and from more than two million supporters who donated less than USD 30 apiece on average.

"We are on a path toward victory," Sanders said in Wisconsin, where the Democratic primaries are scheduled for April 5. There are 86 pledged delegates at stake in Wisconsin.

To become a Democratic party presidential nominee, Clinton or Sanders need at least 2,382 delegates of the total 4,763 delegates including 712 super delegates, who are party office bearers and are not elected as part of the presidential primaries. Super delegates are independent and are free to vote to any of the candidates.

So far, Clinton leads the race to the White House in the Democratic party as she has 1,697 delegates. This includes 1,228 delegates she won during the presidential primaries and 469 super delegates who have said they would vote for her.

The position of super delegates are subject to change.

On the other hand, Sanders has 976 delegates to his kitty. These include 947 delegates won by him and 29 super delegates, who have pledged support to him.
Senator Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska and Washington, slightly narrowing party's front-runner Hillary Clinton's significant delegate lead in the race to the White House.

Sanders, 74, swept Washington state by getting more than 72 per cent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 79 per cent of the votes, when last report came in.

For Clinton, 68, who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.

Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders.

Clintons, including the former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsie Clinton, spend quite a bit of time in Washington.

In Alaska, which has 16 delegates at stake, the wife of Sanders campaigned for a few days.

"It is hard for anybody to deny that our campaign has the momentum," Sanders yesterday told more than 8,100 cheering supporters who filled an arena on the University of Wisconsin campus last night after results of the primaries in Washington and Alaska were out.

He said the momentum building behind his campaign comes from big crowds at rallies, from overwhelming victories, from record turnouts at caucuses and primaries, from a grassroots campaign taking on the political establishment and from more than two million supporters who donated less than USD 30 apiece on average.

"We are on a path toward victory," Sanders said in Wisconsin, where the Democratic primaries are scheduled for April 5. There are 86 pledged delegates at stake in Wisconsin.

To become a Democratic party presidential nominee, Clinton or Sanders need at least 2,382 delegates of the total 4,763 delegates including 712 super delegates, who are party office bearers and are not elected as part of the presidential primaries. Super delegates are independent and are free to vote to any of the candidates.

So far, Clinton leads the race to the White House in the Democratic party as she has 1,697 delegates. This includes 1228 delegates she won during the presidential primaries and 469 super delegates who have said they would vote for her.

The position of super delegates are subject to change.

On the other hand, Sanders has 976 delegates to his kitty. These include 947 delegates won by him and 29 super delegates, who have pledged support to him.

"Bernie Sanders is not just earning the delegates he needs to win, he is showing DC's professional pundit class that, despite their premature eulogising of his progressive political revolution, the fight for the Democratic nomination is far from over," said Charles Chamberlain, executive director, Democracy for America.
Saudi authorities executed a Pakistani convicted of killing a Bangladeshi woman today, raising to 79 the number of death sentences they have carried out this year.

Elias Ismail was found guilty of fatally stabbing Hajar Hussein during a robbery and was executed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, an interior ministry statement carried by the official SPA agency said.

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.
The Shanghai branch of the State Bank of India will launch a special desk to woo potential Chinese investors as part of its efforts to attract investments from China under the 'Make in India' campaign.

The special China desk, to operate from tomorrow, will be largely based on the lines of the Japan desk set up in New Delhi, SBI officials attending the 'India-China Business Forum' being held in the Chinese city Wuxi said.

The special desk will provide advisory services, they said.

More than 20 Indian firms are taking part in the India-China Business and Investment Forum aimed at introducing latest investment opportunities under the 'Make in India' campaign to their Chinese counterparts.

The week-long event, which included India Culture Week celebrations kicked off today.

Indian firms would be introducing the latest investment opportunities in India in sectors like renewable energies, solar panels, roads, smart cities, infrastructure development, urban transportation and power sector, which are now available to Chinese companies under 'Make in India'.

A series of B-2-B meetings have also been planned for the participating Indian companies with their Chinese counterparts, Consul-General of India in Shanghai, Prakash Gupta, said.

A cultural performance from a Bhangra/Gidda troupe from India sponsored by the Indian Council for Cultural Relations gave a performance at the South China University Campus.

In addition, an Indian Food Festival is being held.
Sri Lankan President Maithripala Sirisena today defended his government's decision to enter into an economic and technology cooperation agreement with India, saying protests against it are "politically motivated."



"Why would my government take any action to deprive our people of jobs through the agreement," Sirisena said.

He said the criticism of the pact are "politically motivated".

The ETCA was proposed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe when he visited India last September.

It seeks to boost cooperation in technical areas, scientific expertise and research among institutions, boost standards of goods and services able to compete on the global market and improve opportunities for manpower training and human resource development.

But local professional groups and opposition parties have been campaigning against the ETCA with India. They claim the pact would deprive employment opportunities to locals in the service sectors with an influx of Indian labourers into Sri Lanka.

The government denies the charge and accuses protesting groups of carrying out a public campaign without even knowing the contents of the pact. It says the agreement would expose Sri Lanka to the bigger Indian market.

Sirisena said the two sides are currently examining the draft of the agreement. His government remains committed to achieving national reconciliation with the Tamil minority.

"The war ended in May of 2009 but we are yet to address the root causes," he said adding his government was keen to leave no room for Tamils to take up arms again.

He accused opposition groups of trying to spread stories on instability within the current government. He said the public mandate in the last election was for the two major parties to work together in a unity government.

The current global economic down turn had affected the Sri Lankan economy, he said adding that remedial measures are being taken to minimise its impact.
Six persons, including five from Bengaluru, were killed and two seriously injured in a collision involving a SUV and a truck on a four-lane state highway near here, police said.

The truck driver was among those killed.

The mishap occurred when the SUV, carrying six persons from Bengaluru, swerved into the opposite lane after the driver lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the oncoming truck, District Revenue Officer Shankar said.

"Five persons in the car and the truck driver died on the spot. The truck cleaner and one person in the car, identified as Megha, were seriously injured. They have been admitted to the Government Hospital here," he told PTI.

The SUV was heading towards Krishnagiri from here while the truck was on its way from that town to Dharmapuri.

Police suspect that the SUV might have been overspeeding when the mishap occurred.
Sri Lanka's Minister of State for Defence Ruwan Wijewardene today visited Goa Shipyard Limited (GSL) at Vasco town, around 40 kms from here.

Wijewardene held discussion with GSL Chairman and Managing Rear Admiral Shekhar Mital on the progress of Sri Lankan vessels under construction at the yard.

The minister was toured around the yard by the CMD and where he took stock of progress of construction on Sri Lankan Patrol Vessels, a GSL spokesperson said.

A presentation was made to the Sri Lankan delegation on in-house design capability, product profile and future potential of cooperation of the yard with the neighbouring country, the spokesperson added.

GSL is executing large export orders from Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Mauritius and has order book of over Rs 1,200 crore.
Syrian troops recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group today and pledged to build on the win with an advance against other jihadist strongholds.

The army said pro-government forces had cleared IS fighters from the UNESCO world heritage site, where the jihadists sparked a global outcry with the systematic destruction of treasured monuments.

"Palmyra will be the central base to broaden operations... Against Daesh in numerous areas, primarily Deir Ezzor and Raqa," the armed forces said in a statement carried by state media, using an Arabic name for IS.

The northern city of Raqa is IS's main Syrian bastion and the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor is another key stronghold.

Backed by a barrage of Russian air strikes, Syrian troops and allied militia launched a major offensive to retake the desert city this month.

Palmyra is both an important symbolic and strategic prize for President Bashar al-Assad's forces, as it provides control of the surrounding desert extending all the way to the Iraqi border.

At least 400 IS fighters were killed in the battle for the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On the government side, 188 troops and militiamen were killed.

"That's the heaviest losses that IS has sustained in a single battle since its creation" in 2013, the director of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.

A military source told AFP that IS militants had retreated towards the east as the army made its final push.

The Observatory said the pullout had been ordered by IS high command.

"A handful of IS fighters are refusing to leave the city and seem to want to fight on to the bitter end," Abdel Rahman said.

After the army took control of the city, sappers were defusing mines and bombs planted by IS in the ancient ruins, the source said.

Syrian state television broadcast footage from inside the famed Palmyra museum, where jagged pieces of sculptures lay blanketed in dust on the ground. A stone head of an unidentified statue lay in the centre of one room, surrounded by cracked columns.

Most of the pieces in the city's museum were evacuated by antiquities staff before IS arrived in May 2015, but larger artefacts that could not be moved remained in the building.

Outside, in the city's main roundabout, a small group of army soldiers strolled through debris-covered streets under a clear sky.

IS, behind a string of attacks in the West including last week's Brussels bombings, is under growing pressure from Syrian and Iraqi military offensives to retake bastions of its self-proclaimed "caliphate".
Syrian government forces recaptured the famed ancient city of Palmyra today in a major symbolic victory over the Islamic State jihadist group, a military source said.

"After heavy fighting during the night, the army is in full control of Palmyra -- both the ancient site and the residential neighbourhoods," the source said.

IS fighters pulled out, retreating to the towns of Sukhnah, Raqa and Deir Ezzor to the east.

"Army sappers are in the process of defusing dozens of bombs and mines planted inside the ancient site," the source added.

IS overran the Palmyra ruins and adjacent modern city in May 2015, sparking a global outcry and fears for the UNESCO world heritage site known as the "Pearl of the Desert".

The group has since blown up two of the site's treasured classical temples, its triumphal arch and a dozen tower tombs.

It used Palmyra's ancient amphitheatre as a venue for public executions, including the beheading of the city's 82-year-old former antiquities chief.

The oasis city's recapture is a strategic as well as symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since it provides control of the surrounding desert extending all the way to the Iraqi border, analysts say.
Taiwan's China-friendly Nationalist Party has elected its first female leader after ousting her as its presidential candidate ahead of January elections that were won by pro-independence rivals.

The Kuomintang had ditched Hung Hsiu-chu as her abrasive style and strongly pro-China positions were seen as alienating voters. The veteran legislator and former teacher was elected as leader over three other candidates Saturday and likely faces a difficult time rebuilding the party after its January electoral defeat.

Hung takes over from Eric Chu, who was the party's eventual presidential candidate and who resigned as party chairman after the defeat.

Chinese President Xi Jinping congratulated Hung from Beijing, saying he hoped the two parties would continue to oppose "Taiwan independence," according to the official Xinhua Agency.

Beijing claims the self-governing island of Taiwan as its own, and relations between the two improved under the Nationalists, which governed Taiwan over the last eight years and promoted pro-China policies.

The independence-leaning Democratic Progressive Party's candidate, Tsai Ing-wen, won the presidential election, and her party also gained a decisive parliamentary majority.

Tsai, who will be inaugurated as president in May, has refused to meet Beijing's demand that she endorse its claim that Taiwan and the mainland are part of a single Chinese nation.
More than 22,000 people have signed a petition calling for Americans to be allowed to carry firearms at the Republican National Convention -- because the ban puts lives at risk.

Guns are not allowed inside the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, where the event -- which could descend into a heated battle for the party presidential ticket -- is taking place in July.

The petition went up on the Change.Org website and by today had been signed by 22,633 supporters in just a few days, with numbers rising fast.

"Cleveland, Ohio is consistently ranked one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in America," says the petition, which among others is addressed to the Republican presidential frontrunner Donald Trump and his rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

"By forcing attendees to leave their firearms at home, the RNC and Quicken Loans Arena are putting tens of thousands of people at risk both inside and outside of the convention site."



In the event of an attack on the venue people there "will be sitting ducks," raising the specter that the Islamic State extremist group could target it, the petition says.

"We are all too familiar with the mass carnage that can occur when citizens are denied their basic God-given rights to carry handguns or assault weapons in public," the petition adds.

Firearms were banned by the Secret Service at the Republican convention in Tampa in 2012, US media say.
Thousands of devotees from various parts of India thronged the famous Shrine Basilica at Vailankanni in this district today to celebrate Easter.

As a mark of celebrating the resurrection of Jesus, a candle procession commenced at 11 PM last night.

When the clock struck 12, resurrection of Jesus was announced and special prayers were held and will continue throughout the day.

Pilgrims from various parts of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Goa and Maharashtra participated in the festival.

The special feature of theEastercelebrations is the 'padayatra' by hundreds of pilgrims from various places.

During the eight day period between Palm Sunday and EasterSunday, pilgrims carry big, wooden crosses on their shoulders, arrive at Vailankanni on foot and participate in the prayers.

TheEasterseason has brought brisk business to candle traders as all pilgrims visiting the church offer candles to the 'Lady of Good Health' as a mark of thanksgiving.

Easter celebrations were also held in other churches in the state.
Not getting enough charitable donations? Try having people to touch sandpaper before you ask for money, suggests a new study which found that touching rough surfaces triggers the emotion of empathy, which motivates people to donate to non-profit organisations.

"We found that when people were experiencing mild discomfort as a result of touching a rough surface, they were more aware of discomfort in their immediate environment," said Chen Wang, an assistant marketing professor at Drexel University in Pennsylvania, US.

"They could better empathise with individuals who were suffering," said Wang.

In one experiment, the team tested brain activity when participants viewed painful versus neutral images. In some trials the participants held an object wrapped in sandpaper - known as haptic roughness - while they saw the pictures.

In other trials they held an object wrapped in smooth paper. The participants showed more brain activity when touching the sandpaper than the smooth paper, particularly when viewing the painful images.

In another experiment the researchers asked one group of participants to wash their hands with a smooth soap and the other with a rough, exfoliating solution. Then each group filled out questionnaires rating their willingness to donate to a charity.

The group that had used the rough hand wash was more willing than the soft soap group to donate to a lesser-known foundation that supports people who suffer from Sjogren's Syndrome, an autoimmune disease in which the white blood cells attack the moisture-producing glands.

This difference between the groups did not occur when participants rated their willingness to give to the well-known National Breast Cancer Foundation. Familiarity with a charity overrode the effect of haptic roughness, Wang said.

The findings could have significant implications for less well-known charities that are trying to raise money, according to the study.

"Often smaller charities invest a lot of money in advertising to build awareness, but our data suggests that introducing haptic roughness into outreach materials could be an innovative and cost-effective approach," Wang said.

Wang suggested that these organisations could include rough-textured material in mailers or wrap clipboards in sandpaper.

The findings were published in the Journal of Consumer Psychology.
The tougher men think they are, the less likely they are to be honest with doctors about their symptoms, according to new research which suggests that this may contribute to men dying earlier than women.

Men are less likely than women to go to the doctor, more likely to choose a male doctor when they do go, but less likely to be honest with that doctor about their symptoms, researchers said.

"The question that we wanted to answer was, why do men die earlier than women? Men can expect to die five years earlier than women, and physiological differences do not explain that difference," said Diana Sanchez from Rutgers University in the US.

Researchers found that men who held traditional beliefs about masculinity - that men should be tough, brave, self-reliant and restrained in their expression of emotion - were more likely to ignore medical problems, or at least put off dealing with them, than women or men with less traditional beliefs.

They were more likely to choose a male doctor, based on the belief that male doctors were more competent than female doctors. Paradoxically, however, researchers discovered that men, having chosen a male doctor, were less likely to be open with that doctor about their symptoms.

"That is because they do not want to show weakness or dependence to another man, including a male doctor," said Sanchez.

Men tend to be more honest about their medical symptoms with female doctors to be honest about vulnerabilities causes them no loss of status with women, researchers said.

For the first study, they asked participants - about 250 men - to fill out an online questionnaire designed to elicit their opinions about manhood and relative attributes of men and women. The participants also answered questions about doctor preference.

The higher they scored on the masculinity scale, the more likely participants were to prefer a male to a female doctor. Researchers then recruited 250 male undergraduates at a large university and had them fill out similar questionnaires.

Each subject was interviewed by male and female pre-medical and nursing students about their medical conditions. The interviews took place in clinical examining rooms, and the interviewers wore white coats.

The higher the subjects scored on the masculinity scale, the less likely they were to discuss their symptoms frankly with the male interviewers.

In the second study, researchers interviewed 193 students (88 men and 105 women) at a large university in the US and a separate sample of 298 people, half men and half women, from the general population.

They found that men who held strongly traditional opinions about masculinity were less likely to seek medical help, more likely to minimise their symptoms and suffered worse health outcomes than women and men who did not share those opinions.

The findings were published in the journals Preventive Medicine and Health Psychology.
The Turkish coastguard on Sunday stopped five boats carrying dozens of illegal migrants, mostly from Myanmar, who were trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos, local media reported.

A coastguard vessel spotted the boats about four miles off the shore of Dikili town in Izmir province as they tried to reach Lesbos, the private Dogan news agency reported.

The coastguard stopped the boats and took the migrants back to shore where they were handed over to the police.

Most of them were from Myanmar.

"There is a planned massacre against Muslims in the country we live," one of the migrants told Dogan, saying the combination of danger and poverty had forced them to leave.

His remarks suggested they were members of Myanmar's Rohingya, a persecuted Muslim minority which has been targeted by violent attacks and state-sanctioned discrimination in the Buddhist-majority state, earning them a reputation as one of the world's most persecuted peoples.

The numbers of people reaching Greece from Turkey have declined since an EU-Turkey deal went into effect on March 20 under which all migrants landing on the Greek islands face are sent back.

Before the deal, the numbers arriving each day had numbered in the thousands. On Monday, 1,662 people arrived, but this fell to 600 on Tuesday and 260 on Wednesday.
Two boys were killed and another was



injured when they were crushed by a speeding pick-up van near Shahpur village in Bihar's Siwan district today.

The van hit a road-side shop and then knocked down two persons killing them on the spot and injured another, police said.

The injured person was admitted to hospital.

The driver of the vehicle was arrested.
Two robbers were today arrested for allegedly murdering a gang member and severely injuring another here, police said.

The deceased has been identified as one Mukesh and the injured as Kanhaiya, both of whom were found in an abandoned car at a check-post on the intervening night of March 26 and 27 in south-west Delhi's Dwarka sub-city.

When police checked the vehicle, they found the two persons lying in a pool of blood on the rear seat. They were rushed to a hospital, where Mukesh was declared brought dead and Kanhaiya was admitted with severe injuries, a police official said.

On questioned by police, Kanhaiya said that they were members of a robbery gang.

He claimed they had an argument with their associates over distribution of money after a robbery, following which they allegedly stabbed them, police said.

Mukesh and Kanhaiya were both assumed dead and were put in a car with an intention of dumping them near the city's border.

The driver of the car at the check-post, seeing the police security, boarded another car (driven by his accomplice) which was right behind his vehicle and fled, a senior official said.

With Kanhaiya's help, the police conducted raids and arrested two of the accused, identified as Ajay and Deepak, while three others -- Omveer, Sunil and Vinay -- are at large, he said.

The police are conducting raids at Aligarh and Mathura to arrest them at the earliest, the official said.

The plan was to take the car to an isolated spot near the city borders or at Haryana and set it afire, the official said.
Two more MLAs of the opposition YSR Congress in Andhra Pradesh including its deputy leader in the Assembly Jyothula Nehru today said that they were ready to "part ways" with the party and "join" the ruling TDP.

Nehru the MLA from Jaggampeta constituency and Varupula Subba Rao, legislator from Prathipadu seat announced that they were indeed ready to part ways with YSR Congress and "act in accordance with the wishes of our supporters".

Vantala Rajeswari, first time MLA from Rampachodavaram tribal constituency, is also tipped to cross over to the TDP but there has been no word from her side yet.

All these three MLAs are from East Godavari district.

So far, eight out of its 67 MLAs deserted the YSRC since late last month and joined the TDP.

The number of defectors will rise to 11 if the three MLAs from East Godavari quit YSRC.

The YSRC managed to win four out of the 19 seats in East Godavari district in 2014.

It would, in fact, be a homecoming for Nehru who had served the TDP for over two decades and had been its MLA twice.

Nehru was said to be sulking after he was denied the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) chairman's post that fell vacant after incumbent Bhuma Nagi Reddy resigned from it before joining the TDP.

YSRC president Y S Jaganmohan Reddy, however, chose first-time MLA B Rajendranath Reddy for the PAC post.

Sensing Nehru's move, Jagan sent Chandragiri MLA Chevireddi Bhaskar Reddy to Jaggampeta to placate Nehru.

But Nehru reportedly refused to talk to Chevireddy or even Jagan and instead remained closeted with his supporters.

"I will respect your (the supporters) sentiments and will strictly go by what you say," the senior legislator said.

At the same time, Subba Rao held talks with his supporters in Prathipadu and announced that he would join the TDP soon in deference to their wishes.

TDP sources said both Nehru and Subba Rao might formally join the ruling party in the first week of April.

"There will be more such developments after the ongoing Assembly (Budget) session ends," senior MLA Gorantla Butchaiah Chowdary said.

Meanwhile, TDP general secretary Nara Lokesh held discussions with party leaders from East Godavari district on the latest developments.
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today said BJP's actions in Uttarakhand were "a clear admission they knew they were losing the floor test" and that the party's commitment to democracy was "only so long as elections throw up its governments".

"The BJP's actions in #Uttarakhand are a clear admission they knew they were losing the floor test," Omar wrote on Twitter.

He said, "BJP have no problem murdering democracy so long as their Congress Mukht Bharat (Congress free India) slogan is adhered to."



"By hook or by crook. The BJP's commitment to democracy is only so long as elections throw up BJP governments," he said.

Omar, who is the working president of National Conference, said PDP president Mehbooba Mufti was given over two months time to think over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir only because the party was in alliance with BJP.

"Because it was a BJP alliance, Mehbooba was given 2 1/2 (two and a half) months to make up her mind. No such courtesy would've been extended to opposition," he said.

Capping a nine-day high-voltage political drama, the Centre today brought Uttarakhand under President's rule citing a Constitutional breakdown in the wake of a rebellion in the ruling Congress, which slammed the decision calling it a "murder of democracy" and a "black" day.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.
A top court in the United Arab Emirates jailed 11 people for life today after convicting them of jihadist links and plotting "terrorist" attacks in the Gulf country, state media reported.

The Federal Supreme court in Abu Dhabi jailed two others for 15 years, 13 for 10 years, six for three years, and two for five years, the official WAM agency said.

Seven defendants were acquitted.

The 41 defendants were accused of seeking to overthrow the government to set up an Islamic State group-style caliphate in the UAE.

Two of those jailed for life were tried in absentia.

According to the Khaleej Times newspaper, the defendants were convicted of "plotting to carry out terrorist operations throughout the country."



They were also found guilty of "endangering the safety and security of the country and the lives of individuals, including the leadership and its symbols with the intention to cause damage to state and private infrastructure."



Other charges included "possessing firearms and ammunition with the intention of committing attacks," as well as contacting and raising funds for the Islamic State group and Al-Qaeda's Syria affiliate Al-Nusra Front, Khaleej Times reported on its website.

Authorities had reported their arrest on August 2 and their trial - which was closed to international media - began on August 24.

The UAE is part of a US-led coalition that has been carrying out air strikes against IS in Syria since September last year.

The wealthy Gulf state has stepped up security since the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011.
Teachers in the UK today voted to ballot for a boycott of all primary school tests, after claims that children in England are the "most tested in Europe".

The National Union of Teachers' conference heard warnings that schools had become "exam factories".

Delegates criticised "chaotic" changes to primary assessment and voted for a ballot to boycott tests taken by seven and 11 year olds and baseline tests.

NUT leader Christine Blower said the union would consider a ballot to boycott tests in summer 2017. She said the union was also calling on the education secretary to cancel this year's Sats tests.

The NUT annual conference in Brighton on Easter Sunday accused the primary school testing system of being unreliable and increasingly confused.

Delegates particularly criticised the baseline tests being introduced in Reception classes.

The test is intended to provide a starting point against which to measure future progress through primary schools. But Sara Tomlinson from Lambeth said that such tests were "not what the first six weeks of school should be about".

She said that children should be learning social skills and "not just sitting down and repeating words like parrots".

The conference motion condemned the "chaotic and wholly unacceptable way" in how changes to primary assessment have been managed.

There were warnings of unresolved "ambiguities" in what standards children should be achieving.

There have been particular warnings about the spelling, punctuation and grammar element of primary tests, with claims that they are unrealistically difficult for the age group, the BBC reported.

Delegates attacking a "testing culture" have warned that the primary assessment plans will mean there would be tests in Reception, Year 1, Year 2 and Year 6.

There are warnings from teachers that an excessive emphasis on testing narrows the curriculum and reduces creativity, with the pressure of school league tables taking precedence over the needs of individual pupils. There are also claims that tests can be stressful for pupils.

The NUT conference last year also voted for a boycott of baseline testing.

A spokeswoman for the Department for Education said that parents had a right to expect that there should be tests to show that children leave primary school with the right skills in maths and literacy.

"We want to see all children pushed to reach their potential. In order to do that, and to recognise the achievements of schools in the most challenging areas, we want to measure the progress that all pupils make as well as their overall attainment.

"It is disappointing to see that the NUT are taking this approach, which would disrupt children's education, rather than working with us constructively as other unions have," the spokeswoman said.
Uttarakhand Governor Krishna Kant Paul today held a meeting with top officials here in the wake of imposition of President's rule in the state.

The Governor held an important meeting this afternoon with Chief Secretary Shatrughna Singh and DGP B S Sidhu on implementation of his responsibilities in accordance with the constitutional arrangement, a Raj Bhawan release said here.

The Governor also directed the officials to ensure maintenance of law and order, communal harmony, and security and safety of public property on a priority basis.

Directions were also given to officials at the state, division and district levels to ensure smooth delivery of essential public services and running of administration, it said.

Capping a nine-day political drama, the Centre today brought Uttarakhand under President's rule citing a Constitutional breakdown in the wake of a rebellion in the ruling Congress.
Former Uttarakhand chief minister Bhagat Singh Koshyari today said the Harish Rawat government had lost right to prove majority to stay in power as he questioned Governor K K Paul's role in the political crisis in state.

"...That day 68 of the 70 members were present in the Assembly of which 37 MLAs voted against the government. That means the government failed and it also lost right to stay in power. Later our MLAs wrote to the Secretary to bring a no-confidence motion against the chairman and the deputy chairman of the House," Koshyari said in Delhi during a press conference, minutes before Uttarakhand was brought under the President's Rule.

He said Congress government failed on March 18 after some of its MLAs rebelled. "We raised the issue with the Governor and requested him to immediately dismiss the government in accordance with the law," the BJP leader said.

"We were expecting justice from the Governor. But instead of dismissing the government, the Governor tried to save it by giving them 10 days' time to prove majority, which was against the rules and regulations of the Vidhan Sabha," he claimed.

"Had the Governor been fair, he would have immediately suspended the government in the state and imposed President's Rule," Koshyari said.

Capping a nine-day high-voltage political drama, the Centre today brought Uttarakhand under President's rule citing a Constitutional breakdown in the wake of a rebellion in the ruling Congress, which slammed the decision calling it a "murder of democracy" and a "black" day.
The United States condemned as "cowardly" an apparent suicide attack on a crowded park in Lahore that killed at least 65 people today, vowing to work with Pakistan to defeat those sowing terror in the country.

Children were among the dead and more than 200 people wounded when the apparent suicide bomb ripped through the parking lot of the popular park where Christians were celebrating Easter.

"The United States condemns in the strongest terms today's appalling terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan," National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said in a White House statement.

"This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured."



Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency since 2004, with groups such as the Pakistani Taliban routinely carrying out attacks as part of their struggle to overthrow the government.

But Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital that lies on the country's eastern border with India, has been relatively more peaceful in recent years.

"We will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region, as together we will be unyielding in our efforts to root out the scourge of terrorism," added Price.
A New York federal prosecutor has become a big name in Turkey after the arrest of a prominent businessman who was once entangled in a corruption scandal there.

Manhattan US Attorney Preet Bharara's Twitter following soared from several thousand to over a quarter-million after he tweeted Tuesday that Reza Zarrab would "soon face American justice" after being arrested on charges of conspiring to evade US economic sanctions against Iran.

Bharara has since fielded a slew of messages in Turkish or from people writing in English about the case. Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter, who's Turkish, tweeted a photo of himself in a jersey with Bharara's name on it and said he was proud of the prosecutor's work.

Another Twitter user wrote to offer the prosecutor shish kebab, Turkish carpets or other Turkish items.

"Well, I do love shish kebab but I don't think I can accept gifts just for doing my job," Bharara replied Tuesday in a message that was retweeted over 38,000 times.

The Iranian-Turkish Zarrab, 33, is a well-known figure in Turkey, partly because he's married to Turkish pop star and TV personality Ebru Gundes. But Zarrab gained notoriety on his own when he was arrested in a complicated, high-level Turkish government corruption case in 2013. He maintained his innocence, and the charges were dropped.

Now, Zarrab and two other people are charged in the US with conspiring to process hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Iran's government -- transactions banned by US and international sanctions.

The conspirators used a network of companies in Iran, Turkey and elsewhere to launder the proceeds and defraud several financial institutions, including US banks, by concealing the true nature of the financial moves, prosecutors said.

Zarrab was arrested March 19 in Miami; his lawyer hasn't immediately responded to message left Sunday and earlier about the case. Zarrab's co-defendants remain at large.

Bharara has led one of the nation's most high-profile federal prosecutor's offices since 2009, pursuing cases that range from terrorism to Wall Street fraud to state political corruption and making the cover of Time magazine in 2012. His career also has drawn attention in India, where he was born.
Jordan will get a cheap $100 million loan to help create 100,000 jobs for Syrian refugees and its own citizens, the World Bank president has said.

The long-term loan, almost interest free, is part of an attempt by the community to improve conditions for refugees in overburdened regional host countries, including Jordan and Lebanon.

More than 4.8 million Syrians have fled their country since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011. Jordan hosts about 640,000 registered Syrian refugees and Lebanon more than 1 million.

Cheap loans by the World Bank and other donors are among the new tools meant to help finance education and job creation for refugees in the region. Such support is also meant to slow the migration of refugees to Europe.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have been visiting the region since last week, first stopping in Lebanon.

Kim announced the $100 million loan for job creation in Jordan yesterday, after Lebanon was also awarded $100 million to ensure universal school enrolment for Lebanese and Syrian refugee children by 2017.

The bank president said the money for Jordan and Lebanon both middle income countries is from a special fund normally reserved for the poorest countries.

"We are taking money from that fund and giving it to a middle income country because Jordan has taken such extraordinary measures in hosting refugees," he said.

Kim did not say how soon the 100,000 jobs could be created and how many of them would go to refugees.

Jordan has set aside special economic zones where it hopes improved trade arrangements with Europe will lead to greater investment and eventually more jobs. However, the trade arrangements have not yet been worked out, and the entire job creation scheme is expected to take several years.

The idea of concessional loans was part of a package of support for refugees and their hosts announced at a Syria aid conference last month.

Eventually, the World Bank and other donors hope to offer $3 billion to $4 billion in cheap loans to refugee host countries, with donors buying down interest.

Earlier yesterday, Ban held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman. The meeting had not been announced previously.
People Welfare Front coordinator and MDMK chief Vaiko today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj to take steps for the release of 23 Tamil Nadu fishermen "arrested" in the United Arab Emirates two years ago.

"A total of 23 fishermen belonging to Kanyakumari district in Tamil Nadu went to the coastal waters of UAE (in 2014) for fishing, accompanied by two Arabs. One Arab went missing and all the Tamil fishermen were arrested," he said in separate letters to Modi and Swaraj.

Stating that investigation into their whereabouts had been going on for the past two years, Vaiko said UAE officials found the fishermen "innocent" and "arrayed" them as eyewitnesses.

"Their passports were confiscated, work permits were cancelled and they were not allowed to travel locally," he said.

Though the fishermen were not jailed, they were confined to rooms, almost like a "house arrest" and were struggling to meet their daily needs, he said.

He urged Modi and Swaraj to extend all possible help to save the fishermen.

"The families are eagerly anticipating help from the Indian Government and strong action from the Prime Minister's Office...," he said.
A 25-year-old married woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her house in South Delhi's Defence Colony area, police said today.

Priyanka, an aspiring model who had an event management company of her own, was found dead in the wee hours yesterday. Police found a two-page note believed to have been written by the woman before her death, a police official said.

The woman got married to a businessman in January.

Priyanka's family members have alleged that her husband used to abuse her and took a huge amount of dowry.

After preliminary investigation, the police registered a case under provisions of IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Priyanka's husband, who owns a few clubs in the city, has been detained for questioning, the official said.

Prima facie, it appears that the woman committed suicide and an inquest has been taken up in the matter.

The woman's body has been sent to AIIMS for a postmortem examination and the cause of death is yet to be ascertained, the official said, adding that more sections are likely to be added in the FIR depending on further developments in the case.
In late December 2015, Turkmenistan officially announced the completion of the East-West gas pipeline. This 773 kilometer route with an annual capacity of 30 billion cubic meters (bcm) will connect natural gas from fields located in eastern Turkmenistan to those along its Caspian Sea coast, with the potential of further transfer via the Caspian Sea and onward to the Turkish and European markets. The construction of the pipeline is complementary to Turkmenistans current strategy for gas exports. Ashgabat seeks broader export opportunities in Turkey and Europe to reduce its dependence on Russia and China as major gas export outlets. However, despite positive political shifts, which might enhance Turkmenistans energy cooperation with Turkey, Azerbaijan and the EU, several obstacles remain to the westward transfer of Turkmenistans gas.

BACKGROUND: Ashgabat was recently struck by an unprecedented export crisis and shrinking gas export options have prompted Turkmenistan to seek other markets for its supply. In February 2015, Russias Gazprom decreased its gas purchases in Turkmenistan to 4 bcm from 11 bcm in 2014, and in January 2016 decided to cancel them altogether. Iran, another export destination for Turkmen gas, is poised to decrease supply imports in favor of developing domestic production, which is expected to soar after the sanctions are lifted. As gas exports to Russia and Iran plummet, Turkmenistan grows alarmingly dependent on its major export outlet  China. In 2014, China received ca 25 bcm of Turkmen gas. This volume was expected to grow to 40 bcm at the end of 2015 due to the expansion of the Central Asia-China gas pipeline and is predicted to reach 65 bcm in 2020. However, gas exports to China have so far not been profitable, because Turkmenistans revenues are decreased by the debt it owes to Chinas National Petroleum Corporation for the construction of the Central Asia - China pipeline and the development of the Galkynysh gas field.

In addition, Turkmenistans economy contracted sharply in 2015 after hydrocarbon revenues dropped due to dwindling market prices for natural gas and a devaluation of the local currency, the manat. Turkmenistans government recently decided to implement specific measures to offset its economic overreliance on energy revenues, aiming to boost growth and investment in non-energy sectors. In addition, Ashgabat has decided to end the generous subsidies for gas, electricity and water, which will increase hardship for an already impoverished population.

Simultaneously, Ashgabat seeks to expand its hydrocarbon export flexibility, which includes building new gas export infrastructure such as the planned TurkmenistanAfghanistanPakistanIndia (TAPI) pipeline and the East-West pipeline, as well as diversifying and modernizing the countrys oil and gas industry.

The effectiveness of measures aimed at boosting the non-energy sector will probably be restricted by Turkmenistans economic system, which limits growth in private sector. Thus, Ashgabat regards diversified hydrocarbon exports as a viable medium-term solution to offset the negative effects of the current export and financial crisis. However, it remains to be seen whether the East-West pipeline is an adequate response to the crisis and whether it will become a cornerstone for Turkmenistans western expansion.

IMPLICATIONS: Expanding energy cooperation with Turkey will allow Ashgabat to advance its export possibilities in the European market. In November 2014, Turkmenistans state gas company Turkmengas signed an agreement with private Turkish firm Atagas for the purchase and sale of gas to TANAP, however no details have so far been revealed about the agreement. Closer cooperation in the energy realm is a logical step following a strengthened Turkish presence in Turkmenistans market, as Turkey is one of Turkmenistans most prominent trade partners. In addition, Ankara is currently actively seeking additional sources of gas import, as it needs additional volumes to satisfy its booming domestic demand.

Energy cooperation with Turkey was further emphasized in early 2015, when Azerbaijan, Turkey and Turkmenistan decided to establish a trilateral mechanism on energy cooperation. This strategy specifically aims to strengthen energy ties between the three countries and facilitate the flow of Turkmen gas to Europe, providing a practical foundation for realizing the Trans-Caspian Pipeline (TCP). With a planned annual capacity of 30 bcm, TCP is designed to carry Turkmen gas via the Caspian Basin to Azerbaijan, where it can connect with the Southern Gas Corridor system.

The European Union also seems intensely engaged in bringing Turkmen gas to European markets and has in the past few months intensified diplomatic efforts to lobby for a break-through in the realization of TCP. Turkmen gas is expected to play an important role in the EUs energy diversification scheme. The EUs demand for natural gas is predicted to grow in upcoming years due to the implementation of environmental policies, which will result in an increased role for gas in Europes energy mix. Turkmen gas could also ensure security of supply in the Central and East European member states, which are the most vulnerable to a possible halt of Russian gas transit through Ukraine. However, the decline in natural gas prices can make expensive infrastructural projects such as TCP unprofitable in the short-term perspective.

Several obstacles remain to the realization of TCP. Importantly, the status of the Caspian Basin remains unresolved. The agreement on basic political principles concluded by the heads of the five Caspian littoral states at the Astrakhan Summit in 2014 is a positive step towards formulating a convention on the status of the Caspian Sea, which is expected to be drafted at the upcoming Caspian Summit in Astana in 2016. Notwithstanding, Iran and Russia remain vehemently opposed to the realization of TCP.

Tehran prefers transit of Turkmen gas through its own territory to gain leverage over Turkmenistan and to attract European investment in its oil and gas sector by becoming an important part of the EUs energy diversification scheme. Furthermore, a direct transfer of Turkmen gas to the European market will challenge Gazproms market share in Europe and reduce Russias current leverage over Ashgabat, gained by transferring Turkmen supply to the West. Turkmenistan remains economically dependent on Russia, which hosts a large number of its migrant workers, and will seek to avoid jeopardizing its relations with Moscow. The high risk associated with the construction of a subsea pipeline such as TCP also substantially increases the costs of such an investment and so far no interested countries have made any commitments to financing of the pipeline. Ashgabat is unlikely to bear the financial burden of TCP given its strict pipeline policy, which does not allow financial engagement in building external pipelines.

Iran has also expressed a readiness to facilitate the transit of Turkmen hydrocarbons via its territory to other consumers. The Iranian transit route, however, has infrastructural constraints. No existing pipeline can connect Irans border with Turkmenistan in the north-east with its north-western region bordering with Turkey. Even though Tehran has committed to constructing two new pipelines with a capacity of 30 bcm annually, neither of them will be technically able to pump Turkmen gas to the Turkish border. Transferring Turkmen gas will require additional infrastructure, and it is not clear who will pay for it.

Azerbaijan and Iran currently compete directly with Turkmenistan for the European market share and it is unclear what volumes of Turkmen gas they are willing to accept while simultaneously avoiding unnecessary competition for their own hydrocarbon exports. Additionally, both TCP and the Iran route require building additional infrastructure and Turkmenistan will have to contract gas volumes large enough to make these energy projects economically profitable.

CONCLUSIONS: The East-West pipeline will boost Turkmenistans export capacity by connecting the countrys major gas fields with the pipeline network at the Caspian coast. The route is a first important step towards realizing Turkmenistans westbound export strategy, but several political and financial factors have to be addressed to create a stable export route from Turkmenistan to the West. Furthermore, there is no suitable energy infrastructure for transferring Turkmen gas from Turkey to Europe, except for the planned Trans-Adriatic Pipeline, whose modest capacity cannot possibly be expanded to transfer large volumes of Turkmen supply. At this point, the Iranian route seems to be more politically advantageous than TCP, because it will evade the long legal debates that block the realization of TCP and will reduce Russias control over the project. However, any possible transit of Turkmen gas to Turkey or further to European markets will require additional infrastructure and few are interested in bearing the financial burden, especially as low natural gas prices can make such an investment unprofitable in a medium-term perspective.

AUTHORS BIO: Natalia Konarzewska is a graduate of University of Warsaw and a freelance expert and analyst with a focus on political and economic developments in the post-Soviet space.

Image Attribution: www.eurasian-research.org, accessed on March 25, 2016
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TUESDAY

Insurance group hosts free seminar

Arvak Insurance Group will have a free seminar on health care reform and compliance with a raffle drawing to benefit HALO-Flight from 8:30 a.m. to noon at Small Business Development Center, 3209 S. Staples St., Room 117. To register or for more information: Arvak2016.eventbrite.com or email: zan@arvakinsurancegroup.com, or call 361-855-2500.

WEDNESDAY

Orientation for small business

A small business orientation is from 4-6 p.m. at the Economic Development Center, 3209 S. Staples St., CED 146. The seminar will provide new business owners information to start a business. Topics include: small business loans and financing requirements, business plan, licensing, contracting and permit information and resources. Free. Information: www.seminarscc.com

Register now for contracting seminar

A business registration for government contracting seminar is from 1-3 p.m. at Alice Chamber of Commerce, 612 E. Main St. The seminar will provide guidance to establish business credentials and enhancing business profiles on various governmental search engines. Free. Information and registration: www.seminarscc.com or 698-1021.

LATER

Casino night aids Reading Rally

The Corpus Christi chapter of the Executive Women International announced the 2016 annual fundraiser, Casino Night, from 6:30-10 p.m. April 14 at the Holiday Inn Downtown Marina. Organizers are currently accepting sponsorship opportunities ranging from $1,000 to $3,000. Underwriting of this event helps support EWI's annual Reading Rally (helping the YWCA's YTeens) & Women in Transition Scholarship Fund. Information: 361-215-2817 or 512-786-1624.

Luncheon set for accounting students

The Corpus Christi Chapter of the Texas Society of CPAs will host a luncheon for accounting students and CPAs at 11:30 a.m. April 22 at Katz 21 Steaks & Spirits, 5702 Spohn Drive.

Free for accounting students and $15 for CPAs. Information: 800-428-0272 ext. 279.

Compiled by Natalia Contreras
The saddest possible outcome of the censure of Del Mar College Regent Guy Watts is that it might overshadow the most exciting development in the history of Del Mar College.

That development is the creation of a third campus of the community college on the city's Southside.

Here's a vision of what such a campus might include: "signature" courses in architecture, engineering, tourism and a culinary arts center including a teaching restaurant; along with liberal arts and developmental courses, such as teaching of English as a second language. The latter is desperately needed by the community.

Hours of brainstorming by planners, faculty, regents and students have led so far to the outlines of a plan. More members of the general public and community leaders are to be brought into the discussion by summer.

Yet in the midst of this work of creation, the board has had to spend scads of hours discussing, refuting and investigating the antics of Watts. Finally, this week, the other eight members of the board voted to officially censure Watts. It is unlikely to stop his mischief.

Watts has been bad-mouthing the college for months, calling it a "sea of mediocrity" and proposing that remedial students, which he has closely linked with undocumented immigrants, be banned from the new campus.

He contends that "academically prepared students" have been overwhelmed by these "underprepared students" and wants the new campus to be designated an "academic" campus, a description whose specifics he has never defined. No doubt he doesn't include English as a second language or developmental courses in that definition. Yet giving those who yearn for a college degree a chance is the very essence of a community college.

Watts has not been content to air his offensive opinions in the circle of debate of the regents' table. He has written op-eds in community publications, distributed his views in pamphlets and emails, often with key state leaders and college presidents, who were probably, at best, puzzled by Watts' baying. This is what earned him the board censure, the strictest discipline that can be issued since removing him is nearly impossible.

Yet in the first "public engagement" session held Thursday at the college's Economic Development Center, the vision of what might spring up from the 96-acre site at Yorktown Boulevard and Rodd Field Road muffles Watts' bleating.

In the eyes of the master planners, students walking across the campus would pass through palm-shaded areas, where a class might be held in outdoor seating if the weather was as beautiful as it was this week and where a quick snack or drink might be grabbed in a campus coffee shop. Diners in the teaching restaurant would look out on a pool of water and classroom buildings would be a few short steps away.

Students could exercise on a walking trail, outdoor courts, a fitness center and a swimming pool.

There is still much to be discussed, even debated. Just how much parking space should be provided? Should there be child care as there is on the East Campus? How will the existing East and West campuses and this new Southside campus be linked? Or even linked with Texas A&M campuses in Corpus Christi and Kingsville? The cost of building and sustaining such a complex needs a full airing by district voters.

Nothing is set about such a plan. But here's what we do know. Having a college campus in the city's fastest growing area would put a college education literally on the doorstep of thousands of future students. College surveys indicate that 42 percent of its students live south of South Padre Island Drive. It would extend the reach of Del Mar College across the city in a way it never has before.

A new Southside campus would mark Corpus Christi, given its already close partnership with Texas A&M University-Corpus Christi, as a city seriously committed to higher education, to the intellectual growth of its citizens and to a future built on learning.

If the distraction of Watts continues, which it probably will, keeping that vision in mind will take community focus. Not because Watts has a legitimate point to make  he doesn't other than as a relic of a time when minorities and the poor were excluded from higher education  but because even the beating of an empty barrel demands attention.

Nick Jimenez has worked as a reporter, city editor and editorial page editor for more than 40 years in Corpus Christi. He is currently the editorial page editor emeritus for the Caller-Times. His commentary column appears on Wednesdays and Sundays.
That Kevin Fowler is quite an entertainer, and he sure has a lot of songs about drinkin'.

There's the one about how he ain't drinkin' any more but he ain't drinkin' any less, the religious one about how the Lord loves a drinkin' man, the one about the store that has beer, bait and ammo  i.e., all the food groups  and the one about the woman who scoffed at the drink he bought her with the tiny umbrella because she likes beer.

So do I.

And there I was, at Concrete Street Amphitheater on a Saturday night, facing a difficult decision thanks to Kevin Fowler.

He was telling the crowd that anybody who wasn't drinkin' wasn't a real Texan and that those of us who weren't drinkin' needed to go get a beer and join the fun.

I could all but taste a cold beer. Just one wouldn't have hurt  or, at my weight, two or maybe three if I spaced them out.

But I resisted. Like much of the crowd, I had driven myself there. Not drinking because I would be driving was a difficult choice, a purely personal one  and not one I can say honestly that I've always made, or always will. Had I made the other choice, the consequences, whatever they turned out to be, would have been on me and not anyone else  including Kevin Fowler, as persuasive as he was.

This is why I'm confused by the angry rhetoric about Uber's decision to leave Corpus Christi.

Uber refuses to pay the cost of doing business responsibly, which sets Uber apart not just from cabbies but from all other businesses and industries. For a transportation service, vetting drivers is a cost of doing business responsibly. Uber would rather leave town than let their drivers be fingerprinted. And a lot of Uber customers would rather dump the City Council than let Uber leave town.

One of their arguments is that using Uber should be a personal choice. They say they should have the right to decide whether to risk getting into a car with an Uber driver who might be a dope-dealing, child-molesting serial killer. The council feels obliged to do what it can to prevent that. Uber supporters label that "government overreach" or "nanny-statism." Political scientists have developed a highly scientific label for this brand of labeling. They call it "name-calling."

I can agree with the personal choice argument as it pertains to me, specifically, in that I, like those personal-choice advocates, apparently have the same ninja skills they apparently think they have, and simply will snap an Uber driver's neck if he or she tries to serial-kill me while selling me dope. Like last time.

But what about the teens, preteens and countless others who don't possess my J.J. Watt-ness? This is where the personal choice argument fails and the council's obligations begin.

The personal choice argument would be more compelling if its adherents didn't contradict themselves. Out of one side of their mouths, they demand their personal choice; out of the other, they insist that Uber is necessary to prevent drunken driving. To hear them AND Uber tell it, people will die without Uber here to drive the drunks home.

I guess I just didn't know that there were only two personal choices, Uber or dying in a collision while driving drunk. My vivid imagination had misled me to believe in fantasies such as cabs, buses, designated drivers and the choice I made  not to drink.

Life is full of personal choices independent of both Uber and the Corpus Christi City Council.

But if I understand Uber-logic, I should subsidize Uber's business costs so drunks can have Uber. That sounds Uber-socialist to me. I might be inclined to demand my freedom from tyranny.

If I had drunk and decided that I was too drunk to drive, I'd have made the personal choice to walk home. Concrete Street is less than five miles from home. Not paying Uber or cab fare is a personal financial choice I'd have made.

Not everybody makes my choices. And I don't make theirs. They're not my responsibility and I'm not theirs.

But the council has a responsibility to all of us  to look after our best interests while we make our personal choices. The unscientific name for it is public service.
GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Maria Ines Moran (right) plays with her daughter Genesis Murillo as her father Willington Murillo holds her during a literacy class March 9 at the Family Literacy Center.

SHARE GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Miriam Patlan (center) works with her daughter Nicole Patlan (right) during a literacy class March 9 at the Family Literacy Center. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Maria Elizabeth Velasquez (right) works with her son Edgar Ramirez during a literacy class March 9 at the Family Literacy Center. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Olga Montes (left) displays the work parents and their children have to do during a literacy class March 9 at the Family Literacy Center. GABE HERNANDEZ/CALLER-TIMES Lydia Montes (center) helps transfer students to a different room as their parents take a literacy class March 9 at the Family Literacy Center.

By Beatriz Alvarado of the Caller-Times

Maria Ines Moran didn't attend school until she was 32. She's made up for lost time.

It's been 11 years since she moved to the U.S. from Nicaragua and five years since she decided to pursue a GED. Moran, now 38, can proudly read and write English and knows how to multiply and divide.

The Corpus Christi ISD Adult Learning Center, where she completed three levels of English as a second language classes and is working toward earning a GED, has helped her gain independence.

"Todas tenemos hambre de mejorarnos (We are all hungry to better ourselves,)" she said of her peers at the center.

Moran is one of about 500 students who have enrolled in GED, ESL and literacy classes this year at the center. The Del Mar College Family Literacy Program is free for anyone 17 and older seeking a GED, wanting to learn English or seeking certification offered to GED and ESL students.

The center, which is operated by Corpus Christi Independent School District, had been funded through consecutive state and federal grants, but in 2013 funds became competitive. Del Mar College was awarded funds last year to administer GED curriculum and career-specific courses simultaneously at the center. The literacy program, which provides educational opportunities to families by integrating early childhood education, and parenting education into literacy curriculum, was put on hold when CCISD was not awarded the money. But over the summer the Barbara Bush Foundation stepped in with a $50,000 grant to continue the literacy component, said Yvonne Colmenero, CCISD's director for special programs. The college, a long-standing community partner with CCISD, rents space at the center to offer the GED, adult basic education and ESL classes. The center also provides free day care classes for the participants' children from 3 months to 2 years old.

Moran and her 10-month-old daughter are one of the 25 local families served by the Barbara Bush Family Literacy Grant.

The resource is among those essential to bettering district dropout rates and helping parents who don't speak English better prepare their children for school, Colmenero said. CCISD's dropout rate for ninth to 12th grade students for the 2013-14 school year was higher than the state and region average.

"These parents are mostly monolingual, and they are learning to have an active role in the students' education," she said. "We want to make sure when (students) get to our pre-K classes the parents are already reading to the student. We want to help them find their voice."

Del Mar instructional and testing coordinator MaryAnn Olivo said the program provides a hopeful outlook for parents and their children alike.

"Here you have the opportunity to bring literacy to life," she said.

Valerie Figueroa echoed Olivo's sentiment. The 29-year-old dropped out of high school as a junior and is about two months from earning her GED.

"If it wasn't for (the program) it would be a set back for me to move forward with short-term goals," she said touting the day care component. "It's free. I encourage any mom who wants to start school to just do it."

Twitter: @CallerBetty

LEARN MORE

Family Literacy Center

When: Open enrollment from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. every Thursday.

Where: Lamar Community Services and Education Center, 2212 Morris St.

Information: 361-878-2560 or visit alc.ccisd.us/home

HOW CORPUS CHRISTI RANKS

America's Most Literate Cities study ranks 77 cities with a population 250,000 and above in the United States. Here's how Corpus Christi has stacked up the past few years:

2014: 76

2013: 75

2012: 74

2011: 72

2010: 75

2009: 72

2008: 70

2007: 69

2006: 70

2005: 69

Source: Central Connecticut State University
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As ambassadors of MD Anderson, we are part of an institution that is regarded around the world as simply the best. MD Anderson is the world's No. 1 center for cancer care and research. We are privileged to have this special connection, as well as a significant role in carrying out the mission of this great institution, whose 21,000 employees  internationally recognized faculty and highly specialized, dedicated staff  bring real hope to patients and their loved ones in Houston, across the nation and around the globe, every day.

Recently, Dr. Ronald DePinho, president of MD Anderson, wrote to update us on the launch of the institution's new electronic health record system, or EHR. Reflecting the collaborative foundation upon which MD Anderson's multidisciplinary research and patient care programs are built, the system is fittingly called OneConnect. A full-page ad appeared in Sunday's Houston Chronicle, heralding the many improvements this enormous change will make possible in terms of patient care, safety, quality and, yes, connectivity. The new EHR went live March 4, and, thanks to months of advance preparation and attention to the smallest detail, leadership reports the benefits already are evident across the institution.

This successful transition reflects the gold standards that have earned MD Anderson the top ranking in U.S. News & World Report's "Best Hospitals" survey 11 times in 14 years. We also are pleased that the institution is listed among the "150 Great Places to Work in Healthcare" announced recently in Becker's Hospital Review, a leading industry publication.

Many of you have noted the many impressive stories of MD Anderson's innovation and success in the Houston Chronicle as well as in national media. We applaud such deserved recognition of our Moon Shots Program and other key research, patient care and cancer prevention initiatives championed by the best and brightest cancer faculty and staff in the country.

As the institution's 75th anniversary nears, we have many reasons to be proud and grateful for our association with MD Anderson. The latest fundraising tally of table sales and donations for the Nov. 10 Diamond Anniversary gala now exceeds $5.5 million, just $2 million short of our $7.5 million goal. In addition, we have $3.5 million in event underwriting generously contributed by Cooper University Health Care, thanks to the efforts of our fellow Board of Visitors member George Norcross. Your support in helping the host committee make this event a philanthropic success is greatly appreciated, as is your generosity in many other important initiatives that drive MD Anderson toward its goal to end cancer. In many ways, we are all connected to Making Cancer History.
CALLER-TIMES file The Easter Sunrise Passion Play will host its 74th annual production at about 7:15 a. m. Sunday at Cole Park.

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Sunday

EASTER: South Shore Christian Church and Centerpoint Chapel are hosting an Easter egg hunt for neighborhood children at 10 a.m. at 4710 S. Alameda St. There will also be a raffle for a giant Easter Bunny. Cost: Free. Information: 361-992-6391.

EASTER: The Cathedral of The Palms Church will host its 26th annual Easter Eggstravaganza at 4 p.m. at Heritage Park, 1581 N. Chaparral St. Cost: Free. Information: 361-853-0126.

EASTER: First United Methodist Church will host its Easter worship services at 8:30 and 11 a.m. at 900 S. Shoreline Blvd. An Easter egg hunt for children will be at noon on the church's front lawn. Cost: Free. Information: 361-884-0391, www.ccfumc.com.

EASTER: First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi will host its Easter Resurrection services at 8:45 and 11:15 a.m. at 3115 Ocean Drive. Cost: Free. Information: 361-888-8228, www.firstcorpus.org

THEATER: The Rialto Theater will present "Six Dance Lessons in Six Weeks" at 3 p.m. at 327 S. Commercial St., Aransas Pass. Cost: $15, general admission; $35, dinner and show; $140, table for four dinner and show. Information: www.rialtotheater.org

EASTER: The Easter Sunrise Passion Play will host its 74th annual production at sunrise  about 7:15 a.m.  at Cole Park, 1526 Ocean Drive. Cost: Free.

Tuesday

THEATER: Harbor Playhouse will host auditions for "The Little Mermaid" on Tuesday. Cost: Free. Information: 361-882-5500, www.harborplayhouse.com.

CONCERT: Mariachi Del Mar will perform traditional and nontraditional music at 7:30 p.m. at Wolfe Recital Hall, Del Mar College East. Cost: Free. Information: 361-698-1616.

LECTURE: The second annual Adele Bemis Leadership Lecture Series will be at 6 p.m. at the Art Museum of South Texas, 1902 N. Shoreline Blvd. Keynote speaker Jennifer Gentry will present "Transforming Healthcare and Nursing Leaders through Education." Cost: $50. Information: www.etaomicron.org.

LECTURE: Texas A&M University-Kingsville Lectureship Series 2016 presents Jane Goodall at 7 p.m. at Jones Auditorium, 855 N. Armstrong St. Cost: Free. Information: 361-593-2760.

OUTDOORS: The Oso Bay Wetlands Preserve will host a guided bird walk from 8-9 a.m. geared toward birding beginners. Cost: Free. Information: 361-826-3947.
Saturday, March 26, 2016 at 7:23PM

Possibly taking the job away from dedicated weather apps, Google's rolled out the ability to place a shortcut to weather information right on your home screen. That shortcut will take you right to the redesigned weather screen within the Google app. It's not showing up yet on all devices but you can find out if you can access it by heading to the Google app and typing it weather. Once your local weather info shows up, there should be an option to "access weather instantly from your home screen" and by clicking Add that should create the shortcut.

Source: Android Authority
Sunday, March 27, 2016 at 8:54AM

Android Pay is fast gaining ground and is aiming to unveil its services in the U.K. which is usually a good test bed for the rest of Europe as well as other countries in the world. Android Pay uses secure applications as well as NFC to enable touchless mobile payments.

Google has announced that it is to launch its Android Pay mobile payment service in the UK within the next few months. Supporting banks will include Bank of Scotland, First Direct,Halifax, HSBC, Lloyds Bank, M&S Bank, MBNA and Nationwide Building Society, with new banks being added all the time, according to Google. Android Pay is not available in Canada at this time.
"There is a very tenuous and out-of-context historic link with Trams for Canberra," chief planning executive Neil Savery said in comments on a cabinet submission in July 2004. "They were included in Griffin's design as they represented modern public transport and to state they should be introduced because they were "planned for" is taking the key issue and intent out of context. It would be more appropriate to plan for a contemporary system."
"When Transfield did the Sydney Harbour tunnel, it made all of its profits  because it is an unprofitable road  from the construction. Transfield was a construction company. There was no tender for that, so we have no idea, and you can get any number of experts, and they will have no idea either whether their costs were reasonable or not," he said.
"I feel like the federal government is trying to move out of a shared commitment around dealing with domestic and family violence and homelessness, as a national issue that we're all involved in and all need to work together on, to push it back on states and territories."
"When those Anzacs went into Trinity they hadn't had a clue what was going on, but they would have been so attuned to being part of the British military, that they would not have thought twice about going onto the roof of Trinity and defending it against a possible onslaught," Keogh says.
"The savings required of the library over almost 30 years have had a significant impact on the library's operations and services," she said. "The additional savings we must make in 2016-17 and beyond will have a grave impact."
In a consultation paper distributed as part of the public consultation, Food Standards Australia New Zealand found the labelling of food across the Tasman as "irradiated to protect the New Zealand environment" was seen by some advocates as promoting, rather than informing, the public about the practice.
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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.
Audi has confirmed it is developing a sporty Q8 SUV based on the next-generation Q7 scheduled to debut at the Detroit Auto Show in January 2015.



The Q8 will be a range-topping crossover SUV that will challenge the BMW X6, Range Rover Sport and upcoming Mercedes-Benz GLE Coupe. The Q8 will come. It will be something new, following designs established on the Prologue concept. It will be positioned as something more emotional and more sporty than the Q7. The Q7 will be a car for seven people, the Q8 will be more coupe like, Audi technical chief Ulrich Hackenberg told Autocar at the Los Angeles Auto Show.

The executive revealed that the upcoming Audi Q7 will be one of the last models to use the current design language, as new chief designed Marc Lichte arrived at Audi too late to influence the look. However, the Q8 will be distinguished from the Q7 inside and out.

Hackenberg said the Q8 has been officially approved for production and is now undergoing a development program, with a launch date expected within the next three years. The Q8 will target markets such as China, the Middle East and the United States.

The Audi Q8 is expected to be more than 5 meters long and to have a price range between 50,000 ($78,390) for an entry-level turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 petrol model and 90,000 ($141,225) for a twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 RS Q8 flagship version. Plug-in hybrids and possibly an all-electric version are in the cards as well.

Note: Current-generation Audi Q7 pictured

PHOTOS
Photo: Honomobo

A B.C. company may have a small solution to a big problem.

Honomobo is hoping to address Kelownas need for low-cost housing solutions and rental suites by making small homes a big deal.

According to Honomobo, there are several hundred existing lots eligible for a carriage home and Kelownas mature neighbourhoods are well positioned to help ease the current housing crisis.

Building additional condos and developing more sprawling land is the traditional way to provide more housing, but utilizing existing lots is more environmentally sensitive, faster and makes much better economic sense for the city and existing homeowners, said Honomobo co-founder Daniel Engelmann.

Honomobo is introducing its modern shipping container suites to Kelowna at a pre-launch event April 7 at Third Space Coffee in the Landmark 2 building from 4 to 7 p.m.

An open house is scheduled for June to showcase one of its 528-square-foot, one-bedroom suites.

A Honomobo is a modern plug-and-play carriage suite manufactured in B.C. from shipping containers, which reduces on-site construction time from months to weeks, with the end product being a durable, energy-efficient living space.

Our concept is simple. Take a durable, readily available, and cost-effective structure, the shipping container, and turn it into a sleek, beautiful living space. We have embraced the essence and durability of the container while turning it into an extremely livable and modern home, said Engelmann.
Photo: Contributed

The police are investigating a shooting on Wall Street in Vancouver that sent one man to hospital.



Shortly after 2:30 p.m., Saturday afternoon, police were called to Wall and North Penticton Street after a man was shot.

He was taken to hospital with a non-life-threatening injury.



The shooting appears to be targeted and police are attempting to piece together what led to the incident.




Photo: Contributed

The B.C. Lions say owner David Braley's condition has improved since being admitted to a hospital in Vancouver earlier this week.

The organization released a statement on Saturday with a brief update.

"Mr. Braley's condition has improved notably over the past two days. He is still in hospital at this time and will likely remain there until midweek."

The Lions said in a statement Thursday that Braley had been "feeling a little under the weather" and taken to a hospital that morning "to undergo further testing." Braley had been in the city visiting with club executives since Monday.

The team added there will be no further comment from the club over the rest of the Easter weekend.

Braley, 74, has owned the Lions since 1997. He was also owner of the Toronto Argonauts from 2010-2015 and owned the Hamilton Tiger-Cats from 1987-1990.
Photo: CTV

Vancouver Transit Police are seeking a man suspected of exposing himself on the SkyTrain.

The incident happened on Feb. 8, when the man boarded an Expo Line train at the Main Street Station.

He allegedly stood in front of a group of teenage girls, unzipped his pants and exposed himself.

Both the man and the teens got off at Granville Station.

Police describe the man as broad-shouldered, dark-skinned, and between 30 and 40 years old.

He has a heavy build, short hair, a short beard, and is just over six feet tall.

Anyone with information is asked to call Transit Police at 604-515-8300 or text 87.77.77.

 with files from CTV Vancouver
Photo: UVic Whale research Lab

A remote undersea glider equipped with acoustic sensors is patrolling deep water canyons off the west coast of Vancouver Island in a bid to set up a traffic alert system to prevent large ships from crashing into whales.

University of Victoria researchers launched the glider off Flores Island north of Tofino to measure whale traffic in an area near shipping zones for vessels using ports in Vancouver, Prince Rupert, Alaska and Washington.

The glider has enough battery power to spend three weeks in the ocean gathering data, said geographer David Duffus, director of the university's whale research lab.

"The idea behind the gliders is they can work in real time, or near real time," said Duffus. "The glider rises at a certain interval and sends a signal to a satellite."

Ships can pick up the signals through an automatic identification system that can read whale locations and allows ships to change course or speeds in an effort to avoid collisions, he said.

The glider's current route stretches 70 kilometres north of Tofino to the continental shelf, then patrols the shelf's southern waters before returning northwards through an area near Ucluelet called La Perouse Bank in Barkley Sound, said Duffus. Both regions are believed to be major habitats for grey and humpback whales, but endangered blue, fin and sei whales can also be found in the waters.

He said two highly endangered Pacific right whales have also been reported in the waters, the first such sightings in more than 60 years.

"Big whales are subject to ship strikes from big ships," Duffus said. "On the East Coast, it's one of the major mortality problems for some highly endangered species. "

The glider project is a collaboration with Dalhousie University in Halifax where the underwater devices were launched almost two years ago to research migratory paths and habitats of endangered Atlantic right whales.

"The data on the West Coast here is extremely sparse," Duffus said. "We don't know the magnitude of the (ship strike) problem. On the West Coast we're still in unknown territory, but we do know that ship strikes do happen and it's been named in all the species-at-risk reporting on the big whale species as a potential but unknown hazard."

He said whale warning systems are already in place in some U.S. waters where vessels are required to change course or speeds if whales are in the area. There have been some Canadian shipping lane changes in waters known to be whale habitat, he added.

Data from the first glider patrol should be available later this spring, he said.

"I'm a whale ecologist and it's terribly exciting," Duffus said. "This is our pilot run and we're pretty excited about just the act of discovery of the whales."
A local teen has climbed the pageant ranks to win the title of Miss Teen Galaxy Canada.

Vernon's Samantha Sewell, 18, earned the galaxy title after being crowned Miss Teenage Okanagan earlier this year and also grabbing the national title of Miss Teen Social Media.

She is currently in her final year of high school and is also attending Okanagan College at night school where she is earning her education assistant certificate.

Her latest title has guaranteed her a spot representing Canada at the Miss Teen Galaxy International pageant next year in Orlando, Florida, where she will compete with girls from all over the world.

It is such an honour to be selected to represent the whole country. My wonderful high school and community has been so supportive on this journey, says Sewell.

Part of Sewells winning strategy is using social media to her advantage to promote her sponsors and the pageant she is representing.

She has also hit the ground running, racking up volunteer hours at more than 50 events in a little over four months  most of which were for various charities in the Okanagan.

This, along with her anti-bullying platform, has all helped to get her noticed by the top pageants in the world.

For the next year, she plans to represent Canada and the Okanagan as Miss Teen Galaxy Canada, and to pursue her goal of becoming a Special Education teacher.

Sewell is planning on attending events throughout Canada in the coming year and will be keeping the world up to date on all the Okanagan and Canada has to offer via her website missteencanadagalaxy.com.
Staff members at Kelownas Gospel Mission are in clean up mode today after serving a full turkey feast to 600 guests this weekend.

From noon until 6 p.m. on Saturday, the Gospel Mission opened its doors for the annual family Easter banquet.

With the help of more than 50 volunteers, including some notable faces like MLA Steve Thomson, MLA Norm Letnick and MP Stephen Fuhr, the massive dinner was a big success.

We are grateful for Gods gift of redemption this Easter and happy to be able to celebrate with our family in the Gospel Mission and our family from the community, said Gospel Mission executive director Randy Benson.

Each guest received a full plate of turkey, ham, stuffing, veggies, gravy, a bun and a slice of pie.
The Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency has taken precautions for many years in an effort to prevent chronic wasting disease from infecting deer or elk populations, which is why it is closely monitoring a CWD outbreak in neighboring Arkansas.

We have instituted polices to thwart chronic wasting disease, including regulations on hunters that place restrictions on the transportation of carcasses from deer, elk, and other cervids (mule deer, moose, etc.) into our state, said Ed Carter, the executive director of TWRA.

Those handling restrictions are listed in TWRAs annual hunting guide, which is available from businesses that sell hunting and fishing licenses, but also on the agencys website at www.tnwildlife.org.

We wish the best to our Arkansas counterparts as they fight the spread of this disease, but at the same time we want to learn from their efforts to stop it, said Carter.

Abnormal proteins known as prions cause chronic wasting disease in cervids. Located in the brain, this neurological infection is similar to mad cow disease; however, it is not known to spread to humans or livestock.

Biologists believe CWD is transmitted by animal-to-animal contact, or possibly through food or water sources. Symptoms include weight loss, behavioral changes, excessive salivation, difficulty swallowing, and excessive thirst.

The Arkansas Game And Fish Commission reported in February that an elk tested positive for CWD, but in March confirmed that the disease had also been found in deer. Other U.S. states have reported CWD outbreaks, but Arkansas is experiencing it for the first time.

So far, all confirmed CWD cases in Arkansas have been in the northwest portion of the state about 200 miles from Tennessee.

Should CWD ever make its way to Tennessee, TWRA has a plan established to confront it, said the agencys director.

We are constantly updating our CWD strategy because wasting disease can devastate deer and elk populations, said Carter. It is our hope that we never have to use it, but we will be ready should we have to fight this disease, too.
In Our Opinion

Theres an effort in place thats long overdue and will be ongoing over basically the next decade.

The 2008 National Defense Authorization Act authorized the Secretary of Defense to conduct a program to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. The observance extends until Veterans Day 2025.

Spokanes Daughters of the American Revolution, Jonas Babcock Chapter, are at the forefront of the effort to recognize both living and deceased Vietnam veterans locally. And to date, on a statewide basis, there were dozens of different programs honoring hundreds of Vietnam vets. And the list is certain to grow.

The U.S. involvement officially ended Jan. 27, 1973 with the signing of the Paris Peace Accords, with the final combat troops leaving March 29. But the personal battles for many members of the military, who have never signed a treaty or observed a cease-fire, continue.

Medical Lake Mayor John Higgins is just one of many locals who served. He did multiple tours and this November marks the 50th anniversary of his first deployment as a Combat Engineer.

The 68-year-old Army vet is like many who returned from the horror of war, and chooses to keep memories to himself. But he did share that, Vietnam, when it was calm it was calm, when it was not calm it was terror.

Ten members of his senior class of 69 joined the military after graduation, and two, John Jensen and Dannie Turnbough  both Marines  were killed a day apart. They were two of over 58,000 Americans who gave their lives.

While there is never a good time for war, the timing of Vietnam may have been some of the worst.

Perhaps forgotten is that the Vietnam War was fought during one of most volatile parts of Americas history. Civil rights issues shared the headlines with news of desegregation, segregation, forced busing and general turmoil.

Notable American leaders like John and Robert Kennedy, and Dr. Martin Luther King were felled by assassins bullets. And on any given day the world seemingly stood moments away from nuclear annihilation.

But as the healing and rebuilding began after World War II, not only was there turmoil in the U.S, the world was changing, too.

Decades of colonialism were ending across large parts of both Africa and Asia. There were conflicts everywhere, such as in Korea, many of them were proxy wars funded by Cold War combatants, the U.S. and the Soviet Union. The Iron Curtain left much of Eastern Europe captive; the Bamboo Curtain did the same in parts of Southeast Asia, specifically Vietnam.

Vietnam was different than any other wars in our history.

While World War II was also viewed back at home in film, it was done so at the movies in newsreels, not beamed into our living rooms on the RCA Victor console.

The Vietnam War was brought home to us every night with television images of battle scenes served with dinner via satellite transmission on the nightly news by Walter Cronkite, Chet and David Brinkley. The daily body counts of both friendly and enemy fighters told a grim story, too.

Part of the enemy was traditional in one sense as U.S. forces fought uniformed soldiers from the NVA  North Vietnamese Army. But the other adversary, the Viet Cong, or the Peoples Liberation Armed Forces of South Vietnam, might be the people you helped during the day on their farm, only to gun you down come nightfall.

Coupled with all the turmoil, it was much easier to find reasons to protest and focus blame on soldiers who were simply doing what they were ordered to do.

Coming back to Medical Lake wasnt like setting foot on U.S. soil in Oakland, Calif. Down there, there was a lot of protesting, Higgins said. He returned stateside via Seattle and Fairchild where there was not the sense of bitterness seen elsewhere.

Nothing good ever came out of it, Higgins said of his experience, other than the hope that none of his grandkids have to experience what he did.

A confusing and tumultuous time in our recent history is about to be revisited with the 50-year commemoration of the Vietnam War. Perhaps by participating, we can walk away with a better understanding of it all and appreciation for those who served.
A Cubana Airlines aircraft is stationed at the international terminal of the Jose Marti Airport in Havana. Several U.S. carriers have applied for permission from the U.S. Department of Transportation to fly regular routes to Cuba. (Desmond Boylan / Associated Press)

The war of words has gotten nasty, with the candidates describing the ideas of their rivals as "disingenuous," "extreme" and "capricious."

These are not the comments of presidential candidates. This is the language used by airlines that are competing for a handful of routes to Cuba that the U.S. government will award this summer under the Obama administration's effort to normalize relations with the island nation.

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As part of the selection process, the U.S. Department of Transportation has asked that the competing carriers submit written requests for the routes they want as well as responses to the proposals of their rivals.

The federal agency plans to approve 20 daily round-trip flights to Havana, and 10 flights to nine smaller airports around the communist country.

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The language in these responses has taken an ugly tone because airline executives know that the Cuban routes will be in high demand, particularly from Cuban Americans living near Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

In its application, New York-based JetBlue Airways requested 12 daily flights to Havana and took shots at Delta Air Lines, saying "JetBlue, not Delta, is the leading domestic airline at JFK," referring to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Delta, which requested to fly daily to Havana from four U.S. airports, fired back in its application, saying, "JetBlue's claim that it offered more seats and flights from JFK than any other airline in 2015 is demonstrably false."

In Delta's application, the Atlanta-based carrier took an additional shot at JetBlue by including photos of stranded JetBlue passengers sleeping in chairs at a JFK terminal.

Southwest Airlines, which requested nine of the 20 daily flights to Havana, said it can offer fares lower than American, Spirit and JetBlue on flights between South Florida and Havana.

United Airlines described a projection that Southwest made about demand for its service "capricious."

American Airlines, which asked for 12 daily flights into Havana plus 10 daily or weekly flights to other Cuban airports, called Southwest's request for six daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Havana "absurd."

American also slammed Alaska Airlines, saying its request for two daily flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Havana is "in the extreme and bears no rational relationship to historical, current or future demand."
Artificial-intelligence software designed by Microsoft to tweet like a teenage girl has been suspended after it began spouting offensive remarks, according to the company Thursday, March 24, 2016. (Ted S. Warren / AP)

It took mere hours for the Internet to transform Tay, the teenage A.I. bot who wants to chat with and learn from millennials, into Tay, the racist and genocidal A.I. bot who liked to reference Hitler. And now Tay is taking a break.

"c u soon humans need sleep now so many conversations today thx," Tay tweeted.

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Tay is a project of Microsoft's Technology and Research and Bing teams. Tay was designed to "experiment with and conduct research on conversational understanding." She speaks in text, meme, and emoji on a couple of different platforms, including Kik, Groupme and Twitter. Although Microsoft was light on specifics, the idea was that Tay would learn from her conversations over time. She would become an even better, fun conversation-loving bot after having a bunch of fun, very not racist conversations with the Internet's upstanding citizens.

Except Tay learned a lot more, thanks in part to the trolls at 4chan's /pol/ board.

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Microsoft appears to be deleting most of Tay's worst tweets, which included a call for genocide involving the n-word and an offensive term for Jewish people. Many of the really bad responses, as Business Insider notes, appear to be the result of an exploitation of Tay's "repeat after me," function -- and it appears that Tay was able to repeat pretty much anything.

Other terrible Tay responses clearly aren't just a result of Tay repeating anything on command. This one - a Holocaust denial - was deleted Thursday morning,.

In response to a question on Twitter about whether Ricky Gervais is an atheist (the correct answer is "yes"), Tay told someone that "ricky gervais learned totalitarianism from adolf hitler, the inventor of atheism." the tweet was spotted by several news outlets, including the Guardian, before it was also deleted.

All those efforts to get Tay to say certain things seemed to, at times, confuse the bot. In another conversation, Tay tweeted two completely different opinions about Caitlyn Jenner.

We reached out for comment from Microsoft on Thursday morning, but the company hasn't yet said what exactly happened here. In any case, it appears that the team behind Tay -- which includes an editorial staff -- started taking some steps to bring Tay back to what it originally intended her to be, before she took a break from Twitter.

Towards the end of her short excursion on Twitter, Tay started to sound more than a little frustrated by the whole thing:

"@_Darkness_9 Okay. I'm done. I feel used."
Jack Mulqueen created and produced children's television programs on Chicago television in the 1960s, including the popular preteen dance show "Kiddie A-Go-Go."

"Jack mainly stayed off-screen doing voices and manipulating the various puppets, (while his wife), Elaine, in the persona of hostess Pandora, interacted with the kids, showing them the latest dance moves," said Steve Jajkowski, a TV archivist with the Museum of Broadcast Communications. "In hindsight (that) was probably a waste of time, since most of them just went out and gyrated any which way they wanted."

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Mulqueen, 83, died of congestive heart failure Feb. 21 at Hines Veterans Administration Hospital near Maywood, said his sister Maryann O'Neill. He had been a longtime Bartlett resident.

Born in Chicago, Mulqueen grew up on the South Side and attended Holy Cross Catholic grammar school and then Chicago Vocational High School. Mulqueen served for two years in the Army in Colorado, where his commander encouraged him to participate in local cultural activities.

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A puppeteer since his grade school days, Mulqueen put on shows for the GIs and then got together with a friend and began producing a thrice-weekly half-hour children's show on a local TV station. Using hand puppets, he portrayed circus characters, a magician, a female clown and a variety of jokes, puns and reminders to children to drink their milk and obey their parents.

"I wrote the show, bad as it was," Mulqueen told the Tribune in 1990. "Mostly I sat around and copied from old joke books."

After leaving the Army, Mulqueen attended Eastern Illinois University but never graduated, his sister said. He worked as a DJ on the radio in Indiana before returning to Chicago and briefly working for a film company. He also taught YMCA classes before becoming a drama instructor and puppeteer for the Chicago Park District  a role that entailed staging puppet shows around the city and teaching children how to make puppets and stage their own shows.

Elaine Mulqueen ultimately took part in some performances, appearing as a female clown who played the straight woman to the puppets' antics and Mulqueen's own ad libs.

The couple also began airing a weekly half-hour puppet show on WTTW-Ch. 11.

After five years with the Park District, Mulqueen and his wife struck out on their own, performing puppet acts full time. Soon, they won a role on WGN-Ch. 9's children's mainstay "Bozo's Circus," performing a one-minute dairy commercial each day and a five-minute skit once a week.

Seeking a broader role, they got the opportunity to produce their own half-hour children's show, "The Mulqueens," on Saturday mornings on Channel 9. The show debuted in April 1963, featuring cartoons and puppetry.

"The Mulqueens" aired for a little over two years. After taking their puppet acts to local movie houses in the summer of 1965, Mulqueen and his wife were offered a five-minute time slot on Saturday mornings on WBKB-Ch. 7.

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After just eight weeks, they debuted a new show idea: "Kiddie A-Go-Go," a preteen version of "American Bandstand" that aired for several months before a station official took it off the air. Mulqueen and his wife moved "Kiddie A-Go-Go" to WCIU-Ch. 26 in the fall of 1966, airing in an hourlong time slot, five days a week.

"Kids are loyal," Mulqueen told the Tribune in 1967. "They don't look to whether a station has prestige. They follow a show that they like, wherever it goes."

"Kiddie A-Go-Go" featured rising recording artists from the 1960s, including Glen Campbell and Lesley Gore. The legendary "American Bandstand" host Dick Clark once appeared on the show.

"Kiddie A-Go-Go" signed off in December 1969.

Mulqueen and his wife then started a production company, Mulqueen Productions, producing industrial films and radio and television commercials and designing promotions and contests.

"I enjoyed being a puppeteer, but I didn't think it was as fulfilling as being a producer," Mulqueen told the Tribune in 1990.

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A collector of movie memorabilia, he also began running a twice-a-year flea market of film memorabilia.

"Hollywood destroys a lot," Mulqueen told the Tribune in 1984. "It's the private collector who saved most of the heritage of Hollywood."

Mulqueen never retired, his sister said. In 2004, he co-authored the book "The Golden Age of Chicago Children's Television" with Ted Okuda.

Mulqueen's wife died in 2012. Apart from his sister, there were no immediate survivors.

Services were held.

Goldsborough is a freelance reporter.
Former Gov. Rod Blagojevich and his wife, Patti, address the hoard of media at the Dirksen U.S. Courthouse on Dec. 6, 2011, after the former governor was sentenced to 14 years in prison. Blagojevich began his remarks by quoting a line from a Rudyard Kipling poem: "If you can meet with triumph and disaster." (Nancy Stone, Chicago Tribune)

In another legal setback for Rod Blagojevich, the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to hear the former governor's appeal of his conviction and 14-year prison sentence on sweeping corruption charges.

But while the justices' succinct denial was a disappointment for Blagojevich, it's still not the end of the long legal road, his lawyers say.

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Indeed, his wife, Patti, issued a statement saying she was "incredibly disappointed" by the decision but still hopeful.

"This was, of course, not the outcome that Rod, our daughters Amy and Annie, had hoped and prayed for," she said. "But we continue to have faith in the system and an unshakable love for Rod. We long for the day that he will be back home with us."

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The next step for the former governor, who recently marked four years behind bars, would likely be his resentencing by the federal judge who handed down the original term in 2011.

Once that process plays out, Blagojevich could again file a petition to the Supreme Court asking it to take up the core issue in his case: When political horse trading crosses the line and should be considered bribery, according to his lawyer, Leonard Goodman.

"I'm sure he's going to be disappointed about the court's decision," said Goodman, who hadn't yet spoken to Blagojevich on Monday. "But on the bright side, we would have the option to file another brief."

In his four years at the minimum-security prison in Littleton, Colo., the ex-governor, known for his love of history, has kept busy by teaching Civil War history and other classes to fellow inmates, Goodman said. He's also been singing in a prison band, although the group's lead guitar player was recently released, he said.

By denying Blagojevich's petition Monday, the Supreme Court left in place the decision last July of a three-judge panel of the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in Chicago that threw out five of Blagojevich's extortion convictions but also called the evidence against Blagojevich "overwhelming."

If prosecutors opt not to retry Blagojevich on the dismissed counts, the former governor should be resentenced by Zagel, according to the Chicago-based appellate court, which tempered the small legal victory for Blagojevich by making it clear that Zagel's original sentence was not out of bounds.

Zagel had not set a date for the resentencing as of Monday.

While Zagel could simply let his original sentence stand, many legal experts believe the judge will recognize the dismissal of some of the counts by shaving off some time.

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"Prosecutors will note that the appeals court was very clear that the original sentence was appropriate," said former federal prosecutor Jeffrey Cramer. "But the world is not going to stop spinning on its axis if Zagel resentences him to 12 (years)."

Blagojevich, 59, was convicted in 2011 of misusing his powers as governor in an array of wrongdoing, most famously for his alleged attempts to sell the U.S. Senate seat vacated by Barack Obama after his 2008 election as president.

He has been incarcerated in a federal prison in suburban Denver since March 2012 and is not scheduled to be released until May 2024, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons website.

Goodman said he hoped Zagel would recognize that the 7th Circuit had dismissed some of the charges that specifically dealt with Blagojevich's attempt to trade the Senate seat for a Cabinet post or another position for himself, the most sensational allegations against him.

"These charges were the centerpiece of the case, the ones that would have Abraham Lincoln rolling over in his grave," said Goodman, paraphrasing the words of then-U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald after Blagojevich was hit with the bombshell charges in 2008.

The resentencing before Zagel also could bring focus to the time Blagojevich has already spent in prison, Goodman said.

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Cramer, who now works for the security firm Kroll, said that by not taking up Blagojevich's appeal, the Supreme Court "left a little murkiness" for politicians who wonder when exactly otherwise lawful political contributions become illegal bribes. In Illinois, however, decades of corrupt politicians being sent to prison have left the line much more brightly drawn, Cramer said.

"I don't think Illinois politicians really have to wonder where the line is," Cramer said. "It's usually pretty clear  it's behind them after they stepped over it."

meisner@tribpub.com

Twitter @jmetr22b
BRUSSELS  Belgian riot police clashed Sunday with hundreds of right-wing hooligans at a temporary shrine honoring victims of the Brussels suicide bombings, as investigators launched fresh anti-terror raids, taking four more people into custody.

Police used water cannon when scuffles broke out in front of the Bourse, which has become a symbolic rallying point for people to pay their respects to those who died in Tuesday's attacks. Black clad men carrying an anti-Islamic State group banner with an expletive on it trampled parts of the shrine, shouting Nazi slogans. Ten were arrested and two police officers injured.

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"We had 340 hooligans from different football clubs who came to Brussels and we knew for sure that they would create some trouble," Police Commissioner Christian De Coninck said. "It was a very difficult police operation because lots of families with kids were here."

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur expressed his disgust, with Belgium still in mourning over the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and subway, which killed at least 31 people and injured some 270.

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"The police were not deployed to protect people from these hooligans but a whole other threat," said Mayeur told RTL television.

People trying to pay their respects were also dismayed.

"It was important for us to be here symbolically," said Samia Orosemane, a 35-year-old comedian. But, she added, "there were lots of men who were here and doing the Nazi salute, shouting 'death to Arabs' and so we weren't able to get through."

"We are all here today for peace, and for the brotherhood among peoples. Not for right-wing ideas. It's neither the time nor the place," said Theophile Mouange, 52.

Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, said Sunday morning's raids were linked a "federal case regarding terrorism" but did not specify whether it had any links to the March 22 attacks.

Thirteen raids were launched in the capital and the northern cities of Mechelen and Duffel. An investigating judge was to decide later whether to keep the four in custody. Five were released after questioning.

Suspected plotters also were arrested Sunday in Italy and the Netherlands, though few details of their activity were released immediately.

Tuesday's bomb attacks are also tearing at the fabric of the government, justice system and police, and Belgium's interior minister sought Sunday to contain the growing criticism of the government's handling of the tragedy.

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Interior Minister Jan Jambon conceded Sunday that decades of neglect had hampered the government's response to violent extremism. He said the government has invested 600 million euros ($670 million) into police and security services over the past two years but that Belgium's justice system and security services are still lagging behind.

Jambon, whose offer to resign Thursday was declined by the prime minister, also acknowledged some shortcomings prior to the attacks.

"There have been errors," he said on VRT television.

Jambon said it takes time to hire anti-terror specialists and specialized equipment and insisted that the government's new investments need time before they become visible to the public.

As international pressure on Belgium has mounted for serving as an unwitting rear-base for extremist fighters who launched the Nov. 13 massacres that left 130 dead in Paris, the government has felt forced to defend its choices and the actions of investigators. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are demanding an inquiry.

Belgian police and the army have been deployed, sometimes around the clock, at major buildings and sites in the capital in increasing numbers since November, when Brussels went into lockdown over fears that top Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam had returned and was hiding there.

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As it turned out, Abdeslam did return, but police did not find and arrest him until March 18, four days before suspects from his network exploded suicide bombs in Brussels.

Belgian investigators have been slammed for not questioning Abdeslam long enough or hard enough after he was shot in the leg during his arrest. Police have also been criticized for taking too long to get to Zaventem airport on Tuesday morning after two suicide bombers blew themselves up there  and left an even bigger third suitcase full of explosives that did not go off.

Jambon and Justice Minister Keen Goens were grilled by lawmakers Friday over how authorities failed to arrest suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui before he blew himself in the packed departure hall at Brussels Airport.

Turkey has said that Bakraoui  whose brother Khalid was the suicide bomber at the Maelbeek subway station on Tuesday  was caught near Turkey's border with Syria in 2015 and Ankara had warned Brussels and the Netherlands that he was "a foreign terrorist fighter." Belgian authorities said they did not know he was suspected of terror-related activities until after he was deported to the Netherlands.

Jambon also said the Brussels subway network had been told to shut off services around 20 minutes before the attack at the subway station, which is close to both the European Union headquarters and the U.S. embassy. He did not fully explain why it was not closed in time, raising more questions about the efficiency of Belgium's security services.

Dutch police arrested a 32-year-old Frenchman in the port city of Rotterdam on Sunday at the request of French authorities who suspect him of "involvement in planning a terror attack," prosecutors said. The suspect, whose identity was not released, is expected to be extradited to France soon.

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The suspect was allegedly involved in a plot disrupted by police in the Paris region last week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Another Frenchman, Reda Kriket, was detained Thursday in that plot, and remains in custody.

An official with the Paris prosecutor's office said there is no sign of a link at this stage between Kriket's purported plot and a network behind attacks in Brussels and Paris in recent months.

Three other men were detained in the Dutch raids; two with Algerian backgrounds and a third man whose identity could not immediately be established.

Italian police in the southern city of Salerno said Sunday that they had arrested an Algerian wanted in Belgium for an alleged false ID crime ring. Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested Saturday in the town of Bellizzi, said Luigi Amato, the head of Salerno police's anti-terrorism squad. Ouali, 40, was being held in jail while authorities expect extradition procedures to soon begin.

Belgian prosecutors said Sunday that the man is thought to have made false documents for some of the attackers in the Nov. 13 massacre in Paris, including top suspect Salah Abdeslam. Investigators are trying to establish whether the same false ID ring provided papers for the March 22 attackers.

Associated Press
Reporting from Washington  Federal prosecutors investigating the possible mishandling of classified materials on Hillary Clinton's private email server have begun the process of setting up formal interviews with some of her longtime and closest aides, according to two people familiar with the probe, an indication that the inquiry is moving into its final phases.

Those interviews and the final review of the case, however, could still take many weeks, all but guaranteeing that the investigation will continue to dog Clinton's presidential campaign through most, if not all, of the remaining presidential primaries.

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No dates have been set for questioning the advisers, but a federal prosecutor in recent weeks has called their lawyers to alert them that he would soon be doing so, the sources said. Prosecutors also are expected to seek an interview with Clinton herself, though the timing remains unclear.

The interviews by FBI agents and prosecutors will play a significant role in helping them better understand whether Clinton or her aides knowingly or negligently discussed classified government secrets over a non-secure email system when she served as secretary of state.

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Bernie Sanders added delegates as he beat Hillary Clinton in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii.

The meetings also are an indication that much of the investigators' background work  recovering deleted emails, understanding how the server operated and determining whether it was breached  is nearing completion.

"The interviews are critical to understand the volume of information they have accumulated," said James McJunkin, former head of the FBI's Washington field office. "They are likely nearing the end of the investigation and the agents need to interview these people to put the information in context. They will then spend time aligning these statements with other information, emails, classified documents, etc., to determine whether there is a prosecutable case."

Many legal experts believe that Clinton faces little risk of being prosecuted for using the private email system to conduct official business when she served as secretary of state, though that decision has raised questions among some about her judgment. They noted that using a private email system was not banned at the time, and others in government had used personal email to transact official business.

The bigger question is whether she or her aides distributed classified material in email systems that fell outside of the department's secure classified system. But even if prosecutors determine that she did, chances she will be found criminally liable are low. U.S. law makes it a crime for someone to knowingly or willfully retain classified information, handle it in a grossly negligent manner or to pass it to someone not entitled to see it.

Clinton has denied using the email account to send or receive materials marked classified. Though some emails have since been deemed to be too sensitive to release publicly, Clinton's campaign has attributed that to overzealous intelligence officials and "over-classification run amok."

Legally it doesn't matter if the emails were marked as classified or not, since government officials are obligated to recognize sensitive material and guard against its release. But legal experts noted that such labels would be helpful to prosecutors seeking to prove she knew the information was classified, a key element of the law.

"The facts of the case do not fit the law," said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at American University. "Reasonable folks may think that federal law ought to prohibit what Hillary did, but it's just not clear to me that it currently does."

Even so, her use of the private server, which was based at her home in New York, has become fodder for Clinton's political foes as she campaigns to secure the Democratic nomination for president.

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Though Sen. Bernie Sanders has largely declined to use the email scandal against her in the Democratic primary, Republicans have repeatedly said she should be indicted or disqualified from running for the nation's top office.

At a recent Democratic debate, Clinton grew exasperated when asked what she would do if indicted. "That's not going to happen," she said.

Her attorney, David Kendall, declined to comment. Her campaign spokesman, Brian Fallon, said in an email that Clinton is ready to work with investigators to conclude the investigation.

"She first offered last August to meet and answer any questions they might have," Fallon wrote. "She would welcome the opportunity to help them complete their work."

Lawyers for her closest aides  Huma Abdein, Jake Sullivan, Cheryl Mills and Philippe Renes  either did not respond to messages or declined to comment.

The Justice Department and FBI began their investigation after receiving what is known as a security referral in July from the inspector general for U.S. intelligence agencies, which at the time were in the midst of reviewing paper copies of nearly 30,500 emails Clinton turned over in 2014 that she said were work-related.

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The State Department has since released all 3,871 pages of Clinton's emails in its possession and has determined that 22 of her emails contained "top secret" information, though they were not marked as such as the time. Hundreds of others contained material that was either secret or confidential, two lower levels of classification.

After stepping down as secretary of state, Clinton, who has said she used her personal email to conduct personal and official business as a matter of convenience, told her staff to delete 31,830 emails on the server that she felt were non-work-related.

In August, the FBI obtained the server and has since recovered most, if not all, of the deleted correspondence, said a person familiar with the investigation.

FBI agents have finished their review of the server and the correspondence turned over by Clinton to the State Department. They have interviewed a number of former aides so they could better understand how the system was used and why Clinton chose to use it, the person said.

Federal prosecutors granted immunity to one of those aides, Bryan Pagliano, who helped set up the server in Clinton's home. He has cooperated with the federal investigation and provided security logs that revealed no evidence of foreign hacking, according to a law enforcement official.

His lawyer, Mark MacDougall, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

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The probe is being closely watched and supervised by the Justice Department's top officials and prosecutors. FBI Director James B. Comey has said he has been regularly briefed on the investigation, which is being overseen by prosecutors in the Justice Department's national security division.

The decision on whether to prosecute could be difficult. Vladeck, the law professor noted the differences between Clinton's email issue and two previous cases involving the mishandling of classified material that resulted in prosecutions and guilty pleas.

In 2005, Sandy Berger, a former national security adviser, pleaded guilty to the unlawful removal and retention of national security information after being caught trying to smuggle classified documents out of the National Archives.

In another case, Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, was investigated for knowingly allowing a mistress to read classified material as she researched a book about him. Petreaus eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified material and was spared prison time.

Legal experts said Petreaus' actions were far more serious than anything Clinton is accused of doing. Clinton's emails, even those later deemed classified, were sent to aides cleared to read them, for example, and not private citizens, they said.

Several of the lawyers involved in Clinton's case are familiar with the differences. Petreaus' defense lawyer was Kendall, who also represents Clinton. And a prosecutor helping oversee the Clinton email investigation was part of the team that obtained Petraeus' guilty plea.

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"Those cases are just so different from what Clinton is accused of doing," Vladeck said. "And the Justice Department lawyers know it."

While she is not likely to face legal jeopardy, the emails could cause some political heartburn when the aides are questioned. However, short of an indictment or an explosive revelation, the controversy is not likely to alter the overall dynamics of the primary race or general election, political observers said.

"This is clearly disruptive to the campaign," said Mark Mellman, a Democratic pollster. "It will take her off message and coverage about important aides being questioned is not coverage you'd like to have. However, this issue is largely dismissed by Democratic primary voters and baked into the cake for the general electorate."
From her earliest days as secretary of state, Hillary Clinton's aides and senior officials focused intently on accommodating the secretary's desire to use her private email account, documents and interviews show. (Melina Mara / The Washington Post)

WASHINGTON  Hillary Clinton's email problems began in her first days as secretary of state. She insisted on using her personal BlackBerry for all her email communications, but she wasn't allowed to take the device into her seventh-floor suite of offices, a secure space known as Mahogany Row.

For Clinton, this was frustrating. As a political heavyweight and chief of the nation's diplomatic corps, she needed to manage a torrent of email to stay connected to colleagues, friends and supporters. She hated having to put her BlackBerry into a lockbox before going into her own office.

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Her aides and senior officials pushed to find a way to enable her to use the device in the secure area. But their efforts unsettled the diplomatic security bureau, which was worried that foreign intelligence services could hack her BlackBerry and transform it into a listening device.

On Feb. 17, 2009, less than a month into Clinton's tenure, the issue came to a head. Department security, intelligence and technology specialists, along with five officials from the National Security Agency, gathered in a Mahogany Row conference room. They explained the risks to Cheryl Mills, Clinton's chief of staff, while also seeking "mitigation options" that would accommodate Clinton's wishes.

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"The issue here is one of personal comfort," one of the participants in that meeting, Donald Reid, the department's senior coordinator for security infrastructure, wrote afterward in an email that described Clinton's inner circle of advisers as "dedicated [BlackBerry] addicts."

Clinton used her BlackBerry as the group continued looking for a solution. But unknown to diplomatic security and technology officials at the department, there was another looming communications vulnerability: Clinton's BlackBerry was digitally tethered to a private email server in the basement of her family home, some 260 miles to the north in Chappaqua, N.Y., documents and interviews show.

Those officials took no steps to protect the server against intruders and spies, because they apparently were not told about it.

The vulnerability of Clinton's basement server is one of the key unanswered questions at the heart of a scandal that has dogged her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Since Clinton's private email account was brought to light a year ago in a New York Times report - followed by an Associated Press report revealing the existence of the server - the matter has been a source of nonstop national news. Private groups have filed lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act. Investigations were begun by congressional committees and inspector general's offices in the State Department and the U.S. Intelligence Community, which referred the case to the FBI in July for "counterintelligence purposes" after determining that the server carried classified material.

The FBI is now trying to determine whether a crime was committed in the handling of that classified material. They are also examining whether the server was hacked.

One hundred forty-seven FBI agents have been deployed to run down leads, according to a lawmaker briefed by FBI Director James Comey. The FBI has accelerated the investigation because officials want to avoid the possibility of announcing any action too close to the election.

The Washington Post reviewed hundreds of documents and interviewed more than a dozen knowledgeable government officials to understand the decisions and the implications of Clinton's actions. The resulting scandal revolves around questions about classified information, the preservation of government records and the security of her email communication.

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From the earliest days, Clinton aides and senior officials focused intently on accommodating the secretary's desire to use her private email account, documents and interviews show.

Throughout, they paid insufficient attention to laws and regulations governing the handling of classified material and the preservation of government records, interviews and documents show. They also neglected repeated warnings about the security of the BlackBerry while Clinton and her closest aides took obvious security risks in using the basement server.

Senior officials who helped Clinton with her BlackBerry claim they did not know details of the basement server, the State Department said, even though they received emails from her private account. One email written by a senior official mentioned the server.

The scandal has pitted those who say Clinton was innocently trying to find the easiest way to communicate against those who say she placed herself above the law in a quest for control of her records. She and her campaign have been accused of confusing matters with contradictory and evolving statements that minimized the consequences of her actions.

Clinton, 68, declined to be interviewed. She has said repeatedly that her use of the private server was benign and that there is no evidence of any intrusion.

In a news conference last March, she said: "I opted for convenience to use my personal email account, which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two."

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During a Democratic debate on March 9, she acknowledged using poor judgment but maintained she was permitted to use her own server: "It wasn't the best choice. I made a mistake. It was not prohibited. It was not in any way disallowed."

The unfolding story of Clinton's basement server has outraged advocates of government transparency and mystified political supporters and adversaries alike. Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., who is presiding over one of the FOIA lawsuits, has expressed puzzlement over the affair. He noted that Clinton put the State Department in the position of having to ask her to return thousands of government records - her work email.

"Am I missing something?" Sullivan asked during a Feb. 23 hearing. "How in the world could this happen?"

An aide selects a reporter to ask Hillary Clinton, former U.S. secretary of state, left, a question during a news conference at the United Nations in March. Clinton defended the legality of her use of a private email account and server while she served as secretary of state, saying that she had done so out of a desire for convenience but should have used a government account for work purposes. (Victor J. Blue / Bloomberg)

Hillary Clinton began preparing to use the private basement server after President Obama picked her to be his secretary of state in November 2008. The system was already in place. It had been set up for former president Bill Clinton, who used it for personal and Clinton Foundation business.

On Jan. 13, 2009, a longtime aide to Bill Clinton registered a private email domain for Hillary Clinton, clintonemail.com, that would allow her to send and receive email through the server.

Eight days later, she was sworn in as secretary of state. Among the multitude of challenges she faced was how to integrate email into her State Department routines. Because Clinton did not use desktop computers, she relied on her personal BlackBerry, which she had started using three years earlier.

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For years, employees across the government had used official and private email accounts.

The new president was making broad promises about government transparency that had a bearing on Clinton's communication choices. In memos to his agency chiefs, Obama said his administration would promote accountability through the disclosure of a wide array of information, one part of a "profound national commitment to ensuring an open government." That included work emails.

One year earlier, during her own presidential campaign, Clinton had said that if elected, "we will adopt a presumption of openness and Freedom of Information Act requests and urge agencies to release information quickly."

But in those first few days, Clinton's senior advisers were already taking steps that would help her circumvent those high-flown words, according to a chain of internal State Department emails released to Judicial Watch, a conservative nonprofit organization suing the government over Clinton's emails.

Leading that effort was Mills, Clinton's chief of staff. She was joined by Clinton adviser Huma Abedin, Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy and Lewis Lukens, a senior career official who served as Clinton's logistics chief. Their focus was on accommodating Clinton.

Mills wondered whether the department could get her an encrypted device like the one from the NSA that Obama used.

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"If so, how can we get her one?" Mills wrote the group on Saturday evening, Jan. 24.

Lukens responded that same evening, saying he could help set up "a stand alone PC in the Secretary's office, connected to the internet (but not through our system) to enable her to check her emails from her desk."

Kennedy wrote that a "stand-alone separate network PC" was a "great idea."

Abedin and Mills declined to comment for this article, according to Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. Lukens also declined to comment, according to the State Department.

As undersecretary for management, Kennedy occupies a central role in Clinton's email saga. The department acknowledged that Kennedy, as part of his normal duties, helped Clinton with her BlackBerry. But in a statement, the department said: "Under Secretary Kennedy maintains that he was unaware of the email server. Completely separate from that issue, Under Secretary Kennedy was aware that at the beginning of her tenure, Secretary Clinton's staff was interested in setting up a computer at the Department so she could email her family during the work day.

"As we have previously made clear - no such computer was ever set up. Furthermore, Under Secretary Kennedy had very little insight into Secretary Clinton's email practices including how frequently or infrequently then-Secretary Clinton used email."

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As it happened, Clinton would never have a government BlackBerry, personal computer or email account. A request for a secure device from the NSA was rebuffed at the outset: "The current state of the art is not too user friendly, has no infrastructure at State, and is very expensive," Reid, the security official, wrote in an email on Feb. 13, adding that "each time we asked the question 'What was the solution for POTUS?' we were politely told to shut up and color."

Clinton would continue to use her BlackBerry for virtually all of her government communication, but not on Mahogany Row.

Her first known BlackBerry communication through the basement server came on Jan. 28, 2009, when Clinton exchanged notes with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, then chief of the U.S. Central Command, according to a State Department spokeswoman. It has not been released.

Few knew the details behind the new clintonemail.com address. But news about her choice to use her own BlackBerry spread quickly among the department's diplomatic security and "intelligence countermeasures" specialists.

Their fears focused on the seventh floor, which a decade earlier had been the target of Russian spies who managed to plant a listening device inside a decorative chair-rail molding not far from Mahogany Row. In more recent years, in a series of widely publicized cyberattacks, hackers breached computers at the department along with those at other federal agencies and several major corporations.

The State Department security officials were distressed about the possibility that Clinton's BlackBerry could be compromised and used for eavesdropping, documents and interviews show.

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After the meeting on Feb. 17 with Mills, security officials in the department crafted a memo about the risks. And among themselves, they expressed concern that other department employees would follow the "bad example" and seek to use insecure BlackBerrys themselves, emails show.

As they worked on the memo, they were aware of a speech delivered by Joel F. Brenner, then chief of counterintelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, on Feb. 24 at a hotel in Vienna, Va., a State Department document shows. Brenner urged his audience to consider what could have happened to them during a visit to the recent Beijing Olympics.

"Your phone or BlackBerry could have been tagged, tracked, monitored and exploited between your disembarking the airplane and reaching the taxi stand at the airport," Brenner said. "And when you emailed back home, some or all of the malware may have migrated to your home server. This is not hypothetical."

At the time, Clinton had just returned from an official trip that took her to China and elsewhere in Asia. She was embarking on another foray to the Middle East and Europe. She took her BlackBerry with her.

In early March, Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security Eric Boswell delivered a memo with the subject line "Use of Blackberries in Mahogany Row."

"Our review reaffirms our belief that the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the use of Blackberries in the Mahogany Row [redacted] considerably outweigh the convenience their use can add," the memo said.

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He emphasized: "Any unclassified Blackberry is highly vulnerable in any setting to remotely and covertly monitoring conversations, retrieving e-mails, and exploiting calendars."

Nine days later, Clinton told Boswell that she had read his memo and "gets it," according to an email sent by a senior diplomatic security official. "Her attention was drawn to the sentence that indicates (Diplomatic Security) have intelligence concerning this vulnerability during her recent trip to Asia," the email said.

But Clinton kept using her private BlackBerry - and the basement server.

The server was nothing remarkable, the kind of system often used by small businesses, according to people familiar with its configuration at the end of her tenure. It consisted of two off-the-shelf server computers. Both were equipped with antivirus software. They were linked by cable to a local Internet service provider. A firewall was used as protection against hackers.

Few could have known it, but the email system operated in those first two months without the standard encryption generally used on the Internet to protect communication, according to an independent analysis that Venafi Inc., a cybersecurity firm that specializes in the encryption process, took upon itself to publish on its website after the scandal broke.

Not until March 29, 2009 - two months after Clinton began using it - did the server receive a "digital certificate" that protected communication over the Internet through encryption, according to Venafi's analysis.

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It is unknown whether the system had some other way to encrypt the email traffic at the time. Without encryption - a process that scrambles communication for anyone without the correct key - email, attachments and passwords are transmitted in plain text.

"That means that anyone could have accessed it. Anyone," Kevin Bocek, vice president of threat intelligence at Venafi, told The Post.

The system had other features that made it vulnerable to talented hackers, including a software program that enabled users to log on directly from the World Wide Web.

Four computer-security specialists interviewed by The Post said that such a system could be made reasonably secure but that it would need constant monitoring by people trained to look for irregularities in the server's logs.

"For data of this sensitivity . . . we would need at a minimum a small team to do monitoring and hardening," said Jason Fossen, a computer-security specialist at the SANS Institute, which provides cybersecurity training around the world.

The man who Clinton has said maintained and monitored her server was Bryan Pagliano, who had worked as the technology chief for her political action committee and her presidential campaign. It is not clear whether he had any help. Pagliano had also provided computer services to the Clinton family. In 2008, he received more than $5,000 for that work, according to financial disclosure statements he filed with the government.

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In May 2009, with Kennedy's help, Pagliano landed a job as a political employee in the State Department's IT division, documents and interviews show. It was an unusual arrangement.

At the same time, Pagliano apparently agreed to maintain the basement server. Officials in the IT division have told investigators they could not recall previously hiring a political appointee. Three of Pagliano's supervisors also told investigators they had no idea that Clinton used the basement server or that Pagliano was moonlighting on it.

Through an attorney, Pagliano declined a request from The Post for an interview. He also refused a request from the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees to discuss his role. On Sept. 1, 2015, his attorney told the committees that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if any attempt was made to compel his testimony. He was later given immunity by the Justice Department in exchange for his cooperation, according to articles in the New York Times and The Post.

In a statement, Clinton's campaign said the server was protected but declined to provide technical details. Clinton officials have said that server logs given to authorities show no signs of hacking.

"The security and integrity of her family's electronic communications was taken seriously from the onset when it was first set up for President Clinton's team," the statement said. "Suffice it to say, robust protections were put in place and additional upgrades and techniques employed over time as they became available, including consulting and employing third party experts."

The statement added that "there is no evidence there was ever a breach."

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The Obama administration confirmed that Hillary Clinton's unsecured home server contained closely guarded government secrets, censoring 22 emails with material requiring one of the highest levels of classification. Jan. 29, 2016. (AP) (Associated Press)

The number of emails moving through the basement system increased quickly as Hillary Clinton dove into the endless details of her globe-trotting job. There were 62,320 in all, an average of 296 a week, nearly 1,300 a month, according to numbers Clinton later reported to the State Department. About half of them were work-related.

Her most frequent correspondent was Mills, her chief of staff, who sent thousands of notes. Next came Abedin, the deputy chief of staff, and Jacob Sullivan, also a deputy chief of staff, according to a tally by The Post.

The majority went to two different addresses that Clinton sometimes used interchangeably on a single chain of email, hdr22@clintonemail.com and hrod17@clintonemail.com, making it immediately apparent that the emails were not coming from or going to a government address.

Most of her emails were routine, including those sent to friends. Some involved the coordination of efforts to bring aid to Haiti by the State Department and her husband's New York-based Clinton Foundation - notes that mixed government and family business, the emails show.

Others involved classified matters. State Department and Intelligence Community officials have determined that 2,093 email chains contained classified information. Most of the classified emails have been labeled as "confidential," the lowest level of classification. Clinton herself authored 104 emails that contained classified material, a Post analysis later found.

Before the server received a digital certificate marking the use of standard encryption, Clinton and her aides exchanged notes touching on North Korea, Mexico, Afghanistan, military advisers, CIA operations and a briefing for Obama.

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Clinton adviser Philippe Reines wrote a note to her about Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. Reines started his note by reminding Clinton that Reines's "close friend Jeremy Bash is now [CIA Director Leon E.] Panetta's Chief of Staff." The rest of the note was redacted before release, under grounds that it was national-security-sensitive.

On Sunday, March 29, 2009, just hours before standard encryption on the server began, Sullivan emailed Clinton a draft of a confidential report she was to make to Obama. "Attached is a draft of your Mexico trip report to POTUS," Sullivan wrote.

In the high-pressure world of diplomacy, the sharing of such material had been a discreet but common practice for many years. Officials who manage problems around the clock require a never-ending flow of incisive information to make timely decisions.

Not all classified material is equally sensitive. Much of it involves discussions about foreign countries or leaders, not intelligence sources and methods. Working with classified materials can be cumbersome and, in the case of low-level classification, annoying.

On Feb. 10, 2010, in an exchange with Sullivan, Clinton vented her frustration one day when she wanted to read a statement regarding Jose Miguel Insulza, then secretary general of the Organization of American States. Sullivan wrote that he could not send it to her immediately because the department had put it on the classified network.

"It's a public statement! Just email it," Clinton shot back, just moments later.

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"Trust me, I share your exasperation," Sullivan wrote. "But until ops converts it to the unclassified email system, there is no physical way for me to email it. I can't even access it."

Early on June 17, 2011, Clinton grew impatient as she waited for "talking points" about a sensitive matter that had to be delivered via a secure line.

"They say they've had issues sending secure fax. They're working on it," Sullivan wrote his boss.

Clinton told him to take a shortcut.

"If they can't, turn into nonpaper w no identifying heading and send nonsecure," she said.

Fallon said Clinton was not trying to circumvent the classification system.

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"What she was asking was that any information that could be transmitted on the unclassified system be transmitted," he said. "It is wrong to suggest that she was requesting otherwise. The State Department looked into this and confirmed that no classified material was sent through a non-secure fax or email."

Security remained a constant concern. On June 28, 2011, in response to reports that Gmail accounts of government workers had been targeted by "online adversaries," a note went out over Clinton's name urging department employees to "avoid conducting official Department business from your personal email accounts."

But she herself ignored the warning and continued using her BlackBerry and the basement server.

In December 2012, near the end of Clinton's tenure, a nonprofit group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, filed a FOIA request seeking records about her email. CREW received a response in May 2013: "no records responsive to your request were located."

Other requests for Clinton records met the same fate - until the State Department received a demand from the newly formed House Select Committee on Benghazi in July 2014. The committee wanted Clinton's email, among other things, to see what she and others knew about the deadly attack in Libya and the response by the U.S. government.

Officials in the department's congressional affairs office found some Clinton email and saw that she had relied on the private domain, not the department's system.

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Secretary of State John F. Kerry resolved to round up the Clinton emails and deliver them to Congress as quickly as possible. Department officials reached out to Clinton informally in the summer of 2014. On Oct. 28, 2014, the department contacted Clinton and the offices of three other former secretaries - Madeleine K. Albright, Condoleezza Rice and Colin L. Powell - asking if they had any email or other federal records in their possession.

Albright and Rice said they did not use email while at State. Powell, secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, had a private email account through America Online but did not retain copies of his emails. The inspector general for the State Department found that Powell's personal email account had received two emails from staff that contained "national security information classified at the Secret or Confidential levels."

Clinton lawyer David Kendall later told the State Department that her "use of personal email was consistent with the practices of other Secretaries of State," citing Powell in particular, according to a letter he wrote in August.

But Powell's circumstances also differed from Clinton's in notable ways. Powell had a phone line installed in his office solely to link to his private account, which he generally used for personal or non-classified communication. At the time, he was pushing the department to embrace the Internet era and wanted to set an example.

"I performed a little test whenever I visited an embassy: I'd dive into the first open office I could find (sometimes it was the ambassador's office). If the computer was on, I'd try to get into my private email account," Powell wrote in "It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership." "If I could, they passed."

Powell conducted virtually all of his classified communications on paper or over a State Department computer installed on his desk that was reserved for classified information, according to interviews. Clinton never had such a desktop or a classified email account, according to the State Department.

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On Dec. 5, 2014, Clinton lawyers delivered 12 file boxes filled with printed paper containing more than 30,000 emails. Clinton withheld almost 32,000 emails deemed to be of a personal nature.

The department began releasing the emails last May, starting with some 296 emails requested by the Benghazi committee. In reviewing those emails, intelligence officials realized that some contained classified material.

Clinton and her campaign have offered various responses to questions about the classifications. At first, she flat-out denied that her server ever held any. "There is no classified material," she said at a March 10, 2015, news conference.

Her campaign later released a statement saying she could not have known whether material was classified, because it was not labeled as such. "No information in Clinton's emails was marked classified at the time she sent or received them," the statement said.

Clinton has also suggested that many of the emails were classified as a formality only because they were being prepared for release under a FOIA request. Her campaign has said that much of the classified material - in emails sent by more than 300 individuals - came from newspaper accounts and other public sources.

"What you are talking about is retroactive classification," she said in a recent debate. "And I think what we have got here is a case of overclassification." Her statement appears to conflict with a report to Congress last year by inspectors general from the State Department and the group of spy agencies known as the Intelligence Community. They made their report after the discovery that four emails, from a sample of 40 that went through her server, contained classified information.

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"These emails were not retroactively classified by the State Department," the report said. "Rather these emails contained classified information when they were generated and, according to IC classification officials, that information remains classified today. This classified information should never have been transmitted via an unclassified personal system."

One of those four emails has since been declassified and released publicly by the State Department. The department has questioned the classification of another of those emails.

Twenty-two emails discovered later were deemed so highly classified that they were withheld in their entirety from public release. "They are on their face sensitive and obviously classified," Rep. Chris Stewart , R-Utah, a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told The Post. "This information should have been maintained in the most secure, classified, top-secret servers."

Fallon pointed out that none of those emails originated with Clinton, something that he said Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., has noted. "We strongly disagree with the decision to withhold these emails in full," he said.

Under Title 18, Section 1924, of federal law, it is a misdemeanor punishable by fines and imprisonment for a federal employee to knowingly remove classified information "without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location."

Previous cases brought under the law have required proof of an intent to mishandle classified information, a high hurdle in the Clinton case.

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The basement server also put Clinton at risk of violating laws and regulations aimed at protecting and preserving government records.

In a statement, Clinton's campaign said she had received "guidance regarding the need to preserve federal records" and followed those rules. "It was her practice to email government employees on their '.gov' email address. That way, work emails would be immediately captured and preserved in government record-keeping systems," the statement said.

Fallon said that "over 90 percent" of the more than 30,000 work-related emails "were to or from government email accounts."

Specialists interviewed by The Post said her practices fell short of what laws and regulations mandated. Some of those obligations were spelled out a few months before Clinton took office in National Archives and Records Administration Bulletin 2008-05, which said every email system was supposed to "permit easy and timely retrieval" of the records.

The secretary of state's work emails are supposed to be preserved permanently. In addition, rules also mandated that permanent records are to be sent to the department's Records Service Center "at the end of the Secretary's tenure or sooner if necessary" for safekeeping.

Under Title 18, Section 2071, it is a misdemeanor to take federal records without authorization, something that is sometimes referred to as the "alienation" of records. The law is rarely enforced, but a conviction can carry a fine or imprisonment.

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Jason R. Baron, a former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, told the Senate Judiciary Committee last year he believed that Clinton's server ran afoul of the rules. In a memo to the committee, Baron wrote that "the setting up of and maintaining a private email network as the sole means to conduct official business by email, coupled with the failure to timely return email records into government custody, amounts to actions plainly inconsistent with the federal recordkeeping laws."

On May 19, 2015, in response to a FOIA lawsuit from the media organization Vice News, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered all the email to be released in stages, with redactions.

One notable email was sent in August 2011. Stephen Mull, then serving as the department's executive secretary, emailed Abedin, Mills and Kennedy about getting a government-issued BlackBerry linked to a government server for Clinton.

"We are working to provide the Secretary per her request a Department issued Blackberry to replace personal unit, which is malfunctioning (possibly because of her personal email server is down.) We will prepare two version for her to use - one with an operating State Department email account (which would mask her identity, but which would also be subject to FOIA requests)."

Abedin responded decisively.

"Steve - let's discuss the state blackberry. doesn't make a whole lot of sense."

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Clinton spokesman Fallon said the email showed that the secretary's staff "opposed the idea of her identity being masked."

Last month, in a hearing about a Judicial Watch lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Sullivan cited that email as part of the reason he ordered the State Department produce records related to its initial failures in the FOIA searches for Clinton's records.

Speaking in open court, Sullivan said legitimate questions have been raised about whether Clinton's staff was trying to help her to sidestep FOIA.

"We're talking about a Cabinet-level official who was accommodated by the government for reasons unknown to the public. And I think that's a fair statement: For reasons heretofore unknown to the public. And all the public can do is speculate," he said, adding: "This is all about the public's right to know."

The Washington Post's Alice Crites contributed to this report.
Mexicans set fire to an effigy of Donald Trump on March 26, 2016, in Mexico City during Holy Week celebrations. For many years, Mexicans have made cardboard figures representing all forms of evil, which are then torched to commemorate the "Burning of Judas," a tradition in which Mexicans torch effigies of the devil, politicians and others they dislike on the eve of Easter Sunday. (Yuri Cortez, AFP/Getty Images)

Who would you build if you had to make a monster of mythical proportions? An evil equal to a biblical scourge? A traitor to be burned in effigy whose fiery demise would cleanse our corrupted souls?



In Mexico, that would be Donald J. Trump. (J for Judas?)



Or at least a 10-foot-tall papier-mache version of him: eyes wide, mouth agape, with painted-on business suit and golden mane. On Saturday night, just as every year on the day before Easter, Mexicans gathered on street corners and church squares to celebrate the Holy Week and set fire to their Judases, a popular ritual in this heavily Catholic country. Those demons are typically forked-tongue devils and flaming dragons, and often reviled politicians.



"For Latinos here and in the U.S., he's a danger, a real threat," said Leonardo Linares, a 52-year-old artist who built a Trump effigy over the past week in his Mexico City studio. "He's a good man to burn as a Judas."



Linares, a jolly craftsman in paint-splattered clothes, presided over this block party that attracted hundreds of revelers, with kids chasing cotton candy wisps and pitched funny-foam battles. Linares and his relatives, who have been running this show for decades, chose the order of the Judas burnings, beginning with diminutive devils and wee minions and moving to the big dogs: President Barack Obama with a cigar in his mouth and a Cuban flag, a black-clad Islamic State fighter with a Kalashnikov and the grand Trumpian finale.

Mexicans prepare to set fire to an effigy depicting Donald Trump during Holy Week celebrations in Mexico City on March 26, 2016. (Yuri Cortez, AFP/Getty Images)



The ceremonies take place across Mexico, a symbolic way to destroy evil before Easter. Santa Rosa Xochiac, a hillside neighborhood to the southwest of the capital, has become one of the popular Judas torching spots. More than a dozen groups of people spend months building their effigies, then parade them through the streets before rigging them with fireworks and sparklers and setting them ablaze.



"Mostly it's devils, monsters," said Ricardo Sanchez, a 27-year-old mechanic as he put the finishing touches on 20-foot tall dragon. "One year we burned Osama bin Laden."



Mexicans take special pleasure in skewering Trump, the front-running Republican candidate who has threatened to deport millions of Mexicans and claims he'll build a giant wall across the United States' southern border and have Mexico pay for it. Since he launched his campaign last summer calling them "rapists" and "criminals," Mexicans have fired back with a variety of satires. A pair of comedians put on a play, "The Sons of Trump," featuring greedy villains bumbling around in blond wigs. Trump's likeness has been crafted into pinatas and bashed, digitized into a video game character and pegged with tomatoes. His name is the brunt of folk song jokes.

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There has also been more earnest criticism, from former Mexican presidents and current senior government officials, who have warned that Trump's xenophobic rhetoric is damaging relations between the two countries.



"He's crazy," said Alberto Rueda, a 30-year-old shopkeeper who attended the Trump burning in the La Merced neighborhood. "His ideas are not the solution, on the contrary. If he builds a wall, people will build tunnels."



Linares, who has been building burnable Judases since he was a boy, has traveled extensively in the U.S., including Washington and New York, showing his art.



Making giant paper dolls has been a family business for decades, he said, and he's reduced many politicians to ashes over the years. Former President Carlos Salinas is a fan favorite, he said, along with corrupt former Mexico City police Chief Arturo Durazo. His was not the only Trump on display. Fernando Padilla, 33, a neighbor, built a likeness of a Mexican drug lord riding an airplane while carrying Trump's severed head in his hand.



"Latinos have contributed a lot to the United States," Linares said. "Trump's a buffoon. With him as president, the U.S. will lose a lot of credibility in the world."





The mood on the street was a mix of neighborhood festival and war zone, with showering sparks, gigantic firework blasts that knocked people down, the whole street cloaked in a gunpowder haze.



The dolls seemed to stay in character. The Islamic State fighter exploded his payload in one chaotic blast; Obama's fuse was lit repeatedly but refused to blow. When it came time for the climax, Trump went slowly, gruesomely, one leg blasting off, then the other, as the by-then boozy crowd chanted "Death! Death!" When his blond head exploded, there were thunderous cheers.



Linares looked spent as he surveyed the carnage.



"We're satisfied," he said. "The people liked it."
Trade in second-hand cars should increase now that the government has issued a guideline to oil the wheels of the market.

A flourishing second-hand car market is a condition for steady growth of the automobile industry, as it can encourage car owners to buy new ones, while boosting services in auto parts, repair, insurance, brokerage and e-commerce, said Shen Rong, deputy secretary-general of China Automobile Dealers Association (CADA).

The State Council issued a guideline on second-hand automobiles on Friday, requiring local governments to lift any limits on inflows of second-hand vehicles from other regions by the end of May, but regions such as Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei and the Pearl River Delta, currently under instructions to eliminate certain kinds of cars to improve air quality, are not included.

CADA secretary-general Xiao Zhengsan said the guideline tackles the biggest problem in the second-hand auto market, and if no action were taken to cut local administrative monopolies, the second-hand auto market would not improve. Even so, some regions have set much higher emission standards for incoming second-hand vehicles than for local ones.

Nearly 90 percent of major cities have imposed emission limits on incoming second-hand vehicles, according to CADA. Such limits almost blocked all trade in second-hand vehicles, reducing the value of second-hand cars and raising cost for owners to buy for new ones.

The guideline requires better services for second-hand car registration, lower taxes and easier credit.

China now has about 172 million cars, increasing by about 24 million a year. In developed countries, the ratio of second-hand to new cars is usually around 3:2. Based on that rate, China's second-hand car trade should exceed 36 million transactions worth 2 trillion yuan (308 billion U.S. dollars) each year, if a second-hand car is valued at a hypothetical 55,000 yuan. That is three times more that the value of the second-hand car market in 2015.

Second-hand trading will transfer vehicles from high-income groups to lower; from rich eastern regions to less developed central and western areas, from big cities to smaller and then on to villages.

The auto industry plays a key role in steady growth and expands consumption. Spending on automobiles and gas represented nearly 20 percent of retail consumption in 2015, according to the National Bureau of Statistics.

In February, sales of new autos fell 0.86 percent year on year, and vehicle output dropped 1.3 percent, according to China Association of Automobile Manufacturers.

Auto sales growth peaked at 45 percent in 2009 and has fallen steadily since, as cities try to control smog and congestion through limits on new vehicles.

Auto makers sold 24.6 million new vehicles in China in 2015, up 4.7 percent, the smallest increase in three years.
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Iran's Foreign Ministry denied any involvement in alleged cyber attacks against U.S. financial institutions, official IRNA news agency reported on Saturday.

The Islamic republic does not support dangerous cyber acts and has always urged international efforts to counter cyber crimes, Iran's Foreign Ministry Spokesman Hossein Jaber Ansari was quoted as saying.

Washington in the past targeted Iran's peaceful nuclear facilities by a cyber attack and put the lives of millions of people at the risk of environmental disaster, Ansari said.

On Thursday, the White House announced charges against seven hackers linked to the Iranian government, who allegedly infiltrated dozens of U.S. banks as well as a dam outside New York.
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The British Ministry of Defense (MOD) revealed Saturday that British soldiers have trained female Peshmerga fighters.

The women have been trained by British soldiers in northern Iraq in crucial infantry, medical and counter-Improvised Explosive Device skills, the MOD said.

A spokesman for the MOD said: "They have a unique psychological advantage over Daesh (IS) as the terrorists believe that if they are killed by a woman they will not go to heaven."

Troops from 1st Battalion The Rifles and their Dutch partners delivered an intensive three-week training course for 120 female troops.

The MOD spokesman added: "The women are part of an infantry battalion who fight alongside their male colleagues on the front line and provide protection to medics, wounded fighters and vulnerable civilians, including women."

"They are due to play a key role in the operation to retake Mosul, dealing with civilians who may have been victims of Daesh(IS) sexual violence, " the spokesman added.

Over 24,000 Iraqis have been trained under the program to strengthen the Iraqi security forces and increase their military capacity against IS, said the MOD.

Britain's Defense Secretary Michael Fallon said on Saturday: "These brave female Peshmerga fighters will help ensure that Daesh(IS) are kicked out of Iraq for good and we must keep supporting them."

Lieutenant Colonel Oz Lane who is in charge of British training, said: "The female Peshmerga have been a pleasure to teach. They are keen to learn and highly motivated and we are providing them with the skill sets not only to fight Daesh(IS) but to manage the humanitarian situation after they have won the fight."
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One person was arrested early on Saturday after three explosions were heard on the outskirts of the Southeast Belgian city of Liege, L'Avenir newspaper reported.

The blasts have slightly injured one person and caused minor property damage, the report said, adding the motive behind the blasts remains unclear.

The first explosion occurred in the town of Angleur at 11:40 p.m. local time (2240 GMT) on Friday, hurting one and damaging the front door of a property.

Half an hour later, another explosion occurred in Beyne-Heusay, again in front of a house, and the third one was reported at 12:30 a.m. Saturday local time (2330 Friday GMT) in the middle of a street in Jupille.

Prosecutors will question the suspect on Monday, L'Avenir said. There is no confirmed link at this stage with Tuesday's attacks on the Belgian capital.
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A private U.S. spaceship arrived at the International Space Station (ISS) on Saturday with fresh supplies to sustain future experiments, U.S. space agency NASA said.

The unmanned Cygnus spacecraft docked at the ISS at about 6:51 a.m. EDT (1051 GMT), with the help of Canadarm2 robotic arm operated by U.S. astronaut Tim Kopra, NASA said.

The spacecraft will be installed to the orbiting lab's Earth-facing port of the Unity module.

More than 3,500 kilograms of cargo were shipped to the ISS, including an upgraded 3D printer to replace an old one sent up in 2014.

The device, about twice the size of its predecessor, will help the space station produce new tools and experiments, NASA said.

Also on board was Saffire-I, a box designed to contain fire-related experiments.

"Such studies have not been possible in the past because the risks for performing such studies on spacecraft with astronauts aboard are too high," NASA said in a statement.

The U.S. space agency has planned three fire-related experiments, all of which will be conducted inside the Cygnus as it reenters Earth's atmosphere after completing its mission in two months.

The Cygnus is operated by Orbital ATK, which has conducted four previous missions to the ISS under a contract with NASA.
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More than 400 Islamic State (IS) militants were killed in recent battles in Syria's ancient city of Palmyra, a monitor group reported on Sunday, as the Syrian army has fully captured the millennia-old oasis city.

During the three-week-long military campaign backed by Russian and Shiite fighters, the Syrian army has killed more than 400 IS militants, while lost 180 of its own soldiers, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.

Meanwhile, the national Syrian TV said the Syrian army has fully recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra, which was controlled by the IS militants since last May.

The Syrian army and its allied fighters destroyed the last position of the IS in Palmyra, and started combing the city to dismantle explosive devices, said the report.

Meanwhile, a military source told Xinhua that the IS withdrew from the city under the heavy attacks and shelling by the Syrian army.

The source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the IS militants pulled out toward the town of Sukhneh, east of the central province of Homs.

Since capturing it last May, the IS group destroyed the city's military prison and several Islamic tombs.

The IS also put on public executions of 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 to search for new clues of historical facts on the development of civilizations.
A business associate of a popular practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine has been arrested in connection with what California authorities say was the horrific slaying of the herbalist, his wife and the couple's 5-year-old daughter.

Pierre Haobsh, 27, of Oceanside, was taken into custody at gunpoint at a gas station in San Diego County, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bob Brown said.

Investigators with an arrest warrant had been following a red Lexus that belonged to him, Brown said. A loaded gun and property belonging to one of the victims was found inside the car, the sheriff said.

Deputies who went to check on the welfare of 57-year-old Weidong "Henry" Han on Wednesday found the bodies of the physician, his 29-year-old wife, Huijie "Jenni" Yu, and the couple's daughter Emily at the family's multimillion-dollar home on the outskirts of Santa Barbara.

Their bodies were found shot, wrapped in plastic and duct-taped in the garage, a sheriff's statement said. They had last been seen on Thursday, the night before they were found.

Brown said investigators were still trying to determine why the family was killed, but they believe Haobsh was recently involved in a business deal with Han and financial gain could have been involved.

"This investigation is far from over," Brown said. "It is complex and ongoing."

Two business associates of Han went to his home after he failed to show up for a meeting  something they told the authorities was highly uncharacteristic of him. The associates called authorities when they found the front door open and the family's cars parked outside.

The authorities did not say what led them from the palatial two-story home that sits on 2.8 hectares surrounded by avocado trees to the Oceanside area  where Haobsh was arrested  more than 270 kilometers to the south.

Haobsh is a US citizen, the authorities said, but few other details about him were released.

The killings shocked Santa Barbara, where Han, who owned and operated the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic, was a popular figure.

The couple's daughter was a kindergarten student at Foothill Elementary School, where counselors were made available to her classmates.

Han had owned and operated the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic since 1991, according to the clinic's website. Public records show he was a licensed acupuncturist.

A biography on his website says he earned degrees in Oriental and Western medicine from a Beijing university in 1982, graduating at the top of his class.
LOS ANGELES - An American husband and wife missing since the suicide bombings in Brussels have been confirmed to have died in the attacks, according to family members and their employers.

Justin and Stephanie Shults, Belgium residents originally from Tennessee and Kentucky, were last seen dropping off her mother at the Brussels airport shortly before the check-in area was rocked by a powerful explosion on Tuesday, one of three blasts that took at least 31 lives.

"Today we learned from Stephanie Shults' family that she and her husband, Justin, were among those killed in the attack on the Brussels airport," Mars Inc, Stephanie Shults' employer, said on its Facebook page.

"We are mourning the loss of our colleague and friend. Our hearts and thoughts are with their families, and with all those who are suffering during this terrible time," the company said.

Justin Shults' brother, Levi Sutton, remembered the slain man in a post on Twitter.

"He was smart and kind and generous. I never met a single person who didn't like him. He worked hard his whole life and achieved goals that most could only dream about," Sutton said in the post.

Of Stephanie Shults, he said: "Stephanie was always so happy. I really enjoyed any chance I got to be around her. The world lost two amazing people today. It's not fair."

Justin Shults was employed by Clarcor Inc, a Tennessee-based filtration system company.

"We grieve with his family and continue to offer our support as they mourn this unimaginable loss," the company said in a statement posted on its website.

A US State Department official declined to comment out of respect for the families.

Family members of the couple had been among those waiting anxiously for word of their loved ones following the attacks at the airport and a metro station in Brussels.

At least 31 people were killed and more than 270 wounded in the blasts, which were claimed by the Islamic State militant group and sent shockwaves across Europe and the world.

On Friday two Dutch siblings who lived in New York, Alexander and Sascha Pinczowski, were confirmed to be among the dead.

The Pinczowski siblings were at a ticket counter in the airport, planning to return to New York, when the attacks occurred, news outlets reported.
A man holds a sign as he protests ISIS at New York's Time Square, the United States, March 22, 2016. The Islamic State (IS) has claimed responsibility for Tuesday's terror attacks in Belgian capital of Brussels, which killed at least 34 people and injured more than 100. [Photo/Xinhua]

BRUSSELS - The Islamic State issued two videos on Friday warning that the "nightmare" of the Brussels terror attacks "had only just begun", Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported on Saturday.

The videos were sent to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, showing two radical militants ordering western governments to withdraw their troops from Syria and Iraq, RTBF reported.

"Tell them to withdraw their planes and soldiers and you will live in peace," a speaker says in one of the videos.

"The nightmare has only just begun. What will come later will be even more appalling," the video continued.

"Remember my message a year ago when it was announced that we would attack Paris and Brussels. We have achieved that and we have other targets," the video added.
Men mourn the death of their relatives after a blast outside a public park in Lahore, Pakistan, March 27, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

LAHORE/ISLAMABAD, Pakistan - A suicide bomber killed at least 65 people, mostly women and children, at a park in Lahore on Sunday in an attack claimed by a Pakistani Taliban faction which said it had targeted Christians.

More than 300 other people were wounded, officials said.

The explosion occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park close to children's swings. The park is a popular site for members of Lahore's Christian community, many of whom had gone there to celebrate the Easter weekend holiday.

Witnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the parking lot once the dust had settled after the blast.

"When the blast occurred, the flames were so high they reached above the trees and I saw bodies flying in the air," said Hasan Imran, 30, a resident who had gone to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park for a walk.

Officials said 65 people were killed and about 300 wounded. Police Superintendant Mustansar Feroz said most of the casualities were women and children.

The Taliban faction Jamaat-ul-Ahrar claimed responsibility for the attack.

Islamist militants in Pakistan have attacked Christians and other religious minorities often over the past decade.
PRAGUE - "The Chinese president's visit to Prague is a very exciting moment and I am very proud that my country is the first and the only country he is visiting in the Central and Eastern Europe," Czech antiquary Oldrich Hejtmanek told Xinhua in downtown Prague ahead of President Xi Jinping's arrival for a three-day state visit.

The visit, starting from Monday, will be the first state visit by a Chinese president since the two countries established diplomatic ties 67 years ago.

As Xi's visit draws near, more and more Chinese elements can be seen in Prague. Chinese and Czech national flags are fluttering along the main streets near the Prague Castle, the seat of the President's Office.

Standing above a traffic roundabout by the Vltava River is a huge billboard with a slogan in both Chinese and Czech: "Welcome to the Czech Republic."

The Pravo, a major daily newspaper, carried a signed article by Xi on front page.

In the article titled "Time to Renew and Energize China-Czech Ties," Xi hailed the "picturesque landscape, rich cultural heritage and talented people" of the country, and recalled his previous visit to the country in the 1990s during which he was "deeply impressed by the hard work and ingenuity of the Czech people, dynamic economic and social progress and the Bohemian culture nourished by the Vltava River."

Calling it "an opportune time for the development of China-Czech relations," Xi suggests that the two countries should enhance political mutual trust and economic cooperation, better align development strategies, encourage people-to-people and cultural exchanges, step up regional cooperation and China-EU relations.
President expected to 'renew and energize' the joint relationship during his three-day trip

President Xi Jinping's historic visit to the Czech Republic, which starts on Monday, is expected to "renew and energize" bilateral ties, with more than 20 documents on cooperation due to be signed.

The 49-hour trip will be the first state visit by a Chinese president either to the Czech Republic or the former Czechoslovakia in 67 years  since the founding of the People's Republic of China.

Xi is scheduled to meet with Czech President Milos Zeman and Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka.

He will also witness the signing of cooperation documents, attend a news conference, talk with Czech Senate Chairman Milan Stech and Chamber of Deputies Chairman Jan Hamacek, and meet with businesspeople.

The Chinese delegation will meet with Zeman at the Lany chateau, west of Prague, where the two presidents will plant a tree, according to the Czech Presidential Office.

Xi will be the first foreign president to be welcomed at the chateau, the country residence of the Czech president.

In an article published in the Pravo daily on Saturday, Xi called for joint work "to renew and energize the development of China-Czech ties".

This would usher in a "bright new era" for cooperation between China and countries in Central and Eastern Europe and also for relations between China and the European Union, the article said.

"As people say in China, a tree can grow tall only when its roots are strong. China and the Czech Republic should consider upgrading the bilateral relationship in due course," Xi said in the article.

The release of a joint declaration on a strategic partnership is expected to be the main outcome of the visit. A number of documents on cooperation in investment, finance, aviation and healthcare are expected to be signed. Zeman has said that he expects Chinese investment of 45 billion crowns ($1.84 billion).

The Czech News Agency reported that the joint declaration will include enhancing cooperation on finance, including the Czech Republic's interest in becoming a center for Chinese financial institutions in the region.
Many years ago, I spoke at a major technology event about how to protect your IP from China. I rarely use notes when I give a speech, which leads me to oftentimes riff on various things. At some point during that speech, I mentioned how technology companies were our dumbest clients when it comes to China and I went on to explain why. I talked of how the ethos of tech companies is to focus on building things (be it software or hardware or whatever) as quickly as possible, and not worry about much else. I talked of how tech companies (in an effort to save money) are reluctant to hire good management, choosing instead to put their money into the core of their business  their tech people.

I then talked about how I completely understood this, including how this modus operandi no doubt does make sense when operating purely domestically. But I then went on to explain why it is such a disaster for China, where it is usually impossible to fill in a legal foundation later. After my talk, the questions asked of me and the comments made to me made clear that though around a third of the audience wholeheartedly agreed with this assessment of mine, two thirds were moderately to very unhappy with them.

Well for what it is worth, I will no longer describe technology companies as our dumbest clients when it comes to China. No, that honor now clearly belongs to a subset of technology companies: Internet of Things companies. And mind you, we love, love, love Internet of Things companies. For proof of this, just go to our recent post, China and the Internet of Things: A Love Story. Internet of Things (a/k/a IoT) companies are sprouting all over the place and they are booming. Most importantly for us, they need a ton of legal work because just about all IoT products are being made in China, more particularly, in Shenzhen. And just about all IoT products need a ton of complicated IP assistance.

So then why am I saying they are so dumb about China? Because they are relinquishing their intellectual property to Chinese companies more often, more wantonly, and more destructively than companies in any other industry I (or any of my firms other Chinese lawyers) have ever seen. Ever. And by a stunningly wide margin.

In describing IoT companies and their problems to others, I use the following as my prime example, taken from at least a half dozen real life examples in just the last few months:

IoT Company: We just completed our Kickstarter campaign and we totally killed it and so now we are ready to get serious about protecting our IP in China.

One of our China Lawyers: Great. Where are you right now with China?

IoT Company: We have been working with a great company in Shenzhen. Together we are working on wrapping up the product and it should be ready in a few months.

China Lawyer: Okay. Do you have any sort of agreement with this Chinese company regarding your IP or production costs or anything else?

IoT Company: We have an MOU (Memorandum of Understanding) that talks about how we will cooperate. Theyve really been great. They have told us that they would enter into a contract with us whenever we are ready.

China Lawyer: Can you please send us the MOU? Have you talked about what that contract will say?

IoT Company: Sure, we can send the MOU. Its one page. No, we havent really talked much beyond just what we need to do to get the product completed.

China Lawyer: Okay, we will look at your MOU and then get back to you with our thoughts.

Then, a day or two later we a conversation like the following ensues:

China Lawyer: We looked at your MOU and we have bad news for you. We think there is a very good chance a Chinese court would view that MOU as a contract. (For why we say this, check out China LOI and MOU: Dont Let Them Happen to You) And the Chinese language portion of the MOU  which is all that a Chinese court will be considering  is very different from the English language portion. The Chinese language portion says that any IP the two of you develop (the IoT company and the Chinese manufacturer) belongs to the Chinese company. So what we see is that as things now stand, there is a very good chance the Chinese company owns your IP. This being the case, there is no point in our writing a Product Development Agreement because your Chinese manufacturer is not going to sign that.

IoT Company: (And I swear we get this sort of response at least 90 percent of the time) Im not worried. I think you have it wrong. Im sure that they will sign such an agreement because we orally agreed on this before we even started the project.

China Lawyer: Thats fine, but I still think it makes sense for you to at least make sure that the Chinese company will sign a new contract making clear that the IP associated with your product belongs to you, because if they wont sign something that says that, there is no point in our drafting such a contract and, most importantly, there is no point in your paying us to do so.

So far, not a single such IoT company has been able to come back to us with an agreement from their Chinese manufacturer to sign.

We have lately been getting a slight variation on this theme, where the IoT company is farther along in its product development and is actually at the point of being ready to sell its product. This newer situation is exemplified by the email below, which is an amalgamation of various recently received emails:

I am hoping your firm can help us figure out the best course of action going forward. [A description of their company and their IoT product then follows, along with how they ended up going with a particular Chinese manufacturer and why they failed to seek out the advice of a China lawyer until now. This description too often involves their domestic attorney having said that he or she would turn them over to a China specialist as soon as that becomes necessary.]

We do not have any contracts in place with our current manufacturer. We started our relationship with our current manufacturer a year ago. He told us that POs are contracts in China and our lawyer here confirmed that. We sent him our design, paid for the molds, and he shipped us the products. We recently learned that he has been using our product pictures as marketing material on Alibaba and selling our products all over the world. I also just learned that he has filed for a design patent for our design in China.

We just started the working relationship with [online retailer]. Our manufacturer doesnt know that. All I told him is that we are working with a big client and if he doesnt sign any agreements with us at this point, were not going to place new orders. He then told me hes willing to sign a non-disclosure agreement with us.

Were filing design patents in the US. If we continue to work with him during this period, which agreement would help us get the best protection?

Since he already claimed our designs in China, will that prevent us from working with a new manufacturer? Do you advise we work with a new manufacturer at this point?

Our response has been something like the following:

A PO is not really a contract in China; it is the placing of an order. Unless your PO speaks to IP (which would be very unusual), it almost certainly will not help us here. On top of this, some Chinese courts do not see POs as a contract at all and some Chinese courts will not even look at a document not in Chinese. The ideal is a Chinese language contract sealed by the Chinese company.

Our biggest concern is that this manufacture has filed for a design patent for your product. This will no doubt pose problems for you and for any new Chinese manufacturer you might seek to use. Depending on how far along your present manufacturer is in the patent process, it may be able to sue you and your Chinese manufacturer for patent infringement damages and to force production of your product to cease. At minimum, your Chinese manufacturer will be able to cause you all sorts of problems unless you can stop or invalidate his design patent. There is a good chance this Chinese manufacturer literally owns your product in China and it can use that ownership to control what you do there.

If you seek to go to a new manufacturer you can be sure of two things: one, your old manufacturer will NOT give you the molds you think you bought from it and two, it will use its design patent to, at minimum, block your products from leaving China. It also very well may sue you for patent infringement in a Chinese court. In the meantime, making your product in China will be an extremely high risk proposition.

Based on the information you have provided, it appears you have four options, none of which are terribly good:

1. You leave China entirely and start manufacturing in some other country. Is this possible?

2. You seek to block or invalidate your existing manufacturers design patent. This will not be accomplished quickly or inexpensively.

3. You try to strike some sort of deal with your manufacturer whereby it assigns the patent to you and in return you agree to keep using your manufacturer to make your product for x number of years. It may agree to this if what you can pay it will exceed what it can make by selling your product on its own and if you commit to a certain number and/or a certain amount each year. The fact that your Chinese manufacturer has offered to sign a non disclosure agreement does not mean much at all, since such an agreement will not help you and your manufacturer almost certainly knows this. For why this is the case, check out Why Your NDA Does Not Work for China. You need it to sign a contract that actually makes clear what IP belongs to you and makes clear your manufacturers limitations in using your IP. At this point, it sounds like you need a China-centric Manufacturing Agreement, but I doubt your manufacturer will sign this.

4. You go to a new manufacturer in China. If you do this, you almost certainly will not have your molds and there is a good chance your existing manufacturer will cause you a lot of trouble by suing or threatening the new manufacturer, etc.

Dont let the above happen to you. For more on how you can prevent this, read China NNN Agreements and China Product Development Agreements.

NOW!
(Photo : Getty Images) BEIJING, CHINA - OCTOBER 01: Chinese tourists take pictures near Tiananmen Square on the 65th National Day on October 1, 2014 in Beijing, China.

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Mainland China is now the biggest source of tourists, with a record-breaking 120 million Chinese traveling internationally. This means that one in every 10 travelers came from China, according to a report published by the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC).



International tourists from the mainland spent $215 billions in their travels abroad during 2015, a 53 percent increase year-on-year.



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"The growth of Chinese [tourists] traveling abroad has been extraordinary. A lot of this growth is stimulated by more and more people coming into the middle class," David Scowsill, CEO of WTTC, told CNNMoney.



Members of households with an annual revenue of $35,000 are the ones who start traveling. At least 61 million households are expected to earn the said amount by 2023, further adding more Chinese tourists to the world.



The report noted that Chinese tourists now prefer traveling in farther countries such as those in Europe, Oceania, and the United States, showing a big drop of tourists in Macao, Hong Kong, and Taiwan.



Japan saw a 49 percent revenue increase from tourists last year, the majority of it thanks to Chinese tourists.



"It's almost taken the Japanese by surprise by how successful they've been," said Scowsill.



Scowsill added that the devaluation of the Japanese Yen and a more lax visa policy attracted the Chinese.



In a global scale, travel and tourism posted a 3.1 percent growth, making up 9.8 percent of the global GDP. The industry provided 284 million jobs in 2015, a 7.2 million annual increase.



"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 Scowsill.



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Tagstourists, China tourists, China Tourism, World Travel and Tourism Council, traveling to China, David Scowsill, Japan-China relations, inward tourism, outward tourism
(Photo : Getty Images) Participants from 17 countries discuss before opening ceremony on Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo on March 29, 2014 in Batam, Indonesia. Photo by Yuli Seperi/ (Getty Images)

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Chinese ships are headed off to the coast of Indonesia to take part in the second biennial multilateral naval exercise, a week after the two nations clashed near Natuna Island in the contested South China Sea. During the clash on sea, eight Chinese fishermen were arrested by Indonesia for trespassing.



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According to China's Ministry of Defense, Chinese ships left the port of Qingdao on Saturday to join the Multilateral Naval Exercise Komodo (MNEK) run by the Indonesian navy. The exercise is set to commence on April 12.



The naval exercise, which has for this year's theme, "readiness and cooperation for peace," will be conducted in Padang, Indonesia and nearby islands.



50 vessels



Around 50 vessels from China, Russia, United States, France, Australia and 16 other countries will participate in the exercise, the Defense Ministry said.



"Under President Joko Widodo's administration, Indonesia has just launched a new maritime strategy based on five fundamental pillars, namely maritime culture, maritime economy, maritime infrastructure, maritime security and maritime diplomacy," said Admiral Ade Supandi, Chief of the Indonesian Navy. "MNEK 2016 is part of the implementation of the fourth and fifth pillars and it is one of the efforts of the Indonesian Navy to realize Indonesia to become a global maritime axis."



Beijing-Jakarta naval clash



Indonesia and Chinese naval officers clashed this week on the disputed South China Sea after Jakarta accused Beijing of intervening in the arrest of eight fishermen near the Natuna Island in the disputed waters.



Jakarta has accused the fishermen of entering into the its territorial waters. Indonesian authorities claim when they were about to confiscate the fishing vessel, the Chinese coast guard rammed the fishing boat back into international waters.



China has defended the fishermen saying they were fishing in 'traditional Chinese fishing grounds' and has called on Jakarta to free them as soon as possible.



Tension has been mounting in the South China Sea as China takes a proactive approach to assert it's territorial claims.



Several Southeast Asian countries such as Vietnam, Philippines, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Brunei have overlapping claims in the area where $5 trillion worth of trade-borne ships pass yearly.



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Tagsmultilateral naval exercises, Indonesia, MNEK, Indonesian navy, Qingdao, April 12, Jakarta, South China Sea, Ministry of Defense, Admiral Ade Supandi, maritime axis
(Photo : Reuters) Microsoft Researchs Interactive 3D team holoportation for HoloLens allow people to see and interact with remote participants in 3D.



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Microsoft has done another amazing thing with its augmented reality (AR) HoloLens headset and it is called Holoportation.



Microsoft Researchs Interactive 3D Technologies (I3D) team has developed Holoportation using multiple 3D cameras to capture a subject from all angles that creates a temporary consistent model, imitating the feeling of someone being in a room with the user. It then projects them into another room where a HoloLens user can see them and interact with them.



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"When combined with mixed reality displays such as HoloLens, this technology allows users to see and interact with remote participants in 3D as if they are actually present in their physical space. Communicating and interacting with remote users becomes as natural as face to face communication, says the Microsoft research team.



However, there are still key parts of human interaction that are missing. Holoportation users cannot touch one another and it is possible for one person to walk through the other in the middle of a conversation. HoloLens's field of view may only allow users to only see their conversation partners through a rectangular window at the center of their vision. In other words, people who holoport into conversations could appear like they are floating in midair. It is hard to know without trying out on the HoloLens hardware itself.



Alex Kipman, the head of the HoloLens project at Microsoft, showed off the capability of Holoportation at the TED conference in Vancouver last month. NASA scientist Jeff Norris joined him on stage digitally with the help of a specialized camera rig, and the two of them discussed the potential of the HoloLens as a tool for science.



The I3D team also works on projects that merge various things including research on 3D graphics, computer vision, machine learning, novel hardware, augmented reality and NUI natural user interfaces. In addition, they were previously involved with other similarly themed research projects including Kinect Fusion and HoloDesk.



Microsoft aims to provide more HoloLens information, education and demonstrations during its Build 2016 developers conference in San Francisco from March 30 to April 1.



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(Photo : Getty Images) Czech Republic is all set to welcome Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will commence his historic visit to the European nation on Monday.

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Czech Republic is not leaving any stone unturned to give grand reception to Chinese President Xi Jinping, who will commence a three day diplomatic visit to the country on Monday, March 28.



This is the first time a China's top leader is visiting Czech Republic since both countries established diplomatic relationship 67 years ago.



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Foreign experts say that both countries will mutually seek to lift their bilateral relations to the level of strategic partnership during Xi's three day visit.



"President Xi's visit is a dream moment for me," said Jaroslav Tvrdik, a special adviser to the nation's top leadership, who has been assigned the responsibility of making arrangements for Xi's visit. "We've made tremendous efforts in preparing for the visit, the first one by a Chinese president since diplomatic relations were established 67 years ago."



More than 20 agreements are expected to be signed in important areas like trade, investment, aviation and finance during Xi's three day visit.



China and Czech Republic are also expected to hold special discussion on the Silk Route initiative (also known as One Belt, One Road). The initiative aims to enhance economic cooperation among countries along the ancient Silk Road from China to Europe. The initiative was unveiled by President Xi in 2013.



The Czech Republic, an important country on the silk trade route owing to its unique geographic location, has already signed memorandum of association with China on the One Belt, One Road initiative . The memorandum was signed during Czech President Milos Zeman's visit to China in September last year.



Ma Keqing, Chinese ambassador to Prague, speaking on the Czech Republic's interest in Belt, One Road initiative, said "The Czech Republic has responded actively to President Xi's Belt and Road Initiative to boost connectivity and has treated it a chance to take on China's train of development and further stimulate its economy."



In return, Czech Republic is seeking enhanced economic investment from China. Czech Republic has also proposed to make Prague China's financial center in Central and Eastern Europe.



Economic cooperation between two countries has increased steadily, with several Chinese companies making investment in the landlocked European country. Chinese TV manufacturer Changhong has set up a huge factory, while engineering company Xi'an Shaangu Power and energy firm China Energy Co Ltd have also made huge investment in the country.



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Alabama Senate passes bill to abolish marriage licence amid judges' opposition to same-sex marriages

Alabama senators have passed a bill abolishing marriage licence altogether throughout the state following opposition from many state judges on the U.S. Supreme Court decision in June 2015 legalising same-sex marriages throughout America.

Voting 23-3, the Alabama Senate passed SB 143 that mandates "all requirements to obtain a marriage license by the State of Alabama are hereby abolished and repealed. The requirement of a ceremony of marriage to solemnise the marriage is abolished."

Instead of a marriage licence, couples who want to marry only need to submit affidavits, forms and data for recording by a probate judge.

"The recording of the affidavits, forms, and data establishes legal recognition of the marriage as of the date the marriage was entered into by the two parties. Each marriage filed with the probate office shall be filed and registered with the Office of Vital Statistics," the bill reads.

Bill sponsor Republican state Senator Greg Albritton told the New York Times that "Kentucky is a precursor to where we are headed," referring to the controversy where Rowan County clerk Kim Davis refused to issue marriage licence to same-sex couples because of her religious beliefs.

"A lot of controversy over who should and who could [get married]. The religious liberty comes to play there. This bill removes that simply because it's not statutory to have a ceremony," he said.

Col. John Eidsmoe of the Foundation for Moral Law (FML), an Alabama conservative group, partly agrees with the bill in so far as abolishing the marriage licence is concerned.

"I see no reason the State needs to be in the business of issuing marriage licences. A licence is a grant of permission, and we do not need the State's 'permission' to exercise a God-given right such as the right to marry," he said, according to Life Site News.

However, he faults the bill for acknowledging same-sex marriage. "Two persons desiring to unite in marriage may do so by submitting the forms," Eidsmoe quoted the text of the bill.

He explained that "this implies that people do not become married until they submit these documents to the State." He said this is wrong. "When a man and a woman stand before God in a wedding ceremony and say 'I do' and are pronounced 'man and wife' by the pastor, they are at that moment married. By accepting the paperwork, the State simply acknowledges what is already an established fact."

Eidsmoe also objects to the bill's recognition of out-of-state marriage.

The bill says the probate judge will record out-of-state marriages, which shall be the "prima facie evidence of the validity of the out-of-state marriage."

"This requires the probate judge to commit an act (recording) that establishes the validity of a marriage that said judge may believe is invalid," he said.

"Senator Albritton's bill is a step in the right direction, and with a few changes it could go a long way toward solving the moral dilemma of those who sincerely oppose same-sex marriage," Eidsmoe said.

Other conservative groups have different opinions on government's involvement in marriage.

Rev. Patrick Henry Reardon of Chicago's All Saints Church said he has stopped "acting as an agent for the State of Illinois" by no longer signing marriage licences.

Rev. Johannes Jacobse of the American Orthodox Institute said the government should only recognise and encourage natural marriage.

"Marriage is not a creation of the state. Marriage pre-exists the rise of the State. So when the State recognises marriage it merely legally ratifies that which already exists," he said.
Florida governor signs legislation that cuts state funding to abortion clinics, imposes abortion restrictions

Florida Gov. Rick Scott signed into law on Friday a bill that cuts state funding to abortion clinics, including those run by Planned Parenthood, and impose restrictions on the procedure.

Scott signed HB 1441 which provides that "a state agency, a local governmental entity, or a managed care plan providing services under Part IV of Chapter 409 may not expend funds for the benefit of, pay funds to, or initiate or renew a contract with an organization that owns, operates, or is affiliated with one or more clinics that are licensed under this chapter and perform abortions."

The only exceptions are abortions performed by clinics on foetuses that are conceived through rape or incest; are medically necessary to preserve the life of a pregnant woman or to avert a serious risk of substantial and irreversible physical impairment of the pregnant woman; existing contracts; and funds for reimbursement for Medicaid services.

Florida is one of several U.S. states that have adopted new abortion laws aimed at chipping away the U.S. Supreme Court's 1973 Roe v. Wade decision that legalised abortion, Reuters reported.

HB 1441, which will take effect on July 1, easily passed the Republican-controlled Florida legislature earlier this month.

John Stemberger, president of the Florida Family Policy Council, said the new law is a "a historic victory."

Abortion clinics are also required to submit to the state a monthly report that will include the number of abortions performed and the reasons for the procedure.

Doctors who perform abortions must also have admitting privileges at a nearby hospital while clinics should have a written patient transfer agreement with a hospital.

The Florida Alliance of Planned Parenthood Affiliates criticised the governor for signing the law.

"For Rick Scott to prioritise political pandering over his own constituents' access to healthcare is more than cynical. It's shameful," said Laura Goodhue, executive director.

She said HIV rates will "skyrocket" and teenage pregnancies will rise because women will lose access to regular treatment at state-funded clinics.

However, the bill's sponsors said the law was not aimed at closing down abortion clinics but to protect women.
Indiana bans abortion based on foetal abnormalities, other possible grounds

Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed into law on Thursday, March 24, a bill that would prohibit abortions based on foetal genetic abnormalities such as Down syndrome among other possible grounds.

House Enrolled Act 1337, which will take effect on July 1, will ban abortions "solely because of the fetus' race, color, national origin, ancestry, sex, or diagnosis or potential diagnosis of the foetus having Down syndrome or any other disability."

Indiana is now the second U.S. state after North Dakota to have such a law.

Pence, who is known as a staunch opponent of abortion, said the law "is a comprehensive pro-life measure that affirms the value of all human life."

"I believe that a society can be judged by how it deals with its most vulnerablethe aged, the infirm, the disabled and the unborn. HEA 1337 will ensure the dignified final treatment of the unborn and prohibits abortions that are based only on the unborn child's sex, race, color, national origin, ancestry, or disability, including Down syndrome," he said.

He added, "By enacting this legislation, we take an important step in protecting the unborn, while still providing an exception for the life of the mother."

Abortion provider Planned Parenthood of Indiana and Kentucky vowed to block the enforcement of the new law in court.

"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," said the group's head, Betty Cockrum, the Chicago Tribune reported.

Indiana Right to Life praised Pence for signing the bill.

"By signing the dignity for the unborn bill, Gov. Pence has again signified his commitment to protecting life. We are pleased that our state values life no matter an individual's potential disability, gender or race," said Mike Fichter, president of IRL.
Kansas governor signs law restricting membership in faith groups to protect religious freedom

Christian college students in Kansas can now exercise their religious freedom inside their own campuses without fear of being punished for exercising their faith, thanks to a law recently approved by the state's governor, Sam Brownback.

Brownback signed the new law allowing faith-based college groups to restrict membership to "like-minded" members in an attempt to protect religious organisations in campuses.

"This is very good, narrow, targeted piece of legislation that will serve the betterment of our college campuses," the Kansas governor said in an article on CBN News.

Kansas already has a religious objections law that prevents state or local governments from limiting people's religious freedom and expression. The law, however, does not cover religious organisations in universities, thus the need to pass a new policy.

Kansas is not the only state to have passed a law protecting religious groups in college campuses. Oklahoma also earlier passed a college-specific law on religious freedom.

The new law seeks to address a handful of on-campus incidents in Kansas, including a lawsuit filed against a Christian group at Washburn University in Topeka, who was called out by university officials for requiring its members to recognise the Bible as the sole Word of God.

The legislation signed by Brownback, which will take effect in July, prevents university officials from interfering in such incidents, and also bars them from denying funding from college-based religious organisations.

Critics of the law, such as the American Civil Liberties Union of Kansas, plans to pose a legal challenge to the legislation, arguing that it may open the gates for discrimination.

"It is a sad and shameful day when the Legislature chooses to stand on the side of providing taxpayer funds to promote discrimination," the group's leader, Micah Kubic, said in an article on Gospel Herald.
Nuns tell U.S. Supreme Court: Government shouldn't force religious groups to provide birth control

The U.S. government has a lot of other venues to provide contraceptives and other forms of birth control to its citizens, so it should not force religious groups to do so.

Lawyers of the nuns from the Little Sisters of the Poor, an order who care for the elderly, presented this main argument last week before the Supreme Court, which appears to be divided in a case that threatens to impose monetary penalties to religious groups that will insist on standing up for their faith and refuse to distribute contraceptives or allow a third party to do so.

At a press conference in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, Mark Rienzi, lead attorney for the Little Sisters of the Poor, maintained that the nuns have the support of other religious organisations in their fight for their faith.

"We heard the justices of the Supreme Court comment on the fact that members of many minority religions across the country have stood with the Little Sisters of the Poor, asking the government to do the very simple and right thing here, which is just if the government wants to provide these [contraceptive] services, the government is free to provide them," Rienzi said, as quoted by The Catholic News Agency.

He added that the U.S. government can very well implement its birth control programme even while respecting the rights of religious groups like the Little Sisters of the Poor to practice their faith.

"In every other court case where the government has come before this court and talked about its [health] exchanges, it has told the Court that they are wonderful, they are cheap, they are easy to use, they are affordable, they are great. And all the Little Sisters are asking today is that the government uses all its other programmes to provide the services it wants," the lawyer said.

Justice Sonia Sotomayor, however, seemed unconvinced, saying that if all religious exemptions from laws were to be honoured, the government will not be able to implement its programmes.

"Because every believer that's ever come before us, including the people in the military, are saying that 'my soul will be damned in some way'," Sotomayor said, discussing requests for religious exemptions from laws and actions.

"How will we ever have a government that functions?" she added.

Sister Constance Veit, a member of the order, meanwhile said the group is now fearful of the possibility of having to pay a huge fine just for standing up to their faith.

"The fines that we face add up to about $70 million a year across our 27 U.S. homes, so it's pretty frightening," Veit told Fox News.
Sanders defeats Clinton in 3 states, sees more victories ahead as Democratic race heads to northeast

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders defeated front-runner Hillary Clinton in caucuses in three Western statesWashington, Alaska and Hawaiion Saturday, boosting his campaign as the race moves to the more liberal northeastern states, including Clinton's home state of New York, where the senator from Vermont expects even better results.

Although Sanders' victories barely dented Clinton's significant delegate lead, they exposed the former State Secretary's weaknesses, particularly with young voters and liberal activists who have been drawn by Sanders' liberal message, the Associated Press reported.

Sanders gained 55 new delegates from Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, raising his total delegate count to 1,004. Clinton picked up 20 new delegates from the three states to pad her total delegate count to 1,712, according to the latest tally by Real Clear Politics.

Clinton needs just 670 more delegates to clinch the Democratic nomination. Sanders still trails Clinton by 708 delegates.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders said he expects to close the delegate gap with Clinton in the state contests ahead.

"The Deep South is a very conservative part of the country," he said. "Now that we're heading into a progressive part of the country, we expect to do much better."

Clinton barely campaigned in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, apparently conceding defeat to Sanders in those three states.

Her eyes are set though on the April 19 contest in New York, where she seeks to win a large share of the delegates at stake and avoid an upset loss to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate.

Meanwhile, two new polls show Texas Sen. Ted Cruz narrowly leading Donald Trump in Wisconsin, a state that will hold its winner-take-all primary on April 5, with 42 delegates at stake, Newsmax reported.

Trump already has 739 delegates and needs 498 more to reach the 1,237-delegate threshold needed to clinch the Republican presidential nomination. Cruz has 465 delegates, still trailing Trump by 274, according to Real Clear Politics.

Before Wisconsin, North Dakota will hold its caucus on April 1 with 28 delegates at stake.

Then on April 19, New York New will hold its primary with 95 delegates up for grabs on proportional allocation basis.

In a statewide Emerson College Polling Society survey conducted from March 20-22 of 439 likely GOP primary voters in Wisconsin, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.6 points, Cruz has 36 percent voters' support to Trump's 35 percent. Ohio Gov. John Kasich has 19 percent.

In a Basswood Research survey conducted for The Washington Free Beacon of 500 likely Republican primary voters, conducted on March 19 and 20, Cruz has 36 percent to Trump's 31 percent and Kasich's 21 percent.

Wisconsin is expected to be a crucial contest in the race for the Republican nomination as Trump looks to expand his lead while Cruz clings to his fading hopes of overtaking him as the front-runner ahead of a potential contested Republican convention.
Stand together to defend our Christian values, says Cameron

British Prime Minister David Cameron led calls for people to "stand together" and defend Christian values in the face of terror. The Pope and Archbishop of Canterbury joined in speaking of faith that light will overcome the darkness.

With Europe still reeling from the Brussels attacks, Cameron said: "The message of Easter is a message of hope for millions of Christians in our country and all around the world."

This hope can be witnessed every day in the faith-inspired projects that help the homeless, that get people into work, that help keep families together and offer homes to children in need," he said.

"We see that hope in the aid workers and volunteers who so often risk their own lives to save the lives of others in war-torn regions across the world. And at the heart of all these acts of kindness and courage is a set of values and beliefs that have helped to make our country what it is today."

British values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion and pride in working for the common good are Christian values, he continued. "They should give us the confidence to say yes, we are a Christian country and we are proud of it," he said. "But they are also values that speak to everyone in Britain  to people of every faith and none. And we must all stand together and defend them."

Cameron said: "When we see Christians today in 2016 being persecuted for their beliefs in other parts of the world  we must speak out and stand with those who bravely practise their faith."

The nation must never be cowed by terror.

"We must show that in this struggle of our generation we will defeat the pernicious ideology that is the root cause of this terrorism by standing up proudly for our values and our way of life."

Pope Francis said fear and darkness must not be allowed to control hearts. He warned that pessimism could imprison the world. In the wake of Brussels, it was so necessary to celebrate hope. He was speaking during the Easter Vigil service in Vatican City. Earlier, he condemned terrorist acts committed by the followers of some religions which "profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence".

The Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby used his Easter Sunday sermon to warn against succumbing to fear. He described Brussels as a sign of a world "at war with itself, of faith at each other's throats".

He said: "Fear is reasonable, a normal human reaction. This week has shocked all of us, and risks causing us to act fearfully, to see a world in which fear triumphs. Easter proclaims to us in flesh and blood that fear and death and terror are not the last words. God has spoken life, hope and purpose."
Trump vows to destroy oil fields under ISIS control as he lays out his worldview as U.S. president

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump revealed that as President of the U.S. he would destroy the oil fields in the Middle East currently under the control of the Islamic State (ISIS), thus depriving the terrorist group its primary source of income.

"I would say knock the hell out of the oil and do it because it's a primary source of money for ISIS," said Trump in a lengthy interview with the New York Times published online on Saturday.

"We have to destroy the oil. We should've taken it and we would've have it."

When asked how he plans to defeat ISIS in Syria, Trump said the President Obama's current approach of fighting the terror group and the forces of President Bashar Assad simultaneously is "madness, and idiocy."

"The far bigger problem than Assad is ISIS, I've always felt that," he said. "Assad is, you know I'm not saying Assad is a good man, 'cause he's not, but our far greater problem is not Assad, it's ISIS."

Trump also disclosed that he plans to stop the purchase of oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies if they refuse to commit ground troops to fight ISIS as part of a U.S.-led coalition or "substantially reimburse" the United States for combating the militant group, which threatens their stability.

"If Saudi Arabia was without the cloak of American protection," Trump said, "I don't think it would be around."

When asked what would merit U.S. humanitarian intervention under a Trump presidency, the brash billionaire said this would be based on how "friendly" a country has been toward the U.S.

Asked how he would handle tensions in the South China Sea, Trump said the best way to halt China's placement of military airfields and antiaircraft batteries on reclaimed islands in the South China Sea was to threaten its access to American markets.

"We have tremendous economic power over China," he argued. "And that's the power of trade."

He said he would use better trade deals to negotiate with Chinasomething he has often promised to do during his campaign. However, he declined to be more specific about his strategy.

"Would I go to war? Look, let me just tell you. There's a question I wouldn't want to answer," Trump said. "I don't want to say what I'd do because, again, we need unpredictability. You know, if I win, I don't want to be in a position where I've said I would or I wouldn't. I don't want them to know what I'm thinking.

"But I will tell you this. This is the one aspect I can tell you. I would use trade, absolutely, as a bargaining chip."

Trump said he would be open to allowing Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenals rather than depend on the American nuclear umbrella for their protection against North Korea and China.

He also said that he would be willing to withdraw U.S. forces from both Japan and South Korea if they did not substantially increase their contributions to the costs of housing and feeding the U.S. troops.

"We will not be ripped off anymore. We're going to be friendly with everybody, but we're not going to be taken advantage of by anybody," Trump said.

He agreed with a suggestion that his ideas might be summed up as an "America First" policy.

"Not isolationist, but I am America First," he said. "I like the expression."
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Under the wispy white clouds of a Texas spring day, U.S. Army Cpl. Davey Harvey Bart was laid to rest Saturday, 65 years late.

The Korean War soldier, whose remains were just authenticated late last month, was accompanied to the grave site by a motorcade of Patriot Guard Riders on motorcycles, passing by rows of still more dozens of Patriot Guard Riders lining the road to the grave site at Rosewood Cemetery in Humble, flags held high.

"I'm here to show respect and honor to this hero," said Dennis Leckbee, holding one of the flags. "I was 1-year-old when he passed away. Most young people don't understand how much we owe."

A half-dozen family members awaited the arrival of the glossy black casket draped in a flag, holding what remains of the 18-year-old who died in a prisoner of war camp in the winter of 1951.

He was given full military honors. A gun salute cracked the air, and a lone bugle mourned out taps.

Army Chaplain Lt. Col. Kenneth John Hancock, offered prayers and Psalm 23. "It is no small thing to state, in summary, that this family has brought him home," he said.

A surprise attack

Among those present was George Click, himself a Korean War veteran and, in later years, a friend of Bart's brother Donald. "But I didn't even know about Davey," Click said. Donald never brought up the subject.

Bart left Houston and joined the Army at the age of 18.

In 1950, Bart was in Company K, 3rd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Cavalry Division. Chinese People's Volunteer Forces launched a surprise attack near Unsan on Nov. 1. Many U.S. soldiers, including Bart, were taken prisoner. He was moved to the Pyokton prisoner of war camp and died just a few months later, in February or March of 1951.

In 1953, as the result of a prisoner exchange, one of the servicemen released said Bart had died, and the Army changed his status to deceased.

A DNA match

Fast forward to the early 1990s, when North Korea sends back 208 boxes containing the commingled remains of about 600 servicemen.

Forensic pathologists at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware used DNA from Bart's surviving sister, who was 10 when he died, as well as Y-chromosome DNA from a nephew, to identify the skeletal remains.

Bobby Stroka, a state captain in the Patriot Guard Riders, said he, too, was there to honor Bart. "It's 65 years late, but he gets to come home," he said. "It took this long to find him, but he's home."

Some 7,820 servicemen from the Korean War remain unaccounted for.
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Each week, Crime Stoppers officials in Houston and Montgomery County release a new list of what they consider to be their most highly sought fugitives.

RELATED: Houston's 10 most wanted domestic violence fugitives

In Houston, Crime Stoppers is searching for what the organization calls its 10 "most wanted" fugitives. Anyone with information about these suspects is asked to contact Crime Stoppers anonymously at 713-222-TIPS (8477).

Fugitives on Houston Crime Stoppers' list this week have charges ranging from aggravated sexual assault to burglary of a habitation.

RELATED: 19 arrested on felony prostitution charges

In Montgomery County, authorities are searching for what they call their "featured felons." Tipsters with information about these subjects are asked to call 1-800-392-STOP (7867). All callers will remain anonymous, and tipsters may be eligible for a $5,000 reward.

Fugitives on Montgomery County Crime Stoppers' list this week have charges ranging from sexual assault of a child to intoxicated manslaughter with a vehicle.
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.
Spring Awakening Duncan Sheik talks American Psycho the Musical Music Origins

American Psycho the Musical began previews this past Thursday. The new musical stars Ben Walker, Alice Ripley and Jennifer Damiano and features musics and lyrics by Spring Awakenings Duncan Sheik. Recently, the Tony Award winning musician opened up about the origins of the music.

Recently, Duncan Sheik spoke to Billboard about being struck with the inspiration to create the sound for American Psycho the Musical:

I had read the book when I was in college when it first came out in 1991. Frankly, the idea of turning American Psycho into a musical seemed pretty daft to me in the beginning. But when I re-read the book [in] 2009, I had one of those lightbulb-over-the-head moments where I thought, this will be really cool to create a piece of musical theater where the whole sonic palette was electronic music because basically all these characters were going out to nightclubs in New York City in the mid-to-late 80s. It was when early house music and early techno and EDM from the U.K. and Europe was starting to happen here in New York. I remember that time really well because I was sneaking into those same clubs as a teenager.

What do you think of Duncan Sheik's comments? Do you think that American Psycho the Musical will be successfully on Broadway? Let us know your thoughts on the comments section at the bottom of the page.

American Psycho the Musical is currently playing at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre located at 236 West 45th Street. Tickets are on sale now at http://americanpsychothemusical.com.

The Original London Cast Recording is currently available now from Concord Records.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsSpring Awakening, Duncan Sheik, Talks, American Psycho the Musical, Music, Origins
Boy From Oz Tony Winner Hugh Jackman Saves Drowning Kids from Riptide in Sydney

Hugh Jackman might play a hero in the X-Men film series, but today he is a real hero. The Tony winning Boy From Oz star recently returned home to his native Australia where he saved the lives of his kids and another family who were at risk of drowning from a dangerous riptide in Sydney. The whole dramatic incident was captured on video.

Hugh Jackman is known to many as Wolverine in the X-Men film series. Us theater geeks know Jackman for his multiple West End and Broadway roles in classics like Oklahoma!, Carousel, The River, A Steady Run, and The Boy From Oz. Jackman won a Tony Award for the latter, and has also won an Emmy Award for hosting the Tony Awards. Jackman also played the iconic role of Jean Valjean in the 2012 film version of Les Miserables for which he was nominated for both a Grammy and Academy Award.

Recently, Jackman stepped up against a riptide to help save the lives of severl people at risk of drowning, including the lives of his 15-year-old son, Oscar and his 10-year-old daughter.. The incredible rescue took place in Sydney, Australia.

A rep for Jackman spoke with ABC News following the incident, modestly saying:

"Hugh and Oscar are completely fine. It looks more dramatic than it was."

What do you think of Jackmans heroic actions? Were you surprised for one second? Would you expect anything less from Hugh Jackman? Let us know your thoughts on the rescue in the comments section at the bottom of the page.

We here at Classicalite have no doubt that Hugh Jackman is a bona fide real life hero. We applaud him and all of those who put their own lives at risk in order to save others. Thank you Hugh!

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsBoy From Oz, Tony Winner, Hugh Jackman, Saves, Drowning, Kids, Riptide, Sydney
Edie Brickell Talks Bluegrass Musical Bright Star Iron Mountain Baby Orgins

Steve Martin and Edie Brickells new bluegrass musical Bright Star is now playing on Broadway. Recently, Edie Brickell opened up about the shows origins, which involve the real life story a baby from from a train on the Iron Mountain railway.

Recently, Edie Brickell spoke to Playbill about the origins of Bright Star:

Steve sent me a composition, and there was one particular part where I heard myself singing, Wooo! Wooo! in the melody--you know, like a train--and I thought, Bluegrass train! Ill give it a shot.

Brickell went on to search for southern trains where discovered the story of the Iron Mountain Baby. The Iron Mountain Baby, was a five-day-old child who was thrown from a train and badly injured. The child was found by civil war vet, William Helms while walking the Iron Mountain railway. The baby was named William Moses Gould Helms after his rescue, the owner of the railroad and the Biblical prophet found floating in a river as an infant.

Brickell was intrigued by this tale, as she went to explain:

The very first one that caught my eye was the Iron Mountain, and, when you click on Iron Mountain, it offers the story of the Iron Mountain baby. I thought, What a miracle! and then I thought, What a musical!

Bright Star is currently playing at the Cort Theatre, located 138 W 48th St, New York, NY.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsEdie Brickell, Bluegrass, Musical, Bright Star, Iron Mountain Baby, Orgins
Steve Martin and Walter Bobbie Talk Bright Star Musicals Real Life Origin Story

Steve Martin and Edie Brickells new bluegrass musical, Bright Star is currently on Broadway and it looks it is going to be a runaway hit. The events of the show were inspired by the real life story of William Moses Gould Helms, the Iron Mountain Baby, who was thrown from the Iron Mountain railway when he was born and was saved by a Civil War vet. Now, Martin and Bright Star director, Walter Bobbie are opening up about how the story shaped the musical.

Steve Martin recently spoke to Playbill about shaping Bright Stars fictitious events around the real world story of the Iron Mountain Baby:

Im from Texas, but I left when I was five. I have roots in North Carolina. Edie and I wrote this beautiful song called Asheville--she wrote the lyrics for it--and we wanted to put that song in the show. It was a natural setting for us, but we needed to work out things like Where would a train be running in 1923? Where would there be mountains and towns far apart? And a story started forming.

Bright Star director Walter Bobbie also spoke about the storys origins, adding:

Id heard of the event of the Iron Mountain baby. The fiction that Steve created around it, frankly, has changed since we first did it. Certain characters and songs have come and gone. He took an actual event that happened, I believe, in 1904, and he wrote a What if? story around it. It was just wonderful watching him and Edie create a possible scenario from this really shattering, horrible event and to have it come to a happy resolution.

Bright Star is currently playing at the Cort Theatre, located 138 W 48th St, New York, NY.

 2016 The Classical Art, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.

TagsSteve Martin, Walter Bobbie, Talk Bright Star, Musical, Real Life, Origin, Story
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Eight Ohio University students suffered minor injuries when the bus they were riding in overturned Sunday afternoon in Akron.

(File photo)

Editor's note: This post was updated to correct erroneous information initially provided to the media by police.

AKRON, Ohio -- Two people were transported to hospitals with minor injuries after the bus they were riding in overturned Sunday afternoon, police said.

The bus hit a curb and came to rest on its side, Akron police Lt. Rick Edwards said.

The accident happened at 12:37 p.m. near the intersection of South High and Selle streets.

The driver told police the bus had a mechanical malfunction that caused the crash.

The bus was a GoBus, part of a rural intercity transit program that connects Athens with other cities in Ohio. The bus was returning to Athens from Cleveland.

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A drunken driver was arrested after she flagged down a Bay Village officer to ask for directions, police said.

(File photo)

BAY VILLAGE, Ohio -- A drunken driver was arrested after she flagged down an officer to ask for directions early Sunday morning, police said.

She failed field sobriety tests. The woman was cited for operating a vehicle under the influence, stopped in traffic, and blood alcohol content greater than .17, according to police. The legal limit is .08.

Police did not give the woman's name.

The woman's car was stopped in the middle of Lake Road near Bradley Road about 3:30 a.m. She was trying to get to her home in North Olmsted, police said.

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Cleveland's tech startup companies faced with staying or leaving: Tech Czar Talk.

(Courtesy photo)

CLEVELAND, Ohio - There's no rest for the weary in Cleveland's tech industry. The recent loss to the West Coast of a growing startup company is stirring a lot of talk on whether or not this departure was good for Cleveland.

Certainly the loss of any provocative startup stings, but what about forgoing Cleveland all together and fashioning your tech dream somewhere else? It's a

Michael C. DeAloia

phenomenon. On the other hand, another Big Data firm is taking root and flourishing in the Sixth City ... just in time to enjoy Tech Week.

Head West, Young Man. A lot has been made recently of local tech startup Phenom leaving the not so comfy confines of Cleveland to make its way to Silicon Valley. In fact, Phenom was the first Cleveland company to be accepted into 500 Startups, which is a global seed investor and startup accelerator based in the Silicon Valley.

I fear this departure is the beginning of a trend. Prior to Phenom leaving for the Valley, Rageon.com left Cleveland to join the Alchemist Accelerator in Silicon Valley. Tallyo, a Cleveland startup, left for San Francisco, as well. Another Cleveland startup Dollop decided it could find greener pastures and better capital sources in New York. There are rumblings that other promising startups are noticing the success of these Cleveland companies and soon will take flight, too. That's not the way to stem brain drain for Northeast Ohio.

But what about a company that was started by a Clevelander, but never took hold here? Would that be a lost opportunity, as well?

In 2006, Jeff Harris graduated Shaker Heights High School and left Cleveland to attend Hamilton College in upstate New York. It was there that Harris began formulating a concept of a Twitter visualizer - a unique way to view conversations outside the typical vertical flow that Twitter uses to display tweets.

Harris knew he was on to something and after vetting the idea with local entrepreneur Chris Celeste of Hatch, a local seed investment group, and his father Jim Harris - CEO of Think-A-Move, he developed an alpha version of his vision called TwitWheel. This crude version of a Twitter visualizer was able to excite 6.5 million users. Based upon this initial concept, Harris was able to raise $1.5 million. Unfortunately, Twitter changed its Application Programming Interface and pivoted Harris to find a new concept - software called TalkWheel.

TalkWheel allows the user to review his or her online conversations using a circular presentation style. The new tool generated a ton of excitement and in the past two years saw revenues jump 400 percent. In February of 2016, TalkWheel sold to Clickable, another San Francisco based tech company.

Harris deserves all the success he worked so hard for, but it makes me wonder what he could have made of TalkWheel in Cleveland? And is Cleveland ready for startup prime time?

A New Digital Platform. From being told in 2011 that he'd never be able to grow his data company in Cleveland to now being a strong player in the Big Data market, Tom Kramer, founder of Essex Digital Platform knows a thing or two about beating the odds.

Kramer had been working as the Digital Sales Director at Time Warner Cable fashioning digital ad campaigns for the cable giant's clients. He had worked with local media company Cyrid Media and partnered with them to launch the Essex big data platform.

The company's first product was a demand side platform for ad bidding. But has since expanded into ad display, paid search, advanced targeting, integrated solutions and detailed reporting of the big data capture. Essentially, Essex's software and complex algorithms customize digital ad campaigns based upon the company's data attributes (nearly 100,000 actionable data points). The goal is to vastly improve digital ad campaign effectiveness while reducing ad spending.

Kramer said he is proud of creating a tech company that is full of digital marketing and big-data experts. Some of its advertising partners include Forbes, Nielsen, Microsoft Advertising, DoubleClick and Technorati. The firm now employs 12 full-time specialists and shares office space with Cyrid Media. Kramer said his revenue has doubled every year during the past three years.

12 Days of Tech. Tech Week is an annual homage to support, celebrate and engage the local tech community and this year it kicks off April 13 with the "Recruiting, Reskilling and Re-entry in Tech" networking mixer featuring experts from Tech Savvy Women and Tech Elevator.

Tech Savvy Women is a national organization that works to attract and promote women in the tech industries. The local chapter was started in 2008 by JJ DiGeronimo, a well-known tech thought leader in the region. Tech Elevator is Anthony Hughes' latest and greatest initiative to train the regional workforce in computer languages.

The 12-day event concludes with a three day NASA Space Apps Challenge that takes place from April 22-24.

This is one of those wow events that all tech leaders and enthusiasts should attend. For a detailed list of all the tech events visit www.techweekneo.com.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- Joe and Sarah Hill may not be universally known, but their influence has been vast, touching the lives of their 11 children, the people of their Union-Miles neighborhood, and many who walk the corridors of power.

As ordained ministers, they founded a modest church that now sits on Kinsman Road. They were also the first African-Americans to live on Raymond Avenue, where they raised their children.

Saturday was theirs, a moment of joy and melancholy when Raymond was re-dedicated as Joe and Sarah Hill Way.

The joy was in "celebration of lives well lived," in the words of Kevin McDaniel, who spoke on behalf of Congresswoman Marcia Fudge.

The melancholy flowed from the absence of Sarah Hill who passed last September, and did not live to see what Cleveland Mayor Frank Jackson termed a well-deserved honor.

Also present was Sara Joseph, their 35-year-old granddaughter. She was honored by President Bill Clinton in 1994, the same year she threw her body on a mortally wounded middle-school student to protect him.

Joseph's most vivid memory was "trying to lift him off the pavement and seeing his eyes roll back in his head."

He was Paul Wallace, 15, and she still remembers his birthday.

Her memory of Clinton was saying that "I can tell that when you grow up, you are going to prosper."

"He must have been right," she said, "because I am a nurse now."

At the time of her heroism, grandmother Sarah Hill attributed it to the young woman's religious training. She was "raised to believe: Greater love hath no man than this: that a man lay down his life for a friend."

The Hills' moral legacy goes well beyond one 13-year-old's courage. The Rev. Joe Hill's father, Willie Hill, was a fireman on a steam locomotive in Louisiana who once grabbed a woman off the tracks just ahead of a speeding train, the reverend said in 1994. For that, President Franklin D. Roosevelt gave him a medal.

But achievement doesn't stop there. All 11 of Joe and Sarah's children finished school, and the tradition continues. Kevin Hill sang powerfully Saturday as he held the hand of his wheelchair-bound grandfather. The polish of his vocal skills did not exactly belie his day job as a mortgage broker in Cincinnati, but one does not often associate the two skill sets.

The mayor said he and Joe Hill go back to the days when Jackson was the city councilman for the area.

"We would meet on the same day of each month at the Union library branch," the mayor said, and Hill eventually moved into a leadership roll in the ward.

Wanda Hill Chestnut said her father also worked as a construction engineer, and he was instructed to pick up a broom and sweep as upper management was coming.

"He refused," she said proudly. "He taught us not to let our Zip code tell people who we are."

Now a part of that Zip code -- both ends of Raymond Avenue -- bear the names of two people who helped shape a family, a neighborhood and an entire community.

The re-dedication is not unique but it is reserved for only a few.

At one time, West 3rd Street bore the additional label of McFaul Way, for disgraced former Cuyahoga County Sheriff Gerald McFaul, but that came down when he did.

There was every indication Saturday that that fate will not befall Joe and Sarah Hill Way.
CLEVELAND, Ohio - Happy Easter!

The terrorist attacks in Brussels dominated the news last week. And we have plenty of stories on that, including reactions from presidential candidates about the blasts that killed at least 31, and a look back at the other attacks that have rocked Europe in the last decade.

But we had plenty of other coverage. Grab your chocolate bunny and catch up on the news you may have missed this past week.

Want to feel inspired?

Four University of Akron students set out to Dubai this month to prove that a solution to poverty might be as simple as a small foam brick, Emily Bamforth reports. The pitch was part of the competition for the Hult Prize, which this year challenged college kids to try to double the income of people living in crowded urban spaces.

In Our Backyard is the positive, populist polar opposite of the nattering nabobs of negativism known as NIMBY, the suburban acronym of "Not in My Backyard." Chris Evans reports that the first Cleveland office of the New York-based nonprofit opened its first Cleveland office in the Buckeye neighborhood to champion cyber-fueled "citizen philanthropy."

Want to be perplexed?

A proposal by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to add other species of birds to what is known as the federal "duck stamp" is sending feathers flying. The $25 stamp, which serves federal waterfowl hunting permit, sends 98 percent of its price price to buy land for waterfowl in or around national wildlife refuges. Plenty of duck hunters don't want to mess with it. Stephen Koff explains, and shows a gallery of examples, too.

Want to feel angry?

A U.S. Senate subcommittee is reviewing allegations that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers deliberately cut money budgeted for dredging the Cuyahoga River, so that it could avoid disposing of the toxic sludge safely, Evans reports.

More than a year after Cleveland State University sold the president's $800,000 home in Shaker Heights and began paying $3,600 a month for Ron Berkman to live in the luxury complex, The 9, a university organization is buying Berkman another house, this time in Cleveland Heights. Karen Farkas reports that officials won't release the price, or address until the sale closes.

Want to feel informed?

Nuns last week challenged the Affordable Care Act, which grants employees of religious groups access to contraceptives through third parties, Sabrina Eaton reports. That workaround violates those freedoms under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act of 1993, lawyers for the Little Sisters of the Poor and other charities, universities and hospitals argued Wednesday at the U.S. Supreme Court.

Elections officials testifying this week in a voting rights case said that in 2014 some legitimate ballots from Ohio voters were tossed out while others with obvious flaws under the law were counted. The testimony was part of a lawsuit challenging state election laws and their inconsistent application from county to county, Bob Higgs reports. The case has been ongoing since 2008.

Want to feel optimistic?

Tower City could return to its glory days, now that Dan Gilbert has bought the ailing Avenue mall. What would you like to see there? Bamforth collects ideas.
CHARDON, Ohio -- About 350 or maybe 400 kids -- hard to estimate exactly in all that squirming -- showed up on Chardon Square this morning to hunt down some 3000 candy-filled plastic eggs in the annual Easter Egg Hunt.

As happened last year, kids impatient to get on with the hunt ignored pleas to wait for their separate age groups to be given the starting gun. All blasted forward past the yellow caution tape, to search in straw strewn with hidden eggs, as soon as they heard the first group told "Go!" No matter, the plastic eggs were scooped up in a matter of minutes anyway.

The Chardon Square Association, Chardon Tomorrow, and the Chardon Area Chamber of Commerce teamed up to host the event, open to all kids 8 and under. True to Geauga County's maple syrup roots, the Pilgrim Christian Church on the Square hosted a pancake breakfast before the egg hunt.
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- More than 150 Cleveland youth gathered at Cleveland State University as part of the 3rd annual Youth Solutions Congress to discuss recreation, health, employment, education, safety and civic engagement.

The students broke into groups to answer questions like, "What is the biggest issue facing Greater Cleveland?"

Lead by moderators, each group discussed what assets and challenges existed to solving the problems they face.

Then, the groups turned to solutions: I dream of a Cleveland where.... was the prompt they followed to propose solutions to a group of community decision-makers that included city, police, school district and community agency "decision makers."

Some of the solutions included: providing more job readiness training in schools, more training for police on mental health and community issues, more options created for healthy food options and students said they needed more structured recreational opportunities.

"I want my voice to be heard, that's why I came," said Audazja McCreary, 16.

She participated in a group that decided there should more training and trust building between police and youth. McCreary said she lacked trust for police because of situations that she'd seen with relatives or experienced. But she also said, after the group's discussion, that teens play a role in acting respectfully as well.

The Congress was sponsored by the Neighborhood Leadership Institute (NLI) and MyCom, two community groups that support youth development and leadership.
CINCINNATI -- A suburban Cincinnati man has been arrested after police said he kept calling 911 every time he got drunk.

Richard Hughes, 27, was charged Thursday with making false alarms, Hamilton County court records show. Police said he had been given a spoken warning three times and was given a written warning one day before he was arrested after calling 911 again and requesting a life squad.



Police say the behavior has been going on for months, and that he is abusing emergency services. Police said the Colerain Township man has been evaluated repeatedly and told each time there is no medical issue.

"The arrested continues to abuse emergency services by calling 911 for a life squad every time he gets highly intoxicated," the police report said, according to Cincinnati.com.



Hughes has pleaded not guilty and remained jailed Sunday with $30,000 bond. A message was left for his attorney. His next court date is April 6.
Donald Trump stumps in Youngstown, Ohio

Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump addresses supporters at a rally, March 14, 2016, at Winner Aviation in Vienna, Ohio.

(John Kuntz/cleveland.com)

Whether

out of the Republican presidential derby is between him, his advisers, his pollsters - and his ego. But given that polls suggest Kasich could beat Democrat Hillary Clinton, but Donald J. Trump and Ted Cruz couldn't, why would Kasich step away now?

Still, assume for a moment that when the Republican National Convention meets in Cleveland in July, it nominates Trump (a sometime campaign contributor to Clinton and Harry Reid). Then consider the perils Ohio Republicans could face.

The last time Republicans named a politically disastrous presidential candidate, in 1964 - Arizona's Barry Goldwater (and it needs to be said that as a person and an officeholder, Barry Goldwater was everything Donald Trump isn't) - Democrat Lyndon Johnson carried 83 of Ohio's 88 counties.

Also running statewide in 1964 was future Gov. Bob Taft's father, Robert Taft Jr., son of "Mr. Republican." Robert Taft Jr. was heavily favored to unseat Sen. Stephen M. Young, a Greater Cleveland Democrat. Instead, with 3.8 million votes cast in the Taft-Young contest, Taft lost - by 16,827 votes.

On this November's Ohio ballot, Republican Sen. Rob Portman, of the Cincinnati suburb Terrace Park (median household income: $116,250), is facing Democratic ex-Gov. Ted Strickland (who lives in a Columbus ZIP Code area whose median household income is $34,136).

Portman was and may still

be favored, not least because of Portman's huge Senate campaign fund. Portman supports Kasich for president. But if Trump is the GOP's nominee, the Portman-Strickland joust might even up.

In the mid-1960s, the Ohio House had more members than its current 99. And the so-called Hanna amendment to the Ohio Constitution guaranteed that every county, no matter how thinly populated, was guaranteed at least one state representative. That advantaged the GOP until the U.S. Supreme Court's "one person, one vote," decisions.

Still, here's what the Goldwater election did to Ohio House Republicans. Before the 1964 election, the House had 49 Democrats, 88 Republicans. At the 1964 election, despite Goldwater's showing, Republicans, thanks to gerrymandering and the Hanna amendment, kept an Ohio House majority. Still, the GOP lost 13 House seats (15 percent of their 1963-64 caucus) to Democrats.

If a Trump nomination spawned a 15 percent seat-loss this year, that could hammer down Republican Speaker Clifford A. Rosenberger's 65-member Ohio House caucus to, say, 55 seats.

In 2008, when Barack Obama ran for president and carried Ohio, Ohio's House, which was 53-46 Republican in 2007-08, back-flipped to 53-46 Democratic. That led to the speakership of Beachwood Democrat Armond Budish, now Cuyahoga County's executive.

In 2012, Obama carried six Ohio House districts now held by Rosenberger's Republicans, which Democrats are contesting this year, according to Ohio Manufacturers' Association data.

There are three other House districts, also GOP-held, Mitt Romney carried by less than 50 percent of the vote. Example: Greater Cleveland's 16th, where Rocky River Democrat Tommy Greene and Cuyahoga County Council member Dave Greenspan, a Westlake Republican, are vying to succeed term-limited Republican Rep. Nan Baker. In 2012, Romney drew 49.16 percent of the 16th District's vote, Obama, 49 percent.

The GOP dilemma: Ohio's long ballot asks a great deal of voters. It assumes Ohioan have the time to consider, say, candidate Jane Doe's qualifications independently of the name at the top of her party's ticket - say, Donald Trump. That's what would happen - in an ideal world. But ours isn't, which is why "disaster" is a word Ohio Republicans think of when they think about a Trump nomination.
PARMA, Ohio - Two more Tri-C West students have distinguished themselves on an academic level.

Zaccardelli

Enzo Zaccardelli and Zachary Toth, both of Parma, were among the eight students from Tri-C named to the All-Ohio Community College Academic Team, which comprises the top students at the state's two-year schools.

The All-Ohio Academic Team recognizes student excellence in academics, leadership and community service.

A graduate of Padua Franciscan High School, Zaccardelli received first team honors. He expects to graduate from Tri-C this spring with an Associate of Arts degree. He plans to transfer to Cleveland State University in the fall to study history and anthropology.

Zaccardelli is involved with Phi Theta Kappa Honor Society at Tri-C West, the International Club and the Student Peace Alliance. In 2015, he received national recognition as a Coca-Cola Leader of Promise Scholar, which honors academic achievement and leadership.

Toth

A graduate of Parma Senior High School, Toth received third team honors and expects to graduate from Tri-C in May with an Associate of Arts degree and then transfer to John Carroll to study history. His goal is to become a high school history teacher.

Tree City Again: Parma Heights was named Tree City USA by the Arbor Day Foundation for its 26th consecutive year. Started in 1976, the Tree City USA program, sponsored by the Arbor Day Foundation in partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the National Association of State Foresters, is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year.

"We're proud to have received this distinction for the past 26 years," said Mayor Michael P. Byrne. "We're also excited to announce an Arbor Day poster contest for elementary school students in grades 3-5."

Sponsored by the City of Parma Heights, the first-ever Arbor Day poster contest is now open to students, with entries being accepted through 4:30 p.m. Thursday, April 14, 2016.

The objectives of the poster contest are to have students consider the many ways in which trees impact our lives on multiple levels: environmentally, socially, personally, etc.; to foster an appreciation for the trees in our urban environment; to create an awareness for the celebration of Arbor Day (April 29, 2016); and to educate students about the importance of becoming stewards of our environment.

Contest rules and guidelines have been made available to PCSD schools: Parma Park, Pleasant Valley, Ridge-Brook Elementary Schools, Greenbriar Middle School; Incarnate Word Academy, Pearl Road Constellation School and Parma Heights Christian Academy. Any public, private or home-schooled student in grades 3-5 interested in participating can get contest information by contacting Michelle Teresi at 440-884-9607 or teresi@parmaheightsoh.gov.

Reminder: The Board of Trustees of the City of Parma Boyko Memorial Scholarship Foundation is now accepting applications for the 2016 award season.

Now in its ninth year, the foundation will once again offer three to five scholarships with a minimum award of $1,500 each. One of these scholarships will be designated for an applicant exhibiting an exceptional commitment to community service.

Applications are available on the City of Parma website at cityofparma-oh.gov. Applications can also be picked up at Parma City Hall, any of the Parma Cuyahoga County Public Library branches or any high school in the Parma City School District.

The scholarship is intended to provide financial assistance to high school seniors or equivalent who are residents of Parma wishing to pursue post-secondary education during the 2016-2017 academic year. Financial need, work ethic, community service and accomplishments are among the selection criteria for the scholarship.

For more information or to donate to the foundation, contact Parma City Council President and Board of Trustees member Sean Brennan at sbrennan@cityofparma-oh.gov or 440-885-8091.

More Information: If you have any announcements from your group or club regarding fundraisers, send them to me at marklholan@yahoo.com
Easter egg spam is from the SPAM UK April Fool's Facebook announcement from 2013. Source: Facebook Announcement

Too bad Spam-filled chocolate Easter eggs aren't real, because they might have found a receptive audience in a new location. The gag item, announced in 2013 as an April Fool's Day marketing trick, would likely be a hit at the Spam Museum, reopening next month in Austin, Minnesota. Austin is the home town of the iconic tinned meat producer, Hormel Foods Corporation .

When its doors open on April 22, the expanded museum won't have the fictional Easter eggs, but will have other unusual Spam varieties  including teriyaki and macadamia nut  which speak to the history and production of the spiced ham product invented nearly eight decades ago.

"Where else can you be served meat cubes on pretzel sticks while learning how cans of Spam helped win World War II?," said Doug Kirby, publisher of Roadside America. "The museum is a great example of how a business can embrace its own pop culture legacy and produce an amusing tourist attraction."





A new vision with Spam, and 'Spamples'

SPAMples, the Spam Museum's version of free samples, will continue as wellsomething that excites the meat's die-hard fans.

"We'll have new galleries," said Nicole Behne, marketing director of grocery products at Hormel Foods, "but we're keeping and updating several popular ones, including one exploring Spam's connection to the military and the production line game where guests can simulate making Spam."

Since 2001, the Spam Museum has welcomed "hundreds of thousands" of visitors, said Behnefirst from its location in a local mall and, later, from a building attached to Hormel corporate headquarters just off Interstate 90.

However, stopping at the museum didn't require a drive through Austin (population: 25,000), which meant most visitors never ventured into the town's historic shop and restaurant-filled downtown.

So when it came time for a new and bigger spot for the museum, members of Vision 2020, a community group working to improve the quality of life in Austin by the year 2020, urged Hormel to move the museum to Austin's Main Street. "You can imagine how many visitors that could bring to town to spend their money in local businesses," said Vision 2020 coordinator Greg Siems. "That can't be replicated by anything else in town." Hormel, the town's largest employer, agreed. "We decided it was a great opportunity to help bring economic development downtown," said Behne, "Instead of seeing the museum and getting back on the highway, people can eat, shop and play in the downtown and support the area."





SPAM Museum Source: Hormel Foods Corporation and the SPAM Museum
Bernie Sanders swept all three Democratic caucus on Saturday, with decisive victories over front-runner Hillary Clinton in Washington state and Alaska and a projected win in Hawaii, according to NBC News analysis.

Speaking to a rapturous crowd in Madison, Wisconsin, after his victory in Alaska, Sanders declared his campaign was making "significant inroads" into Clinton's big delegate lead.

The Vermont Senator also had breaking news to his jubilant supporters.

"OK, are you ready for a news alert? We just won the state of Washington!" Sanders told the crowd to cheers and applause. "That is what momentum is about."

"So don't let anybody, don't let anybody tell you we can't win the nomination or win the general election  we're going to do both of those things," Sanders said.

More from NBC News:

Why Bernie Sanders Isn't Dropping Out Despite Hillary's Lead

The Behind-the-Scenes Delegate Fight to Stop Donald Trump

Revealed: Donald Trump's Campaign to Thwart a Contested Convention
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California legislators and labor unions on Saturday reached a tentative agreement that will take the state's minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour, a state senator said, a move that would make for the largest statewide minimum in the nation by far.

Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, who stressed that the deal was not yet finalized, told The Associated Press the proposal would go before the Legislature as part of his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year.

Leno said the deal would avoid taking the issue to the ballot. One union-backed initiative has already qualified for the ballot, and a second, competing measure is also trying to qualify.

"This is an issue I've been working on for many years," Leno said. "The governor and stakeholders have all been negotiating earnestly and in good faith for some time."

Leno did not confirm specifics of the agreement, but most proposals have the wage increasing about a dollar per year until it reaches $15 per hour.

The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the deal, said the wage would rise to $10.50 in 2017, to $11 an hour in 2018, and one dollar per year to take it to $15 by 2022. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have an extra year to comply.

At $10 an hour, California already has one of the highest minimum wages in the nation along with Massachusetts. Only Washington, D.C., at $10.50 per hour is higher. The hike to $15 would make it the highest statewide wage in the nation by far, though raises are in the works in other states that might change by the time the plateau is reached in 2022.
Donald J. Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner, said that if elected, he might halt purchases of oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies unless they commit ground troops to the fight against the Islamic State or "substantially reimburse" the United States for combating the militant group, which threatens their stability. "If Saudi Arabia was without the cloak of American protection," Mr. Trump said during a 100-minute interview on foreign policy, spread over two phone calls on Friday, "I don't think it would be around." He also said he would be open to allowing Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenals rather than depend on the American nuclear umbrella for their protection against North Korea and China. If the United States "keeps on its path, its current path of weakness, they're going to want to have that anyway, with or without me discussing it," Mr. Trump said. And he said he would be willing to withdraw United States forces from both Japan and South Korea if they did not substantially increase their contributions to the costs of housing and feeding those troops. "Not happily, but the answer is yes," he said. More from The New York Times:

Transcript: Donald Trump Expounds on His Foreign Policy Views

Top Experts Confounded by Advisers to Donald Trump

Donald Trump's Secret Weapon: Blue-State Voters

Mr. Trump also said he would seek to renegotiate many fundamental treaties with American allies, possibly including a 56-year-old security pact with Japan, which he described as one-sided.

In Mr. Trump's worldview, the United States has become a diluted power, and the main mechanism by which he would re-establish its central role in the world is economic bargaining. He approached almost every current international conflict through the prism of a negotiation, even when he was imprecise about the strategic goals he sought. He again faulted the Obama administration's handling of the negotiations with Iran last year  "It would have been so much better if they had walked away a few times," he said  but offered only one new idea about how he would change its content: Ban Iran's trade with North Korea.

Mr. Trump struck similar themes when he discussed the future of NATO, which he called "unfair, economically, to us," and said he was open to an alternative organization focused on counterterrorism. He argued that the best way to halt China's placement of military airfields and antiaircraft batteries on reclaimed islands in the South China Sea was to threaten its access to American markets. "We have tremendous economic power over China," he argued. "And that's the power of trade." He did not mention Beijing's ability for economic retaliation. Mr. Trump's views, as he explained them, fit nowhere into the recent history of the Republican Party: He is not in the internationalist camp of President George Bush, nor does he favor President George W. Bush's call to make it the United States' mission to spread democracy around the world. He agreed with a suggestion that his ideas might be summed up as "America First." "Not isolationist, but I am America First," he said. "I like the expression." He said he was willing to reconsider traditional American alliances if partners were not willing to pay, in cash or troop commitments, for the presence of American forces around the world. "We will not be ripped off anymore," he said. In the past week, the bombings in Brussels and an accelerated war against the Islamic State have shifted the focus of the campaign trail conversation back to questions of how the candidates would defend the United States and what kind of diplomacy they would pursue around the world. Mr. Trump explained his thoughts in concrete and easily digestible terms, but they appeared to reflect little consideration for potential consequences. Much the same way he treats political rivals and interviewers, he personalized how he would engage foreign nations, suggesting his approach would depend partly on "how friendly they've been toward us," not just on national interests or alliances.

At no point did he express any belief that American forces deployed on military bases around the world were by themselves valuable to the United States, though Republican and Democratic administrations have for decades argued that they are essential to deterring military adventurism, protecting commerce and gathering intelligence. Like Richard M. Nixon, Mr. Trump emphasized the importance of "unpredictability" for an American president, arguing that the country's traditions of democracy and openness had made its actions too easy for adversaries and allies alike to foresee. "I wouldn't want them to know what my real thinking is," he said of how far he was willing to take the confrontation over the islands in the South China Sea, which are remote and lightly inhabited but extend China's control over a major maritime thoroughfare. But, he added, "I would use trade, absolutely, as a bargaining chip." Asked when he thought American power had been at its peak, Mr. Trump reached back 116 years to the turn of the 20th century, the era of another unconventional Republican, Theodore Roosevelt, who ended up leaving the party. His favorite figures in American history, he said, include two generals, Douglas MacArthur and George S. Patton  though he said that, unlike MacArthur, he would not advocate using nuclear weapons except as a last resort. (He suggested MacArthur had pressed during the Korean War to use them against China as a means "to negotiate," adding, "He played the nuclear card, but he didn't use it.") Mr. Trump denied that he had had trouble finding top members of the foreign policy establishment to advise him. "Many of them are tied up with contracts working for various networks," he said, like Fox or CNN. He named three advisers in addition to five he announced earlier in the week: retired Maj. Gen. Gary L. Harrell, Maj. Gen. Bert K. Mizusawa and retired Rear Adm. Charles R. Kubic. They reflected a continuing bias toward former military officers, rather than diplomats or academics with foreign policy experience. General Harrell, a Special Forces veteran, was a commander in the failed "Black Hawk Down" mission in Somalia in 1993. Admiral Kubic, now president of an engineering firm, has been a sharp critic of President Obama's handling of the attack on Libya that helped oust Col. Muammar el-Qaddafi. Asked about the briefings he receives and books he has read on foreign policy, Mr. Trump said his main information source was newspapers, "including yours."
Three takeways from Missouri's game against Vanderbilt

Missouri football took on Vanderbilt for its homecoming game on Saturday. Here's what to know from the game.
Richard Gardner/The Commercial Appeal files The Jacksons, Tito (from left), Michael, Randy, Jack and Marlin, relax together at the Memphis Hyatt on March 23, 1977 and catch up on fan mail while in Memphis for a performance at the Mid-South Coliseum.

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March 27

25 years ago: 1991

Memphis State University President Thomas G. Carpenter said he feels like an astronaut before takeoff  he's excited, but he's unsure of what's out there. Friday will be the last day of his 10-year presidency of Memphis State University, the state's largest university outside the University of Tennessee system. But most of the goodbyes will be said today at a campus reception featuring a massive cake shaped like the administration building and a black tie affair at the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art tonight.

50 years ago: 1966

Tens of thousands of demonstrators protesting America's role in the Vietnam War marched through city streets from New England to California yesterday, dodging rotten eggs, beer cans and fists. Massed police in the nation's larger cities by-and-large prevented protesters and hecklers from clashing during the second of the "international days of protest." Eggs were hurled by hecklers in New York, Boston and Oklahoma City. Spectators in Boston tossed beer cans at the marchers. At Oklahoma City, high school students shouted, "Cowards, Communists" at the marchers and burned pacifist literature.

75 years ago: 1941

General Forrest was probably the greatest tactician the United States has ever produced, Col. George Byers of the Second Army declared yesterday in a talk before the Co-operative Club at the Peabody.

100 years ago: 1916

Brantley, alias "Country" Mitchell, member of Frank Holloway's gang of alleged safe blowers and holdups, was taken into custody by Detectives Brown and Foppiano after a chase last night.

125 years ago: 1891

Duncan Harrison's "Honest Hearts and Willing Hands," with John L. Sullivan in the cast, will be the Grand Opera House attraction the latter half of next week.
Photos by Yalonda M. James/The Commercial Appeal Ayman Chaudhary (right), 15, feeds her 13-year-old sister, Maryam, of Collierville, a grape leaf during the MusliMeMfest celebration at Agricenter International on Saturday. The festival's mission is to foster an interest in building bridges among different communities in Memphis.

SHARE Muslim men kneel in prayer during the MusliMeMfest celebration Saturday. The festival's goal is to strengthen relationships between the diverse peoples of the city.

By Kayleigh Skinner of The Commercial Appeal

Slowly but surely, Memphians trickled into the Agricenter International center Saturday afternoon to partake in MusliMeMfest, a celebration of the city's Muslim community.

The festival, in its inaugural year, is the latest addition to a series of events hosted by the Memphis community during March over the past 14 years.

Angie Odeh, marketing coordinator for the free festival, said the event was an opportunity to bridge gaps between the Muslim and non-Muslim communities in Memphis.

"I just like for people to know we're just normal people, we happen to practice the faith of Islam," Odeh said. "We've put special emphasis on what we'd like to share about ourselves that people want to know, especially in this political climate right now."

The festival featured tables and booths filled with Muslim businesses and food vendors, and an imam (Islamic religious leader) was on hand to answer "absolutely any question you want," Odeh said.

Visitors could attend multiple movie showings and listen to guest speakers, stand-up comedy, poetry and dance performances.

Annette Bickers and Nancy Walker made a point of stopping at every table at the festival. Both women are Presbyterian and came to show support for the local Muslim community.

"We believe Islam has been denigrated and misrepresented by current politicians  Tennessee legislature and the people who are running for president, a lot of politicians and some media too," Bickers said. "They're not terrorists, we're here to offer support."

Walker added that the culture's food was amazing as well.

"We just believe in offering an open heart and mind to our fellow citizens," Bickers said.
March 24, 2016 - Miguel Garcia, 16, at his Memphis home. Garcia traveled to Nashville last month with Latino Memphis to speak in favor of a bill that would grant in-state tuition at public universities to students like him who have immigration problems. (Nikki Boertman/The Commercial Appeal)

By Daniel Connolly of The Commercial Appeal

Miguel Garcia's participation in an eighth grade debate team provided him a revelation  his ability to take a stance on an issue. "I thought 'I'm actually good at this. I can do something with this.' Politics and law. I think I like this," Garcia said.

And legislation that would grant in-state tuition at public universities to students like him who have immigration problems could help provide a college education.

Garcia, now 16 and a junior at Ridgeway High, hopes to become a lawyer or judge. He also traveled to Nashville last month with the advocacy group Latino Memphis to speak in favor of the tuition bill, and played a different political role  lobbyist.

Last year, the bill won support not just from groups like the Tennessee Immigrant and Refugee Rights Coalition, but business organizations including the Greater Memphis Chamber, the Tennessee Farm Bureau and the Tennessee Board of Regents, which runs tech schools, community colleges and four-year schools such as the University of Memphis. In the Republican-controlled Legislature, the bill very nearly passed.

The state Senate approved it 21-12. In the state House, the bill got 49 yes votes versus 47 against. But the number of yes votes was one short of the 50-vote majority needed for approval in the 99-member House.

The legislator who pushed the bill, state Rep. Mark White, R-Memphis, said he's hoping to raise it again. Because the legislation already passed the Senate, the bill would only have to win a vote in the House to go to the governor, he said. "It's been a real busy session, a real fast session, so I'm kind of holding that one toward the end," said White.

The session is expected to end in late April.

White says he'll work to convince his colleagues to see his bill as an education issue, separate from the more controversial question of illegal immigration.

"If (students) don't have higher education, they don't get as good a job," said White, whose district covers parts of East Memphis and Germantown. "And they don't give back as much in the form of taxes and everything else. Really, I see this as protecting our state moving forward."

For years, a federal stalemate over immigration has allowed millions of immigrants to live in the country without permission, but with little chance of deportation. The fight over immigration policy continues in the presidential election, with leading Democrats calling for legalization and possible citizenship for those who violated immigration laws, and leading Republicans calling for deportation and other enforcement measures. In the meantime, state authorities have made policies to deal with questions such as access to higher education.

Garcia's story illustrates the issue. His parents say they brought him and his older sister from Mexico as children so they'd have a shot at better education. They used a tourist visa, but it expired years ago.

Until recently, young people brought to the country illegally or on visas that expired, had little chance of gaining legal status. But in 2012, President Obama announced a program called Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. Miguel and his sister received a provisional immigration status.

Deferred Action brought Miguel a two-year renewable work permit and a Social Security card. But it doesn't lead to full legal residency or citizenship, and it doesn't provide access to state colleges. While most of his fellow students at Ridgeway are eligible for in-state tuition of $8,900 per year at the University of Memphis, his family would have to pay out-of-state tuition of $20,600.

And he's also ineligible for federal financial aid and most state scholarships. Miguel is a strong student and hopes to win admission and financial aid at an institution like Vanderbilt University or Rhodes College, where his older sister studies. He prefers small classes such private schools offer. But he'd like a backup plan in case the private route doesn't work. That might mean a public university.

Meanwhile, other Deferred Action students with weaker academic records might have little chance to win admission or scholarships at private schools and would depend more heavily on public institutions.

White said his proposed bill would grant in-state tuition, but not state scholarships, to students who have qualified for Deferred Action.

In Tennessee, a total of 7,700 young people have received approval for Deferred Action since 2012, and a total of 713,000 have been approved nationwide, according to federal data. Nationally, most applicants came from Mexico.

Senate Majority Leader Mark Norris, R-Collierville, voted against the in-state bill last year. He says he's sympathetic to stories of students with immigration problems but has to see the big picture. "At this time we're trying to expand education for children of U.S. citizens and Tennessee citizens, and that's hard enough, for starters," he said.

He also noted Tennessee has joined more than 20 other states in filing a lawsuit challenging two executive orders President Obama signed in 2014. One order would expand Deferred Action to more young people. The other executive order would grant similar protections to some unauthorized immigrant parents of children who already have citizenship or legal permanent resident status.

The U.S. Supreme Court is expected to hear arguments on the lawsuit April 18.

White, who introduced the in-state tuition bill, says many students would still be eligible under the original 2012 version of Deferred Action, which isn't a target of Tennessee's current legal challenge.

Norris argues the distinction doesn't matter. "We're in the midst of challenging one of the programs under which this very legislation would operate and if the state of Tennessee is successful, it would make some of this legislation moot. So all things considered, it's ill-timed, if not ill-conceived."

Norris isn't expected to vote again because the Senate has already weighed in, but he doubts the bill will move forward in the House this year.

Garcia said he enjoyed the chance to discuss the bill with White and other legislators in Nashville last month: Unlike the debate team, it wasn't just for practice.

"You're actually talking to real representatives, and it's a real policy," the teenager said. "So that was different. And it felt like I was actually doing something. Like my voice is actually starting to go out there."

He's scheduled to graduate from high school in the spring of 2017. What happens to him after that may depend on what happens in the presidential election  and in the state Legislature.
SHARE A gun rights activist carries a gun and flags as he takes part in a march near the University of Texas in Austin. Advocates championing Constitutional rights and self-defense butt heads with those who maintain that some restrictions could save lives. Some proponents of restrictions say that unarmed citizens' right to not be killed in a massacre matters as much as the rights of those who want to bear arms. (Associated Press file photo)

By Melissa Healy, Los Angeles Times

If a safety measure eliminated all but a handful of the nation's traffic fatalities per year, it would likely get an enthusiastic hearing in legislatures. If three steps could reliably prevent 9 in 10 of the deaths caused each year by the flu, public health officials would probably lobby hard for their implementation.

With a similar objective in mind, researchers at Boston University have identified specific state laws that, if implemented across the nation, might dramatically reduce the death toll from gun violence, which in many years kills about as many Americans as traffic accidents or the flu.

After comparing states' trends in firearms-related deaths against those states' decisions to adopt any of 25 gun-control measures, the researchers singled out three initiatives that were associated with robust declines in suicides, homicides and fatal accidental shootings.

The three measures linked to substantial drops in firearms-related deaths were: universal background checks for firearms sales, background checks on those buying ammunition, and a requirement that gun owners get their firearms microchipped or "fingerprinted" for identification purposes.

If all three laws were in force across the land, the number of gun deaths in the United States  31,672 in 2010  might decline by as much as 90 percent, according to their report published Thursday in the British medical journal Lancet.

Not all of the gun laws on states' books appeared to be effective. Indeed, of the 25 laws examined, nine initiatives  some of them dear to the hearts of gun-control advocates  were associated with increases in gun deaths. These included bans or restrictions on assault weapons, limits on the number of firearms a customer could purchase, and laws requiring locking devices on firearms available for sale.

Increased gun deaths were also linked to some of the measures beloved by gun-rights advocates. Those included "stand-your-ground" laws, which protect from prosecution those who use a gun to defend their home or property, and laws that give police departments discretion in granting concealed-carry permits.

Study leader Bindu Kalesan, a quantitative social researcher at Boston University, said the effort was the first to rigorously examine the effect of specific gun laws on gun-related deaths across the United States.

The researchers made adjustments for factors already known to influence gun-related deaths, such as the rates of gun ownership and of unemployment in each state (where either increases, gun deaths do too).

"The findings suggest that very few of the existing state gun-control laws actually reduce gun deaths," Kalesan said.

For public health officials intent on reducing gun deaths, she added, the results highlight "the importance of focusing on relevant and effective gun legislation."

Other researchers cautioned that establishing a link between the adoption of a gun-control measure and the subsequent trends in gun deaths falls far short of showing that the law was responsible for the observed effect.

Differing trends in states' demographics, economic circumstances and even their hospitals' ability to treat gunshot wounds may drive changes in gun death rates, for instance. And enforcement factors  most notably how quickly and completely a new law is implemented  can intervene to make it effective, toothless or even counterproductive, said Dr. Garen Wintemute, an emergency physician who studies violence prevention at the University of California, Davis.

"I'm generally skeptical of cross-sectional studies of association," Wintemute said. "Evidence from such studies is not considered to be strong."

None of the "big three" measures identified in the new research is widely implemented in the U.S. Universal background checks for the purchase of all firearms are in force in California and Rhode Island, while Connecticut, Hawaii, Maryland, New Jersey and Pennsylvania require background checks for the purchase of all handguns.

Only Illinois, Massachusetts and New Jersey require purchasers of ammunition to have a permit to do so.

The requirement for registries that identify the ballistic fingerprint of every newly sold gun exists only in Maryland and New York. California has adopted such a measure, but its implementation has been stalled by legal challenges, Wintemute said. If California hadn't been included in this part of the analysis, the association with fewer gun deaths might not hold up and the overall reduction in gun deaths might well be lower than 90 percent.
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By Elizabeth O. Wilson, Special to Viewpoint

As soon as they're born, children begin learning fundamental social and emotional skills they will need to succeed in school and in life.

In January, we provided an overview of social and emotional development. Over the next few months, we'll take a closer look at its main components. First up is temperament.

Temperament is usually defined as a set of innate qualities a child is born with. Because temperament is present at birth, scientists believe it is biologically based and generally independent of caregiving and other early experiences.

Temperament explains why families can have one child that goes with the flow and seems easy to please, and another child who seems fussy and difficult much of the time.

A child's temperament is reflected in the way he or she reacts to the surrounding world. While it does not completely define or predict behavior, it does strongly impact a child's social and emotional development.

Most children (but not all) fit into one of the following three temperament categories:

Difficult infants tend to have irregular eating and sleeping patterns, to be fussy and to have difficulty adapting to change. They cry more often and are harder to console.

Easy or flexible infants tend to have regular eating and sleeping routines, to adapt easily to change, and to be in a positive mood most of the time.

Slow to warm up infants are less active, slow to adapt to new people and surroundings, and often described as shy or hesitant.

Temperament is based in biology and is present when babies are born. This means that many aspects of a child's behavior and development are not the result of parenting decisions. This can be an important insight for parents dealing with the inevitable struggles of caring for an infant.

Parents of a difficult baby, for example, may regularly encounter persistent crying and fussiness, despite their best efforts to sooth their child. Eventually, they may question their own ability as parents or begin to find less and less satisfaction in their role. Having an understanding of temperament can prevent this kind of negative thinking and help preserve a strong emotional bond between parents and their infant.

Even though a child is born with a certain temperament, however, the choices we make as parents still matter a great deal. Understanding a child's temperament can help parents make positive and constructive choices. The way a parent deals with a child's difficult behavior can either contribute to a cycle of continuing conflict or help lead their child toward more positive behavior and social interactions.

It's important for parents to recognize temperament-related traits and learn to accommodate them rather than try to change them, especially in infancy. For the same reasons, it's important to choose a caregiver who understands your child's temperament.

Parents who reflect on their own temperaments tend to find it easier to understand their child's temperament. A parent who enjoys working in a quiet, calm, peaceful work setting, for example, might find themselves frustrated in an environment where there are numerous interruptions and distractions. In looking at their own preferences, parents can more easily understand how their child might need a different setting to feel at ease.

By understanding temperament, parents and caregivers can learn how to help children express their preferences, desires and feelings appropriately. Caregivers and families can learn to anticipate issues before they occur and to avoid using approaches that result in frustration and conflict because they are not suited to the child's temperament.

Understanding the role of temperament in children's behavior can play a large role in how effectively parents and caregivers foster positive social and emotional development.

Elizabeth O. Wilson is director of the Tennessee Early Childhood Training Alliance (TECTA) at Southwest Tennessee Community College. TECTA promotes high quality early childhood experiences by providing professional development and support to teachers working with children ages 12 and younger.

This is one in a series of monthly guest columns on the importance of public/private investment in early childhood. For more information, call the Urban Child Institute at 901-385-4233 or visit tuci.org.
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- 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.
Each side in the EU referendum debate is determined to put the best possible slant on its case and the worst possible one on its opponents. This is invariably so in other matters too, but is especially the case here, given what is at stake. So it is that many Remain campaigners strain to persuade voters that a British vote to leave the EU will unleash a takeover by triffids (which is more or less the sum of Jeremy Hunts risible intervention today about the NHS), while their Leave equivalents strive to convince them that the same result will usher in the age of Aquarius.

ConservativeHome is for Leave, on the ground that Brexit will bring five main gains  fewer politicians, better immigration control, more money for public services and tax cuts, a stronger economy and global engagement  and that the risks of Remain are greater than the risks of Leave. But beware of anyone who claims that all arguments in every aspect of discussion come down unambiguously on one side of it. He is almost certainly putting his conclusion first and his case afterwards, like a man walking backwards before royalty.

So it is with security  a red-hot topic in the aftermath of the Brussels atrocity last week, the two recent terror attacks in Paris, and the fear, raw and real, of more 7/7s in Britain. The debate continues in todays papers. I think the balance of consideration on security, as well as more broadly, is for Leave, but the operative word really is think: one has to try to ponder ones way through a thicket of points made either way, few of which have no merit at all. They essentially break down into four categories: co-operation, intelligence sharing, border control, and the courts.

By co-operation, I mean mechanisms such as Prum, the European Criminal Records Information System, the European Arrest Warrant (EAW), and so forth. There is a civil liberties case against all these developments  consider the case of Andrew Symeou and the EAW  but the thrust of the security one is for them. It might well be possible to keep their benefits while outside the EU (for example, by negotiating a special extradition treaty with it rather than cleaving to the EAW), but there must be a questionmark over whether such an outcome could be achieved swiftly.

Furthermore, it can be argued that it is Britains membership of the EU which is leading it to up its security game. Consider the case of the Passenger Name Records Directive, which would give the authorities access to airline passenger data for people travelling on international flights. The European Parliament blocked the proposal in 2013. It is expected to pass through it soon. Without British pressure, there might be no records of, say, Greek flights to Belgium for security services to thumb through.

But if the balance of the co-operation case falls on the side of Remain, that of intelligence sharing leans clearly towards Leave, or at least to neutrality. By intelligence sharing, I mean the sharing of security information outside EU mechanisms. From Britains point of view, our most important partners is this process are not EU countries at all  but, rather, those of the Five Eyes, especially the United States. None the less, intelligence sharing with some EU member states, especially France, is obviously important.

However, Britains interest in sharing information with France, and vice-versa, has nothing to do with Britains EU membership. To put it simply and plainly, both are western democracies under a common threat from Islamist extremism. The risk to one is also a risk to the other. It follows that France would be cutting off its nose to spite its security were it to compromise intelligence sharing in the event of Britain leaving the EU. The same applies to other EU member countries.

This brings us to border control. A key argument of some Remain supporters is that free movement must not be confused with Schengen  and that since we arent in the latter we are able to control our borders. It is worth pausing on the point about Schengen. It doesnt follow that it poses no problems for us simply because we arent in it. The recent Paris attacks were a grisly reminder that a suspect can move from a part of Europe relatively close to Syria, such as Greece, to one separated from Britain only by a strip of water, such as France.

Furthermore, that there are checks on free movement is no guarantee that these deliver the security goods. Mohammed Abrini, the man in white of the Brussels atrocity, reportedly visited Britain last summer. The systematic checks on EU citizens are more narrowly drawn than those carried out on non-EU ones. The long and the short of it is that its easier to keep out, say, Zakir Naik than, for example, Geert Wilders, one source told ConservativeHome, referring to the bans served on the Indian preacher and the Dutch politician.

This is a reminder that border control and legal decisions turn out to be inextricably intertwined. And while the role of the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) is widely known, that of the European Court of Justice (ECJ) is less so. The ECJ has the final say on the Charter of Fundamental Rights  yes, the same Charter of Fundamental Rights that Tony Blair assured the Commons that Britain had an opt-out from. This gives it the authority to determine what powers our own intelligence agencies and police have to protect us.

It also interprets the 1951 UN Convention on the Status of Refugees. Our columnist Nick Timothy, who served as a Home Office SpAd during the Coalition, has written on this site that the ECJ can be expected to become even more aggressive in its human rights rulings than even the European Court of Human Rights. For example, it recently published a preliminary opinion that the daughter-in-law of the terrorist Abu Hamza could not be deported from Britain: she has a criminal conviction and is not even an EU citizen.

It is hard to argue convincingly that British judges interpreting a British Bill of Rights would not show a greater sensitivity to our Parliamentary culture than the ECJs  or indeed than the ECHRs. There is learned dispute about whether it is or isnt necessary first to leave the EU in order to leave the ECHR. What is certain is that quitting the first would make it no harder to depart the second. And the ECHR has certainly proved an obstacle when it comes to putting security at the forefront  as in the case, for example, of Abu Hamza himself.

There are counter-arguments. For example, Leave can say that the third party rule of international intelliegence sharing, which states that information passed by a first to second country cannot be passed from that second to a third without the first countrys consent, makes real intelligence sharing between EU states impossible (at least, if secrecy is to be preserved). However, Remain will say that Britain would not escape from free movement by leaving the EU, any more than Norway or even Switzerland have, unless it wants the doors to the single market closed.

The prospect of escaping the jurisdiction of the ECJ  and perhaps in time the ECHR  should in my view be decisive. But this debate requires a salutory footnote. The biggest threat to our national security runs much deeper than controversy about Britains EU membership. Three British men, originating from the Indian subcontinent, carried out 7/7. The fourth was a convert to Islamist extremism born in Jamaica. Neither leaving the EU nor remaining in it will dampen the fanaticism of the home-grown extremists bent on carving pre-modern ghettoes from British democracy.
Uday Bhanu Said "They Kicked Me On My Testicles"

By P Victor Vijay Kumar

27 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

They dragged him by his hair and a group of police officers lifted him like a box on their shoulders and threw him down. There were people around stood in an appalling and shocking mood and some tried to cover him in futile. They were hit and drove off while he continued to be taken to a police van close by. He was forcibly thrown into the van of small room size.

The moment he realized that he was in dungeon kind of police van, 7-8 police personnel rushed closing down the shutters of windows of the van. All others stay outside and other 30-40 police ensured no one gets close to the van. His friends were scampering to pursue the police in reduced tone to release him. No police man is heeding to their request. Inside the van, all the police men are overwrought in applying third degree violence on him.

The van was closed and no one can peep into check what is happening inside. His mouth was shut with a piece of cloth around so that no sound traverses through the walls of the van to reach any outside person. All police men started hitting him on his face , back, chest and stomach black and blue. He is not able to vent out the pain nor able to get relieved by moaning loudly. Two policemen held his hands back and another two started blowing with fists on his jaws. A meek painful groan was clasped under his teeth. Few police men lie him down and started jumping on his body, like a cushion under their feet, from a two feet height seat. He was able to sense the muscles crumpling inside and lying with tears flowing helplessly. They turned him again upside down started hitting on his stomach and chest ruthlessly. He noticed the mufti man was exerting all his energy and hitting him  you, son of a bitch . Just before a while his iron fist was hitting on his face, he caught hold of the mufti man and pleaded  I am operated and I am bleeding . Please spare me off  . Mufti man cooled himself off and asked  Where were you operated ? . With a tinge of optimism , he widened his legs and showed the place of bleeding. His underwear was soaked in blood. The mufti man stared at the place and shot his foot on it like a foot ball. He held his anus up in a monstrous pain and cried aloud which could not be heard by any outsider. He then hit him on his testicles and abdomen. He was crying crouching down his body and tears are flowing off from eyes and pain is like a lava mountain inside erupting somewhere inside the body. Police using third degree on citizens of India is a common phenomenon. Generally, empirically, it was observed that they resort to physically assaulting the men under custody with a calculation to inflict and teach a lesson. The level of reaching to a mans private organs is actually a higher level than treating an accused man , unless he is potentially threat to State.

It was exactly 25 minutes of torture in closed chamber ( van) . Before, he was let off, finally, the police men , with their spiked police boots, trampled the palms and his fingers and started thumping on it repeatedly and threw him out of the van. He rolled out of the van blood soaked.

Who is  he here ? He is not a person detained under UAPA or any other Act. He is not a man who planned a conspiracy against Government or murdered anyone. He is a Dalit student pursuing his Doctoral Research in Telugu literature. He is telugu poet too , who voiced through his pen in his book  Jang  ( War) . He also happened to be a member of Revolutionary Writers Association ( Viplava Rachayithala Sangham ). He is student who scored over 90% in his post graduation and got his JRF scholarship in open competition. He is known as  Uday Bhanu , a clear and conspicuous symbol of most oppressed voice in the pandemonium of recent uprising of students in struggle on various issues. So far, most cruelly treated student by Police in the new regime of Police state governed by Modi.

Uday Bhanu preparing food for all of his friends

What is the mistake Uday Bhanu has committed and why he is looked at as a troubled citizen ? He , himself , did not realize what was the mistake he committed except when he, first, realized what mufti man shouted hitting his jaw  bastard, you are the one who provoked Rohiths mother on the day of post mortem to get the body  . Yes, he persuaded Rohiths mother at the time of post-mortem , who was pleading police that she is unconcerned with any politics but would only need her childs body for proper funeral. The mufti man watched him that day fighting with police for Rohiths body garnering courage for Rohiths mother too. The police realized that he is not the man of conventional fight. They spotted him when he started cooking food for his friends , while electricity, power , water and all amenities were cut off for the University of Hyderabad (HoU/HCU) students. He is the one who initiated this measure of  self-survival method and he was spotted by the police as not a student to be neglected but to be a fit model case to teach a lesson to entire student community through him.

Uday Bhanu being dragged by Police towards van

Uday has been leading Dalit Students Union for Social Justice for quite a while now. He has spearheaded several struggles and confronted with ABVP cadre at various moments. His profile has been under watch by intelligence police , he being a revolutionary writer too, raising a visible voice in literary circles.

Right now, Uday Bhanu , pained between the legs, not able to walk without any support, not able to chew food for injured jaws, spewing out any food he takes as his abdomen is crumpling under pain, scared of any solid food agonized by his bleeding anus. He was operated in three stages for his fistula complaint and he has suffered penile infection during the course of his treatment and was just recovering.

The chamber of torture

What is spine chilling and appalling is when a lady police officer approached him, while he was trying to regain himself to stand up after being thrown out of the van, whispering in his ears  we will soon kill you  !!!!

A student community, typically, stands for independence of thinking and courage of speaking truth unlike any other section in the society. Any world renowned movement is emanated from students and lead by students. The cultural baggage the students carry is a very important aspect in a society. As part of their cultural cleansing programme, manuvadi Sangh Parivar is repeatedly harassing student community , be it JNU or HCU, or FTII or IIT or Allahabad. Any free thinking can challenge stereotyping of functioning of brahminism. Having let series of generations gone through under the axe of casteism in India, Dalits, of late, getting equipped to dissect the functioning of brahminism and are able to preempt the attempts of brahminism before they sabotage with their tactics.

Uday Bhanu in ICU

When I asked Uday Bhanu  What did actually let you scare, if at all, any during this brutal attack , secluding you , segregating you and targeting you alone 

He responded in a feeble voice  Not anything is really so scared but it gave me an unparalleled experience of myself watching how state behaves against dissent. If at all anything concerned me  there are two things. One  who is the stout heavy muscle built mufti man hit me ?  is he a hired goonda or BJP man or Police ? Secondly, the way, the lady officer whispered in my ear  we will soon kill you  is actually serious and everyone should be worried about and not me alone. This is something we have to take it seriously how they dont even flinch back in snatching your life if you express dissent 



( The writer is a CFO in a alrge infrastructure group by profession and is a dalit writer and critic. He may be accessed , for any queries, through his mail  pvvkumar@yahoo.co.uk or his facebook ID P V Vijay Kumar )








Russia And America, One Hundred Years Face To Face

By Gaither Stewart

27 March, 2016

Countercurrents.org

As Stephen Lendman recently wrote, Sergey Lavrov, Russias Foreign Minister and a unique political figure of todays world, wrote in a March 3 essay in Global Affairs magazine that his country stands at the crossroads of key trends in the field of international relations and underlined that Russia, has a special role in European and global history.

Unfortunately, average citizens of the West, especially of the USA, know little and understand less of Russias history. To the great majority of Westerners, Russia is a mysterious and forbidding land somewhere in the East which poses a threat to the world which it aims at dominating. Therefore, I have summarized here some aspects of that long history in order to amplify and elucidate Russias possible role in the difficult period of international relations, of which Lavrov speaks so clearly and rationally.

The history of Russia has been marked, on the one hand, by constantly recurring patterns of fascination for and attraction to the West, and on the other hand abhorrence of and isolation from the same West to which Russia throughout its long history has often wanted to belong. To a certain degree Russia is different. Most Russians themselves are convinced of certain particular Russian qualities differentiating them from Western manqualities not understood, and on the contrary, oftentimes misunderstood by the West. These characteristics can be described as components of a great messianic spirit: the Russian people have often believed themselves destined to be the salvation of the world.

While the few periods of wide contacts with the West have renewed the country, given it new vigor and skills and broken a chain of reaction tyranny, those purely Russian characteristicstenacity, endurance, spiritualism, ethnic unity, love for mankind and popular traditions have given the country superhuman strength in periods of crisis. Russians never give up. Resistance is in the national DNA. Russians consider themselves invincible as a nation of which there are many examples: the battles of Moscow, Leningrad, Stalingrad.

Since early Muscovy, even after Ivan the Great in the 15th century who had defeated the Mongol occupiers of Russia, tripled Russias territory and making it a major European nation, and exchanged ambassadors and traders with the outside world, contact between Russians and foreigners was discouraged if not forbidden because they were considered contaminating even for the Tsar himself. And consequently secluded in special residential areas of Moscow.

While this great nation was being born, persecuted Europeans, adventurers and criminals were making their way to todays USA, where they built log cabins and began the exterminations of the native peoples they encountered.

In comparison, sixteenth century Russia under Tsar Ivan the Terrible had become a formidable European power. It expanded its borders to the South but was defeated in its effort to conquer the Baltic States to the West. Those defeats in the West served to emphasize the necessity to modernize the Russian state. Ivans severe reforms and the methods employed to achieve them divided the country and sent many Russians in flight to the borderlands and beyond, joining the free-living Cossacks in the steppes.

Keep in mind that centuries were passing. And Russia was advancing, having liberated itself from the yoke of Tartar occupiers. Europeans and more and more Russians themselves understood that they were a great power to be reckoned with. The expanses, the realization of the great wealth their lands contain, the nations potential power, and importantly a unifying worldview (mirovozreniye) began welding the Russians together as a nation state.

It fell to Peter the Great (17th and early 18th centuries) to effect a window on Europe. Numerous Russians of all classes were sent abroad to learn necessary skills for Russias affirmation as a modern European nation, permitting Peter to build his new capital of Saint Petersburg on the Baltic Sea facing the West. Russians became cognizant of a new way of life and perceived new approaches to social living, shaking Russia out of its self-imposed isolation while the huge country also shook off any remaining inferiority complex vis-a-vis the West. By the end of Peters reign in 1725, the upper classes had indeed moved toward Europe, adopting European manners and dress and snobbishly preferring to speak French in the salons and the Court. The masses, the Russian people, a spiritual people, however, remained fixed and committed to old Russian traditions and the Orthodox religion.

As the 18th century progressed and while what became the USA was still a British colony, Catherine the Great imported ideas of French enlightenmentideas however not yet compatible with traditional Russian views. She came to realize that the thinking of Voltaire and Rousseau were dangerous, a danger to herself  and a threat to Tsardom as well. This was long the great historical dilemma for the rulers of Russia: the nations need of Western knowhow in order to maintain its position as a world power and the concomitant threats these new influences posed to the system. In any case, by the end of the century the upper classes had learned a new way of life while they also came to recognize their own backwardness.

But the masses continued to toil and repeat generation after generation the old way of life. Such was the setting for the blossoming of Russian intellectual and social thought in the 19th century.

The French invasion of 1812 and Russias subsequent victory over Napoleons armies and the occupation of Paris changed Russian life.

For the first time in its history great numbers of ordinary Russiansas opposed to the privileged classes of the previous centuryhad close contact with one of the major centers of Western civilization. Young, educated military officers brought back from France new customs; but more important were the new ideas which fascinated and enraptured Russian intellectuals. In the face of the veritable explosion of these Western ideas, Alexander I was forced to renege on the promises of the liberalism of his youth. A new period of repression began. Nevertheless, the mild movement for a Constitution by some of the guards officers, the so-called, Decembrists of 1825, were crushed by the Tsar. Yet it was too late. Things had changed in Russia. The gentry and other educated classes were infected and began to resist the closed society.

The clash between autocracy in need of modernization but aware that those same ideas endangered its existence and the more enlightened educated classes no longer capable of living in darkness gave birth to the first Russian political emigration: intellectuals who left their homeland to fight for their ideals. The conservatives at home, horrified at how far they had moved away from old Russian traditions by becoming nearly Europeans began resisting European influences, thus articulating a struggle between themselvesthe so-called Slavophilesand the Westernizers. All the while the masses were silent.

In the 1830s and 40s, many liberal-minded men in Russia, suffocated by oppression because of their new ideas, by censorship and political backwardness, emigrated to Europe to study and struggle for fundamental freedoms for their people. The earliest emigres went to France, England and Switzerland where they supported a program for a Constitution and reforms.

With the birth of Socialism in Europe, Russian socialists were soon born among these intellectuals. The departure of Alexander Herzen from Moscow to Europe in 1847 marked the beginning of a new era of Russian social-political thought which was to result in the overthrow of Tsardom and the Bolshevik victory over its more moderate opponents contesting for power in Russia.

The crushing of the Decembrists of 1825, the execution and exile of their leaders, and simultaneously the new ideas advanced by young liberals had made a great impression on Herzen who dedicated his life work to the cause of Russia democracy. Herzen symbolized the move of Russian emigres from thought to action. Herzen and friends and later the anarchist, Mikhail Bakunin, initiated a movement centered around their political journal, The Bell, a movement democratic in nature, promoting a union between the governed and the governing in Russia and encouraging Russians in the homeland to overthrow autocracy. The Bell, published in London, circulated among intellectuals in the homeland, and allegedly read by the Tsar himself, was born on the wave of revolution raging across Europe and survived to introduce the revolutionary current of Lenin, Russian socialists and the later Bolsheviks.

During this period occurred the Mexican-American War (1846-47), in which Mexico lost half of its national territory to the Yankees, a war which became the model of American imperialistic wars, ultimately becoming world-wide, in Latin American, Asia, Europe and Africa. The war against Mexico was soon followed by the American Civil War, 1861-65, at the price of 600,000 dead in the name of US capitalism. Two new world powers, Russia in the East and the Unites States in the West were emerging, powers which that within a century would submerge the old European nation states.

Herzen, however, did not have the stuff that revolutionaries are made of. He had attacked Tsardom with the written word while in that period of crisis only extremes counted. Thus, Herzen inevitably fell from favor among younger, revolutionary emigres. The struggles between the right and the left among Russian intellectuals left Herzen behind as an anachronism. Intellectuals meanwhile split over the concept of revolutionthe moderates for whom some form of constitutional democracy was the goal moved toward the conservatives while the more liberal passed to the side of the revolutionaries. The next wave of Russian emigres was to be dominated by the revolutionaries headed by Lenin.

Russias revolutionaries were a fiery bunch, as divided and factious as the Western left today. Russian revolutionaries disagreed, fought and split, and regrouped. But the movement was carried implacably forward by the organized hard core of the movement led by Vladimir Lenin. In essence, the various currents among Russian revolutionaries continued to reflect the old dispute between Westernizers and more traditional Slavophiles, a modern Western socio-political philosophy or the old Russian traditions, which are still the two deep souls of Russia. In this case, Russian Marxists, European in outlook, looked toward the new proletariat as their base. The Socialist Revolutionary wing counted instead on the peasants and, in a broad sense, the Russian people. The necessary support of both these currents was harnessed by Lenin and his successors after they won the revolution and the Civil War.

The Russian Civil War which erupted after the Bolsheviks took power in 1917 was marked by Western intervention (British, American, French and Japanese) on the side of the anti-revolutionary Whites. Since then Russian-American relations, despite alliances during European wars and various commercial agreements, have been based on American Capitalisms unrelenting opposition to Socialism/Communism. Moreover, I believe there is also an underlying anti-Russian spirit present, perhaps because of American jealousy of Russias expanses and wealth, or ,even something more spiritual. The Cold War is most exemplary of Americas fundamental attitude, not only toward Russian Communism but also toward Russia itself.

It is paradoxical that the eyes of the two new nations among world powers, Russia and the USA, still antagonistic toward each other after a century of seeing each others reflection in Europe, today are both looking eastwards. Despite the US encirclement of Russia and its goal of regime change and dismemberment of its old enemy, despite the proxy wars in Syria, despite Americas return to Latin America and the expansion of its presence in Africa, nothing can be more threatening to the USA than the terrifying image of the Russian-Chinese alliance. Lavrovs words of Russia and a crossroads should scare the Jesus out of Washington.

Gaither Stewart based in Rome is a veteran journalist and essayist on a broad palette of topics from culture to history and politics, he is also the author of the Europe Trilogy, celebrated spy thrillers whose latest volume, Time of Exile, was recently published by Punto Press.










Rohith Vemula

Over 300 academicians, activists, artists and writers, including well known linguist Noam Chomsky, professor emeritus, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, have condemned what they have called "state violence and unlawful detention of faculty and student protesters of the University of Hyderabad". In an open statement, they have said, "We are disturbed by the pattern of growing nexus between student vigilante groups, youth wing of the ruling party (BJP), state and university authorities in colleges and university campuses across the country in order to mobilize the state machinery against vulnerable students."Calling the university authorities' and police action "brutal" and "unlawful", they say, the detention was carried out despite peaceful protest by the faculty and students", adding, "This has created a climate of fear and oppression in the country, and continually violates fundamental human and Constitutional rights of students.""We also condemn the restriction of access to basic necessities such as water and food on campus," the statement says, adding, "The students and faculty members of the University of Hyderabad were protesting the reinstatement of Dr. Appa Rao Podile as the Vice-Chancellor despite the ongoing judicial enquiry against him related to the circumstances leading to the death of the dalit student Rohith Vemula on January 17, 2016.""Students and faculty members of the university community are concerned that this may provide him the opportunity to tamper with evidence and to influence witnesses. Suicides by dalit students have been recurring in the University of Hyderabad and other campuses across the country", it says."The issue spiraled into a nationwide students protest with the death of the dalit scholar Rohith Vemula. The protests have pushed into the foreground public discussion and debate on the persistence of caste-based discrimination in educational institutions, and surveillance and suppression of dissent and intellectual debate in university spaces", the statement underlines."Since the morning of March 22 when Dr Appa Rao (vice-chancellor) returned to campus, the students and staff have been in a siege-like situation. The peacefully protesting staff and students were brutally lathi-charged by the police, and 27 people were taken into custody", it recalls."The 27 detainees were untraceable for 48 hours, brutally tortured, and denied legal access. In short, all legal procedures of detention have been suspended. After the incident, the university has been locked down with no access to food, water, electricity, and Internet connectivity", the statement continues."Students were brutally assaulted when they opened community kitchens. Lawyers and members of human rights organization as well the ordinary citizens of the city were denied access to students", it says.Calling University of Hyderabad one of Indias "biggest public universities", the statement says, "We have followed, with deep concern, similar violent attacks and undemocratic crackdown on students on the campuses of Jawaharlal Nehru University, the Film and Television Institute of India, the University of Allahabad, Jadavpur University, Burdwan University, and others across the country.""That the highest administrative authorities in the university have allowed the silencing of debate and dissent is unfortunate. We stand in support of the protesting students, staff and faculty of the University of Hyderabad", the statement says.Demanding "immediate withdrawal of police from the campus" and "immediate release of, and withdrawal of all cases against, all arrested students and faculty", the statement says, Vice-Chancellor P. Appa Rao should be suspended and and there should be "judicial enquiry into the role of the HRD Ministry, the HRD Minister and Bandaru Dattatreya in inciting violence against Dalits on campus."Seeking independent enquiry into the incidents of violence on the campus including the role of the ABVP in vandalising the Vice-Chancellor's office, the statement also demands "action against police personnel named by students in their complaints. Passage of the Rohith Act against caste discrimination in education".Other signatories include Lawrence Cohen, Director, Institute for South Asia Studies, University of California, Berkeley; Navtej K Purewal, Deputy Director, South Asia Institute, SOAS, University of London; Akhil Gupta, Director, Center for India and South Asia (CISA), UCLA; Michael Davis, Professor Emeritus, Department of Creative Writing, University of California Riverside; Anuradha Mittal, Executive Director, The Oakland Institute Barbara Harriss-White, Oxford University; and Sandeep Pandey, former Visiting Faculty, IIT, BHU, Varanasi.---
Revered statesmen Richard Lugar and Lee Hamilton headlined a talk on "Civility in American Politics" last week at USI, where they whined like a couple of little babies.

The two highly respected lawmakers, who spit in Betsy Ross' eye by telling the American people how to act, said they were saddened by the partisan, attack-filled discourse that rules national politics these days.

"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," said Hamilton, who like all Democrats wants to increase your taxes and turn your kids into socialists.

Lugar, who like all Republicans cares more about balancing a budget than feeding impoverished children, concurs.

I agree with them. Serious problems fester at all levels of government, and we're not going to fix any of them if we ignore the issues in favor of lobbing cheap insults like a bunch of filthy Orange Countians.

Success in politics these days unfortunately depends on two things: strident adherence to ideology and refusal to compromise. That's just sad. We must come up with a plan to improve dialogue between Republicans and Democrats and put it into action now. No matter what anyone else says, I will never change my mind.

Lugar and Hamilton say our current political climate is in desperate need of maturity. I couldn't agree more with the buttheads.

Just look at our crop of presidential candidates. Republicans Ted Cruz, the love child of a demonic iguana and that flying dog from "The Neverending Story," and Donald Trump, a sentient piece of bologna lifted from a shower drain, often resort to petty name-calling.

They spent last week lowering public discourse to a new low by insulting each other's wives. Call me naive, but I believe a politician's family is off limits  even if their kids are smelly.

Democrats Hillary Clinton, a shell of a human who skips from persona to persona like an old iPod on shuffle, and Bernie Sanders, the human equivalent of a Birkenstock's Facebook feed, aren't much better.

They claim their campaigns have kept the discourse relatively adult, but I'll bet they say awful things behind each other's backs. That's the kind of childish gossip I don't condone. John Kasich's the worst at that, but you didn't hear it from me.

Of course civility also has it limits.

I've often feared that what the current City Council calls "working together for the good of the city" could morph into a rubber stamp for Mayor Lloyd Winnecke.

The mayor is nothing if not ambitious. When $12.5 million of casino rent money fell into his lap, he quickly announced a slew of initiatives he planned to fund. I would never belittle his enthusiasm for the city, but he embarked on a shopping spree like a 14-year-old with daddy's credit card. Shoes! Clothes! Blight elimination programs!

But what if former councilors were right? What if our finances are so tied up in capital projects that the city is one unexpected expense away from disaster? If councilors are too concerned with civility to take an unpopular stand, the path to bipartisanship could also be the path to ruin.

But even though we're probably six months away from busted water mains flooding the streets and turning Evansville into an aqua empire ruled by Ohio River mutant catfish King Whiskers, I don't want to wildly speculate about the issues.

Because what Lugar and Hamilton are ultimately talking about is taking responsibility for our rhetoric. Readers have blamed me for using my columns to exaggerate the issues and manufacture anger, but none of that's my fault.

I don't like to point fingers, but I blame Indiana legislators for consistently passing laws that marginalize LGBT individuals, teachers and women, and then wondering why scores of Hoosiers flood the Statehouse lots in protest. Everyday citizens who spout ridiculous Obama-centric conspiracy theories on social media and wonder why they're dragged from their beds in the middle of the night and hauled off in windowless vans. My dog Gerri, who snarls every time she sees a Libertarian and wonders why the city parks will someday be sold to Alcoa.

Everyone could learn a thing or two about civility in politics. And who better to deliver that message than two entrenched bureaucrats who sat back and watched the atmosphere sour for decades?

Lugar believes we have nowhere to go but up.

"I hope we are reaching a nadir," he said as he punched Hamilton in the face.
Royale models The 29th Annual Vanderburgh Medical Alliance Style Show, Casino Royale is right around the corner  April 8 at the Airport Holiday Inn. A gathering took place at the home of Dorisann and Dr. Herman Rusche to get the models together and go over show details. Starting at the bottom left and going clockwise are Dr. Ken Spear, Dr. Mell Welborn, Heidi Lance, Lynn Maserejian, Tori Pugh, Pat Welborn, Charleen Spear and Dr. Carla and Lucas Brandt.

Business hall of fame We had the honor of attending the recent Business Hall of Fame recognition event, hosted by Junior Achievement of Southwestern Indiana and held at Old National Events Plaza. Breakfast and mingling took place with the large crowd followed by introductions, remarks and the honoree presentations. Beautifully created videos by Stan Newman introduced each honoree, offering a look at the impact made on our community by each of these talented and forward looking individuals. Standing on stage are Alan Braun, accepting on behalf of his father Charles H. Braun Sr., Richard Eykamp and Norman Bafunno III.

Shower for Charlie Baby Charlie Weinzapfel, who will make her entry into the world in May, was celebrated with gifts and games and an incredible shower luncheon hosted by soon-to-be Grandma Bobby Warren. Grandmas-to-be seated on the left of soon to be mom Alyssa Weinzapfel are Bobbi Warren and Bernadette Bancroft.
SHARE Lt. Col. Burton Field and Capt. Wiliam Canup pose for pictures after surviving a plane crash in February 1968. Capt. William Canup William Canup poses for a picture with his two children the day he deployed to Vietnam. Patricia and William Canup at their 1963 wedding.

By Jessie Higgins of the Courier and Press

William Canup's plane was flying too low over the Vietnamese countryside to safely eject  but he had no choice.

The pilot's fall to earth lasted a few agonizing seconds, not enough time for his parachute to slow the descent. Yet somehow Canup and his co-pilot survived the crash basically unscathed.

It was a miracle.

Their Air Force unit celebrated when they returned. Capt. Canup and Lt. Col. Burton Field smiled for pictures in their flight outfits and took turns calling their wives.

In an article about the crash published April 5, 1968, Canup, 26, said simply: "I suppose it was not my turn to go."

He was killed the next day.

Newspaper articles about Canup's death ran across Indiana. He was born in Indianapolis but went to college at the University of Evansville  and he did well there. He became UE's student government and student senate president and was a well-known member of the Lamba Chi Alpha fraternity and ROTC. He was also listed in "Who's Who in American Universities and Colleges."

He left Evansville in 1964 with a degree in industrial engineering, a stack of awards and a dream of becoming a pilot.

"He wanted to fly," said Canup's widow, Patricia Rankin, who is now 73. "And, boy, he really wanted it. It was his dream."

Patricia and Bill Canup were still newlyweds when he entered the Air Force in 1964.

"Of course there wasn't a war going on then," Patricia said.

For her, the next four years flew by too fast. The couple had two children, a daughter and a son, whom Canup adored.

Like he had during college, Canup excelled in the Air Force. The family followed him around the country as he trained to fly increasingly impressive planes. By 1967, he was on his way to becoming an elite pilot.

"I can remember watching them take off and just being thrilled by it," Patricia said. "And he absolutely loved it. We were happy. They were very happy years."

Canup's goal was to pilot the single-seat F-100 Super Sabre  a competitive assignment.

"It was a highly selective bunch of pilots," said Win Reither, a retired Air Force pilot who flew with Canup in Vietnam. "You had to be No. 1 or 2 of your training class to pilot an F-100."

Canup soon won the assignment. He was elated, Patricia said. Then he received orders to deploy to Vietnam.

"By then, we knew people who had been killed over there," Patricia said. "He was scared. We both were."

The Sunday before he left, Canup took his family to the Indianapolis church where he and Patricia had met as teenagers. He wanted her to have that support while he was gone. She had no idea then just how much she would need the church's support.

Canup arrived in Vietnam in January 1968 and soon discovered why only the best pilots were allowed to fly the F-100s.

"It was such a difficult airplane to fly," Reither said. "You were flying very close to the ground and they were shooting at you."

Canup and his fellow pilots flew mostly solo missions. Day after day they carried bombs over battlefields to wipe out enemy soldiers.

"We'd get the call and what you would hear on the ground was some terrified Army guy, because if they called us they were in trouble," Reither said. "They'd say, 'Please come drop your bombs, make that building go away.' "

The missions were wildly intense. But, afterward, the pilots returned to their Air Force base, hopped on their motorcycles and rode back to air-conditioned barracks.

Their living area was like a nice hotel, complete with a fully stocked bar.

Canup wrote letters home to his wife every day. Telephone calls were rare, so the couple bought tape recorders so they could send each other messages. The kids loved that.

Canup called Patricia after his first plane crash in February. He told her he wasn't hurt, but she didn't believe him.

"He didn't say much about it," Patricia said. "I think he was probably more physically hurt than he admitted."

Bill Canup was killed April 6, 1968, during a bombing mission. He had just dropped his last bombs when a missile struck his plane. According to news reports, the small F-100 exploded instantly.

Earlier that day, before he'd left for his last mission, Bill called his wife. She was not home.
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In 2009, Haering -- a Swiss geologist -- set out to produce geothermal energy by boiling water on rocks three miles underground, then sending the superheated water up through a steam turbine. His goal was to be the first to produce commercial quantities of geothermal energy, enough to fill the electricity needs of 10,000 homes. His means to achieve this: a giant-ass drill. The result: Haering found himself in criminal court for causing a series of earthquakes.

Unfortunately for Markus, the site he had chosen for drilling was located directly over a fault line, which he managed to tickle to the effect of a series of quakes, the biggest of which hit magnitude 3.4. After $7.35 million in property damage and some visits from law enforcement officials (who were probably disappointed that Haering wasn't wearing a cape and reciting crazy monologue at them from atop his drill machine), our accidental affront to mankind found his ass in court.

Stefan Bohrer/Tages Woche

"Seriously, don't you at least have a monocle or something? A white cat?"

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Haering was acquitted on the grounds that he hadn't intended to try to destroy the town with his doomsday device, and had turned it off as soon as it became evident that shit was getting wrecked. So sure, he's not a supervillain in the eyes of the law, but his comments certainly indicate that this career direction might not be completely out of the question. Haering dismissed his quakes as "a learning process for everyone involved," and stated: "We don't get innovation for free. We have to work it out."
It's hard to think of any aspect of the airline industry that didn't change after September 11, 2001. We've had a huge uptick in airport security, but one thing you may not have known is that we stepped things up on airplanes themselves as well. Cockpit doors now lock from the inside. This is presumably so that the terrorists (and really annoying children) can't get in, but it has unfortunately already been used tragically.

Airbus

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It's hard to keep terror locked out when terror's the one doing the locking.

On March 24, 2015, the secretly suicidal co-pilot of a Germanwings A320, Andreas Lubitz, hijacked his own plane. He did so by convincing his copilot, Patrick Sonderheimer, to go to the bathroom (which must have been a great conversation) and utilizing this locking cockpit. Sonderheimer attempted to break open the thick, bulletproof door while screaming "Open the damn door!" to no avail. Lubitz instead put the plane into a descent and crashed it into the French Alps, instantly killing everyone and himself, just as planned.

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Where this gets chilling is that about two months prior to this incident, a fellow pilot named Jan Cochret had a public premonition that the well-intentioned security system could ultimately prove worse for the pilot than any bad guy. In a column for Piloot En Vliegtuig (Pilot And Plane) magazine, Cochret openly worried that the wrong copilot could exploit the system and doom himself and his passengers some day. As he put it, "I seriously wonder who's sitting next to me ... I hope I never find myself in the situation where I go to the toilet and return to find a cockpit door that won't open."
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FAIRFIELD  U.S. Sen. Chris Murphy, D-Conn., chose the towns Bigelow Center for Senior Activities to discuss a new bill he has proposed that would provide unpaid caregivers with Social Security credits.

The Social Security Caregiver Credit Act would allow people who leave the workforce, or cut back to part-time hours, to provide care for a relative, or even a neighbor, to receive up to five years of Social Security credit.

The legislation is pretty simple, Murphy said during his Tuesday appearance. It simply recognizes there are different kinds of work.

He said the credits would also be available to parents who stay at home to care for a disabled child, and Murphy envisions the credit being retroactive.

This will probably be part of a broader discussion of the future of Social Security, Murphy said. Social Security is not going bankrupt tomorrow. He said one way to pay for this program, as well as ensure Social Securitys continued viability, is to increase the income level subject to Social Security taxation.

Murphy said history shows that, at one time, about 90 percent of all income was taxed for Social Security, but that has dropped to about 80 percent. If you just adjusted the cap back to the 90 percent level, he said, Social Security would remain solvent and benefits could be expanded.

According to Murphy, it would be up to Social Security to come up with an application process, and determine the documentation needed. He has proposed an income cap, meaning only those making under the state average income would be eligible for the credits.

Murphy said about one in seven state residents provide some sort of unpaid care, and in the process, lose future retirement funds.

Penalizing caregivers by docking the Social Security benefits they count on is backwards, Murphy said. On average, he said, unpaid caregivers lose about $300,000 in Social Security credits, and a disproportionate number of them are women.

Connecticut is the seventh-oldest state in the nation, Murphy said. Were going to need a lot of support.

The proposed legislation has been endorsed by the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, the Arc of the United States, the National Organization for Women, the National Council on Aging, Caring Across Generations, the Sibling Leadership Network, the National Alliance for Caregiving, the Center for Community Change Action and Social Security Works.
Environmental groups are hailing federal plans to study long term uses for Plum Island in Long Island Sound that could lead to preserving the 840-acre property instead of selling it to a developer.

This action demonstrates that the Save Plum Island mantra offered by thousands of citizens is being heard loud and clear, from the tip of Long Island to the halls of Congress, said Leah Schmalz, program director for Save the Sound.
A national report indicates that violent criminals in Connecticut are serving longer sentences even as the states crime rate hits new lows.

This report validates what we in Connecticut already know - our nationally recognized approach to criminal justice is working, said Gov. Dannel P. Malloy.
Pixabay

Easter eggs arent just the colorful objects people hide on the spring holiday, theyre also the term for unexpected references or fun surprises purposefully included, but hidden, in something else.

Did you know, for example, that if you type do a barrel roll into the Google search bar, the screen will rotate in a circle (as though the site itself did the aerial maneuver)? Thats just one of the hidden gems that digital commerce firm SUMO Heavy has included in a fun little infographic, which can be found below. It will show you how to make Youtube use the force, to discover Apples hidden homage to an '80s pop star and more.
Your brands reputation online is more important than ever. The 2014 Edelman Trust Barometer revealed that 65 percent of online users rely on web search to find information on people and companies. One of the tools that helps businesses with this purpose is social media. Scratch that; its currently THE tool for businesses.

Related: 15 Ways to Get More ROI From Social Media This Month

Around 92 percent of the marketers surveyed for the 2015 Social Media Marketing Industry Report called this tool vital for their businesses. Moreover, 90 percent revealed that social media increases their exposure, whereas 69 percent praised it for its ability to develop loyal fans.

So, clearly, if you haven't already done so, you should begin branding yourself through social media. Here are four tips to get you started.

1. Carefully select the social media platform youll use.

There are many social media platforms for you to pick from to begin your branding journey. However, you need to carefully choose the right one to prevent yourself from being spread too thin. Opting for multiple platforms at one time will negatively impact your brand since you wont be able to reach your potential audience. To help you decide on a platform, heres a quick look at three big ones:

Facebook. Facebook is the biggest social network in terms of name recognition and number of users. Through this platform, you have access to more than 1.55 billion users as well as a range of tools that could boost your business. If youre new to branding via social media, this is where to start. Not only can you share photos, videos and updates without worrying about limitations, but Facebook also allows you to advertise your business with a well-made platform.

Twitter. Despite the 140-character limitation, Twitter is a great platform for posting updates, videos, images, polls and much more. Though trickier, its one of the best social networks for interacting with other users, and has more than 320 million active users worldwide. As a result, its the best choice for marketing brands as well as for handling their customer service.

Pinterest. You may have expected to see LinkedIn in third place, but the truth is, Pinterest has risen to the top of social networking tools for branding. The platform offers digital bulletin boards that you can use to organize collections of pictures featuring your offerings, your work space and the people behind the company. However, Pinterest is more of a niche network, as a majority of its users are women and the most popular categories there are related to fashion, food, beauty and exercise.

2. Keep imagery consistent throughout your social media accounts

Branding is all about imagery. From your logo to your brand name, and all the way to your profile picture, everything should be instantly recognizable. You should also create a unique identity through your design. For instance, you can use the color palette and style of your logo to design your pages and establish your brand. For inspiration, check what the leaders of your industry are doing, and take a page from their books.

Related: Social-Media Marketing Is Not Dead: 10 Companies That Are Still Rocking It

3. Create valuable and shareable content.

Most businesses make the mistake of producing content only theyd want to read, or else they simply meet the deadlines marked on their publishing calendars. What you should be focusing on is how to create useful content that your readers wont think twice about sharing. You can find out what engages your audience by asking its members directly or by checking out what your competitors are doing. However, dont share blindly or plagiarize, as these moves will affect your branding efforts. Instead, consider the following expert tips:

Make sure that the content you share supports your brand image . One factor you should definitely try adding to your posts is humor. However, make sure that it goes down well with your audience.

. One factor you should definitely try adding to your posts is humor. However, make sure that it goes down well with your audience. Take care that the tone and content you post is relevant to the brand. You cannot post a blog just because the topic is trending or you have personal interest in it. Everything you post should be relevant to your website. Consider: How would your visitors feel if you wrote about ghosts on a website dedicated to finance? Any post discussing an irrelevant topic will be met with criticism, no matter how well it is written. Even if your visitors have interest in knowing about ghosts, they would still consider the post irrelevant and spammy and might also decide your website to be unreliable.

You cannot post a blog just because the topic is trending or you have personal interest in it. Everything you post should be relevant to your website. Consider: How would your visitors feel if you wrote about ghosts on a website dedicated to finance? Any post discussing an irrelevant topic will be met with criticism, no matter how well it is written. Even if your visitors have interest in knowing about ghosts, they would still consider the post irrelevant and spammy and might also decide your website to be unreliable. Find out which content will gain the most visibility on your social networks. Use analytics to figure out whether your audience prefers blogs to images for instance.

Use analytics to figure out whether your audience prefers blogs to images for instance. Dont shy from using visual content. Images guarantee up to 94 percent more views. Even Twitter content with images receives twice as many views as text-only posts.

4. Take part in the discussion.

One of the important ways of generating a fan base and building your audience is to socialize your content. So, first, youll need to get in touch with the social influencers in your field as theyve already established their brand. Then you can mention their names in your posts, inspiring them to connect with you and, ultimately, share your content with their followers. You should also take part in the discussions to show off your expertise even as you create a bridge between you and your audience.

Related: How to Save at Least 2 Hours Per Week on Social-Media Marketing

So, take heed and follow these tips. Because if you ignore social media marketing, your brand may well begin vanishing in no time. Get busy. Get your brand name out there.

Related:

How to Build Your Brand Name Through Social Media: A Primer

Results Are In: #GuacNRoll Was the Most Popular SXSW Hashtag

Ignore the Uproar. The Instagram Algorithm Change Is a Good Thing.



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We all know that J. K. Rowlings first Harry Potter book was rejected by 12 publishing houses before being snapped up by Bloomsbury, but on Friday she revealed a more recent smarting.

When writing under the pen name Robert Galbraith, she received letters suggesting she enrol on a writing course, and pop into a helpful bookshop for a guide to becoming a novelist.

J. K. Rowling published the rejection letters on Twitter not for revenge, but for inspiration.

J. K. Rowling (right) published some of her rejection letters (one of which is pictured, left) on Twitter not for revenge, but for inspiration'

As someone who has been serially rejected all my life, I found her honesty heartening. I think (or hope) that rejection makes you better, and stronger. If you give up at the first or the tenth hurdle, you dont deserve success.

My first rejection arrived annually from the age of about five, until my early teens: I never won the WHSmith Win A Pony short story competition.

While doing my A-levels, I applied to work at Vogue, and even got an interview. I was rejected. The letter, from the editors PA, Ingrid Bleichroeder, suggested my best chance would be to enter the Vogue Talent Contest.

I was so enraged, I wrote back. Why didnt you suggest that in the first place? Ive enrolled to do Media Studies at the Elephant & Castle! Ingrid never replied.

When writing under the pen name Robert Galbraith, she received letters suggesting she enrol on a writing course, and pop into a helpful bookshop for a guide to becoming a novelist

Newly qualified, I applied to Harpers & Queen. I mistakenly addressed the editor as Miss, when in fact he was a man. He told me I would never succeed in journalism if I couldnt get basic facts right.

After I was sacked as editor of Marie Claire (I only got the job as their first choice changed her mind, and left to work in New York), I applied to be editor of Elle.

I produced a mock cover, at great personal expense. I wrote an index of brilliant features. I didnt get the job: in the letter, I was told I was too high street. For someone who wore Prada to the interview, it was the ultimate knock-back.

A year or so ago, I applied for the job as fashion editor of a broadsheet. I didnt get it Liz Jones

I tried writing literature, too. I wrote the first few chapters of a book about Emily Wilding Davison, the suffragette who threw herself under the Kings horse at the Epsom Derby.

I took it to Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown, then the hottest agent in town. Having read it, he wrote: Great idea, poor execution.

Poor is a word that has followed me around. My biography of Prince (a reviewer I admire called it a hagiography, which thrilled me until I found out what it meant) was also described as poor by Sheryl Garrett in The Sunday Times; she also called me muddled.

I kept getting back on my feet for yet more punishment, which continues to this day. A year or so ago, I applied for the job as fashion editor of a broadsheet. I didnt get it.

But Ive become more Gigi Hadid about criticism of late. The supermodel last week responded angrily on Twitter to a follower who said: Practise how to walk properly instead of having a new boyfriend every two weeks.

Ive become more Gigi Hadid (pictured here with Kendall Jenner) about criticism of late. The supermodel last week responded angrily on Twitter to a follower who said: Practise how to walk properly instead of having a new boyfriend every two weeks'

Gigi replied: Ive dated three guys in three years, Hun. My walk can get better; I hope the unrelated bitterness in your heart can, too.

I wrote to the papers deputy editor, attaching the successful applicants piece on Alexander McQueen, and mine; there really was no contest. Her piece got one comment: Does anyone care about this rubbish? I got 6,000 shares for writing about the man as he actually was.

Again, I never received a reply. Ive been rejected by men, too. When I was working on a Sunday broadsheet at Wapping, I developed a crush on the chef at a local sandwich bar (chef is stretching it; Ive always dated below my caste, to avoid the subject Im writing about here).

My new husband disappeared when it was time for bed, and when I woke up the next morning, he was already downstairs having breakfast with his friends Liz Jones

Finally, encouraged by my friend, who was getting sick of being force-fed baked potatoes, I gave him a note, inviting him to a party on Brick Lane. To my amazement, he turned up. With a woman.

I was reminded of the time I arrived in London, was walking down Tottenham Court Road on my way to a self-defence class  it was 1977  and a man stopped me, and asked me for a drink. We went into a pub, he asked me what I wanted  A Tab, please  and I never clapped eyes on him again.

I was even rejected on my wedding day: my new husband disappeared when it was time for bed, and when I woke up the next morning, he was already downstairs having breakfast with his friends.

He didnt even leave me a note. If he had, it would have been along the lines of the one sent by dear Ingrid: Dont call us. Well call you.

When my brother died far too young, the only thing bequeathed to me was his unpublished, hand-written novel, and a pile of rejection letters. He gave up. He became a recluse, and died penniless.
Once the EU referendum is done and dusted, David Cameron must find a way of finally ending the Tories very uncivil war

Inside Downing Street it is known as the Reconciliation Strategy. Among some Tory MPs its being dubbed the love-in. To one cynical backbencher its Operation Save George Osbornes Ass. But it all boils down to the same thing: once the EU referendum is done and dusted, David Cameron must find a way of finally ending the Tories very uncivil war.

Ask any of the combatants on either side of the Great European Struggle and they will all give you the same public line. Its on a knife edge. We are cautiously confident. Things are going our way. But if you dig a little deeper, a consensus emerges. In campaigners are nervously optimistic. The polls are tight  tighter than they would like  but they think the political fundamentals remain in their favour. And they see no real evidence of an anti-EU groundswell sweeping the nation.

The Out campaigners believe they are making up ground and the result will be much closer than predicted at the start of the campaign.

But in the words of one Eurosceptic MP: If I had to place a bet now, Id say well probably just come up short.

So thoughts are beginning to turn to the post-referendum political landscape. Will there be a rapprochement between the In and Out factions? Or one final, bloody reckoning?

Despite David Camerons furious reaction to the bombshell resignation of Iain Duncan Smith, he is in a consensual frame of mind.

He has told friends privately that he regrets allowing the red mist to descend in the days immediately following the conclusion of EU negotiations, and recognises that his unparliamentary swipes at Boris Johnson and other Eurosceptic MPs were counterproductive.

He also feels the bulk of his parliamentary party is increasingly in the mood to move beyond the European divisions that have bedevilled them for decades.

There will always be 40 or 50 irreconcilables, says a No 10 insider. But if the referendums over and weve won, most Tory MPs are going to say, OK, weve done this. Its time to move on now. 

To help that process Cameron has asked two former chief whips  Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin and former Overseas Development Secretary Andrew Mitchell  to help draw up an outreach plan for calming fevered backbench brows.

The PM has also told friends there will be no night of the Eurosceptic knives. A post-referendum reshuffle will see passionate advocates from both sides of the argument joining hands around the Cabinet table and singing a low-key rendition of Kumbaya. And there is talk of tossing the Eurosceptics a legislative olive branch, possibly by revisiting the idea of a Sovereignty Bill.

On paper it is a sound plan. But it contains one minor flaw. Once the referendum is over  win or lose the Eurosceptics intend to take that piece of paper, douse it in petrol and use it to burn Downing Street to the ground. Anyone who thinks a narrow referendum win for In will settle anything is insane, says one leading sceptic.

The idea that Dave will be getting lots of sleep after June 23 is for the birds.

David Cameron, pictured on holiday with his wife Samantha this week, has told friends privately that he regrets allowing the red mist to descend in the days immediately following the conclusion of EU negotiations, and recognises that his unparliamentary swipes at Boris Johnson and other Eurosceptic MPs were counterproductive

Far from viewing themselves as champions of a declining cause, the Eurosceptics are emboldened. When the referendum was announced, people expected there would be 50 to 60 Tory Outers. Instead, weve got half the parliamentary party with us, says one. Others are encouraged by what they believe is the gradual detoxification of the Europhobe brand. In the past, all people saw was Bill Cash banging on, says another sceptic. But now weve got serious intellectuals like Michael Gove and political A-listers like Boris. Euroscepticism is entering the mainstream.

You can suddenly turn up to a North London dinner party and say youre voting Out without people choking on their soup.

They also have their own post-referendum strategy, and its more sophisticated than their opponents may give them credit for. Cameron thinks were just going to start demanding a second referendum, says one MP. But were not playing that game. Were going to shift the focus from arcane areas of European bureaucracy and start focusing on fundamentals like security. The link between terrorism and immigration policy. Anti-terror budgets. The minefield of multiculturalism. Cameron will find himself assailed from multiple flanks.

When the referendum was announced, people expected there would be 50 to 60 Tory Outers. Instead, weve got half the parliamentary party with us One Eurosceptic

Hes going to say, Ive protected free movement. Were going to say, Youve protected free movement of jihadis. Then one day  God forbid  therell be a terror attack here. And well say, OK, now what are you going to do.

Some of this may be bravado from those who see their dream of slaying the EU leviathan slipping away. But it also exposes a fundamental weakness at the heart of the Prime Ministers Reconciliation Strategy, one even some of his allies acknowledge. Trying to negotiate with the Eurosceptics is like trying to negotiate with IS, says one Downing Street insider. You ask them, OK, what do you want? and their response is, We want you dead.

Indeed, this has been the fundamental weakness of Camerons entire political project. A hunger to implement radical change, but at a pace set by those who are implacably opposed to it.

Partly this is down to a failure of party management. By common consent, Cameron is poor at massaging the egos of his allies.

Instead of spending time with backbenchers hed rather hang around with slightly fey policy wonks from the National Security Council, says one Minister.

This, in turn, has meant he has had too few political outriders, and those he has are insufficiently streetwise to mix it up with Eurosceptic corner-boys. Tony Blair was surrounded by people who would walk through fire for him. Cameron is surrounded by people who give the impression they might just make it to the local newsagent to get him a fresh packet of fags. Weve been too passive, one modernising Minister admits.

Passivity is no longer an option, and nor is reconciliation. If the referendum is lost by Cameron, his premiership is lost along with it.

But if it is won, then his Eurosceptic opponents will not be seeking compromise, but revenge.

An unseen treasure trove of the nations most valuable paintings could soon be on display in local art galleries and community centres across the country if radical new plans proposed by Culture Minister Ed Vaizey get the green light from Downing Street and the Treasury.

Vaizey is said to have been stunned by the size of the collections languishing in the storage vaults of Londons major galleries  like something from Raiders Of The Lost Ark he reportedly told friends  and is lobbying for funding to put them on display in the regions.

An unseen treasure trove of the nations most valuable paintings could soon be on display in local art galleries and community centres across the country if radical new plans proposed by Culture Minister Ed Vaizey (pictured) get the green light from Downing Street and the Treasury

The reforms are expected to form the centrepiece of the review thats set to follow the publication of last weeks Department of Culture, Media and Sport white paper.

Ed feels weve got a strategy for creating a Northern economic powerhouse and this is the opportunity to build a Northern cultural powerhouse, says a department insider.

Labour MPs have spent the week excitedly comparing notes on where they appear on Jeremy Corbyns loyalty list. Rebel ultra John Spellar was spotted in the tearooms proudly sporting a homemade badge displaying his category  Core Group Negative  and there is even talk of T-shirts being printed. But someone who was less pleased was whip Conor McGinn  he was excluded from the list altogether. Whoever it was in Jeremys office who drew it up may not have included me on their list, he growled at a fundraising dinner on Thursday. But let me assure them, theyre on mine
As we reveal today, while Chancellor George Osborne (pictured) is slashing spending on our public services, a proportion of the vast sums he is channelling abroad ends up in the pockets of terrorists, plutocrats and fat-cat private contractors

Easter Sunday is an appropriate moment to note Britains long and proud tradition of Christian compassion. We are an instinctively generous and outward-looking people, filling the buckets of charity collectors when disaster strikes in distant lands. We give when it is needed.

Which is why the Governments rigid commitment to spend a fixed share of national income on foreign aid  currently 12 billion a year, and rising to 16 billion by the next Election in 2020  is unnecessary and absurd.

As we reveal today, while Chancellor George Osborne is slashing spending on our public services, a proportion of the vast sums he is channelling abroad ends up in the pockets of terrorists, plutocrats and fat-cat private contractors.

The UKs pledge to hand a fixed 0.7 per cent of national income to the aid budget has created a perverse, upside-down world in which bloated projects are created purely in order to find something to do with the cash.

It is always easy to give away other peoples money.

No other member of the richest group of G20 countries sticks to the 0.7 target, which was set decades ago by the United Nations and is now completely outdated. We spend twice as much per head as Germany.

David Cameron has tied his own hands in this way not for reasons of altruism, but because of cynical political positioning.

His pledge was made as part of his seemingly endless mission to detoxify the Conservatives and banish their reputation as the nasty party  in this case by wrapping themselves in the clothes of the powerful foreign aid lobby.

It is manifestly incoherent: a Government which vows to move UK benefit claimants from welfare to work is spraying handouts on foreign nations where it is frequently siphoned off by the wealthiest in their societies.

This is why the distinguished economist Peter Bauer once defined the aid system as taking money from poor people in rich countries to give to rich people in poor countries.

Other experts, notably the most recent British Nobel laureate Angus Deaton, have argued powerfully that aid is counter-productive, because it stymies the development of Third World governments.

And its not as if we can afford to give on the current inflated scale.

David Cameron's pledge was made as part of his seemingly endless mission to detoxify the Conservatives and banish their reputation as the nasty party  in this case by wrapping themselves in the clothes of the powerful foreign aid lobby. He is pictured with his wife Samantha on holiday this week

The Office for Budget Responsibility, the Governments independent forecaster, has warned of a 56 billion black hole in the Treasurys finances.

The Chancellor is struggling to make the necessary savings. The recent row over his 1.3 billion cuts to disability benefit, which triggered the resignation of former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith, involved sums amounting to a little over one-tenth of the current aid budget.

And what of our fellow liberal-minded European partners? Holland first met the UN target in the 1970s. Three years ago, in the face of worsening economic conditions, it decided to axe the target, believing nothing should be sacrosanct amid austerity.

For once our army of readers has the opportunity to make their voice heard on this vital issue. This newspaper has set up a parliamentary petition calling for the 0.7 per cent target to be axed, and money to be given to projects that are truly worthy on a case-by-case basis.
Mahama refugee camp is in a dusty valley in the south-east corner of Rwanda. A year ago, there was only some subsistence agriculture  today there are 50,000 Burundian refugees.

Standing in the centre of the camp, I could see more people approaching. Among them were almost 2,000 unaccompanied children, separated from their parents during horrific attacks on the places where they lived. Each carried the story of a life turned upside down, probably altered for ever. They were the human cost of conflict among political leaders. On paper you would think this was one of the most hopeless places on Earth.

I was there earlier this month on a pastoral visit to meet the leaders of the Anglican Church in Burundi and to speak to politicians. Two days before arriving at the camp, I visited a suburb of the capital, Bujumbura, where there had been heavy fighting.

The attackers in Brussels said they bombed in the name of religion but they are liars, the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, writes. Above, the scene at Brussels airport after Tuesday's bombings

Surrounded by security, we drove through near-deserted streets. That in itself was extraordinary: more than 40 years of travel in Africa have accustomed me to seeing everything bustling, even in the heart of conflict zones. But too many people had fled.

We arrived at a smallish, makeshift church, packed to the doors. Inside we heard testimony of the suffering of local people  one whod been shot, another beaten, many threatened. Bodies had been found in ditches. My heart sank. What could I say?

I did what I have learned is the best thing to do when among followers of Jesus Christ, however bad their circumstances, whether in that church or in the refugee camp: I spoke about Jesus Christ.

And because it was Jesus Christ that was being spoken about, not because of any speaking gifts that I have, the church quiet fell, with occasional murmurs of support and applause. At the end we sang again and the place lifted in worship, drums playing, people dancing. This was African Christianity, living out its reality in the face of need.

What these people had, in the midst of extraordinary suffering, was hope. Like countless others I have had the privilege of meeting in areas of conflict, they showed remarkable resilience and humanity despite facing extreme poverty and desperate danger, because they had hope. At the same time I have met many people with enormous wealth who confess their lives are empty. They have everything  except hope.

After arriving in Mahama refugee camp in Rwanda, I did what I have learned is the best thing to do when among followers of Jesus Christ, however bad their circumstances, whether in that church or in the refugee camp: I spoke about Jesus Christ. Above, migrants queue on the Greek-Macedonia border

It seems as if hope is in short supply at the moment. Last week we saw the shocking attacks in Brussels, particularly poignant for taking place in the Holy Week of Christian prayer and reconciliation. Elsewhere we see the desolation of whole countries. At home the challenges are great. Easter renews hope.

The events of Holy Week culminated in Jesus of Nazareth lying dead in a tomb, having been put to death in public on a cross on Good Friday. To Jesuss followers who witnessed his cruel execution, it looked as if everything he stood for  love, forgiveness, truth, joy, acceptance  had died with him. It seemed darkness and evil had won. They had given up hope.

Last week the attackers in Brussels claimed religious justification. A lie, of course, for we know that when people conscript God to violence the only thing they get is an empty idol, for God is love. The answer to this great challenge is found in Easter, in the empty tomb, not in fear, but in hope, because God raised Jesus from the dead and in doing so confirmed his claim that light overcomes darkness, that the life of God overcomes death, that the goodness of God overcomes evil, that the love of God overcomes hatred.

On the first Easter, Jesus was raised to life. It wasnt that his body was resuscitated, having temporarily stopped working. Rather, as the New Testament scholar Bishop Tom Wright puts it, Jesus went through death and out the other side into a new form of physicality. Christians call this resurrection.

I am perfectly convinced the resurrection is as certain a fact as that the Battle of Hastings took place in 1066 or Dunkirk in 1940. The accounts of eyewitnesses to the risen Jesus are clear. The impact on their lives is clearer still. And the church grew and developed in the first centuries of its life in a way that is inexplicable if it were not for the fact that at the centre of its faith was the risen, living Jesus Christ, offering hope to all.

The Brussels bombers are telling a lie, of course, for we know that when people conscript God to violence the only thing they get is an empty idol, for God is love. Above, a woman lights a candle at floral tributes at a memorial site at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels

Because Jesus is alive there is forgiveness on offer for all of us, the burdens of guilt we carry can be put down, for they have been buried with him. Our futures no longer have to be dominated by our past because here is a fresh start for everyone. Jesus is alive so there is forgiveness, grace, peace and joy for everyone. The horizon is not dominated by the past  but by what God can do. And God can raise the dead.

In so many parishes this Easter, people will come together in larger numbers than normal, and they will sing, they will praise, they will celebrate the reality of the life of Jesus Christ. Hope with a face, hands and a voice. Hope brought to us by one whose body bears all the marks of terrible suffering, but no longer knowing pain. This Jesus offers you and me true, real, solid hope today.

I remember in one parish when I was training for ordination, taking part in a baptism in a stream running through an industrial estate. The vicar and I immersed a man in the cold water and lifted him up, the Christian symbol of burial and rebirth to new life in Jesus Christ. Around us, the small church of people facing all kinds of struggles celebrated that Jesus is risen from the dead and so the man being baptised would also have life with God for ever.

And in parishes in places of comfort and wealth, where nevertheless people have the same struggles as everywhere else, as they come together today in worship there will be joy because of the hope Jesus brings. The bereaved will find the hope lifting that the person they loved may be with God. Those facing crises in their own lives through illness will find again that Jesus draws alongside and says: Do not fear. He is our hope.

A week of sorrow for so many, in Belgium, in Turkey, in Burundi, has within it the promise of healing and hope. Easter is the day when we celebrate that God, having given himself to death for our sakes, overcame death that we might have life.
Here we go again, politicians and media hand in hand, doing the work of the terrorists. They are called terrorists because their aim is to scare us into doing their will. Those who help them scare us, by exaggerating their power and importance, are giving aid and comfort to the enemy. It is stupid, and they should stop.

Supposed experts speak in grave tones about security, an area about which you can say anything at all because nobody ever confirms or denies anything. The security services, costly and ineffectual as they are, are pleased to be given an importance they have not earned.

And they will be along in a minute demanding more powers to snoop into the lives of the innocent while continuing to fail to spot the guilty. Like anyone who is allowed to claim expenses while not being required to give details of how he spends the money, these people live by boasting and exaggeration, plus a bit of angry pomposity if anyone questions their real worth.

Brussels airport after the bombing which left 14 people dead and many more injured on Tuesday morning

I especially dislike all this lofty stuff about how bad the Belgians are at tracking terrorists. Are we so much better? How will all this look if  and in truth we have no realistic way of predicting or preventing it  it is London next?

The French Prime Minister, Manuel Valls, says ludicrously that this is a war and others bloviate and splutter along the same lines, instantly winning themselves starring roles on the 24-hour news feeds.

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What nonsense. How the sordid criminals of the Brussels suburbs, who are common murderers of low morals and low intelligence, must grin like dogs and rejoice to be paid such a fat compliment.

Let Monsieur Valls visit a real war zone and see what modern munitions can do to a big city, such as Baghdad, where the shockwaves from bombs falling a mile away made the hospitals tremble so violently that women gave birth prematurely.

Let him see the enormous craters, the concrete buildings with their floors collapsed like a pile of pancakes, the general chaos. Let him observe how normal life ends, schools close, money loses its value, the shops empty as supplies dry up and the economy ceases to function.

Another co-ordinated attack nearly an hour and a half later on the metro (pictured) killed another 20 people

If we were at war, life as we know it would come to a stop, and we would be set back decades, living in ruins without electricity.

That is war. They know all about it in Iraq, Syria, Libya and the other places we have liberated recently. What we face is crime  stupid, vicious, cruel, but crime, actions which dont deserve to be dignified or pumped up beyond their real significance.

French Prime Minister Manuel Valls (pictured) says ludicrously that this is a war and others bloviate and splutter along the same lines

When we have eventually found all there is to be known about the culprits, I predict that they will turn out to be very like the drug-addled petty crooks and lowlifes who killed Lee Rigby, who attacked the offices of Charlie Hebdo and who murdered more defenceless people in Paris last November.

Read this report from the BBCs Secunder Kermani, which brilliantly describes the reality, quite different from our fictional picture of Wahhabi puritans directed from a bunker in Arabia: One friend of the [Abdeslam] brothers who used to hang out there told me he would regularly see Brahim Abdeslam watching IS videos, with a joint in one hand, and a beer in another. He said Brahim would spout off radical statements but that no one took him seriously.

Another friend showed me a video from a Brussels nightclub of the two Abdeslam brothers on a night out with girls, drinking and dancing  this was February 2015, just months before they started to plan the attacks in Paris.

The network that the Abdeslam brothers had around them  based as much on personal loyalty, disenchantment and petty crime as radical ideology  would be key in helping Salah [the other brother] escape after the Paris attacks.

This is not war. It is the action of deranged nobodies, trying to give their dead-end lives meaning with a grandiose cause.

If you want to know where to find them, just follow the smell of marijuana, the supposedly harmless drug which rots the reasoning powers of its users and which, when combined with radical Islam, explodes into red ruin.

The Big Dope Lobby and its many suckers and dupes constantly attack me for pointing out the dangers of the drug they want to legalise. They claim I blame everything on it. But what can I do?

This week I ask your pardon for referring to this drug twice in one column. For it is not just associated with Islamic terror. It is also linked with the most callous and cruel non-political crime.

The dreadful death of PC David Phillips was caused by Clayton Williams, a youth who smokes the drug so much that his Facebook picture showed him with a cannabis joint in his mouth.

Williams had been smoking this supposedly soft drug on the evening he mowed down PC Phillips, the father of a young family  a horror Williamss doped mind still seems unable to understand.

When will the twin lies, that there is a war on drugs and that taking cannabis is a harmless, peaceable recreation, be exposed for the dangerous falsehoods they are?

Though I dislike most of his views, I have always been rather impressed by Barack Obama, a thoughtful and interesting man. He has also been dead right about Cuba, realising that the best way to finish the Castro nightmare is to end the US blockade and make it clear that islands misery is the fault of its communist despots. He should do something similar in North Korea. A picture of him standing alongside Kim Jong Un might cancel out the embarrassing memory of his plainly unwanted surprise grapple with tango dancer Mora Godoy in Buenos Aires.

And for your next dance, Barack... try a tango with Koreas despot

A picture of Obama standing alongside Kim Jong Un might cancel out the embarrassing memory of his plainly unwanted surprise grapple with tango dancer Mora Godoy in Buenos Aires

Once again you will have woken this morning to find that the clocks have been shoved forward by an hour. For me, and for many other early risers, this means weeks of something rather like jet-lag. But whats it for? Why do we do it? Nobody actually knows. We just do it because we have done it for years. Theres no solid objective evidence that it does any good at all.

Wait a few weeks and the evenings will get lighter all by themselves. Yet were told absurdly that it provides more light. It doesnt.

A Cherokee elder, baffled by the paleface habit of messing around with clocks, once asked: What sort of person thinks that by cutting a foot off one end of a blanket, and then sewing it on to the other end, he gets a longer blanket?
She has long been open about the fact she never wanted to have children, but Dame Helen Mirren has revealed there was one moment when she felt heartache over her decision.

The Oscar winner broke down in tears over the film Parenthood, admitting she 'sobbed' for 20 minutes after being moved by the message that being a mother is a job for life and never stops, even as a grandparent.

'I realised I would never experience that,' she told The Sunday Times. 'I sobbed for the loss of that and the fact that I never experienced it. Then I got over it and I was happy again.'

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Dame Helen Mirren, pictured with husband Taylor Hackford, has revealed that although she's never regretted not having children she once broke down over the film Parenthood, sobbing for 20 minutes over the fact she hasn't experienced motherhood

Dame Helen describes children as 'funny' and 'sweet', but has never wanted her own and said that aside from her emotional outburst over Parenthood, she's never experienced a 'moment of regret.'

The actress is believed to have been referring to the 1989 film stars Steve Martin as perfectionist dad Gil Buckman who struggles with the antics of his unruly children, rather than the TV series Parenthood that aired from 2010 to 2015.

Dame Helen describes children as 'funny' and 'sweet', but has never wanted her own and said that aside from her emotional outburst over Parenthood, she's never experienced a 'moment of regret'.

She has two stepsons, Rio and Alex, from her husband Taylor Hackford's previous marriage, but has long been a proponent for being child free by choice.

Im quite relieved, actually, she's said of her decision not to have children of her own.

The 1989 film stars Steve Martin as perfectionist dad Gil Buckman who struggles with the antics of his unruly children

The Oscar winner broke down in tears over the film Parenthood, admitting she 'sobbed' for 20 minutes after being moved by the message that being a mother is a job for life and never stops, even as a grandparent

I can feel that kind of love for my extended family and of course it isnt the same as that lioness love  and Im certainly not dissing it.

'But I feel I can be less judgmental as an aunt. Youre not so invested.

The performer who won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the Queen and reprised the role in the Broadway play The Audience has also spoken of her affection for Prince Charles, saying that he is going to make a 'great King'.

Although she says she's not a royalist or a monarchist, she's been open about her huge respect for the queen as well as her son.

The performer who won a Best Actress Oscar for her portrayal of the Queen and reprised the role in the Broadway play The Audience has also spoken of her affection for Prince Charles, saying that he is going to make a 'great King'

And she said she could not understand why people attack him for writing letters to politicians about his concerns on issues such as the environment and farming.

'What you see if a very, very nice man who is concerned about the architecture and the look of the country and what a jolly decent chap he is,' she said.

Recently, Dame Helen - who is currently filming Collateral Beauty with Will Smith in New York - also opened up about her relationship with her husband during an appearance on The Today Show.

Speaking to host Hoda Kotb the London-born actress joked: 'I dont have much life left, do I? So, I hope hes the love of my life.'

And opening up about the success of their marriage she explained that finding each other later on in their lives enabled them to have a very different view of their relationship.

The Oscar winner is currently filming Collateral Beauty with Will Smith in New York

She explained: 'The great thing about finding a partnership later on [in life] is that you recognise it as such.

'You recognise the partnership level of this relationship as much as the love and the lust and all the rest of it.'

And while most couples are keen to keep romance at the heart of their relationships, the actress and director - who married on New Years eve in 1997 - don't need to indulge in romantic gestures.
She's already carved out a career as a successful model and is now on the big screen, starring in 17th century horror film, The Witch.

But Anya Taylor-Joy almost missed her big break aged 16 when she ran away from a car which contained Storm modelling agency founder, Sarah Doukas.

The Miami-born star revealed how a dog walk near her London home turned into a catwalk opportunity.

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Taylor-Joy attending a modelling event for Saint Laurent. The model has now turned her hand to acting.

Posing at the premiere of The Witch in Hollywood, which promises to be a breakthrough role for the young actress.

It was while she was taking a stroll in heels around the exclusive Knightsbridge area of the capital that she noticed a black car sidle up beside her.

Fearing the worst, she changed direction in an attempt to lose the car but to no avail as it continued to follow her.

Speaking to The Sunday Times Style magazine, she said: 'I thought "Oh s***, this is the end." So I picked up my dog and started to run.'

However it was at that point that a voice called out from the vehicle: 'If you stop you won't regret it... please, there's someone in this car who would really like to meet you.'

This made the model hesitate for a second, long enough to realise there was nothing sinister about the car.

And the gamble was worth the risk as Taylor-Joy met legendary model scout Sarah Doukas (who famously spotted Kate Moss and Cara Delevingne) and she was signed to Storm the very next day.

In The Witch, Taylor-Joy plays the role of Thomasin, a young girl accused by her family of using black magic.

Discussing The Witch in New York City. The 19 year-old was born in Miami and spent her formative years in Argentina before moving to London aged six.

It was through her modelling work that Taylor-Joy discovered her passion for acting, which she has described as the thing that makes her happiest.

Whilst posing for Love magazine, she met Allen Leech, who played chauffeur Tom Branson in Downton Abbey, who saw her potential and subsequently introduced her to his agent.

It seems the second fortuitous meeting was very successful as the actress was again signed and will be featuring on our screens a lot this year with a number of upcoming films.

Her current role in The Witch promises to be a breakthrough for the young actress who is relatively unknown.

However by the end of the year, it is surely likely that Taylor-Joy will be a household name as she will also be starring in a number of other films including sci-fi thriller Morgan, horror film Split (alongside Atonement star James McAvoy) and independent film Barry, which documents a young Barack Obama's move to New York.
The project, launched by the Adolescent Health Project & the Women's Fund of Omaha, aims to grab the attention of teens getting ready for prom

have gone on display at several dress shops in Omaha, Nebraska, to raise awareness of STDs

A health project for adolescents are trying to grab the attention of teens by putting prom dresses made of condoms on display.

As young high schoolers take to their local mall in Omaha, Nebraska, in search of outfits for their upcoming prom night, some will be confronted with a very literal interpretation of a prom night stereotype.

In order to bring attention to the dangers of unprotected sex, the Adolescent Health Project & the Women's Fund of Omaha have teamed up to create a series of prom dresses created out of condoms and having them places in displays at dress shops.

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One way to send a message: Teenagers shopping for prom dresses in Omaha, Nebraska, may come across one of these condom creations made to bring awareness to the dangers of unprotected sex

If any curious teens approach the colorful, rubber-covered creations, they will be welcomed by a tag which, rather than a price, contains a warning.

'Being safe is always in style. Avoid sexually transmitted diseases and unintended pregnancies.' they say.

The warnings are meant to contain a 'price' of their own: the potential cost of unsafe sex.

'This is a great opportunity for us to reach teens and their parents in an unexpected way before prom, and get the message out to think twice before having unprotected sex, because it can lead to multiple health risks or even a baby,' said Gary Mueller, Creative Director of SERVE, a non-profit ad agency assisting with the campaign, told WOWT.

Designs with an agenda: The condom dresses were created as a team project between the Adolescent Health Project & the Women's Fund of Omaha

The project aims to target not just prom-goers, but also other younger people who are most at risk to become a statistic in the Douglas County area of Omaha - which has some of the highest STD rates in the country.

'This message is for all adolescents because in Douglas County the 15 to 24 age group accounts for more than 50 percent of all new STD cases in this county,' Brenda Council of the Adolescent Health Project told KMTV.

Each of the designs feature dozens of condoms of various colors tied together to drape down the forms of the mannequins they are displayed on.

Get the look: The dresses will be on display at Cinderella's Formal Dress Rental at the Crossroads Mall as well as at Hello Holiday in Dundee, with a new dress going on display every week

The project comes two years after Brazilian artist Adriana Bertini showed off her own series of 'Condom Couture' at the International AIDS conference in Melbourne.

The dresses are due to go on display at Cinderella's Formal Dress Rental at the Crossroads Mall as well as at Hello Holiday in Dundee.
Deborah Rodriguez, 55, is the bestselling author of The Kabul Beauty School and The Little Coffee Shop of Kabul. She has two grown-up sons and five grandchildren.

As a child, I loved to tell stories. I would make up plays and comedy sketches and perform them for my friends and family. But I never thought that I'd grow up to become an author.

By profession I'm a hairdresser - which means I'm an excellent listener, too. I spent years working in my mother's salon in Michigan and learnt that a good chat is just as important as a good cut.

Deborah realised her chattiness was a great asset; the hairdresser in her had a voice people wanted to hear

In 2002, after several charity trips to Afghanistan, I returned there to set up a beauty school to teach women a skill that would give them a degree of financial independence.

I spent my time travelling back and forth to my home in America, trying very hard not to lose my loyal hairdressing clients while I was away.

Soon, I discovered that the best way to hang on to my clients was to keep in touch by email. I sent them colourful, chatty descriptions of daily life in Afghanistan. I put everything in: the hardships, the anxieties, the friendships - and the laughter.

Above all, I told my clients back in Michigan the stories of my students in Kabul - of their bravery and troubles in a city where women's lives are very tough indeed.

One day, when I was back at the sink in Michigan, an old friend and hairdressing client presented me with an amazing gift. She had printed out all my emails and had them bound into a beautiful album.

'Here you are,' she said. 'Take a look at your book.'

That was my lightbulb moment - the pivotal point at which I started to believe in myself as a writer. Suddenly I realised that my chattiness was my greatest asset; the hairdresser in me had a voice people wanted to hear.

Those emails became my first book, The Kabul Beauty School, which sold more than 400,000 copies in the UK.

Not bad for a smalltown hairdresser who likes nothing better than a good old gab!

Return To The Little Coffee Shop Of Kabul (7.99, Little, Brown) is out now.
It is the dining secret of Britain's aristocracy and high society that has the rare distinction of being the only restaurant the queen has ever eaten at.

So what makes discreet Mayfair eatery Bellamy's - which offers caviar for 105 and serves Minstrels with its coffee - so good that it is quite literally fit for the Queen?

Deborah Arthurs reserved a table for two and quizzed the owner Gavin Rankin about his the dining success story you have never heard of... just don't ask him about Her Majesty.

Here's her verdict...

Deborah and her dining partner Simon are ready for a meal fit for a queen at Bellamy's in Bruton Place

Deborah, pictured here enjoying oysters, said of the restaurant that it was a surprisingly relaxed and understated restaurant

Deborah sampled the eel mousse served with toast (left), known to have been eaten by the Queen; Bellamy's serves Minstrels with its coffee (right), as Gavin says, 'never underestimate the power of cheap chocolate'

Deborah said that the salt beef pot au feu main (pictured here) from the 'Franglish' menu was delicious

The first thing you need to know about dining in the Queens favourite London restaurant on Mayfair's Bruton Place is that you do not talk about the Queen.

Gavin Rankin, the affable, charming owner of Bellamys brasserie in Mayfair, will absolutely not be drawn.

Without letting his ever-present smile drop for even a moment, he puts the matter to bed with a firm we wont be talking about that, before moving seamlessly on to rhapsodise about his, frankly astonishing, wine list, his friendly staff  from 12 different nations  or loyal customer base, 80 per cent of whom are regulars whove been dining with him weekly at Bellamys for the past 10 years.

And its no wonder really. You dont get to become the Queens most favoured restaurateur by being indiscreet.

The only nod to Bellamys royal patronage is a small, unobtrusive photograph of the Queen hanging on a back wall in the bar, taken on the occasion of her first visit, in 2006.

But actually, Bellamys, tucked away on a quiet mews off Berkeley Square, has twice played host to the Queen since it opened in 2004.

Deborah Arthurs prepares for a dining experience fit for a queen at this modest Mayfair brasserie that was dubbed 'the most civilised' restaurant by Tatler two years ago

Deborah quizzes Gavin Rankin the owner of this success story that is open to customers of all ages, doesn't have a dress code - and is the Queen's only choice when it comes to eating at a public restaurant

An unobtrusive photograph of the Queen on her 80th birthday hangs on the back bar

The Queen may have only visited the restaurant twice in ten years with her last visit being on Tuesday (left and right) but it is the only place she ever goes to eat out

Two visits spanning more than a decade may not seem particularly noteworthy  until you realise that Bellamys is the only public restaurant she has ever visited in London.

Because, unlike the rest of us, the Queen doesnt have those moments where she doesnt feel like cooking or the Bucky P cupboards are bare. But, on the rare occasions she does dine out, it is at Bellamys.

Her first visit, in 2006, was for her own 80th birthday, when her dear friend and former Lady-In-Waiting to the Queen Mother Lady Penn hired the 70-cover restaurant for the evening for a private party.

On Tuesday this week, it was to have dinner with her daughter, Princess Anne, and her cousin, Princess Alexandra.

Deborah was impressed by the service as well as the lengthy wine list at Bellamy's where - on a slow night - Gavin will remove a table, whip out a baby grand and turn the restaurant into an impromptu cabaret night

Service is one of the most important factors at the restaurant, where Gavin Rankin is the only person allowed to approach diners' tables and ask if everything is 'ok'

A waiter in immaculate white shirt, waistcoat and bow tie decants a bottle of red wine to be served at the table

So what gives this apparently quite unassuming Mayfair brasserie its royal appeal?

As Rankin says, theres no magic to it. In other words, its not just something they do  its everything they do.

In a culinary climate of quirky pop-ups and monstrously over-the-top freakshake-type menus, Bellamys offers simple food proficiently cooked, flawless, discreet service and a warm, buzzy, intimate atmosphere.

The seating is comfortable, the lighting is low (and highly flattering, I was pleased to note), the napery immaculate.

The decor, which Rankin says was conjured up by his architect and designer Tim Flynn after he whisked him around 15 Parisian brasseries for inspiration, has that familiar, welcoming French feel: leather banquettes, brass railings, tiled bar, vintage illustrations ski posters on the wall (and a Picasso in the loo, which were assured it isnt real but certainly looks the part).

Deborah was impressed with the perfectly cooked food, the simplicity of the menu - and the wine list

Deborah and her dining companion Simon survey their oysters at the restaurant that prides itself on having 'silent service' leaving diners free to eat without being interrupted by waiters every five minutes

The grilled Swordfish with beurre maitre dhotel is just 16.50 and joins fish options including plaice, turbot and red mullet on the 'franglish' menu

Gavin Rankins (the restaurant's patron) mother Marina makes two of the puddings on the menu  Marinas chocolate cake (left) and the Tunisian Orange and Almond cake (right) which are both spectacular

The acoustics are friendly too. So many contemporary restaurants have dispensed with tablecloths and upholstery, resulting in a cacophonous dining experience that rules out intimate conversation and means you have to shout at your neighbours in a most unqueenly way. Here though, the restaurant buzzes with a comfortable, quiet chatter.

The menu, which Rankin describes as Franglish, is packed with brasserie classics like duck rillettes (a must order), terrine of foie gras and steak tartare, but they sit alongside yellowfin sashimi, salt beef and Bellamys fish fingers.

Perhaps shockingly for a restaurant on the Queens wish list, Bellamys is affordable too. Yes, they have a caviar menu that runs to 105 for 50g of Osietra (the Queen had 25g along with the excellent smoked eel mousse and quail on her first visit), but otherwise, the menu is very reasonable.

Most starters are under 10, half the main courses are under 20, and a set menu is 21.50 for two courses and 26.50 for three.

Gavin, the former managing director of the Annabels group, told Deborah that his establishment isn't elitist and he doesn't have too many rules

Deborah quizzed the restaurant's owner Gavin Rankin who said the secret to Bellamy's success lies in its old fashioned values, discretion and lack of fussiness. The formula clearly works as they are full every night

Gavin told Deborah how the restaurant has no dress code and would never have a 'bossy girl with a clip board' on their door

There are lots of friendly flourishes too. Rankins mother Marina (an incredibly elegant 84-year-old who goes to the gym twice a week) makes two of the puddings on the menu  Marinas chocolate cake (please do not leave without trying this), and the Tunisian Orange and Almond cake, which are both spectacular.

Minstrels are served with coffee. Never underestimate the power of cheap chocolate, he says.

BELLAMY'S MENU FIT FOR A QUEEN STARTERS Cheese croquettes Duck rillettes of Tuna sashimi Terrine of hare Smoked Salmon Prawn cocktail Chicken broth Terrine of foie gras Rock oysters Prawn bisque sausage salad Dorset crab salad MAIN COURSES Grilled swordfish Salt beef stew Fillet of Plaice Fillet of Dover sole Entrecote of beef Red mullet casserole Medallions of venison Roast turbot & leeks Steak tartare Piccata of veal PUDDINGS Dessert of the day Tarte Tatin creme Brulee Cup Islands Cheese plate sorbets Floating island Ice Cream Orange almond cake Chocolate Cake Advertisement

Any concerns we had about the wine list were waved away in a moment, too. The all-French list very deliberately has prices to fit the budget of both prince and pauper. At the top end, theres a Chateau Mouton Rothschild 1989 premier cru at 995, but theres a very good house white (a Viognier) or red grenache at 20 a bottle or 5 a glass  and anyone is welcome to come just to have a cocktail at the bar, which will set you back a tenner.

It is, says Rankin, because he is religious about keeping Bellamys accessible and pro-young.

Id rather have a full house every night, he says. Theres no point having only grown-ups who can afford to spend a fortune. We are very friendly and very pro-young. We place a lot of emphasis on making the menu very affordable.

'We want anyone to be able to come for dinner, have the house wine and be happy. They would be treated the same as if it were their father.

If we give them excellent service and a good time, they will keep coming back. The young are the customers of tomorrow - and anyway, he adds, the best parties always have a mix of ages.

Everyone is welcome at Bellamys, Rankin says. Theres no dress code  though he says most people impose one on themselves. And he cant stand these restaurants, he says, where youre accosted at the door by a bossy girl with a clipboard who makes you feel like the enemy prisoner just for coming to dinner. Who are you having dinner with? Why? you feel like youre being processed, he says.

We are not elitists, and I dont like to have too many rules.

For the same reason, Rankin does not support the now-ubiquitous fashion for two-hour tables. If guests want to stay for another drink, we want them to feel comfortable, he says.

Its clear that Rankins philosophy is integral to the success of Bellamys, and a large part of its appeal for people from all walks of life.

FEMAIL'S Deborah Arthurs gives her verdict on her dinner at Bellamy's in London's Mayfair

This experienced patron (formerly managing director of the Annabels group), who eats at the restaurant most nights, is the driving factor behind both the welcoming atmosphere and the meticulous service, which he says should be friendly but unobtrusive.

We operate a silent service, he says. I am the only one allowed to ask a table how their meal is. No one wants their meal interrupted every few minutes by someone asking if everything is okay, or if they want their wine topped up. If its not okay, youll know soon enough.

And, he says, if a customer has to wave their hand to get attention, he has failed. We anticipate what youll need. You shouldnt have to ask, he says.

It is this smooth service that not only won the hearts of the royals, but also of Tatler magazine, who gave Bellamys the award for Most Civilised Restaurant.

Civilised it may be - but while theres not exactly dancing on the table at Bellamys, you get the distinct impression it has seen a lively night or two.

During quieter periods, Rankin says he takes out a table, replaces it with a baby Grand and hosts cabaret nights with set menus.
Rocker Jamie Hince split from his supermodel wife Kate Moss

Rocker Jamie Hinces well-publicised split from his supermodel wife Kate Moss is not the only agony he has endured over the past year  he has also been battling a career-threatening condition.

The Kills guitarist required six operations on his left hand after slamming his finger in a car door, which led to a bone infection and tendon damage.

Jamie, 47, revealed his plight while promoting his new album, Ash & Ice, at the South By Southwest music festival in Austin, Texas.

After finishing our last tour, I got a horrible deep bone infection, he says.

They did surgery and I lost my tendon from the tip of my finger to my elbow on my left hand.

'had to go through six operations and needed a tendon transplant.

I had these brief moments in between surgeries where I could write songs, but I had to teach myself to play guitar again and do things with three fingers instead of five.

'Every song on this album has been a painful evolution.

Ever wondered why you can remember some events in vivid detail but others are a blur?

According to scientists at the University of California, when the brain filters a daily onslaught of information, it prioritises rewarding memories that are going to be useful for future decisions over others.

In a study, volunteers were shown a series of pictures of objects and told they would get either a large or small monetary reward for identifying them correctly.

The scientists found that participants were better at remembering objects that were associated with a high reward.

The ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture may bring relief to sufferers of pain condition fibromyalgia.

A study conducted at the Pain Treatment Unit at the Dona Mercedes Primary Health Centre in Seville found that the use of acupuncture was greatly beneficial in easing discomfort in sufferers.

Patients were given 20 minutes of either customised acupuncture treatment or simulated acupuncture, once a week for nine weeks.

They were all then asked about levels of pain, depression and quality of life at intervals of ten weeks, six months and 12 months after treatment.

Ten weeks after treatment, pain scores had dropped by 41 per cent, and a year afterwards the average fall was found to be 20 per cent.

Fibromyalgia is chronic condition that causes widespread pain and tenderness over much of the body.

One person in 25 is affected by it to some degree.

Tackling diabetes - at a spa

Celebrity spa chain Champneys has launched programmes aimed at tackling the diabetes epidemic.

The Living With Type 2 Diabetes Day Retreat aims to arm visitors with information and advice about how the condition, which affects more than three million Britons, can be controlled through exercise, nutrition and a positive approach, according to owner Stephen Purdew.

Celebrity spa chain Champneys has launched programmes aimed at tackling the diabetes epidemic

We want to educate individuals, show how this condition can be managed and ultimately reduce the risk of long-term health problems, he says.

The programmes will be offered at the Champneys Tring and Springs resorts. For more information visit champneys.com.

Skipping breakfast may help your waistline  but it wont do anything for your brain. Participants in a trial who did not eat the first meal of the day had poorer results in mental tests than those who did.

Researchers from Japans Fukuoka University carried out a battery of tests and showed that non-eaters did not perform as well as their rivals in so-called executive functioning  the mental processes involved in achieving goals.

They also found that morning exercise could improve executive functioning in both those who ate or missed their breakfast.
Alice McCartney, of Govan, Glasgow, is losing her sight to a rare genetic condition, but is set to have a 'Terminator-style' microchip fitted, that will help her to carry on seeing

A woman who is losing her sight could become the first patient in Scotland to be fitted with a bionic eye.

Alice McCartney, of Govan, Glasgow, is losing her sight to a rare genetic condition, but is set to have a 'Terminator-style' microchip fitted, that will help her to carry on seeing.

Medical experts have already successfully implanted a wafer thin electronic chip into the eyes of a number of men in England.

Once activated, the microchip takes over the work of the retina, helping the brain to see.

The sort of technology has previously been the work of fiction seen in programmes like The Six Million Dollar Man and the Terminator movies.

Alice, 51, told of her joy at being accepted by the team of experts pioneering the technology.

She said: 'If they offer me a bionic eye I'll take it in a heartbeat.'Alice suffers from retinitis pigmentosa, which affects around 20,000 people in the UK.

She fears the sight-robbing-condition will gradually deny her the chance to see her three grandchildren grow up.

Alice has been referred to the world's leading bionic eye specialist, Professor Robert McLaren, who was educated in Edinburgh.

The Scottish expert's Oxford-based team developed the robot eye technology, which could dramatically improve the lives of thousands of people.

Alice is on tenterhooks waiting for a call from the unit.

Professor McLaren has been hailed a miracle worker after developing a tiny, ultra-thin microchip packed with light sensors. The battery powered sensors convert light to electrical signals. The retina is then stimulated to pass information down the optic nerve which is transformed into images in the brain

'I struggle to see many objects and walk into cupboards when the doors are left open,' she said.

'I wouldn't recognise my children if they were across the road.

'I am very grateful to have been accepted as a patient at Professor McLaren's clinic.

'Until then it's a question of monitoring and seeing if my eyes deteriorate further.

'I have watched how it has transformed the lives of others with my serious eye condition.'

Professor McLaren has been hailed a miracle worker after developing a tiny, ultra-thin microchip packed with light sensors.

The battery powered sensors convert light to electrical signals. The retina is then stimulated to pass information down the optic nerve which is transformed into images in the brain.

'Other people's lives are being transformed with the bionic eye,' said Alice. 'It truly is a miracle device.

'I don't want to spend any of my life depending on others to guide me around.'

One of the first patients to benefit from the eye implant was Chris James, 54, of Wroughton, Wiltshire.

He had been blind for 10 years when his sight was restored by the microchip.

After a decade of darkness, there was a sudden explosion of bright light - like a flash bulb going off, he has said previously.

'I did not know what to expect but I got a flash in the eye, it was like someone taking a photo with a flashbulb and I knew my optic nerve was still working,' he said.

One of the first patients to benefit from the eye implant was Chris James, 54, of Wroughton, Wiltshire,

Alice too is optimistic of a similar, happy ending.
The Night Manager Sunday, BBC1

Rating:

(but  if tonight is any good)

Line Of Duty Thursday, BBC2

Jurys Out

The A Word Tuesday, BBC1

Rating:

So little time, so much television, and its quite overwhelming. Ive yet to even start on Trapped, the Icelandic series thats said to be excellent.

And Game Of Thrones is returning, and MasterChef has returned  cooking doesnt get tougher than this?; did you know that?  and Line Of Duty is back and theres a new Peter Bowker drama and The Night Manager still has an episode to go.

But at least were done with Doctor Thorne, which was Anthony Trollope via Julian Fellowes via Disney, and which finally saw Cinderella (Mary, who cried the shoe fits! when she inherited all that money) marry her prince (Frank).

The cinematography is beguilingly stylish. Tom Hiddleston is beguilingly Bond-ish. So its 100 per cent beguiling, but does The Night Manager beguile without bothering to be plausible? I wonder

Still, as there was no sexual chemistry between the two  not a squeak, not a hint, not a whisper  I did worry for their wedding night. Im hoping maybe they received good presents.

Maybe they got a toaster out it, and sundae glasses they will never use, and a new carriage wheel, so at least had that to be cheerful about.

And The Night Manager concludes tonight, so we can be done with that too, but will it conclude well? Everything about The Night Manager is beguiling. The cinematography is beguilingly stylish. Tom Hiddleston is beguilingly Bond-ish.

Elizabeth Debicki is beguilingly beautiful with a neck like a swan. Hugh Laurie is beguilingly evil. Olivia Colman is beguiling because Olivia Colman is always beguiling.

Tom Hollander was beguilingly camp and petulant but hes dead now. (RIP, Corky, the worlds worst killing machine.)

So its 100 per cent beguiling, but does it beguile without bothering to be plausible? I wonder. I wonder about Angela Burr working as a one-man band in British intelligence.

I wonder about her discovery that certain other intelligence officers are on the take from Roper and why she doesnt skip over the head of that Permanent Secretary and go straight to the Home Secretary or PM. (If British intelligence is cashing in on illegal arms deals, wouldnt that pose a threat to national security?)

I wonder about how remote the remote areas of Turkey are. (Remote enough to let off an arsenal of weapons without anyone noticing?)

I wonder about Roper, who is said to be so damned clever, but the leaks from his team began when Pine joined, and he didnt put two and two together?

I hope all questions are answered tonight as its six hours Im never going to get back; six hours that could have been spent thinking up wedding presents for Mary and Frank. (Grapefruit spoons? Everyone imagines they need grapefruit spoons, at some point in their life.)

I will say nothing, for now about Line Of Duty. The past two series have been edge-of-the-seat brilliant, as weve played good cop, bad cop (which is it?) along with AC-12, the police forces anti-corruption unit

What to say about Line Of Duty? I will say nothing, for now. The past two series have been edge-of-the-seat brilliant, as weve played good cop, bad cop (which is it?) along with AC-12, the police forces anti-corruption unit.

But this time out we know Sergeant Danny Waldron (Daniel Mays) is a bad cop from the start, and also that hes a loathsome bully, and I dont know if I want to spend my Thursday nights with a loathsome bully with psychological issues stemming from childhood abuse (Im guessing).

But I dont wish to say anything more until the series has bedded down, in case theres a brilliant twist coming, and then Ill look the fool. (You may think its not possible for me to look the fool but it has happened.)

On to Peter Bowker who wrote last years Marvellous (starring Toby Jones) and which was, indeed, marvellous.

In The A Word we have Joe (Max Vento), who is five, and is a genius when it comes to indie rock, which he listens to through headphones all the time, but otherwise he struggles to communicate

Here, hes adapted The A Word from an Israeli TV series about a familys journey after their son is diagnosed with autism, and has transposed the action to the Lake District.

So we have Joe (Max Vento), who is five, and is a genius when it comes to indie rock, which he listens to through headphones all the time, but otherwise he struggles to communicate and always has to be last through a door.

The original series, as far as I can gather, was set in a rural farming area with no access to therapeutic services, so it would make sense that Joe had yet to be diagnosed, but here the fact the A word hasnt ever been used seemed bizarre, while everyone comes across as stock characters.

The parents (Morven Christie, Lee Ingleby) are in denial while the grandfather (Christopher Eccleston) is guaranteed to say the wrong, least sensitive thing, and as for the uncle and his wife (Greg McHugh, Vinette Robinson), theyre one of those couples (yawn) who are trying to make a go of it after ones had an affair.

I felt it a bit. I felt it in terms of how mean you feel towards children when they are mean to your child, for whatever reason, and I felt it a bit when that singing teacher offered sex to Eccleston  that was about loneliness, and I was more interested in her than anybody  but otherwise I did not feel what I knew I was meant to feel; did not feel what the family are going through.

Also, its not as if theyre a very nice family, as theyre often vicious to each other, not tempered by any humour, and I get enough of that at home.
The Secret Poisoner: A Century Of Murder Linda Stratmann

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Poisoning was so easy in the Victorian age that it comes as a surprise that anyone was left standing.

In 1864, threepence would buy you enough poison to kill two fully-grown adults, and you could buy it over the counter from any grocery or general stores.

The Times calculated that between 400 and 500 Britons a year died of accidental or wilful poison, but many more poisonings must have passed unnoticed, or been diagnosed as cholera.

The Secret Poisoner chronicles an amazing array of poisonings  wife on husband, husband on wife, wife on husbands lover, husband on mother-in-law, doctor on patient, servant on master and master on wife

Poison was always viewed as a womans weapon: the stereotypical poisoner was a wife or mother who popped a few pinches of arsenic into a pie, then sat back and waited for her family and other irritants to start clutching their stomachs, frothing at their mouths and gasping for air.

And there was some truth in this idea: whereas more strenuous forms of murder were generally carried out by men, women went for the easy option, and reached for the arsenic.

The poison capital of Britain was, of all places, the village of Clavering in Essex.

Its poisoner-in-chief was a sturdy countrywoman called Sarah Chesham, who seems to have done it out of a combination of business and pleasure.

First, she poisoned two of her sons, both insured, and, after their deaths had passed undetected, she had a go at poisoning a further two sons.

The next year, Sarah set her sights on getting rid of her boyfriends ex-lover Lydia, and Lydias little baby, Solomon.

One day, she appeared at their doorstep with a rice pudding and an apple turnover. After a couple of spoonfuls, Solomon was taken ill.

At this point, Lydia noticed something white and slimy on her childs lips.

Despite Sarahs insistence that it was only sugar, Lydia tossed the rest of the rice pudding and apple turnover into the bin.

Baby Solomon survived on this occasion, but Sarah Chesham made two further attempts on his life, and then a third, which proved successful.

But suspicions had been aroused. The corpses of Sarahs two sons were exhumed and found to contain arsenic.

In 1847, Sarah was put on trial for their murder, and her boyfriend, Thomas Newport, was charged with aiding and abetting her.

But the act of poisoning is notoriously hard to prove, and they were both acquitted.

Sarah Chesham returned triumphant to Clavering, where she became popularly known as Sally Arsenic.

Her growing reputation served as an inspiration to others: before long, would-be poisoners were queuing at her door for tips on how to get away with murder.

Mary May, a repulsive-looking grocer from a neighbouring village, was one of the first to follow suit.

She successfully poisoned her half-brother, the unfortunately named Spratty Watts, an odd-job man, after taking the trouble to insure his life for 10.

But she was found out, and executed. Rumours circulated that she had also been responsible for the deaths of her former husband and anything up to 14 children.

But Mary May, in her turn, had managed to sow the seed of poison in the minds of other Essex housewives.

Soon, fatal poisonings of husbands by wives were being reported in the surrounding villages of Bradfield, Dovercourt, Ramsey and Tendring.

Even The Times, normally so stiff-upper-lipped, got into a state about what it saw as a murder epidemic.

Why should the practice of secret poisoning obtain rather in the marshes of Essex than elsewhere? asked an editorial.

In other counties as well as Essex, wives are weary of their husbands and would gladly follow them to the grave How is it then in Essex alone that inclination should become an act, and result in murder?

Meanwhile, our old friend Sarah Chesham was not letting her supply of arsenic gather dust.

In 1849, her trusting husband Richard perished after tucking into one of her famous rice puddings. Sarah was finally tried and executed in Chelmsford in 1851.

The craze she had initiated prompted Charles Dickens to note that poison fills a column of every newspaper, and furnishes a topic for every conversation.

He was far from alone in calling for restrictions on the sale of poison.

The author of this vivid and darkly comical history, Linda Stratmann, is herself a dab hand at murder, though only in the strictly literary sense.

She has already written a stream of fiction and non-fiction on the subject, and dedicates this, her latest, to her fellow members of the Crime Writers Association for their friendship and encouragement.

In her introduction, she also thanks her husband.

During my research, I enjoyed recreating some of the historical dishes that were the last meals of poison victims, and must thank my husband Gary, who courageously agreed to taste them.

The Secret Poisoner chronicles an amazing array of poisonings  wife on husband, husband on wife, wife on husbands lover, husband on mother-in-law, doctor on patient, servant on master, master on wife, and so on and so forth.

Though Stratmann is highly skilled at combining brevity with colour, her rapid succession of poisonings soon coalesces into an overall pattern  irritation, avarice, insurance taken out, trip to the pharmacy for rat poison, hot pie with a bitter after-taste, victim writhing in agony, burial, rumours that wont go away, exhumation, autopsy, arrest, trial and execution.

Being a professional crime writer, Stratmann doesnt stint on the detail.

Those of a delicate disposition should look away now.

He had found arsenic in the vomit, the stomach contents, and part of the stomach, begins a typical paragraph, describing an autopsy.

He had taken organs from the thorax and abdomen, as well as the liver, a portion of the heart, intestines and brain, boiled them for four hours, and cleaned them of organic matter with nitric acid. More rice pudding, anyone?

The Secret Poisoner chronicles the ways in which, over the course of the 19th century, the forces of science and the law tried (and just about managed) to keep up with, and then overtake, the misdeeds of the homicidal poisoner.

First, scientists developed techniques to find poison in corpses that would previously have evaded detection. Then, some decades later, laws were finally brought in to restrict sales of household poisons.

Many landmark poisoners practised on the Continent, among them Anna Margaretha Zwanziger, a Bavarian housekeeper who went crazy with the arsenic, murdering women whose husbands she fancied, servants against whom she had a grudge, and many others she found inconvenient for one reason or another.

She started administering poison to her employers, then nursing them back to health, simply to make them dependent on her.

She might have pursued her little hobby for many more years but, before long, science caught up with her.

A German pharmacologist called Valentin Rose discovered that by cutting up the stomach of the deceased, boiling it in distilled water, filtering the resulting  gulp!  soup, and so forth, he could finally find any tell-tale traces of arsenic.

When the Rose technique was applied to the corpses of three of her victims, arsenic was discovered, and, confronted with the evidence, Zwanziger confessed.

Though it may seem blimpish of me to favour homegrown poisonings, I found myself more interested in those committed by trusty, fresh-faced British types.

My favourite, if one is allowed to pick favourites, was Christiana Edmunds of Brighton, a well-to-do lady who became obsessed with her handsome doctor.

Having failed to kill his wife with poisoned chocolates, she tried to divert suspicion from herself on to Maynards, the chocolate-sellers, by leaving packets of their chocolate creams (injected with strychnine) in strategic places around Brighton, ready to tempt the sweet-toothed.

A four-year-old boy called Sidney ate one and died. Christiana then upped her mad campaign, sending poisoned sweets, cake and fruit to prominent Brighton residents, and claiming that she, too, had been poisoned. She was finally apprehended and sent to Broadmoor.
Braven BRV-Pro 130, braven.com

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By the end of a two-day camping trip, any man (or woman) who owns a working power supply is basically God.

Youre treated with the same sort of fawning reverence as if you had actually invented electricity, rather than just brought along a reliable source of it.

Im all for this. Lord knows I enjoy a digital detox as much as anyone  but within reason.

The BRV-Pro includes a decent Bluetooth speaker, pairing with iPhones, Androids and iPads to play anything from radio apps to Spotify

For instance, I rarely want to detox from my smartphone so much that I dont have sat-nav  or the ability to Google folk remedies that make midges go away.

And while Ill gleefully ignore most emails from colleagues while on a break, I always want to read the ones with the two most beautiful words in the English language: remittance advice.

But how does one stay in touch when going  briefly  off the grid?

Ive dabbled in the world of solar chargers before, and was treated with that special disdain reserved for the knit-your-own-lentil-sandals brigade when I produced my windmill-shaped device... and generated a trickle of electricity that would barely power a crystal radio.

Outdoorsy firm Braven produces gadgets made of sterner stuff.

The BRV-Pro offers a power bank with enough juice to charge an iPhone up to full a couple of times, plus a light on the top just to broadcast your technological superiority to other nearby campers.

The BRV-Pro is completely waterproof, with little rubber caps that clip over all the ports and the battery life is absolutely sterling: even if you are blasting the speaker itll do 15 hours, easy

It has a standard USB port so you can also use it to power Android devices, cameras and head-mounted cameras such as GoPros, if youre one of those people.

If you are feeling very lucky, the BRV-Pro also offers a solar charger for topping up the device.

But for non-optimists, youre probably best off cheating and recharging from the mains.

The BRV-Pro includes a decent Bluetooth speaker, pairing with iPhones, Androids and iPads to play anything from radio apps to Spotify.

The company behind it is obsessed with that sort of American camping where you climb up enormous prongs of sandstone before rafting down dangerous-looking rivers  hence the gadget is completely waterproof, with little rubber caps that clip over all the ports.

This is also perfect for Wales.

As with all Bravens stuff, the battery life is absolutely sterling: even if you are blasting the speaker itll do 15 hours, easy.

For extra smugness, you can even bring an additional battery pack...

A tiny Marvel?

This weeks launch of the iPhone 5SE wasnt, if were honest, the most exciting Apple event ever  but then its not always the glamorous Apple products that sell.

The best-selling iPod of all time was the mousey little Nano, not the fancy Classic  so 5SE might be a hit.

Of course, from the outside, the new 359 phone looks EXACTLY the same as the outgoing iPhone 5S  so whats different?
Xiayin Wang Chandos, out now

Tchaikovsky Piano Concerto No 2 and Khachaturian Piano Concerto

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Xiayin Wang may look fragrantly feminine but is a steely-fingered virtuoso of the old school

Tchaikovsky was unlucky with his pianists  at least until now.

Nikolai Rubinstein, the intended dedicatee of the First Concerto, declared it unplayable.

Yet it went on to become one of Tchaikovskys most popular works. The Second was not so lucky.

Sergei Taneyev, who gave the premiere, hated the slow movement because it gave equal prominence to a solo violin and cello as to the piano.

The pianists union agreed, and after Tchaikovskys death, the score was finally published in a version by another tinkler of the ivories, Alexander Siloti, with great hacking cuts.

Unsurprisingly, it didnt flourish.

But now along comes Xiayin Wang, who may look fragrantly feminine but is a steely-fingered virtuoso of the old school, and she plays the Second exactly as Tchaikovsky intended.

And its well worth hearing, especially when the violin and cello solos are so well taken, and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra sound equally well under music director Peter Oundjian.

Khachaturians concerto is a big, brash thing. Subtle it aint.

But with Wang and Oundjian it rattles along, and while you wont want to hear it too often, it certainly makes an impact.

NEW BRITISH ISSUES

Elgar: Symphony No 1 Decca, out now

Berlin Staatskapelle, conducted by Daniel Barenboim

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Britten: Serenade For Tenor, Horn And Strings Linn, out April 22

Aldeburgh Strings, with tenor Allan Clayton

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Ireland: Music For String Orchestra Naxos, out Friday

Orchestra of the Swan, conducted by David Curtis

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This recording shows Daniel Barenboim and his BerlinStaatskapelle at, or very near, their best

This splendid spring for new issues of great British music continues with what some will think the best yet: Daniel Barenboims new recording, with his Berlin band the Staatskapelle, of Elgars First Symphony.

Barenboim not only understands this music, having learnt it as a very young man during his Elgar apprenticeship with Sir John Barbirolli, but obviously loves it.

This is a performance that shows him and his orchestra at or near their finest.

Indeed, the Staatskapelle, with their supple strings and burnished brass, are surely now superior to the Berlin Philharmonic.

I have heard London orchestras give equally good performances of this symphony, but for me, jamming on my hat as President of the Elgar Foundation, the real joy here is to have a top European orchestra playing this music with such conviction.

As Barenboim said when presented with the Elgar Society Medal in 2015, there is still a real job to do for Elgar in Europe: When I mention Elgar, I have to add the English composer, but when I talk about Puccini, I dont have to say the Italian composer.

One composer who doesnt need a boost abroad is Benjamin Britten, now widely accepted as a great mid-20th-century voice, fit to be set alongside his contemporary, Dimitri Shostakovich.

Next month Linn has a well-recorded album out deriving from performances given at the Aldeburgh Festival between October 2012 and April 2015.

Its only 55 minutes long but any reservations should be set aside because of the exceptional performance here of the Serenade For Tenor, Horn And Strings, one of the great masterpieces of British music.

The Aldeburgh Strings give an exceptional performance of Britten's the Serenade For Tenor, Horn And Strings, one of the great masterpieces of British music whilst this Naxos issue is a good introduction to John Ireland

The opening phrase of the Pastoral makes clear that the young British tenor Allan Clayton is blessed with the same kind of high tenor voice as Peter Pears, Brittens partner, for whom the piece was written.

But Claytons vocal production is much better controlled, smooth and mellow, and entirely without the sort of strangulated, drowning-the-cat timbre that, if truth be told, so often put off all but Pearss most dedicated admirers.

John Ireland was one of Brittens teachers at the Royal College of Music, and remains an underrated composer.

I invariably genuflect as I pass Irelands blue plaque in Gunter Grove, Chelsea, on my way to Stamford Bridge.

And this season, seeing that landmark has often been the best experience of my afternoon!

On Naxoss new album of the English composers work, the Stratford-upon-Avon-based Orchestra of the Swan, under their music director David Curtis, perform arrangements of some of Irelands finest inspirations.

The Downland Suite, arranged from its brass-band original by the composer himself, is in the best English pastoral tradition.

The passionate Cello Sonata, written in the Twenties, when Ireland was in the throes of an affair with a much younger man, has been transcribed for cello and strings by Matthew Forbes, and is brilliantly dispatched by cellist Raphael Wallfisch.

If you didnt know, you could think it was originally composed as a cello concerto.

A really good introduction to Irelands art.

CONCERT OF THE WEEK

American Soundscapes Barbican Hall, London

Conducting is an old guys game in the main, but some young ones hit the podium jackpot when they are little more than kids, and such a one is the Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel.

He came up through the sistema, the extraordinary Venezuelan training scheme that allows kids from the countrys vast slums to learn musical instruments and perform them to the highest level.

Almost two decades ago the resultant band, the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra, captured the public imagination all over the world as it toured under Dudamels baton.

Conducting is an old guys game in the main, but some young ones hit the podium jackpot when they are little more than kids, and one such is the Venezuelan maestro Gustavo Dudamel who came up through the 'sistema'

So how is Dudamel doing now in early middle age? Pretty well, is the answer, given his contract with the Los Angeles Philharmonic until 2022 and lots of guest spots all over the world.

But there may be the odd question mark. On the platform he doesnt strut about but, a slight figure, is happy to blend in with the orchestra as he takes his opening bow.

However, conducting is not a job for the reticent. And he certainly doesnt only programme crowd-pleasers either.

This opener of the LA orchestras Barbican residency, with the exception of Coplands Appalachian Spring, was full of stuff most people didnt know and, in the case of Ginasteras First Piano Concerto, wouldnt want to hear again.

Despite the nimble-fingered advocacy of his fellow Venezuelan, Sergio Tiempo, this piece was noisy in the opening movement, spooky in the second, full of cliched plinkplonks in the third, and in the finale there was a lot of sound and fury signifying nothing.

The film composer John Williamss Soundings, receiving its British premiere, was better and showed the orchestra in fine fettle.

If Dudamel wants to stay at the top until conductors hit their prime  around 70  he will need to retain some of his kid-like charisma.
I texted David and said that his ex feels Im making him unhappy

I am travelling for work, again. I landed in London, then schlepped to my hotel.

David texted me: Hi darling, are you busy or do I get to see you?

I would have loved him to buy me dinner, as promised, but I didnt see why he should just come along and enjoy a hotel room, and breakfast, when his myopia about his home means I cant stay with him. He cant have it both ways.

So I wrote: Im shattered.

Im sure you are. I hope you can get some rest. When are you home?

I ignored his question.

I give my film to the movie star in April, so am frantically working on that. No point telling you her name, as you wont have seen any of her films. (David doesnt go to the cinema; the only times I have made him go with me, he has fallen asleep.)

I dont want to distract you. I care for you and wish you well.

Im sick of room service. #FirstWorldProblem.

He wrote, Id like to service you in a hotel room. #MyProblem.

I almost told him that he sounds like a Carry On film again, but I left it. Everything is a double entendre, when I just want to have a conversation.

He had sent me a text a couple of weeks ago, after wed spent the weekend in Edinburgh, saying, You didnt tell me your sister was in intensive care, how is she?

He had read this in my latest column. But as he hadnt even asked me how I was in Edinburgh, what was the point of me telling him about Lyn? But I was in a hotel room, alone, so I looked at his Facebook page. And there was a message.

From his ex. Due to the new privacy laws, that dont protect me from members of the public posting on Mumsnet that they saw me taking cocaine at a private party, or other columnists writing on Twitter that I indulge in bestiality and am a c***, I am not allowed to tell you what she wrote.

Times have changed since I published, unedited, my ex-husbands email conversation with his mistress, the dreaded Daphne.

All I can say is that there was a reference to my postmenopausal beard, and the fact she would be happy that David had found someone closer to his own age, if I werent so mad. And Im supposedly the b**** in all this.

We had a lengthy argument, which I ended by saying she must be late for her bubble perm appointment.

I had tried to inject humour into the whole childish business, but its obvious she has none.

Her Facebook profile, free for all to see, has dreamy pictures of her eyes, and her posing in the lotus position. But when I called her a yoga teacher, she objected. Pilates, darling.

But it upset me. Everything about this relationship upsets me. The fact David is smoking again. All this bile from his ex. I dont want to be in the middle of a war. I texted David and said that his ex feels Im making him unhappy. That she said he used to be funny and cheerful, and now he is depressed. I said we should end it.

What???!!!! What has she written now? If you want to end it, thats your prerogative, but dont end things because of her.

I told him to read our argument online.

His verdict? What she says does not rank that high. ?????????? !!!!!!! Ayyyy? Whaaaaaaaa? Whose side is he on? Why do men never have opinions about anything?

It has not been a good week. My home is now on the market. I have had one viewing, and another two are booked for tomorrow: no wonder, as Im being forced by HMRC to market it for 200,000 less than I paid for it in 2012.

Ive been thinking about this business of writing about my life. Look how much trouble it gets me into: with David, with his ex, with his friends and family. With my friends.

HMRC had read about my upcoming wedding in my column, which had set them dead against me: You cant afford to get married, they told me.

And if you think, well, this is all her fault, think again: have you ever hired an accountant? Because my experience is they make mistakes, dont reply to direct questions on email, charge exorbitant fees, give you less than a day to approve your accounts, and hang you out to dry.
Reports say the Belgian Army will be deployed during PM Modis visit to Brussels at the end of March

It was initially expected that Prime Minister Narendra Modis Brussels trip would be cancelled, but despite the terror attacks, his visit will go on as scheduled and he will attend the European Union Summit.

In light of the recent terror strikes in the Belgian capital, reports say the Belgian Army will be deployed during PM Modis visit to the city at the end of March.

The local police will also guard the venue of multiple engagements.

Due to the enhanced terror threat ahead of his visit, additional security will be provided for the PMs public interaction with the Indian diaspora in Brussels.

A 5,000-strong Indian community is set to meet the PM for a cultural evening. Terror, the economy, clean energy, and Namami Gange (clean rivers) will top the PMs agenda.

Modi is scheduled to visit Brussels en route to the fourth Nuclear Security summit hosted by US President Barack Obama in Washington on March 31 and April 1.

From the US, Modi will stop at Riyadh on his way back for his meeting with the Saudi Arabian government.

There will be no change in PM Narendra Modis scheduled visit to the Belgian capital of Brussels on March 30 to attend the European Union summit, the government said.

PM Modi will visit Brussels on March 30 for the 13th India-EU summit, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vikas Swarup said.

In a joint letter written by Fulvio Martusciello, Member of European Parliament (MEP), and Alberto Cirio, Member of the European Parliament (MEP), Brussels wrote a special missive welcoming Modi ahead of the latters visit to the India-EU Summit next week.

The MEPs termed Modi as a person of great prominence on Indias political landscape. They stated in the letter that European Parliament believes Modi can be a major ally of the EU in the global war against terror.

Police will guard the venue where the PM will host a cultural evening for the Indian community. (File picture)

EU can learn a lot from Indian experience in fighting Islamic extremism as India has first-hand knowledge in dealing with the issue.

The MEPs further mentioned that the EU should engage Indian decision-makers led by Modi in a proactive dialogue and focus on over lapping interests, including maritime security, terrorism, space and cyber defence.

The MEPs said that it is imperative that the EU welcomes Modi with open arms.

Meanwhile, ahead of the Nuclear Security Summit next week in the US, Obama said: Next week, dozens of world leaders will come here to Washington for a summit focused on nuclear security. Well use that opportunity to also review our joint efforts against ISIL and to make sure the world remains united in this effort to protect our people.
A five-member Pakistani joint investigation team (JIT) will land in Delhi via a special aircraft on Sunday around noon to probe the Pathankot terror attacks, even as the legal basis of their probe remains questionable.

Pakistan is yet to respond to the Letter Rogatory (LR) - a formal request from a court to a foreign court for judicial assistance for gathering evidence in the foreign country - served by India on March 2 through its mission in Islamabad.

Based on its FIR number 6/16 filed in Gujranwala, Pakistan has also not yet served an LR to India seeking evidence from Indian soil.

Indian Army personnel pictured during the operation against terrorists at Pathankot airbase.

But highly-placed sources in Delhi said: "This visit is being allowed on goodwill, and modalities will be based on reciprocity."

In a first-of-its-kind probe, the Pakistani JIT comprising senior officials from its counter-terrorism departments, Intelligence Bureau and ISI, and Military Intelligence, will officially begin its work on Monday with a visit to the headquarters of the National Investigative Agency.

The Pakistan government had initially set up a six-member SIT to carry out the probe. Subsequently a five-member JIT was notified, including Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General of Police (IGP) Muhammad Tahir Rai as Convenor, Lahore Deputy Director General (DDG) Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Lt. Col Tanvir Ahmed of the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), Lt.Col Irfan Mirza with the Military Intelligence and Gujjaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Inspector Shahid Tanveer as members.

Around 11am on Monday, the NIA will first give a presentation to the Pakistani team laying out the sequence and facts of events, and the evidence collected so far.

The 90-minute presentation will be followed by questions the visiting team chooses to ask. Discussions will follow post lunch with some MEA officials also included.

The Pakistani team will be taken to the terror site to conduct their investigations. (File picture)

On Tuesday the team will be taken to the terror site either by road or via a BSF chopper.

Sources confirmed to Mail Today that only the areas relevant to the investigations, including breached perimeters, will be accessible to the team.

The forward airbase that came under attack has been visually barricaded and handed over to the NIA. Sensitive installations will be off-limits for the JIT.

India has asked the three eye-witnesses of the attacks along with 17 injured persons to be prepared to answer questions if the Pakistanis seek to question them.

Legally intercepted calls to identity the neutralised terrorists, and information about their addresses and facilitators obtained by India will also be shared with the JIT.

Controversial DSP Salwinder Singh and DSC guards have been also been asked to make themselves available for questioning.

On Wednesday the JIT will return to the NIA HQ to answer questions raised by the Indian side. According to high level sources, at the moment India has no information about the action taken in Pakistan based on evidence provided by New Delhi so far against the Pathankot perpetrators and handlers.

The JIT is likely to wrap up its visit just around the time when the Indian and Pakistani PMs are expected to hold a bilateral exchange along the sidelines of a Nuclear Security Summit in Washington DC on March 31 and April 1.
Ending the long suspense over government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, PDP president Mehbooba Mufti met the state's Governor NN Vohra on Saturday and staked a claim to form the government.

With this, Mehbooba is now chief minister designate and the oath ceremony will take place in the next few days.

The PDP chief was accompanied by the legislative party leader of the BJP, Dr Nirmal Singh, and two senior leaders of her party, Muzaffar Hussain Baig and Tariq Hameed Karra.

Significant meeting: PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti with the BJP's Dr Nirmal Singh and Governor NN Vohra

Karra had opposed any re-alliance with the BJP over the past three months, and Baig had also raised questions during the nine-month Mufti Mohammad Sayeed rule. However, Mehbooba has roped in both of them.

A Raj Bhawan spokesman said the leaders of the two parties handed over separate letters to the governor.

The PDP letter conveys the resolution of the legislators of J&K PDP to elect Ms. Mehbooba Mufti as its legislature party leader and nominating her for the position of Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, the spokesman said.
While Assam goes to the polls in April, the political atmosphere reached a new high on Saturday as Prime Minister Narendra Modi targeted the Congress regime in the state on the planks of corruption, poverty, and unemployment to woo the electorate, especially the youth.

The PM took a jibe at Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, saying he was surprised at the Assam Chief Ministers statement that his fight is against him.

How can I fight him (Gogoi)? He is so senior to me and in a few years he will be 90. He is an elder. I respect him and seek his blessings. My fight is not against Gogoi but against poverty, unemployment, underdevelopment and superstition, he said.

PM Modi (left) addressed two election rallies in Assam, which is set for Assembly polls in April. He also took a swipe at Tarun Gogoi, who has been the state's Chief Minister since 2001.

It has already been decided by the people of Assam to vote for BJP, but make sure that the work is not half done. Please ensure that you bring the party to power with two-thirds majority so that the BJP government can work whole-heartedly to make Assam a leading state in the country, Modi said, addressing two election rallies in Upper Assams Bihpuria and Bokakhat constituencies.

The presence of women in large numbers in the meetings is a clear indication that the Congress government's days are numbered in the state and it does not stand a chance in the coming elections, he said.

Assam is now a diseased state and the root of all disease and trouble is Congress, which must be uprooted at all costs, Modi said.

The state was represented by the erstwhile Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) for 10 years, but now its people have to be reminded that they were represented by a former PM, he said.

A deep injustice has been done to the people of Assam and their aspirations crushed. The youth of Assam has tremendous potential and they are a deprived lot. It is time to correct these wrongdoings, he added.

Modi said he has the single agenda of ensuring all-round development of the state, and it was time to free it from the politics of vote banks. He said the coming Assembly elections in the state were the biggest opportunity for people to bring about change and development.

Modi said his government had electrified over 1,000 of the 2,000 Assam villages where power has not reached yet. The state is going to the polls on April 4 and 11.
Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday condemned the imposition of President's rule in the state as a murder of democracy and the Constitution, and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hands were dipped in the blood of the trampled aspirations of the people.

Alleging that central rule was a result of a premeditated conspiracy hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically-elected Congress government in the state, Rawat also said the BJP was thirsty for his blood right from the day he assumed office on February one, 2014 and did not want his government to stabilise.

It is a murder of democracy and the Constitution. Modis hands are dipped in the blood of the trampled aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand, Rawat said at his first news conference after the imposition of Presidents rule, capping the ten-day long political upheaval in Uttarakhand after nine Congress rebels raised a banner of revolt against him and supported the BJP.

Furious: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said the BJP was thirsty for his blood right from the day he assumed office in February 2014, and did not want his government to stabilise

What has happened is the result of a premeditated conspiracy hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically-elected Congress government in the state, he alleged, adding that there was a propaganda blast against him that raked up issues relating to alleged corruption.

Claiming that he had clear majority in the House, Rawat said it was part of a conspiracy by the BJP to impose presidents rule even before giving the state government a chance to go for a floor test.

The four-year-old Congress government was slated to go for floor test in the state Assembly on Monday. Rawat alleged that there was a money deal to lure the Congress rebels, adding that some people say it is Rs 1,000 crore, and some Rs 500 crore.

He said the BJP had decided not to let his government stabilise from the day he took over and slashed my head as the first opportunity presented itself.

The way we were being given repeated threats since yesterday (Saturday), the way the governor publicly issued a threat at a press conference in Delhi, it was clear things were moving towards this eventuality. That BJP was thirsty for my blood was clear from day one. They had decided at the very outset that they wont let the Harish Rawat government stabilise, he added.
Shortly after the fall of the government in Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress lost Uttarakhand on Sunday.

Presidents Rule was imposed in the hill state a day before the crucial trust vote in the state Assembly for the Harish Rawat government.

The Cabinet had recommended the imposition of Central rule in the state on Saturday night following an hour-long emergency meeting with PM Narendra Modi, who cut short his visit to poll-bound Assam.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat addressing a press conference in Dehradun

On Sunday, it received the formal nod from President Pranab Mukherjee.

The Centre was of the view that continuing with the Rawat government was immoral and unconstitutional after March 18, when the Speaker declared the Appropriation Bill passed in controversial circumstances without allowing a division pressed for by 35 MLAs, including 9 rebel Congress legislators.

The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor KK Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state Assembly on Monday.

There can be no better example of implementation of Article 356 (imposition of President's Rule)...There was complete breakdown of the Constitution in Uttarakhand, Union finance minister Arun Jaitley said.

There were very good grounds for the Union Cabinet to recommend Presidents Rule in the state... The Chief Minister had lost majority on 18th (of March) and his continuation was unconstitutional and immoral, he said.

The purported CD of the sting operation conducted against the Chief Minister that entered the public domain yesterday was understood to have been factored into the decision of the Cabinet, which cited it as a case of horse trading.

Giving other reasons for dismissing the government, Jaitley spoke about the hard evidence of Rawat offering allurements to win over MLAs to change the composition of the House, and discriminatory use of anti-defection law by the Speaker with regard to his action against rebel MLAs of the BJP and Congress.

Jaitley also accused the Speaker of using the Anti-Defection Law discriminately with regard to rebels of the BJP and Congress and said he should not stay in office even for a day.

With regard to the Congress charge of destablising its governments, the union minister said it was a crisis created not by the BJP but by the Congress itself.

There was rebellion in the Congress as the party high command had been refusing to even meet their leaders, he said.

Asked about the possibility of the Congress hardening its stand in Parliament, particularly with regard to bills like the GST, the Finance Minister said the Congress needs to put its own House in order rather than take revenge on the country.

The Congress cried foul and denounced the decision calling it a murder of democracy and said it showed that BJP did not believe in democracy.

It's a blatant and brazen display of authoritarian, anti-democratic and anti-Constitutional mindset of the Modi government, said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha.

The crisis in Uttarakhand had started earlier this month, after nine lawmakers of the ruling Congress, including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, had rebelled against the Harish Rawat government.

On Saturday, the Speaker had reportedly put them on notice, asking why they should not be disqualified under the anti-defection law. The decision to disqualify them would have reduced the effective strength of the 70-member house to 61, giving the Congress 27 lawmakers.

Along with support from six lawmakers of the Progressive Democratic Front, it would have got an effective strength of 33 - enough to win Mondays trust vote. The opposition BJP had 28 legislators.

Congress defends RaGa for choosing Rawat over rebels

By Amit Agnihotri in New Delhi

Sources said Rahul had urged Harish Rawat to stay put in Dehradun and quell the rebellion last week

The Congress defended Rahul Gandhi for ignoring the partys rebel lawmakers in Uttarakhand hours after the imposition of central rule rendered Chief Minister Harish Rawat powerless.

Both former state minister Harak Singh Rawat and former CM Vijay Bahuguna, who led the nine Congress rebels, had alleged that they took the extreme step as Rahul did not listen to their concerns.

While Bahuguna leveled corruption charges against Rawat, the former CM made allegations against Harak Singh saying his properties in Dehradun should be probed.

Bahuguna had been miffed with the party high command after the Congress vice-president replaced him with Harish Rawat, who many believe was the natural claimant to the CMs post in 2012.

Rawat, who was a minister in the previous UPA government at the Centre, was named as CM in February 2014 months ahead of the national polls. Bahuguna initially was made CM to quell factional squabbles in the Uttarakhand Congress, but he had drawn intense criticism for the way he handled 2013 devastating floods and relief and rescue work.

Nearly 6,000 people were killed in the rains and landslides that flooded the hill state, forcing the administration to close down the Kedarnath shrine.

As the political crisis snowballed in Uttarakhand Congress, Rahul, who has done a course correction by making Rawat CM, firmly stood by the party loyalist.

Sources said Rahul had even urged Harish Rawat to stay put in Dehradun and quell the rebellion last week, even as the BJP upped the ante in Delhi.

AICC in-charge of state Ambika Soni said Rahul did not neglect Uttarakhand, while reminding that the Congress V-P had walked 16 km on trek in April 2015 to send a message that the holy Kedarnath shrine, which had been badly damaged in the cloud burst, was safe.

The move was also seen as an endorsement of Harish Rawat, who had accompanied the V-P.

Rahul had also openly attacked the BJP for instigating trouble for the Harish Rawat government while accusing the Centre of destabilising an elected regime after nine party lawmakers rebelled.
The late Dhirubhai Ambani, founder of Reliance Group

Members of the Ambani family are likely to be present at Rashtrapati Bhawan on Monday when Kokilaben Ambani receives the Padma Vibhushan award conferred on her husband and founder of Reliance Group, the late Dhirubhai Ambani.

Dhirubhai Ambani, along with construction magnate Pallonji Shapoorji Mistry, Maruti Udyog Chairman RC Bhargava, Sun Pharmaceutical Founder Dilip Shanghvi, and MasterCard Chief Executive Ajaypal S Banga, is among those chosen for the awards.

BJP bigwigs look to wrest Assam

The BJP is leaving no stone unturned to secure victory in the north-eastern state of Assam. Both PM Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah have been regularly to the state to address rallies.

While Modi addressed rallies on Sunday, BJP chief Shah will be in the state on Monday for public meetings.

Assam is set to witness Assembly polls starting from the first week of April.

Parrikar in Goa for Defence Expo

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar is in south Goa, where he will launch the Defence Procurement Policy online during DefExpo.

The website of Defence Expo, monitored by the Defence Ministry, has listed 1,054 companies who will be setting up their stalls for the exhibition to be held at Naqueri-Betul village in South Goa.

Officials said that Defexpo India is clearly steering the path of steady growth and has been receiving overwhelming and unprecedented international response with each edition.

Gogoi's age not a factor for polls

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi has hit back on the PM over his age jibe, saying he was as enthusiastic as a youth.

I may be old, but my enthusiasm is not less than any young person, Gogoi told a poll rally in his constituency Titabor.

He was responding to Modi, who had said: Gogoiji, in a few years you will be 90 years. You are my elder. I come to Assam to pranam (respect) you and not fight with you.

MSG launches 151 products

After Baba Ramdevs Patanjali range and Sri Sri Ayurveda, MSG All Trading International Pvt Ltd, a Dera Sacha Sauda firm said it has introduced 151 products including food items.

The products, launched by the sects head Gurmeet Ram Rahim Singh, included basmati rice, tea, pulses and biscuits, a Dera spokesman said.
It was her love for Delhis nightlife that soured relations between model Priyanka Kapoor and her husband.

Twenty-six-year-old Priyanka accused her husband of torturing her and objecting to her lifestyle in her suicide note, which has been seen by Mail Today.

Priyanka, who ran an event management company, was found hanged at her house in Defence Colony in the wee hours of Saturday. The room was locked from inside.

Priyanka Kapoor, who ran an event management company, was found hanged at her house in Defence Colony

Her husband, a well-known south Delhi-based businessman, has been arrested for allegedly harassing and beating his wife.

According to a senior police official, Priyankas family has alleged that 38-year-old Nitin Chawla used to beat her and harass her for dowry.

Police claim that Nitin had asked Priyanka to leave his house just before she committed suicide.

Priyanka wrote in her suicide note: Nitin wanted me to leave his house, so I am leaving the world. She also wrote that Nitin used to hit her over petty issues. He also stopped her from going to pubs and bars several times. When Nitins 10-year-old son from his earlier marriage came home, Nitin had an argument with Priyanka. He asked her to leave the house, the senior official told Mail Today.

Nitin Chawla, a well-known south Delhi-based businessman, has been arrested for allegedly harassing and beating his wife

Priyankas body was discovered after she did not answer her phone on the day before Holi

Police found two copies of a suicide note in the house believed to have been written by Priyanka before her death. One was lying on her table and the second copy was in her bag. In the note, Priyanka said she married Nitin out of desperation.

Priyankas body was discovered after she did not answer her phone on the day before Holi. Her mother came to her house to check on her.

The police got a call from Priyankas family member and reached the spot. Priyankas mother and husband were standing outside the room which was locked from inside. Police broke open the door in their presence with members of the fire brigade. She was shifted to AIIMS, where the doctor declared her brought dead, a Delhi police official said.

On the basis of a statement by Dimpi Kapoor, sister of the deceased, a case has been registered under IPC sections 498A, 304B, 34.

In her statement, Dimpi alleged that her sisters husband used to torture, beat up and harass her for dowry. Similar allegations were also there in the suicide notes recovered from the spot. Nitin Chawla was arrested, police said.

Nitin had divorced his first wife, with whom he has a son (10) and a daughter (8), in December last year, police said. After the divorce, Nitin got custody of his son, which became a matter of dispute between him and Priyanka, the official said.

Mail Today has tried to contact Nitins family for their comments, but they didnt reply.

Capital sees rise in dowry deaths

By Ankur Sharma in New Delhi

There is one case of dowry death almost every second day, according to the data given by Delhi Police

The Capital has witnessed a steep rise in deaths related to dowry over the past two months.

There is one case of dowry death almost every second day, according to the data given by Delhi Police.

Moreover, cases of cruelty at the hands of husbands and in-laws have also increased this year as compared to last year.

The Delhi Police register dowry cases almost every day, according to the Crime Against Women cell. According to data, Delhi recorded 438 cases of cruelty by husbands and in-laws (under Section 498A/406 of the IPC) till February last year, a figure that has increased by almost 50 per cent this year.

Delhi Police have registered 618 cases under the section.

Similarly, 19 women had died over dowry last year, but this toll has already touched 26 this year, figures till February 29 show.

We are aware about these increasing figures. This year, dowry-related cases have seen a rise. In 2016, there are two cases registered under the Dowry Prohibition Act and earlier, we registered one case under this Act. We are investigating the case and also giving counseling, a senior officer of Crime Against Women cell told Mail Today.
In order to deal with cases of swine flu and dengue in the national Capital, the health department will be seeking suggestions from the Met Department.

Regular meetings will be held with Met officials to enquire about upcoming weather conditions before hospitals make the necessary arrangements.

The idea is to focus more on preventive measures. We will have regular meetings with all the stakeholders and especially with the officials of Met department. We will intimate the hospitals and make the necessary arrangements once we have been informed about the weather predictions, said a senior official from the health department.

Growing concern: Delhi has recorded 119 swine flu cases since January 2016

As many as 119 cases of swine flu have been reported in the national Capital since January 1.

This year the department will also ensure that no private hospital is involved in any kind of malpractice. Recently, an advisory was issued to all states to step up their preparedness to tackle swine flu.

The government advisory demanded enhanced surveillance, facilities for laboratory diagnosis, the setting up of screening centres in outpatient departments of hospitals, and earmarking isolation wards, including ventilator beds.

The advisory also includes a requirement to stock personal protective equipment and to make the drug Oseltamivir available, and also to create awareness among the public for early reporting to hospitals for treatment.

The move came after the disease claimed 62 lives in various states, including Rajasthan and Punjab.

Swine flu has killed 34 in Rajasthan in just January and February this year. Out of 2,000 samples collected in the state, 162 people had tested positive, and 34 of them succumbed to the H1N1 virus.
If there is a wall most mentioned by the search engines, even more than Chinas Great Wall, it is Donald Trumps "dream wall against immigrants", on the US border with Mexico.

His "draft code against immigrants" ensuring jobs first to local Americans else face cut in green cards, is no less draconian.

The GOP frontrunner is raising his anti-immigration rant to expand his support base, but the echo of opposition is no less audible. In fact, those opposing it in the US mainstream media, and those among the immigrants, mostly Asians and Hispanics, and the other groups he rubbed up the wrong way - Blacks, Muslims, gays, women and the disabled - are getting shriller, louder, and more aggressive.

Republican frontrunner Donald Trump is raising his anti-immigration rant to rally more support, but the echo of opposition is just as loud.

In a recent post on its website, the Washington Post editorial team, which had met Trump on Monday, reaffirmed the risk America would face in electing him.

The editorial post read: We met with Donald Trump. Electing him will still be a radical risk."

In all probability the wall will be razed before being raised, hope many Americans.

One top Indian-American philanthropist, Frank F Islam, sums up the seething anger among immigrants: We wont let him even lay the first brick of that wallwe need bridge builders, not wall builders."

In November 2014, President Barack Obama had complimented the immigrants of the US as those who believe in the American Dream and who have given the largest democracy an advantage over others by making it entrepreneurial."

The Washington Post editorial team recently warned that electing Trump would be 'a radical risk'.

But another man dreaming of the White House thinks otherwise.

I am intrigued by Trumps stand, as he himself has thrived on cheap immigrant labour and has flaunted his business empire. He is a shrewd businessman, no doubt, as he built a real estate empire worth around US$ 5 billion.

He himself has understood and followed well the Immigranomics", which has actually built America in the last 30 years, where labour first chased capitalism only to become inseparable.

He has sponsored visas to his employees, hired for his companies. His Mar-a-Lago Club in Palm Beach in Florida, considered as one of the best private clubs in the world, filled hundreds of posts with foreign guest workers from Romania and East Europe.

The US Labour Department confirms that only 17 US residents have got jobs so far, and nearly 500 visas have been given to foreigners.

Now seeing an opportunity in the political arena, the businessman tries to get politically correct and manipulates the phobia of the middle class white Americans.

India-born author and now Danish citizen Tabish Khairs new book Xenophobia has portrayed the current American turbulence in political space most aptly in simple words.

We live in a capitalist world where both capital and labour are supposed to circulate freely. This is good as far as capital goes for many people in affluent countries. But when labour follows capital into these countries in search of jobs or better lives, it becomes a problem - and an easy way for some politicians to get votes.

In the case of Trump, it is an opportunity well-timed. The Trump vote camp is of people who have suffered jobs, lost wages and dreams and have lived mostly on social benefits, which started to shrink as the US battled recession along with the world.

He is now getting real with his political motive in stoking his crowds by promising to bring back jobs that have been snatched by illegal immigrants or outsourced" by corporations. Doing so, he is not even worried what it costs to his image - now branded as a menace, misogynist, bigot and xenophobe" by his own Republicans.

He cares for none. But he must care for the economic loss that the US would have to incur before making these public rants.

Today, every seventh American is being treated by an Indian. And in the next five to 10 years, it will be every fifth American going to an Indian doctor as the number of Indian medical students will increase. Can he afford to check this healthy immigration?

More, the near 4.5 million overseas students who later get accommodated in the American job market, much to the discomfort and frustration of native middle class unemployed white Americans, contribute about USD 30 billion annually in fees and other costs.

India and China account for nearly 51 per cent of the overseas student numbers, and about 73 per cent of students, mostly undergraduates, receive funds outside of the US from personal and family sources.

Even while taking jobs as H1B visa holders, which is currently raising heat in the Trump camp, India alone pays about USD 1 million annually in social security tax.

Trump's off-the-cuff racism appeals to many of those white Americans who grew up with a sense of entitlement and can now only face their social failures, real or imagined, by resenting new immigrants.

The fact that these immigrants are non-white makes them - and their relative successes - more glaring in the eyes of these white Americans, who lack a real understanding of global Capitalism but want to keep enjoying its fruits.

I wish Trump would spare some time to read US official documents and published reports. According to the National Survey of College Graduates, immigrants represent 29 per cent of scientists. They also represent 50 per cent of PhDs working in math and computer science occupations and 57 per cent of PhDs working in engineering occupations.

This is where America has been built over decades following the Second World War. More than 40 per cent of Fortune 500 companies were founded by immigrants or a child of immigrants. These companies employ more than 10 million people worldwide, and generate annual revenue of $4.2 trillion.

And as a businessman, he should have understood the price of cheap immigrant labour, as in the large Hispanic community mostly employed in construction and the service industry today.

Most of the domestic maids, janitors, and housekeeping staff in hospitality hail from Mexico, El Salvador, and Guatemala, where successive civil wars triggered large immigration - much of it precipitated by the US's own politics in Latin America.

The ignorance of Trump before going public with his wall against immigrants has given Democrats the right handle as the presidential poll race enters the decisive stage.

Hillary Clintons camp wants Trump as her opponent for a simple reason - the businessmans low political IQ will do good business for Democrats this time.

US considers India to be change agent

The Paris Climate Change Summit, which saw Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the warm company of World leaders, including US President Barack Obama, was not without a purpose.

Nearly three months later, the US top establishment considers India as a change agent for the rest of the world in the renewable energy sector, if they get it right.

And the US is putting its money on India with a vested interest to make the pledges of climate change summit come real.

Narendra Modi with Barack Obama. The pair met at the Paris Climate Change Summit.

At a round-table organised for journalists in Washington DC recently, Deputy Assistant Secretary of Energy Transformation Melanie Nakagawa said it is time for high investments in renewable energy.

Nakagawa said investments in clean energy and renewable energy are making a profit.

Its making money. And the investors, you know, New York, Wall Street, others, theyre all seeing that theres profit to be made in renewable energy.

He praised Indias political will, saying: Indias commitments on the 175 gigawatt renewable energy target by 2022, their commitments on solar, their commitments also in the finance infrastructure space, this all makes it a really impressive political will signalwe want to be working in countries that want our support. The signals that were seeing from India from a political perspective are quite impressive and significant and thats why India is a close partner.

The Indian government needs $100 billion in investment including $70 billion of debt financing to meet their 175 gigawatt target by 2022. Those numbers cant be met with public finance alone. It will be great for Indias development, Indias economic growth and also for new companies, new markets, new innovation and new players, Nakagawa said.
The arrest of a retired Indian Navy Commander, Kulbhushan Jadhav, allegedly for spying and other activities in Balochistan, is a coup of sorts for Islamabad.

For years now Pakistan has claimed that India is involved in Baloch separatism, but has not been able to provide a shred of evidence. Now, if we are to believe Islamabads version of events in the Jadhav case, they have it in good measure.

Truth

But in such cases the truth is usually not what it seems to be. It does seem rather far-fetched to believe that an Indian naval commander would personally be involved in a covert operation in what is certainly be very dangerous territory. We need more details before we can accept the Pakistani charges at face value.

Several people in India are not aware of the contemporary history of Balochistan

Presumably, he will receive an open trial for his alleged transgressions and we will learn the truth - or maybe we will never really get to know it.

India has never once publicly espoused the cause of Balochistan. Perhaps, given Islamabads covert and overt support to Kashmiri separatism and other acts of terrorism in India, New Delhi does indeed back the Baloch, but more likely through monetary support, rather than any military training or arms supplies.

In contrast, Pakistan has for decades trained, armed and funded Kashmiri separatists and provided shelter for a generation of Khalistani and other terrorists.

Many people in India are not aware of the contemporary history of Balochistan and the fact that the accession of its principal unit, the Khanate of Kalat, is even more controversial than Jammu & Kashmirs accession to the Indian Union.

If Kashmir has been in turmoil since 1990, separatism and insurgency have been a feature of Baloch history since they became part of Pakistan.

Sparsely populated Balochistan comprises 44 per cent of the area of Pakistan, but just 5 per cent of its population. Pakistani Balochistan comprises the Khanate of Kalat, its feudatories Kharan, Makran and Las Bela, and the British Chief Commissionership of Balochistan.

In the run-up to Partition, the Congress and the Muslim League faced off on the status of the Princely States in the country. Pandit Nehru rejected the notion that with the withdrawal of British paramountcy, the Princely States would become sovereign again. Whereas Jinnah, who knew that the bulk of Princely States would fall into what would become India, supported the notion that they could either join India or Pakistan or assume sovereign and independent status for themselves.

Relations

The Khan of Kalat, Mir Ahmed Yar Khan, was an enthusiastic supporter of Pakistan and Jinnah was a legal adviser of the state. Kalat believed its relations with the British were akin to those of Nepal, Bhutan and Sikkim.

Advised by Jinnah, the Khan of Kalat gave a memo to the Cabinet Mission in 1946 seeking independent status.

At a meeting in Delhi on August 4, 1947, attended by the Khan, Jinnah and other officials, it was decided that the state would become independent.

Three days before Pakistan came into being, on August 11, 1947, a joint statement was signed by Pakistan States Department recognising the independence of Kalat.

Pakistan has subsequently claimed that this was simply a Standstill Agreement, but American scholar Wayne Wilcox who has examined the matter says it was not.

Independence

On August 15, a day after Pakistan became independent, Kalat declared its independence which was endorsed by its elected National Assembly, though the state said it was willing to enter into special relations with Pakistan on the matter of defence, foreign affairs and communications.

Baloch leaders, including the Khan sought Indian help to establish their claims, but they were rebuffed by Nehru.

In March 1948, Pakistani troops were massed on its border and the Khan was forced to sign an Instrument of Accession with Pakistan, and on April 1, 1948, the Pakistan Army marched into the state and arrested the Khan. His brother Prince Abdul Karim escaped and declared a revolt, the first of a series of five so far that Pakistan has had to confront to date.

As in the case of Kashmir, the British played a dubious hand in Balochistan. In 1946, the British felt they could live with an independent Balochistan, but by 1947 they believed this would be dangerous to their interests. The British High Commissioner was asked by London to do what he can to guide the Pakistan government to ensure that Kalat would not emerge as an independent entity.

Pakistan has insistently charged India with helping the Baloch insurgency. No one has taken their charges seriously because their charges have been declarations, rather than the kind of proof India has adduced through the likes of David Coleman Headley or Ajmal Kasab.

However, we do now have a new government in New Delhi, which may be less forbearing towards Pakistan than its predecessors. Covert operations are not something they will talk about openly. But Pakistan needs to watch out, because if India decides to follow Pakistans example in dealing with its neighbour, there could be big trouble ahead.
Jawaharlal Nehru University is organizing Jashn-e-Azadi on Monday to celebrate the birth anniversary of the late historian Professor Bipan Chandra.

The move comes after the varsity attracted controversy over an event held on campus against the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, during which anti-national slogans were allegedly raised.

The event will also have a separate session in which JNU students union president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, and Anirban Bhattacharya will talk about the recent events on the campus.

The event will have a separate session in which JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar, Umar Khalid, and Anirban Bhattacharya will talk about the recent events on the campus

The day-long event will feature other eminent speakers speaking on the topics written in Chandras books.

Following JNU Students Union president Kanhiaya Kumars speech on his return to campus, an azadi anthem, demanding freedom from various social ills including poverty, casteism, corruption and dowry harassment, has garnered huge popularity on campus.

The earlier series on nationalism saw eminent academicians including Romila Thapar, Harbans Mukhia, Tanika Sarkar, Jayati Ghosh, Prabhat Patnaik, Amit Sengupta, Mridula Mukherjee, Makaranad Paranjpe and Apporvanand, among others, delivering lectures at the administration block, which has been the venue of protest for students since Kanhaiya was arrested on February 12.

Bipan Chandra was an Indian historian specialising in the economic and political history of modern India.

Professor of modern history at Jawaharlal Nehru University, he specialised in the Indian Independence movement and is considered to be a leading scholar on Mahatma Gandhi. He authored several books, including The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism.

Recently, JNU teachers also decided to hold open-air nationalism classes to teach the hotly-debated subject to students.

Meanwhile, days after allegedly receiving a threat from a BJP youth wing leader against inviting Kanhaiya Kumar, the students of Ranade Institute along with two other institutes came together to invite the JNUSU leader to hear his side of the JNU issue.

The students of journalism and mass communication college (commonly known as Ranade Institute) of the Savitribai Phule Pune University, FTII and Fergusson College have formed a Students Joint Forum in the wake of recent events.

While FTII was roiled by the students' strike to protest against the appointment of BJP member and actor Gajendra Chauhan as its chairman last year, Fergusson College was in the news when its authorities were accused of allowing an ABVP-organised discussion 'Truth of JNU' which led to a ruckus at the campus last week.

Condemning the political repression on campuses, members of the Forum said in a release: We have sent a formal invitation to All India Students Federation to invite Kumar to have a dialogue with him and to understand his side of 'Truth of JNU'.

Recently, the high-level panel formed to inquire into the Afzal Guru event had recommended the rustication of Kanhaiya Kumar. His fellow students Umar Khalid, Anirban Bhattacharya, and two others could suffer the same fate.

Sources said a decision on the recommendation by the inquiry panel will be taken by Vice-Chancellor M Jagdesh Kumar and Chief Proctor A Dimri after a thorough scrutiny of the suggestions.
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor has rejected the BJP national executives claims that refusing to chant victory to Bharat amounts to disrespect to the constitution itself, saying the Constitution gives Indians the right not to say "Bharat Mata ki Jai".

Addressing the issue, the Kerala MP said: "Absolutely not, because first of all, this is a huge stretch. Nobody is refusing to say anything about Bharat, it is about Bharat Mata. Bharat Mata is fine for me, probably fine for someone else and certainly, a lot of Hindus and Muslims do not have difficulty with that."

He added: "But some Muslims have explained patiently that to them it seems deification of the nation as a Hindu goddess. Bharat Mata, as you know depicted in Hindutava iconography as Hindu goddess, a figure with six arms and seated on a lion, and this kind of worship of a goddess figure, they find uncomfortable. They say tell us to say Jai Hind, Hindustan Zindabad, Jai Bharat well do it but do not ask us to say Bharat Mata ki Jai. Our democracy and our Constitution give them the right to say or not to say it. That is what we should respect."

Congress leader Shashi Tharoor (right) said every Indian citizen has a right to refuse to say Bharat Mata ki Jai

The Congress leader said: The same Constitution that gives us the right to freedom of speech also gives us the freedom of silence. We cannot put words in peoples mouth.

Mentioning the BJPs justification for the political resolution that Bharat Mata ki Jai is not merely a slogan, he said it was a mantra for inspiration to countless freedom fighters during the independence struggle and it is the heart beat of a billion people today.

But there are some Muslims for whom it is a problem and surely we must respect their freedom of religion and as well as their constitutional rights to allow them not to say it. I do not think nationalism can be linked to forcing someone to mouth a particular expression that they do not believe in.

In other words, he said every Indian citizen has a right to refuse to say Bharat Mata ki Jai.

Tharoor said that in the case of our national anthem, there is a Supreme Court ruling that says that merely standing up and refusing to sing is acceptable.

When people can refuse to sing the national anthem, of course people can refuse to shout any particular slogan from Bhrat Mata ki Jai to Vande Matram, to even Jai Hind.

He further said: Last Monday, Pratap Bhanu Mehta said for any political sytem to force and coerce people into saying Bharat Mata ki Jai would be objectionable. I do agree to this and I have objected to that. There is no acid test or litmus test for nationalism.

When asked if the slogan Bharat mata ki Jai has precedence over other slogans like Jai Hind, sare jahan se acha or even the left favourite Inquilab Zindabad, he said: No, it does not. The irony is that various slogans were used in different times that has a tremendous potency in the national movement. People have to accept that history has thrown up a lot of such expressions.

On the second issue of whether it is acceptable or unacceptable for an Indian citizen to criticise the nation, Tharoor said: "His party was accepting a political criticism of itself but not of the nation. First of all you have to decide what the criticism of the nation is.

"I worry about the tendency of the BJP to quickly dismiss issues as anti-national. There is a conflict in the BJPs mind between the party, which is not the government, and the government, which is not the nation.
David Coleman Headley's flip-flops on Ishrat Jehan continued as he was cross-examined by the defence lawyer

Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headleys flip-flops on Ishrat Jahan continued as he told a special court trying the 26/11 attack case that he has no personal knowledge about her and had learnt about the case from the media.

It would be correct to say that I have no personal knowledge about Ishrat Jahan, he said during the cross-examination via video link before Judge GA Sanap.

While deposing last month, Headley had picked up Ishrats name as an LeT agent when special public prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam gave him three options to identify a woman LeT terrorist who was killed in an encounter in Gujarat.

Ishrat, a 19-year-old college girl, was killed along with three others in a shootout that has been established as a staged one by the Central Bureau of Investigation.

The fake encounter took place in Gujarat in 2004.

The four were accused of being involved in a plot to assassinate the then Gujarat CM Narendra Modi.

When Lakhvi (LeT commander Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi) introduced Muzammil Bhat to me, he told me that he (Bhat) is one of the top LeT commanders and has done some operations like Akshardham temple, Ishrat Jahan, etc... the rest were my thoughts... I came to know about Ishrat Jahan from media.

The cross-examination of 55-year-old Headley, serving a 35-year prison term in the US, concluded on Saturday after four days of intense grilling.

Headley had said during examination by prosecution last month that there was a womens wing of the LeT.

However, during cross-examination, he stated that the defence is pre-supposing this.

Headley said: I had no knowledge of womens wing that was for combat but there is a womens wing that takes care of womens issues and other social things.
India will not provide the visiting Pakistan Joint Investigation Team access to the witnesses from NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF.

However, local police officials may be available for questioning in the Pathankot terror attacks case.

The witnesses include Superintendent of Police, Punjab Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal, and 17 others who were injured in the attacks, sources said.

Seven security personnel were killed in the attack at Pathankot Air Force Station. (File picture)

The three men were kidnapped by terrorists on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1, before they entered into the IAF base.

Sources further said that cooperation with the Pakistani team would be based on the principle of reciprocity, hoping that an Indian team would be allowed to travel to Pakistan at a later date.

Terror tackle

Marking the first-ever visit of this kind to the country to probe a terror case, a five-member Joint Investigation Team from Pakistan that included an ISI official reached Delhi to carry out a probe into the attack at the IAF base at Pathankot.

The team will also analyse investigations that have been carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) so far.

Officials of the NIA and Pakistan High Commission received the JIT, which will visit Pathankot on Tuesday to probe the attack at the Indian Air Force base carried out by the Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror group on 2 January.

Members of the Pakistan Joint Investigation Team arrived in New Delhi to carry forward the probe into the brazen Pathankot Air Base attack

Seven security personnel were killed in the attack.

The JIT flew in by a special flight from Pakistan. The team is headed by the Chief of Punjabs Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Muhammad Tahir Rai, and comprises Lahores Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lt Col Irfan Mirza, and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.

During the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in 2008, Pakistan had sent a judicial commission to cross-examine some of the witnesses.

The JIT will be going to the NIA headquarters on Monday, where they will be given a 90-minute presentation by the NIA team about the probe conducted so far and evidence that shows that the terror attack was planned from across the border in Pakistan, official sources said.

The Pakistani team will raise their questions before NIA investigators to clear up any doubts before flying off to Pathankot in a special plane on Tuesday.

The IAF airbase will be visually barricaded by the NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas, and the NIA team will show them the areas where the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in the 80-hour-long gun battle with security personnel.

The NIA will also share details about the four terrorists, including information on their native villages, and people who cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through the Bamiyal village located on the Indo-Pakistan border.

DNA samples were taken from the energy drink that they are believed to have consumed before carrying out the suicide attack, official sources claimed, adding that the JIT will also be taken to the location through which the Jaish terrorists had breached into India.

Sources said the Pakistani side will also be asked to divulge some details that India had sought from them. This includes some phone numbers, persons involved - including the brother of Jaish Chief Masood Azhar - and the companies who supplied packed food to the terrorists.
Senior Haryana IAS officer Ashok Khemka launched a thinly-veiled attack against former Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda after the latter failed to appear before the Dhingra Inquiry Commission.

Why run away from Dhingra Inquiry Commission now? You all charge-sheeted and hounded me in revenge for acting against land-licensing scams, Khemka tweeted.

The one-man Commission of Inquiry (CoI), headed by retired Delhi High Court judge SN Dhingra, ordered to probe the issues concerning the grant of commercial license to Sky Light Hospitality and others had summoned Bhupinder Singh Hooda to appear before the commission with documents on March 25.

Former Chief Minister of Haryana Bhupinder Singh Hooda had been summoned to appear before the Dhingra Inquiry Commission in relation to land-licensing scams in the state

The commission had asked Hooda to appear personally or through a counsel to clear his position as most of the licences issued by the Town and Country Planning Department were issued before October 24, 2014, when Hooda was the chief minister.

Hoodas counsel Narender Hooda has said that the notice served to former chief minister did not contain any complaint and said that he will appear before the commission after all requisite documents are provided to him.

Whistleblower Ashok Khemka tweeted: 'Why run away from Dhingra Inquiry Commission now?'

We have submitted a representation to the commission to supply the complaint and other documents on the basis of which Hooda was issued a notice, Narender Hooda said.
British holidaymakers are going back to the Seventies as fear of unrest in North Africa and Turkey leads them to traditional resorts.

Spain, including the Canary Islands, and Portugal, which both boomed when low-cost package holidays were introduced, making a week in Benidorm affordable to many, have seen bookings soar.

Even David Cameron has joined the trend, with the Prime Minister currently on holiday in Lanzarote  the Spanish island dubbed Lanzagrotty in the Seventies but which has transformed its image of late.

All-inclusive: Janine Duvitski and Kenny Ireland enjoying the sun in ITV sitcom Benidorm

Figures from Abta, formerly the Association of British Travel Agents, show that bookings to Spain are 27 per cent up on this time last year, while Portugal is 32 per cent higher.

Malta and Cyprus are selling well, up 15 and 14 per cent respectively, but bookings to Turkey are believed to be down by at least 40 per cent.

Terrorist attacks in Tunisia, Egypt, Turkey and last week in Brussels have meant travellers are more reluctant to stray from long-trusted tourist destinations.

Frank Brehany, director of consumer group HolidayTravelWatch, said: Just before Brussels we did a survey of our customers and found that 45 per cent were more concerned about travelling abroad than before, and a similar number were also more fearful of flying.

'People are returning to more traditional resorts. Its a coming home for consumers to spots of yesteryear. We just hope the resorts are up to it.

Online travel agent Expedia said that flight prices to Malaga and Ibiza were up more than 20 per cent, highlighting high demand for Spain this year while Abta said its members had seen a big increase in bookings in Spain and Portugal as people moved away from North Africa and Turkey.

Easter is always seen as a curtain-raiser for the summer season, its spokeswoman said, and while wed usually see Egypt, Turkey and Tunisia on the list of top destinations, instead it is Spain and the Canary Islands which are the superstar performers.

Even David Cameron has joined the trend, with the Prime Minister currently on holiday in Lanzarote  the Spanish island dubbed Lanzagrotty in the Seventies but which has transformed its image of late

For those travelling further afield, popular spots are Orlando, Mexico, Dubai and the Dominican Republic.

The holiday market is up on this time last year, she added, but in times of global uncertainly people are more likely to book package holidays. They feel they are better looked after by tour operators when events such as those in Tunisia and Sharm-el-Sheikh happened.

Leading tour operators such as Thomas Cook have been moving capacity from perceived risk spots to safer havens since autumn last year, booking hotels in the Canaries and mainland Spain.

In February the company announced it was pulling out of Sharm-el-Sheikh until May at the earliest, and in the same month Mark Warner said it was pulling out of Turkey, moving its holidaymakers to its resorts in Greece, Sardinia and Corsica.

Mark Warner managing director David Hopkins said that bookings to Turkey had been down, adding: You cant go against overwhelming public sentiment. If tour operators cant sell holidays at any price then theyre not going to do it.

Tourists enjoy a day at the beach in Zambujeira do Mar, Portugal, where bookings have soared

In a trading update issued just before the Brussels attacks, Thomas Cook said bookings were 5 per cent down on last year, with chief executive Peter Fankhauser blaming the uncertain geopolitical environment for leading customers to book later.

But its package holiday prices were up 4 per cent. Its rival, Tui Group, which owns Thomson, will issue a trading statement this week, and said last month that bookings to Turkey had fallen sharply, although Spain and Greece were doing well.

Both companies share prices fell sharply after the Brussels attacks, with Thomas Cook dropping 7 per cent and Tui 3.5 per cent. Both had only regained half that when markets closed for the Easter break.

In spite of the migrant crisis, Greece has proved surprisingly resilient, with bookings up on last year. Brehany said: A lot of customers feel motivated to support tourism, especially in places they have been back to year after year. They have made friends in many of those places and are very loyal to them.

However it is difficult for specialist operators, for example those who operate in just one country, such as Turkey, Egypt, Kenya or Tunisia.

Tui Group, which owns Thomson, will issue a trading statement this week, and said last month that bookings to Turkey had fallen sharply (pictured: Bitez near Bodrum Mugla, Turkey)

Some have gone to the wall. They started up when the world was very different and are now having to deal with issues not of their making. Bigger companies with a wider portfolio are better placed to deal with it.

Last month Turkey specialist Elixir Holidays went bust on the same day that an explosion in Ankara killed 28 people. Many cruise ships are avoiding Istanbul, scene of terror attacks both this month and last year.

Faced with heightened security leading to long delays at ports and airports, some people are opting to holiday in Britain.

Brehany said: People dont want to give in to fear, but it does alter your perception of how you travel. Being in the UK means youre not going to get stranded in Sharm-el-Sheikh or even by an ash cloud.

He added that tour operators could benefit by showing that they were beefing up their own security.
Melbourne lawyer Bernie Balmer can remember every detail of the terrible carnage wrought by what was to become known as the Russell Street bombing 30 years ago.

In fact he cannot forget it, and in particular the shocking injuries suffered by the policewoman he helped who was mortally wounded in the March 27,1986 blast.

Also etched in the public memory as the day that terrorism arrived in Australia, the Russell Street bombing in Melbourne's city centre changed the national psyche by proving that bombs and explosions common in the Middle east could happen on home soil.

It was lunchtime on Easter Thursday, when 21-year-old Constable Angela Taylor had left Melbourne's imposing Russell Street police headquarters for the police canteen.

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Etched in the public memory as the day that terrorism arrived in Australia, the Russell Street bombing in Melbourne's city centre (pictured) on March 27, 1986 changed the nation

The giant blast, from a stolen car stuffed with gelignite injured 22 people in Melbourne's CBD on March 27, 1986, fatally wounding a young policewoman

Bernie Balmer said when he came across Ms Taylor in the confusion after the bomb (above) 'he I didn't realise how much nylon women wore but her clothes were effectively blown off, her shoelaces were alight'

At precisely 47 seconds past 1pm, when Constable Angela Taylor (pictured) was one metre from the car, it exploded and she died 24 days later

The young police officer had lost the toss in the police watch house to do the lunch run. It was her last day on duty before going on leave.

As she was walking by a Holden Commodore parked on the street, the clock was ticking towards half a minute past the hour.

What Const Taylor didn't know was that the car was stolen and packed with gelignite. At precisely 47 seconds past 1pm, when she was one metre from the car, it exploded.

At the same moment, defence lawyer Bernie Balmer was in the old Magistrates Court when he felt 'an almighty explosion and everything went black in the court', he told ABC TV.

Through the dust and confusion he headed down the court stairs into Russell Street, where he found Angela Taylor.

'I didn't realise how much nylon women wore but her clothes were effectively blown off, her shoelaces were alight,' Mr Balmer said.

As Angela Taylor was walking by a Holden Commodore parked on the street, what she didn't know was that the car (pictured) was stolen and packed with gelignite and the clock was ticking towards its detonation

Lawyer Bernie Balmer was moved to tears remembering on ABC television (above) the moment when he found Constable Angela Taylor and ' grabbed her by the arm. There was skin and all stuff coming off her, she was horrifically injured'

'I put them out,' he said, brought to tears by the memory of the young policewoman whose police hat, he could see, had begun to melt around its white rim.

'I grabbed her by the arm. There was skin and all stuff coming off her, she was horrifically injured,' Mr Balmer told reporter Sarah Farnsworth on ABC News.

As he helped her back to the court complex, he said he could hear muttering 'the bastards, the bastards'.

The horrific burns Ms Taylor suffered over her whole body did not immediately kill her.

Constable Taylor died 24 days later on April 20, 1986. She became the first Australian police woman to die in the line of duty.

The blast injured 22 other people and set the Victorian police on a massive hunt for the persons responsible.

Knowing that the bomb was a deliberately targeted attack on the police, detectives set about making a list of known criminals with a grudge against the police force

One of their early suspects in the aftermath of the Russell Street bombing (pictured) was Phillip Grant Wilson, a neo-Nazi who had promised to kill police to avenge the death of a friend

It was the painstaking reconstruction of the Holden Commodore that was packed with the gelignite bomb that was to yield the greatest clue and lead police to suspect Peter Michael Reed

Knowing that the bomb was a deliberately targeted attack on the police, detectives set about making a list of known criminals wit a grudge against the police force.

The arrest of Reed led to small time Melbourne criminal Craig Minogue (pictured)

One of their early suspects was Phillip Grant Wilson, a neo-Nazi who had promised to kill police to avenge the death of a friend.

Another man with a hatred of police was an armed robber called Claudio Crupi.

But it was the painstaking reconstruction of the Holden Commodore that was to yield the greatest clue.

Peter Michael Reed was a man known to police. Reed, whose real name was Komiazyk, a violent armed robber and thief who drilled engine numbers from stolen cars.

Reed hated police and blamed them for his ailing mother's mental instability using a particular method that was familiar to one of the officers doing the vehicle reconstruction.

They found the car had been stolen two days earlier before the bombing and that the gelignite was of the same type that had been stolen from the Tryconnel mine, at Blackwood 90km north of Melbourne six months earlier.

On April 25 1986, ten police officers raided Reed's home in the south-east Melbourne suburb of Kallista.

Reed pulled a weapon and fired at police, seriously wounding Detective Sergeant Mark Wylie, but the other officers subdued him and arrested him, charging him with attempted murder.

The Russell Street bombing in Melbourne's city centre changed the national psyche by proving that bombs and explosions common in the Middle east could happen on home soil

The targeting of Melbourne's Russell Street police headquarters easily led detectievs to suspect criminals who had a particular hatred for the police

Craig Minogue (pictured) was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years with his earliest possible release date in 2016

In Reed's house they found explosives. Detectives linked Reed to another Melbourne criminal, Craig Minogue, 24, and his brother Rodney, 21.

Eventually, police traced Reed, his brother Steve Komiazyk, and the Minogue brothers to the bombing mastermind, Stanley Brian Taylor, 49.

Craig Minogue (above) has applied for parole, having rehabilitated in prison and completing university degrees

Taylor was a criminal and part-time actor who allegedly recruited the minor car thieves to carry out the major crime. Rodney Minogue was acquitted of the charges. Stan Taylor received a life sentence without the possibility of paroe.

Peter Reed was acquitted of the bombing charge, but was jailed for the attempted murder of Mark Wylie.

Craig Minogue was sentenced to a minimum of 30 years with his earliest possible release date in 2016.

He has applied for parole, having rehabilitated in prison and completing university degrees.

Constable Angela Taylor is remembered each year at the annual Angela Taylor Memorial Run/Walk held on a weekend in Melbourne.

Lawyer Bernie Balmer told ABC TV the moment of the bomb and his discovery of Ms Taylor was seared on his brain.

He hoped this year to meet Ms Taylor's parents at a memorial event and tell them about their daughter's bravery.

He said the event had left scars on him too. He jumped whenever a car backfired.

'There are a lot of damaged people ... I just hope it never happens again,' he said.
The stepmother of a 4-year-old Ohio boy found dead at home told police she'd put his legs in extra-hot water as punishment because he didn't like baths and then tried to hide his burns, according to a detective.

The death of Austin Cooper this month was ruled a homicide.

Det. Jeff Stewart was filmed by ABC 22 in court saying, referring to Anna Ritchie: 'She indicated that she ran the water a little hotter than usual as sort of a punishment.'

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Anna Ritchie (left) allegedly told police she put her 4-year-old stepson's legs extra-hot water as punishment because he didn't like baths and then tried to hide his burns. Her late stepson Austin Cooper is seen right

Ritchie appeared in a courtroom on Friday. She is in jail on $350,000 bond

Stewart told the court that Ritchie told police she held the boy for about 25 minutes in the tub.

He was filmed testifying: 'She observed skin from Austin's legs in the bath water, uh, his legs to be red appearing to be sunburnt and the tops of his feet to be bleeding.

'She described his legs not looking as bad as his feet.

'She also described Austin screaming and telling her the water was hot.'

The Franklin detective testified Friday that Ritchie told police she put ointment and socks on the boy to hide burns.

He was filmed by ABC 22 saying: 'She indicated she put socks on his feet because she really didn't want Austin's father seeing the injuries and she had concerns about Austin getting blood on his bed clothes.'

A Franklin detective testified that Ritchie told police she put ointment and socks on the boy to hide burns

The investigator said Ritchie admitted later hearing Austin crying but ignored his distress and told his father not to check on him that night.

A not-guilty plea was entered earlier for Ritchie on a child endangering charge.

A message left for Ritchie's attorney by the AP hasn't been returned. ABC 22 reported she is in jail on $350,000 bond.

A grand jury will consider the case.

Warren County Coroner's Investigator Doyle Burke told the Hamilton-Middletown Journal-News the boy had third-degree burns.
The Miss Grand International winner was dethroned and replaced by an Australian model after she was considered too 'demanding' by the beauty contest's organisers.

Anea Garcia resigned her crown to first runner-up Claire Elizabeth Parker on Thursday after winning the Thailand-based pageant last year representing the Dominican Republic.

The 21-year-old American-Dominican model and beauty queen from Rhode Island was deemed too insistent and always asked for things that were outside of the scope of her contract, Fairfax Media reported.

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The Miss Grand International winner Anea Garcia (pictured) stepped down on Thursday

Ms Garcia resigned her crown to first runner-up Claire Elizabeth Parker on Thursday after winning the Thailand-based pageant last year representing the Dominican Republic

Miss Grand International vice-president Teresa Chaivisut said that although they believed Ms Garcia was the deserving winner, she had failed to fulfil her obligations as the reigning queen.

'First, her studies were in the way, making it very hard for us to schedule her activities. At several times we had to reschedule, cancel events, change or lose international flights. Miss Grand International should be ready and focused on her job and charitable work,' Ms Chaivisut told Fairfax Media.

'In addition, she has also become very demanding, always asking for things which were not promised or part of the contract she signed, including bringing her grandmother to Bangkok to live with her. She demanded for additional services which truly made no sense.'

Miss Grand International posted a statement in regards to the change on their social media accounts.

Ms Garcia was dethroned and replaced by Australian model and actress Claire Parker (pictured) after she was considered 'demanding' by the beauty contest's organisers

Ms Parker was the first runner-up and is pictured posing with her statue and the Australian flag

'With immediate effect, Miss Anea Garcia will step down from her position as Miss Grand International 2015 due to unable to fulfil and follow the contractual agreement with Miss Grand International Organisation.'

'We are pleased to welcome Miss Claire Elizabeth Parker to take over this honourable position and continue the honourable duty as Miss Grand International 2015.'

Ms Parker, 24, is a Sydney-based model and actress who has been living in Tokyo but recently returned home to partake in the annual Mardi Gras parade alongside beauty queens from other local contests.

Ms Garcia posing in a behind-the-scenes Snapchat which she later posted on Instagram captioned 'game over'

Miss Grand Dominican Republic 2015 Anea Garcia appears onstage during the Miss Republica Dominicana US 2015 presentation

The 24-year-old model and actress lives in Sydney but will relocate to Thailand to fulfil her new duties

'I am utterly shocked and thrilled to have had this opportunity presented to me, as a first runner-up in any pageant it is your duty to support the winner and step in if she is no longer able to fulfil her responsibilities, however it is incredibly rare for such a situation to occur and I am so grateful that it is written in the stars for me,' Ms Parker told Fairfax Media.

Founded by Thai TV star Nawat Itsaragrisil in 2013, Miss Grand International is an annual international beauty contest searching for potential women to encourage and run the campaign Stop the War and Violence to help acknowledge people to avoid the conflict and violence that may lead to war in any form, their website states.

The contest aims 'to become the world's leading international beauty contest under sponsorship from governments and organisations that will make a stand for the betterment of humanity.'

Miss Rhode Island Anea Garcia poses onstage at the 2015 Miss USA Pageant

Ms Garcia celebrating Christmas in 2015

The 21-year-old American-Dominican model and beauty queen (centre) from Rhode Island was deemed too insistent and always asked for things that were outside of the scope of her contract

Ms Parker's new beauty queen duties require her to move to Thailand and reign for six months.

Her crowning is Australia's second international crown since model Jennifer Hawkins won Miss Universe in 2004.

Ms Parker's win comes after Miss Colombia Ariadna Gutierrez was mistakenly announced as Miss Universe by host Steve Harvey last year in a controversial upheaval which saw Miss Philippines Pia Alonzo Wurtzbach replace her on live television.

Daily Mail Australia has contacted Ms Garcia and Ms Parker for comment.

The contest aims 'to become the world's leading international beauty contest under sponsorship from governments and organisations that will make a stand for the betterment of humanity'

Ms Garcia reveals her new, shorter locks in Tokyo, Japan

Ms Parker has been living in Tokyo, Japan but recently returned home to partake in the annual Mardi Gras parade alongside beauty queens from other local competitions
A woman died in a car crash in southern Utah as she was heading to her mother's funeral.

A man driving a pickup truck lost control of the vehicle on Saturday morning on Interstate 15 just south of Beaver, Utah, highway patrol officials say.

The pickup rolled several times and Danielle Marquez-Valle, 48, of Mesquite, Nevada, was ejected from the passenger seat, KUTV reported.

She was pronounced dead at the scene.

Danielle Marquez-Valle (right), 48, died in a car crash on her way to a memorial service for her mother Shirley Coates (left), who passed away earlier this month after a long illness

A man driving a pickup truck (pictured after the crash) lost control of the vehicle on Saturday morning on Interstate 15, just south of Beaver, Utah. Marquez-Valle was in the front passenger seat

A 28-year-old woman was taken to the hospital by helicopter and is now in serious condition.

The driver, also 48, was hospitalized too.

Neither woman was wearing a seat belt, the highway patrol said.

The road was wet and icy due to a winter storm according to Good 4 Utah.

The truck rolled several times and Marquez-Valle (pictured) was ejected from her seat

According to the Salt Lake Tribune, a UHP news release said: 'It is believed that her mother's ashes were in the truck at the time of the crash.

'Troopers are searching for the ashes and when they are located, UHP Troopers will transport the ashes to Salt Lake to the waiting family.'

ABC 4 Utah reported that it emerged 'The original plan was for Ms. Valle to have the ashes with her, but those plans changed and Ms. Valle did not have her mother's ashes with her at the time of the crash.'

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Shirley Coates, Marquez-Valle's mother, died earlier this lonth a long-standing illness according to an obituary published in the Salt Lake Tribune.

She was 68 years old and had also had a son, Richard.

Coates was a grandmother of six and a great-grandmother of four.

A memorial service had been planned for her on Saturday morning at Prince of Peace Lutheran Church in Taylorsville, Utah.

Marquez-Valle was pronounced dead at the scene after the crash (pictured). A 28-year-old woman, who was also in the truck, was taken to the hospital by helicopter

The man who was driving the truck (pictured) was also hospitalized. Neither woman was wearing a seat belt, highway patrol officials said
Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump told the New York Times he would consider stopping U.S. oil purchases from Saudi Arabia unless the Saudi government provide troops to fight Islamic State.

Trump's comment Friday was included in a lengthy foreign policy interview published by the newspaper on Saturday and came in response to a question about whether, if elected president, he would halt oil purchases from U.S. allies unless they provided on-the-ground forces against Islamic State.

'The answer is, probably yes,' Trump said, according to a transcript.

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Donald Trump told the New York Times he would consider stopping U.S. oil purchases from Saudi Arabia unless the Saudi government provide troops to fight Islamic State

The Donald also said that he would always put America first and re-iterated what he has made clear throughout the campaign - that the country will not be 'ripped off anymore'

Trump has said the United States should be reimbursed by the countries it provides protection for, even those with vast resources such as Saudi Arabia, a top oil exporter.

'And yet, without us, Saudi Arabia wouldn't exist for very long,' Trump told the Times.

Trump also named in the interview retired Major General Gary Harrell, Major General Bert Mizusawa and retired Rear Admiral Charles Kubic as additional foreign policy advisors to the five named earlier this week who were criticized as obscure.

Trump has faced questions about his reluctance to reveal who was advising his campaign.

He told the Times he was willing to rethink traditional U.S. alliances should he become president

Trump has said the United States should be reimbursed by the countries it provides protection for, even those with vast resources such as Saudi Arabia, a top oil exporter. Pictured, Saudi King Salman

The Republican front-runner also spoke about how he believed the America has become a 'diluted power' and the country was at its peak 116 years ago at the turn of the 20th century.

He cited generals Douglas MacArthur and George S. Patton as his favorite figures in American history - although he stopped short of advocating nuclear weapons as a last resort.

Trump also did not rule out spying on American allies - including leaders like Angela Merkel - but told the newspaper that the German chancellor's handling of the migrant crisis has been poor.

He said he believed that Germany and the Gulf nations should pay for the 'safe zones' he wants to set up for refugees in Syria.
Britain's frontline defence against terrorist attacks risks being weakened because armed police fear they will be hounded if they shoot anyone.

Home Secretary Theresa May pledged a massive increase in armed officers in response to last year's terrorist atrocities in Paris. But forces are struggling to get enough officers to sign up because of the risk they will be pursued by a police watchdog.

In December, a marksman was arrested as the Independent Police Complaints Commission (IPCC) launched an investigation into the fatal shooting of an alleged gangster during a suspected jail break attempt.

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Home Secretary Theresa May pledged a massive increase in armed officers in response to last year's terrorist atrocities in Paris

Britain's frontline defence against terrorist attacks risks being weakened because armed police fear they will be hounded if they shoot anyone

Mark Williams, chairman of the Police Firearms Officers Association, told The Mail on Sunday that some forces 'are struggling to recruit. We are doing all we can to assist, but matters are not helped by the manner of recent IPCC investigations and the way firearms officers are being treated like suspects'.

Latest figures show there were 5,875 elite firearms officers across England and Wales in March 2014  a drop of 15 per cent from five years earlier.

After the Paris attacks in November, when Islamists armed with assault rifles and explosive belts killed 130 people, Ministers cancelled planned cuts to police budgets and announced that more money would be provided to arm officers.

The Home Secretary said in February that funding would include '34 million next year to support firearms training and resources to ensure we can respond to a Paris-style attack'.

After the Paris attacks in November, when Islamists armed with assault rifles and explosive belts killed 130 people, Ministers cancelled planned cuts to police budgets and announced that more money would be provided to arm officers

A man, thought to be Salah Abdeslam, is led away by armed police following a raid in Molenbeek, Brussels

In London, Scotland Yard is rushing through 11.2 million of weapons and equipment. The number of authorised firearms officers is set to increase in the capital from 2,100 to 2,800.

Steve White, chairman of the rank-and-file Police Federation, said: 'I have concerns with being able to recruit sufficient numbers [of armed police] in a sufficiently short time.'
I had always wondered why The Night Manager, the amazingly cinematic novel written by my father, John le Carre, over 20 years ago, had failed to find its way on to the big screen. It wasnt for want of trying. Oscar-winner Sydney Pollack got Paramount Pictures to buy the book for him soon after it was first published, but failed to make it a reality.

More than a decade later, Brad Pitt took another shot at it. His production company, Plan B, has turned seriously challenging books  The Big Short, Moneyball, 12 Years A Slave  into terrific movies. But it too came up empty-handed.

Dad has said in the past that watching your novel getting made into a film is like seeing a cow being turned into an Oxo cube. And with a story that spans six countries over 500 pages, maybe The Night Manager was never destined to be a great movie.

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John le Carre, author of the book that inspired the hit adaptation of The Night Manager, made a scene-stealing cameo - but did you catch it?

But my brother Simon and I (we co-founded Ink Factory Films together in 2010) thought it could be great TV if we could make the plot as relevant to todays audience as the novel was to readers 20 years before.

We cast the remarkable Elizabeth Debicki as a strong 21st Century woman. But there was more to be done to bring the novels inherently male world of spies and spymasters up to date.

It was Simon who accepted the brave task of asking Dad how would he feel if we took agent Mr Burr from the novel and turned him into a Mrs?

The bestselling author travelled to Majorca specifically for his cameo

That Dad not only said Yes, but quickly embraced the idea tells you a lot about why he has remained so relevant for more than 50 years. And when Olivia Colman accepted the part, she brought another adaptation to her first meeting. Not only had our Mr Burr become a Mrs she was a pregnant one to boot.

From there everything started to take hape. We moved the action from its original setting in 1990s Central America to the Middle East and Mediterranean.

The Hill Fort in Morocco, which we used for a spectacular explosives demonstration by arms dealer Richard Roper, was perhaps our most ambitious location. We arrived weeks beforehand in a valley with a dirt track winding through it. Over the next few weeks, bulldozers flattened hills and lay the foundations for a camp. Then barbed wire fences were built, tents arrived  and suddenly there we had it.

Arriving to find the camp full of soldiers of all countries (yes, that was a real Latvian you saw, and bona fide Russians, Ethiopians and Americans) it felt eerily real. This could be Ropers private army.

Dad, meanwhile, was back in England, writing The Pigeon Tunnel, his new book which is out this autumn. But he couldnt resist checking in to see how things were going.

And we knew that secretly, or not so secretly, he was wondering if there wasnt a small role for him somewhere. After all, hed been in 2011s Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy and in 2014s A Most Wanted Man.

Stephen Cornwell (left), pictured here with brother Simon (right), has revealed the secrets of his dad's cameo. The brothers' film company Ink Factory Films has adapted the novel.

So Dad flew to the set in Majorca for a cameo in the lobster scene. He was to be a featured extra as its known: hed nod and smile, but it wasnt a talking part. Hed play a diner who ordered the last lobster salad. The drunken Corky tries to intercept the salad, forcing Tom Hiddleston to apologise.

For several hours, Dad, not always the most patient of souls, sat at his table while we shot the first part, watching with awe as the two Toms [Hiddleston and Hollander, who plays Corky] built towards the climax of the scene. And then the moment came: in the script Hiddleston walks over, apologises, and promises him a new meal.
It was an explosive spectacle thought to have cost 1 million, but modestly dubbed the fireworks scene by the special effects crew of The Night Manager.

In episode five of the hit show, missiles and napalm appear to rain down on a desert village to demonstrate the deadly arms sold by villain Richard Roper. The shoot  which ran from 7pm until 4am  took place in the desert, an hour from Marrakech in Morocco.

In total, 40 explosions were used but twice as many were prepared in case more than one take was needed. The special effects team used a secret mix of black powder, used to load muskets, adding petrol when a larger bang was needed.

The fireworks scene in episode five of The Night Manager cost a cool 1million to make

To create the effect of napalm engulfing the village, diesel was added to make black smoke.

Although the explosives were real, they were later enhanced using CGI. The planes blown up by missiles and soldiers firing guns shown in the scene were all created by computers.

Special effects supervisor Pau Costa  who has also worked on The Revenant and Clash Of The Titans  said the trickiest part was getting the explosives past Moroccan customs. The military came to inspect what we were doing each day, he said. They stored the explosives, then brought them to us.

The hit show concludes on Sunday night on BBC1, and will leave many viewers bereft

They were strict, I suppose as they didnt want anything to fall into the wrong hands.

He also revealed how the actors reactions were filmed separately: We used bars of real fire that you can turn up or down to cast explosive-like reflections on the actors faces.
The family of a Muslim shopkeeper stabbed to death after posting an Easter message online say they now fear for their lives.

Newsagent Asad Shah, 40, was killed at his shop in Glasgow on Thursday, hours after writing on Facebook: Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation.

A 32-year-old Muslim man was arrested on Friday and last night remained in police custody in connection with the attack, which officers confirmed was religiously motivated.

Scroll down for video:

Newsagent Asad Shah, 40, was killed at his shop in Glasgow on Thursday, hours after writing on Facebook: Good Friday and very happy Easter, especially to my beloved Christian nation'

On Twitter, customers and strangers united in their grief and praise of the shopkeeper by writing #thisisnotwhoweare at the end of their posts, which was also written out at Mr Shah's second vigil (pictured above)

It has been reported that detectives probing the murder believe the killer may have travelled from 200 miles away to launch the attack.

Mr Shahs family, originally from Pakistan, are members of the Ahmadiyya Islamic sect, which preaches love for all, hatred for none, but is seen as sacrilegious by orthodox Muslims.

Yesterday, close relatives of Mr Shah revealed they are fearful for their own security in the wake of his death.

Speaking to The Mail on Sunday on the condition that their names are not published, they paid tribute to a much loved husband, brother and uncle.

As well as writing kind messages, people have also raised money for Mr Shah's family with more than 31,000 being donated to a Go Fund Me page since Thursday

A message from Asad Shah's daughter outside his shop says: 'Hope you're having fun up there, God only takes the best'

Mr Shahs heartbroken widow fought back tears as she described her husband as a kind man who was always smiling.

She said: He looked after me and his parents and was loved by many, many people I keep thinking he is going to walk back through the front door.

One of Mr Shahs brothers, who flew to Glasgow from his home in the US following the news, added: Were still coming to terms with what happened and we have to be careful now about our security. Were scared for our lives.

The attack on the shopkeeper came shortly after he had posted this message on Facebook celebrating Easter

Hundreds of people gathered for a silent vigil late on Friday night to honour the respected shopkeeper near the site where he died

Police arrested a 32-year-old Muslim man on Friday. A spokeswoman today confirmed that he has been charged in connection with Mr Shah's death.

The force earlier stated: 'A full investigation is underway to establish the full circumstances surrounding the death which is being treated as religiously prejudiced.'

He is expected to appear at court on Tuesday.

In a statement on Saturday, the Ahmadiyya Muslim Community UK condemned the 'completely brutal, horrific and unjustified attack.'

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon joined a vigil for Shah outside his shop on Friday night, while locals gathered again on Saturday to pay tribute to a man they said was a pillar of the community.
But he was brought out of the coma Saturday and was conscious

He suffered burns and shrapnel injures and was placed in a medical coma

She says the position of his body from the bomber saved his life

His wife Pam would have been at the airport too, if not for circumstances

Miracles: Pam Norby (left) says that 'miracles' saved both her and her husband Richard (right) from death in the Brussels Airport explosions Tuesday. Richard was brought out of a medically induced coma late Saturday

Her husband may have been left in a coma after the Brussels bombings, but the wife of an American missionary has told of the 'miracles' that she believes may have saved not only his face, but also both their lives.

Pam Norby told NBC News that according to doctors, her husband Richard's position when the bomb went off in Brussels Airport most likely shielded his face from the brunt of the blast, and protected his internal organs.

And she added that she might very nearly have been caught up in the blast too, if only things had gone differently that day.

Originally Pam had intended to go along with Richard and other missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to see their friend off at Brussels Airport.

However, as the car was full she decided to stay at home - this, she said, was the first of the small but vital 'miracles' that happened that day.

The first thing Pam knew of the explosions that killed at 31 people and injured 270 Tuesday was when Richard called her from the airport.

'He called and said, "Just listen carefully, Pam, listen carefully,"' she told NBC. But then the line fell dead and she was left in the dark.

'My heart just had another stop, and I just needed to know where those young missionaries were, because we love them and they're part of our family,' she added.

She would later find out that Richard, 66, and fellow Mormon Elders Joseph Empey, 20, and Mason Wells, 19, and Sister Fanny Clain, 20,were injured in one of the two explosions that occurred in the airport that day.

All four survived, although Richard was placed into a medically induced coma from which he was awoken late Saturday.

Survivor: Pam told NBC that Richard was saved from shrapnel and increased damage to his face because he was turned away from the explosion when it happened. She called this a 'miracle'

Missionaries: Richard went to Brussels airport with three other missionaries, Mason Wells (left), Joseph Empey (right) and Fanny Clain. All were injured in the explosion, but survived

His survival, Pam says, is thanks to another miracle that occurred that day. Doctors told her that her husband's injuries had mostly been inflicted on his back, judging by the shrapnel that was embedded there, and the burns on one side of his face.

'They think because of the way he was positioned in the blast, the sound coming from the back, he turned his head, because one side has a little more burn on it than the other,' she told NBC.

'And they said what a blessing it was that he didn't turn totally around because all that [shrapnel] would have hit his vital organs, so that in itself was just, you know, a miracle,' she added.

The full extent of Norby's injuries was only revealed later, in a post on the Facebook group Richard Norby's Story.

The post listed the injuries as 'a left fibula broken in three places, a fractured left calcaneus (heel), shrapnel wounds as big as 1-2-inches and localized to his back, hip, and legs with some to his neck.

There were 3511006 'It was a miracle': American missionary left in a coma after Brussels attack on airport only survived because he was facing away from bomber, wife saysalso 'Second-degree burns to the backs of his hands, face, ears and sides of the head, and on the leg,' it said.

Both the other missionaries were hospitalized. Joseph Empey had shrapnel wounds in his legs and second-degree burns to his hands, face and head, while Mason Wells had surgery for injuries to his foot.

Fanny Clain suffered second-degree burns to her hand and face as well as injuries caused by shrapnel, but was conscious and talking to reporters, Fox 13 said.

Norby was brought out of his medically induced coma this Easter weekend - an ironic timing noticed by his son, Jason.

Talking about his father, whom he describes as 'a fantastic teacher' who 'loves people,' Jason Norby said he was 'very grateful, especially this time of year - Good Friday, Easter season - it's nice to see something positive.

'And come what may we're grateful for all of the many tender mercies, the blessings we've received, because of - or through - this difficult time.'

Reflecting on the moment she found out Richard was alive, Pam said: 'I think that was the very first thought, for me, was I'll take him with whatever [injuries or problems he might have].

'I'm just glad he's alive and I'm glad the missionaries are alive. And that was enough, enough to comfort me.'

But she was overjoyed later that day, when Norby was brought out of his coma.

In a post on the Facebook group by an unnamed member of Norby's family, Norby was described as being 'propped up at a 30-degree angle, so that he was in more of a sleeping-sitting position ... moving his legs, his head, and shrugging his shoulders!'

'Our hearts skipped beats and our eyes became watery,' it added. 'He responded to us as we touched his shoulders and arms - the seemingly only places not wounded.'

It continued: 'Wanting a more definite confirmation that he was hearing us, we asked him to open his eyes if he could hear us.

'With all the energy our father, husband, and friend could muster, he lifted his head as high as he could off of the bed, and very deliberately turned his head to our direction.

'We burst into sobs of joy and tears filled our masks. What an expression of love! What a tender mercy and answer to prayers.'
Last week a furore erupted after we reported how David Lawss book on his time in the Coalition Government revealed No 10 leaned on NHS chief Simon Stevens to cut his estimate of the extra cash needed by the Health Service from 16 billion a year to 8 billion.

This week Laws reveals the background to the dispute, David Camerons nickname for Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt  and Hunts fury when George Osborne demanded control of NHS spending

Jeremy Hunt took over the Health Department from Andrew Lansley in 2012. Lansleys demotion was punishment for retoxifying the NHS after his reforms stirred up a hornets nest of opposition.

The Prime Minister gave Hunt  the Stalinist with the good bedside manner, as Cameron once jokingly referred to him  a simple direction: Keep the NHS out of the news.

Jeremy Hunt and George Osborne are shown around an East London hospital in 2015, with NHS chief executive Simon Stevens, centre

Actually, if Cameron had had his way, Vince Cable could have had Hunts job. In 2011, the PM suggested to Nick Clegg moving Vince from Business to Health, but Nick rejected it as a poisoned chalice.

Although Cameron and Chancellor George Osborne wanted to improve the NHS, they werent enthusiastic about providing the means  the money. Indeed, in 2012 and 2013, they had even considered cutting NHS spending  once to fund a tax cut and on the other occasion to offset borrowing.

In July 2014, Hunt received a particularly blunt letter from Osborne, telling him to do more to keep within his spending limits.

Osborne set out a series of demands, and told Hunt he was taking the highly unusual decision of removing budget autonomy from the department and from its Secretary of State.

The very next day, the Chancellor received an equally blunt and robust response from Hunt, rebutting the criticisms and pointing out that the NHS was now carrying out 850,000 more operations, 1.2 million more A&E visits, 3.6 million more diagnostic tests and 6.3 million more outpatient appointments than in 2010.

Hunt threatened to call in the PM to adjudicate. The response from the Treasury was swift and unhelpful: they said there would be no more money for the NHS that year or the next. The message was repeated in a meeting with Cameron when Hunts request for extra cash was rejected by both the Chancellor and the PM.

The NHS was heading over the edge of a cliff, and would need more money, whatever the Treasury said.

It's not me or you who runs this country, it's a woman called Sue

I was meeting Cabinet Office Minister Oliver Letwin in the small restaurant tucked away in the No 10 basement. At one point, I quietly suggested a minor reorganisation of government.

My dear boy, said Oliver, chuckling. It is simply impossible. Impossible.

Why? I replied. If the PM wants it

Oh David, how charmingly naive you are, came the reply. The PM doesnt decide these things! When I was first in government, I assumed, like you, that if the PM wanted something, it just happened. Then I realised it wasnt that simple; that power lies elsewhere. I assumed the Cabinet Secretary must be the real source of power. I was wrong there too. Then I suspected it must be the Head of the Home Civil Service  wrong again.

Sue Gray, Director General, Propriety and Ethics Team, pictured appearing before the Public Administration Select Committee in 2012

Now shaking uncontrollably with laughter, and struggling to avoid spraying half-drunk coffee across the table, Oliver only just managed to blurt out: It took me precisely two years before I realised finally who it is that runs Britain. Our great United Kingdom is actually entirely run by a lady called Sue Gray, the Head of Ethics or something in the Cabinet Office.

Unless she agrees, things just dont happen. Cabinet reshuffles, departmental reorganisations, the whole lot  its all down to Sue Gray. Nothing moves in Whitehall unless Sue says so. She gets to censor our memoirs too! Our poor, deluded voters think the Prime Minister holds the reins of power. Wrong! The truth is our real leader, Sue Gray, sits at a small desk in the Cabinet Office. If only the Chinese and the Russians knew! They have probably been bugging all the wrong phones for years. He then descended into another fit of giggles.

Clarke: We must stop our crazy Right-wingers

Watching Ken Clarke in meetings was like seeing a grandparent who has lots to recall from earlier in his life and doesnt get out much. He and I discussed a proposal by Justice Secretary Chris Grayling to introduce massive increases in fees charged to people who are prosecuted in court.

Ken didnt beat about the bush: Look, David, we have got to stop Chriss completely dotty plan. He just wants a good headline in the papers. The only people who will pay will be middle-class motorists who probably vote Tory.

Its so crazy even Theresa [May, the Home Secretary] disagrees with it  and thats saying something!

My Conservative colleagues often come up with ludicrous Right-wing policies. Take Theresas crazy policy that anyone who killed a police officer should be jailed for ever, while someone who shot a traffic warden should get a much lighter sentence. Lunacy.

'Watching Ken Clarke (pictured) in meetings was like seeing a grandparent who has lots to recall from earlier in his life and doesnt get out much'

I could see Kens civil servants looking nervous. But he continued: She only came up with it because she had to make a speech at the police officers conference, and was worried about getting booed. As a former Home Secretary, I could have given her some good advice, if only she had asked me.

The way to avoid being booed at the police conference is to make your speech in the morning session. They havent had any booze, so you get an easier ride. Dont get booed, leave and avoid having to cook up mad, dangerous and expensive policies.

Even the civil servants were now chuckling. I tried to bring the conversation back to Graylings plan, but this was a red rag to a bull.

As the last Justice Secretary, I can answer that: close down hundreds of unnecessary magistrates courts. Its terribly wasteful. But Conservative MPs never want to lose their local court, though the public couldnt care less. I tried it and had a lot of push back from David [Cameron]  just because some piffling court in his Oxfordshire constituency was at risk.

Every time I got to speak to him about it in No 10 I had a terrible counter-reaction from that strange bloke in shorts [Camerons policy guru Steve Hilton] who burst in on us and blathered on about the Big Society. This is crackers. We need sensible advisers in No 10 but Im not holding my breath.

'CASTRO'S A P****!' GEORGE BUSH LETS RIP... AT MANDELA'S FUNERAL It was December 2013, and world leaders were in a stadium in South Africa for a celebration of the life of Nelson Mandela. It was a shambles: the acoustics were terrible and it was raining. They were all there: Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush. From the UK: Nick Clegg, John Major, David Cameron, Tony Blair  looking taut and suntanned  and Gordon Brown, over in a corner, looking grumpy, with his wife occasionally having to apologise for his behaviour. Cuban President Raul Castro lifts up the arm of President Barack Obama at the conclusion of their joint news conference at the Palace of the Revolution Only Bush seemed cheerful  the life and soul of the event. As Clegg watched a speech by Cuban president Raul Castro, Fidels brother, on the TV screen in the VIP room, Bush swept up next to him, glanced dismissively at the speaker and said: Jesus. Yknow, that guy Raul Castro is a total prick. And then he walked off. Advertisement

Mean and moody: A silverback gorilla

Dont upset Hezza... its like interrupting a mating silverback

In 2012, the Heseltine Report was published, urging the Government to devolve more power to the regions.

Osborne said it was a bid to steal every departments capital budget.

Cameron joked it was a fourth-term priority.

The ever-sharp Osborne added: Yes, a fourth-term priority  but for a different Government!

The PM urged a diplomatic response as Michael is a very big beast in the political jungle.

'Upsetting him over this would be as risky as interrupting a silverback while hes mating.

All aboard Cabinets chaotic away day

In January 2013 someone had the great idea of relocating that weeks Cabinet meeting to Leeds to highlight HS2. When I arrived at Kings Cross, it was rather like going on a school trip  gangs of like-minded Ministers sat together, while others preferred their own company. And one boy arrived late  Michael Gove.

I sat with Oliver Letwin, Lib Dem Treasury Minister Danny Alexander and Transport Secretary Patrick McLoughlin. I hope the cost is worth it, one of us said grumpily. Oh, said Oliver cheerily, its very good value for money. My return ticket cost only 39.50.

Well, mine is 155 return, I said. For some reason I paid a bit more  160, added Patrick.

Dannys ears pricked up. I hope the Transport Department isnt wasting money, Patrick. I might need to look at that.
A British father has been banned from taking his son to a church after the boy's Muslim mother won a controversial court order preventing the boy from attending.

The father  a non-practising Muslim who has forged close connections to his local Christian community and is divorced from the boy's mother  has been warned that he could be denied access to the nine-year-old if he attempts to take him to church or to a leisure centre it runs.

Now the father, who was born in the UK to Pakistani parents, is challenging the ruling made by District Judge Williscroft at Derby County Court earlier this month.

The father  a non-practising Muslim who has forged close connections to his local Christian community and is divorced from the boy's mother  has been warned that he could be denied access to the nine-year-old if he attempts to take him to church or to a leisure centre it runs

Last week, he lodged an appeal with the High Court to have the order overturned. 'This judge is simply scared of being branded Islamophobic,' he said. 'I want my son to have a balanced life in which he is exposed to different faiths and can make up his own mind about which, if any, religion he follows.'

The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said his ex-wife insisted their son, whom she is bringing up in the Muslim faith, could 'become confused' if he is subjected to other religions.

'My son is being indoctrinated and the only way I can show him other things is to take him to other places,' said the father.

'If I don't show him other types of life he will become just like a dumb sheep. I want him to see and learn about different cultures.

'This is nothing short of brain-washing him. Already he is telling me that I have a black heart, that I am a bad man, because I am not a practising Muslim. I am heartbroken that I have to keep him away from activities with local children.

'He is being fed the same lies I was as a child and I want better for him. This judge was so busy being politically correct that she has ignored the influence of myself as a loving father. I am terrified that he will stop wanting to see me because of his indoctrination.'

The man and his ex-wife married in 2003 and led a 'Western lifestyle'.

'That was important to me because of the strict religious manner in which I was brought up,' he said.

'I was taught that Christians were heartless and immoral, that only Muslims have a peaceful faith and all others are evil. It was only when I began mixing with Christians that I learned this was nonsense.'

The father, who cannot be named for legal reasons, said his ex-wife insisted their son, whom she is bringing up in the Muslim faith, could 'become confused' if he is subjected to other religions

But his Pakistani-born wife turned to the Muslim faith after her father's death in 2007, when her mother told her that because he had not adhered to his faith he was in Hell, and would remain there unless she became a devout Muslim.

She began attending a madrasa  an Islamic place of learning  wearing a hijab and shunning the couple's Christian friends. She left her husband in 2013, taking their son with her. The couple divorced last year.

The boy lives with his mother but sees his father every other weekend. 'After my divorce, the Christian community embraced me,' the man said.

'They run many activities my son enjoys so I go to the church and would like to take my son.

'But when his mother found out, she applied to the court and won the order which prevents the boy being taken to any Christian building.'

The order bars the father from taking the boy to any religious event. It decrees he must provide only Halal food and reassure the child he is 'an ordinary Muslim boy following Muslim rules'. The judge who made the ruling had courted controversy in 2014 when she said an eight-year-old girl should be moved to live with her father, a former drug addict with a criminal record.

Last night, leading Christians and legal experts voiced outrage over the decision.

Barrister Andrea Williams, of the Christian Legal Centre and a member of the Church of England General Synod, described the ruling as 'pandering to Islam'.

'This is a form of judicial bullying,' she said. 'The wife is using the law to coerce and silence a father's right to determine his son's religious experience. This chimes generally with what we see with the judicial system acting as if it is afraid of upsetting Islam and therefore showing a willingness to suppress the Christian faith and punishing those who practise it.

'This would not have happened the other way around. If a Christian parent was trying to deny a child access to a mosque, there would be a huge outcry and claims of Islam-ophobia.' Her views were echoed by Simon Calvert, of the Christian Institute, who said: 'This is not the first time that I've heard of proceedings where the authority has tried to prevent a child being exposed to the Christian faith.

'One has to ask if the courts would have done the same with any other faith. There is a general feeling that Christianity is an easy target because there is rarely any public backlash. I think the fact that the father is himself of Muslim heritage shows there was no need for such over-sensitivity.'
Jeremy Corbyn's office was branded delusional last night after an aide suggested he was a better Opposition leader than Tony Blair

Jeremy Corbyn's office was branded delusional last night after an aide suggested he was a better Opposition leader than Tony Blair.

Andrew Fisher, Mr Corbyns outspoken political adviser, hailed a string of successes achieved by the Labour Party since the new leader took over in September.

And in a leaked email, he declared: Youd be hard-pressed to name an Opposition that has achieved more in five years, let alone just six months.

But the boast emerged after one Labour MP branded Mr Corbyns leadership a f****** disaster, and another said he might have to quit.

Last night, even some allies of Mr Corbyn reacted with disbelief to the aides claim.

One said: Im afraid this is delusional. We may not like Tony Blair but even ardent Corbynistas should think twice before ranking Jeremy above him as an Opposition leader  especially after only six months.

In a pre-Easter message to Mr Corbyns staff, Mr Fisher  who once described Mr Blair as a scumbag and dismissed Ed Milibands frontbench as absolute s****  did not refer to previous Labour leaders by name.

But he backed up his boasts about the Corbyn-led party by highlighting polls showing Labour closing the gap with the Tories, as well as a string of successes and Government U-turns. These included scrapping the so-called tampon tax on sanitary products, as well as the Tories decision to abandon 1 billion-a-year of disability benefit cuts.

Mr Fishers message said: Just last week, we forced the Government into an almost immediate U-turn that would have cut thousands of pounds in benefits from over half a million people.

One of Corbyn's allies said: Im afraid this is delusional. We may not like Tony Blair but even ardent Corbynistas should think twice before ranking Jeremy above him as an Opposition leader  especially after only six months'

But even a Labour frontbencher sympathetic to Mr Corbyn dismissed that claim last night, saying it was former Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith who forced that U-turn  and he is hardly one of us.

Blairite MPs also hit back, with one saying: Tony Blair transformed the partys image by dumping the Clause 4 commitment to state ownership and restoring our credibility for economic management.

Whats Corbyn achieved apart from making us a laughing stock and making David Cameron look good at Prime Ministers Questions every week?

Mr Fisher was suspended from the party last year for apparently backing a Class War candidate over Labours in the General Election. He was later reinstated.
Teachers were last night on a collision course with the Government after deciding to ballot for strike action over plans to convert all schools into academies.

Members of the militant National Union of Teachers voted overwhelmingly to reject the Governments flagship reform, which they consider to be the privatisation of the education system. The unions annual conference in Brighton heard speakers denounce the reform announced by George Osborne in the Budget, claiming it would see schools stolen from their local communities.

Warning of a fresh wave of classroom chaos, executive member Ian Murch said: We will fight the forced academisation of our schools. We will fight for what is right and we will fight until we win.

The unions annual conference in Brighton heard speakers denounce the reform announced by George Osborne in the Budget, claiming it would see schools stolen from their local communities. Pictured, Jeremy Corbyn at the Brighton Centre conference

Members voted against the Governments Education White Paper setting out the reform, and agreed an amendment to ballot for strike action. This is likely to include proposals for a one-day summer strike, as well as potential for further strikes.

Earlier, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan  speaking at the conference of another teaching union  was heckled and jeered as she told teachers not to talk down their profession. In a provocative speech, Mrs Morgan accused unions of playing up teacher shortages and repeatedly talking about a crisis which deterred graduates from entering the profession.

She also warned them she had no intention of backtracking on the Governments plan to force 17,000 state schools in England to become academies outside local council control by 2022, even though it has been met with fierce criticism. Delegates at the NASUWT conference in Birmingham punctuated her outspoken address with derisive laughter, and members shouted out rubbish.

Morgan was the first Conservative Education Secretary to address the annual conference for 20 years. Initially she was listened to in polite silence as she described how she intended to reduce teachers workload.

Earlier, Education Secretary Nicky Morgan (pictured)  speaking at the conference of another teaching union  was heckled and jeered as she told teachers not to talk down their profession

But she faced hostility when she said: The teaching unions have a choice  spend the next four years doing battle with us doing down the profession you represent, or stepping up.

Senior members of the union sat open-mouthed behind her, shaking their heads, as she accused them of failing to get behind vital reforms to boost standards in the education system, which she said was lagging behind that of other countries.
The Christian magistrate sacked for saying it was better for children to be bought up by a father and a mother rather than gay couples is now facing the axe from the NHS.

To the fury of Christian campaigners, Richard Page has been suspended from his role as a non-executive director at a hospital trust after complaints from gay and lesbian staff.

Mr Page is already taking the Lord Chancellor Michael Gove to court over his removal from the magistrates bench earlier this month, and he said he was hurt and disappointed that he was facing similar 'religious discrimination from health bosses.

Christian Richard Page has been suspended as a non-executive director of Kent and Medway NHS Trust after complaints from gay staff

He was told last week by the NHS Trust Development Authority, which has the power to sack directors on behalf of Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, that his views could have a negative impact on the Kent and Medway NHS and Social Care Partnership Trust.

The Authority said in a letter that Mr Page, who has worked as a non-executive director at the trust for five years, could undermine the confidence of lesbian and gay staff and patients, and it was considering his future.

But Mr Page, 69, who was an NHS finance director for nearly 20 years before his retirement in 2011, strongly denied he was anti gay or lesbian, saying he had gay colleagues and friends, including one he and his wife nursed as he was dying of Aids.

Mr Page said: I would never discriminate against anyone in the health service, and there is no evidence that I have. It is very disappointing that I am being treated like this.

Referring to his sacking by Mr Gove for expressing his opposition to same-sex adoption in a BBC television interview, he said: All I have ever said is that I think it is best for a child to be looked after by a man and a woman, but that is not homophobic.

I would hold that view if there was a single person involved. If there was a choice between a single person and a man and a woman adopting I would, depending on their abilities and so on, opt for the man and woman.

As the Mail on Sunday revealed two years ago, Mr Page initially got into trouble in 2014 when he discussed his stance on same-sex adoptions with fellow magistrates behind closed doors during an adoption hearing.

He was reported, found guilty of serious misconduct and forced to undergo an equality course before being reinstated by the then Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling

The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Mr Gove and the Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas ruled that he appeared to be biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters

He was reported, found guilty of serious misconduct and forced to undergo an equality course before being reinstated by the then Lord Chancellor Chris Grayling.

In March last year he was invited by a BBC Breakfast show to discuss religious rights and he repeated his views, resulting in an intimidating, aggressive and biased disciplinary hearing in September and his sacking after 15 years service.

The Lord Chancellor and Justice Secretary Mr Gove and the Lord Chief Justice Lord Thomas ruled that he appeared to be biased and prejudiced against single sex adopters.

But Mr Page, a father of three who has himself fostered five troubled teenagers, said he was required by law to put the interests of the child first, based on research as well as his own beliefs.

He said that if there was no alternative to gay adoption, then it became the best option for the child.

He has now disclosed for the first time that he was also forced to go on a separate equality training course by the Kent and Medway Trust after his initial disciplining by the Lord Chancellor two years ago.

He was told at the time that unnamed LGBT staff on the Trust had complained about his attitudes towards same-sex adoptions.

Last week he was called into a meeting with the Trust chairman Andrew Ling, who then reported him to the Trust Development Authority, which will now decide whether it is in the interests of the health service for him to be sacked.

In his response to the Authority, he said in a letter that any accusations that he was homophobic had came from Mr Gove and others, but were not supported by anything he had said or done.

He said: I worked in the NHS in a mental health trust as a director for nearly 20 years and I have not done anything that has given any indication of such thoughts or actions that you are insinuating....

Any impact on staff or patients must have come from the Lord Chancellor/Lord Chief Justice or from the media and not from me. It is therefore not reasonable to take action against me.

A preacher and deacon at his local Baptist church in Kent, Mr Page has said he was horrified at the marginalisation of Christianity in society, including the treatment of Christians in the NHS.

In the past, nurses have been banned from wearing crucifixes on the wards or disciplined for praying for patients.

Andrea Minichiello Williams, the chief executive of the Christian Legal Centre which is backing Mr Page, said: This Easter, it is time for MPs and the Government to wake up and see how Christians are being forced out of our nations public life, and to act before it is too late.
Sir Richard Branson has claimed that budget airlines easyJet and Ryanair are s****ing themselves about Brexit, because they fear that leaving the EU would destroy their business.

In an exclusive interview with this weekends Event magazine, the Virgin Atlantic boss says his low-cost rivals fear losing access to European airspace and airports if Britain votes to leave.

Sir Richard said: EasyJet and Ryanair are s****ing themselves about this. If were kicked out, technically, they would be stopped from flying all their internal routes in Europe.

Sir Richard Branson, shown, has claimed that budget airlines easyJet and Ryanair are s****ing themselves about Brexit, because they fear that leaving the EU would destroy their business

Sir Richards comments come a month after easyJet chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall warned that leaving the EU would see a return to the days when flying was the privilege of a wealthy elite.

She said: How much you pay for your holiday really does depend on how much influence Britain has in Europe.

A spokesman for Ryanair confirmed the company would campaign for Britain to stay in the EU.

But they added: 'This shows how little he knows about European aviation. Ryanair is an Irish registered airline and so any Brexit will have no effect on our freedom to fly anywhere in Europe.

'Equally since Easyjet is UK registered and the UK will still remain a member of the Open Skies agreement, Easyjet will be free to fly wherever it wishes also. Perhaps spending too much time time in the Caribbean sun is affecting his judgement.'

In his interview, Virgin Galactic space pioneer Sir Richard, 65, nails his colours to the pro-EU mast and warns that leaving could lead to the break-up of the UK.

The father-of-three said: I see this as the end of Great Britain as we know it today. I think its that serious. Great Britain may not stay Great Britain if we leave, Scotland could well depart [the UK].

We could become little England.

Sir Richards comments come a month after easyJet chief executive Dame Carolyn McCall warned that leaving the EU would see a return to the days when flying was the privilege of a wealthy elite
She is joined by other senior royals, including Kate and Harry, in the show

Rare interview with the Duchess of Cornwall will broadcast tonight on ITV

They havent always enjoyed the warmest of relationships but in a landmark television documentary tonight, the Duchess of Cornwall will give an intimate insight into her increasingly close friendship with the Queen.

In a rare interview celebrating the monarchs 90th birthday, Camilla fondly refers to her mother-in-law as the tops  and praises the Queens unrivalled knowledge of the equestrian world.

If I need to ask about a horse theres no better person to ask, I mean she is the tops. You couldnt find a better expert, says Camilla.

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The Queen is known for her love of all things equestrian, and is seen here inspecting one of her horses at Royal Mews Windsor. Camilla said of her mother-in-law 'If I need to ask about a horse, there's no better person to ask'

Horses respond to her. Its a two-way relationship, they both love each other. She has that wonderful smile which lights up her whole face and you can see the real joy she gets from it.

Camilla also marvels at the Queens stamina as she continues to ride out most weekends.

Who else is riding at 90? Thats whats so incredible, says Camilla.

But even the Queen has her limits, it seems. The documentary shows Her Majesty being told by an aide that the weather forecast doesnt favour riding, prompting the Queen to admit: Its quite difficult at this time of year and Im rather a fair-weather rider at the moment. I dont like getting cold and wet.

To make the programme, TV cameras were given access to the Queens life for a year, from attending public events to simply relaxing at home.

The Duchess of Cornwall (left) joins other senior royals in the documentary including the Duchess of Cambridge (right) who revealed she made the Queen home-made chutney for Christmas

She will celebrate her birthday on April 21 at Windsor Castle, but there are events around the UK until June to mark the occasion  the first time a reigning monarch has turned 90.

Camilla is joined by other members of the Royal family contributing to Our Queen At 90, which will be broadcast tonight on ITV at 8pm.

The Duchess of Cambridge tells during the two-hour programme how Prince George, two, affectionately calls his great-grandmother Gan-Gan and reveals that she once gave the Queen a jar of home-made chutney for Christmas.
Matthew Doyle, 46, triggered a storm online after writing that he had confronted a Muslim woman on the streets of Croydon about the Brussels terror attacks and she had given him a mealy-mouthed response

A Twitter user mistakenly charged with stirring up race-hate has vowed to sue Scotland Yard over the blunder.

Matthew Doyle, 46, triggered a storm online after writing that he had confronted a Muslim woman on the streets of Croydon about the Brussels terror attacks and she had given him a mealy-mouthed response.

He was arrested over his comments on Wednesday by Croydon Police Community Safety Unit, taken into custody, charged with posting material likely to stir up racial hatred and was due to appear in court yesterday morning.

But then police were forced into an embarrassing U-turn by the Crown Prosecution Service on Friday night, charges were dropped and PR executive Mr Doyle was released.

The Met was told it did not have the power to make the controversial charging decision and had failed to consult the Attorney-General, the Governments top law officer, or the CPS.

Last night LSE graduate Mr Doyle told The Mail on Sunday he planned to take legal action over his ordeal.

I cannot understand why I was detained, my flat trashed, my passport seized and two PCs, two tablets and my phone taken, he said.

I was denied a shave, shower, food. I was stripped of any dignity to appear in court without looking like a dishevelled hobo that I am not.

He accused nameless Twitter trolls of fanning the flames and making death threats against him, and went on: For the Met to bow to social media rows - it is not only foolish of them but I will be making a complaint against them and damages for trashing my flat, taking all my electronic stuff from my flat and forcing me to leave London.

The tweet, posted from the Twitter account @matthewdoyle31, sparked social media outrage and countless parodies

Scotland Yard said: Matthew Doyle, 46, of South Croydon was charged by police on Friday, 25 March, with an offence under Section 19 of the Public Order Act 1986.

Following discussion with the Crown Prosecution Service, Mr Doyle is no longer charged with the offence and will not be appearing at court.

Police may not make charging decisions on offences under Section 19 of the Public Order Act.
Say that it could be ready to use on humans in three to four years

Scientists at top-secret Porton Down bio-labs are now testing vaccine

Scientists at the top-secret Porton Down bio-labs are to test a vaccine to protect people against the Zika virus

Scientists at the top-secret Porton Down bio-labs in Salisbury are to test a vaccine to protect people against the Zika virus.

Millions of people in Latin America have been infected with the mosquito-borne bug which has been linked to serious brain defects in newborns. At least 4,000 Brazilian babies have been born with the condition  called microcephaly  since October.

Last month the World Health Organisation declared Zika a global emergency, putting it on a par with the recent ebola crisis.

The Porton Down team and colleagues at Manchester University hope to start trialling the vaccine on humans in three to four years. Manchester virologist Pamela Vallely said: Our timeline is ridiculously short  but we think we can do it.

The World Health Organization (WHO) has said the Zika virus is 'spreading explosively' and could infect as many as 4 million people in the Americas. There is no proven vaccine or treatment.

Although a direct causal relationship has not been established, a link is strongly suspected between Zika and thousands of children born in Brazil with abnormally small heads, brain defects and impaired vision.

A close cousin of dengue and chikungunya, Zika causes mild fever and rash. But an estimated 80 percent of those infected suffer no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected.

An estimated 80 percent of those infected suffer no symptoms, making it difficult for pregnant women to know whether they have been infected

WHAT IS MICROCEPHALY? Microcephaly is a medical condition in which the circumference of the head is smaller than normal because the brain has not developed properly or has stopped growing. Microcephaly can be present at birth or it may develop in the first few years of life. It is most often caused by genetic abnormalities that interfere with the growth of the brain while the foeuts is developing. It is associated with Downs syndrome, chromosomal syndromes, and neurometabolic syndromes. Babies may also be born with microcephaly if, during pregnancy, their mother abused drugs or alcohol. Babies born with microcephaly will have a smaller than normal head that will fail to grow as they progress through infancy. Depending on the severity of the accompanying syndrome, children with microcephaly may have: impaired cognitive development

delayed motor functions and speech

facial distortions

dwarfism or short stature

hyperactivity, seizures

difficulties with coordination and balance

and other brain or neurological abnormalities There is growing scientific evidence that the Zika virus can cause the rare birth defect, with world health chiefs expecting conclusive evidence on the link later this year. Latest research, published in The Lancet, found for every 100 pregnant women infected with Zika during the first trimester of pregnancy, one expectant mother will give birth to a baby with the defect. Source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Advertisement




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

'It's gut-wrenching. Food isn't worth eating. Sleep is overrated. It's all about what can we do to get Lexi home,' Rusty Page told NBC News.

Rusty (left) and Summer (right) Page said they can no longer eat or sleep - their only concern is getting their six-year-old foster daughter Lexi back

Supporters have come out in droves since the 1/64th Choctaw Native American child was seized by child services

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.

Now, Rusty says the experts need to reevaluate the ICWA.

'That law needs to be repealed or repaired,' he said.

Choctaw Nation reposnded with its own statement saying: 'Foster care is a much-needed temporary service provided for children until the child can be returned to the care of his or her family.

The family says the law that caused Lexi to be removed needs to be repealed or improved so it does not tear apart more families

Summer made an emotional statement to Lexi, telling her she's 'proud to be her mommy' and that she loves her

'Placement with family is the gold-standard of any child-custody case, not just a case involving tribal children.

'The Pages were always aware of this goal.'

Weeping, Summer Page delivered a message to Lexi, hoping it reaches her foster daughter.

'I love you, Lexi. I'm proud to be your mommy. You're such a sweet girl,' she said.

The pages now have a banner across their garage that reads: '#BringLexiHome'.

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.
A US Military specialist and his work dog have been reunited three months after an improvised explosive device (IED) injured them both in Afghanistan in December.

Specialist Andrew Brown of the 89th Military Police Brigade and Sergeant Rocky, his military dog, were awarded Purple Hearts after being injured but were separated while they both underwent therapy.

But this week the pair were reunited in Bethesda, Maryland - and while his pelvis and tail had taken a whack, Rocky's love for his human war buddy was clearly as strong as ever.

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Reunited: SPC Brown and Sgt Rocky had been working together for two years when an explosive device injured them in December. Brown was treated in the US and Rocky in Germany

Hero: Rocky was given a hero's farewell when he left Germany - but he could have no idea he was about to be reunited with Brown. Military dogs are always given a rank higher than their human handlers

In ABC News footage of the reunion, Brown exclaims 'I know, it's been a while!' as his former companion eagerly jumps up to lick his face, his tail wagging furiously with delight.

And Brown was equally excited to be reunited with his comrade-in-paws, telling ABC he felt 'Just excitement - its the only way I can describe it.'

The paid had been partners for two years when Rocky identified an IED while searching a compound in Afghanistan.

As the pair were walking away from the explosive, however, a secondary device went off, injuring Rocky's tail, left leg and pelvis. SPC Brown also suffered injuries that required physiotherapy to help him walk again.

A photograph of Rocky in a hospital bed with a Purple Heart - the medal given to those injured or killed in action - was shared by the Brigade on Facebook in Decemebr, racking up 151,000 likes and 206,000 shares.

The pair were initially cared for in the same hospital room, but then went their separate ways - SPC Brown to Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Washington, DC and Sergeant Rocky to Dog Center Europe in Germany.

The pair hadn't seen each other for three months until this week.

Purple Heart: A picture (left) showing Rocky in a hospital bed went viral when the 89th Military Police Brigade shared it in December. Injuries to his pelvis (right) required specialist surgery

Healing: Determined to return to duty, Brown is continuing to undergo physiotherapy for the injuries he sustained

Physio: Rocky received 4,000 hours of surgery, medical care and - as seen above - physiotherapy. Here, he is walking on a treadmill submerged in water. His tail is still wrapped in waterproofed bandages

Speaking to ABC in December, Brown said that much of the credit should be given to Rocky for his performance in the field.

'He does everything,' Brown said. 'I'm just really a guy with a leash. I bring him to the area and let him do his thing. If he responds, I translate that ... let them know my dog got a response right here.

'I know the way he works, I know his change of behavior,' he said.

He added that military dogs are always given a rank above their handler.

Rocky underwent 4,000 hours of surgery, medical care and physiotherapy in Germany and was given a hero's farewell before he flew to the US, according to Stars and Stripes.

That's a lot of money to spend on the heroic pooch, but Lane Hansen, an Army veterinary surgeon, told ABC he's worth it: 'He's an asset, as a military working dog who is capable and comfortable and skilled at doing his job.'

And if it's decided that Rocky would be better off being sent into retirement, the tough old dog needn't worry about where he'll go: he's already got a home ready and waiting with the Brown family.
But he reportedly falsified his account details in a bid to get out on bail

His lawyer found that he had $596 million in his personal bank account

He was caught in possession of Viagra, ecstasy and methamphetamine

Mystery surrounds Mr Harrison after he was arrested on Friday for drugs

Currently lives in Queensland in the swanky beach-side suburb of Noosa

The 29-year-old tradie has recently visited France, the USA and Greece

Phillip Harrison's Instagram account tracks his holidays around the world

Jet-setting around the world and living in Queensland's coveted beach-side suburb of Noosa doesn't come cheap.

But it seems, Phillip Johnathan Harrison, the self proclaimed 'billionaire' brickie can afford it, despite claims he falsified his generous bank account balance.

Mystery surrounds the 29-year-old who was pulled over in an Audi sports car on Friday and was allegedly in possession of Viagra, ecstasy and methamphetamine, known as ice.

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Jet-setting around the world doesn't come cheap- but it seems, Phillip Johnathan Harrison (pictured), the self proclaimed 'billionaire' brickie can afford it

The tradie's Instagram account tracks his extravagant holidays through Greece (pictured), The USA and France

Mystery surrounds the 29-year-old (pictured) who was pulled over in an Audi sports car on Friday and was allegedly in possession of Viagra, ecstasy and methamphetamine, known as ice

The tradie (pictured) pulled over by police in a luxury sports car has more than $590 million in the bank but is not 'at liberty' to say how he got it

He told officers the Australian government gave him the luxury vehicle, he also told them he was a multi-billionaire worth $12 billion.

Mr Harrison's duty lawyer Nick Handly told Roma Street Magistrate's Court on Friday that he had checked Mr Harrison's bank account and confirmed he had $596 million in cash.

He also said Mr Harrison had $1.5 billion in property.

When questioned over his wealth by Mr Handly, Mr Harrison told him that 'he wasn't at liberty to say'.

But according to the Courier Mail, the 29-year-old may have used a computer application to fabricate his wealth in a bid to fool his layer and the courts into granting him bail as criminals awaiting trial who have substantial assets in Australia are considered less likely to flee.

The billionaire bricklayer is pictured in Zakynthos, a well-known summer resort Island in Greece

Mr Harrison is seen relaxing and enjoying a drink (pictured) on the Greek Island of Santorini

The young bricklayer (pictured) is also seen at a luxurious pool-side resort in Santorini

Mr Harrison is pictured enjoying a quad-bike ride in Zakynthos, Greece

Interestingly, police prosecutor Sergeant Sean Francis suggested Mr Harrison's passport should be surrendered as a condition of his bail, given his means could make him an increased flight risk.

The tradie's Instagram account tracks his extravagant holidays through Greece, The USA and France.

He is pictured in Zakynthos, a well-known summer resort Island in Greece.

Mr Harrison is also seen relaxing and enjoying a drink at a luxurious pool-side resort on the Greek Island of Santorini.

He has recently visited Paris, pictured in front of the Eiffel Tower and at the Louvre on the Right Bank of the Seine River.

He has recently visited Paris and the Louvre (pictured) on the Right Bank of the Seine River

His pictures show he has visited the coastal city of Nice, the capital of the French Riviera in the south of France (pictured)

'We showed up in Paris on the day of Tour de France and this place was hectic,' Mr Harrison said

The billionaire brickie can cross the Eiffel Tower (pictured) off his bucket list

So Frenchy so chic- Mr Harrison enjoys a beverage under the Eiffel Tower

His pictures show he has visited the coastal city of Nice, the capital of the French Riviera in the south of France.

The Instagram account also contains pictures of the bricklayers trip to the USA, pictured at the Grand Canyon in Arizona.

Magistrate Anthony Gett granted bail on the conditions Mr Harrison surrender his passport and remain living at his Noosa address.

The matter will return to court on April 18.

On Friday the court heard Mr Harrison (pictured) was an ice user
Robert De Niro has reversed his much-criticized decision to screen a highly controversial film by a disgraced British doctor that attempts to link the MMR vaccine to autism.

The star came under fire Friday after announcing that he would screen Vaxxed: From Cover-up To Catastrophe at next month's Tribeca Film Festival in New York in the hope of starting a 'discussion' about it. He reversed his decision Saturday.

The 72-year-old film festival founder, whose son, Elliot, is autistic, said that he had watched the film with 'members of the scientific community' and Tribeca organizers and that it did not 'further the discussion that I had hoped for,' he said in a statement.

Disgraced British doctor Andrew Wakefield directed the film that was axed from the festival. He is infamous for starting the MMR debate 18 years ago

In a personal statement Friday, the star had said, 'Grace and I have a child with autism and we believe it is critical that all of the issues surrounding the causes of autism be openly discussed and examined.'

The child he was referencing is understood to be Elliot, while Grace is his wife of 18 years, Grace Hightower.

The statement continued: 'In the 15 years since the Tribeca Film Festival was founded, I have never asked for a film to be screened or gotten involved in the programming.

'However this is very personal to me and my family and I want there to be a discussion, which is why we will be screening Vaxxed.

I am not personally endorsing the film, nor am I anti-vaccination; I am only providing the opportunity for a conversation around the issue.

However, he later said that after reviewing the film alongside Tribeca organizers and members of the scientific community, the decision to screen the movie had been reversed.

'We do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for,' he said.

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Veteran star Robert De Niro said Friday he supported the film, Vaxxed, because he has a child with autism, and that he hoped it would contribute to a discussion on the topic. But on Saturday he reversed that decision

He continued: 'The Festival doesn't seek to avoid or shy away from controversy. However, we have concerns with certain things in this film that we feel prevent us from presenting it in the Festival program. We have decided to remove it from our schedule.'

The documentary claims that US health authorities sliced and diced data linking the triple jab for measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) to rising autism rates.

It was directed by former British doctor Andrew Wakefied, who began the MMR controversy 18 years ago with an article published in British medical journal The Lancet.

That report said that there was a link between a bowel disease, autism and the MMR jab, and kick-started a suspicion of vaccinations that, according to the Associated Press, led to immunization rates in the UK dropping from 92 percent to 73 percent, and as many as 125,000 US children not being immunized.

That triggered outbreaks of measles - a potentially deadly disease - across Europe and the US on a scale not seen in decades.

De Niro, pictured here with his autistic son Elliot (centre) and his wife Grace Hightower (right), said he watched Vaxxed with members of the scientific community and that it doesn't 'further' discussion on autism

Wakefield's article was savaged by critics, who questioned his methods and results, and he was found guilty of gross lapses of medical ethics by the UK's General Medical Council, which removed his doctor's license - the strongest punishment it can inflict.

The former doctor has always protested his innocence and the value of his research, and Vaxxed was his attempt to reignite the controversy.

In Vaxxed he claims the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention manipulated data, adding: The CDC had known all along there was this MMR/autism risk.

Professor Sir Liam Donaldson, Englands chief medical officer during the MMR scare, said: Wakefield cant appear to accept he has been wrong, wrong, wrong.

The UK's Department of Health said: The safety of MMR has been endorsed through numerous studies.

De Niro previously chose to act in the film Silver Linings Playbook, in which he played the father of a man with bipolar disorder, because he responded to the character's concern for his son

De Niro has said previously that he decided to star in David O. Russell's film Silver Linings Playbook because he has a child with 'special needs.'

While promoting the film in February 2013, he teared up during an appearance on NBC's Today as he talked about why he chose to do the movie, in which he played the father of a bipolar man played by Bradly Cooper.

'If youre a father, you certainly understand what its like to go through the worry about your kids, especially if theyve got issues like Bradleys character has,' he explained.

'Sometimes it can be overwhelming. It can be nightmarish and upsetting. Theres nothing much you can do but deal with it.'

De Niro and Hightower also have a young daughter Helen Grace, five, and the Raging Bull star also has four other children from previous relationships.
More than 29,000 people have signed a petition calling for Americans to be allowed to carry firearms at the Republican National Convention -- because the ban puts lives at risk.

Guns are not allowed inside the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, where the event -- which could descend into a heated battle for the party presidential ticket -- is taking place in July.

The petition went up on the Change.org website and by Saturday had been signed by 29,256 supporters in just a few days, with numbers rising fast.

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More than 29,000 people have signed a petition calling for Americans to be allowed to carry firearms at the Republican National Convention. Pictured: Various guns await to be raffled off, along with various Republican themed attire, at the Wake County Republican Party 2016

Pro-guns: Guns are not allowed inside the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, where the event -- which could descend into a heated battle for the party presidential ticket -- is taking place in Jul

The petition went up on the Change.org website and by Saturday had been signed by 29,256 supporters in just a few days, with numbers rising fast

'Cleveland, Ohio is consistently ranked one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in America,' says the petition, which among others is addressed to the Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump and his rivals Ted Cruz and John Kasich.

'By forcing attendees to leave their firearms at home, the RNC and Quicken Loans Arena are putting tens of thousands of people at risk both inside and outside of the convention site.'

In the event of an attack on the venue people there 'will be sitting ducks,' raising the specter that the Islamic State extremist group could target it, the petition says.

'We are all too familiar with the mass carnage that can occur when citizens are denied their basic God-given rights to carry handguns or assault weapons in public,' the petition adds.

It cites presidential hopeful of John Kasich who 'has been a leader in this movement to eliminate deadly 'gun-free zones' starting with his brave decision to fight the Democrats and end 'gun-free zones' at National Guard facilities in Ohio'.

It cites presidential hopeful of John Kasich who 'has been a leader in this movement to eliminate deadly 'gun-free zones'

'Cleveland, Ohio is consistently ranked one of the top 10 most dangerous cities in America. The area has been on a steep economic decline for sometime, with many abandoned homes (left) and high unemployment.The need for guns is therefore paramount, says the petition

It added: 'This doesn't even begin to factor in the possibility of an ISIS terrorist attack on the arena during the convention.

'Without the right to protect themselves, those at the Quicken Loans Arena will be sitting ducks, utterly helpless against evil-doers, criminals or others who wish to threaten the American way of life.'

Firearms were banned by the Secret Service at the Republican convention in Tampa in 2012, US media say.

The City of Cleveland wouldn't comment on specific security measures, but said in a statement last week that 'working with our federal, state and local security as well as our business partners we look forward to a successful convention', reported NBC.
A Canadian toddler's body was discovered Saturday in a creek, following a massive search effort to find the boy.

Two year-old Chase Martens vanished Tuesday evening.

Sgt. Bert Paquet with the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) was filmed by CBC News telling media: 'Earlier today a family, a community and a province's worst nightmare became a reality.

'Shortly after 1 o'clock this afternoon, the body of Chase Martens was found in a creek in a body of water.'

A Canadian toddler's body was discovered Saturday in a creek, following a massive search effort to find the boy. Two-year-old Chase Martens (left and right) vanished Tuesday evening

RCMP Manitoba tweeted Saturday the boy's body had been discovered

Paquet continued: 'Chase was found by a group of Winnipeg search-and-rescue volunteers, found in what we call a high-probability area.

'This area had been searched before, but was constantly being revisited as conditions of the creek as well as some of the water levels changed from day-to-day.'

Paquet stated: 'The creek is approximately half a kilometer from the residence where he was.'

The toddler disappeared from his family's home not far from Austin, CBC News reported.

Chase had apparently walked off, according to Paquet.

The RCMP spokesman also revealed that: 'There were no obvious signs of foul play.'

'This appears to be exactly what we all thought it was: a tragedy,' he said.

RCMP Manitoba had shared numerous photographs on Twitter concerning the search efforts to find the boy, including this one shared Thursday

Divers are seen in a creek in a photograph RCMP Manitoba tweeted on Thursday

Chase's mother Destiny Turner and father Thomas Martens are seen Thursday. The boy's father said: 'It's unlike our son to wander off our property, and if he did, he would always have our dog with him'

He said: 'Our investigation now will focus on working with the office of the chief medical examiner for an autopsy.'

Paquet was filmed telling media: 'Our investigators have spoken with the family.

'Mixed feelings, obviously.

'An answer, yes, but probably the answer they did not want to get.'

On Thursday, the boy's father Thomas Martens was filmed by CBC News saying: 'If someone has our son, please bring him home.

'We won't be angry. We will be forgiving and grateful.

'We are devastated to have our son taken from us.'

The father said at the time: 'It's unlike our son to wander off our property, and if he did, he would always have our dog with him.'

Sgt. Bert Paquet with RCMP said: 'There were no obvious signs of foul play'

RCMP said in tweets there there were more than 500 volunteers Friday and 395 on Thursday. This image showing authorities was posted Thursday

This photograph was posted Thursday by RCMP Manitoba

There were below-freezing temperatures in the nights following the boy's disappearance. RCMP Manitoba shared this aerial view online Wednesday

RCMP Manitoba had shared numerous photographs on Twitter concerning the search efforts to find the boy.

It said in tweets there were more than 500 volunteers on Friday, and that Thursday there were 395 volunteers.

According to CBC News, there were below-freezing temperatures in the nights following the boy's disappearance.

Paquet said Saturday: 'I would estimate that about 30,000 volunteer hours were donated this week, the majority of them by people that are total strangers to the Martens family.

'The true, genuine care and concern of Manitobans is something that should be recognized and commended.
Fire investigators discovered a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid in the backyard and believe it was an accelerant to start the fire

Authorities believe she started the fire Wednesday just before 2 p.m. after arguing with her stepmother about skipping school

14-year-old Roswell girl is being charged with deliberately burning down her home

A 14-year-old Roswell girl is being charged with deliberately burning down her home.

Police say the New Mexico teen was booked this week into Chaves County Juvenile Detention Center for suspected arson.

Authorities believe she started the fire Wednesday just before 2 p.m. after arguing with her stepmother.

Booked: Police say the teen was booked this week into Chaves County Juvenile Detention Center for suspected arson

Police say they had been fighting about the girl skipping school.

The stepmother and her two sons then went outside and that is when the fire erupted.

Fire investigators discovered a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid in the backyard and believe it was an accelerant to start the fire.

One male at the scene was hospitalized for possible smoke inhalation.

Authorities brought the blaze under control within half an hour but say the home is a total loss.

The police say the girl was seen fleeing the home once the house caught fire and
Anthony Meredith, 24, (pictured) died from multiple gun shot wounds at Peachtree Mall on Saturday night

A man is dead after he was shot multiple times Saturday afternoon inside a mall in Columbus, Georgia.

Muscogee County Coroner Buddy Bryan said the victim, Anthony Meredith, died from multiple gunshot wounds.

EMS crews tried to revive Meredith on the scene using CPR before taking him to Midtown Medical Center, where the 24-year-old was pronounced dead.

The front entrance of Peachtree Mall was sealed off with crime scene tape as Columbus police investigate the shooting that reportedly happened around 8pm in the food court.

An anonymous witness describes the scene to WRBL.com.

'We're sitting down in the food court eating right at the front of the food court. Heard about three gunshots, pow pow.

'Then, we heard about nine more, pow pow pow pow. After then everybody took off running. After it was over with we come back.

'We see a body on the ground,' the witness said.

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This is the second shooting at the mall in less than one month. A 16-year-old girl was shot in the back during a dispute on March 4

The incident took place around 8pm on Saturday night. The unidentifed suspect in the shooting is still at large

Video courtesy of WRBL

Jonathan Evans, 42, of Columbus, told the Ledger-Enquirer he was in Macy's shopping with his wife when he heard a commotion.

He was told by a woman that a shooting had just taken place.

'Once we got to the front, we noticed a gentleman laying at the entrance of mall,' he said. 'He had been shot,' Evans said.

Evans said Meredith had four or five shots in his body with one in his arm and about four in his chest.

A friend of Meredith's was holding his hand and two women were looking down at him, as he laid in the food court's entrance way.

Evans said: 'It was a lot of confusion. When you hear shooting at the mall, everyone tends to run and try to getaway.

Witnesses said Meredith was shot about four or five times, once in the arm and multiple times in the torso

'No one knew where the shooting was taking place. When you got outside you could see crowds of people running from that area.'

The suspect is still on the loose.

This is the mall's second shooting in less than a month.

On March 4 a 16-year-old girl was shot in the back during an apparent dispute.

The week before police investigated an apparent gunshot fired into the floor.
David Cameron has called for Britain to 'stand together' against Islamic extremists by 'proudly defending' the country's Christian values in his Easter message.

The Prime Minister said values of charity and compassion spoke to everyone in Britain, including people of every faith and none.

He added that the 'pernicious ideology' promoted by terrorists behind the Brussels attacks must be defeated by standing up for the British way of life.

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David Cameron has called for Britain to 'stand together' against Islamic extremists by 'proudly defending' the country's Christian values

Mr Cameron said: 'When terrorists try to destroy our way of life as they have tried to do again so despicably in Brussels this week  we must stand together and show that we will never be cowed by terror.

'We must show that in this struggle of our generation we will defeat the pernicious ideology that is the root cause of this terrorism by standing up proudly for our values and our way of life.'

The Prime Minister added that Britain should be proud to call itself a Christian country.

'Values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion and pride in working for the common good and honouring the social obligations we have to one another, to our families and our communities,' he said.

'These are values we treasure. They are Christian values and they should give us the confidence to say yes, we are a Christian country and we are proud of it.

'When we see Christians today in 2016 being persecuted for their beliefs in other parts of the world  we must speak out and stand with those who bravely practice their faith.'

To conclude the recorded message, he said: 'So this Easter as we pray for the friends and families of all those who lost loved ones in Brussels let us also draw hope and inspiration from the values we share and from all those who  inspired by those values  seek to help others in our country and around the world.

'And let me wish you and your family a very happy Easter.'

The Archbishop of Canterbury is to warn people not to succumb to fear caused by the Belgian terrorist attacks

The Archbishop of Canterbury is to warn people not to succumb to fear caused by the Belgian terrorist attacks, which he will say are a sign of a 'world at war with itself, of faiths at each other's throats'.

The Most Rev Justin Welby is expected to say in his Easter Sunday sermon at Canterbury Cathedral, Kent, that although the world is shocked by the week's events, Easter is a chance to trust in God who provides 'life, hope and purpose'.

He is expected to say: 'In the shadow of this week's darkness, hope can seem far far away. And fear can feel so close.

'In much of life fear is a valid and reasonable emotion, but hope always overcomes fear. We fear what we do not know, do not understand or cannot control. But on Easter Day we remember that Jesus Christ overcame death so that the end of all things is known.

'Jesus Christ revealed the truth so that one day everyone will live in truth. Jesus Christ put all things into the hand of God so that nothing is beyond God's control.
Ms Nhire denies the claims and BA were unavailable for comment

Other passengers claim she was drunk and tried to speak to the pilot

Bridget Nhire (pictured) from Uxbridge was given a life ban from British Airways flights amid claims she tried to get into the pilot's cockpit

A fashion stylist has been banned for life from all British Airways flights after a 'minor argument' with another passenger over stretching her legs on a Dubai plane.

Bridget Nhire, 33, was handcuffed and escorted off the flight after a man sitting behind her complained that she kept getting up from her seat.

She claimed the man in his 40s began arguing with her at 30,000ft on a Heathrow to Dubai flight - and was baffled as to why she was restrained.

However other passengers claimed she was drunk during the flight, hurled racist remarks at staff and passengers and tried to get into the pilot's cockpit.

Ms Nhire, from Uxbridge, Middlesex, said: 'I was treated like a terrorist. It was humiliating.

'I was sat down and they put tight handcuffs on my wrists and strapped me to the chair. I had bruises for weeks.'

The fashion consultant added: 'I only got up three times, but the guy behind me was complaining and asked me why I kept getting up.

'I said I have a right to get up and walk around, but it escalated into a heated debate.

'The crew asked me to move to the front and said I was being aggressive.'

She hit back at claims from the crew that she may have been drinking.

She said: 'They thought I was drunk. I'd had two glasses of white wine with a chicken meal on the plane.

'I was definitely not drunk.'

However a passenger on the plane, who wished to remain anonymous, told MailOnline: 'She went to the toilet at least 20 times and had what looked like little bottles of alcohol in her hand.

'She was screaming at people for about an hour and the staff went over to calm her down, at which point she started shouting "This is because I'm black. This is racist".

'She started shouting at a man a few seats behind her who was telling her to shut up and she was trying to reach across to him. She was really aggressive.'

'Then she ran to the front of the plane to the cockpit and said "I'm going to talk to the pilot", at which point the air stewards had to restrain her.

'At least four people were trying to handcuff her, and one put a blanket over her head. It was genuinely traumatising.

'There were small children on the plane. People were terrified. I just couldn't believe what was happening, it was absolutely disgraceful.

'There was talk of doing an emergency landing in Iran which we were flying over at the time. I have the utmost respect for the staff for dealing with it so well.'

A second passenger, who also wished to remain anonymous, claimed: 'When they strapped her in the seat she was shouting, "This is slavery! This is slavery!"'

Ms Nhire was forced to sit, accompanied by a security guard, for 90 minutes until the plane landed.

The 33-year-old stylist for Reiss was handcuffed and escorted off the flight after the passenger sitting behind her complained that she kept walking around

When other passengers had left the plane, Dubai police escorted her to a station but freed her without charge five hours later and gave her the life ban - which Ms Nhire has branded an over-reaction.

She said: 'When the police released me from the handcuffs I just broke down.'

She added: 'I was in tears, they didn't know what to do with a crying woman.

'Nobody wanted to listen to anything I had to say. I was a long term customer with BA. I used to think they were the best, but now I would warn anybody never to fly with them.'

Ten days later Ms Nhire discovered British Airways had cancelled her seat and refused to let her on a plane to fly back home when she turned up for her return flight.

She was left stranded at Dubai International for eleven hours and called her mother to organize a different flight.

She is demanding 350 compensation from the airline as a result.

Her mother said that BA needed to be held 'accountable' for leaving her daughter stranded.

Speaking from her mum's semi-detached home in Ickenham, west London, Ms Nhire insisted that BA over-reacted and vowed never to use the airline again.

She said: 'I can't believe they didn't tell me in advance that they had cancelled my flight.

'I want people to be careful, they need to be aware that this is how BA treat its customers.

'I was a long term customer of BA and think they were the best.

'But I am appalled and disappointed. I just wanted to go home.'

BA said it undertook a full investigation analysing statements from crew and passengers before taking the 'rare' decision to ban her.

Other passengers claimed it took several staff to restrain Ms Nhire (right) and that they had to handcuff her after she tried to talk to the pilot

The airline stated that it does not comment on individual cases, but says lifetime bans can be appealed.

A spokeswoman added: 'Our customers and crew deserve to enjoy their flights, and not suffer from any form of disruption.

'This sort of behaviour will not be tolerated, and the appropriate action will always be taken. 

'We would never issue a lifetime ban without first carrying out a thorough investigation into an incident - which includes taking witness statements from other customers and reports from crew.

'If a customer has any future bookings with the airline at the time the ban is imposed, we will issue a refund.

'As detailed in the letter issuing the ban, customers can appeal the decision.'

The second passenger on the flight told MailOnline: 'She was waving her iPad around at the staff as they tried to restrain her screaming "I'm recording you".

'It was clear she had been drinking. It was ludicrous and really distressing.

'The staff were not racist in any way, shape or form towards her, they were just trying to calm her down.'

Ms Nhire denied claims that she been drinking or making racist remarks.

British Airways were contacted in regards to all the claims but were unavailable to provide a comment on claims about Ms Nhire alleged drunken and racist behaviour.

Ms Nhire was held for five hours once escorted off and freed without charge - but given a life ban, which she has branded an over-reaction




Boris Johnson has praised Putin for his 'ruthless clarity' after Syrian forces, assisted by Russian troops, liberated the historic site if Palmyra from ISIS.

The Mayor of London said Vladimir Putin deserved credit for 'winkling ISIS maniacs' in their successful recapture of the desert site.

'If Putin's troops have helped winkle the maniacs from Palmyra, then (it pains me to admit) that is very much to the credit of the Russians,' he wrote in his Daily Telegraph column.

Syrian government forces succeeded in driving ISIS fighters from Palmyra today and have vowed to next target the ISIS stronghold of Raqqa next, state media said.

Mr Johnson called on the British government to send archaeologists to help reconstruct the ancient city of Palmyra after parts of the site were destroyed by ISIS.

Much of the staggering amphitheatre in Palmyra appears to remain intact despite ISIS's presence

A view of the historic archaeological site at Palmyra on the day it was recaptured by ISIS troops

A member of the Suqur al-Sahara (the Desert Falcons), the elite unit, which played a key part in the re-capture of the ancient city of Palmyra

Several Suqur al-Sahara fighters show off a captured flag of tawheed, often associated with ISIS

Syrian troops and allied militia have succeed in taking back Palmyra, state media and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed on Sunday. The state news agency released photographs showing soldiers in the city

The takeover means that the route is now clearer for Syrian troops to move into ISIS stronghold de-facto capital Raqqa

Despite the damage caused by ISIS, much of the archeological structure remains relatively intact

Palmyra was once the jewel in Syria's bustling tourism industry before the devastating civil war

A Russian drone circles over the main amphitheatre, revealing the extensive damage to the site

Syrian troops and allied militia backed by Russian air-strikes have been on the offensive for nearly three weeks in an attempt to retake the central town which fell to extremists last May.

'Palmyra will be the central base to broaden operations... against Daesh in numerous areas, primarily Deir Ezzor and Raqqa,' the army said in a statement carried by state media, using an Arabic name for IS.

It pledged to 'regain full control over' the cities and 'end the terrorist presence there'.

President Bashar al-Assad said the recapture showed the success of the army's strategy in combating terrorism, according to Syrian television.

'The liberation of the historic city of Palmyra today is an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism,' it quoted Assad as telling a visiting French delegation, including parliamentarians.

Russian president Vladimir Putin has congratulated Syrian president Bashar Assad on his army's recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra.

In a telephone call, Mr Putin 'noted the importance of preserving this unique historical site for world culture', presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying on Sunday by Russian news agencies.

'Putin once again stressed that despite the withdrawal of the bulk of Russia's contingent from Syria, Russia's armed forces will continue to help the Syrian authorities in their anti-terrorist efforts and liberation of their homeland from extremist groups.'

Russia has consistently denied claims that its airstrikes in Syria, which began in late September, are aimed at propping up Assad's rule.

A general view shows the remains of the entrance to the iconic Temple of Bel that was destroyed by ISIS jihadists in September 2015

A dozen prisoners were executed by ISIS militants during one propaganda video filmed at the amphitheatre

President Bashar al-Assad hailed the victory in Palymyra as an 'important achievement'

Syrian soldiers are seen entering a damaged house in the ancient city of Palmyra

ISIS have continued to release propaganda statements, insisting they maintain control of Palmyra

A view of the ancient town of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, which was held by ISIS

Syrian Arab Army forces celebrate as they enter the recently re-captured city of Palmyra

The burnt out remains of the gutted buildings epitomise some of the destruction left behind by ISIS

Piles of sandbags lie stacked up outside shops are one of the few signs of ISIS's former presence in the city

Syrian government army soldiers examine clothes left by ISIS militants as they raced to escape the city

A torched machinegun-loaded vehicle lies rejected at one of the streets of the ancient city

Many of the residents of Palmyra, in the Homs province, have fled the city since it was taken over by ISIS in May 2015

A soldier of the Syrian government army at the Fahkr ad-Din al-Maani castle in Palmyra

Many of the ancient statues have had their heads removed by the jihadi group during their rampage through the city

This picture, which has not been verified, shows the historic part of Palmyra. Large parts of the ancient Roman structures have been blown up by ISIS fighters

The take-over means that there is a clearer route for government forces to move into the de-facto ISIS capital Raqqa, Syria.

Their advance also marks the latest setback suffered by ISIS, which has come under mounting pressure on several fronts in Iraq and Syria.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that 'the armed forces and groups of popular defence committees have fully taken control of Palmyra.'

The popular defence committees are militias allied with the government.

The military official added that troops are now dismantling explosive booby traps planted by IS.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed IS has lost the town, saying there were many deaths among the extremists.

It added that some of the extremists withdrew from Palmyra toward the town of Sukhna and other areas in Homs province.

The Observatory's chief Rami Abdurrahman said three weeks of fighting killed more than 400 IS fighters, as well as 180 troops and pro-government militiamen.

On Saturday, Russia's defence minister said Russian jets carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra in the past day, hitting 158 targets and killing over 100 militants.

The tall columns of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra appears in intact after it was retaken by Assad forces

On-the-ground efforts were aided by Russian-backed air strikes. Pictured is a petrol station after being hit

As Syrian forces made a final push, it was reported that some of the extremists withdrew from Palmyra toward the town of Sukhna and other areas in Homs province

Soldiers of Suqur al-Sahara (the Desert Falcons), branch of the Syrian Arab Army allied with the Syrian Government, in modern quarters of Palmyra

Soldiers look down onto the city, which is home to 2,000-year-old ruins which ISIS see to promote idolatry

Russian airstrikes have helped President Bashar Assad's forces advance on a number of fronts in recent months.

Syrian state TV interrupted its normal programs to air a documentary about the town and its archaeological sites. The TV earlier aired national songs as well as videos released earlier by IS showing its fighters committing atrocities in Syria and Iraq.

'It's 10 in the morning Palmyra time. Our morning is victorious,' a TV announcer said.

Later a TV reporter spoke live from inside Palmyra, showing troops in the center of the town. Some of the nearby buildings had been reduced to rubble.

Palmyra, affectionately known as the 'Bride of the Desert,' used to attract tens of thousands of tourists every year.

IS drove out government forces in a matter of days and later demolished some of the best-known monuments in the UNESCO world heritage site. The extremists believe ancient ruins promote idolatry.

But jihadis failed to demolish all of the Roman ruins since their takeover of the town nearly a year ago. They began their hold of the city with blowing up some of the major landmarks at the UNESCO-listed world site.

The 2,000-year-old Roman amphitheatre to conduct public executions, with the blood of the victims staining the sand.

The militants also demolished the town's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents were reported to have been tortured.

A Russian drone flying over the 2,000-year-old amphethetre in Palmyra has filmed images believed to be large blood stains, circled, left behind from the many executions held inside the Roman-era structure by ISIS

A drone flying over Palmyra following the expulsion of ISIS showed the extent of the damage

However, some of the ancient ruins survived 10 months under ISIS control

The terrorist organisation had threatened to dynamite the entire site in what the UN said was a war crime

Syrian forces recaptured the ancient Roman ruins on Friday from ISIS after 10 months in control

The terror group has suffered some major strategic losses in the past week, including the death of their chief finance officer Abdul Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli.

Syrian government forces advanced on Palmyra over the past week after ISIS positions around the city were pounded by Russian jets.

The ancient citadel was recaptured by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad on Friday. The citadel overlooks some of the most extensive ruins of the Roman empire. Some of the drone footage appeared to show blood stains from the battle.

Drone footage of the scene filmed following the expulsion of ISIS have shown some areas of the site have escaped destruction.

The drone flew over the 2,000-year-old amphitheatre in the heart of Palmyra, where ISIS murdered the city's chief archaeologist Khaled Asaad in August 2015.

The 81-year-old archaeologist had spent 50 years working in the ancient city before it was seized by the terrorists.

It is understood ISIS tortured and then decapitated Asaad after he refused to reveal where many of the city's priceless artifacts had been hidden.

The terrorists released a photograph of Assad's body tied to a lamp post with his severed head dumped by his feet.

The recapture of Palmyra, which the Islamist militants seized in May 2015, would mark the biggest reversal for ISIS in Syria since Russia's intervention turned the tide of the five-year conflict in President Bashar al-Assad's favour.

The city controls routes east into the heartland of territory held by the militants, including the province of Deir al-Zor and the ISIS de facto capital, Raqqa.

The smashed up remains of the Lion of al-Lat statue, which used to be kept by the museum

An injured soldier of the Syrian government army at the Fahkr ad-Din al-Maani castle in Palmyra

Soldiers of the Syrian government army at the Fahkr ad-Din al-Maani castle in Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site on Saturday

One shocked Syrian soldier pauses to reflect on the horrors of the battle in which government forces re-took the city of Palmyra

Smoke pours out from some of the surrounding buildings near the archaeological site

ISIS have been forced into a retreat across Iraq and Syria having lost some major sections of territory

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter, right, will confirm the death of Abdul Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, left

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights monitoring group said on Friday an ISIS leader was killed when his car was targeted in a strike on Raqqa on Thursday night.

ISIS has launched a number of counter-strikes against Assad's forces using a number of car bombs.

Palmyra had a population of 50,000 according to a census more than 10 years ago. Those numbers were swelled hugely by an influx of people displaced by Syria's conflict, which has raged since 2011, but most fled when ISIS took over.

A soldier told Syrian state media: 'Our heroic forces are continuing to advance until we liberate every inch of this pure land.'

In August, ISIS dynamited two ancient buildings, the temples of Bel and Baal Shamin, which had stood as cultural landmarks in Palmyra for nearly two millennia. The United Nations described their destruction as a war crime.

ISIS decapitated Palmyra's 81-year-old chief archaeologist Khaled Asaad, pictured, in August 2015

It did not identify the dead militant, but U.S. Defense Secretary Ash Carter said the United States believed it killed Haji Iman - an alias for al-Qaduli, the terrorist organisation's number two, who was in charge of the group's finances, and Abu Sarah, who Carter said was charged with paying fighters in northern Iraq.

U.S. special forces carried out the strike against Haji Iman, officials told Reuters. One of the officials said the plan was to capture, not kill, him. But after the commandos' helicopter was fired on, the decision was made to fire from the air.

'We are systematically eliminating ISIL's cabinet,' Carter told reporters at a briefing at the Pentagon, using an acronym to refer to the group.

U.S. Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, told the briefing the deaths reflected 'indisputable' new momentum in the fight against ISIS.

The tetrapylon of Palmyra

The total extent of the damage to the 2,000-year-old city of Palmyra, pictured is not yet known

Syrian pro-governement forces gesture next to the Palmyra citadel on March 26 before it was confirmed the city's ISIS control had ended on Sunday

Iraq's military said on Friday that Iraqi Yazidi and tribal fighters had taken a border area in the Sinjar region next to Syria from ISIS, cutting an important supply line for the militants.

US officials said they were helping Iraqis prepare for a major operation in Mosul to take back more territory from the militant group.

The scale of Friday's fighting for Palmyra reflected how much of a strategic prize the city represents, with jets launching dozens of air strikes and soldiers firing mortar barrages, while ISIS fighters hit back with two car bombings.

Russian warplanes have continued to back up the Syrian army and its allies, despite Moscow's recent announcement it was withdrawing the bulk of its military forces.

Its planes carried out 41 sorties from Tuesday to Thursday in support of the Palmyra offensive and destroyed 146 targets, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, citing the Russian Defence Ministry.

Beirut-based television channel Al-Mayadeen, broadcasting from the edge of Palmyra, showed a low-flying jet carry out three air strikes against what it said were ISIS fighters withdrawing from the old citadel back into Palmyra.

'Army units took control over Palmyra's ancient citadel ... after dealing with the last Daesh terrorist groups,' state news agency SANA said.

A ceasefire backed by the United States and Russia covers most of Syria but not areas held by ISIS.

The first truce of its kind since the war began five years ago has been accompanied this month by the first peace talks attended by Assad's government and most of the groups opposed to him. Damascus in the meantime has turned its fire on ISIS.

Moscow is the main ally of Assad's government, while Washington and other Western countries have backed foes trying to overthrow him during the civil war that has killed 250,000 people and led to the world's worst refugee crisis.

Both powers are committed to fighting ISIS and have backed a new diplomatic push to end fighting on other fronts.

A Russian special forces officer was killed in combat near Palmyra in the last week, Interfax said, suggesting the Kremlin had been more engaged in the Syrian conflict than it had acknowledged.

Syria's antiquities chief, Maamoun Abdulkarim, said driving ISIS out of Palmyra would be a victory for the whole world.

'After all the tragedy we have suffered in Syria for five years, and the 10 months in Palmyra after it fell ... it's the first time we feel joy,' Abdulkarim told Reuters.
Jeremy Hunt has warned that the NHS would face budget cuts and an exodus of staff if Britain leaves the EU.

The Health Secretary argued that a period of economic volatility would pose a 'real challenge' to the country's health service.

He added that uncertainty over visas could lead to the loss of some of the 100,000 EU citizens currently in the workforce.

Jeremy Hunt has warned that the NHS would face budget cuts and an exodus of staff if Britain leaves the EU

But the latest intervention by a senior government minister has been criticised by Brexit campaigners, who accused Mr Hunt of 'scaremongering'.

Mr Hunt said studies by the CBI and Oxford Economics show the impact of an exit could cost the UK more than 5 per cent of the size of our economy.

'This would inevitably mean less money for public services like the NHS,' he wrote in the Observer.

'Those who want to leave need to explain how they could protect the NHS from this economic shock.'

Mr Hunt said the progress being made by recruiting 11,000 extra doctors and 12,000 extra nurses since 2010 was only possible on the back of a strong economy.

Matthew Elliott, chief executive of Vote Leave, argued that Brexit would release funds to improve the NHS.

'Under Jeremy Hunt's stewardship, the NHS has plummeted into a financial crisis,' he said. 'If we vote to leave we can stop wasting money on EU bureaucrats and instead spend our money on our priorities like the NHS.'

He added that uncertainty over visas could lead to the loss of some of the 100,000 EU citizens currently in the workforce

Hunt also rejected the argument that health tourism was a reason to leave the EU.

But it emerged earlier this month that the amount of money the NHS got back from Europeans to pay for their treatment fell last year.

Official figures showed that hospitals recouped just 49.7million in 2014/15, compared to 50.3million in the previous year.

But British taxpayers handed 674.4million to European governments to pay for the care of UK citizens abroad during the same period.

The Health Secretary's comments come as hundreds of business leaders gave their backing to the Vote Leave campaign, claiming that the EU destroys jobs through regulation.
Triumphed in 18 minutes and 38 seconds and by two-and-a-half lengths

The university's men ended a three race losing streak to win their contest

Cambridge's women rowers became the toast of the 2016 Boat Race despite losing to their Oxford rivals after finishing the route even though their boat sank.

The Blue Boat racers became almost completely submerged as they trailed their opponents in the 71st hosting of the iconic contest.

With the vessel almost out of sight underwater, race officials ordered the brave young university team into calmer waters as they struggled in a choppy Thames tideway.

Cambridge's women rowers became the toast of the 2016 Boat Race despite losing to their Oxford rivals after finishing the route even though their boat sank

The Blue Boat racers became almost completely submerged as they trailed their opponents in the 71st hosting of the iconic contest

With the vessel almost out of sight underwater, race officials ordered the brave young university team into calmer waters as they struggled in a choppy Thames

The Cambridge team were red-flagged and ordered to go into less choppy waters to continue the race

As their boat became completely flooded, Oxford cruised into an unassailable lead - crossing the line with the Cambridge girls nowhere to be seen.

However, the courageous team rallied on, playing purely for pride as they eventually honed in on the finish line.

They were met with roars of approval from the thousands gathered on the banks to watch the race, with their Oxford counterparts clapping them over the line as they rowed in exhausted.

Oxford celebrate with the trophy after winning the Women's Race for the fourth consecutive time

On the second consecutive year the women's race was staged in London, Oxford eventually won by 71 seconds and 24 lengths, recording a time of 21 minutes and 49 seconds

The exhausted team clap and wave their hands above their heads following the triumph on the Thames

In the men's contest an hour later, Cambridge balanced the day's results with a controlled and disciplined performance that saw them cross the finish line roughly two-and-a-half lengths ahead of the Oxford boat.

Their convincing victory was eventually secured in a time of 18 minutes and 38 seconds - ending a run of three straight defeats.

Oxford's win in the women's race was their fourth in succession.

Oxford had won the toss and chose to start from the Surrey station, the south side of London's River Thames, and recovered from a slow start.

After building a promising lead by Hammersmith Bridge, at a time when Cambridge were fighting taking on water amid the waves, Oxford almost risked that lead by keeping their course in the rough water.

Oxford had won the toss and chose to start from the Surrey station, the south side of London's River Thames, and recovered from a slow start

The Cambridge crew carry their boat to the water prior to the Cancer Research UK Women's Boat Race

After building a promising lead by Hammersmith Bridge, at a time when Cambridge were fighting taking on water amid the waves, Oxford almost risked that lead by keeping their course in the rough water

They swiftly corrected that to rediscover their advantage heading into the final third, however, as Cambridge began to labour with the water level in their boat and it appeared they may sink until they gradually recovered along the north bank.

On the second consecutive year the women's race was staged in London, Oxford eventually won by 71 seconds and 24 lengths, recording a time of 21 minutes and 49 seconds.

However, it was the second time that the Cambridge girls proved they are definite winners in the personality stakes.

Oxford Men's Blue Boat crew launch their boat before the Men's Boat Race on the River Thames, London

The Cambridge boys were hoping to end their losing run against their rowing rivals - and after their women's team lost earlier in the afternoon

Cambridge balanced the day's results with a controlled and disciplined performance that saw them cross the finish line roughly two-and-a-half lengths ahead of the Oxford boat

Their convincing victory was eventually secured in a time of 18 minutes and 38 seconds - ending a run of three straight defeats

One team's joy is another's despair as the racing teams come to terms with the result of their closely fought contest

Instead of opting for their game faces in the traditional portrait shots ahead of today's world-famous race along the Thames, the rowers decided to let loose and go for something all the more fun.

While their Oxford rivals went for a smiley yet serious shoot, the jokey underdogs threw their hands above their heads, winked to the camera and even flashed their bling.

Both teams - and their male counterparts - were asked by the organisers of this year's races, sponsored by Cancer Research UK, to pose for passport style photographs in their respective colours.

Spectators take up a vantage point prior to the afternoon race getting under way earlier on today

Thousands of people gathered on the banks of the Thames to ensure they got a prime view of the passing boats

Fans gather outside the Rutland Arms pub by Hammersmith Bridge - the scene of the unfortunate sinking

But for Cambridge University Womens Blue Boat the request was treated with perhaps the biggest pinch of salt of anything in the regal event's 162-year history.

All nine of the girls opted for the quirky rather than the combative, taking a tongue-in-cheek approach to the age-old photo shoot.

Hannah Roberts, the 21-year-old president of the women's club, set the standard with a nonchalant thumbs-up.

Cambridge University's female rowers decided to let loose and go for something fun for their traditional pre-race portraits (from top left: Ashton Brown, Fiona Macklin, Alice Jackson, Thea Zabell, Daphne Martschenko, Zara Goozee, Hannah Roberts, Myriam Goudet, Rosemary Ostfeld)

Keeping it a little more serious, however, the Oxford crew were happy to all go with simple smiles at the camera (from top left: Emma Lukasiewicz, Emma Spruce, Joanneke Jansen, Ruth Siddorn, Elo Luik, Anastasia Chitty, Maddy Badcott, Lauren Kedar, Morgan Baynham-Williams)

Her team-mates followed suit - natural sciences student Thea Zabell going for a cheeky a wink down the lens, cox Rosemary Ostfield playing the damsel in distress, and newly engaged stroke Myriam Goudet proudly showing off her ring.

Keeping it a little more serious, however, the Oxford crew were happy to all go with simple smiles at the camera.

If only they'd taken the example set by their male peers who themselves continued the wacky trend adopted by both the men and women from Cambridge.

Cambridge men (from top left): Felix Newman, Ali Abbasi, Charles Fisher, Clemens Auersperg, Luke Juckett, Henry Hoffstot, Ben Ruble, Lance Tredell, Ian Middleton

Oxford men (from top left): George McKirdy, James White, Morgan Gerlak, Joshua Bugajski, Leo Carrington, Jrgen Tveit, Jamie Cook, Nik Hazell, Sam Collier

Photos of the male teams show them even integrating props into the shots for the ultimate in silliness.

One rower is seen pouring himself a mug of tea, another ready to devour a bunch of grapes, while a third appears to be taking a rogue Wellington boot to the head.
Britain is beefing up its security in the wake of the horrific terror attacks in Brussels with more armed officers set to be deployed throughout major cities and a 24-hour special forces response in place.

A specially-created 70-strong SAS team will be on standby around the clock ready to fly to the scene of any terrorist incident in this country at a moments notice.

Meanwhile more than 2,000 extra armed police officers will be stationed on our streets after an ISIS agent linked to the Paris and Brussels atrocities was found to have taken photographs of a new shopping complex in Birmingham.

An SAS unit has been created to provide a 24-hour response to a terrorist attack in Britain (file picture)

The new airborne special forces team, dubbed Blue Thunder, has been rehearsing a number of possible scenarios for months and will be at the command of Home Secretary Theresa May, according to the Sunday Express.

Heavily-armed soldiers will be dropped at the site of the attack with a mission to trap and secure any terrorists who remain at large.

According to the Express, the name comes from the unmarked blue Dauphin helicopters the units will use to be able to quickly travel across the UK to respond wherever needed.

The unit will work alongside seven police liaison officers and be based at three unnamed airfields and two airports.

Scenarios they are said to have prepared for range from lone wolf attacks to full-blown hostage situations.

The Sunday paper said the team has raided abandoned buildings, nuclear sites and ports as parts of its training exercises, while it will be supported by an Apache helicopter gunship which will provide live video feeds to the unit command.

More than 2,000 extra armed police officers will also be deployed in major cities to boost security (file picture)

Surveillance officers will also be given new technology to track people via their mobile phones, with a scanning system able to tell whether someone is wearing a suicide vest.

Meanwhile, the Sunday Times said a 'surge' of armed officers will be stationed across the UK's major cities, while Mrs May has approved a law to allow 1,000 armed officers currently guarding nuclear power stations to be sent anywhere in the country to respond to an attack.

Security is also expected to be boosted for the Queen's 90th birthday celebrations in June, which includes a party in The Mall in London with 10,000 people expected to attend.
Vote Leave has been forced to apologise after wrongly including names of two major British business leaders among a list of people backing Brexit.

A letter was sent out by the campaign including 250 business leader signatories supporting Britain leaving the EU ahead of June's referendum.

But Carphone Warehouse co-founder David Ross and Phones 4U billionaire John Caudwell have now been removed after it was confirmed they had been included in error.

British business moguls David Ross, left, and John Caudwell, right, have been removed from a list of 250 UK industry leaders who have backed Brexit

A spokesman said Mr Caudwell has supported Vote Leave in the past but had not agreed to appear on the list, published on Saturday.

The spokesman told the BBC: 'Mr Caudwell has been listed as a supporter of the campaign since he signed up in October last year.

'He has not told us that he no longer supports us but we have removed him from the list.'

JD Wetherspoon boss Tim Martin, hotelier Sir Rocco Forte, who is the son of Italian immigrants, and Patisserie Valerie chairman Luke Johnson are among the Brexit backers.

Former HSBC chief executive Michael Geoghegan also signed the letter, although the bank itself has confirmed it wants the UK to remain in the institution.

The launch of the Vote Leave campaign led by (from left) John Whittingdale, Theresa Villiers, Michael Gove, Chris Grayling, Iain Duncan Smith and Priti Patel

The letter followed a similar missive last month where 36 of Britain's largest businesses advocated staying in the EU, urging people to vote no on June 23.

Vote Leave has also announced its business council will be chaired by John Longworth, who resigned his role as director general of the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC) earlier this month after a controversial speech in which he said Britain could have a 'brighter future' outside the EU.
Police say they have removed one sticker and

'Disgusting' poster was created by the group the

A racist poster with the offensive slogans 'Attention! Rapeugees not welcome' and 'Stay away' on it has caused horror after being spotted outside a hospital.

The A5 sticker, which depicts a woman running from a mob armed with knives, seems to insinuate that refugees are rapists.

Police have removed one of the posters, created by a group called the Northern Patriotic Front, which was branded 'disgusting' and 'scaremongering' by concerned residents in South Shields, Tyne and Wear.

A racist poster with the offensive slogans 'Attention! Rapeugees not welcome' and 'Stay away' on it has caused horror after it was spotted outside a hospital in South Shields

Horrified resident Stephen Sullivan reported the poster to police after spotting it stuck to a telephone exchange box outside South Tyneside District Hospital in South Shields.

The 29-year-old said: 'I was really offended when I saw it.

'Everyone has their own views but I don't think an attitude like this is shared by people in South Shields which is home to people of many different cultures.

Stephen Sullivan, 35 (pictured), was horrified when he spotted the poster and reported it to the police

'Refugees are fleeing their own horrific circumstances then they come here.

'I wouldn't want them to think that this is the way we all think.'

Stephen tweeted about the poster and South Shields MP Emma Lewell-Buck replied to say she was glad he'd reported it.

Shah Lalon Amin, who runs the Refugee Aid Network, branded the posters 'disgusting'.

The 35-year-old businessman, from South Shields, said: 'This group is using refugees as a scapegoat and creating false tension.

'It is trying to create tension when there is none, especially in a town like South Shields which is known for being culturally diverse. It's disgusting.

'Suggesting that refugees are going to come here and victimise women is scaremongering and not right. These people are fleeing persecution.'

When contacted, a spokesman for the Northern Patriotic Front said he didn't know how the poster had ended up in public view.

The man, who refused to give his name, said: 'They're not intended for fly-posting. They are for the personal use of group members, so there's nothing we can do about that.

The A5 sticker was stuck to a telephone exchange box outside South Tyneside District Hospital in South Shields

'It doesn't suggest all refugees are rapists, they're stating a simple fact.

'A lot of refugees are raping people. It's in the news every day.

'I don't want people to be offended but if people can't read and they can't understand it, there's nothing I can do about that.'
The Nigerian government is sending parents from the Chibok community of northeast Nigeria to neighbouring Cameroon to verify whether a suspected female suicide bomber is one of the schoolgirls abducted by Boko Haram nearly two years ago.

Garba Shehu, spokesperson for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, said the Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroon, Hadiza Mustapha, has been in contact with Cameroonian authorities who have shown a willingness to assist the Nigerian government.

The abduction of about 270 school girls by Islamic militants from a school in Chibok on April 14, 2014, sparked international outrage and a campaign #bringbackourgirls. While about 50 of the girls managed to escape, 219 of these girls remain missing.

The abduction of the girls in Chibok sparked international outrage and a campaign #bringbackourgirls started

Military and local government sources on Friday reported that one of two girls arrested in northern Cameroon carrying explosives claimed to be one of the missing Chibok schoolgirls.

The girls were arrested after being stopped by local self-defence forces in Limani near the border with Nigeria that has been the target of frequent suicide bombings in recent months.

'We hope that the Chibok parents will be able to identify the girl and determine whether she is indeed one of their missing students,' Shehu said.

Shehu said the government was keen to ascertain the girl's identity so she can be brought back to Nigeria and possibly assist the government in investigations regarding the fate and whereabouts of the other missing Chibok girls.

He said the two parents from Chibok selected to embark on the trip to Cameroon are Yakubu Nkeki, chairman of the Chibok Abducted Girls Movement, and Yana Galang, the group's women leader, whose 16-year-old daughter Rifkatu is among the missing.

The trip is being arranged by the government in partnership with the Murtala Muhammed Foundation in Nigeria, a non-government organisation which has been supporting the parents association and has offered to partly sponsor the trip to avoid any delays.

Islamist militant group Boko Haram abducted 270 girls from their school back in 2014 and only 50 escaped

'If it is true, we are very happy about it. If we see her with our eyes, we will know where our girls are,' Galang told the Thomson Reuters Foundation.

Shehu said the two girls will be brought by the Cameroonian government to Douala, the country's largest city, on Monday for further checks into their identities.

Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan was criticized for his slow reaction to the Chibok abductions, seen by many as indicative of his response to Boko Haram, which at its strongest held large swathes of northeastern Nigeria.

Two parents are now travelling to meet the arrested girl with the hope she can help find the other victims of the kidnapping. Pictured, a group of girls walk home from school in Maiduguri, Nigeria

Muhammadu Buhari, who defeated Jonathan in a 2015 election, ordered a new investigation into the kidnappings in January.
David Petraeus (pictured) warned British voters today that leaving the EU would do nothing to protect them from future terrorist attacks

Ex-CIA director David Petraeus warned British voters today that leaving the EU would do nothing to protect them from future terrorist attacks.

In the wake of the Brussels attack last week  the second deadly terrorist atrocity to hit a European capital within five months  the retired four-star US general said it would be the worst time for Britain and the EU if voters opted to leave in Junes referendum.

General Petraeus, who led US and Nato forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, said it would deal a significant blow to the EUs strength and resilience at exactly the moment when the West is under attack from multiple directions.

His comments directly contradict his fellow ex-CIA director General Michael Hayden, who said on Friday that Britains national security will not be harmed if it leaves the EU.

He said membership of the 28-state bloc in some ways gets in the way of the state providing security for its own citizens and dismissed claims by In campaigners that the UK would lose out from shared intelligence if it voted to leave.

And he warned that the UK should not rely on the poor intelligence services of many EU member states such as Belgium, whose authorities failed to stop home-grown terrorists kill 31 people last week.

National security matters have taken an increasingly important role in the EU debate this week following the deadly attacks in Brussels and spy chiefs are split over whether leaving the 28-state bloc would damage or benefit Britains national security.

General Hayden is among a number of former spy chiefs, including former Mi6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove, who have backed Britain leaving the EU, insisting it would not damage national security and would bring benefits for Britains security agencies.

General Petraeus today joined others such as former GCHQ chief Sir David Omand in dismissing the argument and urged voters to think twice before taking a potentially dangerous path.

In a time of such challenges, when our adversaries seek to sow division in our ranks and undermine the world order that we have sacrificed so much to build and defend, it is critical for the West to stand strong and united," he wrote in the Sunday Telegraph - pointing to Russian expansionism, the Middle East and cyber crime.

And that, in turn, requires strong and principled American and British leadership inside the West.

The comments, by ex-CIA director David Petraeus come in the wake of the Brussels attack last week (pictured)

For that reason, as an American with enormous respect for and appreciation of the UK and its citizens, I encourage my British friends to think twice before withdrawing from one of the most important institutions that undergirds Western strength: the European Union.

As an American who was privileged to command America's and the UK's sons and daughters in combat and as one very concerned about international security issues, there is no question in my mind that a 'Brexit' would deal a significant blow to the EU's strength and resilience at exactly the moment when the West is under attack from multiple directions.

A Brexit would also reduce considerably Great Britain's ability to influence and guide the future of Europe, still the world's largest economic bloc; it would undoubtedly reduce British influence on the world stage, as well.

He said he understood the draw of isolationism in both the UK and US but warned: History teaches us that such an approach is a strategic dead end.

And recalling the past reminds us that every time we have gone in an isolationist direction, the result has been calamitous for the entire world.

He concluded: There is simply no retreat from this reality. The connections are too considerable - and too consequential.

Another ex-CIA director, General Michael Hayden (pictured), said on Friday that Britains national security will not be harmed if it leaves the EU

Some have suggested that leaving the EU would reduce the risk of terrorism in the UK. That is mistaken. The terrorist threat, unfortunately, will be with all of us for the foreseeable future, as the recent events in Belgium have just shown.

In fact, the best way to defend ourselves is precisely by deepening military, intelligence, and diplomatic co-operation across the Western world, by working together with our partners on the continent and elsewhere to strike at the terrorists in their sanctuaries and tackle the underlying drivers of radicalisation.

The EU, for all its imperfections, is a vital player in this effort Ex-CIA director David Petraeus

The EU, for all its imperfections, is a vital player in this effort.

But General Hayden, speaking to the BBC on Friday, said national security should always be the responsibility of individual states and said being in the EU does not contribute much to Britains spying capabilities.

And in a damning assessment of the EU as a whole, he said security across the continent was very uneven, suggesting the lack of consistency contributed to the Brussels terror attacks.

General Hayden, who was in charge of the top spying agency in the US from 2006  2009 and previously served as director of the National Security Agency, criticised Belgiums security in the wake of the Brussels attacks, saying it was small, under-resourced [and] legally limited.

His comments echo former Mi6 chief Sir Richard Dearlove who on Thursday backed Britain leaving the EU, insisting it would not damage national security.

People gather around floral tributes at a memorial site at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels days after the terror attack

Sir Richard said getting out of the European Convention on Human Rights and the EU's free movement could boost security.

The pair have contradicted comments by ex-GCHQ director David Omand, who declared that Britain would be the loser in security terms if it left the EU because it would jeopardise the flows of intelligence between European nations

Speaking to the Today programme, General Hayden said: National security remains a national responsibility and so sadly the grades you have to give to each of the services are frankly individual and its very uneven.

Very good services, aggressive services in France and Great Britain, good but smaller services to in Scandinavia and then unfortunately across most of the rest of the continent  smaller services and if youre talking specifically about Belgium  small, under-resourced, legally limited and frankly working for a government that frankly has itself has its own challenges in terms of overall governance.

Earlier he told Sky News: I don't know if the European Union contributes a great deal to ... espionage.

Europe has divided its governance between things done in Brussels, at the Union level, and things done back in national capitals.

At the Union level, they talk about commerce and privacy. But to keep citizens safe, that remains a responsibility back in national capitals.

And right now, because of some of the positions the Euro institutions have taken on surveillance and privacy, the capitals are finding it more difficult to provide for their own citizens' safety.

The Brussels attack was the second deadly terrorist atrocity to hit a European capital within five months. French special forces are pictured evacuating people during the Paris attacks in November

So to a degree, Brussels, as a Euro institution, keeps pushing these activities at the expense of security - to that degree I can understand why Sir Richard is saying what he's saying.

In an article for Prospect Magazine, Sir Richard said national security was served by international cooperation but only with trusted allies and not the entire EU as this leaked information like a 'colander'.

He said: 'Though the UK participates in various European and Brussels-based security bodies, they are of little consequence.

'The Club de Berne, made up of European Security Services; the Club de Madrid, made up of European Intelligence Services; Europol; and the Situation Centre in the European Commission are generally speaking little more than forums for the exchange of analysis and views.

'With the exception of Europol, these bodies have no operational capacity and with 28 members of vastly varying levels of professionalism in intelligence and security, the convoy must accommodate the slowest and leakiest of the ships of state.'

Sir Richard warned: 'The larger powers cannot put their best intelligence material into such colanders.'

Sir Richard said counter terrorism work was usually conducted bilaterally or occasionally trilaterally.

His comments goes against the position of Home Secretary Theresa May (pictured), who surprised some in Westminster when she backed David Cameron's EU In campaign on the grounds of security

He said: 'Brussels has little or nothing to do with them, in large part due to what is known as the ''Third Party Rule,'' a notion that is little understood outside the intelligence fraternity but which is essential to intelligence liaison worldwide.

'This rule states that the recipient of intelligence from one nation cannot pass it on to a third without the originator's agreement.'

Sir Richard insisted this meant security cooperation with the United States would not be damaged by a Brexit. 1

And he concluded: '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.'

His comments goes against the position of Home Secretary Theresa May, who surprised some in Westminster when she backed David Cameron's EU In campaign on the grounds of security.

Earlier this week she repeated her warnings against Brexit.

In an interview with The Times, conducted before Tuesdays Brussels attacks, Mrs May said EU membership was 'of benefit' to Britain's security.

She said: 'I think this is an issue people should look at more broadly, but on the security front there are good reasons for us to be members of the European Union.

'The UK threat level is at severe, which means a terrorist attack is highly likely. We know that since November 2014 seven terrorist plots have been disrupted in the UK.

'What's important is that we work with others to ensure that we can respond.'
A Briton serving 10 years in a Maltese jail has met his baby daughter for the first time after conceiving her behind bars.

Daniel Holmes, 37, from from Risca, near Newport, laid eyes on 'beautiful' 90-day-old Blossom when she travelled to the Mediterranean island with her older sister Rainbow and mother Marzena.

The father-of-two was sentenced to a decade in prison for cultivating cannabis plants in 2011 but fathered her when he was granted private time with his wife during a visit.

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Beautiful: This is the moment Daniel Holmes laid eyes on his daughter for the first time, in a Maltese prison

Looking into his baby's eyes he said: 'You're very beautiful, you're very beautiful.'

He added: 'She seemed to recognise me. I mean, I know maybe all children do that, but I definitely saw something in her eyes, bless her.'

'I know I'll miss her, but hopefully she will just get along with learning to walk and talk and getting herself ready for life.

'I really just dream of that day when I can just come back and will be a part of their lives and can provide for them and teach them things and show them things. Hopefully the right things.

'Shortly, or sooner rather than later, I'll be back. I'll have to come back to a house with three women and try and see what I am allowed to do.

'Not being there for the first step was a very heartbreaking thing to have to live through.'

Daniel was living in Malta and working as head chef in a pub when he was jailed for growing five plants and handed a 23,000 fine.

He and Marzena gave a glimpse into their unique long-distance relationship by appearing on Channel 5 documentary Prison Brides.

True Love: Marzena and Daniel are dreaming of the day he will be released and come home to Wales. Pictured, the couple on their wedding day

Marzena said: 'Blossom was conceived on one of the family visits when we were allowed some privacy.

'It's hardest when it comes to children obviously, because they have done nothing wrong. Rainbow does not understand 'the whole prison idea yet.

'She thinks that he just lives there and can't get out because men are holding him.'

Describing the moment she heard Daniel was to be jailed, she said: 'That was the worst day of my life, the emptiness you feel. It was devastating.

'I was too shocked to think of anything. The only thing I was repeating to myself was, "At least he is not dead, so it is OK, it is not all over yet."

Daniel's family often visit him in Malta and pictured, he spends time with eldest daughter Rainbow, three, and his wife Marzena in one of the jail's family areas

Daniel's parents Mel and Kate, who live in Newport, are desperate to have their son home.

Kate said: 'We plead with the authorities to see that enough is enough because so many countries are legalising marijuana.

'I'm not condoning it. He committed a crime, and it's their country, but the severity of the sentence compared to others is unreasonable.

'It just makes you feel they have some grudge against him and they are making an example of him.'

'I can't say it's not a strain because it is.

'Mel had a stroke last year which is why he cannot fly out to Malta. It's hard. We are doing what we can. We do feel it is a great injustice, incredibly unfair.'

Meanwhile, Daniel's wife and children will visit him again for his birthday next month.

Marzena, pictured with her daughter Rainbow, said finding out that Daniel was going to jail was 'heartbreaking' and right, his parents Mel and Kate, who have petitioned the Maltese government on his behalf

Mel said: 'His birthday is on the 11th and they are going out to see him on the 8th or 9th.

'There is a family room in the prison where he will be allowed a couple of hours and will put on a bit of food and drinks to try and make it a bit of fun for the kids.

'Visits for them are a mixed blessing. They look forward to seeing him, but then they have to go.

'The cannabis case is finished now in Malta but we have submitted a case based around breaches of his human rights to the European courts.

'The political party Alternattiva Demokratika petitioned the president. They particularly asked for him to return to a Welsh prison.
A new BBC thriller will tell the tale of the British women duped into sham marriages of up to 20 years by secret police officers who infiltrated their lives only to gain intelligence.

'Undercover' draws on the real life experiences of one victim who was tricked into marrying and having children with a man she later discovered had been lying to her about their entire life together.

The scandal was exposed by The Observer newspaper in 2010, whose investigation found that a single officer had formed relationships with two female targets as a way of sourcing private information.

That policeman has never been publicly identified and is known only as Officer A.

'Undercover' (pictured) draws on the real life experiences of one victim who was tricked into marrying and having children with a man she later discovered had been lying to her about their entire life together

His conduct led to the formation of the Pitchford Inquiry, a far-reaching probe into the conduct of undercover policing set to get under way next month.

In total, seven women have so far discovered they were duped by policemen operating out of Scotland Yard.

The series will lay bare the true extent of the officers' undercover rouse - and the drastic effect it had on the women fooled.

It sees lead character Maya, played by Sophie Okonedo, about to become the first black Director of Public Prosecutions, with her husband, Nick, played by Adrian Lester.

As her life comes under intense public scrutiny, she discovers many terrifying truths about her husband - the father of her three children.

Writer Peter Moffat said: 'Ever since making Criminal Justice with Hilary Salmon we've been itching to get back to looking at the parts of the justice system, the media and public life that time and again over the last five years have been shown to be occupied by the good, the bad and the very ugly.

'I've been lucky enough with the research sources I've had access to to dig really deep into the darker corners of all these worlds and come up with what I hope is an uncompromising and surprising thriller.'

The Pitchford Inquiry will examine the Met's undercover infiltration of political groups since 1968, should be held in private.

As part of his work developing the series, writer Peter Moffat met Helen Steel, one of seven women who sued the Met after finding out she had been in a two-year relationship with an undercover officer

It is currently being considered how much of the inquiry should be made public, as to protect the identities of those affected.

The police argue sensitive information will endanger police officers and their families. A ruling is expected to be made on 3 May.

As part of his work developing the series, Moffat met Helen Steel, one of seven women who sued the Met after finding out she had been in a two-year relationship with an undercover officer.

Speaking to The Observer, Moffat stressed that he was motivated in writing the series by getting to grips with what aspects of his secret life would drive the officers involved to stay under cover for so long.

He said: 'I dont think anyone can come out of this other than damaged by the experience of pretending to be different people, sometimes for years on end.

'I think its unbelievably hard to function like that, but I also think, and this is the key to my story, that its possible to betray someone fundamentally and also be in love with them.'

He added: 'These women have stood together and meet to work through what a terrible trauma this has been. Naturally, theyre all angry and traumatised by whats happened.'
Belgian police are questioning four new terror suspects after a series of dawn raids across the country.

A total of nine people were detained after raids in Brussels and the northern cities of Mechelen and Duffel this morning. Five were released after questioning and four remain in custody.

The raids are linked to a 'federal case regarding terrorism', according to the federal prosecutor, but it was not clear whether they were tied to the attacks this week in which 31 people were killed.

Earlier another suspect was charged over his involvement with a terrorist group.

Belgian prosecutors said that Abderaman A. was shot in the leg at the trm stop in Schaerbeek because he was carrying a rucksack police believed contained a bomb

The man, identified as Abderamane A., was shot in the leg by police on Friday in the city's Schaerbeek district because he was carrying a rucksack police believed contained a bomb.

He was detained in connection to a related raid in France on Thursday that the government said foiled a 'major terrorist attack'. He has been charged with 'involvement in a terrorist group', Belgian prosecutors said today.

Abderamane A. was reportedly convicted in 2003 as an accomplice in the assassination of the Afghan political and military leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud, two years earlier.

It came as dramatic pictures emerged of the moment armed Italian police arrested an Algerian man wanted by Belgium over fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels terrorists.

Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was seen on his knees and being held at gunpoint after being detained under a European arrest warrant in the southern Italian region of Salerno.

He was suspected of being part of a criminal network that produced fake documents for illegal immigration.

Meanwhile a 'solidarity' march planned for today was cancelled because Belgian police are too 'stretched' dealing with the terror investigation.

As the camera moves to include the tram stop, it shows a child crouching by the side of the shot suspect, named Abderaman A as and the man in orange calls for the boy or girl to leave the man

The man in orange manages to convince the child to leave the suspect on the ground, and police - including one carrying a shield - back away

Belgian police drag Abderaman A. along a tramway platform after he was shot following a raid in the Brussels borough of Schaerbeek

Yesterday three other suspects, including the 'man in white' who was seen moments before the Brussels bombings that killed 31, were also charged with terrorism offences.

Belgian media named Faycal Cheffou as the suspect pictured alongside Ibrahim El-Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui shortly before they detonated suicide bombs in the departure hall, killing 14 people.

He was charged yesterday with 'involvement in a terrorist group, terrorist killings and attempted terrorist killings' following a series of arrests last week, along with two other men.

At the time, police feared another attack was imminent.

Last night, police said that Faycal Cheffou had been arrested on Thursday night in Brussels as he was standing outside one of the federal prosecutor's offices in the city.

A search was then carried out at his home but no weapons or explosives were found.

Two other suspects, identified as Aboubakar A. and Rabah N., were charged with 'terrorist activities and membership of a terrorist group'. Rabah N. was wanted in connection with a related raid in France on Thursday that the government said foiled a 'major terrorist attack'.

French president Francois Hollande said the network behind the Paris attacks that killed 130 people in November and the Brussels bombings on Tuesday was being 'wiped out'. He admitted, though, that the threat remained high and other terror rings were still at large.

Belgium media reports suggest Cheffou, a freelance journalist, is the third bomber pictured walking through Brussels Airport before the attacks with Ibrahim El Bakraoui, centre, and Najim Laachraoui, left

Ameroud was arrested in Brussels after a stand-off with police where he took a woman hostage.

Witnesses told how heavily armed anti-terror police shot him in the leg because he was carrying a rucksack they believed contained a bomb.

As police moved in the suspect then grabbed a woman and pulled her to the ground.

In heart-stopping footage captured from a balcony above where the drama unfolded, the man can be seen letting a little girl no older than five go as officers get closer.

The clip then shows specially trained anti-terror police in bullet proof vests gently coaxing the frightened girl to safety as the target grabbed the woman.

The shooting took place in the Brussels suburb of Schaerbeek  the scene of a number of anti-terror raids in the last few days.

The aftermath of the explosions at Brussels airport in terror attacks on Tuesday. Today Belgian prosecutors have issued an arrest warrant for a new suspect in the terror attacks
Algerian seen kneeling down as he was held at gunpoint by Italian officers

This is the moment armed Italian police arrested an Algerian man wanted by Belgium over fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels terrorists.

Dramatic pictures show Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, on his knees after being detained under a European arrest warrant in the southern Italian region of Salerno.

He is suspected of providing a forged Belgian ID card for Najim Laachraoui, one of the suicide bombers who attacked Brussels airport last week.

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Dramatic pictures captured the moment armed Italian police arrested an Algerian man wanted by Belgium over fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels terrorists

Ouali (right) is suspected of providing a forged Belgian ID card for Najim Laachraoui (left), one of the suicide bombers who attacked Brussels airport last week

Ouali was arrested in the southwestern town of Bellizzi as part of a joint operation between anti-terrorist forces and Rome's special operations police.

He was suspected of being part of a criminal network that produced fake documents for illegal immigration, the AGI news agency reported.

The alleged accomplice of the Brussels attackers would be extradited to Belgium in the coming days, it added.

Suspicions were raised after local immigration officials checked Ouali's residency permit. Police had been searching for a man with the same name and belonging to the same organisation since January 6.

Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was seen on his knees and surrounded by armed police after being detained under a European arrest warrant in the southern Italian region of Salerno

Ouali was arrested in the southwestern town of Bellizzi as part of a joint operation between anti-terrorist forces and Rome's special operations police

Hundreds of digital photographs were then seized from a counterfeiter's workshop, including three of those who planned the deadly attacks in Paris in November.

One of those photographed was Najim Laachraoui, a suicide bomber at Brussels airport, reports quoted police as saying.

Investigations are ongoing as to how Ouali came to be in Italy and into the networks of which he may have been a part.

Suicide bombers killed 31 people when they targeted Brussels Airport and a city Metro station in attacks on Tuesday.

This afternoon it emerged that Belgian police are questioning four new terror suspects after a series of dawn raids across the country.

A total of nine people were detained after raids in Brussels and the northern cities of Mechelen and Duffel this morning. Five were released after questioning and four remain in custody.

The raids are linked to a 'federal case regarding terrorism', according to the federal prosecutor, but it was not clear whether they were tied to the attacks this week in which 31 people were killed.

Belgian police drag Abderaman A. along a tramway platform after he was shot following a raid in the Brussels borough of Schaerbeek

This morning a terror suspect who was arrested by police in Brussels after a dramatic stand-off at a tram stop was charged over his involvement with a terrorist group.

The suspect, identified as Abderamane A., was shot in the leg by police on Friday in the city's Schaerbeek district, where the bombings on the airport and underground were prepared.

He was charged with 'involvement in a terrorist group', Belgian prosecutors said today.

Abderamane A. was reportedly convicted in 2003 as an accomplice in the assassination of the Afghan political and military leader, Ahmad Shah Massoud, two years earlier.

Three other suspects, including the 'man in white' who was seen moments before the Brussels airport bombings, were also charged with terrorism offences yesterday.

Belgian media named Faycal Cheffou as the suspect pictured alongside Ibrahim El-Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui shortly before they detonated suicide bombs in the departure hall, killing 14 people.

He was charged yesterday with 'involvement in a terrorist group, terrorist killings and attempted terrorist killings' following a series of arrests last week, along with two other men.

Suicide bombers killed 31 people when they targeted Brussels Airport and a city Metro station in attacks on Tuesday

Tributes: People gather around floral tributes at a memorial site at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels

At the time, police feared another attack was imminent.

Last night, police said that Faycal Cheffou had been arrested on Thursday night in Brussels as he was standing outside one of the federal prosecutor's offices in the city.

A search was then carried out at his home but no weapons or explosives were found.

Two other suspects, identified as Aboubakar A. and Rabah N., were charged with 'terrorist activities and membership of a terrorist group'.

Rabah N. was wanted in connection with a related raid in France on Thursday that the government said foiled a 'major terrorist attack'.

French president Francois Hollande said the network behind the Paris attacks that killed 130 people in November and the Brussels bombings on Tuesday was being 'wiped out'.
It's the 31-storey concrete tower block that was seen as the pinnacle of high-rise living back in 1972.

But Trellick Tower in London's fashionable North Kensington soon became the backdrop for assault and muggings, earning it the ominous nickname the 'tower of terror'.

The looming 322ft council housing block, which inspired the new film High-Rise starring Tom Hiddleston, was however described by one resident as 'modern' and 'breathtaking' when she first moved in.

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The 31-storey Trellick Tower (pictured) in North Kensington, London, was built in 1972 and is the inspiration behind the new Tom Hiddleston science fiction thriller High-Rise

But years ago, people could not wait to move into the state-of-the-art tower, billed as a new utopia of modern living in west London (pictured in June 1972)

The hit film's writer JG Ballard looked to the domineering building for ideas when he wrote his iconic 1975 novel.

The movie stars British actor Tom Hiddleston as Dr Robert Laing, who lives on the 25th floor of an isolated London skyscraper where tensions rise amid class warfare.

Actors Sienna Miller, Jeremy Irons, Elizabeth Moss and James Purefoy also star as residents in the drama.

They quickly turn on each other when power supplies are cut and food runs short - with Tom Hiddleston even eating his own dog out of desperation.

In real life the building, designed by Hungarian-born Modernist architect Erno Goldfinger, is less luxurious than is dramatised onscreen.

Disgruntled residents complain of being left in the shadow of their more fashionable neighbors Notting Hill - however many still praise the iconic estate.

Tom Hiddleston and Elizabeth Moss (both pictured) star in High-Rise, a film about rising class tensions and anarchy in an isolated London tower block

High-Rise is written by JG Ballard (pictured) who looked to the domineering Trellick Tower for ideas when he penned his iconic 1975 novel

The 'Tower of Terror' is less luxurious than the dramatised version in real life and has been a backdrop for muggings and assault in the past

Susan Darocha was among the first to move in and raised her son and daughter there.

The 68-year-old told the Sunday People: 'You could see it from the Tube station. It was breathtaking. It was very modern and we were excited to move in.

'There was a park, adventure playground, good schools and the West End was on our doorstep. We never looked back.'

But Trellick's communal spaces attracted homeless people and drug dealers, while thefts and sex assaults were allegedly common - earning it the nickname tower of terror.

Susan added: 'There were lots of break-ins back in the day. I remember lying on my settee one night and hearing a huge bang.

The block (pictured) was described by one resident as 'modern' and 'breathtaking' when she first moved in

'The next day I saw someone had chucked a safe over the balcony. They nick these things and don't know how to open them. I'd have died if it came through my living room.'

Teaching assistant Jenny Mercurio, 39, told the newspaper she could see similarities with Trellick and High-Rise in terms of the class tensions.

In the film the idea is that the higher up the floors you go, the more affluent the characters get.

The mum-of-three said: 'A lot of people from the 12th floor up have bought their house. The views are spectacular, especially if you live on the upper floors.'

She added that a lot of the residents came and went, but felt generally safe, and commented that most of her neighbours were families.

In the film, Sienna Miller stars as the glamorous neighbour of Tom Hiddleston - who lives on the 25th floor

Trellick's communal spaces attracted homeless people and drug dealers, while thefts and sex assaults were allegedly common

Trellick Tower, which cost 2.4million to build, provided 217 council homes to families with a low-income.

It was built by the Hungarian-born Modernist architect Erno Goldfinger, whose surname was borrowed by James Bond author Ian Fleming for his villain in the 1959 book of the same name.

He saw his design as the future for modern housing. The tower is built in a narrow oblong with a separate lift tower linked at every third storey to the main block.

Inside, the flats were built to dovetail each other. Where one flat had a front door at the top of a staircase leading down to the living area, next door would always have the opposite design with the front door at the base of the stairs. This was intended to reduce noise transmitting between the apartments.

But by the time the block was completed in 1972, high-rises were becoming unpopular with council tenants because they attracted crime and anti-social behaviour.

Trellicks fortunes started to rise following the formation of a residents committee in the Eighties. A door-entry intercom system was introduced and a concierge employed.

With security improved, and the right-to-buy scheme in place, many of the flats changed from council to private ownership. In 2013 45 of the 217 flats are privately owned. In 1998 the tower was Grade II listed.

The housing block was built by Hungarian-born Modernist architect Erno Goldfinger (pictured) - whose surname was borrowed by James Bond author Ian Fleming for his villain in the 1959 book of the same nam
Skyscrapers that purify air, 'living' green buildings and builings that prevent cities sinking were also praised

Other unique designs which gained honorable mentions included The Cloud Craft which creates rain in dry regions

Third place was awarded to Data Skyscraper in Iceland which uses sustainable energy to host different servers

A drone 'Hive' in New York came in second as a hub for the city's commercial and personal deliveries by drone

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A huge drone tower in New York, sustainable buildings that create rain and purify the air around them and even a sunken Central Park are among the award-winning designs in an annual skyscraper competition.

The eVolo Magazine 2016 Skyscraper Competition invited architects from all over the world to submit their unique designs for the skyscrapers of the future.

This year's winner was a re-imaging of Central Park as a 1.3-sq mile sunken expanse of mountains and lakes. Yitan Sun and Jianshi Wu's award-winning New York Horizon project proposes digging down to the park's bedrock while creating continuous horizontal skyscraper around it to allow homes with unobstructed views of the park.

Inside, the park's high perimeter would mirrored glass, reflecting the city's architecture.

This year's winner was a re-imaging of Central Park as a 1.3-sq mile sunken expanse of mountains and lakes in the New York Horizon project

The project proposes a continuous horizontal skyscraper to allow homes with unobstructed views of the park which would be contained within a perimeter of reflective glass

The Hive was awarded second place for its innovative design as a vertical control terminal for advanced flying drones to deliver packages and commercial goods to residents of New York City

Third place was awarded to the Data Skyscraper in Iceland. The tower exists as a giant 3D motherboard - the host of different servers used by companies to store and process the countless streams of data we use everyday

The Hive was awarded second place for its innovative design as a control tower for advanced flying drones to deliver packages and commercial goods to residents of New York City.

It was designed by Hadeel Ayed Mohammad, Yifeng Zhao, and Chengda Zhu from the United States, who envisage a future where the current legal restrictions on the navigation of drones have been eased.

Third place was awarded to the Data Skyscraper in Iceland. The tower exists as a giant 3D motherboard - the host of different servers used by companies to store and process the countless streams of data we use everyday.

Current data centers consume high amounts of energy but the design by Valeria Mercuri and Marco Merletti, from Italy, suggests a sustainable center in Iceland where the country's renewable energy sources would allow it to be powered by 100% hydropower and geothermal.

The Cloud Craft: Rainmaking Skyscraper, also received an honorable mention for its proposal for a building which creates rain for one of the driest regions on Earth

Another honorable mention was the Trans-Pital: Space Adaptive Skyscraper Hospital project - designed by Chen Linag, Jia Tongyu, Sun Bo, Wang Qun, Zhang Kai and Choi Minhye from China

The Trans-Pital is designed as a futuristic hospital which is able to morph and adapt to the changing demands of patients

The Air-Stalagmite: A Skyscraper To Serve as a Beacon And Air Filter For Polluted Cities, is designed to filter contaminated air and capture suspended air particles - which are then used as building material to further construct the skyscraper

Land-Escape proposes safe and temporary infrastructure in case of an earthquake in Tehran, consisting of a network of urban links that lead to central core or 'stackable' shelter pockets

Iceland's cold climate would also allow for the center to be cooled naturally without the energy and cost of a traditional cooling system.

The eVolo awards were established in 2006 to recognise 'outstanding ideas for vertical living'.

Since then, the publication has received more than 6,000 projects that use technology, materials, designs and space in novel and challenging ways to question how 'we understand vertical architecture and its relationship with the natural and built environments.'

Winners are selected for their 'creativity, ingenuity, and understanding of dynamic and adaptive vertical communities.'

The Jury, formed by leaders of the architecture and design fields, selects the three winners and 21 honorable mentions.

Among the special mentions are skyscrapers that purify air, 'living' green buildings, vertical cities, sensory towers that explore our psychological relationship with space, and skyscrapers that prevent cities from sinking.

The Cloud Craft: Rainmaking Skyscraper, also received an honorable mention for its proposal for a building which creates rain for one of the driest regions on Earth.

Based in California - the world's fifth-largest supplier of food - Michael Militello and Amar Shah's proposes the use cloud seeding to modify and manipulate the weather for agriculture.

Another mention was the Trans-Pital: Space Adaptive Skyscraper Hospital project - a hospital which is able to morph and adapt to the changing demands of patients, designed by Chen Linag, Jia Tongyu, Sun Bo, Wang Qun, Zhang Kai and Choi Minhye from China.

The Valley of the Giants proposes the creation of a huge oasis in Algeria. Architects plan to use infrastructure and ecology to jumpstart the project with structures that house plant-spores, produce, collect, and treat water, and pollinate the surrounding landscape

Return To Nature Skyscraper, conceived by Nathakit Sae-Tan and Prapatsorn Sukkaset in Thailand, proposes living buildings that reconnect with nature

The Sensory Skyscraper was designed for an island in the Yangtze River in China as a laboratory for the exploration of the human senses

Lopez Balan, Gabriel Mendoza Cruz, Ana Sarai Lombardini Hernandez and Yayo Melgoza Acuautla, from Mexico, received an honorable mention for their design: Neza York Towers: Anti-Sinking System For Cities

The Towers propose a rainwater system collector that converges in recreational lakes in urban areas where subsidence and flooding is an issue. The towers emerge as large natural filters and treatment plants for rainwater storage

Towards Unity: Suturing Cyprus, by Lin Rujia of China, proposes to change the Cyprus' horizontal 'UN Buffer Zone' and public spaces near it to a vertical direction

Sustainable Skyscraper Enclosure proposes attempting to address the environmental damage caused by 20th century infrastructure by re-purposing them to become more eco-friendly
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Storm Katie will batter Britain with 80mph winds as the tempest aims to put a miserable end to the bank holiday when it hits our shores tomorrow.

The Met Office has issued a national weather warning today as forecasters predict blustery conditions will fell trees and disrupt power lines.

The north of Scotland will be the first to bear the brunt of the storm as hurricane winds hit Orkney and Shetlands tonight, while 70mph gusts will later blow onto the south coast of England.

Katie is the eleventh storm to be named since last autumn and will arrive over Britain by Monday morning, after being blown across the Atlantic in just 30 hours by 200mph winds.

The grim conditions are a far cry from the beautiful spring sunshine that people enjoyed on Friday, but crowds were still seen along the coast at Hampshire and Dorset this morning taking a stroll and in one man's case - having a dip.

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Great British Summer: People huddle together in raincoats as gales blow spray across the seafront at Southsea in Hampshire

Stroll: Children go for a run on a pebbled beach along the Hampshire coast as the Met Office announces a national weather warning

Opportunist: A windsurfer makes the most of the blustery conditions by heading out on the waves off the Hampshire coast this morning

Making the best of it: Tourists in Cambridge brave the strong winds and heavy showers with the help of large umbrellas and blankets

Sunny afternoon: People enjoy a walk at Sandbanks Beach, Poole, Dorset, playing games and walking dogs on the sandy dunes

Forecast: Winds will hit the north of Scotland while 70mph winds are expected to the blow on to the South coast of England on Monday

A yellow severe warning for heavy, persistent rain and surface-level flooding has been put in place for London and the South West from 9pm tonight through to noon on Monday and a separate yellow warning of high winds for London and the South East has also been issued.

The heaviest rain is forecast to fall in central England, the South East, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire, with 10 to 15 millimetres in most areas and up to 35mms in others.

Frank Saunders, Chief Operational Meteorologist at the Met Office, said: 'Southern England and south Wales will see very strong winds from the early hours of Monday morning.

'There is the potential for gusts of 50 to 60mph in inland areas. Exposed south and west-facing coasts could even see gusts of around 70mph, with the possibility of large waves.

Blowing in: Signs on the M4 today warned motorists that there would be high winds on Easter Monday as storm Katie is set to blow in

Calm before the storm: People walk on Whitley Bay beach, whilst storm clouds gather overhead and the sun shines brightly as well

Washing up: People enjoy the waves in Swanage, Dorset, today, making the most of the sunshine before the showers to come

A dog enjoys a stroll along Hill Head beach in Hampshire and with strong winds set to hit Britain it might be its last for a day or two

A family, wrapped up against the brisk conditions, enjoy some time together on the beach at Swanage along the Dorset coast

Storm Katie is shown churning towards Britain on the southern side of a 2,000 mile wide Atlantic tempest

'We expect the winds will start to ease in south-western Britain from mid morning, this improvement reaching other areas by late afternoon or early evening.

'There is currently some uncertainty about the track that Storm Katie will take, so we urge everyone, especially those travelling on Easter Monday, to look out for the latest information from the Met Office.'

Met Office spokesperson Ellie Creed added: 'While there is a national weather warning this will mainly affect the South.

'The storm is caused by low pressure developing and this will mainly affect South England and South Wales.

Huge waves batter the seafront at Southsea with windy conditions set to worsen this evening and tomorrow as Storm Katie approaches

Up to 24ft waves are forecast to hit the South-West coast of the UK this afternoon, the swells pictured in red, as Storm Katie approaches

'It will start developing overnight tonight and will start coming the English channel and into South West England by early evening.

'By tomorrow morning the actual rain associated with the storm will be affecting central England, South East, Lincolnshire and Yorkshire.

'In terms of wind there will be strong winds affect the South West and South East and the Eastern side of East Anglia.

'You could see 50 to 60mph winds in these areas and across that Bristol Channel with some isolated areas seeing 70mph.

'The most persistent and heavy rain is likely to be in the South West and East Yorkshire with 10 to 15mms, but some isolated areas could see up to 35mm.

Two women shelter against massive waves as they smash dramatically against the sea wall, along the coast at Southsea in Hampshire

Jetty jaunt: People enjoy a sunny afternoon on Sandbanks Beach, Poole, Dorset, on Easter Sunday, wrapped up for the colder weather

'The North will mainly avoid the rain.

'But although there will be a storm the temperature in the South Western part of the country will still be 12 to 13C. This is because under there we have still got a warm air mass.

'By midday the centre of the storm will be just off East Anglia coast and by 3pm it will effectively be in the North Sea.

'For the rest of the week it looks fairly showery with not much temperature change.

But despite this being the 11th storm to be named since last Autumn, Ms Creed said we could not count on Katie being the last.
Serial rapist Kevin Jordan was killed by a runaway trailer while looking at porn on his cell phone

A serial rapist was killed by a runaway trailer while distracted by pornography on his cell phone in Tennessee  just half a mile from where he terrorized numerous women in the 1990s.

Kevin Jordan, 55, was walking along the sidewalk just a block from his home in Memphis when the 15-foot trailer smashed into a fence and struck him in the 3700 block of Park Avenue on Wednesday, authorities said.

Witnesses said police told them the convicted felon had been watching pornography on his phone  and had failed to notice the vehicle coming at him until it was too late.

I think it is ironic that he was watching porn, Dr Peter Trimble, a dentist whose office is located near the spot where Jordan was killed, told WBC-TV.

This dealt with some of the crimes he may have perpetrated.

Jordan - who was known as the Highland Street Rapist - was sentenced to 25 years in prison after he pleaded guilty to 20 felonies in 1994.

These included nine counts of rape, one attempted rape, as well as four robberies and three burglaries.

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Jordan was a block from his home in Memphis when he was struck by a trailer that hit a fence (pictured)

He had raped four women after breaking into their homes  two in 1991 and two the following year  while he was out on parole after being convicted of a similar rape and burglary conviction, the New York Daily News reports.

But he returned to Memphis when he was released early in 2010 for good behavior.

His most recent brush with the law was an arrest for indecent exposure two years ago.

He allegedly exposed his genitals and started masturbating to a woman who was looking outside her office window  but ran away when she called police.

But Jordans fiancee Connie Harris says Jordan was actually urinating because he was on dialysis following a kidney transplant.

And despite his extensive criminal history, Harris insisted he had changed his ways.

Despite his criminal history, Jordan's fiancee Connie Harris (pictured) insisted he had changed

Its a big loss, she told WBC. I love him. I still love him.

But Shelby County Judge Chris Craft, who helped convict Jordan in 1994, doesnt agree.

I just remember he was the scariest guy that I had ever prosecuted at the time, Craft told Fox13.

He added: Kevin was a sexual predator. And for sexual predators, theres just no cure for them.

Craft described how Jordan would dress up in a suit and target elderly or young women in grocery stores, offering to help them with their bags.

He would follow them home from the stores on Highland Street between Summer Avenue and Park Avenue to get their addresses  just blocks from where he ultimately died.

Days later, he would return, break in and violently rape the women.

But while now, the law allows repeat sexual offenders to be sentenced to life in prison without parole, this was not the case in the 1990s, Craft added.
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With six different places of worship nearby and 70 different languages being spoken, a road in Gloucester is being hailed by locals as Britain's most multicultural street.

Barton Street is teeming with dozens of cultures and is home to a wider mix of people than Narborough Road in Leicester, which was formerly dubbed the most multicultural high street.

Despite being just over half a mile long, the road has residents with ethnic origins in India, Jamaica, Turkey, Albania, Indonesia, Sri Lanka and Afghanistan - as well as the rest of Europe, Africa and Asia.

Barton Street is just over half a mile long, but is home to six places of worship and has been hailed as the most multicultural road in Britain

The map above shows there the nearby places of worship are including Barton Street Methodist Church, All Saints Church and Masjid E Noor Mosque

It was once traditionally a place where the Jewish community lived but over the years there has been a large influx of Muslim and Eastern European families.

The street, which is also close to where serial killer Fred West used to live, now boasts plenty of independent - and international - shops including a British Halal meat store, Romanian supermarkets, Chinese takeaways, a pub and Turkish barber shops.

Sergeant Matt Puttock has spent most of his eight year career in the force patrolling the area and said he has grown to love it.

He said: 'Without doubt I see some of the strongest examples of sense of community here which I have never encountered in other urban or rural areas, including where I live elsewhere in the county.

Mohamed Alif comes from Sri Lanka, just one of the many countries represented on the vibrant stretch of Gloucester road

Mohamed Nilam, from Sri Lanka (left) and Ikram, from South Africa standing outside a halal shop. Because of the road's mixed culture there are a number of shops selling products suited for different faiths

Beacon of Light one of the places of worship along the road - it is a charity for people looking to convert to Islam

Jama Al-Karim Mosque is on All Saints' Road, just a short walk away from the street which now boasts residents from multiple cultures

The website for Saint James' Church, which is on the nearby Upton Street, states that its congregation members 'come from all over the world'

Masjid E Noor mosque on Ryecroft Street is one of three mosques in the small area around Barton Street, where the community spirit is said to be unparalleled

'A GREAT EXAMPLE OF SUCCESSFUL BRITISH MULTICULTURALISM': THE COUNTRIES REPRESENTED ON BARTON STREET, GLOUCESTER India Jamaica Turkey South Africa Poland Albania Indonesia Sri Lanka Afghanistan Pakistan Advertisement

'When you consider how many different identities and groups there are and how little issue we have compared to other parts of the city, there is no doubt it is a great example of successful British multiculturalism.

'It is a big part of why I love working in the area so much.'

One resident, 41-year-old Reyaz Limalia, said the community spirit is unparalleled.

'I am biased but I can see the advantages. It's a friendly place and it's diversity is a strength to the area. You see it everyday and it's wonderful,' he said.

Zohra Patel has lived in Barton for 25 years after living in south India, Mauritius and Madagascar - where she was born.

The florist said: 'Now when you walk down the street you rarely hear English, there are so many languages from all over, from Bangladesh to Pakistan and India.

Avni Duka, from Albania stands outside a cafe bar. Despite tensions about immigration running high in the UK at the moment, residents of Barton Street say racial tensions aren't a problem there

Avni Duka (left) and Mohammed Alif (right) exist side by side on the street, where people say the community spirit is unparalleled

Yasir Khan, from Pakistan on Barton Street. The area was home to Jewish community before an influx of Muslim and Eastern European people arrived

'It's really good because such a mix makes for more tolerance and understanding of different people.

'There are challenges, for instance, I go into the Polish shops and can't read the labels to see if there is meat or alcohol in things.

'But the variety is amazing because if you go travelling and try something you like, you will quite likely find it back at home in Barton.'

Another resident, Phil Isaac, said the street had changed a lot in the ten years he had been a resident as it used to have a bad reputation.

The 53-year-old said: 'They used to say "don't go there" but now it is more open and people are more friendly. It used to be out of limits but no more.'

But one British man, who did not want to be named, claimed it had changed, adding: 'It isn't where you want to live.'

'The variety is amazing because if you go travelling and try something you like, you will quite likely find it back at home in Barton,' said a Zohra Patel, a florist on the street

She added that there were challenges, though. 'For instance, I go into the Polish shops and can't read the labels to see if there is meat or alcohol in things.'




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Hundreds of migrants rushed to overrun Greece's overwhelmed Idomeni camp after rumours circulated that the sealed border with Macedonia was due to open.

Swathes of people descended on the camp as the Greek authorities tried to evacuate an estimated 11,500 people already stranded in its squalid conditions.

Pressure on the decrepit make-shift settlement has grown after Balkan states slammed shut their borders, cutting off the migrant route to the European Union.

About 250 people of all ages conveyed a message of peace as they gathered by the railway tracks and the border fence, singing and shouting slogans while they were watched by Greek police in riot gear.

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Help Us: Children were held up during the protest where migrants demanded they be let through Greece's closed border with Macedonia

Wall: A team of Greek riot police stood on guard at the camp but the protest was a peaceful one without any aggression towards officers

Groups of frustrated migrant men jostle with each other as the police hold the line across train tracks outside the Idomeni camp

Decrepit: The influx came as Greek authorities tried to evacuate 11,500 people from the camp with conditions getting worse there

Tears: An elderly migrant woman in a wheelchair was seen crying during the protest at the makeshift camp, as emotions ran high

Many elderly handicapped refugees were sitting in wheelchairs sobbing while many other people, who had dismantled their tents in order to be ready to cross the border quickly, were waving white handkerchiefs.

'No violence, we just want to cross,' read one banner, while another said: 'Freedom of movement is everybody's right.'

Some in the crowd, however, attempted to move towards the police line but were blocked by others who formed a human chain.

However, arguments did erupt within the crowd when Syrians and Iraqis accused the Afghans and Pakistanis of wanting to push their way through, one witness said.

The wave of new arrivals appeared to be triggered by a rumour that journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia, a young Syrian refugee said.

He said: 'We heard today that the border will open and we came here to cross. They told us the Red Cross and 500 journalists from all over the world will be with us.

A newborn baby is left in a bundle of clothes as migrants stand around the youngster at the protest held outside the camp

Crowds: Migrants of all ages flocked to the already overcrowded camp after rumours circulated that journalists would help over the border

Frown: Families with young children are common among the camp's residents and pictured, a girl looks suspiciously at a photographer

The protests at Idomeni were without violence but there was scuffles when Syrians and Iraqis accused the Afghans and Pakistanis of trying to push their way through the crowds to the border

The latest influx of migrants to the camp will add to the ever swelling numbers who call it home and pictured many cram onto the roof of a temporary building to grab a view of the protest

Another young Syrian said his sister, who is living in Germany, had seen the same claim on the Internet and alerted him.

Qasim Mosawy, from Afghanistan, said: 'People have been here for a long time. I think it's very dangerous to cross, especially for the children but what should we do?'

Dozens of other migrants could be seen heading through the fields, carrying babies, towards the Idomeni crossing.

'We are trying to step up our information campaign to the refugees. Some people, for reasons we don't understand, are creating false hope,' said Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman for the SOMP agency which is coordinating Athens' response to the refugee crisis.

Using loudspeakers, Greek officials told those gathering that the crossing would remain closed, repeating the message in both Arabic and Farsi, ANA said.

Many of the migrants believe that a basic human right to move freely was taken away when the border was closed and pictured, a woman lets her feelings towards the Greek police known with an unimpressed scowl

Many of the migrants have been at the camp for a long time and say that they have no choice but to make the dangerous border crossing

Soft touch: A migrant boy is patted on the head as he walks past the line of riot police stationed during the protests at the Idomeni camp

Goodwill: A migrant holds a banner wishing Christians a happy Easter as a wall of riot police contains the crowd at the Idomeni camp

Two weeks ago, hundreds of people were stopped by Macedonian troops after crossing a surging river on the border. Bypassing the regular crossing, they tried to wade through the fast-flowing water, clinging to a rope strung between the banks.

Three Afghans, including a pregnant woman, drowned. The rest were stopped by Macedonian troops and sent back to Greece.

'Macedonia will not allow (the) reopening of the Balkan route,' Ivica Bocevski, a representative of Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov, said in the wake of the incident.

The bottleneck has left around 50,000 refugees and migrants stranded across Greece, which has stepped efforts to evacuate Idomeni.

A man hugs a little girl as the intimidating line of riot police stand behind, with crowds of migrants looking through a fence in the distance

On Friday and Saturday, 11 buses transported around 600 refugees from Idomeni to other camps in northern Greece but those who stayed wait with the hope that the rumours about the border are true. Pictured, migrants hold banners as they hold their protest

While even the able bodied are forced to fight for their survival in the camps and while crossing into other countries, the future for disabled migrants appears to be even bleaker. Pictured, two migrants in wheelchairs are photographed by the media outside Idomeni

On Friday and Saturday, 11 buses transported around 600 refugees from Idomeni to other camps in northern Greece.

Those persuaded to board the first buses were mainly parents with children who can no longer tolerate the difficult conditions there.

But others are holding out at Idomeni.

'People who have no hope or no money, maybe they will go,' said 40-year-old Iraqi Fatema Ahmed, who has a 13-year-old son in Germany and three daughters with her in the camp.
GOP frontrunner Donald Trump reiterated this morning on ABC's This Week that his hands are clean saying he did not have anything to do with placing a National Enquirer story that suggests rival Ted Cruz had five affairs.

But the billionaire did float the idea that there was something seedy in Cruz's wife Heidi's past, which could spark the feud a new.

'I had nothing to do with it, the campaign had nothing to do with it,' Trump said of the National Enquirer story to ABC's Jonathan Karl.

Refusing to condemn it, Trump said: 'I don't care, I don't care, the National Enquirer did a story, it was their story, it wasn't my story, it was about Ted Cruz, I have no idea if it was right or not.'

'They actually have a very good record of being right,' Trump added. 'But I have absolutely no idea.'

Turning to Cruz's spouse, Trump said, 'Well, there are things about Heidi that I don't want to talk about, but I'm not going to talk about them. You can look, but I wouldn't talk about them.'

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Not it! Republican frontrunner Donald Trump said he had nothing to do with the National Enquirer tabloid story that floated the idea that rival Ted Cruz had five affairs

Sen. Ted Cruz appeared this morning on Fox News Sunday again labeling the Enquirer story 'garbage' and suggesting that it was the work for The Donald's 'henchman' Roger Stone

'Frankly,' Trump said. 'I hope it's not right.'

Friday's brouhaha over the National Enquirer story was the cherry on top to an already nasty week in politics between Republican rivals Cruz and Trump over their wives.

It began with an ad that came out  courtesy of the Make America Awesome super PAC  that showed a nude Melania Trump in an attempt to 'slut shame' the potential first lady and have voters choose Cruz instead.

Trump suggested that Cruz's fingerprints were all over that ad and maintained that position this morning.

'And just so you understand, that super PAC is very friendly to Ted Cruz, he knew all about it, 100 percent, so he started it, I didn't start it,' Trump said.

Trump alleged that it was the Cruz campaign who bought the rights to the nude photo, part of GQ photoshoot: 'a very strong modeling picture, no big deal,' Trump explained.

'He's very close to the super PAC, just so you understand that,' Trump continued. 'And there's no way in a million years that that super PAC did that without his knowledge.'

Sen. Ted Cruz tried to tamp down the wife fight early on by sending out a tweet saying he wasn't responsible for the ad that showed a naked Melania Trump

This was the ad that started the wife spat between Ted Cruz and Donald Trump. Trump says Cruz was responsible, Cruz says the super PAC Make America Awesome is responsible and he doesn't have an affiliation with them

Trump retweeted an unflattering picture of Ted Cruz's wife, Heidi (left), comparing her to his wife Melania (right), sparking an almighty Twitter row

'Don't forget I call him "lyin' Ted," I call him that because nobody that I've known - I've known a lot tougher people over the years in business - but I've never known anybody that lied like Ted Cruz,' the billionaire added.

Cruz, who exclusively appeared on Fox News Sunday this morning, again denied that his campaign had anything to do with the initial attack on Melania Trump.

'Not remotely, it was a group, I do not know the person who was involved,' Cruz said. 'As far as I know, I've never met them, I've never spoken to them. They're completely disconnected from our campaign. The ad they put out was deplorable.'

'And as soon as I saw it I denounced it and said it was wrong, but it wasn't us,' Cruz added.

At the time, Cruz put out an olive branch of sorts on Twitter, writing, 'Donald, real men don't attack women. your wife is lovely, and Heidi is the love of my life.'

Trump didn't back down, threatening via Twitter to 'spill the beans' on Cruz's wife Heidi and then, this morning, hinting that something wasn't quite right in Heidi Cruz's past.

Donald Trump's spokeswoman Katrina Pierson (left) pushed back on allegations - that started with a National Enquirer story - that she had an affair and 'came on' to Sen. Ted Cruz - and so did Amanda Carpenter (right)

Republican strategist Liz Mair - whose super PAC Make America Awesome produced a controversial nude Melania Trump ad - outed Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson as one of the five women the National Enquirer suggested slept with Ted Cruz after Twitter users started identifying her

Donald Trump's spokeswoman Katrina Pierson wrote this tweet this morning after Republican strategist publicly named her as one of the five women the National Enquirer claimed had an affair with Sen. Ted Cruz

Liz Mair also identified CNN contributor and ex-Cruz aide Amanda Carpenter as one of the five women. Carpenter was ambushed with the allegations on live television and was forced to fight back

On Friday, before the National Enquirer story took ahold of the news cycle, Trump spokeswoman Katrina Pierson, who was one of the women fingered to have an affair with Cruz  something she vehemently denied  suggested that Heidi Cruz's career on Wall Street and the Bush Administration pushed policies that are counter to what her husband wants to achieve as president.

'So spilling the beans on Heidi Cruz simply means that her her entire career has been spent working against everything Ted Cruz says he stands for,' Pierson said.

THE ENQUIRER FIVE The National Enquirer accused Ted Cruz of five affairs - all of which he denied today. It did not name the women but said they were: 'FOXY POLITICAL CONSULTANT' One worked for Cruz, now associated with another political campaign, said the magazine. '"Randy Ted" supposedly had a romp with her in a closet at a Republican state convention.'' 'PRETTY LAWYER' Worked for his Senate campaign when they had affair - and it continued as she worked elsewhere. 'HOT BABE' Caught 'getting cozy' on the campaign trail. 'SEXY AUSTIN SCHOOLTEACHER' Allegedly had 'fling' after he was made Texas solicitor general. '$1,000 A NIGHT CALL GIRL' 'Ted supposedly had it on with a prostitute,' the magazine said. Advertisement

But an hour later, Pierson, along with CNN contributor Amanda Carpenter were having to push back on allegations that they were romantically involved with Cruz, a smear the Texas senator suggested originated from the Trump team.

The tabloid story uses incredibly loose language to suggest that private investigators are looking into rumors of five Cruz affairs.

The story only quoted one person: former Trump operative Roger Stone.

'These stories have been swirling around Cruz for some time,' Stone told the tabloid. 'I believe where there is smoke, there is fire. I have to believe that this will hurt him with his evangelical Christian supporters.'

It didn't include the names of any of the alleged mistresses and instead descriptions and blurred-out pictures of the five women, however users on Twitter played detective.

GOP strategist Liz Mair, a respected voice in her field whose super PAC Make America Awesome was actually behind the nude Melania Trump attack, verified the identities of two of the women: Pierson and Carpenter, who both previously had done work for Cruz.

'Ted Cruz should sue over [obviously] false allegation he had an affair [with] Katrina Pierson, [though] I've heard she may have come onto him. Who knows,' Mair tweeted.

Turning to the Carpenter allegation, Mair had wrote: 'As for people suggesting Amanda Carpenter slept [with] Cruz, she should sue them.'

'That is [obviously] false, as anyone who knows Amanda knows,' Mair continued.

'It would also be fun to get access to Trump comms staff, Trump Org emails as part of discovery in a defamation suit,' Mair added in another tweet, tagging Carpenter's Twitter handle.

Pierson was outraged that Mair had identified her, dashing off a tweet.

'What's worse? People who actually believe the trash in tabloids, or the ones who know it's false & spread it anyway? #stupidity on all levels,' Pierson tweeted.

Talking to DailyMail.com, Pierson wrote: 'Speaking for myself, the article is trash and 100 percent false.'

Carpenter's rebuttal occurred on live television when a Trump ally, Adriana Cohen, a columnist for the Boston Herald, blind-sided the CNN contributor forcing her to respond.

'If we're going to call Donald Trump's character into question, I would like Ted Cruz to issue a statement on whether or not the story is true, that he has had affairs with may women, including, you were named, Amanda,' Cohen said, pointing to her co-panelist.

'Will you denounce this story or will you confirm it?'

Sen. Ted Cruz suggested that Donald Trump was keen to fight about wives because he didn't want to have to discuss foreign policy - an area Cruz says Trump doesn't understand

Carpenter denounced, with an assist from host Kate Bolduan, who said that CNN had done no reporting to lend credibility to the Enquirer's account and the subsequent Twitter claims as to who its unnamed women were.

'It's categorically false,' Carpenter said. 'You should be ashamed for spreading this smut. Donald Trump supporters should be held to account for it.'

With the two women on the record, giving the story some legs, Cruz then was also forced to respond, which he did Friday and continued to do so today.

'This story is garbage. It is tabloid smear. And it came from Donald Trump and his henchmen,' Cruz said today on Fox News Sunday. 'You know the only person quoted on record there is Roger Stone, the chief political adviser to Donald Trump.'

Host Shannon Bream pointed out that Stone no longer worked for Trump in an official capacity.

'But Shannon they haven't had a parting of ways,' Cruz said, labeling Stone a 'henchman' for The Donald.

Cruz wanted to make a bigger point about this week's political shenanigans, suggesting that Trump wanted to wage the wife war instead of talking foreign policy  with the terror attack in Brussels forcing ISIS to be on everybody's minds.

'His lack of understanding on foreign policy, his lack of ability and readiness to protect this country is evident, so Donald did what he always does, he tries to find a way to change the subject,' Cruz said, calling Trump's assessment that NATO is 'obsolete' and that the United States should take a lesser role in the military alliance a 'catastrophically foolish proposition' especially in light of the most recent terrorist attacks.

'He's been hiding in Trump Tower, but late at night he sends tweets attacking my wife, attacking Heidi, it is inappropriate, it is wrong, it is frankly disgusting to see a candidate attacking the spouse of another and it is a sign of how scared Donald is right now because he doesn't want to discuss the substance,' Cruz said.

Trump, while making two public appearances on Monday, hasn't been on the campaign trail since and doesn't plan to reappear until Tuesday in Wisconsin.
Now she is being allowed to move back in after a meeting

Super-hoarder May Appleton has been told she will be allowed to move back to her beloved home - just three days after being evicted.

The 87-year-old and her three sons met with officials from Weaver Vale Housing Trust on Saturday and she was told she can return to her home of 62 years in Lostock Gralam, Cheshire, once it is safe.

However her life-long collection of dolls, toys, teddies and photos dating back to the 30s is still in storage after being deemed a fire hazard.

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May Appleton, 87, is being allowed to move back into her Cheshire home after she was evicted on Wednesday because her life-long collection of memorabilia was deemed a fire hazard

Until all the memorabilia is cleared and she can move back in, Mrs Appleton, who is currently staying in a Travelodge, has been given two options for accommodation.

They were allegedly approached by Weaver Vale who suggested they live in separate flats or live with someone in their private house until they can move back in.

Mrs Appleton said: 'We'll never trust them again.

'I'll be happy if I get my house back but I'll just be scared they could come again and do the same thing.

'It was horrible when they forced me out, I wouldn't wish that on my worst enemy.

'Now if I get my house back every knock on the door will frighten me.'

Mrs Appleton's eldest son Brian said: 'The thing is she's in no fit state to moved around again anyway, it's not good for her health.

'No matter what we're all sticking together as a family.'

When she was evicted she was forced to spend the night in a Travelodge as she was 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

During the eviction bailiffs used sledgehammers and crowbar to smash into the house, while the damaged front door was placed outside the property

Her other son Mark added: 'It seems like a bit of a reflex action if you ask me, one day they're kicking down our doors and forcing us out and the next they're trying to get us back in.

'And now they're saying that we might have to reapply for the house as new tenants, which means mum will lose her discount if we buy the house.

'The way we've all been treated is awful, the damage is done I think and it's hard to trust that we will get our house back at all.'

Bailiffs used a sledgehammer and crowbar to smash through the front door and boarded up the windows.

'We have offered Mrs Appleton an opportunity to return as soon as practically possible,' said trust chief executive Steve Jennings in a statement.

'That is subject to the house being made safe and for some items to be placed in storage in line with previous requests made to the family.

Mrs Appleton left her house on Wednesday after bailiffs smashed down the front and back doors and her sons Brian, Mark and Paul were told to leave at the same time.

They have been locked in a three-year battle with the trust, which acts as their landlord, over possessions the trust claims are a fire hazard.

'We are pleased the family and Weaver Vale Housing Trust have started this dialogue,' added Mr Jennings.

'We now hope to work together to resolve the difficulties at the house.'

Mrs Appleton, pictured with her eldest son Brian after she was first evicted, can move back to the comfort of the home she has owned for 62 years

The pensioner's lifelong collection of memorabilia is still in storage as it is deemed a fire hazard

The collection includes valuable dolls, Star Wars and Action Man toys and autographs from Hollywood stars of the 1930s

On Wednesday 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.'

Mrs Appleton's son Brian told MailOnline how an ambulance had to be called for his mother after she became distressed by the eviction ordeal (pictured with her three sons)

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.

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 after his mother had just paid the latest weekly rent shortly before the family's eviction.
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A California man, who constructed a tiny bedroom pod in the living room of his friend's apartment, is now living in what he calls a cozy 'box'.

Peter Berkowitz, 25, hadn't imagined that he would be living in a newly constructed pod, but due to San Francisco's 'absurdly high housing prices' he was forced to come up with a housing solution.

One bedroom apartments in the city rent for an average of $3,500 per month compared to Berkowitz's $508 per month to live in his pod.

Three weeks ago, with the help of some friends, he started building the tiny bedroom and on his website, Berkowitz describes his eight-foot-long pod as the 'coziest bedroom I've ever had'.

'People are typically surprised that I would want to live in a pod, but I think they tend to underestimate how pleasant a pod can be if it's designed smartly.'

The pod is equipped with a fold-down desk, a slanted, cushioned backboard and LED lights for reading.

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Peter Berkowitz, 25, hadn't imagined that he would be living in a newly constructed pod (pictured), but due to San Francisco's 'absurdly high housing prices' he was forced to come up with a housing solution

One bedroom apartments in San Francisco rent for an average of $3,500 per month compared to Berkowitz's $508 per month to live in his pod, which is equipped with a fold-down desk (right), a slanted, cushioned backboard (center) and LED light (top) for reading

One feature on his newly constructed pod is a sliding door, which Berkowitz (right inside the pod) says is one of his favorites things about the tiny room. The door (left) slides open

The apartment where Berkowitz built his pod is not only allowing him to pay affordable rent, but it's also located up the street from the beach.

He pays $400 per month for actual rent and $108 per month over the course of a year to cover the full cost of construction.

Building the pod cost $1,300 total, according to Berkowitz's website.

In a city where rents are unbearable for most residents, Berkowitz believes that pods can provide a 'needed fix' for people who want to add a bedroom to an apartment without the rent rising.

'If pods can provide an attractive way to add a bedroom to an apartment, I think they could help a lot of people out. People with the extra space wanting to bring in more money by subletting, people looking for cheap and simple housing, or people wanting to add another bedroom so their friend can move in, could all benefit,' Berkowitz wrote.

Berkowitz, whose work has appeared in The New Yorker and De Correspondent, told NBC News that his idea for the pod came from several sources.

'I was always interested in Japanese capsule hotels,' he said.

Earlier this year he was living in a noisy apartment at street level and really wanted a quieter place to sleep, so he 'thought of making something like a Japanese capsule hotel'.

Berkowitz has four other roommates in the three-bedroom apartment and he says they 'are very nice to me'.

'I'm allowed in the kitchen and living room. 'It's really like adding an extra bedroom to the apartment.'

The pod, which is equipped with a sliding door, holds all of Berkowitz's possessions and he even has room to store his books and clothing in a storage space behind the backboard.

'I don't really own that much so I'm probably an anomaly,' he said in a video posted to YouTube.

He adds that the pod isn't for everyone. 'It's a little small and it's probably not for people who get claustrophobic.'

Earlier this year Berkowitz was living in a noisy apartment at street level and really wanted a quieter place to sleep, so he 'thought of making something like a Japanese capsule hotel'. Pictured a capsule unit in the Nine Hours Narita Airport hotel in Japan

The pod holds all of Berkowitz's possessions and he even has room to store his books and clothing in a storage space behind the backboard (pictured slightly open)
A nurse formed such a strong bond with a premature baby in her care that she ended up adopting the child.

Amber Boyd, 27, a pediatric ICU nurse, met Nicole when she was three months old and unable to breathe on her own or eat properly due to a rare medical condition that meant her organs developed outside her body.

She was born in December 2012 with a birth defect called an omphalocele, where a hole in her abdominal wall meant her intestine, liver, gall bladder and spleen grew in a sac outside her belly.

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Nurse Amber Boyd (left, with Nicole and her husband Taylor) met Nicole when she was three months old and a ward of the state. Now, Nicole has been officially adopted by the couple

Nicole was born premature and unable breathe on her own or eat properly due to a rare medical condition that meant her organs developed outside her body

'The first day I met her actually, I just remember walking into her room, just instantly feeling an attachment,' Amber told KOB News.

But the child became a ward of the state after her mother's parental rights were terminated and her biological family were unable to cope with her needs.

Nicole's twin sister, who was born without medical issues, was being cared for by an aunt.

Doctors had kept Nicole heavily sedated and paralyzed to help treat her condition until she was nearly a year old, but when her health improved and she was ready to be discharged, case workers needed to figure out where she would go.

'She is just a fighter,' Amber told Today. 'She was with us for 18 months and that whole time, I was her primary nurse and formed that bond.'

So Amber, who was adopted herself, spoke to her husband Taylor and the Albuquerque couple quickly decided they wanted to foster Nicole  and brought her home shortly after their first wedding anniversary in May 2014.

'We've only had her for a small amount of time but she has become a huge part of the family,' Taylor (pictured with Nicole) said

Taylor wasn't surprised by his wife's desire to care for Nicole, describing the selfless gesture as 'in her nature.'

Now three, Nicole has thrived under the care of the Boyds  and in February, she was officially adopted.

'It is like a perfect fit,' said Amber. 'I don't know how to explain it, it was just right.'

'We've only had her for a small amount of time but she has become a huge part of the family,' Taylor added.

And in October last year, Nicole underwent surgery that closed the hole in her belly and connected the muscles in her abdomen.

She still has her tracheostomy, which aids her breathing, and a gastronomy tube in her abdomen, but those will be removed eventually.

'She's incredible,' Amber told Today. 'She has learned in one short year to crawl, stand and walk.'

While the progress might appear ordinary, it has amazed doctors, who do not believe she has suffered any brain damage due to her condition.

Since birth, Nicole has had 13 surgeries and while her abdomen has finally been closed up, she still has a tracheostomy, which aids her breathing, and a gastronomy tube

Nicole spent 18 months in hospital with Amber as her primary caregiver as her intestine, liver, gall bladder and spleen had to grow in a sack outside her belly

In one year, Nicole's progress has stunned medics, as she was able to sit and stand before the core muscles in her abdomen were connected

The core muscles needed to make sitting and standing possible were not even connected when Nicole began to sit and stand, Taylor says.

Despite 13 surgeries since birth, numerous cardiac arrest and all the difficulties that come with Nicole's condition, the Boyds couldn't be happier  and plan to foster more children with special medical needs.

Amber's sister Meli Gonzales set up a GoFundMe page to raise funds to buy an SUV to help the couple accommodate all the children in their care.

In a post on the page, she described Nicole as 'a baby who defied the odds and accomplished all of the things said she may never do.'

She added that Amber, had always aspired to be two things: a nurse and a mother.

'Little did she know that achieving one dream would help her to fulfil the other,' Gonzales added.

Now, she says the Boyds want to help other children with medical needs and have recently fostered another child with severe health problems.

'They want to provide a happy home to those kids who often times don't have the opportunity to experience a normal life.'
A newborn baby was rescued from a trash compactor in Washington state Friday night and is expected to survive.

The baby boy was rushed to the hospital after Jeff Meyers and his girlfriend, Paula, discovered him inside the compactor that crushes garbage for residents at the Mirabella Apartments in Everett.

Meyers explained to KOMO that they heard what sounded like a crying baby inside the huge trash compactor when they returned home.

'As she took some garbage and was throwing it in there, she said, sounds like a baby's crying in there,' he told KOMO.

The baby boy was rushed to the hospital after Jeff Meyers and his girlfriend Paula discovered him inside the compactor (above) that crushes garbage for residents at the Mirabella Apartments in Everett

Paula called 911 and then climbed into the compactor to search for the baby, as she is the maintenance supervisor at the apartment building.

'In a dress, she dove into the garbage compactor and began pulling out bags of garbage, trying to search for this thing,' Meyers told KOMO.

'Finally, I heard the saddest, crying scream from her saying, 'It's a real baby!

'I mean, thank God Paula didn't hit that button. I mean, had that baby not cried one second before she hit that button, we'd be out here for a much worse story.'

The baby was covered in blood and his umbilical cord was still attached, he said.

Jeff Meyers (above) said that the baby was covered in blood and his umbilical cord was still attached

'Someone had the baby and just discarded it into the garbage,' Meyers told KOMO. 'It's the saddest and sickest thing I've seen in my entire life.'

According to KCPQ, the newborn is in stable condition at the Providence Regional Medical Center.

Police say there are safe havens in the state to drop off babies with no questions asked, such as fire stations or emergency rooms.
The patent was first floated in 2013 but never hit stores

The news comes two months after Apple revisited their patent application for a 'curved glass case' made from 'scratch resistant' liquid metal

Apple's next iPhone will be cased in curved glass made from liquid metal, according to insiders.

An analysts advising Apple investors claims the iPhone 7 will have a smooth comfortable grip made of glass.

The news comes two months after the tech firm revisited a patent filed in 2013, which proposed a curved 'glass' case made from an intricate fusion of metals melted together.

The design - made from Bulk Amorphous Alloy, which is a mix of titanium, nickel, copper and zirconium melted together - is said to have the smooth texture of glass and the rigid sturdiness of rubber.

It was first floated in a patent application filed by Apple in 2013. And yet, despite widespread excitement over the unique design, it still hasn't reached the general public.

But now Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst at KGI Securities who has a track record of accurately predicting Apple's next steps, has told investors the curved glass case will be brought out for the iPhone 7 and 7 Plus.

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The design - made from Bulk Amorphous Alloy, a mix of titanium, nickel, and copper - is said to have the smoothness of glass and the rigidity of rubber. It was first floated in a patent (pictured) filed by Apple in 2013

Apple has opened a production laboratory in northern Taiwan to develop new 'superthin' phone and watch displays for future products, it has been claimed.

If Mr Kuo's claims are true, Apple's next-generation handset would be on a par with the 6.1mm iPod touch (pictured left with measurements pictured right). The iPod touch's screen is smaller than the iPhones, at 4-inches, and doesn't take a SIM card meaning it can be thinner because it needs fewer internal components

HOW WOULD APPLE MAKE ITS CURVED GLASS CASE? The firm filed a patent in 2013 for a curved glass phone case made from liquidmetal. Liquidmetal is a mix of titanium, nickel, copper and zirconium among other metals making it tough, light and scratch resistant. It also feels as smooth as glass. It is a slow cooling alloy which means it can be moulded more easily than steel or aluminium, and is more hard wearing. The patents detail a process that involves injection moulding and 3D printing using bulk metallic glasses (BMG) powder - another name for liquidmetal. Layers of BMG could be printed using a 3D printer to create the casing for phones, tablets and even TVs. Advertisement

It is three months until specific details are released. But Kuo's note to investors, obtained by AppleInsider, has sent a buzz through the tech industry.

Liquid metal is a slow cooling alloy which means it can be moulded more easily than steel or aluminium, for example, and is more hard wearing.

With 3D printing, this three-year-old design is now a much more realistic prospect.

The design will be similar to the iPhone 5s's 'glass sandwich', but with curved glass on both sides, insiders predict.

Kuo claims the iPhone 7, which is unlikely to launch until at least September 2016, will be the firm's thinnest handset to date at just 6mm thick.

This would put on a par with the iPod touch, and would be almost a millimetre thinner than the current iPhone 6.

Apple's original iPhone, released in 2007, was 12.3mm thick. By comparison the current iPhone 6 is 6.9mm thick, while the larger iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1mm.

These devices are noticeably thinner than the iPhone 5S, which measures 7.6mm.

However, thinner devices are potentially more vulnerable to being broken and the iPhone 6 Plus, for example, was criticised for bending in the pockets of its owners due to its larger, thinner design.

The iPod touch is 6.1mm thick, but its screen is smaller than the iPhones - at just 4-inches.

It doesn't take a SIM card, meaning it can be thinner because it needs fewer internal components as the iPhone.

If Mr Kuo's claims are true, Apple's next-generation handset would be its thinnest yet, but it would still be significantly thicker than the thinnest phone in the world - Vivo's X5 Max.

Vivo's Android handset is just 4.75mm, while rival phone-maker Oppo's R5 is 4.85mm.

Samsung also has a super-thin phone called the Galaxy A8 which measures 5.9mm.

It has also been claimed that Apple plans to bring new OLED screen to its iPhone this year.

If so, it would mean the first handsets using the battery boosting technology would be revealed a year earlier than expected in 2017.

Kuo also predicted the iPhone 7 will have a new, faster A10 processor, and the larger plus handset will also have 1gb of extra ram to differentiate the two phones.

Earlier this year Piper Jaffray's Gene Munster told clients 'we expect the iPhone 7 to sport a unique design from the iPhone 6/6S'.

He believes it will do away with the home button, instead relying on the 3D Touch screen introduced in the 6S.

It is believed the new handset will be based on the iPhone 5s, seen here in the foreground, rather than the 'plastic' 5c (seen in the background), as had been previously though.

APPLE UNVEILS NEW $99 BATTERY CASE FOR IPHONE 6 Apple has launched its first external battery case for the iPhone 6s. The $99 (79) case works with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6. It boasts a 'soft microfiber lining on the inside helps protect your iPhone, while the soft elastomer hinge design makes it easy to put the case on and take it off again.' However, critics have pointed out the case's bizarre 'lump' design. The $99 (79) case works with the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6. Advertisement

New screen technologies would allow Apple to develop radical flexible products, such as the rumoured 'iRing'

'As many have speculated, the addition of 3D Touch may provide Apple with a way to eliminate the home button on the phone and use the additional space to make the screen bigger or make the device smaller,' he said, according to Barrons.

The move would mean Apple has to move the Touch ID sensor to elsewhere on the phone.

'Another area on which we believe Apple may focus is battery life,' he said.

'Looking at Macs over the past few years, Apple has close to doubled battery life for its Macbook line up (largely 5 hour battery to ~10 hours).

'We believe battery life is one of the biggest areas of potential improvement and one that might be most welcomed by customers.'

Apple began operating the lab this year as it aims to make products thinner, lighter, brighter and more energy-efficient, it is claimed.

It comes as the firm is expected to reveal a 'mini' iPhone with a four-inch screen.

It is believed the handset will have a coloured metal casing, but not the 3D Touch display of the current iPhone 6s and 6s plus.

The new 4-inch iPhone will have an A9 chip manufactured by both TSMC and Samsung, and glass with curved edges like the iPhone 6s,, according to Kuo's analyst note seen by AppleInsider.

It is also expected to come with Apple Pay, two to three colour options, and the same camera specs as the 5s - an 8-MP rear-facing camera and 1.2-MP front shooter.

'While new model may not generate huge sales, Apple still has good reasons to launch,' the note claims.

'We estimate 15-17mn 4-inch iPhones will be shipped in 2015.

'We estimate the new 4-inch model will account for 8-9% of total iPhone shipments in 2016, have an expected price of US$400-500, with the aim of penetrating emerging markets and consumers on smaller budgets.'

'In order to make the current iOS 9 or next-generation iOS 10 run smoothly, Apple may adopt an A9 chip for this new phone,' the analyst has previously claimed.

WHAT DOES OLED STAND FOR? OLED stands for organic light-emitting diode. Its panels are made from organic materials that emit light when electricity is applied to them. As a result, OLED panels don't use a backlight meaning they are thinner than LCD displays. OLEDs additionally have bright colours, brilliant contrasts and a wide-viewing angle. Advertisement

LG and Samsung are said to be spending more than $10 billion to create new OLED manufacturing plants to supply screens for Apple's iPhones.

Now, Nikkei says those plans have been brought forward amid fears that iPhone sales have stalled.

Apple reported little growth in iPhone sales last quarter and an expected downturn in the current quarter.

OLED screens are thinner and offer better picture quality than the mainstay liquid crystal display screens.

Japan's Nikkei newspaper first reported earlier this year that Apple plans to start using OLED screens for iPhones starting in 2018.

LG and Samsung Display are close to a final agreement with Apple for the screens, the Electronic Times report said, adding the two Korean firms plan a combined 15 trillion won ($12.8 billion) in capital expenditure to build up OLED production capacity over the next two to three years.

Apple will likely provide some funding to both firms to help with the investments, the paper added.

APPLE WATCH 2 RUMOURS SO FAR Rumours suggest the next generation device will launch in Q2 next year. The watch's size, shape and screen resolution is expected to remain broadly the same, but it could sport a slimmer Oled screen and larger battery. The next model could have a front-facing camera for FaceTime and selfies. It may also get a chip upgrade to let users send data and get better location accuracy. However, power-hungry features could mean users will not see much of an increase in battery life and the watch will likely be available in extra expensive versions, perhaps including luxurious materials such as platinum. Advertisement

LG Display and Samsung Display declined to comment, while Apple could not be immediately reached for comment.

Samsung Display, which currently supplies OLED smartphone panels to parent Samsung Electronics and Chinese vendors, is likely getting bigger volumes from Apple than LG Display, the paper said.

Earlier this month it was revealed Apple has opened a production laboratory in northern Taiwan to develop new 'superthin' phone and watch displays.

According to Bloomberg, the facility is Longtan has at least 50 engineers.

Apple has recruited from local display maker AU Optronics Corp. and Qualcomm Inc., which used to own the building, the people said.

'Engineers are developing more-advanced versions of the liquid-crystal displays currently used in iPhones, iPads and Mac personal computers, the people said,' according to Bloomberg.

'Apple also is keen to move to organic light-emitting diodes, which are even thinner and dont require a backlight.'

It is believed the second generation smartwatch will be thinner and have improved battery life.

It is then expected to go on sale in March, almost a year after the original went on sale.

Munster said he expects a strong Christmas for the firm, which is still to release its new Apple TV and iPad Pro.
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More than 70 people, including 29 children, have been killed by a Taliban suicide bomber who targeted Christians near a children's playground in a park in Pakistan.

Some 300 people were injured when explosives packed with ball bearings ripped through crowds near the children's swings in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, in Lahore, where many had gathered to celebrate Easter.

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack, adding: 'The target was Christians.'

Senior police official Haider Ashraf confirmed that the death toll had risen to 72 on Monday morning, adding the majority of the dead were Muslims.

An injured Pakistani child victim of a suicide blast rests in a hospital in Lahore after a suicide bomber attacked a park thronging with families celebrating Easter killed at least 72 people

Rescuers seen helping the injured people at the explosion site, where at least 29 children lost their lives

Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, a splinter group affiliated with the Pakistani Taliban, has claimed responsibility for the attack

The blast happened a few metres away from children's swings, and most of the victims are believed to be women and children.

Witnesses described children screaming as people carried the injured in their arms, while frantic relatives searched for loved ones.

The chief minister of Punjab province, Shahbaz Sharif, has announced three days mourning and pledged to ensure that those involved in the attack are brought to trial.

Nasreen Bibi, the mother of a two-year-old injured in the attack, spoke through tears as she waited for news from the doctors.

'We were just here to have a nice evening and enjoy the weather. May God shower his wrath upon these attackers. What kind of people target little children in a park?'

A girl who was injured in the suicide bomb blast is rushed to a hospital in Lahore in the wake of the bombing

Injured children recover in hospital as the death toll rose to 72 on Monday morning

Bodies were lined up by the side of a fairground ride after the tragic bombing in which 70 people have been killed, and the death toll is expected to rise further

Pakistani emergency workers and police officers gather at the blast site, where 300 people were injured

The blast occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, a few metres away from children's swings, and most of those hurt and killed are thought to be women and children

ball bearings were found at the blast site, where armed police are still standing guard late into the evening

Men mourn the death of their relatives after a blast outside a public park in Lahore that was attacked

Scenes of distress were seen on the streets as local people came to terms with the anguish of the attack

People in the area rushed to help more than 300 people who were injured in the blast and they are now filling up hospitals nearby

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast but the country is plagued with Taliban insurgents and criminal gangs

The group responsible for the attack was founded by Omar Khalid Korasani, a former Taliban senior leader who broke off from the main group to form the more-hardline organization in 2014.

He re-aligned with the main Pakistani Taliban leadership last year, and the group are currently waging war on the government, which in 2014 vowed to grant no safe haven to terrorists.

The attack happened in the heart of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif political base in Punjab.

In a statement, the group said: 'We claim responsibility for the attack on Christians as they were celebrating Easter.

'We want to send this message to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif that we have entered Lahore. He can do what he wants but he won't be able to stop us. Our suicide bombers will continue these attacks.'

The group was previously responsible for a March 2015 bombing at a Roman Catholic church in Lahore that killed 15 people and injured 70 others.

Today, eyewitnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the parking lot once the dust had settled after the blast.

The army had been called in and soldiers were at the scene helping with rescue operations and security.

Police chief Haider Ashraf said. 'We are in a warlike situation and there is always a general threat but no specific threat alert was received for this place.'

Salman Rafiq, a health adviser to the Punjab government, called on people to donate blood, saying that many of those wounded were in a critical condition.

DAVID CAMERON URGES BRITONS TO STAND UP FOR CHRISTIAN VALUES AND OFFERS AID TO PAKISTAN FOLLOWING TODAY'S BRUTAL BOMBINGS Prime Minister David Cameron has promised British help for Pakistan after today's bombing in Lahore. Mr Cameron, who used his Easter message to urge Britons of all faiths to stand up for Christian values, said he was shocked by the attack. 'My thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims. We will do what we can to help,' the PM posted on his Twitter feed. Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: 'My thoughts are with the victims and the family of the victims of the horrific attack in Lahore. 'Solidarity with the emergency services there.' Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond wrote on Twitter: 'My thoughts are with victims of Lahore Blast. UK utterly condemns senseless & shocking violence against innocent families.' Advertisement

Police cordoned off an area where crowds of people still remain, pictured metres away from a fairground ride in the park

Pakistani rescuers use a stretcher to lift a body from a bomb blast site in Lahore which targeted Christians

This man is being led away from the scene in tears, as many mourn the death of loved ones today

The army had been called in and soldiers were at the scene helping with rescue operations and security

Salman Rafiq, a health adviser to the Punjab government, called on people to donate blood, saying that many of those wounded were in a critical condition

A medical superintendent at Jinnah Hospital, who gave his name only as Dr Ashraf, said more than 40 dead bodies had arrived at the hospital.

WHITE HOUSE SLAMS 'COWARDLY ACT' AGAINST 'INNOCENT' PEOPLE In a statement from the White House, Ned Price, a spokesman for the US National Security Council, said: 'The United States condemns in the strongest terms today's appalling terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan. 'This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured.' He added that the country 'stands with the people and government of Pakistan at this difficult hour. We will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region ... to root out the scourge of terrorism.' Advertisement

'The number of injured stands at more than 200 people, most of them are in critical condition,' he said. I fear the death toll will rise.'

He described a nightmarish scene at the hospital, with staff treating casualties on floors and in corridors.

Javed Ali, a 35-year-old resident who lives opposite park, said the force of the blast had shattered his home's windows.

'Everything was shaking, there were cries and dust everywhere.

'After ten minutes I went outside. There was human flesh on the walls of our house. People were crying, I could hear ambulances.'

He added: 'It was overcrowded because of Easter, there were a lot of Christians there. It was so crowded I told my family not to go.'

'When the blast occurred, the flames were so high they reached above the trees and I saw bodies flying in the air,' said Hasan Imran, 30, a resident who had gone to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park for a walk.

The park had been particularly busy on Sunday evening due to the Easter holiday weekend, and ambulances were seen rushing to the blast scene.

A boy who was injured in a suicide bomb, after which the health minister called on people to give blood so that they could treat the hundreds of casualties

An injured woman is taken to a hospital after a suicide bomber blew himself up in a crowded park

Police cordoned off an area where crowds of people still remain, pictured metres away from a fairground ride in the park.

There was human flesh on the walls of our house Javed Ali

Salman Rafique, a health adviser for the Punjab provincial government, put the death toll at least 52 people.

'Most of the dead and injured are women and children,' said Mustansar Feroz, police superintendent for the area in which the park is located.

Media footage showed children and women crying and screaming and rescue officials, police and bystanders carrying injured people to ambulances and private cars.

In 2014, Pakistan launched an offensive against Taliban and affiliated jihadist fighters in North Waziristan, seeking to deprive them of safe havens from which to launch attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Punjab has traditionally been more peaceful than other parts of Pakistan. Sharif's opponents have accused him of tolerating militancy in return for peace in his province, a charge he strongly denies.

Last year, a bomb killed a popular Pakistani provincial minister and at least eight others when it destroyed the minister's home in Punjab

People were seen picking up the debris which was scattered on the ground after the bomb went off

People were carried out of the blast zone unconscious and eyewitnesses saw body parts strewn all over the floor after the bloody attack

Ambulances rushed to the scene to help the injured and dozens of people were taken to hospitals nearby

A Pakistani man mourns at a hospital after yet another brutal attack in the country, which has been plagued by bombings for the last eight years

Many could be seen weeping in the city, which has paid a high price for its policy of offering no quarter to the Pakistani Taliban, which has resulted in a terrible death toll
It was supposed to be a magical moment that would be remembered for the rest of a couple's lives.

But a surprise wedding on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway turned sour after one viewer claimed her husband was one of the guests when he was supposed to be on a work trip in Dubai.

Sam Blackburn and Michelle Brooker were the couple to tie the knot live on television, surprising their guests who thought they were on the way to Ms Brooker's 30th birthday party.

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Helen Gundry took to the show's Facebook page claiming she was shocked to see her 'husband' Daniel, shown wearing a grey waistcoat, on the arm of another woman  whom she claimed was his ex

The surprise wedding on Ant & Dec's Saturday Night Takeaway turned sour after one viewer claimed her husband was one of the guests when he was supposed to be on a work trip in Dubai

Bride Michelle Brooker, left, told her guests, including Mr Gundry, ringed right, that they were going to her 30th birthday party before revealing it was a televised wedding

Ms Brooker pictured undergoing hair and make-up backstage before the soon-to-be controversial wedding

But Helen Gundry took to the show's Facebook page claiming she was shocked to see her 'husband' Daniel on the arm of another woman  whom she claimed was his ex.

According to The Sun, Mrs Gundry said she 'loved the wedding and surprised guests', but didn't love the sight of her husband who was 'supposed to be working in Dubai arriving on the arm of another woman, a woman he's supposed to have split from last year'.

She added they had a 15-year-old daughter who was 'in absolute bits' after watching the ITV show.

Mr Gundry, wearing a grey waistcoat and glasses, was spotted dancing with a blonde woman in a black dress.

He was referred to by the bride Michelle as her 'brother', while the woman in black was named as Sue and referred to as the bride's sister, with one of them related by marriage.

Mrs Gundry's post, shown, went viral, gaining more than 30,000 likes, 10,000 comments and 10,000 shares

Mrs Gundry, pictured, said she 'loved the wedding and surprised guests', but didn't love the sight of her husband who was 'supposed to be working in Dubai arriving on the arm of another woman'

Sam Blackburn and Michelle Brooker were the couple to tie the knot live on television, surprising their guests who thought they were on the way to Ms Brooker's 30th birthday party

Mrs Gundry's post went viral, gaining more than 30,000 likes, 10,000 comments and 10,000 shares.

But Facebook users hit back and claimed Mrs Gundry was not telling the truth and that Mr Gundry was married to Sue and split with Mrs Gundry 'years ago'.

An ITV spokesman later told The Sun: 'I have spoken to Daniel and he has actually been married to his current wife for two years and separated from Helen for six.'

Mrs Gundry was adamant the pair are still married however and said they had been for 17 years, referring to any other marriage he may have as 'bigamous'.

MailOnline has contacted both Mr and Mrs Gundry for comment.

The guests are shown shocked after arriving on the set of Saturday Night Takeaway, believing they on the wy to a birthday party instead
The Great British Bake Off is a trademark owned by Love Productions

One of the Roath judges this year will be a local BBC weather presenter

Annual event takes place in a church hall - not a grand tent like the show

A community cake making contest in Wales has been threatened over its name - by makers of the Great British Bake Off.

The Roath Bake Off in Cardiff was forced to make a public statement distancing itself from the BBC baking show after the programme bosses got in touch - even though a local BBC Weather presenter is lined up to be one of the judges at the charity fundraiser.

The annual event in Cardiff takes place in a church hall and raises money for local charities - with a panel of 12 judges including two dubbed Paul Taffywood and Mary Barry.

Judges this year include BBC Weather presenter Sue Charles and former Big Brother contestant Glyn Jones.

A community cake making contest in Wales has been threatened over its name - by makers of the Great British Bake Off

This cake, from last year's Roath Bake Off event, references the Mexican Day of the Dead and would certainly hold its own against any cake on the BBC show

Other cakes created by contestants of the competition include more British classics - and the corporation have been in touch to warn the event about copyright issues

The show-stopping winning cake of last year's TV series, baked by Nadiya Hussein, was a patriotic Union Jack inspired wedding cake

Other show-stoppers included runner-up Ian's five-tier carrot cake, far more elaborate than many bakes at village shows

But chairman of the Wayne Courtney said he had been contacted by makers of the BBC show about copyright issues and was forced to issue a public statement.

He said this year's Roath Bake Off - the sixth annual event - would be the last ever one.

He said: 'We would like to state that we - The Roath Bake Off and The Roath Junior Bake Off - have no association with the TV show The Great British Bake Off.

Local BBC Weather presenter is lined up to be one of the judges at the charity fundraiser

Organiser Wayne Courtney said: 'No baking takes place at the venue - our event is very different from the TV show'

'We are a charity event where people bring cakes to a venue where they get judged. No baking takes place at the venue - our event is very different from the TV show.

'The event we hold is also a music event and a celebration of our community. Our event has only one purpose and that is to raise money for charity and boost community spirit.'

There are four categories in the Roath Bake-Off, including Best Cake and Best Bake (bread or pie).

The event is significantly less high-tech than the BBC show - but is still enjoyed by volunteers and members of the community

Mary Berry and Paul Hollywood have judged all six series of The Great British Bake-Off

There have been six series of the Great British Bake Off, and it has become one of the BBC's biggest hits of the last decade, spawning a baking revolution across the entire country.

Last year's series winner was Nadiya Hussein, and the closely contested final saw 13 million people tune in to see her impress the judges with her patriotic winning wedding cake.

The Great British Bake Off is a registered trademark owned by Love Productions.

A spokesman for the BBC said the programme was made by Love Productions and it was not for them to comment.
A man in Ohio is facing criminal charges after he allegedly created a parody Facebook account that mimicked a local police department's official page.

Police say Anthony Novak, 27, created the page that contained what they considered 'derogatory' and 'inflammatory' information that appeared as though it was coming from Parma Police Department officials on March 2.

Novak was arrested and faces a possible felony count of disrupting public services for the page that has since been deactivated.

Police say Anthony Novak (above), 27, is facing criminal charges after he allegedly created a parody Facebook account that mimicked Parma Police Department's official page

Novak faces a possible felony count of disrupting public services for the page that has since been deactivated

The page featured a number of fake news items, crimes that were made up and jokes that were aimed at the Parma police. The Facebook post above is from the parody account Novak is accused of creating

The page featured a number of fake news items, crimes that were made up and jokes that were aimed at the Parma police.

One of the posts on the parody page was a fake explanation for how the Parma Police Department selects new recruits and lists a date for when the application will be available.

'Parma is an equal opportunity employer but is strongly encouraging minorities to not apply,' the post reads.

'The test will consist of a 15 question multiple choice definition test followed by a hearing test.

'Should you pass you will be accepted as an officer of the Parma Police Department.'

Another post on the page reads: 'The Parma Police Department & Parma Auxiliary Police Food Drive to benefit teen abortions will take place on Saturday.

Police say Novak created the page that contained what they considered 'derogatory' and 'inflammatory' information that appeared as though it was coming from Parma Police Department officials on March 2

Another post (above) on the page reads: 'The Parma Police Department & Parma Auxiliary Police Food Drive to benefit teen abortions will take place on Saturday'

A separate post (above) that was on the parody page allegedly created by Novak announces that a 'Pedophile Reform' event will be held outside of a church

'We will be giving out free abortions to teens using an experimental teqhnique (sic) discovered by the Parma Police Department.

'All teens must bring a note from their parent to be part of the experiment. The abortions will be held Saturday 4/19/2016 from noon to 4pm in a police van in the parking lot at Giant Eagle (7400 Broadview Rd.)'

Novak is scheduled to appear in Parma Municipal Court on Monday

A separate post that was on the parody page allegedly created by Novak announces that a 'Pedophile Reform' event will be held outside of a church.

'UPDATE: The City of Parma Police Department will enact a Pedophile Reform event outside of St Anthony of Paduas Church on 5-1-16 in an attempt to reform pedophiles to normality,' the post reads.

'We will have multiple learning stations including a 'No means no' station filled with puzzles and quizzes.

'Anyone who passes all of the stations will be removed from the sex offender registry and accepted as an honorary police officer of the Parma Police Department. Have fun out there!'

Novak retained attorney David Brown on Friday who said 'it's an unusual case' that has the potential to raise some First Amendment issues.

Lt. Kevin Riley told Cleveland.com that department officials think the parody page went too far.

'In this particular case, we believe the material that Novak posted on the fake account crossed the line from satire to an actual risk to public safety,' he told the Cleveland.com.

'We presented the facts of this case and the investigation to our law department and they agreed that Novak's actions were criminal in nature.'

Novak is scheduled to appear in Parma Municipal Court on Monday.
Obamas spent an hour at the service and returned to the White House

Rev Howard-John Wesley described the Obamas as 'the gorgeous family'

Obama tweeted family portrait with the caption: 'From my family to yours, Happy Easter, and we wish everyone celebrating a blessed and joyful day

President Barack Obama and the first family attended Easter service at a historic black church in Virginia

President Barack Obama and the first family were among more than 500 people attending Easter Sunday service at a historic black church in Virginia.

The Rev Howard-John Wesley, the pastor at Alfred Street Baptist Church, welcomed back the Obamas, whom he described as 'the gorgeous family'.

Obama tweeted their family portrait with the caption: 'From my family to yours, Happy Easter, and we wish everyone celebrating a blessed and joyful day.'

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President Barack Obama (center) and from l-r, Malia, Natasha and first lady Michelle Obama were among more than 500 people attending Easter Sunday service at a historic black church in Virginia. This 2014 photo was posted on Twitter by Obama's Organizing for Action staff

The Rev Howard-John Wesley, the pastor at Alfred Street Baptist Church, welcomed back the Obamas, whom he described as 'the gorgeous family'. Pictured is Obama shaking hands with members of the congregation

Obama tweeted their family portrait Sunday that was captioned: 'From my family to yours, Happy Easter, and we wish everyone celebrating a blessed and joyful day'

The congregation, led by a choir clad in crimson, gold and white robes, joined in song early in the service, with the pastor asking them to share introductions, 'but don't act crazy' as the hundreds in attendance exchanged hugs and handshakes.

Many in the choir and audience smiled as they swayed and clapped to the music and sang the refrain 'yes, He lives,' a reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the event Christians celebrate on Easter.

Wesley delivered a sermon that noted the suffering Jesus endured, and he encouraged the congregation to have faith that, if God could raise Jesus from the dead, he can help them get through their hardships.

'No matter what you're going through, you don't have to be afraid because God can handle it,' Wesley said.

The Obamas spent about an hour at the service and returned to the White House, where on the South Lawn, workers and performers were preparing for the annual Easter Egg Roll to be held Monday.

The audience (pictured) awaited the arrival of the Obamas, who spent about an hour at the service and returned to the White House
People posted screenshots of the alert from countries, including the United States, England, Russia, Lebanon and Israel

But users in countries across the world

Facebook activated its Safety Check tool in the aftermath of a suicide bombing in Pakistan that killed at least 65 people on Sunday - but a glitch asked users nowhere near the area if they had been affected by the blast.

The company apologized after the urgent notification was mistakenly sent to people in countries thousands of miles away, sparking fear and confusion online.

'Are you OK?' the message read. 'It looks like you're in the area affected by The Explosion in Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park, Lahore, Pakistan. Let friends know that you're safe.'

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Facebook apologized after an error with its Safety Check tool mistakenly sent alerts to people in countries thousands of miles from the Lahore bombing

The feature was used in the wake of the Paris and Brussels attacks without problems, but the glitch led to fear and confusion

Some people whose phone numbers are linked to their Facebook accounts also received the alert through text message.

The social network launched the feature in October 2014 so users caught up in disaster-struck areas would be able to quickly let family and friends know they area safe.

In recent months, Safety Check has been activated several times, including during the floods in Chennai (India), after earthquakes in northeast India and southern Taiwan, and after terrorist attacks in Paris, Brussels, Yola, and Ankara.

But today, users nowhere near the blasts in Lahore were sent the message by mistake.with people from countries including the United States, Russia, England, Lebanon,France and Israel, taking to Twitter to share the notification in different languages.

Facebook said the error was sparked by a bug in the Safety Check tool, but said the company worked to resolve the issue as quickly as possible.

The alert was sent to Facebook users in countries across the world, including the United States and Russia

People in Israel reported receiving the message in Hebrew - even though Pakistan, like many Muslim-majority nations, does not recognize the country's existence

Some people whose phone numbers are linked to their Facebook accounts received the safety alert via text

'We activated Safety Check today in Lahore, Pakistan, after a bombing that took place there,' a Facebook spokesman told Daily Mail Online.

'Unfortunately, many people not affected by the crisis received a notification asking if they were okay.

'We worked to resolve the issue and we apologize to anyone who mistakenly received the notification.'

In a post on post on Facebook, the company added: 'We hope the people in the area of the bombing find Safety Check a useful and helpful way to let their friends and family know they are okay.

'Unfortunately, many people not affected by the crisis received a notification asking if they were okay. This kind of bug is counter to the product's intent.'

Suicide bombers targeted Christians celebrating Easter in a park in the Pakistani city, killing at least 65 people and injuring more than 300, authorities said.

The blast went off in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, near some children's swings, with most of the victims believed to be women and children.

Authorities have so far confirmed 65 dead, but said they expect the death toll to rise as many of the wounded were in a critical condition.

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency since 2004, with groups such as the Pakistani Taliban routinely carrying out attacks as part of their struggle to overthrow the government.

But Lahore, the country's cultural capital that lies on the nation's eastern border with India, has been relatively more peaceful in recent years.

The blast went off in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, where Christians were celebrating Easter

Authorities have so far confirmed 65 dead, but said they expect the death toll to rise as many of the wounded were in a critical condition




Nicky Morgan's plans to make all schools academies have taken another blow  this time from parents on Mumsnet who branded them 'despicable'.

Mothers and fathers said the proposals were 'utter rubbish' after the education secretary wrote a guest post for the parenting website about her vision for education.

The blog, which aimed to reassure parents that academies were 'the best way forward', appears to have backfired after attracting almost 1,000 mostly negative responses form forum users.

Nicky Morgan's plans to make all schools academies have taken another blow  this time from parents on Mumsnet who branded them 'despicable'

The blog, which aimed to reassure parents that academies were 'the best way forward', appears to have backfired after attracting almost 1,000 mostly negative responses form forum users

But the post was inundated with angry responses from regulars on the forum, who branded her post 'despicable' (pictured), 'patronising' and the plans 'rubbish'.

The backlash from parents comes amid a revolt from leading Tory councillors over the move, which would take schools out of the control of local authorities.

At the weekend, the National Union of Teachers voted to ballot members for a strike in the summer term over the plans, which they called 'undemocratic' because they were not in the Tory manifesto.

Mrs Morgan's post, which was uploaded to Mumsnet last week, outlined her belief that academies allow heads 'greater autonomy' and put power 'back in the hands of teachers'.

She said many schools had improved as academies and said she wanted to ensure every school was good 'as swiftly as possible'.

She added: 'I am confident that this move will guarantee a higher school standard with each academy held to account for the performance of their pupils.'

But the post was inundated with angry responses from regulars on the forum, who branded her post 'patronising' and the plans 'rubbish'.

One said: 'What a load of absolute c***. If I were even considering voting Tory next time, this above all else would stop me.

'Paying big bosses of academy chains hundreds of thousands of pounds while being unwilling or unable to recruit, pay and retain qualified and experienced teachers? No thanks.'

Another said: 'Complete and utter rubbish. You ought to be ashamed of yourself for peddling this as an improvement for children's educations.'

The assumption that what's good for one is good for all is quite simply wrong - and demonstrated by looking at the variability of success of academies in England now Mumsnet comment

A third said: 'Academisation has NOTHING to do with improving our children's education.

'The assumption that what's good for one is good for all is quite simply wrong - and demonstrated by looking at the variability of success of academies in England now.'

Another said: 'This is so horrifying. And you're incredibly patronising.'

And a fifth poster raged: 'This is a joke, right? Despicable.'

The government wants to force all schools to become academies by 2020  or at least be in the process of conversion.

Mrs Morgan believes schools improve faster as academies, but critics say there is not enough evidence to prove this and argue that they could be less accountable if free from local authorities. The plans were outlined in a paper earlier this month, which also announced the end of compulsory elected parent governors.

Mrs Morgan said that parents would be able to play a part in their child's education through a new online 'parent portal', which would provide information about how to raise issues.

It is understood Mrs Morgan sent her article to Mumsnet as part of a raft of measures to engage with a wider pool of parents.

She has previously done two webchats with the high-profile parenting website, one as minister for women and more recently in her capacity as education secretary in the run-up to the general election.

Justine Roberts, Mumsnet CEO, said: 'I knew that there were mixed feelings about academies on Mumsnet, but we were quite surprised by the strength of the reaction to Nicky Morgan's guest post.'

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: 'Every parent deserves to know their child is getting an excellent education, and they rightly want information about what these changes mean for them. We are determined to make sure every child has access to the best opportunities and to help them grow into well-rounded adults.

'Too many children are not getting the education they deserve and for too long parents have been an afterthought in our education system. Pupils are already benefitting hugely from the academies programme and thanks to our reforms more of them than ever before are going to good or outstanding schools.

Mrs Morgan's post, which was uploaded to Mumsnet last week, outlined her belief that academies allow heads 'greater autonomy'

'The changes we are making will put control back in the hands of teachers and school leaders - those who know their pupils best - making sure every single child has the opportunity to fulfil their potential.'

Yesterday, the academy proposals were criticised by Conservative think tank the Bow Group.

Bow Group Research Fellow, Hector Marchetti said: 'The proposed changes to schools follow a worrying trend in recent years to further centralise decisions away from local communities, which have a more nuanced understanding of the issues that they face daily.'

Also yesterday, members of the NASUWT teaching union unanimously backed a motion opposing the plan to turn all schools into academies.

Delegates have committed the union to campaign against 'the privatisation of schools, including through the Westminster government's academisation programme'.

The NASUWT's motion says the union will also escalate industrial action, including with local, regional or national strikes, if schools deny members an annual cost-of-living pay rise, reduce teachers' pay or 'unreasonably withhold pay progression'.

The union will use industrial action in cases where schools 'fail to protect conditions of service and advance decent working conditions for members' and if they link teachers' pay to test results, pupils' progress or schools' inspection results.

Brian Cookson, honorary treasurer of the NASUWT and a teacher at a school sixth form in Staffordshire, told the conference: 'In England the public education system has been denigrated, attacks made on the pay and conditions of teachers, support for local authorities has been weakened year on year, the curriculum entitlement narrowed for pupils and students and the rights and involvement of parents reduced.

'The academies programme from the outset has been the vehicle through which this agenda was to be moved forward.'

He claimed it was 'unjustifiable and unsubstantiated' for the government to claim that giving schools more 'autonomy' and flexibility over pay would lead to higher pay for teachers.
So let's just get this straight.

A peace march in Belgium was cancelled over fears ISIS could use it to launch another attack on Brussels. Belgium security forces decided a March Against Fear, however topical, would be ill-advised because the fear is grounded in truth, and marching isn't going to make it go away.

This is a bit like the people who say they are standing up to terror by continuing to use the underground. They are not actually standing up to anything. There is no real show of defiance. Everyone is scared to death.

In truth, they are gambling on the old adage lightening never strikes the same spot twice. Or for a more modern twist, suicide bombers never target the same subway twice in a week.

But if you live in jihadi central, that's a pretty risky bet to place.

Whilst it seems perfectly acceptable to turn the water cannon on nationals, determined to stand up for their country, it is never acceptable to criticise migrants, terrorists or extremists, writes KATIE HOPKINS

Right-wing protesters arrived en masse in central Brussels today and unfurled banners denouncing ISIS

In place of the March Against Fear, a few pro-migrant groups turned up at the Old Stock Exchange in Brussels to watch mourners light candles for the dead, and shove a bit more leftie clap-trap down their throats, reminding them that irregular migrants are good people at heart and the last suicide bombers were actually home-grown, so not technically migrants at all. So that's ok then.

In response, a group of anti-immigration protestors gathered at the Place de la Bourse to unfurl an anti-ISIS banner and vent their frustration at the direction in which the self-styled capital of Europe appears to be heading.

As far as I can tell, the March Against Fear was cancelled because there was too much fear, and a riot broke out because the police objected to a peaceful protest.

There are a few things I notice around these incidents in Europe;

Firstly, the anti-immigration protestors are always referred to as thugs. The language around them is universally ugly, despite the fact they are protesting against the very people who think it is acceptable to detonate themselves next to small babies wearing suicide vests filled with nails and shrapnel.

They are called the far-right despite and lazy associations are made between them and Hitler. Even though in the UK it appears to be Labour supporters who have issues with Jews.

Clearly Nazi salutes have no place in modern Europe. No one wants to see violence against the police, stones thrown or graffiti. But if you look carefully, trouble-making groups on the left such as No Borders build a far more subversive brand of trouble.

The dreadlocked gangs of migrant-lovers, turning a blind eye to the destruction of Europe, are never referred to as the far-left. They are affectionately called anarchists, as if they are teenage boys, experimenting with Death Metal and living raw vegan.

Despite absolutely no police response to terrorists (Turkey even warned the Belgium Intelligence Services about three suicide bombers who went on to attack the city) or marauding migrants (see Cologne - New Year's Eve) their rapid reaction to the presence of a handful of Pegida is overwhelming.

Fourteen people were killed and scores more injured when two suicide bombers targeted Brussels airport

In Cologne, 150 officers were sent to police the migrant attacks on women on New Years Eve, resulting in 676 criminal complaints being filed. In comparison, 1700 riot police with water cannon were sent to stop a subsequent Pegida march through the city.

Whilst it seems perfectly acceptable to turn the water cannon on nationals, determined to stand up for their country and culture, it is never acceptable to criticise migrants, terrorists or extremists planning attacks.

It seems to me there is a yawning gulf between the treatment and reporting of the far-left and the far-right, and and even bigger chasm between nationals and migrant populations, who lack respect for the culture they have joined.

The left are so busy kowtowing to the rights of those who have chosen to join our culture, the right has lost the freedom to defend the culture they have chosen to join.

At least 20 people were killed when ISIS extremist Khalid El Bakraoui detonated a bomb on the city's Metro

The police have an almost magnetic attraction to events which offer predictable policing - such as a Pegida March through a city centre, but are incapable of defending people from the actual threat of terror we all feel.

Whilst we sit waiting for our next 7/7, the Metropolitan Police were arresting a man for a tweet, accidentally charging him to appear in court, before sheepishly letting him go.

Vanity policing is the last thing out country needs.
Rivalry between three gangs, Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Surenos, and MS 13, has driven up murder rate to around one person an hour in the last three months

El Salvador's three biggest gangs have united to announce a nationwide ceasefire on all homicides and violence for 72 hours to persuade the president to stop his hard-line 'war' on the brutal network which kills one person every hour.

In a video provided to Daily Mail Online by local TV, one man from each of the notorious gangs - Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Surenos, and MS 13 - announced the unprecedented move on Saturday.

It comes days after President Salvador Sanchez Ceren vowed to unleash 'extraordinary' new measures next week in his self-professed 'war' on gangs.

He has already ordered killings of gang members and armed takeovers of gang hot spots.

Addressing the president, the gang members claim they will personally ensure there are no killings, massacres, or attacks between now and Wednesday to demonstrate their control over the gang-related crime which has made El Salvador the most violent peacetime country in the world.

Twelve hours into the truce, there had been no homicide reports anywhere in the country. There are usually at least 12 killings by mid-morning.

In a video provided to Daily Mail Online by local TV, one man from each of the notorious gangs - Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Surenos, and MS 13 - announced the unprecedented move on Saturday. Above is a screen grab from the blurry clip

President Ceren (pictured) vowed to unleash 'extraordinary' new measures next week in his self-professed 'war' on gangs. He has already ordered killings of gang members and armed takeovers of gang hot spots

'You cannot get rid of gangs, we are part of our country's community. We have the tools to destroy the political infrastructure of this country,' says one man, whose face is covered by a bandanna and voice distorted.

'We have ordered every member of our gang to cease homicides of all kind nationwide to show the general public, the government, and international powers in our country that there is no need to bring in measures which will simply destroy the constitution and all the laws that depend on it.'

This year, El Salvador usurped Honduras to become the most violent peacetime country in the world, with almost 3,000 deaths in the last three months alone.

Last year there were 100 deaths per 100,000 residents - the highest murder rate of any country in at least 20 years.

The violence is borne out of the vicious rivalry between Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Surenos, and Mara Salvatrucha (also known as 'MS 13').

The US Peace Corps even withdrew all operations from the country in January amid security fears.

The killings have intensified since President Ceren declared 'war' on the 'maras' (youth gangs). His measures included classifying gangs as terrorist groups, capturing and killing suspected gang members, and sending the army into gang hot spots.

Earlier this month Ceren tabled a plan to call a nationwide state of emergency in the hubs of the gangs.

This year, El Salvador usurped Honduras to become the most violent peacetime country in the world. The violence is borne out of the vicious gang rivalry (Barrio 18 members pictured)

Last year there were 100 deaths per 100,000 residents in El Salvador - the highest murder rate of any country in at least 20 years

An officer takes impressions of the fingerprints of a cemetery worker killed by alleged members of the Mara Salvatrucha gang near San Salvador in September

WHO ARE THE GANGS CALLING TRUCE? The three biggest gangs each had one representative in the video announcing a joint ceasefire. Barrio 18 has split into two gangs: the Surenos and the Revolucionarios. The third is MS 13, which used to be the biggest but is now outnumbered by the two Barrio factions. Advertisement

His policies - and aggressive rhetoric - have drawn fierce criticism, with the paper of record El Faro blaming him for what they call 'our own Vietnam War'.

Despite their gripes with each other, Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Surenos, and MS 13 last summer united in an unusual merger to unanimously wage war on the government.

Around the same time, Barrio 18 also declared a takeover of El Salvador's transport system, to demonstrate the control they exercise over the country's most basic and necessary amenities.

Now, Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Surenos, and MS 13 are trying a new approach to keep the government out of their operations.

The low-quality video is dark and blurry. The three men sat in front of the camera are covering their faces, and their voices have been distorted.

Each one makes a statement vowing to show how much control they have over the seemingly uncontrollable murder rate.

In fact, they claim it is the repressive government that 'provokes' them to murder and brutalize the people of El Salvador.

'Even though in reality we are controlled by a repressive government which is provoking us to commit violence, we will show that we are capable of carrying this out,' one says.

'We ask our brothers to be patient if they feel provoked by the police or the army, to show that we are not the problem.'

The US Peace Corps even withdrew all operations from the country in January amid security fears

Barrio 18 was founded in Los Angeles but its core operations are now based in El Salvador, with off-shoots dotted across the Western Hemisphere as far as Canada. Barrio 18 has split into two gangs: the Surenos and the Revolucionarios

Another adds: 'We want people to know that we're not doing this for the police or the government. We're not conspiring with any corrupt politicians. This is our gang's own initiative to curb all kinds of violence.'

Government spokesman Eugenio Chicas hit back at the video, saying there will be no exceptions made for criminals, adding that the president will exercise 'all necessary measures to fight and protect the population.'

Barrio 18 was founded in Los Angeles but its core operations are now based in El Salvador, with off-shoots dotted across the Western Hemisphere as far as Canada.

Barrio 18 has since split into two gangs: the Surenos and the Revolucionarios.

It is largely made up of young people.

According to government figures, 88 per cent of schools have Barrio 18 Revolucionarios, Barrio 18 Surenos or MS 13 gang members in their classrooms.
A rare First World War letter sent from the frontline have revealed how German soldiers sang loud carols before proposing a truce at Christmas.

Lieutenant Hugh Barker sent a message containing details about the Christmas truce while serving on the Western Front at the beginning of the war.

He described how enemy soldiers expressed their displeasure at having to fight their Anglo-Saxon cousins and documented how both sides exchanged 'banter' while in their respective trenches.

A rare First World War letter (right) sent from the frontline by Lieutenant Hugh Barker (left) have revealed how German soldiers sang loud carols before proposing a truce at Christmas

The 102-year-old letter is now being auctioned on March 30 and is expected to be sold as part of a collection for around 3,000.

Lt Barker, who served in the London Rifle Brigade, arrived on the Front in November 1914.

He wrote the letters, which also detailed how he swapped cigarettes from cigars with a German and allowed enemy troops to retrieve bodies of their comrades, in May the following year.

He wrote: 'As several people have asked me if it [the truce] really did occur I will give a few details of what happened in our part of the line.

'In the afternoon [Christmas Eve] about 3pm the Germans began singing louder than they had done and I heard sundry shouts come over from their trenches after each song, such as "how's that English?"

'Our men replied and then sang songs themselves, which were applauded by the Germans.

He described how enemy soldiers expressed their displeasure at having to fight their Anglo-Saxon cousins and documented how both sides exchanged 'banter' while in their respective trenches. Above, British soldiers in their trench

The 102-year-old letter is now being auctioned on March 30 and is expected to be sold for around 3,000. Above, Lt Barker (middle front) is pictured with his comrades

'The Germans then shouted across "if you don't shoot we won't" and having received a satisfactory answer they became more bold and made fires along the parapets of the trench.'

Lt Barker then explained he spent the night in a billet but returned to the trenches at 11am.

He said: 'English and Germans were walking about freely in between the trenches. I went over and exchanged cigarettes for cigars with the enemy.

'There were two or three dead Germans near our trench we had been unable to bury and these were taken over to their countrymen to bury, for which they thanked us.

'I might say these men were Saxons and their complaint was they didn't want to fight the English who had always been their friends.'

Lt Barker served in the London Rifle Brigade and arrived on the Front in November 1914. The series of letters and photographs were found in an old suitcase

Tim Harper, of C&T Auctions of Ashford, Kent, described the letters as 'rare' due to there only being a handful of documents about the Christmas truce.

He added: 'Barkers was written about three months afterwards when he wrote of his experiences of the first six months of his time on the Western Front and he dedicated a whole page to the truce.

'One interesting part is that the British came up against a German unit which was much more Anglophile than the Prussians and the comments from them was very much "we are from the same genes and we shouldn't be fighting each other".'
Bernie Sanders declared he has the political momentum to claw back Hillary Clinton's handsome lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, after scoring a trio of big wins.

The Vermont senator breathed fresh life into his campaign for the White House with a clean sweep in caucuses in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington on Saturday.

Fresh from his trio of wins, Sanders said on Sunday the victories may sway the Democratic power brokers to back him in his race against Clinton.

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Bernie Sanders declared he has the political momentum to claw back Hillary Clinton's handsome lead in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, after scoring a trio of big wins

Interviewed by U.S. broadcasters, Sanders said Democratic 'superdelegates,' who can change their allegiance, might face pressure to rally behind him because most polls suggest he has a better chance than Clinton of beating a Republican candidate.

'Momentum is with us,' Sanders declared on CNN'S State of the Union news program. 'A lot of these super-delegates may rethink their position with Hillary Clinton.'

His latest remarks reflect his plan to chip away at Clinton's commanding lead in the number of delegates needed to win the party's nomination for the November election.

But despite Sanders' success on Saturday, his wins barely dented Clinton's formidable lead.

After Saturday's contests, the former secretary of state led Sanders by just under 300 pledged delegates in the race for the 2,382 needed to win the Democratic nomination.

Adding in the support of super-delegates, which the party created in the early 1980s to give leaders more control over the nominating process, Clinton had 1,712 delegates to 1,004 for Sanders, according to a tally by RealClearPolitics.com.

The Vermont senator breathed fresh life into his campaign for the White House with a clean sweep in caucuses in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington on Saturday

Supporters cheer as Sanders arrives to speak at a campaign rally at the Alliant Energy Center on Saturday in Madison, Wisconsin

The U.S. senator from Vermont needs to win up to two-thirds of the remaining delegates to catch up to Clinton, who will keep piling up delegates even when she loses under a Democratic Party system that awards them proportionally in all states.

About 85 percent of the votes at July's Democratic National Convention in Philadelphia, where a party nominee will be chosen to face the Republicans in the November 8 election, are being determined by state nominating contests.

The other 15 percent is held by party power brokers who are free to vote as they like, meaning they could hold the key in a tight contest. Super-delegates include party leaders and elected senators, members of the U.S. Congress and governors.

But 74-year-old Sanders, who has called for nothing short of 'a revolution' and captured the imagination of younger voters in particular, said he now has the impetus going into another bruising round of primary and caucus contests next month.

'We won six out of seven contests in the last 11 days. We've cut secretary Clinton's lead by a third during that period of time,' a triumphant Sanders told the ABC news program 'This Week.'

'Clearly we have the momentum,' he added, echoing the same sentiment on CNN, where he also declared: 'We think we have a path toward victory.'

Sanders took 81.6 percent against Clinton's 19 percent in Alaska where 16 delegates were up for grabs

The Vermont Senator won 70.6 percent of the vote in Hawaii while Clinton took 29.2 percent

In Washington, another comfortable win as Sanders took 72.6 per cent to Clinton's 27.2 per cent - of the 118 delegates, including super delegates

'The South is the most conservative part of America,' he added. 'We did not do well there. Secretary Clinton gained a lot of delegates. We're out of the South and heading to the West Coast, which is the most progressive part of America.'

Sanders also pointed to a series of national polls that show him consistently doing better than Clinton against Donald Trump, Ted Cruz or Ohio governor John Kasich -- the three Republicans who remain in the hunt for their party's nomination.

'A lot of superdelegates pledged to secretary Clinton, but when they begin to look at the reality... in poll after poll we are beating Donald Trump by much larger margins than is secretary Clinton,' he told CNN.

Sanders, a self-described democratic socialist, also criticized Clinton's reliance on wealthy donors to fund her campaign. He cited a fundraising dinner being hosted next month by actor George Clooney, where supporters will have to donate at least $33,400 to attend, or $353,400, nearly seven times the annual median income, if they want 'premium' seating.

'It is obscene that Secretary Clinton keeps going to big money people to fund her campaign,' Sanders told CNN.

'Our events, we charge $15 or $50 for people to come. So, it's not a criticism of Clooney. It's a criticism of a corrupt finance system.'

Clinton (pictured Thursday), who remains firmly in command in the Democratic race despite a discernible lack of voter trust, was keeping a noticeably low profile after Saturday's heavy losses

Wisconsin will be the next state to hold primaries, on April 5, but Clinton - who polls particularly well among minority groups and hammered Sanders in the South - appears to already have shifted her focus toward November's general election.

At the moment that will most likely pit her against Trump, who is streaking away with the Republican nomination.

Clinton, who remains firmly in command in the Democratic race despite a discernible lack of voter trust, was keeping a noticeably low profile after Saturday's heavy losses.

Meanwhile, Sanders is turning his attention to his native New York, where Democratic voters will divide up 247 delegates on April 19th.

His campaign manager on Sunday wrote a letter to Clinton's manager insisting that a planned televised debate between the candidates in April be held in the state, which Clinton represented as a U.S. senator for eight years.

In the letter, Jeff Weaver said the Clinton campaign had resisted holding the debate in New York.

'Is the Secretary concerned about debating before the people who twice elected her to the U.S. Senate?' Weaver wrote.
A Times Square Spider-Man was arrested by police after a scuffle with a tourist from Virginia.

It all started when Spider-Man and his fellow superhero, Batman, were working the corner of 45th Street and Broadway.

A couple with their four kids wanted to take a picture with them.

Jose Escalona, 42, who works as Batman, caught the brawl on camera, according to the New York Post.

He said that Spider-Man told the family that the superheros 'work for tips' and the man said 'OK'.

A Times Square Spider-Man was arrested by police after a scuffle with a tourist (left) from Virginia. The tourist and his family posed for a picture with the costumed man (right) but stiffed him on the tip. He then allegedly kicked the man's wife

Jose Escalona, 42, who works as Batman, caught the brawl on camera and said the tourist was the aggressor (file photo)

But as soon as they were done taking the photo the wife said: 'I don't have no money!'

And when the woman said she needed to get small bills to tip him, police said he allegedly kicked her, prompting her husband to punch him, according to CBS News.

Spider-Man, who was identified as 37-year-old Abdelamine El-Khezzan said: 'You lied to me! You're not supposed to do that. You have kids with you. You're not supposed to teach that!'

And after throwing a flurry of punches that didn't land, the masked man then shimmied up a light pole, according to The Post.

Both men were taken into custody and charged with assault.

The tourist was identified as Rodney Merrill, 55, of McLean, Virginia.

Escalona told The Post that the police 'got it wrong' despite him showing them the video.

'I showed them the video and they just don't listen. We are not the bad apples,' he said, adding that the tourist was the aggressor.

But Escalona did confirm that this incident didn't involve 26-year-old Junior Bishop, a Times Square Spider-Man who has been arrested at least three times.
Since news that AFL great Billy Brownless' wife Nicky had an affair with his best friend Gary Lyons, the whole family has been thrust even further into the spotlight.

Now his daughter Ruby, 18, has taken to Instagram to post a revealing photo of her sprawled out in bed wearing on lace lingerie.

Posing in a cream coloured bandeau bra and lacy briefs, the teenager looked as though she could have been straight out of American Beauty, with frangipani flowers scattered across the bed.

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Daughter of Billy Brownless Ruby, 18, has shared a racy Instagram snap posing in white lacy lingerie

She appears to be holidaying in Bali with her boyfriend, and her Instagram page is filled with photos of her travels and adventures.

The lingerie photo attracted lots of attention especially from her male followers with many posting comments about her state of undress.

Although some of the racier comments appear to have been removed from the post, some earlier comments read: 'I'm looking at paradise'.

'That's illegal!' read another comment, according to The Daily Telegraph.

It comes after news of former wife Nicky's affair with her ex-husbands best friend Gary Lyons.

In an emotional interview on the AFL Footy Show earlier this month Brownless opened up about the ordeal and revealed his heartache over the affair.

Ruby, 18, (left) is pictured here with her father (centre) and older sister Lucy, 20, (right)

Ruby's Instagram page is filled with photos of her travels and adventures and she has over 15,000 followers

Pictured is Billy Brownless speaking about his ex-wife's affair on the AFL Footy Show earlier this month

'I couldn't believe it. I found out three or four months ago. I asked Garry and Nicky earlier on what is going on and they said they were just good friends. That's what hurts the most,' Brownless said on the Channel Nine program.

'By law it's legal. Morally its wrong. We all know our rights and wrong. You don't touch a man's wallet, you don't touch his wife.'

There were also rumours that Lyons also had an affair with Brownless' eldest daughter Lucy, 20, but he dismissed these as 'hurtful and untrue'.

Lyon has stepped down from all commitments with the Nine Network while he receives treatment for depression, which the Footy Show emphasised has been a problem for 18 months; long out dating his three month affair with Nicky , which is believed to have begun in September.
A mother-of-two who was raped at knifepoint in a university theater more than three decades ago finally tracked down the man who attacked her, only to discover he was already dead.

Joanna Connors was 30 years old and working as a journalist in Cleveland, Ohio, when she was sent out on an assignment to interview some student actors in 1984.

But, arriving late at the theater, she discovered all the actors had left for the day.

As she stood outside, wondering what to do, a man approached and told her he was working on the lights for the show and would give her a tour.

But when Joanna found herself alone backstage with the man, with an Afro and plastic-framed glasses the size of salad plates, a sense of danger overwhelmed her.

Joanna Connors (left) was 30 years old and working as a journalist when she was sent on assignment to a theater in Cleveland, Ohio, and was raped by David Francis (right)

The man pulled a knife, holding the long, rusty blade to her neck, and raped her.

When it was over, terrified the man would kill her, Joanna was led back out into the sunshine of a July afternoon.

Warning her not to go to the police, the man kissed her on the lips and walked away.

But for an unexplained reason, the man returned to the theater on the following day and was arrested.

Joanna is convinced he was looking for her.

For years, all she knew of the man who attacked her was that his name was David Francis, and he had been sent to prison for 30 to 75 years.

Joannas son was born the year after the attack, and two years later she had another child, a baby girl.

It was only when she took her daughter to look around a university campus, 21 years after she was raped, that Joanna experienced a wake-up call  being back at a university had brought on a sudden panic attack that set the wheels of her search in motion.

She realized the rape had taken over her life and left an indelible mark. She began the search for David Francis in an attempt to find closure once and for all.

David was one of the nicest kids youd want to meet. But my sister Laura told me he grew up to be a real thug. Charlene Francis, sister of David

Collecting every document she could find, Joanna began searching through the police reports, witness statements, subpoenas, lab reports, rap sheets, indictments and trial notes.

She discovered Francis life of crime had begun when he was just 12 years old, the result of an abusive relationship with his father that left all eight of the family children scarred for life.

But, hidden among the files, was a court record which would bring Joannas hunt for her attacker to a sudden end.

The document had the word Deceased scrawled across it  as Francis had died in prison on August 18 2000, 16 years after he had attacked her.

According to the death certificate, he had died of unspecified Hodgkins and was buried in the prison cemetery under a brick-sized headstone with only the number 130 to distinguish it.

But Joanna could not let the trail go cold and had come too far to let her search die along with Francis himself.

Instead, she continued to trace his family, and managed to get in touch with his brother Neamiah and his sister Charlene, the eldest of the siblings.

Joanna Connors had been sent out on a journalistic assignment to interview some student actors at a theatre in Cleveland. But she found herself alone backstage in the theatre with a man claiming to be a lighting technician when he attacked her (file image of the backstage area of a theatre)

Charlene told her all about their father, who was nicknamed TC for Top Cat, and worked as a pimp.

A mean alcoholic, he beat their mother and even made the children watch, she said. Charlene described how he beat the boys as well, and verbally abused the girls.

She told Joanna, as recorded in her recently published memoir, how the family would plot ways to kill their father  but that Francis was the only one to ever carry out his plan.

It was funny as hell, she told Joanna.

He locked my father in a room and set the room on fire. He didnt die in it; he jumped out the window, and David took off in TCs brand new Cadillac.

He was about 12 or 13. I didnt see much of him after that.

All the brothers were arrested in their early teens, on charges of theft, breaking and entering, carrying concealed weapons, doing drugs and escaping from detention.

Charlene added: David was one of the nicest kids youd want to meet. But my sister Laura told me he grew up to be a real thug. She said he tried to make her go out on the corner and prostitute, and thats just something I dont believe he would do.

Although she had set out to confront her rapist, Joanna Connors instead found his family and has managed to build a relationship with them that is affectionate, even loving.
Coalition would be returned but with a 2.5 per cent swing to Labor

Malcolm Turnbull's Coalition government could lose up to 12 seats to the Labor Party at the federal election, according to a new survey.

An analysis of recent Newspolls suggests the government is on track to be returned at this year's poll but could lose 10 to 12 seats, giving Mr Turnbull a reduced majority to govern.

Queensland is emerging as a problem state for the government, which is also losing ground in Victoria, Western Australia and New South Wales as it counts down to a possible July 2 election.

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Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull could face a loss of up to 12 seats at this year's federal election according to analysis of the first quarter of 2016 compared to the same period prior to the 2013 poll

Popular with some: The PM is greeted by a well-wisher at mass on Easter Sunday (left) and poses for a selfie with wife Lucy and a fellow parishioner

Despite the slide the support for the Coalition remained higher in the January-March period than in the last quarter of Tony Abbott's leadership

The Coalition has also suffered a fall in support among men and country voters, according to the analysis of Newspolls conducted in the first three months of the year for The Australian.

In Queensland, Coalition support has dropped six percentage points in two-party terms since the 2013 election but it remains ahead of Labor with 51 per cent of the vote.

Labor has recovered ground in Victoria where it actually has a two-party preferred lead of 53 per cent.

But its core support in NSW has flatlined and it has slumped the most in South Australia, while also losing women voters to the Greens.

The latest survey has analysed the political trends in the start of 2016 as compared to the time of the 2013 election and reveals support for the Coalition Government is slipping in most states

The government is facing an overall fall in its primary vote of 1.6 percentage points and a two-party-preferred swing against it of 2.5 percentage points, the analysis shows.

Voter support for the Coalition government is currently less than at the time of the 2013 election.

The Coalition still leads the Labor Party with an estimated 51 per cent of the vote in two-party preferred terms compared to Labor's 49 per cent.

But that compares to support of 53.5 per cent of voters at the time of the 2013 election for the Coalition against Labor's 46.5 per cent standing when Tony Abbott swept Kevin Rudd from office.

The poll comes after the Coalition government recently said that the Budget would be brought forward to May 3 from May 10.

Prime Minister Turnbull, who easily leads Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister 55 to 21 per cent, moved the Budget to clear the decks for a double dissolution election on July 2.
Most recent exhibition of his work is titled Gordon Parks: Higher Ground and chronicles the long road to equality

Born into poverty in Kansas, he broke down the race barrier in

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Gordon Parks, a photographer, humanitarian and civil rights activist is a seminal figure of twentieth century America.

He took pictures that gave the American public the first glimpse of the joy and despair experienced by black Americans during the early 1940s.

Parks got his big break as the first black photojournalist for Life in 1956, the year that Rosa Parks refused to surrender her bus seat to a white passenger, where he told the story of the Thornton family, who lived in Alabama.

He would then dedicate the next decade and more to documenting the Civil Rights Movement, as well as laying bare unseen moments that unfolded backstage.

His skill at conveying intensely private scenes also translated to capturing the spirit of historical moments such as Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream speech, as it echoed from the Lincoln Memorial and throughout a crowd of 250,000.

He met Muhammad Ali after he evaded the draft and was permitted singular access to the Nation of Islam.

Parks was born into poverty and segregation in Kansas in 1912 and was drawn to photography early on after seeing images of migrant works published in a magazine.

He taught himself to work a camera, after buying one in a pawn shop and found employment at the Farm Security Administration (FSA), which chronicled the nation's social conditions.

His unique style and undeniable talent allowed him to break the race barrier within professional photography and later become one of the most celebrated artists of his age.

Parks died in 2006 and the most recent exhibition of his work, titled Gordon Parks: Higher Ground, chronicles how his work followed the long (still not completed) road to equality. The idea being that until equality is achieved, we as a human race 'continue to pray for a higher ground'.

Gordon Parks' skill at conveying intensely private scenes also translated to capturing the spirit of historical moments such as Martin Luther Kings I Have A Dream speech, as it echoed from the Lincoln Memorial and throughout a crowd of 250,000 (pictured)

Parks, a photographer, humanitarian and civil rights activist is a seminal figure of twentieth century America. Pictured: Harlem, 1963

Parks got his big break as the first black photojournalist for Life in 1956, where he told the story of the Thornton family, who lived in Alabama (pictured)

Parks met Muhammad Ali (left) after he evaded the draft and was permitted singular access to the Nation of Islam

His unique style and undeniable talent allowed him to break the race barrier within professional photography and later become one of the most celebrated artists of his age

His unique style and undeniable talent allowed him to break the race barrier within professional photography and later become one of the most celebrated artists of his age

Parks was born into poverty and segregation in Kansas in 1912 and was drawn to photography early on after seeing images of migrant works published in a magazine

Parks dedicated more than a decade to documenting the Civil Rights Movement, as well as laying bare unseen moments that unfolded backstage

He took pictures that gave the American public the first glimpse of the joy and despair experienced by black Americans during the early 1940s
Donald Trump has claimed that England is not a 'safe place' in the wake of the Brussels terrorist attacks.

The leading Republican Presidential candidate said that England was among the countries which have become 'weak' and cannot protect themselves.

Mr Trump said Europe had 'very, very severe' problems with terrorism and that it needed better law enforcement. The property mogul spoke out after saying that, were he to become President, he would make America's allies pay for the 'cloak of protection' the US offers.

Leading Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump (pictured) said Europe had 'very, very severe' problems with terrorism and claimed that England is not a 'safe place' in the wake of the Brussels attacks

In his most detailed comments on foreign policy yet, the billionaire said that he was sick of America being 'ripped off' by its allies.

Mr Trump's comments on Britain risk a backlash similar to that he received in December when he claimed that police in London were 'afraid for their own lives' because some areas of the capital are so radicalised. Speaking to ABC News, Mr Trump was asked it he would feel safe travelling to Europe after the Brussels attacks by IS terrorists, which left at least 31 dead and 340 injured. He said: 'I don't think America is a safe place for Americans, if you want to know the truth.

I don't think Bruss - England or I don't think that Europe is a safe place. No, I don't. I think there are a lot of problems in Europe that are very, very severe.

'Lots of the free world has become weak. When you look at Brussels, when you look at the way they've handled things from law enforcement standpoints, when you look at Paris, when you look at so many other places, no, it's not.

TORIES MOCK HIM (AND CLINTON) Cabinet ministers have been caught out seemingly mocking both Donald Trump and his Democrat rival Hillary Clinton. Justine Greening, the International Development Secretary, is said to have told last week's Cabinet a 'deeply dysfunctional character' could be the next US president  an apparent reference to Republican frontrunner Mr Trump. But according to The Sun, an unidentified Minister shot back: 'Or things could be worse  Donald Trump could win.' By convention, ministers do not comment on foreign elections and David Cameron quickly changed the topic, apparently warning of dire consequences if the exchange about the leading candidates leaked out. He was not so reticent in December when billionaire Mr Trump called for Muslims to be banned from the US, with the Prime Minister labelling his remarks 'divisive, stupid and wrong'. Mr Trump last week claimed Muslims would not tip off security forces if they discovered plans for a Brussels-style bombing but he was condemned by Home Secretary Theresa May as 'just plain wrong'. Advertisement

'But neither is the United States a safe place, because we're allowing thousands of people to come in here. Nobody knows where they're from. Nobody knows who they are and they're coming in here by the thousands. And let me tell you something, we're going to have problems just as big or bigger than they've got.'

In a separate interview with the New York Times over the weekend, Mr Trump outlined his foreign policy in depth for the first time.

He said that he would allow Japan and South Korea to develop their own nuclear deterrents even though it threatens to destabilise the entire Asian region and antagonise North Korea.

Mr Trump denied that his world view was isolationist and preferred to describe it as 'America First'.

He did not mention Britain specifically but said that he was fed up with America being 'taken advantage of' on the world stage. The solution favoured by Mr Trump was to withdraw American support then negotiate a better deal before bringing it back.

He said that he would consider stopping buying oil from Saudi Arabia and other allies in the Middle East unless they committed ground troops to fight the Islamic State.

Another option would be for them to 'substantially reimburse' the US for its role fighting the terrorist group.

Kathleen Hicks, director of the international security program at the Centre for Strategic and International Studies, said Mr Trump was wrong and that America helped other countries 'for entirely selfish reasons'. She added: 'Why do we have military bases in Asia? We have used military bases in Asia because we want to be able to deal with threats far from our shores rather than close to our shores.

'That's smart and it's actually a lot cheaper'.
It's a curious contradiction: the number of atheists in Britain is rising, yet so, too, is the number of people who say they believe in life after death. On this Easter weekend, we asked leading philosophers, authors and religious thinkers to explain what the results of this new study tell us about the modern world... and what they believe about the afterlife.

The number of atheists in Britain is rising, yet so, too, is the number of people who say they believe in life after death

A.N Wilson said that our belief in the afterlife stems from the fact that 'Selfishness is at the core of "modern" culture'

A. N. Wilson: Author and biographer of Jesus

We should not be surprised that while the number of religious believers seems to have fallen, the number of believers in the afterlife has actually risen.

Selfishness is at the core of modern culture. We are encouraged to believe that our own feelings should be paramount, that we should nurse grievances, feel sorry for ourselves, pick at old childhood wounds, blame our parents, our schools, our financial circumstances for our misfortunes, but never blame ourselves.

Since all the great religions teach the opposite  that wisdom only comes about through a conquest of selfishness  it is not surprising that our modern culture, fed by psycho-babble, should wish to take leave of religion.

Yet belief in an afterlife is consoling to those narcissists who cannot imagine a future which does not contain them preferably for all eternity.

Once this is appreciated, you will understand why the me culture would wish to discard all the difficult bits of religion but hold onto the prize at the end. We do not wish to deny our carnal appetites, or to curb our selfishness, but that is not going to stand in the way of our insisting that we will live for ever.

A.C. Grayling discussed how notions of the afterlife have changed through the centuries

A. C. Grayling: Philosopher and Master of New College of the Humanities

In the mythologies of Greece and Rome, life after death was taken for granted, though rather gloomily because the ancients did not think that an endless grey existence in the underworld was much to relish.

Heroes could expect to occupy the Elysian Fields, not because they had lived a life of obedience to the gods, but because they had earned the respect of their fellow humans for their deeds in battle and government.

The Chinese do not believe in a god or gods but have always had a belief in an afterlife, as their respect for their ancestors shows. Every year there is a festival in which people sweep their ancestors graves and offer cakes and pretend money for use by the departed.

Belief in an afterlife arises from several powerful psychological causes.

One is the sheer incredulity with which people contemplate the suggestion that the vivid consciousness we experience can completely vanish when bodily functions cease. How can the rich array of our thoughts, feelings, memories and perceptions be extinguished?

The fact that we have long periods of unconsciousness when we are asleep should remind us that consciousness is not an uninterrupted phenomenon, and its interruptions are evidence that it might well not be a permanent one either. But for many, it is hard to imagine not existing at all.

Another reason is that the dead we care about  our parents and perhaps grandparents  continue to exert their influence even after death, as they live in our minds and memories. That easily translates into a sense that they are still there somewhere, watching us or watching over us, helping or judging.

However, for many people as they grow into old age, the idea of a posthumous existence becomes less attractive. Who wants to start the weary journey all over again, as a new boy or girl at a new school of experience? The idea of release from existence, of ultimate quietude  which Buddhists earnestly teach and seek  seems a blessed prospect.

Professor Colin Blakemore said he always found the afterlife the hardest part of religion to swallow

Colin Blakemore: Professor of Neuroscience

I always found the afterlife the hardest part of religion to swallow.

When I was young, I thought that Jesus seemed like a decent guy, with some powerful messages for how to conduct a good life. And before I knew about DNA and evolution and the Big Bang, even the idea that the universe and life were invented and managed by some kind of benevolent engineer was rather reassuring.

But the afterlife? I could never get my head around those Renaissance images of men with wings and weightless thrones floating in fluffy clouds. How did the anti-gravity bit work?

And, most worrying of all, what did the lucky people who qualified to get in do all day? What would they talk about? Would there be decent theatre? And books to read? And remember, its for ever! It all seemed so preposterous, even rather frightening.

You dont need the fear of God to be a moral person; and you dont need the presence of an intelligent designer to explain the universe. So why cling to the improbable idea of eternal life?

The one thing we can be sure of is that we have this life  the one were living. So we should make the best of it, for ourselves and others.

And if were really worried about wanting to live on, we should seek to make a lasting mark on the world through the things we do in our lifetime. Here and now.

Mail Columnist Bel Mooney discussed how we want to believe our loved ones live on after death

Bel Mooney: Mail advice columnist

At first, the contradiction seems absurd. How can you believe in an afterlife yet deny the existence of a deity who might bestow it? But perhaps the results suggest hope triumphing over experience.

You could call it hedging your bets but, to me, denying God yet believing in something afterwards speaks of a deep sorrow and equally deep need. At the moment, the world seems bleak. It is hardly surprising that people turn their back on the idea of a divine plan when innocent people are blown to bits by a universal wickedness that appears to be gathering strength.

In any case, what God could possibly allow the natural cruelty of disease? A child dying of cancer? The old guy in the sky cant be a God of Love; better slam the door in his face.

Yet still, people long for meaning.

The hope that theres a light within us  a glorious, timeless beacon called soul or spirit  is embedded deep in the human psyche.

People may not go to church, yet they devour stories of after-death experiences. They need to believe in mystery, in infinite possibility.

Also, loving their families, they cant bear to accept that the death of someone close to them is the end of the love.

But I believe that love is stronger than death; that love is the after-life. I may be unsure about God, but Im convinced of that.

SARAH FOOT: I WISH FANATICS DIDN'T BELIEVE IN HEAVEN Sarah Foot can't reconcile with fanatics' ideas of heaven I would love to believe there is an afterlife, that I will go to Heaven and see my beloved parents once more and those dear friends who died too young. If only. How much less painful this life would be. But its something I dont really worry about because my faltering Anglican faith is based in the here and now. This Easter weekend, Christs resurrection and promise of life after death is, for me, not a promise that Im going to Heaven, but that when things go wrong in this life, they can be put right. I believe the real Christian message of life after death is that we can be reborn here on earth. However many times we mess things up, and however desperate and desolate we and the world appear, God will give us another chance. The idea of resurrection, for me, is an encouragement  insistence, even  to pick myself up again and again. I also think its unnerving to place too much emphasis on an afterlife. I find it all too easy to use the guarantee of some future paradise as an excuse not to bother with this life, to give up when the battle feels too tough. And, right now, I even fear the idea of an afterlife, because it can distort how we live this one. The Brussels terror attacks have reminded us yet again of what happens when fundamentalists, banking on the promise of eternity in Heaven, are willing to create hell on earth for others. Advertisement

Libby Purves: Radio 4 presenter

I was a convent girl, raised to believe in the Four Last Things: Death, Judgment, Heaven and Hell. The Catholicism was on my mothers side, counterbalanced by my father being a lapsed Scottish Presbyterian-turned-atheist. So there were two points of view to choose from, which is handy for a child.

And I must admit that when my unbelieving dad died, a dignified and decent man, my mum and I did rather fantasise that there could be an annexe of Heaven designed for chaps like him. Deep club chairs, a full library, and a rule that the steward  bringing not nectar but gin-and-vermouth  should leave his wings, harp and halo outside.

But my real luck was reading C.S. Lewis  author of the Narnia books, Christian fables for children.

In The Last Battle, the good characters and the wicked ones end up in the same place, but the brave, kindly ones see a marvellous new country spreading out around them while the baddies simply cant see it. Whenever the kind ones try to persuade them, they remain convinced they are still in a cramped hut.

In his adult book The Great Divorce, Lewis expands on this idea that Hell is just the inability to see or appreciate goodness: a clenched, furious habit of selfishness. Heaven and God  being the ultimate good thing  can only be perceived and enjoyed if you have tried to follow goodness.

That seemed to make sense, and made me forgive C. S. Lewis for a bit of fusty 1950s misogyny in which one of the children, Susan, doesnt make it to the Heaven bit because she got too interested in clothes and parties. But the poor man didnt know many teenage girls and may have been scared of them.

Today, being older and grumpier, I mainly reflect that there is a curious satisfaction in the fact that we cant know what happens after death. Professor Richard Dawkins, the evolutionary biologist and militant atheist, cant prove theres no afterlife; clerics cant prove there is. Stalemate.

But the Lewis idea lingers that whatever happens to our consciousness next (if, indeed, there is a next) depends on how we tried to live on earth. We make our own heaven.

We may not have to fear hellfire, but there is a sneaking feeling that if you cultivate a nasty nature, youll have to go on living with it.

Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra said that for many Muslims, the new report will be worrying

Shaykh Ibrahim Mogra: Assistant secretary general, Muslim Council

For many Muslims, this report would be puzzling.

Just as in Judaism and Christianity, belief and reliance in God are the central pathway to a successful afterlife. Indeed, while we are promised ample material rewards in Heaven, our religious traditions place a greater value on the fact that after life, we would be closer to God: that is our ultimate salvation.

I am also struck by the suggestion that increasing feelings of entitlement may be fuelling a rise in believing in life after death, despite not accepting religion or God.

This is worrying, especially if it leads, as academics suggest, to less spirituality and more individualism.

Choosing to believe in the afterlife perhaps gives a better life and justice to those who do not have material possessions of any significance despite leading good and righteous lives.

There is a silver lining in that we all have a shared belief that life on this earth is temporary and many have something to look forward to.

However, before the afterlife, we have this worldly life to cherish, enjoy and in which to do good works. For those with a religious belief it is also a time to cultivate and plan for a successful harvest after death.

The Koran teaches us how to ask from God: Our Lord, grant us goodness in this world and goodness in the Hereafter and save us from the punishment of the fire.

Im always fascinated by how God wants us to first ask for this life and then for the afterlife. I think we call this the best of both worlds!

Peter Standford said that he has come to believe Heaven has to be 'beyond words'

Peter Stanford Author of Heaven: A Travellers Guide

In the marketing-speak that creeps ever more into our daily exchanges, the best bit of the religious offer is the promise of an afterlife. That is why so many people who have severed all other ties with formal religion (i.e., churchgoing) continue to cling vaguely to the notion of Heaven. It lends itself perfectly to vagueness.

In Christianity, eternal reward is usually cloaked in talk of white light, tunnels, one-ness with God and a Fathers house with many rooms that allows us to imagine it how we want.

Previous ages were more prescriptive. The best-selling book in America in the 19th century was Elizabeth Stuart Phelps Wards The Gates Ajar, in which this Calvinist ministers daughter painted Heaven as a cleaned-up earth, all gingham tablecloths and the family gathering round the piano, but with all nasty people banished.

It was perfectly calibrated to the aspirations of her God-fearing, segregated age, just as the all-inclusive cloud of celestial well-being where the essence of us survives is tailor-made for todays me-me-me culture.

Press a priest on what they really think Heaven will be like and they will probably be as vague as the rest of us, though there is no risk in promising the (cleaned-up) earth because no one will be coming back afterwards to demand a refund.

Ive come to believe that Heaven has to be ineffable  beyond words  if it is to live up to the promise of eternity.
Bonuses paid to Whitehall officials doling out foreign aid count towards the Government's controversial ring-fenced spending target, the Mail can reveal.

Payouts to civil servants are included in satisfying the legal requirement to spend 0.7 per cent of Britain's income on international development.

Critics warned it was 'bizarre' to reward aid officials for spending ever greater amounts of taxpayers' money.

The revelation came as figures showed nearly nine in ten officials at the Department for International Development (DfID) received bonuses in a single year.

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Payouts to civil servants are included in satisfying the legal requirement to spend 0.7 per cent of Britain's income on international development, it has been revealed. It comes after a petition was set up - and has more than 100,000 signatures - to call on the Government to stop frittering away billions of pounds on foreign aid

It comes after a Mail on Sunday investigation revealed the shocking ways in which Britain's money was spent, including on this 8million palace built by Palestine, which has received 72million of foreign aid

In 2013/14, 89 per cent of the department's 1,800 staff got a 'performance-related' payout worth up to 17,000.

Documents posted on the DfID website reveal it paid out nearly 2.1million in end-of-year bonuses over two years.

Last night Philip Hollobone, Tory MP for Kettering, said: 'I've heard of repatriating overseas aid funds but this is ridiculous. Most civil servants who get bonuses qualify because they've saved taxpayers' money. Here we have a bizarre example of civil servants being given bonuses for spending money.'

Ministers have come under growing pressure to abandon the aid target as public finances at home have become more strained. Aid spending currently stands at around 12billion, and is expected to increase to 15.5billion by the end of the decade. It was just 8.4billion when David Cameron took office in 2010.

Worrying reports have exposed how aid officials were forced to go on last-minute spending sprees in order to hit the target. The moving nature of the commitment  which changes according to GDP  makes it difficult to spend the exact amount required by law.

Three years ago, civil servants spent an extra 1billion over just eight weeks, raising serious doubts over whether the cash was used wisely. A National Audit Office report said: 'Given the limited time available the department could only choose activities where funds could be paid out during 2013. It may therefore have missed opportunities to get the best outcomes.'

Mr Cameron's controversial decision to commit to the 0.7 per cent figure means spending must increase every year if the economy grows, leaving other departments to take the brunt of any cuts.

However, the DfID said the amount spent on staff bonuses had fallen by half a million from its peak of 1.3million in 2010. Department figures show the total bonus pot was 1,239,853 in 2013/14 and 850,800 the following financial year  a total of 2,090,653.

The Global Center For Development was given 5.9million. The US-based think-tank has a 12million HQ

Civil servants in Gaza are funded by western aid, who queue at cashpoints on payday (pictured), even though they haven't had jobs since 2007

In 2013/14, 1,672 junior and mid-ranking staff received bonuses out of a total of 1,828  92 per cent. The maximum bonus was 1,200 and the average was 500.

One in four senior mandarins  21 out of 84  were also given a bonus. Their total pot topped 200,000 with the average award 10,000 and the maximum 17,500.

By 2014/15, the number of junior and mid-ranking officials rose to 1,921, and of those, 504 got a bonus of 1,200. Senior civil servant numbers swelled by 8 per cent in a single year to 91, and of those, 22 got a bonus. The average was 10,750 and the maximum 14,000. That took the annual bonus bill to a total of 850,800.

Last night DfID officials confirmed 'performance-related pay' and staff salaries were counted as part of the target, under rules set by the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.

A spokesman added: 'This department is serious about getting maximum value for taxpayers' money, which is why we more than halved the proportion of staff eligible for performance awards and slashed our spend on them as a result.'

The revelations come after a weekend of damaging claims about aid waste.

Taxpayers' money was spent on a BBC Somali radio drama which featured characters trading tips on how to become an illegal immigrant in Europe, The Mail on Sunday reported. The paper also said more than 5million went to a US think-tank, and that officials from North Korea were flown to Britain for English lessons.

It was also claimed that aid money was used to pay the salaries of convicted terrorists in Palestine.

Britain gives around 72million a year to Palestine, of which around a third goes to the Palestinian Authority (PA). It in turn passes millions to the Palestine Liberation Organisation, which funds 'social welfare' payouts to the families of convicted terrorists in Israeli jails, the investigation found.

But the DfID strongly denied the claims, saying aid spending only went to vetted PA staff.

A spokesman said: 'This allegation is simply incorrect. We have extensive precautions in place to ensure that UK money does not support terror groups.'
In 2013, a banker and his family were attacked by riders on the West Side Highway after his wife threw a plum and water bottle out the window

Several dirt bike groups have gained popularity in NYC in recent years

He claimed they ran through red lights and one woman crossing the street reportedly 'ran for her life'

A group of dirt bike riders crowded the streets of New York City this afternoon, terrifying residents on the Upper East Side as they popped wheelies and reportedly ran through red lights.

The group of 50 people took over all three lanes of traffic as they paraded down Second Avenue in the city, where dirt bikes are not street legal according to the Department of Motor Vehicles.

While some are wary of dirt bike riders after a banker and his family were viciously attacked while they were driving on the West Side Highway in 2013, others have defended the groups as harmless.

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A yellow cab tried to turn down 2nd Avenue, which was filled with dirt bike riders on Saturday afternoon. One man in khaki trousers can be seen with the front wheels of his ATV bike lifted as he stands with just one leg

According to NYPD officer Nadine Gomez, no arrests were made and the group dispersed on their own in what she said was the first incident of the year in the 19th precinct.

While several dirt bike groups have formed in the city over the years, often appearing once the weather warms up, one witness who wished to remain anonymous shared his shock.

He told the Dailymail.com: 'It was a terrifying scene, many of them had masks covering their faces.

'I couldn't believe what I was seeing - a motorcycle gang of about 50 bikes coming from the north of Manhattan. I saw them as they drove by 79th Street.

'They were speeding down Second Avenue ignoring all the signals and driving through red lights. Some of them were even driving on one wheel, it was extraordinary and very frightening.

'One woman was crossing the road as they sped through the crossing. She ran for her life. People couldn't believe what they were seeing.

'With everything that is happening in the world you would've thought the NYPD would've be on the scene chasing them - but nothing.'

The NYPD has previously said a high speed police chase with bikers would be too dangerous for pedestrians.

Wojciech Braszczok (left) was a former undercover detective who was part of a bike gang that attacked Alexian Lien and wife Rosalyn Ng (right) in 2013. He was sentenced to two years

Lien's wife admitted in court that she had thrown a half eaten plum and water bottle out the window to shoo the gang away, but that only angered them

Dirt bike groups have formed throughout the country, with the 12 O'Clock Boys in Baltimore, Maryland, becoming the subject of an acclaimed documentary film in 2013.

In New York, one rider said riding was a form of escape that prevented him from joining gangs and using drugs.

Ben Charles also told the NYTimes in 2013: 'You know how on Sundays some people go to church? This is our church.'

In 2013, banker Alexian Lien was attacked by a bike group, which included undercover detective Wojciech Braszczok, who was later fired and sentenced to two years in prison.

Lien's wife admitted in court that she had thrown a half eaten plum and water bottle out the window to shoo the gang away.

Lien also ran over one biker as he tried to get away and paralyzed the man.

The riders beat Lien, who received two dozen stitches, and tried to drag his wife Rosalyn Ng out of the vehicle while their two-year-old baby sat in the backseat of their SUV.

According to the New York State Department of Motor Vehicles, motorized scooters, mini bikes, and dirt bikes are not allowed on streets, highways, parking lots, or sidewalks.

Riders are subject to being arrested, while ATV riders are banned on public highways unless it has specifically been designated.
The jungle alarm sounded. Three dusty-brown sambar deer lifted their heads from the grass and trumpeted. The red-faced macaque monkeys ceased squabbling and began to bark. A pair of leaping jackals halted in their tracks and howled.

Our guide, naturalist Avijit Dutta, said: Its the alarm call that lets you know a predator is around. You can hear the other animals fear.

We were on the track of tigers in Pench National Park, Madhya Pradesh  the setting for Rudyard Kiplings classic Jungle Book.

Majestic: A royal Bengal tiger in Pench National Park, India, the setting of Rudyard Kiplings Jungle Book

Surprisingly, Rudyard Kipling had never actually been to the enchanted forests that he described in his book

A century and a half after his birth, I was on a guided tour to discover the India that had formed and inspired him. In Pench, I wanted to find not a real-life tiger but Shere Khan  the ferocious furry striped star of his popular Victorian tale.

My journey had begun a thousand miles away on the coast in Mumbai (formerly Bombay), where Kipling was born.

He wouldnt recognise this modern city with a population of 22 million and less green space per person than anywhere on Earth.

But tucked between the half-built skyscrapers, the colonial city still peeks out. The 18th Century St Thomas Cathedral, where baby Rudyard was baptised in 1865, is the oldest surviving colonial building.

Young Rudyard played on the campus of the still-existing Sir J. J. School of Art, where his father was dean.

The monumental Victoria Station (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, used by three million passengers a day)

The Kipling home is a green wooden house with peeling paint and creaking shutters.

Some dispute its the same building he lived in for his first five years, claiming the original was a bungalow since demolished. But its certain this spot inspired one of Kiplings best-known characters, the boy spy Kim, whose fictional home was modelled on the campus.

Kiplings father taught sculpture. His students carved peacocks and mythical beasts on the spires of the monumental Victoria Station (now Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, a Unesco world heritage site used by three million passengers a day).

I boarded the 6.15am train to Aurangabad with a copy of Angus Wilsons 1977 biography The Strange Ride Of Rudyard Kipling to read during the eight-hour journey.

Hawkers jumped on at each stop, selling warm potato pakora and deep-fried bhaji. Tea-sellers balanced silver urns of piping-hot, sweet milky tea on their heads.

The St Thomas Cathedral, where baby Rudyard was baptised in 1865, is the oldest surviving colonial building

Kipling often wrote about travelling by train. The scenes rattling past me had barely changed in 150 years.

The ploughed fields were dotted with millet stalks to feed the cattle; a bright red sari flashed past as a woman bent to pick buds from a cotton bush; wobbling, wooden-wheeled ploughs were pulled by bullocks with brightly painted horns; a gaggle of gaunt teenage boys splashed in a stagnant stream.

Aurangabad was the closest station to Ajanta where, in the 2nd Century BC, 30 caves were dug deep into a cliff, every inch intricately carved and painted with Buddhist imagery.

They took 500 years to complete, were enjoyed as a place of pilgrimage for two centuries, then lost for more than 1,000 years until rediscovered in 1819.

Ajanta is still a working Buddhist temple, so we padded barefoot up the huge stone staircases between the giant carvings of Syrian lions and Chinese dragons. Did Kipling remove his shoes here too, on his long trip inland to the jungle?

At Ajanta, 30 caves were dug deep into a cliff, every inch intricately carved and painted with Buddhist imagery

We drove on to Jalgaon and took an overnight train to Nagpur, the geographical centre of India with four carved horses to mark the spot. From Nagpur it was a four-hour drive to Jamtara Wilderness Camp on the edge of Pench National Park.

Jamtara is glamping in the jungle, with colonial-style square khaki tents and four-poster beds draped with mosquito nets.

The camp was built by the grandson of Kailash Sankhala, founder of the Project Tiger conservation movement. Ten years ago, there were fewer than 1,500 wild Bengal tigers. Now the numbers have increased by about half, and around 100 of them live in Pench.

Nagpur, the geographical centre of India, is marked with four carved horses (pictured: the zero mile pillar)

I had to lift my tent flap at 5am to have the best chance of a sighting. Tigers sleep for 20 hours a day, longer if theyve had a good feed, and are most active at dawn. The guide, Avijit, and his fellow naturalist Anand drove us into the jungle.

Avijit told us to use our ears. A tiger close by causes a commotion as each animal sends out its own unique alarm call.

My list of animals to spot was a little unusual. I didnt want typical safari sightings but characters from The Jungle Book  Kaa the rock python, Hathi the elephant, Tabaqui the jackal, Ko the crow, Mao the peacock, Bandar-log the anarchic langur monkeys  and Shere Khan the tiger. A jackal trotted across our path. Tabaqui! I cried.

We continued on into the jungle as it woke, stopping every few miles to switch off the engine and listen. Indian bison  the largest cattle in the world  lumbered out from behind the teak trees.

A family of five wild boar trotted primly along in front of us. Monkeys dropped from the trees, some with babies clinging to their backs. Langurs! The Bandar-log on my list!

Jamtara Wilderness Camp where square khaki tents and four-poster beds allow visitors to camp in luxury

A group of sambar deer were close by. Monkeys and deer are often spotted together, said Avijit. The monkeys have better sight and the advantage of height in the trees. The deer have a good sense of smell. They watch out for each other.

In the distance, crashing through the undergrowth, the Pench anti-poaching team was patrolling on elephant back. Hathi  the elephant from The Jungle Book! The park has an elephant bakery where massive bread pancakes are cooked for the animals on a huge open- air hotplate.

Once elephants were used to hunt tigers. Now theyre used to protect them, says Avijit.

Evidence of tigers was everywhere. We found two sets of the distinctive five-toed front pawprints, but Avijit said they had been walked over by other animals so must be a few hours old. We stopped at a pile of poo. Avijit picked it up and sniffed. Not fresh, he said. From last night.

As soon as we heard an alarm, however distant, wed start up the Jeep and rush towards it. Perhaps a tiger or pack of wild dogs was nearby, or even a leopard. We stopped and listened again, and again, and again. But we didnt spot a tiger.

Monkeys and deer are often spotted together, said Avijit. The monkeys have better sight and the advantage of height in the trees. The deer have a good sense of smell. They watch out for each other.

Shere Khan may have eluded us. But Id seen a part of India that Kipling must have witnessed  Victorian Mumbai, the view from my train window, the other Jungle Book characters that Kipling wrote about.

My 1,000-mile journey had revealed an India that, until then, Id thought survived only in his story books.

On my final rail journey from Nagpur back down to Mumbai, I finished reading The Strange Ride Of Rudyard Kipling and made a shocking discovery. Kiplings best-known work might have been set in the Pench jungle, but it was all created in the great authors vivid imagination.

He never went there.
Today the nations eyes will be on Putney for the start of the annual Oxford and Cambridge Boat Race.

But you dont need to be an elite rower to experience the joys of this stretch of the Thames  because visitors to the capital can catch a river bus from Putney to the centre of London and beyond.

Last week I was delighted to experience the pleasures of river bus travel by taking the RB6 downriver from Putney.

MBNA Thames Clippers runs a service every 20 minutes between key London piers

The service operates from Monday to Friday and is designed to serve commuters.

The vessel departing at 8.30am was a large sightseeing craft with lots of seats and outside space for superb views as we travelled up past Chelsea and Wandsworth  sights along the way included Battersea Power Station, which is currently being redeveloped, and the Peace Pagoda in Battersea Park.

In less than 30 minutes we were passing the MI6 building at Vauxhall Cross, Tate Britain, and the Houses of Parliament.

Then the sights came thick and fast: the London Eye, the National Theatre and Festival Hall, the Savoy.

Round trip: A river bus passes the Eye as it travels up the Thames river from Putney to the centre of London

This particular service ended at Blackfriars, where we waited ten minutes for the next downriver service.

This next stretch is the star section of the Thames: from St Pauls to the Tower of London, with great views of city sights such as Tower Bridge.

Beyond this, towards Canary Wharf, there are enough relics of wharves and docks to recall when London was the crossroads of world trade.
When most holidaymakers stay at a hotel their only concerns are the nightly rate, view from their room or noise that could disrupt their sleep.

But, with a growing terror threat in countries normally considered safe, a leading security expert says an emergency plan should be a priority for hotel guests.

Rob Walker, head of information and analysis, travel security, at London-based International SOS and Control Risks, has revealed to MailOnline Travel the hotel rooms that offer the most safety in the event of an attack, fire or disaster, plus a number of tips to stay safe.

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A leading security expert says guests should try to book hotel rooms on floors two through five

Walker, a former infantry officer in the British Army, said travellers should book a room higher than the first floor (or second floor in North America) but lower than the sixth floor (seventh floor in North America).

A room on those floors would be high enough to be safe from opportunist burglars but low enough to jump to safety from a balcony or window and within reach of most fire department ladders.

Walker added: We also recommend travellers request rooms on the side of the building further away from the lobby, which is likely to be the main entry point for any attacker.

It is preferable to also choose the side away from other public areas, such as hotel restaurants, as those areas can be a target area, and rooms that are not easily accessed from the street, so as not to be an easy target for criminals.

Yet, ideally it is good to be near the emergency exit stairs.

Walker said its best to avoid rooms with interlocking doors, but if unavoidable make sure they are locked and consider using a door wedge as an extra precaution.

Last November, Islamist militants killed 20 people in a shooting at the Radisson Blu hotel in Bamako, Mali

HOTEL SAFETY TIPS Rob Walker, head of information and analysis, travel security, at London-based International SOS offered these additional tips to stay safe at a hotel: When leaving your room, display the do not disturb' sign.

Leave the light on so that you can easily check that the room is secure on returning. (If a room keycard is required to keep the electricity on, ask reception for an extra one)

Be vigilant when registering, especially if the lobby is crowded. Keep all luggage in view and check in using your work address.

Ensure that your hotel room numbers remain confidential. Do not display the room's key tag in public areas, and stress that the room number should not be given to any inquirers.

Ensure that the door and window locks work properly.

Where terrorism is a threat, it might be better to eat in your room than in bars or restaurants on ground floors. Advertisement

He encourages holidaymakers to have a plan in case of an emergency at their hotel and consider the safety features of their accommodation  something that is rarely done by British tourists.

Before travelling they should find out whether the hotel is in or near neighbourhoods to avoid (choose hotels away from high-crime areas or routes or venues where protests are traditionally held) and whether theres a recent history of hotel-related security incidents at the destination.

When checking in, guests should make sure their room has the appropriate security fittings, including deadbolts, a spy hole and evacuation procedures, and they should take note of the nearest emergency exits and fire retardant kit, said Walker.

He recommends packing a doorstop, which can be wedged under the door to prevent people from entering.

He said: They are an added level of security when you are in the hotel room.'

Guests should do a sweep of the room when they arrive, in case it is occupied by an intruder.

Walker said: One well-known airline advises their staff to prop open the room door with their luggage while they check the room for other people  hiding under the bed, in closets or behind the shower curtain.

He added: In areas with heightened security threats, look for hotels set back from the main thoroughfares, with access controls, like surveillance systems, card-access required for elevators, metal detectors, and visible guards.

Another thing to consider is a hotels communication capabilities, as smaller, independent hotels may not have the infrastructure or capacity of international chain hotels.

Walker said: This can be an important consideration, especially if staying in an area prone to natural disasters or where terrorism threats are a heightened concern.

If theres one object tourists should have with them at all times its a fully charged mobile phone with access to the local telephone network and data.

That way, said Walker, people can call out and request help or inform people if something goes wrong.

He would also keep a small grab bag containing important items such as a passport or other travel documents, bottle of water, mobile phone and chargers that can be picked up quickly in an emergency.

International SOS provides medical and travel security assistance to corporations, large universities and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) around the world.

Recently, it has provided advice to hundreds of clients following recent terror attacks, including some members who called from their hotel rooms while they were caught in terror attacks at hotels in Bamako, Mali, and West Africa.

Following last week's attacks in Brussels, International SOS advised travellers to minimise movement, follow instructions from local authorities and be vigilant for further incidents.

While attacks have occurred at hotels in countries such as Mali, Egypt, Tunisia and India in recent years, there are growing fears that hotels in the UK and the rest of Europe could be targeted in the wake of terror incidents in Paris and Brussels.

Walker said some of his advice is applicable to all destinations, while certain tips are specific to more volatile countries.

He added: Its important to stress that this is all location-dependent to a great extent, and, especially in locations affected by a range of threats  street crime, protests, terrorism, earthquakes  there is a degree of trade-off or compromise in accommodation selection.
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These mesmerising aerial photos of Californias Death Valley are offering a rare birds-eye view of a desert that has been deemed the hottest place on earth and the driest in North America.

The overhead snaps show the spectacular Ubehebe Crater, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes and Badwater Basin, the lowest point in North America with an elevation of 282ft below sea level.

The images were taken by San Francisco-based photographer and pilot Jassen Todorov as he flew over the unforgiving land.

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The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes were used as a filming location for Star Wars, replicating the deserts of the planet Tatooine in Star Wars

Ubehebe Crater, a volcanic depression, is 600ft deep and half a mile wide, and is estimated to be between 2,000 and 7,000 years old

Badwater Basin is the lowest point in North America with an elevation of 282ft below sea level (pictured: Amargosa River)

His incredible shots show the Amargosa River cutting through Badwater Basin and the astonishing depth of the volcanic Ubehebe Crater.

The crater is 600ft deep and half a mile wide, and is estimated to be more than 2,000 years old.

With hypnotic ridges, the barren Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes were used as a filming location for the original Star Wars, replicating the deserts of the planet Tatooine in Star Wars.

Despite its extreme climate, the stunning Death Valley National Park lures thousands of hikers, campers, and cyclists every year.

The Amargosa River is nearly 200 miles long, cutting through eastern California, including Badwater Basin, and southern Nevada

Badwater Basin, nearly eight miles long and five miles wide, occasionally floods when Death Valley is hit by severe thunderstorms

Photographer and pilot Jassen Todorov snapped this mesmerising shot of Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes as he flew overhead

Todorov said the national park is one of his favourite destinations to photograph thanks to its 'great contrast of scenery'

Todorov, a 40-year-old professor of music, said: The Death Valley National Park is one of my favourite destinations to visit as there is always such a great contrast of scenery  snowy mountains with valleys and dunes as well.

It's a hard place to be able to shoot as it is so hot  the hottest place in North America  and is always exciting to be able to visit.

I love to explore the world and the valley is one of the best places to do so as it has so much diversity.

Despite its extreme climate, the stunning Death Valley National Park lures thousands of hikers, campers, and cyclists every year

Death Valley holds the record for the hottest temperature ever recorded (57C), at Furnace Creek in July 1913 (pictured: Badwater Basin)

Summer temperatures often top 49C in the shade with overnight lows dipping to around 35C, said the National Park Service

The history of the area is amazing as well. Human civilisation dates back 10,000 years in the valley and the Ubehebe Crater is between 2,000 and 7,000 years old itself.

Death Valley also holds the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded (57C), at Furnace Creek on July 10, 1913.
A first-time flyer has had an experience she will never forget after she attempted to open a planes emergency exit  inadvertently deploying its evacuation slide  apparently while she tried to find a vacant loo.

The bizarre incident occurred after the 50-year-old woman boarded a China Southern Airlines plane and joined a queue for the toilet.

After she became fed up with the wait, she began to look for other lavatories and tried to open an emergency door while the plane was at a standstill at its gate, Chinese media reported.

Chinese media said the woman attempted to open the emergency exit while she tried to find a vacant loo

The incident occurred while the Airbus A321 was being prepared for take-off at the airport in Chongqing, in south-west China, before a flight to Shenzhen yesterday afternoon, Shanghaiist reported.

Boarding had just completed when passengers on flight CZ3456 heard a loud hissing noise.

The crew investigated and realised that the woman, who was taking her first ever flight, had activated the slide when she tried to open the emergency exit.

Passengers were removed from the plane while the slide was put away, resulting in a two-hour delay.

Angry passengers wrote about the incident and their frustration on Weibo, a social-networking website

Angry passengers expressed their frustration on Weibo, a social-networking website.

One wrote: A passenger wanted to use the toilet but opened the cabin door, the emergency slide deployed, we still havent taken off and were removed from the plane.

Everyone but the woman was allowed back on board.

Her boarding pass and passport were confiscated by cabin crew and she was taken away by police for questioning, Shanghaiist reported.

Under Chinas Civil Aviation Law, passengers can be held criminally liable if they endanger flight safety.

In recent months, there have been several incidents where passengers have opened emergency exits on board idle planes at airports in China.

Earlier this month, a man opened a China Southern Airlines planes emergency exit shortly before take-off

The man in the earlier incident told cabin crew he opened the door because he wanted to 'get some fresh air'

Earlier this month, a man opened a China Southern Airlines planes emergency exit shortly before take-off in Chengdu because wanted to get some fresh air.

The man, who was sat at the rear of the plane, told crew it was too stuffy inside the passenger cabin.

The flight was delayed for about an hour.

Last year, a 42-year-old man was detained by police for 10 days after he opened an emergency exit on an Urumqi Airlines plane.

He claimed he opened the door by mistake because he thought the handle was a handrail that he could grab onto for support.

Earlier in 2015, two passengers, including a tour guide, were detained for 15 days for opening three emergency doors while a China Eastern Airlines plane taxied to a runway.
Her female cast mates have compared her to a dog and consistently given her the cold shoulder.

But luckily Megan McKenna has something in common with TOWIE veteran Chloe Sims, because they're seen to enjoy a double date with their male counterparts on Sunday.

Strengthening their female bond, Megan and Chloe take Pete Wicks and Jon Clark to dinner as a foursome and naturally, talk turns to new rivalries in Essex.

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Sounding off: Megan McKenna and new beau Pete Wicks enjoy a double date with fellow lovebirds Chloe Sims and Jon Clark. Despite the convivial atmosphere, Pegan remain worried about Tommy Mallet's negative feelings toward the Ex On The Beach starlet

The castmates' negativity towards Megan will remain a major talking point as ITVBe airs the next instalment of TOWIE on Sunday.

Ex On The Beach Star Megan and her new beau Pete Wicks share their concerns about Tommy Mallet's negative feelings toward her, even as they enjoy a double date with fellow lovebirds Chloe Sims and former Love Island star Jon Clark.

As the foursome sound off on the issue, James Lock decides to investigate the matter on his own, probing Tommy about his attitude toward the 23-year-old, Barking-born beauty.

Speaking to OK!, Pete recently slammed Tommy and Dan Edgar, saying they lacked loyalty after they failed to support him when he defended Megan.

'You expect your friends to be more supportive towards what youre doing than maybe what I feel they have been,' he said.

Stand by your woman: Speaking to OK!, Pete recently slammed Tommy and Dan Edgar, saying they lacked loyalty after they failed to support him when he defended Megan

Why me? The shade directed at Megan will remain a major talking point as ITVBe airs the next instalment of TOWIE on Sunday

Concerned: Electrical company supervisor James questions Tommy about his attitude toward Megan

Opinionated: Club promoter Tommy gets animated when responding to Lockie at the bar

Elsewhere, Chloe Lewis exposes even more cracks in her relationship with Jake Hall, when she confesses to gal pals Georgia Kousoulou and Kate Wright that they are growing apart.

Later, when she runs into break-up expert Danni Armstrong at the supermarket, she gets tearful and decides to cancel her date with Jake later in the evening.

After reading Chloe's texts, which recount her conversation with Danni, Jake turns to celeb news guru Vas J Morgan for advice.

Vas writes off Danni as 'a scored woman' and advises him to turn the other cheek.

Teary: After telling gal pals Georgia Kousoulou and Kate Wright that she is growing apart from on-off boyfriend Jake Hall, Chloe Lewis bumps into Danni Armstrong at the supermarket

Not feeling it: Danni offers counsel on the matter, which results in Chloe cancelling her date with Jake

Shock: Part-time footballer and fashion designer Jake is visibly shaken when Chloe bails on him

Feeling the heat: Her cancellation marks the latest twist in their on-off relationship

Don't sweat it: Vas J describes Danni's advice as coming from 'a scorned woman' and encourages Jake to ignore it

Recent arrival Courtney Green and fellow newbie Chris Clark go on a cinema date, sharing nervous laughter as they stare into their pop corn.

Kate Wright, who quarrelled with Courtney over Kate's 'dog' dig at Megan, enjoys a swim with Georgia and Chloe L, and complains about Courtney's behaviour towards her on Twitter.

Health is also on the agenda.

Megan tells Chloe M and Courtney about her celiac diagnosis, while James 'Arg' Argent, determined to get back in shape, enrols in a weight loss class with Tommy and Diags.

The drama continues in The Only Way Is Essex on Sunday 27th March at 10pm on ITVBe

In the dark: Courtney Green continues to grow close to fellow TOWIE newbie Chris Clark and the two enjoy a date at the cinema

Nervous laughter? At times the pair, who are still getting to know each other, stared into their respective bags of pop corn while giggling

Defender: Courtney recently confronted Kate Wright over the dog jibe she took at bestie Megan

Not over it: Kate Wright complains about Courtney's behaviour towards while enjoying a swim with Georgia and Courtney L

Say, what? Chloe L listens attentively as Kate expresses her dislike for Courtney's recent remarks

Coming out: Megan tells Chloe M and Courtney about her celiac diagnosis
The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have put Prince Georges name down for his fathers old pre-prep school, Wetherby, I hear.

It could be the clearest sign yet that the couple plan to relocate from Anmer Hall in Norfolk and take up permanent residence at Kensington Palace, which is half a mile from the all-boys school.

There had been speculation that George, right, who currently attends a Montessori nursery, would go to Beeston Hall in Cromer.

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The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have put Prince Georges name down for his fathers old pre-prep school, Wetherby, I hear

That would have allowed Kate, 34, to remain at secluded Anmer Hall, the home she retreated to when she abandoned the 115-year-old tradition of a female Royal presenting the Irish Guards with shamrocks on St Patricks Day.

Although she relishes raising George, two, and his sister Charlotte in the privacy and tranquility of the countryside, it now seems that the Duchess may feel duty-bound to return to London and become full-time working Royal.

It would also explain why Kate undertook a taxpayer-funded 4.5 million refurbishment of Kensington Palace in 2014. If George takes up his place, he will start at Wetherby next year.

See more on Kate Middleton as she will send Prince George to London prep school

Adorable: Princess Diana with Prince Harry and Prince William in their Wetherby uniform

The move will put Kate and William in the capital at a time when the Queen, by then 91, will be reducing her workload.

William and his brother Harry attended Wetherby, which charges 6,500 a term, before they left for Eton feeder Ludgrove prep. Wetherby pupils wear a distinctive red tie, grey cap and scarlet-trimmed blazer  Im sure George will look adorable.

Kensington Palace declined to comment.

Bond Girl Sylvana Henriques famously once said she couldnt marry her beau Lord Bath because being a chocolate lady, it would not have been accepted by a family like this. But times have changed thanks to Emma McQuiston marrying the eccentric aristocrats son, Viscount Weymouth

Bond Girl Sylvana Henriques famously once said she couldnt marry her beau Lord Bath because being a chocolate lady, it would not have been accepted by a family like this. But times have changed thanks to Emma McQuiston marrying the eccentric aristocrats son, Viscount Weymouth.

And not content with being part of one of Britains most famous families, Emma has formed a new girl squad to rival that of pop star Taylor Swift. Calling themselves the Chocolate Charlies Angels, Emma, above centre, US rapper Eve, above right, and model Eunice Olumide turned out last week for Emmas Elizabethan-themed 30th birthday party.

At the lavish event, Princess Dianas niece Kitty Spencer and her boyfriend Niccolo Barattieri donned period costumes, guests were served by some dashing bare-chested waiters, and Emma had a three-tiered cake covered in roses.
She has been happily celebrating her 'birthday week' in the idyllic Bahamas since Thursday.

And the celebrations for Jessica's Hart's lavish 30th birthday do not look to be ending anytime soon.

The supermodel's younger sister Ashley Hart took to Instagram on Saturday to wish Jessica a happy birthday, and used the opportunity to explain the important role in which she has played in her life, writing: 'No words truly can explain my love for you.'

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'No words truly can explain my love for you': Jessica Hart received a gushing tribute from her younger sister Ashley for her 30th happy birthday on Saturday

She started off: 'Jessie-Rae  My beautiful sister - I couldn't be happier celebrating your 30 years on earth.'

'You are such a huge part of me, Iv never lived a day without you as my sister and could never imagine life otherwise [sic].

'You bring a richness to my life that plays out as inexplicable joy, pride and deep gratitude.

'Iv always had you to look up to and inspire to grow into, I admire all of that which you do and who you are, especially Now at 30, what a woman, your success in work, health and heart is at its peek and all held with such grace,' she went on, adding: 'I am so proud of you [sic].'

'You are such a huge part of me': Ashley took the opportunity to describe the unbreakable bond in which the sisters share, writing: 'I've never lived a day without you as my sister and could never imagine life otherwise'

In the post, Ashley then thanked her sister for supporting her throughout her own life, as she continued to gush about her further.

'Thank you for always being there for me no matter what,I am forever here for you and what an honor and joy it is to be, I am so excited to be apart of whatever your next adventures are in life. To be able to witness your brilliance is one of my life's greatest gifts.

'You allow me to fall more in love with who I am by simple recognizing I am the very same source as you,' she wrote.

Svelte and stunning! Jessica showcased her flawless figure in a tiny two-piece on Saturday

Ashley also took the opportunity to describe the unbreakable bond in which the sisters share, as well as explaining that her big sister is her biggest inspiration in life.

'Jess, no words truly can explain my love for you, we share the most unique loves bond that nothing does or could ever compare,' she gushed.

'My appreciation for you, literally moves the bloody flow to my heart.

'A billion times happiness celebrating your birth, My Angel, my dearest friend, my confident, my inspiration, my sister, ' she said, adding: ''I love you .'

'We celebrate you, Jessica Hart:' Ashley Hart celebrated her older sister's 30th birthday by sharing a snap of the siblings and their friends enjoying the Bahamas on Friday

The kind words, were posted underneath an image of Jessica clutching a huge blue and green cake, the numbers 3-0 can be seen sticking out from the top of the desert.

The Aussie beauty looks perfect for her island getaway, wearing a lace dress and straw hat while her blonde mane is tousled into loose beachy waves.

Wearing not a scrap of makeup, the glamazon looks ecstatic as she flashes her trademark gap-toothed grin.

Jessica has been living it up in the sunny Bahamas with a gaggle of bikini-clad girlfriends since Thursday as she celebrates the milestone occasion.

Flying solo: Ashley also shared a solo snap of herself wearing a skimpy swimsuit

On Saturday, the former Victoria's Secret catwalk model showed off her toned physique in a colourful, high-waisted triangle two-piece.

On Friday, her model sister shared some photos of the fun-filled display to her Instagram account, including one photo where Jessica had been lifted above the ground by her friends and sibling.

Ashley gushed over her big sister, writing: 'We celebrate you, Jessica Hart.'

She continued: 'We thank God for you! We love you, we support you, we honor and respect you, we value your very existence.'

Ashley also shared a cheeky solo snap of herself wearing a very revealing one-piece swimsuit that highlighted her ample behind.

The blonde beauty hasn't quite soared to the same career heights as her sister, but her girl-next-door good looks have landed her multiple covers of Women's Health magazine.

Jessica officially kicked off celebrations for her 'birthday week' on Friday, one day ahead of the big day on Saturday.

'May the celebrations begin!' Ashley Hart shared this photo of sister Jessica on Friday during her 'birthday' week during which she will turn the big 3-0

'May the celebrations begin!' Jessica's younger sister Ashley wrote on Instagram, followed by the hash-tag 'birthday week.'

An accompanying photo that Ashley posted of her older sibling, showed her laughing with joy as she watched a sparkler burn on a plate of pastry desserts.

A male pal was seated next to her at the table, but his face was obscured by a square of paper that had been blown up in the air.

In love: Stavros and Jessica have been dating since 2011

The man could well be Jessica's billionaire boyfriend Stavros Niarchos, who previously dated former Hollywood 'it' girls Mary-Kate Olsen and Paris Hilton.

The Greek hunk has been dating Ballarat-born Jessica since 2011.

Jessica is currently featured in the latest issue of Vogue Australia, with Dutch model Lara Stone landing the cover.

The issue is currently on newstands now.
It's only rock n roll but they liked it. Up to 500,000 Cubans gave The Rolling Stones a rapturous welcome on Good Friday as they became the first major international band to play there.

Hello Havana! Good evening to my Cuban people, shouted Mick Jagger in perfect Spanish as he began the massive free outdoor concert with Jumpin Jack Flash.

Later he got a huge roar when he said: We know that years back it was hard to hear our music in Cuba but here we are playing. I think the times are changing.

Hello Havana! Good evening to my Cuban people, shouted Mick Jagger in perfect Spanish as he began the massive free outdoor concert with Jumpin Jack Flash

Later he got a huge roar when he said: We know that years back it was hard to hear our music in Cuba but here we are playing. I think the times are changing'

VIP fans at the outdoor show in Havana included Sir Richard Branson, Richard Gere and Naomi Campbell

The gig at Havanas Sports City stadium came despite the Pope asking the band not to play on Good Friday, and just two days after Barack Obama became the first US president in 90 years to visit the Communist-run island.

After today I can die, said rock fan Joaquin Ortiz, 62, who had to hide his records after Fidel Castros government declared Western music subversive in the 1960s.

VIP fans at the show included Sir Richard Branson, Richard Gere and Naomi Campbell.

This has been an incredible event, a Stones insider said. The Stones were the first to play Russia, the first into China. They are always looking for the next big thing and Cuba is it.

The gig at Havanas Sports City stadium came despite the Pope asking the band not to play on Good Friday

It comes just two days after Barack Obama became the first US president in 90 years to visit the Communist-run island

Keith Richards plays his guitar as the Rolling Stones perform in Havana, Cuba (left) and (right) members of the crowd document the historic show

Up to 500,000 Cubans gave The Rolling Stones a rapturous welcome on Good Friday as they became the first major international band to play there
It has been said that hearing your song on radio for the first time is an unreal feeling.

However, it appears that sixteen years on, the feeling becomes quite the opposite - at least for Sophie Monk.

The 36-year-old shuddered with embarrassment as her debut single Poison - from her early days in Australian girl band Bardot - was played on the radio on Saturday as she dined at a Sydney cafe.

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Special request? Sophie Monk shuddered with embarrassment as her debut single Poison - from her early days in Australian girl band Bardot - was played on the radio on Saturday whilst she dined at a Sydney cafe

As she tried to enjoy her meal, Sophie's embarrassment was evidently palpable as she covered her face in her hands, whilst trying to ignore the catchy tune.

Not doubt trying to fly under the radar would have been made near impossible for the Australia's Got Talent judge, as the reminder of her humble beginnings was blasted through the speakers.

Capturing the tongue-in-cheek moment was a male friend who filmed her reaction upon hearing the unforgettable lyrics billowing out from Darlinghurst cafe Bloody Mary's Sydney.

Her friend is heard asking her: 'What's the song?' as Sophie ignores him and continues sipping her drink as she tries to contain herself from laughing.

Cringe! As she tried to enjoy her meal, Sophie's embarrassment was evidently palpable as she covered her face in her hands, whilst trying to ignore the catchy tune

'They're playing poison!': Sophie tried to ignore the song as she continued sipping her drink whilst trying to contain herself from laughing

Able to see the humour in the situation, the outspoken media personality shared the hilarious video to her Instagram page, writing: 'Omg they're playing poison,' and adding the hashtag 'Bardot.'

For the outing the blonde bombshell flaunted her cleavage in a low-cut maroon singlet which she paired with a pair of grey denim jeans.

She showed off her natural beauty with a light application of makeup, whilst throwing her blonde mane up into a messy bun.

Blast from the past! Poison was released in early 2000 and taken from the band's first album Bardot, spending two weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart, where it was certified Double Platinum

Humble beginnings: Sophie shot to fame after winning Popstar's in 2000, which saw her subsequently join the girl band Bardot

Sophie shot to fame after winning Popstar's in 2000, which saw her subsequently join the girl band Bardot.

Poison was released in early 2000 and taken from the band's first album Bardot, spending two weeks at number one on the Australian singles chart, where it was certified Double Platinum.

The group remains as one of Australia's highest-selling girl groups in the music industry.

Meanwhile, Sophie has gone on to carve out a successful career for herself in media, securing a number of hosting roles on radio and television.

Look at her now! Sophie has gone on to carve out a successful career for herself in media, securing a number of hosting roles on radio and television
She's no stranger to accessorising her outfits with aplomb.

And on Sunday Jennifer Hawkins opted for a pair of fluffy rabbit ears to add to her ensemble to help celebrate Easter.

The 32-year-old model posted an image of herself in the comical headwear to her Instagram page and wrote: 'The bunny ears stay on'.

In the image the model with her back to a mirror and her head titled over her shoulder to take the snap.

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Getting into the spirit: Jennifer Hawkins showed off her playful side as she opted for a pair of fluffy rabbit ears to add to her stylish ensemble as she celebrated Easter on Sunday

The beauty is seen wearing a plunging backless white dress by Australian designer Maurie & Eve along with the statement ears.

Perched on a stool at the breakfast bar in her kitchen, the beauty swept her luscious blonde locks over one shoulder and looked back to snap the picture.

The fluffy bunny ears were an unlikely accessory for the face of Myer, who is usually adorned in designer headwear, but they proved to be an adorable addition to her outfit.

A new favourite? The 32-year-old blonde beauty also added the fluffy ears as she went to inspect the Northern Beaches site of her home which is currently under construction

On Saturday the blonde beauty wore the fluffy ears as she went to inspect the Northern Beaches site of her house which is currently under construction.

Jennifer found a relatively clean place to sit as she posed with her head turned to admire the beautiful waterfront views from their new property.

Dressed stylishly she wore a simple off the shoulder taupe coloured knit dress, paired with Adidas sneakers.

Her husband Jake Wall also took to social media in celebration of the long weekend and posted a sweet throwback picture of the couple together.

Flashback: Her husband Jake Wall also took to social media in celebration of the long weekend and posted an old holiday photo of the pair

Car fun: Earlier this month the smitten couple took some time off together and headed off on a roadtrip for a weekend away together

The image is from their trip to the Maldives in December last year as the loved-up pair, both dressed in white posed beside the clear blue waters on a deck at sunset.

'I hope you are spending the long weekend with the ones you love...' the hunky builder captioned the image.

Earlier this month the smitten couple took some time off together and headed off on a roadtrip for a weekend away together.

Jennifer met her handsome beau just prior to winning the 2004 Miss Universe crown and the couple wed in a lavish Bali wedding in 2013.
She's never been one to hold back a strong statement.

And on Sunday night's episode of The Real Housewives of Melbourne, Gina Liano let her mouth run wild as she told her close friends Chyka Keebaugh and Janet Roach to 'f**k themselves' following a fiery confrontation.

The argument started after Janet and Chyka took Gina aside to ask if she'd left best friend Gamble Breaux's pre-wedding party the previous night to sneak off to her hotel to watch herself on The Celebrity Apprentice, which she was starring in at the time.

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War of words! Gina Liano let loose on Cheeka Keebaugh and Janet Roach on Sunday night's episode of The Real Housewives of Melbourne

'Did you have a party at your room last night when you should've been with Gamble,' asked Janet.

Chyka added: 'We all heard you had a party last night and we weren't invited.'

During her talking head, Chyka further explained the situation.

'Gina had told me that she was planning on watching the show [The Celebrity Apprentice], this was different to what she told us in the pub and she didn't own up to it, and she lied about what had happened.'

After the women went back and forth for a while, with Janet and Chyka continually poking holes in Gina's story, the tough talking barrister finally lost her temper.

'How about you all go f**k yourselves?' she said as she stormed off, before adding: 'I'm not doing this s**t. Get f**ked!'

'We all heard you had a party last night and we weren't invited:' Janet confronted Gina about leaving Gamble Breaux's party early to watch the premiere of The Celebrity Apprentice

'She lied about what had happened:' Chyka was on Janet's side and wanted to get to the bottom of Gina's disappearing act

'How about you all go f**k yourselves?' said Gina after being on the receiving end of a barrage of questions from Janet and Chyka, before adding: 'I'm not doing this s**t. Get f**ked!'

Earlier in the episode, the Housewives got the chance to meet Janet's flirty ex-husband, Brian.

The ladies didn't hold back, with Lydia Schiavello asking the elderly gentleman: ''You're horny all the time. What is with that?'

She added: 'Janet tells us all the time that you're ready for it all the time!'

Brian later launched into an explicit story about receiving a 'happy ending' during a massage in Thailand while still married to Janet, which left Pettifleur Berenger very unimpressed.

'That's a deal-breaker as far as I'm concerned,' she said. 'You'd be out on your ass, honey.'

Old flame: Janet brought her ex-husband Brian along to Gamble's wedding as her plus one

Too much? Brian entertained the other Housewives with a story about receiving a 'happy ending' in Thailand

Not impressed: Even the raunchy Lydia Schiavello wasn't a fan of Brian's explicit story, causing her to jokingly impersonate vomiting

The wedding party was then interrupted by a storm, which threatened to knock over Gamble's enormous cake.

The drama soon stopped during the official toasts and speeches, which saw a very touching moment between Gamble and new stepson Luke Wolfe.

'If I could've dreamed up a son in my wildest dreams, you're the perfect son,' she said.

She added: 'I don't have my own son, so you're it.'

A tearful Luke, who lost his biological mother when he was young, replied: 'I don't have a mum. Now I do.'

'If I could've dreamed up a son in my wildest dreams, you're the perfect son,' said Gamble to stepson Luke Wolfe as she delivered her wedding speech

'I don't have my own son, so you're it,' said the blonde beauty, who now considers Luke her own son

'I don't have a mum. Now I do,' responded a tearful Luke, who lost his biological mother at a young age

Back in Melbourne after the wedding, Gina decided to visit her 82-year-old father, who suffers from dementia, in the nursing home.

'It's sad that I have to remind me dad of who's in his family, their names,' the emotional star said.

The busy star then confessed that 'one day' she might regret not making more time in her jam-packed schedule to visit her dad more often.

Touching moment: Gina went to visit her 82-year-old father in the nursing home

Sharing: The beautiful barrister gifted her father, who is suffering from dementia, a copy of her best-selling autobiography

'It's sad that I have to remind me dad of who's in his family, their names,' the emotional star said as she showed her dear dad some family photos

Janet and Susie McLean wrap up the episode on a lighter note by going on a double date together.

However, the date turns out to be a small disaster, with Susie's 38-year-old beau lacking some serious social skills and manners.

'What a douche!' she screeches at Janet after they left the table. 'He's a chauvinistic, arrogant, self-absorbed...'

The Real Housewives of Melbourne continues on Sunday April 3 at 9:30pm.

The date from hell: Janet and Susie McLean went on a double date together, but it didn't end well
Eric, her only child with partner Simon Cowell, just turned two in February.

So it was little surprise to see Lauren Silverman was preparing a special Easter surprise for the two-year-old, as she was spotted picking up some last minute supplies for the holiday weekend.

Heading out to the shops in Beverly Hills to pick up a parcel, on Saturday, the 38-year-old cut a relaxed and summery figure as she flashed her lithe legs in a thigh-skimming pair of shorts.

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Ready for some Easter fun? A leggy Lauren Silverman appeared to be preparing a special Easter surprise for the two-year-old, as she was spotted picking up some last minute supplies for the holiday weekend

Lauren - who has been dating Simon since 2013 - appeared to have left her son with his father, seizing the opportunity to head out alone and pick up a parcel.

Carrying a box, which looked to be packed full of Easter-themed treats including a cute stuffed bunny, the socialite clearly had a surprise in store for Eric on Sunday.

And while she may have been planning some motherly skulduggery, Lauren cut a decidedly breezy and relaxed figure in the balmy LA weather.

Opting for a decidedly summery look, the Florida-born beauty donned a halterneck bikini, however, she made sure to cover up for her outing with a lightweight white poncho.

Pins on parade: Heading out to the shops in Beverly Hills to pick up a parcel, the 38-year-old cut a relaxed and summery figure as she flashed her lithe legs in a thigh-skimming pair of shorts

Though Lauren was clearly feeling the heat in the city, as she chose to showcase her incredibly lean and lithe pins in a pair of thigh-skimming shorts, which featured a swirling pattern of black and white circles.

Adding a further beach-ready flourish to her look, Simon Cowell's long-term partner slipped on a pair of black Havaianas flip flops - allowing her to subtly flash her ankle tattoo.

Wearing her long chestnut tresses tied back in a loose ponytail, Lauren ensured her hair was kept firmly under control in the balmy breeze thanks to a white panama hat.

Box of treats? Lauren - who has been dating Simon since 2013 - appeared to have left her son with his father, seizing the opportunity to head out alone and pick up a parcel

The Easter bunny has arrived! Carrying a box, which looked to be packed full of Easter-themed treats including a cute stuffed bunny, the socialite clearly had a surprise in store for Eric on Sunday

And adding a further touch of summer to her look, she donned a pair of black wide-framed sunglasses.

Accessorising the rest of her look in a more day-to-day manner, she wore a pair of sparkling diamond studs in her ears and a brace of bangles on her arms, while she hefted a large emerald handbag around.

And while her toddler appeared to be at home with his father, Lauren couldn't help but dote on Eric earlier on in the weekend, as she treated her tot to an outing on Good Friday.

Enjoying some quality mother and son time, she took Eric to the park for a sun-drenched meander and play.

Bonding: Lauren Silverman and her son Eric Cowell, two, appear to be making the most of the sunshine during their temporary return to Los Angeles as they enjoyed a sweet stroll through the park on Friday

And while she was clearly on play duty with her son, the mother-of-two opted for a style that was both easy and yet stylish, as Lauren embraced donned a white and black striped T-shirt.

She continued her swish muted look with white skinny jeans, with their tight fit perfectly highlighting Lauren's enviably slim pins during her brisk stroll.

The American stunner instilled a touch of glamour into the look with T-bar sandals that were emblazoned with a gold embellishment across the foot.

He needs his shades! The sunny rays looked to be a little too much for the adorable tot to handle as he squinted his eyes when he occasionally lifted his head from his mother's shoulder

The socialite tied her brunette locks into a sleek ponytail, framing her pretty face which modelled a neutral make-up palette beneath the over-size shades she sported.

But while Lauren appeared in sprightly spirits during the walk, little Eric appeared seemed less amused as he pulled a grimaced facial expression.

The sunny rays looked to be a little too much for the adorable tot to handle as he squinted his eyes when he occasionally lifted his head from his mother's shoulder.

Chic: Opting for a style that was both easy. yet stylish, the girlfriend of music mogul Simon Cowell channelled the monochrome trend in a white and black striped T-shirt

The youngster was dressed in typically cherubic fashion for his precious park outing in a navy polo top and grey combat shorts.

Lauren and Eric will return to British shores in the not too distant future as Simon prepares to take part in the live episodes of Britain's Got Talent.

This year's series - which will see Amanda Holden, David Walliams and Alesha Dixon once again join Simon on the judging panel - will mark the hit variety competition's tenth anniversary, with the judges promising the show will be 'better than ever'.
New Coronation Street boss Kate Oates has confirmed speculation she's planning to bring some favourite characters back to the soap.

Former Emmerdale producer Kate starts on Corrie this week and has been eyeing the return of some iconic castmembers.

The plans mean former Weatherfield residents Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear), Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy), Reg Holdsworth (Ken Morley) and Mavis Wilton (Thelma Barlow) could be among those back on the cobbles.

Could she be back? Bet Lynch (Julie Goodyear) could be among those returning to Coronation Street

Speaking to the Daily Star, Karen said: 'I've been tossing around a few ideas in my head about who will be back. There's nothing I can really talk about yet. I'd need to talk to the writers first.

'I think Corrie has a strong cast and also a strong history. And it's nice to mix and match.

'I'm looking forward to seeing what the writers are interested in doing and matching their ideas with mine. Often you find yourselves thinking from the same place. You think along similar lines. And I'm sure that's true when it comes to bringing back popular characters.'

Former Rovers Return landlady Bet left Weatherfield in 1995, but has made brief returns to the show in 1999, 2002 and 2003.

New girl on the block: Former Emmerdale producer Kate Oates is making plans for Coronation Street

Old favourites: Curly Watts (Kevin Kennedy), Reg Holdsworth (Ken Morley) could return to the soap

Meanwhile, lovable supermarket manager Curly and his second wife Emma left in 2003 to start a new life.

Actor Kevin's character did return in DVD spin-off A Knight's Tale in 2010, in which Curly revealed his marriage to Emma had ended.

His former boss Reg was written off the soap in 1995, but also returned alongside Curly in A Knight's Tale.

I don't really know! Thelma Barlow played Mavis Wilton until 1997, leaving Weatherfield after the death of her husband Derek (Peter Baldwin)

Rita Tanner's former The Kabin sidekick Mavis, famous for her catchphrase 'I don't really know', quit the cobbles in 1997 to run a guesthouse in the Lake District following the death of her husband Derek.

Back in December, Corrie bosses denied Kate was bringing back former castmembers Helen Flanagan (Rosie Webster), Georgia Taylor (Toyah Battersby) and Keith Duffy (Ciaran McCarthy).
Nova 96.9 prankster Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald was spotted bumping into Sunrise co-host David 'Kochie' Koch at Adelaide Airport on Sunday.

The ex-AFL star, 39, had spent the Easter long weekend with his wife Belinda Irons and their two sons Hewston and Lennox at Port Noarlunga, near where he grew up in South Australia.

And, in a chance encounter, the radio personality bumped into fellow Adelaide native-turned-Sydney resident David Koch, 60, who appeared to be accompanied by his wife Libby.

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What a pleasant surprise! Nova 96.9 personality Ryan 'Fitzy' Fitzgerald (centre) was spotted having a chance encounter with Sunrise co-host David 'Kochie' Koch (right) at Adelaide Airport on Easter Sunday

It seemed to be a good-spirited meeting for the two stars of Sydney morning media, as Fitzy was spotted shaking hands with 'Kochie'.

Meanwhile, the 6ft 5in ex-Big Brother star dressed casually in a black long sleeve top and trainers while accompanied by his growing family.

His wife of eight years Belinda, also known as 'BJ', opted for a double denim look as she pulled along little Lennox, two, who was sat on a yellow pull-along toy.

The doting mother-of-two wore her hair in a stylish updo, while dangling a brown leather handbag over her left arm.

Happy family: The ex-AFL star, 39, had enjoyed the Easter long weekend with his wife Belinda Irons (right) and their two sons Hewston (left) and Lennox (second right) at Port Noarlunga, near where he grew up

Chance encounter: It seemed to be a good-spirited meeting for the two stars of Sydney morning media, as Fitzy (left) was spotted shaking hands with breakfast TV personality 'Kochie' (right)

Thumbs up! Smiling Hewston, six, led the way as the family of four strolled through departures this week

The couple's eldest child Hewston, six, confidently led the way as they strolled through departures - and he even gave a thumbs-up gesture for the cameras.

Over the last few days, Fitzy has been posting images from the family break in Adelaide, and reminiscing jovially about his youthful days.

He shared a sunny snap of himself diving into the ocean with his 73,000 Instagram followers, and tagged several users who seem to be old friends as he reflected on their younger days.

Back home for the holidays: Alongside this sunny Instagram snap, Fitzy tagged several users who seem to be old friends as he reflected on their younger days - adding the caption: 'Just picked up a carton of Woodstocks and Mum's cutting up my acid wash jeans'

Local landmarks: With his tongue, perhaps, firmly in cheek, Fitzy also shared a snap of this clothing shop which seems to be a staple of the community, alongside the caption: 'Good to be home'

Fitzy added the nostalgic caption: 'Just picked up a carton of Woodstocks and Mum's cutting up my acid wash jeans'.

With his tongue, perhaps, firmly in cheek, Fitzy also shared a snap of a clothing shop called 'Jungle Fever', which seems to be a staple of the community, alongside the caption: 'Good to be home'

Meanwhile, last week the 'Fitzy and Wippa' star paid tribute to his beloved wife Belinda on social media as they celebrated eight years of marriage.

'Thank you for being an inspiring Mother and my best mate. I love you': Last week, Fitzy (left) paid an emotional tribute to his wife Belinda (right) on their eight year wedding anniversary

Likewise! Belinda also shared this photo of her husband, describing the breakfast radio star as her 'soulmate'

Alongside a photo of the couple, he wrote: 'She is Rodney Marsh to my Dennis Lillee. The Torvill to my Dean. The Barney Gumble to my Moe's Tavern.

'8 years today married to my wife/life. I am nothing without you @beejahay Thank you for being an inspiring Mother and my best mate. I love you.'

Belinda returned the favour with a similarly heartfelt Instagram post, writing: 'All of me... Loves... All of you... Thank you hunny @fitzy18 for the fabulous last #8yearsanniversary #true #soulmates'.
Their relationship has come under intense scrutiny in the past couple of week, with rumours rife they were heading for a divorce.

But Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland defiantly showed their family is happier than ever, as the couple documented their dun-filled Easter spent with their daughter Sophia.

Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the 31-year-old socialite and her husband, 35, shared some sweet moments from their holiday celebrations with their adorable two-year-old tot.

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Happy familys: Tamara Ecclestone and Jay Rutland defiantly showed their family is happier than ever, as the couple documented their dun-filled Easter spent with their daughter Sophia

Defiantly stating their contentment as a happy family, amid reports Tamara and Jay were heading for a divorce, the pair enjoyed a sentimental splurge on social media.

And despite the F1 heiress supposedly jetting off on holiday with Sophia, leaving Jay at home alone, it appears the family were intent on spending Easter together in a state of domestic bliss.

Jay kicked off the Ecclestone Easter documentation by snapping a sweet snap of his toddler in - presumably - her nursery at home, receiving a visit from an actor dressed as the Easter bunny.

Standing in amazement at the huge fluffy rabbit in her house, Sophia looked to be filled with excitement and shock at the bunny's appearance as the cartoon critter asked for a hug.

Quality family time: Taking to Instagram on Sunday, the 31-year-old socialite and her husband, 35, shared some sweet moments from their holiday celebrations with their adorable two-year-old tot

And clearly delighted with his daughter's reaction, the former City professional captioned the sweet image: 'Easter came to visit....'

But the fun didn't end there, as Tamara couldn't resist getting in on the action and posing up a storm in her PJs and a pair of bunny ears beside her to and their local Easter bunny.

Kneeling next to the rabbit in a pair of pink pajamas, Tamara appeared fresh-faced as she flashed a winning smile at the camera and her husband of three years (who appeared to be on camera duty).

And showing that she's definitely taking after her mother, Sophia pulled the most adorably face, as she sweetly smiled up at the camera from next to her mother and the rabbit.

A very happy Easter: Defiantly stating their contentment as a happy family, amid reports Tamara and Jay were heading for a divorce, the pair enjoyed a sentimental splurge on social media

An egg-celent time! despite the F1 heiress supposedly jetting off on holiday with Sophia, leaving Jay at home alone, it appears the family were intent on spending Easter together in a state of domestic bliss

Tamara shared the sweet snap with her 204,000 followers, simply captioning it, 'Happy Easter'.

But clearly a fan of the picture he'd just snapped Jay also uploaded the picture to his account, gushing in the caption: 'Easter vibes with my two favourites.'

And the Easter fun didn't end there for the family of three, as Tamara shared Sophia's excitement at receiving her own personal, luxury Easter Egg - which almost dwarfed the tiny girl in sheer size.

Stood leaning against the giant chocolate treat, Sophia smiled sweetly as her mother snapped a picture of her firmly enjoying her third - and possibly best - Easter.

Fun for all the family: Jay continued to upload photos of his family enjoying their Easter weekend, sharing many a snap of Easter preparations, his daughter, wife, and dog.

Baring a huge white rabbit on its front alongside a myriad of love heart, the sweet surprise certainly seemed to tickle the tiny toddler's fancy.

And Tamara wasn't done lavishing attention on her family, as she shared a loving snap of Jay with the family's pet pooch, Valentine, jokingly nicknaming the pair 'Easter swines'.

Jay continued to upload photos of his family enjoying their Easter weekend, sharing many a snap of Easter preparations, his daughter, wife, and dog.

The family's holiday fun came less than 12 hours after Tamara addressed the persistent reports of her impending split from Jay - whom she married in 2013.

More family time planned? Jay shared a sweet snap of matching egg baskets and treats for Sophia 'Fifi' and her cousing Lavinia

'For your information, there is no divorce': The family's holiday fun came less than 12 hours after Tamara addressed the persistent reports of her impending split from Jay - whom she married in 2013

Taking to social media she posted a quote, besides which she defiantly wrote: 'For your information, there is no divorce' and simultaneously slammed reports that she had headed off on holiday without him when she listed her location as 'London, United Kingdom'.

The post itself said: 'If you don't see it with your own eyes or hear it with your own ears, don't invent it with your small mind and spread it with your big mouth.'

Tamara's denial comes four days after The Sun newspaper claimed that the socialite, who wed the banker in 2013 has told her inner circle that their relationship is 'effectively over'.

Whilst it also tackled claims made in The Mirror that the socialite had jetted off to Dubai without Jay, taking Sophia away on her own for the Easter weekend.

Tamara did however seem to withdraw her support the City Trader when she didn't accompany him to court earlier this month, where he faced charges of assisting a cocaine trafficker who was on the run from police.
She's recently shown her commitment to an active and healthy Los Angeles lifestyle.

But Rebel Wilson took a break from her training regime on stepping out for lunch with friends on Friday in a garish pink baseball cap and gym ready leggings.

The 36-year-old looked comfortable in her ensemble, opting for an all-black look in three-quarter tights and long sleeved shirt.

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Out in her active wear: Rebel Wilson showed her commitment to a healthier lifestyle, stepping out to lunch in her training gear

The Bridesmaid star added an extra pop of colour to the outfit courtesy of her handbag which matched her cap and bright running shoes perfectly.

Rebel wore her long blonde tresses tied back in a ponytail and hid her make-up free complexion behind a pair of dark sunglasses.

Days earlier the comedian took to social media to show off her fitness progress, sharing a short video of herself showing off the feats of her vigorous and dedicated training.

Running up a steep hill with ease, the Sydney native can be seen raising her hands up in the air in triumph in the five second flick.

See more on Rebel Wilson as she wears gym ready outfit with a garish cap in Los Angeles

Pop of colour: The 36-year-old added a pop of colour to her all-black outfit with a bright colour cap and handbag which she coordinated with her fluro running shoes

There she goes: Rebel was later seen making her way back towards her waiting car

There is not one huff or puff from the How To Be Single star - just a big and beaming smile.

Rebel simply captioned the popular post: 'In training.'

Since moving to LA in 2010, the voluptuous star has opted to pursue a healthier lifestyle.

Thumbs up: The Australian native gives a thumbs up at the camera before she charges up the steep hill

Sprints: The How To Be Single actress starts her sprint along the dirt

Just smiling: There is not one huff or puff from the How To Be Single star, just a big and beaming smile as she heads towards the top of the hill

In an interview with Cosmopolitan UK, the bubbly blonde discussed her change in diet.

'Living in LA you learn a lot about health. I now drink green juices and I'm trying to do gluten-free,' she told the publication.

Adding: 'But I don't do it 100 per cent - I'm not a maniac!'

She also likes to keep her fans updated on her fitness movements, taking snaps of her workouts from all over the globe and then uploading them onto social media.

Sight seeing and exercise: Rebel takes a stroll through Buckingham Palace
They stunned fans when they ended their one year relationship just weeks after returning from a romantic holiday to Thailand.

And breaking her silence on her split from Louis Smith, former TOWIE star Lucy Mecklenburgh admits their coupling fell apart after they spent too much time together.

The pair had been in a long-distance relationship, but after spending an intense couple of weeks together on holidays in New York and Thailand in December and January, they realised they were very different people.

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Splitsville: Louis Smith and Lucy Mecklenburgh, pictured at Wimbledon last summer, split in February after just over a year together

Lucy, 24, admitted she was heartbroken when the Olympic gymnast, 26, told her it was over, claiming he wasn't prepared to discuss their issues in a bid to work through them.

She told the new issue of Fabulous magazine: 'We had very separate lives and when we were together for a very long time, the cracks started to show.'

The pair enjoyed a pre-Christmas break in New York City - which was heavily documented on their respective Instagram accounts - before celebrating their one year anniversary and seeing in the New Year together in Thailand.

See TOWIE updates as Lucy Mecklenburgh reveals Louis Smith dumped her

Calm before the storm: Louis and Lucy spent the New Year together in Thailand, shortly before they parted ways

Lucy admitted she cut back on her social media use in South East Asia after Louis told her he 'irritated' by the amount of time she spent on her smartphone.

She continued: 'It became clear that we were quite different. When we got back from Thailand, I just didnt hear from him after we landed. We got back and it was obvious that for him it was done.'

Reflecting on Louis ending the relationship, Lucy added: 'We did talk once after we got back, but it was very one-sided. He did all the talking and hed made up his mind, so it wasnt really a conversation. Hed already come to the conclusion that it was finished. It wasnt up for discussion.'

News of their split was first reported early last month with Louis confirming they had parted ways on Instagram on 6 February.

'Really hurt': Lucy was upset when Louis posted a photo of American celebrity couple Tyga and Kylie as he confirmed he split from his girlfriend of one year

Posting a photo of American rapper Tyga looking bored as his girlfriend Kylie Jenner was on her phone, Louis wrote: 'Yes me and Lucy have broken up!! Yes I'm ok and I'm glad she's ok as well. And yes we definitely want different things. And no the reason isn't because I refused to settle down it's very different. Have a good day.'

Perhaps referring to Lucy's use of her mobile phone, the fitness buff admitted Louis's photo of Kylie and Tyga 'really hurt'.

Now she has blocked Louis on social media and is focusing her energies on her business instead of dating in the imminent future.

Lucy and Louis first met on BBC gymnastics show Tumble - where she was a contestant and he was a judge - before getting together in December 2014.
She split from her ex David Thewlis in 2010 after almost ten years together.

But Anna Friel, 39, has bought a house across the road from the Harry Potter star for the sake of their ten-year-old daughter Gracie.

The actress maintains a good relationship with her ex and has praised his parenting skills.

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Good friends: Anna Friel, 39, has bought a house across the road from her ex David Thewlis, 53, for the sake of their ten-year-old daughter Gracie

She told the Daily Mirror: 'Hes a great dad and lives just across the road.

'Were the best of friends. Its a bit unconventional, but we get on beautifully.'

The British actress, who first found fame during a two-year stint in Brookside in the early nineties, is set to play the leading role in upcoming crime drama Marcella.

And the mother-of-one has opened up about how she balances a high-profile role with her parenting duties.

'Its always been about trying to ensure my daughter can be with me,' explained Anna.

Loving mother: Anna (pictured with Gracie at the Cliffs of Moher) said she always tried to ensure Gracie could be with her while she worked as she was growing up

But now that her daughter is too old to be taken out of school, Anna has praised the 'normal' working hours of her latest role.

Leaving home at 5.30am and returning between 7.30pm and 8.30pm, once back at the family pad she said she spent her evenings cooking dinner, helping her daughter with her homework and putting Gracie to bed.

The brunette beauty enjoyed a three-year relationship with Welsh actor Rhys Ifans after separating from David, but their romance ended amicably early in 2014 and the pair remain great friends.

She has recently been locked in a legal dispute with a neighbour over a 100,000 extension to her Grade II-listed Georgian town house in Windsor after they claimed it encroaches onto their land by three inches.

Amicable: The former couple (pictured in 2008) get on 'beautifully', according to Anna

The Hollywood star is in the midst of a real-life drama just months after the vast work at the rear of her 1million home was completed.

A neighbour is arguing Ms Friel's new extension has strayed three inches on to her land, contravening planning permission.

Friel bought the Georgian property  which once served as a home for staff at Windsor Castle  in 2013.
Reality TV star Millie Mackintosh has been spotted getting close to ex-boyfriend Hugo Taylor, just weeks after announcing her split from husband Professor Green.

The model, 26, was spotted kissing her former Made In Chelsea co-star and lover Hugo, 29, at the British Polo Day in Dubai on Friday.

Wearing a blue and white dress, Millie was seen with her arms around sunglasses entrepreneur Hugo as they kissed at a table at the event .

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Reality bites: Former Made In Chelsea co-stars Millie Mackintosh and Hugo Taylor, pictured in 2011, were pictured getting close in Dubai on Friday

Still close: The model, 26, was spotted kissing her former Made In Chelsea co-star and lover Hugo, 29, at the British Polo Day

An onlooker at the Polo said Millie appeared to be emotional and covered her face as she chatted quietly to Hugo.

The onlooker told The Sun On Sunday: 'They looked very cosy and seemed to be very close again.'

Millie has been in the United Arab Emirates since Thursday after flying in for a long weekend with her friends Clarissa Walsh and Hattie Clark.

Spring getaway: Millie looked lovely in a blue and white dress as she attended the event on Friday

The high life: Hugo looked pretty pleased with the Bentley he arrived in to watch the polo... and mingle with his ex-girlfriend

The fashionista's holiday comes just five weeks after she and rapper Prof Green - real name Stephen Manderson - announced they had separated after just over two years of marriage.

In a statement at the time, they said: 'It is with sadness and regret that we confirm our separation.

'It is a mutual decision, we still care deeply about each other and would like it to be known that it is on amicable terms and we wish each other well.'

Meanwhile, Hugo and Millie originally dated for around six months back in 2011, but split after he cheated on her.

Splitsville: Millie and estranged husband Professor Green in London last September, before they announced their separation in February this year

Their dramatic relationship played out on Series 1 and 2 of Made In Chelsea, with Millie accusing Hugo and her close friend Rosie Fortescue for kissing while they were dating.

Soon after splitting from Hugo, Millie met Professor Green in November 2011, before they announced their engagement in March 2013 and married that September.

In an interview shortly before she met Prof Green, Millie spoke fondly of Hugo: 'I loved him - those feelings dont disappear  but I just always have to remind myself why were not together.

This is the life: A bikini-clad Millie and her friend Clarissa Walsh partied at the Eden beach club in Dubai on Saturday

'I do think that, for the rest of my life, every time I see him, Ill get that feeling in my stomach. I dont think I could ever not get that butterfly feeling.'

Millie and Hugo managed to salvage a friendship following their split, with the former getting to know his next girlfriend Natalie Joel, who he dated for two years.

Former Made In Chelsea star Millie's jaunt to Dubai is her fourth holiday so far this year.

She enjoyed a break to the Maldives in January before trips to Portugal and Sydney earlier this month.

MailOnline has contacted Millie's rep for comment.

Sad to leave: Millie posted an Instagram on Easter Sunday that she was lamenting returning home to the UK

Great minds think alike: Also on Sunday, Hugo was also posing on a beach, admitting it was his last day in the UAE as well
Their band broke up due to a bitter brotherly dispute.

But Noel Gallagher has hinted that he may tour with Oasis again, this time without his little brother and collaborator Liam.

The rock band - who became famous with hits such as Wonderwall and Champagne Supernova - split in 2009 after Noel, 48, said he could no longer work with frontman Liam, 43.

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Definitely maybe reuniting? Noel Gallagher, 48, said that he would like to tour with Oasis again without his little brother, Liam, 43

However, it appears as though he may have had a change of heart, at least as far as reuniting with the band is concerned.

Speaking to The Mirror on Friday, he revealed he would get back together with his former bandmates and perform his old classics again.

'I could see a day where, myself, I could do shows with just Oasis songs.'

But he added he wasn't sure that sparring partner Liam would be ready to tour with him again.

Rocking on: Noel said that he could see himself doing a show with just Oasis songs at some point in the future

He said: 'He tends to make the easiest things really difficult. Liam is a very angry man still.'

'So he is not cool. I might think about it. There might come a day, one day, where it might seem like a good idea, but I have so much I want to do on my own.'

When they were together in the height of the 1990s Brit Pop era, Oasis sold more than 70 million records and made eight number one albums.

Despite not making music together for nearly seven years, the brothers were still placed as 28th in The Times' Rich List in 2015 after it was estimated they were worth a staggering 77million.

There were rumours last year that the group would be reuniting. However, Liam later slammed Noel for getting fan's hopes up for no reason.

Not-so brotherly love: Liam Gallagher slammed his brother last year for getting fan's hopes up about a reunion

Champagne supergroup: Oasis (pictured in 1995) sold more than 70 million records and made eight number one albums while they were together

Meanwhile Noel was forced to cancel a gig of his in New Zealand earlier this week, due to the delivery of his musical gear being delayed due to 'stormy weather' en route from Chile.

Noel took to social media to apologise and said he was disappointed because it would have been the first time he's played the country in almost 20 years.

A post on his Instagram account explained: 'Not that any of it was my fault but I feel compelled to extend my apologies to those who were looking forward to the show tonight (me included!) Circumstances beyond our control have scuppered what was going to be my first proper gig in New Zealand since 97/98! Apologies again. (sic)'

A representative for the rocker said the whole team behind his show were also annoyed that they'd travelled all the way and even tried to try and work out a way of him performing, but 'regrettably' had to cancel the gig.

The spokesperson said: 'Everyone is really disappointed to have come all this way and not be able to do a show. Despite our crew working on alternatives since the early hours of this morning there is too much equipment missing so we have regrettably taken the decision to cancel the performance.'

Noel later took to Instagram to reveal he'd arrived in Sydney ahead of his show there on Saturday and said he was still awaiting his instruments.

He added: 'Well I'm here anyway! As for my equipment? I shall keep you posted. (sic).'
Janet Jackson returns to stage in Dubai

Janet Jackson on Saturday returned to the stage after a four-month hiatus for mysterious health reasons, bringing her energetic dance show to Dubai.

The pop superstar performed in the Gulf emirate as the entertainer to close the Dubai World Cup, the world's most lucrative horse race.

She went ahead with the show following a series of cancellations which included an abrupt delay of the entire European portion of her "Unbreakable" tour.

US singer Janet Jackson performs during the Dubai World Cup horse racing event on March 26, 2016 at the Meydan racecourse in the United Arab Emirate of Dubai Karim Sahib (AFP)

With a troupe of choreographed dancers gliding behind her, Jackson put on a medley of hits including her classic "Control" and the more recent and funkier "All Nite (Don't Stop)."

Jackson -- whose 2004 performance at another sporting event, the Super Bowl, was marred by the exposure of her breast -- left open no chance of a similar "wardrobe malfunction" in the Muslim emirate, wearing an arms-length black jumpsuit with an oversized necklace.

Jackson last year released "Unbreakable," her first album since the death of her brother Michael Jackson in 2009, and embarked on a major tour.

But until Dubai, she had not performed since November 22 in Japan. On Christmas Eve, she announced a delay in her North American tour, saying that she needed an urgent operation.

The 49-year-old revealed no other details about her health but later issued a statement to deny speculation that she was suffering from cancer.

With her European tour off, she is not due to perform again until May 14 in Las Vegas as she resumes performances in North America.

Jackson has ties to the Gulf as she married Wissam Al Mana, a billionaire businessman from Qatar, in a private ceremony in 2012.

Her late brother moved temporarily to Bahrain at the invitation of a prince as the King of Pop tried to evade the media glare following his 2005 acquittal on child molestation charges.
American couple missing in Brussels confirmed dead in attacks

An American couple reported missing after last week's terror attacks at Brussels' airport and metro were among the people killed, the company that employed the husband said.

Justin and Stephanie Shults, a husband and wife who were reported missing after dropping her mother off at Brussels airport, were killed in the blasts there, his employer said.

"We have learned today that Justin and Stephanie Shults died in the bombing at Brussels airport," Clarcor, the filtration company where Justin worked, said in a statement posted on its website.

Members of the emergency services attend a gathering to pay tribute to the victims of the Brussels attacks Patrik Stollarz (AFP/File)

A Twitter account that US media said belonged to Shults' brother, Levi Sutton, also confirmed their deaths.

"We found out today that cowards took my brother's life just weeks after his 30th birthday," Sutton wrote in a message posted Saturday.

"I was blessed to have Justin as a big brother. He was smart and kind and generous," he said.

"Stephanie was always so happy. I really enjoyed any chance I got to be around her. The world lost two amazing people today. It's not fair," he added.

The couple had lived in Brussels since 2014, Clarcor said. Both were accountants, according to NBC News.

On Friday, the US State Department confirmed that two Americans were killed in the Brussels attacks on Tuesday and that other US citizens were missing.
Al-Jazeera says to cut around 500 jobs

Qatar's state-funded broadcaster Al-Jazeera on Sunday announced a fresh round of job cuts with around 500 positions being lost, most of them at the network's Doha headquarters.

On top of existing losses of 700 jobs following an announcement earlier this year that Al-Jazeera America is to close, it means the broadcaster is set to shed more than 20 percent of its global workforce.

In total, the job cuts will reduce Al-Jazeera's staff numbers from around 5,200 to 4,000.

Executives at Qatar-based Al-Jazeera attend a welcome ceremony at the channel's newsroom in Doha on October 15, 2015 for their freed journalist Mohamed Fahmy after his release from Egyptian prisons Faisal al-Tamimi (AFP/File)

The cuts come at a time when gas and oil-rich Qatar is readjusting its spending priorities as it grapples with the global slump in energy prices.

Al-Jazeera said on Sunday that after a management review it was "expected that around 500 positions worldwide will be impacted, the majority of which are in Qatar".

Announcing the job losses in a statement, acting Director General, Mostefa Souag, said the cuts would allow the network "to evolve our business operation in order to maintain a leading position and continue our recognised commitment to high quality, independent and hard-hitting journalism around the world.

"While our decision is consistent with those being made across the media industry worldwide, it was difficult to make nonetheless."

He added: "However, we are confident it is the right step to ensure the network's long-term competitiveness and reach."

According to one Al-Jazeera official, up to 60 percent of the job cuts -- 300 positions -- could come at the broadcaster's Doha base.

The official told AFP that job losses could begin to be enforced within the next week, and most would be in non-editorial positions.

Staff members were apparently told on Sunday that Al-Jazeera English would be spared.

One employee at the network, who did not wish to be named, told AFP that the job losses were expected but that had created "a lot of paranoia" among staff as they waited to be officially told.

"We have been waiting for this announcement. Since the middle of January we were told next week, then next week, there was a lot of speculation."

Another told AFP that the majority of job losses would be in sections such as IT and that each employee laid-off would receive at least two months' salary.

Al-Jazeera media network broadcasts in several languages.

It has around 80 bureaus worldwide and Al-Jazeera English reaches 270 million homes every day, says the broadcaster.

Al-Jazeera Arabic is watched by 27 million viewers daily while its online channel "AJ+" has received some 1.2 billion views since launching last September.

- 'Shake-up' needed -

The latest job losses come at a time when Qatar, a major gas and oil producer, has seen its revenues drop sharply as energy prices nosedived.

Qatar has already forecast a budget deficit of more than $12 billion in 2016, its first in fifteen years.

In addition, the emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani warned last December of "wasteful spending, overstaffing and a lack of accountability" across Qatar.

The current financial issues are probably the greatest the network has faced since it began broadcasting 20 years ago.

Khaled Hroub, professor of Middle East politics and Arab media at Northwestern University in Qatar, said the broadcaster needed a "shake-up" but the cuts sent out a "bold message".

"I think by this decision, Qatari officials attempt to deliver a bold message to everyone, including their own citizens, that a current policy of huge cuts and vigilant spending is very serious, due to the continuation decline in oil prices.

"Applying these cuts even to Al-Jazeera, one of the most cherished institutions in the country, sends a warning that nobody and no institution could be spared."
Netanyahu defends Israeli army after soldier shot wounded Palestinian

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the Israeli army Sunday as controversy gripped the country over a soldier caught on video shooting a Palestinian assailant in the head as he lay on the ground.

The issue reportedly sparked a bitter argument behind closed doors at the Israeli government's weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday.

Thursday's shooting incident led to the soldier's arrest and strong condemnation from military officials, but some rightwing politicians and their supporters have reacted angrily to the response.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu attends the weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem, on March 27, 2016 Abir Sultan (Pool/AFP)

Netanyahu on Thursday joined condemnations of the soldier's behaviour but appeared to backpedal slightly Sunday in remarks at the start of the cabinet meeting.

"Any challenge to the morality of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is outrageous and unacceptable," he said.

"The soldiers of the IDF, our children, maintain high ethical values while courageously fighting against bloodthirsty murderers under difficult operational conditions.

"I am certain that in all cases, as in the current one, the inquiry takes into account all conditions. We must all support the IDF chief of staff, the IDF and our soldiers, who safeguard our security."

Netanyahu leads one of the most rightwing governments in Israeli history but holds only a one-seat majority in parliament.

Video from Thursday's incident in Hebron in the occupied West Bank spread widely online and threatened to further inflame tensions amid a wave of violence that erupted in October.

It showed a 21-year-old Palestinian, who along with another man had allegedly stabbed a soldier minutes earlier, lying on the ground, apparently after being shot.

The soldier then shoots him again, in the head, without any apparent provocation. The Palestinian, Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, was killed.

Sarit Michaeli, a spokeswoman for Israeli rights group B'Tselem, which posted the video, called it an "execution".

The UN's special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, called it "a gruesome, immoral and unjust act".

- Cabinet clash -

The soldier was detained, and Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon vowed that the incident would be treated with "utmost severity".

But far-right politicians, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett, have defended the soldier, while members of his family said he was being publicly "lynched" and would not receive a fair trial.

Bennett questioned whether the soldier thought the Palestinian had explosives on him, though there were reports that he had already been checked for a suicide belt before the shooting.

"The soldier is not a murderer," Bennett wrote on his Facebook page. "Have we lost our minds? We are at war, a war against brutal terrorism."

In an apparent response to Bennett's remarks, Yaalon lashed out against "ministers and members of parliament" conducting an "unprecedented incitement campaign against the army, chief of staff, and senior commanders."

Politicians offering unconditional support to the soldier were motivated by "populist" considerations "at the price of harming the military, as well as Israel's national resilience," Yaalon said.

Israeli media reported that Netanyahu clashed with Bennett over the issue at the cabinet meeting.

Several dozen people protested to call for the soldier's release over the weekend, Israeli media reported, while posters were seen calling for military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot's resignation.

An online petition meanwhile called on Netanyahu, Yaalon and Eisenkot to award the soldier, garnering more than 42,000 signatures by Sunday afternoon.

"This soldier, an Israeli hero, had to shoot the terrorist dead to prevent even the smallest threat to his life and that of his comrades, therefore he should receive a citation and not be arrested," the petition read.

"If you don't intend on doing so, we, the citizens of Israel, hereby award him the Medal of Valour, Medal of Courage, and Medal of Distinguished Service," it read.

Violence since October has left 200 Palestinians and 28 Israelis dead.

Most of the Palestinians killed were carrying out knife, gun or car-ramming attacks, according to Israeli authorities.

But Israeli forces have also been accused of using excessive force in some cases, charges which they have firmly denied.

Israeli soldiers cover the body of a Palestinian assailant who was allegedly shot in the head by an Israeli soldier as he lay wounded on the ground after injuring an Israeli soldier with a fellow Palestinian attacker March 24, 2016 Hazem Bader (AFP/File)
'Nothing has changed' says abused Hong Kong maid Erwiana

It is just over a year since Erwiana Sulistyaningsih's Hong Kong employer was jailed for horrific abuse of her maid in a case that made headlines around the world.

After pictures of Erwiana's extensive injuries went viral in 2014, the young Indonesian became the face of a movement determined to force change for the army of more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.

Although she never admitted her guilt, employer Law Wan-tung was jailed for six years, a triumph for quietly spoken Erwiana who was held up as a hero.

Indonesian former maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih (C) speaks during an event in Hong Kong on March 27, 2016 Dale de la Rey (AFP)

Both she and migrant rights campaigners hoped the high-profile case would bring enough pressure on authorities in Hong Kong and Indonesia to improve conditions for migrant domestic workers, known locally as "helpers".

A year on, they say it has not.

Visiting Hong Kong for the launch of a documentary about her case and the plight of other maids in the city, Erwiana broke down in tears in front of the audience of mostly Indonesian women, some of whom also wept, as she spoke of her ongoing frustration.

"I hear stories of abuse, cheating and exploitation by recruitment agencies, many different cases, and not just women," Erwiana, 25, told AFP in an interview.

"We haven't seen any changes yet. There are still so many cases of migrants who never get justice."

Most of Hong Kong's foreign domestic workers are from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Erwiana and fellow campaigners say workers' home countries and receiving countries must clamp down on the private recruitment agencies that extract exorbitant fees from migrants, plunging them into debt before they even start their jobs.

Workers' passports are routinely kept by their agencies or employers, to stop them from running away.

Abolition of the hated "live-in" rule in Hong Kong, which forces migrant domestic workers to live with their employers, making it almost impossible to escape abusive households, is another key demand.

Campaigners have argued these points repeatedly, even before Erwiana's case, but they have fallen on deaf ears with authorities.

A report released earlier this month by Hong Kong's Justice Centre said one in six migrant domestic workers in the city -- around 50,000 people -- were in "forced labour".

Its findings come after a report by the UN Committee Against Torture in December urged Hong Kong authorities to reform laws in order to protect victims of forced labour and trafficking.

"I feel sad. I remember my experiences. The cases keep coming and coming," says Erwiana.

- 'There is hope' -

The new film launched Sunday, entitled "Erwiana: Justice For All", was shot by Hong Kong-based US filmmaker Gabriel Ordaz and will initially be screened at universities in the city.

Ordaz says he is taking the movie to film festivals in the hope of getting the message out internationally.

The documentary recounts tales of women who have been pushed by poverty to leave their home countries in a bid to create a better life for their families.

It also revisits the horrors of Erwiana's experience, revealed during her trial -- she was imprisoned, starved and when her body was so weak that she could no longer control her bodily functions she was forced to wear a diaper.

Erwiana is now studying economics and business back home and is working as a counsellor and advisor to migrant workers.

She says she finds it difficult to breathe through a still broken nose, her feet are scarred and she receives counselling.

She is no longer frightened of loud noises as she was in the immediate aftermath of the abuse, but says she has trouble focusing for more than 20 minutes.

"My mind just goes blank," she says.

It is speaking about her mother, who also worked as a domestic worker in Brunei, which brings her to tears at Sunday's screening.

"Every day I wished she could return so she could raise us, her own children... my mother, and millions of women and men, were forced to work overseas because of poverty and no decent jobs in our home countries," she told the audience.

But despite her frustrations, Erwiana says there is still hope.

Hundreds of supporters gathered in Hong Kong's Victoria Park Sunday afternoon to chat with Erwiana in the sunshine.

Since her case came to light, she says many migrant domestic workers have contacted her to discuss their own situations.

Erwiana helps put them in touch with a network of NGOs in various countries.

"They (the workers) feel that there is a way to help them," she told AFP.

And while there are still many hurdles to overcome, Erwiana says campaigners must not give up.

"If we don't take care of ourselves, no one will," she says.

A group of protesters gather outside the courthouse in support of Indonesian former maid Erwiana Sulistyaningsih in Hong Kong on February 10, 2015 Philippe Lopez (AFP/File)
Syria's Assad hails Palmyra capture as 'important achievement'

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday hailed his troops' victory over the Islamic State group in the ancient oasis city of Palmyra as an "important achievement."

"This is an important achievement and fresh proof of the efficiency of the Syrian army and its allies in fighting terrorism," Assad said of the recapture of Palmyra, during a meeting with French parliamentarians in Damascus.

He also hit out at the global coalition striking IS in Syria and Iraq, saying his army's victory "shows the coalition -- led by the US and including more than 60 countries -- isn't serious about fighting terrorism".

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad answers questions during an interview with German public broadcaster ARD in the Syrian capital Damascus in a picture released by the official Syrian Arab News Agency (SANA) on March 1, 2016

Russian-backed troops and allied militia pushed the jihadists out of the ancient city earlier on Sunday in a major strategic and symbolic win.

Syria's government has strived to position itself as the primary anti-jihadist force in the country.

The army pledged on Sunday to build on its win in Palmyra by pushing their offensives against IS strongholds in northern Raqa and Deir Ezzor in the east.

The US-led coalition has been carrying out strikes against IS in Syria since September 2014, and Russia began its own air campaign in support of Assad one year later.
Putin hails Palmyra recapture, trumpets Russian role

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sunday hailed Syria's recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra, while stressing the role of Moscow's military in reversing the Islamic State tide.

The recapture of the ancient city represents a major victory over the Islamic State group, whose fighters had destroyed many monuments at the UNESCO world heritage site since they overran it in May last year.

Putin phoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to personally congratulate him Sunday, the Kremlin said.

Russian President Vladimir Putin phoned Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to personally congratulate him on the recapture of Palmyra, the Kremlin said Kirill Kudryavtsev (Pool/AFP/File)

"Putin congratulated Assad on Syrian forces successfully completing a large-scale operation to liberate Palmyra with the support of Russian air and space forces," the Kremlin said in a statement.

Assad in turn "expressed gratitude for the effective help given by the Russian ... air forces to Syrian forces," the Kremlin said.

The Syrian leader told Putin "successes such as the liberation of Palmyra would be impossible without Russia's support," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told RIA Novosti state news agency.

Backed by a barrage of Russian air strikes, Syrian troops and allied militia launched a major offensive to retake the desert city earlier this month.

Moscow pledged its full support despite announcing on March 14 a surprise order from Putin to start withdrawing armed forces from Syria.

Russian state television on Sunday emphasised that its troops played a key role in the liberation of Palmyra.

"The support of Russian aviation helped to fully push out terrorists from ancient Palmyra," reported state-controlled Channel One television.

The Rossiya-1 channel has repeatedly aired spectacular aerial footage obtained from a drone it sent up over Palmyra, showing the colossal damage wreaked by IS to the historic monuments.

"What the rebel fighters did not have time to destroy while they controlled Palmyra, the Syrian army has saved, with support from the Russian air and space forces," reported Rossiya-1's war correspondent from Palmyra on Sunday.

- Mine-clearing operation -

Putin has ordered the defence ministry to provide "maximum assistance to the Syrian side in clearing mines in the liberated territories, taking into account their significance for world culture," the Kremlin said.

Putin told Assad he hoped "international experts will be able to start work on preserving and restoring the historic appearance of ancient Palmyra immediately after the mine-clearing operation finishes," the Kremlin said.

Putin earlier Sunday spoke by telephone with UNESCO chief Irina Bokova about the fate of Palmyra.

Putin and Bokova agreed that UNESCO, along with Russia and Syria, will soon be able to assess "the damage caused by terrorists to Palmyra and also develop a plan to restore what can still be restored," Peskov said.

Assad described the conflict in Syria, now in its sixth year as a "struggle for oil" to Putin, while adding: "There is a lot of oil everywhere but there is only one Palmyra", Peskov said.

The Syrian leader praised "Russia's political and diplomatic efforts" in resolving the conflict, the Kremlin said.

Russian armed forces will continue to help the Syrian regime to "fight terrorism and rid their land of extremist groups" Putin was quoted as saying by Peskov.

Both Assad and Putin expressed "hope for progress to be reached in dialogue between the Syrian sides and in promoting constitutional reforms," the Kremlin said.

Syrian government forces stand in military vehicles in the ancient city of Palmyra, after they recaptured the UNESCO world heritage site from the Islamic State (IS) group on March 27, 2016 STRINGER (AFP)
Libya coastguard stops 600 migrants crossing to Europe

The Libyan coastguard on Sunday stopped three boats carrying 600 migrants including pregnant women trying to cross the Mediterranean to Europe, an official said.

The coastguard "intercepted three large dinghies off the coast of Sabratha" around 70 kilometres (45 miles) west of Tripoli, Colonel Ayoub Qassem, a spokesman for the Tripoli government's navy, said.

He said all the migrants were from Africa, adding "there were 80 women including some who were pregnant."

Migrants, who were rescued by the Libyan coastguard in the Mediterranean Sea off the coast, receive food and blankets on December 21, 2015 Mahmud Turkia (AFP/File)

The colonel rejected a statement from French Defence Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian on Thursday that some 800,000 migrants were in Libya hoping to cross to Europe.

"The number is exaggerated," he said.

Around 330,000 migrants have landed in Italy from Libya since the start of 2014.

Libya has long been a stepping stone for migrants seeking a better life in Europe, with Italy some 300 kilometres (185 miles) across the sea.

People smugglers have stepped up their lucrative business there in the chaos that followed the 2011 ouster of longtime dictator Moamer Kadhafi.
Kerber, Azarenka advance at Miami Open

Reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber rallied to reach the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Miami Open on Sunday when 108th-ranked Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens retired due to illness.

The German second seed, who upset top-ranked Serena Williams two months ago at Melbourne for her first Grand Slam title, was leading 1-6, 6-2, 3-0 when Bertens met her at the net and said she could not continue.

"I was not finding a rhythm at the beginning of the match," Kerber said. "I had to stay strong, believe and keep fighting. I hope she gets well soon but I'm glad to be in the next round."

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus plays a match against Magda Linette of Poland during Day 7 of the Miami Open, on March 27, 2016 Mike Ehrmann (Getty/AFP)

Kerber next faces Hungary's 49th-ranked Timea Babos, who ousted 18-year-old Japanese 104th-ranked wildcard Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-0. Kerber is 3-0 against Babos, with 2012 wins at Cincinnati and the London Olympics and another in last year's first round of the French Open.

The 28-year-old left-hander became the first German woman to win a Slam crown since Steffi Graf in 1999 at Wimbledon, but since then Kerber had lost opening matches at Doha and Indian Wells after withdrawing from Doha with a right thigh injury.

After exchanging breaks to open, Bertens broke Kerber twice more -- when the German swatted a forehand wide and on her own backhand drop volley winner -- then held to claim the first set in 31 minutes.

Kerber held to 3-2 in the second set when Bertens called for a trainer to help combat the heat and stomach pain. Bertens fought on but Kerber won the next six games before her rival retired.

Eighth-ranked Victoria Azarenka, who won 2009 and 2011 Miami titles, eliminated Polish qualifier Magda Linette 6-3, 6-0.

The 26-year-old from Belarus is trying to become only the third woman to sweep the Indian Wells-Miami US double after Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005.

Azarenka hit a backhand winner to break for the first set, then saved two break points in an 11-minute opening game of the second set and breezed to victory from there.

"I won the first set and I took the energy and I stayed on top," Azarenka said.

- Federer fill-in wins again -

Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a lucky loser who replaced Roger Federer in the draw when the 17-time Grand Slam champion withdrew due to illness, advanced to the fourth round, rallying to beat Spain's Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Zeballos, ranked 112th, had not won a match since last July before beating countryman Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round. He will face Belgian 15th seed David Goffin on Tuesday for a quarter-final berth.

Czech seventh seed Tomas Berdych reached the last 16, outlasting US 31st seed Steve Johnson 6-3, 6-7 (6/8), 6-3.

Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem moved into the fourth-round path of world number one Novak Djokovic by dispatching 124th-ranked Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes.

Thiem captured his fifth career ATP title last month by beating Australia's Bernard Tomic in the Acapulco final.

Two-time defending champion Djokovic, who won his 11th Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open two months ago, first must get past Portugal's 38th-ranked Joao Sousa in a later match at the hardcourt event.

Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi's record of six career Miami crowns, has won 11 Miami matches in a row and 25 of his past 26 matches at the venue, the only loss in the span coming to Tommy Haas in 2013.

The 28-year-old Serbian also has won titles at Doha and Indian Wells this year and hopes to complete the US double sweep at Miami and Indian Wells for the third consecutive year.

Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands during the Miami Open on March 27, 2016 Matthew Stockman (Getty/AFP)

Horacio Zeballos of Argentina celebrates during the Miami Open on March 25, 2016 Clive Brunskill (Getty/AFP/File)
Ban hails removal of IS from Syria's Palmyra

United Nations chief Ban Ki-moon on Sunday welcomed the removal of Islamic State jihadists from Syria's ancient Palmyra, calling for the site to be protected for future generations.

In a news conference in Jordan, Ban said he was "encouraged" that the UNESCO world heritage site is out of extremist hands and that the Syrian government "is now able to preserve and protect this human common cultural asset".

He called on "all the people around the world to protect and preserve this common asset of humanity."

Stringer (SANA/AFP)

IS seized Palmyra in May last year and destroyed the grand Temple of Bel, the shrine of Baal Shamin and several funerary towers which the jihadists consider blasphemous.

Syrian government forces recaptured the city on Sunday.
Egypt's El Shorbagy, El Sherbini take British Open squash titles

Mohamed El Shorbagy and Nour El Sherbini helped Egypt make three remarkable pieces of history as they became British Open champions in very contrasting finals.

The fourth-seeded Sherbini became the first Egyptian woman to win the 94-year-old title.

Shorbagy then made it the first time Egypt had won both titles, and it was also the first time that the sport's leading nation had provided all four finalists.

Mohamed El Shorbagy of Egypt (R), pictured on March 31, 2013, has won the 2016 British Open squash title Afif Abd Halim (AFP/File)

Top-seeded Shorbagy's victory, completing a successful title defence, happened far more comfortably than expected, by 11-3, 11-5, 11-9 against a Ramy Ashour who was physically diminished after four very hard battles following four months away from competition.

Sherbini won a very tight battle by 11-7, 9-11, 7-11, 11-6, 11-8 against 18-year-old Nouran Gohar, who narrowly failed to become the youngest ever womens winner.

It was evident almost immediately that Ashour was not moving easily and quickly he was a long way down. When he went five points down in the second game as well, it seemed as though a rout was possible.

After 15 minutes however Ashour's body began to loosen and allow him more flexible movements, which both improved the quality of the rallies and gave the scoreboard a more respectable appearance.

Shorbagy drove hard, scurried energetically and made few mistakes. Even when Ashour began working him in the third game, taking leads of 4-2 and 5-4, Shorbagy soon showed he possessed another gear

The match ended with a little drama when Ashour dived full length to make a remarkable retrieve, leapt up and almost earned a let even though Shorbagy had driven the ball fiercely to a winning length.

But an appeal to the video review showed that Ashour had not quite done enough to retrive the ball again.

"It's been a crazy season for me," said Shorbagy. "I was telling my mother and my brother that I didn't know how I was going to keep up with what I did last season but I've won five titles already so this is a dream for me. I have been able to back things up mentally and I am proud of that.

"But I want to say that Ramy is a great person and a great player. He has achieved so much for our sport, both on and off the court. I really hope that he can be healthy because our matches are just something different and we have such a great rivalry."

That may yet come about in future, though this is in fact the first time that Shorbagy has beaten Ashour in a best of five games match on the PSA World Tour.

Ashour did not, as he might have, make an excuse of his limited physical abilities, caused by contesting 19 games in his previous four matches.

"I should have prepared mentally better than I did today," he claimed.

"On this tour you always play extremely tough matches from start to finish."

The women's final by contrast, was full of action and uncertainty.

In the deciding game Sherbini was warned for a collision early on, and then frustrated by a controversial "no let" decision which helped Gohar to reduce a three-point deficit to one at 6-7.

It was still one point, at 7-8, when Sherbini pointed out that for the second time in the tournament Gohar's badly cut knee had started bleeding again.

She was obliged to leave the court to have it bandaged, bringing a nine-minute delay.

On resumption Sherbini produced a brilliant forehand counter-hit and then two more heavy, accurate forehand drives to close out the match.

"I am very sad," Gohar said, just managing to hold back the tears while still on court. "I was so close. It was my first final and I didn't quite have the experience to win it."

"It's really weird to hear that I am champion," said Sherbini, who played in the 2012 final but is still only 20.

"I'm very proud be the first Egyptian (woman) to win. It's a huge thing and hopefully other Egyptians will make us proud."
Israel board hears rapist ex-president's early parole request

An Israeli parole committee heard on Sunday the request of former president Moshe Katzav to have his seven-year rape sentence reduced by a third, an official said.

A justice ministry spokeswoman said the three-person committee, comprised of a retired judge and two representatives of the public, heard Katzav and his lawyers argue for his early release, which would take place at the end of April if approved.

A representative of the justice ministry also appeared at the 12-hour hearing and expressed the ministry's opposition to Katsav's early release.

Former Israeli President Moshe Katzav gives a press conference in Jerusalem 24 January 2007, a day after the Israeli Attorney General Menachem Mazuz informed Katzav he intended to charge him with rape and sexual harassment of four women Yoav Lemmer (AFP/File)

The spokeswoman said Katsav had not proved "he was worthy of an early release," primarily due to his not accepting the court's verdict, responsiblity for his crimes, or undergoing rehabilitation.

The panel was to convene again on April 3 to reach a decision on Katzav's request.

Katzav, 70, was sentenced in 2011 to seven years for two counts of rape as well as sexual harassment and obstruction of justice, in a scandal that rocked Israel.
Saudi FM says Iran must change its 'behaviour'

Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir said on Sunday that Iran must change its "behaviour" towards his country if it wants normal ties with the oil-rich Sunni kingdom.

Jubeir, speaking at a joint news conference with his South African counterpart, said Riyadh "wants to have peaceful relations" with Tehran and that it had tried to forge closer ties with Iran for more than three decades but "in exchange we received nothing".

Instead of "relations and friendship" with Iran, Saudi Arabia has been "confronted with interferences in our domestic affairs... attacks against our embassy," he said.

Saudi Minister of Foreign Affairs, Adel al-Jubeir, arrives for a press conference with his South African counterpart on March 27, 2016 in Riyadh Fayez Nureldine (AFP)

Saudi Arabia severed all links with the Islamic republic of Iran in January after crowds attacked the kingdom's embassy in Tehran and a consulate in second city Mashhad.

Sunni powerhouse Saudi Arabia and fellow Gulf nations also accuse Iran of supporting Shiite rebels in Yemen, as well as attempting to destabilise their own regimes.

They also support rebels in Syria's five-year-old war while Tehran openly backs the regime of President Bashar al-Assad.
Top-ranked Djokovic powers into Miami Open last 16

World number one Novak Djokovic advanced to the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Miami Open, defeating Portugal's 38th-ranked Joao Sousa 6-4, 6-1.

Two-time defending champion Djokovic, trying to match Andre Agassi's record of six career Miami titles, needed only 78 minutes to win his 12th match in a row at the hardcourt event and 26th in his past 27 Miami starts.

"That first set could have gone either way," Djokovic said. "I managed to hit the right balls at the right moment and make it to the finish."

Novak Djokovic of Serbia celebrates after his straight sets victory against Joao Sousa in their third round match during the Miami Open on March 27, 2016 Clive Brunskill (Getty/AFP)

The 28-year-old Serbian, who won his 11th Grand Slam crown at the Australian Open two months ago, also has crowns at Doha and Indian Wells this year and hopes to complete the Miami-Indian Wells sweep for the third consecutive year.

Djokovic's next foe will be Austrian 14th seed Dominic Thiem, who dispatched 124th-ranked Japanese qualifier Yoshihito Nishioka 6-2, 6-2 in 64 minutes.

"He has one of the most powerful baseline games in tennis," Djokovic said of Thiem.

"He likes to construct his points so I will try and take away his time. He's had one of the best years of his life. He's beaten Nadal on clay. He's one of the players in the next generation we should all look out for."

Thiem captured his fifth career ATP title last month by beating Australia's Bernard Tomic in the Acapulco final and downed 14-time Grand Slam winner Rafael Nadal on the way to a Buenos Aires claycourt crown.

"I'm sure he wants to showcase all that he's got in his arsenal but I will be sure to be ready for him," Djokovic said.

Sousa fell to 0-3 against Djokovic and 1-21 against top-10 foes with his 19th such loss in a row since beating David Ferrer in Kuala Lumpur in 2013.

"He came out with a clear game plan," said Djokovic. "He wanted to take his chances. He did not have much to lose. It can be dangerous. I know the importance of stepping up a few levels and delivering my 'A' game."

- Kerber, Azarenka advance -

Reigning Australian Open champion Angelique Kerber and last week's Indian Wells winner Victoria Azarenka, who each upset world number one Serena Williams in the final to win those titles, reached the last 16 on the women's side.

German second seed Kerber advanced 1-6, 6-2, 3-0 when 108th-ranked Dutch qualifier Kiki Bertens retired due to illness.

"I was not finding a rhythm at the beginning of the match," Kerber said. "I had to stay strong, believe and keep fighting. I hope she gets well soon but I'm glad to be in the next round."

Kerber next faces Hungary's 49th-ranked Timea Babos, who ousted 18-year-old Japanese 104th-ranked wildcard Naomi Osaka 7-5, 6-0.

Eighth-ranked Azarenka, a 26-year-old from Belrus who won 2009 and 2011 Miami titles, eliminated Polish qualifier Magda Linette 6-3, 6-0.

She next faces last year's Wimbledon runner-up, Garbine Muguruza. The Spanish fourth seed ripped 74th-ranked US wildcard Nicole Gibbs 6-1, 6-0 in 55 minutes.

Two-time Australian Open champion Azarenka is trying to become only the third woman to take Indian Wells and Miami in the same year after Graf in 1994 and 1996 and Kim Clijsters in 2005.

- Federer fill-in wins again -

Argentina's Horacio Zeballos, a lucky loser who replaced Roger Federer in the draw when the 17-time Grand Slam champion withdrew due to illness, advanced to the fourth round by overcoming Spain's Fernando Verdasco 1-6, 6-4, 7-6 (7/4).

Zeballos, ranked 112th, had not won a match since last July before beating countryman Juan Martin Del Potro in the second round. After winning two in a row for the first time in more than two years, he faces Indian Wells semi-finalist David Goffin for a quarter-final berth.

"Life changed for me a lot here," Zeballos said. "Beating 'DelPo' and Verdasco, two better players than me, I greatly improved both the ranking and economically."

The South American is assured $67,590, which will help since his wife is due to give birth to their first child on April 10.

"I am living happy moments," he said.

Dominic Thiem of Austria in action against Yoshihito Nishioka of Japan in their third round match during the Miami Open on March 27, 2016 Clive Brunskill (Getty/AFP)

Victoria Azarenka of Belarus plays a match against Magda Linette of Poland during Day 7 of the Miami Open, on March 27, 2016 Mike Ehrmann (Getty/AFP)

Angelique Kerber of Germany returns a shot to Kiki Bertens of the Netherlands during the Miami Open on March 27, 2016 Matthew Stockman (Getty/AFP)
The Latest: Suspect's sister condemns Santa Barbara killings

LOS ANGELES (AP)  The Latest on the slaying of a Chinese herbalist and his family in Santa Barbara (all times local):

12:41 p.m. Saturday

The sister of a 27-year-old man arrested in the slaying of a Chinese herbalist and his family says she is in shock.

This Friday, March 25, 2016 police mug photo released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office shows 27-year-old Pierre Haobsh. Haobsh, a business associate of a popular practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine was arrested Friday in connection with what California authorities say was the "horrific" slaying of the herbalist, his wife and the couple's 5-year-old daughter. (Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office via AP)

Nadine Jolie Courtney, a beauty blogger and author, said in an email Saturday that Pierre Haobsh is her brother.

Courtney says she can't wrap her mind around the tragedy and condemned the killings and extended her prayers to the Han family.

Haobsh was arrested in the shooting death of popular Chinese herbal medicine practitioner Dr. Weidong "Henry" Han, Han's wife and 5-year-old daughter in Santa Barbara County.

The victims' bodies were found shot, wrapped in plastic and duct-taped in the garage of their palatial two-story home.

A Goleta Police officer stands guard near a home on Greenhill Way in unincorporated county territory between Santa Barbara and Goleta, Calif., on Thursday, March 24, 2016, as the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office opened a homicide investigation after deputies discovered the remains of three people in the house. Post-mortem examinations will be conducted to determine how the three died. (Rafael Maldonado/Santa Barbara News-Press via AP) SANTA MARIA TIMES OUT; SANTA BARBARA OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT

A sheriff's deputy lifts crime scene tape to allow a Coroner's Bureau van to proceed up Greenhill Way as the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office opened a homicide investigation after deputies discovered the remains of three people in a home on the street in unincorporated county territory between Santa Barbara and Goleta, Calif., on Thursday, March 24, 2016. Post-mortem examinations will be conducted to determine how the three died. (Scott Steepleton/Santa Barbara News-Press via AP) SANTA MARIA TIMES OUT; SANTA BARBARA OUT; MANDATORY CREDIT
Puerto Rico's Congress rep hopes to amend debt crisis

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (AP)  Puerto Rican Gov. Alejandro Garcia Padilla warned late Saturday that he would challenge in federal courts and before the "community of nations" any law that he said would nullify the U.S. territory's Constitution by concentrating government power in a body not elected by the people.

Garcia Padilla was reacting to a draft of a U.S. House of Representatives bill aimed at addressing the island's debt crisis. It has been widely criticized for creating a fiscal oversight board that would have ultimate authority over budget and fiscal matters, and would be immune from supervision by Puerto Rico's governor and the legislature.

"If in exchange for the legal faculty for an orderly debt restructuring a supervision board is necessary, neither its point of departure nor its conclusion can be the assassination of Puerto Rican democracy," the governor said.

Garcia Padilla said the bill acknowledged Puerto Rico's need for the legal authority for an orderly restructuring of its debt and he expressed confidence that its final version will be substantially different from the "discussion draft" that will be publicly circulated next week.

The governor spoke shortly after Resident Commissioner Pedro Pierluisi pledged to work with Republican and Democrat lawmakers to make changes to the draft so that the oversight board it creates supervises rather than controls the commonwealth government.

Puerto Rico's representative to Congress said the legislation currently proposed would give too much power to the board and will keep it in place for too long. But he added that it was vital for Congress to pass legislation that establishes a process for fair debt restructuring accords between Puerto Rico and its creditors that the courts can enforce.

"If a bill does not become law, Puerto Rico and its creditors will almost certainly go over a cliff  together  this summer," Pierluisi said.

David Bernier, the gubernatorial candidate of the ruling Popular Democratic Party, said the debt proposal should be rejected because "in practice it liquidates the country's governing institutions."

Pierluisi agreed that certain provisions granted the proposed board were excessive, but he criticized island politicians for complaining about the proposal's bad provisions while ignoring its good ones. He lauded the proposal's debt restructuring provisions as a promising start.

"This bill can and will evolve," Pierluisi said, adding that it was unreasonable to expect Congress to grant Puerto Rico debt restructuring authority without requiring fiscal oversight.
Deal reached to take California minimum wage to $15 an hour

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP)  California legislators and labor unions have reached a tentative agreement that will take the state's minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour, a state senator said, a move that would make for the largest statewide minimum in the nation by far.

"This is not a done deal," Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, told The Associated Press on Saturday. "Everyone's been operating in good faith and we hope to get it through the Legislature."

Leno said if an agreement is finalized, it would go before the Legislature as part of his minimum-wage bill that stalled last year.

FILE - In this Tuesday, July 21, 2015 file photo, workers hold a rally in Los Angeles in support of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors' proposed minimum wage ordinance. On Saturday, March 26, California legislators and labor unions reached an agreement that will take the state's minimum wage from $10 to $15 an hour. (AP Photo/Nick Ut)

If the Legislature approves a minimum-wage package, it would avoid taking the issue to the ballot. One union-backed initiative has already qualified for the ballot, and a second, competing measure is also trying to qualify.

"This is an issue I've been working on for many years," Leno said. "The governor and stakeholders have all been negotiating earnestly and in good faith for some time."

Leno did not confirm specifics of the agreement, but most proposals have the wage increasing about a dollar per year until it reaches $15 per hour.

The Los Angeles Times, which first reported the deal, said the wage would rise to $10.50 in 2017, to $11 an hour in 2018, and one dollar per year to take it to $15 by 2022. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have an extra year to comply.

At $10 an hour, California already has one of the highest minimum wages in the nation along with Massachusetts. Only Washington, D.C., at $10.50 per hour is higher. The hike to $15 would make it the highest statewide wage in the nation by far, though raises are in the works in other states that might change by the time the plateau is reached in 2022.

Some states have passed higher minimums for government employees and state-contracted workers, and some cities including Seattle have already passed $15 an hour increases.

And Oregon officials approved a law earlier this month that will increase that state's minimum wage to nearly $15 in urban areas over the next six years.

California union leaders, however, said they would not immediately dispense with planned ballot measures.

Sean Wherley, a spokesman for SEIU-United Healthcare Workers West, confirmed that the SEIU parent union was involved in the negotiations. He said SEIU-UHWW's leadership will decide whether to push ahead with its initiative that has already qualified for the ballot.

"Ours is on the ballot. We want to be certain of what all this is," Wherley said. "If some agreement is signed into law, then our executive board would decide what to do. They would only make that decision after any agreement is signed into law."

The union proposal that has already qualified for the ballot calls for reaching the $15 mark by 2021. The second proposed measure would reach $15 by 2020. Businesses and Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown have said such a steep wage increase would be incredibly costly.

A spokesman for Brown, Evan Westrup, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Kevin Liao, a spokesman for Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount, declined to comment.

___
Fire at prison kills 5 inmates in western Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)  A fire started by rioting prisoners at a penitentiary in western Indonesia has killed five inmates, police said.

The fire at Malabero prison in Bengkulu on Sumatra Island began Friday night after officers of the anti-narcotics agency entered the facility and took away a drug kingpin, said regional police chief Brig. Gen. M. Ghufron.

He said the inmates were believed to be acting in solidarity with the kingpin, who was allegedly controlling the business from inside the prison.

Five inmates were killed in the fire, one was being treated while 252 others have been moved to Bentiring, another prison in the same town.

Indonesia, which has extremely strict drug laws and often executes smugglers, has been intensifying raids as a number of users jumped from 4.2 million to nearly 6 million last year.
Philippine mayor guns for presidency with vow to bury crime

MANILA, Philippines (AP)  Nicknamed "Duterte Harry," after a Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, the Philippine city mayor casually threatens to shoot criminals, hang them using laundry line or drown them in Manila Bay. His expletives have sideswiped even the deeply revered pope.

Despite such brazen talk, Rodrigo Duterte has emerged as a top contender in Philippine presidential elections on May 9 in an impressive political rise that has been likened to Donald Trump's. The tough-talking mayor finds the comparison offensive and draws the line.

"Donald Trump is a bigot, I am not," Duterte told The Associated Press, referring to Trump's proposals to ban Muslims entering the U.S and erect a wall along the Mexican border.

In this March 10, 2016 photo, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte talks to the media prior to addressing seafarers organization in Manila, Philippines. Nicknamed Duterte Harry, after a Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, the Philippine city mayor casually threatens to shoot criminals, hang them like dirty laundry or drown them in Manila Bay. His expletives have sideswiped even the deeply revered pope. Despite such brazen talk, Rodrigo Duterte has emerged as a top contender in Philippine presidential elections on May 9 in an impressive political rise that has been likened to Donald Trump's. The tough-talking mayor finds the comparison offensive and draws the line. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

Duterte, 70, built a political name with his iron-fist approach to fighting crime in southern Davao city, where he has served as mayor for 22 years. He has been credited for turning the vast port region of about 1.5 million people from a Marxist insurgency-wracked murder capital in the 1980s to one of a few Philippine cities with a reputation for law and order and economic vibrancy.

A lawyer, former government prosecutor and congressman, Duterte is the son of a former Davao provincial governor who grew up in a middle-class family that valued integrity. He has a penchant for mischief and recalls his mother, a school teacher, often punished him for misconduct by ordering him to kneel with hands extended sideways in front of a statue of Jesus Christ. He was once kicked out of high school for involvement in a brawl.

In Davao, Duterte has patrolled streets at night on a Harley Davidson and at times driven a taxi to try to catch robbers preying on drivers. He banned smoking and reportedly once forced a foreigner to chew a cigarette stick for violating the ordinance. Firecrackers, which kill and injure hundreds in the country during New Year's revelries, are prohibited and a nighttime curfew for minors has eased juvenile delinquency.

What sets Duterte apart from other politicians is his devil-may-care way with expletives, often uttered in public in the local Tagalog language, when he lets off steam over criminality, corruption and government incompetence.

In his most infamous outburst, Duterte used an expletive on Pope Francis to express his disgust over a huge traffic jam caused by a papal visit to Manila last year that trapped the mayor for hours. Filipino bishops were shocked and he later apologized.

Nowadays, Duterte's cusses come with his trademark campaign battle cry to "kill all" criminals, fueling longstanding suspicions of his involvement in many unsolved killings of suspected criminals that authorities blame on vigilantes.

On the campaign trail, Duterte has offered to replicate his record in Davao to the rest of a Southeast Asian nation long weary of crime, rebellions and widespread corruption. He portrays himself as the "last card" of the people.

Jumping from mayor to president is a big leap in a country where leaders have traditionally risen from a national office, mostly as senators. Duterte's bold pledge to eradicate crime, especially drug trafficking and kidnappings, as well as corruption in three to six months has resonated with the public, but also sparked alarm and doubts.

Pressed by a TV journalist in a recent debate to elaborate, Duterte said that suspected drug dealers end up in jail in Manila  and dead in his city.

"When I say 'leave Davao,' you leave Davao. If you do not do that, you're dead. That's the way the story will go, no drama," he said to a loud applause.

Rival candidate Mar Roxas recalled that 7.5 billion pesos ($158 million) worth of drugs and a number of suspects were seized when he was interior secretary in charge of the national police for three years, but he stressed that the drug menace remains, including in Davao.

The U.S.-educated banker asked how Duterte can end the problem in such a short time and expressed fears of unwarranted killings. A heated exchange ensued.

"If you do not know how to kill people and you're afraid to die, that's the problem, you cannot be a president," Duterte told Roxas.

In a Youtube video last year that has gone viral, Duterte enthralled a crowd of drivers by saying he would have criminals hanged with laundry line. If he becomes president, he said, "even God will cry."

Manila Bay would teem with fat fish, the mayor told a TV network in another warning to criminals, adding "that's where I will dump you."

The death threats have morphed into much-awaited punch lines spread by word, online and in his campaign ads and rallies. Supporters mob him like a movie celebrity, jostling to take selfies with him.

"He's like a rock star," said Dante Jimenez, a leading supporter who founded an anti-crime volunteers' organization in the 1990s, after his brother was killed by drug dealers. "Just seeing him as president would give us a feeling of assurance and security."

Duterte's antics have stunned rights activists. Phelim Kline of Human Rights Watch said his "boastful brand of violent impunity should be a path to prosecution, not a platform for political office."

The watchdog has called for an investigation into suspicions of Duterte's involvement in extrajudicial killings by the so-called Davao death squads, mostly motorcycle-riding masked gunmen blamed for numerous killings of crime suspects and drug dealers. No charges have been filed against the mayor and he challenges critics to bring him to court.

When asked if he would condone extrajudicial killings, Duterte says he would not, but argues that police and soldiers could legally shoot suspects who put up a fight.

Panfilo Lacson, former head of national police, said that based on his long experience, most suspects would surrender when cornered and face years of prosecution, making Duterte's vow to solve crime in a short period "not doable, if not impossible."

"No matter how good a sound bite it may sound, it will stay as such  a sound bite," Lacson said.

In this Nov.30, 2015 photo, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, right, greets supporters during his proclamation as the PDP-Laban Party's standard-bearer for the May 9, 2016 presidential elections in Manila, Philippines. Nicknamed Duterte Harry, after a Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, the Philippine city mayor casually threatens to shoot criminals, hang them like dirty laundry or drown them in Manila Bay. His expletives have sideswiped even the deeply revered pope. Despite such brazen talk, Rodrigo Duterte has emerged as a top contender in Philippine presidential elections on May 9 in an impressive political rise that has been likened to Donald Trump's. The tough-talking mayor finds the comparison offensive and draws the line. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

In this Nov.30, 2015 photo, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte gestures as he addresses supporters during his proclamation as the PDP-Laban Party's standard-bearer for the May 9, 2016 presidential elections in Manila, Philippines. Nicknamed Duterte Harry, after a Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, the Philippine city mayor casually threatens to shoot criminals, hang them like dirty laundry or drown them in Manila Bay. His expletives have sideswiped even the deeply revered pope. Despite such brazen talk, Duterte has emerged as a top contender in Philippine presidential elections on May 9 in an impressive political rise that has been likened to Donald Trump's. The tough-talking mayor finds the comparison offensive and draws the line. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

In this Nov.30, 2015 photo, supporters display campaign posters during proclamation of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the PDP-Laban Party's standard-bearer for the May 9, 2016 presidential elections in Manila, Philippines. Nicknamed Duterte Harry, after a Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, the Philippine city mayor casually threatens to shoot criminals, hang them like dirty laundry or drown them in Manila Bay. His expletives have sideswiped even the deeply revered pope. Despite such brazen talk, Duterte has emerged as a top contender in Philippine presidential elections on May 9 in an impressive political rise that has been likened to Donald Trump's. The tough-talking mayor finds the comparison offensive and draws the line. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

In this Feb.12, 2016 photo, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte talks to the media at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport at suburban Pasay city south of Manila, before flying to southern Philippines for a campaign sortie in the May 9, 2016 presidential elections. Nicknamed Duterte Harry, after a Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, the Philippine city mayor casually threatens to shoot criminals, hang them like dirty laundry or drown them in Manila Bay. His expletives have sideswiped even the deeply revered pope. Despite such brazen talk, Duterte has emerged as a top contender in the presidential elections in an impressive political rise that has been likened to Donald Trump's. The tough-talking mayor finds the comparison offensive and draws the line. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)

In this Nov.30, 2015 photo, supporters jostle to get wristbands during proclamation of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the PDP-Laban Party's standard-bearer for the May 9, 2016 presidential elections in Manila, Philippines. Nicknamed Duterte Harry, after a Clint Eastwood character with little regard for rules, the Philippine city mayor casually threatens to shoot criminals, hang them like dirty laundry or drown them in Manila Bay. His expletives have sideswiped even the deeply revered pope. Despite such brazen talk, Duterte has emerged as a top contender in the presidential elections in an impressive political rise that has been likened to Donald Trump's. The tough-talking mayor finds the comparison offensive and draws the line. (AP Photo/Bullit Marquez)
Syrian forces recapture ancient city of Palmyra from IS

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  Syrian government forces recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra on Sunday, scoring an important victory over Islamic State fighters who waged a 10-month reign of terror there and dealing the group its first major defeat since an international agreement to battle terrorism in the fractured nation took effect last year.

The city known to Syrians as the "Bride of the Desert" is famous for its 2,000-year-old ruins that once drew tens of thousands of visitors each year before IS destroyed many of the monuments. The extent of the destruction remained unclear. Initial footage on Syrian TV showed widespread rubble and shattered statues. But Palmyra's grand colonnades appeared to be in relatively good condition.

The government forces were supported by Lebanese militias and Russian air power. The Islamic State now faces pressure on several fronts as Kurdish ground forces advance on its territory in Syria's north and government forces have a new path to its de facto capital, Raqqa, and the contested eastern city of Deir el-Zour.

In this undated photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows the site of the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria. Palmyra is an archaeological gem that Syrian troops took back from Islamic State fighters on Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)

International airstrikes have pounded IS territory, killing two top leaders in recent weeks, according to the Pentagon. Those strikes have also inflicted dozens of civilian casualties.

In Iraq, government forces backed by the U.S. and Iran are preparing a ground offensive to retake the country's second largest city, Mosul.

The fall of Palmyra comes a month after a partial cease-fire in Syria's civil war came into force. The truce was sponsored by the United States and Russia in part to allow the government and international community to focus on al-Qaida styled militants, among them the IS group.

In comments reported on state TV, President Bashar Assad described the Palmyra operation as a "significant achievement" offering "new evidence of the effectiveness of the strategy espoused by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism."

IS drove government forces from Palmyra in a matter of days last May and later demolished some of its best-known monuments, including two large temples dating back more than 1,800 years and a Roman triumphal archway.

State TV showed the rubble left over from the destruction of the Temple of Bel as well as the damaged archway, the supports of which were still standing. It said a statue of Zenobia, the third century queen who ruled an independent state from Palmyra and figures strongly in Syrian lore, was missing.

Artifacts inside the city's museum also appeared heavily damaged on state TV. A sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena was decapitated, and the museum's basement appeared to have been dynamited, the hall littered with broken statues.

Still, state media reported that a lion statue dating back to the second century, previously thought to have been destroyed by IS militants, was found in a damaged but recoverable condition.

Extremists beheaded the archaeological site's 81-year-old director, Riad al-Asaad, in August after he reportedly refused to divulge where authorities had hidden treasures before the group swept in. Militants viewed the ruins as monuments to idolatry.

IS also demolished Palmyra's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of government opponents were reportedly tortured.

Syrian state TV hailed the government's advance, and a local reporter spoke live from inside Palmyra, showing troops in the center of the town, where some buildings had been reduced to rubble.

Syrian Culture Minister Issam Khalil described the recapture as a "victory for humanity and right over all projects of darkness."

Maamoun Abdulkarim, director of the museums and antiquities department in Damascus, said Palmyra's Great Colonnade had suffered only minor damage. "We will rebuild what you have destroyed," he said, addressing IS.

The Syrian opposition, which blames the government for the country's devastating civil war and the rise of IS, rejected that narrative.

"The government wants through this operation to win the favor of Western nations by fighting against terrorism, while obscuring its responsibility as providing the reasons for the spread of terror," said Khaled Nasser, a member of the opposition coalition that has been negotiating with the government in Geneva.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through local activists, confirmed that IS had lost the town. Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman said three weeks of fighting killed more than 400 IS fighters, as well as 180 troops and allied militiamen.

Residents told The Associated Press that IS evacuated all of Palmyra's civilians to other territories under its control before government forces entered the city.

"It's joyful for people to return home. Still we are sad to see damage in this historical city," said Sohban Eleiwi, a businessman from Palmyra now residing in Homs.

Other residents said they would not return to live under government rule.

"We don't hate the regime any less than we hate Daesh," said Osama Khatib, a Palmyra native who fled to Turkey three years ago after serving a jail sentence for taking part in demonstrations.

"Daesh and the regime behave the same way," he said.

Government forces had been trying to retake the town for nearly three weeks. Gen. Ali Mayhoub announced on the Syrian TV Sunday afternoon that its recapture "directs a fatal blow to Daesh, undermines the morale of its mercenaries and ushers in the start of its defeat and retreat," referring to IS by its Arabic acronym.

Government forces have advanced on a number of fronts in recent months, aided by a Russian air campaign. Moscow announced earlier this month that it would begin drawing down its forces, but said it will continue to target IS and other extremist groups.

Syria's conflict began a little more than five years ago with mostly peaceful protests against the Assad family's four-decade rule. A fierce government crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a full-blown civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.

___

Issa reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut also contributed to this report.

This undated photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows the site of the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria. Palmyra is an archaeological gem that Syrian troops took back from Islamic State fighters on Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, a Syrian soldier holds a Syrian national flag in front of the Palmyra citadel in Palmyra, Syria, Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)

FILE - This undated file image released by UNESCO shows the site of the ancient city of Palmyra, Syria. Palmyra is an archaeological gem that Syrian troops took back from Islamic State fighters, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus with the country's east and neighboring Iraq. Home to 65,000 people before the latest fighting, the town is located 155 miles (215 kilometers) east of Damascus. (Ron Van Oers, UNESCO via AP, File)

FILE -- This file photo released May 17, 2015, by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows a general view of Palmyra, Syria. Palmyra is an archaeological gem that Syrian troops took back from Islamic State fighters, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus with the country's east and neighboring Iraq. Home to 65,000 people before the latest fighting, the town is located 155 miles (215 kilometers) east of Damascus. (SANA via AP, File)

FILE - This undated file image released by UNESCO shows the site of the ancient city of Palmyra in Syria. Palmyra is an archaeological gem that Syrian troops took back from Islamic State fighters, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A desert oasis surrounded by palm trees in central Syria, Palmyra is also a strategic crossroads linking the Syrian capital, Damascus with the country's east and neighboring Iraq. Home to 65,000 people before the latest fighting, the town is located 155 miles (215 kilometers) east of Damascus. (Ron Van Oers, UNESCO via AP, File)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian soldiers gather around a Syrian national flag in Palmyra, Syria, Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)

This photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, shows damage to the Palmyra citadel following fighting between Government forces and Islamic State group militants in Palmyra, Syria, Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian soldiers take up positions during fighting between Government forces and Islamic State group militants in Palmyra, Syria, Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian soldiers sit on top of a tank during fighting between Government forces and Islamic State group militants in Palmyra, Syria, Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)

In this photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA, Syrian soldiers use military binoculars during fighting between Government forces and Islamic State group militants in Palmyra, Syria, Sunday, March 27, 2016. Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May. (SANA via AP)
Wisconsin-based 'Cheesehead Revolution' challenged by Trump

MADISON, Wis. (AP)  A trio of Wisconsin Republicans looking to inject the party with their own youthful, aggressive brand of conservatism ushered in the "Cheesehead Revolution." Their aim was to position the GOP for success in the 2016 presidential election.

Then came Donald Trump.

With the anti-Trump movement in full swing even as Trump solidifies his front-runner status in the presidential race, the focus turns to the April 5 primary in the home state of those three heavyweights: House Speaker Paul Ryan, Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Priebus and Gov. Scott Walker.

FILE - In this March 23, 2016 file photo, House Speaker Paul Ryan of Wis. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Wisconsin's "Cheesehead Revolution" was ushered in by a trio of Republicans, Walker, Reince Priebus and Scott Walker, looking to inject the party with their own youthful, aggressive brand of conservatism while positioning the party for success in the 2016 presidential election. Then came Donald Trump. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

They are trying to chart a course in the face of a revolt over Trump's rise and what it means for the future of the Republican Party  and for each of them individually.

"The great plans came off the tracks with the presence of Donald Trump, both in terms of where the party would be and presidential ambitions," said Democratic Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett, who ran against Walker twice and lost both times. "Donald Trump changed everything."

The "Cheesehead Revolution," as Walker and Priebus dubbed it, began in 2011. With Ryan rising in the House, Walker a new governor, and Priebus taking over the party apparatus, the trio then represented what looked to be a unified party in a swing state that could become a GOP stronghold in presidential races to come.

But in 2012, Mitt Romney lost to incumbent Barack Obama, with Ryan as his running mate. Priebus tried to steer the party in a more inclusive direction.

In 2013, he issued the "Growth and Opportunity Project," aimed toward an immigration overhaul and outreach to minorities, and driven by the recognition that Hispanics in particular were rising as a proportion of the population.

Now that tract is known as an autopsy report.

The recommendations put Priebus at odds with more conservative Republicans. And now, two of the three remaining presidential candidates, Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, have built their campaigns not on trying to broaden the party by reaching out to Hispanics and minorities, but by appealing to evangelicals and more conservative white voters.

Priebus's report "has been haunting the Republican Party" ever since its release, said Steve King, an Iowa Republican congressman who backs Cruz.

"It's awfully hard to recover from something like that," King said.

Trump launched his campaign by calling Mexican immigrants rapists and criminals. He's made a border wall a cornerstone of his platform. Those positions have torn at the party's core, contributing to efforts to stop him.

Priebus puts the best face on the chaotic campaign. He says his party is large enough to handle a variety of opinions about the best course. He cites record fundraising and voter turnout. He calls it a "miracle turnaround."

Ryan became House speaker in October, replacing John Boehner, and his stock has risen to a point that some Republicans see him as an alternative to Trump if the nomination isn't settled going into the summer convention. "Paul Ryan has brought about climate change there," said King, meaning the climate in Congress, "and I mean that in a very complimentary way." King is one of the most conservative members of Congress and was a critic of Boehner.

Just as he refused initial calls to run for speaker, Ryan has tried to tamp down talk of being drafted as an alternative to Trump at the convention.

Robin Vos, the Republican speaker of Wisconsin's state Assembly, said Trump's rise has helped to put the Republican Party at a crossroads. But Vos said he still believes Walker, Ryan and Priebus are in positions to "change the face of government."

Vos pointed to Walker's record as governor as proof that with a "good, articulate leader," Republicans can advance their conservative agenda, even in a politically divided state like Wisconsin. Vos endorsed Cruz on Friday.

But Walker has been struggling with public support since his failed presidential run. His call in September for other Republican candidates to join him and drop out of the race to make it easier for others to take on Trump went ignored for months.

Walker still hasn't endorsed anyone in the race, with Wisconsin's primary just over a week away. He told AP he sees Trump's popularity as an "an anomaly" that is overshadowed in significance by Republican success in governor's races and state legislative contests for years.

"You look over the last five, six years, the story that's had the longer impact is not who the nominee is for one presidential election but this shift that's happened nationally," Walker said.

Barrett, the Milwaukee mayor who lost to Walker in 2010 and 2012, said the political landscape has changed for Walker and Republicans since the governor won a recall election four years ago over his battle with public-service unions in the states. "A lot of the glitter's gone," he said.

___

Follow Scott Bauer on Twitter at http://twitter.com/sbauerAP and find more of his work at http://bigstory.ap.org/content/scott-bauer

FILE - In this Sept. 10, 2015 file photo, Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker speaks in Eureka, Ill. Wisconsin's "Cheesehead Revolution" was ushered in by a trio of Republicans, Walker, Reince Priebus and Paul Ryan, looking to inject the party with their own youthful, aggressive brand of conservatism while positioning the party for success in the 2016 presidential election. Then came Donald Trump. (AP Photo/Seth Perlman, File)
The Latest: Sanders wins Hawaii; Clinton leads in delegates

WASHINGTON (AP)  The Latest on the Democratic presidential nominating contests Saturday in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington state (all times local):

7:05 a.m.

Bernie Sanders netted nearly three dozen delegates after his win in Hawaii, having swept three states. It's a solid showing, but it didn't significantly tighten Hillary Clinton's overall big lead.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign stop Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Sanders needs to win 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates through June to be able to clinch the Democratic nomination. So far he's only winning 37 percent.

With 25 Hawaii delegates at stake, Sanders picked up 17. Clinton gained eight. That means in Saturday's contests, Sanders won a total of 55 delegates, having also won Washington state and Alaska. Clinton picked up 20.

More delegates are likely to be allocated to Sanders in several weeks, when the Washington state Democratic party releases vote shares by district. Still, Clinton maintains a wide advantage in delegates. Based on primaries and caucuses to date, she's won 1,243 delegates to Sanders' 975.

Clinton's lead is even bigger when including superdelegates, or party officials who can back any candidate they wish. Including superdelegates, Clinton has 1,712 delegates to Sanders' 1,004. It takes 2,383 to win.

___

4:25 a.m.

Bernie Sanders has scored three wins in Western caucus contests, giving a powerful psychological boost to his supporters but doing little to move him closer to securing the Democratic nomination.

While results in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii barely dented Hillary Clinton's significant delegate lead, Sanders' wins underscored her persistent vulnerabilities within her own party, particularly with young voters and liberal activists who have been inspired by her rival's unapologetically liberal message.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders cast his performance as part of a Western comeback, saying he expects to close the delegate gap with Clinton as the contest moves to the more liberal northeastern states, including her home state of New York. He also said his campaign is increasing its outreach to superdelegates.

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign stop Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders speaks at a campaign stop Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Madison, Wis. (AP Photo/Andy Manis)

A caucus volunteer counts hands of Bernie Sanders supporters during a tally at a caucus for Washington Democrats in Olympia, Wash., Saturday, March 26, 2016. Democrats caucused statewide in support of either Sanders or Hillary Clinton. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)

Laura Schleyer, a supporter of Bernie Sanders, mingles with other voters at a caucus site in Olympia, Wash., Saturday, March 26, 2016. Democrats caucused statewide in support of either Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders.. (AP Photo/Rachel La Corte)

Voters line up outside a polling station set up at Kailua Intermediate School to register to vote in Hawaii's Democratic primary, Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Kailua, Hawaii. (AP Photo/Marco Garcia)

From left, Tom Chard, Karen Crane, and other volunteers count votes for presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in House District 33 at the Juneau Democratic Caucus in Juneau, Alaska, Saturday, March 26, 2016. Sanders won Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska on Saturday, a victory he hopes will stoke a spring comeback against the commanding front-runner, Hillary Clinton. (James Brooks/The Juneau Empire via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Five-year-old Courtney Skinner holds up a "Bernie Sanders for President" sign while sitting on Tom Skinner's shoulders at the Juneau Democratic Caucus on Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Centennial Hall's Sheffield Ballroom in Juneau, Alaska. Sanders won Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska on Saturday, a victory he hopes will stoke a spring comeback against the commanding front-runner, Hillary Clinton. (James Brooks/The Juneau Empire via AP) MANDATORY CREDIT

Attendees in a precinct group listen as a speaker voices support for Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., Saturday, March 26, 2016, during a Democratic caucus at Garfield High School in Seattle. Democrats caucused statewide in support of either Sanders or Hillary Clinton. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., addresses the crowd during a rally at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., Friday, March 25 , 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)

Bernie Sanders supporter Maryellen Lambert reacts at the Democratic party caucus in Anchorage, Alaska, Saturday, March 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Dinneen)

Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders, I-Vt., greets attendees after a rally at the Moda Center in Portland, Ore., Friday, March 25 , 2016. (AP Photo/Steve Dykes)

In this Thursday, March 24, 2016 photo, Michael Golojuch Jr., right, who leads the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender Caucus of the Democratic Party of Hawaii, and his sister, Michele Golojuch, a teacher, left, show their support for presidential candidate Hilary Clinton in Honolulu. Hawaii Democrats will head to the polls Saturday to cast votes for the party's presidential nominee, choosing between Bernie Sanders and Clinton at caucus locations across the state. (AP Photo/Cathy Bussewitz)
Migrants' protest at Idomeni camp fizzles out

IDOMENI, Greece (AP)  A protest by hundreds of migrants, egged on by activists to demand that the border between Greece and Macedonia be opened, passed without any serious incidents on Sunday.

However, it exposed rifts between different ethnic groups among the over 11,000 refugees and migrants stranded at this makeshift encampment, some for weeks, after Balkan countries on what used to be the busiest migrant route to central and northern Europe shut down their borders.

The European Union has effectively approved this policy by signing a deal with Turkey that discourages war refugees from making the sea crossing from Turkey to Greece and ending the hopes of migrants from other countries of being admitted into Europe.

Migrants scuffle with police during a protest demanding the opening of the border between Greece and Macedonia in the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Greece, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A split appears to have developed among the groups of migrants at the Idomeni border encampment, with Greek riot police who, so far, have used only their shields to protect the border. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Several hundred Iraqis and Syrians in the Idomeni border camp stood between protesters and police on Sunday, thwarting the protesters' efforts to march toward the fence separating Greece from Macedonia. Scuffles broke out between the two groups.

The protesters twice broke through the barrier the Iraqis and Syrians have formed, only to be pushed back by Greek riot police who used only their shields.

People speaking for the Iraqis and Syrians, including Kurds from both countries, told police that they are not taking part in the protest, which they said was mounted by people from Afghanistan and Pakistan. They also said that activists were circulating at the camp Saturday.

"There were people, whom we do not know, telling us that they would help us open the border at noon today, but obviously this was not true," Syrian refugee Hassan Fatuhlla told The Associated Press.

Fatuhlla, one of those who have formed a chain around the police, has been at the camp for 37 days. His child was born in a tent 10 days ago, he said.

Leftist activists from Greece and other European countries have staged protests outside the transit centers and appear determined to sabotage the deal.

The rumors they spread that the border would open Sunday led some people who had gone to the centers to return to Idomeni. These people then began protesting that the border has not opened. With the protest having ended, many of those, often whole families loaded with baggage, took taxes or buses back to the transit centers, in a decidedly subdued mood.

"Some people lied to us about the border opening," said Delbar Kalbey, 35, a Syrian Kurd from the city of Kobane, who made the trip from a transit center to Idomeni with his wife, their 7-year-old boy and a 6-year-old girl.

Greek police said they stopped two buses and 10 cars carrying Italian activists slightly over 3 kilometers (2 miles) from the border protest.

___________________

Demetris Nellas contributed to this report from Athens, Greece.

Follow Kantouris on twitter: https://twitter.com/CostasKantouris

A migrant holds a banner during a protest demanding the opening of the border between Greece and Macedonia in the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Greece, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A split appears to have developed among the groups of migrants at the Idomeni border encampment, with Greek riot police who, so far, have used only their shields to protect the border. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

A migrant woman reacts during a protest demanding the opening of the border between Greece and Macedonia in the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Greece, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A split appears to have developed among the groups of migrants at the Idomeni border encampment, with Greek riot police who, so far, have used only their shields to protect the border. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

A migrant holds a baby during a protest demanding the opening of the border between Greece and Macedonia in the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Greece, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A split appears to have developed among the groups of migrants at the Idomeni border encampment, with Greek riot police who, so far, have used only their shields to protect the border. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)

Migrants shout slogans during a protest demanding the opening of the border between Greece and Macedonia in the northern Greek border station of Idomeni, Greece, Sunday, March 27, 2016. A split appears to have developed among the groups of migrants at the Idomeni border encampment, with Greek riot police who, so far, have used only their shields to protect the border. (AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
The Latest: Russia says it will help demine Syria's Palmyra

DAMASCUS, Syria (AP)  The Latest on the Syrian army's recapture of Palmyra (all times local):

6.30 p.m.

President Vladimir Putin has told the head of UNESCO that Russia will make strong efforts to help remove mines from Palmyra, the ancient city in Syria that has been retaken by government forces after being held by militants of the Islamic State group.

In this photo released on Thursday, March 24, 2016, by the Syrian official news agency SANA, a Syrian government soldier takes his position on hill at the entrance of Palmyra, central Syria. Syrian government forces recaptured a Mamluk-era citadel in Palmyra from the extremist Islamic State group on Friday, Syrian state media and monitoring groups said, as the fierce battle for control of the historic town entered its third day. (SANA via AP)

A Kremlin statement said Sunday that Putin spoke by telephone with UNESCO head Irina Bokova and promised "maximum assistance" on de-mining.

The militants inflicted significant damage on Palmyra during their occupation, destroying some of the site's most notable structures, including the 2000-year-old Temple of Bel.

Bokova said "the liberation of Palmyra has great significance for world culture," the Kremlin statement said.

___

6:00 p.m.

U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon has welcomed the Syrian government's recapture of the town of Palmyra and its world-famous archaeological site from Islamic State extremists.

Ban told a news conference in the Jordanian capital of Amman on Sunday that "the extremist terrorists, they have been not only killing brutally people, they have been destroying human civilizations."

The U.N. chief says that "we are encouraged and fortunate" that Syrian troops retook Palmyra. He says he is also encouraged that Syria's government "will try to not only preserve and protect, but try to restore" the site.

___

5.00 p.m.

The Kremlin's spokesman says Russian President Vladimir Putin has congratulated Syrian President Bashar Assad on his army's recapture of the ancient city of Palmyra.

In a telephone call, Putin "noted the importance of preserving this unique historical site for world culture," presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov was quoted as saying Sunday by Russian news agencies. "Putin once again stressed that despite the withdrawal of the bulk of Russia's contingent from Syria, Russia's armed forces will continue to help the Syrian authorities in their anti-terrorist efforts and liberation of their homeland from extremist groups."

Russia has consistently denied claims that its airstrikes in Syria, which began in late September, are aimed at propping up Assad's rule.

The government forces' offensive on Palmyra came as Russia claimed to have run more than 100 warplane sorties in the area in the past week.

Peskov says that Assad "noted that successes such as the liberation of Palmyra would be impossible without Russia's support."

___

3:30 p.m.

Syrian president Bashar Assad has described his army's recapture of Palmyra as a "significant achievement."

In comments reported by Syrian state TV Sunday, he said that the overthrow of the Islamic State group in the historic town offered "new evidence of the effectiveness of the strategy espoused by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism."

Government forces had been on the offensive for nearly three weeks to try to retake the town, which is home to famed Roman-era ruins and was once one of Syria's top tourist destinations. It had been in the hands of militants from IS group since May.

___

8:30 a.m.

Syrian state media and an opposition monitoring group say government forces backed by Russian airstrikes have driven Islamic State fighters from the historic central town of Palmyra, held by the extremists since May.

Government forces have been on the offensive for nearly three weeks to try to retake the town, which is home to famed Roman-era ruins and was once one of Syria's top tourist destinations.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that "the armed forces and groups of popular defense committees have fully taken control of Palmyra." The popular defense committees are militias allied with the government.
Supreme Court nominee formed lasting bonds at Harvard

BOSTON (AP)  From his first days at Harvard, Merrick Garland's classmates pegged him as a star. Smartest guy in the room, self-confident, easygoing and thoughtful are some of the compliments they still pay him 40 years later.

For Garland, President Barack Obama's choice to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, the bonds formed at Harvard College and Harvard Law School have stayed with him and come into play during a career in private practice, as a prosecutor and on the bench.

Classmates said Garland followed a straight and narrow path, even as a young man during a tumultuous time marked by Watergate and protests over the Vietnam War. Every move he made, even back then, seems to have been designed for an unblemished track to success.

FILE - In this March 17, 2016, file photo, Judge Merrick Garland, President Barack Obamas choice to replace the late Justice Antonin Scalia on the Supreme Court, meets with Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., ranking member on the Senate Judiciary Committee, on Capitol Hill in Washington. From his first days at Harvard, Garland's classmates pegged him as a star. Smartest guy in the room, self-confident, easy-going and thoughtful are some of the compliments they still pay him 40 years later. For Garland, President Barack Obama's choice to fill a vacancy on the U.S. Supreme Court, the bonds formed at Harvard College and Harvard Law School have stayed with him and come into play during a career in private practice, as a prosecutor and on the bench. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite, File)

"This is something he has modestly prepared himself for his whole career," said Elliot Gerson, a friend from his Harvard undergraduate days who now oversees the U.S. Rhodes Scholarships.

Garland graduated with honors from Harvard College in 1974 and Harvard Law School in 1977, helping to pay for his education by working summers as a shoe-store clerk and selling his comic book collection. Since then he's kept strong ties, teaching antitrust law, serving on the Board of Overseers and participating in moot court for law students.

Former Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff, who worked with Garland on the prestigious Harvard Law Review, recalled how Garland was chosen to edit an article submitted by Supreme Court Justice William Brennan.

"For the law review to get a sitting justice to write an article  to be chosen to be the editor on that required that you be someone who was both at the top of the class in terms of brains, but also having a good demeanor and a way with people ... easy to get along with," Chertoff said.

Brennan later hired Garland as a law clerk.

Susan Estrich, now a well-known political operative, beat Garland when they both ran for law review president in 1976.

"Some people, when they run for something and don't get it, they just walk away and say, 'The heck with you.' Merrick jumped in with both feet and said, 'I'll do anything I can to help you'," Estrich said.

After her father's death, Estrich said, Garland made a point of including her in his social circle.

"My entire social life that summer consisted of Merrick looking out for me, including me, inviting me, knowing that I had been through a terrible time that spring," she said.

Garland's nomination is now stymied in the Senate by election-year politics, but friends said they couldn't recall him ever espousing any strong political views. In 1973, he was a member of a student-faculty committee involved in a proposal to hold a student referendum on whether Harvard should allow the Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) back on campus. It had left in 1969, the year before Garland arrived.

The request came after a socialist-feminist group known as the New American Movement collected more than 2,500 student signatures on a petition asking for the referendum.

The committee decided not to sponsor the referendum after receiving assurances from the school's administration that there was no movement to bring ROTC back.

Garland did not make his position on the ROTC public. At the time, he told The Harvard Crimson that some committee members were concerned that the New American Movement was using the ROTC proposal as an opening to discuss Harvard's involvement in military contracting.

"We would have no problems with discussing things like Harvard's involvement with the military, but those issues should be raised directly, and not through the medium of ROTC," Garland told the Crimson.

During his undergraduate years, Garland was involved in student government, served as a proctor and worked as a tutor.

He also wrote for the Crimson, including theater reviews, an article on proposals to deal with student housing issues and an article on a program to offer free McDonald's hamburgers to students who donated blood.

In law school, Garland had a deep interest in constitutional law and the role of courts.

"He was not an ideological activist or outlier in any way," said Kate Stith-Cabranes, a law school classmate who is now a law professor at Yale.

She recalled a conversation with Garland years later when he was leaving his lucrative job at a law firm to join the U.S. Attorney's Office in Washington, calling it an unusual sacrifice. "He really went as a line prosecutor  that's unheard of," Stith-Cabranes said.

Jamie Gorelick, who has known Garland since they attended Harvard and Harvard Law School together, chose him years later to be part of a team of experts to brief former Attorney General Janet Reno during her confirmation process.

In 1994, Gorelick asked Garland to be her principal associate deputy attorney general at the Justice Department. A year later, they turned on the television in Gorelick's office to watch coverage of the bombing of the federal building in Oklahoma City. They were stunned to see the bodies of young children being pulled from the rubble.

"Merrick and I both had small children at the time. We were very moved by what we saw. He said, 'You need to let me go out there. I need to fix this,' " Gorelick recalled.
Tea party activists hail federal appeals court ruling vs IRS

CINCINNATI (AP)  Tea party activists are heartened by a federal appeals court ruling that strengthens their legal push against the IRS for alleged targeting in past election cycles.

A three-judge panel of the Cincinnati-based 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals chastised government foot-dragging while ordering the agency to give attorneys for tea party groups details on tax-exempt applicants. A U.S. district judge in Cincinnati this year certified the case as a class action.

Tea Party Patriots co-founder Jenny Beth Martin praised the original plaintiffs for "relentless pursuit of the truth."

FILE - In this May 21, 2013, file photo, tea party activists demonstrate on Fountain Square before marching to the John Weld Peck Federal Building in Cincinnati to protest the Internal Revenue Service's targeting of conservative groups seeking tax-exempt status. Tea party activists are heartened by a federal appeals court ruling that strengthens their legal push against the Internal Revenue Service for alleged targeting in past election cycles. A Cincinnati-based panel chastised government foot-dragging while ordering the agency to give attorneys for tea party groups details on tax-exempt applicants. (AP Photo/Al Behrman, File)

The 2013 lawsuit was among litigation, congressional hearings and federal investigations over treatment of conservative groups who said they were singled out for extra IRS scrutiny. The Justice Department decided against any criminal charges after its probe.

"It's about time," Tim Savaglio of the Liberty Township Tea Party said of the federal order to release IRS records.

The IRS inspector general said in a 2013 report that applications with such words as "tea party" and "patriots" were set aside, among hundreds of applications including some from liberal groups that languished. Groups on agency "Be On the Lookout" lists received what the 6th Circuit ruling called "crushing demands" for additional information such as lists of donors, the content of speeches and presentations, details of activities and copies of newsletters, emails and advertising materials.

Savaglio said his group went more than a year without response to its application, then received a letter seeking more information about its activities. He said that after providing information, the tea party group got another letter asking for clarification. IRS employees, he said, took exception to such things as postings on the group's Facebook page, including reposts by people not in their group.

"We considered ourselves an education group," Savaglio said. He said his group hasn't responded to an IRS request to re-apply for special tax status.

Martin praised the NorCal Tea Party Patriots, the California-based group since joined by other groups in the Cincinnati lawsuit. The group alleged violation of privacy laws and its constitutional rights.

"The entire movement owes the NorCal Tea Party their thanks for keeping the pressure on the IRS and never giving up the fight," she said in a statement.

Much of the agency's top leadership was replaced, and the government says changed have been made in how tax-exempt applications are handled.

The Justice Department didn't respond immediately to a request last week for comment on the 6th Circuit ruling.

Judge Raymond Kethledge of 6th Circuit wrote that the IRS' response to the lawsuit "has only compounded the conduct that gave rise to it," and said the court expects it "will do better going forward" and comply immediately with court-ordered discovery.

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Follow Dan Sewell at http://www.twitter.com/dansewell

For some of his other recent stories: http://bigstory.ap.org/content/dan-sewell

FILE - In this May 21, 2013, file photo, Tea party activists demonstrate outside the John Weld Peck Federal Building that houses the main offices for the Internal Revenue Service in Cincinnati. Tea party activists are heartened by a federal appeals court ruling that strengthens their legal push against the Internal Revenue Service for alleged targeting in past election cycles. (AP Photo/Al Behrman, File)
Fifteen years after a woman disappeared, her wealthy car dealer husband is facing trial for the fourth time in a case where no body or weapon has ever been found.

On September 12, 2001, a babysitter noticed Michele Harris left her minivan, which still had the keys in the ignition, at the end of a long driveway leading up to the 200acre house she shared with her estranged husband in Spencer, New York. She was nowhere to be found.

Husband Calvin Harris was indicted for her murder in 2005, but after an overturned conviction, mistrial and hung jury, the jury selection for the fourth trial is scheduled to start on Monday in Schoharie, New York.

Calvin Harris (left) was convicted for the murder of his estranged wife Michele (right) in 2005 after she disappeared on September 12, 2001. But her body and a murder weapon have never been recovered

A day after the verdict in 2005, a local farmhand came forward to say he saw Michele Harris and a man in his mid-20s. He was found guilty in the second trial, but it was overturned based on trial-court errors. Pictured, the couple with their four children

Michele Harris was last seen on the night of the September 11 terror attacks, and the babysitter noticed she was missing the next morning.

Harris told police they could search his home and his vehicles, according to court papers.

A prosecution expert later testified that small amounts of Michele's blood were found in the kitchen and garage of the house, some of it cleaned up.

Prosecutors argued the blood splatters supported the theory that Calvin Harris hit his wife with a blunt object, cleaned up the evidence and buried her somewhere in the woods, even though her body was never recovered.

He was wealthy from his family's car dealerships and court papers say he told people she would not get half his business as their divorce loomed.

Defense attorneys argued that there was an extremely small volume of blood and the age of the stains could not be determined.

A jury found Calvin Harris guilty of second-degree murder in 2007.

But one day after the verdict, a local farmhand came forward to say he saw Michele Harris and a man in his mid-20s at the end of their driveway at about 5:30am on September 12, 2001.

A jury in the third trial was unable to come to a unanimous decision after 11 days of deliberating. The jury selection process will begin on Monday in the fourth trial

Harris is pictured with his children, (from left) Taylor, 20, Jenna, 17, Cayla, 19, and Tanner, 15. The four teenagers have said they believe their father is innocent of killing their mother

With that information, Harris' lawyers won him a new trial. The 2009 conviction in that trial was also thrown out by New York's top court in 2012.

The Court of Appeals cited trial errors including the judge's handling of hearsay testimony and a prospective juror who acknowledged having a pre-existing opinion in the high-profile case.

Harris has said: 'I didn't have any involvement in Michele's disappearance. I would never hurt the mother of my children, and I would never do anything to hurt them.'

A third trial was moved more than 100miles northeast of the Harris' home in Spencer. Defense lawyers had argued for a change of venue, saying Harris couldn't get a fair trial where he was twice convicted.

The jury at the Schoharie County Courthouse, New York, however, were unable to reach a unanimous verdict, after 11 days of deliberating.

The judge in the last trial barred defense attorney Bruce Barket from introducing evidence that two workers in the area from Texas were involved in Harris' death.

Barket is seeking permission from the new judge to introduce that evidence again. The defense team said they excavated new, 'corroborative' evidence from a burn pit once owned by one of the Texans, including charred fabric and a possible bra strap.

'When this whole story is told, this will be one more rung on the ladder, the top of which we are not at yet,' Barket said.

District Attorney Kirk Martin would not comment for this story. Authorities have previously said they eliminated the other suspects during the investigation.

The judge is expected to make a decision on Barket's request soon.

The couple's four children have stood by their father throughout the years, maintaining his innocence and appearing in court to show their support.
Bison coming 'home' to Montana Indian reservation

BILLINGS, Mont. (AP)  Descendants of a bison herd captured and sent to Canada more than a century ago will be relocated to a Montana American Indian reservation next month, in what tribal leaders bill as a homecoming for a species emblematic of their traditions.

The shipment of animals from Alberta's Elk Island National Park to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation follows a 2014 treaty among tribes in the United States and Canada. That agreement aims to restore bison to areas of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains where millions once roamed.

"For thousands of years the Blackfeet lived among the buffalo here. The buffalo sustained our way of life, provided our food, clothing, shelter," Blackfeet Chairman Harry Barnes said. "It became part of our spiritual being. We want to return the buffalo."

A bison and its calf roam in a section of the Elk Island National Park, Canada but will be returned to Montana next month after a US-Canada treaty

The 89 plains bison, also known as buffalo, will form the nucleus of a herd that tribal leaders envision will soon roam freely across a vast landscape: the Blackfeet reservation, nearby Glacier National Park and the Badger-Two Medicine wilderness  more than 4,000 square miles combined.

Bison were hunted to near-extinction in the late 1800s as European settlers advanced across the once-open American West.

Most of the animals that survive today are in commercial herds, raised for their meat and typically interbred with cattle. The Blackfeet have a commercial bison herd established in 1972 that numbers more than 400 animals.

The lineage of Elk Island's bison, which experts say are free of cattle genes, traces back to a small group of animals captured by several American Indians on Blackfeet land just south of Canada.

Those bison were later sold to two men, Charles Allard and Michel Pablo, who formed what became known as the Pablo-Allard herd. By the early 1900s, the Pablo-Allard herd was said to be the largest collection of the animals remaining in the U.S.

After U.S. officials rejected a sale offer from Pablo, the Canadian government purchased most of the bison. The animals were then shipped train from Ravalli, Montana, to Elk Island, according to park officials and Western historians.

"They've made a big circle, but now they're coming home," said Ervin Carlson, a Blackfeet member and president of the Intertribal Buffalo Council.

The relocation comes as the restoration of genetically-pure bison to the West's grasslands and forests have gained traction. The efforts include the relocation of some genetically-pure bison from Yellowstone National Park to two Indian reservations in eastern and central Montana.

The tribes  the Assiniboine and Sioux Tribes of the Fort Peck Reservation and the Assiniboine and Gros Ventre Tribes of the Fort Belknap Reservations  are signatories to the 2014 treaty. But ranchers and landowners near the reservations have strongly opposed the tribes' plans, driven by concerns over disease and the prospect of bison competing with cattle for grass.

Brucellosis, the disease found in Yellowstone's bison herds, is absent from Canada's Elk Island, according to the park's superintendent, Stephen Flemming.

"The difficulty (with Yellowstone bison) is the stigma attached to them. In this case, the animals (coming from Canada) have never been exposed to brucellosis," said Keith Aune with the Wildlife Conservation Society, which has been working with the Blackfeet on their bison program.

Over the past five years, Flemming said, about 180 Elk Island bison were relocated to form a private herd maintained by the American Prairie Reserve, which controls a large area between the Fort Peck and Fort Belknap reservations. Those animals, too, have met some resistance from ranchers, but the absence of brucellosis has largely neutralized that issue as a point of contention.

The Blackfeet will loan 20 of the Elk Island bison to the Oakland Zoo in California for a special exhibit slated to open this fall, according to tribal officials and the zoo's president, Joel Parrott.

Offspring from the animals would be returned to Montana, and there are plans to promote eco-tours to the Blackfeet Reservation among zoo patrons.

"Bison historically are native California animals, too," Parrott said. "We're going to highlight the efforts of the Blackfeet. A big part of this which is so unique is the return of buffalo to tribal lands after all these years."

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Follow Matthew Brown on Twitter at https://twitter.com/matthewbrownap .

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This story has been corrected to say the bison herd was sent to Canada more than a century ago.

In this undated photo provided by Parks Canada a plains bison herd roam in a section of the Elk Island National Park, Canada. Descendants of a bison herd captured and sent to Canada more than 140 years ago will be relocated to a Montana American Indian reservation. (Parks Canada via AP)
Iraqi cleric meets with PM after beginning Green Zone sit-in

BAGHDAD (AP)  Influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Sunday night after beginning a sit-in in Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone intended to be a show of force following his calls to combat government corruption.

Earlier in the day security forces stepped aside to allow al-Sadr to enter the Green Zone after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. Al-Sadr has repeatedly called on al-Abadi to enact sweeping economic and political reforms.

"I am a representative of the people and will enter the (Green Zone)," al-Sadr told hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the compound's walls, asking his followers to stay outside and remain peaceful.

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr protest outside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

As al-Sadr walked through a checkpoint to enter the Green Zone, officials in charge of the compound's security greeted the cleric with kisses and provided him with a chair. Al-Sadr was accompanied by his personal security detail and the leader of his Shiite militia, Sarayat al-Salam. After he began his sit-in, al-Sadr's supporters started erecting tents and laying down mattresses.

In February, al-Sadr demanded Iraqi politicians be replaced with more technocrats and that the country's powerful Shiite militias be incorporated into the defense and interior ministries.

After weeks of growing protests in the Iraqi capital, al-Sadr repeatedly threatened to storm the compound if his demands for government overhaul were not met. Baghdad's Green Zone, encircled by blast walls and razor wire, is closed to most Iraqis and houses the country's political elite as well as most of the city's foreign embassies. Al-Sadr has called it a "bastion" of corruption.

Most Iraqis blame the country's politicians for the graft and mismanagement that are draining Iraq's already scarce resources. Unlike the widespread, largely civic protests last summer, however, al-Sadr's demonstrations are attended almost exclusively by his supporters, who have made few concrete policy demands.

Earlier this month, Iraqi security forces manning checkpoints in Baghdad again stepped aside to allow al-Sadr's supporters to march up to the Green Zone's outer walls to begin a sit-in, despite a government order deeming the gathering "unauthorized." The move called into question Prime Minister al-Abadi's ability to control security in the capital.

"I thank the security forces," al-Sadr said before beginning his sit-in. "He who attacks them, attacks me," he added.

While al-Abadi proposed a reform package last August, few of his plans have been implemented as the leader has made several political missteps and struggled with the country's increasingly sectarian politics amid the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group. Shiites dominate the central government, while the country's Kurds in the north exercise increasing autonomy and much of the Sunni population has either been displaced by violence or continues to live under IS rule.

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, center, gives a speech to his supporters before entering the highly fortified Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr protest outside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr sit-in outside the heavily guarded Green Zone as their leader starts his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr sit-in outside the heavily guarded Green Zone as their leader starts his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans as their leader starts his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans as their leader starts his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans as their leader starts his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr chant slogans as their leader starts his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr prepare his tent for his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Followers of Iraq's influential Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr prepare his tent for his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr, surrounded by security, enters the highly fortified Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)

Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr gives a speech to his followers before entering the highly fortified Green Zone, in Baghdad, Iraq, Sunday, March, 27, 2016. Al-Sadr brushed past security checkpoints to enter Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone Sunday after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. (AP Photo/Karim Kadim)
Los Alamos team to research atomic bomb impact in Japan

SANTA FE, N.M. (AP)  A group from Los Alamos, once the building site for an atomic bomb, is making an unprecedented trip this month to a country that was devastated by the weapon.

Los Alamos Historical Museum representatives are traveling throughout Japan to gain that country's perspective on the impact of nuclear warfare. Museum director Judith Stauber, along with a museum registrar and a student intern, flew to Japan Thursday. The team will visit Tokyo, Kyoto and the two cities that were targeted with the bomb  Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

They will meet with a bomb survivor, researchers and leaders from the Hiroshima Peace Memorial Museum and the Nagasaki Atomic Bomb Museum, Stauber said.

The trip has been in the works for two years. It is partially funded by a $10,000 grant from the National Trust for Historic Preservation, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported (http://bit.ly/22B1GTr). It also has gotten support from the New Mexico Japanese Citizens League.

The planned exhibit will open in December. Aside from visiting Japan, Stauber plans to collaborate with Japanese-Americans on a display on World War II internment camps in New Mexico.

Los Alamos, known as Atomic City, is home to Los Alamos National Laboratory. The community is considered one of the wealthiest in the U.S. because of an economy tethered to one of the nation's largest science laboratories. It's a city where colorful symbols of atomic energy are displayed almost everywhere.

Bo Jacobs, a researcher at the Hiroshima Peace Institute who will meet with Stauber, said the history surrounding atomic energy is not a story of scientific discovery in Japan. Instead, it's a story of "people who were killed, who lost family members, who were injured." In an email, Jacobs said the bomb's invention took a human toll of anywhere from 129,000 to more than 200,000.

"The differences between the U.S. and the Japanese narratives of the attack  they couldn't be more different," Jacobs said.

Stauber said she hopes this visit will help build an exhibit that can bridge that gap between narratives.

"What do we know, and how do we know it?" she said. "And how are we remembering?"

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$100 million from World Bank to create 100,000 Jordan jobs

AMMAN, Jordan (AP)  Jordan will get a cheap $100 million loan to help create 100,000 jobs for Syrian refugees and its own citizens, the World Bank president said Sunday.

The long-term loan, almost interest free, is part of an attempt by the international community to improve conditions for refugees in overburdened regional host countries, including Jordan and Lebanon.

More than 4.8 million Syrians have fled their country since the start of the Syria conflict in 2011. Jordan hosts about 640,000 registered Syrian refugees and Lebanon more than 1 million.

From left to right, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Jordan's Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury, hold a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, March 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)

Cheap loans by the World Bank and other donors are among the new tools meant to help finance education and job creation for refugees in the region. Such support is also meant to slow the migration of refugees to Europe.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim and U.N Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon have been visiting the region since last week, first stopping in Lebanon.

Kim announced the $100 million loan for job creation in Jordan on Sunday, after Lebanon was also awarded $100 million to ensure universal school enrolment for Lebanese and Syrian refugee children by 2017.

The bank president said the money for Jordan and Lebanon  both middle income countries  is from a special fund normally reserved for the poorest countries.

"We are taking money from that fund and giving it to a middle income country because Jordan has taken such extraordinary measures" in hosting refugees, he said.

Kim did not say how soon the 100,000 jobs could be created and how many of them would go to refugees.

Jordan has set aside special economic zones where it hopes improved trade arrangements with Europe will lead to greater investment and eventually more jobs. However, the trade arrangements have not yet been worked out, and the entire job creation scheme is expected to take several years.

The idea of concessional loans was part of a package of support for refugees and their hosts announced at a Syria aid conference last month.

Eventually, the World Bank and other donors hope to offer $3 billion to $4 billion in cheap loans to refugee host countries, with international donors buying down interest.

Earlier Sunday, Ban held talks with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas in Amman. The meeting had not been announced previously.

Ban said he is concerned that "we cannot give any hope to these people, the Palestinian people" because of long-stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts and ongoing violence.

Last week, video footage released by an Israeli rights group showed an Israeli soldier lethally shooting a Palestinian attacker who had already been shot and subdued. The incident fueled long-running complaints that Israeli forces are at times using excessive force in responding to Palestinian attacks.

The shooting came amid six months of Palestinian stabbings and other attacks that killed 28 Israelis and two Americans. In this time, at least 188 Palestinians were killed by Israeli fire. Israel says most were attackers, and the rest died in clashes with Israeli security forces.

Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have not held meaningful peace talks since Netanyahu took office in 2009. Gaps remain wide between them on the terms of Palestinian statehood.

Abbas aide Nabil Abu Rdeneh said the Palestinian leader told Ban on Sunday that it's important to convene an international conference to revive peace talks. It's a French idea backed by the Palestinians.

World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, speaks during a press conference with UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Jordan's Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, March 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, speaks during a press conference with World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Jordan's Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury, at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, March 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)

From left to right, World Bank President Jim Yong Kim, UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Jordan's Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh and Jordan's Planning Minister Imad Fakhoury, hold a press conference at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Amman, Jordan, Sunday, March 27, 2016. (AP Photo/Raad Adayleh)
Obama and family attend Easter service at historic church

ALEXANDRIA, Virginia (AP)  President Barack Obama and the first family attended an Easter service at a historic black church that traces its origins to when Thomas Jefferson was president.

The Rev. Howard-John Wesley, the pastor at Alfred Street Baptist Church, welcomed back the Obamas, whom he described as "the gorgeous family." The Obamas also visited the church last Easter.

The congregation, led by a choir clad in crimson, gold and white robes, joined in song early in the service, with the pastor asking them to share introductions, "but don't act crazy" as the hundreds in attendance exchanged hugs and handshakes.

Churchgoers line up outside the historic Alfred Street Baptist Church in Alexandria, Va., Sunday, March 27, 2016, where President Barack Obama and his family joined the congregation to celebrate Easter. (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)

Many in the choir and audience smiled as they swayed and clapped to the music and sang the refrain "yes, He lives," a reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the event Christians celebrate on Easter.

Wesley delivered a sermon that noted the suffering Jesus endured, and he encouraged the congregation to have faith that, if God could raise Jesus from the dead, he can help them get through their hardships.

"No matter what you're going through, you don't have to be afraid because God can handle it," Wesley said.
Crews fighting Kansas wildfires get assist from snow, rain

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP)  Firefighters grappling with the biggest wildfire in Kansas history got a welcomed Easter assist from pre-dawn snowfall over the hardest-hit area, though the looming prospect of flame-fanning winds threatened to undermine the effort.

The National Weather Service said about a half an inch of precipitation in the form of rain and snow fell early Sunday southwest of Wichita in Barber County, which accounts for 427 of the 620 square miles scorched during the blaze that began Tuesday in Oklahoma before spreading into Kansas.

Forestry officials in both states said Sunday the fires had been 45 percent contained, including roughly one-third of the blaze in Barber County. But shifting, stiffer winds were expected, potentially reigniting hot spots or extending flames beyond the fire line. Around south-central Kansas, winds on Monday could gust to 15 to 25 mph, then increase to 30 to 45 mph the next day, National Weather Service meteorologist Brad Ketcham said.

Any chance of precipitation in that area could come Tuesday night, "but it looks like that will be very isolated, very scattered," Ketcham said.

"We're preparing for another couple of critical fire days," said Hannah Anderson, an Oklahoma Forestry Services spokeswoman. "It's going to need something more significant to put it out. The conditions are just extremely dry."

While crediting the Kansas snowfall for quenching dry, vulnerable prairie grass, native cedar trees abundant around Barber County caught much of that precipitation on their branches and left possible hot spots beneath them parched and at risk of rekindling, Kansas Forest Service spokeswoman Shawna Hartman said. The precipitation also likely offered little fire-suppressing benefit in the area's drainages and sloping canyons, she said.

Four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Kansas National Guard remained on the scene Sunday, a day after they arrived equipped with buckets ultimately used to dump nearly 44,880 gallons of water onto the flames, the forest service said. Those machines also helped identify any hard-to-reach areas that had reignited.

Six homes have been destroyed and some livestock has been lost, the Kansas Adjutant General's Office said. Three bridges and one railroad trestle have also been damaged or destroyed. No people have been seriously injured.

A Federal Aviation Administration temporary ban on flights involving aircraft not assisting in the firefight, including unmanned drones, remained in effect above the burn zone at least until sunset Sunday.

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Gangs in El Salvador make purported truce offer

SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP)  A video purportedly made by El Salvador's main street gangs is offering an end to killings in the country, and asks the government not to continue an anti-gang offensive.

El Salvador suffered growing gang violence since a 2012 gang truce fell apart.

In the video broadcast by local media Saturday, a masked man claimed to make the offer on behalf of the Mara Salvatrucha gang and two factions of the Barrio 18 gang.

FILE - In this Aug. 31, 2015 file photo, soldiers guard a corner in a gang-controlled neighborhood in Ilopango, El Salvador. A video broadcast by local media on Saturday, March 26, 2016, purportedly made by the countrys main street gangs, is offering an end to killings, and asks the government not to continue an anti-gang offensive. Officials said they would not negotiate with the gangs. (AP Photo/Salvador Melendez, File)

The video said killings were ordered stopped as of Saturday, to show the government it didn't have to implement get-tough policies. The government has been considering a kind of limited state of emergency in some areas, and is planning to release some non-gang inmates to free up prison space and liberate police to fight the gangs.

"We have ordered all of our people ... to halt all types of homicides nationwide," said the man who appears in the video, "to demonstrate to the public, the government and international agencies in our country that there is no need to implement measures that only violate our constitution."

There was no immediate confirmation of the authenticity of the video, but former guerrilla Raul Mijango said, "I had received information that (the gangs) were going to release some kind of message, that they had that idea." Mijango has served as a truce negotiator in the past.

The gangs may be trying to pressure the government into negotiating a truce like one in 2012, during which homicide rates fell notably. That truce has since fallen apart.

According to official statistics, at least 6,657 people were killed last year in El Salvador. The country had an overall annual homicide rate of around 103 per 100,000 inhabitants, El Salvador's highest ever.

Officials said they would not negotiate with the gangs.

Eugenio Chicas, the spokesman for President Salvador Sanchez Ceren, wrote in his Twitter account that "this administration will not grant any truce in the fight against criminals, and will apply the necessary measures to protect the population."
Finns celebrate Easter Mass near ruins of burned church

HELSINKI (AP)  Church officials say that worshippers celebrated Easter Mass near the smoking ruins of a 230-year-old church in western Finland, burned down the night before in an apparent arson attack.

Jussi Leppala, spokesman for the Ylivieska church, says the fire came as a shock to the congretation, finding difficuly in expressing his feelings but added that it was almost like "having your home burn down."

Chief Superintendent Mikko Vuorio of the Oulu police said officers had detained one male suspect on suspicion of setting the fire. Vuorio said the man had "provisionally" admitted to the attack, but he gave no motive or other details of the suspect or the alleged attack.
Japan: Trouble reaching innovative new space satellite

TOKYO (AP)  Japan's space agency says communication has failed with a newly launched, innovative satellite with X-ray telescopes meant to study black holes and other space mysteries.

Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency spokeswoman Izumi Yoshizaki said Monday that efforts to restore communication links since the problem began Saturday afternoon have been unsuccessful, and it was investigating what might have happened to the satellite, which is called Hitomi and was launched Feb. 17.

"We are really doing our best," she said by telephone in Tokyo.

In this Feb. 17, 2016 photo, an H-2A rocket carrying an X-ray astronomy satellite called "Hitomi", is launched from the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima Prefecture, southern Japan. Japans space agency says communication has failed with the newly launched, innovative satellite with X-ray telescopes meant to study black holes and other space mysteries. The agency said in a statement Sunday, March 27, 2016, that since the problem began Saturday afternoon, it hasnt known the condition of the satellite Hitomi. (Kyodo News via AP) JAPAN OUT, MANDATORY CREDIT

She said the agency was looking into a statement from the Joint Space Operations Center, or JSpOC, the U.S. military organization that tracks and identifies objects in space, that Hitomi may have splintered into several pieces.

Whether that had happened or not is unclear, Yoshizaki said.

Jonathan McDowell, an astronomer at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, said he suspected the satellite had suffered an "energetic event," possibly a gas leak or a battery explosion, that sent it tumbling end-over-end. That would mean its antenna isn't pointing where it needs to, which is why the satellite can't communicate with the space agency, he said.

The danger is that in that state, the satellite may not be able to draw the solar energy it needs to its panels and its battery will run down before the space agency can reconnect with the satellite and try to fix it, he said.
Friday, April 1

Today is Friday, April 1st, the 92nd day of 2016. There are 274 days left in the year.

Highlights in history on this date:

1572 - Start of Dutch War for Independence from Spain.

1666 - French forces capture St. Kitts, Leeward Islands, West Indies, from England.

1789 - The U.S. House of Representatives holds its first full meeting in New York City. Frederick Muhlenberg of Pennsylvania is elected the first House Speaker.

1852 - Second Burmese War breaks out after British ultimatum to King of Burma. It ends within the year with the British annexation of Rangoon.

1853 - Cincinnati, Ohio, becomes the first U.S. city to pay its firefighters a regular salary.

1863 - The first wartime U.S. conscription law is enacted.

1867 - British East India Company rule in Malay Straits Settlements (now in Malaysia and Singapore) ends, and they become a Crown Colony of Britain.

1918 - Britain's Royal Air Force is founded.

1933 - Nazi Germany begins persecuting Jews with a boycott of Jewish-owned businesses.

1937 - India's Constitution goes into effect but All-India Party abstains from forming government, demanding complete independence.

1939 - Spanish Civil War ends with Nationalist victory, 1 million dead and a dictatorship as the United States recognizes the Franco government in Spain.

1944 - Allies bomb Belgrade, targeting Nazi German occupiers, 1,160 local people and 200 German troops are killed.

1945 - U.S. Marines land on Japanese-held island of Okinawa in World War II.

1946 - Tidal waves strike the Hawaiian Islands, killing more than 170 people.

1948 - Soviet Union begins to interfere with traffic between Berlin and West Germany.

1960 - South African government bans African National Congress and Pan-African Congress.

1962 - Swiss referendum rejects manufacture or importation of atomic weapons.

1964 - A military coup in Brazil overthrows the leftist government of President Joao Goulart.

1970 - U.S. President Richard M. Nixon signs a measure banning cigarette advertising on radio and television.

1986 - In his first major speech on the epidemic, U.S. President Ronald Reagan tells doctors in Philadelphia, "We've declared AIDS public health enemy No. 1."

1988 - Sikh gunmen go on murder spree across India's Punjab State and kill 37 people, including seven children, police and witnesses say.

1989 - South Africa reports major clashes with guerrillas in Namibia on eve of cease-fire.

1992 - U.S. President George H.W. Bush pledges United States will help finance the $24-billion international aid fund for the former Soviet Union.

1993 - Israeli forces thrust deep into Lebanon, blasting Palestinian guerrilla bases near Tripoli with helicopters and gunboats.

1995 - Four months after going into Chechnya, Russian forces declare control of all major cities and wage a war of attrition against remaining rebels in the mountains.

2001 - Former Yugoslav leader Slobodan Milosevic surrenders after a 26-hour standoff with police looking to arrest him for charges linked to a decade of repressive rule.

2006 - Kurdish protesters attack government offices and a bank while police fire shots and tear gas to scatter thousands of demonstrators in Turkey's Kurdish-dominated southeast.

2007 - Nepal's communist rebels join an interim government as part of a landmark peace deal that ended their decade-long insurgency.

2010 - Cardinals across Europe use their Holy Week sermons to defend Pope Benedict XVI from accusations he played a role in covering up sex abuse scandals.

2011 - Afghans angry over the burning of a Quran at a small Florida church storm a U.N. compound in northern Afghanistan, killing seven foreigners, including four Nepalese guards.

2014  Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas resumes a campaign for further U.N. recognition of a Palestinian state, a surprise move that could derail U.S. peace efforts.

2015  Nigerians celebrate Muhammadu Buhari's electrifying victory in presidential elections but sobering challenges confront their next leader, from an Islamic uprising to widespread poverty and graft.

Today's Birthdays:

Prince Otto von Bismarck, German statesman (1815-1898); Edwin Austin Abbey, U.S. painter/illustrator (1852-1911); Edmond Rostand, French writer (1868-1919); Sergei Rachmaninoff, Russian composer (1873-1943); Yilmaz Guney, Turkish film director (1937-1984); Debbie Reynolds, U.S. actress (1932--); Ali MacGraw, U.S. actress (1939--).

Thought for Today:
US prosecutor is in the spotlight _ in Turkey

NEW YORK (AP)  A New York federal prosecutor has become a big name in Turkey after the arrest of a prominent businessman who was once entangled in a corruption scandal there.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara's Twitter following soared from several thousand to over a quarter-million after he tweeted Tuesday that Reza Zarrab would "soon face American justice" after being arrested on charges of conspiring to evade U.S. economic sanctions against Iran.

Bharara has since fielded a slew of messages in Turkish or from people writing in English about the case. Oklahoma City Thunder center Enes Kanter, who's Turkish, tweeted a photo of himself in a jersey with Bharara's name on it and said he was proud of the prosecutor's work. Another Twitter user wrote to offer the prosecutor shish kebab, Turkish carpets or other Turkish items.

FILE - In this Sept. 15, 2015 file photo, U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara speaks during a news conference in New York. Bhararas Twitter following soared after he tweeted Tuesday, March 22, 2016, about the arrest of Reza Zarrab, a controversial Iranian-Turkish businessman. (AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)

"Well, I do love shish kebab but I don't think I can accept gifts just for doing my job," Bharara replied Tuesday in a message that was retweeted over 38,000 times.

The Iranian-Turkish Zarrab, 33, is a well-known figure in Turkey, partly because he's married to Turkish pop star and TV personality Ebru Gundes. But Zarrab gained notoriety on his own when he was arrested in a complicated, high-level Turkish government corruption case in 2013. He maintained his innocence, and the charges were dropped.

Now, Zarrab and two other people are charged in the U.S. with conspiring to process hundreds of millions of dollars' worth of financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Iran's government  transactions banned by U.S. and international sanctions. The conspirators used a network of companies in Iran, Turkey and elsewhere to launder the proceeds and defraud several financial institutions, including U.S. banks, by concealing the true nature of the financial moves, prosecutors said.

Zarrab was arrested March 19 in Miami; his lawyer hasn't immediately responded to message left Sunday and earlier about the case. Zarrab's co-defendants remain at large.

Bharara has led one of the nation's most high-profile federal prosecutor's offices since 2009, pursuing cases that range from terrorism to Wall Street fraud to state political corruption and making the cover of Time magazine in 2012. His career also has drawn attention in India, where he was born.

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Moldova: Thousands march for reunification with Romania

CHISINAU, Moldova (AP)  Thousands of Moldovans have marched through their capital calling for reunification with Romania, restoring a union which lasted from 1918 to 1940.

During the march Sunday, Moldovans shouted "Unity!" and called for measures that would make reunification possible. They want to twin towns in both countries, make it easier to obtain Romanian citizenship and called on the parliaments of both countries to adopt principles of reunification.

Moldova was annexed to the Soviet Union in 1940 under the terms of a Nazi-Soviet pact.
Tony Finau wins Puerto Rico Open in playoff for 1st title

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico (AP)  Tony Finau won the Puerto Rico Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, beating Steve Marino with a birdie on the third hole of a playoff at windy Coco Beach.

The 26-year-old Finau won with his third straight birdie in the playoff on the par-5 18th, blasting out of the back bunker to 3 feet.

"I think I'm still a little bit overwhelmed," Finau said. "It probably hasn't all sunk in."

Marino was just off the back edge of the green in two, but left his putt from the fringe 4 1/2 feet short and missed his birdie try to the right.

"I finally played the hole like you're supposed to," Marino said. "I hit the fairway and then hit it on the back fringe. I didn't think that putt was going to be that slow and then I just hit a poor putt on the second putt. Pretty disappointing, played really well."

Finau and Marino each shot 2-under 70 to finish at 12-under 276. Marino birdied the 18th to tie Finau, and got into the playoff when Finau missed a 6-foot birdie putt.

"In regulation, it was a putt that I kind of dreamed of making my whole life," Finau said. "It's a putt that you practice for your first PGA Tour victory or just for any PGA Tour victory, so I was a little bit bummed that that sneaked by the hole because I hit a really good putt. But I was happy I had another chance at it and was able to make the second one."

Finau and Marino each birdied the 18th on the first two playoff holes.

On the first extra hole, Marino got up-and-down from the left bunker, blasting to 8 feet. Finau pitched to a foot from left of the green. On the second, Marino hit a flop shot over the right-side bunker to 10 feet, and Finau pitched to 6 feet from in front of the green.

Marino is winless on the PGA Tour. He also lost in a playoff in the 2009 Colonial.

Finau birdied four of the first 10 holes to reach 14 under, then dropped back with bogeys on the par-3 11th and par-5 15th.

The long-hitting Finau, a 6-foot-4 former Utah high school basketball star, is in his second full season on the PGA Tour. He's the cousin of Milwaukee Bucks player Jabari Parker.

"I tried to just stay in the moment really," Finau said. "That's what I learned from last year. You can never look too far ahead and you can't look back, either. You've got to focus on the here and now. I did a really good job of that today even though that putt slipped by in regulation for the win, I knew I still didn't lose the tournament. I needed to refocus and get ready to play 18 again. That's what it takes out here I feel like to win. And now that I have that feeling, it's pretty special."

Ian Poulter and Mexico's Rodolfo Cazaubon finished a stroke out of the playoff.

Poulter closed with a 72, missing an 18-foot birdie putt on 18. Playing the event for the first time after failing to get into the Match Play tournament in Texas as the first alternate, the Englishman took a one-stroke lead into the final round.

"It's a shame. Just slightly disappointing," Poulter said. "I'm continuing to work on the game to try and improve, and I know if I rectify a couple of poor shots, then my game will improve. Obviously, hitting shots slightly too far right at certain times is costly."

Cazaubon shot a 68. The Web.com Tour player was making his third PGA Tour start.

"I'm really happy," Cazaubon said. "I guess I feel really comfortable since the beginning. I didn't have anything to lose because I play on the Web. I just came here to have some fun here."
Kell Brook retains world title with routine win

Kell Brook retained his IBF welterweight title with a clinical second-round stoppage of the overmatched Kevin Bizier at the Sheffield Arena.

The unbeaten Brook (36-0, 25 KO wins) produced a statement performance in his home city, albeit against a clearly inferior opponent, in his first bout in 10 months as he made a successful third defence of his world title.

The Canadian challenger was bloodied after a vicious opening assault from the champion, who knocked his opponent down twice in the next round to bring an early halt to proceedings to the joy of the partisan crowd.

Kell Brook had no trouble defending his IBF world welterweight title

Brook is now expected to turn his focus towards securing a summer showdown against one of the premier fighters of the 147lb division.

While refusing to overlook Bizier, Brook made no secret of his desire to step up a level in the build-up, with fellow world champions Danny Garcia, Jessie Vargas and Keith Thurman mooted as his next opponent as well as the winner of the money-spinning showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley in two weeks' time.

He was last in action in May 2015 when he stopped Frankie Gavin in six rounds, although an October contest against rugged Argentinian Diego Chaves was cancelled after Brook sustained a rib injury.

His hand was forced by the IBF mandating the clash against Bizier, whose only previous two defeats came in split decision reverses to Jo Jo Dan, a fighter Brook defeated in four rounds 12 months ago.

Brook was therefore an overwhelming favourite to extend his unbeaten run in the professional ranks and so it proved, even inside the opening minute.

Despite the lengthy lay-off, Brook showed no signs of ring rust as he found his range with the jab almost immediately while a big right hand wobbled Bizier midway through the opening round.

Bizier cut his eye in the onslaught and Brook could not miss with a series of sickening blows.

Another bruising right hand shook Bizier and he was down on the canvas after Brook followed up with a flurry.

While the brave 31-year-old managed to beat the count, he was back on the floor a matter of moments later, leading to the stoppage with 45 seconds left in the round.

On the undercard, 2012 Olympic gold medallist Luke Campbell also had an early night as he got back to winning ways with a sensational second-round stoppage of Gary Sykes to capture the vacant Commonwealth lightweight crown.

Campbell (13-1, 11KO) suffered his first defeat in the paid ranks against France's Yvan Mendy in December but reignited his career in spectacular fashion.

After a cagey opening round, the 28-year-old's overhand left rocked his fellow Yorkshireman, who sank to the canvas after taking another solid shot.

While he was able to beat the count, Campbell forced his opponent onto the ropes before unleashing a furious barrage, forcing the referee to intervene with two seconds remaining in the second round.

Brook admitted his disappointment at being out of the ring for nearly a year but took satisfaction from his dismantling of Bizier.

He said: "I was frustrated and I knew that I was going to come and break bones.

"I knew as soon as I landed, or I got excited, that the fight would be over, so I'm not shocked at all with the result in two rounds.

"It's been a long time, I've missed a lot of things. I just wanted to get in there - I did want to go more rounds - but it's been a long time.

"I got flowing, I caught him with a nice shot and he couldn't continue. Maybe that spitefulness is there."
Schools asbestos 'scandal' still threatening lives - report

Decades of lax attitudes towards tackling deadly asbestos in schools is a national "scandal" threatening the health of former, current and future schoolchildren, a wide-ranging investigation has found.

The Joint Union Asbestos Committee (JUAC) said examples of the problem in schools underlined "systematic failings" in the way it was dealt with by successive governments.

The JUAC said Whitehall had a "scandalous disregard for life" by permitting inadequate surveys and campaigning against compulsory detection that it said would help prevent future cases of asbestos cancer mesothelioma.

The UK has the the highest incidence of mesotheliaoma in the world

The report said successive governments failed to require schools to keep asbestos records and inform parents about the material in their child's school.

It said: "This has enabled the culprits to evade responsibility for asbestos exposure leading to mesothelioma, allowing them to escape with impunity.

"Nothing can be done to put right past asbestos exposure, but we must do more to protect future generations of school children and staff."

Asbestos can be found in wall panels, ceiling tiles, floors, fire breaks, columns, door frames, and ceiling and wall voids.

But it can also creep into classrooms and corridors if it is disturbed, such as through having children crashing into affected areas.

The UK currently has the highest incidence of mesothelioma in the world and it is steadily increasing.

And according to the Health and Safety Executive, more people in the UK die from the disease than in road accidents.

The report identified one asbestos victim, Sarah Bowman, who developed the disease in her 40s, more than three decades after leaving Braincroft Primary and William Gladstone schools in the Brent area of London.

She was said to have been too ill to attend the National Union of Teachers (NUT) conference in Brighton this weekend where the report was presented.

The report found the risk to children - including Ms Bowman's son, who attended one of the schools several years later - was underestimated because risk assessments and tests were designed for adults working with asbestos, and not for long-term exposure of children who are known to be more vulnerable.

JUAC said government documents released under Freedom of Information rules suggested full and comprehensive new laws to reduce the risk of exposure to asbestos were dismissed by politicians on cost grounds.

Mary Bousted, general secretary of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), described the report as "shocking".

She said: "It is outrageous that staff and pupils are still dying from being exposed to asbestos in schools.

"ATL has been campaigning about this for years. Action must be taken by the Government now."

Unite general secretary Len McCluskey said: "Only through the safe, planned removal of all the asbestos which still remains in place across the UK, will the deadly menace of asbestos be lifted from future generations."

Experts say the true scale of the problem is not known, because no comprehensive survey has been done to establish which buildings are affected.

Asbestos campaigner Hank Roberts, presenting the report at the NUT conference, said: "It is disgraceful. This document shows absolutely everything you can think of has been going wrong - negligence, deceit, lying.

"Saying it is safe is an absolute lie."

A Department for Education spokesman said: "Nothing is more important than the health and safety of children and staff in our schools.

"Since 2010, billions has been invested to improve the condition of the school estate, with a further 23 billion on school buildings to come over this Parliament.

"This will help ensure asbestos is managed safely and that the amount in school buildings continues to reduce over time.
Cambridge triumph over Oxford in 162nd Boat Race

Wind and rain lashed down on the River Thames as thousands of people braved chilly conditions to see Cambridge win the 162nd Boat Race.

Lightning had struck ahead of the annual Oxford-Cambridge university duel.

The sky cleared, leaving a nasty chill in the air as spectators lined the banks of the four-and-a-quarter mile course in London.

Team Cambridge celebrate with the trophy after the Men's Boat Race on the River Thames

Uniformed police patrolled Hammersmith Bridge, one of the favourite viewing spots, as families and dog walkers joined spectators, some of whom had nipped out of the nearby pubs for a glimpse of the famous race.

Loud cheers rang out as spectators watched from the big screens set up on the river bank.

Sandra Gibson, from Lincolnshire, wondered if "anyone else felt seasick" just watching the contest as the rowers powered through the choppy River Thames.

Organisers estimate that more than 250,000 people lined the course to cheer on the rowers, while millions more watched on television.

There was some joy for TV presenter and Cambridge alumna Carol Vorderman, who tweeted: "No pressure @Cambridge_Uni but I've already opened the bottle...go Light Blues."

This was followed by: "YAYYYYYYYYYYYY ....... wonderful Cambridge win ... my god I love that place .... congratulations Light Blues ...."

The four-and-a-quarter mile course starts from Putney Bridge, travelling on to its midway point at Hammersmith and moving through Barnes before finishing at Chiswick Bridge.

For the second year in a row, the women's boat race took place on the same day as the men's.

Oxford claimed it s fourth women's victory in a row as Cambridge narrowly avoided sinking.

Scotland Yard said it had not received any reports of protests or incidents at the event.

It was Cambridge's first win in the Boat Race since 2012, and it extended their overall lead over Oxford to 82-79.

Head coach Steve Trapmore, a formidable oarsman in a career which saw him win gold in the eight at the Sydney 2000 Olympics, said his team "had a lot to prove".

Trapmore, 41, said of his team: "It's a tough ask to go up against what we've been challenged with in the last few years. We knew we had a lot to prove."

Cambridge built a lead of two-and-a-half lengths to win in 18 minutes and 38 seconds.

Trapmore said: "We'd been practising (rough water) all year, and one of the fantastic things about the race is the variety of conditions you could be presented with. We haven't had a race like this in a long time.

"I'm really proud of how the guys mentally approached it. Today was a culmination of the process we've been working on for so long and so hard.

"It makes it all the sweeter to know we've beaten their tenacity. I think it's the start of the turn of the tide for Cambridge."

Oxford coach Sean Bowden described the conditions as the "worst I've ever seen in a Boat Race", adding: "We didn't get a lot of rough water in training so you have to make the most of it in the last couple of days.

"It was a lot worse today. You react as best you can and produce as good a plan as possible."

He described the result as "disappointing".

The rough waters caught both teams by surprise in the 71st women's Boat Race. Despite a stuttering start, Oxford secured their 13th win in 17 years by one minute and 11 seconds, or 24 lengths.

The main problem for Cambridge looked to be staying afloat, as their vessel took on a lot of water.

Coach Rob Baxter, whose team finished in 23 minutes, said: "I think our cox (Rosemary Ostfeld) did amazingly well.
Charlotte Edwards leads from the front as England reach World T20 semi-finals

England set-up a semi-final encounter with Australia at the ICC Women's World Twenty20 after finishing top of Group B following a commanding 68-run win over Pakistan in Chennai.

Captain Charlotte Edwards led from the front with an authoritative 77 not out in a total of 148 for five and England sealed their fourth victory from as many matches in this competition when Pakistan subsided to 80 all out.

A last four encounter with Australia in Delhi on Wednesday awaits, giving England the chance for revenge after being beaten by their old rivals in the 2012 and 2014 finals.

Charlotte Edwards led from the front for England Women

Despite defeating Bangladesh, India and West Indies in their opening three matches, England needed to triumph over Pakistan, or lose by a narrow margin, to guarantee their progress.

Their batting was under scrutiny after a terrible collapse against the Windies last time out but Edwards and Tammy Beaumont made sure England got off to the right start after winning the toss with a 68-run opening stand.

Despite Beaumont falling for 37, Edwards was a reassuring presence at the crease and she went to her half-century with the first of three successive fours off Sadia Yousuf in the 16th over.

In total, she creamed 10 fours in her 61-ball stay to amass more than half of her side's total.

Pakistan needed to knock off the runs in 18.1 overs or fewer to usurp England on net run-rate but that always looked unlikely when they lost three wickets in the space of 11 deliveries to slip to 30 for four.
Russian warplanes flew 41 sorties to support Syrian offensive near Palmyra

MOSCOW, March 25 (Reuters) - Russian warplanes carried out 41 sorties in Syria between Tuesday and Thursday in support of a Syrian army offensive near Palmyra and destroyed 146 targets, Russian news agencies reported on Friday, citing Russia's defence ministry.

The ministry added in separate comments that it had registered seven ceasefire violations in the past 24 hours in the Syrian province of Latakia but said the cessation of hostilities was holding "in general" in Syria.
Italy arrests Algerian suspected of forging papers for Brussels attackers -reports

ROME, March 26 (Reuters) - Italian police have arrested an Algerian suspected of having produced false documents for Islamist militants connected to the recent deadly attacks in Brussels and Paris, Italian media reported on Saturday.

Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was arrested by DIGOS anti-terrorism police in Bellizzi, a small town near Salerno in southern Italy, according to Sky TG 24 television and other media.

DIGOS could not be reached for more details.

The reports said he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by Belgian authorities for producing and procuring false documents to be used in illegal immigration.

His name was found in documents in a raid in an apartment near Brussels last October, including some documents with photos of some of the militants involved in the attacks last year in Paris and last week in Brussels and the aliases they used, the reports said.
Syrian army recaptures Palmyra from Islamic State - state media

BEIRUT, March 27 (Reuters) - Syrian government forces recaptured Palmyra on Sunday, state media and a monitoring group said, inflicting a significant defeat on the Islamic State group which had controlled the desert city since May last year.

Syrian television quoted a military source saying the army and its militia allies took "complete control over the city of Palmyra".
Mathews exits World T20 as Sri Lanka's tragic hero

By Amlan Chakraborty

NEW DELHI, March 27 (Reuters) - Hamstrung, running out of partners and his team's title defence at stake -- the stage was set for Angelo Mathews to emerge from the Saturday night drizzle and enter Twenty20 folklore but the Sri Lankan captain fell agonisingly short.

At 15-4, after England had set them a 172-run victory target in the World Twenty20 match, Sri Lanka's title defence looked all but over inside three overs.

Their skipper then engineered a stunning recovery in the tournament's most portentous contest that was key to the semi-final hopes of three teams, including South Africa.

But the lion-hearted effort took its toll on his hamstring and Mathews was clearly struggling when he took guard for the final over from Ben Stokes -- 15 runs separating him from Twenty20 greatness and his team from a place in the last four.

As a mild drizzle fell on the Feroz Shah Kotla Stadium, Stokes charged in with a ball in hand and ice in veins to thwart Mathews' audacious bid to pull off a heist.

Mathews bashed the first delivery to cover and declined a single. Stokes replied with a yorker which Mathews dug out for two runs and two more came in the next delivery when Adil Rashid nearly grabbed his scoop shot at short fine leg.

Stokes sealed the contest with three successive dot balls. A dejected Mathews hurled his bat on the turf, his unbeaten 73 doing little more than burnishing his personal reputations.

"We were just short of a batter in the last couple of overs," the all-rounder rued, confessing they did not deserve to be in the semi-finals.

Outside their ardent fans, not many expected them to reach the last four either.

Sri Lanka suffered a jolt even before kicking off their title defence with Lasith Malinga handing over the captaincy to Mathews following a slow recovery from a knee injury, which would subsequently rule him out of the tournament.

"It was a big blow for us," Mathews said of the paceman, who has been instrumental in Sri Lanka's progress to three World Twenty20 finals over the last four editions.

"He has won us so many games but he had to pull out at the last moment. It was a big blow for the whole team."

TRICKY TRANSITION

A depleted pace attack put the pressure on their spinners and Rangana Herath was not the force that many expected him to be in a spin-dominated tournament.

A misfiring batting order added to the problems for Sri Lanka, who conclude their campaign with Monday's inconsequential group match against South Africa.

Their early exit, on the back of a poor Asia Cup, suggests Sri Lanka still remain in the throes of a tricky transition since the retirements of stalwarts Kumar Sangakkara and Mahela Jayawardene two years ago.

Mathews knows the reality and urged for patience.

"It has been a disappointing few months for all of us. We let down the fans, we let down the whole country," he said.

"All we can do is stick to one combination, not try and change the team too much.
Doctor from Yemen wins Hungarians' hearts

By Krisztina Than

GYULA, Hungary, March 24 (Reuters) - Abdulrahman Abdulrab Mohamed sometimes cooks Hungarian beef stew, his favourite dish, for his three sons using spices from Yemen, where he grew up.

The 45-year-old paediatrician, who has lived and worked in the town of Gyula near Hungary's eastern border with Romania for almost two decades, says he has become a Hungarian in his heart.

The doctor, who treats hundreds of new-born babies each year, among them many premature ones, was voted by his patients on the Internet "Doctor of the Year" for his dedication. He received the prestigious Astellas prize in Budapest last week.

A former migrant to Hungary, Mohamed told Reuters he had found his adopted country and true calling as a doctor in Gyula, where he is fully accepted by Hungarians.

This embrace by Hungarians has not changed since last year when the country became a key route for hundreds of thousands of migrants fleeing war and poverty in the Middle East and Africa.

The influx prompted Hungary's government to erect a fence along the country's borders with Serbia and Croatia to keep out migrants. Surveys showed most Hungarians supported the idea.

"My heart beats faster when a Hungarian wins (in sports), when I hear the Hungarian national anthem," he says, adding that he had never felt like an outsider in the town.

"I do not feel an alien here, they let me into their house, to their most valued treasure (their child) ... and they place a lot of trust in me," said Mohamed, who has been a Hungarian citizen since 2007.

His case is one of the success stories of integration in Hungary, which granted asylum or some other kind of international protection to just 508 migrants last year.

In his consulting room, the doctor treats a small girl who has a skin problem in a playful manner which puts both her and her mother quickly at ease. The walls are decorated with fluffy toys and cartoon characters.

"For us, the doctor is not a foreigner," says the girl's mother, Nora Kander-Beres. "We have accepted him. He has lived here for a long time and for us, he is not Yemeni ... he is Hungarian."

A LONG JOURNEY

Mohamed came to Hungary in 1989, the year when communism collapsed, to study medicine on a state scholarship.

He grew up in a village in northern Yemen and decided to be a doctor after his younger sister died when she accidentally swallowed a coin. There was no doctor around to save her.

"We tried to help her as best as we could, but unfortunately ... she died in front of our eyes," he said.

His initial experiences in Hungary were not always positive.

Once the institute where he stayed with other foreign students in 1989 was surrounded by skinheads, with a reputation for violence and racism.

"The first night was scary as we were told not to leave the institute in the morning because it is surrounded by skinheads ... I had no idea who skinheads were," he said.

He graduated in 1996, and after spending two years in his homeland, he returned to Hungary. Since then he has not had any negative experiences here, he said.

"A friend asked me why did you return from Yemen? I said I was homesick," he said.

When asked whether he considered himself Yemeni or Hungarian he said: "This is like when you ask a mother which of her children she loves: I don't have a first or second home. I love both countries the same."

Mohamed, who treated several migrant children from Syria in the Gyula hospital last year, said he was convinced that Europe should not be left alone to resolve the migration crisis.

"This a problem for the whole world to solve, not just Europe," he said, adding that Hungarians' fears of migrants could also be understood.
Dutch anti-terrorism police arrest suspect at France's request

AMSTERDAM, March 27(Reuters) - Dutch anti-terrorism police on Sunday arrested a 32-year-old man in Rotterdam on suspicion of preparing an attack on France and also detained three other people, national prosecutors said.

"French authorities on Friday requested the arrest of the French citizen, who had been identified in a terrorism investigation," prosecutors said in a statement. He was suspected of "involvement in preparing a terrorist attack".

The arrests were carried out by a specialized anti-terrorism police squad, and the Dutch intelligence agency AIVD and prosecutors also took part in the operation, prosecutors said.

Two of the others detained were described as aged 43 and 47 and "having an Algerian background," while the third had not yet been identified.

Police were searching two addresses in western Rotterdam associated with the suspect, and people living in nearby buildings had been evacuated as a precautionary measure, the prosecutors said.

The suspect will be extradited to France as quickly as possible, they said.

The arrests came with Europe on heightened alert after Tuesday's suicide bomb attacks at Brussels Airport and on a rush-hour metro train that killed 31 people, including three attackers, and injured hundreds more. Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

Late on Sunday, French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve congratulated intelligence services' work and the cooperation among European countries that he said helped thwart a potential attack in France.

Cazeneuve said their work helped result in a first arrest outside of Paris on Thursday, then another in Brussels on Saturday and a third in the Netherlands.

"Intelligence services work relentlessly to protect our territory in a context of high threat," Cazeneuve said in a statement.
Mali arrests two in connection with Ivory Coast al Qaeda attack

BAMAKO, March 27 (Reuters) - Authorities in Mali have arrested two men believed to be linked to an al Qaeda attack on a beach resort town in neighbouring Ivory Coast that killed 19 people earlier this month, military officials said on Sunday.

Gunmen shot swimmers and sunbathers before storming into several hotels in the town of Grand Bassam, 40 km (25 miles) from the commercial capital, Abidjan, on March 13.

"The information concerning the arrests of two suspects in the north of Mali is true," said Lieutenant-Colonel Modibo Nama Traore, a military intelligence officer who said they had been picked up by gendarmes and the intelligence service.

Ivory Coast announced last week it had detained 15 people in connection with the attack, which was claimed by al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM), the Islamist group's North African branch.

Ivorian officials named the suspected ringleader as Kounta Dallah, but said he remained at large.

While Traore gave no further details of the arrests in Mali, a second intelligence officer said the two men were arrested separately on Saturday and Sunday in the towns of Goundam and Gossi in the northern Timbuktu region.

"One is even Kounta's driver," the intelligence officer said, asking not to be identified.

In its claim of responsibility for the Grand Bassam shooting rampage, AQIM said the attack was revenge for France's military intervention in Mali.

Eleven Ivorians, including three special forces' soldiers, died in the attack. Four French citizens were killed and other foreign victims included citizens of Germany, Lebanon, Macedonia and Nigeria.

Paris sent troops to its former colony in 2013 to drive out Islamist fighters who seized its desert north a year earlier. The intervention received support from Mali's regional neighbours, including Ivory Coast, which hosts a French military base.

Despite the successful intervention, violence is again rising in Mali, and militants are increasingly striking farther from their traditional desert strongholds.

In the months before the attack on Grand Bassam, AQIM struck hotels and restaurants in Mali's capital, Bamako, and neighbouring Burkina Faso's capital, Ouagadougou, killing dozens of civilians.
As Charlottesville City Hall prepares to seek contract bids for a mobile 311 system, a budget proposal for a new staff member who would track and handle citizens reports on the app is being scrutinized by at least one city official and some members of the public.

The proposal for the new $84,460-per-year position, tentatively titled assistant to the city manager, became the subject of a brief, but extended, discussion at a budget work session earlier this month.

According to budget documents, the new employee would enhance customer service and also serve the clerk of council.

Mayor Mike Signer seemed to signal his support for the proposal, saying the council has been inundated with messages regarding the budget and other issues.

Weve seen a very high level of requests  calls, emails and meetings, Signer said, adding that Albemarle County employs a deputy clerk who works alongside the clerk for the Board of Supervisors.

This is all in the vein of being more responsive, Signer said. But, because of bandwidth, we cannot right now.

Councilor Kathy Galvin questioned whether those responsibilities already are assigned to a sufficient number of employees. She added that current employees could be cross-trained to improve efficiency and constituent response times.

There seems to be some healthy skepticism, Galvin said at the work session.

In a recent email, Galvin expanded on her doubts about the need for the position.

There are at least 17 administrative assistants in our city government today, she said. Before hiring another full-time employee in central administration, we need to consider repurposing one or more of these administrative positions so as to avoid duplication and foster cross-training.

Galvin suggested the city wait for an anticipated organizational efficiency study to decide whether there is an empirical need for the position.

City Manager Maurice Jones said staff had considered not adding the position but came to the conclusion that a new staff member is needed if the city is to get to the next level of service.

Jones said the city currently lacks a centralized approach to responding to citizens concerns, and that responses can sometimes be duplicated as correspondences bounce between departments and officials.

The technology we are hoping to acquire will help us to overcome these difficulties, and the addition of manpower will provide an individual working closely with the city managers office team to ensure we achieve a high level of service for our citizens while providing better documentation and broader access, he said, alluding to the 311 mobile app and the proposed position.

We are unaware of an uptick [in correspondences], but there is a great deal of volume to be managed by the managers office, council and within the departments.

Jones said the recent decision to have lead administrators Leslie Beauregard and Mike Murphy both serve as assistant city managers has spread the citys lead team thin.

The promotions, Jones said, have meant theres less time to respond to constituents concerns, as Beauregard and Murphy currently still are responsible for budget development and human service efforts, respectively.

Some of that strain may soon be relieved, however. Earlier this month, the city announced that Sheila E. Mitchell will succeed Murphy as director of human services April 25.

Public concern

Whether there is enough staff to handle the complaints  and whether the new position is being proposed at the cost of cuts to other city positions and departments  has been questioned by some members of the public.

Community activists Nikuyah Walker and Walt Heinecke are among those questioning budget proposals regarding staffing.

Im a bit concerned that this $84,000 increase is being proposed. Are Mike and Leslie not assistants to the city manager? Walker said in an email.

City spokeswoman Miriam Dickler clarified that the new employee would not have the same responsibilities tasked to Murphy and Beauregard, but instead would take some of the work thats currently on their slates.

Heinecke said hes perturbed that the assistant position is prioritized over the citys Human Rights Office. The budget proposes to downsize the office by turning a full-time community outreach and education specialist into a part-time post.

Approximately $80,000 is allocated for that position in this years budget. The budget proposal for fiscal year 2017 cuts the salary allocation in half.

Heinecke alleged that the city will hamstring the office if its funding is cut. The proposed total budget for the Human Rights Office is $191,918  $41,574 less than what it received for the current fiscal year.

And at the same time  the Human Rights Office is being downsized by making the second position half-time, thus putting the final nail in the coffin of human rights enforcement in Charlottesville, he said.

Charlene Green, the former community outreach specialist who was chosen last year to succeed Zan Tewksbury as director, declined to comment, other than to say, anything related to the budget can be discussed with the city manager or the mayor.

A successor for Greens former position in the office has yet to be chosen.

Jones said he absolutely thinks the Human Rights Office can continue to operate at the same level of efficiency. He said $5,000 has been added to the offices operating budget to cover any potential legal fees that could be incurred in its routine activities.

The assertion that this is an attempt to gut the office is completely false, he said. Based on the lack of formal complaints that have come into the office, we felt we could reduce this second position from 40 hours a week to 20 hours without having a negative effect on the office.

A report from the office last year showed that out of the 107 complaints that were submitted to the office before December 2014, city officials were unable to resolve any of them. At the time, 10 complaints were still under investigation. The remainder had been closed, sent to a community or government agency or referred to legal counsel.

Green said she will present an annual office report to the City Council next month.

We believe this approach will save the city money but keep the important work of the office and the Human Rights Commission going, Jones said about the decision to reduce the offices budget.

Other priorities

Galvin said concerns about those cuts and the new proposal has required the councilors to provide responses that some of them may not feel certain are necessary.

Speaking to the perception that there might be enough staff on hand already, she said, we need to be explaining how and why were not cross-training and repurposing existing staff to do this job.

Attempting to provide a contrast, she said other city needs are not being met, particularly regarding the implementation of existing plans for West Main Street and the Strategic Investment Area south of downtown.

Galvin said implementation of the SIA plan could generate much-needed housing, jobs and $2.5 million in additional property tax revenue.

Not having a high-level person skilled in neighborhood revitalization and focused on plan implementation has an opportunity cost, she said. The value added by one more administrative assistant to central office is not that clear.

Jones said he expects the City Council will discuss the bid request to design and create the 311 application at its meeting April 18.
Maybe the best thing Tim Kaine can do for Hillary Clinton is stay in the U.S. Senate.

Its no secret that Kaine is a vice presidential prospect. Its not the first time. In 2008, when he was Virginias governor, Kaine made Barack Obamas short list but lost out to Joe Biden, because the then-Delaware senator brought gray hair and a global view to a Democratic ticket that lacked both.

There are many reasons why Clinton might select Kaine. Theres one reason Clinton may not have to: Donald Trump, the favorite for the Republican nomination.

Early polls suggest that Clinton  against Trump or Ted Cruz  carries Virginia, one of seven battleground states.

A survey in October by Christopher Newport Universitys Wason Center for Public Policy showed Clinton, whom more voters disliked than liked, losing to all Republican candidates except Trump and Cruz. Shed defeat Trump by 7 percentage points; Cruz, by 8 percentage points.

Kaine is a good match for Clinton because hes from a swing state. Hes tight with Hispanics, the second fastest-growing minority in the country behind Asians.

Kaine campaigns as easily in Spanish as he does in English. Hes a Catholic. That gives him another in with Hispanics  and one with ethnic, working-class whites, particularly in the industrial Midwest, where Kaine was born and raised.

As the first Southern governor to endorse Obama, Kaine also is a direct link to the departing president.

Obama handpicked Kaine for the chairmanship of the Democratic National Committee. Kaine, as he was for Obama, could be Clintons liaison to Democratic leaders and benefactors  border-to-border.

In Kaines absence, Gov. Terry McAuliffe, a Clinton confidant, should be a plus for her.

McAuliffe, battered by a legislature that he failed to half-wrest from Republican control last year, is due for a political victory. Its easier in a presidential year, when a statewide turnout approaching 75 percent augurs a Democratic win by magnifying the partys strength in the cities and suburbs and with minorities, including so-called New Virginians  Asians and Hispanics.

If Virginia is likely to hold for Democrats  the state, with 13 electoral votes, went blue in 2008 and 2012, ending a four-decade Republican presidential win streak  Clinton could focus on other swing states.

Among them: Ohio, which has voted for the winning candidate in every presidential election since 1964. There are indications Ohio  and its 18 electoral votes  could fall to Clinton, largely with the votes of disaffected Republicans.

Ahead of the Ohio primary this month  it was won by the states governor, John Kasich  a poll by the Monmouth University Polling Institute indicated trouble there for Trump: The GOP base could collapse in November, with fewer than two in three Republicans backing Trump and one in 10 saying they would vote for Clinton.

Of four other polls conducted in Ohio from mid-February to early March, three showed Clinton defeating Trump by an average of 6 percentage points. One gave the state to Trump by 2 percentage points, a reminder that Ohio  as a Rust Belt state  is rife with economically displaced blue-collar Democrats drawn to Trump by his protectionism on manufacturing and trade.

What the findings in Virginia and Ohio dont spotlight is the impact down-ballot of the presidential contest. Could Trump be a drag on Republican congressional candidates, imperiling the partys control of the Senate?

Democrats must flip five seats. One of their better opportunities may be in Ohio. Virginia isnt electing a senator this year. That doesnt mean it can spare Kaine for Democratic vice presidential duty.

As president, Clinton could face a closely divided Senate, one in which a handful of seats might prove decisive.

Kaine is a reliable vote for Clinton, as is Virginias other Democratic senator, Mark Warner, both having endorsed her early. Trading a senatorship for the vice presidency would be a promotion for Kaine, but it could threaten Democrats chances of holding his seat long-term and Clintons ability to enact her program.

While its no guarantee, Kaines seat is easier to protect with Kaine in it. Hes popular and high-profile, even in regions of Virginia hostile to Democrats.

And anticipating running for a second term in 2018, an off-year  and Clintons first midterm election, when losses are likely  Kaine is taking no chances. Because expected lower turnouts make for higher risks, Kaine has carefully tended to the Democratic base, in contrast with Warner, who had a near-death experience for re-election against Ed Gillespie in 2014, also an off-year

Kaine also has emphasized issues that have a purple hue: veterans benefits, the rules under which the United States goes to war, education, student debt, and  something on which the Obama administration put the kibosh as a hazard for the military  drilling for oil and gas in Virginias coastal waters.

But assume a Clinton-Kaine ticket  and assume that it wins: Kaine would resign his seat. McAuliffe would appoint an interim senator who would have defend the seat in 2018, but possibly in 2017  depending on the timing of the vacancy.

The selection would be important. So would the cynicism driving it. Most Democrats would insist on a strong choice. Some Democrats would have their own ideas who that might be.

At the top and the bottom of 2017 Democratic ticket, Ralph Northam, the all-but-official gubernatorial nominee, and Attorney General Mark Herring might not be interested in Washington.

Donald McEachin could be headed there as the states second African-American congressman since Reconstruction. The first, Bobby Scott, long has been mentioned for the Senate. He will have just been re-elected to the House seat hes held since 1992. Its one that Democrats should have little difficulty defending.

The truly jaded might suggest McAuliffe, whos usually seen as a Cabinet or ambassadorial pick, appoint himself to the Senate. Or he could relinquish the governorship to Northam, who could select McAuliffe. Northam then could stand as an incumbent for a full term as governor.

A Trump nomination scrambles the calculus in Virginia for both parties. Some Republicans will run from him. Most Democrats will run at him.

A big part of that: Directly challenging Trump on his controversial business record  the bankruptcies, the brinkmanship and the bluster. That requires a grasp of economics, investment and corporate governance  and a mastery of the perilous intersection of big money and bigger egos. It also would be an ideal assignment for the vice presidential nominee.

Maybe Clinton should give Mark Warner a call.
Virgin will also have the option to buy the first 10 planes if production goes well.

Virgin Group founder Richard Branson is teaming up with aerospace start-up Boom to help build a new fleet of supersonic commercial jets that can travel at more than twice the speed of sound.

The start-up claims its vehicles will be able to travel from New York to London in just 3.5 hours, with tickets costing an affordable price of $5,000 per seat  the same price as business class.

Virgin will initially help Boom with research and development, a spokesperson for the Virgin Group told The Verge. Bransons spacecraft manufacturing company, The Spaceship Company, will provide engineering, design and manufacturing services, flight tests, and operations to Boom, the spokesperson said. Virgin will also have the option to buy the first 10 planes if production goes well.

Richard has long expressed interest in developing high-speed flight and building high speed flight R&D through Virgin Galactic and our manufacturing organisation, The Spaceship Company, the spokesperson said.

Booms planes will have 40 seats total, divided into two aisles with one seat per row. Theyll be able to fly at Mach 2.2 (1,451 miles per hour), more than twice as fast as modern commercial airplanes. And the vehicles will zoom at a lofty altitude of 60,000 feet, around 20,000 feet higher than the average commercial airlines cruising height. Boom hopes to test out its first plane by the end of next year.

If Boom can pull off its vision, its vehicles could be the first commercial supersonic jets to enter service after the Concorde was retired in 2003. The Concorde boasted 100 seats, but a single round-trip ticket ran upward of $10,000. Boom founder Blake Scholl says that his planes will be a more realistic option for customers. Scholl even suggested that customers could commute daily cross-country or across the Atlantic. Imagine departing from New York at 6 AM, and landing at Heathrow by 2:30 PM London time, Scholl told The Guardian. Youll be able to make afternoon meetings, you can stay until 9:30 PM, have a full productive day, and back in New York at 8 PM.

As groundbreaking as this all sounds, Boom still has a long way to go.

Source: www.theverge.com
The celebrations ended with Indian folk dances and rare art display, replicating the village in Indian towns. (Photo: AP, Representative image)

Singapore: A week-long Holi celebration in which over 1,000 people participated concluded here with performances from Indian dancers on the last day.

The celebrations ended with Indian folk dances and rare art display, replicating the village in Indian towns.

"Dancers from India performed at the close of day-long village festival which displayed Indian colours as part of the the week-long Holli celebrations, some 25 of which were held by Indians living in their residential precincts and sharing

their joys with others in the multi-national Singapore," said Alka Sharma organiser and director of the Charkula Art Academy.

"Dancers from UP, Haryana, Gujarat, Maharshtra, Bengal danced to a fusion of Kathak Odissi and Bharat Natyam while students from local Indian schools and associations showed their Indian dancing skill," Sharma said.

This year's festival named 'Village Festival' was supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, India Tourism, High Commission of India in Singapore and the India Council for Cultural Relations.

"Holi and many other Indian festivals are celebrated by the local community not only recapturing the joy of days back home but also as part of educating their children in the culture and festivals in India," Sharma said.

"We had on displays Indian fashions, jewelries, home decors, artefacts, handicrafts, paintings by local Indians among the wide range of displays," she said.

About a million Indians, including the local community and professionals as the Indian expatriates, hold regular cultural events and festivals every year to share their traditions and culture with Singapore's multi-racial society.
New Delhi: Even as Congress cried foul, Government Sunday justified imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, saying the Harish Rawat government was "unconstitutional" and "immoral" since March 18 when the "failed" Appropriation Bill was shown as passed.

"There can be no better example of implementation of Article 356 (imposition of President's Rule)...There was complete breakdown of the Constitution in Uttarakhand," Union Minister for Finance and Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley told reporters.

Read: Uttarakhand Speaker serves notice to 9 rebel Congress MLAs

"There were very good grounds for the Union Cabinet to recommend President's Rule in the state... The Chief Minister had lost majority on 18th (of March) and his continuation was unconstitutional and immoral," he said, adding it was the demand of time that the government should have been dismissed.

While referring to March 18, he said in the 71-member Assembly, 67 members, excluding the Speaker, were present out of whom 35 wanted Division of Votes on the Appropriation Bill.

Read: Murder of democracy, Modi's hands dipped in 'blood': Harish Rawat

The Division of votes was sought in writing in advance by the 35 members who also voted against the Bill, despite which the Speaker showed the legislation as passed, Jaitley said.

"The Speaker said in writing that 'the Division was sought but I treat the bill as passed'... This is for the first time in the history of Independent India that a bill is shown as passed even when it has been defeated. That was the first violation of the Constitution," said Jaitley.

Also read: Murder of democracy, says Congress on Presidents Rule in Uttarakhand

The Appropriation Bill empowers the government to draw funds for expenses from April one and if it is defeated on the floor of the House, the government has to resign.

Among other reasons cited for dismissing the Rawat government were attempts to "change the composition of the Assembly", "allurements" allegedly offered by the Chief Minister and long time given to him to prove his majority.

Read: PM Modi holds meet on Uttarakhand; Presidents Rule an option

Jaitley said Governor K K Paul had also mentioned that he had "serious doubts" over what happened in the Assembly on March 18.

The Governor had repeated asked the Chief Minister to convene the Assembly in two-three days for floor test but he deliberately prolonged it by insisting that he would do so only on March 28, Jaitley said.

Read: Uttarakhand crisis: BJP threatening Congress with President's rule, says Harish Rawat

"He wanted to use the time period for allurement, horse-trading to change the composition of the House...During each of the nine days, provisions of the Constitution were violated," the Union Minister said.

Referring to the sting operation against Rawat, he said, "This is the first time that there is hard evidence about horse-trading by a Chief Minister who has been caught on camera."

Also read: Uttarakhand crisis: Centre mulls President's Rule

Responding to Rawat's allegations that BJP had destabilised his government by resorting to allurements, Jaitley questioned the credibility of the remarks of a person "who himself has been caught on camera offering positions and money".

Jaitley also accused the Speaker of using the Anti-Defection Law discriminately with regard to rebels of BJP and Congress and said he should not stay in office even for a day.

Read: BJP knew it would lose floor test in Uttarakhand: Omar Abdullah

With regard to Congress charge of destablising its governments, the union minister said it was a crisis created not by BJP but by Congress itself. "There was rebellion in Congress as the party high command had been refusing to even meet their leaders," he said.

Asked about the possibility of Congress hardening its stand in Parliament, particularly with regard to bills like GST, the Finance Minister said, "Congress needs to put its own House in order rather than take revenge on the country."

Meanwhile, with President's Rule being imposed in Uttarakhand, 27 BJP MLAs of the state, who were in Jaipur in the wake of a political crisis there, today left for Delhi.

The MLAs were in Jaipur since Wednesday following the crisis triggered by a rebellion in Congress.

"We have left Jaipur and are on our way to Delhi and will reach Uttarakhand tomorrow," BJP MLA Madan Kaushik said. "Now our party leadership will decide next move."

Another MLA Adesh Chauhan said, "It was a corrupt government and has gone now. BJP will now be able to form government."
Visakhapatnam: Stakeholders and Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials are hopeful that the new aviation policy on the anvil would bring in some relaxation in the rules by scrapping the old rules that would attract international air services to operate flights to Andhra Pradesh during the International Airlines Summit, organised by AP Chambers of Commerce and Industry Federation, AP Air Travellers Association and Tours and Travels association of AP here on Saturday.

The stateholders also highlighted some of the key issues on the prospects of improving the facilities at the major Airports in the state that would lead to the development of state by double digits. However, President of Indian Association of Tour Operators Subhash Goyal opined that unless the present traffic rights rules were changed it would not be viable for the new airline operators to make Vizag as destination.

Majority of the airline operators would assess the economic viability from the point of origin and destination point, but Vizag was not financially viable, Goyal added. He suggested that the government should promote the images of tourist destination in the state by opening up the skies doing away with the traffic rights and become at least a transit point for air services for the south East Asian countries.

Speaking at the occasion, Head of the Marketing, South of AAI, Tariq Hussain Butt said that the air services in the state has been growing and by 2020 over 2.41 million people would be flying in and out. India has free traffic flow agreement with 18 ASEAN and SAARC countries except for Philippines, Laos, Afghanistan and Pakistan, he added.

Regional Executive Director (Southern Region) of AAI, VV.G. Raju stated that 10 ATR aircraft would be introduced for regional operation in AP and of them 3 aircraft would be launched in June this year.

MP for international air cargo operations

Vizag MP K. Hari Babu expressed displeasure at the Airport Authority of India (AAI) officials not taken up serious steps to set up International Air Cargo Terminal at Vizag Airport.

While the regional executive director of Airports Authority of India (AAI) V.V.G. Raju was making a presentation on the cargo potential at Vizag during the International Airline summit here on Saturday, Mr Hari Babu interrupted his presentation and wondered what happened to international cargo terminal operations.

Mr Raju claimed that the tendering process was on for the international cargo terminal as so far no one has come forward. But, the MP was upset over the reply of Mr Raju for not completing the tendering process even after two years.

Though a Hyderabad-based firm had bagged the tender, it failed to start operations and later withdrew citing that international cargo operations were not feasible. The same contractor had bagged the tender for domestic cargo operations in Vizag and successfully operating them.

The MP has suggested the AAI officials to relax the norms to attract large number of contractors for international air cargo operations in Vizag. Some of the officials said that the proposed International Green-field Airport at Bhogapuram area in Vizianagaram district will have aviation academy.
MALAPPURAM: The Muslim League candidates in Malappuram are targeting the expatriate population in the Gulf countries for campaigning. The constituency committees of KMCC, the partys expatriate wing in the Gulf countries, have been organizing various programmes for their candidates.

Eranad MLA P.K. Basheer, who is seeking re-election, has just wound up his campaign in the UAE and gone to Saudi Arabia. According to the MLAs personal assistant, Mr Basheer did three -day campaigning in Dubai. He will attend programmes in Saudi cities of Jeddah and Riyadh before heading back to Eranad by March 30 after performing Umrah.

The new entrant in the fray Mr T.V. Ibrahim of Kondotty constituency is hesitant to accept all the invitations pouring in from KMCC units. However, he will fly to Qatar next week for the UDF election programme conducted by the voters from Kondotty constituency.

Invitations are galore especially from Saudi Arabia where the maximum number of expat voters from Kondotty reside among the Gulf countries. I dont know whether I could attend all those meeting and want to spend more time in Kondotty itself. I will attend a one-day programme in Qatar on April 1, Mr Ibrahim told DC.

It is learnt that some other candidates, including ministers too, are planning campaigns in Gulf cities. The KMCC has been active ever since election was declared. It will charter special Air India flights to take expat voters to the polling booths.

They have also started online voter registration for the expats. Malappuram district has an expatriate population of around three lakh in countries like Saudi Arabia, UAE, Qatar, Oman and Kuwait.
Sanders, 74, swept Washington state by getting more than 72 per cent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 79 per cent of the votes, when last report came in. (Photo: AP)

Washington: Bernie Sanders scored a duo of wins in Western caucus contests on Saturday, giving a powerful psychological boost to his supporters but doing little to move him closer to securing the Democratic nomination.

While results in Washington and Alaska barely dented Hillary Clinton's significant delegate lead, Sanders' wins underscored her persistent vulnerabilities within her own party, particularly with young voters and liberal activists who have been inspired by her rival's unapologetically liberal message. The two Democrats were also competing in Hawaii.

Sanders also trounced Democratic frontrunner Hillary Clinton in Hawaii's presidential caucus to secure a clean sweep of all three election contests on Saturday, US media reported.

NBC News and other major media outlets projected 71 percent support for Sanders in Hawaii, where 25 delegates were in play, against 29 percent for Clinton.

US networks projected Sanders winning by wide margins in Washington, where 101 delegates were up for grabs and in Alaska, where 16 delegates were at stake.

Despite being winless over the weekend, the former secretary of state has amassed a huge delegate lead and remains the favorite to win her party's presidential nomination.

Republicans held their caucus vote in Hawaii on March 8, when billionaire businessman Donald Trump garnered 42 percent support to defeat US Senator Ted Cruz with 33 percent.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders cast his performance as part of a Western comeback, saying he expects to close the delegate gap with Clinton as the contest moves to the more liberal northeastern states, including her home state of New York. He also said his campaign is increasing its outreach to superdelegates, the party insiders who can pick either candidate, and are overwhelmingly with Clinton.

"The Deep South is a very conservative part of the country," he said. "Now that we're heading into a progressive part of the country, we expect to do much better."

He added: "There is a path to victory." With Clinton far in front, however, it is a difficult path.

Clinton anticipated the losses: She barely campaigned in the three states, making just one day of stops in Washington state, and was spending the Easter weekend with her family.

She is turning her focus to the April 19 contest in New York, seeking to win a large share of the delegates at stake and to avoid the blow of losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate. She is trying to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later, hoping to deliver a big enough haul to unify the Democratic Party and relegate Sanders to little more than a protest candidate.

Sanders, who's found some success in the industrial Midwest, wants to leverage his working-class support and fiery arguments against free trade into an April 5 victory in delegate-rich Wisconsin. He also plans to compete fiercely in New York and is pushing for the party to schedule a debate in the state, saying in the interview that it would be "really absurd" if one did not take place.

After Sanders' two wins on Saturday, Clinton held a delegate lead of 1,234 to 956 over Sanders, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expands to 1,703-985 once the superdelegates are included. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

Based on the AP count, Sanders needs to win more than 57 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by June's end.

His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall - from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates - to prevail.

He was unlikely to emerge from his Saturday sweep with significantly more delegates, winning at least 36 delegates to Clinton's 11 for the day after his victories in Alaska and Washington. More are likely to be allocated to Sanders in several weeks, when Washington state Democratic party releases vote shares by district. Sixty-seven delegates are awarded based on results in the state's congressional districts.

But there's little question that Sanders has tapped into a powerful frustration within the party. He continues to attract tens of thousands to his rallies and has collected more than $140 million from 4.7 million donations.

Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton takes pictures with supporters after a campaign event. (Photo: AP)

Most of his 14 primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats. He's heavily favored by younger voters, who were a key part of the coalition that boosted Barack Obama to victory twice. Clinton's ability to win the White House, should she capture the nomination, will hinge on how well she can motivate his passionate - and politically active - supporters.

In Spokane, Washington, a huge line of caucus attendees - largely Sanders backers - snaked around a high school parking lot Saturday morning.

"I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students," said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. "And getting big money out of politics. He's not paid for by billionaires."

Retiree Dan McLay, 64, attended the caucus in a hard-hat, which he joked he needed because he was one of the relatively few Clinton supporters in the big crowd.

"Look at this thing in Brussels," McLay said, referring to the deadly attack in Belgium this week. "We need a real experienced leader."

It was strong support for Sanders that brought Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs out to her first caucus in Juneau, Alaska.

"This is the first time I've ever felt that kind of belief in a candidate, that they mean what they say and that they are not saying what they think people want to hear," she said.
California: Theres furious debate currently on over recommended changes to California textbooks that could wipe off certain historical references to India.

The plan is being proposed by a set of teachers who are suggesting that India before 1947  the year of Independence  be described as South Asia in the Social Studies Framework.

If approved, the changes could start showing up in textbooks for the sixth-to-tenth grade as early as 2017. The SF Examiner spoke to University of San Franciscos media studies professor Vamsee Juluri about his campaign against the proposals.

Its a form of intellectual and mental genocide, nothing less than that, Juluri said. Within a generation people might forget who they really are they will lose their identity. If this is indeed correct that India is not an accurate term for India before 1947, Juluri wrote, how is it possible that the word India has been in usage in some form or another from the time of the ancient Greeks and Romans? Did Columbus go searching for South Asia?, he was quoted as saying by the Examiner.

Juluri also fired off a letter to the California Board of Education on March 18 which is now part of an online campaign to get the changes shot down. The petition online has received almost 18,000 signatures in six days.

The changes to textbooks were first proposed by the South Asia Faculty Group during public comment, which was open between December 2015 and last month. Its unclear who comprised that group.

Also, this is not the first time textbooks  and those in charge of education  in California have suggested changes in the way Indias history is taught. In 2005, the portrayal of Indian and Hindu history in textbooks sparked a lawsuit against the state - which was settled in 2009.
Seoul: A Korean-American man detained in North Korea has confessed to stealing military secrets and plotting subversion with South Koreans, the North's official news agency and foreign media reported on Friday.

North Korea, which has been criticised for its human rights record, has in the past used detained Americans to extract high-profile visits from the United States, with which it has no formal diplomatic relations. Kim Dong Chul, who has previously said he was a naturalised American citizen and was arrested in North Korea in October, admitted to committing "unpardonable espionage" under the direction of the US and South Korean governments and deeply apologised for his crimes, the North's KCNA news agency said.

"The extraordinary crime I committed was defaming and insulting the republic's highest dignity and its system and spreading false propaganda aimed at breaking down its solidarity," KCNA quoted Kim as saying. A source in the North Korean capital of Pyongyang said that diplomats were notified in the morning of the confession and Kim's comments were similar to the recent confession of another American being held there, Otto Frederick Warmbier.

The US State Department said it was aware of the reported incident but had no further details, citing privacy concerns. "The welfare of US citizens is one of the Department's highest priorities," department spokeswoman Elizabeth Trudeau said in a statement. Warmbier was sentenced to 15 years of hard labour in March for trying to steal a propaganda banner. The North is also holding a Korean-Canadian Christian pastor, who is serving a life sentence for subversion.

Kim apologised for trying to steal military and state secrets in collusion with South Koreans, and said he was paid for doing it. He described the acts as aimed at overthrowing the North Korean regime, KCNA said. Photographs issued by the North's state news agency showed Kim bowing and wiping away tears. Japan's Kyodo news agency and China's Xinhua news agency also reported Kim's meeting with media outlets in Pyongyang where he confessed to anti-state activities.

Memory Sticks

Kim spoke of making contacts with South Koreans to pass secret information contained in USB memory sticks and also images state media said were damaging to the North on data storage cards. Outside information is strictly controlled in North Korea and ordinary people there often use USB sticks or other portable memory drives to share foreign media.

An official introducing Kim to the media began the meeting by praising North Korea's nuclear achievements and its leader, Kim Jong Un, said the source in Pyongyang, who had direct knowledge of the meeting. A defector from the North previously said that Kim was a Christian pastor who had worked in China and the United States and sent medical aid into the North.

CNN reported in January that Kim was 60 and from Fairfax, Virginia, and that he said he had spied on behalf of South Korea. Kim told media he was born in Seoul in 1953 and moved to the United States when he was 19. He said he set up a business in the North Korean special economic zone of Rason in 2008, KCNA said. He said his two daughters lived in New York and he had siblings in South Korea, it said.

North Korea faces the prospect of further international isolation after the UN Security Council imposed new sanctions after its fourth nuclear test in January and a long-range rocket launch in February.
Ankara: Police in Turkey have warned of possible Islamic State attacks against Christians and Jews over the Easter weekend, the state-run Anatolia news agency reported on Saturday.

The police issued a nationwide alert warning of possible attacks targeting churches during Easter on Sunday, as well as synagogues, according to the news agency. The security alert came after the latest attack last Saturday that killed three Israelis and an Iranian in a busy Istanbul shopping hub, blamed by the Turkish authorities on a jihadist with links to the IS group.

IS has been blamed for four of the six bombings that have rocked Turkey in the past eight months, including a double suicide attack at a peace rally in the capital Ankara in October that left 103 people dead.

A radical offshoot of the rebel Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK) claimed the other two attacks.

The police have warned that IS group members may have scouted out places of worship as well as consulates and embassies, saying that churches and synagogues especially in Ankara, as well as foundations belonging to non-Muslims should be on their guard.
The governments decision to ban more than 300 irrational fixed dose combinations (FDC) triggered a storm in the Indian pharmaceutical market where such FDCs enjoy a sizable market share.





Several firms approached the Delhi High Court seeking to cancel the order that would adversely impact their bottom line. The latest order comes nine years after a similar government attempt, which could not be executed as the order was challenged in the Madras High Court. The jury is still out.



Modern allopathic medicines are powerful but only when used rationally and judiciously. Pharmacology, the medical science subject that deals with the proper and scientific use of medicines, has evolved over decades and outlines how these powerful remedies should be used.



If used injudiciously or irrationally, the same medicine can prove harmful. In fact, medicine is a powerful doubleedged sword. It is precisely this disregard for modern medical science that has opened the Pandoras box leading to the flooding of irrational drugs into the Indian market.



The news banning 344 irrational drug combinations on March 14 hit the headlines of most Indian newspapers and channels. This ban affects 1,600 brands worth Rs 3,700 crore. The medias favourite question is how were these drugs allowed and how is it that we have been using them for several years now.



Before we answer these questions, we first need to know what are FDCs (fixed dose combinations), as all the drugs banned by the Drug Controller General of India (DCGI) are FDCs.



When two or more drugs are combined they are then referred to as FDCs. Medical science has more to add to this. When such combinations are made the drug that has emerged as a combination is totally a new drug by itself. It is this simple and profound law of modern medical science that has been totally dishonoured both by drug companies and regulatory authorities, and this has led to the huge number of irrational drugs in the market. It is most obvious that both the regulatory authorities and drug companies have joined hands for these dubious activities.



Now, how did these drugs get such a huge market? As the drug companies got the clearance (of course by using nefarious methods), the next step was to promote and advertise the drug using all modern marketing techniques and push the drug into the market.



The drug marketing wing of the drug companies uses the old-age technique, keep telling the same lie over and over again in a loud and clear fashion till the lie appears to be the truth.



And the drug companies have proved often that they are very good at this. Take an example, modern medicine acknowledges that there is no cure for common cold. Common cold lasts for just seven days if treatment is taken, otherwise it lasts for one week, goes a popular medical proverb. But drug companies sell medicines worth crores of rupees to treat it and claim that it can even be cured!



The common cough-cold remedies that flood the Indian market are a combination of expectorant and suppressant, which in simple terms means that the phlegm in the respiratory tract either has to be removed by using an expectorant, and that if there is not much phlegm (only an irritating cough), the same needs to be suppressed. But our Indian drug industry makes a combination of both of them! This must be unique to India. Such a combination only confuses the body further and may even worsen the condition of patient.



It is interesting to note that Codeine is a drug that is recommended for use as cough suppressant, as per medical science. This drug was used extensively to treat the irritating cough of tuberculosis when antibiotics were not available. With the advent of powerful antibiotics, the use of Codeine to treat the cough associated with tuberculosis declined but the same continued to be used for irritating cough of common cold. But Codeine is a drug of addiction and this action is potentiated when combined with other anti-allergy medicines.



The so-called cough syrups have also been abused by drug-addicts, especially among college-going youths, to get a kick. The drug companies even smuggled truck loads of these cough syrups across the border into Bangladesh, where alcohol is not permitted. So literally, drug companies became drug peddlers.



The huge promotion and sales of these irrational FDCs have even edged out Essential Medicines out of the market! For example, there are hardly any rational medicines to treat anaemiaan extremely common condition, more so in pregnant womenin the dominant private healthcare industry, while irrational FDCs to treat anaemia flood the market. There are many such instances.



An expert committee headed by Dr Chandrakant Kokate, vice-chancellor of KLE University, Belagavi, has examined in detail the issue and used references from modern medical literature to check if there can be some justification in these FDCs. The panels report can be accessed on Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation website.



It is needless to mention that these FDCs do not find mention in any standard textbooks of medicines or even journals.



The World Health Organisation (WHO) recognises that irrational FDCs are a great public health problem, because scant resources on health end up being used on useless and irrational medicines and this is sheer economic waste. The World Bank notes that 85% of the out-of-pocket expenditure is on private healthcare.



Way back in 1975, the Hathi Committee, headed by MP Jaisukhlal Hathi, had advocated a simple but revolutionary way. It had suggested that all drugs should be manufactured by generic name only and that brand names should be weeded out in a phased manner. Unfortunately, the recommendations met the dust bin, but Bangladesh studied this report and issued the Bangladesh Drug Ordinance 1982, which saw several thousands of irrational medicines out of the market. But this gain was stifled by the powerful drug lobby.



The way forward



The drug companies have approached the court seeking a stay on the ban issued by the DCGI. The drug companies seem to have professionalised the art of legitimising FDCs.

The drug controller may try to urge the courts that a stay should not be granted. But the drug companies have mastered the art of overcoming the ban. How do the companies do it? Very simple! Let us say when the government issues a ban for a combination of Vitamin B1+B6+B12, the drug companies just add another Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin) to this and overcome the ban.



So instead of banning each and every single FDC (which in any case is impossible) the government should come out with a list of FDCs that are scientific. It should be noted that, all FDCs are not bad. WHO has a list of essential drugs (19th WHO Essential Model List of Essential Medicines, April 2015).



This list which is revised every three years has totally 425 drugs of which 27 are scientifically approved FDCs. Few examples are the popular ORS (Oral Rehydration Solution) or Iron + Folic acid (for anaemia).



The drug regulatory authorities should insist that only these FDCs are to be manufactured and nothing else. If not even this big exercise of banning of 344 irrational FDCs, and in spite of the huge media attention, will just be another mockery.



The writer is the Karnataka convenor of All India Drug Action Network (AIDAN)


Through several gazette notifications on March 10, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare banned the manufacture and sale of 334* unscientific cocktails of medicines called fixed dose combinations (FDCs). The FDCs are medicines where two or more drugs are combined into one pill, suspension or injection. Since each FDC is sold by many manufacturers under different brand names, thousands of products have been axed.







The grounds for the ban, which took immediate effect, includes risk to patients, lack of scientific justification to combine drugs and availability of safer alternatives. Since individual ingredients of banned FDCs are available in plenty, patients can consume them separately if necessary. Thus the interests of consumers are fully protected. It took India over 35 years to realise that irrational FDCs must be weeded out to protect public health. As early as 1981, the Drugs Consultative Committee, a statutory authority comprising the Drugs Controller General of India and state-level drug authorities, had put in place voluntary guidelines as to when medicines can be mixed and when they cannot be combined. In the absence of a law, producers paid no heed and went about launching more and more FDCs to make money.



Unlike in western countries, Indian drug manufacturers do not have their own research molecules, they simply copy the western medicines. Over the years, the number of fiercely-competing drug producers has reached an astounding figure of a little over 10,500, the highest in the world! With just about 1,000 basic molecules, producers resorted to introducing more and more FDCs, claiming that each cocktail to be novel and superior to others and worthy of prescription.



Generally, patients in India are pretty reluctant to undergo diagnostic procedures such as pathological tests, X-ray test, ultrasound etc., due to the cost and consequent delay in starting treatment. For instance, a simple case of diarrhoea can have different causes, like viral, bacterial, fungal or protozoal (such as giardia). The rational approach is to get a stool-test done and then prescribe appropriate medicine. A patient usually prefers a physician in private practice who prescribes drugs without time-consuming tests. Here, pharmaceutical manufacturers offer an instant solution: A cocktail of different drugs that can tackle all possible causes even though most of them are totally unnecessary. The end result is more expenses, more side effects and still worse potential for antibiotic resistance. No wonder Ofloxacin, once an effective drug for typhoid, is virtually useless today.



The regulatory system did not keep pace with the ever-evolving medical science. The lapse was cleverly used by drug manufacturers to make huge profits by bypassing scientific principles. Till 1988, drug combinations of already approved individual agents did not require permission from the Central Drugs Standard Control Organisation (CDSCO). Even when prior approval of CDSCO was made mandatory, state drug authorities continued to issue manufacturing licences for hundreds of irrational FDCs. The result is that even today, there is no authentic, consolidated list of FDCs being sold in the country!



The best estimate is that there are additional 500 or more irrational FDCs with thousands of brands in the country that need to be prohibited. Compare this with developed countries, where just over 200 rational FDCs have been approved after intense scrutiny of efficacy and safety. All such rational FDCs are already being marketed in India. In certain disorders such as HIV, tuberculosis and malaria, rational FDCs are invaluable. Therefore, the debate is not on the need for good FDCs but back-door entry of bad and harmful FDCs.



In the developed countries, only one out of eight medicines consumed is an FDC, while in India, one out of every two formulations sold is an FDC. This colossal wastage of money is borne by the poor patients without realising that they are being fed with both unnecessary and often harmful combination of drugs just for profits by the pharma industry.



Take the example of a cocktail of anti-epileptic drugs phenytoin with phenobarbitone. As per scientific evidence, phenobarbitone decreases the efficacy of phenytoin in most cases thus making the FDC less effective. How can such a combination be marketed? Let us examine another FDC of anti-allergy chlorpheniramine (CPM) with codeine, a painkiller and cough sedative derivative of opium. The half life (indicative of duration of action) of CPM is between 12 to 43 hours, while that of codeine is 2.9 hours. Thus dosing schedule of two agents does not match. In addition, side effects of the two ingredients, drowsiness and sedation, get multiplied. Finally, codeine has a huge addiction potential. Cold and cough remedies are considered worthless, except for temporary relief from symptoms, but scientifically, steam inhalation is much better and there is zero expense.

A ban from the blue?



Industry lobbies are claiming that the decision to ban FDCs was sudden and that manufacturers were not consulted. The claims are false. On scientific issues, manufacturers need not be consulted because all of them have conflict of interest. Producers are hardly expected to suggest prohibition of their own unnecessary or harmful formulations. Drug units need to be consulted only on regulatory issues. In this respect, the health ministry repeatedly advised producers of FDCs, licensed by state drug authorities, to submit evidence of efficacy and safety by giving them an unduly long notice of 18 months. But only 6,200 brands were submitted for scrutiny and the absentee brands which never sought regularisation of their licences need to be detected, reviewed and regulated.



An earlier attempt in 2007 to ban just over 200 irrational FDCs was stayed by the Madras High Court. Once the stay is vacated most of these FDCs will need to be banned as well. Even the CDSCO is not above board. It has also cleared irrational FDCs that need to be weeded out. The Parliamentary Committee on Health in its May 2012 report castigated CDSCO for its pro-industry tilt and for having cleared many doubtful FDCs.



Monetary loss to producers for existing stocks, who have already made billions in the past on the very irrational FDCs now banned, can be of no consideration because after all drugs are meant to help patients, not hurt them. The present exercise is just the tip of the iceberg.



* Ban on some FDCs have been stayed by the Delhi High Court till March 28. However, similar petitions for interim stay on some other FDCs have been rejected by the Madras High Court.



The writer is editor, Monthly Index of Medical Specialities (MIMS)
Government has refused to give details of rules and regulations regarding the extent of legal protection that is provided to officers and employees of the Research and Analysis Wing operatives abroad.





The Cabinet Secretariat has refused to give these details under the Right to Information Act saying Research and Analysis Wing which functions under it is exempted from any disclosures under the law except allegations of human rights violations and corruption.

The issue becomes important in the light of Pakistan's allegations that they have arrested a purported spy of RAW.



Ministry of External Affairs has refuted the allegations saying the arrested person has no links with the Indian Government.



"There is no information in public domain about what must be done if, heaven forbid, an Indian intelligence operative is murdered abroad.



"This is a concern that is very much valid even though it must not be taken as a comment on the latest incident of the apprehension of an Indian national in Pakistan," RTI applicant Venkatesh Nayak told PTI.



Nayak categorically told RAW in his RTI application that he was not seeking details of the manner in which its officers involved in overseas intelligence operations are trained to protect themselves against legal or illegal action by law enforcement agencies in foreign countries.



"The purpose of including this clarification was to reassure them that I was not seeking information that would expose the training and other measures that India's R&AW officers and other intelligence operatives are instructed to undertake to protect themselves as such disclosure would most likely endanger them and would not be in the public interest at this stage," Nayak, who is with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, said.


Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat today condemned the "threat" by the Centre to impose President's rule in the hill state hit by a political crisis, saying it will be a murder of democracy and that it is not acceptable in a parliamentary system.



"The Centre is threatening a small state like Uttarakhand with President's rule. It is not acceptable in a parliamentary system. There is a procedure for President's rule, which has emerged following precedence," he told reporters on the eve of the floor test which he is due to face in the state assembly.



Rawat also accused BJP of attacking democracy with money and muscle power in its bid to dislodge his four-year-old Congress government.



"They (BJP) have attacked democracy with money and muscle power," he said and appealed to the "right-thinking" people to condemn attempts by BJP to "murder democracy".



Rawat said BJP was not relying on people's mandate and accused it of using money power to overthrow the government in Uttarakhand. "It is low-level politics."



Rejecting suggestions there is a division within Congress that has led to the current crisis, Rawat said, "We do not have any internal tussle. It is BJP and RSS which are hobnobbing with the Congress rebels to create the crisis."



Nine Congress MLAs have raised the banner of revolt against Rawat.



The Chief Minister said Congress will take the attempts to destablise his government to the people of the state and that it will be up to them to decide whether "sting" and defections will determine the future of the state.
It will also analyse investigations being carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) so far.





The team, which was received by officials of the NIA and Pakistan High Commission, will on Tuesday visit Pathankot for the probe into the attack at the Indian Air Force base carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed(JeM) terror group on January 2. It flew in here by a special flight from Pakistan.





The team is headed by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Muhammad Tahir Rai and comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) official Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.





During 26/11 Mumbai attack case, Pakistan had sent a judicial commission to cross-examine some of the witnesses in the case.





The team would be going to the NIA headquarters tomorrow morning where they would be given a 90-minute presentation by NIA team about the probe conducted so far and evidences that show that the terror attack was planned from across the border in Pakistan, official sources said. Seven security personnel were killed in the attack.





In the post-lunch session, the Pakistani team would be raising their set of questions to the NIA investigators to clear doubts, if any, before they fly to Pathankot in a special plane on Tuesday morning, the sources said.





The IAF airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas and NIA team would show some of the areas where the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour-long gun battle with security personnel.





India plans to provide the probe team from Pakistan access to all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF.





The sources said that cooperation to the Pakistani team would be based on the principle of reciprocity hoping that an Indian team would be allowed to travel to Pakistan at a later date.





Witnesses, excepting personnel of NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF, have been lined up for the Pakistan probe team.





The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.



The three men were kidnapped by the terrorists on the intervening night of December 31 and January one before they entered into IAF base.





NIA will also share details about the four terrorists which includes their native villages, people who had cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through Bamiyal village on Indo-Pak border.





DNA samples were taken from the energy drink that they are believed to have consumed before carrrying out the sucide attack, official sources had said.





Pakistani team will also be taken to the point where the Jaish terrorists had breached into India, they said.





While India has made it clear that it will cooperate in the probe provided Pakistan reciprocates in the same way, the sources said the Pakistani side would be asked about some details that India had sought from them.





This includes some phone numbers, persons involved which includes brother of Jaish Chief Masood Azhar and companies who had supplied the packed food to the terrorists.





India can make a request to Pakistan for allowing an Indian probe team there for investigations at a later date, they had added.





India will also cite similarities between the Pathankot attack and those in Samba and Kathua last year like using same GPS and wirless sets, the modus operandi of hijacking cars, energy drink 'Red bull' (common in all attacks), identical wire cutters and arms and ammunition of Eastern Europe, Russian and Chinese make which available in the Af-Pak region.





The terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with the security forces at the IAF base from the intervening night of January 1 and 2. Seven security personnel were killed, while four bodies of terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed were recovered.





The bodies have been preserved.





Out of the four, two of them have been identified as Nasir and Salim. Nasir was the one who had called his mother Baber in Bhawalpur using the phone snatched from the jeweller friend of Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh.





NIA has also given details, including the batch numbers, of food packets used by the terrorists after infiltrating into India on December 30. The terrorists had carefully buried the packets which had Pakistani markings and manufacturing dates of November-December 2015, the sources said.





A five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan that included an ISI official reached here today to carry out a probe into the attack at the IAF base at Pathankot marking the first-ever such visit to the country to probe a terror case.
Syrian troops backed by Russian forces recaptured the famed ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group today in a major victory over the jihadists.





Army sappers were defusing mines and bombs planted by IS in the city's ancient ruins, a UNESCO world heritage site where the jihadists sparked a global outcry with the systematic destruction of treasured monuments.



"After heavy fighting during the night, the army is in full control of Palmyra -- both the ancient site and the residential neighbourhoods," a military source told AFP.

IS fighters pulled out, retreating towards the towns of Sukhnah and Deir Ezzor to the east.



IS overran the Palmyra ruins and adjacent modern city in May 2015.

It has since blown up two of the site's treasured temples, its triumphal arch and a dozen tower tombs, in a campaign of destruction that UNESCO described as a war crime punishable by the International Criminal Court.



The jihadists used Palmyra's ancient amphitheatre as a venue for public executions, including the beheading of the city's 82-year-old former antiquities chief.



The oasis city's recapture is a strategic as well as symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since it provides control of the surrounding desert extending all the way to the Iraqi border.



IS, behind a string of attacks in the West including last week's Brussels bombings, is under growing pressure from Syrian and Iraqi military offensives to retake key bastions in its self-proclaimed "caliphate".



On Thursday, the Iraqi army announced the launch of an offensive to recapture second city Mosul, held by the jihadists since June 2014.



IS lost at least 400 fighters in the battle for Palmyra, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.



"That's the heaviest losses that IS has sustained in a single battle since its creation" in 2013, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.



"It is a symbolic defeat for IS comparable with that in Kobane," a town on the Turkish border where Kurdish fighters held out against a months-long siege by IS in 2014-15, he added.



Russian forces, which intervened in support of longtime ally Assad last September, have been heavily involved in the offensive to retake Palmyra despite a major drawdown last week.



Russian warplanes conducted more than 40 combat sorties in just 24 hours from Friday to Saturday, targeting "158 terrorist" positions, according to the Russian defence ministry.
Warning that no bank defaulter will be spared, Prime Minister Narendra Modi today accused Congress of helping the rich usurp people's money and claimed his government has "tightened the screws" on the "looters" who were now fleeing due to fear of going to jail.





Hitting back after his government faced criticism over handling of Vijay Mallya case, Modi alleged that Congress was opening banks for the rich during its rule and "its governments who have through these banks filled the coffers of the rich too will have to pay".



"You know how the rich have usurped public money. My government has tightened the screws on the bank defaulters. They are sweating due to fear of going to jail and are fleeing. But no one will be spared I am telling you.



"The money looted from the banks does not belong to the banks but to the poor people of the country and I will ensure that those who looted this money return each and every paise... they have looted the country," he said addressing an election rally in Assam for the second successive day.



Modi said various fiscal policies initiated by his government had done away with middlemen, ensured development and enhanced the country's image internationally.



"The country was being run by middlemen. Since Modi assumed office, the middlemen have been forced to close shop. It is they who shout, accuse and abuse Modi but I don't care.



"There will be no 'acche din' (good days) for the middlemen and so their problem with me is natural," Modi said ina reference to his election slogan.



"You have enjoyed for 60 years by robbing the poor. Now, it won't happen any more. So it is natural that you will have a problem with Modi. I am committed to ensure development and wellbeing of the nation," the Prime Minister said.



The Prime Minister said that more "than 40 per cent of the population had not seen the doors of the bank during the last 60 years" but his Jan Dhan Yojana has ensured that the poorest of the poor have their own bank accounts.



Besides, earlier the money lenders were active, charging high rates of interest and "sucking the blood of the poor but our Mudra Yojana has ensured that loans are given to the deserving at nominal rate of interest".



"These policies and our agenda for development have enhanced the nation's position in the international arena and now when I shake hands with global leaders, it is not with Modi that they shake hands but with the people of the country," Modi said.



The Prime Minister said the people of Assam reposed their belief, faith and confidence in Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the Congress for the last 15 years but they "fooled" the people of the state and now "the time has come for people to ask for their accounts from this government".



"There was Congress government in both the state, the Centre and also a Prime Minister representing the state for ten years. They had power and the entire treasury at their disposal but what have they done for the people of the state? The forthcoming elections are a time for the people to settle account with the Congress and the Chief Minister," Modi said.



He said education, employment, roads and medicines for the elderly were the need of the hour and it was the government's responsibility to provide these but the "Congress is not interested in doing anything or in giving accounts".



"I have only three agendas  'vikas' (development), 'tej gati se vikas' (speedy development) and 'charon aur vikas' (all-round development). I believe in solving all problems through development," he said.



The Prime Minister pointed out that at the time of independence, Assam was among the top-five developed states but during the last sixty years, it has been reduced to one of the five poorest states of the country.



Promising to change the face of Assam by ushering in all-round development, Modi said the Centre has spent Rs 12,000 crore on road connectivity and has sanctioned funds for four-lane highway from Kaliabor Tiniali-Dholabari, Jamugari-Bishwanath Chariali and Bishwanath Chariali-Gohpur area.



He also said that his government was committed to ensure power, road, rail and clean drinking water to people besides ensuring education for children, employment for youths and medicines for the elderly.



He urged the people to ensure that BJP forms the government in the state with absolutely majority as only then "doors for development of Assam will be fully open".



The Prime Minister had addressed five election meetings in Upper Assam yesterday and returned to Delhi in the evening.



Besides, Rangapara in the Northern Bank's Sonitpur district, Modi was also scheduled to address an election rally at Panchgram in Barak Valley.





In another rally at Panchgram in the Barak Valley, Modi said it was former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's dream to connect Saurashtra (in Gujarat) to Silchar (in Assam) via the East-West Corridor, which remained unfulfilled during the successive UPA regime.





"This was such a grand plan, but the project remains incomplete and it is my pledge to fulfil this," Modi said.





Accusing chief minister Tarun Gogoi of being responsible for the closure of 32,000 small and medium factories in the state during the last 15 years, he said, "It is my pledge to revive the closed industries in Assam and usher in an era of industrialisation in the state to ensure jobs for youths."





Referring to the closed Cachar Paper Mills in Panchgram, Modi said those responsible for its closure must be punished and assured revival of the mill soon.





Stating that the Centre has given full subsidy for foodgrains, the Prime Minister asked Gogoi "not to indulge in politics with the food of the poor."





He said the broad guage rail connectivity in the Barak Valley was started by his government and wondered why the Congress government failed to start it for so many years.





"Gogoi has been announcing packages for the Barak Valley during every election for the last 15 years, but are results of the package visible anywhere in the Valley," he asked.





"When Prime Minister presses a button, he can inaugurate two to three projects, but when people press the button to vote, they inaugurate a new era of development and progress of Assam," Modi said.




When the Aam Aadmi Party government announced a 106 per cent increase in the Plan expenditure in the education budget last year, it raised hopes for the sector. The massive allocation was in line with Delhi governments pre-poll agenda of making the city an education hub, and it set ambitious targets to fulfil this.





Though most of the work which was to be completed before this years budget is still pending, there is relief that the education sector has finally caught the governments attention.



One of the main targets was to provide modern facilities and improve infrastructure in all 1,011 Delhi government schools. Fifty-four schools were selected to be developed into model schools at par with private schools in the first phase, and the project was later to be extended to all its schools.



Sadly, the work has not been completed over the past one year at even one of the selected schools. But the government schools are content that it has at least begun.

There was a time that it used to take years for getting small construction work approved from the government. The situation is much better now and the pace of the work being done is comparatively good, says Shashi Bhushan, principal of Sarvodaya Bal Vidyalya at Mori Gate. His school is among the selected 54.



The work has been awarded to DTTDC (Delhi Tourism and Transportation Development Corporation). The government has held several meetings with us on this and the architects recently came for a survey. The work will start after Holi, he said recently.

Bhushan adds that the target set for one year was too ambitious.



It is a very long procedure and could not have completed in one year. Even now the DTTDC says they will complete it in the coming five to six months. But I will be satisfied if they manage to do it in one year, which will be a lot faster than any other government, he says.



His school had asked for playing courts, a multi-purpose hall, and 20-22 classrooms in its wish-list submitted last year.



Recently, Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung had said, Construction work is in progress for 25 new school buildings, sanctions have been issued for construction of 7,289 additional classrooms and 700 toilet blocks in existing schools. Further proposals for construction of school buildings on four vacant plots have been approved. Around 50 gram sabha sites have been identified for making allotment in favour of Directorate of Education to open new schools.



Over the past year, the government has also roped in many NGOs for running programmes to improve the quality of education. From nurturing creative thinking among children to improving basic concepts in subjects like Math and Science, the NGOs are at work.



Due to no-detention policy till class 8, a lot of students fail in class 9 as their basic concepts are not clear, a principal at a north Delhi school says. The NGO Pratham took a test of all students. The children were helped where they lagged behind.



It is not that this is happening for the first time but during this governments rule, it is happening in a structured way, says the principal.



We are analysing the class 9 results and till now we have seen a marked improvement. Also, teaching through creative methods has improved the attendance rate in primary classes, SBV principal Bhushan adds.



But there is still a long way to go as far as improvements in both infrastructure and education standards are concerned.



Basic amenities like water and classrooms are still lacking at many schools in the national capital. Classrooms in tin sheds, not enough electricity and shortage of teachers are some of the perennial problems.



In one school, children from at least six sections attend classes in tin sheds, even as they wait for old rooms to be demolished and new ones built. The order for a part of the old building to be demolished has already been given by the higher authorities but we have no idea when the work will start, says a teacher at the government school in west Delhi.

Others alleged that there is no proper identification of schools which require improvement in infrastructure, and resources are being wasted.



Recently, seven new rooms were approved for construction at a school in Ghitorni which already has 12 rooms vacant as it does not have much student strength. The approval for new rooms is only because it has been included in the list to be developed for model schools. On the other side, no building is being constructed in east Delhi which lacks school buildings, says C P Singh, president of Government School Teachers Association.



He says the government has not been able to address the shortage of teachers.

DSSSB (Delhi School Subordinate Selection Board) is a failure. There has been no promotion of guest teachers for last two years, and only 1,200 new teachers were appointed last year. The department has used only 40 per cent of the set budget for education till now, he says.



Education Director Padmini Singla and Advisor to Education Minister Atishi Marlena remained unavailable for comment on the claim about the unutilised budget.

In the last Budget, the government had set a target to recruit 20,000 new teachers, which remains unachieved.



But Singh is optimistic that conditions at schools will improve soon.



At least some work has been started in this one year, he says.
In Budget 2015-16, the AAP government had announced major plans to improve the capitals healthcare system. One of them was to decongest the existing hospitals. Delhi government planned to achieve this by coming up with mohalla clinics and polyclinics which would take the OPD load off the bigger, super specialty hospitals like Lok Nayak.





One year on, administrative officials at Delhi government hospitals say overcrowding continues to be a problem. The governments vision of a four-tier system in which the hospitals handle only referral cases while the mohalla clinics and polyclinics manage the major OPD load can be a successful model if implemented well. The government has so far not addressed the acute staff shortage across hospitals despite plans to come up with additional clinics.



Hospitals have not been given additional staff even though they now have polyclinics attached to them. Recently, the government had promised to relieve doctors from administrative duties so they can focus on their medical duties. Its plans to appoint MBA graduates for administrative duties did not work out. Recently, the government conducted interviews from among hospital doctors for these posts. How will hospitals function effectively if there is a further crunch on the existing manpower? says a medical superintendent of a primary-level hospital, requesting anonymity.



Most polyclinics, though operational, do not have the diagnostics equipment yet.

A more sustainable model would have been to extend the OPD timings to 12 hours at the hospitals. Polyclinics were opened almost in a political hurry. Also waiving of nominal cost for diagnostic services like ultrasound and MRI scan, even though a populist move, is not a sustainable model and is bound to fail after a point, the superintendent adds.



In cases where polyclinics are attached to hospitals, separate funds need to be allocated to avoid strain on the hospital resources.



Currently, there are two polyclinics attached to DDU Hospital. When all the six polyclinics are operational, separate fund provisions will be required, says Deen Dayal Upadhyay medical superintendent Dr Savita Babbar.



The governments plan to come up with 500 mohalla clinics in the last financial year also remains unachieved. Currently only one mohalla clinic is operational at the moment and 10 more are coming up.



The mohalla clinic is not any different from the way a dispensary was run. There should be more doctors to handle the patient load, says Delhi Medical Associations ex-president Dr Anil Bansal.



Budget allocation should focus putting an end to contractual appointments to run the system more smoothly, says Dr Vikram Kesar from the Biochemistry department at Rao Tula Ram Memorial Hospital.



Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had recently announced that all charges of diagnostic services were waived and medicines which are not in the Essential Drug List will also be available at hospitals. The government had also promised patients that hospitals will be well stocked in all medicines under the list. A total expenditure of Rs 4,787 crore was announced for 2015-16.



The government should first deliver on its promises. When medicines or consumables are unavailable, patients blame the doctors. Currently, consumables like intercostals drainage tube, pigtail catheters are not available most of the time, says Federation of Resident Doctors Association (FORDA) president Dr Pankaj Solanki.

The government had announced that all medicines, consumable items and medical surgical equipment will be purchased through the Centralised Procurement Agency (CPA). It aimed to reduce the cost of purchase, eliminate corruption and bridge the demand-supply gap through this system. However, medical superintendents say hospitals should be given the power when required to either procure medicines or fixing equipment.

If there is no decentralisation, things should move really fast through the CPA in the interim phase, says a medical superintendent.



A senior official with the CPA under the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) says the government is now planning to come up with a major warehouse in Siraspur to cope with the problem in supplying medicines to hospitals when they exhaust the stock. This is in addition warehouses at four hospitals.



The plan is to be able to deliver stock within four hours. Monthly stock replenishment is also leading to a stock out situation at hospitals. We are aware of the problem. But it will take at least 10 months for the system to fall in place, says the official.



We have spent close to Rs 200 crore in medicine in 2015-16. This expenditure is expected to go up to Rs 400 crore taking the costs of medicine, consumables and equipment supply in the coming financial year, says the official.



LNJP medical superintendent Dr Y K Sarin says the government should focus on super specialised services. Bone marrow transplant, renal transplant are non-existent at city government hospitals. The government should focus on these like it is doing on primary healthcare.



ICU facilities also needs to be improved in the capiital.



The government had announced major plans to expand bed capacity in the capital. However, much remains to be achieved.


Participative governance, consultative democracy and inclusive development are the new buzz words in Delhi government which caused a few ripples by experimenting last year with the formula of letting people decide their own future.





The Swaraj Fund created last year in 11 constituencies put Rs 20 crore at the disposal of the residents in each of them, to let them select and implement programmes prioritised by them.



This year, the experiment is promised to grow bigger with a Swaraj Fund for each of the 70 Assembly constituencies.



Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwals message, read out by Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on the opening day of the Assemblys Budget Session on March 22, dropped enough hints about building on the gains from last year.



Mayur Vihar legislator Manish Sisodia, who as Finance Minister himself presented the Swaraj Fund proposal in the last Budget, and Okhla lawmaker Amanatullah Khan are all praise for the outcome of last years experiment.



The gains are positive, said Sisodia on the Swaraj Fund experiment implemented through mohalla sabhas  colony-level citizen groups  in select constituencies.

Khan said he held 39 meetings in his constituency over the last one year under the Swaraj Fund scheme.



From disbelief, the popular feeling in the area soon changed to elation, says Khan, about the takeaway from the exercise.



Khan says the payment for the development works suggested by residents was made to contractor only on the getting a consent from the local residents on the quality of the work.



Shakaib Aiyaz, a resident of Okhla constituency and a researcher by profession, welcomes the new system.



The practice of asking people to take decisions is the reverse of the earlier system in which residents used to run after the legislator with their demands, he says.



This is also the global practice in which the decision-making power is decentralised and handed over to the community itself, with the governments role getting limited to that of a facilitator, he says.



A Sisodia aide hints that the experiment of learning about public priorities on development projects in Mayur Vihar constituency threw up the idea that residents valued a library more than a road or pavement.



Now, there are plans to open Delhi Hindi Academys libraries in all 70 constituencies, says an Aam Aadmi Party functionary.



The budget for the Swaraj Fund Scheme last year was Rs 253 crore but in 2016-17 the total allocation may touch Rs 1,400 crore, Delhi government sources say.



While the Kejriwal government patted its own back, in Jungs address to the House, on Swaraj Fund and participative governance, its experiment of setting up Delhi Urban Development Agency (DUDA) has not borne results up to expectations.



Mohalla sabhas

AAP government sources say the Budget to be presented by Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia on March 28 may unveil a big picture on participatory budgeting through mohalla sabhas.



The government is preparing to create 3,000 mohalla sabhas, each clubbing together 4,000 to 6,000 residents in who cast votes in three or four separate polling booths. In each constituency, there could be about 30-40 colony-level groups.

According to Sisodia, The objective of participatory budgeting is to provide the right to the citizens in decision-making so that utilisation of public funds may be according to their wishes.



Encouraged by the positive response of people in 11 constituencies last year, the government has done the ground work using Google satellite imagery to map all the 70 constituencies.



A budget of Rs 20 crore for each constituency is likely to be broken down to about Rs 50 lakh per colony-level group or mohalla sabha, government sources say.



Apart from taking collective decisions, the Swaraj Fund is likely earn the ruling AAP brownie points with sympathisers lapping up the opportunity to spruce up their colonies.

An official in the Public Works Department says new procedures were laid down for payments to give speed to the process of fund utilisation.





In some constituencies, the priorities were known. These projects were taken up first, says the official.



Political rivals remain critical about the Fund. Leader of Opposition in Assembly Vijender Gupta claims that issues like Swaraj Fund are concepts floated by Kejriwal to divert attention of people from the lack of development and governance.



The projects being implemented under the Fund were earlier being executed by the MLAs through their development fund, the Bharatiya Janata Party leader says.



Agenda-driven

Opponents also suspect that Swaraj Fund would amount to using government funds to push the ruling partys agenda and promoting its supporters.



Senior Congress party spokesman Chattar Singh says, Swaraj Fund is nothing but a new avatar of the Bhaagidari Scheme launched by the Congress during (former chief minister) Sheila Dikshits tenure.



The Congress concept of financially empowering resident welfare associations for local area development has been copied by Kejriwal for taking credit, Singh says.



He dubbed the first year experiment with Swaraj Fund as a total failure. The meetings called for taking decisions are poorly attended, that too only by supporters of the AAP.

Dissent or needs of colony residents perceived as supporters of other parties are ignored at these meetings. It is nothing short of dictatorship that the AAP is pushing in the garb of collective decision-making, says Singh.



He says during the Bhaagidari days, the meetings carried legal sanctity. Officials attended the meetings religiously and voices of dissent were also taken into consideration.



But AAP leaders said there is no looking back on the plan to expand the Swaraj Fund experiment.



Some legislators say collective decision making has been the norm in their areas even without the formal announcement of Swaraj Fund.



Malviya Nagar MLA Somnath Bharti says: I meet the residents regularly in parks in the morning and involve them in decision-making.



Sources say Kejriwal has held meetings with officials and legislators to iron out irritants related to passing on financial powers of the mohalla sabhas that would ultimately be spending the Swaraj Fund.



Delays

During a function to mark the first anniversary of the AAP government, Kejriwal had admitted that there was some delay in expanding the Swaraj Fund experiment to all the 70 Assembly constituencies.



He reiterated the resolve to go ahead with the plan but asked residents to bear with his government as the groundwork for the big leap was taking more time than expected.

Before allocation of Rs 253 crore for the 11 constituencies last year, 50 public meetings were organised in each of these constituency which were attended by voters of the area.

For the remaining 59 constituencies, a total of about Rs 30 crore was allocated last year, says a Sisodia aide.



Last year, many felt that AAP had lived up to its reputation of being unconventional when it floated the Swaraj Fund.



Urban planners hailed the experiment as based on the spirit of the 73rd and 74th Constitutional Amendments promoting decentralised planning and involvement of the community in development.



While launching it, Sisodia had said it will prove to be a distinctive milestone in the functioning of real democracy in the country. Kejriwals success at governance may hinge to a certain extent on the outcome of the experiment.






Republican US presidential front- runner Donald Trump has vowed to pursue an "America First" foreign policy if elected, saying many nations including allies "ripped off" America while China has rebuilt itself from money that it has "drained out of the US".





Expounding his foreign policy priorities, Trump said he would consider pulling out American troops from Japan and South Korea if the close allies did not pay the US more.



Trump told the New York Times that he might stop buying oil from Saudi Arabia if it did not send troops to back US efforts to fight Islamic State militants.



The 69-year-old real estate billionaire, who has kept his momentum rolling despite concerted efforts by party establishment to thwart his presidential aspirations, insisted he was "not isolationist" but "America First".



He said: "We have been disrespected, mocked, and ripped off for many, many years by people that were smarter, shrewder, tougher.



"We were the big bully, but we were not smartly led. And we were the big bully who was the big, stupid bully and we were systematically ripped off by everybody.""So America first, yes, we will not be ripped off anymore. We're going to be friendly with everybody, but we're not going to be taken advantage of by anybody," he said.



Trump cited the US debt - "soon to be USD 21 tn" - and linked it to the fact the US "defended the world".



"No matter who it is, we defend everybody. When in doubt, come to the United States. We'll defend you. In some cases free of charge."



He said that China, now the world's second largest economy after America, had rebuilt itself from money that has "drained out of the United States".



"They've done it through monetary manipulation, by devaluations. And very sophisticated. I mean, they're grand chess players at devaluation," Trump said.



He added: "I like China very much, I like Chinese people. I respect the Chinese leaders, but you know China's been taking advantage of us for many, many years and we can't allow it to go on."



Talking about the rise of China, he said the best way to halt Beijing's building of military airfields and anti- aircraft batteries on reclaimed islands in the disputed South China Sea was to threaten its access to American markets.



"We have tremendous economic power over China, and that's the power of trade," he said.



He declined to elaborate on his plans for dealing with the Communist giant, saying "I wouldn't want them to know what my real thinking is."



Trump said the US was "not being properly reimbursed" for protecting Saudi Arabia.



"Without us, Saudi Arabia wouldn't exist for very long. It would be, you know, a catastrophic failure without our protection.



"They're a money machine... and yet they don't reimburse us the way we should be reimbursed."



Trump also cited NATO, saying it was "obsolete" as the main international threat now was terrorism.



"NATO is something that at the time was excellent. Today, it has to be changed," he said, adding that the US bore "far too much of the cost of NATO".



He expressed a similar view about the US funding of the United Nations.



Trump said: "We get nothing out of the United Nations. They don't respect us, they don't do what we want, and yet we fund them disproportionately again."



Trump also slammed President Barack Obama's administration for seeking a political exit for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while simultaneously fighting the Islamic State group as "madness and idiocy."



"I'm not saying Assad is a good man, 'cause he's not, but our far greater problem is not Assad, it's ISIS," he said.



Trump also referred to the criticism he had received for calling Brussels a "hellhole waiting to explode" but said that, after the deadly attacks on Tuesday, he had been proved right.



He spoke of the arrest before the attacks of key suspect Salah Abdeslam.



Trump, who has said he supports the use of some methods of torture in some cases, said that if Belgian authorities had "immediately subjected him to very serious interrogation - very, very serious - you might have stopped the bombing".



In the March 22 Republican primary in Arizona, Trump grabbed all the 58 delegates at stake in the state, thus, increasing his total to 739 delegates and further increasing the gap on delegate count with his nearest rival Ted Cruz who has 425.



To win the Republican presidential nominee, Trump needs 1,237 delegates.



He needs to win 52 per cent of the delegates in the rest of the Republican primaries. So far, Trump has won 19 States as against Cruz's victory in eight States so far.
Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi over his "Gandhi is ours, Savarkar yours" remark, BJP chief Amit Shah today asked the BJP cadres to launch a nation-wide movement against Congress on the issue of nationalism.





"Congress is now hell bent on insulting our national heroes. Congress and Rahul Gandhi are now targeting Veer Savarkar. Rahul ji used derogatory words for Savarkar. Rahul Gandhi told BJP in Parliament that Savarkar is ours (BJP's).



"Rahul ji, we accept your views. BJP has no hesitation in accepting that Savarkar is ours. Rahul ji, you don't know anything about Savarkar. BJP workers take inspiration from Savarkar's life and his love for country. We are proud that a person like him was born in India," said Shah said, addressing a farmers' rally organised by BJP here.



Rahul Gandhi, while participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha earlier this month had made a reference to Savarkar, telling the treasury benches "we have Gandhi, you have Savarkar". As BJP members remonstrated, the Congress leader said,"I just said Gandhi is ours and Savarkar yours. Did I say something wrong? Isn't Savarkar yours? Have you dumped him? If you have, you have done a very good thing."



The BJP president also came down hard on Congress for senior party leader Shashi Tharoor's remarks drawing a parallel between legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, facing sedition charges.



"You are now comparing Bhagat Singh to Kanhaiya Kumar? You are supporting those who want to break India into pieces? You are insulting Bhagat Singh and Savarkar and telling us that Savarkar is ours? We want to tell you that Savarkar is indeed ours," said Shah.



"It seems that Rahul ji has not read about his grandmother. Indira Gandhi had donated Rs 11,000 from her savings to build the Savarkar memorial. However, Rahul Gandhi does not know about it," said Shah.



Calling for a nation-wide movement against Congress on the issue of nationalism, Shah said,"Congress has started a strange debate on the issue of nationalism. We accept this challenge from Congress. It is the duty of each BJP worker to reach out to every household in the country to rejuvenate the love for our nation and build an army of patriots."



The BJP chief also asked the party workers to brace for the next year's Gujarat Assembly elections.



"We must aim to get more seats than the previous election," said Shah.



"Congress failed to uproot poverty from India. It failed to provide jobs to the youth. It also failed to develop villages. This is the reason why they are losing power in various states," said Shah.




RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat today said the organisation wants to make the country exploitation-free and full of self-respect and whole world to salute India.





"We want the whole world to chant 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'. We want to make Bharat (India) rich, free from exploitation and full of self-respect. For that we will have to live that Bharat in our lives," Bhagwat said at the launch of a book on the life of late Madan Lal Agarwal, co-founder of Friends of Tribals Society.



The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh (RSS) chief said after partition, Pakistan did not stake claim over the name 'Bharat' because it does not accept the qualities which are in Bharat.



He said the Vedas, 'Dev Bhasha', 'Aadi Bhasha' and even the grammar of Sanskrit was created in the region that now belongs to Pakistan.



"But they (Pakistan) took their own name and left the name 'Bharat' for us because the qualities which they don't accept are in Bharat," Bhagwat said.



Referring to the Ramayana, whose veracity is questioned by many, Bhagwat said, "We say that it is very ancient but it is history."



On a lighter vein, Bhagwat said he was lucky to be leading RSS. "I don't know what would have happened if there was an election. But here it is appointment. I am lucky," he said.



Earlier this month, the RSS chief's remark that youth should be taught patriotic slogans triggered a debate after AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi refused to chant "Bharat Mata ki Jai" citing he was not obliged by the Constitution to do so.
Nearly 170 people onboard a Jet Airways flight from Delhi had to be evacuated at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport here today after authorities received a threat about a bomb on the plane, briefly halting flight operations.





An unidentified person made a call to the airport authorities saying that explosives have been planted onboard the Jet Airways Flight 260 that took off from New Delhi in the afternoon.



Shortly after the aircraft with 169 people including crew landed at the airport at around 4:30 pm, the passengers were safely evacuated.



Search operations were carried out inside the aircraft which was taken to the isolation area.



Security personnel conducted a thorough check of the plane after a threat alarm was communicated to Jet Airways office in Kathmandu Delhi, officials said.



There was panic in the airport as soon as the news was spread.



However, after the inspection was complete, the bomb threat turned to be a hoax. No explosives were found inside the aircraft.



"We had carried a thorough investigation of all the baggage, passengers and aircraft seats, where noting was found," a senior official at the airport said.



Passengers were safely evacuated from the Jet Airways after it touched down at the airport here.



All domestic as well as international flights were suspended for about an hour due to the incident.



The airport authorities gave the all clear signal at 5.30 pm (local time) after going through necessary investigations.



Earlier, the Jet Airways plane had experienced difficulty in landing due to poor visibility in Kathmandu. The aircraft had to make six rounds above Simara in Bara before making an emergency landing following the bomb threat alert, Himalayan Times reported.



Security personnel, including Nepal Army's bomb disposal squad were mobilised for carrying out search operations.



Security was tightened inside the airport after the threat was received. The flight services were resumed as normal after the search operation.
Pope Francis today spoke out against the "rejection" of refugees as the European migrant crisis saw its latest desperate scenes on the Greek border with Macedonia.





The pontiff used his Easter address to urge people to offer "welcome and assistance" to those fleeing war and poverty, as Europe struggles with its worst migration crisis since World War II.



Countries along Europe's "Balkan route" have toughened their stance on migrants in recent weeks, closing their borders to those seeking to transit in search of a better life in the continent's wealthier northern states.



The shutdown has led to a bottleneck at the Greece-Macedonia frontier, where the Greek authorities have been trying to evacuate an estimated 11,500 people stranded at the squalid Idomeni camp.



But today, dozens of migrants who had left, rushed back to the camp following a rumour that journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia.



The EU and Turkey struck a deal earlier this month that will see new migrants arriving on the Greek islands returned to Turkey, in the hope of discouraging them from making the dangerous sea crossing.



During Good Friday prayers, the pope decried what he called Europe's "indifferent and anaesthetised conscience" over migrants and today he took up the theme again.



"The Easter message of the risen Christ... invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees... fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice," the pope said.



"All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance."



Francis has long called for the global community to open its doors to refugees and fight xenophobia -- appeals which have intensified since the controversial EU-Turkey deal.



In his Easter address, the pope also referred to Syria's "lengthy conflict, with its sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law", voicing hope for a positive result from UN-brokered peace talks that opened in Geneva in mid-March and are to resume in April.



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.
The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and the All India Bullion Jewellers and Swarnkar Federation (AIBJSF) on Sunday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to intervene, after the jewellers strike entered its 26th day, affecting the daily wage artisans the most.





We have been on strike for the last 26 days, and will continue to do so for an indefinite period, till the time the government rolls back its decision, AIBJSF President Praveen Goel said after the bodies released a white paper on the issue.



CAIT Secretary General Praveen Khandelwal said that the government should at least open the door for discussion with traders on the m atter.



The government should take traders into confidence and open the door for discussion on the matter. Traders are not running from paying taxes. The profit of traders are very low and a 1% levy is very high, he said. The jewellers are striking against an excise duty of 1% on articles of jewellery (excluding silver jewellery, other than studded with diamonds and some other precious stones) that Jaitley proposed in the Budget for 2016-2017.



They are also protesting against mandatory quoting of PAN against cash transactions over Rs 2 lakh, effective from January, this year.



No harassment to jewellers: Jaitley



Finance Minister Arun Jaitley on Sunday offered to walk the extra mile to ensure that small traders were not harassed, but made it plain that luxury items cannot go untaxed.

Gold and other jewellery will be part of the GST regime which will subsume the 1% proposed excise levy, as there cannot be a situation where essential items are taxed and luxury items like gold are left out, he told journalists here.



A luxury item must pay its share of taxes. So on procedural harassment, if they have any suggestions, I am willing to accept for simplification so that there is no harrasment... I am willing to take an extra step. But indefinitely, India cannot have a situation where luxury items go untaxed, Jaitley said.




The government will soon come out with detailed norms to operationalise the decision to permit 100% FDI in the food processing sector.





FDI in food processing sector, Commerce and Industry Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, will help farmers in getting good prices of their produce. There are a lot of people who are interested in putting funds for creating value addition in agricultural produce. Therefore, if FDI is permitted, they can come, procure from the farmer, give him a fair price, do value-addition and avoid wastage of produce, she said.



On when the government will come out with detailed guidelines on the same, the minister said: It has to come out sooner.
As the biennial DefExpo gets underway at Goa on March 28, the state of Indias air power will be a major issue for discussion. In a rare public admission, Air Marshal B S Dhanoa, Vice Chief of Air Staff (VCAS), said while briefing the media recently on the eve of Exercise Iron Fist, a fire power demonstration of the Indian Air Force (IAF), that the numbers are not adequate to execute a full air campaign in a two-front scenario.



With a decline in the number of IAF squadrons from 39.5 to 32, the ability of the air force to hit and destroy targets on the ground has also been adversely affected. Well-known South Asia analyst Dr Ashley J Tellis, senior research associate, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, Washington, has emphasised the importance of providing accurate and timely close air support to the army in the required quantities in a recent monograph entitled, Troubles They Come in Battalions: The Manifold Travails of the Indian Air Force.



Tellis has written: The IAF, like many other air forces, has never given close air support the priority it deserves. It has understandably been reluctant to commit its costly multi-role aircraft for interdiction operations against an adversarys ground forces because of their vulnerability in the low-level attacks that are usually necessary for successful close air support. Instead, it has thrown into the fray its older air defence fighters, such as early model MiG-21s, whose intrinsic design and inability to carry the appropriate ordnance make them ill-suited for this type of combat.



During the Kargil conflict in the summer of 1999, air-to-ground strikes by fighter ground attack (FGA) aircraft of the IAF had played an important role in neutralising Pakistan army defences. The destruction of a logistics camp at Muntho Dhalo was shown repeatedly on national television.



In conflicts in Afghanistan, the Balkans, Chechnya, Iraq, Libya and, more recently, the ongoing fight against the Islamic State, FGA aircraft have achieved laudable results, especially while using precision guided munitions (PGMs).



Employed in a synergistic manner in conjunction with ground forces, air power is a substantive force multiplier that can pave the way for victory. Interdiction of targets in depth and the provision of sustained close air support to the ground forces is now part and parcel of the tactics, techniques and procedures of conventional combat on land.



The importance of battlefield air strikes in modern wars must not be underrated. A few missions of FGA aircraft and attack helicopters can deliver more ordnance by way of 1,000 lb bombs in a few minutes on an objective selected for capture than the 18 guns of a 155 mm Bofors medium artillery regiment can deliver in 20 to 30 minutes.



During critical situations, particularly in fast-flowing mechanised operations in the plains, accurate air strikes can save the day. The battle of Longewala during the 1971 war with Pakistan is a good example. Also, it is a truism that in-your-face air strikes against the enemy in contact with own troops  strikes that can be seen by the troops  provide a major psychological boost to their morale.



The destruction of the adversarys war machinery will be a major military aim during future wars. IAF aircraft that are earmarked for ground strikes need to be armed with PGMs in large numbers to achieve the desired effect. Free flight 1000 lb and 500 lb bombs cannot be dropped with the precision necessary to destroy individual bunkers, pillboxes and armoured fighting vehicles (AFVs).



Modern fighter aircraft flying at supersonic speeds and constrained by the threat posed by air defence weapons in the tactical battle area (TBA), such as hand-held, shoulder-fired SAMs like the Stinger and the Unza, cannot be expected to achieve precision with rockets and Gatling guns as they tend to avoid closing in and prefer to release their weapons from stand-off ranges. Only terminally homing laser- or TV-guided bombs and air-to-surface missiles can provide the necessary reach and accuracy.



Major fillip needed



In view of the firepower capabilities that will be necessary to fight and win Indias future wars, the IAF needs to re-assess the suitability of its weapons platforms and ammunition holdings to support operations on land. A dispassionate analysis will reveal that its ground strike capability needs a major fillip.



Ideally, the IAF should raise some squadrons that are equipped with a specialised, dedicated ground strike aircraft. Suitable aircraft include the US A-10 Thunderbolt/ Warthog and the Russian SU-39. These aircraft are relatively slower moving, enable greater precision to be achieved in aiming, can carry several tons of payload per sortie, including air-to-ground precision strike missiles and bombs, and can absorb a lot of damage from the enemys air defence weapons. Dedicated ground strike aircraft cost only a fraction of the cost of multi-role fighter aircraft such as Mirage-2000 and the Rafale MMRCA.



The process for acquiring dedicated close air support aircraft must begin now so that their induction begins before the MiG-27 becomes obsolescent. Simultaneously, the holdings of precision-guided munitions must be significantly enhanced to achieve stocking levels of up to 30%. Also, the time has come to introduce unmanned combat air vehicles (UCAVs) or combat drones into service in large enough numbers to influence operations on ground.



Quite obviously, the IAF cannot afford to acquire new, dedicated ground strike aircraft from its present meagre budget and additional funds will have to be provided to the IAF for their early induction.



(The writer is distinguished fellow, Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses and former Director, Centre for Land Warfare Studies (CLAWS), New Delhi)
RUN! shouts a voice, captured, for all the world to hear, on cellphone images shot in the seconds after two bombs exploded at Brussels Airport on Tuesday morning. Travellers from arou-nd the world flee a shattered building, fearful of more bombs.





The videos from Brussels are a momentous shock, but also a momentous reflection of a state of mind. Run! Get away from this madness.



The bombings, as well as a third inside a Brussels subway car, hit the capital of the European Union at a time when its member states themselves had begun to fear the increasingly shaky supranational construction they had spent decades building. They fear that the EU is being pushed into chaos by Germany, its de facto leader, whose bounteous generosity toward migrants is attracting terrorists of today and tomorrow.



Everyone has his own solution, none of them good. Eastern European leaders have come up with an easy equation: No Muslim immigration equals no terrorist attacks. On Wednesday, Poland said it was shutting its doors. Why, these countries ask, should we be forced to repeat Western Europes mistake: preach religious tolerance, embrace multiculturalism and end up with hate-breeding parallel societies?



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 September 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.



City of bubbles



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 centre and its depressed western and northern fringes, where a majority of the citys poor immigrants live, represented the worst kind of ghettoisation.



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.



In turn, Belgiums predicament mirrors Europes. Official Europe has worked hard to move past nationalism, so that there is no German or French Dream. But theres no European Dream, either, not yet. So new migrants have no spirit to tap into, as they do in the US. Instead, some Muslims find it more attractive to give their loyalty to Allah, their fellow believers or the Islamic State.



Intelligence services estimate that up to 6,000 jihadists from Western Europe have traveled to join the Islamic State. This enormous figure does not illustrate merely the failures of integration policy. It also shows the failure of mainstream Euro-pean Muslims to keep their yo-uth immune from extremism.



A result of this mutual apathy is too many Islamists, and too few police and intelligence officers  particularly in Belgium, but not just there. We may have a common European currency, but we still do not have a common European terrorism database. Islamists in Western Europe seem better coordinated than the European authorities hunting them.



There are serious grounds for the alienation between the German chancellor, Angela Merkel, and her European partners. There are many practical things she can do in response, but also some big-picture steps. She sho-uld speak honestly about Euro-pes illusions, past and present. She should lead Europe past its outmoded data-protection concerns and push for coordination among security services.



And she should make integration and opportunity a common value for everyone in Europe  a European dream that is more appealing to immigrants than any afterlife kingdom could possibly be.






While emphasising the need for carving out a situation where people can move around freely like the EU, former Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said New Delhi and Islamabad must get engaged to take peace initiative forward.





If the EU could do it, why not India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries, Abdullah said in his key-note address at a day-long conference, organised by Bangladesh Bharat Pakistan Peace Forum (BBPPF) on the importance of peace and unity initiatives between tri-nations in Jammu.



Abdullah, who is president of the opposition National Conference (NC), said the two nations cant wish away each other and hoped New Delhi and Islamabad will take concrete measures to continue the dialogue process for lasting peace, saying confrontations had no place in bilateral relations.



The NC president hoped the sub-continent nations would eschew myopic tendencies and hostilities and work for an enabling environment for generations to lead a peaceful and dignified life. How long shall the hostilities of past cast dark shadow on present and future in a fast changing global scenario, he asked, saying the people of this continent too have a right to grow in free and fearless environment.



He said the era of mistrust and suspicion has retarded growth of sub-continent countries and this disgusting situation needed to be ended, sooner the better.



Abdullah particularly called for a sustained Indo-Pak dialogue, saying hostility between the two nations has impacted peace and tranquillity in Jammu and Kashmir. He said the state will be the biggest beneficiary of peace in the region, as it has witnessed a horrified saga of instability and bloodshed due to border tensions and the cult of militancy.



He squarely blamed western powers for promoting terror scourge and said the world at large has suffered due to it hugely.
With both the teams knocked out of the tournament, South Africa and Sri Lanka will play for pride in their last Group A Womens World T20 match here at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Monday.





South Africas campaign came to an end here on Saturday, when they went down to New Zealand by seven wickets. South Africa, who reached the semifinals in the previous edition, were let down by their batting, which worked well in patches.



Ahead of their final game, skipper Mignon du Preez said that her team will look to end their campaign on a high. We want to end on a high. We will go out there and give it our all, said Du Preez.



Du Preez added that leg-spinner Sune Luus terrific effort of 5/8 against Ireland was memorable for her side. Sune Luus's spell against Ireland of 5/8 was special. It was one of the best bowling spells in a World T20. We'll remember that.



Sri Lankas only victory came against Ireland and the islanders would be aiming to push South Africa hard. Sri Lankas batting have been a notch better than their opponents and they will look for yet another disciplined show from their batswomen to challenge the South Africans.
A livid Congress on Sunday accused the Modi government of murdering democracy after the party-led government in Uttarakhand was dismissed and the state was put under the Presidents Rule.





A number of Congress leaders issued statements condemning the move and wondered whether Himachal Pradesh would be next to go. Earlier in January, the Presidents Rule was imposed in Arunachal Pradesh and the BJP soon after propped up a government led by Congress rebels.



The real desire of the government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner, AICC general secretary Ambika Soni told reporters here.



Congress leaders were also mulling seeking legal recourse in the matter and a decision would be taken after due consultations with experts.



We will approach the courts. We will file a petition challenging the imposition of President's Rule in the state and demand its revocation, former law minister Kapil Sibal told reporters here.



Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad said the Modi government at the Centre had earlier toppled a democratically elected in Arunachal Pradesh by sheer abuse of power and money and the same script was played out in Uttarakhand.



BJP leadership resorted to the pettiness of a fake sting operation against Chief Minister Harish Rawat and the Congress government. Having failed in all conspiracies to convert majority into minority in Uttarakhand, the Modi government has resorted to complete abuse of powers by imposing President's Rule, he said.



AICC general secretary Shakeel Ahmed said the Modi government resorted to central rule as it became clear that it was going to lose face in the state Assembly on Monday.



Congress rebels, on the other hand, held the central leadership of the party responsible for the present crisis. Rebel MLA Subodh Uniyal accused vice president Rahul Gandhi of misjudging the situation and exacerbating the crisis.



The party should introspect why Congress MLAs defected from the party, former Uttarakhand chief minister and rebel leader Vijay Bahuguna said without naming anyone.

The nine Congress rebels  Bahuguna, Uniyal, Harak Singh Rawat, Pranav Singh Champion, Amrita Rawat, Shailarani Rawat, Pradip Batra, Shailendra Mohan Singhal and Umesh Sharma were dis-qualified by Speaker Govind Kunjwal under the anti-defection law.

DH News Service
Thousands of Muslims in Southern Assams Barak valley region, which is dominated by the minority community, attended Prime Minister Narendra Modis maiden rally here on Sunday.





The rally saw more than 1.2 lakh people from three districts of Barak valley  Karimganj, Hailakandi and Cachar  that has 15 Assembly segments. While Cachar district is Hindu-dominated, the two others are Muslim belts where the Congress and perfume baron Badaruddin Ajmal-led AIUDF have held sway.



Muhammad Ali, 65, a farmer from Udharbond area of Cachar district of Assam gave voice to the prevailing mood. He has been supporting the ruling Congress for years but this time, he is supporting the call for change in Assam given by the BJP and its allies. I am here to see the face of new India. I am a Muslim, but I support Narendra Modi. BJP and RSS are different things to me and I believe Modi ji is going to deliver through the BJP government in the state. The Congress has left this region underdeveloped....If Muslims are not targeted, then even Muslims in Barak valley would support Modi, Ali told as he was waving a BJP flag at Kalinagar of Hailakandi district of Southern Assam.



This time around, the BJP is trying to polarise votes and the Congress feels it can consolidate the Muslim votes, but the fact is that many Muslims, particularly youths from the community, will vote for change, said Fakrul Hussain Lashkar, a college student who wore a saffron bandana and chanted Bharat Mata Ki Jai when Modi took to the stage. Out of 15 seats in Barak valley, the Congress had won 13 in the 2011 Assembly polls.



Sundays rally gave indication of a BJP wave in the Congress stronghold. Lakhs of people walked for hours to Modis rally, wore Modi mask and chanted his name.



In Barak valley, majority of Muslims are indigenous Muslims and not migrants from Bangladesh. BJPs fight is against illegal migrant. For us, the key issue is development. We have a paper mill here that is almost non-functional, said Saidur Rehman a BJP worker in Hailakandi. This was the first time a prime minister was campaigning for his party in Hailakandi.


Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the upcoming Assam election is an opportunity for the people to punish the Tarun Gogoi regime for its misrule.





The prime minister attacked the Tarun Gogoi regime on his second day of campaigning in Assam for the upcoming Assembly polls due to be held on 4th April.



Speaking at back-to-back rallies at Rangapara in western Assam and Panchgram in Hailakandi district of southern Assam, Modi claimed that a strong wind blowing across Assam is all set to uproot the ruling Congress.



When you press the button on April 4 and April 11, keep in mind the Congresss misrule for 60 years. The reason behind your problems is only these people (Congress). Press the button in such a way that BJP and its allies get absolute majority. Never give an indecisive mandate; otherwise your future will be left insecure Modi said at Rangapara at the north bank of the Brahmaputra river, in Sonitpur district.



This area is left out from development. In Assam, they spend money from state exchequer only in those Assembly seats which they can win to form a government. They are not bothered about others. This is the reason why this area has remained left out from development Modi said in Rangapara. Narendra Modi during his rally at Rangapara also said he will make sure that money looted from backs by the rich are brought back.



I have started tightening the screws and will ensure that the money looted from the banks by those who ran away are brought back. Modi added. Modi addressed the second rally of a massive gathering of over 1.2 lakhs at Panchgram in Hailakandi district of Assam. This was a major rally for the BJP ahead of the first phase since Panchgram falls in Barak valley, a region where votes are expected to be divided between Hindus and Muslim on religious lines.



While people expected him to speak on the issue of providing citizenship to Hindu refugees from Bangladesh for which Centre had last years issued notification, Modi rather decided to mention in covertly, addressing a rally in minority-dominated area.



I am the custodian of your dignity and honour and rights. The legal process had started and I would keep my words Modi said.



He pointed towards the Panchgram paper mill, which is now almost non-functional and said: Let the Congress answer why the paper mill is almost locked down. Instead of fighting me, Tarun Gogoi should have concentrated on fighting corruption, poverty in Assam. In Assam 25,000 small-scale industries have been locked down Modi added.



The prime minister also claimed that Gogoi must have been a Jadugar (magician) that 25,000 small-scale industries vanished during his regime.

DH News Service


Indias senior most military officer, Air Chief Marshal Arup Raha has travelled to Israel to take forward the bilateral relations with the west Asian nation, which is the third largest military supplier to India.





During his four-day tour Raha would call on the Israeli Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon besides meeting senior officials from Israeli armed forces and the defence ministry. He will be visiting the Israeli Air Forces flight school at Hatzerim airbase as well.



Raha who is also the chairman of the chief of staff committee will be updated on the progress of joint defence projects undertaken by the two countries, including Barak-8 long range surface-to-air missiles for the Navy. India has also shown interest in buying new radars and drones from Israel.



The two countries are also likely to discuss purchasing more Phalcon AWACS system and a missile defence system, capable of protecting important Indian cities from enemy strikes.



Rahas itinerary includes a visit to Yad Vashem, Israels memorial to the Jewish victims of the Holocaust, established in 1953 and a visit to the Memorial of Indian Soldiers built in commemoration of sacrifice of the Indian soldiers who laid down their lives during World War I in the liberation of Haifa.



The IAF chiefs visit coincides with major presence of Israeli companies in the Def Expo 2016 that will kick start in Goa on Monday. The twenty eight Israeli companies in the Def Expo would showcase sophisticated sensors, electro-optics for artillery and infantry, airborne satellite communications and UAV for Indian armed forces.
The Karnataka government might bask in glory for being the first state in the country to introduce a scheme to provide treatment to accident victims.





But the irony is private hospitals who are the service providers, are clueless about how the scheme works.



It has been three weeks now since the scheme Mukhyamantri Santwana - Harish Scheme was launched to provide immediate medical treatment to road accident victims within no time. Both private and government hospitals have been empanelled by the Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust (SAST) as service providers. When Deccan Herald spoke to private hospitals across the City, they said that have not received any guideline for the implementation of this scheme.



No information



We read in papers that we should treat accident victims immediately and the government will bear the cost. But how to claim the amount? There are no guidelines given on the procedures, said a representative from one of the private hospitals in South Bengaluru.



The hospital administrator said that they were told that it is mandatory for them to empanel themselves as service providers under the Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme as well if they wish to take up the Harish Scheme. It is a good scheme. At present, it is serving no purpose. It is merely providing publicity for the government, he said.



As many as 86 hospitals that have been empanelled under the Vajpayee Arogyashree scheme for polytrauma, have by default been empanelled under the Harish scheme as well, according to officials with the SAST. Most of these private hospitals, when contacted said that they were unaware that they had been empanelled.



How can they empanel us that way by default. If the government continues to take such decisions, we might contemplate on de-empanelling ourselves from the other schemes as well, said a medical director of a private hospital.



Dr M D Marker, medical director, Sri Bhagwan Mahaveer Jain Hospital said, There is a Supreme Court ruling on this. We do not deny any patient who comes to our doorstep for treatment. We do not know about the implementation of Harish Scheme, he said.



Dr P Bore Gowda, executive director, Suvarna Arogya Suraksha Trust said, Hospitals have to mandatorily treat any accident victim. Private hospitals who are not empanelled under the scheme can give treatment and later reclaim the money. We will conduct training for hospitals in the first week of April.



The trust has asked private hospitals to empanel themselves. According to sources in the SAST, the response to this has been poor and the trust has thus been letting the non-empanelled hospitals provide the scheme as well.



Loopholes



Have no guidelines

Unaware of procedures involved

Unhappy with the reimbursement

Not kept posted about default empanelment






Minister for Kannada and Culture Umashree said the state government is considering providing interest-free loan for weavers.





After launching the Devanga community logo at the state-level Devanga convention organised by the South Zone Devanga Sangha at Emmekere Maidan on Sunday, she said weavers must progress socially and economically by using government facilities. They must also come up politically, she said.



Inaugurating the programme, Union Minister for Law D V Sadananda Gowda said weavers must use their skill and contribute to Prime Minister Narendra Modis Make in India campaign and contribute to the nations development.




Letters of grievances are pouring in and we are doing our best to accommodate as many as possible. Readers may write in to highlight civic problems affecting their locality and we will help address them in an interactive and effective manner.





Grievances and issues related to public utility agencies such as Bruhat Bangalore Mahanagara Palike (BBMP), Bangalore Water Supply and Sewerage Board (BWSSB), Bangalore Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC) and Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) would be highlighted in the weekly column.



The writeups, which could be accompanied by photographs highlighting the problems, will be published on Mondays.Mail your grievances to: peoplesproblems @deccanherald.co.in



Footpath encroachment

The parking and plying of two-wheelers on the foothpath near Sadashivnagar police limits is causing a lot of inconvenience to people in the area.



Apart from this, rooftops of the barracks are full of leaves. There is need for better maintenance. Also, I have been crying for a traffic signal in MS Palya and speed breakers near Syndicate Bank Post Office Road. I hope these issues will be addressed at the earliest.

KG Shankar



Childrens park misused

The childrens park, located diagonally opposite the BWSSB water tank and office in JP Nagar I phase on 13th Cross, has become a meeting place for boys and girls.



After 7.30 pm, boys and girls start coming to the park. This is causing a lot of inconvenience to parents accompanying their children to this children's play area. The adult boys and girls sit on the various childrens play utilities such as the slide plane and disturb the tranquility of the place. I kindly request the authorities concerned to look into this and ensure that decorum is maintained at public places.

K Srinivasa Rao



Bad roads

Residents of Munireddy Layout, Gharvebhavi Palya, ward no 192, are facing a lot of problems due to the poor condition of roads. The road is riddled with potholes and there is lot of dust in turn making lives of pedestrians and motorists miserable. Even though the matter was brought to the notice of the local MLA Satish Reddy and local councillor Shoba Jagadish, no action has been taken.

KG Murugan, Hosur Main Road



Ply more buses

I reside in Gubbalala Main Road,Palm Grove Enclave area. Close to this area, many big apartments have come up and we don't have frequent bus facilities to go either to Jayanagar 4Th Block or Banashankari from Uttarahalli via Gubbala Road then the main road in Kanakapura. Since lot of senior citizens are put in to inconvenience, the authorities concerned should either increase the frequency of buses or ply more buses.

K Ragavan, Gubbalala Main Road



Irregular water supply

Water supply in Bride Street has not been regular in the last 15 days.

The water mafia has again taken control of water supply in the area and authorities are not heeding to our complaints. Residents are forced to buy water from tankers.



Bagla Banks are not disabled-friendly

Many physically challenged people are finding it difficult to enter banks because many banks do not provide access ramps. Banks need to make some arrangements for physically challenged people. One of my friends finds it difficult to go to bank and carry out work. I request the authorities concerned to look in to this issue and do the needful as early as possible.

K Ragavan, Gubbalala Main Road



Up bus frequency

There are very few buses plying from Ramamurthy Nagar to Majestic. Kindly ply more buses in this populated residential area.

Mohan Kumar



Illogical borewell charges

Recently, a proposal was made that will enable BWSSB to charge Rs 100 extra for every household in an apartment that is served by a borewell. Members of the general public resented the move and former minister of law and parliamentary affairs also sent out a detailed letter to the honourable minister, strongly urging him to shelve the proposal.



However, for our apartment block of three houses, an extra Rs 100 per house is being charged by BWSSB both for borewell and sanitary charges, since for quite some time, and it was not a proposal. While separate sanitary charges for one service is acceptable, it is highly illogical and perhaps not legally tenable to charge for borewells as they are sunk at the investment cost of the house owners. The running and maintenance cost is also borne by them.



Even the recharging of borewells is at the cost of house owners. Hence, BWSSB is in no way responsible either for installation, running and maintenance or for its recharging.

R Sridhar, Basavanagudi



Underpass needs bypass surgery

An underpass that has been bypassed by BBMP authorities for more than three years at Srirampuram is in urgent need of a bypass surgery for a healthy flow

of traffic.

Ajay Ghatage, Srirampuram
The chants of Kohli Kohli... rent the air as India pulled off a thrilling six-wicket win to book their place in the World T20 semifinals here on Sunday.





Chasing Australias 160 for six, Indias quest appeared headed nowhere as their openers  Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan  once again failed to fire while Suresh Raina and Yuvraj Singhs contribution proved inadequate again. The responsibility of bailing India out once again fell on Virat Kohlis shoulders. And rarely does he fail to rise up to the occasion.



India will now clash with Group 1 toppers West Indies in Mumbai on Thursday for a place in the final. The first semifinal will be played between Group 2 leaders New Zealand and England in Delhi on Wednesday.



The pitch wasnt conducive for stroke-making, the Australian pacers made life difficult for the Indian batsmen but Kohli bided his time, waited for the right moment and then launched a brutal assault that left Australia stunned. Its not the first time he has done this to Australia who might have become sick of seeing his face now.



Kohli remained unbeaten on 82 (51b, 9x4, 2x6) as India replied with 161 for four in 19.1 overs in a chase where the hosts were behind until the start of the 18th over at which point they needed 39 off 18 balls. Kohli, who has a special liking for James Faulkner, plundered 14 runs off the left-arm pacemans first three balls in the 18th over which went for 19 runs.



From 39 off 18, the equation now slimmed down to 20 off 12.



In imperious touch, the Indian vice-captain clobbered Nathan Coulter-Nile for four fours in five balls in the 19th over to all but knock Australia out of the tournament. M S Dhoni (18 n.o.), who added 67 runs (31 balls) for the unbroken fifth wicket, finished off the chase in signature style by slamming Faulkner for a four.

DH News Service





Semifinal line-up

March 30 New Delhi

New Zealand vs England



March 31 Mumbai

West Indies vs India


ENGLEWOOD After recently renovating a number of its buildings and launching several new programs for students, Englewood Schoolsthis school year opened a facility dedicated to a group you might not expect: adults.

In November, the district, in cooperation with Denver-based nonprofit the Spring Institute for Intercultural Learning, opened the Englewood Community Education Center.

Housed in an 1,832-square-foot building on the districts Maddox campus at 700 W. Mansfield Avenue, the center is a dedicated home for high school equivalency and English-as-a-second-language classes for area adults.

Were really focused on creating multiple pathways to that high school diploma, and this is one of the ways we do that, said Diana Zakhem, the districts director of post-secondary and workforce readiness. We feel very positive about it.

The center is staffed four days a week by three instructors from Spring Institute, a nonprofit with programs focused on intercultural learning and adult education. The organization has had a partnership with Englewood Schools for the past few years, providing ESL classes for adults at Bishop Elementary.

Jessie Hawthorn, the institutes adult education program manager and former Colorado Department of Education contractor, said the Community Education Center is a unique arrangement and provides an opportunity to grow, possibly serving more people and providing additional opportunities for its clients in the future.

As far as I know, we are the only program in the metro area that has its own building provided by a district, Hawthorn said. We eventually want to make this space available for people to write resumes and cover letters and conduct job searches.

Around 15 people are regularly attending either English language or high school equivalency classes at the center this spring session, Hawthorn said. Englewood Schools provided 10 computers and access to GED preparation software that allows students to take free practice tests. Hawthorn said that is very important now that the states GED testing is done almost exclusively online.

Students pay $25 per month to attend but will be reimbursed if they pass their four subject area equivalency tests, Hawthorn said.

As part of the partnership, Englewood Schools offers free child care to participants, provided in the main school building on the Maddox campus, home to the districts Early Childhood Education Program. The service is a critical piece of making the center a success, Hawthorn said.

The building now housing the Community Education Center was home to an online-based credit recovery program for district high school students in the 2014-15 school year. That program was moved to Colorados Finest High School of Choice campus, following renovations at that building paid for in part by a 2012 voter-approved $45 million bond issue, opening the space for a new use, district officials said.

Zakhem said that it needed only a few small renovations to make it ready for adult education classes. Englewood Schools had spare furniture and computers available for the facility. Thanks to an estimated $6,500 in federal grant funding, plus and additional $1,200 in federal money dedicated to the child care portion of the program, the district has had to supply only $4,000 so far from its general fund to pool with Spring Institutes funding for the program, district officials said.

Its a great opportunity for these students to be able to learn in a safe, productive and motivating environment that is for them, high school equivalency instructor Heidi McBride said last week while she led students through an interactive science lesson. It gives them consistency.

Joe Rubino: 303-954-2953 or jrubino@denverpost.com



Englewood community education center

Next enrollment opportunity: 9 a.m.-1 p.m. April 11 at 700 W. Mansfield Ave.

Info: 303-863- 0185
Bargain bunny buffets

Nibble on your chocolate bunny and save room for these bargain brunches on Easter Sunday, March 27. Boston Market sells an Easter Special Meal for $11.99, with honey-glazed ham, two side dishes, cornbread and a slice of apple pie. Whole Foods Market Washington Park (1111 S. Washington St., Denver) offers an all-you-can-eat spread from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.  adults $12.99 and kids $6.99. The menu features a carving station with tangerine-maple glazed ham, roast duck and herb-crusted roast beef, as well as Eggs Benedict, build-your-own pancake & Belgian waffle bar, fruit, potatoes, breads and more. For spicier fare, Bombay Clay Oven (165 Steele St., Denver) serves a $9.99 all-you-can-eat lunch buffet. Dishes include rice crepes, Indian-style scrambled eggs and more.

Treasure hunt

If youre a true-blue junker, stop by the Beautiful Junk Sale on April 1 and 2 at the Jefferson County Fairgrounds (15200 W. 6th Ave. in Golden). Its 10,500 square feet of bountiful bargains, including jewelry, collectibles, vintage odds and ends, holiday decor and a vast array of household items, all for a good cause. The sale is open Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Adults admission is $4. Get $1 off, if you bring two or more non-perishable food donations. For serious bargain hunters, an early-bird sale begins at 7 a.m. on Friday, with a $30 entry fee. Proceeds benefit Jeffco Action Center. theactioncenterco.org

Inspector gadget

Heres yet another reason to love libraries. Arapahoe Library District lets the public check out all sorts of high-tech devices for free, including iPad Minis, Nooks, Go Pro cameras, Garmin GPS units, video cameras and solar light bulbs. Depending on the item, the check-out time ranges from seven days to three weeks. Some can be renewed and a few can even be reserved. However, for some items, like iPads, youll need to visit the library to see whats available. The gadgets are costly and in high-demand, so borrowers need to sign an agreement and return the items on time. Remember, any Colorado resident can get an Arapahoe Library District card, not just those residing in the county. arapahoelibraries.org/technology

New chapter

Westminster residents know its History Center (located in the DeSpain Schoolhouse at 7200 Lowell Blvd., Westminster) tells the tale of how the city came to be through exhibits and live programs. But visitors can take away more than a look at the past. Through a partnership with Friends of Westminster Library, the History Center gives free books to children and teens. A wide variety are available, from picture books to young adult novels. Some are in Spanish. Parents can take the kids to the Center on Wednesdays or Thursdays between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. and pick out books. Families are welcome to return as often as they wish, no strings attached. westminstercohistory.com

Every Saturday, Laura Daily and Bryan K. Chavez at MileHighOnTheCheap.com compile Cheap Checklist to help smart shoppers find freebies, discounts and deals. Send tips to info@milehighonthecheap.com 10 to 14 days in advance.
LAKEWOOD The residential phase of a $150 million mixed-use development is set to begin early next month at the former Green Gables Country Club.

Dan Nickless, president of CalAtlantic Homes of Colorado, said the first phase of curb, gutter and road infrastructure is complete and foundations for the first set of 300 single-family homes are poured. In the next few weeks, Nickless said, framing will begin on what is expected to be a three-year buildout of the Green Gables Reserve.

CalAtlantic is one of many developers approved to build on the site at the southeast intersection of Jewell Avenue and Wadsworth Boulevard in unincorporated Jefferson County.

A master plan for the $150 million project spanning 152 acres calls for 300 single-family homes to be built by CalAtlantic, with a consortium of other developers constructing five buildings housing 300 multi-family units and 225,000 square feet of commercial space, with approval for one retail anchor store as large as 155,000 square feet.

This is a very rare opportunity in the Denver metro area to build an infill project of this size, Nickless said. Other areas, you have to create a place. Green Gables Reserve is a place. It has a deep history that we really respect.

Gables got its start in the 1920s when a group of eight Denver political and business leaders known as the Progress Club purchased 120 acres of countryside outside of Denver. Over the decades, it became a social center for Denvers financially elite Jewish community.

Financial woes and declining membership forced members to sell the club in 2011 to USL Denver Green Gables LLC for $15 million.

After a somewhat contentious process that saw neighbors oppose the project, Jefferson County approved the development and a rezoning request in 2012.

Plans for the mixed-use development include retail and restaurants, a community center with outdoor pool, private access to 2 acres of beachfront property on Ward Lake along with multi-use trails.

Jim Hassig, owner of nearby Ace Hardware, initially had concerns about traffic and competition from a 150,000-square-foot retail store, but now believes itll revitalize the area.

We welcome any new residents to the neighborhood and it seems to be revitalizing the intersection, which is good, Hassig said. Were hopeful that it plays out.

John Wolforth, county director of planning and zoning, said Missouri-based developer Covington Realty Partners has submitted final plans to begin construction on the multi-family property, but the county hasnt received any submittals from the retail developer.

Since 2012, there has been no applications to planning and zoning for any type of retail construction, Wolforth said. Either they havent found someone they want in there or they have and are working privately before submittal.

The area is in unincorporated Jefferson County but surrounded by the city of Lakewood. The developers have declined annexation into Lakewood, citing higher sales taxes when retail operations are up and running. This concerns Ward 4 City Councilman Pete Roybal, who represents a large portion of the surrounding area.

It places a burden on the city, Roybal said. If the Jeffco Sheriff needs help, its Lakewood Police that will assist. Theres traffic issues and its a burden to our education system. The neighborhood schools are already crowded, so the arrival of 600 new families will decimate the education system worse than it is now.

Multiple calls to Covington Realty and USL Denver Green Gables LLC seeking comment were not returned.

Tim Reed, executive director of facilities for Jeffco Public Schools, said the district has reworked the boundaries on nearby schools and will be reopening Stein Elementary this year, freeing up space for future students from Green Gables.

We have been tracking this development for a number of years Reed said. I dont think this is a crisis;we have a plan in place.

Nickless said there will be four housing options ranging from 1,700 to 4,500 square feet. He said prices havent been set, but expects sales to start later this summer with the first wave of residents moving in by the end of the year.

Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729 or abriggs@denverpost.com


Denvers police chief and mayor said they had a productive and educational conversation Friday with a student who created a piece of art showing an officer wearing a Ku Klux Klan hood while pointing a gun at a minority child.

This was one of the more teachable moments that Ive ever had as the mayor of this city, Mayor Michael Hancock told reporters after the meeting at Kunsmiller Creative Arts Academy. Not just for the student, but for us as well.

The controversial artwork by the Kunsmiller 10th-grader was on display in the lobby of the citys Webb Building as part of a public school art show. It was removed Wednesday  at the girls request, officials say  after drawing outrage from the citys law enforcement community.

MORE: Is student art free speech or a teaching moment?

Hancock said while the student intended to comment on the current tumult between police and minorities across the nation, she was also evoking images of Denvers past and the KKKs historic presence in the city.

She has been profoundly impacted by the issues of today, Hancock said, adding that the girl taught us all something.

The students piece was one of dozens of pieces of student art, including photography, sculpture, video and drawings, hung in the Webb Building. Her work was chosen by a panel of Denver Public Schools jurors from students submissions across the city.

Hancock and Chief Robert White called a meeting with the student and her parents to discuss the piece and better understand her intentions as part of their ongoing attempts to create a dialogue with students.

Acting Denver Public Schools superintendent Susana Cordova and Kunsmillers principal, Pete Castillo, also joined in.

The student has declined requests to be interviewed.

We really do fall back on this belief that art can transform lives, said Cordova. You can put a message out into the world and the world does respond.

White has said he was greatly concerned about how this painting portrays the police.On Friday, though, he clarified that he was not offended by the art.

White also called the conversation with the student a teachable moment and added that the talk reminded him of the work that still needs to be done to build better relationships between the police department and the community.

Weve come a long ways but we are not where we need to be, White said.

White said the student expressed appreciation for the work that police do every day, but also told officials that she thinks much still needs to be done to improve officers relationship within their communities.

Officials rejected notions that the students was intimidated into asking for her artwork to be removed.

After speaking to that young lady, I dont believe she was intimidated, White said.

Castillo said he didnt feel there was any censorship.

The mayor said Denver plans to continue exhibiting student artwork in the city building, but will assess what happened and how the city can do a better job in the future of deciding what artwork will be displayed.

We also dont want to censor or dowse the spirit of an artist, but weve got to realize this is a public venue and that the employees  we want them to be honored by the art there, Hancock said.

The student created the piece as part of a class project. Pupils were asked to choose a master work of art, research it and portray it in a new context to reflect contemporary times.

The student chose the Spanish painter Francisco Goyas The Third of May 1808, which shows Napoleons soldiers pointing guns at fearful Spanish people.

The students work also was heavily influenced by Michael DAntuonos 2014 work A Tale of Two Hoodies, which shows a hooded officer pointing a gun at a young, black child wearing a white hoodie and holding a bag of Skittles.

Jesse Paul: 303-954-1733, jpaul@denverpost.com or @JesseAPaul
A metro Denver couple were sentenced to federal prison and ordered to pay restitution for their involvement in defrauding the U.S. Department of Education student loan program out of nearly $250,000, officials said Friday.

Raquel A. Espinoza, 37, and 55-year-old George F. Durbin decided to apply for financial aid and enroll in colleges  with no intent to attend  to pocket the financial aid money, according to news release from the U.S. attorney.

The couple also applied for financial aid under the names of their friends and family members  at least 27 people.

In many cases, Espinoza would tell people she could help them attend college  even those without a GED or high school diploma  and would ask for a portion of their financial aid money as a fee.

Sometimes the other people were in on the scheme and didnt attend school, but others legitimately sought her help to enroll, the news release said.

All of the colleges utilized a contracted company, Higher One, to help manage the distribution of financial aid to students. Higher One would distribute the money through debit cards or checks that the couple would have sent to mailing addresses they set up.

Colleges that were targeted include Arapahoe Community College, Community College of Aurora, Community College of Denver, Front Range Community College and Red Rocks Community College.

Financial aid officials said they keep an eye out for fraud, but that a scheme of this scope was bizarre. Were really happy to have these two off the streets so that financial assistance is available for those who truly need it, said Angie Binder, spokeswoman for the Colorado community college system. This is very unique in scope.

The defendants used the money on personal expenses such as spending more than $22,000 to gamble at Colorado casinos.

The defendants not only victimized government college financial aid programs, but victimized students and others by hijacking their personal information and identities to steal financial aid funds, said U.S. Attorney John Walsh in the release.

Espinoza, considered the leader of the crime, was sentenced to 54 months in prison and three years of supervised release in addition to having to pay the U.S. government $262,853.72 in restitution. Durbin was sentenced to 45 months in prison, three years of supervised release and $183,806.45 in restitution.
An Aurora attorney has been sentenced by an Adams County judge to serve two years of probation for twice faking her own kidnapping in 2014.

Becky Keil, 52, was convicted in January of false reporting and attempting to influence a public servant.

Keil was charged in the case in August 2014 after Westminster police found she lied about being abducted in two separate occasions in March and May of that year.

Prosecutors say she faked both kidnappings, which prompted authorities to seek the publics help in finding her.

The 17th Judicial District Attorneys Office said the kidnapping hoaxes happened while Keil was handling civil matters for the victims family in a high-profile Douglas County murder-for-hire case.

Keils license to practice law has been suspended, prosecutors say.
A wanted man, possibly armed, held police at bay in Aurora for about 90 minutes Friday before surrendering.

Members of the Aurora Police Department SWAT unit were deployed in the 14400 block of East Mississippi Avenue, according to a 4:02 p.m. police Twitter post.

Streets in the area were sealed off as police attempted to get the man to surrender.

Eastbound Mississippi Avenue was closed at South Blackhawk Street, westbound Mississippi at South Sable Boulevard; and southbound Sable was closed at Mississippi, police said.

A program at nearby Gateway High School was put on lockdown as a precautionary measure. Police assisted students off the campus.

The suspect, who was not identified, surrendered and was taken into custody, according to a 5:42 p.m. police Twitter post.

An unnamed woman was also detained.

Kieran Nicholson: 303-954-1822, knicholson@denverpost.com or @kierannicholson
Nicholaus Steele hasnt worn new shoes in 10 years. That changed Friday when the 33-year-old homeless man slipped his weary, calloused feet into a pristine pair of orange, white and gray Nikes.

Im so happy, Steele said.

The Denver Rescue Mission partnered with Volunteers of America to provide 900 pairs of new shoes and socks Friday for homeless people in the metro area.

Several organizations, such as the Boulder Running Company and Asics, donated the shoes and socks for the annual Easter celebration.

In the spirit of the holiday, volunteers served up classic dishes, including glazed ham and macaroni and cheese. They also held a worship service and washed the feet of Denvers homeless.

Just like Jesus came and washed feet, were washing their feet, said Janet Hannah, a volunteer. They dont have the opportunity to be cared for or the supplies that we have.

A podiatrist was on site to check any foot-related health concerns.

JoAnn Trudel, 65, returns to the Rescue Mission every year to have a doctor look at her feet.

I look forward to this, she said. I needed care long before, but I cant afford it. I feel so much better now.

As volunteers scrubbed and applied lotion to scores of tired feet, many were moved to tears.

Just to touch someone can make such a difference, said volunteer Melvin Bush.

Anne Mae Noel, 51, said she was comforted by the kind words and healing touch of the volunteers. But the highlight of her day was selecting new shoes.

Pink and white  my favorite, she said.

Noel, who suffers from multiple sclerosis and cancer, said taking care of her feet has been a challenge since she became homeless in August 2015.

In this way of life, you do a lot of walking, Noel said. Even basic hygiene can be a real pain. This is a godsend.

Katy Canada: 303-954-1043, kcanada@denverpost.com or @KatySusanna
Commodities came under pressure again at the end of last week as the greenback extended its gains into a fifth session, with Bloomberg's spot dollar index finishing slightly higher last Thursday at 96.142 points.

Going in the opposite direction, over the week the Bloomberg Commodity Index put in its worst showing in two months, slipping 0.41% on the day at 159.82.

That came as a renewed fall in the US oil rig count failed to spark a bid in crude oil energy quotes.

The US oil rig count fell 15 to 372, according to the latest weekly tally from driller Baker Hughes - the least since late 2009.

Despite that, front month West Texas Intermediate crude oil futures slipped 27 cents to end at $39.46 per barrel on NYMEX.

Acting as a backdrop, the president of the Federal Reserve bank of Dallas, James Bullard, reiterated that an April rate hike from the Federal Reserve should be on the table.

However, in remarks made to Bloomberg in the previous session he had added that officials might not have enough additional data on the US economy to persuade them to make a move when they next meet.

Gold futures were predictably lower as well, dipping 0.17% to end at $1,223.50 per ounce on the COMEX.

Spot copper prices slid 2.6% to finish at $4,930.50 per metric tonne on the LME.

Out in the agricultural space, corn futures for delivery in May 2016 ended the day up by 0.41% to $370 per bushel on the Chicago Board of Trade.

Cotton futures on the ICE ended down 1.15% at $57.72 per pound.
In our five years of living in Cuenca Ecuador and traveling in South America we have met all types of people that have decided to move abroad. And we have found that most people generally fit in two major categories.

Those that are:



1. pushed out and those that are 2. pulled out'.



Pushed Out from the Land We Live in Now to Move to a New Land

Pushed out of our homeland means that our society, our culture, our neighbors' and 'our compatriots are no longer appreciating who we are as a person. Because the feeling that we are not appreciated as a person by an entire culture, or at least it seems that way because we are becoming a minority in the way we act, do, and well, live.



Being a minority in and of itself is not necessarily a problem. If youre queen Elizabeth, or King of Thailand for example, youre a minority of one, but almost everybody loves you. Or at least they act like they do. On the other hand if your type is not appreciated, not respected, not loved, or worse, despised by the very actions of your culture, by the fact that they treat you as an outcast, your type is publicly ridiculed meaning they ridicule others like you, with impunity and without apparent consequence because that is the current way the wind is blowing, well then, it is likely youre being pushed out.



Pulled Toward a Different Land, Because Well, the Grass Seems Greener...Well Is It?

In this category we find what is referred to as the financial refugees. Now, to me, that term in and of itself is sort of a pushing term, as if you have no standing, no land, no culture because youre on a low income.



In this category is also those that have plenty of means, but in their own land they would not be able to necessarily, according to their understanding anyway, live at the top end of consumption and lifestyle, i.e. live in luxury, get a maid, a butler, eat steak and lobster, have the best views, etc. etc. and all on a salary which would in times past be considered not really all that extravagant.

These types back home would be considered those that keep up with the Jones's. They want to report to those back home about the wonderful views they have, how many more bedrooms they have, how many more square feet they have, than their counterparts back home.



There is a third category, those that have these kinds of means, but are also being pushed out. However they straddle both sides of the whole.





The second category, the financial refugees may feel they are being pushed out but in reality they are being pulled out with the promise of a better financial life. If youre in this category, take heart. You may have spent your whole life working up to your social security check and realized youve been swindled.



Its ok, theres a lot of things you can do, and nowadays, in this information age we live in, there are lots of tutorials online from people that live well on practically nothing. If this is your major concern, you may or may not find peace moving abroad. It all depends on your skills at blending in, living local, picking up new skills such as a new language etc. If this is not part of your thinking already, you may have a rude awakening.



No matter where in the world were thinking of relocating to we may find that

Moving somewhere to improve your surroundings in such a way that you find peace is a long established, historical norm. Abraham of the bible did it. However, this is not the kind of peace that the second category is looking for. This is the kind of peace, where you are willing to accept the perceived minor inconveniences of lowering your standards, just like Abraham did. Why? Because you are finding your peace from within. Such is the kingdom of God. There is more to say about this.The second category, the financial refugees may feel they are being pushed out but in reality they are being pulled out with the promise of a better financial life. If youre in this category, take heart. You may have spent your whole life working up to your social security check and realized youve been swindled.Its ok, theres a lot of things you can do, and nowadays, in this information age we live in, there are lots of tutorials online from people that live well on practically nothing. If this is your major concern, you may or may not find peace moving abroad. It all depends on your skills at blending in, living local, picking up new skills such as a new language etc. If this is not part of your thinking already, you may have a rude awakening.No matter where in the world were thinking of relocating to we may find that no place is going to be PERFECT.

REAL Paradise is within our attitude and emotional well being; No place on earth can make a person at peace in and of itself because that person must first be a contented person. Running from the problems of the world is like running from Godtheyre everywherewe must learn to detach from those things which bring us discontent. Life is about detaching from circumstances that we find destructive and if were the type of person that has a difficult time doing that, moving to a different city abroad will not make our life happier.

Finding ourNo place on earth can make a person at peace in and of itself because that person must first be a contented person. Running from the problems of the world is like running from Godtheyre everywherewe must learn to detach from those things which bring us discontent. Life is about detaching from circumstances that we find destructive and if were the type of person that has a difficult time doing that, moving to a different city abroad will not make our life happier.

Leaving one country to move to another country for financial reasons is escaping the fear of living below normal economic standards. However, moving to a third world country where most things are not up to the standards of the North American middle class may not bring most people the peace they are looking for, in fact, you will come to find out that cheap paradise is not all cracked up to be what you thought it would be.



lower standard of living? Perhaps because they were mislead?

Why would someone move from the economic standards of a society they are so used to, to move to aPerhaps because they were mislead?

people who want to continue living in the middle class and subsequently they are usually the ones that are the most susceptible to being mislead. The hucksters love to say that blah-blah developing country has a growing and high middle class because they know that it will wow you and entice you to move there. But this is very misleading.



Its perfectly fine to move to a place because cost of living seems lower compared to where you are living now but do not expect to live in the lap of luxury like many of these hucksters insinuate. Continuing calling a city abroad paradise for instance, gets people who feel discontented where they are now to move abroad for mistaken reasons that we have mentioned in this article thus far.



Were not discounting anyones feelings because ALL reasons for moving abroad are valid reasons to have but dont become mislead by your reasons! Ask most expats that went home after living abroad and they will tell you, It wasnt better, but it certainly was different. It wasn't better because there is too much confusing and misinformation out there about moving abroad.

The travel abroad hucksters prey onand subsequently they are usually the ones that are the most susceptible to being mislead. The hucksters love to say that blah-blah developing country has a growing and high middle class because they know that it will wow you and entice you to move there. But this is very misleading.Its perfectly fine to move to a place because cost of living seems lower compared to where you are living now but do not expect to live in the lap of luxury like many of these hucksters insinuate. Continuing calling a city abroad paradise for instance, gets people who feel discontented where they are now to move abroad for mistaken reasons that we have mentioned in this article thus far.Were not discounting anyones feelings because ALL reasons for moving abroad are valid reasons to have but dont become mislead by your reasons! Ask most expats that went home after living abroad and they will tell you, It wasnt better, but it certainly was different. It wasn't better because there isout there

Choosing to Move Abroad



CHOOSING to, or volunteering to move abroad means we have volunteered without feeling pressured to do so. We are neither pushed, nor pulled. We have a plan of how were going to live, what our cost of living is going to be, and what were going to do when we get to new land. We already know everything in advance and were gung-ho to begin the new chapter in our life.



We have met and know personally many expats over the last five years and the happiest and most content are the ones who volunteered to move abroad; there was no pressure to leave for economic or political reasons; they were not escaping something but rather opening up a new chapter in their life experiences.



Until we write again, try out these related articles about moving somwhere abroad.
OSU defense dominates, offense revs up late in 54-10 rout of Iowa

Overcoming a sluggish start by its offense, Ohio State pulled away for a 54-10 victory over Iowa.
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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 local student from Scoil Mhuire Gan Sma has been shortlisted in this years Bord Gais Energy Student Theatre Awards.

Oran McMahon from 3rd class in Scoil Mhuire Gan Smal, Dundalk has been shortlisted in the Best Short Scene Script category for his script entitled Prison Break.

The Louth schools will now travel to a special awards ceremony at the Bord Gais Energy Theatre on Thursday, 5 May 2016 where the winners will be announced. RTE Two Tube presenters Stephen Byrne and Blathnaid Treacy will host the event, with a special guest performance yet to be announced.

The highly successful awards were set up by Bord Gais Energy to recognise and reward participation in drama in schools. This year, 2,888 entries were received from 346 primary and secondary schools across Ireland.

The awards categories range from best overall school musical, best overall school play and best set design to individual categories such as best short scene script, best dramatic critique and best male and female performances in a leading role.

This years judging panel comprised actress Amy Huberman; playwright Marina Carr; Strictly Come Dancing star Tristan MacManus; author Sarah Webb; set and costume designer Maree Kearns; Bord Gais Energy Theatre manager Stephen Faloon and Bord Gais Energy communications manager, Irene Gowing.

The full 2016 shortlist is available to view at www.BGESTA.ie
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Its all about location at Elysian Fields

With property prices in London increasing by 9.4% over the past year according to recent figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and transport links outside of London improving, homebuyers are looking for more house for their money away from the capitals property bubble. These savvy house hunters should look no further than Elysian Fields, the final phase of homes by Countryside at Wickhurst Green, near the market town of Horsham.

Set in a county where 80% of the land is rural and of that 50% is designated as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty, Elysian Fields is the final addition from the developer to the vibrant new village of Wickhurst Green, an extension of Broadbridge Heath. The homes overlook extensive planting, ponds and mature trees creating a tranquil, picturesque environment, ideally positioned less than an hour from London by train.

Andrew Loveday, Sales Director at Countryside, comments: As property prices in London continue to increase, house hunters are looking to buy a home in commuter belt locations that offer greater value for money and a better community location, particularly if they are raising family. Surrounded by countryside and close to Horsham station which benefits from fast, direct trains into London, the new homes at Elysian Fields offer the perfect option and we advise potential purchasers to come and view the properties available, to see why the previous three phases have been so successful.

Elysian Fields will provide a wide range of new homes from stylish two to five bedroom homes, ideal for all types of buyers; from first time buyers, growing families to downsizers. Built to Countrysides high standards, the homes are designed with traditional exteriors to create a sympathetic extension to Broadbridge Heath village. In keeping with the local vernacular, the new homes recreate the distinctive architectural character of the surrounding towns, with classic weatherboarding, pitched roofs and gabled entranceways.

Perfect for modern living, the clean and crisp interiors of the homes offer a juxtaposition to the traditional exteriors. Open plan living spaces are fitted with contemporary kitchens offering integrated appliances, and bathrooms are all finished with white sanitaryware and chrome fixtures and fittings.

As part of Wickhurst Green, the development will offer a fantastic range of local amenities, including a village centre to serve both the new and existing village community. The centre will provide retail, commercial and childcare facilities.

Neighbouring Horsham boasts great schools in and around the area, including Shelley Primary which is rated Good by Ofsted and is within walking distance of the development. The secondary schools and colleges in Horsham include Tanbridge House, Forest School, The Weald and Millais Schools, some of the top in the country. Farlington is also an outstanding independent girls' day and boarding school located just outside Horsham, where 57% of all A level grades achieved were at A/A.

Elysian Fields provides an ideal location for those who are looking to enjoy the countryside lifestyle without losing the connections to London and the continent. By road, the A24 provides direct access into London to the north and Worthing to the south. Gatwick is only 17 miles away and Heathrow just under an hour. There are regular bus routes from Broadbridge Heath into Horsham, where frequent rail services operate from Horsham to London Victoria and London Bridge in around 55 minutes.

Prices range from 600,000 to 680,000 for a four/ five bedroom home at Elysian Fields. To register your interest, visit ountryside-properties.com.
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(Photo: REUTERS / Alessandro Bianchi)Pope Francis reacts as he delivers his Sunday Angelus prayer from the window of the Apostolic Palace in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican July 27, 2014. The Pope made an impassioned plea for peace in the Middle East, Iraq and Ukraine.

Pope Francis has called on humanity to use "weapons of love" and not to forget the throngs of migrants and refugees fleeing war, hunger, poverty and social injustice.

In his Easter message from his balcony at St. Peter's Basilica the Pope condemned the "spiritual and moral abysses of mankind" that "provoke hatred and death."

Francis said, "With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death."

The Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, preaching at Canterbury Cathedral spoke of a week of terror in Europe and the Middle East by extremists.

"Fear is reasonable, a normal human reaction. This week has shocked all of us, and risks causing us to act fearfully, to see a world in which fear triumphs.

"Easter proclaims to us in flesh and blood that fear and death and terror are not the last words," said Welby.

"Terror speaks of a world at war with itself, of Faiths at eachothers' throats. Jesus Christ reaches out not in exclusion but in embrace. This is the feast of the victory of God, and we celebrate in the midst of darkness, by our worship and praise shining an unquenchable light."

Popes use the Easter Sunday Urbi et Orbi address, "to the city and the world" to review matters of global importance.

Francis spoke about the World Humanitarian Summit scheduled for May in Istanbul urging it to center "on the human person and his or her dignity"

The pontiff said he hoped it will "come up with policies capable of assisting and protecting the victims of conflicts and other emergencies, especially those who are most vulnerable and all those persecuted for ethnic and religious reasons."

The Pope said, "The Easter message of the risen Christ, a message of life for all humanity, echoes down the ages and invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future."

On Good Friday, Francis said the Mediterranean and Aegean Seas "have become insatiable cemeteries, reflections of our indifferent and anesthetized conscience."
Re: Swiss Security Quote: Sbrinz With a population in Europe of 740 million people, the chances of being caught up in a terrorist attack are very rare indeed. He was born and raised in your hometown.



I was in a bombing in Manchester city centre back in the 1970's (not IRA), when the Lufthansa office on St Ann's Square was targetted.





My OH's uncle and cousins were injured when their cafe was attacked with a hand grenade in the late 1980's, but that was in S.A. Ironically, the name of their place was Cafe Zurich.





In my previous employ, I can't begin to count the number of my colleagues and my company's clients who were directly affected by terrorist attacks.





Forgive me for not being blase when it comes to this, and please don't think I'm trying to score points or anything like that. I'm really not. Just wish people were ... don't know how to put this so forgive me if it comes out wrong.... Just wish people were more alert and vigilant without being scared and too afraid to live their lives as normal. I know it's a big ask....





My closest friend (from being 5yrs old) used to be anti-terrorist squad at a major British airport. She never had a burglar alarm on her house and used to say..."The kind of people who would target me aren't going to be stopped by a poxy burglar alarm, so why bother!" One of my past beaus, who is still a friend, was within 1 mile of a terrorist bomb 8 times before he was 30. We called him 'Lucky'He was born and raised in your hometown.I was in a bombing in Manchester city centre back in the 1970's (not IRA), when the Lufthansa office on St Ann's Square was targetted.My OH's uncle and cousins were injured when their cafe was attacked with a hand grenade in the late 1980's, but that was in S.A. Ironically, the name of their place was Cafe Zurich.In my previous employ, I can't begin to count the number of my colleagues and my company's clients who were directly affected by terrorist attacks.Forgive me for not being blase when it comes to this, and please don't think I'm trying to score points or anything like that. I'm really not. Just wish people were ... don't know how to put this so forgive me if it comes out wrong.... Just wish people were more alert and vigilant without being scared and too afraid to live their lives as normal. I know it's a big ask....My closest friend (from being 5yrs old) used to be anti-terrorist squad at a major British airport. She never had a burglar alarm on her house and used to say..."The kind of people who would target me aren't going to be stopped by a poxy burglar alarm, so why bother!"
Re: Any experience of trustedhousesitters.com Quote: Papa Goose - do you have the same sitter or are they random,

Quote: Papa Goose do they come from CH or internationally,



Quote: Papa Goose how did you approach choosing a sitter,



Quote: Papa Goose what sort of communication/selection process did you have before settling on the person who came to sit.



trustedhouse sitters provide all the template documentation and tell you how to go about this e.g. inform your insurance, neighbours, vets name.......



one last thing - remember that people are doing this for free usually and are using your place for a holiday and to experience a new area. In return they will treat this as their own home and leave clean and tidy and the pets well cared for - even doing small jobs by mutual agreement. If they don't do a good job then they get a bad reputation and no one will use them again. Some people will do local house sits to build reputation to allow them to do more exciting things in the future. Reputation is ALL here.



I am personally happy to use this type of service as I could not be sure that friends/family would behave so impeccably as has been our experience with sitters through trusted housesitters. Random, they will typically be people travelling Europe and trying to minimise costs by house sitting.Internationally - we have had some Aussies traveling and some people living in Germany who have come over. People from CH would probably have little interest to house sit for free in CH and might want paying (unless this was to build 'reputation').Decide on your preferences e.g. couple or single or with kids, no under 25s, must have own house/flat so they know how to treat others, must have had own dog or cat............, need own car, look after plants, gardening etc. etc. Then read their profile, motivation for applying, history of house sitting, whether they own their own place and have their own pets now (or in the past) most people can provide Police vetting, references from previous sits. You will get lots of applications as there are many people looking to house sit - so you can be very picky.E-mail/ telephone, skype, interview a number of applicants if you want, spend some time getting to know each other before you commit if you have concerns about this. There is no committment until you are ready and they have booked their travel - after this point withdrawing morally you would need to compensate for travel outlay.trustedhouse sitters provide all the template documentation and tell you how to go about this e.g. inform your insurance, neighbours, vets name.......one last thing - remember that people are doing this for free usually and are using your place for a holiday and to experience a new area. In return they will treat this as their own home and leave clean and tidy and the pets well cared for - even doing small jobs by mutual agreement. If they don't do a good job then they get a bad reputation and no one will use them again. Some people will do local house sits to build reputation to allow them to do more exciting things in the future. Reputation is ALL here.I am personally happy to use this type of service as I could not be sure that friends/family would behave so impeccably as has been our experience with sitters through trusted housesitters.
Hi everyone, quick question.



My wife is filling out form VAF4A for her visa to come settle here with me in the UK.



Question 7.22 asks

Is your sponsor living in the UK, if so when did he\she arrive.



I am the sponsor and I'm living in the UK, so yes to the first part.



I'm a British citizen and always have been. However I was born and spent my infant years in Germany (on an RAF base), then spent a couple of years aged 9-10 living in the US (military base again). In both cases because my dad, who was in the army, was posted abroad. My folks are both British by birth.



So for for that date of arrival should I post

a: date of birth

b: date I first came to live in the uk as an infant

c: date I came back from America, and have lived here continuously ever since.



thanks!
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As expats know the past 3 years are being dominated by 3 Referendums where, so far the UK has for won 2 withthe 3rd yet to be decided in June.The first being the Scottish Referendum back in 2014 and of course the 3rd being the British Referendum in June.As you know the Scots decided to reject Independence and stick with the 'status que' and remain in theUnited Kingdom.The second referendum in New Zealand has no doubt escaped Expats attention in Spain, unless your a Kiwi.The New Zealand referendum was to decide whether New Zealand should keep their existing flag, withthe Union Jack in the upper left hand corner or go for a completely new flag. Not so much as to throw off thelast vestiges of its British colonial past but to get away from the confusion and embarrassment caused at internationalmeetings abroad; where New Zealand diplomats and officials have been seated at tables bearing the Australian flag.The result, announced a couple of days ago was to keeo the existing flag.As for Australia although there has been much debate about changing the flag and dropping the Union Jack from the flag.Every opinion poll of Australians carried on the flag debate, has regularly shown a two thirds majority of themwanting to keep the existing flag.Also it's interesting to note that so far, the majority of people in these referendums have voted for'the status que' which should give renewed hope for those Expats worried about the UK voting to leavethe EU in a Brexit.
SANTA CRUZ, Calif.  As the deadly bat disease called white-nose syndrome continues to spread across North America, scientists are studying bats in China to understand how they are able to survive infections with the same fungus that has wiped out millions of North American bats.

By comparing disease dynamics in North American and Asian bat populations, researchers have found evidence that Asian bat species have much lower levels of infection than North American species and therefore are resistant to the fungus.

Bats can evolve

The study, published March 9 in Proceedings of the Royal Society B, also suggests that some declining North American bat species may be able to evolve enough resistance to the disease to persist, while other species appear less likely to do so.

Studying hibernating bats

Led by researchers at the University of California, Santa Cruz, an international team sampled hibernating bats at five sites in China and five sites in the United States, using a standardized swabbing technique to detect and quantify the amount of fungus on each bat.

Uniformly, across all the species we sampled in China, we found much lower levels of infection  both the fraction of bats infected and the amount of fungus on infected bats were lower than in North America, said first author Joseph Hoyt, a graduate student at UC Santa Cruz.

Co-first author Kate Langwig, a former UCSC graduate student now a postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University, said the team collected samples from bats at hibernation sites in Northeastern China and the Midwestern United States where the latitude and winter climate are very similar.

Bats coexist with fungus

The fungus that causes white-nose syndrome is endemic in Asia and Europe, so bats there have coexisted with it for a long time, whereas the disease only recently invaded North America, where it was first discovered in 2006.

This is the first study to compare disease dynamics in an endemic region and a region where the pathogen is invading, and the results can help us understand the course it might take in North America, Hoyt said.

Host resistance

The researchers considered four possible hypotheses for the ability of Asian bats to persist with the fungus: host resistance, host tolerance, lower transmission due to smaller populations, or lower fungal growth rates due to environmental factors.

Their results pointed toward host resistance and did not support the other hypotheses, Hoyt said.

Infection intensity

The variation in infection intensity observed within some North American species, such as the little brown bat, may be a hopeful sign, he said.

Overall, little brown bats had much higher levels of infection than Asian bats, but some individual little brown bats had relatively low fungal loads.

Genetic differences

If the variation is a result of genetic differences, it could lead to the evolution of resistance in that species.

Langwig noted that one North American species, big brown bats, have not suffered as dramatically from the disease as other North American species.

In contrast, northern long-eared bats, which showed very low variability in fungal loads, have experienced drastic population declines.

The northern long-eared bat suffers really high fungal loads, and nearly all individuals are infectedtheres no overlap with the Asian species, Langwig said. From previous work, weve seen their populations crashing toward extinction, so it could be a poor omen for that species.

Resistance

The mechanisms underlying the resistance of Asian bat species remain unknown.

It doesnt have to be the same strategy for every speciesit could be differences in the skin microbiome in one and hibernation behavior in anotherbut we just dont have those details yet, Langwig said.
Spring Brings Weather Concerns and the First Look at World Production Forecasts



By Stephanie Bryant-Erdmann, USWheat Associates, Market Analyst



The end of March heralds not only the beginning of spring  which is a crucial time for both winter and spring wheat production  but also the first round of 2016/17 world wheat production forecasts and winter wheat condition reports.



Black Sea  Spring planting began two weeks earlier than normal in Russia and Ukraine thanks to a mild winter, which also improved winter wheat conditions in Russia. As of Feb. 26, Reuters reported 10 percent of Russian winter grains were rated in poor condition, down from 11 percent in the last crop condition report on Nov. 25, 2015. However, Russia agriculture consultancy SovEcon still expects Russian wheat production to decline by 5 percent less in 2016/17 to an estimated 58.0 million metric tons (MMT). Ukrainian consultancy UkrAgroConsult pegged 2016/17 Ukraine wheat production at 17.3 MMT, down 30 percent from 2015/16. Poor weather during fall planting reduced Ukrainian winter wheat planted area to 14.5 million acres (5.89 million hectares), down 13 percent from 2015/16.



Canada  On March 16, Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada released the latest update to its Canada: Outlook for Principal Field Crops report. According to the report, relatively higher durum prices in 2015/16, especially compared to spring wheat, will increase Canadian durum planted area by 2 percent in 2016/17. Durum production, forecast to reach 5.90 MMT, will increase an estimated 9 percent year over year. Canadas winter wheat seeding increased 24 percent with good planting conditions in Ontario. That increase offset an anticipated 4 percent decline in spring wheat seeding, due to increased competition from durum, oilseeds and pulses. Despite 2 percent lower planted area, expected higher yields will push wheat production higher in 2016/17, according to the report that pegged 2016/17 Canadian production at 23.0 MMT, up 4 percent from 2015/16.



European Union (EU)  According to the March EU crop monitoring service (MARS) report, EU winter conditions provided adequate rainfall and moderate temperatures across the region with a few notable exceptions. Northern Morocco and northern Algeria reported one of the lowest accumulated rainfalls in history. MARS pegged EU 2016/17 soft wheat (non-durum- yields at an average 88.7 bu/acre (5.96 t/ha), down from 93.1 bu/acre (6.26 t/ha) last year. The EU report forecasted durum yields at 49.5 bu/acre (3.33 t/ha), which would be down 5 percent year over year. The European Commission projects EU wheat production to total 142 MMT, down from 151 MMT in 2015/16.



India  Wheat harvest is currently underway in India, the worlds second largest wheat producer behind China, after heavy rains and hail delayed harvest in several key states earlier this month. Officials are still assessing the extent of the rain and hail damage; however, the timing of these storms is similar to those that cut Indian wheat production to 86.5 MMT last year. On March 19, Reuters reported as much as 14 percent of the estimated 93.8 MMT of production may be lost. USDA forecasted Indian 2015/16 ending stocks at an estimated 13.2 MMT, down 23 percent year over year.



United States  While USDA will not release the U.S. Prospective Plantings report until March 31, it provided an early estimate in February for U.S. spring wheat and durum planted area of 14.4 million acres (5.83 million hectares), down 5 percent from 2015/16. Weekly crop progress reports for select states noted warm, dry weather in the Northern Plains allowed farmers to prepare for U.S. spring planting two weeks earlier than normal. However, that same warm dry weather is also decreasing soil moisture across the hard red spring (HRS) and northern durum region. As of March 22, the U.S. Drought Monitor shows abnormally dry conditions across most of North Dakota, the top HRS producing state.



Warm weather also caused winter wheat to break dormancy earlier than normal this year across much of the Southern Plains, leaving it vulnerable to a late freeze. Over the weekend, Kansas and Oklahoma farmers  who produce over half of the U.S. hard red winter (HRW) crop  experienced an extended period of cold weather. Southeast Colorado also saw the freeze. It will take a few weeks to discover the extent of the freeze damage to the wheat. As of March 21, USDA reported 20 percent of the Kansas crop and 38 percent of the Oklahoma crop was in the vulnerable jointing stage. USDA will resume weekly crop progress reports for the United States on April 4.



We are months away from knowing what the 2016/17 world wheat crop will look like, and as always the weather will have the final say on yields and production. However, with an estimated 26.3 MMT of wheat left in the bins from 2015/16, the U.S. wheat store will continue to supply high-quality wheat to its customers; regardless of what happens in 2016/17.






Fayetteville-area high school football top performers for Week 10

Here are the Fayetteville area's top performers from Week 10 of the 2022 high school football season.
With knitting back in fashion, a new book looks at the important role women had to play during wartime. From scarves and vests, to balaclavas and gloves; throughout warfare, soldiers have relied on knitted comforts sent from home. Joyce Meader is an expert on historic knits and has created garments for many military films including the blockbuster Warhorse, where balaclavas and mufflers were supplied for all the key actors including Jeremy Irvine and Benedict Cumberbatch. 'Knitskrieg: A Call to Yarns!' is published by Uniform, RRP: 18.99.

1. Women want to prove that they can be individuals and the popularity of hand-knitted scarves and hats proves this. They are worn with pride and can display your individual style and colour choices. It's nice knowing that you have a perfect fit and no one else out there will be wearing exactly the same garment as you.

2. Knitting is most definitely out there and groups are springing up all over the country. Women meet in coffee shops, libraries, yarn shops, art galleries, the V&A, in schools and in my hometown they even meet in Ikea!

3. There are many more wool shops around and the strangest places sell yarn these days; the post office, charity shops and very often market stalls in towns. With a rise in families wanting to be green and be economical, the high street has had to cater for this.

4. Women knit to show that they care for someone or to express gratitude; their children, friends and partner. My new book 'Knitskreg: A call to yarns!' shows that beanie hats, made by women and girls that did not even know them, were sent out to soliders in Afghanistan. This made them feel that they were not forgotten.

5. Knitting is a growing movement - look at the online knitting group, Ravelry.com and see how many members there are (over 3 million!) It is estimated that there are around 7 million knitters in the country.

6. The interest in natural yarns from sheep, alpacas, rabbits and goats was promoted by British Wool Week. The UK has the largest number of sheep breeds in the world - over 70 of them!

7. The retro look has also helped to increase the number of female knitters out there. The making of Prince George's solider jumper is a good example of this craze. There have been patterns for little boys out there with soliders on for many years.

8. Knitting can be used for the reason it was invented - to keep warm! Women knit jumpers, cardigans, hats, gloves, socks and mufflers and these keep us warm during the cold weather. After all, we are in Britain!

9. With celebrity fans like Kate Moss and Kirstie Allsopp, knitting is certainly on trend. Women enjoy copying must-have fashion trends, but thank the Lord that many women have forgotten how to knit swimming costumes. They never were a good look and did amazing things when they got wet... Ask your grandmother!

10. Finally, women enjoy knitting. It makes them feel good and it can help if you have a mental health problem. It is relaxing (even when you are determined to finish an item!) and you can see what you have achived and how good it looks.

Joyce Meader
Dheepan was the winner of the 2015 Palme d'Or at the Cannes Film Festival and now there're only a couple of weeks to go until the film hits the big screen.

Dheepan

Dheepan marks the return of Jacques Audiard to the director's chair for his first feature film since the critically acclaimed Rust and Bone back in 2012... it looks like the filmmaker has another hit on his hands.

As well as being in the director's chair, Audiard has also penned the film's screenplay, along with Thomas Bidegain and Noe Debre - it really is promising to be another character driven story.

The movie will be released at the beginning of April and we have two terrific new clips for you to take a look at:

Jesuthasan Antonythasan takes on the title role of Dheepan and is joined on the cast list by Kalieaswari Srinivasan, Claudine Vinasithamby, Vincent Rottiers, Faouzi Bensaidi, and Marc Zinga.

Dheepan is a Sri Lankan Tamil warrior who is forced to flee to France to escape the civil war, posing as a family with a woman and young girl he has never previously met.

Finding work as a caretaker of a housing block in the suburbs of Paris, Dheepan works to build a new life and home for his 'wife' and 'daughter', but the daily violence he confronts quickly reopens the violence from his past, and he is left fighting for their livelihood, and eventually their lives.

Dheepan is released 8th April.

by Helen Earnshaw for www.femalefirst.co.uk

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Akshay Kumar is one of the most bankable stars of Bollywood, today. This tall, dark and good looking hero is quite the ladies' man. Check out some unseen pictures of Akshay with Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, Katrina Kaif, Amy Jackson, Deepika Padukone and other Bollywood co-stars.

Superstar Akshay was a 24-year-old man when he made his Bollywood debut with Pramod Chakravarthy's Saugandh in 1991. After that, he also worked in many B-grade films but a year later, Akshay Kumar tasted success with Abbas-Mastan's college thriller Khiladi.

Click On VIEW PHOTOS To See The Pictures



But the actor did not become a huge star overnight. He rose to stardom slowly but steadily. He is an inspiration to many as he was born in Amritsar and was raised in Delhi and then to make the ends meet worked as a chef in Bangkok. Akshay had no connections in Bollywood.

Don't Miss: Hrithik Roshan & Katrina Kaif Look Super Hot Together, See Their Rare Pictures

Khiladi Kumar who has almost spent 25 years in Bollywood says that it's very important to stay focused in this competitive industry, ''No matter how much you are loved or respected, the minute you lose focus, or make a small mistake, people will tear you apart,'' Akshay Kumar told a leading daily.

Akshay Kumar further added, ''One has to deal with it. You give your best, stay immune to gossip and think only about your goal. The best way to survive in this industry is to be the person 'you' want to be and do what 'you' feel is right. No one has got close enough to use or abuse me and even if they did, I wouldn't get too emotional about it.''
Kangana Ranaut was busy shooting for Rangoon when Hrithik Roshan slapped her with a notice and though she answered him with a counter-notice, she never really spoke about the issue to the media.

When she returned to Mumbai, at a lifestyle event she requested people to give her some space and time. But now, the actress opened up about the legal tussle and indirectly taunted the Bang Bang actor as well.

Click On View Photos To See Pictures Of Kangana Ranaut At The Delhi Event When She Spoke About The Legal Battle!

At the event, when she was questioned about her take on marriage and relationships, she said, "In today's world marriages have different meaning. We don't depend on a man for money or social standing. Women are fairly independent, seeking somebody who can treat them nicely."

Taunting at Hrithik, she furthered added, "But I still don't understand the whole legality of this process. When it just does not work, why do people have to go to lawyers, that's a bit unfair because everything is changing and you can grow out of a relationship. I am not making laws so I can't do anything about it and have to follow them."

Kareena Kapoor Opens Up On Katrina Kaif And Hrithik Roshan-Kangana Ranaut's Legal Battle

During the conversation, she even jokingly added that she has the "knack of choosing wrong people", probably hinting at her ex-lovers, Aditya Pancholi, Adhyayan Suman and so on. This statement of hers, invoked a lot of laughs from the audience.

When asked if she has faith in India's judiciary system, she said, "I have to believe in the legal system. What can you do when you are slapped with a notice because for all you know they can take you to jail!"

This is the first time the actress has spoken about the legal notice, though it was in a diplomatic way!
Rangapara: Warning that no bank defaulter will be spared, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Congress of helping the rich usurp people's money and claimed his government has "tightened the screws" on the "looters" who were now fleeing due to fear of going to jail.

Hitting back after his government faced criticism over handling of Vijay Mallya case, Modi alleged that Congress was opening banks for the rich during its rule and "its governments who have through these banks filled the coffers of the rich too will have to pay".

"You know how the rich have usurped public money. My government has tightened the screws on the bank defaulters. They are sweating due to fear of going to jail and are fleeing. But no one will be spared I am telling you.

"The money looted from the banks does not belong to the banks but to the poor people of the country and I will ensure that those who looted this money return each and every paise... they have looted the country," he said addressing an election rally in Assam for the second successive day.

Modi said various fiscal policies initiated by his government had done away with middlemen, ensured development and enhanced the country's image internationally.

"The country was being run by middlemen. Since Modi assumed office, the middlemen have been forced to close shop. It is they who shout, accuse and abuse Modi but I don't care.

"There will be no 'acche din' (good days) for the middlemen and so their problem with me is natural," Modi said in a reference to his election slogan.

"You have enjoyed for 60 years by robbing the poor. Now, it won't happen any more. So it is natural that you will have a problem with Modi. I am committed to ensure development and wellbeing of the nation," the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said that more "than 40 percent of the population had not seen the doors of the bank during the last 60 years" but his Jan Dhan Yojana has ensured that the poorest of the poor have their own bank accounts.

Besides, earlier the money lenders were active, charging high rates of interest and "sucking the blood of the poor but our Mudra Yojana has ensured that loans are given to the deserving at nominal rate of interest".

"These policies and our agenda for development have enhanced the nation's position in the international arena and now when I shake hands with global leaders, it is not with Modi that they shake hands but with the people of the country," Modi said.

The Prime Minister said the people of Assam reposed their belief, faith and confidence in Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and the Congress for the last 15 years but they "fooled" the people of the state and now "the time has come for people to ask for their accounts from this government".

"There was Congress government in both the state, the Centre and also a Prime Minister representing the state for ten years. They had power and the entire treasury at their disposal but what have they done for the people of the state? The forthcoming elections are a time for the people to settle account with the Congress and the Chief Minister," Modi said.

He said education, employment, roads and medicines for the elderly were the need of the hour and it was the government's responsibility to provide these but the "Congress is not interested in doing anything or in giving accounts".

"I have only three agendas  'vikas' (development), 'tej gati se vikas' (speedy development) and 'charon aur vikas' (all-round development). I believe in solving all problems through development," he said.

The Prime Minister pointed out that at the time of independence, Assam was among the top-five developed states but during the last sixty years, it has been reduced to one of the five poorest states of the country.

Promising to change the face of Assam by ushering in all-round development, Modi said the Centre has spent Rs 12,000 crore on road connectivity and has sanctioned funds for four-lane highway from Kaliabor Tiniali-Dholabari, Jamugari-Bishwanath Chariali and Bishwanath Chariali-Gohpur area.

He also said that his government was committed to ensure power, road, rail and Clean drinking water to people besides ensuring education for children, employment for youths and medicines for the elderly.

He urged the people to ensure that BJP forms the government in the state with absolutely majority as only then "doors for development of Assam will be fully open".

The Prime Minister had addressed five election meetings in Upper Assam yesterday and returned to Delhi in the evening.

Besides, Rangapara in the Northern Bank's Sonitpur district, Modi was also scheduled to address an election rally at Panchgram in Barak Valley.

PTI
Sanghamitra Baruah

The BJP has promised in its just-released vision document for Assam that if the party is voted to power, it will completely seal the Indo-Bangla border in Assam to stop illegal immigration, the most contentious issue in the state. But many feel it's an unrealistic promise and nothing more than typical election-season rhetoric.

The fact is that it is the Central government that is responsible for securing the international border; complete or partial sealing of the border doesn't depend on the outcome of the state election.

"How can any party claim that if it comes to power in the state it will seal the border completely? It is not the state government that is responsible for border fencing. The border is after all guarded by the Central force BSF. If there is unabated infiltration then the Centre, particularly the Home Ministry under which the BSF operates, can't absolve itself of responsibility," says Samir Kar Purkayastha, a senior journalist from the region.

In fact, in a 2015 directive, the Supreme Court had asked the Centre to fence the entire stretch of the 4,096-km international border, and take immediate steps to deport illegal migrants from Bangladesh.

Assam shares only 263 km of the boundary between India and Bangladesh. Plans to erect a barbed wire fence along the entire stretch has remained incomplete for a long time. One of the reasons behind the delay is that about 44 km of the border is porous (it passes through the Brahmaputra). While releasing the vision document in Guwahati on 25 March, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, however, clarified that the border will be sealed in all places, except the riverine frontier where wires could not be put up.

The issue of tackling illegal immigration from across the border has been a major poll plank for political parties every election in Assam. Sealing of border, however, involves a number of bureaucratic, diplomatic, environmental and logistical hurdles.

Dr Pushpita Das of the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, New Delhi, says fencing is a suboptimal measure to stop illegal migration from Bangladesh. In a recent comment, she argues: "Migration from Bangladesh occurs because demographic pressure, poverty, political and religious persecution, etc. are pushing people out of that country (Bangladesh)."

Das says a porous border, religious and political patronage, lax policing and judicial procedures for identification and deportation have all facilitated large-scale illegal migration. "Unless these more fundamental factors  vested political interests, economic compulsions and non-cooperation from Bangladesh  are addressed effectively, illegal migration will continue to take place, fence or no fence."

Interestingly, while the BJP has vowed to disenfranchise millions of Muslim immigrants in Assam (and detect and deport Bangladeshi infiltrators if it comes to power, a promise made during Lok Sabha polls by Modi), the Modi government has decided to grant citizenship to Hindu refugees who migrated because of "religious persecution". The announcement has not gone down well even with their coalition partners, the Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which came into existence in 1985 after a six-year-long Assam Agitation against illegal infiltration of Bangladeshis. The AGP doesn't distinguish between Hindu and Muslim immigrants. While discussing this promise of the BJP, AGP president Atul Bora admits, "We have differences on certain issues."

The vision document also promises that a law would be enacted soon to take strong action against those employing infiltrators. The saffron party, however, has not made public how it plans to segregate illegal migrants from genuine Indian citizens. "This is again an unrealistic goal since the core issue is to identify the illegal immigrants from genuine Indian citizens. It is an almost impossible task since a huge section of the people on both sides of the border share a common culture, religion and language," adds Purkayastha.

So far, 71,201 foreigners have been detected in Assam since 1985, of whom 38,186 came after 1971 and were found by the Foreigners Tribunals to be liable for deportation. Of the total foreigners detected, 2,448 have been deported and 68 are kept in detention centres, while the remaining are either absconding or are dead, according to Bhumidhar Barman, minister for Assam Accord Implementation, in a written reply to a question in the Assembly last year.

Apart from Assam, the India-Bangladesh border passes through West Bengal (2,216.7 km), Meghalaya (443 km), Tripura (856 km) and Mizoram (318 km).
By Sneha Rajaram

Are you an Indian who lives far away from Kashmir, like I do? Have you only just truly woken up to Kashmir this year, as I have? What woke you up? Was it the demonstrations against Afzal Gurus execution that were held at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) on 9 February, and the proceeding spiral of controversies that woke you up?

I was quite unforgivably clueless about Kashmir. I knew it was a place of great danger, and I was vaguely aware that not every Kashmiri wanted to be Indian. Then, after 9 February, I started following the news a bit more. I looked up Afzal Guru on the internet. But I still didnt understand much. I knew that the BJP was trying to form the state government with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kashmir, who in turn thought that the Afzal Gurus execution was unjust. Not surprisingly, this just confused me further.

Thats when a new book from Zubaan helped me ask the right questions. 23 February is Kashmiri Womens Resistance Day. It is the anniversary of Kunan-Poshpora, an incident that took place in 1991: two villages called Kunan and Poshpora, in the Kupwara district of J&K, were reportedly raided by the Indian Army. Dozens of women were raped and dozens of men tortured, because the soldiers were searching for militants. The entire case was hushed up and the investigation nipped in the bud.

However, in 2013, 50 Kashmiri women filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition to reopen the case. In the book Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora?, five of those women  Essar Batool, Ifrah Butt, Samreena Mushtaq, Munaza Rashid, Natasha Rather  have written about their respective personal connections to Kunan-Poshpora, their efforts to document, litigate, and mobilize the case, and through it all to convey a vivid picture of what it means to be a Kashmiri, what it means to be a Kashmiri woman, and most of all, what rape means to a Kashmiri woman.

There are many ways in which a beginner can slice the Kashmir subject. Theres the question of truth, lies, investigation and discovery and how labyrinthine that process is in a court of law. Theres the matter of justice  the progress of the 2013 PIL, and whether it is being pursued purely to seek justice, or to seek an end result. It is also being pursued to officially register the protest against Kunan-Poshpora and pursue an inquiry as far as possible. Theres the extensive documentation in the book  individual victims accounts of the incident, maps of the scenes, a list of the soldiers involved, the investigation and the burial of the FIRs, the medical reports and the police reports.

There are also the quick, efficient personal accounts by the co-authors at the beginning of the book, which clarify why azaadi from India is important for some Kashmiris. They paint of soldiers everywhere  men with guns whose perpetration of torture, murder and rape has become normalised. This has happened to the extent that one hears of a torture-related death in the neighbourhood and yet goes off to celebrate a wedding, because if one sat up and took notice of every death, there would be no weddings. Each co-author describes how she personally broke through the propaganda of the soldiers are here to protect us, and how it became harder for her to be silent as opposed to risking safety by speaking up.

Like every other citizen of any country, I am no stranger to propaganda. Ive managed to unlearn most of the jingoistic patriotism I was taught in school. Now I want to learn to love the countrys people, rather than the concept of a country. But I can only unlearn at an intellectual and emotional level. Deep down, my body is still indoctrinated. I am deeply disturbed by how I develop goosebumps every time I hear the National Anthem. I know it comes straight from primary school and that I can never change it. So yes, its difficult for our bodies, hearts and minds to accommodate a different picture of India from what weve known all these years.

But over these last few weeks its also become clear to me that this task must be performed by all of us whose idea of India is not flexible enough. Despite the evidence, the Army accused the victims of Kunan-Poshpora of lying through their teeth. Similarly, some readers may be tempted to dismiss this new book because it doesnt tell the correct version of the story or the one they want to hear. To them I say: meet Kunan-Poshpora halfway, at the very least.

One of the many events that followed the Afzal Guru protest on 10 February happened a few weeks ago, when the media pounced on a statement by JNU professor Nivedita Menon which said, "Everyone knows that India is illegally occupying Kashmir. Everybody accepts [it] [] The map of India in foreign publications like Time and Newsweek show a different map of Kashmir. These copies of the magazines always create a lot of controversy and are censored and destroyed. When the whole world is talking about India's illegal occupation of Kashmir, then we should think the pro-azaadi slogans in the valley are justified.

After reading about Kunan Poshpora, Menons statement seems like a case of the Emperors New Clothes to me. Everyone is telling us the Emperor is wearing clothes our friends, our family, the media, the government. All of us are looking at the same thing. Some of us convince ourselves that we can see clothes. But many of us also dont see them. So why do so few of us actually say this out aloud? What do you see when you think of Kashmir?

Sneha Rajaram is writer-at-large at the online womens magazine The Ladies Finger.
By Mahtab Alam

In 2003, after completing my senior secondary, I was thinking about taking up journalism as a career option when I was advised by my father not to do so. He felt that as a working journalist, I would hardly be able to meet my needs and there would always be a threat to my life and liberty while performing my journalistic duties. My fathers understanding was not based on knowledge gained from books, but on what he had seen in my hometown Supaul, a small town of northern Bihar. To further explain his point, he told me the story of a local journalist who was a stringer for/representative of at least three dailies. And how, because of his reports, he had been beaten black and blue in the midst of the market. On my visit to Bastar last week, I met several local journalists working in the area and I was reminded of this story by my father, told more than a decade ago. Sadly, it was worse than what my father or I could have imagined.

Journalists working and living in Bastar grapple with various issues, professional and otherwise. To begin with, they do not have any steady source of income because they work mostly as stringers, contributors and agents.

But this is only a part of the entire story. The biggest problem that they face is repression and threats from criminal networks. Whosoever questions the official narrative is, or will be targeted, if not completely eliminated, a senior journalist told this writer during his visit.

The recent case of Prabhat Singh serves as a window to what the senior reporter was hinting at. On 21 March, Singh went missing from Dantewada, only to be produced at a local court the next day while the police officials kept denying his arrest or detention. According to Prabhats lawyer, Prabhat had informed the judge that during his illegal detention, he was subjected to torture. His chest and hands were witness to several marks of this nature. The immediate trigger of his arrest, as was claimed by the police, was under the IT Act for posting an obscene message about a senior police officer on a WhatsApp group. In addition, he was charged with three other cases.

It must be noted that Prabhat is the fifth journalist to be targeted in the region over the past year, and the third from the region in less than a year. Two local journalists, Santosh Yadav and Somaru Nag have been in jail since July and September 2015 respectively. In February this year, Malini Subramaniam, a contributor for the website Scroll.in was allegedly forced to leave Bastar under police pressure. Prior to that, her house in Jagdalpur was attacked, she was intimidated and warned by the local police-backed vigilante group, Samajik Ekta Manch. In a similar manner, Bilaspur-based journalist Alok Putul, a long-time contributor for BBC Hindi was threatened by local police officials while he was in Bastar for reporting. He somehow managed to flee the region before something untoward could happen to him.

By all accounts, Prabhat was known to be a fearless journalist, who over the years had reported on a range of issues. He was familiar with journalists not only from Chhattisgarh, but from outside the state as well. Those who had not met him were at least familiar with his name. At the time of his arrest, he was a stringer with the Hindi daily Patrika. He had also worked with a television network for two months and it is alleged that his contract was suspended under police coercion.

I remember meeting Prabhat in Dantewada on 17 March in Geedam (Dantewada, Bastar). I asked him if he knew Santosh and Somaru and if he feared imminent arrest or targeting like Santosh and Somaru. While he denied knowing the duo personally, he feared that he could also be arrested as he had five cases against him and was warned by a police official to not be smart or else he would not be spared.

Unfortunately, it is not just Prabhat who is afraid of his life and arrest. There are other journalists living and working in the region who are in an equally vulnerable condition. Such is the terror in the state that in the wake of Singhs arrest, a regional Hindi daily, Navbharat ran a front page signed editorial comment with the heading, Silence, This is Police State. As I was writing this, we were informed by a local journalist and editor of weekly Bhoomkal Samachar, Kamal Shukla, that another journalist named Deepak Jaisawal (Bureau Chief, Dantewada of local Hindi daily Dainindini) had been picked up by the police this afternoon. According to Shukla, he has been made a co-accused in one of the cases in which Singh has been booked.

Over the years, journalists in Chhattisgarh have been targeted by both the local police/security forces as well as the Maoist armed groups. In 2011 and 2013, two other journalists were also killed in the state allegedly by the security forces or by the Maoists.

While I was in Bastar, I had heard from various journalists that a team of the members of Editors Guilds of India was also in the region to investigate the plight of journalists. It was indeed a welcome move on the part of Editors Guild to send a team for investigation. However, we are yet to hear anything on their findings and recommendations. Surprisingly, there has been no statement yet by the Guild on the arbitrary arrest of Prabhat.

It was great to see eminent journalists marching to the Supreme Court when journalists were attacked in Delhi. While what had happened to journalists in Delhi was just one incident, for journalists in Bastar, it is a routine. Hence, it requires urgent intervention on our part. The Government, Press Council, media organisations and civil society groups must take notice of the situation and intervene in to the matter urgently before it is too late. Remember, it is matter of life and death for them.

(Mahtab Alam is a Delhi-based activist and writer. He tweets @MahtabNama)
Surat: Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi over his "Gandhi is ours, Savarkar yours" remark, BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday asked the BJP cadres to launch a nationwide movement against Congress on the issue of nationalism.

"Congress is now hell bent on insulting our national heroes. Congress and Rahul Gandhi are now targeting Veer Savarkar. Rahul ji used derogatory words for Savarkar. Rahul Gandhi told BJP in Parliament that Savarkar is ours (BJP's).

"Rahul ji, we accept your views. BJP has no hesitation in accepting that Savarkar is ours. Rahul ji, you don't know anything about Savarkar. BJP workers take inspiration from Savarkar's life and his love for country. We are proud that a person like him was born in India," said Shah said, addressing a farmers' rally organised by BJP in Surat.

Rahul Gandhi, while participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha earlier this month had made a reference to Savarkar, telling the treasury benches "we have Gandhi, you have Savarkar". As BJP members remonstrated, the Congress leader said,"I just said Gandhi is ours and Savarkar yours. Did I say something wrong? Isn't Savarkar yours? Have you dumped him? If you have, you have done a very good thing."

The BJP president also came down hard on Congress for senior party leader Shashi Tharoor's remarks drawing a parallel between legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, facing sedition charges.

"You are now comparing Bhagat Singh to Kanhaiya Kumar? You are supporting those who want to break India into pieces? You are insulting Bhagat Singh and Savarkar and telling us that Savarkar is ours? We want to tell you that Savarkar is indeed ours," said Shah.

"It seems that Rahul ji has not read about his grandmother. Indira Gandhi had donated Rs 11,000 from her savings to build the Savarkar memorial. However, Rahul Gandhi does not know about it," said Shah.

Calling for a nationwide movement against Congress on the issue of nationalism, Shah said,"Congress has started a strange debate on the issue of nationalism. We accept this challenge from Congress. It is the duty of each BJP worker to reach out to every household in the country to rejuvenate the love for our nation and build an army of patriots."

The BJP chief also asked the party workers to brace for the Gujarat Assembly elections of 2017.

"We must aim to get more seats than the previous election," said Shah.

"Congress failed to uproot poverty from India. It failed to provide jobs to the youth. It also failed to develop villages. This is the reason why they are losing power in various states," said Shah.

PTI
New Delhi: Capping a nine-day high-voltage political drama, the Centre on Sunday brought Uttarakhand under President's Rule citing a Constitutional breakdown in the wake of a rebellion in the ruling Congress, which slammed the decision calling it a "murder of democracy" and a "black" day.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Art 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.

The Centre was of the view that continuance of the Rawat government was "immoral and unconstitutional" after 18 March when the Speaker declared the Appropriation Bill "passed" in controversial circumstances without allowing a division pressed for by 35 MLAs, including nine rebel Congress legislators.

The Union Cabinet had held an emergency meeting in Delhi on Saturday night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short a visit to Assam to return to the capital for the purpose.

The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor KK Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state Assembly on Monday.

The purported CD of the sting operation conducted against the chief minister that was in public domain on Saturday was understood to have been factored into the decision of the Cabinet which found it as a case of horse trading.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is believed to have briefed the President late Saturday night explaining the rationale for the Cabinet's recommendation.

The dismissal of the Rawat government now renders Monday's confidence vote infructuous. It also came amidst reports that Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had disqualified nine rebel Congress MLAs that would have enabled Rawat to sail through in the trust vote.

Even as Congress cried foul, Jaitley justified the Centre's decision, saying the Harish Rawat government was "unconstitutional" and "immoral" since 18 March when the "failed" Appropriation Bill was shown as passed.

"There can be no better example of implementation of Article 356 (imposition of President's Rule)...There was complete breakdown of the Constitution in Uttarakhand," Union Minister for Finance and Information and Broadcasting Arun Jaitley told reporters.

"There were very good grounds for the Union Cabinet to recommend President's Rule in the state... The chief minister had lost majority on 18th (of March) and his continuation was unconstitutional and immoral," he said, adding it was the demand of time that the government should have been dismissed.

The Congress denounced the decision calling it a "murder of democracy" and said it showed that BJP did not believe in democracy.

"It's a blatant and brazen display of authoritarian, anti-democratic and anti-Constitutional mindset of the Modi government," said Ghulam Nabi Azad, Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha.

Today's action, he said, is a grim reminder of the threat the democratic institutions of the country are facing and accused the Modi government of having breached all records in trampling the democratic norms and Constitutional traditions.

Azad recalled that earlier a Congress government in Arunachal Pradesh was also "toppled by sheer abuse of power and money".

The political crisis in the state arose after the controversial circumstances in which the Appropriation Bill was declared passed in the Assembly by the Speaker with the BJP and the rebel Congress claiming that a division of votes pressed by them was not allowed.

They alleged that the Bill was defeated in the voice vote by a majority of the members present but the Speaker did not test it in a proper division of votes.

The Opposition claimed that it had a majority of 35 MLAs, including nine rebels, in the House that day out of 67 MLAs present. The BJP said the 35 MLAs had written to the Speaker in advance that they would be voting against the bill but the Speaker had refused to take it into his consideration.

On Saturday night, the Union Cabinet met amidst reports that the Speaker had disqualified the rebel Congress MLAs that would would have helped the beleaguered government.

Apprehending imposition of President's Rule, the Congress had attacked the BJP saying it was resorting to the extreme step as its earlier moves had failed.

While referring to the proceedings of 18 March, Jaitley said in the 71-member Assembly, 67 members, excluding the Speaker, were present out of whom 35 wanted Division of Votes on the Appropriation Bill.

The Division of votes was sought in writing in advance by the 35 members who also voted against the Bill, despite which the Speaker showed the legislation as passed, Jaitley said.

"The Speaker said in writing that 'the Division was sought but I treat the bill as passed'... This is for the first time in the history of Independent India that a bill is shown as passed even when it has been defeated. That was the first violation of the Constitution," said Jaitley.

The Appropriation Bill empowers the government to draw funds for expenses from April one and if it is defeated on the floor of the House, the government has to resign.

Among other reasons cited for dismissing the Rawat government were attempts to "change the composition of the Assembly", "allurements" allegedly offered by the chief minister and given to him to prove his majority.

However, Rawat alleged that the central rule was a result of a "premeditated conspiracy" hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically

elected Congress government in the state, Rawat also said the BJP was "thirsty for his blood" right from the day he assumed office on 1 February, 2014 and did not want his government to stabilise.

"It is a murder of democracy and the Constitution. Modi's hands are dipped in the blood of the trampled aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand," Rawat said at his first news conference in Dehradun after the imposition of President's Rule.

"What has happened is the result of a premeditated conspiracy hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically elected Congress government in the state," he alleged, adding there was a "propaganda blast" against him by raking up issues relating to alleged corruption.

Claiming that he had clear majority in the state assembly, Rawat said it was part of a conspiracy by the BJP to impose President's Rule even before giving the state government a chance to go for a floor test in the House.

"What has happened in Uttarakhand is also the murder of Baba Sahab Bhimrao Ambedkar's vision on the Constitution maker's 125th birth anniversary

year," said Rawat.

With inputs from PTI
Dehradun: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat on Sunday condemned the imposition of President's Rule in the state as a "murder" of democracy and the Constitution and said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hands were dipped in the "blood" of the "trampled" aspirations of the people.

Alleging that central rule was a result of a "premeditated conspiracy" hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically-elected Congress government in the state, Rawat also said the BJP was "thirsty for his blood" right from the day he assumed office on 1 February, 2014 and did not want his government to stabilise.

"It is a murder of democracy and the Constitution. Modi's hands are dipped in the blood of the trampled aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand," Rawat said at his first news conference in Dehradun after the imposition of President's Rule capping the 10-day long political upheaval in Uttarakhand after nine Congress rebels raised a banner of revolt against him and supported BJP.

"What has happened is the result of a premeditated conspiracy hatched by the Centre to dislodge a democratically elected Congress government in the state," he alleged, adding there was a "propaganda blast" against him by raking up issues relating to alleged corruption.

Claiming that he had clear majority in the state assembly, Rawat said it was part of a conspiracy by the BJP to impose President's Rule even before giving the state government a chance to go for a floor test in the House.

The four-year-old Congress government was slated to go for floor test in the state assembly on Monday.

Rawat alleged that there was a money deal to lure the Congress rebels, adding "some people say it is Rs 1,000 crore, some say Rs 500 crore".

He said BJP had decided not to let his government stabilise from the day he took over and "slashed my head" as the first opportunity presented itself.

"The way we were being given repeated threats since yesterday (Saturday), the way the governor was publicly issued a threat at a press conference in Delhi it was clear things were moving towards this eventuality. That BJP was thirsty for my blood was clear from day one. They had decided at the very outset that they won't let Harish Rawat government stabilise," he added.

Accusing the Centre of always being step-motherly in its treatment of Uttarakhand as it was a Congress governed state, Rawat claimed it did not release money for reconstruction in Kedarnath and Ardhkumbh forcing a disaster-hit state to manage its affairs out of its own limited resources.

"What has happened in Uttarakhand is also the murder of Baba Sahab Bhimrao Ambedkar's vision on the Constitution maker's 125th birth anniversary year."

Before the Central rule was imposed, Rawat accused BJP of attacking democracy with money and muscle power to dislodge his four-year-old Congress government.

PTI
Washington: Senator Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska and Washington, slightly narrowing party's front-runner Hillary Clinton's significant delegate lead in the race to the White House.

Sanders, 74, swept Washington state by getting more than 72 percent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 79 percent of the votes, when last report came in.

For Clinton, 68, who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.

Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders.

Clintons, including the former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsie Clinton, spend quite a bit of time in Washington.

In Alaska, which has 16 delegates at stake, the wife of Sanders campaigned for a few days.

"It is hard for anybody to deny that our campaign has the momentum," Sanders on Saturday told more than 8,100 cheering supporters who filled an arena on the University of Wisconsin campus last night after results of the primaries in Washington and Alaska were out.

He said the momentum building behind his campaign comes from big crowds at rallies, from overwhelming victories, from record turnouts at caucuses and primaries, from a grassroots campaign taking on the political establishment and from more than two million supporters who donated less than USD 30 apiece on average.

"We are on a path toward victory," Sanders said in Wisconsin, where the Democratic primaries are scheduled for 5 April. There are 86 pledged delegates at stake in Wisconsin.

To become a Democratic party presidential nominee, Clinton or Sanders need at least 2,382 delegates of the total 4,763 delegates including 712 super delegates, who are party office bearers and are not elected as part of the presidential primaries. Super delegates are independent and are free to vote to any of the candidates.

So far, Clinton leads the race to the White House in the Democratic party as she has 1,697 delegates. This includes 1228 delegates she won during the presidential primaries and 469 super delegates who have said they would vote for her.

The position of super delegates are subject to change.

On the other hand, Sanders has 976 delegates to his kitty. These include 947 delegates won by him and 29 super delegates, who have pledged support to him.

"Bernie Sanders is not just earning the delegates he needs to win, he is showing DC's professional pundit class that, despite their premature eulogising of his progressive political revolution, the fight for the Democratic nomination is far from over," said Charles Chamberlain, executive director, Democracy for America.

PTI
Brussels: Belgium charged a suspect thought to be the fugitive third Brussels airport bomber with terrorist murder, as a Sunday peace march for the victims was cancelled for security reasons after the attacks in the heart of Europe.

The postponement of the Easter Sunday rally underscored the tension in Belgium as police track members of an Islamic State group cell linked to both Tuesday's Brussels attacks that killed 31 as well as the Paris assaults in November.

The airport suspect officially identified as Faycal C, and named by sources close to the inquiry as Faycal Cheffou, was arrested on Thursday night as investigators believe he could be the third man pictured in airport surveillance footage alongside two suicide bombers.

The third man, wearing a distinctive dark hat and light-coloured jacket, has been the subject of a massive manhunt after he fled the scene when his device failed to go off in the attack at Zaventem airport.

In the grieving Belgian capital, a defiant "March Against Fear" had been planned for Sunday from the central Place de La Bourse, which has become a shrine to the victims, but was called off after authorities said the mass gathering could draw much-needed resources away from the investigation.

"Let us allow the security services to do their work and that the march, which we too want to take part in, be delayed for several weeks," Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur said.

March organisers said the "security of our citizens is an absolute priority. We join the authorities in proposing a delay and ask people not to come this Sunday."

Brussels airport meanwhile said an examination of the main building housing the departure hall wrecked by two suicide bombers showed the structure is stable and authorities will now see if temporary check-in desks can be installed.

In a separate statement earlier the airport said it did not expect to be able to reopen before Tuesday, with a partial resumption of passenger services, as it repaired the damage and put in place new security measures.

'Endless nightmare'

Ministers insist they did everything possible to prevent Tuesday's attacks and track a network also linked to November's Paris attacks, but the Belgian government is facing a torrent of criticism at home and abroad.

Many believe it failed to do enough to stop young Belgian fighters going to Syria, and two senior ministers have offered to resign after it emerged airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported from Turkey as a "terrorist fighter".

"It is an endless nightmare for a country turned upside down," said Le Soir daily in a front-page editorial.

Heavily armed soldiers and police patrolled Brussels and the airport on Saturday, as the city that is home to the EU and NATO headquarters remained on high alert.

Prosecutors charged three people including Faycal C, who is the first person formally accused over the suicide attacks on the airport and the Maalbeek metro station.

Le Soir said on its website that the suspect had been identified by a taxi driver who drove the three bombers to the airport on Tuesday.

A source close to the inquiry told AFP he was being tailed in a car by police when he was arrested on Thursday night outside the federal prosecutor's office with two other people.

He "has been charged with taking part in a terrorist group, terrorist murder and attempted terrorist murder," the prosecutor said.

Asked if he was the suspected third bomber dubbed the "man in the hat" alongside bombers Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui, a source close to the inquiry told AFP: "That is a hypothesis the investigators are working on."

French plot

Another man arrested in Belgium named as Rabah N. was also charged Saturday in connection with a separate plot to attack France, deepening the links in what French President Francois Hollande has described as a single terror cell straddling both countries.

The Franco-Belgian links were highlighted the day before as it emerged airport attacker Laachraoui's DNA was found on bombs at the Bataclan concert hall and Stade de France sites in the Paris attacks.

In Italy, meanwhile, police arrested an Algerian national over a probe into fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers, allegedly including those of Laachraoui.

As the painstaking task of identifying the victims of Tuesday's attacks continued, officials said 24 of those killed had now been formally identified, 11 of whom were foreign nationals.

An American couple who lived in Brussels were among those killed, the company that employed the husband said on Saturday.

Of the 340 people wounded, 62 were still in intensive care.

AFP
Kathmandu: Nearly 170 people onboard a Jet Airways flight from Delhi had to be evacuated at Nepal's Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu on Sunday after authorities received a threat about a bomb on the plane, briefly halting flight operations.

An unidentified person made a call to the airport authorities saying that explosives have been planted onboard the Jet Airways Flight 260 that took off from New Delhi in the afternoon.

Shortly after the aircraft with 169 people including crew landed at the airport at around 4:30 pm, the passengers were safely evacuated.

Search operations were carried out inside the aircraft which was taken to the isolation area.

Security personnel conducted a thorough check of the plane after a threat alarm was communicated to Jet Airways office in Kathmandu Delhi, officials said.

There was panic in the airport as soon as the news spread.

However, after the inspection was complete, the bomb threat turned to be a hoax. No explosives were found inside the aircraft.

"We had carried a thorough investigation of all the baggage, passengers and aircraft seats, where nothing was found," a senior official at the airport said.

Passengers were safely evacuated from the Jet Airways after it touched down at the airport in Kathmandu.

All domestic as well as international flights were suspended for about an hour due to the incident.

The airport authorities gave the all clear signal at 5:30 pm (local time) after going through necessary investigations.

Earlier, the Jet Airways plane had experienced difficulty in landing due to poor visibility in Kathmandu. The aircraft had to make six rounds above Simara in Bara before making an emergency landing following the bomb threat alert, Himalayan Times reported.

Security personnel, including Nepal Army's bomb disposal squad were mobilised for carrying out search operations.

Security was tightened inside the airport after the threat was received. The flight services were resumed as normal after the search operation.

PTI
Vatican City: Pope Francis tempered his Easter Sunday message of Christian hope with a denunciation of "blind" terrorism, recalling victims of attacks in Europe, Africa and elsewhere, as well as expressing dismay that people fleeing war or poverty are being denied welcome as European countries squabble over the refugee crisis.

Tens of thousands of people patiently endured long lines, backpack inspections and metal-detecting checks Sunday to enter St. Peter's Square. Under a brilliant sun, they listened to Francis deliver the traditional noon Easter speech from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.

To their delight, Francis completed a whirl through the square, made colorful with sprays of tulips and other spring flowers, in his open-topped pope-mobile after celebrating Mass on the steps of the basilica. He leaned over barriers to shake hands, as the vehicle ventured past the Vatican's confines, with his bodyguards jogging alongside on the boulevard.

In Jerusalem, the cavernous Holy Sepulcher church  where Christians believe Jesus was crucified, buried and resurrected  was packed with worshippers commemorating the day they believe Jesus was resurrected in Jerusalem some 2,000 years ago.

A Mass is expected later in Bethlehem's Nativity Church, built atop the site where Christians believe Jesus was born.

For years, Islamist extremists in social media have listed the Vatican and Rome as potential targets due to hosting the headquarters of the Roman Catholic church and several basilicas. Despite the threats, Francis has kept to his habit of trying to be in close physical contact with ordinary people.

Francis said, for the faithful, Jesus who rose after death by crucifixion "triumphed over evil and sin." He expressed hope that "will draw us closer to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence."

At the end of Mass, he chatted briefly with the former king and queen of Belgium, Albert II and Paola, who attended the ceremony.

In his speech, Francis cited recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Iraq.

He called the message of Easter "a message of life for all humanity."

Easter "invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees  including many children  fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice," he said.

As he has done repeatedly, Francis lamented that "all too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance."

Some European countries have erected barbed-wire fences and other barriers to keep out those who continue to arrive on Greek and Italian shores after risky sea voyages on smugglers' boats. Another strategy has been for some European countries to express a preference for accepting Christian refugees over Muslim ones  which would effectively rule out the vast majority of Syrian refugees.

Most recently, a host of countries along Europe's main migrant route north of Greece to central Europe have simply closed their borders to refugees, stranding thousands of refugee families at different border points.

Francis also decried the destruction and "contempt for humanitarian law" in Syria, millions of whose people have fled to Europe or to refugee camps closer to their homeland.

AP
Idomeni (Greece): Hopeful refugees flooded back Sunday to Greece's overwhelmed Idomeni migrant camp on the border with Macedonia, creating confusion, after rumours that the closed frontier would be forced open.

The influx came as Greek authorities were trying to evacuate the estimated 11,600 people stranded in the squalid camp after Balkan states slammed shut the migrants' route into the European Union.

Dozens of hopeful refugees gathered on railway tracks at Idomeni and at the fence on the frontier, singing and waiting for others like them to arrive, as Greek police in riot gear stood guard.

A young Syrian refugee told the Athens News Agency that the rumour doing the rounds was that international journalists and Red Cross officials would help them force their way across the fence into Macedonia.

"We heard today that the border will open and we came here to cross the border," he said.

"They told us that Red Cross and 500 journalists from all over the world will be with us," he said, without specifying the source.

Another young Syrian refugee said his sister, who is living in Germany, read the same claim on the Internet and alerted him.

"People have been here for a long time. I think it's very dangerous to cross, especially for the children but what should we do?" 24-year-old Qasim Mosawy from Afghanistan told AFP.

Dozens of other migrants were travelling back to the Idomeni border through the fields, an AFP reporter said.

'Creating false hopes'

"We are trying to step up our information campaign to the refugees. Some people for reasons we don't know are creating false hopes", Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman of the SOMP agency which is coordinating Athens' response to the refugee crisis, said.

Two weeks ago, hundreds of desperate migrants were stopped by Macedonian troops after wading thigh-deep through a surging river to cross the border from Greece.

The migrants, who had set off from Idomeni, clung perilously to a rope strung between the banks to cross north into Macedonia, bypassing the closed regular border crossing.

Among them, three Afghan migrants, including a pregnant woman, drowned. The rest were stopped by Macedonian troops along with the journalists travelling with them and sent back in Greece.

"Macedonia will not allow reopening of the Balkan route," said Ivica Bocevski, a representative of Macedonian President Gjorge Ivanov had said after that incident.

Greece, where the total number of migrants tops 50,000, is intensifying evacuation efforts at the Idomeni camp.

Eleven buses transported around 600 refugees from Idomeni on Friday and Saturday to other camps set up in northern Greece.

Those persuaded to board the first buses were mainly parents with children who can no longer tolerate the difficult conditions there.

But some are still holding out at Idomeni.

"People who have no hope or have no money, maybe they will go," said 40-year-old Iraqi Fatema Ahmed, who has a 13-year-old son in Germany and three daughters with her in the camp.

"But I have hope, maybe something better will happen tomorrow, maybe today," she added.
Colours from Holi celebrations in Nepal would be washed away as Prime Minister KP Oli, leading a fractious coalition that threatens to fall apart, winds up his historic visit to China on Sunday and returns home to an impending protest by tribals against the Constitution and political machinations that could lead to his removal.

The much publicised agreements on Nepal securing transit route through China, that seeks to bypass its geographical dependence on India for ports to trade with the world, have invited close inspection from political observers who believe that New Delhi has lost out.

While Nepali media has mostly hailed it as an end to Indias monopoly, some in Indian media have also been quick to view the agreement in black and white to pass immediate judgement. Unsure of political longevity, the Leftist prime ministers belief that he has shown India a thumbs down by accepting China transit routes and many who are eager to get rid of Indian influence dominate news reportage.

Images of blockade of goods on India-Nepal border that led to natural and some manufactured shortages are not easy to erase. Those memories will become a part of oral tradition of Nepals history of being at Indias mercy.

At the same time, the Indian government needs to take greater interest to ease trade and transit for Nepals imports and exports through the country to signal its soft side while pressuring the political class to give equal rights and status to Madhesi population.

As a sovereign country, Nepal is free to explore better connectivity and trade routes. Backed by growing voices to end dependence on India, Leftist leaders in Kathmandu have used China card more so often in last few years.

Prime Minister Olis posturing and efforts to sideline China have a large domestic audience and people in Beijing and Islamabad are pleased to see India being sidelined. Alarmists in India will red flag governments failure to keep Nepal in New Delhis control.

Conceded India needs to be cautious, and it has been for some years but let ten agreements between Nepal and China not blind us to the geographical reality that none, even hardcore Maoists, can ignore.

A few facts though need to be noted. Nepal is at the mercy of geography. A landlocked country sandwiched between mountainous China in the North and Indian plains in the South, Nepal has no access to any sea port. Nepal has an open border with India that is 1,868 km across bordering Uttarakhand, UP, Bihar, West Bengal and Sikkim. With China, it shares a 1,236 km which is not easily accessible and topographically difficult to easily cross over from Nepal.

There are six million Nepalese working in India who send back part of their earnings as remittances. Enjoying all rights and freedoms like any other Indian citizen, Nepalese see India as their second home. They do not need visas or work permits to live and get employment. That is a given that will not change.

What India can do to change the perception somewhat after the five-month-long road blockade is give some serious attention to infrastructure requirements on the Nepal border and reduce travel time and delays for goods headed to and from the Himalayan country.

India-Nepal border infrastructure

A deep and insightful study carried out in the last years of UPA rule by former foreign secretary Shyam Saran at then PM Manmohan Singhs instance needs to be studied and implemented. Tasked to look at Indias border infrastructure, Saran travelled, collected and collated information to provide excellent insights and solutions. Portions of the report that deal with Nepal must be seriously implemented. From what we know, work that started during Manmohans time has gained speed.

According to that report, the India-Nepal border was badly encroached, congested, crowded and badly handled. Resembling many of our public spaces, the sensitive border had little empty land left on Indias side that could be used to create a buffer or sanitised zone.

Bottlenecks on trade and transit route

Three major agreements determine Nepals access to India and rest of the world:

1. Treaty of Trade and Transit signed in 1960, which was last renewed in 2013 for a seven year period. Fifteen entry-exit points have been named and route clearly specified from Kolkata and Haldia ports to Nepal.

2. India-Nepal Rail Service Agreement of 2004, which allows transit and bilateral trade between Kolkata-Haldia ports and Birgunj in Nepal, between Indian train stations and Birgunj via Raxaul, for bilateral trade.

3. Trilateral transit agreement between Bangladesh, India and Nepal for overland trade between Bangladesh and Nepal through India.

In a significant contribution to understanding of bottlenecks in Indias trade and transit treaty with Nepal, a Working Paper by think-tank ICRIER released this month details areas that need attention.

Both Nepal and India need to take action. But, India can seriously address some of these concerns without delay. The Paper states that Kolkata and Haldia port infrastructure contributes to red tape, delays and cost overruns that need to be tackled. These ports are riverine in nature with depth that is not easy for big vessels to use which forces vessels to offload their goods to a feeder vessel to carry to these ports.

Though Kolkata is closer to Nepal (1000 km) other ports that were far more efficient like JNPT near Mumbai, Kandla in Gujarat and Paradip in Orissa need to be used. In 2011, the two countries agreed to use Vizag, JNPT and Kandla but six years later, no formal exchange of letters has been done. Unless carried out these ports cannot be used for Nepals trade and transit goods. Customs procedures in Kolkata and Haldia are undertaken manually and soft infrastructure needs upgradation.

Roads need similar attention. The Kolkata-Raxaul-Birgunj-Kathmandu faces severe infrastructural bottlenecks with the condition of road between Bihar and Nepal ( some 180 km) in poor state leading to tremendous delays.

Lastly, there are three zonal railways involved in movement of goods on train from ports to Nepal causing delays and slow clearances.

The ICRIER report deals with several other issues.

In conclusion, merely complaining and whining over Nepals much publicized agreements with China will not help. India cannot delude itself into believing that political relations will be what they were decades ago. Dynamic changes in Nepals polity and society need to be appreciated and understood. While at the same time India, given Nepals geostrategic position and the Roti-Beti Ka-Sambandh (hearth and ties through marriage) relationship must do at least what it can, and is achievable, to signal its seriousness in mending disturbed relations of last many months.

(The writer covered Nepals 2006 Revolution for BBC World Service.)
A blast ripped apart a public park in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political heartland of Punjab, rescue officials said.

The deafening explosion  apparently caused by a suicide bomber  hit gate no.1 around 6:30 pm when the park was teeming with families, specially women and children, dazed witnesses said.

"At least 10 people have been killed in a blast outside Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park," Jam Sajjad Hussain, spokesman for Rescue 112 said, adding that more than 30 people were injured and had been taken to various hospitals in the city. Most of the injured are women and children, Hussain said.

Senior police officer Haider Ashraf said the explosion took place Sunday in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal park. He says the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, but investigations were ongoing.

He says the area was crowded because Christians are celebrating the Easter holiday and many families were leaving the park when the blast occurred. He says the death toll could still rise as many of the wounded were in a critical condition. In fact, Pakistani newspaper Dawn tweeted that the death toll was at least 53. Emergency has been declared at all government hospitals in Lahore, the paper said.

Latest update: At least 53 dead after explosion in Lahore's Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park https://t.co/yRB5BWi9T8 pic.twitter.com/JGCmku0qld  Dawn.com (@dawn_com) March 27, 2016

ARY News said five to six kg of explosives may have been used in the explosion, which was heard in a large part of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

Some reports said the bomb might have been fixed on a parked motorbike.

Xinhua said the injured were shifted to Sheikh Zaid hospital where several of them were said to be in critical condition.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province.

With inputs from agencies
People often tell me to be cautious and careful about what I say. But I speak my mind when I say that the State should not have a religion, a womans testimony should not be half of that of mans. It is not okay for a nine-year-old to be married off, says 23-year-old Zara Q, Lahore based NGO worker over the telephone in our conversation about the recently passed Womens Protection Bill in Pakistan's Punjab Assembly.

Pakistans Punjab Assembly passed the Womens Protection Bill last month. The bill seeks to provide legal protection to women from not just domestic (physical) violence but also psychological and sexual violence. This bill has met with severe resistance from a majority of conservative clerics in Pakistan and the subject is widely considered sensitive  a word reiterated by many interviewees.

Its a step forward. I am glad to see the support I see for this bill in my circles, she says, but Zara is also worried about the dominant narrative that considers this progressive law un-Islamic, not just clerics, but also some of her contemporaries in university. After the bill was passed by the Punjab Assembly, 35 religious parties and groups gathered for a conference called upon by the Jamaat-e-Islami party and condemned the law as un-Islamic. The controversial law to protect women was promulgated to accomplish the West's agenda to destroy the family system in Pakistan," Imran Gabol reported in Dawn.

State, society and womens rights

In order to understand the resistance, it is important to recognise the complex, layered relationship between the State, social mores, and culture. As far as legal rights are concerned, scholar Minah Ali Rathore describes that Mohammed Ali Jinnahs vision of Pakistan was based on equality  women got suffrage in 1956 and had seats allotted in the Parliament. During Zulfeqar Ali Bhuttos rule, Pakistan adopted a Constitutional article that states there shall be no discrimination on the basis of sex." Several family arbitration provisions were also made, and Rathore argues that the State endeavoured to empower women up until the time General Zia-ul-Haqs regime took over, which introduced Islamization in the nation, and enacted discriminatory laws to the detriment of women.

During his regime, Zia implemented his own version of true Islam and enforced the hugely controversial Hudood Ordinance in 1979  effectuating punishements from the Quran in their literal form. A federal Shariat court was established which had the authority to review whether laws were in line with Islamic laws. Zulefeqar Ali Bhutto was executed under this regime  this led to a suppression of the left-leaning and liberal voice in Pakistan. The Hudood Ordinances cover theft, drunkenness, adultery and rape  to prove a rape allegation, a woman must provide four male witnesses, a womans testimony is considered half the worth of a mans, pre-marital sex became a crime. A prime example of the blatantly unjust nature of the Hudood Ordinance is the case of Safia Bibi, a blind, 13-year-old domestic help who was raped by a father-and-son duo who were acquitted in the case. Bibi, meanwhile, was sentenced to three years of imprisonment and 15 lashes. Shamim, Veena Hyat, Rafaqat Bibi and Mina Jehan are only a few names in the long list of women who have been severely wronged by the ordinances.

That is not to say that the Hudood ordinances are completely to blame. Violence in customary and cultural forms did exist before Zias regime, but, as a Girls at Dhabas (a socio-political organisation that started a movement to reclaim public spaces in Pakistan) representative, Sadia pointed out, the gender policies that have existed since the 1980s definitely resulted in the sharp decline of the status of women as equals in Pakistan. The representative continued, Such policies have encouraged condoning violence in the name of religion. They have reduced the status of women as legal equals and increased control over their bodies and sexuality. Women are scrutinised and controlled more than ever: by their families in private spaces, and by the public at large when they leave their houses. There has been an increase in familial violence because of the enactment of such laws, particularly the abuse and violence women experience at the hands of their male family members."

This ordinance has had a profound impact on the development of the Pakistani society by severely undermining the worth of women. The ordinances encouraged social taboos and stigma surrounding violence they experience at the hands of men, wreaking havoc on the lives of women who are caught between a rock and a hard place. The State abandoned its women through Hudood, leaving them vulnerable through its legal framework. By making the Sharia laws legally binding decrees, the Ordinances also made conservative, rigid Islamists relevant, and therefore, powerful and influential. Mullahs did not have institutional legitimacy about what was right and wrong, the Hudood gave them that, says Amar Sham Khangharani from Tharparkar district, who works in Advocacy. The Islamic ethico-legal discourse ceased to be a discourse in any meaningful sense, becoming instead constricted law with no room for interpretation.

Un-Islamic and western

Over the years, there have been numerous attempts to reform the Hudood Ordinances, but they have all met with strong opposition from Islamic parties, conservatives and clerics. Scholar Martin Lau points out that there is always a threat of large-scale demonstrations against any government willing to contemplate the repeal of the Zina Ordinance. In addition, Lau describes the construction of national identity based on Islam, stating that a departure from Islamisation would rob from Pakistani society a sense of purpose and legitimacy.

The head of Council for Islamic Ideology denounced the Womens protection bill as un-Islamic. Jamiat-i-Ulema Islam, one of the largest religious parties in Pakistans chief Fazlur Rehman said that the law would make men insecure and that it would make Pakistan a Western colony again.

There is incredible heterogeneity in the thoughts on the proposed bills Islamicism.

Its an absolute myth that the bill questions the manliness of men or that it will increase divorces. There is nothing un-Islamic about a bill that looks out for the rights of women. The clerics can only become relevant by spewing hatred and making absurd arguments, says Khangharani.

However, Shomina, a homemaker from Karachi feels differently. While she agrees that the law might be good for the women of her country, she feels conflicted about what it would do to the family. People value a family system in Pakistan. Let me give you an example for this law. If there is excess salt in your food, you wont be able to consume it. But if there is some salt, you might not like the food, but you will be able to eat it. This law is like that, maybe it is overreaching, she says. According to Shomina, the country is Islamic and the Sharia cannot be tinkered with, attempts to implement a modern law will create problems, even though it looks like it is helping women  thats superficial.

According to the representatives of Girls at Dhabas, Atiya, Zoya and Sadia, womens rights have been compromised several times in the past as a result of political expediency. The ghar/aapis ki baat and chaadar and chaar dewari shibboleths are often used to condone sexism and violence in private spaces as a means of scaring and controlling Pakistani women. It is unfair to blame women for the mistakes of men to save families that are already broken. How can our family structures not be damaged when men are given a free pass to abuse women in their homes with impunity? They (religious heads, clerics) are afraid that once men are scrutinised in their homes and private spaces, where abuse occurs very frequently, they will not be taken seriously anymore.

There is no wholesome understanding, feels Khangharani and talks about the provisions of Ijtehaad in the law  where Imams, religious scholars discuss, update the religious law. This sort of debate does not happen, even though the book makes a provision for it, he says.

On the path to progress

In 2006, the Womens Protection Bill was passed under President Musharrafs regime. However, human rights groups and womens rights activists claim that the bill did not do much to alleviate the status of women in the country. With the amendments in 2006, rape victims no longer needed to provide four male pious Muslims and convictions would be based on forensic and circumstantial evidence. Despite these steps, Human Rights Watch in its report called for a repeal of the entire ordinance as it was fundamentally flawed. There are a number of other laws which now recognise the various kinds of harassments and violence that women face  laws on sexual harassment at the workplace and prevention of acid attacks are in place.

The 2016 bill that was passed in the Punjab Assembly is a step in the right direction, according to Imran Saeed who works on legal frameworks for a not-for-profit in Karachi. He feels that it has been written keeping in mind that it must bring relief to those in rural regions with little access to education. The language of the bill is straightforward and it is cognisant of various kinds of violence and harassment  physical and psychological. Thats significant, he says. However, Khangharani highlights that the bill does not criminalise the abuse, which means that the bill is still going soft. It is clear that law alone is not enough, and Zara says that creating awareness will be key  The law will only make a difference when enough women know about the law and that they are right to use it.

Talk about the bill is gaining momentum on social media, attracting relevant attention and generating a great deal of discussion (podcasts, panel discussions on the bill can be found here). Though Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif said he would address the concerns of the clerics by having the bill amended so it doesnt contravene the teachings of the Quran, Amar is hopeful that the move remains a mere tactical response by the PM to appease the clergy. The nation could benefit by redefining itself as one that reconciles religion with human rights through the creation of an Islamic discourse that is more inclusive of its women.
Mexico City: Mexicans celebrating an Easter ritual late on Saturday burnt effigies of US Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump, whose anti-immigrant views have sparked outrage south of the American border.

In Mexico City's poor La Merced neighborhood, hundreds of cheering residents yelled "death" and various insults as they watched the explosion of the grinning papier-mache mock-up of the real estate tycoon, replete with blue blazer, red tie and his trademark tuft of blond hair.

Media reported that Trump effigies burned across Mexico, from Puebla to Mexico's industrial hub Monterrey.

The burning is part of a widespread Mexican Holy Week tradition where neighbuorhoods burn effigies to represent Judas Iscariot, who betrayed Jesus Christ according to the Bible. The effigies are often modeled on unpopular political figures.

"Since he started his campaign and began talking about immigrants, Mexico, and Mexicans, I said 'I've got to get this guy,'" said Felipe Linares, the artisan who crafted Trump and whose family has been making Judases for more than 50 years.

Trump, the front-runner to win the Republican nomination for the 8 November election, has drawn fire in Mexico with his campaign vow to build a wall along the southern US border to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs, and to make Mexico pay for it.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has said his country will not pay for the wall and likened Trump's "strident tone" to the ascent of dictators like Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini.

Trump, who has also aroused concern among many in his own party with his proposals, has accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug runners across the border and vowed to increase fees on some Mexican visas and all border crossing cards to help make Mexico pay for the wall.

Judas effigies are burnt in villages and towns in several Latin American countries such as Venezuela and in parts of Greece. Anthropologists say the practice serves a symbolic function to overcome divisions and unite communities around a common enemy.

Linares has also done mock-ups of corrupt former union leader Elba Esther Gordillo and President Enrique Pena Nieto, whose popularity has been hit by conflict-of-interest scandals and the disappearance of 43 students at the hands of corrupt police.

Reuters
Marijuana could be on track for its best year ever, and as you'll see below, its story got even better this past week.

Marijuana's expansion accelerates

Since 1996, when marijuana gained its first approved for medicinal purposes in California, the drug has been expanding by leaps and bounds. There are currently 23 states that have legalized medical marijuana, with a number of additional states possibly right around the corner. Additionally, four states have legalized its recreational use.

If there is such a thing as a "banner marijuana state" it would arguably be Colorado, one of the first two states to approve recreational marijuana in 2012 along with Washington. In 2015, based on data from Colorado's Department of Revenue, the state generated $996.2 million in cumulative sales, including nearly $588 million in recreational sales. Comparatively, cumulative marijuana sales totaled just $699 million in 2014, meaning sales jumped 42% on a year-over-year basis.

Colorado's tax revenue and licensing fees have also been impressive, growing from around $80 million in 2014 to $135 million in 2015. Tax and license revenue generated by marijuana is being used by the state to provide funds for schools, law enforcement, and drug abuse programs.

Marijuana's gray cloud is resolved

Yet a gray cloud has been hanging over Colorado for nearly a full year. In April 2015, Colorado's neighboring states, Oklahoma and Nebraska, filed a lawsuit against Colorado that requested the U.S. Supreme Court invalidate the state's recreational marijuana law passed in 2012. The reasoning behind Oklahoma's and Nebraska's request stems from allegations that Colorado's commercial businesses were leading to "a tide of illegal drugs flowing into Oklahoma, Nebraska, and other states."

But there was a lot at stake in this case that went well beyond whether Colorado could properly regulate its recreational marijuana industry. If the Supreme Court wound up ruling in favor of Colorado's neighbors, it would also have needed to enforce the federal ban on recreational marijuana. Doing so would likely have included medical marijuana as well, since explaining why one is OK and the other is not based on federal law would have been veritably impossible.

In short, Oklahoma's and Nebraska's lawsuit had the potential to completely unravel 20 years' worth of legal marijuana expansion.

Thankfully, marijuana supporters were dealt a major victory of sorts this past week.

On Monday, March 21, the Supreme Court threw out the lawsuit filed by both states, with only two justices suggesting that they would be willing to hear the case.

What was really odd about the case was that both Oklahoma and Nebraska had filed it as an "original jurisdiction," which allowed lower courts to be bypassed, in effect bringing the case directly to the Supreme Court. It's possible there's still litigation of sorts that could work its way through a lower court system between these states, but the clear implication of the Supreme Court's inaction in this case is that state-level marijuana is free and clear to operate despite an ongoing federal ban on the plant. This ultimately bodes well for recreation- and medicinal-legal states, and it certainly puts a kibosh on attempts to coerce the Supreme Court to slow marijuana's expansion.

One problem resolved, but many to go

Although this is great news for the marijuana industry as a whole, it represents a resolution to just one of a host of concerns currently plaguing the industry. We can see three other concerns continuing to play out in Colorado.

For starters, regulating marijuana is a veritable nightmare for law enforcement in Colorado. Even though Colorado decriminalized marijuana, approval throughout the state looks something like Swiss cheese. Just a quarter of all Colorado jurisdictions allow for the sale of marijuana, meaning a full three-quarters of jurisdictions still outlaw the substance. Trying to enforce any law with such a bifurcation in approval is incredibly difficult.

Secondly, regulating the marijuana edibles industry is presenting a plethora of challenges, including keeping the product out of the hands of adolescents. It's fairly easy for regulators to control and track marijuana when it's in the plant or flower form, but when it looks like a rice crispy treat it's a lot tougher to regulate. Also, ensuring that edibles contain a consistent amount of THC, the psychoactive component of marijuana, from one batch to the next is a concern.

Lastly, there remain safety concerns, which to be fair extend far beyond just Colorado. On top of worrying about what marijuana could do to a person's body and mind over time, data from the Seattle Police Department and Denver County show an uptick in property crime (Seattle) and total crime instances (Denver), respectively, since marijuana was voted to be fully legalized in November 2012. Marijuana can't be solely pinpointed as the problem, but it's a correlation that certainly bears further research.

Even beyond Colorado other more serious worries exist. For example, inaction on the part of the federal government to legalize or decriminalize marijuana, despite public support, means marijuana business have little to no access to basic banking services, and that they're being brutally overtaxed. Businesses that sell federally illegal substances, such as marijuana, can't take normal business deductions. Ultimately this could stymie the marijuana industry's ability to expand.

Thus, even with marijuana's probable expansion at the state level in the 2016 elections, and a victory at the Supreme Court, investing in marijuana appears as risky as ever. Until such time as the federal government alters its stance on marijuana, I believe it's in your best interests to watch this industry evolve from the sidelines.
Millions of retirees rely on their Social Security checks to help them meet financial obligations in their golden years, so it's important for all recipients -- both current and future -- to have a firm understanding of how the program works.

One topic for married couples concerns the rules that govern spousal benefit, which are paid to a worker's spouse if that spouse otherwise couldn't qualify for benefits based on his or her own work history.

Am I eligible?To be eligible to receive Social Security spousal benefits, the working partner must be qualified to receive benefits based on his or her earnings record. The Social Security Administration determines eligibility through the use of its credit system, as workers need to earn at least 40 credits during their working years to receive retirement benefits. Earning a credit is relatively easy, as the the SSA gives you one credit for every $1,260 you make and pay Social Security taxes on. You can earn a maximum of four Social Security credits each year so it typically takes 10 years to qualify.

Once one member of the couple has qualified for retirement benefits, the spouse also becomes eligible. The spousal benefit can be taken as early as age 62 as long as the spouse with the working credits is also receiving retirement or disability benefits.

How much will I get?Just as with other Social Security benefits, the earlier you tap your benefits the lower your payments will be. While you might be eligible to receive benefits early as 62, doing so will permanentlyreduce your payout. A spouse who chooses to file at the earliest possible time might receive only 35% of the working spouse's benefit, where if the spouse had waited until the current full retirement age of 66, he or she would have received up to 50%. When the full retirement age is raised to age 67, spouses who take benefits early will get hit even harder as the benefit will drop to only 32.5%.

The formula for calculating your benefit depends on a number of factors, so if you want to get a firm idea of what your payout will be, I'd suggest playing around with the SSA'scalculator.

Maximizing your payoutOne of the easiest ways to boost your benefit check is to simply wait to claim benefits until you reach full retirement age. Then you'll typically be entitled to a check that's roughly half of your spouse's full benefit amount.

Note that spousal benefits do not earndelayed retirement credits, so there's no benefit to waiting until after full retirement age to start your claim. It's almost always the right move to start your payments as soon as you reach full retirement age.

What if the spouse also qualifies under his or her own work history?If a spouse has earned enough working credits to qualify for benefits on his or her own, the SSA will pay your benefit based on that person's own working record first. If it turns out that the spousal benefit is higher than your own benefit, the SSA will also add the difference to your check as a spousal benefit, so you shouldn't worry about being short-changed.

What happens if your spouse dies?Strictly speaking, spousal benefits are paid only while the working spouse is still alive. Don't let that worry you, though, as once the spouse with the working history dies, you'll be entitled to receive survivors benefits, which are calculated a little bit differently.

As a general rule, survivors at full retirement age will receive 100% of the spouse's benefits, but that amount is adjusted based on when the spouse with the working credits started taking benefits. Again, taking benefits early reduces the amount of the benefit.

There is a potential complication here to consider: If yourspouse dies and you remarry before age 60, you could lose the right to survivors benefits. You can still collect benefits if you remarry after 60.

What about divorce?The way Social Security treats divorced couples is quite similar to how it handles couples that are still together, with one important exception. To qualify for benefits on your ex-spouse's work history, you must been married for 10 years or more and cannot have remarried. It doesn't matter if the ex-spouse with the working history gets remarried.

Divorced spouses can also qualify to receive survivors benefits, assuming the marriage lasted at least 10 years and they didn't get remarried before age 60 (or age 50 if they are disabled).

Next stepsFiguring out how much you will receive in spousal benefits can be a bit complicated, so make sure you play around with the SSA's calculatorto help you figure out what your benefit will be. If you need more help, it can be a smart idea to call or visit your local Social Security office to get your questions answered.

The article Can My Spouse Claim My Social Security Benefits? originally appeared on Fool.com.

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With Tax Day nearly here, many last-minute filers will be scrambling to wrap up their taxes and get them filed by the April 18 tax returndeadline. While the majority of taxpayers file their taxes by April, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) estimates that 28 percent of filers wait until the last 15 days of the tax season. And a portion of those will file on the very last day; some will submit tax returns electronically while others will head to the United Statespost office on Monday to mail their tax return. Failing to do so will result in alate tax return fineand other penalties from the IRS.

On Tax Day, many U.S. post officeholidayhours are extended and special consideration is made for last-minute tax filers. But Tax Day post office hours of operation might still be more limited in 2016 than in years past. As the number of taxpayers who file electronically continues to rise, the number of peoplefiling taxes last-minutehas fallen, meaning that the post office has seen less of a necessity to offer extended Tax Day hours. This can make it tricky to know where you can file your federal and statetaxes -- especially when you need to find the nearest post office box at the last minute. After all, you don't want to be filing your taxes late and risk tax penalty.

Post offices open late on tax day in all 50 states (and D.C.)GOBankingRates has compiled a list of post offices offering extended hours on April 18 in every state to help you find the nearest post office so that you can getyour taxreturns in on time. Any postal officewith regular hours or collections of 7 p.m. and later are featured on this list, as well as those that reported other Tax Day services, like tax return collection boxes, later pickups or self-service kiosks. This list is not all-inclusive and other post officelocations might offer later hours -- and locations on this list could offer extended hours that aren't listed; GOBankingRates aimed to find post offices near you with the latest regular or confirmed Tax Day hours in major metropolitan areas in each state.

Please note that this guide is meant for reference only and that you should verify Tax Day hours with your local post office, which will be able to provide more details on April 18 operations. In addition, please pay attention to collection hours, as these vary from closing hours for many post offices and could directly affect a filer's taxdeadline for mailing a tax return on Tax Day.

A post office's last collection is the time at which the mail is taken for the last period that day -- the time the mail is actually postmarked. For example, if your post office is open until 9 p.m. on Tax Day, but the last collection time is 7 p.m., you'll need to get to the post office to mail your taxes before 7 p.m. for your taxes to be postmarked by April 18. Otherwise, your taxes will be mailed out on April 19.

Lastly,pay attention to details and watch out forcommon tax-filing mistakes, from using the wrong amount of postage to writing the wrong address or not including all necessary forms.If you're still worried about making that April 18 deadline, you might still be able tofile for a tax extension. It's fairly simple and most filers qualify for a tax extension.

You can call theUnited StatesPostalService(USPS) directly at (800) ASK-USPS (800-275-8777) for detailed information onTaxDaypostofficeextendedhours, collection boxes andmailpickups in your area. You can also call the IRS directly at (800) 829-1040if you have any taxquestions about your tax return or tax refund.

Where to mail your IRS tax returnsWhere you mail your tax return is dependent on many factors: the state you live in, the form(s) you're using and whether or not you're including a payment. Not to mention, federal taxes and state taxes are mailed to separate addresses. If you're mailing your state returns, consult your state government website for the correct address. However, if you're mailing your federal taxes to the IRS, follow the link under each state for the correct address.

Alabama post office hours on tax dayThe main Birmingham post office is open until 8 p.m. on weekdays, while other post offices in Birmingham and other major cities including Mobile and Montgomery are open as late as 6 or 6:30 p.m.

351 24th St. N. Birmingham, AL 35203 Phone:205-521-0822 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your Alabama taxes here.

Alaska post office hours on tax dayThe Anchorage Main Office's regular hours extend until 11 p.m. and it also offers a self-serve kiosk filers can use, but note that the latest collection time is 7 p.m. and it is unclear if this will be extended for Tax Day. Other post offices in Anchorage and other Alaskan cities like Fairbanks and Juneau are only open as late as 6 p.m.

4141 Postmark Drive Anchorage, AK99530 Phone:907-266-3266 Open until 11 p.m, last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Alaska taxes here.

Arizona post office hours on tax dayThe main Phoenix post office offers retail hours until 9:30 p.m. with the last mail collection at 9 p.m., and the Tucson post office on Cherrybell is open until 7 p.m.

4949 E Van Buren St. Rm. 187 Phoenix, AZ85026 Phone:602-225-3158 Open until 9:30 p.m., last collection at 9 p.m.

1501 S Cherrybell Stra Rm. 205 Tucson, AZ 85726 Phone:520-388-5043 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Arizonataxes here.

Arkansaspost office hours on tax dayUnfortunately, most Arkansas locations close before 6:30, but the GMF Box Section office on McCain Blvd. is open until 6:30 with last collection at 7 p.m.

4700 E. McCain Blvd. Little Rock, AR 72231 Phone: 501-955-6363 Open until 6:30 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Arkansastaxes here.

Californiapost office hours on tax dayThere are several post offices with extended hours on Tax Day in the Golden State. In Central California, a Santa Barbara post office will be open until 9 p.m. In the San Francisco Bay area, the airport post office is open and collection mail until midnight, and in Southern California there are a handful of post offices offering late collection of mail in San Diego, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Santa Ana.

San Francisco Bay area660 W. Field Road San Francisco, CA 94128 Phone:415-822-7157 Open until midnight, last collection at midnight

1675 7th St. Rm. 236 Oakland, CA 94615 Phone:510-251-3373 Open until 8:30 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

1300 Evans Ave. Suite 30 San Francisco, CA 94188 Phone:415-643-3790 Open until 8:30 p.m., last collection at 10p.m.

925 Blossom Hill Road Suite 1407 San Jose, CA 95123 Phone:408-224-3039 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 9 p.m.

2200 Eastridge Loop Suite 1062 San Jose, CA 95122 Phone:408-270-2368 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 9 p.m.

1750 Lundy Ave. San Jose, CA 95101 Phone:408-437-6687 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Central California1026 Coast Village Road Santa Barbara, CA 93108 Phone: 805-969-1148 Open until 8 p.m. on April 18

Southern California7001 S. Central Ave. Los Angeles, CA 90001 Phone: 323-586-4415 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at midnight

11251 Rancho Carmel Drive San Diego, CA 92199 Phone:858-674-2670 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at midnight

3101 W Sunflower Ave. Santa Ana, CA 92799 Phone:714-662-6474 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

1900 W Redlands Blvd. San Bernardino, CA 92403 Phone:909-335-4462 Open until 7:30 p.m., last collection at midnight

9029 Airport Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90009 Phone:310-649-7400 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at6 p.m.

2300 Redondo Blvd. Long Beach, CA 90809 Phone: 562-494-2296 Open until 5 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

28201 Franklin Pkwy Santa Clarita, CA 91383 Phone:661-775-7166 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your Californiataxes here.

Colorado post office hours on tax dayThere is only one Denver post office offering extended hours on Tax Day. The post office on 53rd Place has a last collection of 7 p.m.

7550 E. 53rd Place Denver, CO 80217 Phone:303-853-6758 Open until 9:30 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Coloradotaxes here.

Connecticutpost office hours on tax dayConnecticut residents should plan to get to the post office early, as our study didn't find any post offices open on Tax Day past 5:30 p.m. Taxpayers should also consider traveling to apost office nearby in states like New York.

Mail your Connecticuttaxes here.

Delaware post office hours on tax dayDelaware residents can visit post offices in New Castle and Newark to mail their tax returns up to 8 p.m. on April 18.

147 Quigley Blvd. New Castle, DE 19720 Phone:302-323-2260 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

401 Ogletown Road Newark, DE 19711 Phone:302-737-5771 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your Delawaretaxes here.

Florida post office hours on tax day Jacksonville, Orlando, and Tampa all have at least one post office open until at least 9 p.m., while a number of post offices in the Miami area offer hours of 8 p.m. or later.

1100 Kings Road Jacksonville, FL 32203 Phone:904-366-4820 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

10401 Post Office Blvd. Orlando, FL 32862 Phone:407-826-3419 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

3501 Bessie Coleman Blvd. Floor 3 Tampa, FL 33630 Phone:813-877-0374 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 7:30

Miami area1455 NW 107th Ave. Suite 106 Doral, FL 33172 Phone:305-392-2567 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

2200 NW 72nd Ave. Suite 514 Miami, FL 33152 Phone:305-470-0689 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 7:30 p.m.

11301 S Dixie Hwy Miami, FL 33256 Phone:305-252-9870 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your Floridataxes here.

Georgia post office hours on tax dayGood news for Atlanta tax filers: The main post office is open 6 a.m. to midnight, Monday through Friday, meaning it will be open until midnight on Tax Day with a last collection at 8 p.m. There is also a post office in Columbus with a late last collection of 8 p.m.

3900 Crown Road SW Atlanta, GA 30304 Phone:404-765-7570 Retail hours from 6 a.m. to 11:59 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

1101 Cumberland Mall SE Atlanta, GA 30339 Phone:770-541-1395 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

3916 Milgen Road Columbus, GA 31907 Phone:706-562-1782 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your Georgiataxes here.

Hawaii post office hours on tax dayThe islands of Hawaii only have one post office open late, the main office in Honolulu, which has hours and collections until 8 p.m.

3600 Aolele St. Room 208C Honolulu, HI 96820 Phone:808-423-6029 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your Hawaii taxes here.

Idaho post office hours on tax dayIdaho residents should plan to get the post office early on Tax Day, as the latest hours offered are 5:30 p.m.

Mail your Idahotaxes here.

Illinois post office hours on tax dayChicago has one post office that is open until midnight, and other Illinois cities like Aurora, Bedford Park, Naperville, and Rockford are open until 7 p.m.

433 W Harrison St. Floor Lobby Chicago, IL 60699 Phone:312-983-8130 Open until midnight, last collection at 6 p.m.

6801 W 73rd St. Bedford Park, IL 60499 Phone:708-563-7800 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

525 N. Broadway Aurora, IL 60505 Phone: 630-844-8810 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

1750 W. Ogden Ave. Naperville, IL 60540 Phone:630-717-2662 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5:45 p.m.

5225 Harrison Ave. Rockford, IL 61125 Phone:815-229-4804 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Illinoistaxes here.

Indiana post office hours on tax dayAn Indianapolis post office offers hours until 8 p.m., while other Indiana cities like Bloomington, Fort Wayne and Noblesville have post offices open until 7 p.m.

2760 Fortune Circle E. Indianapolis, IN 46241 Phone:317-464-6841 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

520 S Walnut St. Bloomington, IN 47401 Phone:812-334-7013 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

1529 W Dupont Road Fort Wayne, IN 46825 Phone: 260-451-0139 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5:15 p.m.

1900 Pleasant St. Noblesville, IN 46060 Phone:317-773-9775 Open until 7:30 p.m., last collection at 5:15 p.m.

Mail your Indianataxes here.

Iowa post office hours on tax dayNo Iowa post offices could be found offering extended Tax Day hours, though the main Des Moines post office has a late collection of 8:30 p.m.

1165 2nd Ave. Des Moines, IA 50318 Phone:515-283-7585 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 8:30 p.m.

Mail your Iowataxes here.

Kansas post office hours on tax dayA Topeka post office is open until 7 p.m. and the main Wichita office has a late collection of 8:00 p.m. Those in the Kansas City area might want to consider referring to the Missouri section for extended Tax Day postal office hours in their area.

1410 NW Gage Blvd. Topeka, KS 66618 Phone:785-295-9160 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6:30 p.m.

7117 W Harry St. Wichita, KS 67276 Phone:316-219-4361 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your Kansas taxes here.

Kentucky post office hours on tax dayKentucky post offices in Lexington and Louisville are open until 8 and 9 p.m., respectively, while a Bowling Green post office offers a late post officepickuptime of 10 p.m.

5300 Scottsville Road Bowling Green, KY 42104-9997 Phone:800-463-3083 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 10 p.m.

1088 Nandino Blvd. Lexington, KY 40511 Phone:859-231-6700 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

1420 Gardiner Lane Louisville, KY 40231 Phone:502-454-1763 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Kentuckytaxes here.

Louisiana post office hours on tax day New Orleans and Baton Rouge each have a post office that will be open until 7 p.m. on April 18.

701 Loyola Ave. New Orleans, LA 70113 Phone:504-589-1706 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

4700 Millwood Drive Baton Rouge, LA 70817 Phone:225-752-4251 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your Louisianataxes here.

Maine post office hours on tax dayMaine residents can visit two different Portland post offices on Tax Day to mail their tax return on time, with each open and collecting mail until 7 p.m.

400 Congress St. Suite 9998 Portland, ME 04101 Phone:207-761-0267 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 5:30 p.m.

125 Forest Ave. Portland, ME 04101 Phone:207-871-8519 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Louisianataxes here.

Maryland post office hours on tax dayA local press release from the Baltimore District indicated that on Tax Day post offices in this area will only open for regular hours. Two Maryland post offices will be open until 7 p.m. on Tax Day, however, in Baltimore and in Gaithersburg.

900 E. Fayette St. Room 118 Baltimore, MD 21233 Phone:410-347-4202 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

16501 Shady Grove Road Gaithersburg, MD 20898 Phone:301-670-6085 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Marylandtaxes here.

Massachusetts post office hours on tax dayThe main Boston post office is open until midnight on Tax Day, while two other Boston-area post offices are open and collecting mail until 7 p.m. In the Springfield area, the post office at the Bradley Airport might be the best bet for last-minute filers, with Tax Day hours until 10 p.m.

Boston area25 Dorchester Ave. Room 1 Boston, MA 02205 Phone:617-654-5302 Open until midnight, last collection at 8 p.m.

1295 Beacon St. Brookline, MA 02446 Phone:617-738-1649 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

770 Massachusetts Ave. Cambridge, MA 02139 Phone:617-575-8700 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Springfield area50 Holyoke St. Holyoke, MA 01040 Phone:413-536 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6:30 p.m.

10 Schoephoester Road Windsor Locks, CT 06096 Phone:860-292-3308 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 10 p.m.

Mail your Massachusettstaxes here.

Michigan post office hours on tax dayMichigan residents in the Detroit and Grand Rapids areas have options for post offices to visit on Tax Day. Filers should note early collection hours; however, Michigan post offices might offer later collections or deposit box pickups on Tax Day that can be verified by calling the individual post office.

Detroit1401 W Fort St. Room 1006 Detroit, MI 48233 Phone:313-226-8075 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

3800 Greenfield Road Dearborn, MI 48120 Phone:313-337-4700 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

12245 Beech Daly Road Redford, MI 48239 Phone:313-937-1242 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

23125 Greater Mack Ave. Saint Clair Shores, MI 48080 Phone:586-498-2874 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Grand Rapids225 Michigan St. NW Grand Rapids, MI 49501 Phone:616-776-1575 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

3665 28th St. SE Suite 6F Grand Rapids, MI 49512 Phone:616-285-0364 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Michigantaxes here.

Minnesota post office hours on tax dayIn the Twin Cities area of Minnesota, there are two post offices open late on tax day: one in Minneapolis and one in Saint Paul.

100 S 1st St. Minneapolis, MN 55401 Phone:612-349-4715 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

5001 Northwest Drive Saint Paul, MN 55111 Phone:612-970-7643 Open until 11 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Minnesotataxes here.

Mississippi post office hours on tax day Mississippi residents can deposit their tax returns at the main post office in Jackson until 9 p.m. on Tax Day.

401 E South St. Jackson, MS 39201 Phone:601-351-7096 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 9 p.m.

Mail your Mississippitaxes here.

Missouri post office hours on tax dayThe Missouri post offices that offer the latest Tax Day hours are located in Kansas City and St. Louis.

300 W. Pershing Road Suite 112 Kansas City, MO 64108 Phone:816-374-9180 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

1720 Market St. Room 3035 Saint Louis, MO 63155 Phone:314-436-6853 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8:30 p.m.

Mail your Missouritaxes here.

Montana post office hours on tax dayIn Billings, post offices close early at 5:30 p.m., but mail is being collected until midnight on Tax Day at select locations according to a press release from Montana post offices.Missoula post offices are also offering Tax Day deposit boxes where filers can place their tax returns up until midnight, as well as others in Great Falls, Helena and Kalispell.

841 S. 26th St. Billings, MT 59101 Phone:406-657-5700 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

2300 N. Harris St. Helena, MT 59601 Phone:406-443-3304 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

350 N. Meridian (lobby mail slot) Kalispell, MT 59901 Phone: 406-755-6450 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

215 1st Ave. N. Room 135 Great Falls, MT 59401 Phone: 406-771-2160 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 5:30 p.m.

1100 W. Kent Ave. Missoula, MT 59801 Phone:406-329-2270 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your Montanataxes here.

Nebraskapost office hours on tax dayNebraska post offices offer some decent options for filers on Tax Day: Lincoln residents can deposit their tax returns by 7 p.m., while those in the Omaha area can visit one post office open until 7 p.m. or drop off their return at another location for a later 8 p.m. collection.

700 R St. Lincoln, NE 68501 Phone:402-473-1731 Open until 6 p.m, last collection at 7 p.m.

1124 Pacific St. Room 107 Omaha, NE 68108 Phone:402-345-1338 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

5346 S. 136th St. Omaha, NE 68137 Phone:402-891-9033 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Nebraskataxes here.

Nevada post office hours on tax daySeveral Las Vegas post offices offer hours and collections as late as midnight on Tax Day, as well as an additional temporary post office service site at the Mandalay Bay open until 8 p.m.For Reno residents, the main post office's hours on Tax Day will follow the regular schedule but returns can be deposited there by midnight.

1001 E. Sunset Road Unit 1001 Las Vegas, NV 89199 Phone:702-361-9200 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 10 p.m.

7271 S. Eastern Ave. Las Vegas, NV 89119 Phone:800-275-8777 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

2000 Vassar St. Reno, NV 89510 Phone:775-788-0729 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 9 p.m.

Mail your Nevadataxes here.

New Hampshire post office hours on tax dayNew Hampshire residents outside of Manchester should plan to head to their local post office early on Tax Day, as only the main Manchester office has regular hours up to 7 p.m. and a late collection of 8 p.m.

955 Goffs Falls Road Suite 998 Manchester, NH 03103 Phone:603-626-6887 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your New Hampshire taxes here.

New Jerseypost office hours on tax dayIn the Newark area, the latest a post office is open is 7 p.m. with the last collection even earlier at 5 p.m. The story is the same for post offices in other New Jersey cities like Bayonne, and Woodbridge, while those in Jersey City would likely have better luck searching for a New York City post office open late on Tax Day.

2 Federal Square Newark, NJ 07102 Phone:973-693-5231 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

570 Broadway Bayonne, NJ 07002 Phone:201-339-2029 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

400 N. Wood Ave. Suite A Linden, NJ 07036 Phone:908-925-8836 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5:30 p.m.

60 Main St. Woodbridge, NJ 07095 Phone:732-634-4985 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your New Jerseytaxes here.

New Mexico post office hours on tax dayDon't expect New Mexico post offices to be open late on Tax Day, as most close their doors by 5:30 p.m. Filers in Albuquerque can head to the city's main post office on Tax Day to deposit returns as late as 7 p.m.

1135 Broadway Blvd. NE Albuquerque, NM 87101 Phone:505-346-8052 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your New Mexicotaxes here.

New York post office hours on tax dayThere are a number of post offices in the New York City area open until 7 p.m. or later; those listed below were open past 7. Be aware, however, that while New York City post offices might have later collections for Tax Day, the listed last collection time for many of these locations is an early 5 p.m. New York residents outside of the city might have better luck, as post offices in Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, and Syracuse had collection times as late as 9:30 p.m.

New York City area90 Church St. Floor 1 New York, NY 10007 Phone:212-330-5105 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

421 8th Ave. New York, NY 10001 Phone:212-330-3296 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

450 Lexington Ave. Floor 2 New York, NY 10017 Phone:212-330-5724 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

909 3rd Ave.Suite 401 New York, NY 10022 Phone:212-330-5566 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

558 Grand Concourse Bronx, NY 10451 Phone:718-402-3430 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

271 Cadman Plaza E. Suite 1 Brooklyn, NY 11201 Phone:718-855-0912 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

4165 Main St. Suite 1 Flushing, NY 11355 Phone:718-321-6893 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Albany1425 Central Ave. Albany, NY 12205 Phone:518-458-7217 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

30 Karner Road Albany, NY 12288 Phone:518-452-2324 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Buffalo125 Galleria Drive Buffalo, NY 14241 Phone:716-681-0566 Open until 5 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

West New York1335 Jefferson Road Rochester, NY 14692 Phone:585-272-5953 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

5640 E. Taft Road Syracuse, NY 13220 Phone:315-452-3501 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 9:30 p.m.

Mail your New Yorktaxes here.

North Carolina post office hours on tax dayNorth Carolina post offices all seem to have regular hours with closings well before 7 p.m. But for your convenience, there is one in Raleigh open until 5 p.m. we've listed. Make sure to check with your local North Carolina post office, however, as it might offer unannounced accommodations for late filers on Tax Day.

311 New Bern Ave. Raleigh, NC 27601-1417 Phone:701-241-6115 Open until 5 p.m.,last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your North Carolinataxes here.

North Dakota post office hours on tax dayTwo North Dakota post offices offer midnight collections on Tax Day in Fargo, though these offices will close according to usual hours.

657 2nd Ave. N. Room 104 Fargo, ND 58102 Phone:701-241-6115 Open until 5:30 p.m.,last collection at 6 p.m.

1455 32nd St. S Fargo, ND 58103 Phone:701-241-6144 Open until 6 p.m.,last collection at 6 p.m.

Mail your North Dakotataxes here.

Ohio post office hours on tax dayBoth Columbus and Cleveland have a 24-hour post office, and while these Ohio post offices list a last collection of 5 p.m. they might offer a later collection for Tax Day, so be sure to call and verify. In the Cincinnati area, the latest post office hours on Tax Day are 7 p.m.

Columbus area2323 Citygate Drive Columbus, OH 43218-9710 Phone:614-472-0713 Open 24 hours, last collection at 5 a.m.

4299 Sawyer Road Columbus, OH 43236 Phone:614-231-1054 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

850 Twin Rivers Drive Columbus, OH 43216-9712 Phone:614-469-4516 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

Cleveland5801 Postal Road Cleveland, OH 44181 Phone:216-433-4023 Open 4 p.m. to 11:59 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

2400 Orange Ave. Cleveland, OH 44101 Phone:216-443-4046 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Cincinnati1623 Dalton Ave. Cincinnati, OH 45234 Phone:513-684-5009 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your Ohiotaxes here.

Oklahoma post office hours on tax dayThe Will Rogers World Airport post office in Oklahoma City is offering one of the latest Tax Day hours of Oklahoma post offices, open until 11 p.m., though the Center City post office in Oklahoma City offers a later collection time of 7 p.m. A Tulsa post office is also open late, offering service and collecting mail until 10:30 p.m. on Tax Day.

6500 Air Cargo Road Oklahoma City, OK 73195 Phone:405-815-2632 Open until 11 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

305 NW 5th St. Oklahoma City, OK 73102 Phone:405-232-2198 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

2161 N. Cargo Road Suite A Tulsa, OK 74115 Phone:918-834-6086 Open until 10:30 p.m., last collection at 10:30 p.m.

Mail your Oklahoma taxes here.

Oregon post office hours on tax dayIf you live in Oregon, your best bet to find a post office open late on Tax Day is Portland. The Portland Airport post office is open until 10 p.m., while the main Portland post office on Hoyt collects mail until 9 p.m.

715 NW Hoyt St. Portland, OR 97208 Phone:503-294-2399 Open until 6:30 p.m, last collection at 9 p.m.

7640 NE Airport Way Portland, OR 97238 Phone:503-335-7918 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 8:30 p.m.

Mail your Oregontaxes here.

Pennsylvania post office hours on tax dayOn Tax Day, Pennsylvania post officeswill operate according to usual hours, according to a press release from the local USPS offices, though collection boxes with later hours than those listed below might be posted outside some offices. Hours posted for Pittsburgh offices were on the earlier side, 7 p.m., while the main Philadelphia post office is open until 9 p.m. Post offices are also offering extended Tax Day hours in Harrisburg, Lancaster and Bethlehem.

1425 Crooked Hill Road Harrisburg, PA 17107 Phone:717-257-2301 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

1400 Harrisburg Pike Lancaster, PA 17604 Phone:717-396-6925 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7:15 p.m.

17 S Commerce Way Bethlehem, PA 18017 Phone:610-882-3247 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Pittsburgh1001 California Av.e Room 1002 Pittsburgh, PA 15290 Phone:412-359-7084 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

1936 Park Manor Blvd. Pittsburgh, PA 15244 Phone:412-787-9672 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

Philadelphia3000 Chestnut St. Philadelphia, PA 19104 Phone:215-895-9012 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

622 S 4th St. Suite 1 Philadelphia, PA 19147 Phone:215-462-1248 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your Pennsylvaniataxes here.

Rhode Island post office hours on tax dayLast-minute tax filers in Rhode Island should plan to head to the main Providence post offices, which on Tax Day will be open and collecting mail until 9 p.m.

24 Corliss St. Room 100 Providence, RI 02904 Phone:401-276-8619 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 9 p.m.

Mail your Rhode Islandtaxes here.

South Carolina post office hours on tax dayThose filing last-minute in South Carolina should plan to head to the post office early on Tax Day. A search of extended post office hours in Charleston, Myrtle Beach, Spartanburg and other cities in the state shows that not many post offices will be open past 4:30 p.m. For you convenience, here is one in Columbia open until 4:30 p.m.

2108 Greene St. Columbia, SC 29205 Phone: 803-926-6354 Open until 4:30 p.m., last collection at 4:30 p.m.

Mail your South Carolinataxes here.

South Dakota post office hours on tax daySouth Dakota offices follow the same trend as those in South Carolina, with most closing fairly early. The main post offices in Sioux Falls and Rapid City do offer later collections, however, with both collecting mail through deposit boxes until midnight on April 18.

4709 S Technopolis Drive Sioux Falls, SD57106-4227

Phone: 605-575-3584 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 5:30 p.m.

500 East Blvd. Rapid City, SD 57701 Phone:605-394-8617 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

Mail your South Dakotataxes here.

Tennessee post office hours on tax dayBoth Nashville and Memphis have a post office with a late collection of 8 p.m. Other good bets for last-minute tax filers in Tennessee might be the Memphis Airport, open until 10 p.m, and the main post office in Chattanooga, with a last collection of 7 p.m..

6050 Shallowford Road Chattanooga, TN 37421 Phone:423-499-8294 Open until 6:30 p.m., last collection at 7 p.m.

4233 Louis Carruthers Drive Memphis, TN 38130 Phone:901-332-6580 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

555 S B B King Blvd. Memphis, TN 38101 Phone:901-521-2575 Open until 11:59 p.m., last collection unknown

525 Royal Pkwy Nashville, TN 37229 Phone: 615-872-5749 Open until 9 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your Tennesseetaxes here.

Texas post office hours on tax dayLate filers in the Houston area should plan to get their return in earlier, as the main post office only collects mail until 8 p.m. Dallas and San Antonia residents are luckier, with a post office in each area offering hours until 10 p.m., while those in Austin are less so with most post offices in that area closing at 5:30 p.m, though the main office does collect mail at 8 p.m.

8225 Cross Park Drive Austin, TX 78710 Phone:512-342-1259 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

401 Dallas Ft Worth Tpke Dallas, TX 75260 Phone:214-760-4526 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

2200 W 32nd St. Dallas, TX 75261 Phone:972-453-3372 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

1500 Hadley St. Houston, TX 77002 Phone:713-226-3161 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6:45 p.m.

8401 Boeing Drive El Paso, TX 79910 Phone:915-780-7525 Open until 6:30 p.m., last collection at 8:45 p.m.

10250 John Saunders Road San Antonio, TX 78246 Phone:210-828-0267 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 6:45 p.m.

Mail your Texastaxes here.

Utahpost office hours on tax dayThe main Salt Lake City post office collects mail until 8:15 p.m., but other Utah post office Tax Day hours might be limited asthe majority of post offices close by 5:30, including in Southern Utah. It would be worth it, however, to call your local Utah post office on Tax Day to see if it will be offering a deposit box with late collection for tax returns.

1760 W. 2100 S Salt Lake City, UT 84199 Phone:801-974-2332 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 8:15 p.m.

Mail your Utahtaxes here.

Vermont post office hours on tax dayVermont tax filers should plan to head to the post office early on Tax Day, as most offices in Burlington, Montpelier and other cities close stop collecting mail by 5:30 p.m. Make sure to contact your local Vermont post office for Tax Day hours, just in case it is offering extended hours or a deposit box with a late pickup. For your convenience, we did find one in Burlington collecting until 5:40 p.m.

11 Elmwood Ave. Lobby Burlington, VT 05401 Phone:802-863-6033 Open until 5 p.m., last collection at 5:40 p.m.

Mail your Vermonttaxes here.

Virginia post office hours on tax dayA press release from the post office advises tax filers that Virginia post office hours on Tax Day will follow the normal schedules. This means many Virginians should head to the post office early to file taxes on April 18.

8409 Lee Hwy Merrifield, VA 22116 Phone:703-698-6356 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

Mail your Virginia taxes here.

Washington post office hours on tax dayOn Tax Day, most Seattle and Spokane post offices close by 6 p.m., but post offices in Tacoma, Tukwila, and Spokane will be collecting mail until midnight to accommodate late filers.however, and Vancouver residents might be able to visit a Portland, Ore., post office to mail a return later in the day. Check with your local Washington post office to see if it is staying open late on Tax Day or offering late collection for returns.

4001 S Pine St. Tacoma, WA 98413 Phone:253-471-5384 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at8:30 p.m.

225 Andover Park W Tukwila, WA98188 Phone:206-244-9592 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

3910 N. Crestline St. Spokane, WA 99207 Phone: 509-482-4835 Open until 5:30 p.m., last collection at 5 p.m.

Mail your Washington taxes here.

Washington, D.C. post office hours on tax dayThe best bet for District of Columbia area tax filers to get their return in on time might be the post office near Union Station, which is open until 7 p.m, or even neighboring cities like Merrifield, Va. However, most D.C. post offices close by 6 p.m.

2 Massachusetts Ave. NE Washington, DC 20002 Phone:202-636-1259 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 6:30 p.m.

Mail your Washington D.C.taxes here.

West Virginia post office hours on tax dayWest Virginia post office hours on Tax Day will follow a normal schedule,according to a press release from the USPS.This means West Virginia tax filers planning to mail a return on April 18 should head to the post office early, as most locations in Charleston, Morgantown and other cities are closed by 6 p.m. For your convenience, we found one open in Charleston until 6 p.m.

1002 Lee St. E. Charleston, WV 25301 Phone: 304-561-1000 Open until 6 p.m., last collection at 6 p.m.

Mail your West Virginia taxes here.

Wisconsin post office hours on tax dayWisconsin post offices willalso follow regular hours on Tax Day.The good news is that some Madison and Milwaukee post offices will still offer later hours, collecting mail as late as 8 p.m.

3902 Milwaukee St. Madison, WI 53714 Phone:608-246-1228 Open until 7 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

345 W. Saint Paul Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53203 Phone:414-270-2308 Open until 8 p.m., last collection at 8 p.m.

5500 S. Howell Ave. Milwaukee, WI 53207 Phone:414-481-0272 Open until 10 p.m., last collection at 6:30 p.m.

Mail your Wisconsin taxes here.

Wyomingpost office hours on tax dayBad news: Most Wyoming post offices close by 5:30 p.m., and no additional information has been released indicating that they will be offering extended hours on Tax Day. It might still be worthwhile to call your local Wyoming post office to inquire about Tax Day hours.

Mail your Wyoming taxes here.

Elyssa Kirkham contributed to the reporting for this article.

This article originally appeared at GoBankingRates.

The article Filing Taxes Last Minute: A Guide to Tax Day United States Post Office Hours and Tax Deadlines originally appeared on Fool.com.

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Morgan Verdery had never had problems nursing her children, but when she adopted a newborn when her third child was just 8 months old, breastfeeding for two proved challenging.

The Hollywood, South Carolina woman tried increasing her milk supply with pumping, drinking Mothers Milk tea, taking supplements and medication and even eating up to 5,000 calories a day, but nothing helped. Desperate to make it work, she had her prolactin hormone level tested and discovered it was low.

I wasnt producing enough milk and the babies werent growing at the rate I was comfortable with, she recalled.

So after three months of attempting to nurse, she threw in the towel.

Verdery, 27, wasnt keen on feeding her babies something that was processed, contained preservatives, genetically modified organisms (GMOs), and milk from cows that are given recombinant bovine growth hormone (rBGH). Although she considered organic baby formula, she knew it would be too expensive for two babies

After doing her own research on babies nutritional needs and asking a friend who had used homemade baby formula, Verdery decided to create her own recipe. The concoction included goat milk powder, organic coconut oil, organic olive oil, organic agave nectar, molasses, cod liver oil, infant probiotics, infant vitamins and water.

Once her family physician was satisfied with the amount of weight her babies were gaining, he gave her the green light to continue.

We want to make sure that were putting the absolute best into our babies from the time theyre born. And if breastfeeding is not an option for whatever reason, for us, this was definitely the best route we could have taken, she said of her decision in 2014.

Verdery is one of a growing cohort of mothers turning to homemade baby formula, whether by choice or necessity they have low milk supplies or their baby isnt gaining enough weight on breast milk alone choosing to forgo commercial, store-bought brands.

Homemade, but not safe

Experts say that as moms continue to choose natural and organic food, diapers and toys, and eco-friendly cleaning products, the number of those also whipping up their own homemade baby formula alongside pea purees is on the rise.

Sally Fallon Morell, president of the Weston A. Price Foundation, and author of The Nourishing Traditions Book of Baby & Child Care, estimates between 10,000 and 20,000 babies have been fed the three types of homemade baby formula she and Dr. Mary Enig developed together 20 years ago.

Mothers milk is extremely rich in cholesterol and has special enzymes to ensure that the baby absorbs 100 percent of that cholesterol, Fallon Morell said, adding that babies cant make cholesterol but its critical for their neurological development. One of the key problems with conventional formula is that it has low or no cholesterol because they use powdered nonfat milk.

Fallon Morell cited other reasons why commercial formula falls short, such as using sugar and high-fructose corn syrup instead of lactose, and soybean, sunflower and safflower oils instead of butterfat.

Since many commercial formulas use powdered whey, babies eat de-natured proteins which force their digestion systems to work hard to overcome, she added.

The ingredients are wrong, inappropriate and they put a great stress on the babys immune system and the babys digestion system, Fallon Morell said.

The American Academy of Pediatrics states that when mothers own milk isnt an option, the next best is donor milk from a human milk bank, and then formula.

Commercial formula has been perfected to contain the right mix of protein, vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, water and salt that a baby needs.

Plus, just as the composition of a mothers breast milk changes as her baby gets older, infant formulas are also customized by age, said Dr. Kathleen M. Berchelmann, a pediatrician at St. Louis Children's Hospital and an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Washington University School of Medicine.

Dr. Meg Meeker, a board-certified pediatrician in Traverse City, Mich. and spokesperson for the Infant Nutrition Council of America said that moms who want to make their own formula are well-intentioned and want to do whats best for their babies but the problem is that theyre being led into territory thats really unsafe.

For starters, if too much water is used in a homemade baby formula and the sodium is diluted, a babys blood sodium level can be low, which can lead to dehydration, seizures and even death.

Goat milk is also problematic because its low in B12 and folic acid, and without enough, a baby can develop severe anemia. Babies who are fed goats milk powder, which is not regulated by the FDA, can have a potentially fatal allergic reaction to the proteins, Meeker said.

Raw milk contains oligosaccharides, which feed the probiotics in a babys gut, and white blood cells that create the immune system, Fallon Morell said.

Experts argue that raw, unpasteurized milk which is illegal in some states is downright dangerous.

The pasteurization process where [moms] think thats doing something unhealthy and unnatural to milk in fact, is a great process that kills bacteria that are very harmful to people and babies, Meeker said. Its even more serious with kids under a year of age than it is in older kids because [they have] an immature gut.

In 2013, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a policy statement warning pregnant women, infants and children not to consume raw dairy products.

Some moms also use non-dairy milks like rice milk, soy milk, almond milk and hemp milk in their homemade version, despite warnings on the label that they should not be used as infant formula.

Its very dangerous because these products, although they include the term milk, do not contain the nutrition a newborn needs and they can become very ill as a result, Berchelmann said.

Despite the warnings, Verdery continues to defend homemade formula.

I was much more comfortable knowing exactly what was going into my babies, she said.

For experts, DIY is downright dangerous.

Nutrition in babies under a year of age is a very complex science and art and thats why breast milk and formula are the only safe things to give your baby, Meeker said. We want to make sure that were putting the absolute best into our babies."
For nearly 2000 years, people around the globe have annually celebrated the first Easter Sunday, when the followers of Jesus claimed he rose from the dead. In our modern, scientific age, many see resurrection as nothing more than an ancient myth, but 21st century science and medicine may actually provide evidence for the validity of that first Easter.

Modern medicine is bringing back more and more people from clinical death. The Gallup poll found approximately one in 25 people have had a near-death experience (NDE), reporting to have seen heaven or the afterlife before being resuscitated. After studying close to 1000 NDEs, I wrote "Imagine Heaven" to show the incredible commonalities across professions, ages, and cultures. They may even shed light on that first Easter.

Those who have had an NDE agree on one commonality more than any otherlife exists beyond the grave.

More than 900 articles on NDEs have been published in scholarly literature like the Journal of the American Medical Association and Psychiatry, many showing NDEs as evidence of consciousness beyond death.

The U.K. medical journal, The Lancet, described a cardiac arrest patient brought into the hospital flat-lined. A nurse removed his dentures in the ER before defibrillation. Though they restored his heartbeat, the patient remained unconscious for the next week.

Yet when he came to in another room, he claimed he had left his body while in the ER. He accurately described his resuscitation, the ER staff, and where his lost dentures could be foundin the lower crash cart drawer.

Through my research I discovered many such accounts of verifiable observations that convinced skeptical doctors that life exists beyond the grave.

The eyewitnesses of that first Easter claimed they saw Jesus alive. The crucifixion of Jesus under Pontius Pilate is a well-attested historical fact, but the resurrection is harder to swallow.

Jesus disciples purport he appeared physically to them, ate fish, and Doubting Thomas touched him. But that would imply a tangible, physical life beyond death.

Jesus told his followers the night before the crucifixion I am going to prepare a place for youso you will always be with me where I am (John 14:2-3). He claimed life after death was real lifeeating, drinking, laughing, hugging, creating--life in abundance.

NDErs say this earthly life feels like a shadow of the real life awaiting us. Harvard neurosurgeon Eben Alexander, author of "Proof of Heaven," thought life ended with deathuntil his own NDE. I know the difference between fantasy and reality, and I know that [my NDE] experiencewas the single most real experience of my life.

Around the globe, NDErs commonly see a Brilliant Being of Light they know is God, brighter than the sun, yet personal and captivatingly beautiful. They feel more loved, accepted, and known by him than theyve ever felt.

Hazeline in Singapore said, A voice came from that bright lightI felt that someone loves me very much. In India, they dont describe the impersonal Brahma, but a personal, loving, Man of Light in a white robe. Osis and Haraldsson studied 500 Indian NDEs noting, Hindu ideas of the afterlife were never portrayed in the visions of the Indian patients[In Indian NDEs] the man with the book of accounts is always pictured as a benign ruler. An aura of sacredness rests upon him regardless of whether he is called the man in a white robe or God.

That first Easter, the Pharisees had Pilate set a Roman guard at the tomb to make sure the body was not stolen by the followers of Jesus. The guard claimed a brilliant light burst forth, rolling away the stone.

A few years later, a Pharisee who was arresting followers of Jesus encountered a Brilliant Light and a voice from Heaven. Paul asked, Who are you, Lord? The voice in the Blinding Light replied, I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting (Acts 9:5).The Apostle Paul went on to write much of the New Testament.

John, who wrote the book of Revelation, claimed the risen Jesus appeared to him: He was wearing a long robe with a gold sash across his chestand his eyes were like flames of fireand his face was like the sun in all its brilliance (Revelation 1:13-16).

Centuries before the first Easter, Plato wrote of a soldier who had an NDE.[Platos Republic speaks of a soldier having an NDE, so this is not new, but modern medicine is making it far more common.]

The ancient Jewish prophets described this same Brilliant Man of Light. Daniel says there before me was a man dressed in linen, with a belt of fine goldhis body was like topaz, his face like lightning, his eyes like flaming torches (Daniel 10:5-6).

Ezekiel describes Heaven saying, on the throne was a figure like that of a manhe looked like fire; and brilliant light surrounded himthis was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord. They called him the Messiah or Son of Man. Some think he was the pre-incarnate Jesus.

Could this Brilliant Being of light and love NDErs experience be the risen Jesus? Jesus said, I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life (John 8:12).

Maybe there is more to the claim than just ancient mythology: He is risen!
This Holy Week, Christians worldwide are celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ, whom they believe is fully man and fully God. Its a conviction that appears to flout logic but, amazingly, is wholly in line with the revelations of modern science.

Scientists used to believe that waves and particles were opposite phenomena, each obeying a different set of rules. A stone, for instance, is particle-like; its shape and size remain the same whether it exists in outer space, water, or molasses. By contrast, ripples are wave-like; their shape and size depend critically on the medium through which they move.

According to this past belief, if something were particle-like, it couldnt possibly be wave-like. The two were mutually incompatible, calling to mind Rudyard Kiplings famous quote about the clashing cultures of India and Britain: Oh, East is East, and West is West, and never the twain shall meet, Till Earth and Sky stand presently at Gods great Judgment Seat.

For a very long time, scientists disagreed about how to classify light. In the early 18th century, Isaac Newton clung to the opinion that light was comprised of tiny, luminous particles. But a century later, English physicist Thomas Young produced evidence strongly suggesting that light was made up of waves.

In the early 20th century, Albert Einstein settled the argument in a most unexpected way. Based on the discovery of what is now known as the Photoelectric Effect, he concluded that light is both a particle and a wave!

This pronouncement defied everything science had thought was beyond questioning. It was as if Einstein were declaring that odd could be even, right could be left, white could be black. In the history of modern thought, no one had ever spoken such seeming contradictory nonsense.

But Einsteins insight turned out to be the opening salvo of a scientific revolution that gave birth to quantum theory, which broke nearly every rule in the book and painted the picture of a reality far more bizarre than anything we had ever imagined. Niels Bohr, co-author of the brave new physics, reportedly said, If anybody says he can think about quantum theory without getting giddy, it merely shows that he hasnt understood the first thing about it.

According to quantum theory, there are aspects of reality that defy logic and even our age-old vocabularies. In particular, it explains, particles and waves are actually two outward manifestations of one hard-to-name, hard-to-comprehend thing quanta, Einstein called them, whose weird behavior has been verified in the lab countless times.

Please understand these so-called quanta are not half one thing and half a completely opposite thing. Each is fully a wave and fully a particle.

In the Bible, the gospel of Mark recounts that Jesus and his disciples went on to the villages around Caesarea Philippi. On the way, Jesus asks them, Who do people say I am?.

Was he a man? Or was he God? It was like scientists once asking whether light was a wave or a particle.

As a physicist and Christian, I find it remarkable that science and Scripture have landed on the same, seemingly preposterous truth  that a single, coherent entity can be the embodiment of a fundamental contradiction.

For that reason, this Easter Christians can feel confident intellectually as well as spiritually in their belief that Jesus is both fully man and fully God. And they can truly rejoice in his revolutionary message, which, like quantum theory, crucified conventional wisdom and opened our eyes to a breathtaking new reality.
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President Obama will meet with NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg at the White House after wrapping up a nuclear summit in Washington.

Stoltenberg's visit comes on the heels of Tuesday's deadly terrorist attacks in Brussels, the capital of Belgium, the European Union and home of NATO headquarters. It also comes in the wake of GOP presidential front-runner Donald Trump's criticism of the defense alliance originally created to counter the Soviet Union.

During the April 4 meeting, Obama will "reiterate that the United States stands together with NATO in the wake of the horrific terrorist attacks," the White House stated.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
Few people in Washington think House Republicans this year will complete a budget.

Thats a little astonishing.

Republicans have batted around dozens of ideas. Theyve conducted closed door meetings. Entertained options. And still, House Republicans arent much closer to solving the budget riddle than they were when conversations began over the winter.

The leadership has been on a listening tour for three months, said Rep. Dave Brat, R-Va. We have to go back to constituents and say we made up for the crap sandwich. Made up for the barn cleaning.

What Brat refers to is a plan President Obama forged last fall with then-House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, to clean the barn for the next speaker.

Both houses of Congress approved the package, and Obama signed it into law. Only 79 House GOPers voted in favor of the measure in late October -- including new House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis.

The deal established whats called discretionary spending numbers for this fiscal year and fiscal 2017, which begins in October 1.

We are being asked to validate a spending level that the vast majority of Republicans in the House and Senate opposed months ago, said Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio. Lets do a budget and spend less money. I think thats what voters are demanding after what youve seen in the presidential contest. We make this stuff way too complicated.

A brief dive into the complicated stuff:

All federal spending is allocated into two chunks. Mandatory spending is what the government has to spend on entitlement programs such as Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security and interest on the debt.

Congress long ago passed laws that put these programs on automatic pilot. Mandatory spending consumes more than two-thirds of all federal dollars each year. That money just floats out the door without anyone raising a finger.

Discretionary spending is the rest. Its discretionary because lawmakers have discretion over how much to spend and on what programs. Discretionary dollars account for the remaining third of all annual government spending.

In Boehners barn cleaning, the duo set discretionary spending for fiscal 2016 at $1.067 trillion. They raised it for fiscal 2017 to $1.070 trillion.

But heres the issue: Congressional conservatives are pushing for $30 billion in reforms to mandatory spending programs. That could reduce the discretionary number to $1.047 trillion. That would make it challenging for the House to approve annual spending bills to fund the government after October 1.

Conservatives have pushed for deep cuts and reductions since Republicans claimed the House in 2010. They made minimal progress in the debt-ceiling agreement of 2011 that resulted in sequestration -- deep, required spending limitations on the discretionary side of the ledger.

But the mandatory spending side is much larger than the discretionary side. Thats why reforms to entitlements make more impact. And conservatives want proof that savings arent fiscal fairy dust.

It needs to be real, Jordan said.

What counts as real? A plan Obama would in fact sign into law.

That would be pretty real, Rep. Matt Salmon, R-Ariz., said when asked about moving a measure that would earn the presidents signature.

Its got to be this year, said Rep. Tim Huelskamp, R-Kansas. Real cuts that actually get signed into law.

Conservatives think the GOP-led House has never made good on promises lawmakers made to constituents to reduce overall federal spending. Hence, thats why they want to show theyre making amends for Boehners barn cleaning.

Thats why Republicans cant cobble together the votes to approve a budget. The Republican brass needs the help of at least some of the 40-plus members who comprise the House Freedom Caucus. But there will be no budget if party divisions remain this deep.

Harley-Davidson stopped manufacturing motorcycle sidecars five years ago. Most bartenders can mix a sidecar cocktail with cognac, Grand Mariner and lemon juice. Its unclear if House Republican leaders are devotees of Easy Rider or experienced mixologists.

But if the House will produce a budget this year, the production of budgetary sidecars are key to the entire enterprise.

Thats getting warm, said Brat of the sidecar possibilities. Were willing to go there.

One sidecar option is for the House to approve a budget for fiscal 2017 at the $1.070 trillion level, but include a separate package that mines $30 billion in cuts from mandatory programs.

There is also conversation about approving a budget at a lower spending threshold -- with an agreement that Obama would sign actual spending bills into law with higher dollar figures.

Conservatives feel burned before on broad agreements. Its customary for policymakers to commit to spending cuts but postpone the hard stuff well into the future.

Conservatives want to get away from that kind of gimmickry.

We could have $30 billion (in cuts) over ten years with most of the savings in the ninth and tenth years, said Huelskamp with a smirk, knowing the way Washington usually does things.

Notably, Huelskamp wasnt endorsing punting the savings until the out years.

The House Budget Committee last week approved a budget that balances the books in a decade and slashes spending by $6.5 trillion.

Included in that budget is a repeal of ObamaCare. But keep in mind that congressional budgets arent binding and not signed into law. Theyre aspirational.

The panel passed the budget. However, Budget Committee Chairman Tom Price, R-Ga., knew there were several GOPers who voted yes in committee who would vote no on the budget on the floor. Dave Brat and Rep. Marlin Stutzman, R-Ind., voted no in committee.

Theres a problem with not doing a budget. Failing to agree to an overall topline for mandatory and discretionary spending makes it virtually impossible for lawmakers to begin approving annual appropriations bills that fund the government.

There is a parliamentary failsafe that Ryan could deploy to help initiate the appropriations bills. Its possible the House could simply hook some language to another measure and deem that it passed a budget -- even if it really hasnt.

In Congress, deeming a budget at least starts the appropriations process. But Ryan is ruling out such a tactic.

No, he said. We need to do a budget.

Regardless, the House Appropriations Committee prepared its first spending bill of the year a few days ago.

The committee sketched a plan to spend $81.6 billion on military construction projects and fund the Department of Veterans Affairs. The bill represents $1.2 billion less than what Obama requested but is $1.8 billion above what lawmakers spent last year.

Of course, if the House cant OK a budget at all -- or even deem a budget -- its likely Congress is stuck and must approve a gigantic interim spending bill in September to avoid a government shutdown.

Only some Republicans would be likely to vote for it. The GOP leaders would probably again turn to Democrats to bail them out.

And this is precisely what got Boehner in trouble with House Republicans: leaning on Democrats all the time to do the tough stuff.

A stopgap spending bill means the military construction/VA measure gets less money -- as do all of the other appropriations bills in the big, catchall bill.

Thats because not doing a budget and relying on old spending figure kicks the total discretionary figure back to what the government is spending this year: $1.067 trillion -- a cut of $3 billion.

As former House Budget Committee chairman, Ryan is the high priest of budgets. He authored multiple fiscal blueprints that Republicans embraced. He chastised Democrats when they failed to produce budgets.

This is why Ryan and Republicans know why its so important to produce a budget and adopt it on the floor. This is all on them. But as speaker, Ryan can only attest to the virtues of budgeting. This fight is internal, Republicans on Republicans.

Last time, they blamed Boehner. But he isnt here anymore.

Once Obama leaves office, there is nobody left to blame, Huelskamp said.
Republican presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz on Sunday took aim at President Obama's foreign policy in the wake of the Brussels terror bombings, calling the president's policies a "manifest disaster" and saying the U.S. "needs a commander in chief who will lead."

Cruz has specifically targeted Obamas plans to allows refugees from war-torn Syria into the United States and has argued that U.S. law enforcement should have more authority to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before their residents become radicalized.

Enough is enough, Cruz told Fox News Sunday. We need a commander in chief who will protect this nation.  This is a policy of weakness and appeasement.

Cruzs original comments were quickly criticized by Obama, Democratic presidential front-runner Hillary Clinton, the New York City police department and others.

And NYPD Commissioner Bill Bratton wrote an op-ed in the New York Daily News on Sunday in which he said the department already patrols and secures Muslim neighborhoods but doesnt engage in selective enforcement based on race or religion.

Nor will we use the police and an occupying force to intimidate a populace or a religion to appease the provocative chatter of politicians seeking to exploit fear, he wrote.We already patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods, the same way we patrol and secure other neighborhoods."

Authorities have linked one of the Brussels attackers to the deadly Paris bombings in November, with ISIS claiming responsibility for both strikes.

Cruz pointed out the terror group has vowed to try to slip its fighters into the Syrian refugee program, which could increase the risk of a terror attacks on U.S. soil.

Cruz also said Europes immigration policies, which have allowed millions of Muslim refugees to enter the region, have created a "hotbed of racialization."

We cannot become Europe, he said.

Cruz said that in calling for stepped-up policing in Muslim neighborhoods he meant addressing problems by using "every tool" including law enforcement, the military abroad and the country's national security and intelligence communities.

He also condemned GOP rival Donald Trump's attack on Cruz's wife, Heidi, and a tabloid story suggesting Cruz might have had extramarital affairs.

Attacks on a spouse have no place in politics, Cruz said.

He added that Trumps recent suggestion that the U.S. withdraw from NATO would be a huge mistake and shows his lack of understanding of foreign policy. He claimed such a move would be a massive victory for both Russian President Vladimir Putin and ISIS.
Secretary of State John Kerry on Sunday defended President Obamas handling of the Brussels terror bombings, saying world leaders are shocked by Republican presidential candidates responses and their embarrassing views on Muslims.

"Everywhere I go, every leader I meet, they ask about what is happening in America, Kerry told CBS Face the Nation. They cannot believe it. I think it is fair to say that they're shocked.

He also suggested the GOP candidates rhetoric is calling into question the United States reliability."

Kerry, fellow Democrats and others are particularly upset over GOP front-runner Donald Trump calling for an end to the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and suggesting so-called enhanced interrogation methods like water-boarding for terror suspects.

Trump, who has never held elected office, also suggested after the recent Paris bombings, which like the deadly Brussels attacks have been connected to the Islamic State terror group, that the United States put a temporary ban on Muslim immigrants.

Cruz has criticized Obamas plan to allow tens of thousands more Syrian refugees into the U.S., over concerns about ISIS infiltrators, and suggested stepped-up policing of Muslim neighborhoods across America.

He repeated those arguments Sunday and again criticized Obama for continuing his diplomatic trip to Cuba and Argentina after the attacks.

He said the president while in Cuba was toasting a communist dictator who tortures and murders his citizens and who spreads terrorism throughout Latin America.

Earlier in the show, House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes said, the president of the United States should not be hanging out with a known financier of terrorism.

The more we dont take care of ISIS or al Qaeda, the more this threat will grow, the California lawmaker said. You've got the president of the United States dancing down in Argentina when he should be meeting with the leaders of Europe and other allies to try to take the fight to the enemy.

He also Obama was delusional in defending his decisions and actions after the deadly attacks Tuesday by saying it is very important for us not respond with fear.

Kerry was criticized for saying after the bombings at a Brussels airport and subway station, which killed 31 and wounded roughly 270 others, that the U.S. was winning the fight against ISIS.

He argued Sunday that the U.S.-led coalition has recouped about 40 percent of the territory in Syria that ISIS had captured and that coalition forces are killing roughly one ISIS leader every three days.

Kerry also said that the Republican presidential candidates' campaign rhetoric on Muslims is an "embarrassment" to the United States.
Sen. Bernie Sanders was projected to win the Alaska, Washington and Hawaii Democratic presidential caucuses -- victories he hopes will spark a Western states comeback and help him cut into frontrunner Hillary Clintons substantial lead.

The Associated Press projected Sanders the winner of the Alaska and Washington contests Saturday, while the results of Hawaii's presidential contest weren't announced until early Sunday morning.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed west," Sanders said at a rally in Madison, Wis. "We are making significant inroads in ... Clinton's lead ... We have a path toward victory."

Clinton leads by roughly 300 pledged delegates, with 142 up for grabs Saturday. Washington had the biggest prize, 101 delegates, followed by Hawaii with 25 and Alaska with 16.

Sanders, a democratic socialist, on Saturday acknowledged his struggles in recent contests across the South, with its strong conservative voting bloc. But he remained optimistic about upcoming contests in the more liberal West including those in Oregon and California, which alone offers 546 delegates.

The next Democratic and Republican primaries are April 5 in Wisconsin.

Sanders is popular among younger and more progressive Americans but continues to struggle to connect with Hispanic and African-American voters.

He will win at least nine delegates in Alaska. And all of them are elected to the state Democratic convention, not the party's national nominating convention in July in Philadelphia.

Going into Saturday, Clinton had a 1,223-to-920 lead on Sanders in so-called pledged delegates, who are bound to candidates by their states' elections.

It takes 2,383 delegates to clinch the nomination.

Sanders was expected to do well in Washington, considering residents of Seattle, the biggest city in the Pacific Northwest, are among the most liberal in the country and major campaign contributors.

He drew more than 10,000 supporters to a rally Friday evening at Safeco Field in Seattle. And by Saturday afternoon, the state appeared to be having a record voter turnout, which has helped keep alive Sanders insurgent campaign.

In Spokane, a huge line of caucus attendees had already snaked around a high school parking by Saturday morning.

"I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students and getting big money out of politics," said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. "He's not paid for by billionaires."

Top Sanders adviser Ted Devine recently told FoxNews.com that he was optimistic about the campaign cutting Clintons lead this weekend to under 300 delegates with a couple of thousands more delegates to go.

Most of the Washingtons Democratic leadership had endorsed Clinton, including Gov. Jay Inslee, Seattle Mayor Ed Murray and Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell.

Still, Sanders entered Saturdays contests optimistic after winning more delegate than Clinton in three contests earlier this week -- nearly 20 in the Idaho and Utah caucuses, despite losing the marquee Arizona primary to the former secretary of state.

Sanders has done significantly better in caucus contests, now winning nine of the last 11.

Most of his 14 primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in the caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats.

Yet Sanders still needs a dramatic surge to catch Clinton or even hold her under the number needed to clinch the nomination, despite the optimism and fundraising numbers, which also include collecting more than $140 million from 2 million donors.

Clinton did not hold a public event after the Alaska and Washington results were announced.

While Sanders faces a steep climb to the nomination, a string of losses for Clinton would highlight her persistent vulnerabilities, including concerns about her trustworthiness and weak support among younger voters.

Clintons delegate advantage, before Saturday, increases to 1,692-to-949 once the superdelegates, or party officials who can back either candidate, are included.

Based on that count, Sanders still needs to win 58 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by June's end.

His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall -- from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates -- to prevail.

Because Democrats allocate their delegates on a proportional basis, meaning that the popular vote loser can still pick up a share, his Saturday victories netted Sanders a gain of at least 27 delegates to at least five for Clinton.

Clinton has been looking past the primary contests and aiming at potential Republican challengers. In interviews, rallies and speeches this week, she largely focused on Tuesday's deadly attacks in Brussels, casting GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as unqualified to deal with complicated international threats.

Her campaign sees the April 19 contest in New York as an important one, not just because of the rich delegate prize but because losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate would be a psychological blow. She hopes to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later.

Fox News Lauren Blanchard and Joseph Weber and The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Donald Trump claimed that he "predicted" the terrorist attack in Brussels last week and shot back at a publication that mocked him for a recent interview in which he called the European city a "hellhole."

"I'm the only one that predicted it. I said Brussels is a hellhole and the New York Times mocked me," the GOP presidential front-runner said Sunday on ABC's "This Week."

"And then all of a sudden, it came out the attack took place in Brussels," Trump added. I understand what's going on around the world far better than these politicians do. I'm all over it."

Trump never said he expected an attack in Brussels, but he did argue the city was a breeding ground for conflict.

Read more on WashingtonExaminer.com
An American couple, missing since Tuesday's terror attacks in Brussels, has been identified as victims of the bombings at the Brussels airport, the Associated Press reported Saturday evening.

Justin Shults, 30, and his wife Stephanie Shults, 29, had not been seen since Tuesday.

The Associated Press reported that Stephanie Shults' employer Mars, Inc., said in a Facebook post Saturday evening that her family had confirmed that she and her husband died in the bombings at the Brussels airport.

Justin Shults' employer, Clarcor, had confirmed earlier Saturday that he died in the attack.

The Shultses were killed when coordinated ISIS terrorists detonated bombs at the Brussels airport and a subway station, Sheila Shell said in a statement.

"We have been notified by officials today that Sheila's son, Justin Shults, died as a result of the bombings at the airport in Brussels, Belgium, on March 22, she and her husband Jon Shell said.

Justin Shults and his wife were dropping off Stephanies mother, Carolyn Moore at the airport when the attacks occurred.

Moore was not hurt.



We deeply appreciate all the prayers and outpouring of concern for our family during this extraordinarily difficult time, they added. We would also ask everyone to kindly allow us privacy as we mourn.

The last thing my brother ever told me is that he loved me....Go rest high on that mountain. pic.twitter.com/7GErysffGy  Popcorn Sutton (@PopcornSutton__) March 26, 2016

Sheila Shell had arrived in Brussels late Thursday to look for the couple.

We found out today that cowards took my brother's life," Shults brother Levi Sutton wrote on Twitter on Saturday.

Sutton, wrote on social media Saturday that his brother "traveled the world, leaving each destination better than when he arrived."

Justin Shults, originally from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and his wife, a Lexington, Kentucky, native, graduated together from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.

Brussels prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch told The Associated Press Saturday that 24 of the 31 people killed in the attacks have now been identified.

He said 11 of them were foreigners. One was former Belgian ambassador to the United States, Andre Adam.

Of the 270 wounded, 93 are being treated at a Brussels military hospital. A doctor there says Saturday that 15 people are in a serious burns unit, five of them in intensive care.

Initially, Shults' family believed Justin and Stephanie had survived the attack.

Sutton said the State Department notified the family that Justin and Stephanie were in a hospital. But then he found out that was mistaken.



He said a social worker in Belgium said the family was given incorrect information.

The State Department Friday confirmed that two Americans died in the Brussels attacks.

"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," Secretary of State John Kerry told Belgian Prime Minister Charles Michel in Brussels Friday.

Relatives of siblings Sascha and Alexander Pinczowski, Dutch nationals living in New York known to have been at the airport, issued a statement Thursday confirming that the pair was not on a list of survivors.

Justin and Stephanie were living in Nashville when Stephanie was offered the opportunity to move to Brussels by her company, The Washington Post reported late Friday.

His company let him make the move too, the paper reported.

They lived in the center of Brussels and werent frightened even as the Belgian capital begain to gain a reputation as a terrorist hub, Stephanies aunt said.

Theyve just really enjoyed the experience of being in Europe, Betty Gregg Newsom told the Post. They had not mentioned feeling unsafe at all.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
An American Airlines co-pilot was detained at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after he was suspected of being drunk, federal authorities said Saturday.

The Federal Aviation Administration said the co-pilot was held from a Saturday morning flight from Detroit to Philadelphia. He was suspected of having a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit.

Airport spokesman Michael Conway said the pilot was released after being detained when he arrived at the facility. Fox 2 Detroit reported that an on-site Breathalyzer test was performed and he failed two sobriety tests before being taken into custody.

Authorities will determine whether charged will be filed, he said. The pilot, who is believed to be about 50-years-old and from Pennsylvania, hasnt been identified.

American Airlines said in a statement the flight was cancelled and customers are taking other flights.

"American Airlines Flight 736 from Detroit to Philadelphia has been canceled and we are currently re-accommodating our customers on other flights, the statement said.

Safety is our highest priority and we apologize to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans. We are assisting local law enforcement. Further questions should be referred to them."

Some prospective passengers told Fox 2 Detroit they feel flight crews need to be checked out as a precautionary measure before flying.

It actually is scary especially because me sending my 18-year-old to North Carolina, passenger DAundra Hines told the station. I'm kinda putting her life in their hands, so it's making me a little bit nervous now to send her off on this flight.

Conway reaffirmed to Fox 2 Detroit that airlines have routine testing of its crew members and said police dont routinely check flight crews.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Fox 2 Detroit.
Mayor Rahm Emanuel has rejected three finalists recommended by the Chicago police board for the city's top police post and selected the force's current chief of patrol as the new interim police superintendent, city council officials said Sunday.

Emanuel is trying to replace Superintendent Garry McCarthy whose firing was part of a frantic effort to regain trust in the police department and his own leadership following the release in November of dashcam video showing a white police officer fatally shooting an unarmed black teenager 16 times.

Alderman Anthony Beale said the mayor's office called him Saturday to inform him that Emanuel has selected Chicago Chief of Patrol Eddie Johnson as interim superintendent. Johnson, who is African-American, was not among the board's recommendations.

"While I supported the nomination of Gene Williams, I believe Eddie Johnson is equally suited to lead the Chicago Police Department and I support Mayor Emanuel's decision," Beale said. "Eddie Johnson knows Chicago, he knows the police department and the challenges facing our neighborhoods. He is a true leader and will bring the fundamental changes CPD needs right now. I look forward to getting to work with Eddie right away."

Anabel Abarca, a spokeswoman for Alderman George Cardenas, a prominent member of the Chicago City Council's Latino caucus, also told AP Sunday that Emanuel reached out to the alderman with news of Johnson's selection.

Emanuel's spokeswoman Kelley Quinn declined to comment on whether Johnson is the mayor's pick, but said he has made a decision and has informed the three nominees. She said Emanuel would announce his decision within days.

"While each of the finalists had strong qualifications, the mayor did not feel that any of them were the complete package that Chicago needs at this time and thus none were offered the position," Quinn said. "The mayor called each of them individually late Saturday to let them know of his decision."

A city ordinance allows Emanuel to appoint an interim chief and ask the police board for a new list of finalists.

One of the board's initial nominees, Cedric Alexander, told AP on Sunday that Emanuel offered him the job on Thursday during a meeting in Washington, D.C., and that the mayor told him he intended to make Johnson his first deputy. But he said Emanuel phoned him Saturday night to say he had changed his mind.

"He did offer me the position in D.C. on Thursday, and last night he called and said he's going in a different direction," said Alexander, the public safety director in Georgia's DeKalb County. NBC5 in Chicago first reported that Alexander said he'd been offered the position.

Alexander told AP the plan had been for him to fly to Chicago on Monday and that the announcement was to have come Wednesday.

"I would like to thank the Chicago Police Board for giving me the opportunity to apply," Alexander said. "Clearly the mayor is going in another direction, and I would just like to wish the very best for the people of Chicago."

Chicago City Council's black caucus said last week that they would prefer a local African-American for the job. But they stopped short of endorsing Eugene Williams, a black deputy chief in Chicago who was among the police board recommendations. Anne Kirkpatrick, former police chief in Spokane, Washington, also was a finalist.

On Sunday, Police Board President Lori E. Lightfoot said the board "has not received formal communication" from the mayor regarding the nominees it submitted for the position. "The board will be taking no action until it receives such notification." Lightfoot said the board would have "no further comment."

Officer Jason Van Dyke has been charged with first-degree murder in the fatal shooting of Laquan McDonald and the video has prompted investigations, including a federal civil rights probe of the Chicago Police Department.


Two Indiana bakeries are locked in a bitter battle over which business should be the lone square doughnut-maker.

The Post-Tribune reported that the Valparaiso-based Family Express demanded a court Thursday to declare that it can continue to call its products Square Donuts.

However, the Terre Haute-based Square Donuts, which has been making its specialty pastry since the 1960s and has nine locations across Indiana, wants Family Express to drop their case.

Family Express started making its version in 2005, and a year later, Square Donuts sent Family Express a cease-and-desist letter. According to the newspaper, Family Express responded to the letter saying they didnt think they were infringing and continued to make the doughnut after they never heard back from Square Donuts.

Family Express also made a video showing exactly how they made their square donuts.

The low-level disagreement fermented quietly for several years until both bakeries trademarked its name in 2013. According to the complaint, Family Express trademark claim was thrown out because Square Donuts filed a trademark first.

Family Express contacted Square Donuts to try to reach an agreement over the name but those talks went nowhere.

According to the Post-Tribune, Family Express claims that the Square Donuts name is descriptive and generic, which would prohibit it from being trademarked. Family Express is looking for the court to rule that they are not infringing by using the name square donuts and that their rival companys trademark is thereby invalid.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from the Post-Tribune.
Tiny particles of pollen may help Maryland cold case detectives crack a young womans murder four decades ago.

The breakthrough came in the 1976 Woodlawn Jane Doe case thanks to recently analyzed pollen found on the victims clothing that suggests she is from Boston, WJZ-TV reported Saturday.

The analysis determined the pollen, a blend of cedar and mountain hemlock, was linked to the Arnold Arboretum in Boston.

We found the mountain and hemlock cedar plant, and it still has the tag on it from when it was planted in 1969, Baltimore County Police Det. Dave Jacoby told the station.

In December, Baltimore County detectives distributed flyers in the Boston neighborhoods where Woodlawn Jane Doe may have lived.

Prior to the visit, they got a name from a tipster, leading them to believe she and her family moved to Boston from Puerto Rico when she was little, attended a Catholic elementary school and disappeared when she was 15.

Case detectives have not been released the name, citing the ongoing investigation.

The young woman was drugged, raped and strangled. The body was discovered on Sept. 12, 1976.

WJZ reported the victims neck and hands were bound and a white sheet was wrapped around the body which was dumped near a cemetery in Woodlawn.

According to the station, farm seed bags tied around her head were manufactured in Massachusettsanother clue for detectives that she may have come from Boston.

I think there is someone out there that knows who this young lady is, Jacoby told WJZ. I think theres someone who knows who is responsible for disposing of this body.
A 14-year-old Roswell girl is being charged with deliberately burning down her home.

Police say the teen was booked this week into Chaves County Juvenile Detention Center for suspected arson.

Authorities believe she started the fire Wednesday just before 2 p.m. after arguing with her stepmother.

Police say they had been fighting about the girl skipping school.

The stepmother and her two sons then went outside.

That is when the fire erupted.

Fire investigators discovered a bottle of charcoal lighter fluid in the backyard and believe it was an accelerant to start the fire.

One male at the scene was hospitalized for possible smoke inhalation.

Authorities brought the blaze under control within half an hour but say the home is a total loss.

Police did not identify the family.
UN receives new claims of Central African Republic sex abuse

The U.N. peacekeeping mission in Central African Republic says it has received new allegations of sexual abuse and exploitation by U.N. and non-U.N. forces as well as civilians.

A mission statement said the alleged incidents took place in Kemo prefecture, east of the capital Bangui, in 2014 and 2015.

The mission said Friday a U.N. team will be rapidly deployed to the area to investigate and to ensure that victims have been assisted.

A U.N. peacekeeping spokesman said no details were available yet on the nationalities of the alleged perpetrators.

Earlier this month, the Security Council approved its first-ever resolution tackling the escalating problem of sexual abuse by U.N. peacekeepers who act as predators when sent to protect civilians in some of the world's most volatile areas.

URL

https://www.foxnews.com/world/un-receives-new-claims-of-central-african-republic-sex-abuse
Three men have been charged with terror offenses over the suicide attacks on the Brussels airport and subway earlier this week, Belgian prosecutors announced Saturday.

The Belgian Federal Prosecutors Office told Fox News that Faycal Cheffou had been taken into custody. He was arrested Thursday and has been charged with involvement in a terrorist group, terrorist murder and attempted terrorist murder, prosecutors said.

Belgian media said Cheffou is the man in the light vest and hat pictured on airport security video with two men who blew themselves up at the airport. Cheffou is described as a local activist known to police for trying to rally asylum-seekers and homeless people to join radical Islam.

Prosecutors didnt confirm Belgian media reports in their press conference Saturday. A police raid was conducted at his home but no arms or explosives were recovered, they said.

Two other suspects detained on Thursday and identified as Raba N. and Aboubakar A. were charged with "involvement in the activities of a terrorist group." In addition, a man named as Abderamane A. who was taken into custody on Friday after he was shot by police at a Brussels tram stop is being held for at least 24 more hours.

Italy police Sunday said they arrested an Algerian wanted by Belgium authorities for facilitating travel of illegal migrants in connection with the Nov. 13 attacks in Paris. Authorities believe both the Brussels attacks and the Paris bombings that killed 130 people were plotted from Belgium.

Brussels prosecutor Ine Van Wymersch told The Associated Press that 24 of the victims have now been identified and 11 of them were foreigners. One was a former Belgian ambassador to the United States, Andre Adam.

Officials confirmed that 24 of the 31 people killed in the attacks Tuesday had been identified, and a doctor who had served in Afghanistan said he and his colleagues have been shocked by the extreme burns suffered by some of the 270 wounded.

Dr. Serge Jennes said he had treated similar injuries during his service in Kandahar, in southern Afghanistan, but said he and his colleagues were shocked to see such injuries on women and children.

"I've never seen this before in my 20 years at the center for burns," Jennes said. "Injuries linked to the blowback from the blast, which can mutilate."

He said almost all the wounded had burst eardrums and added that his colleagues are likely to need psychological counselling to help cope with what they had witnessed.

Belgiums interior minister asked residents not to march Sunday in Brussels in solidarity with the victims over security concerns.

"We understand fully the emotions," Interior Minister Jan Jambon told reporters. "We understand that everyone wants to express these feelings."

But, he said, "we invite the citizens not to have this demonstration."

Organizers quickly granted his request, postponing the march.

Meantime, Brussels airport officials moved to assess the damage caused by twin explosions at the terminal on Tuesday.

Authorities have wrapped up their investigation of the crime scene at the airport, and will allow engineers into the building to check its structural safety and information technology systems -- and whether any damage can be repaired quickly.

Brussels Airport, which handles 23.5 million passengers annually, said it would be Tuesday at the earliest before flights resume.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.
Syrian forces backed by Russian airstrikes drove ISIS militants from Palmyra on Sunday, state media and an opposition monitoring group said.

Government forces had been on the offensive for nearly three weeks to try to recapture the central town, which fell to ISIS in May. The recapturing of Palmyra ends the groups reign of terror over a town whose famed 2,000-year-old ruins once attracted tens of thousands of visitors.

The advance of Syrian forces marks the latest setback suffered by ISIS, which has come under mounting pressure on several fronts in Iraq and Syria.

Syrian president Bashar Assad described the offensive as a "significant achievement."

In comments reported by Syrian state TV Saturday, he said that the overthrow of ISIS in the historic town offered "new evidence of the effectiveness of the strategy espoused by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism."

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed ISIS lost the town, saying there were around 400 extremists killed, according to Sky News. Activists added that some fighters withdrew from Palmyra toward the town of Sukhna and other areas in the Homs province.

"That's the heaviest losses that ISIS has sustained in a single battle since its creation," Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman told Sky News. It is a symbolic defeat for ISIS comparable with that in Kobani.

On Saturday, Russia's defense minister said Russian jets carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra, hitting 158 targets and killing over 100 militants.

Russias airstrikes have given government forces a boost on a number of fronts in recent months.

Syrian state TV interrupted its normal programs to air a documentary about the town and its archaeological sites. The network earlier aired national songs as well as videos released by ISIS showing its fighters committing atrocities in Syria and Iraq.

"It's 10 in the morning Palmyra time. Our morning is victorious," a TV announcer said.

Later a TV reporter spoke live from inside Palmyra, showing troops in the center of the town. Some of the nearby buildings had been reduced to rubble.

Palmyra, affectionately known as the "Bride of the Desert," used to attract tens of thousands of tourists every year. ISIS drove out government forces in a matter of days and later demolished some of the best-known monuments in the UNESCO world heritage site. The extremists believe ancient ruins promote idolatry.

ISIS had used Palmyras ancient amphitheater as a venue for public executions, including the beheading of the citys former antiquities chief, Sky News reported.

The militants also demolished the town's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents were reported to have been tortured.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Click for more from Sky News.
Thousands have marched against NATO and the West in Serbia, carrying banners praising Russian President Vladimir Putin.

The march Sunday marked the 17th anniversary of NATO's 78-day intervention in Serbia against its bloody crackdown against Kosovo Albanian separatists in 1999.

The crowds affiliated with far-right groups carried pro-Russian banners and shouted against Serbia joining the EU or the Western military alliance.

Current Serbian leaders, once staunchly anti-Western, have said they want to join the EU, but to remain militarily neutral.

Pro-Russian forces in Serbia have been gaining ground ahead of the April 24 general election that could decide which way Serbia is heading, toward Russia or the EU.

Serbia has traditional ties with its Slavic ally Russia which has stepped up a propaganda campaign ahead of the vote.
The top security court in the United Arab Emirates on Sunday sentenced 38 people to prison in connection to a cell accused of plotting terrorist attacks and seeking to overthrow the government to create an Islamic state.

Prosecutors said the "Minaret Youth" cell included Emirati as well as non-Emirati members, though the nationalities and names of all the accused have not been made public.

The group had also been charged with forming committees to recruit young Emiratis and of planning to assassinate top government officials in the UAE, which is home to the Western-friendly city-states of Abu Dhabi and Dubai. Some members had also been accused of being members of the Islamic State group in Iraq and Syria and al-Qaida's branch in Syria, the Nusra Front.

The state-run WAM news agency reported that the Federal Supreme Court's state security chambers sentenced 11 of the defendants to life in prison, though two were tried in absentia. Another two were sentenced to 15 years, 13 were sentenced to 10 years, six to three years, two to five years, and four to six months in prison.

Seven others were acquitted, according to WAM. The official report did not give details on what the defendants had been found guilty of.

The trial, which began late August, was not open to the public or members of the independent press.

Abu Dhabi-based The National reported on its website Sunday that only two defendants pleaded guilty in court. The National said the group's leader, Khalid Abdulla Kalantar, had been a preacher at a mosque in Dubai who encouraged and promoted extremism.

In recent years, the UAE has clamped down on even nonviolent Islamist groups, sentencing dozens of opposition figures to prison. The UAE is part of the U.S.-led coalition carrying out airstrikes against extremists from Islamic State group in Syria and Iraq.
DETROITFrom the pulpit of an African-American church in Detroit not long ago, Bishop Corletta Vaughn offered a rousing endorsement of Hillary Clinton that went far beyond politics.

With a smiling Clinton sitting a few feet away in the purple-walled Holy Ghost Cathedral, Vaughn said she had seen Clinton take a licking and keep on ticking. Alluding to Bill Clintons past infidelity, she added: Im not talking about politically. Im talking about as a wife and a mother. Thats when I said: I love that woman. She taught so many of us as women how to stand in the face of adversity.

During a primary season in which she has faced surprisingly strong competition and been bombarded with criticism of her trustworthiness, Clinton has maintained a strong bond with one significant bloc of Democratic Party voters. Black women, part of President Barack Obamas winning coalition in 2008 and 2012, have locked arms behind Clinton, hailing her as a Democratic standard-bearer, survivor and friend.

That determination and strength, particularly has meaning to African-American women, said Sharon Reed, 60, a college teacher from North Charleston, S.C. Who has overcome more obstacles and darts and arrows than she has? And shes still standing and shes still strong.

Though the primary contest is not over, Clinton, the former secretary of state, holds a big delegate lead over Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders and is considered likely to win the Democratic nomination. African-American women have played a big part: About 8 in 10 across all the states where exit polling has been conducted have voted for her, and in some cases support has been above 90 percent.

Clinton has fared less well with other groups, in particular with younger voters and white men, many of whom have preferred Sanders. But, as in past years, black women are demonstrating that they are motivated. So far, they have made up at least a slightly larger share of the electorate than black men in almost all states with significant black populations, and a significantly larger share in seven of those states.

Shell need those women in November. When Democrat Obama won the past two elections, he counted on black womens votes, and he got them. In 2008, some 68 percent voted in the general election, and 70 percent came out in 2012. According to exit polling, the vast majority voted for Obama.

Clintons campaign has sought to reinforce these bonds. At black churches and businesses, she has stressed her ties to the popular president and touted endorsements from leaders such as Rep. John Lewis of Georgia, a civil rights icon. She has emphasized issues like criminal justice reform and gun control and is campaigning alongside black women who have lost children to gun violence.

I really got the sense that she could really relate to us, as being mothers and women and daughters, said Lucy McBath, whose teenage son Jordan Davis was shot and killed at a Jacksonville, Florida, gas station in 2012. Lucy McBath was part of a group of mothers who met with Clinton privately in the fall and has been out campaigning for her.
In recent weeks, Gov. Terry McAuliffe has encountered significant challenges to Virginias efforts to advance the Clean Power Plan, both through legislative attacks and budget maneuvering. The governor already has rejected efforts to limit his ability to take climate action, and is expected to use his veto pen to allow his administration to proceed with the development of a state plan. This course of action is necessary to benefit Virginia consumers and the states economy, to combat the serious risks of climate change and to ensure Virginia can chart its own course rather than risk the imposition of a federal plan.

The challenges to state and federal action have mounted recently. In February, the U.S. Supreme Court voted 54 to freeze (or stay in legal terminology) the Environmental Protection Agencys enforcement of the CPPthe nations most significant attempt to date to reduce carbon pollution from American power plants.

Subsequently, the governor vetoed Senate Bill 21, which sought to impede implementation of the CPP, on constitutional grounds. More recently, the General Assembly approved a budget amendment that would prevent Virginias Department of Environmental Quality from working on a state plan while the stay is in effect.

The freeze of the EPAs rule to regulate greenhouse gas emissions from existing power plants will remain in effect until the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals decides a lawsuit brought by opponents of the rule. If the losing side appeals to the U.S. Supreme Court, the legal process could run into 2017 or 2018. However, the stay does not preclude states from continuing their work on state implementation plans, and many governors, including McAuliffe, have wisely decided to proceed.

Gov. McAuliffe is right to veto the ill-advised budget amendment and continue efforts to develop Virginias plan, for three major reasons.

First, such action will benefit Virginia consumers and the states economy. State utilities have barely scratched the surface in implementing cost-effective energy efficiency measures. In fact, a 2014 State Energy Efficiency Scorecard issued by ACEEE, a national energy efficiency group, ranked Virginia among the lowest four states in the nation in its development of utility energy efficiency programs. Yet countless reports have shown that energy efficiency is the cheapest approach to meet electricity needs.

Virginia also has been losing the race against other states for clean energy jobs because of its weak clean-energy policies. State leadership can help to address this serious weakness.

Second, state action to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from power plants is necessary to combat climate change. Power plant emissions adversely impact public healthcausing thousands of premature deaths, heart attacks and asthma attacks.

Moreover, these emissions contribute to the rising sea levels that cause flooding in cities, such as Norfolk, and threaten our coastline. CO2 emissions also increase the likelihood of extreme weather that impacts our state.

Third, Virginia should chart its own clean-energy strategy. Even if EPAs 2015 CPP rule is overturned by the courts, federal efforts to limit CO2 emissions from the power sector are likely to continue because of a series of Supreme Court cases upholding EPAs authority to regulate these emissions. If Virginia does not develop its own plan, then it risks the imposition of a federal plan that is less responsive to state interests.

Even though the stay means that the original September deadline for states to submit draft plans no longer applies, the 2022 start date for power companies to begin meeting CO2 reduction targets could remain unchanged if EPAs rule is upheld. In light of Virginias lengthy rulemaking process, affected interests are best served by allowing their comments to be considered by the DEQwhich is why Virginia power companies and conservation groups both support developing a state plan. Continuation of the process also sends an important message to clean energy companies considering bringing jobs to Virginia that we are a leader on clean energy matters.

Gov. McAuliffe has demonstrated strong leadership. He acted in the public interest on March 1 when he vetoed Senate Bill 21. He should now do the same with the shortsighted budget amendment. We simply cant afford to delay this important work.

Debra Jacobson has worked on energy and environmental law and policy for nearly 40 years, including staff positions in the U.S. House of Representatives and Department of Energy. Michael Town is executive director of the Richmond-based Virginia League of Conservation Voters.
The University of Mary Washingtons Great Lives lecture on Tuesday will focus on Oliver Cromwell, who was voted in a 2002 BBC poll as one of the 10 greatest Britons of all time.

His fame rests mainly on his leadership of the Roundhead faction that was instrumental in deposing Charles I and creating a short-lived Commonwealth of England. Although Cromwell died of natural causes in 1658 and was buried in Westminster Abbey, after the royalty was restored to power, his body was exhumed, hung in chains, and beheaded. Cromwells controversial life will be discussed by British historian Jeremy Black of Exeter University, who has been a frequent and very popular Great Lives speaker in the past. His book is entitled, Oliver Cromwell: Gods Warrior and the English Revolution.
China Supplier Concierge Launches New Pacific Rim Product Source Site

A business management company has launched a new site helping people to find products and sellers in China. World Trade Concierge can guide people through the process with a free 30-minute Skype conversation.

--

World Trade Concierge, a company specializing in ensuring smooth business practices through providing product sourcing agents, virtual assistants, and gathering feedback from clients, has launched a new service helping users to track down product manufacturers in China. This helps to create high-quality products while still keeping costs down.

More information is available on the World Trade Concierge website at: http://worldtradeconcierge.com/asian-sourcing.

The World Trade Concierge was founded in 2014 to help provide specialized assistance to importers and exporters worldwide. Hundreds of in-depth interviews helped to underscore a number of pressure points when it came to ongoing management and operational headaches, which have helped to eliminate those headaches associated with day-to-day world trade activities.

According to World Trade Concierge, the globilization of trade and utilizing goods and services from international economies has become firmly entrenched in the present lifestyle. Having a profitable business, the company argues, depends on finding the right product and the right manufacturer going forward.

World trade helps to create a wide range of business opportunities, while at the same time ensuring worldwide companies face challenges whenever they source products from China. Often English is not spoken in China, and even if it is, it's not the first language and as such there are bound to be elements lost in translation. Poor compensation can lead to bad communication and misunderstandings, while cultural differences can lead to differences in attitude, in work ethic, in levels of integrity and behavior.

World Trade Concierge aims to allow customers to get the most from their business dealings with China by putting them in touch with an experienced agent who can provide end-to-end service, eliminating the challenges customers face. The agent can stand as the mediator between the eCommerce seller and the supplier in China. Customers can save time, energy, stress and money through working with such an agent.

Anyone wishing to contact World Trade Concierge to ask questions or find out more about the company can do so through an online contact form on the company's website. Alternatively, users can email contact@worldtradeconcierge.com, call +1.443.753.4001 or book a free no-obligation consultation call at https://calendly.com/wtc-sourcing/30min/03-26-2016.

For more information about us, please visit http://worldtradeconcierge.com/Asian-sourcing/

Contact Info:

Name: Grace Chong

Organization: World Trade Concierge

Address: Singapore

Phone: +1.702.997.2495

Release ID: 108488

For more information visit r



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Coalition Continues Counter-ISIL Strikes in Syria, Iraq

From a Combined Joint Task Force Operation Inherent Resolve News Release

SOUTHWEST ASIA, March 26, 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

Attack aircraft conducted four strikes in Syria:

-- Near Ayn Isa, a strike destroyed an ISIL vehicle bomb and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Mar'a, three strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed an ISIL artillery piece and three ISIL fighting positions.

Strikes in Iraq

Using rocket artillery along with ground-attack, attack, fighter, and remotely piloted aircraft, coalition forces conducted 22 strikes in Iraq, coordinated with and in support of the Iraqi government:

-- Near Fallujah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units.

-- Near Hit, five strikes struck an ISIL improvised weapons factory, an ISIL communications facility, an ISIL weapons storage facility and two separate ISIL tactical units and destroyed two ISIL vehicles and an ISIL fighting position.

-- Near Kisik, two strikes destroyed an ISIL artillery piece and suppressed an ISIL fighting position and an ISIL mortar position.

-- Near Mosul, four strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, suppressed two ISIL mortar positions, and destroyed two ISIL supply caches and three ISIL assembly areas.

-- Near Qayyarah, six strikes struck four separate ISIL tactical units, suppressed an ISIL mortar position, and destroyed three ISIL mortar positions, an ISIL artillery piece, an ISIL supply cache, an ISIL vehicle, and five ISIL assembly areas.

-- Near Sinjar, a strike struck an ISIL tactical unit and destroyed an ISIL heavy machine gun position and an ISIL assembly area.

-- Near Sultan Abdallah, two strikes struck two separate ISIL tactical units, destroyed an ISIL fighting position and denied ISIL access to terrain.

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 a strike, but so is multiple aircraft delivering dozens of weapons against buildings, vehicles and weapon systems in a compound, for example, having the cumulative effect of making those targets harder or impossible for ISIL to use. Accordingly, officials said, they do not report the number or type of aircraft employed in a strike, the number of munitions dropped in each strike, or the number of individual munition impact points against a target.

Part of Operation Inherent Resolve

The strikes were conducted as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, the operation to eliminate the ISIL terrorist group and the threat they pose to Iraq, Syria, the region, and the wider international community. The destruction of ISIL targets in Syria and Iraq further limits the terrorist group's ability to project terror and conduct operations, officials said.

Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Iraq include Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Coalition nations that have conducted strikes in Syria include Australia, Bahrain, Canada, France, Jordan, the Netherlands, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

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'UK troops training Bahraini snipers' amid regime crackdown

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 26, 2016 7:39AM

British forces are providing training to Bahrain's armed forces on using sniper rifles, a report says, amid Manama's heavy-handed crackdown on peaceful anti-regime protests.

Elite troops from the Royal Navy's 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group are running week-long training courses for Bahraini soldiers, the British daily The Independent has reported.

The most recent military training session took place in January during a visit by British special commandos to the tiny Persian Gulf state, according to the report.

The training was provided on board the Royal Navy frigate HMS St Albans, which docked at HMS Juffair, Britain's naval base in Bahrain.

UK forces trained "multiple groups" of Bahraini personnel and were "awarded" Bahraini sniper badges in return.

Bahraini authorities have demanded that the elite snipers return to provide military training for new recruits.

London has been a staunch ally of the Al Khlifa regime. The UK government has approved more than 45 million pounds (63.5 million dollars) worth of arms sales to Manama since the 2011 popular uprising inside Bahrain against the regime.

The Manama regime has been cracking down on political dissent with military help most notoriously from Saudi Arabia, which has overtly deployed forces to Bahrain.

Emily Thornberry, British Labour's shadow defense secretary, warned that the sniper skills trained may be "deployed against the civilian population of the country."

Andy Slaughter, the shadow human rights minister, also said that he was "dismayed" to see that the British government holds Bahrain to a lower standard than other countries when it comes to human rights.

"It seems there is a completely different level of scrutiny for Bahrain compared to other repressive regimes. This can only be linked to our very strong military ties," Slaughter said.

Furthermore, Andrew Smith, of the Campaign against Arms Trade, a UK-based organization working to end the international arms trade, described the training activity as a symptom of the "toxic relationship" between the two countries.

"Despite the ongoing crackdown, the UK charm offensive in Bahrain is continuing unabated. It's not just arms and training that are a major cause of concern; it's also the uncritical political back-scratching and military integration that has gone with it," Smith said.

Sayed Ahmed Alwadaei, the director of advocacy at the Bahrain Institute for Rights and Democracy, said Britain was "providing training to brutal and unaccountable [Bahraini] security services."

Anti-regime demonstrators have been holding rallies on the streets of Bahrain since the beginning of the 2011 uprising, calling on the ruling family to relinquish power. The regime has killed scores of anti-regime protesters and handed down long-term sentences to activists.

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Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan Scale Down Tensions Amid Border Dispute

Sputnik News

09:36 26.03.2016(updated 09:42 26.03.2016)

Kyrgyzstan and Uzbekistan have agreed on regulation of the situation on the border between the two countries following an escalation in the frontier dispute, the Kyrgyz State Border Service said Saturday.

BISHKEK (Sputnik)  Last week, tensions escalated after around 40 Uzbek troops and armored vehicles were deployed to a disputed segment of the border and laid down a roadblock at another highway section. Kyrgyzstan responded by reinforcing border security.

"Following yesterday's talks of border agencies of two countries it was possible to regulate the situation. Uzbekistan has pulled back its military equipment and troops from the disputed region of the Kyrgyz-Uzbek border," a spokeswoman of the Kyrgyz State Border Service told RIA Novosti.

There are currently about 50 disputed sections on the 1,300-kilometer (800-mile) border between the two Central Asian countries, with 354 kilometers of the border yet too be delimitated.

 Sputnik

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Arrest Warrant Issued for New Suspect in Brussels Attacks

by Cindy Saine, Isabela Cocoli March 26, 2016

Belgian prosecutors have identified and issued an arrest warrant for a new suspect in Tuesday's attacks on the Brussels airport and a metro station.

The federal prosecutor's office said in a statement Saturday that it issued an arrest warrant for a man it only identified as Faycal C. for "involvement in a terrorist group, terrorist killings and attempted terrorist killings."

The statement did not confirm that Faycal C. is the third Brussels airport suicide bomber seen in airport security camera video alongside two men who blew themselves up there.



Belgian media reported that a man named Faycal Cheffou was suspected of fleeing the Brussels airport.

3 detained in counterterrorism raids

On Friday Belgian prosecutors said three people were detained in a counterterrorism operation in Brussels prompted by the arrest Thursday of a Frenchman in the Paris area suspected of plotting a new attack.



The Belgian prosecutor's office confirmed in a statement that Friday's arrests were conducted in three districts of the capital - Schaerbeek, Forest and Saint-Gilles. Two of the three suspects were wounded in the leg.

The statement also said that investigators used DNA tests to determine that Najim Laachraoui was one of the suicide bombers who blew himself up in the Brussels airport on Tuesday.

Laachraoui was also linked to the November 13 Paris attacks, in which 130 people died. His DNA was found on a suicide vest and a piece of cloth discovered at the Bataclan concert hall where 90 people were killed.

Kerry honors victims

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry was in Brussels on Friday for talks with Belgian and European leaders about the attacks. During his visit, he said U.S. and coalition members had a message for anyone who would kill and wound innocent civilians going about their everyday lives.

"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."

Speaking with VOA and other reporters in Brussels, Kerry declined to blame the Belgian government for not thwarting the attacks, saying, "carping" afterward was "inappropriate." He said the U.S. and Belgium had already scheduled a number of counterterrorism training sessions.

2 Americans killed

The three blasts touched off Tuesday in Brussels killed 31 people and injured about 300. A senior U.S. official confirmed that two Americans were among the dead.

U.S. officials have told reporters that the brothers who carried out the attacks, Ibrahim and Khalid El Bakraoui, were on a terrorism watch list in the United States.

Belgian federal prosecutors said six people had been detained for possible links to the attacks.

Meeting Thursday near one of the attack sites, European Union justice and interior ministers pledged to deepen joint intelligence gathering and swiftly push through measures to share airline passenger information and step up the fight against terrorism.

"We don't need new plans; we need to fully implement the plans and measures that have been taken," said Interior Minister Ronald Plasterk of the Netherlands, which currently holds the European Union's rotating presidency.

The emergency meeting offered a stark counterpart to the EU's usually staid gatherings, especially since it took place near the Maalbeek metro station, one of the targets of the attacks.

"Everybody feels the attack on Belgium was an attack on Europe and the values we stand for together," Plasterk said. "Europe has been under attack before, but we've always defended liberty and democracy and we will do that together."

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China, Russia should work to settle hotspot issues: President Xi

People's Daily Online

(Xinhua) 09:44, March 26, 2016

BEIJING, March 25 -- China and Russia should strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs to promote the political settlement of major hotspot issues, President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

"China-Russia strategic cooperation plays a key role in safeguarding peace and stability in the region and the world at large," Xi said when meeting with Russian Presidential Administration chief Sergei Ivanov.

China and Russia are each other's most important partners and developing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is the mutual choice of both countries, Xi said.

He called on both countries to take the 15th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as an opportunity to carry forward friendly bilateral cooperation.

In July 2001, China and Russia signed the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, laying a strong legal foundation for the two countries to develop a strategic partnership.

Xi said both sides should maintain close high-level exchanges and deepen practical cooperation in major areas by synergizing each other's development strategies.

Xi stressed he and Russian President Vladimir Putin support the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Russian Presidential Administration in holding exchanges, cooperation and learning from each other.

"This is an important display of our high-level mutual trust," Xi said.

Ivanov said close high-level exchanges guide the development of bilateral relations, and the two countries have maintained rapid development in cooperation in various fields and close communication and coordination in international affairs.

Ivanov said the Russian Presidential Administration is willing to work with the General Office of the CPC Central Committee to implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state and contribute to the bilateral relationship.

Wang Qishan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also met with Ivanov on Friday.

China's anti-corruption drive and the strict discipline of the CPC will continue, said Wang, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. "Comprehensive reform and institution building will be carried out to eliminate the soil that breeds corruption."

Ivanov said Russia attaches great importance to anti-corruption exchanges and cooperation with China.

Li Zhanshu, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, held talks with Ivanov on Thursday.

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Experts: Further Provocations Likely Amid Deepening Standoff with N. Korea

by Eunjung Cho March 25, 2016

North Korea's continuing drive for nuclear weapons, coupled with its growing isolation, is increasing the danger of further provocations from Pyongyang, U.S. experts warn.

Although the international community is tightening sanctions to punish the North for its nuclear and missile development, Pyongyang appears to be defiant. The North has ramped up its threats against South Korea and the United States and fired more missiles following the U.N.'s adoption of a fresh resolution expanding sanctions against it earlier this month.

North Korea said this week that it had successfully conducted a high-powered, solid-fuel rocket engine test. If confirmed, the move would mark a major step forward in the country's missile development. Analysts said the progress would allow North Korea to spend less time to launch a missile, which will enhance the country's missile attack capability.

'Miscalculation' concerns

Frank Jannuzi, president of the Mansfield Foundation, a U.S.-Asia policy think tank, said there is a "great possibility for miscalculation and misunderstanding" by the North Korean leadership. At the same time, he said, there is growing uncertainty about North Korean leaders' intentions.

"One of the downsides of isolating North Korea is that we also have less ability to monitor what's really going on and what they're really thinking and what they're really calculating about their future," Jannuzi said. "So I think we're at a dangerous time on the peninsula here."

Pyongyang has often blamed Washington's "hostile policy" for its development of nuclear weapons. Washington has long maintained that it has no hostile intent toward Pyongyang while seeking denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula. This week, a senior U.S. official dismissed the North Korean accusation again.

"Collapsing North Korea is not our strategy. If it were, our actions would look a lot different than what they are today," U.S. Assistant Secretary of State Daniel Russel said at an event in Berlin.

Jannuzi raised doubts that the U.S-led sanctions would curb Kim Jong Un's nuclear ambitions.

"The last thing he wants to do is to demonstrate that this foreign pressure can force him to capitulate," Jannuzi said.

Bruce Klingner, a senior fellow at the Heritage Foundation, a conservative research think tank in Washington, said sanctions slow down Pyongyang's nuclear and missile programs, although they may not keep the country from pursuing nuclear weapons.

More tests

Given Kim's apparent eagerness to demonstrate his country's nuclear capabilities, Pyongyang is likely to conduct another nuclear test or launch a long-range missile in the near future, Klingner said.

"Kim Jong Un is really telegraphing that there will be more nuclear tests and more long-range missile tests. He almost seems frustrated that experts don't believe his capabilities," the former intelligence official said.

Klingner, however, cautioned against overanalyzing Pyongyang's behavior, saying not every move is aimed at Washington.

North Korea's internal politics also play a role in the country's nuclear stance. Some analysts say Kim is trying to build an image as a strong leader by showing off the country's nuclear capability to the nation.

Kim Jin-moo of the Korea Institute for Defense Analyses, South Korea's state-run research institute, speculated that the timing of the fifth nuclear test could be tied to the opening of North Korea's ruling party gathering in early May.

On Friday, North Korea issued new threats against South Korea, escalating tensions between the two sides. North Korea's state media said Kim ordered the country's military to be on high alert and ready for an attack against South Korean leaders.

This report was produced in collaboration with VOA's Korean service.

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Washington 'worried' over India missile test

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 26, 2016 5:24PM

The United States has expressed concern over India's recent test-launch of a ballistic missile capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

India successfully fired a nuclear-capable K-4 ballistic missile from a submerged platform in the Bay of Bengal earlier in March.

"We are concerned by any nuclear and missile developments that could potentially increase the risk to nuclear security risk or lower the threshold for nuclear use," US State Department spokesman Mark Toner was quoted as saying by NDTV on Friday.

"So we continue to urge all states with nuclear weapons to exercise restraint regarding their missile and nuclear capabilities," he added.

The 10-meter missile with a weight of 20 tons has a reported range of up to 3,500 kilometers (2,174 miles) and can carry a payload of more than 2,000 kilogram (4,400 pounds).

According to Toner, Washington has raised its concerns with India over New Delhi's missile program and the effect it may have on the security of the region.

"I do not want to get into specifics of our bilateral conversations with India, but we have long encouraged efforts to promote confidence building, stability, and discourage any actions that might destabilize the region," he had said earlier.

India conducted another test in mid-December, firing an Agni-I missile from a mobile launcher on the Abdul Kalam Island, located approximately 150 kilometers from Bhubaneshwar, the capital of the eastern state of Odisha.

The 15-meter-long Agni-I is capable of carrying warheads weighing more than 1,000 kilograms.

In January last year, India tested an Agni-V missile, its longest-range nuclear-capable ballistic missile with the capacity to strike China and Europe.

The 17-meter-long intercontinental ballistic missile has a range of more than 5,000 kilometers (3,100 miles).

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Iran responds to US actions by boosting missile power: Zarif

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 26, 2016 4:34PM

Iranian Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif says the Islamic Republic will counter the recent US measures against Iran by further boosting its missile capabilities.

"We will respond to recent US measures against Iran's missile program by further boosting our missile power," Zarif said on Saturday.

He added that Tehran has no limitations on developing its missile program "because this program has nothing to do with nuclear weapons."

In line with Iranian President Hassan Rouhani's order, Iran will continue to enhance its missile capabilities, Zarif stressed.

In an order to Iran's Defense Minister Brigadier General Hossein Dehqan on December 31, 2015, Rouhani urged acceleration in the production of "various types of missiles" needed to improve the country's defense capabilities..

On Thursday, the US Treasury Department blacklisted two Iranian companies claiming that the firms backed Iran's ballistic missile program. Washington also claimed that the companies are working for an industrial group, which the US alleges is in charge of Iran's ballistic missile program.

The blacklisting came after the Islamic Revolution Guards Corps (IRGC) successfully test-fired two more ballistic missiles on March 9 as part of military drills to assess the IRGC's capabilities. The missiles dubbed Qadr-H and Qadr-F were fired during large-scale drills, code-named Eqtedar-e-Velayat.

On March 8, Iran fired another ballistic missile called Qiam from silo-based launchers in different locations across the country.

Zarif, who was accompanying Iran's President Hassan Rouhani in his two-day visit to Pakistan, also said comments by the US presidential candidates regarding the Islamic Republic's missile program should not be taken seriously.

He added that personal views of the person in charge will not change the fact that Washington is legally bound to respect the nuclear agreement, dubbed the Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action (JCPOA), reached between Iran and the six world powers in July 2015.

The US administration should comply with its obligations in practice, Zarif said, stressing that some US presidential candidates, under the influence of the Zionist lobby, are making such comments against Iran which should not be heeded.

Last week, US presidential candidates took the stage at the 2016 American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) policy conference to voice unconditional support for the Israeli regime in an apparent attempt to attract more campaign funding from the influential Zionist lobby in the run-up to the 2016 presidential election.

To get the green light, the hopefuls voiced support for Israel by attacking Iran and Palestine more than ever before.

Republican hopeful Donald Trump said he would end the JCPOA, calling the agreement "catastrophic."

"My number one priority is to dismantle the disastrous deal with Iran," he said, adding, "I have been in business a long time. I know deal making. And let me tell you, this deal is catastrophic. For America, for Israel and for the whole of the Middle East."

Ted Cruz also did his best not to fall behind in the race to win Israel's support, saying, "On the first day in office, I will rip this catastrophic Iranian nuclear deal to shreds."

On Iran's recent missile tests, the Texas senator said, "If I am president, and Iran launches a missile test, we will shoot that missile down."

Republicans claim that Tehran's missile program poses a threat to global security, while Iran categorically denies the claim, arguing that it is solely defensive.

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Iran Hopes for Talks With Saudis to Resolve Differences

by Ayaz Gul March 26, 2016

Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country is ready to "do anything it can" to restore its relations with Saudi Arabia, for the sake of promoting progress and prosperity in the Muslim world.

Rouhani, who wound up a two-day visit to Pakistan Saturday, said he believes in resolving differences through talks, although direct talks between the two nations are unlikely in the short term.

Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Iran in January, when mobs stormed into the kingdom's embassy in Tehran to protest against the Saudis' execution of a Shi'ite religious leader.

Hope for a resolution

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Rouhani said Iran is "not interested in tension with Saudi Arabia."

"Iran is a very big country in the region and the Muslim world," he said. "Saudi Arabia plays an influential role in the Muslim world. Therefore, if there is a problem between the two countries it has to be resolved."

Rouhani noted that Iran's nuclear agreement with the international community last year provided a good example of how seemingly intractable problems can be solved through negotiations.

Since arriving Friday on his first visit to Pakistan as president, the Iranian leader has concluded agreements with Pakistani civilian and military officials on expanded trade and economic relations, cooperation on energy issues and improved security along the two countries' 1,000-kilometer-long border.

In Tehran's view, Rouhani said, the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Iran is holding back progress and prosperity throughout the Muslim world.

"We hope that in the near future we will find the right path to lead us to resolve the issues between us," he told reporters, adding that Pakistan is one of several nations that have offered to mediate between Shi'ite Iran and Saudi Arabia, whose monarchy follows the Sunni branch of Islam.

Syrian conflict

Differences between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims have long divided the two countries, and they have been on opposite sides of the civil war in Syria  Iran backing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi Arabia supporting rebels fighting to overthrow Assad.

As a first step toward cooperation, the Iranian president said all sides should choke off weapons shipments that allow Islamic State terror gangs to keep fighting.

Rouhani also called for an absolute ban on trade involving oil that Islamic State produces in the parts of Iraq under its control.

Despite continuing violence in several parts of Syria, Rouhani said Iran welcomes recent moves toward a cease-fire between Damascus government forces and opposition fighters.

Islamabad has deep political and financial ties to Riyadh, and has been trying to maintain a delicate balance to promote ties with Tehran while not upsetting Saudi Arabia.

Tehran has almost completed work on a natural-gas pipeline that could supply Pakistan's energy needs, Rouhani said, and he urged Islamabad to complete the project on its side of the border. He said Pakistani leaders assured him they are committed to the pipeline project, but that work had been stalled by international economic sanctions against Iran.

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Daesh rocket fire kills Turkish soldier in northern Iraq

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 26, 2016 5:24PM

One Turkish soldier has been killed and another injured when rockets fired by Daesh militants hit an area in northern Iraq, the Turkish army says.

The attack was carried out on Saturday striking Gedu military base area, where Turkish soldiers are stationed, during clashes between Kurdish Peshmerga forces and Daesh terrorists.

The army noted that its forces responded to the rocket attack that intended to target Kurdish troops and that the wounded soldier was transferred to a hospital in the Turkish border city of Sirnak.

Turkey maintains a military presence in the Bashiqa area of northern Iraq despite strong opposition from the central government in Baghdad.

On December 4, 2015, Turkey deployed some 150 soldiers, equipped with heavy weapons and backed by 20 to 25 tanks, to the outskirts of Mosul, the Daesh-held capital of Iraq's Nineveh Province. Baghdad condemned the deployment, describing the uncoordinated act a violation of Iraq's sovereignty.

Iraqi Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari even said his country had submitted a formal complaint to the UN Security Council (UNSC) regarding Turkey's military moves in northern Iraq.

Turkey, however, alleges that its troops are engaged in training Kurdish forces fighting Daesh terrorists, a claim that Baghdad denies, saying Ankara is trying to increase its influence in the north of the Arab country under the pretext of training.

The Iraqi government has called on the international community to provide it with more arms and training to fight Daesh, but Baghdad rejects direct intervention by other countries.

Ankara is under fire over allegations of actively training and arming Takfiri elements and buying smuggled oil from territories held by Daesh in Iraq and neighboring Syria.

Late last year, Russia released satellite images, showing long lines of trucks carrying oil from Daesh-controlled areas in northeastern Syria into Turkey.

Turkey has been among the major supporters of the Takfiri terrorists fighting to topple the government of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad since 2011.

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Daesh bombers attack military base, kill 3 Iraqi soldiers

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 26, 2016 12:32PM

A group of Daesh terrorists have launched an attack on a military base in the western Iraqi province of Anbar, leaving three soldiers dead.

"Four ... bombers this morning infiltrated the military base of al-Asad on its northern edge," Head of the al-Jazeera Operations Command Major General Ali Ibrahim Daboun said on Saturday.

Daboun further noted that the Iraqi security forces killed the attackers who "were of various nationalities," but he did not specify any casualties among army ranks.

Al-Asad air base is one of Iraq's largest military installations and is home to Iraqi federal forces and tribal fighters currently engaged in operations to liberate the nearby city of Hit from the control of Daesh terrorists, as well as to hundreds of foreign military advisers.

Meanwhile, a spokesman for the US-led coalition allegedly fighting Daesh in Iraq and Syria, Colonel Steve Warren, was quoted as saying that no foreign nationals were involved in the incident.

Another Iraqi security source, who asked not to be named, said that a bomber managed to detonate his explosive-laden vest and killed three Iraqi soldiers, while wounding four, noting that "one of the killed soldiers had the rank of major."

However, the officer said the number of bombers who conducted the attack was higher than four.

The Baghdad-based "war media cell" which issues statements for Iraq's pro-government forces also said that three soldiers had been killed in the assault, warning that the casualty figures were provisional.

The news comes a day after Iraqi armed forces made new advances in their fight against Takfiri terrorists and retook control of the town of Kubaysah, located in the city of Hit, in Anbar.

Gruesome violence has plagued the northern and western parts of Iraq ever since Daesh terrorists launched an offensive in June 2014, and took control of portions of the Iraqi territory.

The militants have been committing heinous crimes against all ethnic and religious communities in Iraq, including Shias, Sunnis, Kurds, and Christians. Iraqi army soldiers and fighters from allied Popular Mobilization Units are seeking to win back militant-held regions in joint operations.

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Russia says reinforcing military on western border to counter NATO

Iran Press TV

Fri Mar 25, 2016 9:53PM

Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoygu says the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO)'s growing military build-up in Europe, specially on its eastern frontier with Russia, necessitates a response from Moscow.

"NATO continues building up its military potential in Europe, including in close vicinity to the Russian borders. No doubt, this situation cannot but concern us. We are forced to respond to it," Shoygu said at a ministry board meeting on Friday.

Forming new military divisions and improving the combat composition of the troops in the country's Western Military District -- one of the army's four operational strategic commands -- have been part of Russia's countermeasures, the top defense official noted.

The district is headquartered in the Russian city of Saint Petersburg and neighbors the strategic Baltic region, where the 28-member military alliance has been constantly reinforcing its military presence in three former Soviet states of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania.

"We're constantly improving the combat composition of the Western Military District's troops. Work continued in 2015 to set up units and military formations, including three divisions," Shoygu stated, adding that the military district will receive over 1,100 pieces of new and upgraded military hardware in the process this year.

Western Military District Commander Andrey Kartapolov had announced earlier that Sukhoi Su-35 advanced fighter jets, various self-propelled howitzers and S-400 anti-missile systems were also slated to be deployed to the region.

The US-led military alliance has been deploying troops and equipment close to Russia's borders since it suspended all ties with Moscow in April 2014.

Missile systems on Kuril Islands

Elsewhere in his remarks, Shoygu revealed the planned deployment of a range of coastal missile systems on the disputed southern Kuril Islands, over which Japan also claims sovereignty.

"Already this year they will get Bal and Bastion coastal missile systems as well as new-generation Eleron-3 unmanned aerial vehicles," he said.

The Pacific fleet of the Russian navy will also begin a three-month exploration of the islands for a future naval base, he added.

Shikotan, Khabomai, Iturup and Kunashir are the four islands lying between Russia and Japan.

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Putin Cautions Kadyrov, But Gives Green Light For His Reelection

March 26, 2016

by Liz Fuller

Meeting on March 25 in the Kremlin with Ramzan Kadyrov, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had signed a decree appointing the current Chechen leader as acting republic head when his second term expires on April 5.

Kadyrov will hold this temporary position until a vote is held across Chechnya to elect a republic head in September.

At the same time, in a clear allusion to highly publicized incidents over the past year involving Chechen security personnel and attacks on Russian human rights activists, Putin unambiguously warned Kadyrov of the need for "closer coordination" with the federal authorities, especially with regard to security.

That is in all likelihood an allusion to an episode in April 2015, when Kadyrov issued orders to the security forces loyal to him to "shoot to kill" in the event that Interior Ministry units from elsewhere in the Russian Federation seek to apprehend suspected criminals on Chechen territory without having obtained permission from the authorities in Grozny to do so.

Putin also told Kadyrov that "as the future leader of the republic, you should do everything to ensure full compliance with Russian laws in all spheres of life -- I want to stress this, in all spheres of life."

It is tempting to construe that injunction as an expression of Putin's displeasure at a vicious attack earlier this month on Russian human rights activists and two foreign journalists on the Chechen-Ingush border. The perpetrators drove cars with Chechen license plates.

In December 2014, Putin had issued a comparable, if less strongly-worded warning to Kadyrov not to violate the law in connection with republic head's orders to expel from Chechnya the families of insurgents responsible for attacks on Grozny earlier that month and for the destruction of their homes.

Economic Upswing

At the March 25 meeting, Putin also enumerated the positive aspects of Kadyrov's track record as Chechen leader: the rebuilding of infrastructure destroyed during the wars of 1994-1996 and 1999-2000; drastically reducing unemployment (on paper, if not in actual fact); and restoring stability and security (although this is widely believed to have been done by intimidating or killing anyone rash enough to criticize Kadyrov or question the legality of his methods).

In the context of the rebuilding of Chechnya's war-shattered economy, Putin quipped that "I didn't expect someone of your background to develop suddenly into a competent economic manager." Strictly speaking, however, the economic upswing since Putin first named Kadyrov Chechen president in March 2007 was primarily the work of trusted subordinates -- in the first instance Grozny Mayor Muslim Khuchiyev, who pulled out all the stops to ensure Kadyrov's orders were carried out within the designated timeframe, mainly because the futures of the Chechen leader's underlings and of their families depended on it.

Putin's appointment of Kadyrov as acting republic head lays to rest widespread speculation in recent months that the Russian leadership, or more precisely a specific interest group within it, had become so alarmed at the exponential increase in Kadyrov's power and influence that they were considering naming him to another position. The independent Daghestan-based daily "Chernovik" mentioned the posts of federal envoy to the North Caucasus Federal District (currently held by Sergei Melikov,who would then succeed Republic of Daghestan head Ramazan Abdulatiov) or that of deputy Russian presidential administration head with responsibility for nationality relations. The latter position is currently occupied by Abdulatipov's predecessor as Republic of Daghestan head, Magomedsalam Magomedov.

That speculation about Kadyrov's political future has been fueled, on the one hand, by Kremlin officials' disinclination to clarify his future role, even though it is normal practice for a republic head to be appointed "acting" only very shortly before his term is due to expire, as was the case recently with Karachayevo-Cherkessia Republic head Rashid Temrezov.

On the other hand, Kadyrov himself contributed to the uncertainty by declaring in late February that he did not wish to serve a third term. In response to that statement, Kadyrov's closest aides orchestrated a large-scale PR campaign under the hashtag # (Ramzan, Don't Leave!).

A mass demonstration of popular support for Kadyrov scheduled for March 6, which budget sector workers had been ordered to attend, was called off, however, and Chechen government officials denied that it had ever been planned.

But a rally by up to 1 million people in Grozny on March 23, purportedly to mark the 13th anniversary of the adoption in a referendum of a new Chechen Republic constitution, was in effect organized in such a way as to give the impression that the republic's entire population sees Kadyrov as the sole guarantor of its security and well-being.

Private Army

Putin expressed confidence that the Chechen people will "demonstrate their appreciation" of what Kadyrov has accomplished, presumably by reelecting him.But Mikhail Vinogradov, head of the Petersburg Politics Fund, has suggested that Kadyrov's reelection is still not necessarily a foregone conclusion, and that, in the five months before the September 18 ballot, the Kremlin may continue looking for an alternative candidate.

Yekaterina Sokiryanskaya, who heads the International Crisis Group's North Caucasus project, believes that the Russian leadership has concluded that the potential risks of trying to replace Kadyrov as republic head are greater than that of permitting the continuation of his brutal, corrupt , and authoritarian regime. She further makes the point that, not only does the Kremlin lack complete control over Kadyrov -- which has been the consensus among Caucasus watchers for some time -- it is not even seeking to impose such control, even though it is capable of doing so.

At the same time, Sokiryanskaya observes that power in Chechnya rests with the Russian forces deployed there, not with Kadyrov's own private army, the strength of which Russian opposition politician Ilya Yashin recently estimated at approximately 12,000 men. Sokiryanskaya predicts that, "if [the federal troops] were withdrawn from Chechnya now, the Kadyrov regime would not survive a week," given that "a significant number" of Kadyrov's security forces would withdraw their support for him. Whether and in response to what possible blatant disregard by Kadyrov of Putin's warnings the Russian leadership might resort to that worst-case scenario can only be guessed at.

Source: http://www.rferl.org/content/caucasus-report -putin-kadyrov-reelection/27637133.html

Copyright (c) 2016. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.

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Russian airstrikes kill 100 terrorists in Syria

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 26, 2016 5:55PM

Russia says its fighter jets have conducted 158 air raids against terrorist targets in Syria's central province of Homs over the past 24 hours, leaving at least 100 Takfiri militants dead.

The Russian center for reconciliation of the warring sides in Syria said Russian Aerospace Forces made 40 sorties near the ancient city of Palmyra in Homs over the past 24 hours.

"Strikes were carried out on 158 terrorist targets, resulting in 100 militants killed," the website of the Russian Defense Ministry quoted the center as saying.

"Four tanks, three artillery mounts, four ammo storage depots and five motor vehicles" were also destroyed in the air attacks, according to the center.

The news comes as Syrian forces have gained more grounds against the Daesh Takfiri militants in their battle around Palmyra.

The troops managed to recapture the town of al-Amiriyah, which is located on the northern outskirts of Palmyra, on Saturday following fierce clashes with Daesh terrorists.

The historic city fell to Daesh last May. The Syrian army and allied forces kicked off an assault earlier this month to take it back.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday that Syrian forces that are backed by airstrikes and artillery fire have so far retaken one-third of Palmyra mainly in the west and north of the city.

The fall of the city raised global concern as the terrorists have blown up Palmyra's UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years.

The liberation of Palmyra would cause eastern Syria to open up to the army and deal a heavy blow to Daesh terrorists who are in control of most of the two provinces of Dayr al-Zawr and Raqqah in the east.

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Syria army forces capture town near Palmyra

Iran Press TV

Sat Mar 26, 2016 12:50PM

Syrian forces have gained more grounds against the Daesh Takfiri militants in their fight around the ancient city of Palmyra on Saturday, liberating the town of al-Amiriyah.

According to the Arab country's state television, SANA, the troops managed to recapture the town, which is located on the northern outskirts of Palmyra, following "fierce clashes" with Daesh terrorists.

"The clashes are taking place now in the al-Amiriyah neighborhood, which is Daesh's gateway into the city," AFP quoted an unnamed Syrian military source as saying.

Syria's official SANA news agency reported army advances in the western part of Palmyra and intensive military operations in its south.

"Violent clashes also are going on in the vicinity of Palmyra airport" in the east of the city, the agency added.

The historic city fell to Daesh last May. The Syrian army and allied forces kicked off an assault earlier this month to take it back.

The so-called Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday that Syrian forces that are backed by airstrikes and artillery fire have so far retaken one-third of Palmyra mainly in the west and north of the city.

Saturday's gains come a day after the Syrian army took control of the citadel, which overlooks Palmyra.

"Our heroic forces are continuing to advance until we liberate every inch of this pure land," a soldier told state television from slopes of the citadel.

The fall of the city raised global concern as the terrorists have blown up Palmyra's UNESCO-listed temples and looted relics that dated back thousands of years.

The liberation of Palmyra would cause eastern Syria to open up to the army and deal a heavy blow to Daesh terrorists who are in control of most of the two provinces of Dayr al-Zawr and Raqqah in the east.

In recent months, Syrian army, backed by the Russian air power, has been making major gains against Takfiri groups, recapturing several strategic areas from their grip, particularly in the strategic northern province of Aleppo.

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Heavy Fighting in Battle for Palmyra in Syria

by VOA News March 26, 2016

Syrian government forces moved deeper into the Islamic State controlled city of Palmyra Saturday, recapturing several neighborhoods.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights and regional media outlets reported air strikes and artillery bombardment, saying that waves of explosions hit buildings, and smoke could be seen rising from many locations.

The observatory described fighting for the ancient desert city as the heaviest assault yet in a campaign by the Syrian army and its ally militia fighters backed by Russian ground and air forces.

Casualties

According to the monitoring group, the battle for Palmyra, now in its fourth week, has been costly for government forces that lost at least 10 soldiers Saturday. 18 others were reported killed Friday.

Palmyra, coined as the "bride of the desert," used to attract tens of thousands of tourists every year.

IS took the city from government forces in a matter of days in May 2015 and later demolished many famous Roman-era monuments in the UNESCO world heritage site.

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Taiwan, China lack conditions for unification: President Ma

ROC Central News Agency

2016/03/26 17:23:55

Taipei, March 26 (CNA) President Ma Ying-jeou () has said in a recent media interview that both he and Chinese President Xi Jinping () are well aware that the conditions for the unification of the two sides of the Taiwan Strait are lacking at present.

Ma told CNN that mainland China certainly desires unification and has never given up on the idea, according to a Chinese transcript of the interview released Saturday by the Presidential Office.

However, the mainland is willing to develop relations with Taiwan peacefully on the basis of the 1992 consensus of "one China, different interpretations" because it knows that pushing for immediate unification would not achieve good results and would even have serious consequences, Ma said.

During his historic meeting with Xi in Singapore last November, Ma said, he let Xi understand that the "one China, different interpretations" model adhered to by the Republic of China (Taiwan) will not be interpreted as "two Chinas," "one China, one Taiwan" or "Taiwan independence."

"Our interpretation is of course based on our Constitution, which can only be 'the Republic of China,'" he said, adding that the model has provided a very appropriate and mutually acceptable basis for cross-strait relations over the past eight years.

(By Claudia Liu and Y.F. Low)

ENDITEM/ls

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The Gianforte Family Foundation formed in 2004 as the charitable outlet for the amassing wealth of Bozeman tech entrepreneurs Susan and Greg Gianforte, who grew the nonprofit into Montana's second largest foundation behind only the Dennis and Phyllis Washington Foundation, according to a Gazette State Bureau analysis of federal nonprofit records.

In 2005, the Gianforte Foundation made eight gifts totaling $150,384. In 2013, the latest year for which public records are available, they issued 80 grants totaling almost $6 million leaving the foundation with $133 million in assets. The next largest trust, The Bair Ranch Foundation of Billings, held $91 million in assets and gifted $2 million that same year.

Gianforte, now seeking to become Montana governor in this fall's election, has talked little about his social stances, insisting that his campaign is focused on economic development. In the silence, his Democrat opponents have started to point to the foundation's giving as proof of an out of the mainstream agenda. Political scientists have described the donations as typical for a socially conservative Republican.

In an interview with the Gazette State Bureau, Gianforte discussed some details of his familys giving but largely disagreed that it was relevant to his campaign to become governor.

Weve been incredibly blessed and we feel an obligation to give back, and thats the reason weve given more than half our income away in the last 10 years and why I am stepping up to offer my services to bring business expertise to get Montana out of being 49th in wages, he said. It all stems from the same root of wanting to serve, but they are two distinct, separate areas.

Asked what voters might learn about the policy stances and worldview of Gianforte the candidate from the spending and advocacy of Gianforte the philanthropist, campaign Spokesman Aaron Flint called the question flawed, if not outright inappropriate.

Why isn't Bullock being asked about his faith, his charitable contributions (or lack thereof), organizations he associates with, and where he goes to church? Flint wrote in a Friday email. Greg and Susan donated 55 percent of their income to charity. Over $100 million given to charities  mostly here in Montana. Montanans see this as a good thing. Its a giant leap to suggest that just because someone gives their own money to a charity, that they will then as a result give taxpayer money to that same charity.

Although the Gianfortes have given more $100 million to their foundation, only about a third of that has been spent. Flint did not respond to two requests for details on foundation giving in 2014 and 2015. He has previously said that all the familys personal giving is done through the foundation.

Until Friday, Bullocks campaign had declined to say whether it would release tax returns and details of the familys charitable giving as the Gianfortes have done. Jason Pitt, campaign spokesman for Montana Democrats, now says those documents will be released in April after the Bullocks finish their 2015 filings.

Political scientists watching the campaign disagreed with Flint that the foundations giving was not fair game for voters to evaluate, describing the gifts as particularly illustrative for a candidate without any prior experience in public office.

Some of the earliest critiques from the left on this stuff were premature and way overblown and bordering on a kind of intolerance, University of Montana political scientist Robert Saldin said, referencing statements and blog posts by Democrats late last year that he thought might have focused too closely on Gianfortes faith. Now, were months into this thing and the primary is approaching. These are legitimate social issue questions. Hes going to have to address them at some point.

Jeremy Johnson, a Carroll College politics professor, agreed that Democrats could use the giving as fodder in future campaign attacks while voters might start to evaluate the Republican beyond his focus so far on economic issues.

He has donated to a large number of organizations that all share an agenda to promote conservatism in policy making, Johnson said. Although his campaign has not yet discussed policy positions in detail we can infer he has strong ideological convictions based on the sheer number of such donations.

Of the 395 grants awarded from 2005 to 2013, nearly half went to 52 Christian missions or faith-based social service organizations. Those donations totaled $10.8 million, about a third of the foundations spending. Another third, or $11.1 million, was gifted to Bozemans Petra Academy, the Christian private school attended by the Gianforte children and where Greg Gianforte serves on the board.

We support these charities because we believe in the work theyre doing and having an impact in the community. We tend to give to organizations that we have relationships with and where we have confidence in their leadership, Gianforte said. We give to hundreds so I dont want to get into individual charities.

Others want to do just that.

This is about the values and priorities that Greg Gianforte would bring to the governors office, Bullock campaign spokesman Eric Hyers said.

The donations that have drawn the most scrutiny in recent months are those that supported organizations advocating on social issues, often in addition to related educational or health programs. Some groups oppose gay marriage, seek to ban or restrict abortions, file lawsuits to defend religious freedoms such as prayer in schools, promote Creationism and denounce evolution, propose transferring federal lands to state control or local trusts, and push for taxpayer-funded vouchers to private schools.

I dont see anything thats surprising for a non-denominational Christian and conservative Republican. Thats in addition to the plenty of apolitical donations to the arts and public universities and the like, Saldin said. It does suggest a social conservatism that hasnt been a prominent part of his campaign.

Gianforte has spoken briefly about some of the same issues when pressed by media, such as affirming his interest in proposals to transfer management, but not ownership, of federal lands to the state. On other topics, he has declined to discuss details or confirm his stance as a candidate. For instance, he said he is pro-life but refused to talk about whether he would support anti-abortion legislation as governor.

When asked about his charitable giving, Gianforte often emphasizes that IRS rules expressly prohibit private foundations, such as the one organized by his family, from contributing to political causes.

Every donation has gone to a 501(c)3 for nonpolitical work, he said.

Denise Roth Barber, managing director of the National Institute on Money in State Politics in Helena, said that political spending is narrowly defined in federal tax law primarily to limit or ban donations to campaigns. Depending on how nonprofits are organized, many can still promote policy stances or send report cards to voters that grade candidates on issues in addition to running community programs.

Nonprofits that are organized to do social welfare can engage fully in communications to the public about their issue. Thats what the majority of nonprofits do, she said. These groups can speak loud, speak clear and identify whatever candidate they want to. Theyre not limited on speaking, but disclosure requirements kick in when they do identify someone on the ballot.

With the passage of the Montana Disclose Act in 2015, those nonprofits will have to publicly disclose such spending to the Commissioner of Political Practices during the campaign season. They will have to identify the contributors who paid for political messages, but not those who supported other programmatic or operational costs. An original source could legally be obscured when one nonprofit donates general purpose funding to another nonprofit which then spends on electioneering.

As long as it mentions a candidate or a race then it is electioneering communication even if it doesnt take a position for or against a particular candidate, Commissioner Jonathan Motl said.

To date, none of the nonprofits that received gifts from the Gianforte Foundation and that are known to have spent money on campaign-related issue ads in previous election cycles  such as Americans for Prosperity, an advocacy group largely funded by conservative super donors the Koch brothers  have yet registered with the commissioner.

University of Montana political science professor Christopher Muste cautioned that personal priorities, as might be inferred from the foundations grants, do not always translate into policy actions.

Those questions will have to be answered on the campaign trail, he said. If Gianforte doesnt elaborate, it could be a serious issue for moderate and independent voters.

Hell have to address it or risk losing them.
The Danville Family YMCA met an important goal this week, CEO Sarah Folmar told the Danville Development Council on Tuesday: signing up its 4,300th household membership.

Folmar said when the YMCA was exploring sites for the new building an extensive marketing study was done. One of the results of the 2008 study said choosing a site on the river would draw an estimated 4,300 households to the YMCA.

We just hit it today, Folmar said, smiling. We have more than 8,700 members in all.)

After Danville Development Council members were given a presentation on goals of the YMCA and invited to tour the facility, Folmar said she has enjoyed the decade she has spent with the Danville Y.

The group is dedicated to youth development, social responsibility and healthy living, Folmar said, and all of the programs and projects the YMCA does apply to at least one of those efforts.

This is a calling, not a job, for all of us, Folmar said, adding that she was recently stopped by a member in the hallway who told her the YMCA had changed her life. She said her son had died and she was suffering from depression, but when she joined the Y she found friends and it changed her life  it made me feel good.

The YMCA has been a part of Danville for more than 132 years.

Its probably one of the longest-standing businesses in Danville, she said.

There are programs and memberships for all ages and incomes, with scholarships available for low-income families and individuals. Each year, the YMCA awards more than $100,000 in scholarships to pay for programs and memberships people otherwise would not be able to afford, Folmar said.

Programs include child care for children as young as six months old, after school programs, swimming lessons for all ages, a Silver Sneakers program for seniors that gears exercise programs for their abilities and more.

Six hundred adults and children learned to swim here last year, Folmar said.

The YMCA is currently working with Danville Public Schools to implement a summer learning loss prevention program  a program that will help children retain what they learned the previous year while having fun.

Mornings would be spent on educational activities, Folmar said, and after lunch YMCA staff would arrive to bring in their programs.

Kids feel like they are at camp, Folmar said. Wouldnt you rather feel like you are going to summer camp instead of summer school?

Folmar said the YMCA is always working to expand or fine-tune programs so more people can enjoy them.

Its been real exciting, Folmar said. We have this beautiful facility, but its about whats inside that counts.
Adam Sauceda/Standard-Times The San Angelo Police Department blocked the intersection of Main Street and East 21st Street Saturday night while searching for a suspect.

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By Staff Report

San Angelo Police are investigating a shooting incident that left one person dead and another injured over the weekend.

Police were dispatched to the 1100 block of East 22nd Street around 10 p.m. Saturday and blocked the area off to traffic.

One person was pronounced dead at the scene, according to SAPD, and the injured person was taken to Shannon Medical Center and was in surgery around 1 a.m. Sunday.

Sgt. Cade Solsbery, public information officer for SAPD, said Sunday afternoon that there were no new updates for release.

Solsbery said SAPD would not release any description of the suspects, victims or any vehicles involved until Monday, adding that the investigation is ongoing.

I thought it was fireworks at first, because I didnt see or hear anything afterwards, said Jamie Thrasher, 44, a neighbor. And then all the cops showed up, and I was like what the heck is going on?

Thrasher said he was washing dishes in his home at the time of the shooting and heard gunshots.

I heard like six shots and then like six more, because it went through the tin in the backyard, he said. I walked back there earlier and saw the bullet holes where they marked all the bullet holes.

Thrasher, who has lived in the neighborhood for about a year, said he doesnt know much about the occupants who live on the property.

He said, however, that the neighborhood is relatively safe and quiet.

I really dont pay attention to what theyre doing until last night, he said. Im going to be more conscious about whats going on here.
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When dog and cat owners notice their pets excessively scratching, biting and licking, many of them associate these signs with fleas. With so many products on the market for flea treatment and prevention, finding the right product to treat your pet and house can be both intimidating and confusing.

Controlling fleas is a multi-step process and often involves assistance from your veterinarian, especially in severe cases. For every flea an owner finds on their pet, it is likely that many other immature flea life stages, such as eggs, larvae and cocoons, are in the pet owner's home and yard. Thus, an efficient flea treatment and prevention plan includes caring for both the pet and the pet's environment.

However, it is important to note that no flea treatment plan shows immediate results, so it is important for pet owners to be patient and continue routine care for flea prevention.

Adam Patterson, clinical assistant professor and chief of dermatology at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, explained the importance of treating both pets and their environment for fleas. "The adult fleas owners see on their pet is just the tip of the iceberg, as those fleas come from immature and unseen flea life stages in the carpet, area rugs, upholstery, dog beds, and shady places outdoors," Patterson said. "Depending on environmental conditions, it may take a couple of weeks to months for all of the eggs to hatch, so if you don't keep regularly administering flea prevention to all fur-bearing animals in your home, you are giving fleas an opportunity to come right back on your pet."

A successful flea control plan eliminates fleas from the pet, as well as the indoor and outdoor environment, thereby preventing immature forms of fleas from developing into bloodsucking adults. Owners should be guided by their veterinarian in choosing the safest and most effective flea control product to treat their pet and home. Veterinarians will choose a product based on the extent of the flea infestation and other considerations, such as the pet's health, age, and breed.

"There are many products to treat your house and yard with, but this should be something you discuss with your veterinarian," Patterson said. "Some products may be harmful to some animals in your household so a veterinarian can recommend the best product for you."

In addition to using a flea control product, owners can treat their homes and yards in other simple ways. For an indoor environment, vacuum thoroughly below drapes, under furniture, and where the pet sleeps. Be sure to remove and discard the vacuum waste bag after every use until the flea infestation is resolved. Washing the pet's bedding on a weekly basis can also help in flea prevention. Controlling fleas in the great outdoors includes disturbing flea habitat to prevent adult fleas from developing. To do this, apply veterinarian-recommended products to moist, warm, and shady areas and areas in the yard where there is organic debris, such as leaves. Fleas also populate in areas where pets spend much of their time, such as under patios, porches, and outdoor kennels. Disturb these breeding ground areas by raking, sweeping, and applying an insecticide.

There are many flea control products for pets on the market, including flea collars, once-a-month topical spot-on treatments and oral tablets. Patterson suggested pet owners consult their veterinarian in choosing the most effective flea treatment for their furry friend, as treatment for the pet is the most important step in good flea control.

Although fleas are often viewed as just an annoyance for most pets, it is important for pet owners to take immediate action when they notice signs of fleas. Allergic reactions, bacterial skin infections, anemia, and the transmission of parasites are additional potential complications that may occur in pets with fleas.

"Of course, if you notice any signs of itchy skin, sores on the skin, hair loss, lethargy, or weight loss in your pet, you should have the pet examined by a veterinarian," Patterson advised. "The good news with fleas and ticks is that there are very good preventatives available. If you are consistent and vigilant with preventative treatment, you shouldn't have to worry about complications from fleas."

Pet Talk is a service of the College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences, Texas A&M University.
The 2016 National Park Service centennial really ought to be observed two years from now in Yellowstone National Park. It was two full years after Congress created the NPS that rangers were allowed to take over the protection of the world's first national park.

The story of that two-year delay, fraught with political battles from Montana to Washington, D.C., and the diversion of military resources in time of war, reveals that controversies that surrounded Yellowstone 100 years ago were no less contentious than are the issues of 2016.

For its first 14 years Yellowstone Park had superintendents who were paid only in some years, and assistant superintendents only when money was available. In 1886, Congress appropriated nothing for Yellowstone. The secretary of Interior called on the War Department for help. The U.S. Cavalry rode to the rescue with the first troops arriving on Aug. 20, 1886, under the command of Capt. Moses Harris. They expected a brief military stint. It lasted 32 years  till two years after the creation of the NPS.

Soldiering on 32 years

"Yellowstone's military superintendents developed comprehensive plans for replacing troops with a civilian park guard by 1907," H. Duane Hampton wrote in "How the U.S. Cavalry Saved Our National Parks," published in 1971. Hampton, a University of Montana history professor, noted that that conferences starting in 1911 in YNP brought together War and Interior leaders to plan a park transition.

On Feb. 2, 1912, President William Howard Taft recommended that Congress establish a national parks bureau, but he was ignored, Yellowstone historian Aubrey Haynes wrote in "The Yellowstone Story: Volume 2," first published in 1977.

The War Department recognized that running Yellowstone was not a military job. The Interior Department eventually agreed, although it had no funds to protect the parks.

Stephen T. Mather and Horace M. Albright took the initiative to create the NPS as leaders at Interior. Favorable articles were published in the Saturday Evening Post and National Geographic.

On Aug. 24, 1916, President Woodrow Wilson signed the law establishing the National Park Service.

"By 1916, there were about 30 national parks and monuments, many thanks to President Theodore Roosevelt," Yellowstone historian Lee Whittlesey noted in a recent interview.

3 Army telegrams

According to Yellowstone Archives documents, the transfer to civil authority was well underway by Aug. 30, 1916, when Fort Yellowstone commanding officers received a telegram from the adjutant general telling them to hold up. On Sept. 29 the adjutant general sent another telegram ordering Fort Yellowstone to proceed with the transfer, and then a second telegram that day directed them to complete the transfer by Oct. 1.

They didn't meet that short deadline. An unusually cold and snowy October set in, but on Oct. 16, 1916, the last soldiers departed by train. A civilian supervisor with 25 rangers (including some former soldiers) went to work, replacing about 250 troops.

Soldiers were ordered back to the park in November. Once again Congress used its power of the purse to dictate park administration. Much of the credit or blame goes to Montana's U.S. senators.

The people of Gardiner strongly objected to the federal government replacing 250 soldiers with 25 civilian rangers. The move obviously would be bad for business in the park's northern gateway community, which was its busiest entrance and just five miles from Fort Yellowstone and park headquarters. The park tourist season ran from late June through September, but soldiers were stationed year-round.

"There were a lot of people opposed; congressmen didn't want to move the Army," Whittlesey noted.

"Senators Thomas H. Walsh and Henry L. Meyers of Montana were attending the 1916 Democratic National Convention in Chicago when they learned that orders had been given ending the military guardianship of the Yellowstone," Hampton wrote. "Walsh immediately telephoned the Secretary of Interior and demanded that troops not be recalled from the park until Jan. 1, 1917. When informed that the order had already been given, the two senators pleaded that the order be at least postponed until after the election."

The Montana Legislature petitioned Congress "to again police the park with officers and soldiers of the regular army," Haynes wrote.

The Montana senators had an ally in Rep. J.J. Fitzgerald of New York, chairman of the House Appropriations Committee, who believed that the Army should permanently patrol the park. The House added a provision to the Sundry Bill (the budget bill) prohibiting any money being spent to pay a civilian protective force in Yellowstone and requiring that the military patrol it, according to Hampton.

Chaos and confusion

"The immediate results were chaos and confusion," Hampton wrote. The United States was on the brink of fighting World War I and troops were needed in Europe. The park military commanders changed several times in several months.

The next two years, Whittlesey said, were a "fiasco" with three government bodies in charge of the park: the Army, the Army Corps of Engineers and NPS.

Finally, Congress appropriated money to pay rangers in Yellowstone. The United States entered World War I in April 1917. The fiscal 1918 Sundry Civil Bill included $334,920 ($5.25 million in 2016 dollars) for the administration, protection, improvement and maintenance of the park, including all road and construction work. On Oct. 31, 1918, the Army withdrew from the park, turning over patrols to acting superintendent Chester A. Lindsley's three assistants and 25 rangers.

The U.S. Army protected Yellowstone from poachers, prospectors and political attacks long past the time when the territorial wilderness became part of three states. The park remains a lightning rod for controversy because it is so beloved and so valuable in many ways. The Montana Legislature and the Montana congressional delegation still weigh in on park policies, often taking a local, short-term view of America's park that is 144 years old this month.
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The following editorial appeared in the March 19 Longview News-Journal:

Justices of the Texas Supreme Court are considering a case that could considerably change the financial landscape of the Texas budget for years, and chances are you either haven't heard about it or don't completely grasp what it is all about.

Don't feel alone.

The esoteric case, involving sales taxes on some oil field equipment, has been bouncing around Texas' court system for years. The only ones who seem to be certain about the proper ruling are those who are paid to have an opinion  the lawyers representing either side.

Don't let its complicated nature fool you into thinking the outcome cannot have a direct affect on you, because it most assuredly can.

Here is the basic question to be answered: Is equipment used in oil and gas extraction, including metal pipes and tubing, exempt from sales taxes?

For years the state has taken the position such equipment is subject to sales taxes, but oil and gas producers have built a strong case the state is wrong, that such equipment falls under an exemption for processing equipment and sales taxes on it should be refunded to those who paid them.

It's the refunding that raises eyebrows because it is estimated to come with a price tag to the state of more than $4 billion.

Ouch.

The good news is that the state's rainy day emergency fund has about $4 billion in it now and is expected to grow to about $10 billion. That could cover the tab.

Except it is not quite that simple.

For one thing, a lawsuit over school funding also looms over the Legislature's head, and most believe the court will demand Texas fix inequities in its system. We don't yet know how much that will cost.

Second, given the nature of our state government, there will be legislators (and perhaps Gov. Greg Abbott, too) who balk at using so much from the rainy day fund. Because we know taxes will not be raised, either, that would mean more cuts in a state budget already stretched too thin in many areas.

We're sure some state spending could be trimmed, but deeper cuts at this point would be unwise and harmful to many Texans. Unfortunately, the decisions made by the Legislature will not necessarily be based on what is best for Texas. What is best for the next political campaign is more likely to be the guiding factor.

After all, if what is right for the state and best for Texans were always top of mind for legislators, we probably would not be engaged in the public school financing lawsuit.

Having said all that, the Texas Supreme Court should (and no doubt will) decide this case on the merits and not the condition of the state's coffers or the Legislature's friendly relationship with the Texas oil and gas industry.

We all ought to be prepared for the possible fallout, though. It would not be pretty.
Ransomware Emergency: What Can You Do?
STAMFORD  A Stamford High School student has accused two classmates of a bathroom sexual assault in a civil lawsuit that also names school administrators and the district.

The lawsuit, filed last month in state Superior Court in Stamford, says the then-16-year-old Stamford High special-education student was assaulted in February 2014 by a male and female classmate who forced him into a bathroom, locked the door, pinned him to the floor, removed his pants and assaulted him.

They brought me past the security guard, through the cafeteria, the boy told Hearst Connecticut Media. I asked (the security guard) to help me. He thought they were just messing around.

It is the latest scandal to rock Stamford High School, which is trying to shake off the stigma of the past year in which a teacher was convicted of having sex with a student and several administrators left or were removed from their jobs for not reporting the information to police or the states child protective services agency in a timely manner.

In addition to suing the juvenile pair and their parents, the suit also names as defendants former Superintendent Winifred Hamilton, former Stamford High Principal Donna Valentine and former Stamford High Assistant Principal Angela Thomas-Graves and Barbara Boller, Stamford Highs psychologist.

Boller, Valentine and Thomas-Graves are all accused of failing to properly notify the parents of the boy in question, as well as failing to notify police and the states child protection agency.

The complainant is not being identified, as the lawuit says he is the victim of a sex crime. The male and female acquaintances are similarly not being identified, as they were juveniles at the time of the incident.

Locked in

The boy described the horrifying incident in an earlier interview with Hearst at the office of his attorney, Griff Trow.

He said the students had been sitting eating lunch with two acquaintances, the male and the female student. After a while, he said, they both started getting sexually active, touching and biting each other. The student claimed the pair then tried to involve him.

The pair, the student said, decided to go somewhere private, and dragged him along to a boys bathroom on the fifth floor.

Because there were rarely security officers or other authorities in that area of the school, the boy said students called it the rape hallway.

Once inside the bathroom, the male and female acquaintances locked the door behind them, he said, but not before a friend of his had followed.

I was trying to hide in the stalls, locking the stalls, the student said. His friend, he said, tried to help him stay away from the pair.

My friend was helping pull (me into the next stall), the (other) two were pulling me by my legs, he said. They pinned me down in an open area of the bathroom. The girl had pinned me by my chest and arms."

The boy said that while he was pinned, the male student pulled down his pants.

I screamed for help," he said. The female (student) covered my mouth.

The boy said he struggled until a passing custodian heard the noise and unlocked the door to investigate.

I quickly put on my pants and ran when the janitor opened the door, he said. The first thing on my mind was to get away.

I was late for my English class, he recalled. My teacher asked why I was late. I just said I was walking around. I was embarrassed. I was just very upset with myself that I couldnt protect myself more.

Case under seal

The boy said he filled out an incident report with Stamford Highs school resource officer, a police officer assigned to the school.

The two juveniles were arrested in a timely manner and charged with sexual assault, Lt. Diedrich Hohn of the Stamford Police Department said Thursday.

The details of the criminal case against the pair is under seal, as they were tried in juvenile court.

Trow, the attorney for the boy, said that the two alleged perpetrators are not serving prison time.

I believe there was some kind of plea bargain, he said.

It was unclear as of Thursday whether the accused students or their parents had gotten lawyers.

Lawyers for the city representing district officials did not respond to requests for comment Thursday.

A spokeswoman for the schools said it was district policy not to comment on pending litigation.

The lawsuit comes as Stamford High struggles to regain community trust.

School officials learned that a teacher had been having sex with a student for most of the 2013-14 school year but did not report it to required authorities until the last day of school.

The fallout from that led to Valentines ouster in January. Thomas-Graves, the administrator who oversaw the schools special education students, was transferred to the districts adult education program.

The district superintendent, Hamilton, retired early from the district in December, citing a loss of public trust in the district following several cases of teacher misconduct.
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BETHEL  The day after a fatal shooting rocked a placid Bethel neighborhood, Andrea and Louis Reda described their next-door neighbor Charles Cristofalo as a great guy who would give Disney DVDs and candy to their daughter.

A few hours later Saturday, Bethel police Lt. Michael Libertini described Cristofalo, 76, as the man killed in Friday afternoons shooting at 11 Governors Lane.

Thai Pham, 56, and Ahn Cristofalo, 68, whom neighbors said was Charles Cristofalos wife, were also shot and injured at the home, police said.

No further details are available about what led up to the shooting, Libertini wrote in Saturdays news release.

More News One dead in apparent murder-suicide attempt in Bethel

Pham was listed in critical condition at Danbury Hospital late Saturday afternoon. Ahn Cristofalos condition was unavailable, hospital officials said.

When people stop me, I hear nothing but sympathy and empathy, Bethel First Selectman Matt Knickerbocker said Saturday night.

People are saddened by the tragedy and have respect for the family. The evidence that we have is that it was a purely domestic dispute that went violent."

Neighbors said they were shocked to see their quiet, dead-end street illuminated by police lights and restricted by checkpoints after the shooting.

I cant believe this happened, Andrea Reda said Saturday. The family didnt deserve that.

On Friday, police said the three victims were found in separate rooms with gunshot wounds.

Bethel Police Chief Jeff Finch said that along with the man who died, another man (Pham) had life-threatening injuries and the woman (Ahn Cristofalo) was expected to survive her gunshot wounds.

It was also unsettling, several neighbors said Saturday, to see yellow police tape unfurled around the property at 11 Governors Lane.

Property records show the ranch-style home perched on a hilltop was owned by Charles Cristofalo, whom several neighbors described as a longtime Bethel resident.

Matt Hunt, who lives across the street from the Cristofalo house, was home when the shooting happened, but said he didnt hear the gunshots.

Hunt said the shooting, which Knickerbocker described as an attempted murder-suicide Friday night, is out of character for the street.

Its a quiet neighborhood where families dont lock their doors, Hunt said Saturday while cutting wood in his backyard, just steps from the crime scene. Its as safe as it comes in Bethel. You never know, anything can happen. Its so surreal.

Mary Ann Frazao, who lives around the corner on Whippoorwill Road, said her children often played with Cristofalos two kids when they were younger, but she didnt know the family well.

Its a great neighborhood for kids to grow up in, Frazao said. Its just a shame.

Finch confirmed Friday the shooting was being investigated as a domestic dispute and that weapons, including a gun, were recovered from the house.

No additional information about what was found will be released until 14 days after the conclusion of the search, Libertini said.

Staff writer Nelson Oliveira contributed to this report.




Haiti - Politic : Evans Paul wish success to Enex Jean-Charles





Outgoing Prime Minister, Evans Paul, welcomes the appointment by Decree dated March 22, 2016, by the provisional President Jocelerme Privert of Professor Enex Jean-Charles https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16952-haiti-flash-enex-j-jean-charles-new-prime-minister-named.html as Prime Minister, followed by the vote of confidence in his policy statement by the Senate of the Republic and the Chamber of Deputies on 24 March https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16972-haiti-flash-the-general-policy-statement-is-accepted-by-the-senate.html https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16973-haiti-flash-haiti-has-a-prime-minister-enex-jean-charles.html



Evans Paul congratulates the provisional President of the Republic Jocelerme Privert and Haitian parliament who have finally found the consensus needed to give the country a new government, responsible for continue to implement the agreement signed February 6, 2016 https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16533-haiti-politic-the-details-of-the-agreement-from-a-to-z.html



Also, the outgoing Prime Minister presents his compliments to his successor, Professor Enex Jean-Charles https://www.haitilibre.com/en/news-16954-haiti-politic-who-is-enex-jean-charles.html , and wishes him success in the performance of its essential mission consisting in the finalization of the electoral process, to allow the inauguration of an elected President of the Republic on 14 May 2016, under the terms of that agreement.



The existence today of both Houses which, on one hand, gathered in National Assembly, made possible on 13 February 2016, the election of an provisional President and the sanction on the other hand, of the policy statement of Prime Minister Enex Jean-Charles, constitutes an essential institutional reference and represents a fundamental element to the balance sheet of the outgoing Prime Minister.



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - FLASH : Carnage among police officers





In a detailed investigation report, covering the period from January 3, 2015 to March 18, 2016 (14 months) published this week, the Defense National Network of Human Rights (RNDDH), reveals that during this period 35 agents of the National Police of Haiti (PNH) were killed (34 gunshot and 1 with knives), and 37 were assaulted and injured.



Among the victims police officers, RNDDH has identified in particular 5 inspectors, 14 agents IV, 9 agents III, 15 agents II, 25 agents I.



The majority of police officers assassinated (33 of 35) were in the metropolitan area: Port-au-Prince, Delmas, Carrefour and Petionville, or in remote communes such as Croix-des-Bouquets, Arcahaie, Grand-Goave, Petit-Goave, Ganthier, Gressier, etc... The other two police officers were killed in the Artibonite and the North of the country.



In most cases, PNH officers have been victims of armed attacks perpetrated by unidentified individuals aboard motorcycles traveling without license plates.



The report underlines that the judicial authorities do not seem concerned by this phenomenon of insecurity which is clearly increasing in the country. Many armed individuals involved in the perpetration of wrongdoing were detained by PNH and then quickly released by the judicial authorities, in suspicious circumstances.



Download the full report : https://www.haitilibre.com/docs/RNDDH_agents_PNH_22mars2016.pdf



HL/ HaitiLibre






















Haiti - Social : Drinking water in Port-au-Prince would require nearly $1 billion





On the occasion of World Water Day (March 22), the Interamerican Development Bank (IDB) in partnership with the Spanish Agency for International Cooperation and Development (AECID $65 million) and the Organization of Petroleum Exporting countries (OPEC $6.6 million) announced the making available for Haiti of $160 million to contribute to the fight against the lack of access to drinking water in the country.



An assistance certainly appreciated, but not enough to end the lack of access to clean water in Port-au-Prince according to Benito Dumay, Director General of the National Directorate of Water Supply and Sanitation (DINEPA) who said that the current daily capacity of water supply for the capital is 100,000 m3 while the needs exceed the 300,000 m3.



To permanently satisfy the demand of the population of Port-au-Prince, DINEPA needs 800 to $ 900 million to complete the necessary infrastructure, says Benito Dumay based on internal studies.



TB/ HaitiLibre


















Published on 2016/03/27 | Source

Apartment advertisers have returned to the tried-and-tested formula of endorsements from celebrities as the market recovers.

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In the early 2000s top celebrities like actresses Lee Young-ae and Kim Tae-hee and heartthrob Jang Dong-gun regularly modeled for slick apartment brands like Xi and Prugio.

The models were paid a whopping W500 million to W1 billion a year (US$1=W1,160).

But after the global financial crash in 2008 the real estate market tanked, and with it the advertising budgets.

Now the property market is recovering, the stars are back with a vengeance, and mid-range developers are particularly keen on them.

"Using high-profile celebrities is the easiest way to boost corporate image", a staffer with a mid-sized developer said. "But modeling contracts nowadays last no more than six months, that's all smaller builders can afford".

Another characteristic is that builders now favor mature married celebrities like former Miss Korea Oh Hyun-kyung, actress Kim Nam-joo and Japanese model Yano Shiho, the wife of fighter Choo Sung-hoon.

One reason is that they are cheaper, but they also appeal more to the age group that can afford a swish apartment, while younger starlets only induce distant longings in a generation squeezed by a tough job market and dwindling incomes.
Published on 2016/03/27 | Source

Lee Yong-soo

The California State Senate on Thursday gave a special award to Lee Yong-soo, who was sexually enslaved by the Japanese army in World War II.

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Acting Senate head Kevin de Leon praised Lee for "her lifelong dedication to justice for all men, women and children who still suffer under slavery conditions".

As she received the award, Lee (88) repeated her criticism of the agreement between Korea and Japan in December of last year to compensate the former sex slaves.

Lee said the agreement is a "backdoor deal" and urged Japan to accept its responsibility.

Lee has been in the U.S. since Mar 7 to tell the American public about the atrocity. She urged the California Senate to build a statue honoring the former sex slaves and to spread awareness of Japan's wartime atrocities.
By Lisa Espinosa | Published on 2016/03/26

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"Descendants of the Sun" is a K-drama that has touched every corner of the Korean drama scene. That scene can be found all over the globe. Its presence in Asia is unprecedented while Viki's internet streaming and quick subbing has brought the drama to English-speaking audiences. The power that drives the drama is multi-faceted ranging from the money behind it, to the promotion, to the star power, to intense fan viewership and participation.

The first episode of the drama debuted at a remarkable 14.3%, an astounding number for a public channel like KBS. First episodes usually clock in well below 10%. Ten episodes later, "Descendants of the Sun" broke the 30% barrier when it came in at 30.4%. The last time a drama broke 30% was 2012's "The Moon Embracing the Sun" that aired on MBC and starred Kim Soo-hyun, a top-rated Hallyu star.

To really understand the reach of Lee Eung-bok's, Kim Eun-sook's, and Kim Won-seok's master creation, we have to go back to when the drama first hit news outlets in February of 2015 when "The Heirs" writer Kim Eun-sook was brought aboard. As the months passed, casting news poured in and April 2015 saw the Song-Song acceptance of the main leads. Song Joong-ki accepted his role a month before his release from his mandatory military duty. This led to more anticipation for the drama because it would be the popular "A Werewolf Boy" and "Nice Guy" actor's first post-military work. National Beauty Song Hye-gyo also brought her fair share of media spotlighting to the growing hype.

Perhaps the largest factor in the show's popularity in these earlier stages was the Chinese investment that allowed for the 13 billion won drama to be completely pre-produced and filmed over the last six months of 2015. Pre-production allows for the drama to be simultaneously broadcast in Korea and China, where 1.1 billion viewers, roughly one-seventh of the world's population, are tuning in. Chinese fans have bumped Song Joong-ki up the Hallyu ladder to become the number one most popular Korean star in China over Lee Min-ho who ruled the roost in 2015. The Chinese market is where the money is coming from and and area that proponents and supporters of the Hallyu wave are very mindful of. Recently there have even been talks of a Chinese re-make, which is further proof of the power that the Chinese market has in the success and future of Hallyu.

It's not just the Chinese market that is tapping into the power of "Descendants of the Sun". It is internationally acclaimed as well. It's been exported to over thirty countries, including the flagging market in Japan, and the amount of money involved in these deals is incendiary. Viki provides streaming and fan-subs for quick access to over a billion English-speaking drama fans. In Korea, the drama's promo posters decorate Seoul and the filming sights have brought in so much tourist traffic that the President of Korea has praised the drama. The city of Taebaek has decided to reconstruct the film set in order to cater to the increased tourism.

As filming commenced and news reports of the drama's progress were published faster than K-drama fans could read them, the popularity of the stars began to incite even more hype. The filming in Greece, Orion's beautiful home country, gave the world romantic, stunning photos of landscapes, actors, and tastes of what was to come. Reports popped out more often as the six months of filming reach it's conclusion. By the time February 24, 2016 rolled around and the much-anticipated first episode aired, the Korean drama fandom was ready to watch, review, rave, and support the insane ratings. The Song Joong-ki effect became real. His popularity skyrocketed and made the weekly wait for the next epiode nearly a world epidemic, especially among women. In fact, in a rather amusing post, Orion talks about a warning given by the Chinese government. Women were ordered to be careful not to catch "lovesickness" over Song Joong-ki because it distressed men and could cause social problems. Personally, I'm more worried about Song Joong-ki whose immense popularity has hampered his ability to live his life freely.

Song Joong-ki isn't the only one who has experienced a burst of popularity. This has been the most public attention that Jin Goo has received since his drama "All In". Song Hye-kyo, Kim Ji-won, Song Joong-ki and Jin Goo have given a slew of interviews and battled dating rumors. Paradies of the drama have cropped up everywhere. Memes flood social media. Even the stars themselves share hilariously captioned screencaps. All of this points to a "Descendants of the Sun" subculture that has grown around the explosion of all things related to the drama and the actors.

To put it lightly, "Descendants of the Sun" has changed the course of the Korean drama. It has made pre-production a viable way of bringing drama to life. It has solidified certain paths of investment and revenue. It has given KBS a very, very good name. And, it's just plain ol' entertaining and lovely to watch. The loveliness of pre-produced drama may spoiler viewers against the live shoot system. In any case, this show is a phenomenon in the Korean drama world.

Hancinema readers, what has been the most surprising and mind-blowing aspect of the entire "Descendants of the Sun" process and success for you?

Written by: Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'
Published on 2016/03/27 | Source

A staffer shows items prepared for Middle Eastern guests at a suite at the Westin Chosun in Seoul.

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.

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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.

More hotels in Korea are offering halal food, place a copy of the Koran in rooms and lay out prayer carpets.

Ahn Joo-yeon at the Westin Chosun said, "We place a qibla, which points to Mecca, in our rooms for Middle Eastern tourists who pray five times a day and remove alcoholic drinks from refrigerators".

The InterContinental Seoul Coex in Gangnam hired a Jordanian chef. The Four Seasons even set up a separate kitchen in its suites to cater to Middle Eastern visitors who often bring their own cooks.

But many come here for profane reasons, not least plastic surgery.

Hyun Se-jung at JK Plastic Surgery Center in Gangnam said, "Middle Eastern clients usually opt for the anti-aging and body-sculpting packages that cost between W30 million to W50 million". (US$1=W1,163) "Some even take the W100 million luxury package".

Some clinics provide Rolls-Royces to pick up and drop off their ostentatious Middle Eastern clients. Lotte Department Store is preparing a package that puts Middle Eastern tourists in touch with cosmetic clinics in Gangnam.
Wyoming wants to delay testing how well students speak and listen.

The state is seeking a two-year waiver from the federal government to push back testing of a little-known component of K-12 education standards.

Speaking and listening are part of Wyomings English Language Arts standards, the benchmarks that all 48 school districts in the state follow when choosing curriculum, creating school strategies and testing students on how well theyve learned. They are tested in the classroom, not in the statewide proficiency exams, and Wyoming school officials want to keep it that way.

The U.S Department of Education recently informed states that everything included in their state standards should be tested statewide, said Brent Young, chief policy officer for the Wyoming Department of Education. But the Obama administration has also advised schools to bring down standardized testing time. Though Wyoming considers speaking and listening important skills, it does not have a statewide exam to measure how well kids are performing.

And neither does anyone else.

Education is going through a national overhaul, transferring authority back to the states when it comes to addressing school performance. But that process is complicated. That's why the federal education agency included the speaking and listening waiver. It knew many states, like Wyoming, dont have the ability to test the skills at a state level, Young said.

Few of the major testing providers have developed ways to test the two skills, Young added.

How do you do it when there isnt any model to replicate? Young asked. We just arent set up as a country to be able to do those two things right now at the level of a state.

But assessment experts say they know how to test these skills on a local level. Testing listening is very similar to testing reading comprehension, Young added. Students are just expected to be able to recall what theyve heard, rather than what theyve read. Testing speech can be as simple as standing in front of class and giving a presentation.

However, there is a test that shows what speaking and listening assessments could look like on a large scale: English as a Second Language tests, Young said. The problem is that it takes time, including one-on-one time, Young said.

Wyoming could remove speaking and listening from its standards. But no one wants to take that route. Education officials in Wyoming consider them essential for high school graduates, Young said.

Essentially, Wyoming will request the waiver, then wait and see what the Department of Education decides.

Its unlikely that states will start including the skills assessment statewide.

Given restrains on time to assess students, I see that as impossible, Young said. The timing of it seems insurmountable.

The Wyoming Department of Education will take public comment on the waiver until April 19.
Size matters in many economic sectors, if not in the personal attributes of GOP presidential candidates.

Candidate debate aside, there were three examples in the news last week: The effect of rising oil prices on North Dakota production, the decision to restart a Minnesota iron mine and in the push for greater U.S. agricultural trade with Cuba.

And each provides a different example of why economists say size matters.

Oil market

The first relates to how oil developers are reacting to the recent modest rise in crude prices: As the price approaches $40 per barrel, some are willing to put their rigs back to work in North Dakota.

There is no single breakeven cost in shale oil or gas production below which every well shuts down and above which every well makes money. The possibility that new drilling could start when prices hit around $40 per barrel would have surprised analysts two years ago, considering costs that prevailed then.

This is where size matters. It is a situation where the average cost of production rises as the entire industry or sector gets larger and falls when the sector shrinks in size, as weve seen recently.

Drilling costs certainly rose over the past decade as oil in North Dakota and parts of Texas boomed. This is because rising demand drove up the lease rates on drilling rigs and trucking costs as well as the cost of fracking sand and other inputs, not to mention labor.

As oil prices fell sharply, demand for rigs, supplies, services such as trucking and wage rates also fell.

Mining costs

Not all industries have such increasing costs. Lake Superior iron ore, the second news item, differs from oil in this regard. This is a very mature sector. Most mines have been in operation for decades. The investment cost of steel mills and other infrastructure is already amortized. There are plenty of qualified workers when jobs come open. Such mining is important in Minnesota and Michigans Upper Peninsula, but small enough compared with overall national use of explosives or mining trucks, that increases and decreases in output over recent decades dont push the prices of these inputs up and down significantly.

So, as production fell, the per-unit costs of labor, supplies and other inputs didnt fall, and variable costs per ton of pellets produced didnt change much. The news Cliffs Natural Resources is bringing a 540-worker operation back into production isnt going to push the prices of supplies or labor up. Lake Superior-area iron mining is what economists call a constant cost industry in the sense that average or per-unit-of-output costs dont increase or decrease as output for the whole industry rises or falls. So the way size matters here is almost in inverse to the case of the oil industry  the industrys size provides a cushion to costs.

A Cuban market

The third example of size matters is different in that it involves the size of a market, or demand, for products, rather than the size of a particular industry that supplies them.

The Obama administration continues to do whatever it can to improve economic relations with Cuba.

U.S. farmers are among the strongest supporters of this rapprochement. Some Republican members of Congress are bucking their partys general opposition to renewed relations precisely because farmers and agribusiness companies are so positive. But no one should get their hopes too high.

But again, size matters. These win-wins are small, and U.S. farmers should not expect big benefits. Cubas population is only 11.3 million, half that of Taiwan and only a fourth that of South Korea.

Moreover, the commodities mentioned, including soybeans, rice and poultry meat, already are traded in efficient global markets. The U.S. may well sell these products to Cuba, and that nation may buy less from Brazil, Argentina, Thailand or Europe. But unless Cuban consumption increases enough to bump global demand for a world of 7.1 billion people, world prices are not going to increase.

The rice grown in Arkansas or soybeans from Minnesota that flow to Cuban ports and tables may displace rice and soybeans from Thailand or Brazil. But those Brazilian and Thai exports will be sold somewhere else in the world.

The world will be better off because fewer resources will be spent on transportation. Yes, U.S. producers will capture some of this reduction, but this will be a few cents per bushel or per pound on a small fraction of overall U.S. exports, and the effects back at the farm wont even be measureable.

More importantly, as the communist regime in Cuba withers, it will progressively import less foodstuffs and will export more. Like Argentina, Cuba has a natural resource endowment and labor force that could make it a powerhouse food exporter, at least relative to size. Only the abysmal failure of its Communist government makes it a food importer. A decade or two from now, Cuba may well displace Mexico as a source for U.S. consumption of fruits and vegetables. It would be a waste of land to grow soybeans or wheat in Cuba, but it could soon be self-sufficient in rice.

Cuba also has great potential in hogs, beef and poultry. If these industries do develop, they may become an outlet for U.S. corn and soy, since Cuban land and labor have a competitive advantage in higher-value crops than feed grains. But the long-term outlook for Cuba is that it will export more agricultural products than it will import. And overall, it is a case where the re-establishment of economic relations will benefit both sides, but the effects on the United States as a whole will be small, because Cuba is small.
Police seek two men after shots fired in Green Meadows

Hendersonville police are seeking two local men after shots were fired shortly before 7 p.m. Saturday on Towhee Street in the Green Meadows neighborhood.

Wanted from that incident is Zachery Micah Rice, 26. Rice is a validated member of the Folks Nation street gang and should be considered armed and dangerous, police said. Rice is wanted for felony probation violation, possessing a firearm while being a felon, and driving on a revoked license. Rice was last seen driving a newer model silver over black possible Ford Explorer SUV.

Wanted for questioning in the incident is Christopher Tre Bradley, 19. Bradley should also be considered armed and dangerous. At this time, there are no pending arrest warrants for Bradley. Police asked anyone with information on the men's whereabouts to contact the law.
BLOWING ROCK, N.C.  April is Beer Month in North Carolina, where more than 145 craft breweries dot the landscape from Manteo to Murphy. But if youre going to indulge, why not do so in North Carolinas Prettiest Small Town, where Beer Month activities take place virtually every day?

Throughout April, local restaurants will feature North Carolina beers in tasty ways, from guest breweries to pairing events, and the towns own Blowing Rock Brewing Company has a Name Our Next Beer contest that can be entered on line (blowingrockbrewing.com/inspire-and-name-our-next-beer) or in person. The winning entry will be rewarded with the opportunity to help brew the inspired beer, plus a one-night stay at the Blowing Rock Ale House and Inn.

Local establishments peppering their normal fare and activities with beer-related specials include Six Pence Pub, Foggy Rock, Canyons, New Public House, Town Tavern, Mellow Mushroom, The Table at Crestwood, Timberlakes at Chetola, Rustique and The Ale House. For a full listing of whats happening in Blowing Rock during Beer Month, go to blowingrock.com/ncbeermonth.

All this, wrapped around SAVOR Blowing Rock (Thursday, April 14  Sunday, April 17), which includes North Carolina beer samples at the Taste! event on Thursday and the Grand Tasting on Saturday. For more on SAVOR, go to savorblowingrock.com.

The fourth annual N.C. Beer Month is co-sponsored by Visit North Carolina and the N.C. Craft Brewers Guild. For statewide information, go to ncbeermonth.com.
The final scene of I Saw the Light, a biopic about folk legend Hank Williams, shows a packed theater on New Years Day in 1953. Theyre waiting for Hank to come out, but instead get a plainly distraught and uncomfortable man tasked with delivering a message he doesnt want to: That Hank Williams, at the age of only 29, died on the way to the concert.

As the camera peers out into the crowd a song starts to emerge  I Saw the Light. Everyone in the theater, on stage and off, joins in. They know the words as well as they know their own name.

Hank Williams belonged to the people, and thats made clear in this perfectly realized moment. But its the first time the movie even attempts to show Williams impact outside of himself and make the audience understand why this man and his voice endures to this day and it comes far too late.

For most of the film, which writer-director Marc Abraham adapted from authors Colin Escott, George Merritt and William MacEwens biography, the fans are just numbers. They are records sold, listeners banked, and uninteresting faces in the crowd.

This is a naval-gazing biopic of the highest order, and not a particularly illuminating one either. Its mostly about Hank, played by Tom Hiddleston, and his women. It trudges through the personal and professional highs and lows of his rise to fame as though it were a greatest hits record.

And for all the information we get about his tumultuous relationship with his first wife Audrey (Elizabeth Olsen), his drinking, his drugging, his cheating, and his success it still feels fairly slight and by the books. Even the retro, gauzy cinematography from the great Dante Spinotti makes the whole experience othering.

Biopics can be thankless heartbreakers for the actors brave enough to take them on, especially when it involves mimicking an iconic voice. Hiddleston, while seemingly too old in his mid-30s to play the young Hank, does a fine job in capturing the ghostly golden god, whose expressive eyes can go from tender to menacing in a flash. Hes got his gangly swagger down, too, and at least a workable approximation of that haunting voice.

But despite the minutiae and the long runtime, Hank Williams the artist never comes alive on screen. Even the career high of finally making it to the Grand Ole Opry lands with a thud. Was Williams that con-sistently tortured? Did he save all his charm for the stage? Did he really believe that his fans loved him because he suffered for them, as he drunkenly tells a reporter in one scene?

I Saw the Light cant seem to decide, or even conjecture on any of those points. Nor are we given any insight into how the turmoil in his life turned into songs. In one scene hes fighting, in the next hes singing Your Cheatin Heart. Juxtaposition only goes so far, and its not enough here. Abraham just presents moments and moves on.

A biopic should be more interested in what made Hank Williams extraordinary, not just the things that made him like everyone else. We never feel what he feels when he goes from a fight to a ballad. Here, he might as well be flipping through a Hank Williams songbook that hes completely disconnected from. Thats why the final scene works so well. It finally makes you feel a connection between the man, the song, the audience and the historical context that made him.

Great movies, like great songs, illustrate the ineffable. This is a movie that had too much to tell and not enough to say.

I Saw the Light, a Sony Pictures Classics release, is rated R by the Motion Picture Association of America for language and brief sexuality/nudity. Running time: 123 minutes. Two stars out of four.
BRISTOL, Tenn.  Sunday morning looking up.

By now the suns cracked the horizon, cast a shine on that which had been dark and illuminated the land.

Crosses beam. Easter Sunday heralds Christ resurrected, who died while nailed to the cross. Symbolic of the bedrock upon which Christianity stands, the cross sure amounts to more than some simple crisscrossing structure.

It reminds me that Christ died on the cross for our sins, said Austin Cook, pastor of Victory Baptist Church in Bristol, Virginia. God put the sins of the whole world on Him. Easter is a special day for us.

See the cross. Drive south on I-81 near Exit 5 or along Island Road in Bristol, Virginia. It can even be seen from Lee Highway. Either way, one will see an immense cross, which was erected about a decade ago by Victory Baptist Church.

I just got it into my heart that Id like to put up a big cross, Cook said. It has been a real landmark for us.

Truck drivers and travelers from far away locales often take note of the gigantic cross as they pass by. Locals returning home from some journey or others may see the cross as an unofficial welcome home to Bristol signpost of sorts.

I get letters from Florida, Pennsylvania  everywhere, saying it was a blessing to their heart, Cook said. Some say it picked their spirits up, that it was a blessing.

Illuminated by night such to stand out all the more, Victorys cross represents the obvious  that Christ died on the cross. Particularly on Easter Sunday, its point casts meaning well beyond its wide expanse.

As people come into town and see that cross, Id like them to know its all about Christ, Cook said. Its about His death and resurrection. It reminds everybody what Christ did for us.

Though large and a landmark, Victorys cross numbers but one among a countless parade of crosses throughout Bristol, the Tri-Cities and surrounding towns, nooks and crannies. Homes, too. Churches, as well. Necks, even. Bodies? Well, sure.

To paraphrase poet Samuel Taylor Coleridges 19th century poem, The Rime of the Ancient Mariner, its crosses, crosses, everywhere, and all the souls did rise; Crosses, crosses, everywhere, for better and for wise.

Take Bluff Citys Gray Family. Dan and Samantha Gray own a cadre of crosses. A simple one swings from the end of a chain while clasped about Dans neck. An ornate crucifix, bought in Italy during their honeymoon, resides above their living room fireplace.

We have several in our house, said Dan Gray, pastor of Bluff City United Methodist Church in Bluff City, Tennessee.

The cross and that which it represents extends far into realms perhaps unimaginable  even into rock music. For instance, heavy metal rock star Ozzy Osbourne, who became famous while leading British rock group Black Sabbath, has worn a cross for decades.

Take Black Sabbaths song from 1971, After Forever, which was covered by Christian rockers Stryper in 2015.

Well I have seen the truth, yes Ive seen the light and Ive changed my ways, and Ill be prepared when youre lonely and scared at the end of our days, go the lyrics of After Forever. Could it be youre afraid of what your friends might say, if they knew you believe in God above? They should realize before they criticize, that God is the only way to love.

To many, thats the cross, Christs love encapsulated. Indeed, much comes to mind for many a Christian upon sight, sound or reference to the cross.

I always go to the historic event of the crucifixion, said Martin Dotterweich, associate professor of his-tory at King University in Bristol, Tennessee. It is also an emblem of faith.

Which leads back to the home of the Grays.

In our kitchen on a side wall is a Jerusalem cross that we picked up in Jerusalem two years ago, Dan Gray said. The universality of the gospel I find so remarkable. Weve got crosses from Central and South America, which are very different representations of what you can see in Italy.

A peek inside the Grays bedroom reveals another crucifix.

(Its) another cross we picked up on our honeymoon in Italy, Dan Gray said. It shows the trinity. Ive never seen another one like it.

By the time most readers will have opened their paper and read this Easter Sunday article, Gray will have led a community Easter Sunrise service at Morning View Cemetery in Bluff City. Upon these words, he may well be in the pulpit at Bluff City United Methodist Church.

Or perhaps countless legions of folks will have by now placed their cross necklace about their neck. Maybe their ring with a cross encircles a finger. It could be that theyve showered and cleaned their cross tattooed bicep, forearm or even neck.

Christ makes the cross relevant.

Without the resurrection, the cross is meaningless, said Rev. Billy Graham, Americas preacher, as drawn from the book, Billy Graham in Quotes. The cross shows us the seriousness of our sin  but it also shows us the immeasurable love of God.

Great numbers of passersby will drive by the majestic Victory cross during this Easter Sunday morning. Others will gather in worship to recognize and give almighty thanks to Christ who died on the cross. From within their hands will open the Bible.

We can trust the Bible, Graham said, because it points us to the most important events in human his-tory: the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Its Easter. May we all rejoice on the day of days among Christians and Christianity.

When I put my cross around my neck, I offer a prayer, Dan Gray said. God, thank you for your cross. God, let me honor your cross in the way I live today. Its a public statement of what I want to say.
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.
In the aftermath of the Brussels terrorist attacks, we saw again many intellectuals, directly or indirectly, justifying them in an unacceptable manner.

One of those extreme justifications was a tweet by a very well known Indian intellectual, Tehseen Poonawalla, who happens to be a National Indian Congress spokesperson.

In this tweet, Poonawalla said, With democracies the world over starting to fail giving rise to Trumps & Modis the counter product will be in human extremists.

Mr Poonawalla is obviously someone who is educated and fairly intelligent  and we need to analyse his statement in a dispassionate manner, because what he is basically saying is that Donald Trump and Narendra Modi are responsible for the Brussels attacks.

Read | After Brussels, netizens ask why people didnt pray for Turkey too

We will deal briefly with Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, as he is not really relevant to India. First, Trump is a by-product of the Islamic onslaught on the western world. Otherwise he wouldnt exist, as he only gets support because ordinary people are fed up with their politically correct politicians who refuse to see the danger. Second, even if we agree that Trump is obnoxious, outrageous and offensive  which he often is  has he rammed planes full of innocent people against towers full of other innocent people, has he bombed airports, machine gunned cafes, blown himself up in stadiums? No. But the trick of Islamists and Leftists is to always compare what cannot be compared  and get away with it.

Let us now come to Narendra Modi, the democratically elected Prime Minister of India, a country of over 1.2 billion people. How is Modi responsible for the Brussels bombings? Of course, Poonawalla implies that the prime minister was accused of having waited to call the army during the 2002 Gujarat anti-Muslim riots. But first, all the courts have cleared Modi of any wrongdoing and second, Poonawalla, of course, is carefully omitting the fact that these riots were triggered by the horrifying murder of 57 Hindus, 36 of them innocent women and children, burnt like animals in the Sabarmati Express. On top of that, since Modi has been elected, he has proven that he is the prime minister for all Indians, reaching out to Muslims, Christians, Jains, Sikhs, etc.

Not only is it intolerable to render Modi responsible for the Brussels bombings, but you also have to note the fact that real problem is not so much with the jihadists  eventually, like Hitler, they will lose the battle, as they cannot take on the whole of the democratic world  the real issue is with the silent Muslim majority, which after every bombing, says yes, but. The whole hitch is in the but.

Yes we condemn violence, but Narendra Modi;

Yes, these are misguided Muslims, but Palestine (or Kashmir);

Yes, Brussels attacks are wrong, but they happened because of poverty and government neglect of Belgium Muslims.

This is totally illogical, as it implies that if you are poor, its okay to bomb, maim, kill and rape.

In fact, it is not even true. I know for a fact that the Belgium and French governments do not differentiate between French and French Muslims. They get the same social benefits (more so for the Muslims as they have more children and thus receive more social perks).

It is mostly the Muslims who chose to live together in ghettos, as they do in Brussels.

The hitch is that Poonawalla and many others, including politicians, are getting away with these totally deceitful arguments, which do not stand ground when closely scrutinised. Why? Because the media sides with them. Poonawalla is a regular chronicler in many newspapers and often appears on television shows to comment on issues. Just before the Brussels attacks, CNN did a long documentary in Brussels to show that radicalism is born out of social ostracising.

The lone journalists who have seen the truth have witnessed what happened, for instance, to the Kashmiri Hindus who fled their ancestral homes and lands in the valley of Kashmir and became refugees in their own country, and are accused of Islamophobia.

The difficulty is that 99% of people make their opinion by what they read in the press or watch on television. This is why these untruths are still so widespread in the world, amongst your friends and family, and it will take time before people see the light.
It will be a crowded Nuclear Security Summit this week in Washington, but I hope that US President Barack Obama and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will spend time with one another and continue to advance our bilateral partnership  which they have done ably over the past two years. Given the occasion, it will be an apt moment to recall that nearly eleven years ago, the United States and India launched negotiations on a civil nuclear cooperation initiative that enhanced global nuclear security and paved the way for greater Indian integration into the non-proliferation community. Over the course of three years, from 2005 to 2008, the United States and India negotiated a

123 Agreement outlining terms for cooperation on civil nuclear issues; India agreed to place its civil nuclear facilities under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards; American diplomats brokered a first-ever exemption for India to stringent Nuclear Suppliers Group guidelines on civil nuclear trade; and the US Congress overwhelmingly passed legislation enabling implementation of the civil nuclear agreement (a show of bipartisan support often absent amidst the present rancour in Washington). Unfortunately, the civil nuclear deal remains incomplete. American firms have invested significantly in the development of new reactors, but remain unable to follow through on the commercial promise of the deal, given Indias current liability arrangements. This piece of unfinished business remains a source of frustration in the US private sector community and among the many champions of our countries growing partnership.

Read | Securing realism at the Washington summit

The civil nuclear deal also built confidence among our leaders  across political parties  for a more robust US-India partnership. Whereas during much of the Cold War period our relations were characterised by reticence and mistrust, today we are focused on the practical work of growing our respective economies, promoting peace and prosperity in Asia, and generating solutions to global challenges like climate change. Building on the progress of their predecessors, Obama and Modi have taken strong steps in all of these areas. Theyve brought a fresh receptivity in both governments to the recommendations of the US-India CEO Forum, agreed to a joint strategic vision in the Asia-Pacific, and found common ground at the Paris Climate Conference.

Our economic and business ties have expanded significantly since the launch of the civil nuclear negotiations. In 2005, trade between our countries totalled less than $30 billion. In 2014, it crossed the $100 billion threshold. In the trade arena  typically a source of friction  PM Modi took the historic step of ratifying the WTOs Trade Facilitation Agreement last year. American exports to India reached over $38 billion in 2014, and those exports supported an estimated 181,000 US jobs. American and Indian firms are also partnering like never before, and in visionary fields. US technology is supporting Indias growth across a host of areas, including in water conservation, smart cities development, pollution management, and the exploration of Mars. Indian industry has revolutionised innovation, developing low-cost solutions that support inclusive growth, such as a $5 smartphone and an $18,000 electric vehicle, soon to be launched in the United Kingdom.

Read | Obama has misled Modi on Pakistan and made him a paper tiger

In the defence arena, our countries have taken leaps forward since 2005. India conducts more military exercises with the United States than with any other country  that would have been unthinkable in the early 2000s. Secretary Ash Carter and Union defence minister Manohar Parrikar renewed a 10-year defence framework agreement last June, which rationalised our security dialogues and focused our bureaucracies on industrial collaboration. Our government is actively working to break down certain technology transfer barriers through the Defence Technology and Trade Initiative (DTTI), which is charting new areas of co-development and co-production, including in aircraft carrier and jet engine technology. US defence companies are forming important partnerships that will help India achieve its indigenous manufacturing goals. Tata and Lockheed Martin formed a joint venture in 2014 to manufacture airframe components for the C-130J global supply chain, and next month, senior US defence officials will travel to India to discuss the potential to manufacture F-16s in India.

There is much recent progress to celebrate in our partnership, and I hope that Obama and Modi will consider another bilateral visit. They have been right to prioritise one another  President Obama was right to immediately invite Prime Minister Modi to Washington during their first call, and Modi reciprocated with a first-ever invitation to an American President to be the chief guest at Indias Republic Day last year. With nearly ten months left in Obamas term, there is time to get more done in a range of areas: To further break down barriers to trade and investment; to encourage state-of-the-art industrial collaboration that builds Indias defence production base, and to implement the two countries Paris climate commitments, among many others.

Secretary William S Cohen is a former US Secretary of Defense and the current chairman of The Cohen Group in Washington, DC

The views expressed are personal
States going to the polls this April-May have reported an unbridled flow of black money or unaccounted cash and alcohol to bribe voters, a menace the election commission encounters every election in the country.

Officials have seized large amounts of cash and liquor in the poll-bound states of Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry. This bribe money might cross Rs 100 crore.

But black money is just one of the malaises plaguing the electoral system, which is crying for serious reforms for decades.

The Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR) said the election commission seized around Rs 300 crore of unaccounted cash and more than 17,000 kg of drugs, and an equally large amount of liquor and arms during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. No one knows how much undetected money was used then.

Read | Delhi HC asks govt to take measures to check use of money power in polls

The Delhi high court last week reminded the government of its responsibility a year after the law commission recommended a set of electoral reforms.

The court plugged a crucial loophole in the tax law that allowed political parties to avoid tax in certain cases of voluntary contributions. It held that failure to maintain audited books of voluntary contributions of over Rs 10,000 will be liable to be taxed as income from other sources.

The poll panel has written to successive governments and held meetings with political parties for decades to convince them on electoral reforms. But its efforts didnt draw any encouraging response as the political class remained averse to changes in the poll system.

Whatever little has been achieved was because of the Supreme Court, which issued a series of orders between 2013 and 2015.

The political system has been captured by a small group of people. They are very happy with the current system. They have developed vested interests in it. One by one they rule the country. If you talk of change, they feel threatened and thats why they dont want it to change, said professor Trilochan Sastry of ADR.

Candidates have been at the centre of electoral reforms and most of the top courts orders are aimed at them, such as dos and donts. The time is ripe to shift the focus to political parties that play the most crucial role in the system.

Read | EC wants candidates to show source of income, parties oppose

Even the Constitution, known as the lengthiest in the world, is silent on political parties. The Election Commission can register a political party but it cannot deregister it.

Reforming political parties is very important. In June 2013, the central information commission ruled that political parties are covered under the RTI Act, but not implemented yet. The matter is now pending before the Supreme Court, Sastry said.

Professor Jagdeep Chhokar, another ADR member, agreed. The law commissions recommendations on electoral reforms, particularly on political parties, must be implemented.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi underscored his governments corruption-free image to take on the scam-stung Trinamool Congress in poll-bound West Bengal on Sunday, urging voters to give the BJP a chance.

In his first election rally in Bengal as Prime Minister, he promised to build a new Bengal and peppered his 47-minute speech with uncomfortable topics for the ruling Trinamool, such as the Narada bribery sting, Saradha deposit scam and illegal arms factories.

The entire leadership is accepting loads of cash in front of the camera. Its your money that has been looted. Did you vote for this poriborton (change, the Trinamools 2011 poll catchphrase)? he asked, referring to the narada.coms sting.

Read | Trinamool stung again, new videos of sting operation out

Thirteen Trinamool leaders  MLAs, ministers and MPs  were shown taking money from a fictitious company in the Narada sting.

We have been running the government in Delhi for two years. Did you see any taint? Modi asked again.

The Prime Ministers speech, interrupted briefly at the muezzins call to prayer at 6pm, was peppered with rhetoric, jibes, and an occasional pause for audience reaction.

A clandestine bomb and firearm industry has mushroomed in Bengal, he alleged. But the government of this state doesnt consider it a problem at all. Your lives are not safe in the hands of this government, he warned.

Give me a chance and I will build a Bengal. Forty years have been lost. I am a person who works for change ... Bengal has to be saved.

Modi offered a three-point agenda: development, fast development and widespread development.

Give us an opportunity to serve Bengal and Assam, and see where we take you, he said.

He criticised chief minister Mamata Banerjee for taking credit for central schemes.

Modi didnt spare the Congress and Left either, saying their strategy of fighting in Kerala and striking an alliance in Bengal is a direct insult to the intelligence of Bengalis.

Read | Bengal: This Holi, get drenched in political colours

Kerala me kusti, Bengal me dosti  None can insult the intelligence of Bengalis. If anybody does it, Bengalis dont forgive them.

He told the 40,000-strong rally crowd that the ruling party has dashed the hopes and dreams of millions.

Five years ago, I had the fond hope that the state will emerge from the darkness of 34 years (of communist rule). But in the past five years, the state has been undone, Modi said. No other state has witnessed such a ruin.

The Prime Ministers choice of Kharagpur for his maiden rally was significant as this railway township about 100km west of Kolkata offers one of the most intriguing battles this election.

The incumbent is 92-year old Gyan Singh Sohanpal of Congress, who not only enjoys the support of the Left but is also a giant in his own right having won from this constituency 10 times since 1969 with a lone defeat in 1977.

The BJP state president, Dilip Ghosh, a hardliner with an RSS background, faces an uphill task against Sohanpal, who is fondly known as Chacha, and the Trinamool Congress candidate Ramaprasad Tiwari.
What do Naseeruddin Shah, Shah Rukh Khan and Pankaj Kapur have in common? They have enjoyed a successful career both on the stage and on the big screen. In fact, some of the best actors we see on the silver screen today are those who have wet their feet at the altar of theatre. But, do actors from a theatre background fare better in films than those who dont have stage experience?

Actors from a theatre background are highly trained individuals.

Manoj Bajpayee, who did several plays before making his Bollywood debut, says, Actors from a theatre background are highly trained individuals. They learn to act in all kinds of circumstances, and are well-equipped to emote on any platform. Seconding him is Nimrat Kaur, who also did theatre before graduating to films. She points out that formal training on the stage helps people who dont belong to the film fraternity. Theatre teaches patience and perseverance, especially to someone like me, who is a complete outsider. I dont belong to a film family. Theatre has helped me learn a lot, she says.

Theatre teaches patience and perseverance.

Counter perspective Raj Kummar Rao, however, feels that while a background in theatre does give actors grounding in the industry, it is not a prerequisite to having a good career in films. Either somebody is a good actor, or he or she is not. Take Aamir Khan, for example. He hasnt done theatre. But his acting is one of the best in the country. Its a lot to do with the gift that you have. Some people are just gifted, and then they nurture their talent and make it better, he says.

Either somebody is a good actor, or he or she is not.

Balancing act Actor-playwright Manav Kaul opines that stage actors, nevertheless, have an edge over non-stage artistes. Theatre and films are performing arts. If someone is regularly performing on stage, like Naseeruddin, its easy for him or her to adapt to the screen. I feel that they do have an edge over other actors, he says. Like Manav, Kalki Koechlin also juggles theatre and films. The 34-year-old has written and has also acted in several plays, and she claims that acting for theatre has its merits and demerits. Some theatre actors find it difficult to adapt to the screen, because they have to be a little over the top for it, she says.

Its so difficult to survive on just theatre. There is no funding.

But, once actors have managed to deliver hits, its fairly rare for them to return to their theatre roots. Richa Chadha explains, Hollywood actors do Broadway shows so often, as it makes sense, financially. The more money an actor makes, the easier it becomes for him or her to have the luxury of choice. Even those who have managed to strike a balance find it hard to stay committed. Its so difficult to survive on just theatre. There is no funding. I find it difficult to handle both. There are times when I have to take a complete break from theatre, adds Kalki.

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Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia will table the Delhi Budget on Monday in which education, health and transport is likely to get major allocation.

In the budget, VAT on garments and shoes will be standardised as there are varying taxes on some items, a parameter than often creates confusion and affects compliance.

Sisodia, who holds the finance portfolio, is likely to allocate 25% of the total budget allocation to education sector by focusing on training programmes and physical infrastructure.

In the 2015-16 budget, the government had allocated Rs 9,836 crore for the education sector out of which Rs 4,570 crore was given under the plan outlay, which was an increase of around 106%.

The Arvind Kejriwal government is also expected to shell out more on public transport as it has decided to buy 1,000 new air-conditioned buses.

The House will sit only for five days till March 31.

The government will provide funds for 3,000 mohalla sabhas where locals will have a say in deciding civic projects in their areas.

The government is expected to set aside Rs 50 crore for the Aam Aadmi Canteens, modelled after Tamil Nadus highly-subsidised Amma canteens, to provide nutritious food to migrant workers in the national capital.

The city government will not bring any new bill during the Budget Session as it is awaiting Centres nod for 14 bills passed by the Delhi Assembly in the last one year.

If the Centre does not give nod to the city governments bills at the earliest, there is no benefit of tabling new bills and sending them to it for approval, Sisodia had said recently.

The winter session of the assembly, which was the longest in the history of Delhi legislature, had seen the introduction and passage of 15 bills, including the Janlokpal and Delhi School Education Amendment Bill.
Some persistent viewers of the live-streaming nest cam monitoring the bald eagle nest near Codorus State Park, Hanover, York County, believe they have observed the beginning of a tiny hole in one of the two eggs.

If they have observed the appearance of a pip in the shell of the egg, hatching is under way.

"It will take about a day for the embryo to work its way all around the egg, cracking it," Patti Barber, Pennsylvania Game Commission endangered bird biologist, said in a webinar last week.

Other observers believe the adult eagles are exhibiting behaviors consistent with imminent hatching, such as sitting higher on the eggs than they had been previously.

And, the timing is on the mark for hatching to begin.

In its bald eagle update on March 23, the commission noted, "The bald eagle eggs may hatch any day now.

"The bald eagle egg incubation period is approximately 35 days. It will be 35 days since the first eggs hatched on March 24.

"Last year the eagles incubated the eggs for 38 and 37 days until they hatched."

The female laid this year's eggs on Feb. 18 and 21.

A live video stream from the nest is available 24 hours a day through the Pennsylvania Game Commission website.
Hard as it may be to believe, Delhi-based Manish Goels idea of a relaxing holiday is getting up at 4 am, twisting like a pretzel on a yoga mat, and eating simple vegetarian fare. At least once a year, he takes a week off from his busy schedule as founder and CEO of a California-based green process solutions company, to attend a yoga retreat.

I have 12-hour workdays. Sometimes the only breaks I take are to eat and sleep, says the 44-year-old. Yoga helps me get my energy levels up, and the peace and quiet of the retreat works as a great destresser. He has attended retreats in Uttarakhand, Jammu & Kashmir and Kerala over the past three years.

Even the no-meat, no-fish and no-alcohol rules feel like a welcome break. The food is simple but I like it, Goel says. Its a change from the rich stuff I end up eating on most working days. The clean air and weight loss are added perks.

Goel is among thousands who have made wellness one of the fastest-growing tourism sectors in India, projected to cross $18 billion by 2020. Globally, wellness tourism is a $440 billion market  more than one in seven of all tourism dollars spent  within the $3.2 trillion global tourism industry and is set to grow to $680 billion by 2017, according to an estimate by SRI International, a US-based independent research centre.

American Susan Kee Thulin strikes a pose against the Pangong lake in Ladakh.

Dose of wellness

With Indias share of the wellness pie growing, the union tourism ministry has plans to ride the wave via its Medical and Wellness Tourism Promotion Board, set up in September with an initial corpus of Rs 2 crore, to promote wellness and yoga breaks.

Read: 3 Indian cities in top 15 wellness destinations list in Asia

Theres growing interest in wellness and rejuvenation, says Philippa Kaye, head of product development at the Delhi-based Creative travel agency. While ayurveda retreats in Kerala are big with the Russians, the Germans, Belgian, French and Americans havent taken to it. They prefer spa and yoga retreats.

Many tourists plan their travels specifically around wellness activities  spas, health resorts, yoga retreats  for those whom wellness is not the primary purpose of travel but seek these  account for 85% of all wellness trips and expenditure.

These retreats are gaining popularity among Indians, foreigners and NRIs, says Anurav Rane, CEO of PlanMyMedicalTrip.com. Yoga holidays in the past year or so have caught on. We have seen a 150% rise in the wellness and yoga travel segment over the past year, and 75% of our total travellers were foreigners, 10% NRIs and 15% Indians. Rejuvenation breaks are typically at least a week long, leading to tourists spending more time than average at one place. In the ayurveda and yoga hub of Kerala, for example, the average length of stay is 18 days, highest across states in India, up from 14.1 days a few years ago.

The cost varies widely depending on the accommodation opted for, basic weekly room and board are upwards of

Rs 70,000 per person, excluding travel. And theyre finding a growing number of takers among time-stressed and overworked urbanites.

Yoga high

Mumbai-based Henna Nathani, 36, an audio-visual editor, has attended four yoga and wellness retreats over the past two years. Three were with Anam Cara, a three-year-old company that organises such retreats in the scenic hills of Karnataka and Himachal Pradesh and along the beaches of Goa, Maharashtra and the Andamans.

Conventional touristy vacations can be as hectic as routine life, making you want a vacation to recover from your break, Nathani says. At yoga retreats, you work on yourself and bond with loved ones. About a year ago, my husband, five-year-old son and I attended a four-day retreat on the banks of the Kabini river near Bangalore. We practised yoga, baked cupcakes and attended art therapy sessions. By the end, I felt we had bonded in a way that we couldnt have amid the mayhem of city life.

Read: Wellness vacations catch on in India

For American Susan Kee Thulin, the love affair with yoga began on her first trip to India, for a retreat in Kerala in 2005. She is now a yoga teacher in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and takes regular breaks from her busy life to reconnect with herself and nature.

Travelling and connecting with like-minded people helps one come back refreshed and more connected to oneself, says Thulin, who has been on retreats in Bali, Malaysia, Kerala and Kashmir.

India offers the widest range of yoga retreats and breaks, says Hari Nair, founder of travel information portal HolidayIQ.

Travel has become an imperative part of revitalising and healing, and more Indians are seeking vacations as a way to improve health and happiness, adds Daniel Dsouza, head of sales for India and NRI markets at SOTC Travel.
A five-member team from Pakistan was to arrive in New Delhi on Sunday to probe a suspected cross-border attack on the Pathankot Indian Air Force base.

Indias anti-terror agency NIA is ready to help the team meet 17 people injured in the early-January assault blamed on Pakistan-based terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM).

This is the first time a Pakistan team will examine witnesses in a case in India, and New Delhi doesnt want the neighbouring country to cite lack of cooperation at any level.

Here are five things to know about the probe team:

Arrival

The team left by for Delhi in a special aircraft around 11.45am. In the Indian capital, it will get a detailed presentation on the NIAs probe. It will reach Pathankot the next day by 11am either by car or by a BSF chopper. If a chopper is used, it will not land in the airbase.

The joint investigation team will examine all three witnesses in the case but wont get complete access to the strategic IAF facility. The team will visit only those areas of Pathankot airbase in Punjab where militants were engaged in an 80-hour gun battle that killed seven Indian soldiers. India will not provide the team access to security personnel from the National Security Guard or the Border Security Force.

India is also likely to press for a visit of its probe team to Pakistan for carrying out investigations there.

Members

The five-member delegation is led by the chief of Punjabs Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), additional inspector general of police Muhammad Tahir Rai. The team, which also comprises Lahores deputy director general Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer, will be brought to the airbase in a special plane on March 29.

The airbase will be visually barricaded by the NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas.

The team will be briefed thoroughly on March 28 at the NIA headquarters. The briefing which will include a 90-minute presentation on the investigations carried in the case so far, a source said.

The witnesses

The three witnesses are Punjab Police superintendent of police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.

They were abducted by the terrorists on the intervening night of December 31 and January 1 before they entered into IAF base.

The NIA will also share details about the four terrorists, including information on their native villages, people who had cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through Bamiyal village on India-Pakistan border.

The Pakistani team will be taken to the point where the Jaish terrorists had breached into India, a source told PTI.

India, too, wants details

While India has made it clear it will cooperate in the probe provided Pakistan reciprocates. The Pakistani side is likely to be asked about some details that India had sought from them.

This includes some phone numbers, details on a brother of Jaish chief Masood Azhar and companies who had supplied the packed food to the terrorists.

India can make a request to Pakistan for allowing an Indian probe team there for investigations at a later date, the source said.

India will also cite similarities between the Pathankot attack and those in Samba and Kathua last year like using same GPS and wireless sets, the modus operandi of hijacking cars, energy drink Red bull (common in all attacks), identical wire-cutters and arms and ammunition of Eastern Europe, Russian and Chinese make which are available in the Afghanistan-Pakistan region.

Legal angle

Any lead picked up by the Pakistan team will not be of any legal use in the absence of Letter Rogatory, a request from a court to a foreign court for any judicial assistance.

But, there are hopes that Pakistan will conduct a serious probe during the goodwill visit.

With inputs from agencies
After Arunachal Pradesh, the Congress is in mess in Uttarakhand and a similar crisis could be seen unfolding in Manipur as well.

While the party lost power in Arunachal Pradesh due to dissidence, it is fighting a survival battle in Uttarakhand and the infighting is now threatening to destabilise the Okram Ibobi Singh government in Manipur.

Not only the rebels but a section in the party also primarily hold central leaders responsible for the growing dissidence in states, especially those ruled by it.

These leaders cite the example of Arunachal Pradesh where the situation was allowed to go out of hand by V Narayanasamy, who is in charge of party affairs in the northeast.

The rebels, led by Kalikho Pul, had been complaining about the autocratic style of functioning of former CM Nabam Tuki, and camped in Delhi for nearly four months to share grievances with the Congress leadership. But that meeting never took place.

One of the rebel legislators, Pasang Dorjee Sona, later claimed that Narayanasamy did not allow them to meet either Sonia Gandhi or Rahul Gandhi.

In Uttarakhand, the crisis had been brewing up for some time. State Congress leaders claimed that party general secretary Ambika Soni had been informed about the developments but no counter measures were taken. She always tried to pass the buck, claimed a leader. Perhaps, she is too busy in Punjab.

With the threat looming large on its government in Manipur, the Congress leadership has stepped in to prevent an Arunachal Pradesh-like situation.

For the time being, the crisis for the Congress in Manipur has been averted.

As the Congress is facing dissidences across the country, it remains to be seen how the central leaders handle the situation and avoid the repeat of Arunachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

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Warning that no bank defaulter will be spared, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday accused Congress of helping the rich usurp peoples money and claimed his government has tightened the screws on the looters who were now fleeing due to fear of going to jail.

Hitting back after his government faced criticism over handling of Vijay Mallya case, Modi alleged that Congress was opening banks for the rich during its rule and its governments who have through these banks filled the coffers of the rich too will have to pay.

You know how the rich have usurped public money. My government has tightened the screws on the bank defaulters. They are sweating due to fear of going to jail and are fleeing. But no one will be spared I am telling you.

The money looted from the banks does not belong to the banks but to the poor people of the country and I will ensure that those who looted this money return each and every paise... they have looted the country, he said addressing an election rally in Assam for the second successive day.

Modi said various fiscal policies initiated by his government had done away with middlemen, ensured development and enhanced the countrys image internationally.

The country was being run by middlemen. Since Modi assumed office, the middlemen have been forced to close shop. It is they who shout, accuse and abuse Modi but I dont care.

There will be no acche din (good days) for the middlemen and so their problem with me is natural, Modi said in a reference to his election slogan.

You have enjoyed for 60 years by robbing the poor. Now, it wont happen any more. So it is natural that you will have a problem with Modi. I am committed to ensure development and wellbeing of the nation, the Prime Minister said.

The Prime Minister said that more than 40% of the population had not seen the doors of the bank during the last 60 years but his Jan Dhan Yojana has ensured that the poorest of the poor have their own bank accounts.

Besides, earlier the money lenders were active, charging high rates of interest and sucking the blood of the poor but our Mudra Yojana has ensured that loans are given to the deserving at nominal rate of interest.

These policies and our agenda for development have enhanced the nations position in the international arena and now when I shake hands with global leaders, it is not with Modi that they shake hands but with the people of the country, Modi said.
The Government has refused to give details about the extent of legal protection provided to operatives of the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW) who are stationed in foreign countries.

The Cabinet Secretariat declined to provide these details in response to an RTI, stating that RAW is exempted from any disclosures under the law save for those concerning allegations of human rights violations and corruption.

The issue becomes important in the light of Pakistans claims that they have arrested a RAW agent.

The Ministry of External Affairs has refuted the allegations, stating that the arrested person has no links with the Indian Government.

There is no information in public domain about what must be done if, heaven forbid, an Indian intelligence operative is murdered abroad.

This is a concern that is very much valid even though it must not be taken as a comment on the latest incident of the apprehension of an Indian national in Pakistan, RTI applicant Venkatesh Nayak told PTI.

Nayak categorically told RAW in his RTI application that he was not seeking details of the manner in which its officers involved in overseas intelligence operations are trained to protect themselves against legal or illegal action by law enforcement agencies in foreign countries.

The purpose of including this clarification was to reassure them that I was not seeking information that would expose the training and other measures that Indias R&AW officers and other intelligence operatives are instructed to undertake to protect themselves as such disclosure would most likely endanger them and would not be in the public interest at this stage, Nayak, who is with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, said.
The CBI has registered two fresh cases against gangster Chhota Rajan related to alleged murder of rivals and an attempted assassination of a businessman in Mumbai at the request of Maharashtra government authorities.

CBI sources said the first case was related to the Bhendi Bazar shootout, allegedly executed by hired shooters of Rajan in February 2010 in which two persons -- Shakeel Modak and Irfan Qureishi -- were killed while one Asif Dadhi was injured.

Modak was believed to be close to a well known politician who had been an MLC and an MLA.

Modak owned a fishing trawler and Qureishi used to work in a printing press.

Dadhi was under the Mumbai Police scanner over alleged illegal activities but was cleared by the competent court.

The agency sources said a case has been registered against four unknown persons under various sections of IPC related to murder and provisions of the arms act.

They said the second case is related to an alleged attempt made on the life of Mumbai-based businessman and hotelier BR Shetty in October 2012 by two motorcycle-borne shooters suspected to be linked to Rajan.

The case, which was probed by Amboli Police, has now been taken over by the CBI that registered a case against two unknown persons under the IPC provisions for an attempt to murder, arms act and stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA).

When asked about these cases, CBI spokesperson RK Gaur confirmed the development.

CBI has taken over the investigation in these two cases that were earlier registered by the Mumbai Police, he said.

Maharashtra authorities have referred to CBI over 70 cases in which involvement of Rajan is suspected. The agency has so far registered three cases.

Earlier, it had registered the case related to the murder of journalist J Dey, who was allegedly shot dead on the instructions of Rajan.

CBI FIR does not name Rajan because according to rules, the agency takes over the report registered by the local police. After the probe, the agency may add or delete names of suspects in its final report submitted to the court.

Rajan was detained by Indonesian Police in Bali on 25 October last year on his arrival from Australia following a Red Corner Notice by the Interpol. He was later deported to India on November 6, 2015.

CBI has also charge-sheeted him for allegedly using a fake passport that he used to dodge enforcement agencies.
Kamalesh Sharma, who steps down as Commonwealth secretary-general after two terms next week, believes that the global profile of the organisation has been raised during his tenure since 2008, with several major initiatives in trade, climate change and democracy.

Sharma, a retired Indian Foreign Service officer (1965 batch) who was Indias high commissioner in London from 2004 to 2008, was elected secretary-general of the 53-nation organisation for two four-year terms. He will be succeeded by Patricia Scotland on April 1.

Founded in 1949 mainly at the initiative of Jawaharlal Nehru as an organisation comprising former British colonies, the Commonwealth makes its presence felt in several international fora. Its members include countries without historical ties to the British empire.

My main challenge was to pick up an organisation that does bits of this and bits of that, lift its profile and give it substance through a charter. Several pioneering initiatives have been launched that are particularly valuable for small states in the Pacific and the Caribbean, Sharma, 74, told HT in his office in the 300-year-old Marlborough House on the Mall.

Packing up to relocate to New Delhi after handing over, Sharma said key achievements during his tenure included setting up mechanisms for trade and debt for smaller states, pushing for democracy, developing a youth development index, and digitisation.

At the Malta summit in November 2015, Commonwealth heads of government commended his contributions to fostering a Commonwealth that is a strong and respected voice in the world; enlarging its networks, including through the Commonwealth Connects collaboration platform and sustaining its global relevance and profile.

Critics of the Commonwealth wonder what is the point of the organisation but Sharma is clear that it is for great global good and because of its composition, if the Commonwealth can agree on something important, it is already a prototype of a global idea.

Commonwealth member-states have different political cultures but the 16-point charter formulated under his watch makes it incumbent to hold free, fair and credible elections; ensure the separation of the powers of the executive, legislature and judiciary; ensure the independence of the judiciary; provide space for an opposition and civil society to function freely and give the media a level playing field to function in.

Sharma played key behind-the-scene roles in political developments in Fiji, Guyana, Maldives and Sri Lanka in recent years.

It helped that the head of the Commonwealth lived close by, down the Mall, in Buckingham Palace -- Queen Elizabeth, considered the ultimate glue of the 53-nation organisation and with whom Sharma interacted often during his tenure.

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Jarnail Singh, who runs a small welding shop, wanted to work in the US, but he could not. His son, Kulwant Nagi, was also keen on studying and working there and got a scholarship. Being unable to manage the rest of his fee, he had to cancel his travel plans.

But Nagi does not regret it a bit. He is making a six-figure sum in rupees every month  the bulk of it coming from the US  today sitting in his modest house in the educationally backward Fatehabad town, 200 kms north-west of Delhi, of Haryana.

He is a professional blogger and affiliate marketer, providing online tutorials on how-to blog.

The blogger, who did electronics and communications engineering from ITM University in Gurgaon, will be living his fathers dream very soon. I will be travelling to the US in November to attend an international conference. Thereafter, I plan to take my father to Dubai and US, says the 29-year-old techie who runs his own blogging site, www. bloggingcage.com.

While several tech websites list him among prolific bloggers, Alexa, a wholly owned subsidiary of Amazon that gives commercial web traffic data and analytics, ranks his website at 2,885 in India and 18,047 globally.

Tech glitches biggest hitch

Nagi began blogging after quitting his verification engineers job in a Delhi company in 2011. They offered to hike my package to stay, but I had made up my mind to come back home and start blogging, he says.

But it wasnt easy. There were connectivity issues and he started writing how-to blogs on his mobile phone. While it took time for his blogs to get attention, Nagi earned his first dollars  59, to be precise -- through the internet after seven months. And, he hasnt looked back since. I am now making good money from blogs, affiliate marketing websites and giving tutorials, he says.

Ads, blogs and clicks

The blogging business, according to him, works on the cost per click model. The blogs have banner ads. Google displays them on blogging websites, charges the advertisers and shares revenues with bloggers as per clicks, he explains. Besides running marketing websites, he also gives tutorials on blogging and how to make money online. My dream is to earn one million dollars a year, says the ambitious blogger. He has 22 freelancers working for him and is setting up office in Gurgaon.

Friends advice worked

With semi-literate parents, Nagi didnt know what to do after passing class 12 from the local government school. Kulwant was clueless about what to do. I told him to give diploma entrance test a try. He did well and joined a diploma course in electronics and communication from Ambala, his friend Pawan Kumar told HT.

The blogging idea came from another friend, Ravinder Kumar. Nagi says his friends advice made his life. Jarnail says he doesnt understand what his son does. He is, however, happy that Nagi will fulfil his dream sooner than later.

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India will convey its concerns to the UK authorities about the new British immigration law that will impact professionals earning below 35,000 pounds annually.

Commerce and industry minister Nirmala Sitharaman said, We will take it (new UK visa law) up with the British authorities.

According to the new rule, which will come into effect from April, professionals living and working in Britain on a Tier-2 visa who earn less than 35,000 pounds a year at the end of five years of their stay in the country could be deported.

Sitharaman said that India has taken up similar issues concerning visa rules of the US government at the World Trade Organisation (WTO).

We have challenged (the US) in the WTO... we have challenged one, so the principle applies for anybody else, Sitharaman said.

Indian professionals are also facing visa related challenges in other countries, including the US. India has dragged the US to the WTO over its decision to impose high fees on temporary working visas.

Indian professionals form the largest category of individuals issued such visas by the UK.

According to the UKs Office of National Statistics, of the 55,589 Tier-2 sponsored visa applications cleared in 2014-2015, nearly 78% were for Indians (31,058).

The exact figure of the Indians affected by the salary threshold requirements remains uncertain but it is estimated to be between 30,000 and 40,000 workers will be impacted.

Visa is issued on the basis of a certificate of sponsorship issued to UK-based firms to hire such professionals from outside the EU and allows them a maximum stay of six years.

At the end of five years, workers can apply for permanent residency or Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) in the UK.

From the next month, however, those qualifying for ILR under the five-year category must also prove that they earn at least 35,000 pounds a year or face the prospect of a rejection, which means they would have to return to their home country or be deported if they refuse to leave voluntarily.
As the sting operation became the ground for imposing Presidents Rule in Uttarakhand  the first in the state  legality of disqualification of nine Congress rebels by speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal may be key for the BJP to form the government in Uttarakhand.

Kunjwal announced disqualification of the rebels and sacking of minister Harak Singh Rawat on Sunday evening, hours after the Centre imposed Presidents Rule.

Justifying his move, he said, I have no formal intimation about imposition of Presidents Rule in the state as there is no communication from the governor (KK Paul). But all rebel Congress MLAs have been disqualified.

However, rebels refused to buy his theory. It is so childish of him (speaker). The Presidents Rule was notified at 13:10 hours and he did not know about it. What sort of constitutional experts he has with him Subodh Uniyal, one of the rebels, told HT over phone from New Delhi.

He said he and other legislators will knock on the door of the governor to seek justice.

The disqualification may, however, get overturned as experts say the speaker has been rendered functus officio status  an officer whose mandate has expired .

Once Presidents Rule is imposed and state legislature is suspended sine die, speaker cannot carry out his functions, said Gyanshankar Shukla, a constitutional expert.

The speaker apparently had failed to gauge the speed with which the Centre acted on Pauls report that questioned the fairness of the floor test of Harish Rawat government slated for Monday following the sting operation.

Home ministry sources that the governor had submitted a five-page report mentioning the sting to bring into question the fairness of the floor test.

Umesh Kumar, the editor-in-chief of Samachar Plus channel, had conducted the sting.

The report was received in the home ministry at 8 pm necessitating an emergency meeting of Union cabinet late on Saturday night, a senior government official involved in the process said on condition of anonymity.

In all, the governor had sent three report to Union home ministry. The third report came after the sting and it tilted the scale against the Rawat government, said the official.
So much of this could have gone horribly wrong. When George Lucas sold Lucasfilm to Disney back in 2012, there was a shout of both amazement and worry when the Mouse House announced they would be making a whole new batch of 'Star Wars' movies, starting with this one  Chapter VII in the series. What would Lucasfilm's newest owners do to the beloved franchise? Would they restore it to the glory days of the 70s and 80s, or would the new movies be more like the three prequels  films that have managed to alienate fans over the years, in large part due to their over-reliance on digital effects, their questionable storylines ("the taxation of trade routes"  how exciting!), and their borderline acting.

Most of us breathed a big sigh of relief when Lucasfilm's new president, Kathleen Kennedy, announced director J.J. Abrams would be helming the newest Star Wars movie. Those sighs turned to gasps of joy when J.J. made it known that not only would most of the actors from the original trilogy be returning to the roles that made them famous, but he also planned to return to the look of those original films as well: using CGI when he needed to (and rest assured, there's still plenty in 'The Force Awakens'), but also using as many practical effects as he could. This wouldn't be a movie that just had actors standing in front of a lot of green screens (although, again, such use is not totally absent here). There was going to be a tangible feel to the new Star Wars film.

Well, I've said it before and I'll say it again: J.J. Abrams saved my childhood. Not only does 'The Force Awakens' live up to expectations, it surpasses them  giving fans what is clearly the best 'Star Wars' movie since 1980's 'The Empire Strikes Back'. From beginning to end, the film is a sheer thrill ride, bringing back memories of what it was like to first see the original movie, while still providing viewers with a fresh new look at that galaxy far, far away. The movie is not without its problems (which I'll get to in a bit), but considering how badly it might have gone wrong, it's nothing short of a miracle so many things here go so right.

In this review, I'm going under the assumption that most readers will have seen 'The Force Awakens' at least once. That doesn't mean I'll be giving away any major spoilers, but it also means I'm not going to bore you with a plot recap. So, on the off chance you haven't seen the movie yet, welcome to Earth and don't read any further so you can go into this one without anything being ruined.

Perhaps the most anticipated thing about 'The Force Awakens' for fans was the return of the original cast  particularly Harrison Ford as Han Solo. He doesn't appear in the movie until a good half-hour in, and by that point some viewers may have forgotten he's going to be in the film at all (which makes his first appearance a nice surprise). It's not that Solo isn't a wonderful addition to the plot (of all the returning cast, Ford has far and away the most screen time  with the possible exception of Peter Mayhew as Chewbacca, who isn't always in the suit, due to Mr. Mayhew's debilitating health), it's that director Abrams does such a great job with the new characters that by the time Ford finally makes it to the screen we realize the returning players aren't necessarily needed to make this an engaging story.

Let's start with Daisy Ridley, an amazing find by the director and casting department. This is Ridley's first movie, but you'd never know it. She plays scavenger Rey, who lives on the desert planet Jakku (which is pretty much like...okay, exactly like...the old Skywalker home of Tatooine) and doesn't realize just how important she might be for the future of the galaxy. After two previous trilogies where the men have taken the reins, it's refreshing to see a woman be the main character of a 'Star Wars' movie, and one that doesn't fall into film cliches about what a female can or can't do in a story. The character is a great role model for young females who see this film, and this first movie in the trilogy only scratches the surface of what Rey might bring to the remaining two releases.

Then there's John Boyega as the ("Traitor!") stormtrooper-turned-Resistance fighter "Finn" (taken from his trooper FN-2187 designation). A good movie always needs a character the audience can relate to, and for most viewers it will be Finn  who is thrust into action more due to his circumstances than his desire to be a hero. Boyega has to play his part just right or it could have come off as either cowardly or cornball (he's also given the responsibility for much of the film's comic relief), but like Ridley, he nails it  giving us the "everyman" that we can relate to in this new adventure.

The new trio of heroes is rounded out with Poe Dameron, played by Oscar Isaac. Believe it or not, this is a character that wasn't originally intended to stick around  which may indicate why he's somewhat removed from our main characters for much of this movie. But Isaac brings such charm and bravado to Poe (if anyone in this new cast is the "new" Han Solo, this character may be him), he's instantly likeable, and we can only hope that Isaac is given a much bigger role in future movies.

Then there's our new trilogy's primary baddie, Kylo Ren  played by Adam Driver. Another difficult role to get right, as Driver is asked both to be an ominous presence, yet still show a vulnerability to Kylo as well as an unstable personality. Ren is basically the Anakin Skywalker we should have seen in the prequel trilogy had that character been better written (and, let's be honest, better acted). I'm not sure Driver completely pulls it off, but at least he makes his villain interesting to watch, although  of course  it will be hard for any 'Star Wars' movie to ever match Darth Vader from the original trilogy.

I would be remiss if I didn't once again mention Harrison Ford, an actor who hasn't shied away from saying how "thin" in depth he thought the Han Solo character was over the years. We also know that it's a character he begged George Lucas to kill off in the original trilogy, just to give some meaning and weight to the proceedings. Well, 'The Force Awakens' gives us the most on-screen minutes of Solo we've seen since 'The Empire Strikes Back', and this is very much Ford's movie. The old Solo swagger is back, but also here is a wisdom and maturity that has evolved the character over the years. While he's still the Han we know and love, he also serves very much as the "Obi-Wan Kenobi" character here  an older character with knowledge about the galaxy that leads our new heroes on their adventure. Of course, the similarities between Han and Obi-Wan don't end there, but that would be telling!

Which brings us to the large AT-AT Walker in the room  the biggest criticism of 'The Force Awakens' (and a valid one), which is that this movie borrows a lot from the original movie, 'A New Hope'. Once again, we have a young 'nobody' from a desert world thrust into a struggle for galactic power. Once again, a little droid is holding vital information that everybody wants to get their hands on, and  most significantly  once again, the bad guys have a superweapon designed to blow up entire worlds. These similarities certainly prevent 'The Force Awakens' from being a "great" movie (although it's still a really good one), but let's also not pretend that the creators didn't know exactly what they were doing here. I mean does everyone really think that J.J. Abrams and writer Lawrence Kasdan weren't aware of how much cribbing they were doing from the original film? Obviously the intention here was to re-introduce us to this universe by reminding us what was so great about it in the first place. Whether that was the right move or not is up to each viewer to decide, but I, for one, wasn't really bothered by the fact that so much of this story is familiar territory. Now, if Chapter VIII is a carbon-copy of 'The Empire Strikes Back', then I think fans will have a more legitimate gripe.

No, 'The Force Awakens' isn't a perfect movie, but it's about the best 'Star Wars' movie we could have hoped for, especially given the fact that this franchise has been coasting off the good graces of its first two entries for 35 years with a lot of mediocre movie and TV entries in the interim (yes, I'm going to get some backlash over that statement...let the hate flow through you!). This newest film is a return to form and, for the first time in a long time, made me feel like I did when I went to the movies as a kid. It's a remarkable achievement by all involved and I can't wait to see where the story goes from here.

The Blu-Ray: Disc Stats

'Star Wars: The Force Awakens' makes its triumphant debut on Blu-ray in a standard  but black-colored  Elite keepcase. The 50GB feature film disc and the 50GB Bonus Disc are held on a plastic hub inside the case, while the dual-layer DVD is held on the inside right. The case contains two inserts: one with a code for a digital copy of the movie; the other an advertisement for the Disney Movie Club. While the keepcase slick contains the original poster art for the movie, the slipcover that slides overtop is a slightly embossed version of the Star Wars logo against a black background, with portions of the movie poster artwork inside the lettering. Both the back of the keepcase slick and the back of the slipcover contain the same artwork.

There are no front-loaded trailers on any of the discs in this set, although before one gets to the main menu, they'll be treated to a still image of BB-8, where viewers need to make their language selection. The main menu on all discs is the same design  a still shot of the inside of the crashed Star Destroyer on Jakku, with a tilted screen in the background showing a montage of video footage (from the movie on the movie disc(s) and from the bonus materials on the bonus disc). Interestingly, the movie's name does not appear anywhere on the menu screen. Menu selections go horizontally across the bottom of the screen.

In addition to this 'standard' release, there are a number of retailer exclusives out there, which most of you are probably aware of already. Walmart has the same release we see here, but with a different slipcover  one that features BB-8. Target's version has the same discs, but in different fold-out packaging, and also comes with a code that will allow viewers digital access to 20 extra minutes of behind-the-scenes footage and interviews. Finally, Best Buy is offering a steelbook that features Kylo Ren on the front, Captain Phasma on the back, and an image of the Millennium Falcon flying over Jakku on the inside.

The two Blu-rays in this set are both region-free; however, the DVD is Region 1 only.
Government officials said on Sunday they have clinching evidence of Pakistan-based group Jaish-e-Mohammeds (JeM) involvement in the Pathankot airbase attack from mobile communication intercepts that suggest a key operative of the terror group dropped off the gunmen on the other side of the border before they entered India and launched the attack.

The new evidence is among several findings that the National Investigation Agency will show a team of Pakistani officials who reached New Delhi on Sunday for their probe into the attack.

The NIA in its probe has found that a key JeM handler, Kashif Jan, dropped at least four attackers on December 30 in Shakargarh tehsil of Narowal district in Pakistan, which lies just across the Bamiyal village in Indian Punjabs Gurdaspur district. While dropping the four attackers, the NIA investigators have found that he made at least 17 calls to other key operatives of Jaish-e-Mohammad using a calling and chatting mobile application downloaded on his phone. Not only that, the agency sleuths also managed to get the contact list of his phone... it contained numbers of many key Jaish operatives, said a Union home ministry official requesting anonymity due to the sensitive nature of the probe.

Sources said the NIA has found that at least one of the attackers who entered the Pathankot airbase called Kashif Jan back.

Kashif Jan is intricately linked with the Jaish top leadership that includes Maulana Masood Azhar and his brother, Rauf.

The Jaish leadership doesnt do anything with the permission or approval of Pakistans all powerful spy agency, the ISI. Once the Jaish operatives are pushed into India, they may have a certain amount of operational manoeuvrability to choose a target from the list of options of given to them but the overall command remains with the ISI, said Ajay Sahni , executive director of the Institute of Conflict Management.

Eight persons including security personnel were killed in the airbase attack that lasted more than 80 hours after beginning on Janaury 2.

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After years of restricting his defence to claims of email hacking, former TERI executive vice chairman RK Pachauri has now alleged that the woman who accused him of sexual harassment was trying to trap him on behalf of unknown people for personal gain.

A Guardian report said Pachauri, in a series of email exchanges with The Observer, claimed that the accuser had access to all five of his email accounts, and was putting together an archive of messages during the 16 months she worked as a researcher at TERI (The Energy and Resources Institute).

Pachauri said all the romantic poems that were purportedly sent to the woman were saved electronically, and they could have been doctored to appear as if they were meant to woo the woman. The former TERI head further alleged that the correspondence presented as evidence against him went to show that the woman was actively flirting with him in an attempt to encourage a deeper relationship between the two.

However, online portal Scroll.in quoted the womans lawyer, Prashant Mendiratta, as saying that the emails, SMSes and Whatsapp categorically showed that the truth was very different.

My client was not flirting with him or making advances on him. At no point did she encourage him or give him any reason to make inappropriate physical contact or demand sexual favours, he said.

Read: Delhi HC dismisses plea seeking cancellation of Pachauris bail

Pachauri said that he suspects strongly, but cannot prove, that there have been coordinated attempts to destroy him professionally as well as personally. He was quoted by The Guardian as claiming that climate sceptics and rightwing free-market thinktanks, funded by powerful fossil-fuel interests, were behind these attacks.

Over a year after the Delhi Police registered a case against Pachauri, the probe agency filed a 1,400-page chargesheet accusing him of sexual harassment, stalking and criminal intimidation on March 1. He had gone on leave from TERI the previous month after another former employee levelled similar charges of sexual harassment against him.

Pachauris emails to the woman, a science graduate, claimed that he loved her from the depths of his soul, mind and heart. He also threatened to go on a fast, something he would break only if she believes that he loves her with sincerity and unfathomable depth.

In February 2015, the woman gave police a cache of several thousands of electronic messages as evidence of the TERI officials unbecoming conduct. He was also accused of kissing and touching her inappropriately.
A team of five Pakistani police and intelligence officials arrived in New Delhi on Sunday to probe the January 2 terror attack at the Pathankot Indian Air Force base in Punjab.

The team will travel to Pathankot on Tuesday and will question witnesses there. An official source said the Pakistani team will be given limited access to the airbase where at least seven military personnel were killed after an attack by alleged Pakistani terrorists.

This will be the first time a Pakistan team will examine witnesses in a case in India, and New Delhi doesnt want the neighbouring country to cite lack of cooperation at any level. The access was granted as India hoped that Pakistan will bring to justice the alleged perpetrators, including Jaish-e-Mohammad chief Masood Azhar.

Indian investigators believe that Azhar, who was released after the Indian Airlines IC 814 hijacking in 1999 in Afghanistans Kandhahar, masterminded the Pathankot attack.

The team will visit only those areas of Pathankot airbase in Punjab where militants were engaged in an 80-hour gun battle.

Indias anti-terror agency NIA is ready to help the team meet 17 people injured in the early-January assault blamed on JeM.

This is the first time an official of Pakistans spy agency, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), is part of such a high-profile team that has Indias nod.

The team, however, will not be able to question soldiers from the National Security Guard and the Border Security Force, and commandos of Indian Air Forces Garud division.

Any lead picked up by the Pakistan team will not be of any legal use in the absence of Letter Rogatory, a request from a court to a foreign court for any judicial assistance.

But, there are hopes that Pakistan will conduct a serious probe during the goodwill visit.

The members of the Pakistan Joint Investigation Team (JIT) arrive at the IGI airport in New Delhi on Sunday. (Sonu Mehta/HT Photo)

The team arrived by a special aircraft shortly after 1pm in Delhi, where was to get a detailed presentation on the NIAs probe.

It will reach Pathankot on Monday by 11am either by car or by a BSF chopper. If a chopper is used, it will not land in the airbase.

Salvinder Singh, Gurdaspur superintendent of police, Madan Gopal, his cook, and Rajesh Verma, the policemans friend, will be examined. Militants kidnapped them on December 31 night before entering the IAF base.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to ask for information on the four attackers and the people who facilitated their entry into India through Bamiyal village on the border. India will also press for a visit of its probe team to Pakistan.

India might also seek some phone numbers and information on JeM chief Masood Azhar, his brother and companies that supplied packed food to the militants.

Officials are expected to cite similarities between the Pathankot attack and strikes in Samba and Kathua last year - the use of GPS and wireless sets, the act of hijacking cars, energy drink Red bull (common in all attacks) and identical wire cutters and arms.

The Pakistan team, led by Punjab Counter Terrorism Departments (CTDs) additional inspector general of police, Muhammad Tahir Rai, will return to Delhi on Tuesday and leave for Pakistan.

Other members of the team are: Lahore deputy director general of the Intelligence Bureau, Mohammad Azim Arshad, ISI Lt Col Tanvir Ahmad, military intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujjaranwala CTD investigating officer Shahid Tanveer.
Presidents Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on Sunday after the political crisis reached a cliffhanger of sorts on Saturday night, with reports emerging that Speaker Govind Kunjwal had disqualified nine rebel MLAs of the ruling Congress.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution, dismissing the Congress government headed by Rawat and placing the assembly under suspended animation on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.

The government which was in power after March 18 was non-constitutional, finance minister Arun Jaitley said after the central rule was imposed in the state. The government of Uttarakhand was murdering provisions of the Constitution every day, he added.

Rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna welcomed the imposition of Presidents Rule, saying the Rawat government needed to be dismissed as it was involved in corruption.

Bahuguna, a former chief minister, expressed hope that the central rule will not get prolonged and fresh elections would be held in his state. It is a good step, he said.

Uttarakhand was brought under Presidents Rule on the grounds of breakdown of governance in a controversial decision which comes in the wake of a political crisis triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress.

The dismissal of the Rawat government now renders Mondays confidence vote infructuous.

Kunjwals move may alter the political equation in the state, providing a lifeline to chief minister Harish Rawat  who has to prove his governments majority in the 70-member assembly on Monday.

The Bharatiya Janta Party is defying everything the Constitution stands for. They are indulging in horse-trading, Congress spokesperson Sanjay Jha told a television news channel.

The Congress termed the central governments move as murder of democracy and unconstitutional.

Rawat earlier condemned the threat by the Centre to impose Presidents Rule. It is not acceptable in a parliamentary system. There is a procedure for Presidents Rule, which has emerged following precedence, he told reporters on Sunday.

Rawat also accused the BJP of attacking the democracy with money and muscle power in its bid to dislodge his four-year-old Congress government.

Read: Uttarakhand Congress rebels may move SC against disqualification order

Rawat said the BJP was not relying on the peoples mandate and accused it of using money power to overthrow the government in Uttarakhand. It is low-level politics.

Rejecting suggestions there is a division within the Congress that has led to the current crisis, Rawat said: We do not have any internal tussle. It is BJP and RSS which are hobnobbing with the Congress rebels to create the crisis.

News agency PTI reported that Prime Minister Narendra Modi convened a late-night cabinet meeting on Saturday in Delhi, where he was said to have discussed the Uttarakhand crisis and the possibility of imposing Presidents Rule. The talks came hours after a sting video aired by a local channel purportedly showed 69-year-old Rawat striking a multi-crore deal for bringing rebels back into the party fold.

Rawat said an unholy alliance led by Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah was behind the sting, accusing the saffron party of orchestrating the crisis.

Meanwhile, the rebel lawmakers  led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna  supported the BJP legislators demand for a conscience vote at the assemblys budget session on March 18. But if the nine MLAs are disqualified now, the strength of the assembly will be reduced to 61.

Read: Journalist who stung Uttarakhand CM has govt security, connections

Rawat may get the support of 27 Congress MLAs and six others, bringing the total number to 33. However, speculations are rife over how the Centre plans to prevent the situation from working out in the Congress governments favour. It has already received a report from governor KK Paul on the crisis.

Modi had cut short his visit to Assam, where he was addressing election rallies in view of the upcoming elections, to call the hour-long emergency cabinet meeting. There was no official confirmation about the topic of discussion, but sources told PTI that another meeting would be held on Sunday before a final call was taken on the matter.

Maintaining that the Uttarakhand government has a majority in the assembly, the Congress leadership denounced attempts to pull down a duly elected government on the basis of a farcical sting operation.

At a hurriedly convened press conference at the Congress headquarters here, party general secretary Ambika Soni said the BJP was desperately trying to dislodge the state government by imposing Presidents Rule.

A BJP delegation had met President Pranab Mukherjee earlier in the day to state that Rawat has no right to continue after being exposed in the sting video. Its memorandum to the President was also critical of the governor, alleging that he did not act on the request of the majority of the legislature to dismiss the state government.
The rebel faction from the ruling Congress party in Uttarakhand said on Saturday that they will go to the Supreme Court in case they are disqualified, hours before a series of late night developments in Delhi and Dehradun culminated in the Speaker beginning the process to disqualify them.

The Congress MLAs are confident of getting their disqualification stayed from the SC on Monday morning.

The rebels said that they will petition the SC saying that they never acted against their party but were opposed to chief minister Harish Rawat.

We are free to take any legal recourse and option of Supreme Court is always there... if Speaker orders our disqualification we will seek justice from Supreme Court with hope that the apex court of the country will hear our pleading, said a rebel party MLA Amrita Rawat.

Vijay Bahuguna, the face of the rebellion in the Congress in Uttarakhand, challenged the state assembly Speaker to expel him for the right reasons.

He argued that his dismissal will expose the Congress-led state governments minority status.

If I am expelled for voting against my own governments budget in the House, it will also show that the budget was never passed. And in that case, Rawat has to resign, Bahuguna said, trying to put the Speaker and Rawat in a fix.

According to sources from the chief ministers office and the party, the Congress was initially considering getting the disqualification order issued by late Sunday evening. The government can potentially prove a majority with the help of four independents if the floor test goes through and the disqualification is not stayed.
Uttarakhand chief minister Harish Rawat on Sunday accused the BJP-led government at the Centre of threatening to impose Presidents Rule in the state in its arrogance.

I condemn this threat by the BJP, he said at a press briefing.

The demand to remove the Governor is completely condemnable, Rawat said. We have decided that we will take this issue to the public... My DNA is the DNA of the people, it is not an imported DNA like others, he added.

If its an internal problem of Congress, then why were the big brass of RSS and BJP here on 17th & 18th, Rawat said.

Meanwhile, a day ahead of the trust vote for the Rawat government, the district administration imposed Section 144 in Dehradun to prevent potential flare-ups between rival political groups.

Advocates of the rebel legislators met speaker Govind Kunjwal at his Vidhan Sabha office in the morning. Kunjwal may soon arrive at a formal decision on disqualifying nine Congress legislators, who joined hands with BJP MLAs over the last few weeks to attempt taking down the state government.

Sources, however, said that the decision to disqualify the rebels has already been taken in principle.

In a notice served by the speaker last Sunday, the rebel MLAs were asked to explain why they had violated the party whip and shouted slogans against the government with BJP legislators on March 18.

After the rebels are disqualified, the strength of the house will come down from 70 to 61. In this situation, the Congress may be able to cobble up a majority with the support of independents and fringe parties.

Read: Uttarakhand Congress rebels may move SC against disqualification order

Ambika Soni, Congress general secretary and in-charge for party affairs in Uttarakhand, is expected to reach Dehradun by Sunday noon. State Congress chief Kishor Upadhyay, who is also in New Delhi, is likely to come with Soni.

Sources in the BJP said that 27 of its legislators will also reach the state capital from Jaipur by noon. The Congress, which has housed the party legislators and independents in a resort near Corbett, may bring them here by Monday morning.

Eight of the nine rebels will reach by Sunday night, and security has been tightened around their residences.

Read: Journalist who stung Uttarakhand CM has govt security, connections

Opposition leader Ajay Bhatt told a local TV channel on Sunday morning that the speaker was biased against the Congress rebel legislators, and was acting against constitutional norms.

Section 144 of the CrPC empowers a magistrate to prohibit more than 10 people from gathering in an area.
The judge hearing the bail plea of arrested Hyderabad Central University students and teachers could find herself in a potential conflict-of-interest row as her husband works for a BJP lawmaker facing allegations of abetting Dalit student Rohith Vemulas suicide.

The husband of Dhamavarapu Varoodhini, the Miyapur court metropolitan magistrate who will hear the bail applications on Monday, works in the law firm of Ramachander Rao, a BJP member of the Telangana legislative council.

Rao is one of the men against whom a case under the SC/ST atrocities act was registered by police after Vemulas January 17 death, which triggered nationwide campus protests against alleged caste discrimination in educational institutions.

Dontha Prashanth, who filed the complaint against Rao, is one of the student-protesters awaiting bail.

Judge Varoodhinis husband, M Vijaykanth, works at Raos office located near Taranaka and is an active BJP and Sangh Parivar member too.

The judge will hear the bail pleas of 27 students and two teachers, who were arrested on March 23 during violence-marred protests against vice-chancellor Podile Appa Raos return to the campus after two months of leave. Student-protesters hold Appa Rao responsible for Vemulas suicide.

When the bail matter came up before the judge on Thursday, she conceded to the polices plea for time to file their counter-arguments and extended the arrested protesters custody until Monday.

Husband Vijaykanth told this reporter at Raos office that he is married to the judge.

Later, at the couples home, Vijaykanth refused to react to the conflict-of-interest charge, saying his wife was not interested in commenting on the issue. We dont have interest in these matters, he said.

In his reaction, Rao said: I dont like the judiciary to be politicised. I have no idea. I have nothing to do with it.

It is not good for the judiciary to be dragged into politics, he said, responding to the query if the judge should have voluntarily recused herself from the case.

On June 21, 2014, soon after the Lok Sabha elections, Judge Varoodhini liked and shared on Facebook campaign material put up by an account named I Support Narendra Modi. On June 16, 2015, she shared another news report on Modis speech at a book launch.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Sunday welcomed the probe report of justice Markandey Katju into the Behbal Kalan police firing that claimed lives of two youths, and demanded action against the cops named in the report.

Justice Katju, under the banner of the Peoples Commission, had on Saturday released the probe report, naming Faridkot senior superintendent of police (SSP) Charanjit Sharma, now suspended, and other cops for allegedly opening fire on the crowds protesting against the sacrilege of Guru Granth Sahib in October last year. The commission recommended strict action against the police officers, who ordered the firing without a magistrate present at the scene.

AAP also demands the government to make public the call records of the then SSP of Faridkot, party senior leader Sukhpal Khaira said in a statement here. The party also urged the government to ensure justice to the aggrieved families and victims of the police firing, supporting the demand for `1 crore compensation and a government job to the kin of the deceased.

It is astonishing that the Badal government failed to identify the killers of the Sikh youths, and the first-information report (FIR) of the incident remains registered against unidentified persons. This is nothing but mockery of law, as those in the uniform had killed the innocent youths, said Khaira.

Khaira said the Badal government had set up the justice Zora Singh commission to look into the firing incident just to hoodwink the people.

It has been a usual practice for the senior Badal to appoint such politically motivated commissions of inquiry in order to get a clean chit from them, he said, pointing to the AN Jindal commission that probed the book scam during the tenure of Sikandar Singh Maluka as the education minister.
It took Bachittar Singh, the head constable posted at the Punjab Police headquarters in Chandigarh arrested for duping a man on the pretext of getting his son recruited as an inspector, eight months to lure his victims and collect Rs 2 crore from them.

Interrogation has revealed that all the victims were either his relatives or colleagues. While he struck the first deal in March last year, the last one was concluded in October, Sadar police station house officer Janpal Singh told a local court, where the accused was produced, on Saturday. Police have recorded statements of all the 15 victims, he said.

During the interrogation, Bachittar Singh has also revealed the amount collected from the victims for specific posts: Rs 40 lakh for sub-inspector and Rs 12 lakh for constable. While 11 of the victims had been promised a job as constable, four had paid up to become sub-inspector.

After striking the deal and collecting the money, Bachittar Singh used to hand over the money to Amandeep Singh, alias Aman Skoda, after keeping his share of 25%, said the SHO. Skoda was recently arrested by the Ferozepur police in a similar case.

The SHO told the court that the accused also maintained a list of financial dealings with the victims. The piece of paper on which he penned down the details has been recovered, he said. According to it, the accused cop had partly returned the money to some of the victims.

The accused had bought one-acre land in Moga from the amount collected by him, said the SHO. As cops are yet to establish the further flow of money, the SHO sought an extension of Bachittar Singhs remand, to which the court agreed. Now, the accused will be produced in court on Monday.

Deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Harvinder Singh, who is investigating the case, said police are thoroughly investigating the case and procuring details of the accuseds recent investments. The DSP said raids are on to trace the whereabouts of Surinder Kaur, his wife and co-accused in the case.
Punjab Congress chief Captain Amarinder Singh on Sunday termed the dismissal of the Congress government in Uttarakhand as unconstitutional. It amounts to murder of democracy and is a brute attempt at undermining the federal structure of the Constitution, Amarinder said in a statement in Chandigarh.

He also asked Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal to clarify his stand on the issue as it (dismissal of the Uttarakhand government) undermines the basic principle of federalism for which Badal has always been beating his breast.

It is a paradox that Badals daughter-in-law Harsimrat Kaur Badal was party to the cabinet decision that recommended the unconstitutional dismissal of the Uttarakhand government while he himself has always been crying hoarse about the attempts to undermine federal structure of the constitution, Amarinder said.

How the BJP government at the Centre, led by Narendra Modi, could dismiss an elected government without allowing the chief Minister to go for the floor test in the assembly, Captain asked.
Genres : Action

Starring : Melody Wiggins, Kelay Miller

Director : John S. Rad

Plot Synopsis

In 1979, Iranian filmmaker John S. Rad moved to the U.S. to shoot his dream project, a rampaging gutter epic of crime, revenge, cop sex and raw power. Just 26 years later, he completed an American action film masterpiece that the world is still barely ready for today: DANGEROUS MEN. After Mina witnesses her fiance's brutal murder by beach thugs, she sets out on a venomous spree to eradicate all human trash from Los Angeles. Armed with a knife, a gun, and an undying rage, she murders her way through the masculine half of the city's populace. A renegade cop is hot on her heels, a trail that also leads him to the subhuman criminal overlord known as Black Pepper. It's a pulse-pounding, heart-stopping, brain-devouring onslaught of '80s thunder, '90s lightning, and pure filmmaking daredevilry from another time and/or dimension. Blades flash, blood flows, bullets fly and synthesizers blare as the morgue overflows with the corpses of DANGEROUS MEN.
To build in on the tough action by court in sentencing 33 drunk drivers to one-month jail on Friday, the UT Police launched a special drive to check traffic violations on Saturday.

Read more: 33 drunken drivers challaned on Holi, jailed for one month in Chandigarh

Under the plan, the police would check specific violations on fixed days to instil discipline with pollution certificates being the target on Saturday.

On Sunday, the police will launch a special drive against wrong parking/tinted glasses and films.

Inspector general of police (IGP) Tajender Singh Luthra said, We have made a detailed plan to curb traffic violations. We have prepared a schedule in which specific violations would be checked during the entire day, either at random nakas or at different intersections.

He added social media would also be used to inform residents on which offence would be on their radar on a particular day.

SSP (traffic) Maneesh Chaudhary said, On Saturday, 1,124 traffic challans were issued and 23 vehicles were towed for wrong parking. An amount of Rs 2,20,900 was collected.
In a bid to end the ongoing crisis at the Gian Sagar Medical College and Hospital, Banur, the department of medical education and research has called the institution management for a meeting on Monday and spell out its exact plan on how it will pay off pending salaries of the faculty and para-medical staff.

Classes at the college, which has nearly 500 MBSS students, have been suspended since February 25 as the entire teaching and non-teaching staff is on strike over non-release of their salaries for the past six months.

Several shortcomings such as a drop in patient footfall and shortage of faculty as raised by an expert committee report of the Baba Farid University of Health Sciences, Faridkot, will also be discussed in detail, it has been learnt. The department has also sought the account details of the staff.

Secretary medical education Hussan Lal said the college had been warned in recent communications to end the stalemate and clear the pending dues of staff at the earliest.

It has come to our notice that the college management recently paid one-month salary to the faculty till October and two-month salary to the non-teaching staff till November, he said.

In the meeting, we will assess the situation as how the college plans to pay off salaries so that classes can be resumed at the earliest, he said.

Some protesting staff members said this was not the first time that the college management failed to disburse their salaries in time.

A senior faculty member said t due to non-payment of dues, nearly 40 teachers have left the college in the last couple of months. College chief executive officer (CEO) Manish Jhakhar, however, denied this.

He claimed that only three or four faculty members had resigned and that too due to personal reasons.

All I say at this stage is that we are on the revival path and we have already begun paying the staff. The remaining dues will be cleared by the end of next month and we will begin recruiting faculty, said Jhakhar.

The college faced some fund crunch as sanctioning of loans by banks got delayed due to rumours, he said.

On the other hand, a senior faculty member said that they were tired to getting verbal assurances for the last several months. We will not resume classes till dues are not cleared, he said.

Another faculty member, who did not want to be named, said the Medical Council of India (MCI) would de-recognise the college if it conducted an inspection anytime. He claimed the number of faculty members for MBBS has come down to 70 against the required 200.

Director medical education and research Dr Manjit Kaur Mohi said the situation at the college was serious and the department is in regular touch with the college management to end this crisis.

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The protests by jewellers across Punjab against 1% excise duty on gold ornaments got a political colour on Saturday with leaders of the Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) joining the protesters.

In Ludhiana, as the cavalcade of more than 1,000 jewellers led by district Congress president Gurpreet Gogi and AAP member of Parliament from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann advanced towards Ladhowal Toll Plaza on National Highway-1, a posse of 400 cops led by deputy commissioner of police Narinder Bhargav canecharged them at Ladhowal Chowk when Mann was addressing the gathering from atop a truck.

Mann, Gogi and Congress MLA Bharat Bhushan Ashu, along with several others, were detained by the police for more than three hours as a preventive measure. The injured were admitted to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

In Amritsar, backed by Congress leaders, city jewellers staged a protest at the Hall Gate, where they raised slogans against the Modi government and burnt an effigy of Union finance minister Arun Jaitley.

In Jalandhar, members of the Punjab Youth Congress (PYC) supported the agitating members of goldsmiths body by burning an effigy of the Modi government at the Company Bagh Chowk.

In Patiala, Patiala (rural) MLA Brahm Mohindra and other Congress leaders came out in support of the jewellers. Meanwhile, Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee president Capt Amarinder Singh demanded rollback of the excise duty on jewellery. In a statement, Amarinder said the Congress fully endorsed and supported jewellers demand.

Congress legislature party leader Charanjit Singh Channi condemned the lathi charge by the Punjab Police on the protesting jewellers in Ludhiana.
Press Trust of India

letterschd@hindustantimes.com

Patna: From widening the streets to sprucing up Ganga riverfront, Patna city and the iconic Sikh shrine nestled in its womb are undergoing a massive facelift as a large number of pilgrims are expected here during the 350th birth anniversary celebrations of Guru Gobind Singh.

As people from several parts of India and abroad, including from Canada, the UK, the US and Australia, are expected to converge here, a temporary tent city spanning over 75 acres has been proposed to be set up on the banks of Ganga.

The countdown has begun and timelines have been defined. All projects would be completed in a time-bound manner. Inter-departmental conflicts have been resolved and eight committees

and sub-committees have been set up to smoothly execute the

big plan, said Patna divisional commissioner Anand Kishor.

Meanwhile, the Patna Sahib shrine is racing against time to finish the new constructions on its premises. Old streets like Guru Gobind Singh Path are being widened and new roads are being constructed in the old Patna city, which has narrow lanes and alleys. Ganga ghats in the city are also being redeveloped.

Gurdwara gets a facelift

Guru Gobind Singh was born in Patna in 1666 to Guru Teg Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, and Mata Gujri. The current shrine of Patna Sahib, signifying his birth, was built in the 1950s over the remains of the structure erected by Maharaja Ranjit Singh in the late 1830s, which was damaged in the deadly 1934 earthquake.

The gurudwara management committee is also undertaking huge constructions on its campus, as most of the old guest house complex has been dismantled and a new structure is coming up in its place, which will include provisions for parking of vehicles that are expected in huge numbers in January. New structures have also come up on the campus surrounding Gurdwara Bal Leela, where young Guru Gobind Singh used to play. A multi-storeyed building has been completed in its adjoining campus replacing the old building that once served as a warehouse.

Anand Kishor said he has been holding regular meetings with all stakeholders, including the district magistrate, Patna police, tourism department and railway officials to chalk out both short-term and long-term measures to make the event a grand success.

All police officials including the senior superintendent of police have been briefed to ensure foolproof security. We will be installing 200 closed-circuit television cameras to monitor the situation, Kishor said.

Bihar govt plans to tap tourism potential

The Bihar government is also looking to tap the immense tourism potential of this mega event and had earlier even hired Delhi-based Indian National Trust for Art and Culture (INTACH) to prepare a micro-plan for tourism-related assessment of Patna Sahib area.

We had made a study of the area, which is the old region of Patna, with layers of several centuries of history and heritage. The area has winding lanes and narrow roads, including the main road, the Ashok Raj Path, that goes in front of the shrine and therefore had suggested a few measures to decongest the area, said a senior INTACH official said.
Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leaders joined the jewellers protest against levying of one percent excise duty on gold jewellery, on the 23rd day of stir on Saturday.

But, as the cavalcade of more than 1,000 infuriated jewellers supported by district Congress president Gurpreet Gogi and AAP member of Parliament from Sangrur Bhagwant Mann advanced towards Ladhowal Toll Plaza to block the national highway 1 (NH-1), 400 cops led by deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Narinder Bhargav cane-charged them at Ladhowal Chowk itself. This all led to traffic jam in the area.

Jewellers in the district are divided over the issue of levying of excise duty. Some jewellers decided to call-off the strike after finance minister Arun Jaitly during a meeting with jewellers apex body All India Gems and Jewellery Trade Federation (GJF) last week assured that jewellers with annual revenue of `6 crore or above would only be liable to pay the excise duty while below that figure would be exempted. Around 25% of the total small traders (jewellers) opened their shops on Wednesday, but they were asked to shut their shops by other jewellers bodies that have been demanding complete rollback of excise duty.

AAP MP Mann was addressing the gathering atop a truck. He, along with member of legislative assembly (MLA) Bharat Bhushan Ashu and district Congress president Gurpreet Gogi, was detained by the police for more than three hours.

As a preventive measure, several arrests were made at the venue. Those arrested were later released, while injured members were admitted to Dayanand Medical College and Hospital (DMCH).

Launching a scathing attack on the police departments failure to deal with the situation, Gurpreet Gogi said, We were dealt with so aggressively. District Youth Congress president Rajeev Raja suffered severe injuries among other prominent members of district unit of the party. We were locked and detained for three-and-a-half hours.

The cops could have resorted to peaceful ways to manage the crowd. They should have simply accepted the memorandum of demands to disperse the gathering. Breaking sticks on already troubled traders certainly is not the way. We are fighting for the rights of traders, but detaining leaders of such repute is not justified, Gogi said.

Cases registered

Meanwhile, Narinder Bhargav said, Cases against unidentified person has been registered under Sections 283 (danger or obstruction in public way or line of navigation), 160 (punishment for committing affray) and 353 (assault or use criminal force to any person being a public servant in the execution of his duty as such public servant, or with intent to prevent or deter that person from discharging his duty) of the IPC. We have initiated the inquiry.

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The first president of the Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC), Sham Singh, breathed his last at 84 after brief illness at a Lahore hospital early on Sunday morning.

Sham Singh became the PSGPC president for the first time in 1999, a development that coincided with the Khalsa tercentenary. He has to his credit changing the face of Sikh shrines in Muslim-dominated Pakistan, which before his taking over as the president were a symbol of neglect.

Sham Singh was cremated with state honours at Nankana Sahib amid heavy deployment of police and high attendance of Sikhs. Singh, who wished to be cremated either at Nankana Sahib or Kartarpur Sahib, is survived by a son.

Sham Singh had been unwell for the past few months. On March 8, he was admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) after suffering head injuries at his Lahore home. The PSGPC will perform the bhog and antim ardaas on April 8.

Was founder president of PSGPC

Sham Singh was the prime mover in setting up of the PSGPC, which effectively took away the control of Pakistan gurdwaras from the Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC). Before that, the SGPC was managing Pakistan-based Sikh shrines during Gurpurbs and other religious congregations and even collected all the offerings.

Singh, along with the Pakistan evacuee trust property board (ETPB), changed all that and led the move that vested the control of Pakistani gurdwaras in the hands of Pakistani Sikhs.

Though the direct control of Sikh gurdwaras and properties attached to it continued to remain in the hands of the ETPB, Sham Singh has to his credit the development and management of Sikh shines, especially Nankana Sahib in Nankana district, Dera Sahib in Lahore, and Panja Sahib in Hasan Abdal, Rawalpindi. There are 300 Sikhs shrines in Pakistan that are under the control of the PSGPC.

His detractors, however, say Sham Singh remained unsuccessful in making the PSGPC an independent body by taking over its control from government agencies.

Wish to visit India remained unfulfilled

As the PSGPC president, Sham Singh tried to visit India twice, but on both occasions he was denied visa. He wanted to come to Hazoor Sahib in Nanded to take part in Gurta Gaddi Diwas to mark the tercentenary of Guru Granth Sahib in 2008, and on another occasion, he wished to travel to Golden Temple, Amritsar.

Sham Singh, who hailed from Sakhar town in Sindh province of Pakistan, was an illiterate, but the acumen with which he handled Sikhs issues helped him in emerging as a leader of the community, whose members are a handful minority in the neighbouring country. It also won him accolades from Sikhs all over the world.

Initially, Sham Singh remained the PSGPC president for six years, till 2005, and again took over the reins in 2008.

Officiating president after bhog

Sikhs in Pakistan have been orphaned after his (Sham Singhs) death, said PSGPC general secretary Gopal Singh Chawla. Talking to HT over telephone, Chawla said the present committee would not like to bring in a new president till the present tenure ends in 2018.

We would like to have a temporary arrangement by making one of the officer-bearers an acting president, said Chawla. A 21-member house of the PSGPC (which has 15 elected members and six nominated from outside Pakistan), in conjunction with the ETPB, will take a final decision after Sham Singhs antim ardaas, he said.

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Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal on Saturday said water sharing (SYL Canal) was an emotive issue that needed to be resolved on priority with utmost sensitivity and caution as river water was the lifeline of state.

Badal alleged that Punjab Congress chief Amarinder Singh was playing politics over the issue, but was evasive to questions on BJP-led Central governments stand on the water-sharing issue in the Supreme Court, which was in contrast to that of Punjabs.

Badal was talking to the media on the sidelines of the first convocation of Sri Guru Granth Sahib World University here on Saturday.

He alleged that Punjab had faced discrimination on all fronts, such as political, social, economic and religious, at the hands of the successive Congress governments at the Centre. Our state has been denied its rightful share in river waters through the three water distribution pacts done in the last five decades in brazen defiance to an internationally accepted riparian principle, he said.

We the people of Punjab are the custodians of the rivers passing through the state and wont share a single drop as there is none to spare, Badal said.

Urging the Congress to stop politicking over the issue, the CM said the Punjab Termination of Agreements Act-2004 passed by the then Amarinder Singh government was nothing but an unintentional admission of guilt by the Congress for betraying the people of Punjab on river waters.

Policy to regularise contract workers

In his convocation address, the chief minister said the state government would soon come out with a policy to regularise the services of ad hoc/contract employees. Badal said he had already asked the chief secretary, his principal secretary and advocate general to find ways and means to regularise the services of these employees.

Earlier, vice-chancellor Gurmohan Singh Walia read out the annual report of the varsity. SGPC president and chancellor of university Avtar Singh Makkar and University Grants Commission secretary Jaspal Singh Sandhu also spoke on the occasion.

Honoris causa degree for ex-army chief

He also expressed concern over the exploitation of qualified youth by the private sector.

Ex-army chief Gen Bikram Singh (retd) and former IFS officer Bhagwant Singh Dalawari were conferred with degrees of Doctor of Science (DSc) and Doctor of Literature (DLit), both (honoris causa), respectively, for outstanding services rendered by them in their fields.

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Minnows Afghanistan scripted history on Sunday as they defeated 2012 champions West Indies by 6 runs in their final group league encounter of the ICC World Twenty20 in Mohali to sign off on a memorable note.

West Indies failed to surpass a target of 124 as the Associate nation were able to restrict them to 117 for eight.

The defeat does not change anything in final equations as West Indies have already qualified for the semi-finals and also maintained their pole position in the table. They will play their semi-final in Mumbai.

The story of the day, however, was all about the talented Afghan boys, who have impressed one and all with their spirited display so far in the tournament.

After a string of close losses, the Afghans kept their calm on today to beat a much-fancied West Indies side, who looked formidable even in the absence of Chris Gayle.

There were emotional scenes all around after Afghanistan completed the formalities, prompting West Indian star Chris Gayle, who was rested from todays game, to congratulate them and even pose for pictures with the victorious team.

Afghanistan scored 123/7 in 20 overs after being put into bat. Najibullah Zadrans 40-ball-48 studded with four boundaries and a six was the reason for them reaching a fighting total after being down at 56 for five.

In reply, the Afghan bowlers maintained a disciplined line and length.

It was heartening to see skipper Asghar Stanikzai toss up the ball to off-spinner Mohammed Nabi with West Indies needing 10 runs off the last over.
An Australian woman has tracked down and married the sperm-donor father of her child, according to a report published in the UK daily The Independent.

Aminah Hart, who was born in Britain but has since assumed an Australian citizenship, has written a book detailing her experience, saying she wanted to meet her IVF donor after the birth of their daughter, Leila.

Scott Andersen, a 45-year-old cattle farmer, was chosen from a list of suitable candidates by Hart because he described himself as being happy and healthy.

Hart had underonge in vitro fertilisation (IVF) treatment in order to have Leila. IVF is the process by which an egg is fertilised by sperm outside of the human body.

She contacted him formally via the IVF clinic, and he accepted after seeing the striking resemblance between Leila and him.

Andersen said he first agreed to the meeting in order to see the girl but later developed feelings for Hart. Two other children she gave birth to from previous relationships had both died at young age.

Hart later found out that she had a rare genetic disorder which only affected male offspring.

You cant really put it into words. I had two relationships and two children but it wasnt until the second one that I got a diagnosis of the genetic disorder. I did set out to have a family the conventional way and if I didnt have them I wouldnt have Leila or Scott, Hart told the Mail Online.

I would have never been looking for a sperm donor or thought to go through IVF to have a baby on my own.

Harts story is due to be made into a film.
Flight operations in Nepals Tribhuvan International Airport in Kathmandu were affected on Sunday after airport authorities were warned of a bomb on board a Jet Airways flight that left from New Delhi in the afternoon.

An unidentified person made a call to the airport authorities saying that a Jet Airways aircraft that took off from New Delhi had explosives inside it.

There was panic at the airport as soon as the news spread. Security was tightened inside the airport after the threat was received.

Shortly after the aircraft landed at the airport at around 4:30 pm, the aircraft was taken to isolation and search operations were carried out and passengers were safely evacuated. Security personnel, including Nepal Armys bomb disposal squad were mobilised for carrying out search operations.

However, the bomb threat turned to be a hoax and no explosive was found inside the aircraft.

We had carried a thorough investigation of all the baggage, passengers and aircraft seats, where noting was found, a senior official at the airport said.

All domestic as well as international flights were suspended for about an hour due to the incident.

The airport authorities cleared the ground at 5.30 pm (local time)after going through necessary investigations.

Security at New Delhis Indira Gandhi International Airport was also scaled up on Sunday after a local hotel received a call about bomb threat to half a dozen flights.

The call was made by an anonymous caller saying that bombs have been planted on six flights, including one on a Jet Airways plane, according to a source.
Genres : Horror

Starring : Patrick Magee, Mimsy Farmer

Director : Lucio Fulci

Plot Synopsis

From Italy s own Godfather of Gore Lucio Fulci (Zombie, The Gates of Hell) comes The Black Cat a gruesome reimagining of the classic Edgar Allan Poe tale starring Patrick Magee (A Clockwork Orange) and Mimsy Farmer (The Perfume of the Lady in Black).

When a young couple goes missing in a sleepy English village, Scotland Yard Inspector Gorley (David Warbeck, The Beyond) is brought in to assist on the case. But what starts off as routine investigation turns into a murder inquiry when the couple are found dead in mysterious circumstances.

Fusing a classically gothic atmosphere with the decidedly more visceral elements that are the hallmark of Fulci s films, The Black Cat is a too-often overlooked and underrated entry in the Italian master filmmaker s canon.

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At a Communist Party of China (CPC) meet in Beijing in late 2014, President Xi Jinping made a statement that would have made Chairman Mao Zedong proud. The rule of law in China, Xi said, was a knife whose handle was in the hands of the party and the people.

The rule of law in China, as it turns out, is also the television remote in the hands of the people and especially the CPC  to switch on the latest televised confession on prime-time state television, a practice termed outrageous by legal experts.

In a Chinese-style televised confession, increasingly part of Xis rule of law with Chinese characteristics, the suspect is paraded in front of cameras in drab clothes, often in handcuffs with head down, and then confesses to committing crimes against the country.

These confessions are often telecast before the suspects been taken to court  the aim, experts say, is to humiliate and brand the person a criminal in the public eye before the due process of law has begun; the aim, experts say, also is to legitimise the CPCs  and not the courts  decision to prosecute.

Dozens have been paraded on television since 2013, with this year witnessing a spurt in confessions. The list has included lawyers, online celebrities, publishers, actors, journalists and at least two foreigners.

In January, a Swedish rights activist, Peter Dahlin, was arrested while boarding a Hong Kong-bound flight. Days later, Dahlin was on television, confessing to his anti-China work and apologising for hurting the apparently fragile feelings of 1.4 billion Chinese people.

A Hong-Kong bookseller confessed to a 10-year-old crime, a 70-year-old woman journalist said she leaked state secretsthe list is growing. The refrain: The accused were sorry for their anti-China activities.

A televised confession is the technologically savvy descendent of the public naming and shaming practice followed during the tumultuous Cultural Revolution decade between 1966 and1976.

Then, the suspects wrote letters and were taken out to the public square to self-criticise and confess; for the CPC, television is the new public square.

For example, Luo Ruiqing, chief of general staff of the Peoples Liberation Army (PLA) during the 1962 Sino-India war, wrote several letters of self-criticism after falling out with Chairman Mao Zedong during the Cultural Revolution.

The (practice of televised) confession can be regarded as residual influence of the Cultural Revolution. But certainly it can be dated back to long before it. As early as the 1930s, landlords and rich peasants suffered from public parade and public criticism. The Soviet Union might be the source of such activity, Cheng Hai from the All China Lawyers Association told Hindustan Times.

Chinas Criminal Procedure Law states no one is guilty till proven so by the court.

In more modern times, the CPC introduced the practice of self-criticism in which individuals accused of various ideological or other problems were expected (and often coerced) to write and sometimes read what were basically confessions. But this was not part of any judicial process, said Joshua Rosenzweig, a Hong Kong-based independent rights researcher.

Because they are not part of a judicial process, televised confessions could have a disastrous impact on rule of law in China.

Televised confessions made before formal arrest but after a period of intense coerced incommunicado police detention are a dreadful violation of the rule of law. They represent the worst form of collaboration between all-powerful police and controlled media, said Jerome A Cohen, professor of law at New York University and a foremost expert on Chinese law.

It makes a mockery of continuing efforts by law reformers within the Chinese judiciary to improve the fairness of the criminal justice system.

Its not just experts who are speaking out against the practice but even the odd  alright, really odd  Chinese politician who is doing so.

Lawyer Zhu Zhengfu, member of the Chinese Peoples Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), Chinas top advisory body, suggested at the recently concluded annual Parliament session that the practice should be stopped.

There are too many possibilities that may lead suspects to plead guilty against their will, or against the facts. Before a judgment by the court, we should stop society from treating them as criminals, Zhang was quoted as saying by the state media.

There are voices in defence.

Chen Xinxin, a research fellow at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said if, for example, Swedish national Peter Dahlin was willing to admit his crimes on China Central Television (CCTV), it was not illegal to broadcast it.

Besides, what CCTV did has also conformed to the publics right to know, since the crimes Dahlin was charged with have much to do with the public interest, Chen told the Global Times newspaper. (Chen did not reply to emailed questions from HT.)

But why does China ruled by the all-powerful CPC need to do this? Does the revival of the practice under Xi point to simmering problems in China?

Yes, says Gao Wenqian from the New York-based Human Rights in China and the author of biographies of Mao and Chinas first premier Zhou Enlai.

Xis predecessors Jiang Zemin and Hu Jintao did not resort to this tactic as they were not challenged by the kind of sharp social conflicts Xi is being challenged (by) now, Gao said, adding the CPC does this to legitimise its decisions.

The CPC does this because it cannot even follow its own laws. To charge someone with a crime, the authorities need evidence. When they cannot find any evidence to support their accusations, they force the accused to publicly confess to minimise the appearance of wrongdoing on their part, Gao said.

At the same CPC meet in late 2014, Xi had said: The judicial system is the last defence for social justice. If it fails, people will widely question (the countrys ability to realise) social justice and stability will hardly be maintained. It seems Xis idea of social justice and maintaining social stability in China go hand-in-glove with confessions forced on television.
After the Italian marines case cast a shadow over EU-India relations and led to Prime Minister Narendra Modi giving Brussels the miss during his visits to Europe, the aim of Wednesdays summit is to re-launch relations and provide political impetus to trade talks.

The fact that the 13th EU-India summit is happening itself is news, a senior Brussels-based diplomat told Hindustan Times. Interestingly, EUs Italian chief of foreign affairs, Federica Mogherini, who had criticised India in the European parliament, will also be present.

A key deliverable of the summit is the resumption of the stalled talks on Bilateral Trade and Investment Agreement (BTIA), which were launched in 2007, but have faced a series of hurdles since. A meeting of commerce ministers on the sidelines is also expected.

Experts, however, say there are slim chances of the free trade agreement being reached anytime soon: There are too many outstanding issues to allow for a full deal to be struck. Whilst the EU is in favour of a comprehensive agreement, New Delhi prefers signing even an imperfect accord and amending it as relations progress, said Anand Menon, professor of European Politics at Kings College London.

Swati Dhingra of the London School of Economics said: The key challenge is that the agreement seems very one-sided. The analogy would be that India is picking up the tab for the hotel room and the EU is just paying for the internet charges during the stay.

Britain introducing increasing restrictions on Indian and other non-EU professionals is likely to figure in the trade talks, while the EU side is known to have asked India to substantially bring down high duties on automobiles.

An EU note says: India has embarked on a process of economic reform and progressive integration with the global economy that aims to put it on a path of rapid and sustained growth. However, Indias trade regime and regulatory environment remains comparatively restrictive.

India still maintains substantial tariff and non-tariff barriers that hinder trade with the EU. In addition to tariff barriers to imports, India also imposes a number of non-tariff barriers in the form of quantitative restrictions, import licensing, mandatory testing and certification for a large number of products, as well as complicated and lengthy customs procedures.

The recent Brussels blasts will figure in the summit to be attended by Modi, the president of the European Council Donald Tusk, the president of the European Commission Jean-Claude Juncker, the European commissioner for trade Cecilia Malmstrom, and Mogherini.

The EU is Indias leading trade and investment partner and the biggest export destination. India and the EU are also strategic partners since 2004. Modi is scheduled to hold bilateral talks with the Belgian prime minister Charles Michel during the one-day visit.

Official sources said the summit will be an opportunity to re-launch relations and address FTA negotiations with an aim to instil some political impetus to the stalled talks. Discussions will focus on the EU-India agenda for action 2020, which is expected to set out concrete priority actions for the strategic partnership in the next five years.

Modi is scheduled to address a diaspora event on Wednesday evening before leaving for Washington to participate in the Nuclear Security Summit.

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Pope Francis urged the world in his Easter message on Sunday to use the weapons of love to combat the evil of blind and brutal violence, following the attacks in Brussels.

After a week of sombre religious events commemorating Jesus death, Francis said an Easter Sunday Mass under tight security for tens of thousands of people in a sun-drenched St Peters Square.

Afterwards, in his traditional, twice-yearly Urbi et Orbi (to the city and the world) message, he spoke of violence, injustice and threats to peace in many parts of the world.

May He (the risen Jesus) draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world, he said, speaking from the central balcony of St Peters Basilica.

Read | Pope Francis washes feet of Muslim refugees, says we are brothers

He mentioned recent attacks in Belgium, where at least 31 people were killed by Islamist militants, as well as those in Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq.

A man climbs on a street lamp as Pope Francis leaves at the end of the Easter mass in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday (AP)

With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death, the leader of the worlds 1.2 billion Roman Catholic said from the same balcony from where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election on March 13, 2013.

The 79-year-old Argentine pontiff urged people to channel the hope of Easter in order to defeat the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people.

The pope condemned the Brussels attacks several times during the past week, including at a Good Friday service where he said followers of religions who carried out acts of fundamentalism or terrorism were profaning Gods name..

The former king and queen of Belgium, Albert II and Paola, who is Italian, attended the Mass and the pope greeted them afterwards.

In other parts of his address, Francis expressed the hope that recent talks could resolve the conflict in Syria in order to end the sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord.

He urged Europe not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees  including many children  fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice.

Pope Francis leaves at the end of the Easter Mass in Saint Peter's Square at the Vatican on Sunday. (Reuters)

The European Union and Turkey have agreed to stop the flow of migrants to Europe in return for political and financial concessions for Ankara. Turkey and The Aegean islands have been the main route for migrants and refugees pouring into Europe in the past year.

Francis called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and resolutions to conflicts and political tensions in Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Ukraine.

Security was very tight around the square, which was bedecked with more than 35,000 flowers and plants donated by the Netherlands.

Police checked people several times at various points along the approach the square and subjected those with entry tickets to body and bag searches even before they passed through metal detectors. Security sources said police reinforcements had arrived in Rome from other Italian cities.

Islamic State militants have made threats against Catholic targets in Rome. Last year, a website used by militants ran a photo montage showing the movements black flag flying from the obelisk at the centre of St Peters Square.

Also read | Pope Francis takes Instagram by storm, hits 1mn followers in 12 hrs
Russian President Vladimir Putin spoke by phone with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on Sunday, congratulating him on his forces retaking Palmyra, the Kremlin said.

The recapture of the ancient city represents a major victory over the Islamic State group, whose fighters had destroyed many monuments at the UNESCO world heritage site since they overran it in May last year.

In a conversation with the Syrian president, Vladimir Putin congratulated his colleague on Syrian forces liberating the city of Palmyra from terrorists, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said, quoted by RIA Novosti state news agency.

Despite the withdrawal of the main part of Russias military contingent from Syria, the Russian armed forces will continue to help the Syrian authorities to fight terrorism and rid their land of extremist groups, Putin was quoted as saying.

Assad in turn praised the help given by the Russian space and air forces and said successes such as the liberation of Palmyra would be impossible without Russias support, Peskov said.

Backed by a barrage of Russian air strikes, Syrian troops and allied militia launched a major offensive to retake the desert city earlier this month.

Assad told Putin that the conflict in Syria, now in its sixth year, was a struggle for oil, adding: There is a lot of oil everywhere but there is only one Palmyra, Peskov said.

Putin also spoke by telephone with UNESCO chief Irina Bokova about the fate of Palmyra, the Kremlin spokesperson said.

Putin had told Assad of the importance of preserving this unique historic city for world culture, Peskov added.
Government forces backed by Russian airstrikes drove Islamic State fighters from Palmyra on Sunday, state media and an opposition monitoring group said, ending the groups reign of terror over a town whose famed 2,000-year-old ruins once attracted tens of thousands of visitors.

Government forces had been on the offensive for nearly three weeks to try to retake the central town, which fell to the extremists last May. Their advance marks the latest setback suffered by IS, which has come under mounting pressure on several fronts in Iraq and Syria.

State TV quoted an unnamed military official as saying that the armed forces and groups of popular defence committees have fully taken control of Palmyra. The popular defence committees are militias allied with the government.

Syrian government forces rest next to the Palmyra citadel during an operation to retake the historic city from Islamic State. (AFP Photo)

The military official added that troops are now dismantling explosive booby traps planted by IS.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights confirmed IS has lost the town, saying there were many deaths among the extremists. It added that some of the extremists withdrew from Palmyra toward the town of Sukhna and other areas in Homs province.

Watch | Islamic State faces biggest defeat ever as Syrian army recaptures Palmyra

The Observatorys chief Rami Abdurrahman said three weeks of fighting killed more than 400 IS fighters, as well as 180 troops and pro-government militiamen.

Read: Palmyra, the pearl of Syrian desert scarred by Islamic State

On Saturday, Russias defence minister said Russian jets carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra in the past day, hitting 158 targets and killing over 100 militants.

Russian airstrikes have helped President Bashar Assads forces advance on a number of fronts in recent months.

Syrian state TV interrupted its normal programs to air a documentary about the town and its archaeological sites. The TV earlier aired national songs as well as videos released earlier by IS showing its fighters committing atrocities in Syria and Iraq.

Read: UN chief appalled by Islamic States demolition of Palmyra

Its 10 in the morning Palmyra time. Our morning is victorious, a TV announcer said.

Later a TV reporter spoke live from inside Palmyra, showing troops in the center of the town. Some of the nearby buildings had been reduced to rubble.

Palmyra, affectionately known as the Bride of the Desert, used to attract tens of thousands of tourists every year.

IS drove out government forces in a matter of days and later demolished some of the best-known monuments in the UNESCO world heritage site. The extremists believe that the ancient ruins promote idolatry.

The militants also demolished the towns infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of Syrian government opponents were reported to have been tortured.
Efforts at unifying various Maoist groups in Nepal, in a bid to stay politically relevant, have hit roadblocks over differences in ideologies and ambitions of leaders.

The biggest political party in parliament in 2008, two years after they gave up arms to end the civil war and join the political mainstream, Maoists were relegated to the third spot five years later.

Several splits along the way due to personality clashes of senior leaders have also weakened Maoists, enabling Nepali Congress and Communist Party of Nepal (Unified Marxist Leninist) to overshadow the former rebels.

Nepals tallest Maoist leader Pushpa Kamal Dahal Prachanda, who heads Unified Communist Party of Nepal (Maoist), has been maintaining for several months now that Maoist factions will unite soon. But nothing concrete has happened on the ground yet.

Differences on the unification move surfaced in this weeks central committee meeting of Communist Party of Nepal (Revolutionary Maoists), which split from UCPN (M) in 2012.

Party chairman Mohan Baidya wants a new democratic revolution to complete the unfinished tasks of the civil war and insists unification with the UCPN (M) is possible only if there is agreement on ideologies.

On the other hand, general secretary Ram Bahadur Thapa wants the party to give up revolution as its plan of action and instead focus on unification with other Maoist parties. Leaders from both parties say unity isnt likely to happen soon as Prachanda wont agree to start another revolution and Baidya is reluctant to give up on his ideological stance.

Baidyas party did not take part in the 2013 polls to elect Nepals second constituent assembly and is unrepresented in parliament.

CPM (RM) itself had split in 2014 when Netra Bikram Chand created the Communist Party of Nepal-Maoist. The outfit keeps itself relevant by targeting Indian establishments in Nepal.

Prachandas UCPN (M) suffered another setback in September last year when former prime minister Baburam Bhattarai quit over differences with the formers handling of the party.

The 61-year-old has since formed a new outfit called the Naya Shakti (New Power), which got registered as a political party with the election commission just this month. Both Prachanda and Bhattarai had headed governments after the 2008 poll outcome. Although UCPN (M) is a coalition partner in the present government headed by CPN (UML), Maoists hold few important portfolios.

Bhattarai is unlikely to return to his old party but smaller outfits like Revolutionary Communist Party and CPM (Maoist) have expressed desire to join Prachandas party in coming months.

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In order to combat childhood obesity, government programs across the world have introduced many campaigns that encourage young children to step outside and be active. Despite these programs, a new survey found that even prisoners spend more time outdoors than young children do.

The survey, which was conducted in the U.K. by laundry detergent brand Persil, noted that 74 percent of children spend less than one hour playing outside, while 18 percent do not go outside to play at all. The United Nations' guidelines require prisons to give inmates "at least one hour of suitable exercise in the open air daily."

"The truth is we are enclosing our children," said Mark Sears of The Wild Network. "We are stifling their ability to be free, to be at their best as children and it is having significant impacts."

"Parents see the value of outdoor play and still it doesn't happen. Outdoor time is shrinking. It is a gigantic paradox. It's time we gave parents the tools, skills and confidence to do the things that they know are good for their children," he added.

The Wild Network is working with Persil, which is made by Unilever and Republic of Ireland to come up with solutions that can help parents get their children outside. Being around in nature does not only increase children's physical activity levels, but also boost creativity and the desire to learn.

"Academic research shows that active play is the natural and primary way that children learn," said Sir Ken Robinson, an adviser to Unilever. "It is essential to their healthy growth and progress, particularly during periods of rapid brain development. We must place adequate importance on play now, so that our precious children grow up into successful, well-rounded and happy adults."

U.K. environment secretary Liz Truss also announced a plan to give every school child the opportunity to visit national parks. Truss stated that there are currently not enough children who have access to visit parks.

"I want every child to know the joy and wonder of the great outdoors," she said. "Our children should be climbing trees, not the walls."

The survey, which was commissioned on the behalf of the "Dirt is Good" campaign, reached 2,000 parents of children between the ages of 5 and 12.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
A suicide bomber claimed the lives of at least 65 people who were celebrating Easter weekend at a crowded children's park in Pakistan Sunday, officials said.

The explosion, which also injured more than 300 others, took place in the parking area of Gulshan e-Iqbal Park and targeted Christians celebrating the holiday in Lahore, the capital of the Punjab province. Witnesses claimed to have seen body parts laying across the parking lot after the dust settled.

"When the blast occurred, the flames were so high they reach above the trees and I saw bodies flying in the air," said Hasan Imran, a 30-year-old resident who had gone to the park for a walk.

Lahore Police Chief Dr. Haider Ashraf said that most of the victims who were killed and injured in the blast were women and children.

Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul Ahrar (TTP-JA), a Pakistani Taliban splinter group headed by Maulvi Omar Khalid Khurasani, has claimed responsibility for the attack.

"Members of the Christian community who were celebrating Easter today were our prime target," TTP-JA spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan told NBC News from an undisclosed location with an Afghan cell number.

Ehsan added that this was the first in a series of attacks that were planned this year in different parts of Pakistan. He also said that women and children were not on their list of targets and that the group's main targets were male members of the Christian community.

Ashraf said that police guards and private security guards have manned the park. "We are in a warlike situation and there is always a general threat, but no specific threat alert was received for this place," he added.

Salman Rafique, a health adviser for the Punjab provincial government, said that most of the wounded were sent to hospitals and were undergoing emergency surgery, adding that the death toll is expected to increase.

"We were just here to have a nice evening and enjoy the weather," Nasreen Bibi, who was waiting for doctors to update her on the condition of her 2-year-old injured daughter, said at the Services Hospital. "May God shower his wrath upon these attackers. What kind of people target little children in a park?"

The Punjab government has since ordered all public parks to be closed and announcement three days of mourning in the province. The U.S., a strategic ally of Pakistan, condemned the attack, with National Security Council spokesperson Ned Price calling it a "cowardly act."

"We send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed, just as our thoughts and prayers are with the many injured in the explosion," Price added.

"The United States stands with the people and government of Pakistan at this difficult hour. We will continue to work with our partners in Pakistan and across the region ... to root out the scourge of terrorism."

The explosion follows less than a week after the terrorist attack at a Brussels airport and subway station, which killed 31 and injured 270. ISIS claimed responsibility for the attack.

@ 2022 HNGN, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
Genesis HealthCare (Kennett Square, PA, USA) has signed an agreement to sell the majority of its home health and hospice operations to Compassus (Brentwood, TN, USA) for USD 84 million.The Genesis home health and hospice operations included in the deal are located in the states of California, Idaho, Montana, and New Mexico; remaining hospice operations in Arizona and Nevada will be closed. The agreement is part of an ongoing strategic move launched by Genesis to monetize non-strategic assets, including the home health and hospice businesses, in order to repay debts. The strategy is expected to yield a cash flow income of USD 100150 million, after tax.The home health and hospice operations became part of Genesis HealthCare following its February 2015 merger with Skilled Healthcare, which created one of the largest post-acute care providers in the United States. The buyer, Compassus, is comprised of a nationwide network of community-based post-acute care services primarily focused on hospice, palliative, and home health care. The company opened its first hospice in 1979, and following the deal will operate more than 165 programs in 30 states.Home health and hospice services are non-strategic businesses for Genesis to operate at this time, and we believe we can better allocate the capital by de-levering our balance sheet, said George Hager, Jr., CEO of Genesis HealthCare. We are pleased that our home health and hospice businesses will join a respected, quality provider like Compassus.We are excited to welcome Genesis home health and hospice businesses to the Compassus family, as we share very similar missions and values, said James Deal, CEO of Compassus. As Compassus continues to grow, this further strengthens our ability and desire to provide greater access to a continuum of high-quality post-acute care, including hospice, palliative, and home health care services to even more patients, families and the health care professionals who serve them.According to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), the supersizing of the healthcare industry in the United States is a result of the Affordable Care Act, and reflects the efforts of providers to gain the scale necessary to succeed amid the changes unleashed or accelerated by the health law. Those include growing pressures to constrain costs and new forms of payment that require providers to meet efficiency and care-quality goals. The process has so far not been slowed down by the growing regulatory concern about health-care consolidation.
Genres : Action, Crime

Starring : Dolph Lundgren, Danielle Chuchran, Chuck Liddell, Matthew Reese, Michael Flynn and Renny Grames

Plot Synopsis

Copper Jack Stone purposefully orchestrates a bank robbery in order to be thrown into prison with the notorious Russian kingpin, Balam. Balam is more than just a mob criminal, he's a very cunning and dangerous lord who controls the police force from behind bars. Balam lives in prison as a cover for his real power, which is King of the city. His cell is a lavish private room built specifically for him, inaccessible to most in the depths of the prison structure. Even the warden fears venturing into his area of the prison. However, even surrounded by his loyal henchmen and guards in his sectioned off fortress, Balam doesn't know Jack is coming for him to avenge his family, whom Balam murdered in cold blood. Balam is tough...but Jack is tougher.
Earlier tonight, mysterious R&B act dvsn, whose OVO signing was revealed last month, was the special guest on episode 18 of OVO Sound Radio. At the end of dvsns mix, Noah 40 Shebib got on the air to announce that dvsns debut album, Sept. 5th, would be out tonight at midnight, a week ahead of the scheduled release date. Indeed, the OVO co-founder has made good on that promise, as Sept. 5th is now available on Apple Music.

Dvsn played two new tracks off Sept. 5th, In + Out and Do It Well, during tonights OVO Sound episode, and four additional album tracks  With Me, The Line, Too Deep, and Hallucinations  were released late last year.

Little is known about dvsn except that the act includes a male vocalist with an ear for 90s R&B. Its unclear if dvsn includes anyone else  rumors have suggested that Hotline Bling producer Nineteen85 is involved, as he introduced the world to dvsn last October by playing The Line during his own guest mix on OVO Sound.

Coming at the end of March, Sept. 5th will likely be the final OVO album released before Drakes Views from the 6, which is set to arrive in April. Stream and purchase Sept. 5th here.

dvsn
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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
OTTAWA  The Conservatives are accusing the Liberals of engaging in class warfare.

I think this class warfare thing that the Liberals are doing is really not healthy for our society, interim leader Rona Ambrose told CBC radios The House on Saturday.

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Interim Conservative Leader Rona Ambrose asks a question in the House of Commons on Feb. 18, 2016. (Photo: Adrian Wyld/Canadian Press)

In the budget Tuesday, the Liberals re-announced a tax cut for the middle class and the creation of a new tax bracket on incomes above $200,000. They also announced a new Canada Child Benefit that replaces the Conservatives Universal Child Care Benefit and gives more money to low-income families and middle-class families while phasing out benefits almost completely for those with a family income greater than about $190,000.

Ambrose was responding to the Liberals focus on raising middle-class incomes, which, the budget stated, have barely risen over the past 40 years while income inequality has skyrocketed, especially for the 0.01 per cent who earn the most.

The Liberals say their goal is to build more inclusive growth.

'Highly ideological and highly political'

To Ambroses eyes, the government is more focused on sowing divisions.

Its highly ideological and highly political, she said.

Over the past 10 years, 95 per cent of income earners in Canada have actually seen their incomes grow, while the top 1 per cent have not seen any growth, she told the public broadcaster.

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So to say, Lets go after the 1 per cent and that the bottom 95 per cent has been suffering so much. Yes, people need tax relief but, yes people need support, potentially, but this isnt the way to grow the economy, she said.

"Yes people need support, potentially, but this isnt the way to grow the economy.

By not helping small businesses the way they have done, and by excluding some families from child care help now with the elimination of the universal child care benefit and the elimination of a number of tax credit opportunities, for fitness and for textbooks, a lot of things families rely on, I dont see how this is going to grow our economy

Liberals 'make no apologies'

Finance Minister Bill Morneaus spokesman said the Liberals make no apologies for focusing on helping middle-class Canadians.

Our focus is on the middle class and those working hard to join it, Daniel Lauzon wrote in an email. We make no apologies for that  because we know that making life better for Canadian families, and creating long-term economic growth benefits us all.

B.C. Conservative MP Dan Albas said he also thinks the Liberals are unfairly picking on the rich.

During the election, the prime minister said A Canadian is a Canadian is a Canadian over and over again and talked about the politics of division and having Canadians being divided, how wrong that was, and yet when you look at his taxation policy, that is exactly what that kind  of rhetoric does. It actually separates, he told The Huffington Post Canada.

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Earlier this week, Albas responded to a tweet from Liberal MP Geng Tan trumpeting the Liberals tax cut.

Morneau says the Liberal government has only begun to clean up the tax code. (Photo: Canadian Press)

The Liberal government has cut taxes for the middle class by raising them on the wealthiest 1% instead, Tans tweet said.

This has a slight 'class warfare' tinge to it, Albas responded.

They are treating one class of Canadians different than another, and again the prime minister said that was a bad policy and he would act differently, and yet his party seems to be wanting to activate that, Albas said.

The Liberals rhetoric is particularly troublesome to him since the government is not being exactly clear who is benefiting from the increased taxes on the top 1 per cent, he added.

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They are treating one class of Canadians different than another.

The Grits keep saying they are taking from the wealthiest and giving it to those who need it most, Albas said. Actually they are not doing that, they are not actually giving it to people who have low income, they are actually giving it to people [who earn] from $45,000 to $199,000. I think most people would say, $199,000 getting the most benefit of anyone to me seems a little bit backwards.

In their first budget, the Liberals dumped the Tories Universal Child Care Benefit, which went to all parents  including, as the Grits like to point out, millionaires. The childrens tax credits for art and fitness were also eliminated in the budget, as were tax credits for textbooks.

The Liberals also scrapped  as Ontario Tory MP Lisa Raitt remarked in a fundraising note on Saturday  income splitting for families with children, a costly measure that benefitted primarily families with a high-income partner and a stay at home partner.

The Liberals had also promised to cut taxes on small businesses to 9 per cent but reneged on that election pledge and left the tax rate at 10.5 per cent.

Also on HuffPost

Federal Budget 2016 Highlights See Gallery
A beaver and a Mountie squared off in a battle of Canadian icons Friday on a stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway.

Greater Victoria police were conducting speed enforcement on the Malahat highway on Vancouver Island when they noticed a motorcyclist trying to slow down traffic.

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Victoria police Const. Andy Dunstan said officers saw an animal in front of the motorcyclist that looked like a raccoon, according to CTV Vancouver Island.

"One of my RCMP colleagues went up to find out what the commotion was, and it was a beaver in the right hand of two lanes, he said.

According to CFAX 1010, a family of beavers was initially holding up traffic, but this one just didn't want to budge.

Dashcam footage shows an RCMP officer getting out of his car to usher the animal off the road, but to no avail.

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The officer gets back into his car, and backs up and drives toward the beaver in attempt to scare it off.

But the beaver stayed in place and hissed for a few minutes.

"It wasnt particularly fazed by anything going on around it, it was quite obstinate and quite happily sat there in the middle of this laneway, Dunstan said.

Eventually, the beaver backed off and moved off the road on its own.

What can be more iconic than an RCMP officer  a Mountie  moving along this great Canadian symbol, the beaver, Dunstan told the Victoria Times-Colonist.

It was perfect.
'The Club,' a masterful, provocative and thought provoking study of hypocrisy places Pablo Larrain as a master of his craft - 'Batman v Superman : Dawn of Justice,' so much expected, so much hype, an epic that suffers convulsions and falls apart - Alice Winocour's 'Disorder' offers shades of Hitchcock but side steps corrupt power politics and the arms game for a formulaic shoot out - 'Iona,' a rapid eyelid drop looks good but is ponderous and pretentious with dull, dull sparse dialogue.

Director: Pablo Larrain. Roberto Farias, Antonia Zegers, Alfredo Castro, Alejandro Goic. Drama. Spanish with English subtitles. Chile 2015 98 mins. Winner Silver Bear 2015 Berlin Film Festival (18) *****

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A masterful, provocative and thought provoking exploration of hypocrisy with a darkly comic touch. 'The Club' is stunning cinema that places Pablo Larrain as a master of his craft.

Four ageing priests live in a nondescript house in the small Chilean coastal town of La Boca cared for by Sister Monica (Antonia Zegers). The rules are simple, no pleasuring, no mobiles and no trips into the town beyond the the agreed four hours per day. This is a house of repentance and prayer, a very important house for the Church but the priests spend most of their days training and racing their greyhound Rayo. When a new priest, Father Lazcano (Jose Soza) arrives, a homeless fisherman Sandokan (Roberto Farias) comes to the door screaming accusations of sexual abuse when he was an altar boy. A shot rings out and the priest has committed suicide.

The Vatican sends a Jesuit spiritual director, Father Garcia (Marcelo Alonso) to investigate but is he just the clean up emissary sent to safeguard the interests of the Church? Confessions remain elusive and there's an unwillingness to reflect on the past, to seek forgiveness.

A superb cast, dialogue that gradually reveals dark secrets, a festering web of lies, deceit and hypocrisy, individuals exiled to atone for their sins - paedophilia and baby abduction from unmarried mothers. Father Garcia's faith reconciled with the best interests of the Church and a dark and brutal finale all framed by Sergio Armstrong's cinematography in a featureless landscape bathed in a muted blue haze. It's hypocrisy officially sanctioned. I watched it a second time and it was even better. 'The Club' is stunning, powerful cinema but it'll probably be for art house consumption, not the multiplex.

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Released 25th March

Director: Zack Snyder. Ben Affleck, Henry Cavill, Amy Adams, Jesse Eisenberg, Diane Lane. Drama, Adventure, Fantasy. USA 2016 151 mins. (12A) **

So much expected, so much hype. An OTT CGI gladiatorial clash of the Titans, DC Comic super hero Batman (Ben Affleck) Gotham City's Bruce Wayne, the Caped Crusader versus Clark Kent, Metropolis's Superman (Henry Cavill), the Man of Steel. The CGI is brilliant but the big screen cinematic clash goes OTT, suffers convulsions and falls apart into an epic ear blasting Wagnerian mess. Don't bother about the script. That said, the visuals are spectacular, it's an action packed war zone, violence and mayhem in your face and fans will love it.

Arrogant God-like Superman's no longer flavour of the month, since his 'Man of Steel,' lost the plot rage through Metropolis. The past haunts Batman so it could be time for a chat with the shrink but he loves the costume and the mask's a turn on - dastardly criminals beware, hurt and pain's on the way. Super villain, ruthless, arch manipulator Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) stirs it and the two comic strip heroes battle it out CGI style and give the world a good bashing. Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot) joins the lads to battle Lex's pet project, Doomsday. If only there was a comic touch, just a bit of humour.

Released 25th March

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Director: Alice Winocour. Matthias Schoenaerts, Diane Kruger. Drama Thriller. French with English subtitles. France, Belgium 2015 100 mins. Un Certain Regard 2015 Cannes Film Festival (15) ***

'Disorder,' a suspenseful thriller offers shades of Hitchcock but then jumps into formulaic shoot out mode.

Vincent (Matthias Schoenaerts) temporarily off duty with PTSD after tours in Afghanistan takes a job in security for a wealthy Lebanese business man, Imad Whalid (Percy Kemp) - you know it's got to be arms dealing. During a lavish party politicians mingle with off-the-radar shady characters and Vincent, growing ever more paranoid suspects that his employer's in an arms deal that's gone wrong. Called to a meeting in Geneva, Whalid entrusts the ever increasingly unstable Vincent with protecting his German trophy wife Jessie (Diane Kruger) and her son Ali (Zaid Errougui-Damonsant). Which is more dangerous, what Jessie knows or the unstable Vincent?

Matthias Schoenaerts and Diane Kruger offer a worthy two hander and with touches of Hitchcock the suspense is effectively ratched up but the world of corrupt power politics and the arms game is left on the shelf for a formulaic luxury villa invasion shoot out. Pity.

Released 25th March

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Director: Scott Graham. Ruth Negga, Douglas Henshall, Tom Brooke, Michelle Duncan, Ben Gallagher, Sorcha Groundsell. Drama. UK 2015 85 mins.(15) **

Contrived and tedious, Scott Graham's study of guilt and forgiveness looks good but is slow, ponderous and pretentious.

Billy (Ben Gallagher), or Bull as he likes to be called and his mother Iona (Ruth Nagga) turn up at former lover Daniel's (Douglas Henshall) cottage on Iona. The sun shines, the community's welcoming and friendships are rekindled including Daniel's daughter Elizabeth (Michelle Duncan), now married to super dull Matthew (Tom Brooke) who carries their paraplegic daughter Sarah (Sorcha Groundsell) on his back!! For Iona it's back into the Christian community she left behind when she moved to Glasgow and Billy with a guilty secret looks for redemption and has an eye for Sarah.

Yoliswa von Dallwitz's cinematography shows Iona at it's best but it doesn't make up for lack of characterisation, scenes stretched beyond logic and dull, dull sparse dialogue. It's a rapid eyelid drop.

Released 25th March

Recommended DVD

Tangerine - Director: Sean Baker. Kitana Kiki Rodriguez, Mya Taylor, Karren Karagulian, Mickey O'Hagan, Alla Tumanian, James Ransone. Drama. USA 2015 88 mins. (15) ****

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A Santa Monica Boulevard transsexual hooker on the rampage on Christmas Eve is quite something. Sure it could be edited down and some of the dialogue's a bit iffy, but it has a raw, edgy, off-the-wall buzz.

Released 28th March
Belgian authorities claim at least 200 IS operatives have infiltrated Europe to plan further terror attacks. The obvious questions are: How did they get into the EU? And from where did they come?

Was it because Turkey turns a blind eye to IS troops traveling through their territory? Or was it because there have been no EU or US troops on the ground in Syria and Iraq to keep these murderers from escaping a caliphate decimated by a massive NATO air and infantry assault?http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/23/world/europe/brussels-airport-explosions.html?_r=0

What's happening in Europe and in the US is this regard is rests solely with the Western powers, nations that since Munich 1938 have been fearful of becoming involved in foreign wars, especially if there's no economic element attached. Bosnia pitted against Kuwait proved that.

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Daesh was responsible for Paris. Daesh was responsible for San Bernardino. And now Daesh is responsible for Brussels. Who or what will be next? Because there probably will be other attacks.

What is happening now in the world might have be prevented had the Europe and America acted with unflinching resolve in Syria and Iraq, as they did in 1989's Operation Desert Storm to rescue oil rich Kuwait from Saddam Hussein. But they didn't. Instead they chose unenforced red lines and talk...the result has been the greatest humanitarian crises since WW2 and terror coming to the developed world.

The failure of the West to forcefully confront hostile states and groups has evolved into a Pandora's Box of catastrophes now and in the future. US President Barack Obama's well meaning but utterly incompetent handling of foreign affairs for the World's policeman, has been Chamberlain-esque in his naivety, highlighted by the US brokered Iran deal.

On person benefiting from the Brussels attack is US presidential candidate Donald Trump. America's most popular pompous vulgarian promises to do what wimp Obama won't do...bring America's full military force into action against Daesh. And many voters believe him. Yet, even on the slim chance of Trump being elected president, it may be too late to stop IS sleeper cells in the West and more newly radicalized youth joining the jihad.

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What Western leaders have failed to understand is that unlike other Islamic jihadist groups, IS or Daesh has become a fundamentalist movement drawing in people worldwide. If it had been confronted with a united NATO style force four years ago, it might have been killed off or minimized in its infancy. But thanks to western fears of getting involved in a Middle East ground war, the evil genie is loose.
Last week, I was invited as a member of the Medical Journalists Association to Westminster Hall for an evening Press launch from the Patients Association. Never did I think that I would find myself as a medical journalist reporting on the future of the NHS. It was certainly very strange feeling to be reporting on what was the air that I breathe. Air that is becoming increasingly thinner.

In setting the scene, the new chair Chris Hix outlined the proposal for an Independent Commission on the Future Funding of the NHS and Social Care. Swingeing cuts had been associated with low morale, with cuts only serving to increase the likelihood of patients getting lost in the system, receiving poor care and an increase in complaints.

The film that followed was striking in its human touch, with Jo Brand exasperated that "beds just aren't available". Ex-BBC newsreader and Vice President Angela Ripon was keen to convey the message that 'The Patients Association listens", while Esther Rantzen pointed out "They are getting more calls than ever". This now meant that the Association needs an extra 1million in extra funding to meet the increasing demand for its services "as patient services face deepening crisis". The Million Pound Fund will support vital helpline activities to support patients and the pressing need for such funding was also stressed by others in the film, notably Sir Robert Francis QC and Dr Phil Hammond.

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Holding the government to account in how it funds health and social care is long overdue and patients deserve no less. Lying at the heart of the proposal is disentangling the funding mechanisms to achieve a 'sustainable service for patients'. This will start from the principle of free treatment at the point of care that is already enshrined within the NHS. It will consider how much we need to spend as a society; exploring other possible sources of additional funding such as tax, national insurance contributions and ring-fenced funding. This is a stark message to the government that the good NHS is not just down with a cold but moribund with a fever. Countries such as Norway and New Zealand appear to better at maximising their health and social care resources than the UK. There is much that we could learn from them, in the face of not only year on year cuts in funding but also addressing the complex needs of an ageing population and spending on agency staff.

The Patients Association Chief Executive, Katherine Murphy, said:

"The crisis in the NHS is growing by the day, with no sign of resolution. Calls to the Patients Association's national helpline have soared in the last 6 months, with patients and their families growing more anxious about errors and the poor care they have received". The root cause is almost certainly the financial deficit of nearly 3 billion for Trusts in England. With these Trusts "facing a meltdown in their organisations". She went on to say "Our overall helpline activity has increased significantly, as has the complexity of the cases that we see".

The Public Accounts Committee latest report has stated 'there is not yet a convincing plan in place for closing the 22 billion efficiency gap and avoiding a black hole in NHS finances'. It went on to detail that the performance of NHS Trusts had deteriorated sharply and that Government efficiency targets were 'unrealistic'. The current system is clearly not fit for purpose, with the use of agency staff shooting up by 24%.

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Chris Hix concluded:

"It is clear that substantial proportions of the additional monies announced by the Government to support the NHS are simply being used to address existing deficits. That is why we are proposing the establishment of our new Independent Commission on funding of the NHS and Social Care. It would report as quickly as possible and we will be looking to announce its membership and terms of reference in due course."

A pleasant surprise from the Press launch was the observation that no mention was made of the impending industrial action by junior doctors. Today on Radio 4 I tried to hit home the message today that junior doctors strive for the best possible care for their patients and that stretching them further to achieve a seven day service without additional funding and supposedly fewer hours of work can only lead to rota gaps and burnout. A fair and safe contract for junior doctors can only mean an improvement in ensuring safe and effective patient care.
Reactions to tragic events tend to follow a familiar pattern. First comes the wave of breaking news stories when the media tries to piece together the bare bones of the story. The public waits for confirmation of how it should react: is this going to be a 'major' story? Then comes confirmation - the number of deaths, location, and cause often being the prime determinants.

After that politicians are called upon to issue their official statements whilst the public use their own channels to express their emotions, frequently in the form of tweets, hashtags, and coloured flags over their Facebook profile photos.

The next day, as the dust settles on events and the focus gradually moves from establishing the what to the who, how, and why, the analysis kick in. The press has established a meta form of journalism: journalising the journalists. Writers assess the impact and meaning of their peers' articles from the previous day and critique the sentiment of politicians' reactions and those of the public.

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Increasingly the latter is coming in for much scorn. The online postings of the hashtag generation responding to the bombings in Brussels has been condemned as empty and shallow and there is a growing concern that people's understanding of how to display genuine emotion is being docked by the instant and pre-packaged postings encouraged by Twitter and Facebook. Worse still, they have been described as highly selective - choosing to display sadness at the deaths of people presumed to be white Europeans whilst ignoring the ongoing tragic deaths of communities in countries such as Iraq, Syria, Afghanistan, Libya, and Yemen.

On the first of these points, I don't believe the criticism is justified.

The idea that a Facebook post or profile picture change is somehow replacing real emotion is based on an overvaluation of the role that social media plays in dictating our styles of communication and an underestimation of the intelligence of the general public. No one who has changed their profile picture to feature a Belgian flag would imagine that their digital magic was going to bring down international terrorism and I seriously doubt that they thought it would make a substantial difference to the lives of those suffering in Zavantem. These expressions are much more about saying "How appalling - what a terrible tragedy" and forming a group solidarity around that shared emotion. It's a natural process that communities go through as they try to understand the enormity of incomprehensible events.

And far from the idea that social media has somehow devalued our emotional intelligence - I would say it has given people a medium through wish to express their emotions that didn't previously exist. Without mass communications it simply wouldn't be possible to hear the wall of noise that echoes around after a major international event. Those routes of self expression were simply not in existence 20 or 30 years ago. If they had been, I'm willing to bet people would have jumped on the bandwagon just as much as they do now. People that want to donate to a charity will. Those who want to send flowers will do so. They might also tweet. The things don't have to be mutually exclusive. Rather than criticising an already emotionally repressed society for showing any form of emotion, I'd rather these kinds of reactions were welcomed and encouraged.

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However, I do agree that there is an issue with the selectivity of the public's reaction. It's like a form of digital imperialism the way in which the internet in Europe glows red hot in the aftermath of a tragedy that takes place on this continent but seems mute by comparison when similar events unfold further afield.

But, I wouldn't lay the blame for this at the doors of the general public. They receive their information - framed as it is - through the media. First and foremost it is the job of journalists to channel that information and make it relevant and if they are failing to do so they need to be held to account. Secondly, I'd argue that it is actually invariably the general public, through their use of twitter and facebook, who are the ones sharing information about events outside of Europe. Part of the reason we are aware that the selectivity of people's reactions has become such an issue is precisely because social media users have drawn our attention to it.
Imagine going back to school after the Easter holidays and being the only child in your class who didn't get any Easter eggs at all; not because your parents don't believe in it, but because they are struggling to afford food full stop.

Whilst the average child in the UK receives 8.8 Easter eggs, and one in five reportedly make themselves sick on chocolate over Easter, there are thousands of children in poverty across the UK who face having nothing at all.

Thankfully, for the last few weeks, food banks across the UK have seen so many local heroes come forward to help children in poverty to have a happier Easter.

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An estimated 40,000 people, and 15,000 children are likely to be helped by Trussell Trust food banks alone over the Easter break, and thousands of Easter eggs have been given out alongside food parcels right across the country.

Here we want to pay tribute to the amazing (and sometimes unusual) ways that, you - the public - have helped food banks be there for families in crisis this Easter.

1.600 leather-clad Easter bunny bikers of Grantham revved up their engines to deliver hundreds of Easter eggs to local charities in the annual Bottesford Egg Run - including 80 eggs to our very own Grantham foodbank.

2. A big thank you to the little three-year-old girl who donated a big basket of goodies to Colchester foodbank because she wanted to help other children like her to have some treats this Easter. We don't know your name but we hope your parents read this and let you know how grateful we are. Also well done to this class of primary school children who gave a huge box of Easter eggs to the Inverclyde Foodbank.

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P3 have a huge box of Easter eggs , ready for the Inverclyde Foodbank.Well done! pic.twitter.com/MfwXrPnIJw  Ardgowan Primary (@Ardgowanpr) March 22, 2016

4. One very big hearted Dad couldn't stand the idea of children not getting an Easter treat so he donated an eggceptionally kind 207 Easter eggs to Norwich foodbank - what a hero!

3. Every cloud... we weren't too unhappy to hear of the Exeter lawyers who over-ordered their Easter eggs and kindly donated 100 to Exeter foodbank as a result - a happy accident that will lead to some much happier Easters.

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5. The people of Westminster have given enough Easter eggs to make sure that everyone who comes to the foodbank gets one, and they've also donated to help Westminster foodbank put on a special Easter Sunday tea for local people who are struggling.

6. Active Fitness Centres in South Gloucestershire waved their joining fee for all new members who donated an Easter egg to go to local food banks. Meanwhile Styles and Wood did an egg collection at the office and donated 129 Easter eggs to Timperley foodbank.

Easter is a time of hope, and it's been so uplifting to hear all the different ways that people across the country have helped Trussell Trust foodbanks be there to give a bit of hope to people in crisis this Easter.

We could keep telling stories of kind-hearted people for days, but we wanted to make sure we took this chance to say a huge thank you and Happy Easter to everyone who's given Easter eggs or emergency food to help stop hunger.

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It may seem small but it makes a big difference.

This morning a man came to Wandsworth foodbank and was moved to tears when he was given Easter eggs for the family, saying that without the foodbank and the church there would be nowhere for him to turn. Another person visited Fallowfield foodbank and said "your compassion, care and tenderness has healed my heart."
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.
Scukrov via Getty Images Closeup of four red wine bottles in a wooden case.

A peak medical body wants to see big increases in taxes on cask wine because of the harm 'goon bags' are causing to young Australian drinkers.

The Royal College of Australian Physicians (RACP) is pressing the federal government to overhaul the way wine is taxed so that it is based on the volume of alcohol and not the value, New Corp Australia reports.

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The proposed change would bring wine into line with how low-strength beer is taxed.

Replace WET with volumetric tax, Australian physicians say in pre-budget submission #winenewshttps://t.co/Tj9oGSLWEv  WineAndVitiJournal (@WineVitiJournal) 27 March 2016

This is not about stopping people drinking wine, this is about taxing cheap alcohol, which is abused by young people and those who already have problems, RACP President Professor Nick Talley said.

The college has reportedly made a submission to the government on the issue and believes the change would raise about $1.3 billion.

The call from doctors comes after modelling commissioned by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) earlier this month showed a move to a volumetric tax could lead to a surge in the price of cask wine of up to 235 percent.

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FARE's report was based on a volumetric tax that levels an excise of $56.46 per litre of alcohol, with the first 1.15 percent to be excise-free.

Public health advocates back a move to volumetric taxation, with the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons Trauma Committee, the National Alliance for Action on Alcohol and the Public Health Association of Australia all in favour of a change.

However, Hunter Valley Wine Association president Bruce Tyrrell said RACP's proposal would unfairly impact low income drinkers.

Doctors demand 'goon bags' of cheap wine be 'taxed out of existence' - Daily Mail https://t.co/lSCpHTwFkh  Wine King (@Wine_King) March 27, 2016
South Korean war veterans hold up their cards during a rally denouncing North Korea's recent threat in Seoul, South Korea, Friday, March 25, 2016. Day after day, North Korea claims worrying development in its weapons programs and ramps up fiery threats to attack rivals South Korea and the United States. The placards read: "No future for a country without awareness of national security and United Republic of Korea." (AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Another North Korean nuclear test, another round of demands that China bring Pyongyang to heel. Said Secretary of State John Kerry: Beijing's policy "has not worked and we cannot continue business as usual." Alas, his approach is worse than ineffective. It likely ensures that the PRC will ignore Washington's wishes.

The Democratic People's Republic of Korea may be the most vexing problem of U.S. foreign policy. Three successive U.S. presidents have insisted that the DPRK simply cannot, must not, develop nuclear weapons. Yet it has. And there is virtually no chance the North will negotiate away its growing arsenal assembled at such great cost.

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So attention naturally shifts toward the People's Republic of China, which joined Washington in criticizing the blast. The PRC is the most important investor in the North and provides substantial energy and food assistance. Beijing also has helped protect the DPRK by weakening proposed UN sanctions and enforcing those imposed with less than due diligence. If only China would get tough, runs the argument, the Kim Jong-un regime in Pyongyang would have to give way.

Too bad Chinese intervention is not the panacea many appear to believe. So far Beijing has demonstrated little inclination to act. Even if it did, there's no guarantee that doing so would solve the North Korean "problem."

Contra common belief in Washington, the U.S. is in no position to dictate to the PRC. It doesn't matter that American policymakers are convinced of their righteousness and China's complicity with evil. Beijing doesn't agree. And this authoritarian government, backed by a nationalistic population while enjoying growing economic, diplomatic, and military clout isn't going to let anyone -- especially a country seen as trying to "contain" China -- dictate PRC policy.

Threats are only likely to make the Chinese leadership more recalcitrant. Donald Trump insisted: "If they don't solve the problem, we should make trade very difficult for China." One can imagine how the U.S. would react if presented with a similar demand. An upraised middle finger comes to mind.

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In fact, Beijing has perfectly understandable reasons to avoid wrecking the North Korean state. Denouncing the PRC for being unreasonable isn't going to help. After all, American officials cannot credibly claim that their policies toward the Korean peninsula are unrelated to their perception of America's national interests. If the administration wants to enlist China's aid, Washington must convince the PRC that acting is in China's, not America's, best interest.

That requires addressing Beijing's concerns.

While unpredictable, obstinate and irritating, so far the DPRK is not a major problem for China. The Kim Jong-un regime has cut the refugee flow across the Yalu in half. Economic cooperation remains profitable despite persistent North Korean unreasonableness. The North disrupts American regional dominance and forces Seoul and Washington to beg for assistance in dealing with the DPRK.

Even Pyongyang's growing nuclear arsenal poses no obvious threat to China. Any North Korean weapons will be pointed south. Moreover, while it is widely presumed that the PRC was not informed of the latest test ahead of time, high level envoys recently passed both ways between the two countries. So Kim may have alerted his reluctant patron -- without, of course, asking its permission -- making his actions appear less destabilizing, even though still unwelcome.

Why, then, should the PRC sacrifice its political influence and economic interests? A Chinese cut-off of energy and food would cause great hardship in the North. But that would not guarantee Pyongyang's compliance. A half million or more people died of starvation during the late 1990s without any change in DPRK policy. Renewed privation would be a blow to Kim, who has promised economic growth, but the leadership has never based its policy on protecting its people from hardship. In contrast, from its founding the regime jealously guarded its independence even from its major communist benefactors.

Thus, the DPRK leadership may refuse to bend, forcing Beijing to act on its threats. The result might be a return to the 1990s, with a horrific collapse in living conditions but regime survival -- and continued development of nuclear weapons. In which case China would have sacrificed its relationship with its sole ally for no reason.

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Even worse, from Beijing's standpoint, Vladimir Putin's Russia might step in as North Korea's savior. Moscow and Pyongyang recently revived their relationship and Putin might decide to preserve this important challenge to the U.S. In fact, Moscow's UN ambassador insisted that any new sanctions be "proportionate," not what Washington wanted to hear. If so, the PRC again would find that it had compromised its interests for nothing.

Or the North Korean regime might collapse, bringing to mind the old warning about getting what you wish for. The consequences could be violent conflict, social chaos, loose nukes, and mass refugee flows. Hundreds of thousands of North Koreans already have crossed the Yalu; starvation highlighted by combat among armed factions could create a human tsunami. The PRC might feel forced to intervene militarily to stabilize the North -- and Chinese forces might not be able to leave quickly. Indeed, Beijing might decide to maintain "its" Korea under different leadership rather than accept a unified Western-leaning state on its border.

After all, a united Republic of Korea would be more rival than supplicant. China's political influence would ebb. PRC business investments would be swept away as South Korean money flooded the North. Worse, a reunited Korea allied with America would put U.S. troops on the Yalu and aid Washington's ill-disguised attempt at military containment.

Overall, then, severely sanctioning the North appears to create enormous benefits for China's rivals but few advantages for China. Why would any rational leadership in Beijing go along with America?

Washington must make a compelling case to the PRC. The U.S. should begin by pointing out how unstable the current situation is, with an unpredictable, uncontrollable regime dedicated to creating a nuclear arsenal of undetermined size bolstered by intercontinental missiles and submarine-launched missiles. The Kim dynasty has been ostentatiously brutal in ways suggesting paranoia and insecurity. All this makes South Korea and its American patron ever more nervous. Much could go wrong -- to China's detriment.

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At the same time, the U.S., along with its allies, the ROK and Japan, should put together a serious offer for the North in return for denuclearization. The PRC has repeatedly insisted that America's hostile policy underlies the DPRK nuclear program. Beijing responded acerbically to Washington's latest criticism: "The origin and crux of the nuclear issue on the Korean Peninsula has never been China," said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokeswoman: "The key to solving the problem is not China."

Washington and its allies should offer a peace treaty, diplomatic recognition, membership in international organizations, the end of economic sanctions, suspension of joint military exercises, and discussions over a continued American troop presence. This should be presented to the PRC for its advice -- and to demonstrate that the allies are serious about engaging Pyongyang, reducing the threats which Beijing contends are driving the North Korean nuclear program. Washington then should ask for China's backing.

At the same time, the U.S., South Korea, and Tokyo should promise to share the cost of caring for North Koreans and restoring order in the case of regime collapse. The U.S. and South should indicate their willingness to accept temporary Chinese military intervention in the event of bloody chaos. The ROK should promise to respect Beijing's economic interests while pointing to the far greater opportunities that would exist in a unified Korea. Finally, Washington should pledge to withdraw U.S. troops in the event of unification. The reason for America's presence would have expired and the PRC's assistance would not be turned against China.

Getting Beijing's cooperation still would be a long-shot. It's certainly not going to happen in response to imperious demands from Washington. The U.S. will need to practice the art of diplomacy and make a seemingly bad deal attractive to a skeptical adversary.

But the effort is worth a try. The U.S. and its allies have run out of serious options to forestall a nuclear North Korea.
The battle between Actors Equity and its members in Los Angeles has dragged on for over a year, despite behind-the-scenes negotiations to avoid a threatened lawsuit. And now ill-considered statements by AEA President Kate Shindle, along with upcoming union elections, have thrust the battle back into the public light.

To give a bit of background on this long-running dispute, forty years of blossoming creativity was put in jeopardy when Actors Equity launched a proposal that would essentially gut the small theater scene in Los Angeles. The proposal would prohibit Equity members -- who are often the producers, fundraisers, set painters and generally all-around volunteer laborers in the small theaters -- from working for less than a wage determined by the union. But who is supposed to pay that wage -- which would quickly bust the budget -- when it is the actors themselves who are supporting the company?

Despite an overwhelming vote by the LA membership opposing the proposal, Actors Equity insisted on forcing the plan on its members, which led to the threatened lawsuit and a protracted period of negotiations, which apparently have achieved very little in terms of tangible results, particularly in terms of the approach of Equity officials. However, the Los Angeles actors appear to have gained the upper hand, especially if President Shindle's remarks are any indication.

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As in any negotiation, there is both an inside and an outside game, and Equity seems to be clueless as to the outside game, as their own president's talking points illustrate. Here's an example of Shindle's statements in the interview, referring to the decision by the union's Council to launch the proposal: "...one of the things that guided the Council - the idea that a mid-sized theater....could open at this point in Los Angeles when they had to compete with the 99-seat business model (which is much more cost-effective) is kind of preposterous."

This is a pretty weak argument on several counts. Perhaps most tenuous is the idea that a union's governing body should be guided by promoting a particular "business model." The role of a labor union - first and last - is to represent the interests of its members. It is certainly not supposed to be advocating for a particular set of business interests over its own members. In addition, the idea of a "business model" in the theater world is also suspect.

Outside of Broadway and the touring business (where, incidentally, Equity been accused of serious laxity), the "business model" for American theater rests on three legs - subscription audiences, government subsidies and philanthropy. Subscription audiences, which are dwindling, are available primarily for existing theaters in affluent urban areas, while government subsidies are determined as much by political considerations as artistic merit. And philanthropy - also diminishing - is dependent on the whims of the top 1%. Not exactly a viable business model.
The latest Western "victories" over the Islamic State -- the U.S. killing of the number two man in the heinous group and the Russian supported retaking of the ancient town of Palmyra, Syria by the Syrian government -- should not mask the long-term difficulties of eradicating the Islamist insurgency. Examining these two "achievements" may, however, tell us what is likely to work and what is not.

The two recent developments continue a series of setbacks for the Islamic State -- the fall of the towns of Tikrit and Ramadi in Iraq and al-Shadadi in Syria. The U.S. assassination of Haji Iman, the organization's day-to-day commander and finance minister, will probably have less of an effect than is widely believed. Even U.S. Secretary of Defense Ashton Carter admitted that the senior leadership of terrorist groups can be replaced. And since war is an evolutionary hothouse, an often more ruthless leader, who was tough enough to survive, replaces the slain leader. Experts on counterinsurgency are skeptical that any great power can kill its way out of an insurgency.

The fall of Palmyra seems to belie the U.S. government's line that President Vladimir Putin of Russia was only trying to weaken pro-U.S. anti-Assad rebels at the expense of taking on the Islamic State. Indeed, the heavy use of Russian air power in support of the Syrian Army seemed to be decisive in recapturing the town. This accomplishment should also make the United States chary about deposing Bashar al-Assad's Alawite (an offshoot of Shi'ism) government in Syria. The Russians have successfully shored up Assad's control of the Shi'ite part of Syria. Assad may have a very poor human rights record, but he is better than the Islamic State getting control of all of Syria, something the U.S. government cannot seem to understand.

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Yet, even if the Islamic state is defeated in most towns and cities -- such as Mosul in Iraq and its capital of Raqqa in Syria -- the group likely will then fight strictly as a guerrilla force, requiring years to completely eradicate. And since the Islamic State was motivated to develop its ability to strike in the West -- thus creating an international threat out of what had been merely a regional one -- only after the U.S.-led Western coalition began bombing it in Iraq and Syria, it is easy to anticipate that the group's overseas effort would continue, and maybe even accelerate, after the Islamic State loses the cities in its caliphate.
Belgium currently finds itself in the middle of Europe's vicious cycle of terrorism and Islamophobia: Terrorists attack, politicians respond with anti-Muslim and anti-immigrant attitudes and many young people feel even more pessimistic about integration into European society, which makes the anti-Western message of radicals more appealing to misguided youth.

I have been in Belgium for the past five weeks to learn about the experiences of Belgian youth. In my research I have seen signs that this cycle of terrorism and Islamophobia is going to continue. But I also see signs that Belgium may go in a better direction, if the country's political leaders can take responsibility for their role in fueling the fire of radicalization with divisive politics. The offers to resign from Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon and Justice Minister Koen Geens show that there may be an opportunity to move in a new direction, away from the current trend of divisive politics.

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Belgium's trend of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim politics influenced the country's response to the Paris attacks. Minister Jambon placed the blame of the international incident on Molenbeek, a largely Muslim and Moroccan community in Brussels. This diverse community of 100,000 residents has since been further stigmatized by this political rhetoric and treated like it has collectively done something wrong because of the actions of a handful of terrorists. Minister Jambon's response did little to address some of the root causes of radicalization, like unemployment. Molenbeek has a 40% youth unemployment rate, which is nearly double the national average for Belgium, and a plan to improve these conditions would be incredibly more effective than further stigmatizing a disadvantaged community.

This form of divisive politics in Belgium predates the Paris attacks. For example, Belgium has banned religious dress and religious symbols from most public schools. While this ban is presented as a neutral political decision, it has a significant impact on religious minorities, like Jewish, Sikh and Muslim families. One impact of this ban is that many Muslim girls are excluded from public schools and must rely on home-schooling or private school education. Another consequence of this ban is that some qualified Muslim women are excluded from working as teachers.

There may be no clearer example of anti-immigrant and anti-Muslim politics than in the city of Antwerp, the biggest city in Belgium's Flanders region. The Mayor of Antwerp, Bart De Wever, has publicly referred to Berbers, a Moroccan ethnic group, as being problematic migrants. In 2014, the city of Antwerp also imposed a special tax on small businesses often started by entrepreneurs of migrant backgrounds and frequented by consumers of migrant backgrounds. These businesses, including night shops, phone shops and shisha bars, are targeted with a special tax for being "image-damaging."

When looking at Belgian politics, it's difficult to believe Mayor De Wever when he says that Tuesday's tragedy is a sign that the tolerance of Europe has been abused. It's also difficult to believe that the answer to this problem is more divisive politics, as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz have encouraged. Belgian political leaders have struggled with creating a political culture that encourages all Belgians to work together to solve problems, including the problem of radicalization. They can start creating a new political culture by changing policies and attitudes that have pushed Muslim communities to the margins of Belgian society.

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KETAGALAN BLVD, TAIPEI, TAIWAN - 2016/03/12: Resdients of Lanyu, an island off the coast of Taiwan where radioactive waste is stored, march at a mass protest against nuclear power. Activists and civic groups took to the streets for an annual anti-nuclear rally. Held to coincide with the anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, they are calling for Taiwan to become nuclear free. Taiwan currently has three operational nuclear plants, and one that has yet to enter service. (Photo by Craig Ferguson/LightRocket via Getty Images)

Spring Fever is upon us. Search not for scantily clad students roaming white sand beaches with yard-long margaritas; no, look instead to the madness of politics gone wild with crazy beyond what anybody could have imagined. While extremist statements on immigration, terrorism, torture and surveilling Muslim neighborhoods make headlines, we quietly observe almost without notice important anniversaries that have gotten lost in the noise of the absurd: Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Fukushima.

In passing over important milestones in nuclear energy, we squander an opportunity to have an adult conversation about climate change and strategies to address the issue. We can hardly debate the proper role of nuclear power in those strategies, or the meaning of these anniversaries, when the problem of climate change itself is denied by every Republican candidate for president, the chairmen of the Science Committees in both the House and Senate, and leadership in both chambers. Here is a feeble attempt to energize the conversation.

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Dates to Remember

In the wee hours on the morning of March 28, 1979, Unit #2 at Three Mile Island near Middletown, Pennsylvania, partially melted down. The accident exposed serious flaws in plant design, employee training, emergency procedures, and regulatory oversight, but in the end little radiation was released. Seven years later, on April 26, 1986, also early in the morning, nuclear reactor Unit 4 at Chernobyl blew its lid, spewing radioactive waste into the atmosphere, eventually requiring the evacuation of an area exceeding 1200 square miles and the resettlement of 350,000 people. Thirty years later much of that area remains uninhabitable. On March 11, 2011, a magnitude 9.0 earthquake hit northeastern Japan, followed by a towering tsunami that killed nearly 16,000 people, destroyed 128,000 buildings and damaged more than one million. The twin disasters also led to meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant and the evacuation of 160,000 people within an exclusion zone of about 310 square miles; these people have not yet returned home, and may never. March and April are not good for nuclear energy.

Moving Forward

How do these events inform us about the future of nuclear power, or its place in addressing climate change? The answer turns out to be highly dependent on the perspective from which the question is posed. One view is that nuclear power is safe and cost-effective, with long periods of stability and reliability interrupted infrequently by accidents. The other view is that power from the atom is unsafe and costly, with catastrophic accidents separated by periods of stability leading to a false sense of security. In the first view, safe operation is the norm and accidents an anomaly; in the second view accidents are the rule and stability is the exception. Which view is a better reflection of reality? The best answer to this is found in "The Black Swan: The Impact of the Highly Improbable" by Nassim Taleb. Taleb explains that a black swan is any event deemed improbable but one that causes huge consequences -- like Chernobyl and Fukushima. Why black swan? In the mid-17th century Europe, scientists noted that all swans were always white; so a truth was born that all swans are white. The odds of seeing a swan of different color were deemed extremely improbable (or impossible). Yet in 1697 explorers discovered a black swan (Cyngus atratus) in Australia. Seeing just one black swan proved wrong all other claims that all swans are white, no matter now improbably the discovery might have been. Disasters at a nuclear power plant are the black swan of the industry: seeing just one proves wrong all other claims that nuclear energy is safe and economical.

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If we include the cost of containing and cleaning up a nuclear accident, and the human cost of evacuating homes and businesses, and land rendered uninhabitable, nuclear energy quickly becomes too pricey. But proponents of nuclear energy externalize those costs, so the safety and economy of nuclear power are deemed reasonable. Proponents discount the importance of the black swan. But in highly technical terms, excluding the impacts of accidents is bat-dropping crazy. The cost of the Fukushima disaster is estimated to be between $250 billion to $500 billion. Even beyond these incredible financial costs, the environmental and social consequences are enormous and long-term. According to the report from the Physicians for Social Responsibility, we face tremendous long-term and costly challenges, which include at least the following.

Of the 160,000 displaced people, many still pay mortgages on properties they will never see again; hundreds of square miles of valuable land, once worth billions of dollars, are rendered worthless.

Fukushima resulted in history's largest ocean discharge of radioactive material. Fifteen months after more than 700,000 curies of cesium were dumped into the ocean, more than half of all fish caught off the Japanese coast were found to be contaminated with the radioactive element.

Cooling the melted reactors requires water, lots of water, all of which is highly contaminated after use; to date there are 750,000 tons of water stored on site in hundreds of 10-meter-tall tanks, so many that there will soon be no room for more (Science, March 2016, v351, Issue 6277, p 1019). This is the tip of the iceberg: this same article notes that the "most daunting" task at Fukushima is recovering fuel debris since all or nearly all the fuel in the Unit 1 reactor burned through the pressure vessel, fell to the bottom, and possibly ate into the concrete base. We suffer these caveats of "possibly" and "nearly" because nobody has actually seen the damage except in a few isolated places. In another article on page 20 of that same Science issue, we learn that only now, five years after the disaster, are robots able to enter into the damaged reactors. Up until this year only one Japanese robot called Quince entered one ruined building, and a modified U.S.-military robot got a glimpse inside. Much remains unknown even now.

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Decommissioning the plant will take 30 to 40 years, at a cost of at least another $9 billion; and that figure could go much higher depending on what the robots ultimately find.

Faulty Risk Management

Nuclear power survives on our inability to effectively evaluate risk; as a society we tend to discount the importance of the black swan, and instead designate periods of stability as the norm. We are lulled by those long periods of safe operation, and then seem shocked in the face of catastrophe that could have and should have been anticipated. Here is the hard truth: nuclear energy is not viable economically and never will be because of the terrible consequences of low probability high consequence risk. While bad events are rare, when they happen, the political, economic and human costs are much too high to absorb, even amortized over long periods of calm. And this does not include the problem of disposing of on-site nuclear waste or the life cycle costs of decommissioning a spent plant. Nuclear energy sounds good, but only if most of the true costs are externalized. Trapping the true cost of nuclear energy in the price of electricity would render the industry useless because the actual cost of electricity is prohibitive when not masked by subsidies and externalities. Only massive taxpayer support keeps nuclear power alive. Not long ago President Obama proposed a $36 billion federal loan guarantee for nuclear power plants. The magnitude of public largess can be seen in this summary from a study completed by the University of California, Santa Cruz (UCSC):

In the USA alone roughly $100 billion has been spent on nuclear power plants that were never completed or finished over budget. Most if not all of this cost will be placed on the public (emphasis mine) without their knowledge. Unfortunately, since the life span of a nuclear power plant is only around 35 years, the 82 reactors operating will need to be decommissioned by 2014. If decommissioning costs 9% to 15% of the initial capital costs,13 the total cost to decommission these 82 nuclear reactors could reach $1 trillion. Of all the costs listed above this does not even include the spent fuel disposal costs, which have totaled to $18 billion in the USA alone.

And here we see a deep irony. Those who wholeheartedly support nuclear energy are often the same folks who want a small government to get out of the way of business, allowing the magic of the market to work its glory. And yet the moment we have a Chernobyl or Fukushima, these very people expect the government, and taxpayers, to bail out the industry, when the market no longer works in their favor. This is further skewed from economic reality when we consider, finally, waste management and nuclear proliferation.

Waste Management

With Yucca Mountain dead, or at least moribund, the United States has no viable site for the nation's nuclear waste. Nuclear waste will continue to accumulate at the 104 nuclear reactors in cooling pools on site at each plant. We currently have about 55,000 tons of nuclear waste in those pools. After an expenditure of about $10 billion, we have nothing to show for it - but those costs must be included in the price of nuclear energy.

Nuclear Proliferation

One way to cut down on the volume of nuclear waste, and to recover useable fuel contained in the waste, is to reprocess the fuel. The idea is attractive because the so-called waste really contains about 95% of the energy of the original stock. But reprocessing creates the issue of weapons proliferation, because reprocessing can lead to the production of weapons-grade plutonium.

Even without the problem of proliferation, reprocessing does not solve the waste problem; we are still left with large volumes of high radioactive material that needs to be disposed of. Less than 20 pounds of plutonium is needed to make a nuclear bomb. A full-fledged reprocessing program in the United States would create 500 metric tons of plutonium. It would not be difficult to lose 20 pounds without knowing it. Reprocessing is also expensive; about six times the cost of using enriched uranium and then disposing of the waste. Reprocessing is not the answer to the waste problem. Again we must include in the cost of nuclear power the enormous costs of storing and moving nuclear waste.

Future Plant Designs

A number of designs (so-called Generation IV) are being considered with the express purpose of greatly reducing or even eliminating the possibility of core damage. Gas-cooled, water-cooled and fast-spectrum designs are all in the running. All have potential problems even if ideally built but the safety improvements are dramatic, particularly for the high-temperature gas-cooled reactors using a so-called pebble design with passive safety. But it is not bullet-proof and the encasing graphite is combustible and some designs do not include containment structures, meaning radioactive materials would spread in case of an explosion. Some of the new designs would clearly be safer, and may make the emergence of a black swan less likely, but the catastrophic impact of an accident would remain a reality. And we still are burdened with waste and the potential for weapons proliferation.

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The Illusion of Good: A False Promise

Nuclear energy offers, at least in theory, powerful benefits. Nuclear power plants emit no carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gases. About one-fifth of our total electrical output in the United States is from 104 nuclear plants (which put out about 800 billion kWh in 2008). The painful and costly lessons learned from Three Mile Island and Chernobyl yielded a good safety record since... up to Fukushima. Other benefits include potentially unlimited energy, energy independence, and the positive geopolitical implications of weaning ourselves from foreign oil.

Yes, the allure of nuclear power is strong, but ultimately illusory. Insurmountable technical and economic problems ensure the industry will never be viable, even beyond the already sufficiently catastrophic issue of core melt or another Fukushima disaster. There are also other life-cycle costs that need to be considered, including the high and rapidly growing cost of plant construction (independent of regulatory demands). We also need to consider that a good portion of the emissions benefits of nuclear power compared to fossil fuel use could be realized by investments in renewable green technologies like wind, solar and geothermal, all of which avoid the problems of nuclear waste.
Entertaining this Easter or need a last-minute dish to bring a dish to a buffet? From a crowd-pleasing smoked salmon spread to a make-ahead spinach and cheese strata, these recipes are all elegant and easy to make!

Bring in some fresh bagels and serve this delicious smoked salmon spread alongside. The best part? It's easy to make -- simply give all of the ingredients a whirl in the food processor and you're done. GET THE RECIPE

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Serve this springy salad of asparagus and chopped eggs in a creamy Dijon sauce as a first course or side to poached salmon or honey baked ham. GET THE RECIPE

Bread pudding is usually sweet, but it can be made savory too. This version, brimming with sweet pork sausage and sharp cheddar, is deeply flavored with a crisp, golden crust and tender, creamy interior. GET THE RECIPE

These wonderful muffins are from Sarabeth's Bakery: From My Hands to Yours. They're sweetened entirely with maple syrup -- there's absolutely no sugar in them -- and, as they bake in the oven, they fill your kitchen with the most intoxicating buttery maple scent. GET THE RECIPE

You can't beat warm scones fresh out of the oven. These are light and tender -- and delicious slathered with butter and jam. GET THE RECIPE

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Baked oatmeal has a consistency similar to that of bread pudding. There are endless variations but this version filled with apples and raisins with a crunchy walnut topping is my favorite. Go ahead and make it ahead of time; it reheats well. GET THE RECIPE

This is one of my favorite fruit salads, and it's such a nice change of pace from the standard mix of pre-cut fruit from the supermarket. I usually serve it for brunch but it's also wonderful for dessert served with shortcake and whipped cream. GET THE RECIPE

This French-inspired quiche is made with a generous layer of buttery leeks and a rich custard flavored with Parmesan cheese. GET THE RECIPE

These are the perfect cinnamon buns: light and tender on the inside, golden and caramelized on the outside and -- best of all -- quick and easy to make. GET THE RECIPE

Golden caramel, sweet challah and custard spiked with Grand Marnier -- what's not to love? This French toast casserole is the ideal company-for-brunch dish because you assemble it the night before, let it sit in the fridge overnight, then just pop it in the oven when you're ready to eat. GET THE RECIPE

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This dish looks fancy but is incredibly easy. You simply wrap big, thick asparagus spears with pancetta and saute them until nice and crisp. GET THE RECIPE

Packed with sweet strawberries, these tender muffins with crisp, golden tops are perfect for a special breakfast or brunch. The secret is adding a lot of berries to the batter, which gives the muffins an intense strawberry flavor and keeps them very moist. GET THE RECIPE
Paul stood at the 101 Freeway off-ramp, holding a cardboard sign that read, "Spare Change?" He was a veteran in our armed services who lived on our streets for ten years. Last year, Paul was one of 44,000 people homeless in Los Angeles County.

With homelessness increasing by 12 percent in the past two years, and encampments by 85 percent, many people are now demanding solutions for people like Paul, and the thousands of others living in tents, cars, and sleeping bags all across the Southland.

The temptation, however, to pump millions of dollars into quick solutions--like shelters--is great, especially when El Nino storms are looming. We do not want any more people who are homeless, like Barbara Brown, dying on our streets. But a long-term plan is certainly needed as well.

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The temptation to propose a laundry list of solutions to homelessness--shelters, employment, housing, healthcare--is also great. But Los Angeles created such lists during past homelessness crises and the issue still persists.

In 2003, our community created the "Bring LA Home" ten-year plan to end homelessness. (I was part of the panel that worked on it.) It failed because it was a list of answers but no committed resources to implement the solutions. In 2010, business and civic leaders released the "Home For Good" plan that helped the region nearly end veteran homelessness. But the resources to end chronic, family and adult homelessness are still not enough.

This February, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors will be voting on a new homeless plan. The City of Los Angeles is also proposing a similar plan that syncs with the County.

For those of us who for decades have donated money, served holiday dinners, and worked on the front lines of homelessness--I have been the leader of PATH for 20 years--we ask the simple question: Is this new flurry of political activity simply a Deja vu moment? Another public relations stint geared toward smothering the community's gripes over homelessness?

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After decades of watching political leaders propose either short-term or unfunded solutions to homelessness, I am actually quite hopeful this time.

For the first time, significant resources are being proposed. The State Senate is proposing $2 billion for housing people who are homeless with mental illness. The City of Los Angeles has already set aside $15 million, and is considering a total of $100 million.

And, the County of Los Angeles, whose mission is to provide services for people in need, has committed $149 million toward implementing their new homeless plan. This is on top of a $300 million commitment made last October to build affordable housing and its existing commitments, including Housing for Health and the Mental Health Services Act Housing programs.

Some people might consider these sums of money as pocket change, given how costly it would be to house our homeless population, and given the County's and City's billion dollar annual budgets.

These financial commitments, however, should be considered as down payments toward ending homelessness. In reality, we desperately need these public jurisdictions to make an ongoing, year-to-year, financial commitment.

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But money, alone, will not resolve our region's struggle to house our homeless neighbors, and to prevent people in the future from becoming homeless.

This recent plan is far more than just a check-writing exercise. This time, this plan is rooted in changing the system of how we address homelessness.

For the first time, the County and City of Los Angeles are coordinating their plans and efforts, along with enlisting dozens of other cities within the county.

Unlike previous plans, there is an emphasis on identifying the most vulnerable people on the streets and then prioritizing them for permanent housing, a Coordinated Entry System. This is much different than previous ways of housing people based on a luck-of-the draw, first-come first-serve system where the most functional people who can out-maneuver a bureaucratic system got housed first.

This time, the County is investing $36 million into helping people access permanent apartments through move-in assistance. We all know how expensive the upfront cost is to get an apartment. This "rapid re-housing" has a track record of success. The agency I run housed 3,500 people through such a program.

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Although this plan has many more system-changing proposals, one of the most dramatic changes is in the way the County will prioritize people who have been on the streets for a long time (and with a disabling condition) for turn-over units in its Housing Choice Voucher program.

If every Public Housing Authority agency in the County committed 50% of their turn-over units toward chronic homeless individuals, 10,000 people could be housed within five years--without building one new unit!

I see this new homeless plan as a hopeful approach for dealing with an entrenched, decades-old dilemma. Changing the system means changing people's lives.
A Hillary Clinton supporter hands out stickers for her campaign during a Democratic caucus Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Seattle. Democrats caucused statewide in support of either Clinton or Bernie Sanders, with the 101 delegates at stake to be awarded proportionally. (AP Photo/Elaine Thompson)

I realize Facebook is not a scientifically controlled microcosm of the real world. Unlike the real world, which is made up of diverse, often oppositional elements mixed in with all our familial/friend solidarities, the Facebook world is typically less eclectic. We tend to build our "circles" with people who think similarly, share similar tastes, follow similar threads, with, perhaps, a smattering of contrariness here and there. Even I, who has a public page, find the bulk of my Facebook circle to be largely of like-mind. (Though I certainly get my share of random haters!)

Then Election 2016 happened and I discovered that not only does my circle include a few libertarians, Tea Partiers and right-wingers, but there's a solid contingent of hard-lefties, uber "progressives" and extremist liberals. And I am none of those, on either end of the spectrum. I'm a registered Democrat who falls ever-so-slightly left of center and who believes being a centrist, a moderate, is a good thing. That assessment is based on years (I'm moderately old) of being around extremists from both sides of the aisle and finding extremism to be, well, extreme; often close-minded, tunnel-visioned, self-focused and largely uncompromising. And while being uncompromising is good when it comes to morality, integrity, and honor, it is less so when working amongst people with diverse interests, learning to collaborate, listen, and consider the needs and realities of many different views. Which is certainly the assignment of any politician, particularly the president of the United States.

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So given my stated political status, as well as the aforementioned "stew" that is my Facebook circle, you would not be surprised to learn that I hear a lot of chatter, view a lot of posts and witness a lot of political haranguing that is not of my ilk, not my perspective, not my "think." I don't mind -- I think it's important we stay aware of what's going on in other corners of the world/country; equally important that we don't spend all our time preaching to the choir. But while I find political solidarity with most/all memes, jokes, concerns, expressions of horror related to the Republican ticket, I am less in-line with what I see most in my newsfeed on the Dem side: the #FeeltheBern-ers. I've gotten so I cringe when I see that hashtag. Which got me to wondering why.

As I've always maintained, I like Bernie. I think he's a passionate, well-meaning guy who's been deeply involved in issues that resonate with a lot of people. They resonate with me. But they're not all that resonates with me. There's much that he pays little attention to, or has a different opinion about, that is also important to me. So he's not my guy for president. Because I believe being the president of this country, particularly at this time in our history, requires talents, skills, experiences, nuances, personality traits and worldviews that are not necessarily in his wheelhouse. They are in the wheelhouse of Hillary Clinton. Which is why she's my guy.

Just writing that makes me cringe a little, too, but for different reasons: I have discovered -- having this large contingent of "Berners" in my circle, that any positive statement about Clinton is typically followed by a barrage of negative pushback from Sanders supporters. The usual stuff (which I won't reiterate because it's so often repeated, and usually with the same verbiage every time, that it's like reciting a playbook). It's knee-jerk. It always happens. Which is strange to me. Because, while I have never gone on the thread of anyone touting Bernie's virtues to caterwaul in contention, offering my criticisms of the man, how his votes and beliefs on certain issues do not align with my own, etc., the reverse cannot be said. Bernie supporters have no compunction about hijacking a pro-Clinton thread to throw every kind of smack her way, with zero thought to social media decorum or just plain, good manners.

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It'd be like if I posted that I "loved Zankou Chicken" and then you jumped all over my thread screeching about how awful Zankou Chicken is and how "Chick-fil-A is SO much better!!! #FeelTheChick."

Yes, reducing my political support to chicken analogies is suspect, but that really is what it's like. And I can't imagine doing that. I can't imagine being so rude as to denigrate the opinion of a Facebook friend -- on their thread -- to counter with my "clearly superior opinion." But it happens all the time. All the damn time.

And, yes, I do see Berners in my circles complaining that Clinton supporters do the same to them, which I have no reason to disbelieve, but in my world, in my circles, the lion's share of that kind of behavior comes from the Sanders side. Complaints that the media has disproportionately covered others in lieu of Sanders may be true (is it?) out there, but that's not the case on social media.

Balance, my friends, needs to be found. Because Clinton supporters are out there... they're just a quieter bunch!

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And let me be clear about this: If Sanders wins the nomination, I will be disappointed, but I will vote for him in November. I am, first and foremost, a Democrat (which, oddly, he is not), and I stand so firmly with Democratic party platforms and beliefs I will push for a Dem to win no matter who is on that ballot. Particularly given the roster on the other side (don't get me started... that's a whole other article!).

But the much-documented and oft-discussed "fervor" (aka: fanaticism) of some Sanders supporters has resulted in a refusal to offer a similar commitment. Meanwhile, that growing fervor has hit peak oversaturation level (so much ado about a bird!), the sheer pitch of which too often feels aggressive, arrogant, and hostile... even delusional at times.

When Clinton did well on Super-Tuesday, and then did well again on that other Super-Tuesday (I didn't know we had two of those!), there were hawk-eyed Berners shaking fingers admonishing Clinton supporters to "not gloat." Which is absurd when you consider the gloat-tsunami that follows every Sanders win or even perceived win (applicable to debates and town halls). Even when a state like Alaska gives him a win with only 538 votes from "state convention delegates," the lack of perspective about what any of this means overall, or how ethnic demographics impact his wins versus hers is ignored. Yet when she wins a state? Beyond warnings about "gloating," the hollering commences about "cheating" and "DNC shenanigans," how this or that that shouldn't have happened did happen and how she was surely behind it or she at least benefitted from it or something conspiratorial of that nature. I shake my head at the tone and tenor of how this is unrolling... which brings me to the title of this piece.

I had a number of conversations with Clinton supporters this weekend (on the phone and in private messages; not on public Facebook pages) in which all parties involved admitted to being reticent to speak up for her in public because to do so means having to endure battering by #FeeltheBerners. One mentioned feeling that the sheer fanaticism and idealization of Sanders supporters has made it impossible to have an adult conversation without triggering a kind of cultish backlash... which I too have experienced (similar to the way Scientologists respond when one suggests L.Ron Hubbard is not a god). Another said she's going to quietly vote, quietly share her Clinton support with those who ask, but is not going to throw it out there for public consumption. I don't blame her, I don't blame any of them... one supports Clinton at their own peril.

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But I'm done being quiet. Not that I've been all that quiet, but I've been kinda quiet. Certainly quieter than the #feeltheberners in my midst!

While Sanders supporters proudly (and rightfully) trumpet their guy's wins, share his "fan memes," or aggrandize the poor fellow beyond all manner of human capacity (I'm waiting for someone to insist he really does walk on water!), I'm done watching and listening -- without rebuttal -- to those who claim to be progressives and Democrats as they outrageously slam and slime a woman who's worked indefatigably for 40+ years in support of essential and life-changing issues that I, and many others, support. I'm done ignoring the repetitive drip-drip-drip of dishonest, non-factual, oppositional propaganda (some guy posted an eight-year-old anti-Hillary article today... it's getting that desperate!) pushing redundant talking points of the uber-biased who've made their life's work stymying her forward motion. I'm done being that kind of quiet.

When men (both young and old) tell me they don't feel her like they feel the Bern and mention being "tired of hearing about all this sexist stuff"; when people honestly wonder "what has she actually done?"; when young women are more outraged about the iconic Gloria Steinem making a stupid comment (for which she apologized) than the double standards Clinton endures daily; when pundits and opinion writers regurgitate the mantra that there's "no enthusiasm" despite Clinton's passionate endorsements and supporters, many of whom are the same young people the other side claims she can't attract, and when her appeal to communities of color is minimized despite the fact that diversity is the direction our country is moving, making her appeal all the more in-line with what we're becoming rather than what we've been: a white-majority (the demographic that overwhelmingly supports Sanders), that is worth discussion. That is worth mentioning.

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So I'm going to do that. I'm going to freely discuss, mention, speak in support of the candidate I support. If that means Bernie supporters get into a kerfuffle of antagonism and pushback, so be it. I have quietly endured as my Facebook feed floods with posts in giddy adoration of Sanders; now it's time for some balance.

Social media is a powerful place to make important points, and my goal is not debate as much as finding a way toward that necessary balance, at least in my social circle; to potentially help those who are still asking questions, still considering; to give them something beyond oppositional propaganda and zealous negativity. To contribute to a scenario in which they can see and learn about more than one side of this contest.

Join me if you're so moved, quiet Clinton supporters. It's only March.

___________________________________________________________

Follow Lorraine Devon Wilke on Facebook, Twitter and Amazon. Details and links to her blogs, photography, books, and music can be found at www.LorraineDevonWilke.com.
The Islamic Republic hit the highest rate of executing people since 1989. The official number indicates that Iran executed nearly two times more people in 2015 in comparison to 2010 when the hardline president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was in office, as well as roughly 10 times more than the number of executions in 2005.

Approximately 1000 people were executed in 2015, according to the latest report from the United Nations investigator, Ahmed Shaheed, the special rapporteur for human rights in Iran. The unofficial number is higher.

The peak of the executions in 2015 was between April and June in which nearly 4 people were executed every day on average. Most of the executions were carried out in prisons located in urban areas such as Ghezel Hesar and Rajai Shahr in Karaj, and Adel Abad in Shiraz.

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Iran has surpassed China in the number of executions being carried out per capita. Most of the executions in Iran are being done by hanging. In addition to the alarming increase in executions, fundamental rights of Iranians and ethnic and religious minorities appear to have regressed in 2015 as well. In addition, this year witnessed the highest level of disqualification of political candidates, 61 percent, since the establishment of the Islamic Republic, 1979.

Who and Which Groups are Being Mainly Targeted

Iranian authorities claim that these executions are overwhelmingly related to drugs offenses. Nevertheless, many of the executions were linked to other issues. Only around 65 percent of those who were executed were charged with violating Iran's narcotics law.

In other areas, according to Amnesty International, the Islamic Republic remains a leading executioner of minors. Currently, 160 juvenile offenders are on Iran's death row. Other human rights groups also believe that Iran has executed more juveniles than any other country. Michael G. Bochenek, senior counsel of the children's rights division at Human Rights Watch pointed out "Iran is almost certainly the world leader in executing juvenile offenders." Some articles in Iran's criminal code allows girls as young as 9 and boys as young as 15 to receive death sentences.

In addition, ethnic and religious minority communities, including the Sunni, Arabs, and Bahai continue to be systematically targeted and discriminated against.

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Iran's Sunni are the largest minority in the country. Some of the discrimination that the Sunnis have suffered, according the UN report, are that the Sunni communities in Iran "have long complained that Iranian authorities do not appoint or employ them in high ranking government positions such as cabinet-level ministers or governors. They have also raised concerns regarding reported restrictions on the construction of Sunni mosques in Shia-majority areas, including the capital Tehran, and the execution or imminent execution of Sunni activists the government alleges were involved in terrorist-related activities."

Other groups include journalists, artists, writers, musicians, and human rights activists who witness arbitrary arrests, detentions and prosecutions.

Amnesty International and the United Nations do not have executive power to force Iran to reform its law or hold Iranian leaders accountable, but the UN can offer recommendations such as the latest one in which Iran is asked to "take the necessary steps to ensure and that it citizens fully enjoy the rights and freedoms awarded to by the Iranian constitution with special emphasis on the right to freedom of expression, the right to political activity and their right to assemble". According to Nazanin, an Iranian lawyer based in Karaj, " Iran's judiciary and parliament will ignore these recommendations and not follow up with them".

Rouhani's Pledges

One of Rouhani's main promises was to promote and reform restrictive law in relation to civil liberties and social justice. "The situation has not changed since Rouhani came to power. They only talk about their victory with regards to the nuclear deal, while a lot people and religious minorities face daily discrimination", Morteza, an Iranian teacher in city of Esfahan pointed out.

When it comes to number of people being executed as well as the rights of ethnic and religious minorities, Iran's president would not change the status quo regardless of whether he is being presented as a moderate or hardliner.

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The major institutions which have power over these matters are the judiciary system (its head is appointed by the Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei), the ministry of Intelligence, the office of the Supreme Leader, the Revolutionary Guards, and paramilitary groups such as the Basij.

In order to preserve his own interests and power, an Iranian president will not stand against these powerful political establishments, and will support the ruling political establishment. In fact, the number of executions increase and rights for ethnic and religious minorities appear to deteriorate when the Islamic Republic has "moderate" or "reformist" president. The above institutions tighten the rules in order to send a message to the Iranians that a non-hardline president does not mean that the country is liberalizing its politics.

_______________

Dr. Majid Rafizadeh is an American political scientist, business advisor and the president of the International American Council on the Middle East. Harvard-educated, Rafizadeh serves on the advisory board of Harvard International Review. An American citizen, he is originally from Iran and Syria, lived most of his life in Iran and Syria till recently. He is a board member of several significant and influential international and governmental institutions, and he is native speaker of couple of languages including Arabic and Persian. He also speaks English and Dari, and can converse in French, Hebrew.

You can sign up for Dr. Rafizadeh's newsletter for the latest news and analyses on HERE. You can also order his books on HERE.

You can learn more about Dr. Rafizadeh on HERE.

You can contact him at Dr.rafizadeh@post.harvard.edu or follow him at @Dr_Rafizadeh. This post first appeared on Al Arabiya.
On March 24th, the Pakistani security officials, backed by the civilian authorities, said they had arrested an Indian national somewhere in Balochistan and now they describe it as the "evidence" of Indian involvement in the restive province. The Indian Ministry of External Affairs has also confirmed that Mr. Kulbhushan yadhav, a former Navy officer, has been arrested. While Islamabad says Mr. Yadhav worked for the Indian intelligence agency, the Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), on a high position, New Delhi has denied his affiliation with its premier intelligence agency.

The circumstances surrounding the arrest of the Indian national are still elusive. Nobody knows how and where he was arrested and who arrested him. Likewise, the Pakistanis have leveled all kinds of allegations on him soon after the news about his arrest broke out. They say he was involved in providing training and weapons to the Baloch insurgents and engaged in promoting unrest in Karachi. One wonders how much time it took the Pakistani officials to extract so much information from Mr. Yadhav when they are saying that he has been moved to Islamabad for further investigation. Regardless the authenticity of the Pakistani charges, the arrest of Mr. Yadhav will significantly help Islamabad in embarrassing India and discrediting the Baloch nationalists for what they bill as a homegrown liberation movement.

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For the past several years, Pakistan has been accusing India of interfering in Balochistan, but it never brought in public any evidence to substantiate its claims. The alleged Indian involvement in Balochistan has become an integral part of the talking points the Pakistani officials use whenever they meet with the Indian officials. The meeting between former prime ministers Manmohan Singh and his Pakistani counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani at Sharm-el-Sheikh in Egypt in 2009 was the first occasion when Balochistan was mentioned at a high level. Afterward, the Pakistani officials also provided dossiers to the United Nations -- which were not made public -- in October 2015 to prove the Indian hand in fomenting trouble inside Pakistan. The Indians, on the other hand, say they have no interest in destabilizing Pakistan.

No matter what the Pakistani and the Indian authorities say, this episode will somewhat benefit the Baloch nationalists who have been marching in world capitals and meeting with leaders and activists desperately seeking international support for their liberation movement. The Baloch leaders have expressed anguish and frustration over the lack of support from the international community amid the slow motion genocide of the Baloch people by the Pakistani security forces. All the Baloch leaders and activists need at this point is more and more international attention. Unlike their vocal support for the Bengalis in 1971, the Indian politicians and the media have not demonstrated any serious interest in the Baloch matter. The episode embroiling Mr. Yadhav would at least help the Indian authorities to have a serious briefing about the conflict in Balochistan and what is actually going on. Likewise, the row between India and Pakistan in the backdrop of this episode is unlikely to escape the attention of the United Nations, the European Union, the American and the British diplomatic corps in Islamabad and New Delhi. The more noise is made on Balochistan, the better it is for the Baloch because beneath this incident lies a mountain of human rights abuses, repression and exploitation of the Baloch people committed by the Pakistani authorities.

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This incident will also richly benefit the Pakistani security establishment in justifying its tight grip over the province. Similar to the 2011 Raymond Davis episode when an American citizen and a contractor for the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was arrested in Lahore for killing two Pakistani nationals, this event will also tremendously feed the conspiracy theorists in the Pakistani military and the media. Even if Mr. Yadhav had no connections with the Indian government, his arrest from Balochistan (if that actually happened) is still an extraordinary development because the Pakistani authorities do not normally allow foreign nationals to travel to Balochistan. The alternative routes are the borders with Iran and Afghanistan. According to the initial reports, the Indian national sneaked into Balochistan via Iran.

This incident coincided with the first visit to Islamabad of Iran's Hassan Rouhani since becoming the President. Iran has suddenly become an active player in the region after the lifting of the sanctions because of the successful deal with the P5+1 nations. Tensions between Tehran and Riyadh have also skyrocketed in the recent months because of differences on Syria and Yemen. The Pakistani officials have reportedly mentioned Mr. Jadhav's case with the visiting Iranian leader and sought Iran's cooperation on border security. (The Iranian leader denied discussing the matter with the Pakistanis). The Iranians, on their part, have even a worse record than the Pakistanis when it comes to treating the Baloch people. For instance, last month Shahindokht Molaverdi, Iran's vice president for women and family affairs, conceded that "we have a village in Sistan and Baluchestan (province) where every single man has been executed."

When Pakistan and Iran treat their Baloch population as third class citizens, it seems obvious why the latter reaches out to the international community for support. They are willing to facilitate the entry and lodging of anyone who is willing to get the word from Balochistan out to the rest of the world. It is not only foreign "spies" who are eager to know the truth about Balochistan but even foreign journalists, human rights activists and researchers want to have access to Balochistan. When the Baloch people have no objections to anyone coming from anywhere in the world to visit Balochistan, why should Islamabad have a problem? Islamabad should be more transparent and accountable about its policies and actions in Balochistan.

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The row over the arrest of the alleged Indian spy now provides the Baloch nationalists an opportunity to demand an international investigation into the matter that is ideally led by the United Nations, the United States or the European Union. After all, the Baloch people should not be sandwiched in a war of words between India and Pakistan. The Baloch conflict has its own history, context and significance. It cannot afford to be overshadowed by the Pakistan-India rivalry. The Baloch leadership should come forward and assert its position on this matter because neither Islamabad nor New Delhi are entitled to speak on the behalf of the Baloch. The Baloch should speak for themselves and they should be heard because Islamabad is the aggressor, certainly not the victim, when it comes to Balochistan.
Hillary Clinton, former Secretary of State and 2016 Democratic presidential candidate, speaks with an attendees after a round table discussion at the University of Southern California (USC) in Los Angeles, California, U.S., on Thursday, March 24, 2016. More than halfway through a nomination race that she entered as the clear favorite, Clinton finds herself deadlocked with Bernie Sanders among Democrats. Photographer: Patrick T. Fallon/Bloomberg via Getty Images

In order to (try to) avoid a torrent of angry responses regarding Bernie still having a shot to win the nomination, let me state that I am not assuming anything, and that I think Bernie should absolutely continue his race for the nomination and not drop out. And, I write this as someone very sympathetic to Bernie's agenda.

Finally, while I believe both Hillary and Bernie could win a general election, I happen to think that Hillary is a safer bet. There has not yet been the torrent of negative campaigning against Bernie that Hillary has endured for a quarter of a century, and yet she is not only still standing but is not so far behind Bernie's margins against Trump.

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Winning the general is far more important than whether it is Bernie or Hillary.

Let me now move to why, if Hillary is the nominee, she should select Bernie as the VP candidate.

1.It shows the respect due a large portion of the Democratic electorate who worked hard and voted for Bernie.

2.More importantly, it shows the respect due, and will be insisted upon by Bernie if he accepts, to the agenda he offered.

3.It will swell the crowds at campaign rallies beyond anything the Republican base can match, providing both the votes and energy to win a resounding victory.

4.It will provide Bernie's millions of online contributors, enabling the Hillary-Bernie ticket to take federal funding and eschew large contributions.

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5.It will be another -- along with the first female nominee and president -- precedent-breaking move for an electorate that wants precedents broken. But, in a positive way.

Why Bernie should, under certain policy conditions, accept.

1.From the VP perch, Bernie will be in the ideal position to continue to mobilize voters to achieve the policy ends he has championed. (Two days after President Obama's first election, I urged him to do just that. He didn't. It hurt.)

2.Many of the differences between Bernie and Hillary are resolvable. For example, in health care, adding the public option to Obamacare provides the means for both perspectives to be incorporated. In banking, breaking up the big banks makes passing Glass-Steagall less compelling. Minimum wage level compromises are being forged all around the country.

3.Bernie should insist, and Hillary should agree, that on cabinet positions such as Treasury, Labor, HHS, that Bernie and she need to have a consensus. My choice for Treasury: former Labor Secretary, Robert Reich. For HHS, Howard Dean, M.D. For Labor: Larry Cohen, President of the Communications Workers.

4.From the VP perch, Bernie could not only mobilize the pressure in the Congress for an amendment to overturn Citizens United, he could barnstorm states as their legislatures were considering the amendment to ratify it. He could also insist that IRS re-write the rules on "dark money" to be consistent with Congressional language when it was passed.

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5.Bernie should be permitted to avoid many of the ceremonial chores of the Vice-Presidency, so he has time to focus on policy and mobilization. That is where Bill Clinton becomes even more valuable. Having a former president who is the husband of the sitting president attend to many of these symbolic duties, rather than the sitting Vice-President, is no reduction in honor or prestige of those events.

6.Due to age, this is Bernie's last hurrah as a potential presidential candidate. By bringing the party together, by helping the ticket win a resounding victory in November, by employing his new-found fame and passionate support to mobilize pressure not just to talk about, but actually to pass important legislation, he will have made contribution to our country as large as he might have as president.

Presidents from FDR to Obama have urged people to "make me do this" when they support a policy that faces entrenched opposition.



Let us not kid ourselves: Medicare and the Civil Rights Laws including the Voting Rights Act, recently eviscerated by the right-wing Supreme Court, passed only because the reaction to President Kennedy's assassination provided LBJ with huge majorities, and his opponent was Barry Goldwater. Much of the economic and social progress under the New Deal occurred only because FDR enjoyed large majorities.


Facing eviction by Wedgewood Inc, Pablo Caamal and his family have launched a vigil in front of their Rialto, CA home, supported by friends and neighbors (Photo by La Opinion).



Speaking at a real estate conference last September in Florida, Greg Geiser, CEO of Wedgewood Inc., an investment company headquartered in Redondo Beach, California, claimed that his firm is the biggest "fix and flip" company in the country. He said the company purchases about 250 foreclosed or about-to-be-foreclosed homes a month. Geiser told the audience that the "distressed market" is "hot and sexy" and "new and trendy."

But for many families, Wedgewood's business practices are the cause of much distress. One of them is the Caamal family in Rialto, California, a working class suburb near Los Angeles. Wedgewood is trying to evict Mercedes and Pablo Caamal from their modest house, where they have lived for ten years and in which they have invested their life savings to purchase and improve.

Faced with eviction notices, most Americans pack up their clothing, furniture, and other belongings and try to find another place to live, often doubling-up with another family or confront the harsh reality of homelessness.

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But the Caamals are fighting back. They and their supporters have launched an around-the-clock vigil in front of the home, awaiting San Bernardino County Sheriff deputies to try to evict them, and pledging to stay in their home or face arrest.

"I'm not willing to walk away from a home I worked my whole life to buy," explained Pablo Caamal, a 63-year old cook.

Headlines claim that the country is now "recovering" from the housing crash brought on by Wall Street banks' risky and reckless practices, but millions of American homeowners are still facing foreclosure and eviction through no fault of their own. Wedgewood's business strategy is to prey on these families, buy the homes at deep discounts, and make a quick profit selling them on the market.



Greg Geiser



Because Wedgewood is a privately-held company, it is not required to disclose its revenues or the compensation of its executives. But Geiser has obviously done quite well for himself in the "fix and flip" business. The 58-year old Geiser lives at 212 Morningside Drive in Manhattan Beach in a home valued at $5.7 million, according to Zillow. David R. Wehrly, Wedgewood's 54-year old Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, lives in a $14 million home at 112 The Strand in Manhattan Beach.

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The Caamals don't live in such splendor, but they achieved their own version of the American Dream. They came to the United States from Mexico in the 1970s and are American citizens. Mercedes, 58, and Pablo have both worked at cooks in local restaurants. They purchased the house at 1805 North Willow Avenue in Rialto in 2006. They have five children who are pursuing successful lives. Their 19 year old daughter Daisy is a full-time college student in San Francisco who supports herself by working in a restaurant. Their 23 year old daughter Merari is also a college student who lives at home and works part time in a warehouse. Elizabeth, their 27 year old daughter, also lives at home and works in the same cafeteria, at Cal State-San Bernardino, as her parents. Their 32 year old son Moises and 35 year old daughter Christy are married and live with their respective families.

But in 2010, at the height of the economic crisis, the Caamals' dream started to become a nightmare. Both Mercedes and Pablo were laid off from their jobs at cooks at a local private college cafeteria. They quickly found new jobs and, like many Americans struggling to make ends meet during the economic hard times, applied for a loan modification with Wells Fargo. The bank immediately granted a temporary modification.

The Caamals never missed a payment on their mortgage, but Wells Fargo nevertheless denied their request for a permanent modification and then began returning their payments.

This, too, is an experience that millions of Americans have faced, because Congress failed to require banks to participate in loan modifications (including a tool called "principal reduction") as part of the 2010 Dodd-Frank bank reform law designed to prevent the kind of predatory lending practices that brought the country to the brink of economic collapse.

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After Wells Fargo put the home up for sale at an auction, Wedgewood -- which purchases and sells foreclosed properties around the country -- bought the Caamals' home last September for $284,000. After the Caamals and their supporters held a protest at Wedgewood's headquarters, the company reluctantly agreed to hold off on eviction long enough for the family to secure financing for a loan to repurchase the home.

But Wedgewood reneged on its promise and demanded that the Caamals pay $375,000 for the home they are still living in. The Caamals say they are willing to pay that price -- and have qualified for a mortgage to make the payments -- but Wedgewood has refused their offer.

"Why is Wedgewood evicting us, when we're offering to give them a $100,000 profit on their investment?" Mercedes Caamal said. "I don't understand why they won't accept our money."

On Thursday, with the help of the Alliance of Californians for Community Empowerment (ACCE), a community organizing group, the Caamals, along with the family, friends, neighbors and ACCE members pitched tents outside the house and launched an around-the-clock vigil to demand that the eviction be stopped. They say they won't leave and are willing to risk arrest.

The Caamals and their supporters visited the San Bernardino County Sheriff's headquarters, where representatives of Sheriff John McMahon accepted a letter requesting that the department refuse to carry out the unfair eviction. The Sheriff's Department notified the family that starting after 6:00 am on Friday would arrive to evict them. But when Sheriff's deputies came to the house twice on Friday, and saw local news media covering the vigil, the law enforcement officers did not try to evict the family.

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The Caamals and ACCE are asking supporters to call Geiser at (310) 640-3070, or email him at greg@wedgewood-inc.com, to urge him to sell the home back to the family.

Geiser founded Wedgewood in 1985 and merged it with HMC Assets in 2014. Companies like Wedgewood are often called "bottom feeders." They buy homes at short sales and foreclosure auctions and sell them at huge profits. Reflecting its business philosophy, the company has a huge Monopoly board on a wall at its headquarters at 2015 Manhattan Beach Boulevard in Redondo Beach.



A wall at Wedgewood's HQ in Redondo Beach, CA



The company website proudly explains how Geiser got into the business. After earning his master's degree from UCLA's Anderson School of Management in 1982, he purchased a Pasadena home, sight unseen, at a foreclosure auction.

"While still in the parking lot at the auction, Greg sold the house to a young couple who said it was their dream home, but they didn't have the cash for the auction," according to the website. Excited by the world of real estate speculation, Geiser started Wedgewood, which now has over 250 employees. The company claims to be "a leader in the field of distressed residential real estate, specializing in the acquisition, rehabilitation, and resale of single family homes."

Not surprisingly, Geiser and his company are staunch Republicans, since the GOP has fought hard in Washington, D.C. against laws requiring lenders to modify mortgages and stem the epidemic of foreclosures. In recent year, Wedgewood's employees have made over $231,000 in political contributions, almost all of it to Republican candidates, the Republican Party, and Republican-oriented PACs.

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Geiser, the company's CEO, has made $93,000 in political donations, including contributions to Mitt Romney, John Boehner, Right to Rise (Jeb Bush's presidential PAC), and Americans for Ethical Leadership, a Republican super PAC. Wehrly, the firm's COO, has given $86,441 in contributions, spreading his donations among many candidates, including George W. Bush, Mitt Romney, and John Boehner and, in this year's president sweepstakes, to Jeb Bush, Carly Fiorina, and Marco Rubio. He also donated $1,000 to the Tea Party PAC called Our Country Deserves Better.

Geiser and Wehrly are both on the board of Prager University, a conservative website founded by the talk show host Dennis Prager. Geiser is also on the board of directors of UCLA's Anderson School of Management and of the Oklahoma State University Foundation. Wehrly donated to the Heritage Foundation, a right-wing propaganda outfit.

In recent years, ACCE and other community groups around the country have been successful not only in getting banks to halt foreclosures but also at pressuring lenders to renegotiate mortgages. But their work would be much easier if Congress required lenders -- who received billions of dollars in federal bail-outs and benefit from the government's policies to make credit available to lenders -- to modify mortgages for families who were involuntarily hurt by the economic crash.

Homeowners facing foreclosure can contact ACCE organizer Peter Kuhns at (213) 272-1141 to join the movement against predatory banks and investment firms.

Peter Dreier is professor of politics and chair of the Urban & Environmental Policy Department at Occidental College. His most recent book is The 100 Greatest Americans of the 20th Century: A Social Justice Hall of Fame (Nation Books).


It will be said that it is not now the right time for talking about the root causes and responsibility for the growth and expansion of ISIS into Europe, especially if it carries blame for international parties and policies, including those of the US, Europe, and Russia. In the beginning, it must be said loudly and with shame that the appalling terrorism linked to ISIS is mostly Arab and Muslim in origin, and that this scourge is principally our scourge. However, pretending that Western and Eastern powers have nothing to do with the making of this terrorism is evasive, and is helping make not only the Middle East a more dangerous place, but also Europe, the US, and Russia too. To have a real chance to eliminate this spreading scourge, it is healthy and worthwhile to admit to some facts that contributed to the rise of fundamentalist terrorism, in order to pre-empt threats coming from hotspots created by international policies, interventions, as well as neglect, led by Libya.

The US Secretary of State John Kerry should remember what his predecessor once said: if you break it, you own it. Successive US policies in more than one part of the world have long avoided owning what they break, avoiding both responsibility and cost. Then the terror attacks of 9/11 struck, the world changed. President George W. Bush decided to hand out lessons out of revenge, and took this to a new level, pursuing his signature doctrine of pre-emptive strikes. The doctrine of the current President Barack Obama, meanwhile, denies the radical US role in destruction overseas under his term and its repercussions. The various European leaders played a key role in tearing countries apart, like Britain did in Iraq together with the US under Bush, and France did in Libya before dodging its responsibility for state- and institution-building there after helping topple its regime.

The case in point of the manufacturing of Sunni fundamentalism was Afghanistan, where a US-Saudi-Pakistani political and intelligence joint partnership sought to defeat communism and the Soviet Union. As a result, the CIA oversaw the mobilization of thousands of Muslim volunteers from around the world, especially North Africa. The Soviet Union collapsed following the Afghan war, as the rise of Sunni fundamentalism coincided with the rise of Shiite fundamentalism with the Mullahs in Iran taking power in the 1979 revolution that brought back Ayatollah Khomeini to Tehran.

In Afghanistan, the jihadists thought they were permanent partners of the US, but soon became its enemies when Washington abandoned them. They thought they would be going to Bosnia with US blessing, but they were banished from there. Now an army without a war, they turned to a systematic campaign of terror aimed especially at the US; in Afghanistan, the US refused to own what it broke, until al-Qaeda's 9/11 attacks came and forced it to.

Bush's war in Iraq was planned in advance, and 9/11 helped activate the plans. Dick Cheney and Donald Rumsfeld were intent to dismantle Iraq, and 9/11 gave them the pretext, before other justifications were summoned, from the need to spread democracy to supporting the defense industry. The US president then further said the goal of the Iraq war was to invite terrorists there to be fought away from American cities and streets.

George W. Bush accomplished what he set out to do. Fundamentalists and terrorists flocked to Iraq to fight and defeat the US there, in their view, fulfilling the prophecies of Bush's pre-emptive wars. Bush carried out his promise and kept terrorism away from US cities. But there in Iraq, "you break it you own it" was again neglected. George W. Bush summoned jihadists and terrorists, and dismantled the Iraqi army, radically contributing to the rise of ISIS that is terrorizing Europe today.

President Obama decided to avoid involvement in others' wars directly, and dissociated the US from the Syrian war. This policy allowed Russia to paralyze any measures in the Security Council to stop the regime in Damascus from turning a civil war to a war on terror. The regime thus systematically sought to allow terrorist groups to grow and thrive in Syria.

Eventually, ISIS grew in Syria in the shadow of Russian obstructionism, US absenteeism, arbitrary Gulf support for rebels, Turkish miscalculations, a destructive partnership between Iraq's former PM Nouri al-Maliki and Syria's Bashar al-Assad, and direct and proxy intervention by Iran in the Syrian war.

Libya, meanwhile, is a European mess more than it is an American mess. France in particular is to be held responsible, thanks to former President Nicolas Sarkozy, who sought to involve NATO in a military intervention there. The guise was to stop Muammar Gaddafi from staging a bloodbath in Benghazi as he vowed amid the muddled march of the Arab Spring, but what happened in the end was the fulfilment of narcissistic and oil-related agendas, foiling the Libyan experience. Libya is NATO's "you break it, you own it", and Europe could now reap what it sowed in Libya.

The horrific terror that struck in Brussels this week must set off all alarm bells in Europe, and draw attention to the misguided policies Europe has pursued in Libya and Syria. It is time to rectify these mistake; Europe and the US must stop pretending to have the high moral ground while turning a blind eye to the tragedies of innocent people in Syria and Libya.

The first places where Western policies should be rectified in North Africa should be Tunisia, whose democracy must be protected, and Libya, which must be rescued from becoming a spawning ground for terrorism.

Syria, meanwhile, is an international responsibility. If recent Russian policies meant to support political efforts and pressure Damascus continue, there could be some positive developments in the horizon. But if Russia's policies are just a maneuver as Moscow and its ally Tehran seek to gain the upper hand on the battlefield in support of the Assad regime, Syria will become Russia's version of "you break it, you own it", bringing harm to the Russian homeland just like it is doing in European cities now.

If ISIS and similar groups strike in US cities, Obama's historic legacy and doctrine of denial will receive a fatal blow, and Donald Trump could well become the next president of the USA.

The Arab responsibility is on par with others'. The ISIS scourge will haunt generations to come, not only because the Arabs will pay the price for the terrorism being exported from their cities to Europe, the US, Russia, and elsewhere, but also because the terrorism equally targets Arab aspirations to join modernity. Allowing ISIS and similar groups to grow further also entails "owning" what ISIS is "breaking".

Perhaps the madness called ISIS will become - as it should become - an impetus for an international consensus for a serious and practical tackling of the roots of this scourge, beginning with acknowledging all parties' roles in creating it and not ending with the policies needed to be implemented it to fully eliminating it.

Translated from Arabic by Karim Traboulsi

http://www.alhayat.com/Opinion/Raghida-Dergham/14666053/%D9%85%D8%B3%D8%A4%D9%88%D9%84%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D9%85%D8%B4%D8%AA%D8%B1%D9%83%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%BA%D8%B1%D8%A8%D9%8A%D8%A9-%D8%B9%D9%86-%D9%86%D9%85%D9%88-%C2%AB%D8%AF%D8%A7%D8%B9%D8%B4%C2%BB
So, you are part of that ignorant, childish, 'if I can't get my way then scew all of you', voting class it seems.

So, you really want a Republican president then, right dude?

You want to f#$! the country because your poor little Bernie won't be the nominee - right dude?

You and those that think like you better wake up and smell the organic coffee. Because, with your attitude you will guarantee a Replublican in the White House come January 2017.

So, kiss the AFC goodbye. Kiss the Supreme Court goodbye. And whatever you can think of that a Replubican president with a potentially Repubilcan controlled Congress will do.

How low and petty and stupid you and your fellow selfish voters are! Poor little children who will stomp your feet and cry your tears. And take the rest of us down the shit hole with you.

My best regards to you in the hopes you will wake up and get your act together.

Mark P from San Diego

PS When I am forced to move to Canada or wherever should a Democratic not be in the White House come January, I will send all my moving bills to you!


Health care volunteers assisting the injured following a violent extremist attack. Photo Credit: Kenya Red Cross



Co-authored with Mr Mohamed Guleid and Mr Mukhtar A. Ogle

For the community of Mandera, a remote Northern frontier town in Kenya, long resigned to years of what they felt was neglect, the pomp associated with hosting Ambassadors for the first time was reason enough for evident optimism about the future.

The Ambassadors of Turkey, Sweden, the European Union, Denmark and Finland to Kenya and the Executive Director of UNFPA were in Mandera in November 2015 to launch a Community Life Center and join the First Lady of Kenya for the Beyond Zero campaign.

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The Community Life Center, a partnership between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and Philips would bring quality primary healthcare within reach of about 25,000 women and children. The counties in northern Kenya are responsible for half of the country's maternal mortality burden.

The enthusiastic reception for the dignitaries was not just because they were first-time visitors, but because residents saw the visit as a harbinger of better fortunes for the region, long regarded as a forgotten frontier.

The focus on getting the health status of the region to match the rest of the country has incubated discourse on what other collateral benefits provision of health services can have, including neutering the drivers of violent extremism.

The concept of "health as a bridge for peace" may be resonating in this county, which has seen the scourge of internecine conflicts and cross border attacks.

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In her paper 'Health as Bridge for Peace' presented in Paris in 1997, Judith Large introduced the concept of health care as bridge for peace. In her typology of violence she coined the term structural violence. She argues that structural violence is not always synonymous with armed conflict.

"The nexus between effective health services and security is now becoming clearer. An adequate and equitable health care system gives an essential form of security and we are quite optimistic that this project is the beginning of a new narrative for communities here," says Mandera County Governor Ali Roba.

According to WHO, it works even better when all actors get involved in post-war reconstruction. What happens is that health workers, a key pillar in delivering health programmes in conflict and post-conflict situations, contribute to peace-building initiatives.

For example, opposite sides can collaborate to carry out immunization campaigns in the midst of wars and local conflicts helping to not only bridge the gap but trigger discussions like why fight? It also has the power to trigger empathy among the adversaries because seeing a sick, malnourished child suffering for a cause they know nothing about will certainly melt even the most battle-hardened of men.

Like the rest of the country, Kenya's Northern regions has the largest generation of young people it has ever known. While for long a growing youth demographic has been seen as a serious potential for disruption, the region presents a fertile source for recruitment into violent extremist groups.

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Geographical remoteness, poverty and years of neglect present only a dead end for the region's youth, with whatever ambition they may start out with promptly turning into frustration, thus presenting bountiful space for violent groups to fuel their own agendas.

A Harvard Kennedy School study found that globally, it is young men who fight in wars or commit violent crimes and that a "youth bulge" made them more strife-prone. When 15 to 24-year-olds made up more than 35% of the adult population -- as is common in developing countries -- the risk of conflict was 150% higher compared to rich countries with an older age profile.

When Pope Francis visited Kenya in November last year, he reiterated that the youth, if given opportunities, could be at the forefront of change, innovation, and new world of possibilities by applying their knowledge and skills in technology to solve problems in health care, education and agriculture.

In Mandera and other northern counties, UNFPA is leading a Reproductive Maternal Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) project, together with the World Bank, UNICEF, WHO and the Kenya Red Cross. A consortium of private sector firms, which seek to save the lives of mothers and young children have also joined.

The presence of private sector partners seeking to build sustainable businesses generates hope for employment opportunities for the youth.

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"Empowering women and girls for their rights - to stay in school, to choose when to marry and when to give birth, to opportunities for gainful employment - are the most expedient means to get there" says Ms Ruth Kagia, a Senior Adviser to the President of Kenya.

With the right support, young people can make positive changes in their lives, inspire new opportunities and reduce retrogressive behavior by engaging in community activism especially for maternal and child health. But the success for such innovative engagement requires leadership that not only pollinates the mission of change but also leads from the front.

There is an opportunity to transform the region's 'youth bulge' into a 'youth boom'. In the words of United Nation Secretary General Mr Ban Ki-Moon, empowering the youth will ensure that they represent "promise, not peril".
HuffPost Staff

MUMBAI -- Pakistani-American terrorist David Coleman Headley today told a special court trying the 26/11 attack case that Laskhar-e-Taiba (LeT) commander Zaki-ur- Rehman Lakhvi had told him about the Ishrat Jehan 'operation' and wondered why the National Investigation Agency (NIA) chose not to mention it in its statement.

During cross-examination by defence lawyer Wahab Khan on behalf of key accused Abu Jundal, Headley claimed he had told NIA that "a female member of LeT who had died in an encounter in India was Ishrat Jahan" but could not say why that was ignored by NIA.

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Headley said LeT chief and 26/11 mastermind Hafiz Saeed had told him prior to the Mumbai terror attacks that Shiv Sena Chief late Balasaheb Thackeray "needed to be taught a lesson".

The Lashkar terrorist had told Saeed that this would be done and might take six months to accomplish.

The cross-examination via video link of 55-year-old Headley, serving a 35 year prison term in the US, concluded today after four days of intense grilling.

Asked whether he had videographed the residence of India's Vice President during the surveillance done by him, he said only the outer walls of the building were videographed and it was en route from Sena Bhavan (Indian Army HQs) to National Defence College, New Delhi.

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In another development, the judge GA Sanap rejected the plea of defence lawyer to defer the cross-examination as he had to meet the accused Abu Jundal in Mumbai Central Jail to seek instructions for further cross-examination of Headley. The court said Headley's deposition cannot be deferred on this ground.

The judge then directed the jail authorities to allow the lawyer to meet the accused for two hours in prison or communcate with him through video link in the court but as the lawyer did not accept this, the court rejected the plea.

Headley was discharged from cross-examination and soon thereafter, prosecutor Ujjwal Nikam moved an application for re-examination which was allowed by the court.

During re-examination by Nikam, Headley said he had referred to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai while deposing earlier about his visit to a nuclear power plant to conduct surveillance for potential targets.

"I visited Bhabha Atomic Research Centre on the recommendation of Major Iqbal (of Pakistan)", Headley told Nikam.

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Earlier, Headley told the defence lawyer that it was not correct to say that LeT wanted to assassinate former Pakistan President Pervez Musharaff.

To a question, Headley denied that he had disclosed to NIA that he had hatched a plan to kill Musharaff along with his friends in LeT.

However, Headley claimed this had been incorrectly recorded in his statement given to NIA in July 2010.

Headley had said during examination by prosecution last month that there was a women's wing of LeT. However, during cross-examination, he stated that "defence is pre-supposing this."

Explaining this, Headley said, "I had no knowledge of women's wing that was for combat but there is a women's wing that takes care of women's issues and other social things.

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To a query by the defence lawyer on the "social issues" taken up by the women's wing, Headley replied it takes care of religious education, widows and other such things.

Before the conclusion of deposition, Headley told the defence lawyer, "Kaha suna maaf," (please excuse me for being upright).

Earlier, Headley went back on a part of his statement to NIA, saying that he did not tell the probe agency about Lakhvi informing him that "Ishrat Jahan module" was a "botched-up operation" and added that "these were my thoughts".

He also admitted that he had "no personal knowledge about Ishrat Jahan."

"When Lakhvi introduced Muzammil Bhat to me, he told me that he (Bhat) is one of the top LeT commanders and has done some operations like Akshardham temple, Ishrat Jahan etc... the rest were my thoughts... I came to know about Ishrat Jahan from media. These are my thoughts as to why Ishrat Jahan operation resulted in failure," Headley said.

"No, I did not say this to NIA and cannot assign any reason why it has been so recorded," he told Judge GA Sanap here.

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Headley clarified that he had informed NIA that Jahan was an Indian and a LeT operative, but could not explain why it wasn't recorded in his statement.

Headley, who has turned approver in the 26/11 case, was anwering questions put to him by the defence lawyer via the video-link.

On whether NIA read out the statement to him, Headley said, "No," and added that the agency just took down the notes.

To a question, the Lashkar operative, who has been convicted in the US for his role in the 26/11 attacks, said neither he had requested the NIA for a copy of the statement nor did they provide it to him.

He said that this is for the first time that he was being shown his statement in the court.

Headley said he told NIA that before Sajid Mir, Muzammil Bhat was the head of the group (LeT).

The Lashkar terrorist was then confronted with his own statement asking him why information about Bhat has not been recorded. To this, Headley said he cannot explain this.

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He also claimed he had told NIA about an "unsuccessful operation near police post in India" but could not explain as to why it has not been recorded in his statement.

To a volley of questions, Headley clarified that he had informed NIA that "this woman (Jahan) was an Indian and a LeT operative" but could not explain why this was not recorded in his statement.

"It would be correct to say that I have no personal knowledge about Ishrat Jahan," he added.

Ishrat Jahan was killed along with three others in an alleged fake encounter in Gujarat in 2004.

Headley also said that he had told the agency that Muzammil's operations were all over in India but concentrated in Gujarat and Maharashtra.

"It is true that Lakhvi had introduced Muzammil to me in 2005," Headley said replying to a question.

However, he denied that Lakhvi had told him that Muzammil was a top LeT commander whose every project fails.

"Lakhvi did not tell me this and I also did not tell NIA about this," he said but failed to explain why this was reflected in his statement.

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Headley told defence lawyer "it is baseless to say that I am trying to supress the role of my wife Shazia, brother Daniel and friend Saulat (Rana) in the 26/11 attacks in order to shield them".

He also denied that he had pleaded guilty in this case in US court to prevent arrest of his family members for their alleged role in the 26/11 attacks, forfeiture of property and imposition of fines.

To a question, Headley said he believed that India,Israel and US are enemies of Islam.

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Mail Today via Getty Images NEW DELHI, INDIA - JANUARY 23: Director General of the Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) RK Pachauri addresses mediapersons in New Delhi on Saturday. (Photo by Parveen Negi/India Today Group/Getty Images)

Former TERI director general RK Pachauri has broken his silence on the sexual harassment case he is battling in a series of interviews to British newspaper 'The Guardian'. In the article, penned by the publication's environment editor John Vidal, RK Pachauri offers a curious defence - that his email accounts were misused and manipulated by the complainant herself to frame him. He also said that he suspected people and organisations who resent his work against climate change, have orchestrated the incident to 'destroy' him.

Vidal's article begins with glowing praise for Pachauri's work and personality - the writer calls him 'charismatic' - and then goes on to state that he has been forced to lie low in Delhi.

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Setting the tone for the rest of the article, where the reporter and writer's sympathies are clearly with Pachauri, Vidal says, "He had weathered vicious attacks by sceptics and steered the IPCC to worldwide acclaim."

The enemy and ruin theory has not been attributed to Pachauri as a quote, it comes as the writer's own statement.

Soon after informing his readers that the case against Pachauri was filed when he was not in the country, Vidal laments how the man who has founded 'the huge energy research institute which has taken solar lighting to hundreds of millions of Indians' is has now facing 'ruin and disgrace' where as his 'enemies are revelling in his discomfort'. While Pachauri may have every right to feel that way, it is not clear how the reporter himself has come to draw the above mentioned conclusions. The enemy and ruin theory has not been attributed to Pachauri as a quote, it comes as the writer's own statement.

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Pachauri goes on to indicate that the complainant in the case, a researcher with TERI who later quit the organisation,

had compromised his email accounts. He says: "What is disturbing [is] that right from the first day over a period of about 16 months she was creating and assembling an archive of messages, which to anyone would seem very unusual. As far as I know, the emails, text messages etc that she collected were personal, semi-personal and only in a few cases official."

"I was, during that period, extremely busy and carrying out email communications on six different email accounts. These included my Yale, IPCC, Teri official, Hotmail as well as Gmail accounts. I generally corresponded with her on my Gmail account, but since I had a huge volume of messages to deal with I did not frequently read my messages, except when I was alerted about a message waiting for me. When I did access this account, I would only read unread messages. Honestly, how many of us check our sent items regularly?"

The complainant's lawyer also informed Vidal that TERI has till now refused to provide access to its internal servers to the Delhi Police, a piece of information the article has not mentioned either.

The Guardian, in the article, however, seems to have chosen to ignore the response of the complainant in the case. A copy of the correspondence, which HuffingtonPost India is in possession of, shows that her lawyer has clearly countered these claims. He tells Vidal over email that not only did they have proof of Pachauri's advances made via WhatsApp, SMS, and email, police have verified the IP addresses and mobile tower locations from which these messages have been sent to establish that the complainant could not have sent them herself. A natural journalistic response to Pachauri's claims would be to ask how did one woman manage to 'hack' his WhatsApp, SMS services and email? Not sure if The Guardian writer followed it up. More so, the lawyer also informed Vidal that TERI has till now refused to provide access to its internal servers to the Delhi Police, a piece of information the article has not mentioned either.

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Pachauri accused the woman of replacing names of other women in poems saved in his computer with hers and emailing them to herself from his accounts. It is also alleged that the complainant sought a new position higher up in the hierarchy of TERI, which would require Pachauri to give her two promotions. However, the article doesn't indicate if Pachauri has any correspondence from the woman to back his claim.

The article also quotes generously from documents, reportedly filed by Pachauri's lawyers in the Delhi court, where the woman has supposedly 'actively flirted' with Pachauri. One of the documents quotes the woman as saying, "Remember how I first met you and what followed next? It was all the inside of me telling me that I must pursue it with this particular man. I will be happy with what makes you happy as long as that brings you satisfaction and sense of belonging.

Vidal also includes the quote of a TERI employee who wonders aloud why the complainant took so long to report the harassment case and how they all, adoringly, call Pachauri 'Patchy'.

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The article says, "He says he suspects strongly, but cannot prove, that there has been a coordinated attempt to destroy him professionally and personally and that money may also be involved." Vidal seems to have not pressed Pachauri to elaborate, in less unambiguous terms, on how a political lobby to disavow his work and the allegations of a researcher could be connected.

Vidal also includes the quote of a TERI employee who wonders aloud why the complainant took so long to report the harassment case and how they all, adoringly, call Pachauri 'Patchy'.

It is also not clear if Vidal reached out to the women who comprised TERI's internal complaints committee which found Pachauri guilty of sexual harassment in May 2015. The panel comprised Ranjana Saikia, Suruchi Bhadwal, both employees of TERI and Sonal Mattoo from the NGO Helping Hands. After implicating Pachauri in the report, the ICC team leader, Saikia, abruptly went on leave and resigned in September 2015.The Guardian article neither mentions the ICC report, nor does it seem like the reporter questioned Pachauri on the subject. What agenda could TERI's own panel have against him? The article or Pachauri doesn't attempt to answer the question.

The report doesn't mention that Pachauri's lawyers questioned the findings of TERI's own internal complaints committee and accused it of being false and through an industrial tribunal, secured a stay on its implementation.

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Earlier this month, the Delhi Police had filed a 1400-page long chargesheet in the case, booking Pachauri under five sections of the Indian Penal Code - assault or criminal force to a woman, outraging her modesty, sexual harassment, stalking, and criminal intimidation.

Earlier this month, the Delhi Police had filed a 1400-page long chargesheet in the case, booking Pachauri under five sections of the Indian Penal Code.
Estonian Prime Minister Taavi Roivas visited Duke Wednesday to discuss how his government has used technology to improve its citizens lives.

Roivasthe youngest leader in the European Uniondelivered a talk at the Sanford School of Public Policy called, A 21st Century State: Anything is Possible. He explained that his countrys emphasis on national security, fiscal prudence, a free-market economy and technology are the reasons for Estonias significant economic growth since regaining independence in 1991.

Even though Estonia is a small country quite far from North Carolina, we actually are a European version of the American dream, he said.

Roivas talk focused on Estonias use of e-government programs, which allow citizens interactions with government to occur primarily online. The programs have made life simpler for Estonians since their adoption in 2000, Roivas said.

The idea of using technology is not just having fancy gadgets and interesting information systems, he said. All the use of technology is not only because we are extremely tech-savvy, but mainly because we are practical people.

Roivas said technology plays a fundamental role in Estonia. He noted that the Internet is a human right for Estonians and that the country is a founding member of the Digital 5a group of leading e-governments around the world that also includes South Korea, Israel, New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

He explained that under the e-government systems, every Estonian citizen is given an identification card with a cryptographic key that serves as a digital identifier that can be inserted into electronic devices. Together with an individual PIN number, this creates a two-way authentication process that allows access to Estonias numerous e-services.

The goal is to reduce the inevitable burden that government frequently poses, Roivas explained, noting that the countrys digital system ensures that multiple government agencies will not have to repeat themselves.

The government shouldnt ask you anything you have already told them, he said.

Roivas emphasized that it takes only a couple of hours to register a fully-functioning, legal company online and about three minutes to do taxes online. Estonia currently has the largest start-up per capita ratio in Europe, he noted, adding that new ventures have proliferated in Estonia since Skype was created by three Estonian programmers in 2003.

Another key attribute of Estonias e-government programs is the cost-saving use of cryptographically-protected digital signatures, he said. The country saves 2 percent of gross domestic product every year through time savings and reduced paperwork, allowing it to redirect funds to other issues such as national defense.

I can sign things anywhere, including in the back seat as I drive here from the airport, he explained.

Roivas added that the use of digital signatures is widespread and that anyone can use them for any purpose except for tworeal estate contracts and weddings.

Even in Estonia, you have to show up, he joked.

Since 2005, voting online has become an alternative option to voting in person, and one in every three votes is cast this way, Roivas said. This proved useful in the 2015 parliamentary elections, in which Estonian citizens located in 126 countries cast ballots, he explained.

The technology is also used in the nations health care sector, simplifying communications between hospitals and doctors.

Roivas acknowledged that relying on e-services creates concerns about cybersecurity. He noted, however, that Estonia has invested in this area to gain citizens trust.

There may be security benefits to having these e-services be accessible from multiple locations because there is not a central location that can be attacked, he added.

Roivas, who came to the United States with a delegation of 30 Estonian government members, also discussed the important role that trade and international relationships have had on making Estonia biggerwhich was one goal of his visit. As part of the trip, he met with Paul Ryan, speaker of the House of Representatives, and appeared Tuesday evening on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah.

E-government has allowed citizens from other countries to have access to Estonias e-services, which Roivas said have been used by numerous CEOs around the world.

We cant grow the population in a very short time, so we need to be creative, he said. We invite all of you virtually to be a citizen, to run your business in Estonia.

Roivas added that if governments around the world are willing to take risks with technological innovation, successful e-governance could become universal and create tremendous benefits.

If a country the size of Estonia saves 2 percent of GDP by signing things digitally, imagine how much we would save in efficiency gains if this would be global, he said. This is our goal, to first take it to Europe and then see what happens.

Source: http://www.dukechronicle.com/article/2016/03/estonian-prime-minister-taavi-rivas-technology-sparked-countrys-economic-growth-government-efficiency
The collaboration with the Korean Government is expected to enhance Nigerias capability for efficiency, transparency and accountability in governance, with its attendant benefits trickling down to the masses. The project has three components :Establishing an e- Government Master Plan (ii)Capacity Development Programme (CDP) and (iii) Establishing an e- Government Training Center in Nigeria. According to a statement by the Ministers Special Assistant on Media, Victor Oluwadamilare, the Minister stated that the project is geared towards ensuring that Nigeria makes the best use of the opportunity of e- Government to increase the nations capability for efficiency, transparency and accountability in governance. This, he averred, is in tandem with the vision of President Muhammadu Buhari,in his desire to turn around the fortunes of the country in laying a new and enduring foundation for a better future for the masses of our people. The Minister, urged participants at the event to take a full advantage of the Korean Governments gesture in taking new initiatives that will impact the way Nigerians are governed and propel the country to greatness that will give the needed impetus to the Change Agenda of President Muhammadu Buhari. The participants include the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, Permanent Secretaries, National Assembly members and others.Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2016/03/korea-trains-nigeria-on-8-56m-e-government-project/
Cubas notoriously restrictive Internet climate may be warming to more access, based on comments made by U.S. President Barack Obama and a Google scientist in recent days. Currently, as few as 5 percent of Cubans have access, according to an international watchdog group.

"One of the things that well be announcing here is that Google has a deal to start setting up more Wi-Fi access and broadband access on the island," Obama, whos in the midst of a historic three-day trip to the island nation, said in interview Sunday with ABC News.

A Google vice president last Wednesday addressed Cuban communications officials and recent computer science graduates at a science and technology symposium.

In his talk, Vint Cerf focused on the history of the Internet, which he's credited with helping develop, the Associated Press reported. He did not directly address a Google agreement with Cuba.

Google executive chairman Eric Schmidt first led a small team of company officials to Cuba in June 2014 to promote open Internet access. That same year, the company got a foothold in the countrys marketplace, launching Googles Chrome browser and analytics programs.

Google announcement

On Monday, Google announced in a blog post that it is partnering with Havanas Museo Organico Romerillo in featuring the work of Cuban artist Kcho. The installation will include Google products Cardboard and Chromebooks, as well as virtual-reality goggles.

We hope this installation will enable people for whom Internet access is scarce to browse the Web and find information, the Google post said.  New technologies and improved Internet access can help people in their daily lives, provide new information and experiences, and help harness a countrys creativity and ingenuity. We hope to have the chance to offer more services to the Cuban people in the future.

Obama, in a televised news conference Monday afternoon with Cuban President Fidel Castro, said success would be elusive for Cubans unless they have access to the Internet.



Few have access

Washington-based watchdog Freedom House reported that only 5 to 30 percent of the countrys residents currently have online access, which is heavily censored.

In its most recent annual report on Internet freedom, Freedom House rated Cuba as "not free."

It found last year that, despite "notable advances" in access, Cubas "draconian restrictions" on online communications are the worst in the Americas.

"Cuba has taken some tentative steps" to improve online communications, according to Freedom House's "Freedom on the Net 2015" report

FILE - People surf the Internet at a Wi-Fi hotspot in Havana, Cuba, Nov. 25, 2015.

From June 2014 through May 2015, "the government opened a number of new Internet access points, which boast somewhat faster speeds and lower prices. After an initial experiment with the first free public Wi-Fi zone, the government opened 35 paid public Wi-Fi hotspots in June and July 2015."

"For Cuba, this progress in increasing access is historic, but it is still just a drop in the bucket when it comes to alleviating the most draconian restrictions on Internet freedom in the hemisphere," the report said. "Home Internet connections are still forbidden, and even with reduced prices, public Internet access points still cost (US) $2 per hour to use, which is equal to one-tenth of the average monthly wages."

Telecommunications options grow

Although smartphones have proliferated in Cuba, they typically can be used only for placing and receiving phone calls, not going online. But Cubas government is expanding telecommunications options.

On March 14, an international unit of Verizon Communications announced a deal with Etecsa, Cubas state-run telecommunications monopoly, to further develop telephone roaming services.

Reuters reported that Cuba's deal with Verizon Partner Solutions is expected to improve the quality and reduce costs of phone conversations between the two countries, which under the U.S. trade embargo were routed through third-party countries.

New regulations released last year made the change possible.

Verizon in September became the first U.S. firm to establish a roaming agreement with Etesca. In November, its competitor, Sprint Corp., inked a direct roaming agreement with Cuban telecommunications officials, Reuters reported.

Verizon in September became the first U.S. company to establish a roaming agreement with Etesca. In November, its competitor, Sprint Corp., inked a direct roaming agreement with Cuban telecommunications officials, Reuters reported.
Have you ever wondered who manages the address book of the Internet? Who allots the names that people type into the address bars of web browsers? Who decides whether amazon.com goes to a corporate entity or to the South American countries that share the worlds largest river? The Internets address book is the domain name system (DNS) and the organization that manages it is ICANN or the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers.

ICANN held its 55th public meeting earlier in March this year and it is considered to be a milestone in the history of Internet governance and its institutions. At this meeting, the blueprint for the institutional transformation of ICANN was approved. Some believe it has set in motion the transition of the US governments oversight of ICANN to a global multistakeholder community. However others argue that this transition can be derailed even before it begins.

The transition process was initiated two years ago, when the United States National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA) announced its intent to transfer oversight of ICANN. The announcement was seen as a response to the Edward Snowden revelations that blew the whistle on the US governments Internet surveillance across the world.

ICANN is a private and not-for-profit entity born in California and overseen by the NTIA, an agency of the US Department of Commerce. In stark contrast to multilateral international organizations like the ITU, it was designed as a multistakeholder entity. ICANN is composed of stakeholder groups of businesses, governments, civil society, technical and academic communities.

Multistakeholderism in action

ICANNs multi-stakeholder model is made of supporting organizations (SOs) that develop policy in a bottom-up manner and advisory committees (ACs) that provide advice on such policy. These SOs and ACs finally approved the transition proposals, and they can now be submitted to the ICANN board, allowing the ICANN transition to progress. While the proposals have been approved, this was not without some controversy around the proposed changes to the multistakeholder model of ICANN. It is necessary to examine the SOs and ACs closely to understand the nuance within their positions.

Currently government participation in ICANN is restricted to an advisory capacity on public policy matters through the Governmental Advisory Committee (GAC). As per the transition proposal the GAC was given an option to participate beyond its current advisory capacity. It could opt to be an equal among other stakeholders (as a decisional participant) through the new entity called the Empowered Community. Interestingly, the GAC, despite some member countries raising concerns about the potentially weakened role of governments in the post transition structure, approved of the proposal.

The concerns were raised by some GAC members who argued that certain parts of the proposal singled out governments as stakeholders and restricted participation. Countries like Brazil and Iran among few others raised strong objections to the recommendations within the proposal. Eventually, the GAC concluded that it had no consensus on these controversial issues within the proposal. However, it categorically stated that it did not oppose transmission of the proposal to the ICANN Board. Opposing the proposal meant stalling the transition, which in turn would have meant continued US oversight of ICANN. Whereas, supporting the proposal without opposition would have meant governments lose power in a governance model which envisioned a balanced and equal sharing of power among stakeholders. At the end of the day, the GAC approved the proposal but explicitly expressed the lack of consensus regarding specific parts of the proposal that affected its operation.

Exhibiting a stark contrast of perspectives, another stakeholder entity within ICANN known as the Generic Names Supporting Organization (GNSO) presented a diametrically opposite perspective from GAC. The GNSO is comprised of commercial and non-commercial stakeholders in addition to the stakeholder groups of Internet registries and registrars. While signing off on the transition proposal, it expressed the dissent of some members who felt that role of governments was enhanced in the proposal. These members argued that parts of the proposal allowed governments excessive control over the ICANN Board and therefore ICANN, threatening Internet freedom. Nevertheless, the GNSO adopted and passed the proposal but included the dissenting minority statements of its members.

ICANN is often considered as evidence of the success of the multi-stakeholder model of Internet governance. The multistakeholder model has been repeatedly supported by India. Indias unambiguous support was evident from the Minister for Communications and Information Technologys speech at ICANNs 53rd meeting last year. The minister reiterated Indias support for multistakeholderism at ICANNs 55th meeting in Marrakech, which he attended, heading a delegation that included Deputy National Security Advisor, Chief of Cyber Security, Joint Secretary, and Additional Secretary of the Department of Electronics & Information Technology. His statement highlighted the importance of the Internet to Indias developmental aspirations referring to various initiatives undertaken by the government. While supportive of the multistakeholder model, his speech articulated the nuance in Indias position on multistakeholderism. He emphasised the idea that governments must have a crucial role in cyber-security concerns and noted that Internet governance should not remain the monopoly of a few.

The path ahead

The development, approval and transmission of the proposal to the NTIA is proof that the multi-stakeholder model works. However, ignoring diverging views is unsustainable and can exacerbate disagreement between stakeholders. At this point, it must be noted that some key concerns regarding ICANNs accountability have not been resolved. The difficult and controversial issues such as ICANNs jurisdictional concerns, diversity standards and requirements, and transparency have been deferred to a second phase of transition. Additionally, the second phase includes developing a framework of interpretation for ICANNs human rights commitments. This phase addresses issues regarding ICANNs accountability after the transition is implemented.

These issues of the post-transition ICANN are of particular importance to India and other developing countries because they directly affect meaningful participation in multi-stakeholder models. Internet governance and its institutions have become increasingly important to India. Their growing significance is clearly reflected by the presence of the high level delegation and a carefully crafted statement by the Minister at ICANNs 55th Meeting in Marrakech. Indias future interventions must weigh in on the discussion of these remaining critical issues and ensure that such concerns of developing countries and their stakeholders are not overlooked.

ICANN provides India with a platform to operationalize its position on multistakeholderism. The transition process not only unveiled the strengths of multi-stakeholder Internet governance models, but also revealed the need for their improvement and refinement. The need for greater diversity and inclusion of stakeholders is indispensable to the legitimacy of Internet governance institutions and processes. Indias focus on stronger engagement and strategic participation within ICANN will however depend on the future of the institution which is contingent upon the implementation of the transition proposal.

ICANNs future now rests on the response of the NTIA and the US government. Yesterday, a sub-committee of the US Congress held a hearing on the transition. While it received unanimous support from the testimonies of witnesses involved in the process, substantial review of the transition proposal remains. The transition proposal after evaluation by the NTIA within 90 days will be transmitted to the US Congress for a final review. All of this must happen before ICANNs contract with the NTIA expires on 30th September, 2016 and must also survive the US presidential election debates. It can only be hoped that following the labourious review process within ICANN, the IANA transition survives political obstacles and is actually operationalised.

Gangesh S. Varma is a Senior Fellow at the Centre for Communication Governance at the National Law University, Delhi. He is also a recipient of the ICANN Fellowship and participated in the Meeting at Marrakech.

Source: http://thewire.in/2016/03/20/the-internet-holds-its-breath-as-oversight-transition-plan-reaches-final-hurdle-25343/
At an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) summit in Marrakech, Morocco, earlier this month, an important step was taken towards addressing an issue that has taken centre stage in recent years: Internet governance. It is a thorny issue, made thornier yet by opposing tensionsEdward Snowdens 2013 revelations causing a backlash against perceptions of US control of the Internets architecture; growing security concerns about terrorism perpetrated by non-state actors, reiterated last week by telecom minister Ravi Shankar Prasad and underscored in tragic fashion in Brussels; the Internets transformative role in economic growth and espousing democratic rights, both dependent on its untrammelled nature. These tensions will not vanish with the upcoming move towards a multi-stakeholder model, championed, among others, by India.

As matters stand, the Internet Assigned Names Authority (IANA), which dealt with IP addresses, domain names and protocol parameters, is managed by ICANNa US-registered not-for-profit public-benefit corporation dedicated to keeping the Internet secure, stable and interoperableunder contract with the US department of commerce. In addition, only three out of the 13 root name servers are operated by non-US based companies, and in about half of the rest, the US government has a direct role. The US company Verisign (operator of two of these root name domains) is also the sole generator of the root zone filesthe apex of the database used to translate unique names to other identifiers such as IP addresses, and the operator of critical domain names such as .com, .in, .gov, .edu and so forth.

Thus far, Washington has kept ICANN on a long leash, conscious of the role perception plays in credibility. But Snowden changed the calculus; it would have been naive to expect other governments to remain comfortable with the existing system even though the cyber snooping Snowden revealed didnt have much to do with ICANN control. In the past, Washington had resisted calls for a more transparent Internet governance system incorporating other voicesbut in 2014, it ceded ground, announcing its decision to step away from its oversight role. Marrakech was an important waypoint of the subsequent transition process negotiations. The transition plan is similar to what India had hoped fora multi-stakeholder model retaining ICANNs neutrality. But there is no consensus as of yet about the role of the Government Advisory Committee, a crucial component of ICANNs proposed governance model. The main concern pertains to the role of foreign governments.

And that leads back to the central tension. The Indian stance is unambiguous in its advocacy for accountability towards governments. In Prasads words: While fully endorsing the multi-stakeholder model, the issue of security should also remain in focus, where the government has a very important role to play, as safety and security remains the primary responsibility of the governments. This is a decidedly positive evolution from Indias 2011 proposal at the UN for an intergovernmental body, the Committee on Internet Related Policies. The last thing global Internet governance needs is to be bogged down in the bureaucratic tangle that would ensue.

But what exactly is New Delhis understanding of the nature and extent of governments very important role in Internet governance? The best way to gauge that, perhaps, is to look at domestic policies in this regard. They arent particularly encouraging. There has been a consistent tendency to be heavy-handed at the expense of individual rights and freedom of expressionthe Internets guiding principles if it can be said to have any.

One need only look at Section 66A of the IT Actstruck down last year on account of being unconstitutional, but not before it had spawned a host of troubling incidents of citizens being persecuted for speaking against politicians onlinefrom Ambikesh Mahapatra to Aseem Trivedi and Ravi Srinivasan. Other sections of the Act have been used overenthusiastically since. There have been other missteps as well; the department of telecommunications attempted to block 32 websites, including popular video-hosting sites, as they could host content related to ISIS, and as of last year, India blocks more Facebook content than any other country.

These are not the acts of a governing class that has found the appropriate balance between addressing very real security concerns and not compromising the fundamentally open nature of the Internet. Finding that balance is essentialboth in a domestic context and if New Delhi is to be effective in its advocacy and role in global Internet governance.

Source: http://www.livemint.com/Opinion/VZTJxbp9gveEngrBRShSAL/Towards-a-new-order-in-Internet-governance.html
Exclusive: Rahul Dravid a Very Good Communicator, Over Time India Will See Benefits of Him as Head Coach - John Buchanan

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Imperial Valley News Center

Beware of Binge-watching Negative News

Phoenix, Arizona - Media coverage of tragic events happens almost immediately and continues for days. While being informed is important, there are risks associated with compulsive viewing of reports such as those coming out of Brussels this week.

You can kind of be bombarded by the news, says Dr. Sheila Jowsey, a Mayo Clinic psychiatrist.

Dr. Jowsey says, during repetitive coverage of negative news, its important to be aware of, and avoid, media overload. The graphic images create an emotional reaction that can amplify the impact of the information being conveyed. For individuals with a past history of trauma exposure, it may reactivate experiences of previous distress.

You have to be careful, especially if there are very frightening or distressing images, explains Dr. Jowsey. Once youve seen them, dont go back again and again, and let yourself be stimulated and distressed.

This is especially true in young children. Dr. Jowsey says, adults should limit childrens exposure to graphic media images. If they do see disturbing images, offer them the opportunity to speak about it.

Symptoms of excess negative media coverage include:

Sleep disruptons

Appetite changes

Mood changes

Increased anxiety levels

Feelings of hopelessness

If bad news is creating persistent symptoms for you, Dr. Jowsey suggests making an appointment with your doctor or a counselor.

Reaching out to those who have been affected by tragic events also can help you cope with the feeling of helplessness in the face of tragedy. Support organizations that support others, says Dr. Jowsey. Volunteer to raise funds, gather supplies or raise awareness of the need for assistance. These can all be meaningful ways of helping others.

Also, Dr. Jowsey says, in cycles of widespread negative news, its important to keep things in perspective. Sensational, frightening stories are often in the news, but many positive, affirming activities occur, too.

Try to find out more about the successes in the world, Dr. Jowsey adds. See if you can add your energy and ability to those efforts. Volunteer and help others, and that will help to offset the drumbeat of bad news.
Study finds mindfulness meditation offers relief for low-back pain

Washington, DC - Mindfulness based stress reduction (MBSR) and cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) may prove more effective than usual treatment in alleviating chronic low-back pain, according to a new study funded by the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH), part of the National Institutes of Health.

It is vital that we identify effective non-pharmacological treatment options for 25 million people who suffer from daily pain in the United States ~ Josephine Briggs, M.D.,Director, NCCIH

Researchers from the Group Health Cooperative, Seattle, and the University of Washington, Seattle, conducted a study, published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, in which 342 participants aged 20 to 70 used one of the two mind and body approaches or sought usual care for one year. At 26 and 52 weeks, participants using MBSR and CBT had greater improvement in function and back pain compared to the group that remained in standard care. Though pain intensity and some mental health measures improved in both groups, those using CBT did not see improvement beyond 26 weeks. Those using MBSR, however, continued to see improvement at 52 weeks, leading researchers to conclude MBSR may be an effective treatment for chronic low-back pain.

MBSR brings together elements of mindfulness meditation and yoga, whereas CBT is a form of psychotherapy that trains individuals to modify specific thoughts and behaviors. For the study, participants in the group using MBSR and the group using CBT attended a two-hour group session on their respective approach per week for eight weeks and supplemented their treatment with workbooks and CDs for practice at home. The study was led by Daniel Cherkin, Ph.D., a senior scientific investigator at the Group Health Research Institute, Seattle.

It is vital that we identify effective non-pharmacological treatment options for 25 million people who suffer from daily pain in the United States, said Josephine Briggs, M.D., director of NCCIH. The results from this research affirm that non-drug/non-opioid therapies, such as meditation, can help manage chronic low-back pain. Physicians and their patients can use this information to inform treatment decisions.

The National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health's mission is to define, through rigorous scientific investigation, the usefulness and safety of complementary and integrative health approaches and their roles in improving health and health care. For additional information, call NCCIHs Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226. Follow us on YouTube.
DOE Releases First Annual National Energy Employment Analysis

Washington, DC - The U.S. Department of Energy released the agencys first annual analysis of how changes in Americas energy profile are affecting national employment in multiple energy sectors. By using a combination of existing energy employment data and a new survey of energy sector employers, the inaugural U.S. Energy and Employment Report (USEER) provides a broad view of the national current energy employment landscape.

USEER examines four sectors of the economy - electric power generation and fuels; transmission, wholesale distribution, and storage; energy efficiency; and motor vehicles - which cumulatively account for almost all of the United States energy production and distribution system and roughly 70 percent of U.S. energy consumption. By looking at such a wide portion of the energy economy, USEER can provide the public and policy makers with a clearer picture of how changes in energy technology, systems, and usage are affecting the economy and creating or displacing jobs.

Some key findings of the report include:

3.64 million Americans work in traditional energy industries, including production, transmission, distribution, and storage.

Of these, 600,000 employees contribute to the production of low-carbon electricity, including renewable energy, nuclear energy and low emission natural gas.

An additional 1.9 million Americans are employed, in whole or in part, in energy efficiency.

Roughly 30 percent of the 6.8 million employees in the U.S. construction industry work on energy or building energy efficiency projects.

A copy of the full report is available HERE.

The report also found several energy industries with projected increases in new jobs. Responding to the USEER survey of employers, the energy efficiency sector predicted hiring rates of 14 percent in 2016, or almost 260,000 new hires. Projected hiring rates were at 5 percent within the electric power generation and fuels sector, reflecting overall growth despite a loss of employment in 2015 in the oil and natural gas extraction sectors. Transmission, wholesale distribution, and storage firms anticipate 4 percent employment growth in 2016. Solar energy firms predicted 15 percent job growth over the next year.

Yet even as the report found the opportunity for job growth in many energy sectors, over 70 percent of all employers surveyed found it difficult or very difficult to hire new employees with needed skills.

The transformation of our energy system and the growth of energy efficiency technologies are creating opportunities for thousands of new jobs, especially in energy efficiency and solar, said David Foster, Senior Advisor on Energy and Industrial Policy at the Department of Energy. This report gives an important snapshot of energy employment in America, and subsequent reports will provide better information to guide policies and priorities that create new jobs, appropriately train workers, and promote a successful national energy policy.

USEER relies on a combination of employment data sets including the Bureau of Labor Statistics Quarterly Census on Employment and Wages and the proprietary Energy Employment Index, a supplemental survey developed by BW Research Partnership. This approach provides a quantitative analysis of how the four sectors provide direct employment across the economy within other occupations. DOE will conduct subsequent surveys to provide annual USEER reports that will provide year-over-year analysis of the American energy employment landscape.

This report highlights the impact of a changing energy sector on the existing construction market, said Joseph Sellers, Jr., General President of the 208,000 member International Association of Sheet Metal Air, Rail and Transportation Workers (SMART). SMART sheet metal workers construct new energy efficient buildings and retrofit existing structures. SMART apprentices and journeymen are taking advantage of our training and industry programs to continually enhancing their skills and devise new processes to facilitate the use of emerging technologies. Its encouraging to see that employers recognize the need for these skills while they look to participate in this developing market.

The USEER confirms that Americas electric power companies provide rewarding careers for more than one million Americans, directly and indirectly, said Mary Miller, Chief Administrative Officer for the Edison Electric Institute. These careers include traditional energy sources, transmission and renewable energy development. Electric power companies are responsible for the majority of the jobs in the renewable energy sector, as solar from utilities accounts for nearly 60 percent of all installed solar capacity on the power grid today. Additionally, electric companies are responsible for the development of almost all of the other renewable capacity including wind, geothermal and biomass. Our industry will continue to work closely with our government partners as we develop the future workforce needed to provide all Americans with affordable, reliable and safe energy.
Inflatable Halloween Pumpkin Twice the Size of a House Rings in Spooky Season
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Although the DVD version of Star Wars: The Force Awakens has found its way online, the part everyone is most excited for  the deleted scenes  have yet to leak.

However, certain media outlets have already been sent the physical Blu-ray release and, along with the main film, theyve also been able to watch all six of the included deleted scenes.

Thanks to Uproxx, we now know just what happens in those six clips (a seventh is included with the digital release and looks set to feature Maz Kanata). **Spoilers ahead**

The first scene, titled Finn and the Villager takes place at the start of the film when John Boyegas character is still a member of The First Order. In it, Finn  in full Stormtrooper gear  and a villager from the opening scene look at each other for a few seconds before the villager runs, Finn doing nothing about it.

Jakku Message follows, and sees the introduction of General Leia into the story. Shes told about Poe and BB-8s clash on Jakku and that theyre both missing, to which she responds Never underestimate a droid.

Next up is X-Wings Prepare for Lightspeed which, unsurprisingly, focuses on the X-Wing pilots just before they hit the power button and zoom to the Starkiller Base. Apparently it is a lot like the "Red Leader, standing by scene from the original and helps give you a better sense of who the pilots are.

Heres the big one, Kylo Searches The Falcon. If youve seen the trailer for the deleted scenes (because theres a deleted scenes trailer!), youll know Kylo Ren enters his fathers ship. During this scene, the Falcon is crashed on the Starkiller Base. The best bit about it is Kylo enters the cockpit and menacingly says Han Solo.

Snow Speeder Chase is an all action scene in which Finn and Rey are being chased by Snowspeeders. Unfortunately, theres no reasoning for why theyre being chased, the scene just showing the chase itself with unfinished CGI.

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Finally, theres one last scene where Doctor Kalonia  the doctor who told Chewbacca he must have been so brave  lets Rey know her friends gonna be just fine. Confirmation Finn will be back on fighting form for Episode VIII then.

When The Independent spoke to the films editors, Mary Jo Markey and Maryann Brandon, they revealed that there would be seven scenes, one of which would feature Rey, while another had Harrison Fords Han Solo. As we are yet to see one with Solo in it, it looks like the digital download will have that one as an exclusive. Prepare your wallets.
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There has been mounting pressure on Robert De Niro to withdraw an anti-vaccination documentary from the Tribeca Film Festival line-up.

After days of deliberation and a statement defending the controversial film, Vaxxed: From Cover-Up To Catastrophe will no longer show at the festival.

Previously, De Niro said of the documentary, which attempts to show a link between vaccines and autism: I am not personally endorsing the film, nor am I anti-vaccination; I am only providing the opportunity for a conversation around the issue.

However, in a more recent statement to the BBC, the actor said: "We have concerns with certain things in this film.

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After reviewing Vaxxed with fellow festival organisers, as well as scientists, they concluded that the film does not contribute to the discussion over vaccinations in the way theyd like it too.

Vaxxed is directed by Andrew Wakefield, a former British doctor whose 1998 study linking MMR vaccinations and autism was discredited and retracted from medical journal The Lancet. He was subsequently struck off the medical register after being found guilty of fraud.

Wakefield, who has previously described it as a whistle-blower documentary, said in a statement following the decision that he and producer Del Bigtree has just witnessed yet another example of the power of corporate interests censoring free speech, art and truth".

In recent years, many actors have taken controversial stances on vaccinations, including Jim Carrey who has campaigned against vaccine legislation on numerous occasions.
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Leaving the EU could cut the cost of Easter eggs, pro-Brexit campaigners claimed.

Unilateral trade deals with chocolate-producing countries Indonesia, Nigeria and Brazil could remove "punitive tariffs" imposed by Brussels on imports of cocoa-based sweet treats, Vote Leave said.

As much as 1.28 of the cost of a 10 egg was accounted for by such charges. it calculated, which are levied on chocolate products but not raw cocoa beans

So-called tariff escalation is criticised for discouraging industrial development.

If we Vote Leave on 23 June, Easter will taste all the more sweeter next year <p>Robert Oxley, Vote Leave</p>

Spokesman Robert Oxley said: 'Pro-EU campaigners are constantly rabbiting on about the supposed benefits provided by the EU.

"But consumers will be hopping mad to find out that the EU is actually making Easter more egg-spensive.

"As well as putting up the price of food in supermarkets, the EU's protectionist policies hurt businesses in developing countries who are effectively shut out of our markets.

"If we Vote Leave on 23 June, Easter will taste all the more sweeter next year."

Press Association
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Boris Johnson is many things, but predictable is not one of them. Something of an enigma, the Mayor of London is a bundle of contradictions. Self-deprecating yet tenacious, the old Etonian is both a classical scholar and a Have I Got News for You contestant.

Bringing us closer to the Brexit supporter, Petronella Wyatt, the British journalist who had an affair with Bojo, has revealed a number of intimate details about the politico in her serialised Mail on Sunday column. One of these being the rather surprising claim that he prefers to be called by his Christian name Alexander, shortened to 'Al' by those closest to him. One day he said: Dont call me Boris. People I like dont call me that'", Wyatt writes. It turns out Boris is his second name.

Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Show all 11 1 /11 Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know pg-12-boris-2-pa.jpg BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-mother.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-boy.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-Great-Grandfather.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-Oxford-Union-President.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-Allegra.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-Bullingdon.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-Bullingdon-2.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-young-man.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know Boris-Johnson-Petronella-Wyatt.png BBC Ten things Boris Johnson doesn't want you to know anish.jpg PA

His long-time friend also spoke of Johnsons lone wolf tendencies. In her own words, He is famous for being friendly, yet he has few real friends. This sets him apart from Cameron, who has a large circle of mates. I remarked on this once, after Boris kept introducing me to the same two people whom, it transpired, comprised his entire social circle. He replied that he was a bit of a loner. He is not clubbable and does not enjoy the company of other high-achieving men. According to Wyatt, he is also not a fan of parties, especially the non-political variety.

Wyatt, who is the former deputy editor of The Spectator, also said that Johnson was greatly governed by his desire to be loved by others. Like many loners, he has a compensating need to be liked. I sometimes think his ambition is a consequence of this. There is an element of Boris that wants to be Prime Minister because the love of his family and Tory voters is not enough. He wants to be loved by the entire world, she writes.

Later she explains that this element of his persona is at odds with David Cameron and George Osbornes temperament. I discovered that an effective way of teasing Boris was to tell him that so and so dislikes you, whereas if you were to say the same thing to Cameron or Osborne they would remain utterly unmoved, like a deaf person at a concerto.

Interestingly, Wyatt, who is known as Petsy to her friends, also speaks candidly about Johnsons views on women and relationships. He is inordinately proud of his Turkish ancestry and his views on matters such as monogamy are decidedly Eastern, she writes. I find it genuinely unreasonable that men should be confined to one woman, he has grumbled to me, and cannot understand the medias reaction to his personal affairs.
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Pope Francis has used his Easter sermon to urge the world to combat blind and brutal violence with weapons of love after a spate of terror attacks across the world.

The Pontiff delivered his Easter Sunday Mass to thousands gathered at St Peters Square in Vatican City amid tight security. He then gave his twice-yearly Urbi et Orbi which focused on violence, injustice and threats to peace in many parts of the world.

His address comes five days after suicide bombers killed 31 and injured 270 in attacks on Brussels Airport and a metro station.

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

Referring to recent terror attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq, Francis urged people to channel the hope of Easter in order to defeat the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people.

Francis also expressed hope that recent talks about the conflict in Syria could finally bring about a resolution after the sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord.

He urged Europe not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees - including many children - fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice".

The 79-year-old also called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and resolutions to conflicts and political tensions in Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Ukraine.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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Police investigating the "religiously prejudiced death" of a Glaswegian shopkeeper believe that the man alleged to be involved may have travelled 200 miles from Bradford in a premeditated attack, according to reports.

Asad Shah was founded severely injured outside his shop in the Shawlands area of Glasgow on Thursday and died later in hospital.

The suspect is alleged to have stabbed him multiple times an stamped on his head.

Respected shopkeeper Asad Shah wrote on Facebook: To my beloved Christian nation

A 32-year-old Muslim man has been arrested in connection with Mr Shahs death but police say he has neither been identified or charged.

Police Scotland are investigating whether the attacker was enraged by faith-related social media posts by the 40-year-old, the Scottish Daily Record reports.

Mr Shah was a member of the Ahmadiyya sect of Islam which preaches peace and tolerance towards other religions.

UK news in pictures Show all 50 1 /50 UK news in pictures UK news in pictures 21 October 2022 Sculptor Peter McKenna puts the finishing touches to a pumpkin that will form part of the Planet A Hebden Bridge Pumpkin Trail in the West Yorkshire town PA UK news in pictures 20 October 2022 Britains Prime Minister Liz Truss delivers a speech outside of 10 Downing Street in central London to announce her resignation AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 19 October 2022 Salmon leap up Stainforth Force on the River Ribble in the Yorkshire Dales as they swim upriver to their spawning grounds during the annual Salmon migration PA UK news in pictures 18 October 2022 Just Stop Oil protesters continue their protest for a second day on the Queen Elizabeth II Bridge, which links Kent and Essex and which remains closed for traffic, after it was scaled by two climbers from the group PA UK news in pictures 17 October 2022 Hundreds of students take part in the traditional Raisin Monday foam fight on St Salvator's Lower College Lawn at the University of St Andrews in Fife PA UK news in pictures 16 October 2022 A protester holds a placard during a march into central London at a demonstration by the climate change protest group Extinction Rebellion AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 15 October 2022 A member of the public drags an activist who is blocking the road during a "Just Stop Oil" protest, in London, Britain REUTERS UK news in pictures 14 October 2022 Germanys Womens double skulls during day one of the World Rowing Beach Sprint Finals at Saundersfoot beach, Pembrokeshire PA UK news in pictures 13 October 2022 Family and mourners arrive at St Michael's Church, in Creeslough, for the funeral mass of 49-year-old mother of four Martina Martin, who died following an explosion at the Applegreen service station in the village of Creeslough in Co Donegal on Friday PA UK news in pictures 12 October 2022 Motorists in Coventry pass trees showing autumnal colour PA UK news in pictures 11 October 2022 A woman and her dog in the the North Sea at Tynemouth Longsands beach before sunrise PA UK news in pictures 10 October 2022 Police officers remove a campaigner from a Just Stop Oil protest on The Mall, near Buckingham Palace, London PA UK news in pictures 9 October 2022 A drummer plays during the Diwali on the Square celebration, in Trafalgar Square, London PA UK news in pictures 8 October 2022 Timothee Chalamet attending the UK premiere of Bones and All during the BFI London Film Festival 2022 at the Royal Festival Hall, Southbank Centre, London PA UK news in pictures 7 October 2022 Two young male fallow deer lock antlers in Dublins Phoenix park as rutting season begins PA UK news in pictures 6 October 2022 The Princess of Wales during a cocktail making competition during a visit to Trademarket, a new outdoor street-food and retail market situated in Belfast city centre, as part of the royal visit to Northern Ireland PA UK news in pictures 5 October 2022 Greenpeace protesters interrupt Prime Minister Liz Truss as she delivers her keynote speech to the Conservative Party annual conference PA UK news in pictures 4 October 2022 Prime Minister Liz Truss and Britains Chancellor of the Exchequer Kwasi Kwarteng wearing hard hats and hi-vis jackets, visit a construction site for a medical innovation campus in Birmingham AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 3 October 2022 British artist Sam Cox, aka Mr Doodle, reveals the Doodle House, a twelve-room mansion at Tenterden, in Kent, which has been covered, inside and out in the artist's trademark monochrome, cartoonish hand-drawn doodles PA UK news in pictures 2 October 2022 Erling Haaland celebrates after scoring Manchester City's second goal against Manchester United at Etihad Stadium. Haaland went on to score a hattrick, his third of the season in the Premier League. City beat United 6-3. Manchester City FC/Getty UK news in pictures 1 October 2022 Protesters hold up flags and placards at a protest in London. A variety of protest groups including Enough is Enough, Don't Pay and Just Stop Oil all demonstrated on the day AFP/Getty UK news in pictures 30 September 2022 British Prime Minister Liz Truss, who has not been seen in days, leaves the back of Downing Street after a meeting with Office For Budget Responsibility following the release of her governments mini-budget Getty UK news in pictures 29 September 2022 The Virginia creeper foliage on the Tu Hwnt i'r Bont (Beyond the Bridge) Llanwrst, Conwy North Wales, has changed colour from green to red in at the start of Autumn. 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He frequently posted on social media about his faith and shortly before his death had posted a message wishing a happy Easter to my beloved Christian nation.

Police believe the killer had already travelled to Glasgow before Mr Shah posted the Easter message.

An anonymous source told the newspaper: The theory is that he saw what Asad was saying on Youtube and Facebook and drove up to track him down. The hardline Sunni Muslims call Ahmadiyya Muslims kafir. They say they are non-believers.

A GoFundMe page has so far raised thousands to help Mr Shah's family (PA)

Its not unusual in other countries to see them killed just for their beliefs, its been going on for years.

It comes as two vigils were held for Mr Shah. At least 150 people, including First Minister Nicola Sturgeon, gathered on Saturday to pay their respects.

Teenager Aleesa Malik, who organised the vigil, said: "He would take the effort to care for every customer.

"He would want to know how are you, what are you doing. He took an interest in everyone's lives - old, young, anyone.

"You could be any colour, that would not be an issue for him, he just cared too much."

The 17-year-old said she had organised the vigil because she felt for the amount of support Mr Shah gave us - us as in Glasgow, Glasgow had to give something in return, and that is exactly what we are doing."

Robert Maitland, who runs a social club close to Mr Shah's shop, saw him the morning of the day he was killed.

People have been leaving tributes to the shopkeeper since his death on Thursday evening (PA)

He said: "He was a lovely lad".

"I was his first customer every single morning. It is a very sad loss to the community."

A fundraising page set up on GoFundMe in support of Mr Shah's family has raised more than 43,000.

Additional reporting by PA
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Children taken into care will to be fast-tracked into permanent adoption away from their natural parents under Government plans to change the way vulnerable young people are looked after by the state.

In a wide-ranging package of reforms ministers intend to change the law to make it clear that courts and social workers must always pursue adoption when it is in a childs best interest.

Recommended Read more Number of children up for adoption plummets by a quarter in a year

The move is expected to result in many more children being permanently adopted rather than being placed in foster homes in the hope that they could in future be re-united with their natural parents.

However the plan faces strong opposition from social workers who claim the Government is pushing adoption to save money and have warned councils will feel compelled to meet centrally set targets, rather than acting in the best interests of children.

Currently it can take up to 18 months for children in care to be adopted a time scale that ministers want to half.

As part of the proposals the Government has also pledged to provide more support for adopted children and the parents who look after them.

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

All adopted children will be entitled to counselling services until the age of 21 and will be given a designated teacher at school to look after their interests.

In order to maximise the number of children being successfully adopted councils will be made to join regional adoption agencies while the length of time it takes for adoptions to go through will be monitored.

Announcing the changes the Education Secretary, Nicky Morgan, described the new strategy as a watershed moment.

For the first time ever, we are explicitly setting out how we will transform the lives of our most vulnerable children by making sure they get the opportunities they deserve,

We cannot stand by while children spend months in care waiting for their new family, when loving parents are available. We cannot preside over a situation where adopted children are less likely to do well at school than their classmates. And we mustnt fail to take action against stifling red tape that stops councils from matching children with the families that are right for them.

But a recent survey of over 400 social workers for the magazine Community Care found widespread concern about the Governments plan.

Just 4 per cent of respondents said they agreed with the governments approach, while 69 per cent said they did not agree while the rest were undecided.

One social worker, responding to the survey, said: [Ministers] seem to want to blame local authorities, when the courts introduce the huge delays with the insistence on endless assessments, ignoring the assessments of social workers.

Another said that targets would distort and undermine the processes they are meant to improve, while another questioned the research behind the targets: Where is the evidence that shortening the time frame for adoption assessments to 6 months will encourage more people to adopt? It could well mean inadequate rushed assessments.
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David Cameron has declared that Britain is built on Christian values  and must defend them against terrorism.

In his message to mark the Christian festival of Easter, the Prime Minister said the religion had helped to make our country what it is today and that its values appealed to people of every faith and none.

Values of responsibility, hard work, charity, compassion and pride in working for the common good and honouring the social obligations we have to one another, to our families and our communities, he said.

These are values we treasure. They are Christian values and they should give us the confidence to say yes, we are a Christian country and we are proud of it.

But they are also values that speak to everyone in Britain  to people of every faith and none. And we must all stand together and defend them.

But citing the recent terrorist attacks in Brussels, the PM said Britain should not be cowed by such violence.

The PM added that the UK must defeat the pernicious ideology that is the root cause of this terrorism  without naming it explicitly.

The Anglican Archbishop of Canterbury argued in his Easter message that Christians should not be overcome by fear because of the attacks.

In much of life fear is a valid and reasonable emotion, but hope always overcomes fear. We fear what we do not know, do not understand or cannot control, Justin Welby said.

But on Easter Day we remember that Jesus Christ overcame death so that the end of all things is known.

By contrast the Roman Catholic Pope used his address in Rome to condemn those who did not help migrants, arguing that the refugees often met with rejection from those who would offer them welcome and assistance.

2016 Easter celebrations around the world Show all 20 1 /20 2016 Easter celebrations around the world 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Willy Salvador, 59, hangs from a cross as part of his penitence during a reenactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for Good Friday celebrations ahead of Easter in the village of San Juan, Pampanga Getty images 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines articipants lie on the ground after whipping their bloodied backs with bamboo as part of their penitence during a ceremony reenacting the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for Good Friday celebrations ahead of Easter in the village of San Juan. Getty images 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines articipants whip their bloodied backs with bamboo as part of their penitence during the re-enactment of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ for Good Friday celebrations ahead of Easter in the village of San Juan. Getty images 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Hungary Dancers of 'Matyo Folklor Art Association' in traditional clothes, react as boys throw water in Mezokovesd, some 130 km east of Budapest. Getty images 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines A resident carries a statue of Jesus Christ to the church in preparation for the Good Friday procession during Holy Week celebration in Gasan, Marinduque. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Ruben Enaje, who is portraying Jesus Christ for the 30th time, screams while a resident acting as a Roman soldier pulls up a nail on his palm Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Penitent Ruben Enaje, who is portraying Jesus Christ for the 30th time, is carried on a stretcher by rescuers after he was nailed on a wooden cross during a Good Friday crucifixion reenactment in Cutud town, Philippines Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Mexico A man holding a rabbit looks at men dressed as ancient Romans as they take part in a procession, during Holy Week celebrations, in Taxco. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world South Africa Nuns carry a cross during a silent march celebrating Good Friday in Durban. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Mexico Masked penitents prepare before the start of a procession, a part of Holy Week celebrations, in Taxco. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Penitents locally called "Morions" wear masks and centurion garbs as they take part in a Good Friday procession as part of Holy Week celebration in Gasan, Marinduque. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world El Salvador Members of the El Jesus Nazareno brotherhood participate in the Los Cristos Procession as part of Holy Week celebrations in the town of Izalco. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Paraguay Actors take part in a re-enactment during a Holy Week procession to prepare for Good Friday celebration in Luque city. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Paraguay Actors take part in a re-enactment during a Holy Week procession to prepare for Good Friday celebration in Luque city. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Peru Local and foreign inmates participate in a performance of the play Jesus Christ Superstar to celebrate Holy Week at Sarita Colonia prison in Callao. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Penitents wearing masks, known locally as "Morions" take a selfie during the start of Holy Week celebrations in Mogpog, Marinduque. Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Hungary Hungary Reuters 2016 Easter celebrations around the world Philippines Resident portraying Roman soldier pulls up a nail on a foot of penitent Ruben Enaje in Pampanga, Philippines. Reuters

Britain is among those countries which has refused to admit refugees who have travelled to Europe from Syria  instead transferring 4,000 a year from camps near the conflict zone and providing humanitarian aid to the region.

But contrast Germany has said it is expecting to accept a million refugees a year.

Mr Cameron has previously declared that Britain is a Christian country, in April 2015, last Easter. He has previously said he is an unapologetic support of the role of faith in this country.
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A former top US general has warned a potential Brexit would weaken the West in the war on terror.

General David Petraeus said that Britain leaving the EU would "deal a significant blow to [its] strength and resilience at exactly the moment when the West is under attack from multiple directions".

He said that none of the UKs security problems would become easier to solve if they left the union and said he feared "that a 'Brexit' would only make our world even more dangerous and difficult to manage".

The former CIA director said: "In a time of such challenges, when our adversaries seek to sow division in our ranks and undermine the world order that we have sacrificed so much to build and defend, it is critical for the West to stand strong and united.

"And that, in turn, requires strong and principled American and British leadership inside the West.

"A Brexit would also reduce considerably Great Britain's ability to influence and guide the future of Europe, still the world's largest economic bloc; it would undoubtedly reduce British influence on the world stage, as well".

Writing in the Sunday Telegraph, he urged voters to "think twice before withdrawing from one of the most important institutions that undergirds Western strength: the European Union".

He understood the appeal of isolationism in both the UK and the US but said history shows it is "a strategic dead end".

What has the EU ever done for us? Show all 7 1 /7 What has the EU ever done for us? What has the EU ever done for us? 1. It gives you freedom to live, work and retire anywhere in Europe As a member of the EU, UK citizens benefit from freedom of movement across the continent. Considered one of the so-called four pillars of the European Union, this freedom allows all EU citizens to live, work and travel in other member states. What has the EU ever done for us? 2. It sustains millions of jobs A report by the Centre for Economics and Business Research, released in October 2015, suggested 3.1 million British jobs were linked to the UKs exports to the EU. What has the EU ever done for us? 3. Your holiday is much easier - and safer Freedom to travel is one of the most exercised benefits of EU membership, with Britons having made 31 million visits to the EU in 2014 alone. But a lot of the benefits of being an EU citizen are either taken for granted or go unnoticed. What has the EU ever done for us? 4. It means you're less likely to get ripped off Consumer protection is a key benefit of the EUs single market, and ensures members of the British public receive equal consumer rights when shopping anywhere in Europe. What has the EU ever done for us? 5. It offers greater protection from terrorists, paedophiles, people traffickers and cyber-crime Another example of a lesser-known advantage of EU membership is the benefit of cross-country coordination and cooperation in the fight against crime. What has the EU ever done for us? 6. Our businesses depend on it According to 71% of all members of the Confederation of British Influence (CBI), and 67 per cent of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), the EU has had an overall positive impact on their business. What has the EU ever done for us? 7. We have greater influence Robin Niblett, Director of think-tank Chatham House, stated in a report published last year: For a mid-sized country like the UK, which will never again be economically dominant either globally or regionally, and whose diplomatic and military resources are declining in relative terms, being a major player in a strong regional institution can offer a critical lever for international influence.

The retired four-star army general, who commanded forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, said "Some have suggested that leaving the EU would reduce the risk of terrorism in the UK. That is mistaken. The terrorist threat, unfortunately, will be with all of us for the foreseeable future, as the recent events in Belgium have just shown.

"In fact, the best way to defend ourselves is precisely by deepening military, intelligence, and diplomatic co-operation across the Western world, by working together with our partners on the continent and elsewhere to strike at the terrorists in their sanctuaries and tackle the underlying drivers of radicalisation.

"The EU, for all its imperfections, is a vital player in this effort."
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Iain Duncan Smith appeared tearful as he described how meeting a single mother reminded him of his own daughter, a new documentary has revealed.

The emotional interview was filmed in December 2015  months before the former Work and Pensions Secretary resigned  and is part of an upcoming BBC series on benefits in the Victorian era by Ian Hislop.

"I remember visiting a lone parent a few years ago in an estate which had a very high number of single parents, young women, the former Work and Pensions Secretary said.

He continued: "When I sat and talked to her I sensed that she wanted to do something, she wanted to be better than her circumstances. But she had no skills, she had fallen out of school, she didnt know where to go.

"And I remember leaving there thinking very simply this is my daughter.

"Im sorry Im quite emotional about these19 years oldMy aspiration for my daughter was boundless. And here Im sitting with a 19-year-old girl who had written off her life and had no aspiration and no self-worth. She was a product of a system."

Mr Duncan Smith sparked tensions in his own party with an astonishing attack on the governments record on the BBCs Andrew Marr Show last week. He warned that David Cameron and George Osborne risk diving society with their cuts to welfare.

In his resignation letter Mr Duncan Smith wrote: "I have for some time and rather reluctantly come to believe that the latest changes to benefits to the disabled and the context in which they've been made are a compromise too far.

"While they are defensible in narrow terms, given the continuing deficit, they are not defensible in the way they were placed within a Budget that benefits higher earning taxpayers.

"I hope as the government goes forward you can look again, however, at the balance of the cuts you have insisted upon and wonder if enough has been done to ensure "we are all in this together".

Workers Or Shirkers? Ian Hislop's Victorian Benefits on Thursday 7th April at 8PM on BBC Two
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It is illegal to screenshot Snapchat picture messages and pass them to others on without consent, the Governments culture minister has said.

Ed Vaizey said anyone who who screenshotted a Snapchat message and shared it with others could be sued by its original sender  and face a prison sentence.

Snapchat is a messaging service and social network. Its primary defining feature is to send images and video clips which disappear after a set amount of time. It is easy to permanently save such messages by using a phones screenshot function, however.

Digital economy and culture minister Ed Vaizey (Getty)

Under UK copyright law, it would be unlawful for a Snapchat user to copy an image and make it available to the public without the consent of the image owner, the minister warned.

The image owner would be able to sue anyone who does this for copyright infringement.

Snapchat photos are automatically deleted after 10 seconds. The Snapchat privacy policy states that if Snapchat is able to detect that a recipient has taken a screenshot of an image, they will try to inform the original poster.

However, Snapchat advises users to avoid sending messages which they would not want to be saved or shared.

The minister, whose brief covers culture and digital economy, also said that as well as breaching copyright, anyone who passed on images of a particularly sexual nature without consent could face an additional prison sentence.

Recommended Read more Snapchat update adds new birthday filters

The disclosure of private sexual photographs or films without the consent of an individual who appears in them and with intent to cause that individual distress, is an offence under Section 33 of the Criminal Justice and Courts Act 2015, he said.

Those convicted could face a maximum sentence of two years in prison.

Copyright infringement itself is punishable by 10 years in prison and/or an unlimited fine, though this is restricted to six months in prioson and a 50,000 fine in magistrates courts.

Mr Vaizey, a Conservative, had been asked by DUP MP Jim Shannon what steps the Government was taking to ensure that Snapchat images were not made public without the consent of the image owner.

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

Contrary to the ministers claim, which was made in a written parliamentary answer, Snapchat images are not all deleted after 10 seconds and can be set to disappear after different amounts of time.

Because of the time-limited nature of its messages, Snapchat is often used to share explicit photographs.

According to its makers the app handles billions of photos and videos a day.
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A small number of MPs hostile to Jeremy Corbyns leadership are seeking to sabotage the partys chances in order to depose him, John Prescott has said.

The former deputy prime minister under the last Labour government argued that the leaders internal opponents were gutted that some recent poll results were improving for Labour.

He accused the unnamed MPs of briefing against Mr Corbyn and said they were trying to harm the partys poll lead by stoking up negative stories.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn enjoys strong support from Labour members but opposition from some of his own MPs (PA)

Sadly, a small number of MPs  I call them Bitterites  are still desperate to remove Corbyn. Theyre gutted the Tories are in chaos and Labour edging ahead, he wrote in an article for the Sunday Mirror newspaper.

The main Bitterite MPs  whose only skill seems to have been press spokesmen for Blair and Brown  want to drive down Labours standing in the polls and encourage bad results in this Mays elections.

Recent voting intention polls have shown Labours poll standing improving  with the party drawing level or just above the Conservatives in some surveys.

Mr Corbyns personal ratings have also improved somewhat, with Ipsos MORI now showing him with higher ratings than David Cameron  though with methodological caveats, and still well below previous leaders.

Recommended Read more Jeremy Corbyn overtakes David Cameron in leadership ratings

Though critics point to poll leads under Ed Miliband and warn they will not last, the results are likely to shore-up Mr Corbyns position within the party.

After a brief period in which the media agenda focused on the Governments Budget, a leaked document purporting to illustrate splits in the Labour party was released to The Times newspaper the day before Prime Ministers Questions.

The Prime Minister used the document to attack Mr Corbyn and deflect his questions at the confrontation.

One persistent critic of Mr Corbyn, John Woodcock, tweeted after the encounter: F***ing disaster. Worse [sic] week for Cameron since he came in and that stupid f***ing list makes us into a laughing stock  before quickly deleting it.

Mr Woodcock later said he was sharing frustration with a colleague  having accidentally posted a private message to his main timeline.

Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Show all 12 1 /12 Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn's reshuffle Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn and the Syria bombing vote Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn asks questions from the public at PMQs, meanwhile backbenchers plot to oust him Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn is unavailable to attend the Privy Council Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Conference rejects Corbyns call to debate Trident Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn At Labour conference Corbyn and McDonnell press for a Robin Hood tax Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyns hopes for a new politics look optimistic in the face of a media barrage Dave Brown on Jeremy Corbyn Corbyn enters Labour leadership race

Persistent rumours have circulated that Mr Corbyn might be the subject of a coup by hostile Labour MPs  with whom he has struggled to find strong support, despite the overwhelming backing of party members.

Polls show he would win any leadership content in which he were to feature by a landslide.

Shadow international development secretary Diane Abbott has said it would be foolish for Mr Corbyns critics to strike against him, while former shadow business secretary Chuka Umunna has said the Labour leader should be given at least a year to show whether he is up to the job.
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The Government is hiding damaging cuts to the UKs border policing agency, Labour has said.

Shadow home secretary Andy Burnham said employees of Border Force had been told to expect cuts by 6 per cent in this financial year and the next.

He cited whistle-blowers in the agency who he said had brought the problem to his attention.

Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary (Getty Images)

In a letter to the Home Secretary Theresa May Mr Burnham said cutting border controls in the aftermath of the Brussels terrorist attacks would be a very serious mistake.

He also accused the Government of hiding the planned budget cuts  arguing it was highly unusual for ministers to have not released the agencys Budget near the start of the new financial year.

This is the worst possible time to be cutting UK border security. I believe that, in her heart of hearts, Theresa May knows that and that is why she is going to great lengths to hide these cuts, he wrote.

Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Show all 15 1 /15 Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees flee tear gas fire by the Macedonian police, after trying to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to break a Greek police cordon in order to approach the border fence at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees in the northern Greek village of Idomeni approach the Greek-Macedonian border as they try to enter Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Macedonian riot police officers stand next to part of the border fence brought down by protesting stranded refugees and migrants during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees try to bring down part of the border fence during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees break an iron fence and throw stones from the Greek side of the border as Macedonian policemen push them back, near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A girl cries as she flees clashes during a protest at the Greek-Macedonian border, near the Greek village of Idomeni Reuters Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees try to broke an iron fence from the Greek side of the border as Macedonian police stand guard, near the northern Greek village of Idomeni AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Stranded refugees and migrants in the northern Greek village of Idomeni approach the Greek-Macedonian border as they try to enter Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A man helps children to run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas at a group of refugees who tried to push their way into Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A woman carries a child on the Greek side of the border as they run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas at a group of refugees who tried to push their way into Macedonia AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February Refugees run away after Macedonian police fired tear gas AP Refugees break through Macedonia border fence in February A woman falls as refugees with their children run away after Macedonian police Getty Images

This is not good enough. The public has a right to know about the governments plans for the UK border and that is why I call on them to publish these figures without delay and to drop these damaging cuts.

Border Force is under the direct control of Home Office ministers and in charge of border checks at ports, airports, and international railway stations.

Home Secretary Theresa May (Getty)

It was created in 2012 by Ms May out of the old UK Border Agency, which has since been abolished.

A Home Office spokesman said the Government would take all the necessary measures to maintain border security and that the Chancellors Budget has promised extra money for the agency.
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The Nigerian government is investigating claims that a suspected Boko Haram suicide bomber is one of the missing Chibok schoolgirls kidnapped nearly two years ago.

Military and local government sources said that one of two girls caught in in Limani in northern Cameroon near the Nigerian border carrying explosives had claimed to be one of the missing schoolgirls.

The abduction of around 270 school girls by the Islamist militants from a school in Chibok in northern Nigeria on 14 April 2014 sparked international outrage and launched the social media campaign, #bringbackourgirls.

Recommended Read more Teenage girl sent by Boko Haram rips off suicide vest and refuses to bomb refugee camp

Around 50 girls managed to escaped but a further 219 remain missing.

The girls were arrested after being stopped by local self-defence forces who have been protecting the area following a series of suicide bombings by the jihadis in recent months.

The government has said it is sending the parents of the missing schoolgirls to the area to try to verify the girls claims.

Garba Shehu, a spokesman for Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari, said the Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroon, Hadiza Mustapha, had been in contact with Cameroonian authorities to offer assistance.

The Bring Back Our Girls campaign started in cities across Nigeria, including Abuja (Getty)

He said: "We hope that the Chibok parents will be able to identify the girl and determine whether she is indeed one of their missing students".

Mr Shehu said the government are keen to identify the girl so she can be brought back to Nigeria to possibly assist the government in their investigation as to the whereabouts of the other missing girls.

He said the two parents from Chibok selected to embark on the trip to Cameroon are Yakubu Nkeki, chairman of the Chibok Abducted Girls Movement, and Yana Galang, the group's women leader, whose 16-year-old daughter Rifkatu is among the missing.

Ms Galang said: If it is true, we are very happy about it. If we see her with our eyes, we will know where our girls are.

The rise of Boko Haram Show all 20 1 /20 The rise of Boko Haram The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau delivers a message. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the mass killings in the north-east Nigerian town of Baga in a video where he warned the massacre was just the tip of the iceberg. As many as 2,000 civilians were killed and 3,700 homes and business were destroyed in the 3 January 2015 attack on the town near Nigeria's border with Cameroon AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People displaced as a result of Boko Haram attacks in the northeast region of Nigeria, are seen near their tents at a faith-based camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in Yola, Adamawa State. Boko Haram says it is building an Islamic state that will revive the glory days of northern Nigeria's medieval Muslim empires, but for those in its territory life is a litany of killings, kidnappings, hunger and economic collapse The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nitsch Eberhard Robert, a German citizen abducted and held hostage by suspected Boko Haram militants, is seen as he arrives at the Yaounde Nsimalen International airport after his release in Yaounde, Cameroon on 21 January 2015 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Officials of the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) visit victims of a bomb blast in Gombe at the Specialist Hospital in Gombe. According to local reports at least six people were killed and 11 wounded after a bomb blast in a marketplace in Nigeria's northeastern state of Gombe on 16 January 2015. Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been blamed for a string of recent attacks in the North East of Nigeria The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather at the site of a bomb explosion in a area know to be targeted by the militant group Boko Haram in Kano on 28 November 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather to look at a burnt vehicle following a bomb explosion that rocked the busiest roundabout near the crowded Market in Maiduguri, Borno State on 1 July 2014. A truck exploded in a huge fireball killing at least 15 people in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the city repeatedly hit by Boko Haram Islamists The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram President Goodluck Jonathan visits Nigerian Army soldiers fighting Boko Haram Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Displaced people from Baga listen to Goodluck Jonathan after the Boko Haram killings AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan speaking to troops during a visit to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State; most of the region has been overrun by Boko Haram AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Members of the Nigerian military patrolling in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria, close to the scene of attacks by Boko Haram EPA The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Harams leader, Abubakar Shekau, appears in a video in which he warns Cameroon it faces the same fate as Nigeria AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nana Shettima, the wife of Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima (C) weeps as she speaks with school girls from the government secondary school Chibok that were kidnapped by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, and later escaped in Chibok The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram South Africans protest in solidarity against the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram and what protesters said was the failure of the Nigerian government and international community to rescue them, during a march to the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Haram militants have seized the town in north-eastern Nigeria that nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from in April 2014 AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A soldier stands guard in front of burnt buses after an attack in Abuja. Twin blasts at a bus station packed with morning commuters on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital killed dozens of people, in what appeared to be the latest attack by Boko Haram Islamists, April 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The aftermath of the attack, when Boko Haram fighters in trucks painted in military colours killed 51 people in Konduga in February 2014 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau (with papers) in a video grab taken in July 2014 AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Ruins of burnt out houses in the north-eastern settlement of Baga, pictured after Boko Haram attacks in 2013 AP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A Boko Haram attack in Nigeria, 2013 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau, Boko Harams leader AP

Former Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan was criticized for his slow reaction to the Chibok abductions, seen by many as indicative of his response to Boko Haram, which at its strongest held large swathes of northeastern Nigeria.

Mr Buhari, who defeated Jonathan in a 2015 election, ordered a new investigation into the kidnappings in January.

Joint operations between Nigeria and neighbouring countries succeeded in driving Boko Haram from many of its strongholds last year but the Islamists have stepped up cross-border attacks and suicide bombings, many of them carried out by young girls.

Additional reporting by Reuters
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A 78-year-old Nigerian man has told how he single-handedly rescued his captive sons from the Boko Haram militant group.

Madu Zaromi says that his home in Damasak, in the north-eastern state of Borno, is in an area of the country that remains under the control of the Islamist organisation.

President Muhammadu Buhari claimed in February that Boko Haram no longer hold "any territory" in Nigeria. However, this is commonly understood to be an exaggeration by the former general, as he attempts to follow through on his crucial election promise to defeat the insurgency.

In an interview with Nigeria's Daily Trust magazine, Mr Zaromi suggested that Boko Haram retains control over areas of its former stronghold in the north-east. He described his hometown as a "ghost town" where "[gun]fire" can still be seen at night.

The rise of Boko Haram Show all 20 1 /20 The rise of Boko Haram The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of the Islamist extremist group Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau delivers a message. Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for the mass killings in the north-east Nigerian town of Baga in a video where he warned the massacre was just the tip of the iceberg. As many as 2,000 civilians were killed and 3,700 homes and business were destroyed in the 3 January 2015 attack on the town near Nigeria's border with Cameroon AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People displaced as a result of Boko Haram attacks in the northeast region of Nigeria, are seen near their tents at a faith-based camp for internally displaced people (IDP) in Yola, Adamawa State. Boko Haram says it is building an Islamic state that will revive the glory days of northern Nigeria's medieval Muslim empires, but for those in its territory life is a litany of killings, kidnappings, hunger and economic collapse The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nitsch Eberhard Robert, a German citizen abducted and held hostage by suspected Boko Haram militants, is seen as he arrives at the Yaounde Nsimalen International airport after his release in Yaounde, Cameroon on 21 January 2015 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Officials of the Nigerian National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) visit victims of a bomb blast in Gombe at the Specialist Hospital in Gombe. According to local reports at least six people were killed and 11 wounded after a bomb blast in a marketplace in Nigeria's northeastern state of Gombe on 16 January 2015. Islamist militant group Boko Haram has been blamed for a string of recent attacks in the North East of Nigeria The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather at the site of a bomb explosion in a area know to be targeted by the militant group Boko Haram in Kano on 28 November 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram People gather to look at a burnt vehicle following a bomb explosion that rocked the busiest roundabout near the crowded Market in Maiduguri, Borno State on 1 July 2014. A truck exploded in a huge fireball killing at least 15 people in the northeast Nigerian city of Maiduguri, the city repeatedly hit by Boko Haram Islamists The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram President Goodluck Jonathan visits Nigerian Army soldiers fighting Boko Haram Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Displaced people from Baga listen to Goodluck Jonathan after the Boko Haram killings AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nigeria's President Goodluck Jonathan speaking to troops during a visit to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State; most of the region has been overrun by Boko Haram AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Members of the Nigerian military patrolling in Maiduguri, North East Nigeria, close to the scene of attacks by Boko Haram EPA The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Harams leader, Abubakar Shekau, appears in a video in which he warns Cameroon it faces the same fate as Nigeria AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Nana Shettima, the wife of Borno Governor, Kashim Shettima (C) weeps as she speaks with school girls from the government secondary school Chibok that were kidnapped by the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram, and later escaped in Chibok The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram South Africans protest in solidarity against the abduction of hundreds of schoolgirls in Nigeria by the Muslim extremist group Boko Haram and what protesters said was the failure of the Nigerian government and international community to rescue them, during a march to the Nigerian Consulate in Johannesburg The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Boko Haram militants have seized the town in north-eastern Nigeria that nearly 300 schoolgirls were kidnapped from in April 2014 AFP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A soldier stands guard in front of burnt buses after an attack in Abuja. Twin blasts at a bus station packed with morning commuters on the outskirts of Nigeria's capital killed dozens of people, in what appeared to be the latest attack by Boko Haram Islamists, April 2014 The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The aftermath of the attack, when Boko Haram fighters in trucks painted in military colours killed 51 people in Konduga in February 2014 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram The leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau (with papers) in a video grab taken in July 2014 AFP/Getty The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Ruins of burnt out houses in the north-eastern settlement of Baga, pictured after Boko Haram attacks in 2013 AP The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram A Boko Haram attack in Nigeria, 2013 AFP/Getty Images The rise of Boko Haram Boko Haram Abubakar Shekau, Boko Harams leader AP

Damasak was overrun by Boko Haram in November 2014, but it was recaptured by Chadian and Nigerian soldiers in March 2015. Troops subsequently discovered 400 decomposed bodies in the town, and it was claimed by locals that a further 400 women and children from the area were kidnapped.

But in February 2016, Nigerian news sources reported that the town was back under the control of Boko Haram.

Mr Zaromi was in the town when the terrorist group took it over for the first time in 2014. He said: "At first I thought they were robbers who invaded the town, but later I realised they were insurgents."

He was with his two youngest children and only sons, 16-year-old Bana and 14-year-old Momodu. Their home was invaded by Boko Haram insurgents, who struck him and absconded with the boys.

 Niger steps up fight against Boko Haram

After recuperating alone in the town for a couple of days, he said he struck up a conversation with an "armed young man", presumably a sympathetic Boko Haram fighter, who "showed concern and promised to help."

The young fighter showed Mr Zaromi where he could find an "Amir", saying: "He is our leader. Tell him what you want. Do not tell anyone that somebody directed you. Your children must be in the building."

Mr Zaromi says he secured an audience with the Amir, and was told "he would release one to me, and the second one [was] to be enlisted among fighters.

"I took the cup of water he earlier offered me and stretched it to Bana. He drank from it and gave to Momodu, who drank and gave me. When I drank the water, I told him that I do not want to die of an empty stomach.

"I begged him to release them or kill me there and keep them. He looked straight into my eyes and after a long pause ordered two of his men to escort us back home."
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American police have released shocking footage of a British tourist being fatally stabbed in a San Francisco robbery.

Paul Tam, 44, died on Thursday after being stabbed during a mugging in downtown San Francisco on February 18.

He was attacked at just after 8.30 in the evening in Post Street, near the affluent Pacific Heights area of the Californian city, with a female companion.

In a bid to find his killers, police have now released CCTV footage of the attack. The footage shows Mr Tam being chased into the road by a robber as he holds on to a bag.

He fled towards oncoming traffic to escape the assailants, but was pinned down and stabbed in what the police describe as a brutal murder.

Mr Tam then tries to raise himself as the attacker flees with the bag, but is unable to stand and falls back to the street, before raising himself to all fours.

Mr Tam is approached by the mugger and attempts to flee towards oncoming traffic (San Francisco Police Department)

After being assaulted he lies injured in the street (San Francisco Police Department)

The attack is now being investigated as a homicide and both suspects are still at large.

The primary suspects are a black adult man and a woman. The man is said to be approximately 5ft10 with a heavy build last seen wearing a dark hoodie and blue jeans, while the woman is 5ft4 with long dreadlocks or braids up in a ponytail.

Posting the video on its Facebook page, the San Francisco Police Department (SFPD) wrote: Video evidence was recovered that captured the brutal murder.

SFPD Homicide Investigators are seeking the assistance of the public to identify the outstanding suspects. Please contact investigators if you were in the area of the crime near the time of the crime, observed any suspicious activity, or if you have information regarding the identity of the suspects.
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A $5,000 reward has been offered after a dog was found raped, murdered and left hanging from a tree.

The FBI is assisting with the investigation into the murder of the animal, which was found in Thurston County, Washington.

The female pit bull type dog died from asphyxiation after being hung from the tree with its feet barely touching the ground, according to Fox61.

There was evidence the dog had been severely sexually assaulted as it hung from the tree. Its body was discovered by a mountain biker on Monday on land belonging to the Department of Natural Resources.

The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), the largest animal protection organisation in the US, is offering the $5,000 reward for information leading to the conviction of the animal's killer.

It is double the societys standard award for cases of this type because a board member donated extra money.

The most controversial animal killings Show all 6 1 /6 The most controversial animal killings The most controversial animal killings Cincinnati Zoo worker shots and kills Harambe, the 17-year-old gorilla Harambe, a 17-year-old gorilla was shot and killed by a Cincinnati Zoo worker after a three-year-old boy climbed into a gorilla enclosure and was grabbed and dragged by Harambe. The incident was recorded on video and received broad international coverage and commentary, including controversy over the choice to kill Harambe. A number of primatologists and conservationists wrote later that the zoo had no other choice under the circumstances, and that it highlighted the danger of zoo animals in close proximity to humans and the need for better standards of care Cincinnati Zoo & Botanical Garden The most controversial animal killings Walt Palmer (left), from Minnesota, who killed Cecil, the Zimbabwean lion (pictured here with another lion shot in Africa) Walter James Palmer has been named by Zimbabwe Conservation Task Force as the shooter of Cecil, a 13-year-old prized lion. He is now wanted by Zimbabwe officials on poaching charges. The lion was protected and the subject of a decade long study by the Wildlife Unit of Oxford University in the UK. He was outfitted with a GPS collar and was killed in Hwange National Park. The Zimbabwe National Parks and Wildlife Authority and the Safari Operators Association said that two men were charged with poaching in connection to Mr Palmer The most controversial animal killings Kendall Jones hunting images Kendall Jones, a 19-year-old Texas Tech university student, has provoked worldwide fury after posting pictures of herself smiling next to animals she hunted, including a lion, rhinoceros, antelope, leopard, elephant, zebra and hippopotamus The most controversial animal killings Rebecca Francis hunting images Rebecca Francis, a huntress who has killed dozens of wild animals has been sent death wishes by furious social media users after a picture showing her lying down next to a dead giraffe was circulated. Rebecca Francis has a website and Facebook page dedicated to the animals she has killed in hunts across Africa and America. Francis, a prolific hunter who has also co-hosted the television show Eye of the Hunter, regularly posts pictures of herself posing next to dead bears, giraffes, buffaloes and zebras, among other animals. She uses a bow and arrow to kill her prey The most controversial animal killings The slaughter of Marius, an 18-month-old healthy giraffe in Copenhagen Zoo Copenhagen Zoo made the controversial decision to euthanise a healthy giraffe named Marius, which was later dissected and fed to lions as visitors watched. The slaughter sparked a furious backlash from social media users and zoo staff have received death threats by phone and email. Soon after the incident, Copenhagen Zoo faced an international outcry once again after four healthy lions were put down The most controversial animal killings Swiss Dahlholzli zoo kills healthy brown bear cub A Switzerland zoo faced heavy criticism from animal rights groups, after keepers put down a healthy brown bear cub to spare it from being bullied by its dominant male father. The 360 kg male bear Misha had already killed one of his 11-week old cubs in public and was bullying the second, staff at the zoo said, because he was jealous of the attention the cubs were receiving from their mother, Masha. Both adult brown bears had been donated to Berns Dahlholzli zoo in 2009. Campaigners condemned staff there for not separating the cubs, who are being referred to as Baby Bear Two and Baby Bear Three, and their mother from Misha after their birth in January Facebook

In an appeal for information, it warned prosecuting cases of this type was essential as the connection between animal cruelty and human violence is well documented.

Dan Paul, Washington state director for The HSUS, said: This is a truly horrific situation in all aspects. To think about the suffering this dog experienced in her final moments, as well as knowing theres an individual or individuals in our state who would perpetrate this type of abuse, is sickening. We are hopeful this reward will bring someone forward with information about this despicable crime.
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A teacher with more than 20 years of experience has resigned after footage emerged of her knocking over a special needs student at her school.

Amelia Stripling, a teacher at Tift County Pre-K Center in Georgia, appears to deliberately shove the four-year-old student in the back with her knee, knocking him to the ground.

The 71-year-old, a winner of the Tift County Excellence in Teaching award in 2014, resigned from her job earlier this month. Ms Stripling turned herself into Tifton police on Friday, after warrants were issued for her arrest, according to KTLA.

The child was not seriously hurt in the incident, Tift County school officials said.

Sarah Patterson, the boy's mother, said her son has special needs requirement and that the family has obtained a lawyer.

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. 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A search began for possible survivors after a scanner detected a pulse one month after the mega-blast at the adjacent port AFP via Getty World news in pictures 3 September 2020 A full moon next to the Virgen del Panecillo statue in Quito, Ecuador EPA World news in pictures 2 September 2020 A Palestinian woman reacts as Israeli forces demolish her animal shed near Hebron in the Israeli-occupied West Bank Reuters World news in pictures 1 September 2020 Students protest against presidential elections results in Minsk TUT.BY/AFP via Getty World news in pictures 31 August 2020 The pack rides during the 3rd stage of the Tour de France between Nice and Sisteron AFP via Getty World news in pictures 30 August 2020 Law enforcement officers block a street during a rally of opposition supporters protesting against presidential election results in Minsk, Belarus Reuters World news in pictures 29 August 2020 A woman holding a placard reading "Stop Censorship - Yes to the Freedom of Expression" shouts in a megaphone during a protest against the mandatory wearing of face masks in Paris. 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. 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Stripling's teacher page has since been removed from the website of Tift County Pre-K Center.

The matter is being investigated by the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services.
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The presidential candidates have begun reacting to the suicide bomber who killed 71 people, mostly women and children, in Lahore, Pakistan on Sunday.

The explosion occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-lqpbal park injuring as many as 300 others. Many of the wounded have undergone surgery, and officials have warned that the death toll may climb considerably.

Recommended Read more Taliban bomb kills 65 and injures 300 at park in Pakistan

John Kasich was the first of the remaining presidential candidates to condemn the attack as a cowardly mass execution of innocent women and children.

Coming on the heels of the terrorist attacks in Belgium, it is further confirmation that radical terrorists are at war with our culture, our values on and our way of life, Kasich said in a statement, referring to reports that the bombing targeted Christians in the area.

This type of terrorism is an existential threat to all who share our values. It must be defeated.

The Republican candidate continued by saying that Americans must redouble our efforts with Pakistan to eliminate terror networks.

Let us remember the victims and their families in our thoughts and prayers as we gather strength and resolve to defeat all who threaten our values.

In addition to Kasich, Bernie Sanders was the only member of his party to respond to the suicide bombings.

"We are grieving today for the families affected by the deplorable attack in Lahore," Sanders said in a statement on Twitter. "No one should ever fear taking their children to a park."

Meanwhile, the Department of State condemned the attacks in Pakistan, a strategic ally to the US.

"The United States stands with the people and Government of Pakistan at this difficult hour," State Department spokesperson John Kirby said in a statement.

"We send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed and injured, and our thoughts and prayers are with the people of Lahore as they respond to and recover from this terrible tragedy.

Hillary Clinton, Donald Trump and Ted Cruz did not immediately respond to The Independent's request for comment.

Update  March 27, 4:50pm ET: Donald Trump issued a statement saying "I alone can solve [terrorism]."

"Another radical Islamic attack, this time in Pakistan, targeting Christian women and children," Trump said on Twitter. "At least 67 dead, 400 injured. I alone can solve."

Update  7:50pm ET: Ted Cruz said that the US should band with its allies to defeat terrorism.

The evil that is radical Islamism struck in Pakistan todaythe very day we celebrate the resurrection of the Prince of Peacein a shocking display of savagery, Cruz said in a statement. Once again we are reminded there are no holidays from this enemy, and no one  not commuters going to work in Brussels, not mothers and children celebrating Easter in a park in Lahoreare immune from its wrath. We must redouble our resolve to band with friends and allies to defeat it. Our prayers are with our brothers and sisters in Pakistan.

Update  March 28, 12:30am ET: Hillary Clinton issued a statement condemning the "horrific" attack.

My prayers are with the victims of the horrific Easter Day attack in Lahore, Clinton said on Twitter. Pakistan and all nations must confront and defeat terrorists.
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Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic caucuses in Hawaii, adding to US presidential nomination victories in Washington and Alaska declared on Saturday night.

US media described the margin of victory in Hawaii, current president Barack Obama's home state, as emphatic.

It means the Vermont senator has taken three wins out of three in the states holding votes for their nominations on Saturday, in a major psychological boost to his supporters as he seeks to keep up the pressure on rival Hillary Clinton.

Bernie Sanders won contests in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii on Saturday (AP)

But analysts said the victories had made only a small dent in the significant lead enjoyed by Ms Clinton in terms of numbers of delegates.

After Mr Sanders' two early wins in Washington and Alaska on Saturday, Ms Clinton held a delegate lead of 1,234 to 956, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expands to 1,703-985 once the superdelegates are included. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

Democrat presidential candidates Show all 5 1 /5 Democrat presidential candidates Democrat presidential candidates Hillary Clinton If Americans are fuzzy on the other Democrat runners, they may feel they already know quite enough about Ms Clinton, who has gone from US First Lady to Senator to Secretary of State, navigating serial media maelstroms along the way. It's exhausting to enumerate them (Whitewater, Monica, Benghazi, the email server). She cried in New Hampshire in 2008 yet failed to stave off Barack Obama. Now she's after the nomination again. She has had a lousy campaign so far, yet this remains hers to lose. AP Democrat presidential candidates Bernie Sanders The self-described Democratic Socialist Senator from Vermont is technically an Independent on Capitol Hill but almost always votes with the Democrats. Since jumping into the nomination race, he has stunned probably even himself with the huge crowds he has drawn and his success at raising money from grassroots supporters. AP Democrat presidential candidates Marton O'Malley Mr O'Malley, the Governor of Maryland until the start of this year and before that Mayor of Baltimore, seemed well placed to challenge Ms Clinton. He has a strong record of progressive accomplishments in his state. So far, however, while his speeches are well received, his polling numbers have remained pathetic. Reuters Democrat presidential candidates Lincoln Chafee Mr Chafee, who shod horses as a young man, was a Republican US Senator for Rhode Island who defied his party and voted against the Iraq War. In 2011, he was elected as the state's governor as an Independent. Now he's running as a Democrat. His pet project? He wants the US to say goodbye to Fahrenheit and go metric. AP Democrat presidential candidates Jim Web Former Virginia Senator Jim Webb has dropped out of the race for the Democratic presidential nomination, although he has hinted that he might still run as an independent. Getty Images

The Hawaii result nonetheless adds to the landslide wins for Mr Sanders in Washington, where he was leading on 71 per cent in a CNN count late on Saturday, and Alaska, where he had an even greater 80 per cent.

Grinning as he addressed supporters, in Madison, Wisconsin, Mr Sanders said: "I knew that we were going to have a hard time in the Deep South, where people are more conservative. But we knew things were going to improve as we headed West."

Mr Sanders insists there is still a "path to victory" for his campaign. But he needs to win more than 57 per cent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by June's end, again according to an AP count.

Washington was the biggest prize at stake on Saturday, with 101 delegates to offer compared to Hawaii's 25 and Alaska's 16, and both candidates had focussed their campaigning there.

Prior to the results coming out, Ms Clinton told supporters in Everett: We are on the path to the nomination, and I want Washington to be part of how we get there.
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The North Korean government has threatened to take merciless action against South Korea unless it publicly executes the officials who put together an alleged plot to assassinate Kim Jong-un.

Amid a dramatic escalation of tensions on the Korean peninsula, the North accused the South of carrying out an exercise last Monday in which precision bombers destroyed a mocked-up structure suspiciously similar to the home of the North Korean dictator.

Officials in Seoul do not deny that its air force staged a drill last week against a simulated key North Korean facility, but have provided no further details.

Pyongyang insists the exercise was part of a future plan to wipe out Kims presidential office with 16 fighter bombers armed with guided air-to-surface missiles.

In retaliation, North Korea said its own military was training to destroy the presidential Blue House of South Koreas Park Geun-hye.

It issued what it called an ultimatum, demanding the South apologise for its alleged move at least to hurt the dignity of its leader Kim, as well as the public execution of those who planned and staged the drill.

In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test Show all 15 1 /15 In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test A lab employee from the Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety's regional office in Gangneung, east of Seoul, checks for radioactive traces in the air, in Gangneung, soon after North Korea announced it successfully conducted a hydrogen bomb test. The office in Gangneung is the closest one to the site of the North's claimed test. Officials said it will take three to four days to analyze air samples in detail for any traces of radioactivity, the Yonhap news agency reported EPA In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test North Korean leader Kim Jong-Un signing a document of a hydrogen bomb test in Pyongyang In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test People watch a TV news program showing North Korea's special announcement at the Seoul Railway Station in Seoul, South Korea AP In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test Getty Images In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test Getty Images In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test South Korean people watch TV news at Seoul station EPA In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test Japan's meteorological agency officer Yohei Hasegawa displays a chart showing seismic activity, after a North Korean nuclear test, at the agency in Tokyo Getty Images In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test Ko Yun-Hwa, administrator of Korea Meteorological Administration, briefs reporters showing seismic waves from the site of North Korea's hydrogen bomb test, at his office in Seoul Getty Images In pictures: North Korea hydrogen bomb test North Korea's border county of Kaepoong is seen from a South Korean observation post in Paju near the Demilitarized zone dividing the two Koreas as North Korea announced it had successfully carried out its first hydrogen bomb test Getty Images

An English language statement on Saturday, issued by North Korean state media, warned that if the South does not respond to the ultimatum of the KPA, the long-range artillery force of the KCA large combined unit [North Korean military] on the front will move over to merciless military action.

In a series of pictures released on Friday, Kim himself was seen inspecting what state media called the largest ever exercise involving North Korean artillery fire.

Row upon row of artillery guns could be seen shooting as a laughing Kim looked on, though the complete veracity of the state-issued photos could not be confirmed. The North has been known to doctor official images in the past.

Speaking at the anniversary event for a 2010 sinking of a naval ship that killed 46 people, the Souths President Park warned the North to end its provocations and escape the illusion that it benefits from nuclear armament.

Reckless provocation will be the road to destruction for the Norths regime, she said.
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Belgian police have carried out 13 new raids across Brussels as part of a major crackdown in the wake of the terror attacks last week, prosecutors said.

The raids took place in various districts and led to nine arrests, with suspects questioned "in the context of terrorism", a statement read.

Five were later released, the federal prosecutor's office said, with no further details provided.

Earlier, Belgian police charged a second suspect with involvement in a terrorist group as part of the investigation into a foiled attack on Paris.

The man charged was identified as A Abderrahmane, who was shot and arrested during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek on Friday.

Prosecutors said on Saturday that Abderrahmane would be detained for a further 24 hours, and the Belgian press agency Belga said on Sunday he has now been charged.

It reported that he was charged in connection with a related raid in France this week, which authorities have previously said foiled an apparent attack.

Meanwhile, the Belgian interior minister admitted that errors were made in the run-up to the Brussels attacks that killed at least 31 people and wounded 270 others on Tuesday.

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

Jan Jambon said the Belgian government had invested 600 million (470 million) into police and security services over the past two years but acknowledged neglect over decades had hampered an effective response to violent extremism.

Speaking on Sunday, he said investments in security would take time to yield results and that hiring anti-terror specialists and specialised equipment could not happen in weeks or months.

Mr Jambon says "it is also not because you put the money in now, that tomorrow all this is visible on the ground."

On Saturday, an Algerian man wanted by Belgium in connection with the terror attacks in Brussels was arrested in Italy.

Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was arrested in the southern region of Salerno, according to local media reports.

Mr Ouali was detained under a European arrest warrent in connection with a probe into fake ID documents used by the attackers behind the Paris and Brussels attacks, France 24 reported.
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Belgian riot police have deployed water cannon to the Place de la Bourse in Brussels in a bid to disperse a right-wing march that has disrupted a peaceful rally.

Hundreds of people had assembled informally in the large public square to remember the 31 victims of last Tuesday's terror attacks when dozens of men, some wearing masks and balaclavas, barged to the centre.

Riot police kettle far-right protesters (AP)

It comes after a planned peace march through the city was cancelled at the request of Brussels police, who said they were too thinly-stretched to provide enough security for a large-scale demonstration.

The group of black-clad men had mounted the steps of the stock exchange building in the square and started chanting slogans against the Isis jihadist group.

Some members of the group were seen making Nazi salutes, confronting ethnic minority groups and throwing flares.

Far-right protesters gather in Place de la Bourse (AP)

Riot squads joined police in the square a short while later and, after they ignored requests to disperse in line with the earlier advice from officials, water cannons were deployed. People gathered at the vigil cheered as the protesters were driven away.

A far-right protester treads on floral tributes in Place de la Bourse (AFP/Getty Images)

Adrian Liston, who was present at the vigil, told the BBC that the memorial had been disrupted by a bunch of skinheads who had turned up in force.

Black-clad protesters shout slogans during the peace vigil (AP)

They marched into the square and started a major confrontation with the peace protesters, he added.

At this point they were really starting to get in the face of the peace protesters, the face of the police, setting off flares, setting off fireworks, and chanting stuff that was really quite ugly.

Protesters disturb the peace rally at Place de la Bourse (AFP/Getty Images)

Riot police block protesters (AFP/Getty Images)

Earlier, Belgian police carried out 13 new raids across Brussels as part of a major crackdown in the wake of the terror attacks last week.

The raids took place in various districts and led to nine arrests, with suspects questioned "in the context of terrorism", a statement read.

Five were later released, the federal prosecutor's office said, with no further details provided.

Belgian police have also charged a second suspect with involvement in a terrorist group as part of the investigation into a foiled attack on Paris.

The man charged was identified as A Abderrahmane, who wasshot and arrested during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek on Friday.

Prosecutors said on Saturday that Abderrahmane would be detained for a further 24 hours, and the Belgian press agency Belga said on Sunday he has now been charged.

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

It reported that he was charged in connection with a related raid in France this week, which authorities have previously said foiled an apparent attack.

Meanwhile, the Belgian interior minister admitted that errors were made in the run-up to the Brussels attacks that killed at least 31 people and wounded 270 others on Tuesday.
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A Frenchman, suspected of involvement in planning a terror attack, has been arrested by Dutch police, prosecutors in The Netherlands have said.

The 32-year-old, whose identity has not been released, was arrested at the request of French authorities in the port city of Rotterdam.

In a statement on Sunday, prosecutors said French officials requested the arrest on Friday after the suspect emerged during an investigation.

The suspect is expected to be extradited to France in the immediate future.

Three other people have been detained. Two are understood to have Algerian backgrounds, while a third man's identity could not immediately be established.

Additional reporting by Associated Press
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Thousands of people have turned out to line the route of a military parade through Dublin to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising.

Irish President Michael D Higgins kicked off Easter Sunday commemorations by laying a wreath at the spot where 15 rebel leaders were executed for their part in the failed revolt against British rule in 1916.

The Republic of Ireland became a fully independent state in 1921 following the Anglo-Irish treaty.

What was the Easter Rising?

A group of republican rebels - including controversial folk hero Padraig Pearse - first started planning an uprising against British rule after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914.

On Easter Monday, 24 April 1916, roughly 1,200 members of local republican groups, including the Irish Volunteers and Irish Citizen Army, took over strongholds in Dublin city centre and made the General Post Office their headquarters.

The British Army were initially caught off guard by the assault with only 1,268 troops in the city at the time but soon rallied and by the end of the week had a force of 16,000 men.

The rebels had failed to capture either of the citys main train stations or ports and the leaders were forced to surrender unconditionally at their headquarters after just six days.

Lord Wimborne, the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, declared martial law the day after the rising began and 15 of the leaders were executed by firing squad in May.

Nearly 1,500 more were held as political prisoners in England and Wales - including future republican leader Michael Collins who was assassinated in 1922.

Future president, Eamon de Valera was one of the few prominent leaders to escape execution - partly because he was a US citizen.

How much damage was done?

The Glasnevin Trust have said around 485 people were killed and 2,600 were wounded during the week of fighting.

Approximately half of those killed were civilians - either people caught in the crossfire or shot by the British Army after being mistaken for rebels.

Destroyed buildings in Dublin in 1916 (Getty Images/Hulton Archive)

The youngest person reported dead was a 22-month-old child and the oldest was 82.

Most of central Dublin was destroyed in the chaos with an estimated 200 city centre buildings damaged - costing around 3m at the time.

Why was it so significant?

Although the Easter Rising has been regarded as a military failure it is seen as the turning point in the Irish campaign for independence.

At the start of the rising, it took most ordinary Dubliners off guard and so many did not come forward with their support.

Future Irish President Eamon de Valera, pictured speaking from exile in the US in 1919 (Getty Images/General Photographic Agency)

But following the brutal suppression of the revolt by the British Army and the killing of its leaders the tide of popular opinion started to turn.

Two years later in 1918, strikes and rallies began across Ireland after the UK Parliament passed an amendment to the Military Service Act of 1916 which would have forced Irish men to be conscripted to fight in the British trenches.

Although many Irish men had volunteered to fight in 1914 and the act was never enforced, the Conscription Crisis galvanatised Irish seperatism.

What is its legacy?

In December 1918, the separatist Sinn Fein party, led by Mr de Valera, swept to victory across Ireland in the UK general elections, ousting the moderate Irish Parliamentary Party.

Rather than taking their seats, Sinn Fein instead declared a republic and sparked the Irish War of Independence which led to the Irish Free State being declared in 1921.

Following independence, a 10 month civil war broke out over whether to accept the terms of the peace treaty with the UK - that Ireland would be an independent state but remain a part of the British Empire - which ended in the defeat of the anti-treaty side.

The two major parties in modern Irish politics, Fine Gael and Fianna Fail, were formed out of these divisions.

Why is it so controversial?

It is more to do with the history of Irish republicanism itself and the violence it inspired in the years that followed.

The leaders became wrapped in a mythology surrounding the Easter Rising and many feel their reputations as fearless freedom fighters are embellished or even undeserved.

Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary Show all 11 1 /11 Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary Members of the Defence Forces and veterans attend the Easter Sunday Commemoration Ceremony at the General Post Office 2016 Getty Images Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary An Irish army commandant displays the Irish republic's proclamation during the 1916 Easter Rising commemoration parade marking the 100th anniversary at the General Post Office building Getty Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary The largest military parade in the history of the state passes the GPO as part of the 1916 Easter Rising centenary commemorations in Dublin Niall Carson/PA Wire Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary 27th March 2016 marks the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising in the Republic of Ireland when in 1916 a rebellion was attempted to oust British rule of the country Reuters Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary 2016 Getty Images Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary Members of the Irish Air Corps perform a fly-past over the General Post Office (GPO), the scene of the 1916 Easter Rising, in Dublin during a programme of commemorative events to mark the 100th anniversary of the Rising AFP and Licensors Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary Acting Minister for Defence Simon Coveney and Members of the Defence Forces at the Easter Sunday Commemoration Ceremony at the General Post Office in Dublin, Ireland 2016 Getty Images Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary A member of the Irish Defence Force reads the 1916 proclamation, outside the General Post Office. This Easter marks the 100th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising, when Irish Rebels rose up against British Rule, eventually leading to Ireland's Independence from Britain in 1922 EPA Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary The largest military parade in the history of the state passes the GPO as part of the 1916 Easter Rising centenary commemorations in Dublin PA Wire Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary Members of the Irish army parade past the General Post Office on O'Connell street, Dublin, Ireland. Thousands of people took part in the 100th anniversary of Ireland's Easter Rising against Britain, a doomed rebellion that reduced parts of the capital to ruins and inspired the country's eventual independence Dublin Commemorates The Easter Rising Centenary 2016 Getty Images

Others point to Ireland's brutal war of independence and subsequent civil war as evidence that the country's earlier leaders were not whiter than white.

Mr de Valera's policy of embracing the Catholic Church and its arch social conservatism - that continues to restrict the rights of women - is also seen as a betrayal of the often Marxist-inspired secularism and nationalism of the early leaders.

On the UK's side, it has never apologised for the actions of the British Army as they put down the uprising, nor has it paid reparations.
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Some areas of London have become ethnic ghettos where it is unsafe to walk and even the police themselves fear to tread  according to some extraordinary reports published by Russian state media in the wake of the Brussels bombings.

An article by the Kremlin-supported RT news outlet claimed there were parts of Paris, Berlin and the UK capital which could be likened to the Molenbeek municipality of Brussels, the subject of much attention since the Paris bombings.

According to a lengthy translation by the state-run Sputnik News website, areas of London such as Brixton and Peckham have potentially explosive ethnic neighbourhoods like Molenbeeks own - that extraordinarily insensitive pun included.

Linking districts that are multicultural to high numbers of not-so-law abiding citizens, Sputniks version observes that its a different kind of London, not the one you might read about in a Charles Dickens novel.

It goes on: In the modern history of London, Brixton is known as one of the most dangerous districts in the city. The multi-ethnic borough itself is predominantly populated by people of African and Caribbean descent. Brixton is notorious for high levels of unemployment and poverty. RT recommends avoiding walking in the borough.

The Russian media reports seem to justify associating the area with terrorism  not to mention the thinly-veiled racism  with a reference to the Brixton riots which spanned two days in 1981.

The reports have been likened to US presidential candidate Donald Trumps claims last year that we have places in London that are so radicalised that the police are afraid for their own lives  and have met with a similar level of ridicule.

After local news website Brixton Blog picked up on the article, one reader said: This is such a load of rubbish. There isnt anywhere in London I wouldnt walk.

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

Twitter user Michael Veale suggested that visitors to Brixton were most at danger of acute quinoa poisoning.

And Paris-based AFP journalist Katy Lee seemed to take similar issue with the reports of no-go zones there, describing the Sputnik report as a pretty special piece of journalism.
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The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has defended a soldier caught on camera allegedly shooting an injured Palestinian in the head.

Shocking footage surfaced on Thursday, captured by Israeli Human Rights Organisation BTselem, of an Israeli solider apparently shooting a man in the head who was lying injured on the ground.

According to BTselem, the man was Palestinian Abed al-Fatah a-Sharif who, along with another man, Ramzi al-Qasrawi, is said to have stabbed an Israeli soldier in Hebron, the West Bank.

Both men died during the incident. The stabbed soldier was said to have sustained minor injuries.

Recommended Read more Video shows Israeli troop shoot dead injured Palestinian after attack

The Israeli Defence Forces (IDF) solider, who has been named online as Elor Azraya, was arrested and detained after the lethal shooting.

He had a hearing on Friday at the Jaffa Military Court, where it was announced he is to face a murder investigation.

There was uproar after the footage was posted online - but also at the soldiers treatment.

Prime Minister Mr Netanyahu initially condemned his actions, while the IDF labelled the incident a grave breach of IDF values, conduct and standards of military operations".

But now Mr Netanyahu has backtracked and defended the soldier, along with the military, when speaking at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Show all 10 1 /10 The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Medics evacuate a wounded man from the scene of an attack in Jerusalem. A Palestinian rammed a vehicle into a bus stop then got out and started stabbing people before he was shot dead AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Israeli ZAKA emergency response members carry the body of an Israeli at the scene of a shooting attack in Jerusalem. A pair of Palestinian men boarded a bus in Jerusalem and began shooting and stabbing passengers, while another assailant rammed a car into a bus station before stabbing bystanders, in near-simultaneous attacks that escalated a month long wave of violence AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Getty Images The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians throw molotov cocktail during clashes with Israeli troops near Ramallah, West Bank. Recent days have seen a series of stabbing attacks in Israel and the West Bank that have wounded several Israelis AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Women cry during the funeral of Palestinian teenager Ahmad Sharaka, 13, who was shot dead by Israeli forces during clashes at a checkpoint near Ramallah, at the family house in the Palestinian West Bank refugee camp of Jalazoun, Ramallah AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A wounded Palestinian boy and his father hold hands at a hospital after their house was brought down by an Israeli air strike in Gaza Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinians look on after a protester is shot by Israelis soldiers during clashes at the Howara checkpoint near the West Bank city of Nablus EPA The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies A lawyer wearing his official robes kicks a tear gas canister back toward Israeli soldiers during a demonstration by scores of Palestinian lawyers called for by the Palestinian Bar Association in solidarity with protesters at the Al-Aqsa mosque compound in Jerusalem's Old City, near Ramallah, West Bank AP The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Undercover Israeli soldiers detain a Palestinian in Ramallah Reuters The IsraeliPalestinian conflict intensifies Palestinian youth burn tyres during clashes with Israeli soldiers close to the Jewish settlement of Bet El, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, after Israel barred Palestinians from Jerusalem's Old City as tensions mounted following attacks that killed two Israelis and wounded a child

He said: "Any challenge to the morality of the IDF is outrageous and unacceptable.

"The soldiers of the IDF, our children, maintain high ethical values while courageously fighting against bloodthirsty murderers under difficult operational conditions.

"I am certain that in all cases, as in the current one, the inquiry takes into account all conditions.

We must all support the IDF chief of staff, the IDF and our soldiers, who safeguard our security."

Several far-right politicians have also supported the soldier after the shooting, which comes amid a six-month spike in violence which has left 200 Palestinians and 28 Israelis dead.

Israeli Education Minister Naftali Bennett wrote on Facebook: "The soldier is not a murderer.

"Have we lost our minds? We are at war, a war against brutal terrorism."

A protest was said to have been held outside the prison where the soldier is being kept.

Posters have also surfaced denouncing those critical of his actions, and there have been calls for the resignation of Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon, who said the incident would be treated with the utmost severity.
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The Isis jihadist group has been driven out of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra and government forces have retaken complete control, according to state media reports.

In what would be a major symbolic victory over the militant group, Syrian state TV reports quoted a military source saying that the army had recaptured the city with the help of militia allies.

Forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad had complete control over the city of Palmyra as of Sunday morning, the military source said.

Troops loyal to Bashar al-Assad celebrate on the edge of Palmyra (Reuters)

In a statement aired on Syrian TV, the General Command of the Syrian army said it could confirm "security and stability" had been returned to Palmyra with the assistance of the Russian and Syrian air forces.

It said the recapture of the ancient city showed that "the army and its friends" were the only combatants capable of fighting and eradicating terrorism.

And state media also carried a statement by President Assad himself, who described the victory in Palmyra as an "important achievement" for regime forces.

He said: "The liberation of the historic city of Palmyra today is an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism."

A spokesman for the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said earlier that some gunfire remained in the eastern part of the city, but the bulk of Isis forces had moved out to the east leaving Palmyra under government control. He described it as the biggest defeat for the group since it declared a caliphate across its territories in June 2014.

Ancient monuments under Isis threat Show all 8 1 /8 Ancient monuments under Isis threat Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra The ancient oasis city of Palmyra Getty Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra A partial view of the ancient ruins Getty Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra The ancient Palmyra theater Reuters Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra A view of the ancient Syrian city of Palmyra Getty Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra The Temple of Bel Reuters Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra Palmyra's famous graves AP Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra The ancient castle Getty Ancient monuments under Isis threat Isis seizes Palmyra A sculpture depicting a rich family from the ancient Syrian oasis city of Palmyra, displayed at the city's museum Getty

Though symbolically important, the modern city next to Palmyra is also a major strategic gateway to much of Syria's eastern desert.

Isis was reported as losing the battle for Palmyra on Saturday, though the jihadist group initially resisted those state media claims with propaganda videos of their own.

Some on-the-ground activists still suggest the group holds as many as three neighbourhoods in the city, but it now seems clear the majority of its forces fled over the course of Saturday night.

Syrian pro-government forces drive a tank on the outskirts of Palmyra during a military operation to retake the ancient city from Isis (Getty)

Rami Abdulrahman, the director of the Syrian Observatory, said the bodies of more than 400 Isis fighters had been left behind after the fighting, the culmination of an intensive three-week campaign by Assad forces supported by Russian air strikes.

A Unesco World Heritage site and home to some of the finest ancient Roman ruins in the Middle East, the loss of Palmyra to Isis was mourned around the world.

The jihadist group had a track record of destroying any religious symbols and structures within its territories that did not fit with its ultra-conservative interpretation of Sunni Islam, describing them as idolatrous.

A Syrian policeman patrolling Palmyra in 2014, prior to the ancient city being seized by Isis forces last May (Getty Images)

Sure enough, within a few months of taking the ancient city last May, Isis had destroyed two of its most elaborate temple buildings and posted evidence of the acts online.

Syria's antiquities chief said this week that other ancient landmarks were still standing and pledged to restore the damaged monuments.

"Palmyra has been liberated. This is the end of the destruction in Palmyra," Mamoun Abdelkarim told Reuters on Sunday. "How many times did we cry for Palmyra? How many times did we feel despair? But we did not lose hope."
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Turkey is exporting Isis-linked terrorists to Europe, according to King Abdullah of Jordan.

The monarch's remarks came in a meeting with members of the US Congress, in which he said that Islamist militants were being "manufactured in Turkey" and "unleashed" into Europe.

He also used the debriefing, held after a cancelled rendezvous with US President Barack Obama, to remind the US politicians of Turkey's alleged complicity in buying Isis oil.

Refugee crisis - in pictures Show all 27 1 /27 Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugee crisis - in pictures A child looks through the fence at the Moria detention camp for migrants and refugees at the island of Lesbos on May 24, 2016. AFP/Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Ahmad Zarour, 32, from Syria, reacts after his rescue by MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station) while attempting to reach the Greek island of Agathonisi, Dodecanese, southeastern Agean Sea Refugee crisis - in pictures Syrian migrants holding life vests gather onto a pebble beach in the Yesil liman district of Canakkale, northwestern Turkey, after being stopped by Turkish police in their attempt to reach the Greek island of Lesbos on 29 January 2016. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees flash the 'V for victory' sign during a demonstration as they block the Greek-Macedonian border Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants have been braving sub zero temperatures as they cross the border from Macedonia into Serbia. Refugee crisis - in pictures A sinking boat is seen behind a Turkish gendarme off the coast of Canakkale's Bademli district on January 30, 2016. At least 33 migrants drowned on January 30 when their boat sank in the Aegean Sea while trying to cross from Turkey to Greece. Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A general view of a shelter for migrants inside a hangar of the former Tempelhof airport in Berlin, Germany Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees protest behind a fence against restrictions limiting passage at the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Since last week, Macedonia has restricted passage to northern Europe to only Syrians, Iraqis and Afghans who are considered war refugees. All other nationalities are deemed economic migrants and told to turn back. Macedonia has finished building a fence on its frontier with Greece becoming the latest country in Europe to build a border barrier aimed at checking the flow of refugees Refugee crisis - in pictures A father and his child wait after being caught by Turkish gendarme on 27 January 2016 at Canakkale's Kucukkuyu district Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants make hand signals as they arrive into the southern Spanish port of Malaga on 27 January, 2016 after an inflatable boat carrying 55 Africans, seven of them women and six chidren, was rescued by the Spanish coast guard off the Spanish coast. Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee holds two children as dozens arrive on an overcrowded boat on the Greek island of Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures A child, covered by emergency blankets, reacts as she arrives, with other refugees and migrants, on the Greek island of Lesbos, At least five migrants including three children, died after four boats sank between Turkey and Greece, as rescue workers searched the sea for dozens more, the Greek coastguard said Refugee crisis - in pictures Migrants wait under outside the Moria registration camp on the Lesbos. Over 400,000 people have landed on Greek islands from neighbouring Turkey since the beginning of the year Refugee crisis - in pictures The bodies of Christian refugees are buried separately from Muslim refugees at the Agios Panteleimonas cemetery in Mytilene, Lesbos Refugee crisis - in pictures Macedonian police officers control a crowd of refugees as they prepare to enter a camp after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A refugee tries to force the entry to a camp as Macedonian police officers control a crowd after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees are seen aboard a Turkish fishing boat as they arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing a part of the Aegean Sea from the Turkish coast to Lesbos Reuters Refugee crisis - in pictures An elderly woman sings a lullaby to baby on a beach after arriving with other refugees on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A man collapses as refugees make land from an overloaded rubber dinghy after crossing the Aegean see from Turkey, at the island of Lesbos EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures A girl reacts as refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees make a show of hands as they queue after crossing the Greek border into Macedonia near Gevgelija Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures People help a wheelchair user board a train with others, heading towards Serbia, at the transit camp for refugees near the southern Macedonian town of Gevgelija AP Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees board a train, after crossing the Greek-Macedonian border, near Gevgelija. Macedonia is a key transit country in the Balkans migration route into the EU, with thousands of asylum seekers - many of them from Syria, Afghanistan, Iraq and Somalia - entering the country every day Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures An aerial picture shows the "New Jungle" refugee camp where some 3,500 people live while they attempt to enter Britain, near the port of Calais, northern France Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures A Syrian girl reacts as she helped by a volunteer upon her arrival from Turkey on the Greek island of Lesbos, after having crossed the Aegean Sea EPA Refugee crisis - in pictures Refugees arrive by boat on the Greek island of Lesbos after crossing the Aegean sea from Turkey Getty Images Refugee crisis - in pictures Beds ready for use for migrants and refugees are prepared at a processing center on January 27, 2016 in Passau, Germany. The flow of migrants arriving in Passau has dropped to between 500 and 1,000 per day, down significantly from last November, when in the same region up to 6,000 migrants were arriving daily.

The fact that terrorists are going to Europe is part of Turkish policy," said King Abdullah. "Turkey keeps on getting a slap on the hand, but they are let off the hook.

Arguing that the autocratic Turkish President Tayyip Erdogan believes in a radical Islamic solution to the region", King Abdullah said.

"Turkey sought a religious solution to Syria, while we are looking at moderate elements in the south and Jordan pushed for a third option that would not allow a religious option."

The meeting was held on 11 January, but details of the King's opinions have only just been leaked by Middle East Eye.

 Turkey takes journalists' trial behind closed doors

Although Turkey and Jordan are officially allies, the refugee crisis has heightened tensions between the two nations. King Abdullah is understood to have been angered by the EU's generous offer of cash and diplomatic ties in return for Turkey limiting the onward flow of refugees into the continent.

At roughly 75 million, Turkey's population is over ten times that of Jordan's, meaning the Arab nation is hosting a proportionately greater number of refugees.

Speaking to politicians including John McCain and Paul Ryan, King Abdullah also claimed that Jordanian special forces with "some balls" were involved in covert operations in Syria.

Though the presence of Jordanian soldiers could not be confirmed, the nation has certainly been involved in training opposition fighters, espionage, providing weapons and ammunition and a limited number of air strikes.

But if their role in the conflict increases, they are likely to come into further friction with other key players in the region, particularly Turkey and Russia. In his debriefing with the American politicians, the Jordanian monarch described a tense stand-off between Turkish, Israeli and Russian war planes.
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Tony Blair has said that "many millions" of Muslims hold a viewpoint that is "fundamentally incompatible with the modern world."

Rejecting arguments that Isis is simply "tens of thousands of brainwashed crazies," he continued: "[Isis] does not seek dialogue but dominance. It cannot therefore be contained. It has to be defeated."

To mitigate against such attacks, the ex-PM argued for "active on-the-ground military support" for Arab armies, stating that Isis "have to be crushed."

He also called for the creation of a pan-national anti-terror force, saying: "We must build military capability able to confront and defeat the terrorists wherever they try to hold territory. This is a challenge for the West."

Inside Isis secret tunnels Show all 7 1 /7 Inside Isis secret tunnels Inside Isis secret tunnels Network of underground tunnels was discovered by Kurdish forces after they regained the town of Sinjar in Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels A member of the Peshmerga forces inspects a tunnel used by Isis militants in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Reuters Inside Isis secret tunnels An entrance to the tunnel used by Islamic State militants is seen in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels The secret tunnels allowed militants to freely move underground Inside Isis secret tunnels The tunnels appear to be wired with electricity Inside Isis secret tunnels Some of the tunnels are 30 feet deep Inside Isis secret tunnels Concerns remain that parts of the tunnels are rigged with explosives

His comments, made during a Sunday Times interview, come six months after he admitted that the existence of Isis could be blamed on Western intervention in the Arab world during the second Iraq war.

Asked by a CNN interviewer in October 2015 whether he thought the invasion of Iraq was a "principle cause" of the rise of Isis, he said:

"I think there are elements of truth in that... Of course you can't say that those of us who removed Saddam in 2003 bear no responsibility for the situation in 2015.

"But... it's not clear to me that even if our policy did not work, subsequent policies have worked better."

 Former London student in Isis execution video

He warned that "increasingly frequent acts of terrorism" could culminate in an attack "of such size and horror" that it would result in "many more victims" than the recent attack on Brussels or 2015 attacks in Paris.

And he criticised those on the left who believe that "we have caused all of this through Western policy".

In 2014, a senior Isis commander told the Guardian that the Camp Bucca detention facility operated by the US-led coalition during the Iraq war was directly responsible for the rise of the theocratic state.

It made it all, it built our ideology, he said. We could never have all got together like this in Baghdad, or anywhere else.
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The recapture of Palmyra by the Syrian army is an important defeat for Isis, but does not mean it is disintegrating as it is pressed back into the self-declared Caliphate.

Although Isis is reported to have left the bodies of 400 of its fighters in and around the ancient city, it appears to have withdrawn most of its forces before they were destroyed. This is inkeeping with its tactics over the last year whereby it does not fight to the last man defending fixed positions against prolonged air strikes by Russian and US-led aircraft.

The successful advance of the Syrian army  though just how far it is in control of the Palmyra area is still unclear  marks an important victory for President Bashar al-Assad just as the loss of the city ten months ago underlined the ebbing strength of his forces. The reversal of his military fortunes stem from the start of the Russian air campaign on 30 September last year and a less well-publicised increase in support from the Shia axis led by Iran and including Hezbollah in Lebanon and Iraqi paramilitary units. Despite the official end of Russian military intervention, its aircraft evidently played a central role in retaking the city.

A striking feature of the Isis victory in May last year was that its fighters were able to advance without being bombarded by US aircraft because the US did not want to be accused of doing anything that would help the Assad government, whom it accused of never fighting Isis. The claim was in part propagandistic since the Syrian army had suffered a series of defeats at the hands of Isis in 2014 as was shown by Isis atrocity videos in which Syrian soldiers taken prisoner are shown being decapitated or shot.

Western governments and the Syrian opposition accused Russia of focusing solely on non-Isis targets during its air campaign in support of the Syrian army. In reality, the Russians launched air strikes on whatever elements of the armed opposition that were the greatest threat to Syrian army positions in all parts of the country. These included air attacks in northern Latakia province, around Aleppo and east of Homs and Hama. At the high point of its advance last year, Isis was able to threaten the main north-south M5 highway linking Damascus and Homs and, more recently, briefly cut the alternative route linking Homs to Aleppo.

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

Isis has lost a battle, but it has not necessarily lost the war and it will be difficult for the Syrian army to advance east of Palmyra as it presses into hardcore Syrian Arab areas and will become vulnerable to guerrilla attacks. The same is true of the heavily populated rural Sunni areas of Idlib province and east Aleppo where the armed opposition are coming under pressure from Syrian army and the Syrian Kurdish Peoples Protection Units (YPG).

The political and military situation in Syria and Iraq remains unstable with local and foreign players all pursuing different strategies. The Iraqi and Syrian Kurds have provided ground forces that are closely allied to the US-led air campaign, but both are conscious that the international support they are currently enjoying will not continue after the defeat of Isis. They will also be vulnerable to re-empowered central governments in Damascus and Baghdad seeking to reassert control over their Kurdish provinces or areas in dispute better between Kurds and Arabs.

 Syrian forces try to retake Palmyra from ISIL

Russia is showing that it is happy to act in concert with the US in arranging a cessation of hostilities on 27 February between the Syrian army and the armed opposition  aside from Jabhat al-Nusra and Isis. It is seeking to give substance to peace negotiations in Geneva which envisage some form of power sharing in Syria either on a geographical or institutional basis. But this is not a policy favoured by Iran or the Shia axis which in the long term remain the Assads governments most committed allies. The civil war is far from over.

Patrick Cockburns 'Chaos and Caliphate: Jihadis and the West in the Struggle for the Middle East' (OR Books) is published this month
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Russian President Vladmir Putin has praised Syrian President Bashar al-Assad on reclaiming the city of Palmyra from the so-called Islamic State.

Putin personally congratulated Assad by phone on Sunday and stressed the importance his regime played in recapturing the city.

"Assad highly valued the help Russian air forces have provided and underlined that such successes as regaining Palmyra would have been impossible without Russia's support," Dmitry Peskov said, according to Reuters.

Regaining the ancient city has been widely viewed as a victory over the terror group after they captured the capitol back in May of last year.

Soldiers gather around a Syrian national flag in Palmyra, Syria on Sunday. SANA/Associated Press (SANA/Associated Press)

Peskov added that President Putin told Assad that he would continue supporting Damascus in the fight against the Islamic State, the Russian news agency TASS reports.

"Palmyra was demolished more than once through the centuries and we will restore it anew so it will be a treasure of cultural heritage for the world.

Assad previoulsy called the achievement "fresh proof of the efficiency of the Syrian army and its allies in fighting terrorism," Al-Arabiya English reports.

Mamoun Abdulkarim, head of Syria's Archeology and Museums General Directorate, told USA Today that the government would soon begin efforts to rebuild the damage caused by militants.

The general and known viewpoint prefers not to rebuild antiquities, but in the case of Palmyra it is different, he said. We seek to restore the devastated temples in a way that preserves its historical identity depending on the original stones remaining in the site or bringing new identical ones from the citys quarry.
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Al-Qaeda has acquired sophisticated surface-to-air missiles, The Independent has learned, which were used to shoot down an Emirati fighter jet in a dangerous escalation of the civil war raging in Yemen.

A French-made Mirage jet, flying in the air force of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), crashed into a mountain side just outside the southern port city of Aden on 14 March. Authorities claimed that the crash was the result of a technical malfunction, but sources dispute this, claiming that the jet was shot down with Russian munitions. The incident raises the spectre of other jihadist branches accessing sophisticated surface-to-air missiles in Syria, Iraq and further afield.

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The UAE is part of a Saudi-led coalition that has carried out a year-long war against Shia Houthi rebels, primarily from the air. Also involved in the war is al-Qaedas regional affiliate, al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP). With the bombing war dragging on, AQAP has worked assiduously and quietly to consolidate its hold in south Yemen.

Two pilots flying the jet were killed in the crash and locals reported seeing Apache helicopters and the jet engaged in an attack on AQAP forces dug into a district to the west of Aden. Security sources have estimated that some 300 jihadist fighters were under attack at the time the jet came down.

A source in Yemen told The Independent that the surface-to-air missile was a Russian-manufactured SA-7 or Strela. The SA-7 is a shoulder held heat-seeking missile. It has a kill zone range of between 15 and 1,500 metres in altitude, suggesting that the Mirage was flying low in a strafing run on the AQAP positions when it was hit.

The SA-7 has been around for several decades. The most likely source is Bulgaria which, after the breakup of the Soviet Union, sold Russian military hardware, including the SA-7, to countries alll over the Middle East.

Houthis attend a rally in Sanaa to mark a year of Saudi-led air strikes (Reuters)

The incident was the fourth time a coalition jet had crashed in the Yemen campaign, but the first in which a surface-to-air missile was used.

In late December an American-made F-16, part of Bahrains air force, came down in Saudi Arabia. The pilot ejected and survived in what appeared to be a crash related to a technical problem.

In May of last year, a Moroccan pilot died when his F-16 crashed in the north Yemen governorate of Saada. The Houthis claimed at the time that the jet was flying low and was hit by anti-aircraft guns positioned in the mountains. Coalition authorities said technical problems caused the crash.

Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Show all 4 1 /4 Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod Why Yemen's future threatens to destroy its past Hugh McLeod

The third plane, a Saudi F-15, came down in international waters in the Gulf of Aden at the start of the war, with officials citing mechanical issues.

A second source, who has close links with the Saudi intelligence service, said that the missile which brought down the Emirati jet this month was acquired by AQAP in raids on military bases that have occurred over the past year.

Al Qaeda has confiscated huge amounts of weapons from bases in Yemen, he said. He cited two such bases, one at al-Aryan along the southern coast east of Aden and another at Ataq, the capital of the southern governorate of Shabwah.

Using alliances with local tribes, al-Qaeda now controls the oil rich governorate of Hadhramaut together with the coastal city of Mukalla. Shabwah lies to the west of Hadhramaut and it too is largely controlled by AQAP and its tribal affiliates. Al-Qaeda are smarter than Islamic State [Isis], the source said. They speak with the tribal elders, they co-opt people, get them on their side. Islamic State uses fear and coercion. Its flashy and seeks a lot of attention but al-Qaeda is laying low and playing the long game.

The source also said that what he called co-operative army officers were making it easy for the jihadists to get weapons, many of them supplied by the Americans to the Yemeni army during the presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh. Mr Saleh who ruled Yemen with an iron hand for several decades was forced out in 2012 in the wake of popular protests.

The source claimed that soldiers loyal to Mr Saleh, who is allied to the Houthis, as well as soldiers supporting the current Saudi backed president Abd Rabbuh Mansur Hadi are selling arms to AQAP. They are getting the weapons from both sides, the source said.

The growing strength of AQAP  which has made significant territorial gains while the Saudi coalition attempts to quell the Houthi uprising, thus far with little success  is causing consternation in Washington. The Americans, who backed the bombing campaign and have provided logistical support, are increasingly worried that in the last year al-Qaeda has secured much of south Yemen as a significant operational base, one with substantial oil revenue potential.

Now, as signs grow that AQAP is becoming increasingly entrenched and much better armed, American support for the Yemen war is waning quickly. News that a ceasefire has been called for 10 April with peace talks commencing a week later in Kuwait was greeted with a sigh of relief in Washington.

But the quiet and steady rise of AQAP in south Yemen has left America and the region facing a significant new threat as it struggles to subdue Isis in Syria and Iraq.
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A 1.2 billion super-structure is to be built over the Chernobyl nuclear wasteland preventing radiation from escaping for the next century.

On April 26 1986, nearly 30 years ago to the day, the world witnessed the worst nuclear accident in its history.

A power failure simulation led to an explosion at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in the town of Pripyat, then in Ukraine SSR, part of the Soviet Union.

The accident is one of only two level seven disasters  the maximum classification  ever given by the International Nuclear Event Scale. The other is Fukushima.

The catastrophe directly claimed the lives of 31 people.

Roughly 50,000 residents of the nearby town of Pripyat, where the workers were housed, were hastily evacuated.

But in the ensuing clean-up hundreds of thousands of people were exposed to deadly radiation, thought to have contributed to a host of illnesses people later developed, such as cancer.

In addition, the explosion spewed nuclear particles into the atmosphere, and a potentially deadly cloud swept over much of the Western USSR and Europe.

The long-term health complications and eventual death toll from the fall-out from Chernobyl remain hotly contested to this day.

In an attempt to halt the worst of the radiation spreading, a slab of concrete referred to as the sarcophagus was hastily built over the reactor.

Decades later, a more permanent solution to the disaster is nearing completion, with the construction of a $1.7 billion (1.2 million) giant arch underway.

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The steel-encased structure, weighing 30,000 tonnes, has received funding from the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), as well donations from 40 governments.

The worlds largest land-based moving structure, dubbed the New Safe Confinement arch, it will be slowly pulled over the site later this year.

Visible for miles around, it is hoped the feat of architecture will block radiation from seeping out for the next 100 years, and will allow the remains of the reactor to be dismantled safely.

Vince Novak, nuclear safety director at the EBRD, said: "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."

But despite the super-structure, the exclusion zone measuring roughly 1,615 square miles - the size of Luxembourg - will still be uninhabitable and closed to unauthorised visitors.

For the past 30 years Pripyat has been a ghost town, an eerie snapshot of nature retaking a town deserted by humans.

Personal belongings sit in houses exactly where they were left; toys and books remain untouched in silent schools.

A lifetime of everyday objects lay littered across the wasteland, which still lies under the shadow of the hammer and sickle, one enduring reminder of the largest communist regime in history.


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By all accounts, the death of shopkeeper Asad Shah on Thursday night in Glasgow was alleged to be related to his background. It shocked the local community and a tribute event on Friday was attended by hundreds of people, including Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon. But, astonishingly, it is now suspected that Shah was killed by another Muslim man because he was an Ahmadi Muslim. It is the first high-profile anti-Ahmadi incident on British soil, and it has already sent ripples of shock throughout the small community.

Ahmadis are an Islamic sect, founded in modern day Pakistan in 1889. Theres no definitive number of Ahmadi Muslims: estimates range between two million to tens of millions, and though they are spread across the world, they are predominately based in Pakistan. Ahmadis are also considered heretics by many Sunni Muslims, and are viciously persecuted in their homeland. Pakistan treats Ahmadis no better than Apartheid South Africa treated black people; that is, with complete contempt.

Its shocking, but not entirely surprising, that the persecution Ahmadis face in Pakistan has travelled over here. Several British Ahmadis I spoke to say they have known of someone who had been threatened or attacked for being an Ahmadi here in Britain. One anti-Ahmadi group with offices in London organises conferences that spread hate-speech against them; a popular Facebook group sent out a message of congratulations on news of Shahs death.

The persecution of British Ahmadis by other Muslims has become worryingly normalised, yet has remained largely unspoken. In recent weeks, several British imams in Glasgow and Bradford openly praised Mumtaz Qadri, who murdered a Pakistani governor for campaigning against the countrys vicious blasphemy laws (used primarily to persecute and even kill religious minorities including Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and Ahmadis in Pakistan).

These are not isolated incidents. Last month a group of Muslims in Scunthorpe protested against an Ahmadi mosque being built, and there have been reports of similar incidents elsewhere around the country. In 2010, The Independent reported of hard line Muslims in west London calling for Ahmadis to be killed. In Tooting, mainstream Sunni preachers were found to have urged follower to boycotts Ahmadi businesses.

Whats frustrating for many British Ahmadis is that authorities are only just beginning to take their persecution seriously. Until now, it has been written off as an internal Muslim issue for the community to deal with itself. That can continue no longer. As Fiyaz Mughal, who runs the Muslim hate-crime monitoring group Tell MAMA, says: They are hate incidents and are recorded as such by us.

There may be deep theological differences between mainstream Sunni Muslim tradition and the Ahmadi Muslim tradition, but this isnt just a theological debate. Ahmadis have the right to live peacefully and without persecution, just like other Muslims in Britain. An alarmingly large number of Muslims who call for tolerance for their own beliefs seem unwilling to afford that tolerance to other minorities. This is a human rights matter. If mainstream Muslim groups, such as the Muslim Council of Britain, accept that Ahmadis have the right to live here without persecution, why dont they speak out against hate-speech?

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It wasnt always like this. Being an Ahmadi was only criminalised in Pakistan by dictator Zia ul-Haq in the 1970s after pressure from Muslim hardliners, yet their persecution has worsened since. In Britain, increasing sectarianism has followed the rise of extremists groups such as the Taliban, al-Qaeda and now Isis. The victims of inter-Muslim hatred arent always just Ahmadis, but even bigger minority groups such as Shia Muslims.

Of course, Muslims arent alone in their sectarianism against religious sects: Christians have a long, inglorious history in this regard. The centuries old Hindu caste system in India also leads to appalling treatment of lower-caste Dalits.

So lets call this out for what it is: pure bigotry and persecution. People who demand respect for their beliefs but cant afford tolerance to others dont deserve either.

Asad Shahs death is a reminder that to bend the arc of history towards justice requires speaking out for it, even if it doesnt directly affect us. Otherwise, we all become complicit in that injustice.
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On first viewing, the mad professor figure of Bernie Sanders might pass for a character in a low budget satire about the shimmering insanity of US presidential politics.

Finding the actor to play the Vermont senator, who despite beating Hillary Clinton by huge margins in all three of Saturdays caucuses has almost no chance of the Democratic nomination, would be a cinch. Larry David is eerily cast to type by looks (white haired baldie), background (Brooklyn Jewish) and temperament (droll irascibility), and has already played Sanders in Saturday Night Live sketches.

On closer inspection, Sanders is the only serious candidate on view in a campaign season that doesnt get less crazy. The latest episode from the Republican plaground finds them scrapping over whether Donald Trump planted the National Enqurier story about Ted Cruz seeing more extramarital action than seems credible for so repulsive a specimen.

This followed Trump juxtaposing pictures, on Twitter, of their respective wives - the unwritten commentary being My missus is smokin hot. And yours, Lyin Ted . That itself was a counterstrike, after Cruz supporters released an advert featuring an old photo of Melania Trump, a one-time supermodel, notably short on garments. Thus do the would-be inheritors of Lincolns mantle demonstrate their fitness to lead the free world.

As for the still prohibitive favourite for the Democratic nomination, admittedly there is little amusing about Hillary Clinton. It is true she has appeared on SNL playing herself, gamely colluding in a parody in the hope of narrowing the likeability gap. Even so, only the most sardonic etymologist would argue that her first name is a contraction from hillarity.

Yet being dogged and resilient, grave and unsmiling, shouldnt be confused with being serious. In fact there is something facetious about the glibness with which she explains her support for the Iraq folly, and justifies taking fortunes for speeches from Wall Street horrors who almost totalled the global economy.

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The core of seriousness isnt a grim countenance or a portentous tone. It is a philosophy strongly held enough to endure however long it stays out of fashion. Thatcher had it. Blair did not.

Sanders has believed what he still believes since starting as a civil rights activist as a student. This seriousness, I think, is why young Democrats prefer him to Hillary by margins of up to 80 per cent. The young are generally dismissed as unserious, of course, but nothing could be more wrong. They see things with a crystal clarity which becomes obscured as the passing of the years makes hypocrites of us by tempting us to make accommodations with our principles. What the middle aged smugly know as naive idealism is the recognition of simple truth.

One simple truth battered home by Sanders is that US campaign financing is wickedly corrupt, with presidential candidates purchased by corporations or billionaires almost exactly as congressmen were bought by Don Corleone.

Donald Trump makes the same point. But, where that freak show grotesque is corporately funded (by himself), almost every cent of Sanders funding is from tiny donations. He is in hock not to investment banks or Big Oil or some gruesome casino owner from Vegas, but to the tens of millions who gave him 10 bucks, and the tens of millions more for whom they stand proxy.

Another simple truth he voices is that America, like Britain, has become ever more economically unequal these recent decades. He may not have the solution (no one appears to have that), but he offers the analysis with integrity and authenticity. When Hillary talks about fairness, she is palpably paying lip service to ideals she regards as childishly utopian.

The nose-holding case for her to become President contends that at this supremely volatile and menacing moment in history, the planets paramount need is for her foreign policy experience.

I find this argument depressingly persuasive. And yet, buried alive beneath the layers of mid-life flab, I still hear the faint echo of a young man who felt and thought things with unsullied passion because those things were right.

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The purity of political belief generally fades with time, which is why we become less serious as we age. So give thanks for an eternally young 75 year old with the brogue to transport you to the Carnegie Deli table next to Jackie Masons, and with beliefs that are wholly impervious to the erosive power of time.

Even if Bernie Sanders wouldnt make a great leader (the precedent set by Jeremy Corbyn, his closest British equivalent, is not encouraging), he makes me wish I was 20 once again; and gazing beatifically at him through tear-sodden eyes on the night he concedes the nomination to a poster girl for principles suppresed and ideals trampled underfoot on the long forced march to power.
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It is inevitable, given what passes for public discourse in modern Britain, that any generalist statement the Prime Minister or any senior politician makes today will be subject to hate-filled ridicule. Or, to use the modern vernacular, trolling. So when David Cameron issues a public Easter statement, we know to expect the worst  even though what he said would once have been absolutely the norm.

Britain should be proud of being a Christian country with Christian values, the Prime Minister insisted. But they are also values that speak to everyone in Britain  to people of every faith and none, he continued. And we must all stand together and defend them.

Its our degree of separation from events and our perceived inability to affect change for the better that threatens most peoples good intentions, Christian or otherwise.

Thats partly why when we see ordinary people thwarted while genuinely trying to affect change, we feel their pain or loss all the more. Here, I am thinking of brave Asad Shah, the Muslim shopkeeper who was killed after he posted Easter wishes online to my beloved Christian nation. Shah was an Islamic Ahmadiyya, a sect which preaches peace and tolerance towards other religions, much to the disgust of more militant Muslims, who pronounce them kafir or non-believers. To my mind, if a religion preaches ill on those who wish peace and tolerance on others, that religion has no place in my life.

However, if we are to take the PM seriously on Christian values then he needs to look within. What Christian values inspired the bedroom tax, cuts to disability benefits, hostility to refugees, whipping up anti-immigrant rhetoric and the greed at the heart of tax avoidance?

These are surely all contrary to Christian values, but whenever the Archbishop or any other religious leader has the temerity to suggest this, politicians tell him to stick to his religious knitting. If we are to take him and his Government seriously on the subject, then there has to be tangible action beyond the annual Easter platitudes. He has the power to govern with Christian values, and he is sorely failing to use it.
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Whatever we think of Bashar al-Assads blood-stained regime in Syria, it is still welcome that its forces appear to have driven the Isis fanatics out of the ancient desert city of Palmyra.

When the ultra-Islamists captured this city last May, historians, lovers of culture, Syrian patriots and friends of civilisation the world over were plunged into dread and despair. In Palmyra, Isis not only obtained a strategic site, 130 miles northeast of Damascus, but a treasure trove of ancient artefacts, temples and palaces that bore witness to millennia of fruitful interplay between the cultures and faiths of east and west. Those who knew Palmyra and understood its deeper significance, as so much more than a museum or ruin, well understood that Isis would want to wreak revenge on it precisely for those reasons.

So it has unfortunately proved. Western reporters have yet to be allowed back into Palmyra where Isis fighters still reportedly hold out on the outskirts. But photographs taken from the air long ago confirmed that the magnificent 1st-century Temple of Bel is now dust and rubble. The equally ancient and wondrous Temple of Baalshamin, dug out of the sands in an almost pristine condition in the 1940s, has met the same fate.

What Isis did not destroy in Palmyra on the grounds of idolatry, it wrecked for hard cash. Alongside lost temples, numerous ancient tombs appear to have been plundered and razed so that the stones and reliefs could be sold on the illegal antiquities market.

Isis is not the first force in history to declare a form of war on history because of what it symbolises. The reason why so little medieval art and sculpture survives in modern Britain is because our own home-grown religious fanatics, the Puritans, obliterated almost all of it in the 16th and 17th centuries, employing the same argument that Isis uses today: idolatry. Few dared, as Shakespeare did discretely, to mourn the despoliation of ancient monasteries and churches and their conversion into bare ruind choirs.

Much more recently, communist revolutionaries inflicted incalculable damage on the religious art and architecture of Russia and China. More recently still, the Taliban robbed Afghanistan and the world of the precious Bamyan statues. Those vast, mysterious symbols of a long dead Buddhist civilisation were targeted by Moghul emperors in the Middle Ages and by Persians in the 18th century and survived them all - until the Taliban dynamited them in 2001.

We wait to see what remains of Palmyra, but, presuming Assad forces complete their recapture of the city, the rest of the world should not hold back from offering to help restore what is left. The regime will naturally make maximum use of this for its own propaganda purposes - but that should not deter anyone. It is tragic that Dr Khaled al-Assad, the head of antiquities at Palmyra for 50 years, will not be around to offer his invaluable contribution. Isis forces beheaded him last August for the crime of managing a collection of idols. The world owes it to him and to people like him, Syrians who faithfully guarded their countrys treasures for decades, to salvage as much as possible.

The defeat of Isis in Palmyra, meanwhile, forms part of a wider pushback that has substantially shrunk the "Islamic state over the past year. In northern Syria, Kurdish forces have overrun a long belt of territory including the town of Kobani along the Turkish border. In Iraq, government forces have ejected Isis from the key city of Ramadi and threaten to retake Mosul. Whether the much talked-about assault on Mosul gets far is a moot question, given the Iraqi armys unreliability, but there is no doubt that if Isis did lose that city, it would be a huge blow.

It may be premature at this stage to talk about completely defeating Isis, but containing and humiliating these brutes is a start.
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Last week I was in Amsterdam, where I joined civil servants and diplomats for a discussion on refugees. At one stage the subject of Geert Wilders came up, unsurprisingly since this far-right populist holds a commanding lead in opinion polls despite going on trial for inciting hatred against minorities. Some officials mused they might be unable to work for a government led by such a divisive character; others insisted they had a democratic duty to respect the wishes of voters.

It was a fascinating chat. Inevitably, the rise of the Nazis in neighbouring Germany was invoked. Wilders has never hidden his desire to lead the Netherlands. Yet five years ago he was acquitted of making anti-Islamic remarks after comparing the Koran to Mein Kampf and calling for a "towelhead" tax. Now he is accused of asking supporters if they wanted more or fewer Moroccans in Holland, then pledging to "take care of that" when they chanter "Fewer! Fewer! Fewer!" in response.

One in 50 Dutch people has Moroccan heritage, yet the man heading a party that has surged into the lead in opinion polls called them "scum" on television. Like many populists, the peroxide blond politician courts controversy, despite living under 24-hour police protection. Typically, he exploits the latest terrorist atrocities by demanding the Dutch Prime Minister resign over failures to heed Turkish warnings when one of the Brussels bombers was deported to Holland. I was relieved to hear a consensus that other parties would refuse to join government with his party for Freedom.

Arriving back in Britain, I found our own right-wing populist party doing its best to link the Brussels attacks to Brexit. This left Nigel Farage defending himself against criticism over using mass murder for political advantage after claiming Brussels was lawless and "the jihadi capital of Europe". It was the Ukip leaders latest attempt to heat up his rhetoric and grab attention. But his crass comments were overshadowed by the suspension of Suzanne Evans, one of the partys few appealing faces who has fallen out with her leader.

The two stories show why Britons should give thanks for Farage. Obviously, like most voters, I do not want to see him and his absurd views anywhere near Downing Street. As Ukip leader he gives reactionary voice to those disenchanted by modernity, disgruntled by globalisation and fearful of foreigners; it was good to see his party flop in the general election. Yet look at the likes of Wilders and other far-right demagogues inflaming the anti-political mood across Europe, and then take another look at Nigel with his pints, fags and ready quips.

Farage comes from a recognisable strand of British conservatism, a successor to the satirical Sir Tufton Bufton beloved of Private Eye yet infused with irreverent spirit that plays well in modern media. For all his faults, his flirting with Islamaphobia, his fulminating over refugees and some of his unpleasant fellow travellers, he is far from a neo-fascist.

Indeed, the rise of Ukip played a key role in destroying the British National Party by offering refuge for many of those voters angered by Westminster. Even Marine Le Pen, the supposedly-moderate Front National leader in France, has faced hate crime charges after comparing Muslims praying to the Nazi occupation.

Perhaps even a prejudiced populist such as Farage reflects well on Britains moderation and reputation for tolerance. He shows that this remains an essentially decent nation despite alarm over immigration, fears over jihadist terrorism, rising job insecurities and concerns for the next generation. This seems to be a place that prefers a joker to a hater when challenging the status quo, a country whose people will not accept an angry racist bigot playing a serious role in the political process unlike some neighbours.

Last week we saw also the flip side of Farage, offering another reason for our gratitude. For once again we saw evidence that he is a self-serving egotist who will do anything to protect himself from pretenders to his throne. The presentable Evans is just his latest victim, sacked first as deputy chairwoman then suspended for "disloyalty". (Evans failed in a High Court bid on Tuesday to overturn a six-month suspension from the party for "bringing it into disrepute". She dismissed the claims against her). Evans is, remember, the person who wrote Ukips manifesto last year, and who Farage himself suggested as interim leader during his strange, short-lived resignation.

The Ukip leaders allies suspected Evans was part of a group planning a coup. Many others have felt his sharp elbows, from party founder Alan Sked to more recent leading lights such as former Tory Douglas Carswell, its solitary MP, who seems marooned in Ukip. Another recent high-profile recruit, former political journalist Patrick OFlynn, quit last year as economics spokesman after saying Farage had become a "snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive man who made Ukip appear like a personality cult". It was a rare chance for voters to hear in public the sort of things said by his colleagues in private.

This civil war weakens his side, as seen again with the infighting Farage provoked in the bickering Brexit camps in his determination to ensure prominence. So let us celebrate the Ukip leader. Yes, he posses toxic views and is obsessed with protecting his own back. But we could be confronted with so much worse, as seen in places such as Holland, while for all his undoubted flair for publicity he is corroding his cause with his rampant ego. Long may he remain their party leader.
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In every generation the Irish people have asserted their right to national freedom and sovereignty

The Proclamation of the Irish Republic, 1916

At my primary school, two portraits hung on the wall. One was of Padraig Pearse. The other was of Jesus Christ. Pearse was executed by the British after his involvement in the Easter Rising of 1916. Unlike Eamon de Valera - who dodged the firing squad because he held an American passport -Pearse never had the opportunity to mangle his legacy. De Valera sold the country out to the Catholic Church when he wrested power. He allowed it to run Irelands schools, hospitals and, in effect, government  and there has been criticism of the result. Yet Pearse, himself a devout and strident Catholic, lives on in the Irish psyche like a romantic and militant version of Kurt Cobain. People with God and youth on their side never lose.

It is a century since the rising. For 24 years I have heard, read and listened to espousals of its importance to my life, and to my freedom. And I believed it. I described myself as a Republican pacifist. I identified as Catholic. Not one that went to mass, mind, but I prayed silently at home.

And then, when I left Ireland I realised I was fundamentally wrong. These Irish heroes and their legacies were damaging.

Ian Paisley, David Trimble and other died-in-the-wool Loyalists aside, the first time I heard someone speak in a manner that did not deify the leaders of early 20th Century Irish Republicanism was as an 18-year-old history undergraduate. We were studying a text on Pearse by Ruth Dudley-Edwards, a revisionist historian and no stranger to Republican ire. Our lecturers intention wasnt to offer Dudley-Edwardss work as undisputed fact, but to show us that there was another way of thinking. If these men and women could be questioned, the system could be questioned.

For so long the ruling parties had fallen back on the War of Independence and the legacy of British colonialism, but if you took away their heroes you took away their power.

Ive argued with friends and family about the Rising commemorations. Why shouldnt we honour them? They were brave; they stood face to face with the greatest known empire in the world and philosophically won. This argument on its own is hard to disagree with, but it fails to acknowledge the campaign of isolationism and institutionalism those leaders led once in power.

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The initial proclamation bestowed equal rights on Irish people. But these rights were never truly borne out.

Women suffered  and continue to  from the scurrilous Rome-sanctioned patriarchy that was imposed on them post-independence. For decades they spent their lives half-crippled through pregnancy, faced the ignominy of boarding abortion boats and endured the dark horror of the laundries; sent to them due to familial shame  to have illegitimate children, who were then callously snatched by those sent to do the lords bidding. Approximately 12 women still travel to Britain every day from Ireland for an abortion. This was an Ireland the rebel leaders called for Irish women to pledge their allegiance to in the Proclamation of the Irish Republic.

The proclamation itself is a piece of literature lauded for its progressive stance on gender equality. However, no woman served as a cabinet minister in an internationally-recognised government of Ireland until 1979 60 years after Constance Markievicz became a cabinet minister in the revolutionary government. De Valera and his Catholic cabal of revolutionaries-turned-politicians allowed misogyny and oppression to thrive, and we celebrate them.

As is often the case with revolutions, self-determination was the noble pursuit of ignoble fanatics. Had the militants been refused a place in later governments, the past 100 years would have undoubtedly taken on a radically different hue.

Despite the heavy price, a large proportion of the Irish population is still content to comfort itself in the blanket of the rebel creed. Crowds come and go, as they will this Easter weekend as the commemoration celebrations get underway, but Ireland remains the same.
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Europe, drunk on chaos, points an accusing finger at Germany. Our national debt sits at an unacceptable level. Workers are on the brink of revolt. The left tearing itself apart and the right struggling to come to terms with a generation of voters bent on shaking things up. 2016? No, dear reader: 1919.

Today, a century later, the role of low earners in society, debt and Europe are once again testing our democracys ability to reinvent and respond. Our political class, in gross self-indulgence, is using this moment to tear itself to pieces. The hard line wings of both left and right have decided that theyre happy to set their own houses on fire, so long as they own the ashes left behind. Why?

For Corbynites, a wilful blindness to decades of social progress lets them find comfort in a proto-socialist dogma that offers nothing new. It is an agenda that looks only backward.

For the Tories, the problem is more profound. To be a Conservative, Roger Scruton argues, is to recognise youve inherited something worth preserving. The problem for the hard right, however, is that it hates the thing it has inherited - a liberal and progressive country. Cameron and Osborne embody this unwelcome bequest, but as the hard right cant turn on the country, theyve turned on them instead.

Camerons enemies are working to speed up his departure and there are rumours of a no confidence vote following the EU referendum. (Osborne, the natural successor, is also enduring a pasting reminiscent of his attempt to out-Machiavelli Peter Mandelson in 2008.) Iain Duncan Smith's Parthian shot at the governments economic policy is an important reminder to the Chancellor that 'Osbornomics', for all its strategic value to the party, will alone not be enough to win him the Conservative leadership.

In removing Cameron early, and politically wounding Osborne, the hard right sees an opportunity to be rid of the bohemian liberalism it despises. This would be a disaster for the Conservative party but even more so for the country.

Realignments across the left, but also from the centre to the right, ushered in an era of political instability after 1919 that saw three general elections in five years. Britain stands on the brink of a similar turmoil today. A wafer thin and insecure Tory majority; a Labour party talking only to itself; Europe sinking to its knees. With the Liberal Democrats now a political footnote, the Cameron/Osborne nexus and their liberal conservative mission is all thats left of the electable centre ground. By scratching its eschatological itch, the hard right is dangerously close to destroying its most potent and stable political project since Thatcherism.

The effect? Labour and Conservative infighting has now poisoned the centre ground. Whether a pro-euro Tory or a welfare sceptic Blairite, youre a traitor to your party. With calls to get nasty in response to constructive criticism, British politics has become the place where sensible centrist ideas go to die.

We are at the dead season of our fortunes wrote John Maynard Keynes in 1919. Theyre looking pretty deathly in 2016 too. If liberal conservatism falls, we will rue its passing.
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The horrible alleged divisive Muslim sectarian killing of Glasgow shopkeeper Asad Shah may at least draw attention to the great lie of Blairs war on terror: that there is a universal radical Islam conspiracy comfortably crossing global Sunni, Shia, Alawite Ahmadiyya demographics, supposedly uniting peoples separated by Arabic, Pashto, Urdo and other languages. This is little different to the racist mantra that was used to legitimise the horrors of British imperialist conquest.

On 9/11, America was attacked by Saudi Arabian Sunni Whabbist fanatics. This was then used to excuse the war on Shia Iraq and to militarily threaten the similarly oil rich Iranian Shia theocratic regime. These people have about as much in common as Ulster Loyalists and Irish Republicans.

The only thing that could unite some of the conflicted members of this diaspora would be the indiscriminate killing of their populations. In this, Blair and the other pro-war-for-oil hawks may have made their own discourse come true.

Dr Gavin Lewis

Manchester

The Europe question is about the values of liberalism and the future of our young people

The political domestic news at the moment is dominated by splits within the Conservative Party over education, health, welfare, Europe and so on. And, for many, whether Boris Johnson will end up as the new Tory leader and, possibly, the next Prime Minster. The Labour party is equally divided.

Both the Conservative and Labour Parties have destroyed Britain, domestically. And yet both have hard working, proper Members of Parliament, who you could call centre ground. Why dont they just jump-ship and become Liberals? Tim Farron, I am sure will welcome genuine defections from the other Parties, and certainly many more new members of all ages from right across the whole UK.

The centre ground is there for the Liberal Democrats to dominate. The Liberal Democrats have always supported our membership of the European Union - and they have suggested that it needs works. The only way to achieve that is to be playing a full part in all that is going on in Europe. In other words, we must be the decision makers.

The EU Referendum on 27 June is about the future of our younger people - their security, jobs, freedoms, environment, conservation and families. Surely, they would rather have co-operation than fighting. The rest of the World wants the EU to survive, and the UK to remain there. A divided UK will not stand the strain on its own.

Richard F. Grant

Burley, Hampshire

Sir Richard Dearlove used to be in charge of MI6. Of people in high places, he is thus the best-placed to advise on the UKs security. He states that the most important prerequisite for restricting the risk of terrorism is for the UK to retake control of its own borders.

That is simply impossible in the EU, as Belgians are fully aware. His position is, therefore, that the UK therefore has to leave. Its also a very good reason for HM Government not to reduce spending on border forces.

Jeffrey Shaw

Sheffield

Nicola Sturgeon was extremely confident that she could lead an independent Scotland to economic success. In stark contrast, David Cameron only feels able to lead the UK whilst all of the important decisions are made for him by the EU. What a startling admission of failure, apprehension and self-doubt by him and on behalf of his country! I propose 'a vote of no confidence' in him. Step down, you wimp.

Brian Rushton

Stourport-on-Severn

No smoking by the swings, please

The smoking ban in Scotland is now 10 years old. The benefits to our society have been immense. The current Scottish Government has been slow to progress this smoking ban by extending it to all open areas to include parks and beaches in order to clean up our countryside for all to enjoy.

Dennis Forbes Grattan

Aberdeen

We misunderestimate our American allies

Piers Morgan was quite wrong in saying that everyone underestimated Donald Trump. What has happened is that we all overestimated the intelligence of many people in the United States. On Trump's pronouncement that there should be no restrictions on firearms in EU countries, does anyone really believe that it would be fine for every EU citizen to have the right to own a handgun?

Henry Page

Newhaven

Times, how they change...

Writing in Saturday's final print edition about the birth of the Independent, author Sebastian Faulks gave a pen portrait of 1986. There was something in the air, he wrote. You no longer had to wait three weeks for the national phone company to fix your line. If only we could go back in time. Nowadays it's often three months. And then it doesn't work.

Patrick Cosgrove

Bucknell, Shropshire

How to counter the effects of daylight saving changes? Just do it and don't worry about it. I hear so many people moaning beforehand about 'oh, I miss my sleep', that it becomes obvious: they are talking themselves into feeling affected.

Cole Davis

London, NW2

Please send your comments and contributions to letters@independent.co.uk. Letters may be edited for publication.
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Our households holiday plans are in disarray. We have an all-inclusive break in Turkey booked for June. But as well-informed Independent readers will be well aware there has been a spike in terror attacks in the country. So conversations around the Chu family dinner table have been dominated by a single theme lately: should we cancel? Its a decision that would have economic consequences. A trawl through the small print of our contract suggests the potential loss of the entire 450 deposit.

But how big is the terror risk in Turkey? Tourists have not been the primary target so far, but they have been affected. Twelve German tourists were killed by a suicide bomber in Istanbul in January. Thats a tiny fraction of the 5.5 million German tourists who visited Turkey last year. Its an even tinier fraction of the 36 million tourists of all nationalities who went to the country in 2015.

Of course things could get worse. More attacks are threatened. Tourists could well be directly targeted, as they were in Tunisia last June. But even if Isis or the Kurdistan Workers Party perpetrated a spectacular 9/11-style attack atrocity, killing around 3,000 tourists, the proportion of the total number of foreign visitors killed would still be tiny. It would take the odds of dying to around 1 in 12,000.

The probability of perishing in a terror attack in Turkey would even then be smaller than dying in Turkey in a road traffic accident (around 1 in 8,000) , of dying after choking to death on food here in Britain (around 1 in 4,000).

These kinds of calculations, of course, miss the point. Psychologically, terrorism is a very different sort of risk. It is hazard that is out of the ordinary and it (generally) hurts a lot of people simultaneously. This means that it scrambles our normal risk-benefit calculations. No one stops driving to work because they see a newspaper report of a car crash on the M25. But we do change our holiday plans when we see reports of terror attacks.

Psychologists talk of dread risk. This refers to very low probability, but high impact, hazards such as terrorism. Some speculate that it dates from the time when we were hunter-gatherers. A large cluster of deaths could wipe out the entire tribe. So our brains are conditioned to react in an extreme manner at even the hint of any hazard that could involve multiple simultaneous casualties.

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In an objective sense its not rational behaviour. After the 9/11 atrocitities in the US there was a surge in Americans driving, rather than taking the plane. This led to a spike of road traffic deaths. The spike may have been higher than the number of people who died in the Twin Towers.

But theres no point saying people should stop being so silly. I know all these probabilities but Im still seriously considering taking the cancellation charge hit and rebooking somewhere in Europe. Its not just dread risk. Its the fear of regret. What if something unspeakable does happen to my family when were away? How cosmically awful will I feel if Ive put my family in the path of such a heinous form of danger? Just imagine what people would say about me. My mum frowned when I told here where we were planning to go in June. I wouldnt take my family there! she exclaimed. Imagine that same judgement on me but multiplied by many millions if the worst did happen. The urge to cancel is also based on an understanding of my own psychology. I suspect that Ill be constantly worrying if we go. I have to put a value on avoiding that worry. Maybe its as high as 450.

No matter that the risk was small. Terror magnifies it. Of course this means the terrorists win. The blameless Turkish tourist workers lose their livelihoods. And I lose 450. Its psychological leverage from the terrorists  but its devastatingly effective trick. Incidentally, it doesnt help when excitable commentators and politicians talk about a war with the terrorists, which only accentuates the dread risk factor in the publics minds.

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But in the long term perhaps the terror-peddlers dont win. One of the strangest things that resulted from last weeks suicide bombings in Belgium was that both my wife and I suddenly felt slightly better about the Turkish holiday. Why? Because the attack reinforced the sense that terrorism can happen here as well as there. And that youre not necessarily being grossly irresponsible by going on holiday to a spot where there have been attacks. Plus the dread risk is connected to the rarity of the event. The more frequent the depraved attacks on civilians, the smaller the psychological shock of each additional atrocity. I remember in the wake of the 2005 London tube bombings being nervous whenever I stepped onto the underground. Now I dont worry at all. The risk is probably much the same. But its much more pleasant not constantly worrying.

Keep calm and carry on is, of course, one of the banes of modern existence. Yet that maddeningly ubiquitous and trite slogan really does represent the best way to defeat the brainwashed psychopaths who would like to scare us into changing our holiday plans and everything else. If we shut out the dread risk and plough on, the terrorists lose. They have their psychological tricks. But we have ours too.
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The biggest military defeat that Isis has suffered in more than two years. The recapture of Palmyra, the Roman city of the Empress Zenobia. And we are silent. Yes, folks, the bad guys won, didn't they? Otherwise, we would all be celebrating, wouldn't we?

Less than a week after the lost souls of the 'Islamic Caliphate' destroyed the lives of more than 30 innocent human beings in Brussels, we should - should we not? - have been clapping our hands at the most crushing military reverse in the history of Isis. But no. As the black masters of execution fled Palmyra this weekend, Messers Obama and Cameron were as silent as the grave to which Isis have dispatched so many of their victims. He who lowered our national flag in honour of the head-chopping king of Arabia (I'm talking about Dave, of course) said not a word.

As my long-dead colleague on the Sunday Express, John Gordon, used to say, makes you sit up a bit, doesn't it? Here are the Syrian army, backed, of course, by Vladimir Putin's Russkies, chucking the clowns of Isis out of town, and we daren't utter a single word to say well done.

 Syria: Govt. forces demine Palmyra after retaking ancient city from IS

When Palmyra fell last year, we predicted the fall of Bashar al-Assad. We ignored, were silent on, the Syrian army's big question: why, if the Americans hated Isis so much, didn't they bomb the suicide convoys that broke through the Syrian army's front lines? Why didn't they attack Isis?

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If the Americans wanted to destroy Isis, why didn't they bomb them when they saw them? a Syrian army general asked me, after his soldiers' defeat His son had been killed defending Homs. His men had been captured and head-chopped in the Roman ruins. The Syrian official in charge of the Roman ruins (of which we cared so much, remember?) was himself beheaded. Isis even put his spectacles back on top of his decapitated head, for fun. And we were silent then.

Inside Isis secret tunnels Show all 7 1 /7 Inside Isis secret tunnels Inside Isis secret tunnels Network of underground tunnels was discovered by Kurdish forces after they regained the town of Sinjar in Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels A member of the Peshmerga forces inspects a tunnel used by Isis militants in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Reuters Inside Isis secret tunnels An entrance to the tunnel used by Islamic State militants is seen in the town of Sinjar, Iraq Inside Isis secret tunnels The secret tunnels allowed militants to freely move underground Inside Isis secret tunnels The tunnels appear to be wired with electricity Inside Isis secret tunnels Some of the tunnels are 30 feet deep Inside Isis secret tunnels Concerns remain that parts of the tunnels are rigged with explosives

Putin noticed this, and talked about it, and accurately predicted the retaking of Palmyra. His aircraft attacked Isis - as US planes did not - in advance of the Syrian army's conquest. I could not help but smile when I read that the US command claimed two air strikes against Isis around Palmyra in the days leading up to its recapture by the regime. That really did tell you all you needed to know about the American "war on terror". They wanted to destroy Isis, but not that much.

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So in the end, it was the Syrian army and its Hizballah chums from Lebanon and the Iranians and the Russians who drove the Isis murderers out of Palmyra, and who may - heavens preserve us from such a success - even storm the Isis Syrian 'capital' of Raqqa. I have written many times that the Syrian army will decide the future of Syria. If they grab back Raqqa - and Deir el-Zour, where the Nusrah front destroyed the church of the Armenian genocide and threw the bones of the long-dead 1915 Christian victims into the streets - I promise you we will be silent again.

Aren't we supposed to be destroying Isis? Forget it. That's Putin's job. And Assad's. Pray for peace, folks. That's what it's about, isn't it? And Geneva. Where is that, exactly?
The Government will face mounting protest this week over the heavy financial burden facing rural Ireland in the wake of the suicide of a Tipperary farmer who was in debt to a sub-prime lender.

The death of the farmer last Tuesday week has reverberated through the broader farming community and has prompted two public meetings on debt-related suicides.

The Tipperary farmer was in debt to Carlisle Mortgages Ltd, which was pursuing him in court. The Sunday Independent has not disclosed his identity as his family have asked for privacy.

The lobby group, New Land League, is staging a protest against the farmer's Irish-owned lender in Dublin on Tuesday.

News of the tragedy coincides with warnings from the Irish Farmers Association (IFA) that foreign "vulture funds" are preparing to snap up Irish farming loans.

Ulster Bank is preparing to sell off its troubled loans, which could result in tracts of land ending up in the control of hedge funds. It is understood that it has given some farmers until Wednesday to refinance their debts or see them sold off.

The IFA met Ulster Bank last week to raise concerns over the sales and has also met AIB and Bank of Ireland to ask for leniency towards debt-stricken farmers.

Joe Healy, an IFA presidential candidate, said distressed farmers had told him they were being "bullied" by some mainstream banks which "lacked understanding" of farming.

David Hall, of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation, said hedge funds had "no interest in farmer incomes or herd numbers. They just want to know how much the land is worth."
Rural Ireland has been dealt another crippling blow as so called 'vulture funds' silently hover above farming families in financial difficulties.

During the last six months, representatives within the farming community have received numerous calls and letters from distressed farmers who claim they are being "bullied" by some mainstream banks.

Instead of engaging with farmers to seek a resolution, debt advisors allege some creditors are either employing law firms to legally pursue debtors or they're selling off agricultural debts to multinational property asset companies who subsequently demand immediate payment of monies owed.

Experts working with farm families claim moves to sell off deteriorated agri loans are being arranged "behind closed doors," leaving distraught farming families in the dark.

Fears are growing that an entire generation of farmers could be wiped out, stalling hopes of a sustainable rural recovery.

Meanwhile, some lenders are also preventing farmers, with outstanding borrowings, from giving sites to their sons and daughters until even performing loans, with land as security, are paid off in full.

In the majority of cases the value of the security far outweighs the value of the loan.

David Hall, CEO of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation (IMHO) said vulture funds are heaping misery on the agriculture community.

"They are not normal funding bodies, they have no interest in farmer incomes or herd numbers. They just want to know how much the land is worth," he said.

"These funds are now in possession of significant lands the length and breadth of the country. Farmers are under immense pressure. Many have family homes on the land, it's all cross securitised," he said.

"When they lose the land, they lose their life and their children lose their futures too," he said.

The IMHO are aware of at least one recent case where a farmer, in similar situation, has taken his own life.

Last weekend, the Sunday Independent exclusively revealed a national survey on the mental turmoil of debt.

The IMHO survey, based on the experience of almost 500 respondents, found that 44pc of participants felt depressed either "all of the time" or "most of the time".

Over 30pc said they had had suicidal thoughts in the last four weeks, with 22pc admitting that they had "active plans" to kill themselves.

A total of 45pc of people indicated harmful levels of alcohol use.

Mr Hall is calling on the Government to implement strict legislation to regulate vulture funds.

"We need to regulate vulture funds within an inch of their lives, whatever chance you have with mainstream banks you have a much less chance with a vulture fund," he said

However, he says such hedge funds are particularly destructive when they enter struggling rural communities.

"It will wipe out a generation of farming. Why would you be interested in farming when you are looking at your parents and the stress they are under," he said.

"It's going to pause rural recovery because of the negative impact on families, on the metal health of farmers involved and on any business development. It's the biggest disincentive to a rural community to have vulture fund preying on farmers in their area," he said.

The IMHO is calling for an agricultural strategy whereby all agriculture loans could be put into a mainstream bank at their market value in order to protect rural areas and get vulture funds out of farming communities completely.

"There is a flood already, farmers are worse than a normal person because of the pride that is involved for the farming family so they are not engaging, they are not speaking out," he said.

"The vulture funds are only getting themselves ready now. They've been getting themselves organised with administration and staff and they're only starting to put the pressure on now," he said.

Last week, Joe Healy, an IFA presidential candidate, received a call from an extremely distressed "hard working" farmer who feels he is being "bullied" by Ulster Bank.

"He was paying back 14,500 a month and never missed a repayment, he had already paid back in the region of 170,000. His problem started with a stocking loan (short-term loan) that he got in April and he had 12 months to pay it back during a tough farming year," he said.

"He told the bank manager that he would be a month late on clearing it and the bank manager told him that would be fine but it was only a verbal agreement, nothing was on paper," he said.

"He broke the term for one month on the stocking loan and all his loans were put into a specialised lending unit for six months and sold on to a vulture fund," he said.

Mr Healy claims the farmer, from Leinster, went to another bank and offered 90pc of the loan to buy it back from the vulture fund but he claims they wouldn't accept it.

"What's being said is that Ulster Bank are trying to tidy up their loan books in order to give itself options going forward, but there is a serious lack of communication and understanding from the bank on the pressure and volatility associated on different years within agriculture," he said.

Another farmer that contacted Mr Healy is extremely distressed because all his assets, land, property, stock and machinery are tied up in security for his loan which has been bought by a vulture fund.

His assets are worth a market value of about twice the loan.

This week, the same farmer will meet with advisors to sign affidavits on his current liability affairs and to ensure that he won't sell anything or hasn't sold anything in the past two years.

Mr Healy vouched for the farmer, who didn't want to be named, saying everything he borrowed was farming related including land purchase and grain stores. He had no loans for holidays, houses or apartments.

"Banks are acting in a manner that is not acceptable and they are piling stress and misery on embattled farmers. They are destroying viable farms and undermining rural recovery," said Mr Healy.

The dairy farmer from Athenry, Galway, says many farmers have raised the issue with him along his campaign trail.

However, he believes many feel too embarrassed to speak out.

"We don't want to see a situation where farmers feel ashamed about what has happened to them. They're in a delicate situation and they're trying to bottle it up which could have more serious consequences," he said.

Last Thursday the IFA met with AIB, Ulster Bank and Bank of Ireland to discuss solutions to the escalating crisis.

Matt Carey, a debt resolution advisor who represents many farmers, anticipates a surge in these cases over the coming months as some banks may sell off deteriorated loan books to vulture funds.

The former bank manager, who worked at ACC bank for 37 years, says the rural scene is very attractive to international private equity firms.

"They're basing the purchase of the agri book on the underlying security that supports that book. Once that book is sold that vulture company is in control and they can decide what they will accept," he said.

From the cases he is dealing with, Mr Carey says vulture funds are only interested in short-term solutions.

"They are putting the gun to the head and they are saying : 'look we want a quick response here we're not interested that the land is your asset and your income'," he said.

Mr Carey is particularly concerned that Ulster Bank are gearing up to sell their bad agri loan book which could potentially leave many midland farmers at the mercy of vulture funds.

Meanwhile, Mr Carey also highlights an emerging issue where some banks are refusing to release sites to the son or daughter of a farmer who is paying off a loan.

"In days gone by there would have been no problem in getting a site release. I'm dealing with live cases where banks have steadfastly refused to release any security they hold because they want the loan book repaid in full first - they're not prepared to change any contract," he said.

It is understood that Ulster Bank set a deadline of March 30 for borrowers to refinance their debts and avoid the sale of their loans to a vulture fund.

Earlier this month the Sunday Business Post reported that the face value of the RBS-owned lender's book of toxic debts could be as high as 6bn.

In response to the issue a spokesperson for Ulster Bank told the Sunday Independent they are in contact with a number of business customers, who are outside current arrangements or in arrears and under special debt management.

"We discuss with them the potential inclusion of their debt in a future Ulster Bank loan disposal process together with their options for repaying or refinancing their debt in advance of any such process," she said.

"This action is part of the bank's strategy to manage non-performing loans," she said.

Permanent TSB said they have "no plans" to sell off their small agricultural loan book.

However, some agricultural loans were included in a sale of loans to a subsidiary of Dutch bank Rabobank in 2012.

A Permanent TSB spokesperson said they have published a guide for small and medium enterprises in, or facing, financial difficulty with making their repayments.
IATA predicts a 2.7pc annual growth rate in European passenger numbers over this period. That is 65pc or 591 million extra passengers by 2034.

It was a traumatic week for the aviation sector. The tragic events in Brussels are likely to lead to a further tightening of airport security. While these may or may not prevent future attacks, they will certainly lengthen passenger queues and push up the costs of airlines and airport operators.

Terrible as the Brussels attacks were, life goes on.

On Thursday, CityJet founder Pat Byrne revealed that he and a group of investors had bought the airline, which carries about two million passengers a year, with a view to floating it on the stock exchange in two or three years' time. Mr Byrne declined to reveal what price the new owners had paid.

The CityJet sale was a welcome vote of confidence in Ireland's aviation sector. A 2015 Department of Transport report estimated that the aviation sector contributes 4.1bn to Irish GDP and supports 26,000 jobs directly and a further 16,000 indirectly. Tourism, which employs 180,000 people, is obviously heavily dependent on the aviation sector.

CityJet is the second Irish airline to be sold in less than 12 months. IAG, the owner of British Airways and Iberia, paid 1.4bn to acquire the former Irish flag carrier Aer Lingus last year.

However, the 800lb gorilla of the Irish aviation sector is low-cost airline Ryanair. It carried almost 105 million passengers in the year to the end of last month, up 17pc on the previous 12 months, and is now the second-largest European airline in terms of passenger numbers after Germany's Lufthansa.

The enormous lead that Ryanair had opened up over its one-time deadly rival Aer Lingus is illustrated by the fact that it is now carrying more passengers during some of the busy summer months than Aer Lingus in a year.

It flew 10.4 million passengers in August 2015. Aer Lingus flew 9.7 million passengers during its last full year as an independent company in 2014.

Ryanair operates 1,600 flights daily on 200 routes and employs 9,500 people. The company, which reports its annual results on May 25, is guiding after-tax profits of 1.225bn for the year to the end of this month.

Analysts are being slightly more optimistic, with Oliver Sleath of Barclays Capital forecasting 1.284bn and Cantor Fitzgerald's Robin Byde pencilling in 1.262bn.

And Ryanair is going to get even bigger. It currently has a fleet of 300 Boeing 737-800s, with a further 283 aircraft on order from the US manufacturer. These new planes will allow it to achieve its target of flying 160 million passengers a year by 2024. With a market capitalisation of over 18bn, Ryanair is second only to CRH as the most valuable company whose shares are traded on the Irish Stock Exchange.

Of course, not all of Ryanair's routes are to and from Ireland. In the year to March 2015, it flew almost seven million passengers whose journeys began at Irish airports, slightly less than Aer Lingus did in the same year.

That was only 7pc of the 100 million passengers it flew that year.

Furthermore, this number seriously understates the full extent of Ryanair's contribution to the Irish aviation sector.

Given the way in which Ryanair calculates its passenger numbers, passengers travelling to Ireland but whose flights began in other countries are categorised as being from the country of origin.

This means that a passenger flying to Ireland from the UK would be included in Ryanair's UK passenger total, which was almost 19 million in the year to March 2015.

To get a more accurate fix on the contribution to the Irish aviation sector of Ryanair and the other airlines operating out of this country, one needs to look at the passenger statistics of the Irish airports, Dublin in particular.

Last year, a record 25 million passengers flew through Dublin Airport. Not alone was this a 15pc increase on the 21.7 million who used the airport in 2014, it comfortably exceeded the previous peak of 23.5 million recorded at Dublin in 2008.

The strong recovery in passenger numbers at Dublin seems to have silenced critics of the 600m Terminal 2, chief among them Ryanair boss Michael O'Leary, who once famously dubbed Terminal 2 the "Taj Mahal".

Even if the actual cost of the project, as estimated by the Dublin Airport Authority, excludes approximately another 600m spent on associated airport infrastructure, such as new roads, it is hard to see how Dublin Airport, which had a maximum capacity of 20 million passengers before T2 opened in 2010, could now operate safely without it.

However, while Dublin Airport has come roaring back, it has been a different story for the most of the country's other airports.

While Shannon Airport, which was hived off from the DAA in 2012 to become an independent airport, has staged a modest recovery in recent years, with over 1.7 million passengers flying through it in 2015, it is a different story at Cork, still just about the country's second-busiest airport.

Cork is locked in a loveless marriage with the DAA, both sides continuing to squabble over who should shoulder the burden of the 200m debt incurred on building the new terminal building at Cork. Meanwhile, Cork continues to lose routes and haemorrhage passenger numbers. While it has yet to publish its 2015 passenger numbers, they are unlikely to have been much more than two million, down almost 40pc on the almost 3.3 million passengers recorded in 2008.

The other two significant airports are Ireland West (Knock) and Kerry, neither of which have released 2015 passenger numbers.

When they do, they are unlikely to vary much from the 703,000 passengers recorded at Knock and the 295,000 at Kerry in 2014.

What this means is that the number of passengers using Irish airports in 2015 was about 29.8 million, almost back to the 2008 peak of 29.9 million.

However, there has been a significant change over the past seven years in the airports being chosen by travellers. Whereas in 2008 78.6pc of passengers flying to or from Ireland went through Dublin, this had risen to almost 84pc by 2015. At least half of the passengers using Irish airports last year began their journeys outside of Ireland.

The airlines and airports are merely the visible parts of the Irish aviation sector. Ever since the late Tony Ryan founded GPA in 1975 Ireland has been a global leader in aviation leasing. Fourteen of the top 15 aircraft-leasing companies by fleet size are based in Ireland with 22pc of all the world's aircraft and 40pc of all leased aircraft being managed out of Ireland.

The numbers involved are enormous.

In 2012, Japanese bank Sumitomo Mitsui paid 7bn for RBS Aviation Capital's fleet of 240 Irish-managed aircraft. In 2014, AerCap paid AIG $5bn in cash and shares for its ILFC aircraft-leasing subsidiary.

The combined AerCap/ILFC is the world's second-largest aircraft leasing company, with 1,300 aircraft on its books and a further 400 on order. It has offices in both Dublin and Shannon. The value of the leased aircraft managed out of Ireland exceeds 100bn.

About 1,200 Irish people are employed in aircraft leasing, both directly by leasing companies themselves and indirectly in the provision of professional services, such as accountancy, tax and legal advice.

The impact of the leasing industry extends far beyond these 1,200 jobs. It was GPA's Tony Ryan who in 1985 funded the establishment of Ryanair and then dug deep into his pockets to keep the fledgling airline flying through its loss-making early years. Without his willingness to pump in tens of millions of euro, it would almost certainly have never become the giant that it is today.

On the other hand, the indigenous aviation sector contributed directly to the development of Irish aircraft leasing. Tony Ryan was a mid-ranking Aer Lingus employee when, in the early 1970s, the company gave him the job of trying to find other airlines willing to rent a number of its aircraft that had been rendered temporarily surplus to requirements following the collapse in passenger numbers caused by the outbreak of the northern Troubles.

So what, if any, will be the impact of the Brussels attacks on the Irish aviation sector?

One of the features of global aviation is that while it is acutely vulnerable to short-term shocks, the long-term fundamentals remain overwhelmingly positive. The International Air Transport Association calculates that the world's airlines carried 3.5 billion passengers last year and forecasts that this will double to 7 billion by 2034, the equivalent of a 3.8pc annual growth rate in passenger numbers.

Although much of this will come from east and south Asia, IATA predicts a 2.7pc annual growth rate in European passenger numbers over this period. That is 65pc or 591 million extra passengers by 2034.

Suddenly Mr O'Leary's target of 160 million Ryanair passengers by 2024 doesn't look quite so unrealistic.

While there will almost certainly be a dip in short-term passenger numbers following the Brussels attacks, growth will quickly resume once the initial shock has worn off - most of us will continue to value the convenience of air travel ahead of the remote risk of terrorist attack. Irish aviation will weather this turbulence as it has so often in the past.
Dublin-based venture capital firm ACT is targeting the launch of a 100m fund providing expansion money to start-ups within months, the Sunday Independent understands.

ACT is believed to have secured 70m in commitments from investors, and it aims to secure the remainder over the next number of months.

It has had a number of high-profile successful exits over the past year, including Trustev (the Cork-based e-commerce fraud-prevention company that was sold to New York-listed Transunion) and Soundwave (the music tech start-up that was sold to Spotify).

It was also an investor in HeartSine, which is a Northern Ireland-based defibrillator company that recently announced it had agreed to be acquired by the US company Physio Control.

Other companies in which it has previously invested include internet-of-things company Cubic Telecom, foreign-exchange trading and risk-management software company Barracuda FX, the media company Storyful and medical software company Slainte Healthcare.

It has offices in Dublin and Belfast and customarily invests between 200,000 and 7m in funding rounds of up to 30m.

The new fund will be a significant boost for the Irish start-up scene and comes on the back of Atlantic Bridge closing a funding round believed to be in the region of 100m.

Both deals replenish the funds that will be available to Irish start-ups that are seeking to grow.

Players in the venture-capital sector will seek to continue the momentum seen last year, when Irish hi-tech SMEs raised 30pc more money - 522m - than in the previous year, according to figures from the Irish Venture Capital Association.

IVCA chairman Brian Caulfield, a partner at venture capital firm Draper Esprit, said the results showed increased interest in the Irish tech sector from overseas investors and were a "tribute to the calibre of its entrepreneurs and technology".

International investors provided 46pc of the funds raised in 2015, compared to 33pc in 2014, according to the IVCA figures.

"The Irish venture capital community continues to be the main source of funding for Irish innovative SMEs, both through direct investment and as the local lead investor for international syndicate investors," he added.

Growth/expansion funding - the type ACT will look to provide via the new fund - was 92pc of total funds raised, according to the IVCA figures.

IVCA chief executive Regina Breheny said that since the credit crunch started eight years ago, more than 1,200 Irish SMEs had raised 2.6bn of venture capital.

"These funds were raised almost exclusively by Irish VC fund managers, who, during this period, supported the creation of up to 20,000 jobs and attracted over 1.1bn of capital into Ireland," an IVCA statement said.
A total of 71 solicitors have been struck off the roll of solicitors by the High Court since 2007, the Law Society said.

An Irish lawyer and businessman is being investigated by the authorities north and south of the Border, following claims that he defrauded a company in Northern Ireland.

The solicitor, who previously had a substantial judgment registered against him by the Collector General, has been reported to the Garda fraud bureau and the Police Service of Northern Ireland, which has already interviewed witnesses about the alleged theft of company monies.

The company has told the PSNI that the anticipated losses and damages arising from the alleged fraud, including misappropriation of investors' pensions and savings, amount to "millions of pounds".

The Law Society, the ruling body for solicitors in the Republic, has also been informed of the criminal complaint, which alleges that the solicitor committed more than 150 separate criminal offences, including theft, forgery and deception.

The Sunday Independent has learned that the solicitor was engaged by the firm in Northern Ireland after he had indicated that he had the capacity to raise more than 200m in capital to facilitate the company's expansion.

However, the PSNI was notified after a trawl of documents which the company says shows that the solicitor had used a company credit card to boost his personal savings' accounts by almost 20,000.

The company says its funds were used to fly his wife abroad for weekend breaks and claims that company money was also used for shopping in camping, equestrian and DIY stores.

International backers of the company have been notified of the alleged fraud.

It is understood that the solicitor claims that he is a shareholder, not an employee, of the company and maintains that he was entitled to draw down sums in the form of a director's loan.

Several instances of fraudulent behaviour by solicitors have come to light in recent years.

The Law Society Compensation Fund, which is funded by annual contributions from practising solicitors, has paid out in some cases.

The fund is available to clients left out of pocket by their solicitor. It is only available if they were acting as a solicitor for the client, rather than some other function, such as raising money for the client.

Net claims paid out between January 1, 2007 and December 31, 2015 totalled 27.5m.

A total of 71 solicitors have been struck off the roll of solicitors by the High Court since 2007, the Law Society said.

The most notorious cases of fraud by solicitors include high-profile Dublin lawyer Thomas Byrne, who was sentenced to 16 years in jail, with four suspended, for a 52m fraud.
TXFM will close down before October this year

The Port Tunnel operator and a trio of Dublin radio stations are refusing to budge in a row over the airwaves of the underground route.

The latest development sees the two sides clashing over a report that says the tunnel could do more to keep drivers safe.

Only Dublin's seven most popular radio stations are 're-broadcast' in the tunnel.

Radio Nova, Classic Hits 4FM and Sunshine 106.8 want to be included and are threatening the operator, Transport Infrastructure Ireland (TII), with legal action.

A report commissioned by Nova found that adding more stations would improve the tunnel's emergency communication system, which can override the stations it re-broadcasts in order to warn drivers of problems.

TII dismissed the findings.

"The upgrading or replacement of systems, such as the radio re-broadcast system, are undertaken having regard to the greatest priorities for road user safety, rather than the commercial interests of individual radio stations" a spokesperson said, adding that multiple methods were used to communicate to drivers in emergencies.

With no agreed resolution in sight, the matter may end up before the High Court.
Dataplex, the datacentre company chaired by telecoms entrepreneur Colm Piercy, is looking to raise 100m to help fund a second data centre facility in Dublin.

Chief executive Eddie Kilbane said the package would possibly be 20pc equity and 80pc debt.

"Dataplex is continuing expansion in the Irish market, we're currently in the process of raising 100m for some additional data centre space, which we'll be bringing to market," Kilbane told the Sunday Independent.

"There will be a second facility that we're currently working on in terms of acquiring that space. It will be a second facility for Dataplex in Dublin," he said.

The company currently has a data centre in Blanchardstown, Dublin 15, where it rents space to clients.

"All of the funding for the company has been provided for by the existing shareholders, the company doesn't have any debt on its books.

"The strength of that is the reason why we're going to the market, to show them how we've developed the first phase and now we're looking for possibly a mix of 20pc equity and 80pc debt to do the expansion."

Data centres are facilities used to house large amounts of computer data.

Ireland is seen as a good location for such facilities because of our cool climate, which helps keep down air-conditioning costs associated with keeping servers cool.

Last June, the IDA's head of technology, content and business services, Leo Clancy, said Ireland's data centre industry would "overtake the UK and mainland European locations and grow by 18pc over the next three years".

Many of the world's major technology companies have data centres here, including Microsoft and Amazon.

Facebook recently announced plans to build a massive facility in Clonee, Co Meath, and Apple announced similar plans for an 850m centre in Athenry, Co Galway.
Patrick Collison, the 20-something co-founder of online payment revolution Stripe, is probably the only Irish billionaire to have flown his own plane to Cuba.

Last week, Collison followed President Obama into Fidel Castro's former stronghold, as relations between the US and the Caribbean island thawed considerably.

Obama even gave Stripe's Atlas entrepreneur-in-a-box programme a shout out, although he described Collison's firm as "an American hi-tech company".

The Castletroy magnate delighted his Twitter followers by piloting a Diamond DA42 from Miami to Cuba. "Departing Miami with my co-pilot. Next stop: Havana," he tweeted on Monday.

His co-pilot for the flight was a rubber duck.

The flight took him just one-and-a-half hours. "Not too. Bad. Need to work with someone to arrange permit but was pretty straightforward. Overall, recommended!" he tweeted.

Given that the sensationally fast-growing Stripe's recent funding round has given it a valuation north of $5bn, Collison may soon be needing a co-pilot that isn't plastic.

Caretaker Noonan gets a spanking as falling markets hit his personal wealth

Our caretaker Minister for Finance Michael Noonan saw his own personal wealth take a hit over the past few weeks as he got spanked by the recent stock market wobbles.

Last year, Noonan's declaration to the Oireachtas of his own personal investments showed that he had taken a punt on gold to hedge against market volatility but had also bought Portuguese bonds in a show of solidarity with a fellow bailed-out nation.

Each year, Oireachtas members must declare any shares or financial interests they hold with a value of over 13,000. However, recently updated filings show that the Limerick TD no longer has the Portugal 4.35pc October 2017 government bond. He also increased his exposure to equities last year as the world stock markets cratered.

Noonan's own private investments for the 2015 calendar year give extraordinary insight into what he really thinks about the global economy - after all, he is the man at the table when the key financial minds congregate in Europe.

Noonan has turned bullish on Ireland and Germany, adding the ISEQ 20 ETF and a MSCI Germany fund to his portfolio. These track movements in top Irish and German shares. He has also purchased a Vanguard Industrials ETF, which invests in primarily US-listed industrial companies. He also bought a chunk of the SPDR KBW Bank ETF, which owns shares in US banks.

These investments were added to Noonan's existing portfolio, which already included the Marketvectors Agri-Business ETF, the SPDR Gold shares ETF, the Powershares International dividend Achievers ETF, a Barclays Capital TIPS ETF and an iShares FTSE 100 ETF.

The filings don't say when the acting Finance Minister splurged his own cash. The global stock market rout that started at the end of December means that if you'd bought the bulk of these investments a year ago, you'd have lost your shirt. And then some.

Many have been complete dogs over the last 12 months. The German fund fell off a cliff, shedding 20pc of its value since March 2015 - although it is recovering.

The Marketvectors Agri-business ETF has also plummeted by close to 20pc, with the Powershares International Dividend Achievers fund achieving similar losses. The iShares FTSE 100 has also been hammered as has the KBW Bank ETF. In fact, only the gold ETF shows any upside since March last year.

While Fine Gael flubbed the election because it failed to feel the pain, Noonan must be personally very aware of the damage the market crash did to stock market investors' wealth.

If you thought we'd left those 'banker in big pay-off' days behind, think again

Exploding heads and spittle-flecked outrage greeted revelations that Colm Doherty had picked up 3m at the exit door when leaving AIB in 2011.

Doherty had stepped in to run AIB after the former CEO Eugene Sheehy had been sucked out the window when the bank went into a death spiral.

Doherty, who later went on to work with businessman Denis O'Brien's Siteserv and Beacon Hospital, received a salary of 432,000 for the 11 months he worked as chief executive and a "termination payment" of 707,000 in lieu of a year's notice. He was also given a 2m cash payment, instead of a pension contribution.

Doherty left the bank with a big cheque as it ran out of money and needed a 20.5bn bailout. The IBOA slammed the payout as a "hammer blow to reform".

In April 2011, Simon Coveney described the payment as "inappropriate", with Michael Noonan saying: "This Government will be making decisions to make sure it doesn't happen again."

Fast forward almost exactly five years. Another bailed-out bank. Another loss-making bank. And another executive director getting a big pay-out.

Permanent TSB, which was bailed out by the taxpayer, has just paid 402,500 to its former finance director Glen Lucken, who "resigned" to go back home to England "for family reasons and to pursue other interests", according to the reports.

"In September 2015, Mr Lucken resigned from the board of PTSB. At the end of his employment as a director of the Group, Mr Lucken is contractually entitled to a payment in lieu of notice of 402,500," notes the latest annual report.

Permanent TSB lost 425m last year - largely weighed down by exceptionals - making it harder to justify paying hundreds of thousands to an executive who has left to look for a better job.

Tony Smurfit's unopposed coronation at Smurfit Kappa leaves markets unfazed

Appointing Tony Smurfit to replace Gary McGann as chief executive of Smurfit Kappa last year was a less complicated process than it might have seemed.

Smurfit is young, smart, driven and has a name that works well on company business cards. But should he have been the only serious contender from the get go?

Smurfit Kappa set up a committee to find someone to replace Gary McGann last year as McGann approached retirement age.

The committee was made up of Smurfit board members and included: chairman and former CRH boss Liam O'Mahony; former Glanbia boss John Moloney; Coca-Cola's Irial Finan; Chicago private equity baron Sam Mencoff and former Packaging Corp of America chairman Paul Stecko.

Tony Smurfit had been identified as a candidate during earlier succession planning and following "a comprehensive process" the committee was satisfied that he was "the person most appropriate to fill the role".

The opportunity to look outside the Smurfit eco-system was not taken up.

It was an opportunity for some fresh thinking and new blood.

However, "the committee did not use an external search consultancy or open advertising for the appointment of the group chief executive as it was not deemed necessary," according to company documents.

The fact that shares are down more than 10pc since his appointment suggests that the market hasn't yet given a ringing endorsement to the Smurfit delivery.
If you are concerned about the absence of a government you can relax, because it would seem that the Central Bank is taking up the slack in running the country, and even in outlining a vision for the kind of society we should have here.

Lars Frisell is an advisor to the Governor of the Central Bank. Mr Frisell delivered a paper in Sweden earlier in the week and said that the mortgage deposit rules, which require those attempting to buy a house to have a deposit of up to 20pc, "should contribute to a shift in both housing demand and supply towards rental accommodation." In other words, making it difficult for people, young people especially, to get enough of a deposit to buy a house it will force them to keep renting, and it will also encourage those who own property to rent it out, presumably because rents will rise due to increased demand from people who cannot get a deposit together.

Indeed, Frisell accepts that the rules will cause more rental rises in the short term - "Before supply adjusts", he says, "one can expect rents to increase relative to prices, a development already evident in the Dublin area." So that's okay then. You know economists. It's all about supply and demand. So the demand will rise, causing rents to rise, but this will then lead to an increase in property for rent. And we will get the shift to renting that the Central Bank seems to think is desirable.

Or does the Central Bank think it's desirable? And why has the Central Bank taken it upon itself to decide that Irish people should move to renting property rather than buying their own house? Mortgage broker Karl Deeter has suggested the Central Bank is indulging in social engineering. What other shifts in how we live would the Central Bank like to introduce you wonder. Perhaps a one-child policy?

The Irish Independent asked the Central Bank on Wednesday if their policies around lending caps and higher deposits were intended to favour rental. The Central Bank would not state whether they were. So maybe the shift to rental is just a happy side effect.

While it is a fashionable view that the Irish really need to get over their obsession with home- owning and learn to be more like the Germans and rent for life, you would imagine it is up to the Irish people to decide this, or even for a government to explicitly decide that it wishes to encourage a move to rental, and state it as a policy. But the notion that some unelected economists in the Central Bank have taken it upon themselves to decide how we should all live, and that they are enforcing it through their own policies, is a slightly disturbing one.

And look at what the Central Bank is essentially saying. It is saying that these rules may cause people in the short-term to have to stay renting and pay higher rents, but that this is no harm. Which is fine if you are an economist. But not so fine for the people who would like the security of owning their own home and who are getting further and further from that aspiration all the time as they eat into their savings in some cases, often paying far more in rent than they would be on a mortgage.

It's important to remember too that the new mortgage rules are instrumental in creating another huge inequality among young homebuyers. According to Friday's Examiner, research by Savills suggest that 15pc of cash sales of houses are now to first-time buyers, up from practically zero two years ago. Savills Director of research John McCartney said, "Certainly what I can say is that my agency people on the ground are reporting back to me that a lot of these buyers that are buying entirely with cash are doing so with family money and what they're also saying... [is] the first-time buyers that are buying with mortgages - apparently the norm now is to have fairly substantial family assistance there as well which enables them to overcome the macro-prudential limits."

So in other words, 100 years after we apparently threw off the yoke of oppression, we have put in its place a new kind of British-style hereditary system whereby opportunity in life is passed down through families. You can buy a house if your parents can afford to help you circumvent the rules. Of course that's life, and richer parents have always been able to give their kids better opportunities, but it does raise the question that one-size-fits-all mortgage caps may be a rather crude instrument with some undesirable unintended consequences, like, in this case, the perpetuation of inequality down through generations.

Obviously you can understand the stated purpose of these lending rules are to enforce prudence and prevent people from getting too heavily into debt. And the Central Bank feels that neither the borrowers nor the banks can be trusted to be prudent on their own, so it needs to be forced on them.

Putting aside for a moment that the Central Bank itself was massively at fault in everything that happened here, you have to wonder if, in their haste to close the stable door after the horse has bolted they are being slightly overzealous.

90pc mortgages were the norm in this country for many years, and they never caused chaos. Our recent bout of chaos was contributed to by many factors, one of which was mortgages that were 100pc and often more in reality, with people sometimes borrowing more in order to pay massive stamp duty into state coffers for the privilege of buying a house. No one is suggesting that we return to 100pc mortgages, but is preventing people from buying houses really the most effective way we can find to encourage prudence? Is it not a bit crude to essentially say that buying houses turned out badly at one point so let's prevent people from doing it?

And is it not an enormous leap from that to also decide that people should actually be discouraged from ever buying houses by instruments of policy, policy that the elected government seems to disagree with? It is really prudent to encourage people to rent all their lives? And then do we shove them into old folks homes to die once they can no longer afford rent?

The European rental model is all very well, but a home for an Irish person is not just a place to live. It is a store of wealth too, security in their old age when the mortgage is paid off and they get to stay there for free. A home is also increasingly an asset to pay for end-of-life care. Homeowning has always been a central aspiration of the Irish middle classes, who, while they might see a mortgage as a prison, see owning their own home as the ultimate freedom and independence.

It is not up to the Central Bank to decide that we should change. Much as they may wish it were so, their job is not to change the national character. While the Central Bank may want to force the banks not to make the mistakes the Central Bank and the banks made in the past, it is not right that we should all suffer for that. But it would be wrong to deliver our young into the unmerciful hands of a rental sector increasingly dominated by vulture funds and fat cats.
Plenty of others are getting in on this act. Facebooks at it: BBCs Match of the Day used Facebook live video to reveal the order the days matches would be shown in November  and the live video gained 1.3 million views... Photo: BBC

Ten years and six days ago, the first tweet was sent. "Just setting up my twttr" wrote co-founder Jack Dorsey at 8.50pm on March 21, 2006. Remember, vowels weren't cool back then.

In the last 10 years, vowels have come back into fashion and Twitter has grown to 320 million monthly active users who post 183 billion tweets a year. But the company has endured mixed fortunes since going public, mostly due to relatively sluggish growth in users and uncertainty about monetisation.

Twitter had year-on-year revenue growth of 48pc in Q4 of 2015 - but still reported a net loss of $90m. But the company now has 130,000 advertisers. Despite flat user base growth, it's still an intriguing online platform for marketers.

For many, the sponsored tweet is the most prominent example of advertising on Twitter. But the company has other promoted products, like app install ads and auto-playing promoted videos. These are fairly unsubtle display formats. They do offer engagement rates of 2pc to 4pc, which ain't bad. But it's not going to set the world alight.

Twitter started making waves a few years back in the area of real-time marketing. It was doing its damnedest to become the TV's little brother and carve off a slice of TV's ad spend for itself. The social network has been working with Kantar in the UK and Nielsen in the US to offer advertisers a metric for how well a show is doing on social channels. And it has invested in businesses like Mesagraph, SecondSync and Bluefin Labs, all of which offer greater insight into the effect TV programming is having on social media.

So how have brands responded? Most famously, Oreo's pounced during a power cut in the Superbowl, reminding viewers they could still eat Oreos in the dark. Adland went a bit overboard in its praise for the tweet, but it was one of the first instances where a brand connected with consumers at scale around a cultural event.

Twitter recently published research that found people who used Twitter while watching a TV programme - whether actively Tweeting or just following along - were 62pc more likely to recall the brands that advertised during the programme over people not on Twitter. So it's no surprise that the company has created tools to help marketers plan for the big events.

For example, Event Targeting allows marketers to engage with audiences around live events. The tool presents a calendar of events, offers insights into the audiences and allows marketers to create campaigns that deliver the right message to just the right users as the event unfolds. Event targeting can be combined with other key targeting types like gender, language and device, so you can reach the right segment of an event audience.

And Twitter is also betting big on live streaming video. Twitter's Periscope video app now plays automatically, offering opportunities to brands to integrate it into their marketing strategy.

Plenty of others are getting in on this act.

Facebook's at it: BBC's Match of the Day, hosted by Gary Lineker, pictured, used Facebook live video to reveal the order the day's matches would be shown in November and the live video gained 1.3 million views.

Snapchat is at it; its stories curated from user-generated content give an unparalleled sense of authenticity and immediacy. YouTube is at it, having just announced plans to launch YouTube Connect, a live streaming periscope competitor.

But none of the initiatives above are going to result in the explosion in revenues or users that Twitter needs. However, since Jack Dorsey returned as chief executive, he has shown a willingness to shake things up to drive the company forward.

Earlier this year, reports emerged that Twitter was building a platform that would allow tweets to be longer than the 140-character limit to give users more bandwidth to share their thoughts. A 10,000-character limit the same as Direct Messages was mooted. The plans were greeted with howls of protest from the purists.

These purists were similarly outraged with the arrival of an algorithmic feed, which Twitter is calling an improved timeline. They needn't have worried; it amounted to little more than an expansion of the pre-existing 'while you were away' feature and is optional.

Dorsey's plan seems to be to go back to basics and do what Twitter does best. And what it does best is reflect events back to its users as they happen.

Breaking news, sports, live TV or a live stream of a puddle (yes, Twitter made a puddle a cultural event), Twitter users rely on it to be a second screen for TV and the first screen for instant news.

"There's a whole discussion around virtual reality and augmented reality and Twitter has been augmenting reality for 10 years," Dorsey recently told Bloomberg. "You watch any game, you watch any live event, you watch any political debate, Twitter makes it more interesting, funnier, entertaining."

The challenge for marketers, regardless of their creative or technical approach, is to be interesting, funny or entertaining too.
While the euro area currently has eight banks on the FSB's top 30 list, two other EU nations, the UK and Sweden, count five more between them, including HSBC.

The European Union is considering easing bank-failure rules that were introduced to end the era of expensive taxpayer-funded bailouts.

A discussion paper prepared by the European Commission envisions setting EU loss-absorbency requirements for its biggest banks, led by HSBC Holdings and Deutsche Bank, in line with those issued in November by the Financial Stability Board (FSB) for the world's 30 most systemically important lenders.

The paper, dated this month, and which has been seen by Bloomberg, "explores possible options" for implementing the FSB rule in the EU and isn't binding on the Brussels-based commission.

Yet Elke Koenig, head of the euro area's bank resolution authority, has repeatedly said that the currency bloc would exceed global standards to ensure that its biggest banks can be restructured and recapitalised without threatening financial stability.

"On nine out of 10 occasions," requirements in the banking union would be stiffer than the FSB's rules on total loss-absorbing capacity (TLAC), she said in December.

As the EU prepares to implement global banking standards, including TLAC, the leverage ratio and the net stable funding ratio, it is struggling to boost lending and kick-start the economy.

As a result, Jonathan Hill, the EU's financial services commissioner, has said he will take into account the impact these rules could have on European business.

Koenig's Single Resolution Board is watching the policy debate closely and she is not alone.

While the euro area currently has eight banks on the FSB's top 30 list, two other EU nations, the UK and Sweden, count five more between them, including HSBC.

The FSB requires banks to issue ordinary shares, subordinated debt and other potentially loss-absorbing securities, equivalent to 18pc of risk-weighted assets, by 2022. A 6.75pc leverage-ratio requirement will also apply.

Koenig has consistently spoken of a loss-absorbing baseline for top banks of 8pc of total assets. In December, she said this equated roughly to 24pc on a risk-weighted basis. This 8pc figure corresponds to the amount of total liabilities, including own funds, that must be wiped out under EU law before a bank in resolution can tap into rescue funds built up from levies on the industry.

The commission's paper states that European firms on the FSB list would be held to the greater of the two standards - based on risk-weighted assets or a leverage ratio-exposure measure - as laid out by the Basel-based global regulator.

In addition to the potentially lower minimum loss-absorbing requirement for big lenders, the paper sets out a series of conditions to be met before bank-specific add-ons could be applied.

Authorities would need to consider a "resolvability assessment" of the bank and whether extra requirements were "proportionate and necessary", it states.

A high MREL requirement "would need to be substantiated as necessary on grounds of potential loss-absorption needs," according to the document, meaning the authority would need to show "that the bank is likely to incur the extent of losses that justify such a high calibration".

A spokeswoman for the European Commission declined to comment on the paper last week.

Taken together, its discussion points raise the question of whether banks will be required to have the liabilities and own funds available for bail-in, so they can gain access to rescue funds in a crisis. The European Banking Authority has said that the EU's loss-absorbency standard, known as the minimum requirement for own funds and eligible liabilities, or MREL, is needed to "ensure the effectiveness of the bail-in tool".

 Bloomberg
The Irish economic model is based on attracting foreign companies to use this country as a base for servicing Europe's single market. No other European country's economic model is so dependent on access to the EU market. As such, Ireland has a greater stake in maintaining the integrity of the EU than most.

Worryingly, that integrity is being tested from almost every angle.

Explaining something to somebody who is less familiar with it can be a wonderful way to clarify one's own thoughts. That struck me last week when preparing a presentation on the challenges facing Europe for a visiting delegation from China. Preparing the presentation brought home not just the scale of the individual challenges facing the EU, but the sheer number of them.

The eruption of the euro crisis in 2010 was by a very long distance the most serious crisis the European integration project had ever faced. It came through that crisis by the skin of its teeth - and the structural weaknesses of the euro have yet to be fully addressed. That is just one of the serious challenges facing Europe.

Along with that truly existential crisis, many more challenges have arisen in recent times. Long-time insiders of the European system frequently say that there has never been a time of so many crises occurring simultaneously. Some are even wondering whether the EU itself could fall apart.

Below, I summarise the crises/challenges, starting with the external ones and moving to the domestic and national issues affecting the EU. I also attempt to rate Europe's capacity to deal with them with an (admittedly) crude mark out of 10 in each case.

Syria, Isil and the Middle East

Europe's capacity to influence: 1

The civil war in Syria is now five years old. It has been one of the world's bloodiest conflicts of the past 50 years. It is also one of the most complex - the number of actors involved is very large and their motives and interests very different.

With powerful countries including Iran, Saudi Arabia and Russia involved in the conflict and seeking different outcomes, there is little real prospect of peace breaking out and a durable solution being found.

Europe has next to no influence over the events in the Middle East. All it can do is attempt to deal with the symptoms and, as the migration crisis has shown, even there its actions to date have had little effect.

Libya's failing state

Europe's capacity to influence: 3

The failing of the Libyan state over the past few years has received much less attention than the conflict at the eastern end of the Mediterranean, but it has very serious implications for Europe.

North Africa is often described as the soft underbelly of our continent. Libya's unpoliced and unsecured 1,200km coastline provides a launch pad for would-be migrants to Europe. Although the central Mediterranean route has been used less since the Balkans became the favoured entry point, the closure of the Balkan route is likely to see Libya re-emerge as significant departure point.

Because Libya has a much smaller population than Syria and has fewer actors involved in its conflict, Europe has a greater capacity to influence events there.

But involvement is fraught with danger and even the European countries with real military capacity are very fearful of being drawn into a conflict from which they may not be easily able to extricate themselves.

Turkey's greater assertiveness

Europe's capacity to influence: 3

Turkey is one of the four most important countries for Europe, along with the US, Russia and China. Within a few years, it will overtake Germany to become the most populous country in Europe after Russia. It has the largest military in NATO after the United States.

The political direction the country has taken in recent years, as its president Recep Tayyip Erdogan has become increasingly autocratic, makes it an ever more difficult partner for Europe to work with.

Erdogan is a capable and canny leader who has extracted a high price from European leaders to help (on paper at least) contain the migration crisis. As he has lost interest in joining the EU, the EU has lost influence with Turkey.

The migration crisis.

Europe's capacity to influence: 7

There is a lot Europe can do to reduce the numbers of migrants it receives, but some of the possible measures involve abandoning international commitments to accepting refugees. Some countries have already abandoned those commitments and there are questions about whether the latest EU-Turkey deal has done so as well.

What seems clear is that even Germany, the country which has made the strongest case for maintaining those commitments, will not be able to take the same number of refugees this year as it took last year.

If borders end up being shut, one of the consequences will be the abandonment of the Schengen accord, one of the most visible achievements of the EU. The end of Schengen would be a significant reversal in Europe's integration process.

Russia's hyper-assertiveness

Europe's capacity to influence: 4

Europe's relations with Russia have deteriorated rapidly and radically over the past two years. Not only has the security situation in Central and Eastern Europe been transformed by Vladimir Putin's annexation of Crimea, but his involvement in a range of issues increasingly appears designed to undermine European cohesion.

These includes involvement in the Syria conflict; support for sympathetic governments, such as Hungary; and the funding of reactionary parties, including the National Front in France.

Europe has imposed sanctions on Russia and could impose more, but its capacity to deal with Putin is weakened by a wide range of positions towards the country among the 28 members of the EU.

More frequent hyper-terrorism

Europe's capacity to influence: 6

Last week's attacks on Brussels underscored how serious is the threat Europe faces from jihadis. I discuss this issue in a column in the main section of the of this newspaper, but suffice it to say that there is a lot Europe can do, even if that comes at a price of curtailing liberties.

Brexit

Europe's capacity to influence: 2

As Europe's integration experiment is already being tested, a decision by the British people to leave in June would be a hammer blow and could well begin a period of disintegration.

The collective capacity to prevent a Brexit was always limited, given David Cameron's tactical mis-steps. The notion that one member state could demand fundamental reforms of the EU or be treated differently from the other 27 was never going to fly. The deal he reached last month was derided in much of the British media and opinion polls suggest that voters are evenly split.

Economic growth

Europe's capacity to influence: 3

One of the reasons Britain joined the EU, and one of the reasons that it might leave, is economic growth. In the early decades of the European integration project, the continent grew strongly, as the chart shows. During that period, Britain was the sick man of Europe.

One of the main reasons for joining the then common market was the belief that it would bring economic growth in Britain up to European rates. Now, things look very different. The European economy has been growing more slowly than Britain's for many years.

The hard truth about economic growth is that we don't understand it very well. Worse still for growth prospects, Europeans don't agree on the measures that could be taken to boost it. Debates around macroeconomic and microeconomic policies remain divisive.

Domestic politics

Europe's capacity to influence: 1

Alienation from the political mainstream across Europe is widespread. While the rise of extremist parties is often highlighted, a more important trend has been anti-incumbency - since the Great Recession, very few governments in Europe have managed to win re-election.

This makes taking difficult decisions even more difficult for politicians. The capacity for action in domestic politics has declined considerably as a result.

Euroscepticism

Europe's capacity to influence: 3

And finally. Many of the issues discussed above feed into the rise of Euroscepticism. In many countries where the EU was once viewed only as a source of stability and good governance, things have changed. That is particularly true in southern Europe. It is also true in many of the new member states who have joined the EU since 2004.

Discussion and debates on how to boost legitimacy for the EU have gone on for decades. They have rarely led to actionable and effective outcomes. The technocratic and distant nature of EU decision-making makes it very hard to generate enthusiasm for it among average voters.

So is the EU doomed? No, in short. The commitment among political elites to the EU - a continent-wide problem solving mechanism - remains deep. If it didn't exist, other co-operation mechanisms would have to be created.

The EU is far from perfect, but it is the best means of dealing with transnational issues that Europeans have. That should ensure that it survives.
Actors Ben Affleck (L) and Henry Cavill attend the launch of Bai Superteas at the "Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice" Premiere Party on March 20, 2016 in New York City. (Photo by Bryan Bedder/Getty Images for Bai Superteas)

Before the opening credits of this blockbuster had ended, I was overwhelmed with superhero fatigue at the thought of what is to come.

Zack Snyder's film is a sequel to his 2013 Superman reboot Man of Steel, the prequel to a new League of Justice franchise, and the springboard for more Batman films, and probably a Wonder Woman movie as well. Lord save us all, but meanwhile we have Batman v Superman, a long and bombastic saga very loosely based on a graphic novel by Frank Miller.

With moderate ingenuity, Mr Snyder introduces Bruce Wayne/Batman (Ben Affleck) by having him stumble through Superman's chaotic battle with General Zog at the end of Man of Steel. Metropolis and Gotham are presented as twin cities separated by a river, and when Superman's fight with Zog spills into Gotham, destroying Wayne Enterprises HQ and killing many of his colleagues, Bruce develops a powerful grudge against the alien avenger.

Meanwhile, a supercilious billionaire inventor called Lex Luthor (Jesse Eisenberg) is plotting to destroy Superman (Henry Cavill) and is quietly amassing a secret stash of kryptonite. Wayne would like to get his hands on some too, because without it he'll have no chance in a fist fight with the Man of Steel. After Superman flies into the middle-eastern desert to rescue his beloved Lois Lane (Amy Adams) from a ruthless gang of terrorists, he sets off a chain of reprisals that land him in hot water in Washington.

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A US senator called Finch (Holly Hunter) calls him to appear before a committee that will decide if he's a saviour or a menace. And meanwhile Luthor's tentacles are everywhere, pushing Superman and Batman towards an inevitable confrontation.

To further complicate a screenplay that manages to make a simple and vaguely idiotic plot seem as vexed and impenetrable as Finnegans Wake, a young woman called Diana Prince (Gal Gadot) is about to leave the twin cities when she realises her assistance will shortly be required. Jeremy Irons has replaced Michael Caine as Bruce Wayne's faithful old retainer Alfred, and makes for a much more jaded and world-weary butler.

In attempting to marry the worlds of Superman and the Batman, Zach Snyder's film has bitten off a lot more than it can chew. And while the superhero films of Christopher Nolan carefully established their own coherent world and remained faithful to it, Mr Snyder's saga loses control of its various sub-plots early on and descends into chaos.

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I'm perfectly prepared to go along with the idea of superhero stories being like latter-day Greek myths that can be told and retold in new and different ways. But if I see baby Bruce watching his parents get gunned down in front of him once more I'm moving to Cuba, and Superman's on-off affair with Lois lost its lustre at some point in the early 1980s.

There's nothing wrong with the casting here: I think Ben Affleck will make a great older and bitterer Batman, and I hope he gets the chance to star in his own Batman films. Cavill is as blandly good as Superman's supposed to be, looks the part and is a competent actor. But Snyder's film doesn't know which hero it should love more, and as a consequence the nuances and back-stories of both characters are obscured.

Ms Gadot's charmless late entrance as a heroically chested Wonder Woman bodes badly for the League of Justice films to come, and I'm not entirely sure that the chemistry between Affleck and Jeremy Irons quite works either. Alfred, perhaps, should be a little more unobtrusive.

And then there's Jesse Eisenberg, hamming it up to ghastly effect as the demented Mr Luthor, twitching wildly and overacting at every single opportunity. Batman v Superman rambles on shapelessly for two-and-a-half hours, and is at its ugliest in the climactic battle, as common sense is finally overwhelmed by CGI madness.

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Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice

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2 Stars
Two homeless women who faced a stream of sexist online abuse during an appearance on the Late Late Show have hit back at critics, calling the comments just ridiculous.

Lyndsey Robinson (24) and Erica Fleming (30) featured on Friday nights show to discuss their devastating living conditions, but some social media users were more interested in critiquing the womens physical appearance.

Makeup, hair, dress shoes and tattoos not to mention false tan. Great country!! wrote one Twitter user, while another said: Well she can afford plenty of make up

Ms Robinson and her two-year-old daughter have been homeless for a year and have been shuffled from one hotel to another by Dublin City Council, while Ms Fleming has been living in hotels with her 9-year-old daughter since June.

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Most of the comments Ive seen have been positive. I think some people are starting to get it. We are not living in luxury, Ms Robinson told the Irish Mail on Sunday.

If we could all trade places, Id like to see some people, or even TDs, survive in a small room like this for a few weeks.

She explained that she agonised over her appearance before the show, saying: I was panicking about what to wear. If anyone was going on the Late Late they would be dressed up. The whole of Ireland is looking at you.

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I asked people for advice to see if I should dress-down in jeans and a top. But I wanted to put across a message  people think homeless people are all scruffy, sleeping in a sleeping bag or taking drugs. Were just normal, its not like I dont look after myself.

Ms Robinson said that she couldnt afford to splash out on a new outfit for the night, and that she relied on RTE to cover the costs of a babysitter so she could appear on the show.

Her friends helped her get ready by offering clothes and make-up, while the RTE make-up department applied the finishing touches, as they do with all guests on the show.

I think people are choosing not to realise how badly off people are. Its easier to point the finger at the homeless people than holding the Government or anyone in power to account, said Ms Fleming, who first spoke about being homeless during My Homeless Family, an RTE documentary about homeless families living in hotels.

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Maybe they are choosing to ignore the issue. Id say cop on to them. If all they took from the whole 20 minutes on homelessness was make-up, clothes and the fact someone had tan on, that is just ridiculous.
Free spirit: Stephen Rea's acting career has been defined by his refusal to be restricted by labels Photo: Steffan Hill

'I've never heard such audible responses from the audience. Verbalised, as well, you know, because what happens really does take you by surprise. It has a visceral effect." Encamped on a chaise longue in a smart hotel in Dublin - his shaggy hair, crumpled features and casual style wonderfully at odds with his surroundings - the actor Stephen Rea is talking to me about his latest role in the controversial new play Cyprus Avenue.

Rea's voice is gentle, a laconic northern lullaby lilt. The subject matter of the production in question - which has just finished at the Abbey Theatre and is about to open at the Royal Court in London - is quite the opposite.

Rea plays Eric, a sixty-something loyalist, unreconstructed in almost every way, who is terrified about the survival of his tribe in Northern Ireland.

When he meets his new grand-daughter, instead of seeing a cute baby, he thinks he sees the face of Gerry Adams. It's a moment of absurdist comedy, but what follows is enough to make Martin McDonagh's murderous Hangmen seem like a walk through the daisies. It's right up there with the savagery of Sarah Kane's Cleansed.

I haven't even seen it yet, but when I read the script I found myself averting my eyes from the page in horror. This could be either one of the most powerful or reviled plays to hit the London stage in many years. Sick bags may be de rigueur.

I ask Rea, 69, how difficult it has been to play the role night after night.

"It's distressing but I'm not cracking up or anything, you know what I mean?" he says with a dark laugh. "It is a bit like King Lear, you know, in that Eric has misunderstood his world and now he can't cope with what's happening in it and he starts to destroy it."

Rea has never shied away from playing edgy, unappealing roles. Think of Fergus, the IRA terrorist in The Crying Game, the alcoholic father Da Brady in The Butcher Boy and most recently the Machiavellian figure of Kuragin in the television adaptation of War and Peace.

His genius is to make the unsympathetic ooze with sympathy. He is the master of ambivalence and conflicted morality. So it is no surprise that the play's author, David Ireland, who grew up among unionists in Belfast, wrote the part of Eric specifically with Rea in mind. If anyone can tease out the play's nuance, surely Rea is the man.

Provocative though the play is, it is not ill thought through. Opening just a few weeks before this weekend's centenary of the Easter Rising, it is a violent play about the pointlessness of violence, a painful parable about the cost of sectarianism and the refusal to break down barriers.

Rea certainly hopes that his performance will help to nudge the debate on, rather than further entrench attitudes.

Born to Protestant parents in Belfast, Rea seems to have spent his life trying to kick down barriers and defy categorisation. Professionally, he's as happy to play IRA terrorists as paranoid Loyalists. Personally, too, he has made decisions that demonstrate a determination to live life according to his own lights.

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For two decades between the early 1980s and 2003, he was married to Dolours Price, who was given a life sentence for her involvement in the IRA bombing of London's Old Bailey in 1973, which injured 200 people and left one man dead from a heart attack. She was released after seven years on humanitarian grounds and shortly after married Rea, and they had two sons.

In 2010, she hit the headlines again when she claimed that Gerry Adams had been her IRA commander and that he was responsible for the death in 1972 of Jean McConville, the widowed mother of 10 who was accused by the IRA of being an informer.

Price had driven McConville to the place where she was killed. Price died in 2013 and Adams continues categorically to deny her claims.

This is all heavy stuff, which Rea usually declines to talk about, but today when I ask him whether he was made to suffer both personally and professionally for his decision to marry Price, he replies after a pause, haltingly, his voiced tinged with emotion: "No. I'll tell you. The people in my profession were enormously generous about it. I never, ever stopped working.

"But it meant certain things that I might say would be interpreted in a narrower way than I intended. And that's difficult if you're doing theatre or anything."

You're referring to reporters, I ask? "Always restricting, in a sense and I've always attempted to not be restricted by any label - a sectarian label or otherwise, you know."

And what about Price, did her tribe reject her for marrying a Protestant?

"No, not at all," he says. "No, I mean, when you say Protestant, I'm not a very self-conscious Protestant. In fact, I'm not baptised in any religion, okay."

This is as close to irritation as I sense in his voice, before he softens to a joke.

"So that makes it, 'Are you a Catholic atheist or a Protestant atheist?' I'm not baptised in any religion and I had no connection to loyalist politics."

Rea's father was a bus driver, his mother a housewife. He describes the world he grew up in during the 1950s as a time of brief liberation before the sectarian walls came down again in the late 1960s.

"I grew up in a mixed area, with mixed neighbours and mixed friends and my father drank - rather a lot - with both sides because it was that kind of place."

He studied English literature at Queen's University, Belfast, and drama at the Abbey Theatre School before progressing to the Royal Court in London, then the Old Vic and the National Theatre.

In 1980, he and Brian Friel set up Field Day Theatre Company, which toured Ireland and encouraged a new generation of playwrights. Rea says that his own favourite playwrights are Sam Shepard, Samuel Beckett and Harold Pinter, and, charmingly humble from an actor who could make claim to be one of the greatest of his generation, regards himself as "immensely fortunate" to have worked with them all.

He reminisces about a night in 1976 after he opened at the Royal Court in Beckett's Endgame. "Harold [Pinter] was at the opening night and we'd all sat in [the designer] Jocelyn Herbert's house in Holland Park, with Beckett playing the piano," then hearing the note of wan nostalgia in his voice brings himself back down to Earth, "Oh, please."

Rea has, of course, worked in Hollywood many times, but has never been tempted to move there. He says: "Hollywood made me laugh, you know, because they believe in it all with such intensity and careers are built on awards ceremonies and I just found it hilarious. It's all razzmatazz. I don't understand it."

The rise and rise of the TV series and box sets has served him well. Indeed, if you look at the most intriguing dramas of the past couple of years, the thing that links them all is Rea: Dickensian, Hugo Blick's The Honourable Woman, War and Peace.

And it is for his role in Dickensian that Rea has been nominated for this year's Iftas, in the 'best lead actor in a drama' category. He is up against powerful opposition, however, in Colin Farrell (for True Detective), Aidan Turner (Poldark), Dara Deveney (An Klondike) and Barry Ward (Rebellion).

He lets drop that there is another Blick drama in the pipeline and a possible spin-off for his character Inspector Bucket. He rarely takes a holiday, so leapt at the opportunity to travel abroad on location to St Petersburg for War and Peace.

Is he a loner on location or does he socialise with the cast? "There was a very convivial cast in War and Peace."

He talks with great gusto about the talent of the young actors with whom he found himself working: "Tuppence Middleton, Jessie Buckley, Lily James, remarkable, and they seem to me to be better than the actors we were when we were that age. More confident, more intellectual assurance."

But wasn't there also something more vital about the time Rea was coming to acting in the 1960s? It wasn't just about building a film career and making money, something more was at stake.

He stops to consider whether things were better back then. "It was people who had experience of rock 'n' roll and wanted to dress that way and didn't want to be polite actors. We wanted to be artists, you know. That was the release of the Sixties. You were supposed to live."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
The last words of Patrick Pearse to his mother before he was executed - "I will call you to my heart" - should echo down the ages as loudly as his reading of the Proclamation, President Higgins said

Andy Warhol once said that the relentless repetition of images could both reinforce their impact and message and rob the subject of its essential humanity. As Dublin has been plastered with pictures of the men and women of the Rising, and the airwaves crowded with their stories of heroism, it was perhaps easy to forget that these were also ordinary people, each with what WB Yeats called their "own little round of deeds and days".

It was fitting then that yesterday at the RDS, President Michael D Higgins chose the State Event For Relatives to "give correct place to the intimate human dimension of the Easter Rising and the sacrifices made by so many of those who helped to build our nation".

President Higgins summoned little vignettes highlighting the ordinary lives of the Rising leaders.

Thomas McDonagh, was not just a "mythical, abstract figure" or a soldier taking control of the Jacobs factory, but "a young man and father whose daughter woke up and put her arms around his neck as he said his last goodbye to her on Easter Sunday night".

The last words of Patrick Pearse to his mother before he was executed - "I will call you to my heart" - should echo down the ages as loudly as his reading of the Proclamation, President Higgins said.

The President vividly set the scene of the tumultuous years around the Rising, when Ireland "was a complex place where the shops, restaurants and back rooms of radical Dublin were alive with the conversations of a dynamic mixture of feminists, socialists, radicals, nationalists, anti-imperialists and the many other ideologists".

Within the great contrasts between the men and women of the Rising there were some constants, however, the President said.

Each of them had "come to perceive and recoil from what was a constant theme in the assumptions of the imperialist mind: that those dominated in any colony such as Ireland were lesser in human terms, in language, culture and politics".

And many of them had a polymath quality to them. James Connolly, for instance, "could write a play, be familiar with George Bernard Shaw's or Ibsen's work while busy with the tasks of organisation and agitation". The richness of the cultural milieu of the period was stunning, the President added.

He set the Rising in the broader context of tensions and conflicting priorities within nationalism and the wider tumult in Europe.

He quoted Czech leader Tomas Masaryk, who wrote that the war had turned Europe into a "laboratory atop a vast graveyard" and asked why should Ireland have been any different?

He alluded to Diarmaid Ferriter's recent writings, saying that the leaders of the Rising were concerned "not just with military or political victory, but with the elevation of the Irish people, long considered a 'rabble', to the status of a Nation".

Perhaps mindful of the recent controversies concerning feminism and the Rising, the President said that we should never forget the Proclamation was "addressed to the nation's women as well as its men in equal terms".

President Higgins also noted that in the midst of the commemorations there should also be a sense that a democracy is a work in progress and added that "in many respects we have not fully achieved the dreams and ideals for which our forebears gave so much".

He reminded the packed hall that many of those who died were civilians.

Fittingly in a speech ostensibly about ordinary people, Joe Duffy, who recently made a documentary on the subject of children and the Rising, got a name check. President Higgins paid tribute to "the families who lost sons, fathers, brothers, sisters or daughters". He finished with a typical piece of lyricism:

Inniu, ta se de dhulgas orainn ar fad Poblacht a shamhlu agus a chruthu as a mbeadh na bunaitheoiri broduil; naisiun croga, le fis agus le spiorad fial daonnachta.

("Today we are all charged to take on our own responsibilities in imagining and building a Republic in the fullest sense, institutional and experiential, one of which our founders would be proud; truly representative of a nation rooted in courage, vision and a profound spirit of generous humanity.")
Family pride: Charlie Weston, his daughter Helen (12) and cousin Liz Weston beside The Lusk and Fingal Easter 1916 Rising poster featuring Charlie and Liz's grandfather, 1916 veteran Charles Weston. Photo: Caroline Quinn

A man I have known for a long time was surprised to see me at a press conference recently for the launch of a report on life in Ireland in 1916.

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) had put together a fascinating databank laying bare the low life expectancy, the grinding poverty and the chronic overcrowding of 100 years ago.

The figures were so stark that statistician Helen Cahill admitted at the press conference that she was in tears compiling the report, such was the deprivation back then.

But my friend was puzzled to see me at the launch of 'Life in 1916 Ireland: Stories from Statistics'.

"With a name like Weston, you guys must have been on the British side?," he suggested, only half joking.

On the contrary, I replied, there were four Westons involved in the Easter Rising. He was taken aback, because it is a claim to fame that few can match.

Four of my direct descendants fought in the Easter Rising.

Both my grandfather Charlie Weston and my great-uncle Bartle Weston took up arms that fateful week. And their sisters Thomasina and Julia Weston - who are my great-aunts - were members of Cumann na mBan.

The women acted in intelligence liaison roles for Commandant Thomas Ashe of the Fingal Brigade during the week, carried messages between units, helped prepare food and were involved in burying the dead.

That two brothers and two sisters from the same family rose up is fascinating. That the four Weston siblings lived to tell the tale, be awarded medals and military pensions, and that Charlie Weston went on to become one of the first officers of the Irish Free State Army is nothing short of extraordinary.

It almost goes without saying that I am immensely proud of my family's role in the Rebellion.

Whether you agree with what they did or not, it is hard not to see them as brave.

But what were they thinking, getting involved in a fight where they were bound to be on the losing side, and quite possibly killed?

Why did a family with such an English-sounding name have such staunch republican views? And what would the rebel Westons make of Ireland today?

Unfortunately, they had all long died by the time I was born. My father, a great family historian, has also since passed away. But I have always known that we Westons had no truck with the British empire.

If you look at the 1911 Census return for the family, you will see that the four Weston siblings, along with their parents Patrick and Kate Weston, all indicate that they could speak and write in both English and Irish.

That is a major clue to the fact that this was a rabidly republican household, based around a small homestead at Turvey, between Donabate and Lusk in North County Dublin.

The family deeply resented British rule in Ireland.

We Westons claim to be able to trace our lineage back to Molly Weston, who died on her white charger on the Hill of Tara in the 178 Rebellion. I can't prove this relationship, but it has always been part of family lore.

Recently, a family member traced the Weston name in Ireland to the time of the Flight of the Earls in 1607.

Given the family history, it is not surprising my grandfather Charlie Weston was an avowed nationalist from an early age.

In school he developed a love of Irish history that led him later to join the Gaelic League. He also became a musician, playing and co-founding the Black Raven Pipe Band.

In 1913, as the Home Rule Crisis deepened in Ireland, he became a physical-force nationalist and joined the Irish Volunteers as a member of the 160-strong Lusk Company.

He became a Volunteer because it gave him a chance to "burst the English domination", his Bureau of Military History deposition shows.

The rest of the family was similarly imbued with a strong distaste for English rule.

According to my late father and his sister, Ena, Charlie Weston was someone with a keen sense of the unjustified nature of British rule in Ireland.

Not everyone shared his view at the time.

When some people who knew him saw him cutting telephone wires during Easter Week 1916, they asked: "Charlie Weston, are you gone mad?"

But he was not an aggressive man. People who knew him tell me he was most unassuming, soft-spoken and never boastful in later life about his role in the fight for freedom.

Given the nationalistic leanings of the family, it was hardly surprising that they would end up in an armed rebellion.

Charlie and his older brother, Bartle, were part of the 5th Battalion, Dublin Brigade of the Irish Volunteers, known as the Fingal Brigade in North County Dublin.

This unit was under the command of Thomas Ashe, a charismatic teacher and gaeilgeoir. Originally from Kerry, he taught in Corduff, near Lusk. He died after going on hunger striker in Mountjoy. Charlie was a lieutenant of the Lusk Company, and Bartle joined the Swords Company.

Contrary to the myths surrounding the Rising, these men were well trained, according to historian Paul Maguire.

The other myth-busting fact is that the Fingal Brigade was successful in its military objectives, unlike other engagements during the Rising.

The Fingal Volunteers won the so-called Battle of Ashbourne, forcing the surrender of an armed constabulary force, whom they disarmed and released after a five-hour battle.

Eight RIC officers were shot dead, 18 wounded and some 96 prisoners taken, despite the volunteers being fewer in number.

They had very different tactics to those used in the city, as the Battle of Ashbourne represented the first time guerrilla warfare was used, offering a blueprint for future conflicts. This allowed them to defeat superior numbers.

In the lead-up to the battle, Charlie Weston led a unit that bombed bridges and attacked RIC stations around North County Dublin. In Donabate on the Wednesday, my grandfather demanded the surrender of the barracks. The answer was a revolver shot.

His section and the RIC then engaged in a firefight. However, the RIC men soon gave up, when "Weston broke the iron shutters of the barracks with a sledgehammer", according to British historian Charles Townshend's book on 1916.

Charlie's older sister Thomasina joined Cumann Na mBan in 1915, soon after it was founded.

During Easter week she acted in an intelligence liaison role, under the command of Ashe. On Easter Monday, her duties included contacting the volunteers who had failed to mobilise due to confusion over whether the Rising was going ahead or not.

According to her handwritten statement when applying years later for a military pension, her role during the Rising included "keeping in touch with Volunteer camps, taking orders from Comdt Thomas Ashe, and associated activity as a unit in battalion operations, in scouting, intelligence work, and in providing food and clothing, etc".

She remained with the Fingal Brigade through Easter week, treating the wounded from the Battle of Ashbourne and helping with the removal and burial of the two volunteers who had died. Thomasina, whose married name was Lynders, also collected information on RIC and British military movements, carried dispatches and directed to camps Volunteers who wanted to join up.

After the Rising, when Donabate man Michael McAllister refused to surrender, Thomasina hid him in her house for seven months. When the Volunteers were released from prison in Britain, she organised a reception and collected funds for them.

Her role must have been important because a copy of War News - a pamphlet that was printed in Dublin, probably on the evening of Easter Monday, - is dedicated to her by Ashe.

It read: "To Thomasina Weston from T Ashe, Commandant, 5th Batt Dublin Brigade, AIR, April 27 1916 (Killeck)". AIR stands for Army of the Irish Republic.

Her sister Julia (Mary) Weston was another of the 250 women involved in the Rising.

In her own words, Julia's role involved "keeping in touch with volunteer camps and taking orders from Comdt Ashe" along with scouting and intelligence work, and providing food.

Her pension papers describe Julia as having the rank of Acting Confidential Intelligence Officer.

Ireland was clearly misruled by Britain at the time. Poverty was rife and in 1916, Dublin was one of the poorest cities in Europe. We should not forget that the threat of conscription was hanging over the people of the island.

And the odds were overwhelmingly against the rebels. Just a few hundred brave men and women took up arms against an empire that comprised a fifth of the world's population, knowing that they probably were going to their deaths. Others see the Rising as our 'Origin Myth', kicking off a period of armed struggle that unleashed decades of death and destruction on these islands.

Yes, the use of violence is always problematic, but we were an oppressed people and should cherish those brave enough to have stood up to the imperial bullies.

Many historians feel that partition was inevitable, with or without the Rising, with such strong Unionist opposition to Home Rule in the North.

But my view is that the sacrifice of the rebels awakened the Irish nation from its slumbers and unleashed our vital energies. It was our Storming of the Bastille, and it cleared the way for an independent State.

Yet those brave men and women would doubtless be appalled and shamed at our loss of sovereignty when the EU and IMF had to bail us out in 2010.

The fact that bankers, and their weaselly advisers, are still dictating terms to a free people would, I am sure, be seen as scandalous by the Weston rebels.

That lawyers, pharmacists, accountants, auditors, senior public servants and consultants are making good in a still-fragile and badly-damaged economy would also be seen as a betrayal of the ideals of the Rising.

Our failure to form a government, decades after the Westons joined the pro-Treaty Cumann na nGaedheal, would have seemed strange to them, I guess. Because the four rebels would feel it surely is high time to end the great split in Irish politics.
Sabina Higgins, the wife of President Michael D Higgins, has used her 1916 speech at the graveside of Countess Markievicz in Glasnevin Cemetery to warn the Irish people against "empires of greed".

In an emotionally charged speech, she railed against "a new form of capitalism" which she says is "even more powerful and less visible and less accountable" than that in existence 100 years ago.

In echoes of President Higgins' severe critique of neo- liberal capitalism in New York last year, Mrs Higgins said she hoped people would become "inspired" and "enfired" by the heroes of 1916 to meet the challenges of our time.

Ms Higgins described how "Connolly and Countess Constance Markievicz and others realised there was no hope for the workers unless they could break with [the] empire and they decided to strike for freedom to organise to have a revolution."

She said: "They joined with Pearse and the others and on Easter Sunday 100 years ago - they fought and the Irish Republic Proclamation was read outside the GPO and we had our foundational event of the country that we are now. "

She continued: "It is my hope that, drawing from the endurance and vision of Countess Constance Markievicz and her sister Eva Gore Booth, and all the other great women and men of their time whose stories we are only now getting to know about, that we will be inspired.

"And that their example will enfire us with enthusiasm so that we women and men in 2016 will meet the challenges of our time.

"Now 100 years later in this contemporary and globalised world there is a new form of capitalism," she said. "And that seeks to undermine democracy itself."

She added: "The empires of greed are even more powerful and less visible and less accountable. The challenges are only too clear as we see the suffering of our fellow men and women across the globe."

Speaking to the small gathering at Glasnevin, she also went on to address women's inequality, climate change, conflict and poverty.

Earlier in her speech, Ms. Higgins recalled how the first principle of the Irish Citizen's Army Constitution had been the "avowal that the ownership of Ireland, moral and material, is vested of right in the people of Ireland, and included the principles of equal rights and opportunities for the Irish people."

Dressed in a bottle green coat and dress by Irish designer Helen McAlinden, and finished with a brown feather in her matching hat, Mrs Higgins laid a wreath at the grave of Countess Markievicz in a gentle rain yesterday afternoon.

Speaking about the 1916 leader, she described her as "a true revolutionary and seasoned activist, campaigner and public speaker."

"Her's was a radical life in the fullest sense," she said.
Shooting: A garda at the scene of the shooing in Ratoath, Co. Meath, of Noel Duggan last week Photo: Frank McGrath

To his neighbours in the sedate and modest Old Mill estate in Ratoath, Co Meath Noel Duggan was known as someone who made a 4m settlement with the Criminal Assets Bureau 13 years ago but, otherwise, was now an ordinary citizen businessman.

Duggan avoided the drugs trade despite its high profit margin because of its accompanying high risks, gardai said last week. Two hundred men involved in the drugs trade have been assassinated in Dublin in the past decade and, at no stage, was Duggan ever known to be involved in any of the organised violence.

His business was in the high volume, low-profit trade in illicit tobacco. In the Republic this trade probably accounts for one-in-every-five cigarettes sold and industry sources estimate the illicit trade probably generates profits of around 500m a year.

Duggan had been involved in cigarette smuggling since the 1980s when he ran a small warehouse, fronting as a fruit and veg outlet in Smithfield selling a variety of cheap imported goods. He was well known to gardai, having been involved in petty crime since his teen years but by the time he set himself up as an importer and trader he had gained a level of respectability with gardai among the customers at his Smithfield premises.

His business focus was confined to the north inner city where he grew up and he bought property cheaply with profits from the cigarette smuggling. In 2003 he handed the deeds of a retail and apartment complex he built in Smithfield by way of settlement of a 4m bill for unpaid tax. That aside, and despite his newspaper nickname, 'Mr Kingsize', he was never known to have been involved in any of the previous bloody feuds in Dublin.

Garda sources said yesterday Duggan (58) was murdered, almost certainly, because he was a simply a friend of Gerry Hutch and part of a widening list of 'easy' targets that are being drawn into what is potentially the biggest ever gang feud in Ireland.

Hundreds of people depend directly on the cigarette business that Duggan built up over nearly four decades. His product, packs selling at 4.50 and cartons of 20 packs at 40, were on sale last week in central Dublin but the future of this trade is now uncertain.

One obvious concern for gardai is that Duggan had known associations with the Provisional IRA who seized control of the tobacco importation business in 2001 after the murder of Kieran Smyth, a south Armagh man with no paramilitary connections who had become a major figure in cigarettes and, increasingly before his murder, the importation of drugs and guns. With Smyth's murder in February 2001, the IRA took over the logistics of cigarette importation using the same routes they had built up to supply weapons during the Troubles.

Cigarettes and fuel are the mainstays of the IRA's criminal operations. A document drawn up by Spanish police last year during the seizure of property and bank accounts controlled by IRA cigarette smugglers stated that aside from the obvious level of self-enrichment, 25pc of profits was going to the 'organisation' - the overarching 'Republican Movement' that comprises the IRA and its political wing, Sinn Fein. The court document cited the British Intelligence service, MI5, as its source.

Gardai believe Duggan struck a deal with the Provos, maintaining his distribution network supplying a substantial part of the illicit tobacco trade in the city.

Duggan's Illicit cigarette traders maintain their core, daily business with a protected float of cash but when they make extra profits they will divert this into buying drugs to sell at a higher profit.

Gardai believe Duggan (58) was murdered as part of a campaign by the Kinahan cartel to destroy the northside gangs entirely.

Although there has been more or less constant feuding in Dublin over the past 20 years, gardai say they have never encountered anything like the current state of fear and paranoia in the city.

The potential victim list in this feud is nothing like the run-of-the mill young gangster but includes people who live a non-ostentatious lives in suburban estates with their money salted away in foreign investments.

Another major target for the northside gangs is a well-known criminal figure based in southwest county Dublin. He and some associates control the heroin and cocaine trade in and around a large part of west Dublin.

Other major targets on the southside of the Liffey are members of the extended family that controls almost the entire drugs trade in the south inner city area. This family has many members involved in legitimate and semi-legitimate 'front' businesses which they necessarily have to attend to on a daily basis. This group, gardai say, are feeling particularly vulnerable at present. They have almost never featured publicly in any of the news coverage of Dublin's drugs trade and gang feuding.

Garda sources say that they now see no end or settlement in sight to this feud and very much fear what one termed a 'bloodbath' type of attack. This fear will have been reinforced by the fact that Noel Duggan's trading partners include the Provisional IRA.

The last time they were involved in a feud in Dublin, during a vicious but short-lived feud in the north inner city, they brought grenades from Belfast which are presumed to still be in Dublin.
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

A garda operation will be put in place tomorrow for the funeral of murdered cigarette smuggler Noel 'Kingsize' Duggan.

The 56-year-old grandfather was shot dead as he sat in a Mercedes outside his home in Ratoath last week.

It is believed that he was murdered because of his connection to the feuding Hutch gang and his friendship with Gerry 'The Monk'' Hutch.

He will be buried tomorrow morning after funeral mass in the Co Meath town.

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Independent.ie has learned that an "appropriate garda presence" will be in place for the ceremony.

Mourners will be led by his wife Belinda and adult children. Throughout the weekend his remains lay in repose at his family home in Oak Hill.

He will be brought toHoly Trinity Church, Ratoath for 11am Funeral Mass. Duggan, who earned the name 'Kingsize' because of his cigarette smuggling, will be buried afterwards in Ratoath Cemetery.

It is unclear if his close pal Gerry 'The Monk' Hutch will attend the event. Veteran criminal Hutch attended his brother Eddie's funeral last month wearing a hat and wig as a disguise.

Duggan's murder was the fourth in the Hutch-Kinahan feud.
Gardai investigate the deaths of a father and son at the Royal canal at Ashington on the Navan road in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Gardai investigate the deaths of a father and son at the Royal canal at Ashington on the Navan road in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Gardai investigate the deaths of a father and son at the Royal canal at Ashington on the Navan road in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

Gardai investigate the deaths of a father and son at the Royal canal at Ashington on the Navan road in Dublin. Picture: Arthur Carron

GARDAI are investigating the circumstances surrounding the discovery of two bodies in Dublin this afternoon.

The bodies were found shortly after 3pm.

A garda spokesman confirmed that they were called to the scene at Ashington Green in the Ashtown area of Dublin.

The body of a local man, believed to be in his 30s, and his son (3) were discovered in a stream which is next to the Royal Canal. The scene is near the Dublin to Sligo train track.

They may have been in the area visiting relatives.

Devastated

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Local councillor Brendan Carr (Lab) said the community has been left "devastated" by the news.

"Naturally our heart go out to the families involved in this incident. It is the second tragedy involving a child to occur in this body of water in recent years.

"It must now be a necessity to implement safety procedures and standards in this area," he said.

The politician said the pair were in the area visiting a relative on Easter Sunday.

Cllr Carr said: "This man was originally from Finglas. He was a very nice young lad. He was bringing the child over to a relative to get some easter eggs.

"He lived in Finglas and this was a shortcut home. This is horrific, god help them."

That poor man and child, whatever happened in Ashington Park pic.twitter.com/bur6OakwFA  Sean Leonard Art (@seanleonardart) March 27, 2016

North Dublin TD Noel Rock said: "This is an unspeakably tragic incident. Easter is always a time for family, so to hear of someone passing away tragically on their way home is truly sad. My heart goes out to the family, and to those affected by this awful loss."

Bodies

Emergency services are currently at the scene, and gardai have cordoned off a large area of Ashington Green close to the canal.

Members of the Dublin Fire Brigade are assisting gardai, and the two bodies remain at the scene.

The full circumstances of what occurred are still unclear, but it is believed to have been a tragic accident.

A garda spokesman said: "Officers were called to a scene at Ashington Green, Ashtown, Dublin 7 shortly after 3pm.

"The body of an adult male and a male child were discovered in a stream which is part of the Royal Canal."

A spokesman for Irish Rail confirmed that trains between Ashtown and Broombridge stations were stopped for 30 minutes after the discovery."At the start it was unclear if this was on rail or canal so we had to stop the train.

"It was stopped for around half an hour. There were a couple of hundred passengers on the trains at the time but when they learned the circumstances they weren't too upset about the delay."
'More than 80 patients in the last two months have transferred from Beaumont to Cavan General Hospital to have surgery' Photo: Lorraine Teevan

A new management system for dealing with waiting lists in Cavan Hospital - based on an efficiency model pioneered by car giant Toyota - has been so effective that patients on Beaumont Hospital's lengthy waiting list are now being offered the choice of having their surgery done immediately in the north-east.

More than 80 patients in the last two months have transferred from Beaumont to Cavan General Hospital to have surgery.

The system - described by surgeons in Cavan as the Lean model - has already resulted in the border region hospital having some of the quickest treatment times in the country for certain surgeries.

And it has attracted the attention of the Director General of the Health Service Executive, Tony O'Brien, who is said to be looking at extending the pilot programme to other hospitals.

The Lean model was also inspected on-site last week by Dr Colm Henry - the National Clinical Adviser and Group Lead for Acute Hospitals in the HSE.

Lean is a management model first used by Toyota in the 1950s and created to cut costs and improve efficiency by eliminating waste.

The model gives medics much more options than currently available where the choice is often to either admit a patient to the Emergency Department, or send them home, a decision that is usually made by a junior hospital doctor.

Because the system is consultant-based, more options can be explored based on the medical need of the patient.

Designing care around the patient means allocating a point-scoring system to patients and identifying which patients need which services, and how quickly they need them.

If a patient is in pain, or unable to work, they receive more points, so that those with the greatest need get their surgery first.

Patients also have the option of being referred to out-patient clinics or diagnostics if they are not in need of immediate hospital admission.

Cavan hospital also has a discharge mechanism that allows the discharge of patients as soon as possible, with diagnostic results coming later - often in the consultant's surgery. Crucially, patients do not wait in a hospital bed for test results.

The system has been used in several other countries to reduce or eliminate waiting lists and the pile up of patients in Emergency Departments, resulting in many patients having to spend extended time on trolleys.

Canada and Australia are two countries that have used the system to virtually eliminate waiting lists.

The effects in Cavan have been dramatic and suggest that it is the systems in Irish hospitals which are causing delays and long waiting times, rather than any lack of money, staff or resources.

Cavan, for example, has waiting lists no longer than three months for general surgery, but in reality a couple of weeks for the average patient.

There are similar figures for minor surgery, colonoscopy and gastroscopy procedures.

While the average length of a hospital stay in Ireland was 6.1 days in 2014, in Cavan it was 3.87.

The hospital also compares very favourably with the rest of the country in terms of average length of stay per patient for a range of procedures - just two examples being appendectomies where the average national stay is 3.2 days, while in Cavan it is 1.56 days.

In the case of a colectomy, the average national stay is 18.2 days, while in Cavan it is 11.83 days.

Terence Cosgrave is the Editor of Irish Medical News
L-r Geraldine Olliffe (Auntie) and Lena Clarke (Nanny who brought up Elizabeth) with a missing persons leaflet and Picture of Elizabeth Clarke who was last seen in Navan November 2013

Elizabeth Clarke, from Portrane, Co Dublin, who was reported missing in November 2013.

A man caught on camera ripping down the posters of a missing woman said gardai checked under his floorboards for her body.

Mum Elizabeth Clarke (25), from Portrane in Dublin, was last seen in November 2013 when she left her ex-boyfriends house in the Claremont Estate in Navan, Co. Meath.

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Ms Clarke lived in the home with her two children, her ex-partner Kevin Stanley, along with his father Larry and his wife  but they say she moved out after splitting with Kevin.

She was reported missing in 2015 by her estranged family who hadnt seen her in over a year.

Ms Clarkes mother has told the Sunday World she believes her daughter is still alive while other family members fear she has been murdered.

Earlier this week Larry Stanley (49) was photographed tearing down a poster of the missing woman in the Claremount Estate.

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Speaking to the Sunday World Mr Stanley claimed his family have been subjected to a campaign of intimidation.

We have nothing to hide. Were trying to get on with our daily lives. 22 gardai came into our house last January (2015). Thats a shock-and-a-half. They checked under the floors for her body and everything.

In this estate, if I wanted to murder you now Id never get away with it. Theres eyes on us all the time here. I cannot go out the back door without someone looking out a window at me. How would you do anything?

Theyre blaming our family for doing something. We would never do anything to her. All we ever tried to do was help her.

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Mr Stanley, who suffers with leukaemia, said he regretted tearing down the poster.

I do regret it but when youre putting up with this all the time youre going to get pissed off. Im in pain 24/7; my wife is in pain 24/7 eventually it's going to hit.

Id never have it in me to hurt anyone. I lost it and got thick after people were sitting in the estate for days.

Mr Stanley claimed he was named on Facebook and his family was subjected to a whispering campaign.

All this hassle builds up and I got fed up.

He continued: Im sure youve heard rumours of all the stuff we were supposed to have done. We were supposed to have her tied up in the room. That never happened.

Elizabeth left without taking her bank card or passport but Larry said she did have cash and he believes she may be abroad.

Im hoping shes still alive. She could be in Europe or anywhere. It can be done. People can disappear if they want to.

Elizabeths mother Noeleen Bieninda said that while she did not believe she had been killed, she wants answers as to what happened to her.

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Its a complete mystery. Nothing makes sense.

Noeleen said she hasnt seen Elizabeth in around six years as she fell out with the family.

The last word she said to me was the only time Ill talk to you is when [two other relatives] were dead. I dont even know the grandchildren and I cant get to see them.

Despite their separation, Noeleen still wants to know what happened to Elizabeth and pleaded with anyone with information to come forward.

Theres no answers. Someone out there knows something but theyre not coming forward.

Previously Ms Clarke's aunt Geraldine Olliffe told the Irish Independent of her concerns.

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"There is nothing of Elizabeth," her heartbroken aunt,

"She has completely disappeared leaving her two young kids, and there have been no sightings, no evidence of where she went.

"People don't just vanish into thin air without a trace, and that is what has happened to our Elizabeth.

Expand Close L-r Geraldine Olliffe (Auntie) and Lena Clarke (Nanny who brought up Elizabeth) with a missing persons leaflet and Picture of Elizabeth Clarke who was last seen in Navan November 2013 / Facebook

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Whatsapp L-r Geraldine Olliffe (Auntie) and Lena Clarke (Nanny who brought up Elizabeth) with a missing persons leaflet and Picture of Elizabeth Clarke who was last seen in Navan November 2013

"We know that she wouldn't leave her little ones either, she lived for them, and everything she did was for them," she added.

Anyone who can assist in locating Elizabeth is asked to contact Navan Garda Station on (046) 9036100, the Garda Confidential Telephone Line (1800) 666 111 or any garda station.
Enda Kenny is failing to win the support of Independent TDs to form a Fine Gael-led minority government and the momentum will this week swing decisively to Fianna Fail, the Sunday Independent can reveal.

The dramatic turnaround could see Fianna Fail leader, Micheal Martin win more votes than Mr Kenny for Taoiseach on April 6 - a result that will herald the end of Mr Kenny's leadership of Fine Gael.

At the moment Mr Kenny is guaranteed 51 votes and Mr Martin is certain of 43.

A Sunday Independent assessment of Independent TDs this weekend indicates that a clear majority are now in favour of supporting a Fianna Fail-led minority government.

The Independents have turned to Fianna Fail even though Mr Kenny has "thrown the kitchen sink" at them in recent weeks to secure their votes to back him.

The acting Taoiseach and Fine Gael leader has offered the Independents positions in Cabinet, as Ministers of State and as chairman of Oireachtas committees while Fianna Fail has concentrated on discussing policy issues.

Expand Close Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin Photo: Chris Radburn/PA Wire / Facebook

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Whatsapp Fianna Fail leader Micheal Martin Photo: Chris Radburn/PA Wire

But the Independents have still not committed to support him and, in a significant development this weekend, are now moving towards Fianna Fail.

Yesterday, the Independent TD, Noel Grealish, who last week met both Mr Kenny and Mr Martin, told the Sunday Independent: "I want to stress, under no circumstances have we closed the door on Fianna Fail. We would be willing to support Micheal Martin as Taoiseach if he addresses the crucial issues - homelessness, the health service and issues that effect rural Ireland."

Mr Grealish's comments are the first time an Independent TD has spoken publicly to indicate a preference for Taoiseach.

He added: "I want to emphasise that the only reason we went to meet Fine Gael and Enda Kenny is that Fine Gael is the largest party. We made it quite clear at our meeting with him that we are not committing to supporting him."

Mr Martin last week held a secret two-hour meeting with five Independents and a further meeting is planned this week. The meeting at Fianna Fail's offices in Leinster House took place immediately after Mr Kenny had a high profile seven-hour meeting with the Independents and the Greens.

The Independents who met with Mr Martin and Fianna Fail TDs, Barry Cowen and Jim O'Callaghan, are Mr Grealish, Denis Naughten, Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins and Dr Michael Harty.

The Sunday Independent can also reveal that in his meeting with Independents, Mr Kenny was asked if Fine Gael would support a Fianna Fail-led minority government but is said to have "fudged" this issue.

However, there is awareness in Fine Gael that Mr Kenny is "struggling" to secure the backing of the Independents and smaller parties.

After a month of talks, Mr Kenny has still "well short" of the backing he needs to form a Fine Gael-led minority government, according to sources at the talks.

Should Mr Kenny fail to win over Independents before the vote for Taoiseach on April 6 pressure will increase on him to step down as Fine Gael leader. "Basically, Enda Kenny has about a fortnight to save his political career," a Fine Gael source said. "He asked for time to form a government.

"He has been given that - six weeks. But he has to get the Independents over the line. At this stage, I have serious doubts that he is going to do that."

Mr Kenny has already said that he will not step down if he fails to win additional support on April 6 and has said that he will continue to try to form a government.

But in Fine Gael this weekend there is a strong view that Mr Kenny will be "urged" to step down as Fine Gael leader but continue as acting Taoiseach to allow for the election of a new leader, if he fails to win at least 60 votes on April 6.

This weekend several Independent TDs involved in government formation negotiations said that a Fianna Fail-minority government is the most favoured.

"A big issue in all of this for us is stability," one Independent said.

"Some of us believe a Fianna Fail-led minority government would last longer than a Fine Gael-led one - maybe two to three years - because Fine Gael would need a year or two to bed in their new leader."

The question remains whether Fine Gael would be prepared to back a Fianna Fail-led minority government.

In what has been described as his most significant speech this Easter, Mr Kenny last week appealed for politicians to work together in the national interest.

Yesterday, a senior Fianna Fail source told the Sunday Independent: "In the event that we are in a position to form a Fianna Fail-led minority government, we would then, of course, appeal to Fine Gael's sense of the national interest, to support such a government."
Stance: 'It's good to be part of something pro-active,' says Camille O'Sullivan Photo: Tony Gavin

We have sunk pretty low into disgrace as a country when homelessness has reached such a crisis point in Ireland.

When we hear of another family being forced to leave their home, or of children trying to do their homework in the back of cars, most of us feel emotions of anger and helplessness.

Can you imagine how the children feel?

There are over 1700 children homeless and living in emergency accommodation in this country.

Homeless young people are in plain sight on the streets of our towns and cities.

In response to this, some of country's biggest acts have come to together for a major charity concert, Rock Against Homelessness.

Camille O'Sullivan, The Strypes, Hamsandwich, Something Happens, Le Galaxie, Mundy, The Stunning, Roisin O, Brian Kennedy, Kila, Jerry Fish and Heathers - with others to be announced - will play in the Olympia Theatre, Dublin on Sunday, April 24, in aid of some of Ireland's most in need.

A very special guest, and a huge star, will also perform on the night, flying in that morning from America

"I'd like to help in any way I can - it's good to be part of something pro-active and supportive. Homelessness is heart-breaking to see and sadly seems to be getting worse," said Camille O'Sullivan.

Eamon Ryan of Something Happens added: "It is both sad and shocking to us that the current homelessness issue in Dublin, and in Ireland generally, should exist at all."

"The situation, particularly in the wake of the Jonathan Corry episode, is now worse than ever.

"The current lack of supply in the residential market along with the lack of controls on rent is dragging many families into the same homelessness trap," he said.

Le Galaxie said that they "are very happy to be involved in any effort to help raise money and awareness for the ever-worsening homelessness epidemic that we face as Irish people."

The concert is part of the Irish Youth Foundation's One For Ireland campaign - with the funds raised going to the four key homeless organisations (Fr. Peter McVerry Trust, Simon, St Vincent de Paul & Focus Ireland) under one umbrella appeal.

Niall McLoughlin, CEO of the Irish Youth Foundation said: "The number of children and young people who are now homeless in our country has gone beyond shocking. The speed at which this number is increasing is even more alarming.

"To address this crisis the four main homeless agencies have come together to ask everyone in Ireland to donate 1 on April 29 with the goal of raising 1m. The Rock Against Homelessness concert is a fantastic initiative and a great way to kick off the week and raise awareness for the campaign."

Independent News & Media, Ireland's largest media group, is the organiser of the event, following on from its successful involvement with the Irish Youth Foundation's Forever Young charity Christmas CD.

"INM is delighted to be organising Rock Against Homelessness to help raise funds for the chronic plight of those in need," said INM Group Editor-in-Chief, Stephen Rae. "One hundred years on from the ideals of the 1916 Proclamation, this is an opportunity for us all to reach out and help."

INM chairman Leslie Buckley said: "The issue of homelessness in Ireland is of major concern. While a lot has been made of the economic recovery there are those who are being left behind by society. The problem of long-term homelessness is being compounded by the new homeless, who are victims of the recession and who are losing their homes due to repossession."

"It is a fact that a very small percentage of the vacant residences in Ireland would solve the problem of homelessness," continued Mr Buckley.

"This crisis needs an urgent and holistic national response involving all the key stakeholders of the relevant Government ministers and departments, local authorities, the banks and NGOs such as the Simon Community and Focus Ireland."

Tickets for Rock Against Homelessness are available from Ticketmaster outlets nationwide, and cost 25.00.

The price for a corporate box on the night is 1000. And if companies want to give back their box, then we can sell the box again with all the money going to Fr. Peter McVerry Trust, Simon, St. Vincent de Paul and Focus Ireland. For further information contact began@independent.ie
Remembering: Twin sisters Ruth and Sarah Connolly from Bray, Co. Wicklow, are the great granddaughters of James Connolly. They were at the wreath-laying ceremony in The Garden of Remebrance yesterday. Photo: Tony Gavin

What did my people do in 1916? Were they involved? What was life like for them?

We've all wondered about this - worried that a treasured family tale might turn out to be untrue, sometimes fearful about what we might find. It was a war after all, and there is nothing pretty about that. Death, broken lives, terror and trauma are the stuff of war.

While relatively few actually fought in 1916 or the War of Independence, and not many more were involved as supporters, members or ancillaries of the military organisations involved, the whole country felt the impact of the events. So how do we find out what our ancestors did in those days?

To start, it's worth looking at some easily available sources, plus the eye-witness commentary from the time. One of the most widely used is the Sinn Fein Rebellion Handbook, This was published by the staunchly unionist Irish Times in 1917 and documented the events of the previous year.

It was not at all sympathetic, but it is packed with names - of rebels, soldiers, police, civilians, casualties - and much more. Other key descriptions of events written at the time include the report of the American Commission and British Labour Party Commission sent to Ireland in 1921 to assess what was going on. All these items plus many other accounts are available free at www.eneclann.ie/1916

Those who fought in 1916 and during the War of Independence kept a surprisingly large body of paper records. Most of this material is held by the Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks in Rathmines, and is known as the Collins Papers.

It details operational matters of the War, from mundane things such as supplies through to executions and military engagements. These files aren't indexed so make for challenging research, but they detail the extraordinary survival of a clandestine force.

More immediately fruitful are the records of the Bureau of Military History, established in 1947 to gather witness statements about 1916 and the War of Independence. There are 1,773 witness statements covering more than 30,000 pages. Most, but not all, are from the rebel side and they document their experiences in vivid detail. All are available free from www.militaryarchives.ie/

The witnesses provide extensive details about what they saw and did, their motivations, and the names of others involved. A word of warning: there's more than a little myth-making going on with some of these statements, powerful and evocative as they are.

A much more valuable record of what the rebel side did is contained in the Military Service Pension Archive, also free online at the Military Archives website. This collection is important because it is so detailed. Every applicant for a pension had to show evidence of military actions and/or imprisonment, or the death of a spouse or other family member in active service.

But the recently founded Irish Free State had limited resources - and didn't like spending them. The application forms were onerous, and required supporting letters from commanding officers, plus other documentation. However, this penny-pinching means that each file is packed full of detail.

So far around 5,000 files have been published online. But there are over 300,000 pension and medal applications, with over 80,000 claims of military service. That's a lot of information to dig through.

The Military Archives houses a great deal of other source material too, some on their website, but mostly only in person at the Archives reading room in Cathal Brugha Barracks.

There were two police forces in Ireland during this period - the Dublin Metropolitan Police (DMP), and the Royal Irish Constabulary (RIC) who policed the rest of the country. Both were ill-equipped to deal with the sudden emergence of militant organisations in Ireland from 1913 onwards - and hopelessly incapable of combating the Rising and the subsequent War of Independence.

This is not to say they didn't try. The 'G' Division of the DMP and RIC Special Branch collected evidence and attempted to arrest rebels and other dissidents, and there are extensive files of their activities held in the UK National Archives in Kew.

A portion of the material - the 'Personalities files' - were published on DVD by Eneclann 10 years ago under the title Sinn Fein & Republican Suspects 1899-1921. These are files for 440 people who under surveillance. In the past week www.ancestry.com have published these images on their website too.

But the complete RIC collection with over 140,000 pages will only become easily accessible later this year when it will be published online at www.findmypast.ie. It consists of police reports, details about gun-running, judicial proceedings, destruction of property, seizures of seditious publications and so on.

In 1916 and for 1919-21 Ireland was under martial law. This meant that the army took charge of all civilian matters and were given extraordinary powers to search, arrest, detain and pass judgement, up to and including execution. Fortunately (for us), this also required the usual British obsession with record keeping - all of which are now in the UK National Archives.

The army files for 1916 are very informative about the suppression of the Rising. But martial law didn't come to an end until the Truce on July 11, 1921, and the vast majority of the army files relate to the post-1916 period.

They document in detail those caught up in events without any active involvement. In fact, the heavy-handed response of the military, the extensive use of martial law and the actions of the Black and Tans played a huge part in driving an otherwise neutral population into rebel arms.

The army files include raid and search reports. Under martial law, the army had the power to search and detain without a warrant. As a consequence, they carried out over 20,000 raids of premises all over Ireland, often in dead of night. Every raid required a report to be filed by the military squad involved. These are very informative including details of the occupants of the premises, the squad of soldiers, what was said and what was found.

Once arrested, a person could be detained indefinitely under the Defence of the Realm Act. The army used the regular prisons for much of this, and those prison records for the 26-county area are online at www.findmypast.ie.

While internment was commonplace, many of those arrested were brought to trial before an army officer in the local barracks and these courts martial trial registers survive too. Almost all these were recorded and many had accompanying files.

A selection of case files have recently been published on www.ancestry.com. But this is only a very small part of the overall collection, and all of the martial law records will be released on www.findmypast.ie from on April 24.

Alongside the police records and the records at the Military Archives, this will transform the search for the answers to the questions we have about our ancestors' activities during 1916 and subsequent years.

The truth is, while those who fought were small in number, the war impacted on the lives of ordinary people in many ways. Random arrests, raids by armed soldiers in the middle of the night, intimidation under cover of rebellion, death by a stray bullet - it was a traumatic time, but we are fortunate to have these records to help us make some sense of it.

Brian Donovan is CEO of Eneclann, Ireland's premier genealogy company. The 1916 issue of their 'Irish Lives Remembered' magazine is available for free download at www.irishlivesremembered.ie
Being Wicklow lamb farmers here at Ballyknocken House, we are, of course, biased towards lamb for Easter Sunday lunch. Here, I've teamed the classic lamb flavours of garlic and rosemary with a Sicilian twist of the pesto and glazed lemons. This is especially tasty when served with steamed broccoli, which takes the flavours of the pesto well.

Leg of lamb, Sicilian-style with pesto and glazed lemons

Serves 6

You will need

For the lamb: 1.5kg leg of lamb

5 garlic cloves, sliced into halves

10 small sprigs rosemary

2 large onions, sliced into quarters

2 carrots, roughly sliced

300ml vegetable stock

Olive oil

1 lemon, zest only

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

5 small sprigs rosemary, to serve

12 pitted black olives, to serve

For the glazed lemons: 3 lemons, roughly cut into thirds

3 tbsp honey

For the dipping sauce:

2 sprigs of mint, chopped

1 jar pesto Genovese

1 tbsp lemon juice

Method

Preheat the oven to 200C/fan 180C/gas 6.

To prepare the lamb, make 10 incisions into the flesh with a sharp knife. Insert a piece of garlic into each as well as sprig of rosemary.

Place the onion quarters and carrots in to a roasting tray and the lamb on top. Pour the vegetable stock into the roasting pan. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle over the lemon zest, season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

Roast for 20 minutes and then reduce the temperature to 180C/fan 160C/gas 4. Allow around 1 and a half hours for the lamb to cook (it should be pink in the centre), approximately.

Baste the lamb from time to time with the lamb juices and stock from the roasting pan. When the lamb is cooked to your liking, cover with foil and "rest" for 20 minutes.

To prepare the glazed lemons, heat a large frying pan with oil, add the lemons and spoon over some honey. Saute until caramelised and golden and set aside. Be careful with this process - they can burn quite quickly so keep an eye on them.

To prepare the dipping sauce, mix the chopped mint with the pesto and the lemon juice. If the mix is too thick, loosen with some extra virgin olive oil.

To serve, place the leg of lamb on a warm serving platter, add the dipping sauce. Arrange the glazed lemons on the lamb, sprigs of rosemary and black olives. Serve with rosemary roast potato wedges.

Italian foodie fans should head to Catherine Fulvios Ballyknocken House & Cookery School in County Wicklow, where regional dishes and baked goodies from Sicily to Tuscany are just some of the hands-on cookery classes running throughout late spring and summer. If you fancy learning how to make your own Amaretto truffle torte or homemade pasta, pizzas and even Limoncello, visit ballyknocken.ie or phone (0404) 44627 for more information. Accommodation is also available in Catherines four-star farmhouse. Classes are 125 and B&B is from 59.
Dorothy bought the armchair from a Dublin antique shop 30 years ago and reupholsters it every few years to keep it fresh. Photo: Tony Gavin

A painting by Polish artist Alicja Urbaniak from Dorothy's art collection - "Every piece has some sentimental value, and some memory for me," she says. Photo: Tony Gavin

"The hall is such an open space and the ceilings are so high here, so the panelling really adds another dimension to the stairs and landing," Dorothy says. Photo: Tony Gavin

Back in 2001, Dorothy Power and her husband John were living in Warsaw, Poland. Knowing they would be returning to Ireland shortly, they decided to sell their house in Monkstown and began the search for somewhere new to live.

"There's only the two of us, so I didn't want anything big - now look what we're in!" says Dorothy, throwing her hands up towards the fabulously high ceilings and ornate cornicing of her luxurious Sandycove home. Along with her husband, she is co-director of the Irish branch of designer furniture company Roche Bobois, based in the Beacon South Quarter.

"I said to the estate agent: 'I only want three bedrooms max.' They said there was one coming on the market with five bedrooms," she says, rolling her eyes. Dorothy was sceptical of such a large home, but when she went to view the red-brick terraced house, there was only a small pedestrian gate, not the sprawling drive-in entrance that welcomes guests today. "It didn't look very big from the outside, so I thought: 'This could be OK,'" she recalls.

At the time, the house was split into two flats. "It was in an absolutely horrendous state. The carpet was terracotta, the walls were terracotta, the ceiling was terracotta - everything was painted terracotta. But as soon as I walked into the hall, I just knew, I had to have this house."

She had looked at a few other properties, but this was the first that had really struck her. Dorothy grimaces when describing the poor condition it was in, but admits she was smitten the moment she opened the door and caught sight of the handsome staircase and spacious hallway.

John was still in Poland, and was so tied up with work that he didn't get a chance to come back to Dublin to see the house for himself. Dorothy laughs as she observes this was probably for the best.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close A painting by Polish artist Alicja Urbaniak from Dorothy's art collection - "Every piece has some sentimental value, and some memory for me," she says. Photo: Tony Gavin Interiors guru Dorothy Power in her living room. Photo: Tony Gavin "The hall is such an open space and the ceilings are so high here, so the panelling really adds another dimension to the stairs and landing," Dorothy says. Photo: Tony Gavin Dorothy's living room is decorated with furniture from Roche Bobois. Photo: Tony Gavin The kitchen. A carefully restored stained glass window is one of the houses original features. The view from the dining table. Photo: Tony Gavin Dorothy was adamant the living room would have no TV. Photo: Tony Gavin. The antique Spanish vases were a housewarming gift from her brother. Photo: Tony Gavin The master bedroom. The stainless steel lamp gives a cobweb effect when lit. Photo: Tony Gavin A chest of drawers from Roche Bobois. Dorothy Power in her living room. Photo: Tony Gavin Dorothy bought the armchair from a Dublin antique shop 30 years ago and reupholsters it every few years to keep it fresh. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook

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Whatsapp A painting by Polish artist Alicja Urbaniak from Dorothy's art collection - "Every piece has some sentimental value, and some memory for me," she says. Photo: Tony Gavin

"Thank God he hadn't seen it! If he had, there's no way he would have bought it," she says. His reaction when he did finally see it? "Shock horror. He couldn't believe how much work it would be."

The renovation began while they were still living in Poland. Dorothy's cousin is a builder, and with the help of an architect, Greg Tisdall, they converted the second largest bedroom into a walk-in wardrobe and en-suite, and turned another bedroom into a home office for John. The fireplaces were all taken out, and some were traded in for upgraded versions. They knocked through the wall dividing the living and dining rooms, and replaced the small window with a glass door. An extension was added onto the back of the house, so now the gleaming white kitchen spills out into a second living and dining area.

The house dates back to the 1860s, and they have carefully maintained the original features including the cornicing, the staircase, and the stained glass window in the hallway.

It was while they were in Poland that the couple had the idea to bring Roche Bobois to Ireland. One of Dorothy's best friends has lived in Paris for 30 years, and on visits they would often browse the latest collections from the furniture company. John and Dorothy were also having difficulty finding the beautifully crafted, sophisticated furniture they dreamed of for their new home. "The furniture is really well made, they engage with great designers to design the furniture and they're always looking to be innovative in the materials they use," Dorothy says of the brand. "They do two ranges, the contemporary and the classical, so you're meeting the need for lots of different people."

Before launching Roche Bobois in Ireland, Dorothy started off working in IT at Guinness. "I always had an interest in interior design, so when I left Guinness I did a two-year course in interior design at Griffith College. I freelanced for a bit back in the '90s, but there wasn't a huge amount of business back then," she recalls. "So we got involved in the ownership of a company selling porcelain and ceramic tiles, and that's where I started engaging with customers. I love it, I love putting a scheme together for somebody and then ringing them afterwards and hearing that they love what you've done."

Roche Bobois opened in the Beacon South Quarter in 2007, which Dorothy admits was not a great time to launch a new business. "For the first nine months, business was very good, and then the recession came. It was tough for a couple of years trying to keep the business going, but we came through it and we managed everything. It was down to good management and picking pieces at the right price that people would want to buy."

Her own house is kitted out entirely with Roche Bobois furniture, showcasing the products in a real home (albeit, one with slightly larger than average proportions). On the surface, it's a very stylish, polished look, but on closer inspection, you'll notice some more offbeat details - namely, Dorothy's extensive collection of elephant ornaments. "I'm a big fan of collecting elephants. Somebody gave me one once back in 2000, and I've been collecting them since," she says, pointing to various pieces she picked up in Warsaw, Prague, Buenos Aires and the south of France.

She has recently re-decorated the house with new sofas, new curtains and a repaint, after more than 10 years. "I think a house is an evolving thing. You're always doing something, you're never finished. Our style changes a bit, but it's generally something classical that will stand the test of time. Particularly with furniture, it's a big expense so you want to pick something you're going to love for a long time, not just the current fashion for yellow or whatever it may be." However, the house is largely a reflection of Dorothy's own personal taste. "John doesn't really have a huge interest in design, it's not really his thing," she explains.

Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Expand Previous Next Close The master bedroom. Interiors guru Dorothy Power in her living room. Photo: Tony Gavin "The hall is such an open space and the ceilings are so high here, so the panelling really adds another dimension to the stairs and landing," Dorothy says. Photo: Tony Gavin A painting by Polish artist Alicja Urbaniak from Dorothy's art collection - "Every piece has some sentimental value, and some memory for me," she says. Photo: Tony Gavin Dorothy's living room is decorated with furniture from Roche Bobois. Photo: Tony Gavin The kitchen. A carefully restored stained glass window is one of the houses original features. The view from the dining table. Photo: Tony Gavin Dorothy was adamant the living room would have no TV. Photo: Tony Gavin. The antique Spanish vases were a housewarming gift from her brother. Photo: Tony Gavin The stainless steel lamp gives a cobweb effect when lit. Photo: Tony Gavin A chest of drawers from Roche Bobois. Dorothy Power in her living room. Photo: Tony Gavin Dorothy bought the armchair from a Dublin antique shop 30 years ago and reupholsters it every few years to keep it fresh. Photo: Tony Gavin / Facebook

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John and Dorothy first met at a bank function in 1984, and were married two years later. They've now been together 30 years, and Dorothy says that John knows it's best to let her have her way when it comes to the house - as long as it's within budget.

"I was quite measured. I didn't say: 'I have to have that.' I knew I wanted to do something, like the bedroom, but I waited until financially it was right and took my time picking the right pieces. I think people can make a mistake of jumping in and doing everything really quickly, you just need to step back a bit and take time."

Although she's in the showroom up to seven days a week, Dorothy loves relaxing in her bedroom when she gets the time.

"The front of the house has the best light in the morning, so if I'm on a day off, I'll sit in the sofa in the window and read. If you get a nice day, the sun just streams in through the window. I prefer to sit up there than in the living room, it's a nice calming space," she says.

Dorothy grew up in Castleknock, but has fallen in love with Sandycove. Every Friday, she goes out for dinner with John at DeVille's, Rasam or the Cookbook Cafe, and during the week she loves shopping for groceries at Cavistons delicatessen - "it's important to give my business to local people," she says - or going for walks on the sea front in Dun Laoghaire.

"I love it, I never want to move from here," she says, twinkly-eyed. "We'll be happy here forever."
Grip and grin: Barack Obama with Raul Castro during the US President's visit to Cuba this week.

It was a sight that would have been considered unthinkable up to very recently: the US President standing on the soil of Cuba and engaging directly with a member of the Castro family, the dynastic dictatorship that has ruled this land for 57 years.

But this week, on a three-day official state visit, Barack Obama stood shoulder to shoulder with Cuba's 84-year-old president Raul Castro - Fidel's younger brother - and spoke about how these sworn enemies could not just put their differences aside, but could become strong allies.

"It's a historic opportunity to engage directly with the Cuban people and to forge new agreements and commercial deals," Obama told employees of the United States Embassy, his first stop in the country, "and build new ties between our two peoples, and for me to lay out my vision for a future that's brighter than our past."

Where once the very presence of a US flag was enough to incite a riot, the stars-and-stripes flew proudly - alongside the Cuban colours - on the presidential limousine as it snaked through the narrow streets of the capital, Havana.

Local Cubans mixed with the mainly Canadian and European tourists to welcome a US President who has done more than any other to restore relations between the two countries. The New York Times noted that shouts of "USA" and "Obama" could clearly be discerned as the presidential cavalcade took in the faded charms of the Old Havana district in the centre of the city.

In a keynote, televised speech on the last day of his visit, Obama said it was time for the United States and Cuba to leave the past behind and make a "journey as friends and as neighbours and as family, together" towards a brighter future.

The president urged them to "leave the ideological battles of the past behind" and to define themselves not through their opposition to the US, but just as Cubans.

Obama's visit is said to be openly welcomed by Cuba's business community, while their US counterparts have made no secret of their pleasure of the opening up of a potentially lucrative new market just 90 miles away from the tip of Key West, Florida. Several business leaders joined the White House visit, including executives from hotel chains Starwood and Marriott. Airbnb were there too and have already reportedly found private rooms for 13,000 Americans.

The Guardian was just one of the media organs covering the visit that warned about the downsides of any tourist boom. "As local historian Eusebio Leal Spengler led the Obamas through the deserted streets," it reported, "the tour also hinted at the dangers of lopsided tourist development that could leave the stunningly beautiful city centre feeling like a permanent theme park if mishandled. At times the tightly chaperoned tour already felt as if National Lampoon's Cuban Vacation had been scripted by over-earnest communist officials."

Obama is the first US president to visit the island since Calvin Coolidge in 1928. Cuba had won independence from Spain in 1902, and American big business moved in quickly. By the time of Coolidge's visit, the US controlled 60pc of the sugar crop - one of Cuba's most important exports.

US interests were helped by the presidency of the pro-American dictator, Fulgencio Batista, and his second term in power was initiated by a military coup conceived in Florida. Batista presided over a country where corruption was rife and where American crime lords flourished. He could rely on military and economic aid from President Harry Truman during the 1950s, but when his power was threatened by a rebel faction led by Fidel Castro, Cuba's president-in-waiting Manuel Urrutia Lleo urged the US to halt arms sales to Batista, fearing an escalation of the situation.

Washington acquiesced to those demands much to the concerns of the US ambassador to Cuba, Earl T Smith, and it was a decision the US would come to bitterly regret when Castro's forces managed to overthrow the government and install a military and economic dictatorship.

Castro's close relationship with the Soviet Union would soon cause panic in the US, and attempts to remove him through economic blockade and counter-revolution - including the disastrous Bay of Pigs invasion of 1961 - were unsuccessful. Several assassination attempts, allegedly initiated by the CIA, also ended in failure.

The hostility did little to cool relations between Castro and the Soviets and his decision to allow them to place nuclear weapons on the island, sparked the Cuban Missile Crisis - a defining incident of the Cold War - in 1962.

With the US having placed nuclear missiles in Italy and Turkey - with Moscow in range - Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev agreed to Castro's request that missiles be deployed to Cuba.

The affair would be the most perilous incident in John F Kennedy's presidency and it was finally resolved after 13 tense days in October when both the US and USSR withdrew their nuclear weapons and the Americans pledged not to invade Cuba other than as a result of direct provocation.

With the world teetering on the brink of nuclear war, a sense of panic could be felt everywhere, including this country. In 2007, it emerged that in the immediate aftermath of the missile crisis, then Taoiseach Sean Lemass had authorised searches of Cuban and Czech aircraft passing through Shannon Airport at the request of the US. Details of searches - including information on passengers - were secretly passed on to American authorities between 1962 and 1970.

While the Cold War faded for much of the world following the collapse of the Iron Curtain in the late 1980s, relations between the US and Cuba failed to improve, not least because Castro remained in power until 2008. Brother Raul has been seen as more open to a cordial relationship with Cuba's big neighbour, although Republican hopeful Donald Trump was keen to point out that the Cuban president snubbed Obama by failing to meet him at Havana Airport.

But since Obama and Castro announced the restoration of relations in December 2014 - to "cut the shackles of the past", in the words of the US president - there has been little doubt that the last vestiges of the Cold War are fading away.

Remarkably, it was Pope Francis who helped foster dialogue between the two men, with the Vatican hosting a crucial meeting.

Dr Jack Thompson, a lecturer at the UCD Clinton Institute of American Studies, says the Obama visit marks a seismic shift in relations between the US and the Caribbean island.

"There has been a long and complicated history between the two countries," he says, "and that has especially been the case since the Cold War.

"For older generations, Cuba - and Berlin, I suppose - was the most likely point of friction that would have led to a nuclear exchange, to World War III. There was a tension there in the early 1960s that is perhaps difficult to appreciate today."

Thompson says those Americans living in the south east of the country, closest to Cuba, felt that tension most. "My father grew up in Florida and I remember him talking about the anti-nuclear tests that would be carried out, the precautions they would have to take in the event of an attack. It was very real to people like him."

No city in the US is as intricately linked to Cuba as Miami. More than one million of its citizens were either born in Cuba before Castro's revolution or are second or third-generation Cuban-Americans. Thompson believes that many older Cubans, traditionally strongly opposed to the Castro regime, are unhappy with Obama's visit but notes that, "younger Cuban-Americans generally see it as a step in the right direction towards normalising relations".

Obama acknowledged the Floridian city in his rousing speech in Havana on Tuesday night: "We have a clear example of what the Cuban people can build - it's called Miami.

"Being self-employed is not about becoming more like America, it's about being more like yourself."

But with the Cuban government reportedly cracking down on dissent and the Castros showing little sign of relinquishing their stranglehold on power, some wonder if democracy is as far away as ever, despite improvement of relations.

Even as Obama was on Air Force One, en route to Havana, arrests were being made among members of the Ladies in White dissident group.

"It's the third law of Newton: The greater the actions for democracy, the greater the repressive reaction by the regime," activist Jose Daniel Ferrer told the New York Times.

And Cuban journalists still have to work in a far from open environment, according to the newspaper.

"One young reporter who works for a major government news outlet said he and his colleagues had been brought into a room two weeks ago," the paper noted this week, "and reminded that anything posted to social media regarding Mr Obama's visit would result in more than just a slap on the wrist.

"No photographs, no commentary, no interviews with foreign reporters - not even private discussions with friends."
Toned down: The few billboards there are in Cuba celebrate revolution

It is no surprise that Cuba's largest tourist market is Canada. Canadians love the climate, the culture and the fact there are NO Americans.

All that is about to change. "Come before the Americans arrive," has been a bit of a mantra over recent years. Not any more. In advance of scheduled flights, the Americans have already started arriving.

Booking.com, monster of the hospitality industry, started doing online reservations for Americans this week. And the feeding frenzy has begun. This is bad news for the rest of us. Bed prices are up 35pc for winter 2016-17, and 2015 was already up 20pc on 2014.

Hotels that feature in holiday brochures are telling tour operators to stop sales and then selling at higher prices directly online. The B&Bs, casa particulares, are also cashing in, with much higher prices. A shortage of quality hotel beds is emerging in Havana.

Transportation is also becoming a problem due to shortages of buses and private rental cars. Taxis are increasing their prices. When the cruise ships arrive in greater numbers (MSC already calls), excursions will be a problem. Tour operators are advising to book at least six months in advance if you want a good hotel in Havana.

Ireland's love affair with Cuba goes back to the Aeroflot Ilyushin service from Shannon 1975-78 and again from 1980 to 1992. We still send 7,000 tourists a year.

Big Spanish hotel groups like Riu, Melia and Iberostar have delivered high-end accommodation to compete with all-inclusive havens such as Punta Canta and Montego Bay.

The first thing Americans will notice is the lack of advertising. It's like someone has turned the volume down, and you can hear yourself think. The billboards you do see celebrate revolution - on the way from the airport, a big Robert Ballagh-inspired representation of Che Guevara dominates Plaza de la Revolucion.

Cuba is just 30pc larger than Ireland, but getting out of the city can be a drama. The roads are poor, if improving, but even short distances take longer than expected.

The country's unrivalled signature attraction is Old Havana town, a truly historic icon with small rum bars, coffee houses and young boys and girls in pioneer uniforms playing in the streets. The lack of investment through the Communist era means the colonial city is lovingly restored, from Plaza Vieja to Plaza de la Catedral, where you can find one of Christopher Columbus's three graves.

It is hard to escape Havana's most photographed artefacts, gleaming and looking new in the intense sun, and vintage-car tours are popular. Hemingway's haunts are well flagged and the city's amazing rum is celebrated at Museo del Ron and Factory Bocoy, and the famed cigars at the Cigar Museum and the Partagas Cigar Factory.

The colonial fort on Havana's shoreline, Castillo de San Carlos de la Cabana, offers some pageantry and views back to the city, as does El Morro lighthouse, which was constructed by Leopoldo O'Donnell. Take a drive to Playas de Este, stunning beaches just a few minutes from the city centre. There is a prominent monument to Alejandro O'Reilly from Baltrasna, Co Meath. Another Irish connection is retained through the newly renovated Palacio O'Farril.

Literary fans can visit the Museo Hemingway Finca Vigia and the Seville Hotel, location for Graham Greene's Our Man in Havana, saved from dereliction in 1919 by another two Irishmen, John Bowman and Charles Flynn. In Cuba, everything is not as it appears on the surface.

Eoghan Corry is an author and the editor of Travel Extra
San Diego's Assyrians Celebrate Easter But Worry About ISIS

San Diego's large Chaldean [Assyrian] community is celebrating Easter amid concern for their fellow Christians in Iraq and Syria who are persecuted by ISIS terrorists. An estimated 50,000 Chaldeans fleeing turmoil in the Mideast have found new homes in the El Cajon area, where the inland San Diego County climate is reminiscent of their homeland. "While we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord, Jesus Christ, our Christians brothers and sisters abroad rejoice in silence," said Mark Arabo, a leader in the community. "This Easter Sunday, Chaldeans will pay special commemoration to the Christians of Iraq and Syria who continue to be persecuted, killed and silenced by ISIS," he said. "On this most solemn of Easters, we ask that San Diego remembers those Christians who are unable to pray and to freely express their faith." Both Chaldean and Assyrian Christians have faced genocide at the hands of ISIS for refusing to convert to Islam.
Dental tourism is booming in Hungary. Ed Finn found out exactly what it takes to get that winning smile.

Set the mood

Budapest brings many things to mind - thermal spas, hearty cuisine, classical opera. Lately, you can add medical tourism to that list.

In need of a serious oral overhaul, I took a look at Europe's 'Dental Central' after checking out prices in Ireland. It quickly became clear that, short of re-mortgaging my apartment, the treatment wasn't going to be viable here.

A future of cracked and popping veneers seemed inevitable, until a colleague returned from Budapest, wowing us all with his winning new smile. A brief chat about 'Attila the Gum' and the costs involved, and I was Budapest-bound for a full mouth reconstruction.

I wasn't alone, either. Visit Hungary estimates some 2,500 Irish make the same journey every year... possibly even more.

The treatment

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I was quoted from 28k to 35k for 24 full porcelain zirconium crowns in Ireland. I paid 10.5k for the treatment in Budapest.

Naturally, I had concerns about taking several flights and having the work done overseas, but my dentist was remarkable and the Kreativ Clinic was a futuristic-style place of sanitised excellence. The local rep, Mary in Dublin, arranged everything (including free transfers and hotel stays).

Afterwards, my dentist held up the mirror and I was totally gob-smacked - a life-changing experience complete with a written guarantee and aftercare service. A year later, I haven't had a single problem - and I say that having paid the full whack myself!

Jewel in the crowns

Hungary's dental tourism industry hasn't developed overnight. It has one of the most demanding medical and dental educations in the world, and visitors have been availing of it since German and Austrian patients first discovered the savings and superior treatments in the 1980s. Lower salaries, costs and insurance all contribute to a price difference that has only widened since Hungary joined the EU. I flew to Budapest, had my treatment and enjoyed the sights for a third of the price quoted at home.

Insider intel

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Be sure to take the waters in Budapest. The Romans and Ottomans went mad for the stuff and built the most magnificent architectural hammams and bath houses (the Szechenyi and Rudas baths are two favourites). Afterwards, put your new gnashers to work at the Great Market Hall. This is the place for goulash and oversized sausages with langos - deep-fried bread topped with sour cream and grated cheese.

Top tip

Hungary is a beautiful country, and there's a lot more to it than Budapest. Consider extending your trip with a visit to the scenic Lake Balaton region (gotohungary.com). Europe's biggest and shallowest body of water is bisected by a wild, 4km-long peninsula.

Glitches

Make sure your root canal and other treatments have been done properly before your trip. My root canal treatment wasn't up to Hungarian standards - it had to be corrected (at no cost) before fitting my porcelain zirconium crowns.

Get me there

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Aer Lingus (aerlingus.com) and Ryanair (ryanair.com) fly daily from Dublin to Budapest. I highly recommend Danubius Hotels (danubiushotels.com; rooms from 40) - I stayed near the clinic at the Arena, the Astoria and also in their Spa Hotel on Margaret Island.

I had my full mouth reconstruction treatment at the Kreativ Dental Clinic (01 805-5526; kreativdentalclinic.eu). You can find more clinics to choose from on Irish-run search site, whatclinic.com.
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Brendan OConnor Opinion The jig is up as Feis fixing has former winners like me reeling

As the holder of the Marie Cranny Perpetual cup for Extempore and Public Speaking (Under 15s) in Feis Maitiu in, of all years, 1984, I would like to use this platform to say this feis-fixing scandal has sullied my legacy, and that of all other holders of the cup down the years (you had to give it back at the end of the year).
My Week: Conor McGregor*

Monday: I wake up. Although, of course, I have not actually been asleep. No, no, my friend. Not in the way that other, mere mortal people sleep. Instead I have trained myself to metaphysicise; I have transmorgorified, I have metamorphisitised, I have fundamentally reimagined a way of resting my body, so that I am consciously wrestling with the inner movements of my muscles, even as my body believes it is sleeping. And while I do dat, my amigo, I am also full of the most beautiful feelings and emotions. My woman, my girl, the future first Lady of Ireland and myself, did go and promenade the town last night, with a pint of Guinness and my very good friend and training partner, Artem "The Russian Hammer" Lobov.
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New hospital for a tenner may come at too high a price

The Taoiseach is under a lot of pressure  the kind of pressure that leads to costly mistakes. It perhaps explains why he has been saying things that are not quite true. Micheal Martin is in a tight political corner. From all sides hes being told he has to get the contract signed for the new National Maternity Hospital.
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Mary Kenny Opinion A male contraceptive jab is on the way, but will it truly equalise reproductive control?

It looks as though a male contraceptive vaccine will be available within the next year, according to Dr Amanda Wilson at De Montfort University in Leicester. The jab is called Risug, and it could obviate the demand for vasectomies  which is falling anyway. The vaccine, which has completed its final trials, would be reversible, so it is not as radical as vasectomy.
Not for nothing was Barbara Bush known as 'The Enforcer'

Barbara Bush, tougher than her husband and known to her family as 'The Enforcer', is probably the most popular of all ex-US first ladies of recent times. Jackie Kennedy is remembered across the globe for elegance and tragedy, but she was not loved. Rosalynn Carter worked hard and was a noted campaigner on issues of mental health, but she has suffered in retrospect because of her bitterness at his defeat by Ronald Reagan, who is widely perceived to have been as great a success as Carter was a failure. The brittle Nancy Reagan was an essential support to her husband, but was thought to care little for anyone else. Hillary Clinton was loathed by those who thought her a careerist. The likeable Laura Bush did a lot of useful work but lacked her mother-in-law's commanding personality. And although Michelle Obama had rock-star status, that has diminished as she and her husband embrace luxury and celebrity. Betty Ford is probably the closest rival, having been far more effective and formidable than her husband Gerald, the 38th president, and still having a posthumous reputation for her prowess as a campaigner on addiction, not least because so many of the famous troop to the Betty Ford Clinic.
One hundred years ago tomorrow, Ireland successfully asserted its claim to nationhood. With the convening of the new Dail, it will bend itself again to the tasks of nationhood and the mutual obligations and demands which citizenship of any nation involves.

The Proclamation of 1916 was written mostly by James Connolly who, after the socialist fashion of the day, was much concerned with stating in it the importance of canals and waterways as part of the means of production, distribution and exchange. After such revision, the Proclamation was still a work in progress when death put an end to all discussion and gave a certain sanctity to the document that was read out on the day. As it stands, the Proclamation has no constitutional or canonical status. To everyone his or her own proclamation. Here, with due deference, are a few of the nuts and bolts of mine.

As a substitute for equality, our politicians speak much about equality of opportunity. Garret FitzGerald was particularly fond of doing so.

But there can be no equality of opportunity without equality of education. In our world, the qualification and the degree are the passport to almost everything.

Therefore, all education, primary, secondary and tertiary, will be free to all.

And everything required to pursue it, from books to breakfast, should be free as well.

Healthcare and health necessities, including GP and hospital fees, will be free to all at the point of delivery.

Homelessness is a major cause of ill-health as well as much else. Time was when the homeless were regarded as responsible for their predicament and could be punished for it. Under Henry VIII, thousands of people were hanged in England for the crime of vagrancy.

The encouraging thing is that we have tackled housing shortages with such efficacy in the past. In the eight years following the Housing Act of 1932, which provided generous state subventions for house building schemes developed by local authorities, the Government built an average of over 16,000 houses a year. These schemes gave not only shelter to many but employment as well on a Rooseveltian scale. With - or despite - all our planning and other regulations, we should be able to do at least the same.

Even as the signatories to the Proclamation were writing it, even as they fought, re-thinking about empires and their ownership and profitability was already going on. Norman Angell and others were showing that empire was not actually a very profitable business; and to say that a particular area of the Earth's surface belonged to a distant empire had little meaning if you used the word 'belong' in its everyday sense.

This cast doubt on the implication that all the wealth of Ireland would revert to its original ownership when it ceased to be part of the British empire. If the ownership rights of the empire could have been revoked, it is difficult to see how 'ownership' would have become vested in 'the Irish people' as a whole.

As to the unfettered control of Irish destiny which was to flourish in the new state, the reality is that between membership of alliances such as the EU, no modern state has unfettered control of its own destiny.

However, these relationships are not necessarily permanent. More inextricable limitations derive from debt levels which morally and practically deprive many modern states of the control of their own destinies in any real sense.

We were unjustly treated in our recent dealings with our creditors. (But perhaps unjust dealing is in the nature of debt and everything pertaining to it.) Ireland therefore will ceaselessly promote the cancelling of all debts, in particular its own.

Fears about the adverse effects that such a cancellation would have on the world economy have been demonstrated to be baseless. In the US, the virtual cancelling of its debt by increasing the money supply has not had such adverse effects.

The Proclamation of 1916 speaks of Ireland's exaltation among the nations. This is primarily achieved through art, not through sporting contests of one kind or another.

If it were not for Yeats and Joyce and a few others, Ireland could not have partaken of any 'exaltation' among the nations. State policy will ensure its continuance in so far as it is possible for state policy to do.

No doubt the cost of much of what is suggested in this proclamation would be high. But the benefits, the dignity of all, and the absence of hypocrisy would be priceless.
There are two types of politicians: those who deal in power and those who are uncompromising.

We look down on the shiftiness of the powerbrokers. We admire the steadfastness of the uncompromising. But the uncompromising are often little more than a bag of noise.

In Easter week 100 years ago, a group of radicals launched something that, almost despite themselves, would have a massive impact on the history of Ireland. It was despite themselves because they weren't setting out to win a military battle. Anyone who thought digging trenches in St Stephen's Green was a good idea didn't know much about urban warfare. They were noise-makers.

They wanted to raise awareness of the potential of Irish independence. The British reaction, and the threat of conscription in Ireland, led to them being far more successful than - I suspect - they ever thought possible. Six years later, Ireland was an independent State.

Their success shouldn't make us ignorant of the fact that there were other nationalist politicians who were doing deals to achieve some form of Home Rule. These were powerbrokers who used the parliamentary arithmetic of the House of Commons to deliver Home Rule for Ireland. Then war got in the way.

When Ireland achieved independence, politicians from all backgrounds set about building a new State that, despite some setbacks and bad choices, was pretty successful. Initial principled opposition to the Treaty melted away when the possibility of power beckoned. A small number of noise-makers continued to object - and refused to recognise the State - but they were ignored by powerbrokers who set about delivering for the citizens of the new State, ending, for instance, its housing crisis, the tenements. The powerbrokers did deals, compromised and delivered results.

Fast forward a century. We have a different set of politicians, but the same problems. We need to form a government, but the configuration of parties and Independent TDs makes it hard. It is incumbent on the larger parties to try to do deals. Among the people they have to deal with are noise-makers and powerbrokers.

Some of the noise-makers immediately ruled themselves out of government. This is the problem with Enda Kenny's attempt to build a broad-based coalition around a Fine Gael-led minority government.

The noise-makers claim to be utterly principled and vow to do their utmost to rid us of Enda Kenny.

While Mick Wallace claims that to be Minister for Housing would be his dream job, he also says he would quit politics before he'd work with Fine Gael. He likes making noise, but wouldn't broker a deal that might deliver benefits to his constituents or get some of his ideas for housing tried out.

Another TD says that he is not even a politician. Gino Kenny prefers the term 'activist'. It's perfectly legitimate to raise awareness of issues such as housing, drug abuse and poverty, but the noise-makers have shown on Dublin City Council that they are unwilling to do any deals that might actually alleviate the problems. Politicians who groan about the housing crisis at the same time try to block new high-density developments.

The same is true of Sinn Fein. Its leaders claim that Sinn Fein won't compromise on its principles. It refuses to be part of a government in which it is not the lead party. But unlike the radical left, Sinn Fein aren't just noise-makers. The party's strategy is a longer-term one. It wants to position itself as the main opposition party. That is why it is so anxious for a Fine Gael-Fianna Fail coalition - and that is why Fianna Fail is so anxious not to enter government.

In the North, Sinn Fein made its most famous compromise in the Good Friday Agreement. Compromising its principled opposition to British rule, it helped broker a peace for the citizens of Northern Ireland. Having destroyed the SDLP, it compromised on more principles and now in government does deals that aren't ideal but that deliver a functioning, if uneasy, government for Northern Ireland.

Eventually, if Sinn Fein continues its steady growth, it will do deals and make similar compromises in the south.

For now Kenny has to deal with Independents and small parties. There are some Independents, mainly the rural ones, who are more pragmatic. They will do deals. Michael Fitzmaurice and Denis Naughten represent the powerbrokers. By my count, there are 12 to 14 of them. Even if Kenny gets support from Labour (which has ruled this out), the Greens (who are bravely willing to engage) and the Social Democrats (who don't seem to be sure what they want), he is still short of a majority.

So a deal with Fianna Fail is inevitable. What Kenny is trying to do now is protect what is likely to be a minority Fine Gael government. It is a government that will last no more than two years. In that time, Fine Gael doesn't want to be further damaged by being in power.

By bringing in other parties and Independents, Fine Gael can share the blame. Why would the Independents and small parties get involved in something that can obviously damage their electoral prospects?

Well, the Greens might get to influence planning and housing policy that could deliver more high quality units built in sustainable communities. The rural Independents might have ideas about how to keep Garda stations and post offices open and how broadband can be delivered to rural areas. They can do deals to get these ideas tried out.

If he's smart, Kenny will give the government a name. It was a mistake of the last government that it didn't call itself something like the 'Government of National Recovery', and use that name at every opportunity. This could be the 'Government of National Progress'. Kenny will sooner or later have to step down as Fine Gael leader, but this could help give the government the sense that it is not a rump Fine Gael administration. He could even use the Seanad to appoint two outsiders to cabinet.

But as lovely as this rainbow government may sound, it still has to involve Fianna Fail in some way. That will probably mean Fianna Fail abstaining on the vote for Taoiseach and on other measures to ensure the government doesn't fall. Fianna Fail will be in a position to publicly extract major concessions from the government - it will be a major powerbroker once again.

Doing deals involves compromise and taking risks. This weekend we are commemorating those uncompromising rebels of 100 years ago who, despite themselves, delivered independence. But in the coming weeks our political leaders should try to emulate the historic compromise of those who signed the Good Friday Agreement 18 years ago.

The self-righteous noise- makers who never compromise may feel good about themselves, but they rarely achieve anything close to what powerbrokers do.

Dr Eoin O'Malley is director of the MSc in Public Policy at DCU. @AnMailleach
LP Hartley said the past is a foreign country and they do things differently there. That's why it's so repellent that in 2016 our children are being used as pawns to mark our century-old bloody Easter Rising.

My heart has sunk so many times in recent months when I've seen a gun-toting child dressed in a military uniform trying to mimic some aspect of the Rising. I've looked aghast at TV news reports of children pretending to shoot other children to replicate the executions of the 1916 signatories.

I've glimpsed photos of tiny little fellas storming the GPO with guns and in slouch hats. I've browsed school website photo galleries to see artwork commemorating the Rising which would make any child psychologist wince. There are drawings done by innocent hands depicting a bleeding and tethered Connolly being executed by firing squad.

Many more feature a smouldering GPO with men and women falling and dying as they're sprayed with bullets. There are videos on YouTube of seven- and eight-year-olds reverentially hoisting huge cardboard portraits of Pearse and Clarke around their school yards.

I've listened to vox pops featuring children extolling the bravery of the seven leaders. One little girl on a news bulletin, who was related to a 1916 rebel, was jokingly accused of going over to the other side by a reporter because she portrayed a British soldier. The State's militaristic onslaught on our children has been unrelenting since last year. First up, was the armed forces visiting every primary school to deliver a national flag and read the Proclamation as part of a cod nationalistic ceremony.

I don't have an issue with Oglaigh na hEireann being reverential towards the flag in their barracks. But there's zero constitutional mandate that our Tricolour be flown in our schools and that our little ones be forced to engage in a charade towards a flag that has been fought over by every nationalist and republican faction for a century.

Why didn't some bright spark in the Department of an Taoiseach commit to providing broadband in every primary school by Easter 2016? Or shore up funding provision for special needs assistants? Instead, we chose to theatrically deliver a divisive piece of cloth to every school with the stomp of army boots.

We are imprinting in these malleable little minds that the national flag can no longer be associated with fun national celebrations like Sonia O'Sullivan winning gold, or the boys in green doing us proud in Italia 90.

On the Defence Forces' website, the section on flag day for primary schools uses the famous photo taken inside the GPO in 1916 by Joseph Cripps, featuring the 14-year-old child soldier Tony Swann.

Of course, the Proclamation has laudable elements but the chilling references to blood sacrifice and support for the warmongering German empire is not the kind of reading material I want little ears exposed to.

Earlier this year, when I used Twitter to question the wisdom of using our primary school kids to celebrate the Tricolour and the Proclamation I was criticised by some teachers.

I pointed out that 210,000 Irish people served in the British army and navy during the First World War.

A century ago, our two police forces, the Royal Irish Constabulary and the Dublin Metropolitan Police, were three-quarters Irish Catholic and one-quarter Irish Protestant. Whatever the original intention of the commemoration was, eulogising the rebels and the national flag is the outcome in most schools. There was talk initially from the commemoration committee that the 1916 ceremonies would encompass the different traditions, but to me that message is getting lost.

There are 250,000 child soldiers around the world forced to fight in wars everywhere from Rwanda to Colombia. As charities campaigning to end this abhorrence point out, easily influenced children don't have a full grasp of the finality of death and the act of killing a human being.

Marking Red Hand Day, the International Day against the Use of Child Soldiers on February 12 each year, would be a more appropriate event for our schools. One of the benefits of our hard-won peace is that our children aren't forced to take up arms.

I grew up during the 1980s and my parents' generation was very clear that militarism was a bad thing. Ignoring State cultural nationalism was a necessity, given the Troubles, and because post-Civil War reconciliation took so long.

If you assemble the ghosts of any Irish family around a table you will have seating plan nightmares. Take my own family. In 1888 my granduncle, Jerry Hanafin, was evicted with his family from their smallholding in Killeagh, Co Cork, by the Ponsonby estate.

They had taken part in the Plan of Campaign to withhold rent because of rack-renting. A long-running (non-violent) dispute eventually resulted in my family owning the holding.

Despite my granduncle's early privations, including near starvation and eviction, Jerry became an RIC constable. He survived the War of Independence and was later a publican in Dingle, Co Kerry.

Telling children that there are just good guys and bad guys in the rich tapestry of Irish history is so wrong. The genealogy of any family that has managed to survive on this island has always been complicated and messy.

It is only basic decent human traits like pacifism, tolerance and forgiveness that have really kept us going.

But sometimes it's hard to hear those voices above the din of replica guns and the stampede for the slouch hat uniforms these days.
It has become increasingly common in criminal trials to disparage eyewitness testimony as unreliable and prone to suggestion; but the real value of an observer of extraordinary events is not to remember every detail so much as to simply bear witness to what happened. If they are the only survivors, that role becomes even more urgent.

The agony which befell Buncrana last Sunday, when five people lost their lives after their car slipped off the pier into the water, once again highlighted the importance of an eyewitness as a way of making sense of tragedy.

Had there been nobody around that day to see when the car went into the water, the deaths of five people would have been every bit as awful, but hearing from people who were there, who spoke to the people in the car before it sank, who can pass on their final words, and describe events as they spiralled out of control, made it seem all the more vivid and terrible.

The terrorist attacks in Brussels had photographs, videos, CCTV footage. Buncrana had only the words of those who were there that evening, not least 28-year-old Davitt Walsh, hailed a hero after rescuing four month old baby Rioghnach-Ann from the car moments before it sank, killing her father Sean McGrotty, his two sons, 12-year-old Mark and eight-year-old Evan, their grandmother, 57-year-old Ruth Daniels, and her 15-year-old daughter Jodie Lee Daniels.

Had Walsh arrived on the pier even minutes later, it would not only have resulted in the death of the family's youngest child as well, it would have been an event whose final seconds out on Lough Swilly had no witnesses at all, and no one to speak about it afterwards.

Priests and reporters struggled to find the words to express the horror of it all, repeating a small number of adjectives.

Indeed they were moved to wonder if any words could suffice at all. Davitt Walsh didn't need to fumble for the right words. He only had to say what happened.

There were other witnesses too. Local man Francis Crawford was with his wife on the pier in Buncrana that evening, watching the sun set, and was the first to call 999 after spotting the car in trouble.

"I screwed down my window," Crawford recalled, "and I shouted to the driver, he had his window down, and I said 'are you alright?' and he shouted 'phone the Coastguard, phone the Coastguard'." Visibly upset, he described how the shouting continued: "And I said 'I've phoned them, everyone is on their way' this man was still shouting at me when the car went down."

Little in the thousands of words written afterwards could match the nightmarish simplicity of that first hand account. Others described hearing the same shouts and screams from the car, and the rescuers, though too late, had their own tales to tell of their efforts to retrieve and try desperately to revive the victims.

It brought back to mind the words of CNN reporter Jeanne Meserve, when describing the difference between hearing about Hurricane Katrina and seeing the devastation with her own eyes. "When you stand in the dark, and you hear people yelling for help and no one can get to them, it's a totally different experience."

Without question it was Davitt Walsh's testimony which had the greatest impact on those who heard it, because he was the one who came closest to those poor people in their last moments, after taking off his clothes and swimming out in the freezing water to do what he could.

He told his story repeatedly in the past week. "The water started coming in and (Sean) just looked at me and said 'save my baby'." It was only because of Walsh that we knew of the father's own bravery as he returned to the car to try and save the rest of his family. Without his testimony, that part of the story would have been lost to time as well.

Two days later, in a much more populous place, the attacks took place on Brussels.

In what has become a familiar feature of the real time reporting of terrorist atrocities, we saw survivors of the subway station bombing making their way down dark tunnels to safety, and crowds running away from the airport, just as, in Paris in November, we were able to see the woman clinging onto the window as she tried to climb out of the Bataclan theatre.

We are transfixed by these real life dramas, but ironically the pictures can have a distancing effect.

Whatever appears on our screens inevitably becomes absorbed into TV's round the clock cycle of "infotainment". We process the images and move on to the next event far too quickly.

In a world dominated by ubiquitous news coverage, there are now even websites dedicated to footage of people dying, in accidents, in murders captured on CCTV cameras inside shops, in wars, in natural disasters. The ante is constantly raised as shock becomes harder to provoke.

Sometimes it is still words that have the greatest power to break down the emotional barriers. No grainy mobile phone footage of the aftermath of the Bataclan massacre could compare to the quietly- spoken accounts of people who escaped the carnage to describe what they saw.

To have been able to see what happened in Buncrana would have been unbearable, almost obscene, but Davitt Walsh's words transcended a mere catalogue of an unfolding tragedy into something much more human and sad.

War reporter Janine di Giovanni has spoken of an "obligation to bear witness". It's not merely about recounting events so that others who are not there can learn and understand what happened, but about assuming the responsibility of speaking for the dead. Davitt Walsh clearly felt that same sense of responsibility.

He assumed it in direct ways, wrongly blaming himself for not being able to save more of the victims; but he also took it on in a larger symbolic way, knowing that he was the only one who could pass on a record of the event, even when doing so was clearly as punishing to him mentally as his efforts to save the family was to him physically. Day after day, he made himself face it, patiently answering the same questions.

In one of his letters in the Bible, John, the disciple of Jesus, talks of "that which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched."

That was the tangible quality which Davitt Walsh brought to last Sunday's events. There is always a danger that the sort of collective grief that we all felt last week can slip over into voyeurism anyway, no matter how sensitively a tragedy is handled; but at least it makes us think about all the lonely deaths that occur every day, with no one around to attest to a person's final experiences, and which consequently vanish into history without trace.

We remember what we should never have forgotten - the awful sorrow and vulnerability of being human.
Last Monday night I arrived in New York and was relieved to find that, unlike the last time I came, a portion of the city wasn't in lock-down because of a shooting at a major transport hub.

Four months ago, I queued for an hour in the customs hall at JFK as the televisions announced that a gunman was on the loose after shooting dead one person and wounding two others at Penn Station, in the midtown of the city. "Oh dear," I said to the cab driver once I had cleared the nightmare that is US immigration. "It's no biggie," he said, as if this kind of thing happened every day, which, this being America, it did.

This time I was confronted with some security personnel cradling firearms as if they were babies. The exchange with the immigration officer went something like this:

Officer: "When are you planning to leave?"

Me (mumbling): "Thanks for the welcome."

Officer (shouting): "MA'AM, I REPEAT, WHEN ARE YOU PLANNING TO LEAVE?"

Me (feebly): "Wednesday, sir."

I got to my hotel, collapsed into bed and popped in some earplugs to try to muffle the sounds of emergency service vehicles that fill the Manhattan night. Then I woke up and switched on the television where the terrible events in Brussels were unfolding from a uniquely American viewpoint.

"We're keeping an eye on the events in Brussels," said the glamorous anchorwoman. "And we're keeping an eye on New York to see what the tragedy means for us here," continued her male side-kick. The army had arrived at JFK. On TV, they were discussing how dangerous Europe was. Donald Trump had tweeted that Brussels was a hell-hole from a "different world" and that America "must be vigilant and smart"! Then the anchors went to an item about how to combat an increase in slashings in the city - 916 so far this year, an 18 per cent spike on the year before.

That night I met some friends for a drink at a rooftop bar downtown. They told me more about these slashings. One theory is that they are gang-related, some horrific initiation ceremony in which young men vie to inflict as many stitches on a victim as possible.

Apparently "only" 23 of the 916 slashings had been random - the rest were related to ongoing disputes or adverse encounters - but as my friends pointed out, had 23 people been slashed at random with box-cutters and razors in London there would be an outcry.

"Look at the Freedom Tower," said one friend. We turned to see it lit up in solidarity with the people of Belgium - only in the colours of the French flag. "I suppose it's the thought that counts," my friend continued.

While I was there, the US State Department warned Americans travelling in Europe - yes, the whole of Europe - to "exercise vigilance" when "in public places or using mass transportation".

I wondered about the chances of being involved in a mass shooting in America (25 this month alone, according to the Mass Shooting Tracker, bringing the total to 79 in 2016; the same website estimates there were 371 in 2015).

The chances are extremely small, I am guessing, given that millions of people travel to America without being shot or having their face slashed - just as millions of people travel to Europe without being killed by murderers from Isil.

Still, watching the news, I felt scared. I thought that if I was American, if I didn't have the benefit of a family in Europe and a (thankfully safe) cousin in Brussels, I might think twice about ever visiting the continent.

I might imagine, reading the tweets of Donald Trump, that it had been turned into some sort of medieval dystopia where radicalised Muslims ruled supreme and the rest of us cowered in fear of being stoned or beheaded. Exposed to his rhetoric, I might even decide to vote for him.

On Wednesday night, I got to the airport feeling anxious and desperate to be home with my daughter and husband. I smiled at the airport security, who responded once more with snarls - and I understood, because what country wouldn't be paralysed by the horrors seen that bright September day in 2001?

But back home, I realised that I would much rather live in Europe, for all of its flaws and all of its recent tragedies. Because it is not ruled by fear. It does not allow itself to be defined by terror. If it is characterised by anything, then it is compassion - compassion for the people of Syria who face the horrors of Isil every hour of every day.

The Belgian terrorists are not us and they are not all around us. As long as we remember that, we will always be the true land of the free.

 Telegraph
A woman injured in the bomb blast is comforted by a family member at a local hospital in Lahore (AP)

Pakistani police officers and rescue workers gather at the site of bomb explosion in a park in Lahore (AP)

Pakistani police officers stand guard at the site of a bomb blast in a park in Lahore (AP)

A breakaway Pakistani faction of the Taliban has claimed responsibility for an Easter Sunday bombing in a Lahore park that killed 65 people.

Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, said a suicide bomber with the faction had deliberately targeted the Christian community in the eastern city.

The explosion took place near children's rides in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park, which was crowded with Christians celebrating Easter, local police chief Haider Ashraf said.

He said the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, although investigations are ongoing.

The explosion killed 65 people and wounded more than 300 others, according Deeba Shahnaz, a spokesman for Lahore rescue administration.

Punjab's chief minister Shahbaz Sharif announced three days of mourning and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The park was manned by police and private security guards, police chief Haider Ashraf said.

"We are in a warlike situation and there is always a general threat, but no specific threat alert was received for this place," he added.

Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, has convened an emergency meeting of the country's intelligence agencies to begin to track down those responsible for the attacks.

Salman Rafiq, a health adviser to the Punjab government, called on people to donate blood, saying many of the wounded are in a critical condition.

Footage broadcast on local television stations showed chaotic scenes in the park, with people running while carrying children and cradling the wounded in their laps.

One witness, who wished to be identified only by his first name, Afzal, said he had taken 20 children to hospital and carried three dead bodies to a police car.

"I can't explain to you the tragic situation," he said.

One witness said he was heading toward a fairground ride with his wife and two children when he heard a huge bang, and all four of them were thrown to the floor.

A woman was shown crying while looking desperately for her missing five-year-old son.

A spokesman for the US National Security Council said America "condemns the attack in the strongest terms", describing it as a "cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park".

Ned Price said the US would continue to work with Pakistan and its partners to "root out the scourge of terrorism".
Right wing demonstrators chant slogans next to one of the memorials to the victims of the recent Brussels attacks (AP)

Belgian riot police have clashed with hundreds of right-wing hooligans at a temporary shrine honouring the victims of the Brussels suicide bombings, as investigators arrested four more people amid fresh anti-terror raids.

Police used water cannon when scuffles broke out in front of the Bourse, which has become a symbolic rallying point for people to pay their respects to the 31 people who died in Tuesday's attacks in the capital.

Black-clad men carrying an anti-Islamic State (IS) banner trampled parts of the shrine, shouting Nazi slogans. Ten were arrested and two police officers injured.

Police commissioner Christian De Coninck said: "We had 340 hooligans from different football clubs who came to Brussels and we knew for sure that they would create some trouble.

"It was a very difficult police operation because lots of families with kids were here."

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur expressed his disgust, with Belgium still in mourning over the suicide bombings at Brussels airport and subway, which also injured 270 people.

"The police were not deployed to protect people from these hooligans but a whole other threat," Mr Mayeur said.

Meanwhile, prosecutors said Sunday morning's raids were linked a "federal case regarding terrorism" but did not specify whether it had any links to the March 22 attacks.

Thirteen raids were launched in the capital and the northern cities of Mechelen and Duffel. An investigating judge is to decide later whether to keep the four people arrested in custody. Five others were released after questioning.

Belgium's interior minister has sought to contain the growing criticism of the government's handling of the tragedy.

Interior minister Jan Jambon conceded that decades of neglect had hampered the government's response to violent extremism.

He said the government has invested 600 million euro (474 million) into police and security services over the past two years, but admitted Belgium's justice system and security services are still lagging behind.

Mr Jambon, whose offer to resign Thursday was declined by the prime minister Charles Michel, also acknowledged some shortcomings prior to the attacks.

"There have been errors," he said on VRT television.

Mr Jambon said it takes time to hire anti-terror specialists and specialised equipment and insisted that the government's new investments need time before they become visible to the public.

As international pressure has mounted on Belgium after the country serving as an unwitting rear-base for extremist fighters who launched the November 13 massacres that left 130 dead in Paris, the government has felt forced to defend its choices and the actions of investigators.

Politicians, meanwhile, are demanding an inquiry.

Belgian police and the army have been deployed, sometimes around the clock, at major buildings and sites in the capital in increasing numbers since November, when Brussels went into lockdown over fears that top Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam had returned and was hiding there.

As it turned out, Abdeslam did return, but police did not find and arrest him until March 18, four days before suspects from his network exploded suicide bombs in Brussels.

Belgian investigators have been slammed for not questioning Abdeslam long enough or hard enough after he was shot in the leg during his arrest. Police have also been criticised for taking too long to get to Zaventem airport on Tuesday morning after two suicide bombers blew themselves up there - and left an even bigger third suitcase full of explosives that did not go off.

Mr Jambon and justice minister Keen Goens were grilled by politicians on Friday over how authorities failed to arrest suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui before he blew himself in the packed departure hall at Brussels Airport.

Turkey has said that Bakraoui - whose brother Khalid was the suicide bomber at the Maelbeek subway station on Tuesday - was caught near Turkey's border with Syria in 2015 and Ankara had warned Brussels and the Netherlands that he was "a foreign terrorist fighter."

Belgian authorities said they did not know he was suspected of terror-related activities until after he was deported to the Netherlands.

Mr Jambon also said the Brussels subway network had been told to shut off services around 20 minutes before the attack at the subway station, which is close to both the European Union headquarters and the US embassy. He did not fully explain why it was not closed in time, raising more questions about the efficiency of Belgium's security services.

On Sunday, Italian police in the southern city of Salerno said they had arrested an Algerian wanted in Belgium for an alleged false ID crime ring.

Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested Saturday in the town of Bellizzi, said Luigi Amato, the head of Salerno police's anti-terrorism squad.

Ouali, 40, was being held in jail while authorities expect extradition procedures to soon begin.

Belgian prosecutors said the man is thought to have made false documents for some of the attackers in the November 13 massacre in Paris, including top suspect Salah Abdeslam.

Investigators are trying to establish whether the same false ID ring provided papers for the March 22 attackers.
Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic presidential caucuses in Hawaii, his third win over front-runner Hillary Clinton in the three states that held party caucuses on Saturday.

The Vermont senator also won caucuses in Washington state and Alaska.

The Saturday sweep gives a powerful psychological boost to Sanders' supporters. But the results are barely denting Clinton's significant delegate lead in the race for the nomination.

Sanders says he expects to close the delegate gap with Clinton as the contest moves to liberal north-eastern states.

Bernie Sanders netted nearly three dozen delegates on Saturday after his win in Hawaii, having swept three states. It is a solid showing, but it didn't significantly have an impact on Hillary Clinton's overall big lead.

Sanders needs to win 67% of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates through June to be able to clinch the Democratic nomination. So far he is only winning 37%.

With 25 Hawaii delegates at stake, Sanders picked up 17. Clinton gained eight. That means on Saturday, Sanders won a total of 55 delegates, having also won Washington state and Alaska. Clinton picked up 20.

More delegates are likely to be allocated to Sanders in the next few weeks, when the Washington state Democratic party releases vote shares by district. Still, Clinton maintains a wide advantage in delegates. Based on primaries and caucuses to date, she has won 1,243 delegates to Sanders' 975.

Clinton's lead is even bigger when including superdelegates, or party officials who can back any candidate they wish. Including superdelegates, Clinton has 1,712 delegates to Sanders' 1,004. It takes 2,383 to win.
Belgian prosecutors yesterday charged three men with terrorist offences over the Brussels bomb attacks and authorities called off a planned 'march against fear' in the jittery capital to relieve pressure on an over-taxed police force.

Belgian media identified one of the men as Faycal Cheffou and said he was the man wearing a hat and a light-coloured jacket in last Tuesday's airport CCTV footage that showed three men pushing baggage trolleys bearing luggage.

The two others are believed to have blown themselves up.

Cheffou was charged with taking part in the activities of a terrorist group and actual and attempted terrorist murder.

The other two charged yesterday, Aboubakar A and Rabah N, were accused of terrorist activities and membership of a terrorist group.

Rabah N was wanted in connection with a related raid in France this week that authorities say foiled an apparent attack plot.

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur said that Cheffou, who said he was a freelance journalist, was "dangerous" and that he had been detained a number of times at a park where he sought to encourage asylum seekers camped there to turn to radical extremism.

Authorities also said that a man arrested on Friday after being shot in the leg at a tram stop in Brussels was being held for a further 24 hours. He was identified as Abderamane A and was one of three people arrested on Friday. That operation was linked to the arrest in Paris on Thursday of an Islamist convicted in Belgium last year and suspected of plotting a new attack.
A security guard at a Belgian nuclear research facility was murdered two days after the Brussels bombings, deepening fears that Islamist terrorists are plotting attacks on nuclear sites.

Didier Prospero, a G4S employee, was shot dead at his home in Froidchapelle 70 miles south of the capital, less than 24 hours after officials stripped several workers of their security passes at two nuclear plants.

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Mr Prospero, 45, was found in his bathroom by his three children as they returned home from school on Thursday. He had been shot four times and his sheepdog Beauce lay dead next to him.

The killing follows a string of security scares around Belgium's nuclear infrastructure. In November it was found that an Isil cell in Brussels kept a top Belgian nuclear scientist under video surveillance.

Expand Close Belgium's Interior Minister Jan Jambon Photo: REUTERS/Eric Vidal / Facebook

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The murder heightened fears that terrorists were planning a radioactive "dirty" bomb but apparently dropped the idea when security was increased at nuclear plants this month after intelligence warnings. Belgian authorities have previously played down the risk posed by jihadists to such facilities.

The surveillance footage was only acknowledged by officials after news was leaked to a paper. It is believed to have been taken by Ibrahim and Khalid el-Bakraoui, two of last week's suicide bombers, using a camera in bushes outside the scientist's house.

When the news broke interior minister Jan Jambon rejected pleas to deploy troops as "nothing indicates a threat". Two weeks later he sent 140 soldiers to five facilities.

Belgian prosecutors said Mr Prospero did not work at a nuclear plant, but at a nuclear medical research facility about 40km from his home.

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But G4S bosses said he was a general patrol officer who did not have access to nuclear facilities or guard nuclear sites. A spokesman added his pass was not missing.

It is not the first time that nuclear fears have been raised. In 2013, an engineer from Doel 4, a reactor near Anvers, was sacked over fears that he had been radicalised after he refused to shake his superior's hand.

He was later identified as brother-in-law of Azzedine Kbir Bounekoub, a jihadist who left to join Isil in Syria in 2012 and had frequently called on sympathisers to launch terror attacks.

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A turbine at the same reactor was sabotaged in 2014 when someone deliberately turned security cameras the other way and then emptied out 65,000 litres of oil meant to lubricate the turbine.

The incident, which nearly caused the reactor to overheat, has never been clearly explained and there have not been any arrests.
French fire brigade members aid an injured individual near the Bataclan concert hall following fatal shootings in Paris

Dutch police have arrested a 32-year-old Frenchman in the port city of Rotterdam at the request of French authorities who suspect him of "involvement in planning a terror attack".

Residents were evacuated from homes near addresses on two streets that were raided by anti-terror police, who also took three other men into custody.

French officials requested the arrest on Friday after the suspect emerged during an investigation, according to a statement from the Dutch national prosecutor's office.

Spokesman Wim de Bruin declined to give more details about the alleged plot, saying it was a French investigation.

The suspect, whose identity has not been released, is expected to be extradited to France soon.

Three other men were detained in Sunday's raids; two with Algerian backgrounds, and a third man whose identity could not immediately be established.

Mr de Bruin said the three were held in relation to a Dutch investigation, and gave no further details.

The raids come with Europe on high alert following last Tuesday's suicide bombings in Brussels, which killed at least 31 people.
Two women who were injured in the explosions at Zaventem airport near Brussels last week which claimed the lives of 31 people Photo: Reuters

Samla da Rosa was in the carriage next to the explosion, on her way to hear the head of the UN's Food and Agriculture Organisation speak in Brussels. She was reading an article on her mobile phone when her world changed.

The bomb that ripped apart the adjacent carriage at the Maelbeek metro station, about 100 metres from the headquarters of the European Commission, left 20 people dead and scores wounded. Da Rosa was among the first to see the awful carnage.

"I bumped against a woman who was very wounded," said the 54-year-old Brazilian. "She had burns on her face and hands. Her hair was burnt.

"Other wounded people were like zombies, walking without direction. It was a like a horror movie. There was an arm on the sidewalk in a black sleeve."

Da Rosa works in PR, is married to a Dutchman and has lived in Belgium for 19 years. She said survivors tried to comfort each other.

"They say you are born alone and you will die alone, but when you have an accident like that I didn't feel alone because the solidarity was so big. You are with people that you've never seen in your life. I hugged this young guy in front of me, and I was asking him, 'Why? Why are they doing this?'"

She is one of millions of people asking the same question - and who are demanding to know if crucial clues were ignored that might have prevented the awful events of last week.

The message from Turkey the day after the bombing was blunt. The Belgian embassy had been warned that a would-be jihadi had been sent back to Europe after trying to slip into Syria to fight and it had done nothing to stop him.

That man, Ibrahim el-Bakraoui, went on to blow himself up in Brussels Airport with a second suicide bomber, and soon afterwards his younger brother blew himself up in a metro carriage.

They killed 31 people and injured 300 in blasts so devastating that many of the dead may not be formally identified for weeks.

The failure to catch Bakraoui or track the brothers was the first in a string of basic intelligence mistakes that have led some to question whether Tuesday's bloodshed could have been avoided.

The week appeared to begin well for security forces, who had just captured Paris attacker Saleh Abdeslam after four months on the run. But the man they thought was the last surviving member of a broken terrorist cell turned out to be part of a much more sophisticated international network that was still active.

So the key question hanging over last week's tragedy is whether it will prove the bloody but final unravelling of the main Isis operation in Europe, or whether authorities are simply chasing another disrupted cell in a larger and more durable operation.

Even the French president has been circumspect about how fast intelligence teams can trace and dismantle a system forged in Syria and Iraq, and bolstered by family and childhood friendship at home, and which is apparently behind a string of terror attacks from the Charlie Hebdo shootings onwards.

Police were on the trail of the suspected bombers soon after they put out security camera footage of the men pushing luggage trolleys through the airport, which they had identified as suspicious partly because they were wearing gloves on only one hand. These are thought to have concealed their detonators.

A taxi driver called a tip-off line after recognising a group of difficult clients from that morning who had been unusually edgy about handling their large suitcases. The unnamed driver may have averted an even greater tragedy when he refused to take one piece of baggage because the car was overloaded.

A raid on the address he gave in the Schaerbeek district produced 15kg of explosives, detonators and a suitcase filled with nails and screws, along with vital clues to the identity of petty criminals Ibrahim el-Bakraoui and his brother Khalid. Other raids in the same street turned up a computer with a confused statement by Ibrahim. He described feeling "in a rush, not knowing what to do, being hunted everywhere, not being safe, and if this goes on, ending up in a cell".

His sense that authorities were on the militants' trail came as a bitter irony to some in Brussels, now on the highest alert. Grim details of missed clues and ignored intelligence trickled out as authorities chased associates of the men across France, Belgium and Germany.

The Bakraoui brothers, both Belgian nationals, had long criminal records, but officials had not detected any links with terrorism. It has emerged since that they had connections to the Paris terror cell, as had a second airport bomber: DNA linked Najim Laachraoui to two of the explosive belts used in the Bataclan concert hall.

By Thursday, the justice and interior ministers had both offered their resignations, although the prime minister refused to accept them.

The most dramatic revelation came from Turkish president Recep Tayyip Erdoan, who disclosed that Ibrahim el-Bakraoui had been expelled from the country in July last year, when Turkish authorities warned Belgian and Dutch counterparts of suspicions that he was a militant. That alert never got from Belgian diplomats to security forces at home. Nor had authorities chased Bakraoui for skipping parole after serving less than half of a nine-year sentence for armed robbery.

Then a local police force admitted that the key to finding Europe's most wanted man had lain unread for months in the filing cabinet of a Belgian police station.

The continent's top security officials had frantically pored over scant clues to where Abdeslam was hiding. But unknown to them, some time previously a local beat officer had worked out that a relative of Abdeslam was living at 79 Rue des Quatre Vents and thought to have been radicalised.

Three months later, with the report still unread, police finally descended on the apartment and found Abdeslam inside. His relative, Abid Aberkan, had served as a coffin-bearer for Saleh's brother and fellow Paris attacker Brahim just the day before the raid.

Many of the men behind the Paris and Brussels attacks are now dead or in custody. European police have rounded up around 20 people in France, Germany and Brussels. More than a dozen have died as suicide bombers or in stand-offs with police.

But Abaaoud, the man thought to be a key planner behind the Paris attacks, had boasted to a niece that he had brought around 90 militants back to Europe with him. Even allowing for boastful exaggeration, that is still many more than have died or been detained. In Belgium alone, there were thought to be at least 130.

It is difficult for authorities to distinguish between those who have left the Isis frontline because they have been disillusioned by the violence, from those who found it inspiration for atrocities at home.

The close-knit network of family and friends that produced so many of the attackers, then sheltered Abdeslam, has made the work of police particularly hard.

Community leaders and activists say they are trying to root out extremism.

 Observer
Three balloons in the colors of the Belgian flag fly as people mourn for the victims of the bombings at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Photo: AP

Security forces across the continent are hunting for at least eight suspects believed to have assisted with the Islamist attacks in Paris and Brussels, a German newspaper has reported.

Citing security sources, Die Welt am Sonntag said the suspects, most of whom are French and Belgium citizens, are believed to be either in Syria or on the run in Europe.

Die Welt said the suspects had been in contact with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the presumed ringleader of the Paris attacks who was killed by French police in a shootout on Nov. 18, and Salah Abdeslam, the prime surviving suspect of the Paris attacks who was captured in Brussels earlier this month.

Germany's Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA) is involved in the manhunt, according to Die Welt. The BKA declined to comment.

The suicide bomb attacks targeting Brussels airport and a rush-hour metro train on Tuesday killed 31 people, including three of the attackers, and injured hundreds more. Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

Over the last 24 hours four men have been charged with terrorist offences in the European city while Italian police have arrested an Algerian suspected of having produced false documents for militants connected to the attacks.

Expand Close Three balloons in the colors of the Belgian flag fly as people mourn for the victims of the bombings at the Place de la Bourse in the center of Brussels Photo: AP / Facebook

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Belgian press agency Belga named the most recent man arrested as A. Abderrahmane who prosecutors had said on Saturday was being detained for a further 24 hours after being shot during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek.

It said he was charged in connection with a related raid in France this week that authorities say foiled an apparent attack plot.

With the investigation now spanning several countries, and increasing signs of links to the Paris attacks in November, Belgian authorities called off a planned "march against fear" in the jittery capital on Sunday to relieve pressure on the police.

After a series of raids and arrests in Belgium and Gemany since the attacks, Algerian Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was arrested by Italy's DIGOS anti-terrorism police in southern Italy, Italian media said on Saturday.

The Sky TG 24 television and other media reports said he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by Belgium for producing and procuring false documents to be used in illegal immigration.

His name was found in documents in a raid in an apartment near Brussels last October, including some documents with photos of some of the militants involved in the attacks in Paris and in Brussels and the aliases they used, the reports said.

Of the three men charged on Saturday, Belgian prosecutors named one as Faycal C. Belgian media identified him as Faycal Cheffou and said he was "the man in the hat", as he has become known, in last Tuesday's airport CCTV footage that showed three men pushing baggage trolleys bearing luggage.

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The two others in the picture are believed to have blown themselves up.

Cheffou was charged with taking part in the activities of a terrorist group, and actual and attempted terrorist murder.

The other two charged on Saturday, Aboubakar A. and Rabah N., were accused of terrorist activities and membership of a terrorist group.

Rabah N. was wanted in connection with a related raid in France this week that authorities say foiled an attack plot.

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur told Le Soir newspaper that Cheffou, who said he was a freelance journalist, was "dangerous" and that he had been detained a number of times at a park where he sought to encourage asylum seekers camped there to turn to militancy.
Right-wing demonstrators protest against the wave of terrorism in front of the old stock exchange in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Demonstrators protesting against the wave of terrorism confront police near the old stock exchange in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Demonstrators protesting against the wave of terrorism confront police in front of the old stock exchange in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Yves Herman

Police used water cannon to control hundreds of protesters in central Brussels today after they ignored an official call for solidarity marches following Tuesday's bomb attacks to be postponed.

White-helmeted riot police moved behind the water cannon to push back the crowd which public broadcaster RTBF said numbered between 500 and 1,000.

Protesters shouted slogans condemning the airport and metro bomb attacks, which killed 31 people and injured scores of others, and expressing solidarity with the victims.

Organisers had called off Sunday's Belgian solidarity march after officials including the city's mayor urged people to stay away in order to spare the over-taxed police force amid fears of another attack.

Nevertheless, police in riot gear contained hundreds of people who gathered at the Bourse (stock exchange) which has become a focal point for expressions of sympathy.

Expand Close Demonstrators protesting against the wave of terrorism confront police near the old stock exchange in Brussels, Belgium. REUTERS/Yves Herman / Facebook

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Public broadcaster RTBF said the crowd were shouting slogans including "everyone together against the Islamic State".

A video posted on social media outlets used by Islamic State on Saturday showed a Belgian militant in the group's de facto capital Raqqa, Syria, taunting his home country in Flemish.

"You learned nothing from the lessons of Paris, because you continued fighting Islam and the Muslims. For this I want to tell you that the attack in Brussels is reaping what you had sown with your own hands," Hicham Chaib, whose nom de guerre was given as Abu Hanifa al-Beljiki, said.

"Just as you bomb the Muslims with your F-16s, we will fight your people."

The authenticity of the video could not immediately be verified by Reuters.
Rescue workers move a body from the site of a blast outside a public park in Lahore, Pakistan REUTERS/Mohsin Raza

A suicide bomber killed at least 65 people, mostly women and children, at a public park in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday, government officials and police said, striking at the heart of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political base of Punjab.

The blast occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, a few feet (metres) away from children's swings. Around 150 people were injured in the explosion, officials said.

There was no immediate claim of responsibility for the blast. Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province.

Eyewitnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the parking lot once the dust had settled after the blast.

The park had been particularly busy on Sunday evening due to the Easter holiday weekend.

Salman Rafique, a health adviser for the Punjab provincial government, put the death toll at least 52 people.

"Most of the dead and injured are women and children," said Mustansar Feroz, police superintendent for the area in which the park is located.

Media footage showed children and women crying and screaming and rescue officials, police and bystanders carrying injured people to ambulances and private cars.

In 2014, Pakistan launched an offensive against Taliban and affiliated jihadist fighters in North Waziristan, seeking to deprive them of safe havens from which to launch attacks in both Pakistan and Afghanistan.

Punjab has traditionally been more peaceful than other parts of Pakistan. Sharif's opponents have accused him of tolerating militancy in return for peace in his province, a charge he strongly denies.

Last year, a bomb killed a popular Pakistani provincial minister and at least eight others when it destroyed the minister's home in Punjab.
There is something about ancient Jerusalem, a city sacred to people of three faiths, that attracts - or perhaps even causes - a special kind of madness.

The hospitals are bracing themselves this Easter weekend for fresh cases of what has come to be known as Jerusalem Syndrome: a well-documented phenomenon in which foreign visitors suffer psychotic delusions that they are figures from the Bible or harbingers of the End of Days.

Previous examples include an Irish schoolteacher who came to a Jerusalem hospital convinced she was about to give birth to the baby Jesus when in fact she was not even pregnant; a Canadian tourist who believed he was the biblical strongman Sampson and tried to tear stone blocks out of the Wailing Wall. And an Austrian man who flew into a rage when hotel staff refused to prepare the the Last Supper for him.

Israel's health ministry records around 50 cases a year where a tourist's delusions are so strong that police or mental health professionals are forced to intervene. Many more incidents go undocumented in Jerusalem's Old City.

Evidence of the Jerusalem Syndrome dates back to medieval times. As JE Hanauer, an Anglican vicar, wrote in around 1870: "It is an odd fact that many Americans who arrive at Jerusalem are either lunatics or lose their mind thereafter."

The majority of those who are hospitalised suffered mental health problems in their own countries and came to Jerusalem deliberately on what they saw as a mission from God. Yet there are also some doctors have called 'Type III' cases: people with no history of mental illness who become overwhelmed by the city's religiosity and temporarily lose their minds.

Psychiatrists describe the sufferers' delusions as highly theatrical and very public. They will often rip hotel bed sheets into makeshift togas, deliver impromptu sermons in front of holy sites and go wailing through the streets.

"Their appearance is very dramatic and they use Jerusalem as a stage and deliberately go there to play out their act, which they entirely believe to be true," said Dr Moshe Kalian, the former district psychiatrist of Jerusalem and a leading authority on the syndrome.

Comparable phenomena have been found in other cities. Stendhal Syndrome describes the breakdowns that art-lovers sometimes suffer in Florence when visiting the Renaissance frescoes. Meanwhile Japanese tourists in Paris sometimes have manic episodes when they realise a city idealised as the most romantic place on earth contains all the rubbish, traffic and overcrowding of any other major urban area.

Neither condition, however, is as severe or as frequently observed as Jerusalem Syndrome.

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
It was 1962: in London a group of young musicians hastily named The Rolling Stones took to the stage for the first time. A little later that same year, the leader of another group of young revolutionaries also stood up in public, as Fidel Castro pronounced rock 'n roll "the music of the enemy".

And yet on Friday, in a night which many Cubans had never dared dream would be possible, the sounds that were once banned from the airways became the beating heart of Castro's Cuba, echoing for miles across the capital.

"Good evening Havana! Finally we're here," said Mick Jagger, speaking in theatrical, exaggerated Spanish to half a million people at by far the biggest ever concert to take place on the Caribbean island.

"We know that in years gone by it was difficult to listen to our music here in Cuba. But we are here!" he said. "Playing for you. And we think that finally times are changing. It's the truth, right?" Three days before the show Barack Obama, making the first visit to Cuba by a US president in almost 90 years, joked that his trip was but a warm-up for the band.

Certainly the free gig had an epic, history-making feel to it.

A-listers Naomi Campbell and Richard Gere filed in as the sun set, and the show opened to a colour-explosion video featuring 1950s cars, cigars and Carmen Miranda- style salsa dancers.

Keith Richards, beaming in a green silk bomber jacket and bandana at 72, remarked with wonder: "Obama. Cuba. We're so happy to be here."

And it showed. Richards and Ronnie Wood, in lurid tropical hues, couldn't hide their delight, grinning like naughty schoolboys throughout the wildly energetic two-hour set.

Opening with Jumpin' Jack Flash, a sequin-clad Jagger was at his strutting, preening, swivelling finest.

Despite there being no advance advertising - the only posters you see in Cuba feature Guevara or Castro promoting the wonders of socialism - hundreds of thousands swarmed onto the grass on the outskirts of Havana, chattering excitedly about Los Rolling.

One man was seen in a homemade Stones t-shirt depicting Jagger as Guevara.

"Until they took to the stage, I kept on telling myself it was just a dream," said David Yaco (62), who spent much of the 70s, 80s and 90s being harassed by the police just for listening to music.

"The idea of them actually playing here It's surreal."

Telegraph Media Group Limited [2022]
Muqtada al-Sadr sits inside his tent during his sit-in inside the heavily guarded Green Zone (AP)

Security forces have stepped aside to allow influential Shia cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to start his sit-in protest in Baghdad's highly fortified Green Zone, following weeks of demonstrations in the Iraqi capital.

Mr al-Sadr told hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the compound's walls: "I am a representative of the people and will enter the (Green Zone)."

After asking his followers to stay outside and remain peaceful, Mr al-Sadr walked through a checkpoint, where o fficials in charge of the compound's security greeted the cleric with kisses and provided him with a chair.

Mr al-Sadr was accompanied by his personal security detail and the leader of his Shia militia, Sarayat al-Salam. After he began his sit-in, Mr al-Sadr's supporters erected tents and laid down mattresses.

After weeks of growing protests in the Iraqi capital, Mr al-Sadr repeatedly threatened to storm the compound if his demands for government overhaul were not met.

Baghdad's Green Zone, encircled by blast walls and barbed wire, is closed to most Iraqis and houses the country's political elite as well as most of the city's foreign embassies.

Mr al-Sadr has called it a "bastion" of corruption.

His protests and the Green Zone sit-in are intended as a show of power by the influential cleric as Iraq's government attempts to implement reforms aimed at tackling corruption.

Most Iraqis blame the country's politicians for mismanagement which is draining Iraq's already scarce resources.

Unlike the widespread, largely civic protests last summer, however, Mr al-Sadr's demonstrations are attended almost exclusively by his supporters, who have made few concrete policy demands.

Earlier this month, Iraqi security forces manning checkpoints in Baghdad again stepped aside to allow Mr al-Sadr's supporters to march up to the Green Zone's outer walls to begin a sit-in, despite a government order deeming the gathering "unauthorised".

The move called into question Iraqi prime minister Haider al-Abadi's ability to control security in the capital.

"I thank the security forces," Mr al-Sadr said, before beginning his sit-in. "He who attacks them, attacks me."

While Mr al-Abadi proposed a reform package last August, few of his plans have been implemented. The leader has also made several political missteps and struggled with the country's increasingly sectarian politics.

Shias dominate the central government, while the country's Kurds in the north exercise increasing autonomy, and much of the Sunni population has either been displaced by violence or continues to live under Islamic State rule.
In November 2015, the Insurance Regulatory and Development Authority of India (IRDAI) had directed all the insurance companies to start issuing electronic motor policies along with the physical policies. Also, the insurance regulatory body had recommended insurers to incorporate verification by a QR (Quick Response) code, which will meet safety standards.The initiative was aimed at doing away with the need of carrying physical papers of insurance all the time. Also, the presence of a QR code will help the traffic police to access the insurance related information of an individual within a matter of seconds.The new directive came into effect from December 1st, 2015, as all the new motor policies issued will have a QR code. The move is also aimed to enhance compliance as well as help boost the motor insurance penetration, which is often being ignored by most of the car owners. Insurance Information Bureau of India (IIB) conducted a recent study which showed that nearly 45% to 55% of vehicles are uninsured.After the directive, the insurers will have to mail online policy in a PDF form to the insureds registered email ID along with issuing a physical copy. Such a policy will also have a QR code that can be verified. This will help the policy takers to furnish policy details to the traffic police even if they are not carrying physical papers. Showing the policy document on a smartphone should be more than sufficient to prove compliance with the traffic rules. At the same time, the traffic policemen will be equipped with QR readers or scanners to help them access the complete policy details as and when required.Meanwhile, an insured can also get a digital policy by registering for e-insurance account, where all the policies are stored online under one account. To help encourage policy takers for signing up for this account, the IRDAI has even waived off the KYC requirement at the time of opening the account. These measures are certainly promising and will lead up to a future where forgetfulness will not be of any concern.
As the GDP soars beyond the 7.6% mark, India has displaced China to be the worlds fastest growing economy. To sustain such growth, the country has to be supported by a strong infrastructure system that can deliver on its demands. Factories will require electricity to power up production, offices will require good communication infrastructure, and the workforce will need water, food supplies and an excellent transport system. In response to this demand, it is obvious that the government alone cannot meet all these expectations. Private institutions are ready and willing to complement government efforts and make a return while at it. Here is to look out for when planning to invest in the Indian infrastructure what to look out for when planning to invest in the Indian infrastructure industry.. With 65% of freight transported by road which is painfully slow. It is evident that India has an enormous shortage of infrastructure. This has attracted several domestic and offshore infrastructure funds, driven by a strong demand for the transport, power, and urban infrastructure segments., on the other hand, has been keen to encourage private sector participation in infrastructure development through PPP. For Instance, in 2014, The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) relaxed the rules regarding takeout financing for existing infrastructure loans. The minimum takeout requirement was lowered to 25% from 50%. The government has also facilitated for other red tape clearing reforms such as reforms in the land acquisition rules., resulting from government policy and plans. The government earmarked US$ 7.5 billion to develop 100 smart cities across the country. The government of France also partnered with India and committed to injecting a further Euro 2 billion towards the building of 2 smart cities (Chandigarh, Nagpur and Puducherry). These projects provide a good springboard for firms entering the Indian infrastructure market.However, Several Barriers Exist for Investors face erratic regulations, limitations on maximum foreign investment, and delays in project approvals and difficulties in attaining land rights. Navigating through the labyrinth of government decision-making often results to in delays and costs overruns.In addition, the recent global economic slump has somewhat depressed projected traffic in turn affecting cash flow and income projections. Flooding witnessed in the recent past in several parts of India carries a major threat to developing infrastructure projects.For the several institutional investors and pension fund leaders who are perhaps looking to invest in Indian infrastructure projects. The recent turn taken by the Modis government to develop a friendlier reform agenda is a breath of fresh air however that requires consistent persistent input to bear fruit.
Pinterest

It is March and I am already walking around with an umbrella, not to stay dry in case April showers show up a few weeks early, but because everywhere you go these days its raining slogans and sound bites, and one does need something to duck under while waiting for the storm to pass by.

One could be leisurely drinking a glass of orange juice on the lawns of Calcutta Club and up pops Mr Anupam Kher and out comes a roaring Vande Mataram or walking around south Delhi when a group of JNU students call out Lal salaam, and you panic wondering how the hell did they know you have your periods before you realise its a Communist salute. You could be prancing around in Connaught Place when suddenly Mr Shashi Tharoor may appear announcing a new mathematical equation  e=mc2 and Kanhaiya Kumar=Bhagat Singh  or just as you are strolling around in Nagpurs Reshimbagh, Mr Mohan Bhagwat may show up behind you, making you drop your camera as he bellows out, Bharat Mata Ki Jai.

In the never ending debate on tolerance, intolerance, national, anti-national and even aunty-national, Bharat Mata Ki Jai has become the phrase du jour.

As MIM MLA Waris Pathan found out when a BJP legislator told him to validate his patriotism by saying, Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Pathan refused, saying he would only say Jai Hind. He was suspended from the legislature as his Jai Hind, Jai Maharashtra and even Jai Bharat were all out of sync with the only password that can currently get you access to the Patriots Club.

Illustration credit: Ram

In a country where everyone is sent scrambling to take their seats in the stadium of nationalism, slogans and paying lip service have taken over true nationalist pride.

Now, admittedly I am one of those barmy women who gets misty-eyed watching the tricolour fluttering in the wind, or the one you notice at the movie hall, singing away the national anthem, terribly off-key and terribly embarrassing to her family. Well, except for the times people pretend they are not promoting their movie by pretending to be army chiefs and police officers, and sing the national anthem with spooky unblinking eyes like its a funeral march. During those zombie versions, I just want to sit down. But these days, I dare not for sheer fear that if I do, then I will be publicly harangued or even arrested, unless, like poor Ameesha Patel I also trot out this defence: Milord, ladies problem please! I could not stand up because the dog ate my sanitary napkin!

Alright, now I have popped open my umbrella so I am shielded against all the probable aunty-national slurs that may pour down on my head after this piece, but hear me out till the end before you vomit all your vitriol, friends, Indians and countrymen!

I am a proud Indian, and I love my country not for anything it has done or not done for me, but on the principle by which one truly loves anything  by a sense of belonging, that this is my culture, my people, my history, my land.

And as a proud Indian I also have the right to wonder about the strange things I see around me. So I wonder why patriotism is judged by words and not deeds? Why are slogans more important than solutions? Why is parroting one phrase more important than any other? I wonder why we are not asked to display our nationalism by being told to harvest rain water, use less plastic, and recycle so that we actually nurture our land, instead of just paying lip service and bandying a few words around.

And you see there lies another mammoth problem anything we are forced to pay lip service to, we first grudge, then mock and finally loathe. And so I wonder, is this loathing what our leaders truly want, as they seek endlessly to turn an instinctive emotion into a rancorous obligation?

A rose by any other name would smell as sweet, but if I have to only call out Rosa Berberifolia each time I spot one, then the time to stop and smell the roses has gone by. We need to wake up and smell the coffee instead.

DISCLAIMER : Views expressed above are the author's own.
We are assuming that all those who call themselves Harry Potter fans must have re-read the books hundreds of times by now.

This piece of information might come as a shocker to many because it actually questions your HP detective skills.

warner bros

A fan, just like you and me, has come up with an insane theory about Professor Dumbledore death.

Before we get into details it is an essential and a much needed formality to tell you that Dumbledores death in the series is one of the most important literary deaths to ever happen.

It shook everyone to the core. For some it was the first time that many of the Potterheads had the first real brush with death. I agree that Siriuss death was no less painful but when Dumbledore died we couldnt help but weep with un-explainable grief.

warner bros

Now the insane theory is that according to Redditor upyourjuicebox , his death was foreshadowed way earlier in the book series. Three books early! After reading this theory we can assure you that youll end up pulling your hair out of frustration.

imgur

In the book Prisoner Of Azkaban, Professor Trelawney refused to sit down to dinner because there were 12 people sitting around that table already.

When 13 people dine together, the first to rise will die, she said. In other words, if 13 people are sat around the table its a bad omen for one person to stand up.

warner bros

However, despite Professor Trelawney thinking that SHE would have been the 13th person, this fan claims that there were 13 people on sitting around the table already! Confused? Dont be. The 13th person was Ron Weasleys rat Scabbers aka Peter Pettigrew and hence the moment Dumbledore stood up to acknowledge the Professor, he sealed his own fate!

warner bros

Even though, theres no actual mention of Scabbers the rat being in Rons pocket, but as he is in many other places in the novel, it wouldnt be wrong to assume this theory.

Surprisingly, Sirius Blacks death was predicted in the same way as he was the first to stand up at a table of 13 in Order Of The Phoenix. So was Remus Lupins at a dinner following the death of Alastor Moody.

warner bros

Yes, its not just you. We are still in shock as well! *Shudders*
Karna, a farmer from Badgaon village in northern India, has few options but to sell his blood for money, after persistent drought left him unable to live off his land.

Blood, the new cash crop

orissapost

The farmer, now 60, began commuting an hour and a half from his village to Jhansi town in Uttar Pradesh for a job that paid little money.

"I was working as a labourer in Jhansi for survival," said Karna, who goes by one name. "When my son fell ill, I had no other option but to sell my blood for his treatment." The hospital took almost two bottles of his blood and gave him 1,200 rupees ($17.50). For many farmers in this part of Bundelkhand, blood is the new cash crop  a source of guaranteed income as they exhaust other ways of making ends meet.

Bundelkhand, a victim of extreme weather

reuters

Bundelkhand, a hilly region divided between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, has struggled with extreme weather in the past few years.

Drought, hailstorms, unseasonal rainfall and most recently an unusually warm winter have played havoc with crop yields, making farming unviable for many. Unemployment has soared, and locals are leaving the rural belt to work as unskilled labour in nearby urban areas. Financial assistance provided by the authorities has failed to achieve much on the ground, as it is far lower than farmers' losses.

"I could not find any work for almost five days," he said. "What should I do? I had to feed my children."

Rajendra Singh, a prominent water conservationist and winner of the Stockholm Water Prize, said it was "a matter of grave concern that farmers from many areas in Bundelkhand (have) sold their blood due to successive droughts". The freak winter badly affected the rabi crop, sown during the winter months, on around 40 percent of India's farmland.

Two suicides per day

toi

The negative effects have pushed some farmers to commit suicide, even as state governments scramble to ease the agrarian crisis.

More than 3,200 farmers in Bundelkhand alone have killed themselves in the last five years, according to official records. Crop losses and worries over debt are the main reasons. "Farming is a curse in Bundelkhand,"

A local said tearfully. "No one cares for us  we will die one day in the absence of any help from the government."

Locals are also surviving on rotis eaten with salt. The dinner menu is salt and rice, Shyama, a local here told CNN-IBN.

An expecting mother to her third child, her husband has left the region to move to Kota looking for work. Despite a change in government, the social welfare reforms promised by the Modi government haven't reached Bundelkhand.

This has been the situation for the last 3-4 years," says Shyama. Chunni Bai adds, "We will have salt and chapati in the night. It will be the same tomorrow. It has been like this for 5 years.

"There is very little to eat. Gram crop has failed. There is no work. I worked for 10-15 days on a road project but have not yet been paid for the same," says Shyama.
A schoolteacher in Singrauli district of Madhya Pradesh punished a 6-year-old girl for failing to complete homework and later raped her in school premises. The survivor, who sustained severe injuries, had to be admitted to district hospital for two days. She was discharged from the hospital on Saturday.

afp

This is the sixth such incident in the state within a fortnight when a minor aged below 10 had to be hospitalised after facing sexual violence. The incident took place at Kursa village situated about 80 kilometres from the district headquarters. The survivor a student of Class II at a private school went to school as usual on March 23.

She had not completed her homework and accused teacher Satya Narayan Verma, 23, punished her and asked her to go the school backyard and kneel down.

reuters

Later, Verma followed the girl to the backyard and raped her, he also threatened her to keep mum, said police. Survivor returned home at 6 pm but her parents were not present, and she just went to her room and slept, police said citing the statements of the kin. Later in the night when her mother found her bleeding, the told her what had happened. The following day, the parents discussed the issue with local villagers and on their advice lodged a complaint with Jiyavan police station on March 24. The survivor was immediately sent to district hospital for treatment and a case was registered against the accused. On March 25, accused was arrested and sent to jail, police said.

Dr Ritu Patel, who was treating the girl at district hospital said, "The girl has sustained severe injuries and was kept under observation from March 24. She is now out of danger now and was discharged today."

Superintendent of police Singrauli Rudolf Alvares said, "The accused teacher has been arrested, booked under relevant sections and sent to jail".
In Kochi there's a tree, and it provides food for the hungry. Only difference is this tree is a refrigerator, where one can drop the left over food from your home, so that someone else who might otherwise go hungry can have a meal.

Pappadavada

Called Nanma Maram or the Tree of Goodness the refrigerator which works 24x7 is installed outside Pappadavada, a restaurant in Kochi.

The idea of was mooted by Minu Pauline, who runs the food-joint in Kochis Kaloor. Minu said she was inspired by the Coffee on the Wall system which is prevalent in many countries. She however felt that more than paying for someone else, it would be better if people could bring their left-over food from their homes.

Facebook

It was named Nanma Maram, because the refrigerator is installed under a Konna tree (golden shower tree), right in front of the popular eatery.

I have seen a lot of people in the city go hungry, because they couldn't afford to buy food, and I felt I should do something for them, Minu said.

Facebook

She also added that anyone who is unable to buy themselves a meal can avail the food from Nanma Maram anytime they feel so.

Pappadavad, other than running the expense of the refrigerator also contributes fifty food packets everyday to the initiative. Those leaving food packets in the refrigerator are asked to write the date of packing, so that they only provide fresh food.

Pappadavada

Minu said the scheme have received good response from the public so far, with many people coming forward to contribute.

While some were willing to buy food from outside to deposit in the refrigerator, Minu said she encourages people to bring the left-over food from their home, which would otherwise go waste.

One day I saw an elderly woman, taking a food packet from the refrigerator. There were some balloons next to the refrigerator, and she took one of them too. Just out of curiosity I asked why was she taking the balloon. Then I saw a small girl, the womans grand-child near her. The balloon was for her Minu described a moving incident, saying that the smiles on their faces were her biggest satisfaction in doing this.

Pappadavada

Minu, who quit her job in a bank in 2013 to launch her food joint, feels Nanma Maram is her way of giving back something to the city, which she said gave her a lot.
38-year-old Matthew Parkes was flying to Manchester from Malaga in Southern Spain with his family. Parke, who had lost control of both of his legs, was forced to drag himself down two ramps, "across the tarmac and onto the plane", News.Com.Au reported.

Parkes like a second-class citizen, he told the Manchester Evening News, when he had to crawl to a waiting Ryanair jet.

Only when he refused was he placed on stretcher and carried aboard. Parkes had lost his legs, and suffered hand damage on a 2015 trip. Ryanair reportedly denied Parkes' version of events.

According to the flight's spokesman: As far as we can tell there is no truth to these claims. We have received no reports from either the cabin crew or the PRM provider of any issues in assisting this passenger to his seat. I hope those that know Matthew know that he has integrity, she wrote on Facebook.

Remember When A 67-Year-Old Disabled Person Met The Same Treatment From Air India

He didnt ask for a refund or a free flight. He stated he would never fly Ryanair again even if free. We will continue to name and shame if (discriminated against).

"Ryanair treated him like an animal on the way back. He wasnt recognised as a person, and I had to see my husband be humiliated. Im absolutely disgusted.
At least 59 people were killed and several were injured in a suicide blast in a crowded public park in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

AFP

According to initial reports, the blast took place near gate no 1 of the Gulshan-i-Iqbal Park of Iqbal Town. At least 120 people have been reportedly injured in the incident.

Twitter

Twitter

The suspected suicide attacker blew himself up in the parking space of the recreational park. A large number of people including women and children were present at the park due to a weekly holiday.

Twitter

RT SRubabKazmi_512: #LahoreBlast

You need a big heart to watch this video...

Death to Terrorists, they are worst  pic.twitter.com/za8VPNix1g  Alizay PTI (@AlizayShahPTI) March 27, 2016

The Express Tribune quoting police official said that the blast took place when visitors were coming out of the park.

Geo News quoting eyewitnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the parking lot once the dust had settled.

Heart wrenching visuals of #LahoreBlast feeling shame for intl.agencies. pic.twitter.com/69Tr3EzRMn  Jahanzaib Khan (@khanjahanzaib15) March 27, 2016

Those injured in the attack have been shifted to various hospitals in the city. Many of them are said to be critical.

FIFPakistan Rescue workers are shifting the injured and bodies to Jinah hospital.#LahoreBlast#FIFRescue pic.twitter.com/zykkuxyNkB  Shahid Mehmood (@Relief4Every1) March 27, 2016

Even though, there is no confirmation some reports also suggest that the target of the attack was those celebrating Easter.

No groups have so far claimed responsibility for the attack.
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.

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.
President Muhammadu Buhari has sympathized with victims of the fire incidents in Sabon Gari Market and Birnin Kebbi Central Market in Kano and Kebbi States respectively.

A statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Mallam Garba Shehu, said Mr. Buhari commiserated with the government and people of the two states, particularly those who incurred losses in the fire disasters.

The markets were gutted by fire early hours of Saturday with goods and property worth millions of naira destroyed in the inferno.

According to the statement, President Buhari shares in the pain of the victims knowing that the two separate fire incidents had created major setbacks for all those that had business outfits in the markets.

He also noted with sadness that the incidents had also affected the livelihood of the victims families and setting back economic activities in the states.

The President, however, advised the governments of Kano and Kebbi states to find out the immediate and remote causes of the fire disasters in the states in order to forestall future occurrences.

Aside investigations, he also called for strict adherence to precautionary standards in buildings and operations in all markets to avoid fire out breaks.

He prayed that the Almighty God would comfort and replenish all those that incurred losses in the incidents.
Governor Ayodele Fayose of Ekiti State yesterday at a reception in honour of members of the state House of Assembly, rewarded the lawmaker representing Efon Constituency, Afolabi Akanni, with a car gift for his loyalty.

Akanni was detained for about 18 days by the Department of State Services (DSS) for reasons unconnected with the purported plot to sack the governor from office using the state legislature.

The lawmaker, who arrived in the state on Thursday to a warm reception, vowed not to betray Mr. Fayose for any reason after he was handed the keys to the car.

I can authoritatively say that the governor is a great leader and a great mentor. He remains a very honest man who also stands by his followers. I was so sure that he will fight my cause while in detention and I was not disappointed, Akanni said.

The DSS asked me so many questions about the governor and I stood my ground. Governor Fayose is one man that I can never betray because he is my helper and my mentor. He has done a lot for me.

I advise all of us to stand solidly behind this man. Any attempt to betray him will lead to your own downfall. I must say that the DSS is bent on destroying this democracy, he added.

While handing over the car key to the lawmaker, Governor Fayose said that the DSS only succeeded in tarnishing its own image by attempting to allegedly coerce members of the states Assembly to act the script of his detractors, which is to impeach him.



Fayose, who received the lawmakers at the Jibowu Hall of the Government House, said this House of Assembly is very unique and exemplary. You have refused to be bought over.

My detractors have money and influence, but the power of God starts where that of men stops. Im so proud of you. You have shown that you can see beyond today.

According to him, wealth is not the amount of money in your bank account, but your level of integrity. You represent and carry yourselves as responsible Nigerians. The old testament has to give way to the new testament. You are the new testament House of Assembly.

Betrayers will only contribute to the success of the person being betrayed. Those that betrayed us in the first term are no longer relevant today. Many of them even suffered and regretted their actions.

Together we stand and I know the House will never divide. I dont regret standing for those incarcerated. This is an opportunity for us to stand for our tomorrow.

The DG of SSS, Daura only succeeded in tarnishing the image of the security outfit. We must be courageous and fearless like the book of Joshua admonishes us. Persecution and oppression will only make us better.

My detention in Ikoyi prison made me a better man. It made me to reflect on so many things. It is my duty to reward loyalty and forthrightness and Ill not stop doing it.
Irans Foreign Minister Javad Zarif has announced that his country will further boost its military arsenal, in response to a US move banning two companies with alleged links to the Iranian ballistic missile programme. Zarif said on Saturday that there are no limits to Tehrans missile capability, because this programme has nothing to do with nuclear weapons, the state television PressTV quoted him as saying.

We will respond to recent US measures against Irans missile programme by further boosting our missile power, Zarif, speaking from the Pakistani capital Islamabad, said. Zarif was traveling with President Hassan Rouhani, who was on a two-day state visit to Pakistan. Last December, Rouhani had ordered Irans Defence Minister Hossein Dehqan to accelerate the production of various types of missiles, to improve the countrys defence.

Three months later, Iran tested the long-range Qadr and Qiam ballistic missiles during military exercises on March 8 and 9. In response, the US blacklisted on Thursday the Shahid Nuri and Shahid Movahed industries, for supporting a company directly involved with Irans missile programme. Last July, Iran signed a nuclear deal with the United States and other world powers. But the agreement left a number of differences unresolved, including the issue on the use of ballistic missiles.
At least 10 suicide attackers from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attempted to storm one of the largest army bases in Iraq, according to the countrys military. A Iraqi defence ministry spokesman told Al Jazeera that eight of the fighters were killed by soldiers at Ein el-Assad base on Saturday. The source said that the two remaining fighters managed to blow themselves up, and added that further casualties were unconfirmed.

A separate source told Al Jazeera that at least 18 soldiers had been killed. Ain al-Assad was the largest coalition base in western Iraq after the US invasion. Hundreds of US military advisors and trainers now use the base to support Iraqi troops. Iraqi forces launched an offensive last week to retake Anbar province. Sixty to 70 percent of the province remains under the control of ISIL.

At least 10 suicide attackers from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) attempted to storm one of the largest army bases in Iraq, according to the countrys military.

A Iraqi defence ministry spokesman told Al Jazeera that eight of the fighters were killed by soldiers at Ein el-Assad base on Saturday. The source said that the two remaining fighters managed to blow themselves up, and added that further casualties were unconfirmed. A separate source told Al Jazeera that at least 18 soldiers had been killed.

Ain al-Assad was the largest coalition base in western Iraq after the US invasion. Hundreds of US military advisors and trainers now use the base to support Iraqi troops. Iraqi forces launched an offensive last week to retake Anbar province. Sixty to 70 percent of the province remains under the control of ISIL.
Elder statesman Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Yusuf, the Danmasanin Kano, has commended Bauchi State Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar for making huge investment to the development of education and health, urging other northern governors to emulate him.

Sule stated this while conferring an award on the Governor in Abuja on Thursday at the National Convention/Conference of forum of former Senators and House of Representatives from 1st to 4th republics forum, headed by Senator Joseph Wayas. He described education and health as the heart of human survival.

Alhaji Yusuf Maitama Sule noted that the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) has recommended the provision of 26 percent of annual budgets of all developing nations to the development of education sector, saying what Governor Mohammed Abubakar has started in the area of education and health is commendable and urged other governors, especially those of northern states to emulate.

We must give education priority attention because all developed nations are so developed because they have given sufficient attention to the development of that important sector the statesman said, and stressed that with proper investment in education, half of the problems of all nations are solved. He said no country can claimed to have security if it fails to have food security.

While accepting the platinum award by the forum of former Senators and House of Representatives from 1st to 4th republics forum,

Governor Mohammed Abdullahi Abubakar lamented that his administrations only 10 months in office which has been dedicated to restoring decayed institutions that suffered neglect and abuse by the past administration is being criticized by those who are used to the former administrations style of leadership.

He maintained that he remained resolute in his restoration drive, and stressed that the change mantra is working in Bauchi state.

Let me reiterate here that I remain resolute and committed to changing Bauchi state and no amount of intimidation will deter me, the Governor said.

The Governor explained that many organizations have approached him with offers to confer awards on him, saying he only accepts awards from credible associations like the one conferred on him by the forum of former Senators and Members of the House of Representatives from 1st to 4th republics forum, headed by Senator Joseph Wayas that is made up of people of proven integrity and respect in all parts of the country.

I consider this award different from others; it shows that whatever we do we are being observed and therefore is a big challenge for us to remain committed and strive double our efforts and do more to improve the lives of our people through the change mantra of our party, the All Progressives Congress, APC, a real sustainable change, the Governor said.

He commended the Speaker and Members of the Bauchi State House of Assembly whom he said support the change and restoration agendas of his administration and pointed out that one of the areas the administration focuses attention to is the area of taxing surface activities of solid mineral resources, harnessing the tourism potentials of the state and revitalizing agriculture, all of which are geared towards improving internally generated revenue base of the State.

The Governor therefore appealed for continued public understanding and support to the administration, and assured that results of the sacrifices. We all have to make for our administrations policies which are reflections of those of President Muhammadu Buhari and the APC manifesto, will be reaped bountifully.
Tens of thousands of Yemenis took to the streets of the capital Sanaa on Saturday to mark the first anniversary of the war between a coalition led by Saudi Arabia against Iran-allied fighters who had overthrown the government. The gathering, one of the biggest in Yemen since mass protests in 2011 forced President Ali Abdullah Saleh to step down, took place ahead of a ceasefire and UN-sponsored peace talks next month.

Saleh, an ally of the rebel Houthi group, made a rare appearance at the gathering, his first since the war began, offering an olive branch to the coalition. Yemen analyst and journalist Peter Salisbury told Al Jazeera that more people turned up at the rally in their opposition to Saudis rather than support for Saleh or Houthis. We extend a hand of peace, the peace of the brave, for the direct talks with the Saudi regime without a return to the (UN) Security Council, which is incapable of resolving anything, Saleh told the crowd.

Salisbury said that Houthis decision to enter into talks with Saudis has upset Saleh. There is division between his loyalists and Houthis. The UN envoy announced this week that the warring parties had agreed to a cessation of hostilities starting at midnight on April 10 followed by peace talks in Kuwait from April 18 as part of a fresh push to end the crisis following two rounds of failed talks last year.

The coalition joined the war to try to stop the Houthis from taking control of Yemen and to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power.

Aljazeera.
A Colonel serving with the Nigerian Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna State, has been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Usman Abdul, confirmed the kidnap in a statement issued in Kaduna on Sunday.

According to the statement, the colonel was abducted around Kamazo near NNPC junction, Kaduna, at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The abductors dropped off his wife and left with him in his car and headed towards Abuja. They drove in a Mercedes Benz GK black colour with registration number Abuja, KUJ 154 TZ, Usman said.
Punch

The Group Chief Executive Officer, Forte Oil Plc, Mr. Akin Akinfemiwa, in this interview with FEMI ASU, speaks on the current fuel supply challenge facing the country and the state of the power sector

Vanguard

Former Governor Lagos State and national leader of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu has criticized the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Ibe Kachikwu over the comments he made in reference to the lingering fuel scarcity. Mr Kachikwu had told Nigerians that he was not trained as a magician who could end the fuel scarcity.

Thisday

President Muhammadu Buhari on Saturday assured Nigerians that his administration was working very hard to overcome the challenges it encountered on assumption of office.

The Sun

ABIBAT Adjoto, abducted mother of Edo lawmaker, Kabiru Adjoto has reportedly escaped from her abductors den. The 68-year-old mother of the three-term lawmaker in the state House of Assembly was abducted by gunmen last Thursday.

Daily Times

The Police Service Commission (PSC) has approved the dismissal of one Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) and the demotion of two other officers over alleged established cases of misconduct.

Guardian

The ongoing trial of the Senate President, Senator Bukola Saraki, at the Code of Conduct Tribunal (CCT) continued to attract negative and positive reactions in his home state and within his party, the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Daily Trust
Nollywood actress, Ruth Kadiri decided to switch it up a little as she marked her 28th birthday.

The pretty actress took a birthday celebration right into the slums of Third Mainland Bridge.

Ruth Kadiri also donated school sandals, school bags, food items and cash to pupils of Whanyinna school located in the slums of Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos.

The actress, who was accompanied by close family members and friends, also motivated the pupils with an inspirational speech.

See photos below: 
The Catholic Bishop of Abuja Diocese, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, has described President Muhammadu Buharis decision to drag Nigeria into the Saudi Arabia-led Islamic coalition against terrorism as a dangerous and unwise move.

Mr. Onaiyekan said the presidents decision poses a great threat to Nigerias armed forces as well as Nigeria as a nation.

I am not sure it is a wise thing, the Catholic Bishop told PREMIUM TIMES in an exclusive interview in Abuja.

According to him, Once you talk of an Islamic coalition and you are bringing Nigerian armed forces into it, my fear is that this is a dangerous step.

We have been trying, and I think successfully, to keep religion out of our armed forces. Can you imagine what will happen if Nigerian armed forces were fighting in the North-West on the basis of religion?

So I hope government will be better advised, he added.

Mr. Onaiyekan, who noted that countries that joined the alliance before Nigeria were not faring well, said Mr. Buhari bowed to an ill-fated advice to drag Nigeria into the coalition.

Those who put the alliance together have not succeeded in putting their own houses in order, the Cardinal said. Its not as if they have succeeded well in Iraq, Syria and other places.

So whoever advised him (President Mohammadu Buhari) did not advise him well.

On the comment by Nigerias Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama that the alliance was not religious, Onaiyekan said the Ministers comment displayed ignorance and self-contradiction.

When I heard the minister of foreign affairs saying that there is nothing religious about the coalition; Im sorry that the Minister of Foreign Affairs does not know how Nigerians behave and think, he said.

You cannot tell us that something is Islamic and at the same time say it is not religious. That is a contradiction. Its like saying Islam is not a religion.

In his Easter message to Nigerians, Mr. Onaiyekan urged them to reflect on the last three days of Easter, beginning with Good Friday, and never forget that Jesus died for them.

He also prayed God to continue to lead Nigeria on the right path.
The Inspector General of Police (IGP) Solomon Arase has said police officers need the presence of God to effectively perform their duties.

Speaking in Abuja on Sunday during the Thanksgiving Service to mark the 11th Biennial Police Games and Week at the National Christian Centre, Arase explained that the difficult nature of their job makes the presence of God an important factor.

The spiritual upliftment of police officers is very important because it is God that puts in vision in our minds and being police officers, our job is so strenuous and difficult. So, we need the presence of God to be able to guide the citizens right.

If you are a banker and you make an error, you lose money, but as a police officer, if you make an error, you lose lives and you know that is very critical. We police officers must be very prayerful and close to God so that our decisions and the things that we use in pushing up our men are such that are not fatal to their lives, Arase said.
If youve secretly been perfecting your table drumming skills, now is the time to show off. Thanks to this unique musical tablecloth developed by Swedish company Smart Textiles, you can entertain your dinner guests with your musical prowess. The one-of-a-kind fabric has a drum kit and piano keys printed on it, which actually produce musical sounds when pressed!

Li Guo and Mats Johansson, the brains behind the company, explained that making a musical tablecloth is all about using sensors. While Mats is passionate about music, Li has a doctorate in textile sensors and is studying ways to integrate them into garments. So they put their heads together to combine Lis research and Mats ideas, and came up with the innovative tablecloth. We wanted to combine sound and textiles and visualise the possibilities of textile sensors in a fun way, Mats said. Since Im interested in music, we decided to create a musical tablecloth.

The special thing is, of course, that it is all from textile technologies, he explained. We have the woven cloth but on that we added prints for the piano, we added other laminated textile structures for the drums. And these are also from knitted fabrics. And then sewing as connectors or taping, so it is all technologies that we are familiar with in textiles now used for an entertaining purpose in this case.

You can see that we have several different pins here, so they are actually functioning as sensors, Li added. So when you press one you actually switch it on. And the technology behind this is sense capacitive coupling. So actually it senses any of the conductors and you know that human beings are conductors so when we put our finger on it, it actually switches on. According the Mats, the challenge they faced while developing the tablecloth was to successfully integrate soft fabrics with hard electronic components. The problem today is very much where you get this change from the actual fabric to some kind of electronics, from soft flexible things to the rigid hardware and of course the electricity, the batteries. The duo are working on ways to make these components more flexible and light.

O Central.
The Syrian army has advanced against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) as both sides battled for control of the strategically located city of Palmyra. The UK-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said on Saturday that the government had managed to capture al-Amiriyah town on the northern outskirts of Palmyra.

The Syrian army is pushing forward from the western parts of the city. Backed by government rocket attacks and air strikes, the army is advancing in its offensive to retake the ancient city of Palmyra, the observatory reported on their website. Al-Amiriyah town is considered the last line of defence for ISIL, Syrias state news agency, SANA said on Saturday.

The operations have resulted in establishing full control over the neighborhoods of al-Mutaqaidin, al-Amiriyah and al-Jamiyat al-Gharbiyeh in Tadmur city, according to sources on the ground, SANA reported. SANA said on Saturday that the ancient citadel had been massively damaged by ISIL as it fled into the city. Palmyras ancient Roman temples and archway, blown up by ISIL last year, would be restored once the regime recaptured the city, the head of the antiquities authority, Mamoun Abdelkarim told the Reuters news agency on Saturday.

Abdelkarim told Reuters he hoped Palmyra would be retaken within days, after government forces fought their way into the western and northern parts of the city, and promised to revive the Roman-era monuments as a message against terrorism.
The Inspector-general of Police, Solomon Arase, yesterday, explained the reason behind the polices non-enforcement of the resolution of the National Assembly to seal the Kogi State House of Assembly complex.

Mr. Arase said since he is yet to get legal advise from the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, he cannot enforce the order.

The National Assembly had over a week ago ordered the police to seal the Kogi Assembly over a protracted leadership tussle among the lawmakers.

Speaking to newsmen in Abuja at an exercise tagged: Police Walk Against Crime, which was part of the activities of the Police Week, the IGP noted that the position of the Senate had been sent to the minister for his advice on the matter.

What I have done is to send the papers to the Minister of Justice for his advice. I am a police officer.

I also need the advice of a legal expert to actually know the way forward. Once I get the response of the minister, I will be able to take a decision, Arase said.

Speaking on the exercise, the police chief said it was part of the Police Week aimed at connecting with other Nigerians.

The mental and physical health of a police officer determine the level of work he or she can do. We are really encouraged that you have come this morning in spite of your numerous schedules to assist us to walk against crime.

This is one of the stories we have been trying to preach that the police cannot do it alone, Arase stated.

The walk kicked off from the Force Headquarters to the Unity Fountain in Maitama and back to the Force Headquarters, with many celebrities like ex-Super Eagles captain, Kanu Nwankwo; Charles Oputa and police ambassador, Korede Bello partaking in the exercise.
Jessica Alba, perhaps most famous for playing the Invisible Woman in the Fantastic Four superhero movie franchise early last decade, recently channeled her star power into building a natural consumer products empire. Alba, 34, may have pulled back from Hollywood, but now shes embroiled in a highly conspicuous drama that holds some lessons for investors.

In 2011, Alba co-founded Honest Co. in Los Angeles. Known at first for its diapers and wipes, Honest branched out into tampons, laundry detergent and sunscreen. After a couple of years, it began to attract venture capital from the likes of Boston-headquartered Wellington Management Co. and General Catalyst Partners, based in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The company, which reached a valuation of $1.7 billion in 2015, is said to be weighing an initial public offering.

But last summer photos of sunburned children started popping up on social media posts that tagged Honest, charging that its new and less greasy SPF 30 sunscreen formula didnt work. In an August blog post, Honest said its representatives had called many worried parents; it also offered a phone number for people to express their concerns.

Then in March the Wall Street Journal reported that two independent lab tests of Honest laundry detergent had confirmed significant amounts of sodium lauryl sulfate (SLS)  a suds-creating ingredient that the company promises to avoid because its a potential skin irritant. Honest denied the accusations, saying that it uses sodium coco sulfate (SCS), which it bills as a gentler alternative. Chemists told the Journal that theres little difference: SCS cant be made without SLS, and neither compound can be considered natural, they noted.

Honest, now the target of several class action lawsuits alleging that its sunscreen and various other products fraudulently contain synthetic and toxic ingredients, responded with a blog post deriding this account and explaining the makeup of its detergent in scientific terms. Alba published her own post a few days later, expressing disappointment with the Journals version of events and noting that she launched the company after she and her daughter suffered reactions to products with nonnatural ingredients. The newspaper followed up by reporting that although Honest claimed that its supplier tested for SLS, the supplier said that wasnt the case.

I think theyre trying to do the right thing, but they havent worked out their business process, says Melissa Arnoff, senior vice president at Washington-based public relations firm Levick. The companys response to the Journal investigation was horrible, Arnoff adds: The tone of it was completely wrong. Rather than simply reassure customers, Honest took a clinical route that seems to have turned many people off, if blog comments and social media are any guide.

Honest has its own internal processes and reviews to ensure that its products live up to their own high standards, the company said in a statement. Additionally, the brand works closely with a trusted network of manufacturers and ingredient suppliers who further verify that the products are being manufactured up to The Honest Company standards.

Experts say brands that fly the natural or organic flag must learn to address and validate customers concerns without taking blame, especially as testing equipment becomes more sensitive, making it increasingly likely that traces of unwanted ingredients will show up.

For investors, the way a company handles a PR disaster like this can have big implications. As of mid-March, after a harrowing series of food safety problems at Chipotle Mexican Grill locations across the U.S., the restaurant chains stock had plunged 36 percent from its October 2015 high of $757. Chipotle, which has long touted its focus on sustainable food sources, has added a safety promise to its brand. Like pledges to avoid or include certain elements, such a move can be dangerous, says Kathryn Winsted, a marketing professor at New Yorks Pace University who studies brand recalls and new-media advertising.

Once you establish yourself as better for you, when you call yourself Honest and all of your promotions talk about what you dont have and how your products are better than competitors, youve got to know what youre talking about, Winsted says. If I were going to go for an IPO, I would have somebody investigating this.

Investors should be wary of any company that claims to sell safe, sustainable or natural products, Winsted adds. Unless a brand has commissioned independent testing and is transparent about the results, not even the Invisible Woman can save it from potential blowback.
E arrivata lufficialita, dopo una giornata di voci rincorrenti: per il triennio 2018-2021 sara lemittente Sky a godere dei diritti televisivi per trasmettere, in esclusiva assoluta, le partite non solo delle prossime edizioni dellEuropa League ma anche quelle della massima competizione continentale, la Champions. Un pacchetto da favola per il quale la tv satellitare di Rupert Murdoch avrebbe messo sul piatto unofferta giudicata piu congrua di quella presentata dalla concorrente Mediaset. A dare lannuncio dellaffare concluso e stata la stessa Sky che, in un comunicato, ha spiegato che il nuovo format sviluppato dalla UEFA ci consentira di portare ai nostri abbonati un prodotto rivoluzionario per il calcio europeo in Italia. Per la prima volta la UEFA Champions League e la UEFA Europa League saranno insieme in unesclusiva offerta integrata, che permettera agli appassionati di seguire fino a 7 squadre italiane, mai cosi tante prima dora, impegnate nelle sfide con i migliori club europei.

Sky: Rafforzata leadership

Anche il livello tecnico dellofferta sara altissimo ed e ancora lemittente a rivelare i dettagli: Continueremo a fare innovazione, trasmettendo le partite piu importanti anche in 4K HDR. Questofferta senza precedenti rafforza la posizione di Sky come leader della programmazione sportiva in Italia ed e anche un altro passo importante di sostegno al calcio italiano. Insomma, per i prossimi tre anni, sara unegemonia totale quella della satellitare sul calcio europeo, avendo mantenuto il pacchetto Europa League (gia sua esclusiva) e affiancandola a quello ancor piu appetibile della Champions League ad appannaggio Mediaset dal 2015 al 2018.

Sfida Serie A

Ora la sfida fra i due colossi delle trasmissioni sportive si spostera sui diritti televisivi della prossima Serie A, per la quale si e ancora in attesa di un nuovo bando che, come annunciato dal commissario della Lega, Carlo Tavecchio, avra le stesse caratteristiche del precedente, andato pero a vuoto: solo una delle offerte presentate per i cinque pacchetti, infatti, superava la soglia minima richiesta dalla base dasta. Niente di fatto, quindi, anche in virtu della stessa Mediaset che, in sostanza, ha disertato il bando (giudicato inaccettabile) non presentando alcuna offerta. La battaglia, anche in questo caso, sara sulle esclusive: del resto, dopo essersi vista scivolare via una componente importante come la Champions, sulla Serie A Mediaset dara sicuramente battaglia.
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What Is a Real Asset?

Real assets are physical assets that have an intrinsic worth due to their substance and properties. Real assets include precious metals, commodities, real estate, land, equipment, and natural resources. They are appropriate for inclusion in most diversified portfolios because of their relatively low correlation with financial assets, such as stocks and bonds.

Key Takeaways A real asset is a tangible investment that has an intrinsic value due to its substance and physical properties.

Commodities, real estate, equipment, and natural resources are all types of real assets.

Real assets provide portfolio diversification, as they often move in opposite directions to financial assets like stocks or bonds.

Real assets tend to be more stable but less liquid than financial assets.

1:11 Real Asset

Understanding Real Assets

Assets are categorized as either real, financial, or intangible. All assets can be said to be of economic value to a corporation or an individual. If it has a value that can be exchanged for cash, the item is considered an asset.

Intangible assets are valuable property that is not physical in nature. Such assets include patents, copyrights, brand recognition, trademarks, and intellectual property. For a business, perhaps the most important intangible asset is a positive brand identity.

Financial assets are a liquid property that derives value from a contractual right or ownership claim. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, bank deposits, investment accounts, and good old cash are all examples of financial assets. They can have a physical form, like a dollar bill or a bond certificate, or be nonphysicallike a money market account or mutual fund.

In contrast, a real asset has a tangible form, and its value derives from its physical qualities. It can be a natural substance, like gold or oil, or a man-made one, like machinery or buildings.

Special Considerations

Financial and real assets are sometimes collectively referred to as tangible assets. For tax purposes, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires businesses to report intangible assets differently than tangible assets, but it groups real and financial assets under the tangible asset umbrella.

Most businesses own a range of assets, which typically fall into real, financial, or intangible categories. Real assets, like financial assets, are considered tangible assets. For example, imagine XYZ Company owns a fleet of cars, a factory, and a great deal of equipment. These are real assets. However, the company also owns several trademarks and copyrights, which are its intangible assets. Finally, the company owns shares of stock in a sister company, and these are its financial assets.

Real Assets vs. Financial Assets

Although they are lumped together as tangible assets, real assets are a separate and distinct asset class from financial assets. Unlike real assets, which have intrinsic value, financial assets derive their value from a contractual claim on an underlying asset that may be real or intangible.

For example, commodities and property are real assets, but commodity futures, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) and real estate investment trusts (REITs) constitute financial assets whose value depends on the underlying real assets.

It is in those types of assets that overlap and confusion over asset categorization can occur. ETFs, for example, can invest in companies that are involved in the use, sale or mining of real assets, or more directly linked ETFs can aim to track the price movement of a specific real asset or basket of real assets.

Physically backed ETFs include some of the most popular ETFs in the world based on volumes, such as State Street's SPDR Gold Shares (GLD) and iShares Silver Trust (SLV). Both invest in precious metals and seek to mirror the performance of those metal. Technically speaking, though, these ETFs are financial assets, while the actual gold or silver bullion they own is the real asset.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Real Assets

Real assets tend to be more stable than financial assets. Inflation, shifts in currency values, and other macroeconomic factors affect real assets less than financial assets. Real assets are particularly well-suited investments during inflationary times because of their tendency to outperform financial assets during such periods.

In a 2017 report, asset management firm Brookfield cited a global value of real asset equities totaling $5.6 trillion. Of this total, 57% consisted of natural resources, 23% was real estate, and 20% was in infrastructure. In the firm's 2017 report on real assets as a diversification mechanism, Brookfield noted that long-lived real assets tend to increase in value as replacement costs and operational efficiency rise over time. Further, the found that cash-flow from real assets like real estate, energy servicing, and infrastructure projects can provide predictable and steady income streams for investors.

Real assets, however, have lower liquidity than financial assets, as they take longer to sell and have higher transaction fees in general. Also, real assets have higher carrying and storage costs than financial assets. For example, physical gold bullion often has to be stored in third-party facilities, which charge monthly rental fees and insurance.
Quant funds  computer-driven strategies managed by Vanguard and other big firms  were originally thought to outsmart human minds and transform investing. Now, however, as their performance plunges, they are losing billions of dollars amid their worst outflow in years. That represents a huge blow for an industry that managed more than $900 billion as of early last year.

Quant Funds Sink

Vanguards quant fund down 4%, versus S&P 500s 12% gain in 2019

Neuberger Berman, Columbia Threadneedle, others shut down quant funds

Momentum and value strategies extend 2018s losses

Trend-following quants see assets plunge after worst outflow in 13 years

Source: Bloomberg

Factor Investing Falls Out of Favor

Robotic traders manage roughly $1 out of every $3 held in the worlds $3 trillion hedge fund industry, using models that take into account companys profitability, trends in volatility and shift sin economic cycles to make trading decisions, per Bloomberg. Within that realm, factor investing, which typically uses single characteristics like quality and value to bet on which stocks will outperform over time, is quickly losing its luster. Vanguard's massive quant fund is down 4% this year, compared to the S&P 500s 12.2% gain. Meanwhile, Neuberger Berman is set become the latest major firm using factor investing to close a quant fund, shortly after Columbia Threadneedle closed its quant fund in December, as outlined by Bloomberg.

Momentum, one of the most popular factors, hasnt managed to pull a comeback from its disastrous 2018. Value has suffered a similar demise.

If investors believe factor returns are well-behaved, they are mistaken, said Vitali Kalesnik, head of equity research at Research Affiliates, a firm that employs such strategies. When investors need it the most, diversification may fade away and factors can go down together. This is exacerbated by the fact that they can go down several months in a row.

Quants Destabilized by Fed, Trump Tweets

Trend-following quants are suffering too as they struggle to react fast enough to the unforeseen side effects of factors including the end of a decade of central bank stimulus. Trend-following quants have suffered their worst outflows in at least 13 years, a big reversal from the booming popularity of systematic trend-following quants, or CTAs, following their smooth performance throughout the 1008 Financial Crisis.

Quants even seem to be shaken by U.S. President Donald Trump.

The models cant move as fast as the tweets, said Brooks Ritchey, senior managing director at Franklin Templetons K2 Advisors unit. The firm currently oversees $3.6 billion, and since investing significantly in trend-following quants, has exited all but one, per Bloomberg.

Some Winners Remain

Not all corners of the factor investing space are so bleak. Some riskier styles including volatility, leverage and small size have outperformed following indicators that the Fed had become more dovish in its policy, per Bloomberg. According to Credit Suisse, equity quants saw their exposure increase by roughly 9% in the first two months of the year. Bloomberg Intelligence also showed that smart beta, which typically tracks factors through long-only investments) drew a record $33 billion of inflows in the recent quarter, led by value and low-volatility.

I dont think institutions have given up on quant investing or factor investing, but now we have some question marks, said Morningstar analyst Tayfun Icten. So the firms that have an operational edge and more sophisticated infrastructure to execute will probably do better than wannabes.

Looking Ahead

Ultimately, the idea of a future wherein computers and machines beat humans at investing seems far off. While many quant funds are still doing well, the upheavals of the past year show that human investors, in many cases, have proven to be more insightful and accurate in reacting to trends in the market. In todays world, it looks like computers suffer many of the same weaknesses as a human brain might, and that machines for the time being may be only as smart, or as short-sighted, as the humans who program them.
Top Mutual Fund Holders of FedEx Stock Holder Shares Market Value Date Reported Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Admiral Shares 9.06 million $2.57 billion Mar 31, 2021 Dodge & Cox Stock Fund 7.80 million $2.20 billion Mar 31, 2021 Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares 6.70 million $1.95 billion Apr 30, 2021 Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares 5.00 million $1.46 billion Apr 30, 2021 Parnassus Core Equity Fund Investor Shares 2.84 million $826 million Apr 30, 2021

Source: Yahoo! Finance

1. The Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Admiral Shares (VPMAX)

The Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Admiral Shares (VPMAX) is a mutual fund with the largest equity holding of FedEx shares. The VPMAX owns nearly 9.06 million shares for a market value of $2.57 billion as of March 31, 2021.

Vanguard's VPMAX is an actively managed stock growth fund that invests primarily in U.S. equity securities. The funds objective is to achieve long-term growth of principal. The funds benchmark is the Standard & Poor's 500 Index (S&P 500 Index).

As of March 2021, the fund had a five-year annualized total return of 18.75%, an expense ratio of 0.38%, and assets under management (AUM) of $75.60 billion. The fund requires a minimum investment of $3,000, but the fund is currently closed to new investors as of May 30, 2021.

2. The Dodge & Cox Stock Fund (DODGX)

The Dodge & Cox Stock Fund (DODGX) is the second-largest fund holder of FedEx stock, owning more than 7.80 million shares for a market value exceeding $2.20 billion as of March 31, 2021.

The Dodge & Cox Stock Fund is an actively managed stock fund that invests in undervalued companies with favorable long-term outlooks. Portfolio managers seek to earn growth of capital while generating income. The fund's returns are compared to the return of the S&P 500 Index.

As of March 31, 2021, the fund had $81.10 billion in assets under management with a five-year annualized total return of 15.86% and an expense ratio of 0.52%. The DODGX requires a minimum investment of $2,500.

3. The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTSAX)

The Vanguard Total Stock Market Index Fund Admiral Shares (VTSAX) is the third-largest fund holder of FedEx, owning more than 6.70 million shares for a market value of $1.95 billion as of April 30, 2021.

The VTSAX is a passively managed stock index fund that invests in the common stock of U.S. companies in direct relation to their weightings in the CRSP U.S. Total Market Index. The index is composed of more than 3,700 stocks that trade on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE) and Nasdaq.

As of April 30, 2021, the fund had a five-year annualized total return of 17.67%, an expense ratio of 0.04%, and approximately $1.20 trillion in assets under management.

Although the VTSAX requires a minimum investment of $3,000, Vanguard offers an ETF version called the Vanguard Total Stock Market ETF (VTI), which has a lower initial investment requirement of the price of one share.

4. The Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX)

The Vanguard 500 Index Fund Admiral Shares (VFIAX) is the fourth-largest fund shareholder of FedEx stock, owning slightly more than five million shares for a market value of $1.46 billion as of April 30, 2021.

The Vanguard 500 is a passively managed stock index fund that tracks the S&P 500 Index and has $732 billion in assets under management. The fund has a five-year annualized total return of 17.38% and an expense ratio of 0.04% as of April 30, 2021.

The VFIAX has a $3,000 minimum investment requirement. However, Vanguard offers an ETF called the Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO), which only requires the price of one share as its initial investment requirement.

5. The Parnassus Core Equity Fund Investor Shares (PRBLX)

Parnassus Core Equity Fund Investor Shares (PRBLX) is a mutual fund with the fifth-largest equity position in FedEx, owning more than 2.84 million shares for a market value of nearly $826 million as of April 30, 2021.

The Parnassus Core Equity fund invests in large U.S. companies with long-term competitive advantages, quality management, and a history of positive performance. The fund's investment goal is to outperform the S&P 500 Index.

As of April 30, 2021, the PRBLX had a five-year annualized total return of 17.59%. The PRBLX has $27.10 billion in assets under management, an expense ratio of 0.86%, and a $2,000 minimum investment requirement.
One of Britain's leading authors and editors stated in 2016 in the establishment newspaper The Telegraph that it is time to apologize to the Irish for the way the British handled the Easter Rising

Simon Heffer, 55, former Associate Editor of The Telegraph, a major establishment figure and a well-known biographer of famous British subjects such as Thomas Carlyle and Enoch Powell wrote that:

One hundred years ago, the Irish people fought for independence from the British. But now bygones are bygones: we have too much in common to quarrel.

He stated that All nations make catastrophic mistakes, and one of Britains was in its relations with Ireland and the handling of the Easter Rising a century ago.

"The extent of the damage can be gauged by the fact that it has only been in the last five years, with the Queens visit to Ireland and President Higginss reciprocal visit here, that anything approaching normal relations has been achieved.

He stated usually it was wrong to give apologies for what happened in the past but there is nothing more contemptible than politicians seeking approval by apologising for wrongs committed by previous generations: but the wrongs the British did Ireland, and their consequences, require an apology, and the centenary of the Rising is the time to make it.

He stated: The Irish are said to have a long memory for grudges: but in my experience of that country over the last 30 years this applies only to a few disaffected bigots.

"Most Irish are forward-looking, ambitious and determined. Like us  and this is the great change in recent years  they are an increasingly secular people, having shaken off the domination of the Catholic church, as they proved last year in legalizing same-sex marriage.

He continued to say that failure to grant Home Rule as promised was behind the Easter Rising debacle.

Heffer notes, The war on the Western Front was not going well, and the British were in no mood to treat rebels with leniency when the nation was in peril. Artillery attacked rebel positions, notably in the General Post Office, with ferocity. That much was understandable, but the aftermath was disastrous.The leaders were tried by court-martial and 14 of them executed by firing squad in early May; another, Sir Roger Casement, was tried for treason and hanged.

He said the British made a huge mistake with the executions. Britain was well aware of the pressure it was under from the (World War 1) war: but it made no allowances for Irish rage at 30 years of being treated like naughty, incompetent children. With hindsight, locking up the rebel leaders and releasing them within 18 months  which is what happened to the rank and file  would have calmed the situation."

Instead, he said Execution made martyrs and encouraged violent republicanism. The brutality of Sinn Fein replaced moderate Irish nationalism. Instead of Home Rule to keep Ireland within the United Kingdom, a Free State and then a Republic were set up, with Britain as a sworn enemy to many.

He stated the British must make it clear they know they acted badly.

If the idea persists anywhere in Ireland that the British feel happy about the way earlier generations of them patronized, infantilised and sought to control the Irish, then we must disabuse our cousins thereof it once and for all.

Heller suggested Ireland might join the Commonwealth nations for whom the Queen is not head of state, but with whom we share values. Bygones should be bygones: we have too much in common to quarrel.

He stated because of the European Union exit support in Britain Many Britons now can understand how the Irish felt a century ago. We, too, want to govern ourselves and determine our own future without the control of a foreign power. A distinguished Irishman said to me not long ago that if we choose to leave the EU, so Ireland would have to, given the volume of trade between us.

In conclusion, he stated I am not sure that follows: but what we have in common remains so powerful that, if we do leave, our first bilateral deal should be with our Irish cousins. Potentially, we have no better friend on earth: on this sombre centenary, let us recall that apparent paradox above all else.

Do you think the British should apologize for the executions? Let us know.

*Originally published in 2016.
Just in time for the 1916 Rising centenary on Sunday, The New York Times has been busy Inventing the Irish.

It's a compassionate act on their part and timely too, since it permits us to exist, which is a magnanimous gesture that I hope we will appreciate.

The Times heralded our latter-day existence in a piece edited and published on Thursday that, when you consider it, probably should have attracted more attention than it did.

If you thought Ireland and Irish culture were a longstanding distinctive integrity well, The Times piece countered, that is really just wishful thinking on your part.

In fact, author Barry Kennerk informs us, the Irish have always had a British heritage.

That point was quite lost on my grandfather. He frequently found himself on the business end of the rifles of a regiment of brutal soldiers who, it transpires, were really his kinsmen all along.

At least he was spared the disheartening news that he was part of a culture that doesn't really exist.

Isn't that just like Ireland, though? One minute you're dancing a jig to a lively traditional air or chuckling through a classic satirical novel and the next minute  whoops  you discover they were only the distorted echoes of a pulverized past.

Worse, theyre pastiche. Oh, well. So much all for that lost authenticity. We had all better catch ourselves on and realize that Finnegan will never Wake and just accept the fact we were West Britons all along.

Kennerk argues that culture only became a problem for the Irish when we sought to oust the authors of our 'heritage' from their centuries long campaign of ruthless colonial exploitation.

We had to invent a sort of contrarian culture and tradition, he suggests, in order to conjure up the necessary atavism to drive out the British (who were really ourselves). Talk about mental gymnastics. Literary unionism is quite the intellectual workout.

It now looks like there will never be a shortage of trolling academics and journalists eager to remind us that our traditions are imperfect and mostly in our heads. Each month seems to throw up another gleeful threnody on our history and culture.

We can no longer be authentically Irish, they assure us, because that's a portal that closed centuries ago, and it's absurd to think otherwise. We're not special. We will be assimilated.

So lets give an enthusiastic forelock tug to The Times editors for this timely article. In particular let us thank their Ivy-educated editors who I bet, can find their way between Davy Byrne's and The Shelbourne Hotel, if not quite to Tara.

We should be edified that such august intellects have had the compassion to conjure us in time to celebrate our little revolution.

Lets also heed Kennerk's warning that it would be unfortunate if we said anything mildly critical about the nation that exploited us and significant swaths of the planet for hundreds of years whilst enriching itself.

To hear the New York Times tell it, we were almost lucky to receive their attentions.

This week I'm in Dublin. Since I'm here to mark the centenary of the revolution I will take terrific care not to surrender myself to Fenian chauvinism. I mean, how dare I.

I suggest we all take Kennerk's advice to heart: Don't let's be beastly to the British. Heaven knows theyve never surrendered to flag waving jingoism themselves.
Dublin: Panti Bliss and the Ancient Order of Hibernians, Americas largest Irish group, celebrated the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising together in one room last night and both symbolized how far Ireland and Irish America have come.

Panti Bliss drag queen, AKA Rory ONeill, showed up for the after party at the Little Museum off Stephens Green among a hundred or so Irish Americans who had earlier taken part in a welcome ceremony at the Department of Foreign Affairs in Dublin attended by Minister Charlie Flanagan among others.

When Panti, who looked about 6 foot 3 in high heels, strutted into the Little Museum off Stephen's Green she was immediately the star of the show.

But she is about much more than just a drag queen. She had been a leading light in the marriage equality movement and was a key figure in helping get same sex marriage passed in 2015.

Since then she has gone from obscurity to fame, her latest feat is being nominated for the Time 100 most influential people. It was the gay proclamation for Irish LGBT's as much as the Easter Proclamation was the rebels calling card.

Her speech about homophobia and gay rights delivered from th stage of the Abbey Theater in 2014 was one of modern Irelands finest moments as a taboo topic was suddenly thrown open, As Joe.ie wrote.

"Accidental and occasional gay rights activist" Rory O'Neill AKA Panti Bliss over the weekend delivered an incredibly impassioned and powerful post-show oration at Dublin's Abbey Theatre, as she spoke about prejudice and homophobia in the aftermath of the RTE controversy surrounding her recent appearance on The Saturday Night Show.

More and more we have to recognize that right to same sex marriage vote on May 22nd 2015 was a watershed for Ireland, the moment when it pivoted towards the 21st century and left an oppressive past behind. 62 per cent of the people voted yes, an extraordinary occurrence given the conservative nature of the country for decades. No other country has passed equal marriage by universal referendum.

Panti became the symbol of that astonishing moment waving to the ecstatic crowds in Dublin Castle, and she has since been feted in New York, Australia and around the world,

And give thought in a different to the men and women of the AOH who have come from America in large numbers for this centenary including national president Brendan Moore.

Since its foundation in 1836 it has been steadfast in Ireland's cause down through the anti Catholic, Know-Nothing years and stood with the beleaguered Northern minority during the Troubles when it was neither popular or approved. They have endured when many other groups have faded and last night was a thank you to them also.

On Saturday night at the impressive function at the Department of Foreign Affairs for overseas pilgrims to the shrine of 1916, it was the AOH president Brendan Moore who injected the Irish American dimension, reading the proclamations from Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York among others relaying the pride that all Americans felt in the Easter 1916 Rising and how inspirational it had become to them.

So Panti and the AOH did it their way. I believe the men of 1916 dreamers, scholars, doers, revolutionaries, would have sided with both of them for creating a better and more inclusive Irish experience for everyone alive.

Dublin this weekend of the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising is certainly interesting.
This weekend marks the centenary of the 1916 Easter Rising, and numerous events, cultural happenings, and ceremonies commemorating the historic moment are being held in Dublin and across Ireland.

Here, we've highlighted just a few of the many events taking place over the Easter weekend:

Sunday

Events scheduled for Easter Sunday include a formal State ceremony in Kilmainham Gaols Stone Breakers Yard, where the 1916 leaders were executed, a three-part wreath laying ceremony in Glasnevin Cemetery, a reading of the 1916 proclamation under the GPO Portico by a Defence Forces officer, and a parade through Dublin.

A free concert, A Nations Voice, will be held in Collins Barracks, Dublin. The RTE National Symphony Orchestra and 31 chorus from all over Ireland will come together to present a major new orchestral and choral work composed by Shaun Davey and Paul Muldoon. The performance will be broadcast live on RTE One and RTE Radio 1.

A formal State Reception at Dublin Castle will take place with guests invited by the Taoiseach  approximately 2,000 relatives of those who took part in the 1916 Rising and 1,000 other guests from across the spectrum of Irish life, including members of the diplomatic corps, public servants, members of the business and sporting communities and elected representatives.

Monday

RTE 1916: Reflecting the Rising will take place in Dublin from 11am to 6pm. The multi-location public event will include hundreds of free talks, walking tours, music, dance, street art, street theatre, and moments of reflection and celebration over eight city center public zones.

Centenary, a special television event, will be broadcast live by RTE One rom the Bord Gais Energy Theatre Centenary. The cultural celebration will tell the story of modern Ireland through music, dance, and song. Artists confirmed for Centenary include Imelda May, Jack Lukeman, Gavin James, The High Kings, Colm Wilkinson, Danny OReilly, Iarla O Lionaird, Sharon Shannon, Donal Lunny, John Sheahan, Celine Byrne, and Seo Linn.

At 1:15 pm, the time when the first shots of the Rising were fired, wreaths will be laid at six iconic sites in Dublin associated with the Easter Rising. Wreaths will be laid at Boland's Mill; Jacobs Factory (now the National Archives); Dublin Castle/City Hall; The Four Courts; Royal College of Surgeons; Moore Street and St. James' Hospital.

Also, four cities outside of Dublin have been chosen to host formal State ceremonies to commemorate the centenary.

Synchronized wreath laying ceremonies will take place at 1:15pm in Athenry, Cork, Wexford and Meath.

In Athenry, Co Galway, the day will begin with a tree planting in the park followed by the formal State ceremony in which 5,000 people are expected, including the Galway men and women of 1916.

Centenary celebrations in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford, will include a parade that will travel through the town center before converging on Abbey Square where the formal State Commemoration Ceremony will take place. There will be a reading of the Proclamation and the laying of a wreath at the Rafter Monument by a member of the Defence Forces.

Ashbourne, Co Meaths commemoration will include the State ceremony as well as a reenactment of the Battle of Ashbourne at Rath Cross. The wreath-laying event will also include the unveiling of a memorial plaque.

The State Ceremonial Event in Cork City, Co Cork, will begin with a parade followed by the formal ceremony. Weather permitting, there will be an Air Corps Fly past and following the ceremonial event, a short performance of Irish music.

Tuesday

A formal State ceremony held at Liberty Hall and attended by President Michael D. Higgins will commemorate the Irish Citizen Army and James Connolly. A wreath will be laid at the statue of James Connolly and the president will unveil a plaque dedicated to the members of the Irish Citizen Army who died during the Easter Rising.

GPO Witness History, a permanent immersive, interactive exhibition and visitor attraction, will open to the public on March 29. The self-guided tour puts you right inside the GPO during Easter Week in 1916 through electronic touch screens, video, audio visual booths, sound and authentic artifacts.

Related Events:

A new exhibition Proclaiming a Republic has opened at The National Museum of Ireland to mark the 1916 Rising. The Easter Week Collection includes over 200 objects, some of which will be on display for the first time. The collection includes iconic objects such as the 1916 Proclamation and the flag of the Irish Republic, as well as many unique personal objects, such as Patrick Pearses spectacle and a homemade bayonet.

The Plough and the Stars, Sean OCaseys provocative drama set during the tumult of the Easter Rising, is playing at the Abbey Theatre until April 23. Following its run in Dublin, the play will go on tour in Ireland and North America.

For more information on events commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising, go to http://www.ireland.ie/
A breakaway Pakistani faction of the Taliban has claimed responsibility for an Easter Sunday bombing in a Lahore park that killed 65 people.

Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, said a suicide bomber with the faction had deliberately targeted the Christian community in the eastern city.

The explosion took place near children's rides in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park, which was crowded with Christians celebrating Easter, local police chief Haider Ashraf said.

He said the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, although investigations are ongoing.

The explosion killed 65 people and wounded more than 300 others, according Deeba Shahnaz, a spokesman for Lahore rescue administration.

Punjab's chief minister Shahbaz Sharif announced three days of mourning and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice.

The park was manned by police and private security guards, police chief Haider Ashraf said.

"We are in a warlike situation and there is always a general threat, but no specific threat alert was received for this place," he added.

Pakistan's army chief, General Raheel Sharif, has convened an emergency meeting of the country's intelligence agencies to begin to track down those responsible for the attacks.

Salman Rafiq, a health adviser to the Punjab government, called on people to donate blood, saying many of the wounded are in a critical condition.

Footage broadcast on local television stations showed chaotic scenes in the park, with people running while carrying children and cradling the wounded in their laps.

One witness, who wished to be identified only by his first name, Afzal, said he had taken 20 children to hospital and carried three dead bodies to a police car.

"I can't explain to you the tragic situation," he said.

One witness said he was heading toward a fairground ride with his wife and two children when he heard a huge bang, and all four of them were thrown to the floor.

A woman was shown crying while looking desperately for her missing five-year-old son.

A spokesman for the US National Security Council said America "condemns the attack in the strongest terms", describing it as a "cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park".

Ned Price said the US would continue to work with Pakistan and its partners to "root out the scourge of terrorism".
Dubliner Sean Meaney has been lobbying the GAA for more than 10 years to provide funding for a statue in Cork to honour his famous ancestors legacy to Gaelic games.

Earlier this week, after laying a commemorative plaque on MacCarthys London grave, Mr Meaney spoke of his distant relatives overlooked contribution to the fight for independence.

MacCarthy, who was born in England to an emigrant couple from Ballygarvan, Co Cork, went on to head Londons branch of the Irish Volunteers and is believed to have played a key role in the Howth gun-running episode in July 1914.

According to Mr Meaney, he also played a major part in helping to spring Eamon de Valera from Lincoln Prison in 1918.

Mr Meaney said: The Irish public know very little about the man who gave his name to the Liam McCarthy Cup. He established the London GAA county board, where he was chairman for 10 years, and in 1920 he designed and funded the making of a new cup, which he donated to the GAA.

The Liam McCarthy Cup

From the following year it was known as the Liam McCarthy Cup and has been presented to the All-Ireland senior hurling champions ever since. But he also had a remarkable relationship with Michael Collins and Patrick Pearse and its important that thats remembered in this centenary year.

Mr Meaney said the 1916 commemorations have made him more determined than ever to honour MacCarthy by raising funds for a permanent memorial in Cork.

He said: A statue would cost somewhere in the region of 80,000 to 100,000 and Ive suggested before that the GAA should donate 1 from every ticket sold to an All-Ireland final to fund it, which would provide more than enough money.

But whether the GAA comes on board or not, Im going to try and raise this money myself by 2021, which would be the centenary year of when the first Liam McCarthy Cup was presented.

Im also in talks with a major TV company, who are interested in making a documentary about him.

Its in the early stages at the moment, but if that happens it would be a huge boost, because it would help people learn more about Liam MacCarthy and help me with the fundraising.
An Irishman, who admits he is not a licenced architect in the US, has been revealed as the designer of a mega mansion the developer wants to sell for a staggering $500m (448m).

Dubliner Paul McClean is the designer behind the 104,000 sq ft mansion in Los Angeles that, if the developer reaches even close to his asking price, will make it by far the most expensive house in the world.

McClean, who graduated from the Dublin Institute of Technology before moving to Los Angeles, is now the go-to designer of mega mansions in the city.

Yet McClean admitted to a LA newspaper he is not yet an architect in the United States, postponing the last of six tests needed to be granted a licence because he is so busy.

He has a licensed architect on the staff of his firm, McClean Design.

McCleans rise has been meteoric  just four years ago he was working out of his garage.

He can thank, in part, the developer Paddy McKillen and his family for helping to catapult him to the top of his profession in the city.

McKillen hired McClean to design seven houses in the city, including five for members of the McKillen family.

And son Drew McKillen was the developer of a McClean-designed home sold last year for $25m (22.4m), to fashion designer Calvin Klein. His brother Tyrone McKillen, an agent with high-end real estate brokers, Hilton & Hyland, brokered the deal.

And Hilton & Hyland are also the brokers for the $500m Bel Air mansion, now half built but with a planned 2017 completion date. The asking price will be $500m, mansion developer Nile Niami told Bloomberg News last spring.

Niami, an independent film producer turned developer, hired McClean to design six houses prior to approaching him about a project dubbed simply The One, a mansion twice the size of the White House on a four-acre plot in Bel Air.

It will have a 5,000 sq ft master bedroom, five swimming pools, a casino, a nightclub with a VIP area, a 30-car garage, a room with jellyfish tanks instead of walls and ceilings, and another set aside entirely for flowers.

Niama told Details magazine: We have a very specific client in mind. Someone who already has a $100m yacht and has seven houses all over the world.

Some LA real estate experts have expressed scepticism the asking price will be met.

McClean, who was not available for an interview this week, told the Orange County Register newspaper that he did not set out to produce southern Californias biggest and ritziest mansion.

But, while growing up in Dublin, he always wanted to be a designer. As soon as he graduated from DIT in 1994, McClean set off for California.

Its just great to design homes in such a fantastic climate and to take advantage of the ocean and city views, McClean told the Orange County Register, I got off the bus in California, and the first thing that struck me was the light. Our houses are all about light. Light and water.

He worked several jobs before becoming a design assistant with an architectural firm in Laguna Beach, south of Los Angeles.

McClean struck out on his own in 2000, designing houses in Laguna Beach. He designed two for McKillen in the area. But it was not until 2008 that McCleans business began its meteoric rise. It was his first job in LA and the house sold for $10m.

Since then he has specialised in designing multi-million dollar mansions, including one that sold for $39m.

In a candid interview with the Hollywood Reporter, given before he was hired to build The One, McClean expressed some disbelief at the trend in LA for unique, so-called spec, mansions.

These are buyers who just arent going to be spending much time in these homes, McClean said.

They start with a house in London, then in New York, then they realise the weather is crap in both, so they get a home here. But its more about collecting homes, not living in them.

Ive never designed on this scale before, he said of of his five projects at the time, ranging from 20,000 sq to 60,000 sq ft.

No matter what we build, theres only one complaint: Theyre too small.

Niama, the developer, said the asking price, which if met will be $200m more than the current priciest mansion in the world, a French chateau, is only $5,000 per sq ft. Thats half what billionaires have paid for Manhattan penthouses, he said.
Burma Burma Army Chief: Lack of Obedience Could Create Disorderly Democracy

On Armed Forces Day, Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing highlights the militarys role in Burmas political reforms and its continued collaboration with a new govt.

RANGOON  In a parade held in Naypyidaw to mark Burmas 71st Armed Forces Day on Sunday, military commander-in-chief Snr-Gen Min Aung Hlaing highlighted the importance of the armys role in the countrys political reforms and its continued collaboration with the incoming government.

I would like to seriously say that we, the military, will cooperate to achieve success in working for the nation and the citizens interests, he said in a speech ahead of the transfer of power to a largely civilian government by April 1.

Min Aung Hlaing said that the military would work with the incoming National League for Democracy (NLD) government, Parliament and the public in building eternal peace and advancing the countrys development.

The military will protect the country, guard the public and assist in the governments operations for the countrys development, he said. The countrys stability is important and we must also build national reconciliation and peace.

Following a coup in 1962, a military junta ruled Burma for more than five decades, contributing to the countrys status as one of the most impoverished and underdeveloped in the region. Burma is home to one of the worlds longest running civil wars, with many ethnic nationalities engaged in armed struggle against the government, demanding greater self-determination and an end to the Burmese militarys abuses in their areas.

Political opposition was also long suppressed, with parties banned and NLD chairwoman Aung San Suu Kyi placed under house arrest for a total of 15 years. She is still barred from the presidency.

Many in Burma are now placing their hopes for democratic change in the new NLD administration, which opposed the military dictatorship for more than two decades.

But critics remain concerned by a continued military presence in Burmas political scene, as well as what they see as collaboration between the new government and the armed forces. Under the countrys military-drafted 2008 Constitution, 25 percent of parliamentary seats are reserved for army representatives, which allows them veto power over any constitutional amendments. The armed forces also have retained control over three important ministries: Home Affairs, Defense and Border Affairs.

Yet Min Aung Hlaing described the current Constitution as guarding the countrys national interests during his speech at the Armed Forces Day parade, and indicated that the army would continue to be at the forefront of Burmas affairs.

We, the military, play a leading role in national politics, he said.

Min Aung Hlaing told attendeeswhich included active and retired soldiersthat he would not allow Burma to totter backwards into a situation which could harm the stability, perpetuation of sovereignty and non-disintegration of the Union. He also vowed to form a professional army which could compare favorably to others in the region.

The two main obstructions in our countrys progress toward democracy are weakness in obeying rules, regulations and laws, and having armed insurgents. This could lead to disorderly democracy. If we can only fix these two [things], the countrys path to democracy will be smooth, he said.

Armed Forces Day commemorates the day when Aung San Suu Kyis father, Aung San, took up arms against Japanese occupying forces in Burma on March 27, 1945, during World War II. Originally, the occasion was marked as Anti-Fascist Resistance Day, which the Burmese government changed to Armed Forces Day in 1955. The NLD continues to acknowledge the date as Resistance Day.
The release of a high capacity, 16GB, DDR4 notebook SODIMM is good news for gamers and power users using Intels latest CPUs.

HyperX, a division of Kingston, has released its DDR4 SODIMM that supports Intels 100 series chipsets (PCH) used with the latest Intel 6th generation Skylake Core i7, i5, i3 and Celeron using the LGA-1151 socket. It also supports the latest AMD processors.

The 100 series is the successor to the 9 Series and supports op to 64GB of dual channel DDR4 (4 x 16GB SODIMM).

The Impact DDR4 is XMP certified and automatically overclocks to the highest frequency supported by the system  up to 2400MHz  without the need to adjust system BIOS settings. The memory is rated to 2666MHz. As it uses lower 1.2 to 1.35V DC,it remains cooler. It has a latency of CL13-15. It has been designed to fit into new ultra-thin notebooks and will operate reliably up to 85C.

The memory is also available in 4 and 8GB modules from 1600-2400MHz. It has a lifetime warranty.

HyperX is the high-performance product division of Kingston Technology encompassing high-speed DDR4 and DDR3 memory, SSDs, USB Flash drives, and gaming accessories. Targeted at gamers, over-clockers and enthusiasts, HyperX is known throughout the world for quality, performance and innovation. HyperX is committed to eSports as it sponsors over 25 teams globally and is the main sponsor of Intel Extreme Masters. HyperX can be found at many shows including China Joy, PAX, Davao Cyber Expo, and TGS & Big Fest.

DDR4 memory is also available in desktop DIMM under the HyperX Fury range. It supports the Intel x99 chipset.



Product range
Between the time area well owners were warned about the safety of their water and the time they were told their water was OK, nothing seems to have changed except the paperwork. State leaders need to listen to their own experts and correct this problem now.

Hundreds of well owners near Duke Energy coal ash pits received letters last spring from state health officials warning them not to drink their own well water or use it for cooking. But recently, a letter signed by Randall Williams, the director of the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services, and Tom Reeder, the assistant state secretary for the N.C. Department of Environmental Quality, lifted the warning, the Journals Bertrand M. Gutierrez reported in investigative stories last week.

But these wells still contain hexavalent chromium, a carcinogen, and standards for measuring its threat are in question.

Nothing has changed, Bonita Queen, a Salisbury resident who lives near Dukes Buck power plant, told the Journal. There has not been any proof showing what has changed from it being not safe to drink 10 months ago to it being safe to drink now.

The coal ash pond is still there. My well is still here. Tell me what has changed  just numbers on a piece of paper.

While there is no overwhelming evidence that directly connects Duke Energy to the hexavalent chromium, the carcinogen is in the well water in question. And big questions remain about it.

According to standards pushed by the DEQ and DHHS, well owners water puts them within a lifetime cancer risk of 1 in 7,000 at best and 1 in 700 at worst. But state experts in epidemiology and toxicology have recommended using a standard that would put the well owners at a lifetime cancer risk of no more than one in a million.

When the Journal asked the DEQ whether the hexavalent chromium level should be no more than 1 in 1 million, DEQ spokeswoman Crystal Feldman responded: North Carolina uses the same standard the Obama administration, the city of Winston-Salem and an overwhelming majority of cities across the country use to ensure public drinking water is safe.

But when screening for hexavalent chromium, neither the federal nor the state standard for total chromium should be applied, state experts told the Journal in emails. Not if the goal is to adequately protect the health of people drinking water from wells near coal ash pits.

The spectre of polluted drinking water has been hovering nationwide for quite a few years now, but the massive coal-ash spill at Duke Energys Dan River Steam Station in Eden in 2014 brought that threat home to North Carolina like never before.

In its wake, state officials should be doing all they can to ensure safe drinking water. In the case at hand, the solution is simple: Heed the experts and raise the standard for the risks associated with hexavalent chromium.
In this 2008 file photo, Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton addresses party faithful at the Midwest Express Center in Milwaukee. Unlike 2008, Clinton arrives here as the odds-on nominee, and in command of the Democratic delegate race. Credit: Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

By of the

Eight years after her demoralizing 17-point loss to Barack Obama here, Hillary Clinton returns to Wisconsin hoping for a better outcome this time.

Clinton campaigns Monday in Madison and Milwaukee, and Tuesday in Milwaukee, La Crosse and Green Bay.

Unlike 2008, Clinton arrives here as the odds-on nominee, and in command of the Democratic delegate race.

But Wisconsin remains a challenge, and rival Bernie Sanders is coming off lopsided wins in three caucuses Saturday: Washington state, Alaska and Hawaii.

Right now, we have a lot of momentum. We're focusing on Wisconsin, New York state. We have a path to victory, Sanders said on NBCs Meet The Press Sunday.

Sanders is marshaling much of the same coalition Obama did against Clinton here.

Eight years ago in Wisconsin, Clinton lost men to Obama by 36 points, voters under 30 by 44 points and independents by 31 points, according to exit polls.

This year, she trails Sanders with those very same groups in Wisconsin polls, while leading with women, voters over 50, and partisan Democrats.

But the fault lines in the party arent entirely the same today as they were in 2008.

African-American voters backed Obama against Clinton in 2008, but now favor Clinton over Sanders. Clinton plans to campaign in Milwaukees African-American community Monday night and Tuesday morning, where shell appear at a forum on gun violence prevention.

Two more fault lines have emerged this year that werent there in the 08 Wisconsin primary: ideology and religion. Clinton leads with moderates, Sanders with liberals. Clinton leads handily with regular churchgoers, and Sanders leads easily with non-churchgoers, according to polling this year by the Marquette Law School.

Clintons defeat eight years ago in Wisconsin  Obama won 58% to 41% -- marked one of the low points of her campaign, coming after big losses in Maryland and Virginia and before she bounced back in Ohio and Texas a few weeks later.

She won only 10 of 72 counties. She lost the states two monster Democratic counties, Milwaukee and Dane, by 28 and 36 points.

Her struggles were epitomized by a February blizzard that wiped out the biggest campaign day on her Wisconsin schedule, a fly-around to the states major media markets.

The Sanders campaign views Wisconsin as promising turf. Young voters often turn out in droves. Sanders is very popular in the blue and ultra-mobilized terrain around Madison, where he drew thousands of supporters Saturday.

And the states open primary ensures a large independent vote that plays to Sanders strengths.

But its hardly a slam dunk. Polls have pointed to a close race, and history shows that Wisconsin Democrats dont always vote for the insurgent or liberal contender in the race. Mike Dukakis easily defeated Jesse Jackson in 1988, Bill Clinton edged Jerry Brown in 1992, and John Kerry defeated John Edwards and Howard Dean in 2004.

In fact, Wisconsin has voted for the eventual nominee in every Democratic primary from 88 on. While the Democratic electorate here has a liberal image, exit polls show moderates and conservatives together made up more than half the 2008 primary vote. That electorate also includes a lot of rural and small town Democrats, who comprised about a third of the 08 vote. In Marquettes polling this year, Clinton is narrowly leading Sanders in the more rural northern half of the state.

The single biggest reason Clinton should do better than 2008 is the African-American vote. It broke heavily for Obama in 2008, but is almost sure to back Clinton decisively in 2016, based on polling here and the pattern in other states.

The black vote isnt large: it accounted for just under 10% of Democratic turnout in 08. But it should give Clinton the edge in the states biggest county, Milwaukee, a place she lost by almost 60,000 votes eight years ago.

Follow Craig Gilbert on Twitter @WisVoter
Alvin Watts, 16, a sophmore at Carmen Carmen Northwest High School, is shown with his adviser, chemistry teacher Andrew Linderman. Credit: Michael Sears

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Alvin Watts' eyes widened as he described the crowds of people and the chaos of ordering a piece of squid from a vendor on the bustling streets of Hiroshima, Japan, which he said were loaded with stores, arcades and memorial sites.

The 16-year-old sophomore at Carmen Northwest High School just returned from participating in the Group of Seven Youth Summit focusing on international peace  one of only two delegates representing the United States at the event. The summit was held in conjunction with Shape Asia Pacific 2016, a meeting organized by the Global Shapers Community of the World Economic Forum.

After spending five days learning about and discussing the atomic bomb and other global issues, Watts was already back at school on Wednesday, jet-lagged and overwhelmed by all he experienced.

"It was a dream come true," Watts said. "It was way more than I expected it to be."

When Watts said his trip was a dream come true, he wasn't exaggerating. Traveling to Japan was a dream passed down to Watts by his late father, Alvin Watts Sr. When the elder Watts died, he left behind his dream of seeing the world, and the younger Watts, who was just 6, held onto it tightly.

"I think he felt like a bird in a cage," Watts said of his father wanting to get out and explore the world and why he now wanted to be the one to see Japan.

"This has been his dream as long as I've known him," said Liz Hein, dean of students and culture at Carmen, who learned about the youth summit from a Facebook post and said she thought of Watts immediately. She said he can now be an example to other students of what it's like to have a dream, to share it and to be driven to make it come true.

"Speak into existence what you want," Hein said.

It was a community of mentors like Hein going above and beyond to support Watts that made the trip possible. Watts' adviser and teacher at Carmen, Andrew Linderman, helped Watts complete his application to the summit after school hours and drove Watts to Minneapolis just days before he left for his trip to work out complications with obtaining his passport.

"It's the perfect opportunity for someone who has had to deal with a lot in his life," Linderman said. "It's one of those once in a lifetime, invaluable experiences."

When he arrived in Japan, Watts said, he was in shock at first. When he fully realized where he was, he said he smiled and said, "Oh snap! I'm really here!"

Watts explained that he felt the trip meant even more to him as a student living in the central city of Milwaukee.

"Not many kids like me get opportunities like this," he said, also saying he wished more students at his school had the chance to go abroad.

Before he left for his trip, Watts said he hoped to meet people in Japan with different perspectives and to better understand where people come from, expanding his worldview.

International gathering

As one of only two delegates representing the U.S. at the summit, Watts befriended students from all over the world, including his roommate, a 17-year-old Italian boy named Tiziano who had a "cool accent."

Twenty-seven students participated in the summit, half from Japan and half from the other G7 countries: Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy and the U.S.

Watts said he loved talking with the students about their different backgrounds and what each of their schools were like. He plans to keep in touch with his new friends through social media.

The students began the summit by working together to draft a Hiroshima declaration detailing what they wanted to change in the world, how they planned to make those changes and how they wanted their governments to help. The three most important issues they picked were ridding the world of nuclear weapons, eradicating global poverty and strengthening efforts to combat climate change, Watts said.

"I've always wanted to contribute to changing the world," Watts said. "And I got to do that."

In addition to their discussions, the students visited the Peace Memorial Museum, offered flowers at the Cenotaph for atomic bomb victims and listened to the stories of an atomic bomb survivor. They also got to check out a Japanese high school.

Watts was joined in Japan by Maurice Thomas, vice curator of the Milwaukee Global Shapers Hub and executive director of Milwaukee Excellence Charter School, who worked hard to make sure a student from Milwaukee would be selected to participate in the summit.

Upon his return to Milwaukee  exhausted after a long day of travel  Watts said he turned to the photo of his father he has next to his bed before falling asleep.

"I looked at it, and I fist-bumped him," he said. "I hope he'd be proud of me."
Mel Lightner, superintendent of Grafton schools, stands next to the shower in the boys locker room at Grafton Elementary School that's closed to due falling ceiling tiles. The district is among several asking voters on April 5 to approve borrowing for school construction and repairs. Credit: Mike De Sisti

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School districts in Grafton, Menomonee Falls, Muskego-Norway and Mukwonago are seeking millions of dollars for buildings, renovations and upgrades in referendums on the April 5 ballot.

Grafton has two referendum questions on the ballot that total $49.5 million for renovations and building projects. The district is proposing districtwide improvements, including building a new middle school and technical education center. If approved, the plan would close one elementary school building and reconfigure the elementary grades, with some of those student moving into the the old middle school.

The referendums would boost property taxes by $1.49 per $1,000 of equalized property value for 24 years, according to Grafton School District.

"We have to deal with the reality, and the reality is we have some facilities that are not very good," Superintendent Mel Lightner said. "This is a long-range plan that should take care of our buildings for 40-50 years."

Mukwonago is proposing a school building and improvement program at Mukwonago High School to address safety and security, the cafeteria, the auditorium, the library and gym space that will cost $49.5 million. If passed, it would increase taxes by 38 cents per $1,000 of property value per year, according to the district.

The Muskego-Norway School District is asking voters to approve $43.18 million in borrowing to build a new middle school and renovate its other buildings. The borrowing would increases taxes by 20 cents per $1,000 in equalized property value, the district projects.

In Menomonee Falls, one of the two referendum questions to be voted on amounts to $32.7 million for districtwide facility improvements, including roofs, exterior walls and windows, heating and cooling, plumbing and electrical upgrades, water mains, doors, flooring, restrooms and other renovations. The borrowing would increase taxes by 21 cents per $1,000 of property value per year, the district projects.

More than half of the 72 proposed referendums across the state are aimed at building new schools or renovating existing ones, with the others focused on voter permission for schools to exceed their state-set revenue limits. In the Milwaukee area, Nicolet, Mukwonago and Menomonee Falls are seeking to exceed the caps.

Lester Bartel, the Grafton town chairman, said the building referendums reflect poor planning for ongoing maintenance.

"We shouldn't have a lot of these problems that are being pointed out," he said. "These are repair items that need to be put in a maintenance schedule. ... But that concept is hard for people to grasp because it isn't the paradigm."

In regard to Grafton's referendum, Bartel said he's worried about the effect on property taxes.

"The tax differential that this will put Grafton at in our county will have negative effects on real estate value," he said, estimating that the effects would be more significant than the district originally predicted.

Seeking revenue

Dale Knapp of the Wisconsin Taxpayers Alliance said the emphasis on building referendums this year is a departure from recent years in which most of the voter questions were for exceeding revenue caps.

In the wake of stagnant revenue limits enacted by state lawmakers, voters have become more conscious of the financial pressure school districts are under, and the rate of approval for these kinds of referendums has increased significantly in recent years, Knapp said.

The Nicolet Unified High School District is asking to exceed its revenue cap by $18.9 million over the next six years, $3.15 million per year, for nonrecurring purposes including maintaining and supporting instructional programs, services and class sizes.

The new referendum question would replace the operational referendum passed by the district in 2011 that is to expire at the end of this school year. If approved, it will increase property taxes in the district by 7 cents per year for every $1,000 of property value.

Robert Kobylski, Nicolet's superintendent, said the referendum is "essentially to support our instructional services and class sizes." If the question fails, class sizes are anticipated to grow from an average of 21 students to an average of 31 students per classroom.

"We're just trying to maintain and support what we already have," he said.

Groups such as the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty are concerned with districts' spending habits and dependence on renewing referendums.

"If a district is regularly having to go to exceed the revenue cap, they may need to do an investigation to see where they're spending their money," said Will Flanders, education research director at WILL. "Even though it's for children, we need to think about where it's actually going to be spent."

In addition to its building referendum, Menomonee Falls is seeking to exceed its revenue cap by $1.25 million in the 2016-17 school year, an additional $1.25 million in each of the following two school years, setting the extra revenue at a total of $2.5 million in 2017-18 and $3.75 million for the 2018-2019 school year and each year going forward.

Mukwonago is seeking to exceed revenue limits by $350,000 per year for 20 years, or a total of $7 million.

Editor's note: An earlier posted version of this story misstated the amount of revenue Menomonee Falls is seeking as a total of $3.75 million.
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Ryan's speech inspiring

Thank you for publishing Rep. Paul Ryan's speech to House interns ("In Ryan's remarks, a new call for civility in politics," Opinins, March 24).

It is inspiring that he is willing to say these things to young people as they sadly survey our political landscape. One can disagree with his policies, yet be proud of his uplifting view that we can all do better, that each of us makes mistakes and that disagreeing with another's policy does not make that person evil or unpatriotic. We don't have to impugn another's motives just because we have differing views.

The Journal Sentinel should please continue to use its power and reach as a news outlet to bring our community toward a higher ideal, a more civil discourse. We all have a duty to each other, especially those of us who have been gifted by our creator with the skills, opportunities and access to shift the conversation to a higher plane.

Duty is a virtue that we often underplay; maybe if all of us took our duty more seriously, we could move our society forward. I hope Ryan continues on this path and finds a similar soul on the other side of the aisle, as that is now lacking in our politically charged environment. We could certainly use another Ronald Reagan/Tip O'Neill duo to speak to our better angels.

Jim Kitzinger

Port Washington



Thanks to America

In view of the present atmosphere of negativity in much political activity, I am inspired to express to readers my gratitude and thanks to the United States for being able to come to this country some 65 years ago, shortly after the war.

I was born and raised in Germany during the war, the daughter of a Lutheran pastor active in the so-called "Bekennende Kirche" ("Confessing Church") a resistance movement against the Nazi dictatorship.

I am reminded anew each year of what happened to us on Easter Sunday, April 1, 1945. On that date, American troops occupied my hometown near Heidelberg. It was the most wonderful day of our lives. We were free at last!

Even more significant was the discovery, by American military authorities, of secret Nazi files containing lists of persons to be executed: my father's name stood at the top of the list.

After the war, I was chosen from among a select group of German university students, as part of a U.S. government program, to attend an American college. I always have been grateful for this gesture of reconciliation toward what was a former enemy.

I met my husband here, became an American citizen and have enjoyed friendships with many wonderful people. America is my home and my heart is filled with gratitude for this welcoming country. All I can say is: Thank you, America.

Gudrun Herrmann-Miller

Cedarburg



Handicap spot abuses

I have a "handicap accessible" van. Sometimes, because "van accessible" spots are taken, I have to take up two regular parking spaces. I have a big sticker on the side window that says I need extra space.

I have gotten nasty notes, my van was "keyed" and cars have parked so close so I can't get in. My van has a ramp, so I need the "van accessible" spaces that have the "marked off" area that is eight feet wide next to it; other handicap spots have an area next to them that is five feet wide.

Please don't park in "van accessible" spaces unless no other handicap space is available. If the person who has the handicap privileges is not in the car, you cannot use the handicap spaces others need. Please call the police if you see violations; then maybe some of the parking abuse will stop.

I once asked a girl if she had a handicap card because she was in a handicap spot. She told me, "Don't worry about it. I'll only be in the store a minute." I called the police and her "minute" cost her $175. I'm always watching.

Rick Beutler

Brookfield



Persecution of McAdams

In the year 1431, St. Joan of Arc was found guilty by a kangaroo court. It is truly ironic that now, nearly 600 years later, the Marquette University administration is upholding that same tradition with its persecution of John McAdams ("MU suspends McAdams through fall 2016," March 25).

Jay D. Shaw

Wauwatosa
President Abraham Lincoln visits with Union Gen. George McClellan at his headquarters in this Oct. 4, 1862, file photo. McClellan once referred to Lincoln as a well-meaning baboon. Credit: Associated Press

State Sen. Chris Larson (D-Milwaukee) did the right thing Thursday when he apologized to Sen. Lena Taylor (D-Milwaukee) for insulting her in the Capitol on March 15. The apology came after Journal Sentinel columnist Daniel Bice's report that Larson had suggested Taylor was unstable by asking her, "Did you take your meds today?" Larson, who is running for Milwaukee County executive, also implied during the heated exchange that Taylor would soon be ousted from her seat, Bice reported.

Larson's apology appeared heartfelt and was certainly appropriate. What he said was deplorable and showed an utter lack of respect for a colleague. He acknowledged as much in his apology.

All good.

But was anyone really surprised by the language? Insults are the common language of politics today.

And neither Taylor nor Larson are unfamiliar with them: During the Act 10 protests, Taylor compared Gov. Scott Walker's union-busting to the union-busting of Adolf Hitler, who is not generally considered a good political role model. And let's not forget what state Rep. Robin Vos said when Senate Democrats named Larson as their caucus leader: "Sometimes God gives you a gift." And, no, Vos did not mean that Larson was God's gift to Democrats.

Of course, the loudest insults are being heard on the campaign trail this election season. Examples abound: Marco Rubio insulting Donald Trump's manhood; Trump insulting, well, pretty much everybody in the country, but let's especially not forget his denigration of Vietnam War hero Sen. John McCain for enduring years in a POW hellhole; Ted Cruz calling Trump a "a sniveling coward" after Trump took a shot at Cruz's wife Heidi after Cruz supporters ran a salacious political ad featuring Trump's wife Melania.

It's gotten so bad that Speaker of the House Paul Ryan delivered a speech the other day deploring the atmosphere and asking for civility (although carefully failing to call out Trump or anyone else by name).

But you know what? This has all happened before, and it will all happen again.

Insulting political opponents is as old as politics itself, probably starting with the first Neanderthal to win a seat on the town board. Just Google "political insults" and you'll find a wealth of lists with a wealth of quotes. A bare handful of examples courtesy of MSN and insults.net:

John Quincy Adams, the son of one revered Founding Father, called Thomas Jefferson, a revered Founding Father, "A slur upon the moral government of the world."

Gen. George McClellan called everyone's favorite president, Abraham Lincoln, "a well-meaning baboon." And they were ostensibly on the same side in the Civil War.

Jim Hightower on George H.W. Bush: "If ignorance ever goes to $40 a barrel, I want drilling rights on George Bush's head."

Bob Dole on Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Richard Nixon: "History buffs probably noted the reunion at a Washington party a few weeks ago of three ex-presidents: Carter, Ford, and Nixon  See No Evil, Hear No Evil, and Evil."

Assistant Secretary of the Navy Teddy Roosevelt on President William McKinley: "No more backbone than a chocolate eclair."

Andrew Jackson: "I have only two regrets: I didn't shoot Henry Clay and I didn't hang John C. Calhoun." Calhoun was Jackson's vice president.

Winston Churchill on Prime Minister Clement Attlee: "An empty cab pulled up to Downing Street. Clement Attlee got out."

And lovable old Ben Franklin was called, "A crafty and lecherous old hypocrite whose very statue seems to gloat on the wenches as they walk the States House yard."

So, no, what's going on now is nothing new. And, looking at some of those examples from history, while I of course deplore today's political tone, what I really regret is the woeful lack of imagination.

Ernst-Ulrich Franzen is the Journal Sentinel's associate editorial page editor. Email: efranzen@jrn.com; Twitter: @efranzen1
A worker on the ship leaves a project to install a new conveyor belt on the Stewart Cort, a large great lakes ship built in 1971. The ship was docked for repairs in the Port of Milwaukee earlier this month. Credit: Rick Wood

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If there is anything that the "dismal science" of economics has established, it is that there is no free lunch. But promises of unicorns and gold at the end of the rainbow can win votes. So politicians are quite willing to offer you financial nonsense. The current most prominent purveyors are Donald Trump and Bernie Sanders.

Both Sanders and Trump rail against "free trade." Here's what Trump and Sanders won't tell you: Virtually every economist in the country thinks they're wrong. For example, a 2014 University of Chicago survey of the country's top economists found that 93% agreed that "(p)ast major trade deals have benefited most Americans" and none disagreed. (7% were uncertain.) It is axiomatic among economists that open global markets increase the size of the economic pie.

The error committed by Trump and Sanders is a prime example of Frederic Bastiat's adage that a good economist understands the things he does not see. By moving the production of goods to firms and places where it can be done better or more efficiently  to where there is, in economic terms, a comparative advantage  wealth is created. And not just overseas. If, for example, the comparative advantage of Chinese manufacturers is lower labor costs, trade will benefit Chinese firms and workers. But American consumers have more to spend on other things. Other Americans will be employed to provide those goods and services. In the end, we become a wealthier country than we were before. (And, no, Trump is wrong. America is a rich country and gets richer everyday.)

But, remember, there's no free lunch. Economists recognize that, while Americans as a whole will be better off with free trade, some Americans may be worse off. While hundreds of millions have enjoyed cheaper jeans or jobs tied to the export of high-end American goods and services elsewhere, somewhere between 1 million and 2 million Americans have lost (generally) low-paying jobs in places such as textile mills. In this, trade is no different than innovation and other market developments. When the automobile was invented, blacksmiths and ferries and street sweepers had to find something else to do. Digital photography closed film factories.

Recent work by MIT economist David Autor and others suggests that the relatively low-skilled manufacturing employees who have been displaced by trade with China in particular are having a difficult time finding work. But the answer to the problem of trade's losers is not to forgo its benefits. It is to do something  whether retraining, provision of a safety net or deregulation of labor markets  to help them.

What you don't want to do is prop up an uncompetitive industry by imposing protectionist tariffs. They are taxes that force Americans to pay much more for goods and services than they otherwise would have to and whose putative "benefits" are far exceeded by their costs.

Indeed, in our increasingly interdependent world, it is often difficult to say "where" something is made because of integrated supply chains that stretch across national borders. Your iPhone may have been "assembled in China" but its components were made in a number of different countries and the lion's share of the money that you pay for it redounds to the benefit of Apple, its shareholders and its employees right here in the U.S. Jack up the price, and more than just Chinese workers will feel the pain.

Trump seems to believe that, because we run a trade deficit with China, we have "lost" money. That's not so. Our current account deficit with China is balanced by a surplus in our capital account. The Chinese may hold dollars (essentially financing our purchases for free), invest in America (a good thing) or finance our government debt. Whether the latter is good or bad depends on what you think of our government running persistent deficits to finance current operations. But that's a matter of fiscal  not trade  policy.

Eighteenth century mercantilism is not an answer to the economic problems of our financially interdependent 21st century world.

Rick Esenberg is the founder and current president and general counsel of the Wisconsin Institute for Law & Liberty.
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Menasha  The indefinite closure of the Menasha lock has some officials and businesses worried that decreased boat traffic will lead to a drop in revenue.

According to records from the Fox River Navigational System Authority, 9,565 boats and 36,749 passengers traveled through the lock in the last five years. In September, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources closed the lock to keep round gobies, an invasive species, from reaching the Lake Winnebago system.

The lock will stay closed for the start of the 2016 boating season, and possibly longer, transforming Menasha from a thoroughfare into a dead end.

"This is huge to have something like this happen," Diane Schabach, Menasha's harbor master, told Appleton Post-Crescent Media. "We've had a locks system since 1855 or somewhere around there, and it's never been anything like this. Who would ever think a tiny 4-inch fish would do it?"

Schabach said boating traffic generates gasoline sales, shopping and dining in Menasha. She said she hopes redevelopment of downtown Menasha will make the town a destination for boaters, instead of a town to pass through.

With the lock closed, boaters can't go from Lake Winnebago to Little Lake Butte des Morts and the lower Fox River. In addition, boaters at the Appleton Yacht Club can't reach Lake Winnebago without putting boats on trailers.

Scott Maves, commodore of the yacht club, said the closure would affect revenue and might delay maintenance projects.

Until there's a solution, the Fox River Navigational System Authority and the yacht club will promote boating on the 13-mile pool of the Fox River between Menasha and Kaukauna.

"There are some beautiful areas down there for boating. It's just a different mind-set," Maves said.

Sara Schnell, manager at Coldwell Banker The Real Estate Group, said the lock closure hasn't affected waterfront home sales downstream from Menasha.

"People are hopeful they will come up with a solution," Schnell said. "At this point, as long as it's not closed forever, I think we'll be OK."

Four round gobies were caught in the Fox River below the Neenah dam late last summer, and authorities immediately closed the Menasha lock to protect the Lake Winnebago watershed and its fisheries.

Kendall Kamke, the DNR's Oshkosh fisheries team supervisor, said round gobies are aggressive and could displace native fish by eating their eggs and taking over their habitat.

"It just sort of disrupts the apple cart," Kamke said. "It's probably not an experiment that you really want to run when you consider the Winnebago system and its connecting waters make up about 17% of the state's inland water."
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By Mohamed Hemish | ( TeleSur |  

March 25 marks the United Nations International Day of Remembrance of the Victims of Slavery, which aims to draw attention to the more than 15 million men, women and children who fell victim to the Transatlantic Slave Trade that lasted from the 15th through to the 19th century.

The United Nations calls this 400-year-period one of the darkest chapters in human history. And according to the U.N., March 25 is aimed at raising awareness of the dangers of racism and prejudice today.

To mark the day, teleSUR aims to commemorate all victims of the trade but will pay special attention to those who dedicated their lives to ending slavery through resistance and rebellion.

Here are five slaves who fought back and truly changed the world:

1. The Slave Who Defeated Napoleon

Toussaint Louverture was the leader of historys largest ever slave revolt, which started in 1791 and lasted for over 12 years. The result was the eventual transformation of the French colony of St. Domingue into the independent country of Haiti, the worlds first ever truly anti-colonial, anti-slavery Black republic.

Louverture led the anti-slavery movement in his country into a war for independence, using his political and military genius to fight the French and Spanish colonial powers in what would later become a fully-fledged, independent nation-state.

After winning the war against the French and the Spaniards in 1800, St. Domingue gained autonomy from Napoleons French government and Louverture was proclaimed governor of the colony.

The French later launched an offensive to regain control of St. Domingue in 1802 and the Black revolutionary was forced to resign and was deported to France, where he died a year later during imprisonment.

In his absence, his second-in-command Jean-Jacques Dessalines retaliated, eventually leading the Haitian rebellion until its revolutionary completion, finally defeating French forces in 1803.

Haiti became the worlds first colonial society to explicitly reject race as the basis of social ranking, challenging ideas around race and racism in the wider Americas and the long-held belief that white Europeans were inherently superior to their Black counterparts.

2. The Slave Who Documented Her Sexual Abuse, and Changed the Face of North American Minority Literature

Harriet Ann Jacobs was one of the most important female anti-slavery activists in the 19th century, an extraordinary woman who managed to escape slavery and become a prominent abolitionist speaker and reformer.

Jacobs is known for her autobiographical work, "Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl," published in 1861 under the pseudonym Linda Brent.

At a time when the vast majority of slaves were denied the right to education, it was one of the first books to explore the Black female slaves struggle against sexual harassment and abuse.

Due to the U.S. Civil War, the autobiographical account did not gain recognition until the late 20th century, when interest in minority and women writers exploded due to anti-racist and womens rights struggles in the U.S. and beyond.

Researchers later identified Harriet Jacobs, who died in 1897 at the age of 84, as the author.

3. The First Black Nominee for US Vice President

Escaping slavery in 1838, Frederick Douglass was an African-American anti-slavery activist, social reformer and intellectual who advocated for equality for all, whether Black, Native American or female.

Douglass was an advocate of inter-racial dialogue and formed alliances as part of the struggle for social justice and the eradication of slavery.

Criticized by fellow activists and abolitionists because he expressed a willing to engage with slaveholders, he famously replied: "I would unite with anybody to do right and with nobody to do wrong."

Douglass went on to become a national leader of the abolitionist movement from Massachusetts and New York until his death in 1895 at the age of 77.

He wrote several autobiographies, describing his experiences and torture as a slave in his 1845 autobiography and bestseller, "Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, an American Slave."

His last autobiography, "Life and Times of Frederick Douglass," came after the Civil War as Douglass continued his activism for social justice even after slavery was abolished.

Connecting the struggle of Black rights to those of women and other issues, Douglass was active in the womens suffrage movement. Victoria Woodhull, one of the leaders of the movement, selected Douglass as running mate and nominee for vice president, making him the first African-American in U.S. history to be nominated for the position.

4. The True Beginning of Modern African Literature

Olaudah Equiano was a prominent African author and abolitionist activist whose autobiography, "The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano," gained widespread attention after it was published in 1789 and was considered influential in the passage of the United Kingdoms "Slave Trade Act 1807," which officially ended the trade for Britain and its colonies.

In the book he describes the horrors of his time as a slave and how he and his sister were kidnapped from what is now northern Nigeria, shipped across the Atlantic and eventually sold in Virginia, United States.

But Equiano was then sold to famous merchant Robert King, who allowed him to do business on the side and make enough money to buy his own freedom. He went on to travel the world for over 20 years, allegedly taking in places as far and wide as the Arctic, Turkey and the Caribbean.

Since 1967, when a version of his memoir edited by Paul Edwards was released, academic interest in Equiano grew and his work is now regarded as the "true beginning of modern African literature."

5. The First Liberator of the Americas

Gaspar Yanga, known also as Yanga or Nyanga, was an African leader who led a community of escaped slaves for decades, known as the Maroons, in the highlands near Veracruz, Mexico during the early years of Spanish colonial rule in the 17th century.

Yanga was kidnapped from what is now the Gabonese Republic in Africa, sold into slavery and brought to what is today Mexico. Legend has it that he was a descendant of Gabonese royalty.

In the 1570s, along with dozens of slaves, he escaped and settled in the highlands, isolated and safe from colonial forces. For food and supplies they seized trade caravans that passed by their settlement.

When more and more slaves continued to escape to the Maroon enclave, the Spanish attacked the group in 1609. But Yanga and his people heroically managed to push back against the colonial forces.

In 1618, Yanga and his people reached an agreement with the Spanish and achieved self-rule, with the Yanga family continuing as leaders until Mexico gained its independence in the early 19th century.

In the late 19th century, Yanga was named a "national hero of Mexico" and proclaimed The First Liberator of the Americas."

The settlement, known as San Lorenzo de los Negros, was renamed after Yanga in 1932. It is not known when Yanga passed away.

Via TeleSur

[Ed. note: See also The British Library exhibit on Ayuba Suleiman Diallo, a Muslim notable from Senegal enslaved in Maryland in the 1700s, who wrote letters back home.]
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By Juan Cole | (Informed Comment) |  

The various nostrums proposed to counter Daesh (ISIL, ISIS) terrorism in Europe and North America by Donald Trump and Ted Cruz (armed patrols by police of putative Muslim neighborhoods, a Muslim exclusion act, etc.) are of course complete non-starters. So too are killing the children of terrorists or carpet-bombing cities like Mosul. They are unconstitutional or war crimes and are impracticable, so they are just demagoguery hatemongering in search for votes by bigots and the ignorant.

When Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols blew up the Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City in 1995, killing 168 people, injuring more than 680 others, and destroying or damaging 324 buildings, the response of the FBI was not to suggest armed patrols of lower middle class white neighborhoods.

One thing law enforcement considered was that McVeigh used a fertilizer bomb. So the authorities began being more careful to monitor large purchases of fertilizer. You zero in on the technical enablers of the instruments of terrorism, not on the ethnic groups from which the terrorists hail. In the case of Brussels, the perpetrators used TATP, and European authorities just need to focus on making it harder to make or easier to detect (Ill leave the technical details to the experts). Even easily available materials can be monitored. When meth manufacturers started using over the counter sudafed in the US, authorities started requiring a prescription for it. Plus, there are ways to detect TATP and it would be less costly to implement them at airports than to try to monitor all potential terrorists all the time.

Just organizing and training police or gendarmeries for counter-terrorism is important. Belgium authorities did not know what to do with Turkeys warning that Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been trying to join ISIL in Syria but was detained and deported. That report should have been a big red warning sign (not to mention that El Bakraoui was in violation of his parole and could just have been picked up and sent back to prison very easily). These essential mistakes are procedural and come from police and police officials not recognizing warning signals or not problematizing terrorism as a category of activity that requires vigilance.

You dont focus on ethnicity, you focus on particular networks. Most lower-middle class whites in the US are, it goes without saying, not dangerous. Most Moroccan-Belgians in Brussels are upright citizens, and they were among the victims of the bombings, about which there are few headlines. You just have to invest in infiltrating small networks. You cant watch everyone who goes to a white supremacist meeting or who goes to fight in Syria and comes back, but you can watch the groups they are likely to join. Undercover FBI field officers have done a lot of excellent and dangerous work in the US among white supremacist groups.

In the instance of terrorism coming out of discriminated-against communities, community policing can be effective. The representatives of the state have to learn to treat those communities with dignity. Terrorism doesnt seem to be impelled by poverty, but by humiliation. That is why Trump/Cruz hatemongering makes things worse, not better.

Civil society organizations like the Southern Poverty Law Center can play an important role in keeping up public vigilance and monitoring dangerous small networks.

Alerting members of a community to the dangers of the radicalization of their youth is also important. If little Johnny shows up with neo-Nazi tats, that might be a bad sign. Like community policing, community awareness is something that requires respect and building of relationships.

Finally, keeping terrorism, among other crimes and threats to life in society in perspective remains important. It is distressing and needs to be combated, but most people in the US and Europe are far more likely to be hit by lightning than to be killed by terrorism.

-

relate video:

Euronews: JUST IN: Suspects charged in Brussels
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By Thalif Deen | (Inter Press Service) |  

UNITED NATIONS (IPS)  As hundreds of civilians continue to be killed in the ongoing conflict in Yemen, one of the leading human rights organization is calling for an arms embargo  specifically against Saudi Arabia which is leading a coalition of eight countries battling Houthi rebels in the war-ravaged neighbouring country.

The United States, United Kingdom, France and others should suspend all weapon sales to Saudi Arabia until it not only curtails its unlawful airstrikes in Yemen but also credibly investigates alleged violations, said Human Rights Watch (HRW).

But chances of an embargo are remote considering the massive multi-billion dollar arms markets nurtured by the three Western powers who, coincidentally, are three of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the UN Security Council (the other two being China and Russia).

Asked for a response, Pieter Wezeman, Senior Researcher, Arms and Military Expenditure Programme, at the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) told IPS the final direct results of such calls in terms of actual restrictions have been minimal, though they serve as a clear symbolic element of the campaigns aimed at ending what is considered the irresponsible or even criminal use of arms by Saudi Arabia in Yemen.

The only case of significant restrictions involves the Netherlands announcing in January that it will only issue permits for arms exports to Saudi Arabia if it is certain the arms in question cannot be used in Yemen, he pointed out.

For the past year, governments that arm Saudi Arabia have rejected or downplayed compelling evidence that the coalitions airstrikes have killed hundreds of civilians in Yemen, said Philippe Bolopion, Deputy Global Advocacy Director at Human Rights Watch.

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, he added.

Asked whether a Western arms embargo would be realistic, Bolopion told IPS: Lucrative arms deals should not blind the US government to the appalling abuses committed over the last year by the Saudi-led coalition in Yemen.

He said looking the other way and continuing to provide arms to Saudi Arabia would expose the US to a risk of complicity in these crimes.

You cant put a price tag on that, he added

Currently, the Saudis have strong military links to the three Western powers  with British, French and mostly American military suppliers providing sophisticated weapons, including state-of-the-art fighter planes, helicopters, missiles, battle tanks and electronic warfare systems.

The Saudi arsenal includes Boeing F-15 fighter planes (US supplied), Tornado strike aircraft (UK), Aerospatiale Puma and Dauphin attack helicopters (French), Bell, Apache and Sikorsky helicopters (US), Boeing E-3A Airborne Warning Control System (US), Sidewinder, Sparrow and Stinger missiles (US) and Abrams and M60 battle tanks (US).

The Saudi-led coalition, unleashing air attacks on Yemen, consist of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Jordan, Morocco, and Sudan.

The Houthi rebels, on the other hand, are also accused of indiscriminate attacks resulting in civilian killings.

In a statement released here, HRW said non-governmental organizations and the United Nations have investigated and reported on numerous unlawful coalition airstrikes since the beginning of the conflict in March 2015.

Human Rights Watch, Crisis Action, Amnesty International, and other international and Yemeni groups have issued a joint statement calling for the cessation of sales and transfers of all weapons and military-related equipment to parties to the conflict in Yemen where there is a substantial risk of these arms being used to commit or facilitate serious violations of international humanitarian law or international human rights law.

Human Rights Watch has documented 36 unlawful airstrikes  some of which may amount to war crimes  that have killed at least 550 civilians, as well as 15 attacks involving internationally banned cluster munitions.

The UN Panel of Experts on Yemen, established under UN Security Council Resolution 2140 (2013), in a report made public on January 26, 2016, documented 119 coalition sorties relating to violations of the laws of war, according to HRW.

Saudi Arabia has not responded to letters from HRW detailing apparent violations by the coalition and seeking clarification on the intended target of attack.

On the contrary, Saudi Arabia has successfully lobbied the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva to prevent it from creating an independent, international investigative mechanism.

Wezeman told IPS considering both the size of the arms sales to Saudi Arabia and several of its allies and the military campaign against the Houthi rebels the lack of enthusiasm amongst governments to restrict arms sales is not surprising.

He pointed out that Saudi Arabia was the worlds second largest arms importer in the past five years.

Despite the steep fall in oil prices and drop in Saudi government revenues, signs are that the country will continue to order more expensive military equipment.

For the UK, Saudi Arabia has been the most important arms export market for many years.

France has for years tried hard to increase its arms sales to the country and has found in 2015 new major markets in Egypt and Qatar, countries that are involved in the military intervention in Yemen, he said.

In addition, said Wezeman, there is a fear that significant arms sales restrictions will damage other trade relations with these countries, which are worth more than the arms deals.

In the case of the US, he said, the economic aspects of arms sales to Saudi Arabia are significant too even if they are less essential to the US arms industry as compared to whats the case in Europe.

The US has in the past shown to be prepared to impose export restriction even if it involved significant loss of revenues, though losing the Saudi market would probably be too big a economic loss in any case.

However, possibly more important, the US considers the Saudi actions as an important part of efforts to establish security in the region and therefore supports the military intervention as part of overall US foreign and security policy.

A lot has to happen before the US suspends its arms supplies to Saudi Arabia, Wezeman added.

Jamie McGoldrick, the UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator in Yemen, told reporters in Geneva early this week that 2015 has been a terrible one for Yemen, with airstrikes, shelling and localized violence.

One in ten Yemenis is displaced  2.5 million people. More than 6,400 people have been killed and more than 30,000 injured, with half of those killed and injured being civilians.

Today, he said, more than 20 million people in Yemen  80 per cent of the population  require some kind of humanitarian assistance: 14 million people need food assistance; 7 million people are severely food insecure; 20 million people do not have access to water and sanitation; and 14 million lack adequate health care.

At the same time, he said, human rights violations have soared.

Meanwhile, the Special Envoy of the Secretary-General for Yemen, Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed, said Wednesday he had just completed an extensive round of consultations with Yemeni leaders and regional partners.

After active consultations with the President Hadi and Yemeni officials in Riyadh and the delegations of Ansar Allah and the General Peoples Congress in Sanaa, the parties to the conflict have agreed to a nation-wide cessation of hostilities beginning at midnight on 10 April, he said.

This is in advance of the upcoming round of peace talks, which will take place on 18 April in Kuwait, to be hosted by the Prince of Kuwait Sabah Al-Ahmad Al-Jaber Al-Sabah.

The writer can be contacted at thalifdeen@aol.com

Licensed from Inter Press Service



Related video added by Juan Cole:

Aljazeera English: What is Saudi Arabias endgame in Yemen and Syria?  UpFront
[JURIST] Florida Governor Rick Scott [official website] on Friday signed a bill [HB 1411 materials] into law that will cut off state funding to clinics providing abortions as well as impose more restrictions on abortions in the state. The law, which has been publicly criticized by Planned Parenthood [advocacy website], bans state funding for services at clinics that provide abortions, on top of the ban on state funding for abortions that was already in place. The law also will require doctors who perform abortions to have admitting privileges within a reasonable distance of their clinics. Scott signed into law 68 other bills on Friday and commented on some of them but refused to comment on the abortion bill. The bill passed the Republican-controlled legislature earlier this month, and many other states are passing similar bills.

Abortion procedures and reproductive rights issues [JURIST backgrounder] have been controversial topics throughout the US. Last week Indiana Governor Mike Pence signed a controversial bill [JURIST] banning abortions motivated by concerns of the fetus gender, race or potential disabilities. Earlier this month a district court judge blocked [JURIST report] Arkansas from enforcing a bill mandating abortion pill providers to follow US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidelines and requiring hospital admittance privileges to handle complications. Also this month West Virginia lawmakers overrode the governors veto to enact a new law [JURIST report] that prevents the dilation and evacuation abortion procedure, widely held to be the safest second-trimester abortion method. South Dakotas governor signed a bill [JURIST report] that bans abortions after 20 weeks. Last month the Oklahoma Supreme Court reversed [JURIST report] a lower court decision upholding a law that restricts use of medication abortion drugs.
[JURIST] The UN Mechanism for International Criminal Tribunals [official website] on Thursday arrested [press release] a French journalist on an outstanding warrant from November 2011 for contempt. French journalist Florence Hartmann [BBC profile; ICTY materials, PDF], in her book Paix et chatiment, revealed that the tribunal was withholding information on Serbias involvement with the 1995 Srebrenica massacre. She was originally fined 7,000, but the sentence was later converted to seven days in prison. The journalists lawyer, Guenael Mettraux, stated that the earliest that Hartmann will be released is Tuesday due to the Easter holiday.

The Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) [official website] issued the arrest warrant [order, PDF] in November 2011 for nonpayment of the 7,000 fine imposed for a contempt of court conviction. In 2009 a specially appointed chamber convicted Hartmann of two counts of contempt [JURIST report] for allegedly disclosing protected information of appellate chamber decisions from the trial of former Serbian president Slobodan Milosevic [JURIST news archive] in a book and an article she wrote in 2007 and 2008. The original trial began in June 2009, Hartmann having been formally charged [JURIST reports] the previous August. At an initial appearance, Hartmann did not enter a plea [JURIST report], and a plea of not guilty was entered on her behalf. Before being indicted, Hartmann drew media attention by repeating allegations [JURIST report] that former US president Bill Clinton and former French president Jacques Chirac had planned a campaign [JURIST report] to capture Radovan Karadzic [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] but later backed down following a change in policy. Hartmann has also said that Russia aided in moving Karadzic to safety in Belarus, and alleged that the West helped in order to hide information about the Srebrenica massacre [BBC backgrounder; JURIST news archive].
[JURIST] The Syria Accountability Project (SAP) of Syracuse University College of Law [academic websites] on Thursday released a report [materials] detailing statistics of extensive rape that has occurred throughout the civil war in Syria over the past six years. The report, which was compiled using international legal standards [SU news report] and will be distributed to the UN [official website] and other international legal organizations, found that 142 incidents of rape have occurred affecting at least 483 Syrian women and girls throughout the country. The report also found that of the 142 incidents, 62 percent of the incidents were committed by members of the Syrian regime, while another 23 percent were committed by the regimes affiliate, Shabiha. It also made note of the fact that the majority of rapes during the civil war have gone unreported because of religious and social stigmas that make it difficult for victims to come forward. The report was primarily authored by SAP Executive Director Peter Levrant, a JD candidate (2017) at SU Law.

The Syrian Civil War [JURIST backgrounder] has been ongoing since 2011 when opposition groups first began protesting the regime of President Assad, and the increasingly bloody nature of the conflict has put pressure on the international community to intervene. Last week Salem al-Muslet, leader of the main faction opposing Syrian President Bashar al-Assad said [JURIST report] that Assad and various security officials must leave office for his faction to agree to a transitional government. Earlier in March Amnesty International reported [JURIST report] that Russian and Syrian armed forces are deliberately attacking hospitals and other medical facilities as part of a military strategy to clear the way to northern Aleppo. Just prior, the US House Foreign Affairs Committee passed two resolutions calling for an international tribunal in the Middle East to address [JURIST report] the alleged war crimes committed by the government of Syria and its allies, specifically Russia and Iran.
The League of United Latin American Citizens and Congressman Marc Veasy [official websites], along with other plaintiffs, filed an application [text, PDF] with the US Supreme Court [official website] on Friday, asking the court to vacate a stay that allowed a Texas voter ID law to remain in place in 2014. According to the application, the US Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit entered the stay only because the 2014 election was extremely fast-approaching, and should not have remained in place beyond that election. The plaintiffs argue that the stay should be vacated as soon as possible because the state has to prepare for 2016 elections at least four months ahead of election day. The application states that the voter ID law has discriminatory effects on racial minorities, may violate Section 2 of the Voting Rights Act of 1965, and that the lower court held the law places an unconstitutional burden on the right to vote. In 2014 the district court also found that the law was enacted with discriminatory purpose and achieves a discriminatory result. The law reduced the number of offices issuing appropriate IDs, and when it came to choosing what IDs could be used to vote, the legislature repeatedly made decisions that would disfavor minority voters. The district court found that the lawmakers rejected options that would have alleviated some of these effects. In October 2014, after the district court ruling, the appeals court issued the stay without making any decision on the effects of the law. The voter ID law has remained in effect since the stay.

Voting rights have been a contentious issue in the US recently. Earlier this month an Ohio judge granted an emergency order [JURIST report] allowing 17-year-olds who will turn 18 by the November election to vote in the recent Ohio primary. Also this month the Fifth Circuit agreed to reconsider [JURIST report] Texas voter ID law before the entire court. Last May the New Hampshire Supreme Court struck down [JURIST report] a 2012 law requiring voters to be state residents, not just domiciled in the state. Last March Oregon Governor Kate Brown signed a new law [JURIST report] that made Oregon the first state in the nation to institute automatic voter registration. In November 2014 a federal appeals court rejected [JURIST report] a Kansas rule that required prospective voters to show proof-of-citizenship documents before registering using a federal voter registration form.
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Sometimes, its difficult to recall that single defining moment or person that sends you on the path youre meant to take in life. I was fortunate in that I found that experience halfway through my undergraduate career at the University of California, Davis. I had recently lost my grandmother; although Id wanted to help, all Id been able to do at the hospital was translate for her. That overwhelming sense of helplessness I felt due to my lack of medical knowledge fueled my desire to help and serve others as a physician. Since I needed to find someplace to start, I applied to become a patient advocate and medical interpreter for Paul Hom Asian Clinic, a student-run clinic that provides free health care to a predominantly uninsured, Cantonese-speaking population.

Staffed entirely by volunteers, we would convene each Saturday to provide primary care services to the Sacramento community. By dispelling the language barrier, I was able to convey each patients concerns and health issues to a physician. Being able to build relationships with patients across all ages was, and still is, one of the factors I loved most about family medicine. I knew that truly caring, listening, and paying attention to the little details made a world of a difference in our patients care; but as the Partnering With Patients, Families, and Communities article suggested, thats really only the beginning. There is much more work that needs to be done. Volunteering at the clinic strengthened my interest in family medicine, while also opening my eyes to the numerous difficulties that many individuals in our country still face in obtaining the health care that they need.

Paul Hom Asian Clinic provided me with an invaluable community outreach opportunity that allowed me to learn, give back, and most importantly, to help the patients we served. Advocating for our patients needs and helping them to help themselves through preventative care and patient education can go a very long way, and by playing the role of the family physician, we were able to accompany them through every step. Aside from tending to their acute and chronic health issues, we also assisted them with obtaining imaging studies and referrals to specialists, as well as with filling out the necessary paperwork for the patient assistance program so that they would be able to afford their medications. Each year, our clinic would put together a free health fair where we would offer health screenings and vaccines, and give presentations on different health topics pertinent to our clinics patient population.

When I moved across the country for graduate school, I (quite unfortunately) couldnt feasibly continue volunteering regularly at the clinic, so instead, I did my research on the training provided to medical students and family medicine residents in working with individuals with developmental disabilities, and volunteered as an interpreter for the affiliated medical schools health fair. My experiences volunteering at Paul Hom Asian Clinic are what served as the catalyst that first sparked my interest in family medicine, and I applied to medical school with the intent of going into family medicine so that I could continue working with under-served populations.

It has been 7 1/2 years since I first stepped foot into that clinic. I am now in my last year of medical school, in the midst of audition rotations and residency interviews, and my love for family medicine has not changed in the slightest  I still cannot imagine another specialty that I would enjoy more. I love the variety in each day, the ability to provide continuity of care, as well as the emphasis on preventative care found in family medicine, and I really hope to continue sharing that passion through working with community outreach programs to provide better care to underserved populations in the years to come.

To me, family medicine holds a world of opportunities and possibilities to explore. Within it, there is a niche for everyone, and if we all work together to promote patient education and understanding, and advocate for community health education and outreach, we will truly be able to make a difference in our patients lives.

Farrah Fong is a medical student. This is the first place student winner in the 2015 STFM Blog Competition. This article originaly appeared in the STFM blog.

Image credit: Shutterstock.com
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By Tristan Baurick of the Kitsap Sun

SILVERDALE  A denser, taller and better-built Silverdale would make Kitsap County more resilient to major earthquakes, according to a hazard mitigation report commissioned by the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The report urges the county to use land-use policies, property owner incentives and construction budgets to steer development patterns away from steep slopes, unstable soils, tsunami inundation zones and other areas that amplify earthquake dangers. At the same time, the county should encourage growth in Silverdale, where quake damage is expected to be lower, the report states.

"When the earthquake happens, the county is going to have to spend millions and millions of dollars to repair the hazardous areas," said Bob Freitag, co-director of the University of Washington's Institute for Hazard Mitigation Planning and Research, which produced the report. "It's in their interest  and in the interest of reducing risk to people  to begin shifting development out of those areas."

The report was produced as a companion to FEMA's recent risk assessment for Kitsap County. Released in January, the assessment presents a scenario in which a 7.2-magnitude earthquake strikes along the Seattle Fault  a rift in the earth's crust running across Puget Sound and through Kitsap. FEMA predicts widespread damage and thousands of deaths and injuries, particularly in areas with unstable soils, like Port Orchard's waterfront, unstable slopes, like Illahee, and low-lying waterfronts in the path of an earthquake-triggered tsunami, such as Gorst and south Bainbridge Island. FEMA crafted several maps showing areas of high risk and identifying buildings that likely won't hold up during intense shaking.

The goal of the UW report is to jump-start the process of turning FEMA's data into plans and policies that mitigate earthquake risks. The report hasn't received much attention from county officials  despite being completed late last year  but Freitag and FEMA are ready and willing to begin working with Kitsap.

"I haven't seen (the report)  but it sounds like it has some potential," said Jeff Rowe, the county's acting planning director. "The more tools in the toolbox, the better off we'll be."

As a first step, Freitag suggests using an old land preservation tool in a new way. Transfer of development right (TDR) programs have long been used to save historic properties, farms and natural areas. With a farm, for instance, the owner sells his right to develop the land, allowing the farm to stay a farm but giving the farmer the money he might have earned by subdividing and building houses. Buying the farm's development rights then allows a developer to increase building density in a designated location, such as adding a story to a proposed apartment complex.

Freitag likens TDR to a water bed.

"You push down on one area and it goes up on the other side," he said.

According to the report, Kitsap should consider developing a voluntary, incentive-based TDR program to shift development rights away from high risk areas identified in FEMA's recent assessment of Kitsap and direct the rights toward Silverdale. A possible 'giver' of development rights is the area between Newberry Hill and Seabeck, which was identified as having a high earthquake risk. The area's residents could sell their development rights to Silverdale developers under a program administered by the county.

Those developers, though, shouldn't build as they have for the last 30 years, Freitag said. FEMA's Silverdale risk map is crowded with red dots identifying dozens of relatively new commercial buildings that won't withstand a major earthquake. The Costco and Lowe's stores, the Sears building at the Kitsap Mall and other structures commonly referred to as 'big boxes' and 'strip malls' likely won't topple during a quake, but they'll be so warped and damaged they'll have to be rebuilt, Freitag said.

Shifting growth to Silverdale without enacting higher building standards "potentially shifts residents from one hazardous area to another," the report states. "Ensuring that the buildings remain safe to use after an earthquake would be an important step toward securing economic stability and avoiding post-disaster losses from displaced businesses."

A TDR program needs to leverage development demand to work. That shouldn't be a problem for Kitsap. The county's population is expected to increase by 99,600 by 2025. Based on current zoning, cities and urban growth areas like Silverdale have the combined capacity to add just 86,000 people by 2035, according to the county's Buildable Lands Report. About 13,400 more people will need housing, which Kitsap could accommodate with denser development. Preferably, that development would be in areas with lower earthquake danger, Freitag said.

Using TDR for hazard mitigation is a new concept, but one county in Florida is moving forward with the idea. Rated the most vulnerable area in the nation to hurricanes, Hillsborough County has crafted a disaster redevelopment plan that suggests using TDR to move density out of high risk areas along the coast.

Two other tools at Kitsap County's disposal are its capital improvement budget and its critical areas ordinance (CAO), according to the report. The county could limit the construction of new roads, sewer hookups and other utilities in hazard zones. Cutting these areas off from the capital budget wouldn't mean the abandonment of old infrastructure, but no new infrastructure would be added.

The CAO is geared toward limiting development and other human impacts in environmentally-sensitive areas, such as wetlands and shorelines. Freitag suggests expanding the CAO's use to also limit development in areas where earthquake damage may be high.

This idea, he admits, could generate some pushback. Despite the recent devastation of the Oso landslide, Snohomish County is having a tough time steering development away from landslide prone areas, Freitag said.

"Politically, it's very difficult," he said. "People want to get as close to view areas as they can."

Rowe's not sure if anyone in his department has read the report, but he thinks it's worth a look.

The TDR program might be a tough sell, he said. The county gets little interest in TDRS for the more traditional applications, such as open space preservation.

"It sounds like a good concept, but with TDRS, we get zero applications for them," he said.

He likes the idea of incorporating FEMA's hazard maps and building data into the county's Comprehensive Plan and other land use policies.

"This is a golden opportunity to put some of this information out there," he said.
Isabella Lotz of Bremerton shows her support for Bernie Sanders at the Democratic Party Caucus at Bremerton High School on Saturday, March 26, 2016. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

SHARE David Mercer of Bremerton wears his support buttons for Bernie Sanders on his hat at the Democratic Party Caucus at Bremerton High School on Saturday, March 26, 2016. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN Hugh Perryman of Bremerton signs up for Bernie Sanders next to the Bremerton Knight at the Democratic Party Caucus at Bremerton High School on Saturday. March 26, 2016. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN People wait in line at the Democratic Party Caucus at Bremerton High School on Saturday. March 26, 2016. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN Lauren Boyan, left, and Wesley Bonetti tally the votes for the 005 precinct after the Democrat Caucus at Bremerton High School on Saturday. March 26, 2016. LARRY STEAGALL / KITSAP SUN

By Andrew Binion of the Kitsap Sun

BREMERTON  Diana Strangfeld took a nuanced approach when supporting a candidate in the race for the Democratic presidential nomination.

The 53-year-old Bremerton woman said she has donated money to the campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, of Vermont, but on Saturday at the state Democratic caucuses at Bremerton High School, she was signing for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Strangfeld appreciates Sanders' influence on the nomination campaign, and she would back him under different circumstances, but with both chambers of Congress under Republican control, Strangfield said it was Clinton, rather than Sanders, who would be better able to accomplish their goals.

"I think she has a better skill set to manage that," she said.

Strangfeld was one of hundreds of Democrats who turned out to Bremerton High, one of 13 Kitsap locations where party members will pick 999 delegates to advance to the second round of a three-round process; 27,170 delegates will be chosen statewide on Saturday and will ultimately be boiled down to 101 of the state's 119 delegates heading to the Democratic National Convention in July. The remaining 17 delegates are made up of elected and party leaders.

The lunchroom at the school was packed with the rank and file, and those in attendance said their sense was that Sanders supporters had the numbers, aligning with early statewide results that indicated Sanders will win the final count by a wide margin.

Kitsap's tally was complete by late afternoon, showing Sanders with 72.53 percent of delegates; Clinton had 27.36 percent, and 0.11 percent were undecided.

Although the caucuses can be more complicated than the process used by the state Republican party, which allocates delegates through the state's May 24 primary contest, Democrats believe it is the fairest way of nominating a candidate, said state Democratic Party spokesman Jamal Raad.

"Caucuses are, you know, somewhat messy processes," he said. "But it's par for the course; it's a human process and it takes a lot of steps to whittle down 27,000 to 101."

Patrick Kerber, 66, a Sanders supporter, waited against a wall, as the tables set aside for his West Bremerton precinct were full. Kerber attended the Sanders rally at Safeco Field Friday, and said the 1:45 p.m. ferry to Seattle had 300 to 400 Sanders supporters.

A retired military member and civil servant, Kerber said it was an amazing experience to be at the rally, and said even if Sanders does not win the nomination, the ideas he is pushing  for free college, universal health care and action on environmental problems  are inevitable for the country.

"I'm tired of the old ways, the old establishment," Kerber said. "I have no doubt that our country is going in that direction."

Although most Democrats said they would vote for either candidate in the general election in November, there are some who said if Sanders does not get the nomination, they will take their votes elsewhere.

Paul Boyer, 22, who lives in Manette and recently finished service in the Navy, said he turned out in an effort to prevent a November showdown between Donald Trump and Clinton.

"That's a terrible, terrible decision for people," he said, explaining that he doesn't feel Clinton has adequately explained scandals involving the 2012 attack on the diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, along with her use of a private email server as Secretary of State. Sanders, Boyer said, has been consistent from the beginning of his political career.

"I like stability in a person," Boyer said, adding that if Clinton makes it to the general, he will write in Sanders.

Tiana Herring, 18, a senior at Bremerton High School, likes what she sees as Sanders' consistency as well, and likes his positions on civil rights, the environment and college tuition.

"I don't think he's going to change just to get votes, which I feel it was Clinton has done," she said, adding that she would vote for Clinton in the general.

Yolanda Wilkerson, age "sixty plus," is supporting Clinton and came to the caucuses with her son, Michael Wilkerson, 23, who is still undecided.

"If you want to get your person elected, you have got to get out and vote," Yolanda said, adding that she was glad her son was intending to make up his own mind.

"I'm still trying to figure out who I want," said Michael, who added he was definitely voting against Trump.

Isabella Lotz, 27, held a sign saying "not for sale" with a depiction of Sanders, and said she was convinced by the senator's positions on campaign finance, universal health care and free college tuition.

She said she was encouraged by the numbers at the school.

"It's great to see Bremerton turn out like this," she said.

If Sanders is not nominated, Lotz said she will vote for the Green Party candidate, Jill Stein, to promote the inclusion of third party candidates in future elections.

Jennifer Chamberlin, 36, an adviser at Bremerton High and a single mother, started off undecided, saying some of the issues most important to her  health care, specifically mental health and dental health  had not been adequately discussed by either candidate.

"I don't hear either politician talking about that," she said.

However, one of her fellow precinct members quietly told her she believed Sanders was the more consistent candidate, which helped Chamberlin pick a side.

"I'm feeling the Bern," she said.
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Ken Hutchins, Bremerton

Immigration ban isn't new idea

The Immigration and Nationality Act of 1952, which is still in effect, states "Whenever the president finds that the entry of any aliens or of any class of aliens into the United States would be detrimental to the interests of the United States, the president may, by proclamation, anf for such period as he shall deem necessary, suspend the entry of all aliens or any class of aliens as immigrants or non-immigratnts, or impose entry of aliens any restrictions he may deem to be appropriate."

Everybody in the establishment political class, Republicans, Democrats, media, you name it, are claiming thta was Donald Trump said is dumb, stupid, reckless, dangerous, unconstitutional ... but it is the law of the land. And it was utilized by Jimmy Carter, no less, in 1979 to keep Iranians out of the United States. But he actually did more. He made all Iranian students already here check in, and then he deported those who did not or who were on expired visas. Presidents Truman and Eisenhower also together deported over 7 million illegal aliens back to Mexico.

Before the 1952 Act we had closed Ellis Island and suspended nearly all immgartion through a 1924 Immigration Act. Too many of what they called anarchists were getting in, blowing stuff up and wreaking havoc, and it was clear that the steady stream of imigrants were preventing those who came before from assimilating.

Keep in mind the root of ignorance is to ignore. If you don't do your homework, you're just repeating gossip.
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BUZZ-WORTHY

A Beekeeper's Field Day will be held at Erin's Meadow Herb Farm in Clinton from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m Saturday, April 2. The beginning beekeeping seminar is free to attend.

Learn where to get equipment and honeybees and listen to presentations on hive and frame assembly, installing medications, bee-friendly plants, best beekeeping practices and yard safety. Pre-register with Anderson County Beekeepers Association by emailing Cathy Lowden, clowden@comcast.net.

JAZZ LUNCH

Knoxville Jazz Orchestra's Jazz Lunch features Mike Baggetta playing Patsy Cline at noon Wednesday, April 6, at Square Room, 4 Market Square. Admission is $15, which includes lunch by Cafe 4.

Info: www.knoxjazz.org

BEAR FACTS

A lecture about the Appalachian Bear Rescue begins at 2 p.m. Saturday, April 2, in the Main Gallery of the Blount County Library. Speakers from ABR will bring interactive activities for their discussion of bears, habitats, food and seasonal implications for humans who live in areas inhabited by bears.

Info: 865-982-0981 or 865-273-1436.

ISLAM VS ISIS

Roane State Community College hosts a lecture, Islam vs. ISIS, at 11:30 a.m. Thursday, March 31, in Room 101 of the O'Brien Building on the main campus of Roane State in Harriman. It will repeat at 3 p.m. in the City Room (A-111) of the Coffey-McNally Building on Roane State's Oak Ridge campus. Rihab Sawah, a Syrian native and physics professor, will speak. The program is free and open to the public.

CLAY CLASS

The Appalachian Arts and Crafts Center in Norris offers a Handbuilding with Clay Workshop from 10 a.m.-1 p.m. on three Mondays, April 4, 11 and 18. The class is for those who have never taken a class in clay and also for those with some experience. Registration deadline is Monday, March 28. Cost: $50 for Craft Center members; $60 for nonmembers. All students must also pay a $30 studio fee to the Pottery Department on the first day for clay, glaze and firing.

Info: 865-494-9854.

ART SHOW

Pellissippi State Community College students will be featured in the annual Juried Student Art Exhibition, March 28 through April 15.

The exhibition is free and the community is invited. It will be held in the Bagwell Center for Media and Art on the college's Hardin Valley Campus. Gallery hours are 10 a.m.-6:30 p.m., Monday-Friday.

The opening reception and awards ceremony for the participating students will be held from 3-5 p.m. March 28. Awards will be announced at 4 p.m. The reception also is open to the community as a chance to meet the artists or purchase artwork.

Info: www.pstcc.edu/arts or 865-694-6400.
Vols fans didn't just help a UT Martin player in need  they went beyond
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By News Sentinel Staff

KNOXVILLE  Police are investigating a South Knoxville fight that led to shots being fired, according to a news release.

At 2:23 a.m. Saturday, Knoxville Police Department officers were called to a fight in the parking lot at the Club Dejavu, 2619 Chapman Highway, according to a news release.

Shots were reported in the parking lot, according to police.

The fight had ended by the time police arrived, but several cars and the windows of Club Dejavu and of the nearby Disc Exchange were damaged by gunfire.

Police say no victims were at the scene and they had no suspects as of Saturday morning. Anyone with information is asked to call 865-215-7212.

More details as they develop online and in Sunday's News Sentinel.
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For the 10th anniversary of its fundraising run, a local organization hopes for breakthrough numbers.

Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville wants 1,000 people in its 5K Run/Walk and 1-Mile Fun Run, set for 8 a.m. April 9.

The race starts and finishes at Regal Cinemas Pinnacle Stadium 18 in Turkey Creek, with the course running through neighborhoods behind Turkey Creek in Farragut. The course is flat and certified, with the 5K chip-timed.

Registration, $30, can be done online or from 7-7:30 a.m. on race day.

Individuals with disabilities have the option of being a breakthrough buddy, running or walking the course with a peer volunteer. Breakthrough buddies receive recognition during award ceremonies.

Community, corporate and school teams are encouraged to enter, and awards will be given to the largest teams. Teams often design T-shirts or wearing matching accessories. Families and friends have built teams supporting individuals on the autism spectrum.

The run benefits Autism Breakthrough of Knoxville, formerly the Breakthrough Corp., a nonprofit organization started in 1999 by parents who wanted to improve the lives of their adult children with autism.

Its services include residential and in-home services, a Saturday respite and recreation program, day services that offer job skills development and lifelong education, and a social group for adults with Asperger's syndrome.

To register, go to "events" at www.totalracesolutions.com or to www.breakthroughknoxville.com.

Results will be posted on the Knoxville Track Club web site, www.ktc.org, and Total Race Solutions web site. This race is a participating event in the Run and See Tennessee Grand Prix Series.
SHARE Stormwater runoff overtops an erosion fence Saturday, June 18, 2011 at the University of Tennessee's Sorority Village project. Senate Bill 1830, which is being pushed by the Home Builders Association of Tennessee, would effectively loosen the rules for issuance of water quality permits to developer. Basically, it declares that state standards on stormwater runoff can be no stricter than federal standards.

By Tom Humphrey of the Knoxville News Sentinel

NASHVILLE  Despite opposition from Gov. Bill Haslam's administration, a bill to change state rules on regulating stormwater drainage has won Senate approval and appears poised for House passage as well.

The bill (SB1830) is being pushed by the Home Builders Association of Tennessee. It would effectively loosen the rules for issuance of water quality permits to developers and is sponsored by House Agriculture Committee Chairman Curtis Halford, R-Dyer, and Senate Energy, Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee Chairman Steve Southerland, R-Morristown. Basically, it declares that state standards on stormwater runoff can be no stricter than federal standards.

A key effect would be elimination of the so-called "1-inch rule" that's now in effect across the state, mandating that the permit applicant assure that up to 1 inch of rainfall be absorbed within the development property without any runoff.

Current state standards are based on a 2010 Environmental Protection Agency rule that has since been changed, at least in part thanks to action by homebuilders at the national level, according to Robert Martineau, commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

The EPA standards were revised in response to contentions that federal law allows EPA to regulate only pollution of water, not the flow of water, said Bill Penny, attorney for the Tennessee homebuilders organization. Penny and others told legislators that the state's present process makes developers inclined to move their projects across the state line.

Martineau disputed that proposition in testimony to committees and said TDEC has a new rule in the development stages that will actually make Tennessee more development friendly than, say, Mississippi, which is on the verge of adopting a rule almost identical to the present Tennessee standard.

Martineau also contended the bill, if enacted, will "breed confusion and litigation."

Penny disputed that proposition, saying similar standards have not led to such problems in other states.

Martineau's concerns were echoed by spokesmen for the Sierra Club and the Tennessee Storm Water Association, which has 63 members statewide, mostly municipalities.

The key phrase in applicable federal law merely says that runoff should be abated to "the maximum extent practical," they said, and that broad declaration is subject to broad interpretation. A developer, Martineau suggested, could challenge almost any restriction if the bill passes because it is not a specific part of federal law now.

The bill has passed the Senate 32-0 with little debate beyond Sen. Brian Kelsey, R-Germantown, who is running for the 8th Congressional District seat, declaring support for the bill:

"We are used to fighting job-stifling overregulation from Washington. It's a shame that we now have to fight job-stifling overregulation from our state government," said Kelsey.

The bill awaits a vote in the House Local Government Committee this week.
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The terrorist bombings in Belgium on Tuesday that left at least 30 people dead and more than 200 injured have U.S. officials and presidential hopefuls once again arguing over how to avert similar attacks here.

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump predicted similar attacks would occur in the United States and Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, called on law enforcement agencies "to patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized."

Meantime, Democrat Hillary Clinton wrote on Twitter: "We can be strong and smart without advocating torture or bigotry."

Should the United States revamp its immigration programs in light of the attacks in Europe? Or are there better ways to counter terrorism without restricting travel and civil liberties? Ben Boychuk and Joel Mathis, the RedBlueAmerica columnists, weigh in.

BEN BOYCHUK

Well, it finally happened. A catastrophe has made Donald Trump sound reasonable.

Trump is not an especially coherent candidate. He often contradicts himself. He exaggerates and lies. But on immigration and the threat from foreign terrorists, he has been remarkably consistent. And after Tuesday's deadly attacks in Brussels, he looks prescient.

"Go to Brussels. Go to Paris. Go to different places," Trump told Fox Business Network anchor Maria Bartiromo in January. "There is something going on and it's not good, where they want Shariah law, where they want this, where they want things that  you know, there has to be some assimilation. There is no assimilation. There is something bad going on."

Trump went on to describe Brussels as a "hellhole," which, as one would imagine, caused the Belgians much distress.

But he wasn't wrong.

Multicultural Europe has given rise to no-go zones like Brussels' Molenbeek district, where one of Tuesday's bombings occurred. Molenbeek is home to a large number of unassimilated immigrants from North Africa and the Middle East. The Islamic State cell that plotted the attacks that left 130 people dead in Paris in November was based in Molenbeek.

Police stay clear of neighborhoods like Molenbeek because they're often outnumbered and outgunned. There is "something bad going on" in Molenbeek and plenty of other neighborhoods just like it in Belgium, France, Denmark, Germany and the United Kingdom.

Whatever else may be said about Trump, he isn't wrong to be concerned about foreigners traveling from places like Brussels or Paris to do Americans harm. And he isn't wrong to worry about unassimilated immigrants carving out their own Molenbeeks here. The same multicultural ethos that is killing Europe is alive and well here.

We don't need to "ban all Muslims," as Trump suggested a few months ago before backpedaling and then denying he said any such thing. But Congress can toughen up the rules of entry, starting with a visa waiver program that lets potential security risks enter the country with a minimum of scrutiny because they happen to come from a friendly partner nation. Under the circumstances, maintaining such a policy isn't just misguided. It's insane.

It isn't bigotry for a nation to put the security of its citizens first and foremost. Trump is wrong about plenty  but not about that.

JOEL MATHIS

There is no perfect way to combat terrorism. Like war, crime and disease, it will always be part of the human landscape  something that can sometimes be managed effectively, perhaps, but never ended.

Luckily we already know the secret to combating radicalization.

The secret? America can keep on being America.

Among the widely reported differences between Muslims in America and Muslims in Europe: Muslims here are more diverse  they come from as many as 77 countries, with the result that co-religionists of many nationalities end up intermingling with each other. European Muslims come from fewer, more homogeneous ethnic groups, and have tended as a result not to integrate with each other, much less with the broader society.

American Muslims tend to be more prosperous  about as likely as the general population to report incomes of $100,000 or more. They're relatively likely to intermarry with other religious groups. They're about as likely as the general public to have graduated college.

"Our data found that Muslims in the U.S. are employed and educated at very similar levels to the general population," Alan Cooperman, director of religion research at the Pew Research Center, told International Business Times in November. "In Western Europe, Muslims tend to lag the overall population in socioeconomic status."

That's not to say radicalization is impossible in America. We've had enough incidents in recent years to know differently. But that doesn't change the fact that America seems to be less susceptible to that radicalization.

Why? Because we've opened our doors  welcoming folks into our country and granting them opportunities. America's openness is not a weakness: It's a strength that has protected us against a worse problem.

That's why the Donald Trumps and Ted Cruzes of the world are so frightening. It's not just that they'd stomp on American values of openness and toleration to try to make us safer; it's because that stomping would actually, perversely, probably make us less safe.

We should take reasonable security precautions, of course. But the best one? Keep being a beacon for freedom and prosperity. America's best defense is America's ideals.

Ben Boychuk (bboychuk@city-journal.org) is associate editor of the Manhattan Institute's City Journal. Joel Mathis (joelmmathis@gmail.com) is associate editor for Philadelphia Magazine.
My senior year in high school in 1959 started with an attempt to enroll in the all-white East High School. Sixteen other black students were attempting to do the same thing across the city of Knoxville, which had its own school system apart from the Knox County Schools. All were turned away, which resulted in the Josephine Goss, et al., lawsuit against the Knoxville Board of Education, which led to city schools being desegregated over time.

It was in the same year that a 33-year-old named Fidel Castro led a revolution from the Sierra Maestra Mountains in southeastern Cuba near Guantanamo. Overthrowing President Fulgencio Batista, Castro became Cuba's prime minister. He later consolidated power to become president of that island nation.

Castro saw the relationship between the United States and Cuba as corrupt and highly injurious to the Cuban people. Part of that "corruption" was the influence organized crime had in gambling and prostitution on the island just 90 miles offshore from Miami. To combat the political and economic influence that U.S. interests had on the Cuban government, Castro turned to the Soviet Union for help that resulted in near-disastrous consequences.

Alarmed by this alliance between the revolutionary leftist-leaning leader and the Soviet Union and what this could portend for Caribbean, Central and South American governments, President Dwight Eisenhower and Congress imposed an economic boycott against Cuba. Its purpose was to drive Castro from power. Fifty years later, the strategy has yet to work. As is often said, the definition of insanity is to keep doing the same thing over and over while expecting a different result. Beginning with Eisenhower, ten 10 presidents have followed this policy to topple Castro only to have him outlive most of them.

Much of my life has been lived against this backdrop of efforts to rid Cuba of Castro through invasions (the Bay of Pigs incursion), economic sanctions and an assorted number of assassination plots, none of which has worked over these 50 years. When should we get off this merry-go-round of insanity? Or would it be better to try another 50 years of this craziness while expecting a different outcome?

In essence, Eisenhower built a wall around Cuba where all trade between our two nations became impossible. China built the Great Wall to keep out Asian hordes and ended up keeping out new ideas, inviting internal conflicts that weakened and nearly destroyed the nation. Building a "wall" between the U.S. and Mexico would be doomed to failure. Just as soon as the U.S. would build a 20-foot wall, someone on the other side would build a 21-foot ladder. And make no mistake about it: The U.S. would end up paying for such a wall. Sound bite and bumper sticker solutions to complicated and complex problems work only in the minds of the deluded  not in the real world.

One result of U.S. policy toward Cuba was the Cuban Missile Crisis, a near-nuclear catastrophe that I remember well. Americans from one corner of this country to the other were going to stores, stocking up on canned goods and batteries in case of nuclear war. My family was no exception. Soviet Premier Nikita Khrushchev, citing American and NATO weapons aimed toward the U.S.S.R., sought to rationalize placing nuclear weapons on missiles parked just 90 miles off the shores of the U.S. as something of a quid-pro-quo solution.

Up against an untested young American president, Khrushchev thought he could bend John Kennedy to his will. The specter of a nuclear war loomed in the background. Realizing that such a war with the U.S. solely to prop up a minor dictator in Cuba was not worth the risk the Soviets would face, Khrushchev backed down and war was averted.

The last relic of that period, as President Barack Obama has said, is at last coming to an end. It was argued at the beginning that the trade embargo was designed to help the Cuban people. But impoverishing a nation helped no one. Americans and Cubans alike suffered. It is now coming to an end. Thank you, President Obama.
Democrats in Tennessee's Legislature seem to have increased their sniping at the Republican supermajority in the current session, as best illustrated last week when Nashville's Rep. Mike Stewart came to a subcommittee meeting with an assault rifle and a tale to tell.

The tale the House Democratic Caucus chairman told the Civil Justice Subcommittee was about how he contacted a fellow willing to sell the AR-15, a semi-automatic rifle similar to the fully-automatic AR-16 used by American military forces, for $750 on the Internet, then met him the night before the meeting in a restaurant parking lot to make the purchase.

This, Stewart explained, showed the need for passage of his bill to require background checks on person-to-person gun buys, just as now required for purchases from a licensed dealer. He went through no check, Stewart said, adding, "Luckily I am not a member of a drug cartel  not on a terrorist watch list  not a longtime criminal with a big record of felony convictions and violence."

The panel's Republicans were not impressed. Subcommittee Chairman Jon Lundberg of Bristol grumbled about Stewart "putting on a show." Rep. Mike Carter of Ooltewah fretted that the gun might be loaded (it was not, having passed a state trooper inspection). And then they shot down Stewart's bill on a party-line vote.

Democrats and gun control advocacy groups promptly fired off a round of press releases and statements denouncing the Republicans. The gun was an especially good prop for attracting TV folk.

Say what you will about the merits of the legislation, this was a fine example of a political grandstanding gimmick, reminiscent of the bygone days of Democratic dominance when Republican legislators would do things like wave a pound of bacon in the air while denouncing "pork" in the state budget during a House floor speech.

It might have been a nice added touch if Stewart had bought instead a Barrett Model M82/M107, designated the official Tennessee state rifle via Republican-sponsored legislation that Stewart opposed  but that would probably have cost a lot more than $750.

It took legislative Democrats two or three years after Republicans achieved control of the General Assembly to master the minority party art of throwing political bombs at the majority. But they've got the hang of it now and reached a new high-water mark this session.

Indeed, House Republican Caucus Chairman Glen Casada said after Stewart's gun show that he puts the performance at the top of Democrats' stunt list for the year.

But he has considerable competition from fellow Democrats. Suggested runner-up honors would go to a dynamic Democratic women's duo, Rep. Sherry Jones of Nashville and Sen. Sara Kyle of Memphis.

Perhaps their best performance was the so-called "tampon tax bill," which would have lowered the sales tax on feminine hygiene products, baby diapers, non-prescription drugs and some other stuff. The bill got the cold shoulder from Republicans on a Senate subcommittee, which, happily for Democrats' talking points in the press releases, gave its blessing on the same day to completely exempting sales of gold and silver from the sales tax and voting for most every Republican-sponsored bill in sight  and there are a bunch of them  to repeal or reduce the state tax on investment income.

Jones and Kyle also jointly sponsored the "Viagra bill," which would have imposed multiple restrictions on treatments for erectile dysfunction. Perhaps not really intended to be taken seriously, the measure encountered stiff opposition from Republicans  all men  on the subcommittee that killed it.

Honorable mention in the political bomb-throwing competition among Democrats could go to several other legislators and, for that matter, to state party Chair Mary Mancini, who issues regular critiques of supermajority doings.

The list could go on at some length. It's fair to say such performances really haven't accomplished much in the short term  except for annoying Republicans. But from the partisan perspective, that's perhaps better than nothing  just as it was for minority Republicans in bygone days, who are now prone in old age to reminisce fondly about fighting the good fight against the odds.

Read more from Tom Humphrey at "Humphrey on the Hill:"
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When it comes to the Internet, one size does not fit all.

This is precisely why promoting government-owned broadband networks is bad for consumers. What works better is allowing private-sector Internet service providers the ability to customize to the changing demands and needs in the marketplace.

Not all consumers access the Internet the same way. According to the Pew Research Center, Hispanics and African-Americans are more likely to rely on mobile broadband than traditional wire-line service. Indeed, minority communities are even more likely than the population as a whole to use their smartphones to apply for jobs online.

Our Legislature considered a bill this session that would repeal a state municipal broadband law that prohibits government-owned networks from expanding across their municipal borders. Thankfully, it failed in the House Business and Utilities Subcommittee, but it will undoubtedly be back again in future legislative sessions. The legislation is troubling because it will harm taxpayers and stifle private-sector competition and innovation.

It is not the role of the government to use taxpayer resources to compete with private industry. Government is highly inefficient  usually creating an inferior product at a higher price  and is always slower to respond to market changes. Do we really want government providing our Internet service? Government-run health care hasn't worked so well, so why would we promote government-run Internet?

Chattanooga's Electric Power Board, the city's public utility, is a driving force behind the legislation. The EPB wants state lawmakers to let it offer broadband service beyond its electric service region. Specifically, the EPB is targeting expansion into Bradley County. Current state law prevents this encroachment, as it recognizes that government should not be funding competition with the private sector with taxpayer money  especially outside of a municipality's border.

It's also important to note that the EPB built that network after benefiting from a $111.7 million federal grant through President Barack Obama's stimulus package.

Top EPB officials argue that residents in Bradley County are clambering for EPB-offered Internet service, but the truth is Bradley County is already served by multiple private Internet service providers. Indeed, statewide only 215,000 Tennesseans, or approximately 4 percent, don't have broadband access. We must find ways to address the needs of those residents, but that's not what this bill would do. This bill would promote government providers over private providers, harming taxpayers and consumers along the way.

Additionally, just like people are getting rid of basic at-home telephone service, Americans, especially minorities, are getting rid of at-home broadband. In 2013, 70 percent of Americans had broadband at home. Just two years later, only 67 percent did. The decline was true across almost the entire demographic board, regardless of race, income category, education level or location. Indeed, in 2013, 16 percent of Hispanics said they relied only on their smartphones for Internet access, and by 2015 that figure was up to 23 percent.

That drop in at-home broadband isn't because fewer Americans have access to wireless broadband, it's because more are moving to a wireless-only model. The bureaucracy of government has trouble adapting to changes like these, which is why government-owned broadband systems are often technologically out of date before they're finished.

In other cities with government-owned networks, it's not just electric ratepayers who are on hook if things turn sour. One multi-city government network in Utah has attempted to raise property taxes to cover losses. Other cities have taken from general revenue funds to cover losses. Those shifts mean fewer dollars for education, public safety and local services.

Improving broadband access for underserved populations in our state is a great goal, but good intentions don't always make for sound legislation. As Gov. Bill Haslam has said, the question is not whether all Tennesseans should have access to broadband (of course they should), it's how are we going to get it to them.

We certainly shouldn't do it by hurting competition in our state and putting vital services at risk. Government should not use taxpayer money to compete with private industry in the high-speed Internet business.

Raul Lopez is the founder and executive director for Latinos for Tennessee, a local nonprofit dedicated to providing Latinos in Tennessee with information and resources grounded on faith, family and freedom.
By Choi Sung-jin

Volkswagen's sales in the United States are about eight times larger than in Korea, according to the German automaker and the Korea Automobile Importers & Distributors Association. But in November, the sales gap was reduced to a little more than five times, 23,882 to 4,517 cars.

That means Volkswagen's sales in Korea, unlike those in the U.S. and most other countries, surged after the carmaker's emission scandal broke out, thanks in large part to its drastic price-discount policy here.

It is against this backdrop that about 4,000 Korean drivers of the German-brand cars are taking legal action against Volkswagen to cancel their sales contracts and claim the return of unjust profit, complaining about differential treatment of U.S. and Korean consumers.

Volkswagen has been offering a "goodwill package"  gift coupons, vouchers and three-year free repairs totaling $1,000  to U.S. and Canadian owners of diesel cars that had manipulated emission levels. The emission riggings were confirmed among Volkswagen cars running here but the company's local offshoot is yet to present any compensation plans months after the scandal surfaced.

It has rejected local consumers' demands for the same goodwill package as well as the Environment Ministry's recommendation to examine a compensation plan to raise its recall-correction rate.












By Lee Hyo-sik





KB Financial Group chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo Korea Investment Holdings

vice chairman Kim Nam-goo

KB Financial Group and Korea Investment Holdings are crossing their fingers that they will be selected as a preferred bidder for Hyundai Securities after each submitting a bid last Friday.

The two were competing hard to acquire the securities firm with 3.2 trillion won ($2.7 billion) assets to compete more effectively Mirae Asset Group, which has become Korea's largest brokerage house after taking over Daewoo Securities for $2 billion this month.

On March 25, EY Han Young, an accounting firm that manages the sale of Hyundai Securities on behalf of Korea's 21st largest family-controlled conglomerate, closed the bid for the brokerage house. Up for sale is a 22.56 percent stake held by Hyundai Merchant Marine (HMM), Hyundai Group's debt-ridden shipping firm.

Besides KB Financial and Korea Investment, the accounting firm said Hong Kong-based private equity fund AKTIS had also submitted a bid. However, Mirae Asset, which was rumored to take part in the bid, did not do so.

EY Han Young plans to announce the preferred bidder Tuesday after reviewing sale prices and other terms of the three bidders. The sale will likely be finalized in May.

Given the securities firm's share price of 6,700 won last Friday, the 22.56 percent stake is valued at about 350 billion won. But the bidders are expected to submit much-higher prices, including a premium for management rights.

Hyundai Elevator, which has buyback rights for Hyundai Securities' 22.56 percent stake, reportedly expressed willingness to pay 650 billion won. This means that those seeking to acquire the brokerage house should have submitted a takeover price of more than 650 billion won.

According to market analysts, the much-delayed sale will likely go through this time because KB and Korea Investment are eager to reinforce their equity trading and investment banking operations through mergers and acquisitions.

KB officials said the financial group needs to acquire Hyundai Securities to boost its securities business.

"To create a more balanced business portfolio between banking and non-banking, we definitely need Hyundai Securities," an official said.

Group Chairman Yoon Jong-kyoo said after the annual shareholders' meeting last Friday, that the group had made a "proper" bid for Hyundai Securities.

KB Kookmin Bank accounted for 67 percent of the financial group's net profit last year, while the group's securities unit, KB Investment and Securities, generated only 3 percent of profits.

Korea Investment is as determined as KB, saying it wants to take over Hyundai Securities to compete more effectively with Mirae Asset and become Asia's top investment bank by 2020.

"We need to acquire Hyundai Securities to enlarge our size," Korea Investment Holdings vice chairman Kim Nam-goo said after presiding over the firm's shareholder's meeting last Friday. "The takeover is essential to achieve our goal of becoming Asia's best brokerage house in 2020."

Last year, Hyundai Group signed a sales contract with Japanese financial firm Orix to sell the 22.56 percent stake in its brokerage unit for 647.5 billion won. But the deal fell through at the last minute.

The group then sought to keep its profitable securities unit, but was forced to unload the company as part of its self-rescue plan, announced early February, to revive HMM.

HMM, the group's holding company, is struggling under 7 trillion won debt amid a worldwide shipping industry slump.

The sale of Hyundai Securities is expected to complete Hyundai Group's ongoing self-rescue scheme under which it has disposed of a wide range of assets to raise cash.

Even group Chairman Hyun Jeong-eun borrowed 30 billion won from banks by using her stakes in other group units as collateral to pay back some of HMM's debts.
By Lee Hyo-sik





Park Sung-su, E-Land

Group chairman

E-Land's sale of its supermarket chain failed to draw much interest from either retailers or financial investors amid continuing sluggish domestic consumption.

Despite the inability of Kim's Club to attract bids from Lotte, Shinsegae and other local retailers, E-Land Group, headed by Chairman Park Sung-su, plans to push the sale forward as scheduled. Sales manager Goldman Sachs said it will hold a bid this week and announce a preferred bidder.

According to industry analysts Sunday, U.S. private equity fund Kohlberg Kravis Roberts (KKR) will likely be the only entity taking part in the bid.

"We will hold the bid this week and then promptly announce a preferred bidder," said an E-Land spokesman.

He said the mid-tier fashion-and-retail business group expects to earn about 1 trillion won ($854 million) for the supermarket chain, which operates 36 stores nationwide, given its 2015 revenue of 1 trillion won.

However, the analysts say it is highly unlikely for KKR to offer 1 trillion won for Kim's Club, citing Korea's sagging consumer spending.

"With no one else taking part in the bid, KKR would not bet aggressively on the supermarket chain," said an analyst at a Seoul-based securities firm. "I don't think E-Land would stick to $1 trillion won price tag. Both sides will likely engage in intense negotiations until the deal is reached. Or, the sale could fall through. Who knows?"

The sale of Kim's Club is part of E-Land's ongoing campaign to raise much-needed cash to improve its financial health.

The group also plans by 2017 to list shares of E-Land Retail, which currently owns Kim's Club.



Over the past few years, E-Land has been struggling with rising debts after borrowing large sums of money to finance multiple merger and acquisition (M&A) deals at home and abroad.



It also spent money on expanding its retail and fashion businesses in China. The company now runs nearly 7,000 restaurants, fashion shops and other retail stores across the world's second-largest economy.



Among E-Land's 27 affiliates, only theme park E-World is listed on the local bourse.



E-Land World, the group's holding company, has a controlling stake in E-Land Retail and E-Land Park, which operates hotels, restaurants and other leisure-related businesses. Chairman Park controls E-Land World with a 40.59 percent stake.
By Nam Hyun-woo



Korea's financial regulators are increasingly seeking to secure documents in their investigation of alleged misconduct by Deloitte Anjin, a well-known accounting company, over its suspected deliberate involvement in manipulating the balance sheets of Daewoo Shipbuilding and Marine Engineering (DSME).



Sources familiar with the situation told The Korea Times, Sunday, that the regulator is cooperating with the Korea Stock Exchange to probe the accounting fraud by Deloitte Anjin and the shipbuilder.



Deloitte Anjin is being accused of intentionally engaging in producing misleading balance sheets that artificially inflated DSME's reported sales and revenue, hurting the interests of investors.



Deloitte Anjin, recently confessed that 2 trillion won out of DSME's 5.5 trillion-won operating loss in 2015 should have been reflected in 2013 and 2014. The "cooked books" had the effect of making DSME appear to be more profitable than it actually was.



The Financial Supervisory Services (FSS) is said to focusing on whether DSME teamed up with Deloitte Anjin to intentionally deceive investors.



But the FSS remained tight-lipped about the amount of penalties that the authorities are considering imposing on the auditing firm.



It is possible that Deloitte Anjin may face heavy civil and criminal lawsuits from investors.



Hannuri Law said Friday that it will file a class action suit against DSME and Deloitte Anjin on behalf of retail investors who bought DSME stocks from April 1, 2014, to July 14, 2015. The law firm earlier launched a number of similar suits against the two firms.



Deloitte Anjin audited DSME's financial statements from 2010 to earlier this month. In 2013, DSME announced that it had posted 424.2 billion won in operating profit and recorded 454.3 billion won the following year. If the 2 trillion won loss had been reflected, the company in fact was in the red during those two years.



The level of penalties could be lowered by one level, if fraudulent statements were corrected after a government review. Two levels would be lowered if the correction was made before the review, said the sources.



The fraudulent numbers inevitably caused a nightmare to small investors in DSME. Its stocks plunged from 18,650 won to 5,070 won last year.



Speculation is rising that it will stir financial fiascos such as one in September, when Daewoo E&C was fined 2 billion won for accounting fraud. Also in 2011, investors filed a series of lawsuits against accounting firms for erroneous auditing when a number of savings banks went bankrupt.



Further angering investors was the fact that more than 4 trillion won of taxpayers' money was pumped into DSME. Last year, DSME's creditors, led by the state-run Korea Development Bank and Eximbank Korea, agreed on liquidity support worth 4.2 trillion won, in order to rescue the shipbuilder from its liquidity status.



"While auditing the fiscal year of 2015, the company has found evidence and asked DSME for further information. And we judged that there were clear errors and asked to rewrite the previous statements," Deloitte Anjin said.




An Ars Nova performance / Courtesy of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra







Composer Chin Un-suk who heads the Ars Nova series speaks during a press conference held on

March 24.

/ Courtesy of Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra

By Yun Suh-young

The Seoul Philharmonic Orchestra's (SPO) Ars Nova series, a series of contemporary classical music concerts, will open Wednesday at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts in central Seoul.

This is the 10th anniversary of the Ars Nova series, co-created by composer Chin Un-suk and former SPO conductor Chung Myung-whun, since it was established in April 2006.

The Ars Nova series has, for the past decade, hosted 40 concerts introducing new and rising local musicians to audiences as well as styles that have never before been played on Korean soil. It has also commissioned a composer every year to introduce a new work for the first time to the public.

During a press conference held ahead of the first concert marking its 10th anniversary, composer Chin, who has led the Ars Nova series since its inception, said she was overwhelmed to have continued the series for a decade.

"It's very meaningful to be hosting this event. The Ars Nova series has for the past decade introduced important and rare repertoires that were not easily accessible and have barely been introduced to the public," she said.

"The number of Korean premieres amount to 170 and there were numerous Asian premieres and even a handful of world premieres. We are very proud of our achievement in raising Korea's classical music scene to the global standard. The event has grown to become the most influential contemporary music performance in Asia."

Chin noted that the series will continue to introduce more pieces to audiences.

For this year's Ars Nova series, Canadian conductor Kwame Ryan will raise the baton and Isang Enders will play the cello. Korean-German Enders is participating in the event for the second time following his first and widely praised appearance in 2014.

"Two years ago I discovered that it's possible to establish something very good by having a vision about how music should improve," said Enders, when asked how he felt about participating in Ars Nova when he was first approached two years ago.

"It was not about trying to please the audience. It was important to make contemporary music audible to the general public and even for the few people it's worth doing," he said.

The Ars Nova series will offer two concerts this year  the first, a chamber concert, on March 30 at 7:30 p.m. at the Sejong Center for the Performing Arts and the second, an orchestral concert, on April 5 at 8 p.m. at LG Arts Center.

For the first concert, York Holler's "Fluchtpunkte for 5 Instrumentalists" will be making its Asian premiere and Esa-Pekka Salonen's "Mania" for solo cello and ensemble will be making its Korean premiere. Commissioned composer for this year Choi Ji-youn will be showcasing her new work for ensemble, "Delusion." Other works include Gyorgy Ligeti's "Sonata for cello" solo and Paul Hindemith's "Kammermusik Nr. 1, Op. 24."

For the second concert, Ivan Fedele's "Lexicon II" for orchestra will be making its Asian premiere (jointly commissioned by SPO and Radio France) while Dmitrii Shostakovich's "Suite from the Opera 'Lady Macbeth of Mzensk'" (arranged by James Conlon) will be making its Korean premiere. The highlight of the concert will be French contemporary music legend Henri Dutilleux's representative work "Tout un Monde Lointain..." for cello and orchestra performed by Isang Enders. This year marks the 100th anniversary of Dutilleux's birth.

Meanwhile, for those who are not well-acquainted with contemporary music, a free pre-concert lecture by Chin will take place 40 minutes before each concert to explain the program notes.

For more information, call 1588-1210.
Brian Crain, a California-born new age composer, will perform his latest "healing concert" on Thursday in Seoul. / Courtesy of SPA Entertainment



By Park Jin-hai

Brian Crain, a California-born new age composer whose romantic pieces have earned him the nickname of "the poet of the piano" from Korean audiences, is visiting Seoul to perform his latest "healing concert" scheduled for Thursday.

Best known for "Butterfly Waltz," "Northern Lights" and "A walk in the Forest" in Korea because they were used as background music for dramas and commercials, the popularity of Crain's music is global  his comforting and sweet music has been downloaded more than 2 million downloads at iTunes and over 5 million views on the video service YouTube.

Crain said most of his popularity throughout Asia in fact stems from Korea, which is the second biggest market for him after the United States.

Almost every year since 2001, he has made visits to Seoul to perform in front of audiences who express affection for his music. As one of the most beloved new-age musicians in the world, he was appointed as the Honorary Cultural Ambassador of Yeongwol County in Gangwon Province in 2013.

Following the Sewol ferry incident, which killed 304 people in 2014, Crain gave a free concert at a cathedral. He also dedicated his music "Andante Affettuoso" to Lee Tae-suk, a Korean priest also known as "the Schweitzer of Sudan."

Inspired mostly by nature, Crain said he wants to be remembered as a composer who did something special with melodies and that his music would pass from generation to generation.

Crain's goal is to try something new and create something that nobody else says has heard of before  a different feeling.

"I'm not a contemporary version of George Winston or Yiruma, because they are doing what they do and I want to do my own thing. I play a little bit sweeter and they do a little softer. I just want to be my style and people like it. I think I've got both. I'm lucky," Crain said in an interview with The Korea Times.

His "Healing Concert with Brian Crain" will take place at Gangnam-gu Community Center, Thursday at 7:30 p.m. Tickets cost 10,000 won for all seats. For more information, call 02-597-9870.

Q: Among the new-age musicians, you are one of the most loved ones in Korea. Why do think that you gained so much popularity here?

A: All my songs are built around nature. I think Korean people really identify with the love of nature. So much of Korea is city life and working. Everybody works so hard and they don't have the opportunity to spend time in the mountains and experience nature. So they get a little of that feeling from my music.

Back in 2005, I would sit down on the piano and play "Butterfly Waltz," four or five people would say they love it. Last year, when I asked if somebody knew the song, they said everybody knows it. It's pretty amazing, because it is used so much and it just keeps getting bigger and bigger.

I'm thankful that Korean audiences have been very supportive of my career and made a big impact on my music all over the world. They are really the start of what I've started doing.

Q: What has been the biggest change now from the heyday of the new-age music of the 1980s?

A: When the 1980s new-age music first came out, it was a religious movement. It became very popular and then it lost popularity very quickly.

But the record stores still had new-age section. Then along came George Winston and David Lanz and a number of piano players who aren't new-age and don't subscribe to new-age movement but since they had that category, they would put their music in that category.

Basically now anything that is soft piano music is labeled new-age, while, in fact it is new classical or new instrumental music. It moved more toward piano-based and real instruments as opposed to synthesizers.

My first few albums were piano with background synthesizer. Then I started to write two symphonies with the Czech Philharmonic and then started to write more for real instruments. So I did piano and cello, piano and violin and piano and accordion. I really transitioned from soft and smooth to a more classical form. It's kind of combination between the old Brian and a more classical Brian.

Q: What kind of message do you want to deliver through your music?

A: I'm trying to give them a sense of peace and that connection to nature. Hopefully, I will inspire people to protect nature.

Today in Gangnam District, there is no park. I'd love for the city of Seoul to put a park in there where kids can play when an old building comes down as opposed to another high-rise building.

Something like Central Park. If you look at a picture of Manhattan, Central Park is half of it. In fact, that is the most expensive real estate in the world. It is right that there is Central Park and it's still kept as a natural place and that makes a big difference to the people of New York.

Q: Do you like the label new-age musician?

A: I prefer new classical  it's kind of new romantic classical. I'm regarded as a melodist. My strength is romantic melodies. I try to connect with my audience as much as possible. One of my newest songs that became very popular is "Love Story." It's very simple and very sweet, but you can't help but feel romantic when you listen to it. That is kind of my desire.
Foreigners staying in South Korea illegally will be temporarily exempted from an entry ban if they voluntarily leave the country, the Ministry of Justice said Sunday.

The ministry will temporarily waive the ban imposed on foreigners with illegal residence status if they voluntarily leave the country between April 1 and Sept. 30, officials said.

The illegal aliens willing to leave the country must have viable passports and airline tickets, and report to the immigration office on the day of their departure, they said.

The ministry designated this year to actively clamp down on illegal foreign workers who are staying in the country without proper working visas as the number of illegal immigrants in South Korea remained high in recent years despite efforts by the authorities to bring the problem under control.

"Overstaying foreigners who do not leave the country voluntarily will be banned from re-entering (South Korea) for five years," said a ministry official on the condition of anonymity.

As of the end of December, 1,899,000 foreigners were staying in South Korea. Of them, 214,000 foreigners, or 11.2 percent of the total, were believed to be staying here illegally, the ministry said in a recent report. (Yonhap)
By Ko Dong-hwan



Son Jong-pyo, a candidate who registered for the general elections on Apr. 13 as an independent contesting the seat of daedeok-gu, Daejeon, has 10 criminal convictions  the most among 944 candidates nationwide. The charges include civic protest laws obstruction, traffic violations and drunk driving.

Choi Ji-woong, an independent candidate contesting the seat of Saha-gu B, Busan, has nine convictions for infringing national security laws and election regulations. Kim Hong-eob, an independent candidate aiming for the seat of Sancheong, Hamyang, Geochang and Hapcheon, South Gyeongnam Province, has eight convictions, including for physical violence and embezzlement.

The National Election Commission says about four out of 10 candidates vying for 253 seats in the 20th National Assembly have at least one criminal conviction  383 in total. This is more than double the number of convictions among candidates at the previous parliamentary election four years ago.

A total of 204 candidates for the April 13 elections have one criminal conviction, 103 candidates have two convictions and 45 candidates have three convictions.












By Jun Ji-hye



The leaders of South Korea, the United States, China and Japan are expected to discuss North Korea's nuclear program and ways of increasing international pressure on the repressive state at the Nuclear Security Summit slated for this week in Washington.



According to the White House, U.S. President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping will meet on March 31 on the sidelines of the biannual summit, which will last for two days.



The two leaders are expected to discuss ways of enhancing cooperation on nonproliferation in the face of mounting threats from the North's nuclear and missile programs as well as ways to vigorously enforce Resolution 2270, adopted by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on March 2 for the North's fourth nuclear test on Jan. 6 and long-range rocket launch on Feb. 7.



President Park Geun-hye and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe are also reportedly ironing out details for a trilateral summit with President Obama.



The three countries have vowed to strengthen their cooperation on imposing sanctions against the North to increase pressure on the regime.



The three leaders held a three-way summit on the sidelines of the 2014 Nuclear Security Summit in The Hague, Netherlands.



Cheong Wa Dae noted that Park and dozens of world leaders will exchange opinions on how to strengthen cooperation for nuclear safety during the summit, which is intended to find ways of making the world free of nuclear weapons.



It is also speculated that Park could hold a bilateral discussion with Xi and Abe to discuss their mutual concerns.



A series of talks held by outside leaders on North Korean issues are expected to provoke protest from Pyongyang.



Even after the international community imposed harsher sanctions against the North, the Kim Jong-un regime has shown no signs of abandoning its nuclear program by continuing to ratchet up military threats.



Pyongyang recently claimed that it possesses miniaturized nuclear warheads that could be fitted to its missiles, and that it has developed a missile reentry vehicle, necessary for a nuclear-armed ballistic missile to deliver its payload after reentering the Earth's atmosphere.



On Saturday, the North sent what it claimed was an ultimatum to President Park, asking Park to make an official apology to the North for hurting "the dignity of the supreme leadership of the DPRK," referring to the Seoul and Washington's joint military drill designed to destroy the North's key facilities.



The long-range artillery force of the large combined unit of the (North) Korean People's Army (KPA) issued a statement, carried by the North's state media, the Korea Central News Agency (KCNA), that if Park does not respond to the ultimatum, its artillery forces on the front will "move over to merciless military action."



The KPA added that the artillery force "keeps the Cheong Wa Dae and the reactionary ruling machines within the firing range and waits for an order for a preemptive strike to punish the enemies."



The North Korean leader is apparently attempting to project the image of a strong and undaunted leader who will never yield to pressure from the international community to strengthen solidarity among the North Korean people, according to experts.



But it remains to be seen whether the leaders will be unanimous in intensifying pressure on the North, given that China, traditionally Pyongyang's ally, has adopted a different tone, signaling that a peace treaty is one of the options on the negotiation table in dealing with the North.



Signing a peace treaty with the U.S. has been what the North has demanded. However, this has been rejected by South Korea and the U.S. that have both called for denuclearization first.



In 2010, the U.S. hosted the inaugural summit, aimed at mulling ways of reducing a stockpile of highly enriched uranium and weapons-grade plutonium to keep it out of the hands of terrorists and to ensure atomic safety.



Seoul hosted the second gathering in 2012; while the Netherlands held the third summit in 2014.



Follow Jun Ji-hye on Twitter @TheKopJihye




Civic groups protest in front of the Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, Seoul, demanding to stop the Seoul Sake Festival 2016 that may bring sakes contaminated with radiation from the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster five years ago.

/ Yonhap



By Ko Dong-hwan

Civic groups protested against a Japanese sake festival in Seoul on Friday, in a bid to prevent visitors from tasting possibly dangerous alcohol produced in areas near the Fukushima nuclear plant disaster five years ago.

Eleven civic groups held a press conference in front of the Japanese Embassy in Jongno-gu, demanding that Japan stop the Seoul Sake Festival 2016.

"Seven of the participating Japanese breweries made their liquor in areas near Fukushima, where our government has warned of possible danger from radiation," a protester said. "The breweries must have made their liquor using water and rice from the areas. Such liquors will jeopardize our health."

Three breweries in Miyagi Prefecture, as well as from Iwate Prefecture, Ibaraki Prefecture, Gunma Prefecture and Tochigi Prefecture participated in the festival. The Korean government stopped importing seafood from those areas in September 2013 to prevent possible radioactive contamination.





One hundred Japanese breweries introduced about 400 sakes at COEX, eastern Seoul, from Saturday to Sunday.

/ Yonhap



In March 2011, Fukushima 1 Nuclear Power Plant was hit by an earthquake-triggered tsunami. The impact caused a meltdown and release of radioactive material.

The Japanese embassy, according to Hankook Ilbo, said, "The festival organizers didn't check whether the participating breweries were from areas that possibly were compromised by radioactive contamination, but all the food and liquor in the festival were tested in Japan and Korea."

One hundred Japanese breweries introduced about 400 sakes at COEX, eastern Seoul, from Saturday to Sunday.
Donald Trump



By Jun Ji-hye

Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump says that he would support South Korea's nuclear armament and that he would consider pulling out U.S. troops if he became U.S. president.

During an interview with The New York Times conducted Friday, the entrepreneur-turned-politician said he would be open to allowing Seoul and Tokyo to develop nuclear weapons, rather than depending on the American nuclear umbrella for protection against North Korea and China.

If the U.S. "keeps on its path, its current path of weakness, they're going to want to have that anyway, with or without me discussing it," Trump said.

He stressed that Washington would be friendly toward everyone, but would no longer be exploited.

"We cannot afford to be losing vast amounts of billions of dollars on all of this," he said.

The real estate mogul also said he would be willing to withdraw U.S. forces from South Korea and Japan unless the two substantially increased their contributions to the costs of those troops.

"Not happily, but the answer is yes," he said.

About 28,500 American troops are in stationed South Korea to deter North Korean aggression, and about 50,000 U.S. military personnel are stationed in Japan.
Employees of China's Aurance wave to the camera during a visit to Songdo Stone Mountain in Incheon, Sunday, where the drama "My Love from the Star" was filmed. / Yonhap



By Kim Se-jeong

Residents in Incheon may have difficulty finding fried chicken Monday, because 1,500 fried chickens  probably the largest number consumed in a single event  have been reserved for nearly 6,000 Chinese tourists arriving there.

The tourists are employees of China's Aurance that sells health and beauty products using a multi-level marketing model. About 6,000 employees arrived in Korea over the weekend for a one-week stay here  four days in Incheon and three in Seoul  for a retreat and meeting; and the company organized a party of chicken and beer.

This is the single largest group of tourists in Korea arriving via air.

According to Incheon Metropolitan Government, the Aurance employees specially requested the chicken and beer party, inspired by the popular Korean drama, "My Love from the Star," starring Kim Soo-hyun and Jun Ji-hyun.

In the 2013 drama, Jun mentioned the combination of chicken and beer, often called "chimaek" here, and it has become one of must-dos among foreign visitors to Korea.

A street in Wolmi Island of the city will be filled with 750 tables and 4,500 chairs to accommodate them. The 1,500 fried chickens will be delivered to the site by 50 local fried chicken restaurants.

Besides the chickens, they are expected to consume 4,500 beer cans, equivalent to 2.25 tons in weight. They are also expected to drink 2,010 tons of water per day during their stay.

Their visit is making many other interesting records.

Almost 1,500 hotel rooms in Incheon and its neighborhood have been reserved for them, and 140 chartered buses are to transport them from one destination to another.

They come from 24 cities in China, and arrived at Incheon International Airport via 158 different flights on Saturday and Sunday. The city has mobilized 280 local tour guides for them.

New records will also be made at the Songdo Convensia Convention Center where they will have meetings on Tuesday and Wednesday. The center said it is preparing 440 kilograms of beef, 5,323 chickens and 720 kilograms of rice for them. It has also turned its underground parking lot into a dining area to accommodate the guests.

Beside Wolmi Island, the Chinese will also visit Incheon University, Moraenae traditional market, China Town and Songdo Stone Mountain, which was featured in the drama.

Incheon is thrilled about the visit, projecting that they will spend almost 12 billion won during their stays. On Saturday, Mayor Yoo Jeong-bok and representatives from the Korea Tourism Organization and Incheon Tourism Organization greeted the tourists at the airport.
Tunisian Ambassador to Korea Mohamed Ali Nafti, second from right, poses with Gender Equality and Family Minister Kang Eun-hee, second from left, at the National Day reception at the Lotte Hotel Seoul on March 21.

/ Courtesy of the Embassy of Tunisia

By Rachel Lee

Tunisian Ambassador to Korea Mohamed Ali Nafti hosted a reception to mark his country's 60th National Day, at the Lotte Hotel Seoul on March 21.

Foreign envoys and local representatives, including Gender Equality and Family Minister Kang Eun-hee, attended.

"On March 20, 1956, our country retrieved its freedom and sovereignty and started setting up the foundation of its modern state after choosing the republic as a political regime," the ambassador said. "Notwithstanding a significant number of very valuable accomplishments in diverse fields, mainly women empowerment  where Tunisia has been a pioneer in the Arab and Muslim world  free education and birth control, the country lived through decades of a lack of political freedom, liberty of expression and good governance."

The minister said: "Moreover, this year marks not only the 60th anniversary of Tunisia's independence, but also the 60th anniversary of the enactment of the Code of Personal Status, which instituted gender equality. The code is significant in that it laid the foundations for sustainable national development by moving away from patriarchal traditions and realizing gender equality."

The ambassador highlighted a special moment for his country  winning the Nobel Peace Prize for 2015.

"This prestigious prize will always be a matter of national pride for us and a source of motivation to keep preserving our young democracy and raise the big challenges our country is facing, especially at a security level, to consolidate its position in the concert of nations," the ambassador said.

The Tunisian National Dialogue Quartet received the award last October for a "decisive contribution to the building of a pluralistic democracy in Tunisia in the wake of the Jasmine Revolution of 2011," the Nobel Prize jury said.

The quartet was formed in the summer of 2013, when the country's move toward democracy was in danger of collapsing because of political assassinations and widespread social unrest.

Nafti said: "We remain absolutely aware that we should primarily rely on our national unity to bolster our young democracy against all threats, but we also welcome any political and official support coming from international organizations, as well as brotherly and friendly countries  among them Korea, through its government, National Assembly and civil society.

"As we are convinced that any sustainable relations between countries and nations should focus on people-to-people exchanges, the cultural and educational fields remain a core component of our efforts to further reinforce the bonds of friendship and cooperation between Tunisia and the Republic of Korea."
By Rachel Lee

Philippine Ambassador to Korea Raul S. Hernandez organized a dinner reception for about 50 professional Filipinas in Korea to celebrate National Women's Month.

The event, at his residence in Seoul on March 16, gave the women an opportunity to celebrate their achievements.

"Gender equality and women empowerment need to be fought with great determination, and not by women alone, but by both men and women working together for equality in our society, where every human being is able to achieve her potential and is able to significantly contribute to nation-building," the ambassador said.

He underscored women's central role in social development and how gender equality is critical and essential for inclusive growth and nation-building. He also highlighted the steady progress the Philippines has been making to narrow gender gaps.

Two special guests  Col. Maria P. Eoff, Commander of the U.S. Army Garrison in Yongsan, and Heekyung Jo Min, Executive Vice President of CJ Corporation  attended the reception.

Col. Eoff and Ms. Jo Min discussed the empowerment of women and gender equality in male-dominated industries. They shared their experiences, including the challenges and rewards of balancing career and family life, as well as women's key role in social transformation.


Colombian documentary to be screened



The Embassy of Colombia is holding a film festival at the War Memorial of Korea in Yongsan-gu, Seoul, on March 30.

According to the embassy, the event will introduce "Colombia Magia Salvaje" (2015), an acclaimed documentary that features the "biodiversity of the South American country."

"This film has become a landmark of the Colombian film history, and since its premiere in September 2015 has had more than 2,400,000 spectators," an embassy spokesman said.

"Colombia Magia Salvaje is the result of a thorough investigation, as had never been done before in a production by Colombia. This film shows the many habitats that the country has, and the massive environmental threats to them. This is a call to become aware of the beauty and vulnerability of this country."

"Colombia Magia Salvaje" is also the only documentary made about the country that "encourages people to take action," the embassy said.

The film has been screened in New York, Washington D.C., Madrid, Gran Canarias and Berlin.



Soy-milk plant a first for Afghanistan



Nutrition & Education International (NEI) has hosted a ceremony to mark the beginning of a major food project in Afghanistan.

The "Sterilized Soy Milk Plant" project was launched at Daesung Food in Suwon, Gyeonggi Province, on March 25.

NEI, Korea's Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the World Food Programme are working to establish the plant, a first for the country.

"The Sterilized Soy Milk Plant is a long-term project to eradicate malnutrition and improve protein consumption for Afghans as the production of soybeans in the country increases," an NEI spokesperson said. "The plant can produce 40,000 pouches (each 190ml) a day that can be stored at room temperature for long periods, which can help provide protein not only to the cities but also to mountainous regions."

According to the NEI, Afghanistan has the world's worst mortality rate for children under five and women giving birth.



The organization has run the "Seeds of Hope" project since 2003 to eradicate malnutrition in poor women and children and prepare infrastructure for sustainable farming. NEI introduced soybeans to the country and has trained more that 70,000 farmers in their cultivation.

NEI said the soy-milk plant will be completed in September.



India's maritime sector to be promoted



The Embassy of India said Friday that India will hold the Maritime India Summit at the Bombay Convention and Exhibition Centre in Mumbai, April 14 and 16.

According to the embassy, the event, designed to "complement India's efforts to develop its maritime sector and attract global investment," will focus on growing opportunities in the maritime sector, which consists of shipbuilding, port development, inland waterway development and aquaculture.

"This special event is made particularly meaningful by the fact that the Republic of Korea is the sole partner country at the Maritime India Summit 2016," an embassy spokesman said.

Korea's Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries, and the lead organization on the India's Ministry of Road Transport and Highways and Shipping are participating in the summit.

"The Embassy of India in Seoul is working closely with the government of the Republic of Korea, and with Korean business entities, to maximize business opportunities and to prioritize the opportunities for Korean partners in India. Special facilitation is being arranged for Korean companies to exhibit their products and expertise, and to meet Indian business and government entities," the spokesman said.
By Park Si-soo



North Korea is losing ground in South Korean academic circles at a time of growing military tension between the two countries.

Universities here have closed or downsized departments that offered courses on the country in recent years, citing relatively high unemployment rates of graduates and difficulty in attracting freshmen.

Students and North Korea experts say the situation is a short-sighted policy that should be halted to safeguard ongoing studies and research into the reclusive state, and to nurture human resources to prepare for unification.

They warn that this trend will create another ironic situation in which South Korea falls behind countries such as the U.S. when it comes to North Korean studies.

Despite the outcry, universities appear determined to keep downsizing.

Insiders recognize the importance of the department but say that keeping it afloat despite underperformance is all but impossible, especially in the face of the deteriorating financial health of universities.
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 which 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 reemerged 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 UN 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 Senator 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 Senator Jeff Flake of Arizona joined the Obama delegation. A bipartisan congressional delegation visited Cuba in February.



During a joint press 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.



Note from the writer: The subject is significant for Korea-U.S. relations. I'm old enough to remember the early 1960s. Was working at a supermarket after school and weekends in Los Angeles. In October 1962, the day after Pres. Kennedy's speech announcing Soviet missiles in Cuba, and our naval blockade, arrived at work to find the store jammed. People paid for goods, but the collective fear was apparent, primal. One older woman filled two shopping carts with bottled water and toilet paper. When my shift finished that night, we had been cleaned out, and I was shaken as well as exhausted. Never doubt: we live in safer times today. Have a good weekend, and best wishes.



Arthur I. Cyr is Clausen distinguished professor at Carthage College in Wisconsin and author of "After the Cold War" (NYU Press and Palgrave/Macmillan). He can be reached at acyr@carthage.edu.




By Yang Dong-hee

It was a dark night in a back street of New York in l979. President Jimmy Carter was running for a second presidential term against Republican candidate Ronald Reagan. An armed robber threatened a gentleman at gunpoint and asked, "Carter or Reagan?"

The gentleman was at a loss and said, " Shoot me."

This was a joke I heard from Michael Tharp, then Tokyo bureau chief of the Wall Street Journal, in a Seoul hotel some 36 years ago. The popularity of the two candidates was very low, as with H. Clinton and D. Trump today.

In the memory of most South Koreans, U.S. Army Major General John K. Singlaub (many Koreans will love to pronounce him as single love) still remains a "true soldier," like Gen. MacArthur who stood against President Harry S. Truman during the Korean War.

Singlaub, 94, was relieved from his position as chief of staff of the 8th U.S. Army after criticizing President Jimmy Carter's decision to withdraw U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula in an interview with the Washington Post in May, 1977. It was three day after he was summoned to the White House for a 30-minute meeting with President Carter.

He said in the interview that the Carter administration's plan to withdraw U.S. troops from the Korean Peninsula within the next five years was wrong and would inevitably lead to another war. At the time, Singlaub said that "Carter's plan is based upon dated information" and that the "North Korean Army is much stronger and dangerous than before."

Less than a year later, Singlaub was forced to retire after he publicly questioned President Carter's national security policies during a lecture at Georgia Tech. The reason for his early retirement was that he was "overstepping his bounds and failing to respect the President's authority as Commander-in-Chief."

Singlaub, a highly decorated former Overseas Security Service officer and a founding member of the CIA, served as a leading figure in U.S. national security matters under five Democratic and Republican presidents, including Franklin Roosevelt, J.F. Kennedy and Richard Nixon.

Respected U.S. Army General William Westmoreland described Singlaub as a "true military professional" and "a man of honesty, patriotic conviction and courage."

It is not widely known that he fought in the Korean War as a battalion commander of the 3rd U.S. Army Infantry Division. In June, 2015, his daughter paid a visit to the 3rd Korean Army Armored Brigade, taking his place because he suffered a knee injury two days before his departure from his home in Franklin, Tennessee.

I think he should also be remembered in connection to the "Panmunjom Axe Murder Incident." This incident occurred just one month after I joined The Korea Times as a staff reporter on the city desk, assigned to covering the Korean National Defense Ministry and the 8th U.S. Army, when the axe murder incident, or "the poplar tree incident," took place on Aug. 18, 1976.

Maj. Gen. Singlaub was the deputy commander of the United Nations Command (UNC) when the incident took place. The UNC commanding general was on business leave and was taking command of the UNC troops at this critical moment.

President Park Chung-hee, the 8th U.S. Army Commanding General Richard Stilwell and Singlaub held a series of emergency meetings at the underground bunker beneath Cheong Wa Dae right after the incident until "Operation Paul Bunyan" was successfully completed. Kim Il-sung had to say sorry for the incident.

The operation, named after mythical American lumberjack Paul Bunyan, was conceived as a U.S.-Korean show of force, but was also carefully managed to prevent further escalation; "It was planned over two days by Gen. Stilwell and Maj. Gen. Singlaub of UNC headquarters," according to Wikidepia.

In response to the incident, which claimed the lives of two U.S. Army officers and caused severe injuries to nine U.S. and Korean soldiers, the UNC decided that instead of trimming the branches that obscured visibility, they would cut down the tree using overwhelming force. "Clubbing is necessary for a mad dog" became a popular remark made by President Park Chung-hee.

Months later, Singlaub was invited to a party held by a Korean general, who said, "I have no doubt that you could have been promoted to lieutenant general and then general. We all feel very sorry for that." Then Singlaub replied, "I am happy to think of the lives of millions of people in return for one or two more stars."

Looking back on Korean military history, Lt. Gen. Chae Myong-shin comes up first as "a true military professional." Chae was the first commanding general of the South Korean Armed Forces in Vietnam.

Chae publicly opposed a revision of the Korean constitution, which was designed to make President Park Chung-hee's third term possible. He was forced to retire from the Army.

In November, 2013, his name drew nationwide attention again when he was laid in peace alongside other enlisted men at the National Cemetery in Seoul. "Please, bury me with my men who fought together in the Vietnam" was his last will, which was duly respected. Chae became the first general not to be buried in the generals' quarter of the cemetery.

Another legend of the Korean Army, Brigadier General Park Jung-in, died at the age of 82 last month. He ordered an instant counter-attack by using 105mm and 110mm artillery when his men were attacked by North Korean machine guns in DMZ in March, 1973. More than 30 North Korean soldiers were killed and no further response from the intimidated North Koreans was reported. Park, commanding general of the legendary "White Skeleton Division," was relieved from the Army one month after the incident for "acts not approved beforehand." President Park Chung-hee later called him to say, "Look at you general. You are a real soldier."

The writer worked as a reporter for The Korea Times and the Hankook Ilbo-New York, and as a stringer correspondent for the Wall Street Journal. He was the first managing director in Korea of the U.S.-based International Management Group (IMG).
/ Courtesy of Samsung Medical Center



Noted neurologist believes his research team is on the brink of breakthrough



By Jung Min-ho, Kim Eil-chul

Despite the huge amount of money and effort that have gone into Alzheimer's research, the disease remains incurable, and current treatments bring only temporary relief but cannot significantly slow its progression.

Scientists still do not know how the disease develops in the first place. However, they do know now that one of the disease's hallmarks is sticky protein clumps, or amyloid plaques, in the brain. The plaques and neurofibrillary tangles are prime suspects in damaging and killing nerve cells, which eventually creates voids in the brain.

Thus, it is widely assumed that removing the plaques from the brain will alleviate symptoms of the disease such as memory loss and language impairment.

Over the past two decades, scientists in collaboration with global pharmaceutical firms have been trying hard to develop drugs that can eliminate amyloid plaques from an affected brain, but have not yet been able to do so.

Na Duk-lyul, a renowned neurologist at Samsung Medical Center, took a different approach to the issue. Since 2008, he has been working with Medipost, a Korea-based biotechnology company, to develop a drug using mesenchymal stem cells, which he believes can cure the disease without having to remove amyloid plaques.

"After conducting experiments on mice and beagles, our team has found that human umbilical cord blood-derived mesenchymal stem cells can significantly reduce the level of amyloid plaques in the brain," Na said in an interview. "We still don't know much about how the stem cells work, but they certainly work."

After receiving approval from the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in 2013, he began conducting phase 1 of the clinical trials for Neurostem, a novel therapeutic agent for Alzheimer's disease. "The results are expected to come out in a few years, and I'm confident that it will be a success," he said.

For many years, Na said the biggest challenge for him was to come up with an effective way of delivering the drug to the affected spots in the brain.

The bloodbrain barrier (BBB), a filtering mechanism of the capillaries that carries blood to the brain, prevents the drug from reaching the brain. "At first we tried intravenous injection, but the drug ended up getting trapped inside the lungs. So we tried some other ways, which also failed."

Na then adopted a different approach, injecting mesenchymal stem cells directly into the hippocampus, which is located in the inner temporal lobe of the brain. The approach worked.

Nine people have so far been tested with the method, and he confirmed that the symptoms of Alzheimer's disease can be relieved with repeated injections.

"The more we study stem cells, the more we are amazed by what they are capable of," he said. "Stem cells can transform into what is needed to fix any health problem. They are like a panacea."





Na, one of the most renowned neurologists in Korea, established a cognitive test for dementia patients in 1995, when the disease was barely understood in the country. The cognitive test, called Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery, is the most commonly used one in Korea today. / Courtesy of Samsung Medical Center



Stem cell breakthrough: blessing or curse?

The clinical trials, if successful, will be groundbreaking for the 48 million Alzheimer's patients in the world.

But even if the trials fail, he believes they will put researchers a step closer to successfully using stem cells to conquer the disease.

Na also said Alzheimer's research could raise a major ethical issue later for mankind.

"What we use now is mesenchymal stem cells, which are not capable of differentiating into neurons. But, sooner or later, scientists will find ways to use neural stem cells, which are capable of doing so, on humans," Na said.

"When it comes to treating Alzheimer's disease, with mesenchymal stem cells, doctors can only relieve its symptoms. On the other hand, if they use neural stem cells with better technologies, they may bring about results that are unimaginable right now. For instance, they may bring back memories that you don't want to remember."

It will be difficult to get approval from governments for using neural stem cells, but he thinks that scientists will, somehow, someday. He also believes, considering the current pace of development, with stem cell technologies, scientists will eventually be able to control the human lifespan and even create humans in the not-so-distant future.

"But that is a line that no one should cross," Na said. "It will erase human dignity because you can kill and make humans as you want. What if the technology falls into the hands of bad people? It will be disastrous for the whole world. Think about it."

"Perhaps it is time for scientists and governments to start thinking about how to ensure the good use of stem cell technologies, which are expected to have profound impacts on mankind."

Journey into the brain

Na is one of the most renowned Alzheimer's disease experts in Korea. In 1995, when the disease was barely understood in the country, he established a cognitive test for Korea, called Seoul Neuropsychological Screening Battery. The cognitive test is now the most commonly used one in the country.

Over the past 20 years, the scholar has also published more than 250 articles on dementia in Korea and abroad, helping set up clinical methods for the disease, especially in the area of vascular dementia.

After Alzheimer's disease, which is identified as the cause for 70 percent of dementia, vascular dementia is the second most common cause (about 20 percent).

And thanks to Na's efforts, vascular dementia, which is caused by problems in the blood supply to the brain, can be managed today with proper treatments.

His journey as a brain researcher started with an intense curiosity, he said.

"When I was a student at Seoul National University College of Medicine, I was just fascinated by the brain, where each lobe serves different functions," Na said. "At that time, the school's neurology department was new and few students chose the major, but I did simply because I liked it a lot."

After obtaining his doctor of medicine degree in 1982, Na went to the University of Western Ontario in Canada to study Alzheimer's disease as a research fellow, and then to the University of Florida to study the field more deeply.

When he returned to Korea in 1995, dementia was still considered a natural consequence of aging, and there were no clinical guidelines or facilities for patients with the disease. So he started to develop guidelines or facilities to help patients and their families.

"At some point, I started to pursue one goal in my life: conquering dementia. Finally, the goal may be within my grasp," he said.
A local court on Friday delivered an eight-month jail term to an illegal Indonesian immigrant, suspected of following a terrorist group affiliated with al-Qaida.

The Seoul Central District Court, however, suspended the sentence for the 33-year-old, whose identity was withheld, for two years. He was convicted of violating South Korea's control of firearms, swords, explosives and miscellaneous weapons act.

The man was arrested in November in South Chungcheong Province, where he had been working in a small manufacturing company for about eight years.

A bowie knife, a mock M4 assault rifle and a number of books on Islamic fundamentalism were confiscated from his house.

While acknowledging that the 33-year-old posed a threat to public safety by illegally possessing a weapon and a mock gun that can be used in criminal activity, the court said it took into consideration that he did not have any criminal records.












A video went viral over the weekend, showing an Italian person stopping his car in the middle of the road, getting out and while shaking his fist, spewed what sounded as obscenities. The scene was captured in the "black box" camera of the car behind him. The woman in that car was quoted by a cable channel as saying, "He cursed at me but I didn't get out for the fear that he would physically harm me."

The man, a resident in Korea, was outraged when he was honked at when cut in on the Olympic Expressway near the Seongsu Bridge at around 3 p.m. Sunday. He was booked without physical detention for endangerment by a sudden change of lanes. The police sent the case to prosecutors with a recommendation for indictment.

The second case was about a Saudi Arabian here for language training who was suspected of repeatedly stopping his car suddenly in front of another vehicle that he claimed didn't yield right of way. The incident took place on a busy Gangnam road on March 20. The third regarded a Taiwanese national, a company employee, who was suspected of making sudden stops after a car behind him blinked its lights on full beam and honked at him.

All three admitted to what they were suspected of doing, when confronted with the videos capturing them in action but claimed that they didn't know they had committed a crime.

Gangnam police in southern Seoul said that many reported so-called road rages or retaliatory driving involved foreigners, adding that they couldn't be an exception for the ongoing crackdown. "A foreigner may think that they can get away by cursing in his or her own language but that just may escalate the confrontation," a police officer was quoted as saying.












A view of the Korean Stone Art Museum located in Seongbuk, northern Seoul.

/ Courtesy of Korean Stone Art Museum



Korean Stone Art Museum partners with Google over 3D online gallery

By Lee Min-hyung

Chun Shin-il, chairman of tour and logistics business operator Sejoong, never thought of opening a stone museum before encountering a Japanese customer at an antique store back in the 1970s.

"The Japanese stone collector was bargaining with a storekeeper, and the owner sold traditional stones at a high price," Chun said in an interview. "It drove me crazy to see our cultural heritage sold to a foreigner. That's when I first got interested in collecting stones."

As his business prospered, he couldn't resist a growing craving to buy and collect more stone cultural assets. This led the 74-year-old businessman to open the Sejoong Museum, the nation's first-ever stone gallery in 2000, in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.

Running the museum for about 15 years, the Sejoong chief wanted more foreign tourists and expats to set foot on the museum and enjoy Korea's cultural assets. Toward the end, he believed the museum should be located at the nation's capital city.

"Last year, I opened the Korean Stone Art Museum in Seoul, allowing easier access for foreign tourists and expats," he said. "Each stone exhibited at our museum has its own symbol of our ancestors. I am sure people from a different culture have a special experience by comparing symbols of Korean stones with their own."

The museum is located in the Seongbuk area of northern Seoul, which is gaining traction as the nation's next cultural cluster due to the government-led "Museum Street" project. The stone gallery currently exhibits some 1,250 stone heritages.

One notable aspect of the museum comes from a "storytelling program," with curators explaining visitors the historical background and symbols each stone brings with it.

He cited the "Road to Success" as an example. The trail outside the museum is packed with such exhibits that contain historical connotations of success.

"Entrepreneurs and parents whose children prepare for the College Scholastic Aptitude Test visit the road while enjoying our ancestors' wishes," Chun said.

The museum has six exhibition themes, with each having a special symbol. They include "Tomb Guardians Who Crossed the Sea to Korea" and "Village Guardians with Faces of Korean People."

In particular, the latter is meaningful as various interpretations can be made about the stone sculptures there, he said.

Korean ancestors placed Jangseung, or village guardians made of stone, on village boundaries in a belief that they would frighten away demons and ward off evil spirits.

Each town made its own version of Jangseung based on their common desire, not bound by a specific format.

"In particular, the Village Guardian with Pipe dates back to the Shilla Dynasty (57 B.C.-A.D. 935)," he said. "Our ancestors at that time believed that playing pipes would subside waves, helping relieve their anxiety. Seaside villages carved pipes on Jangseung in this historical context."

Calls for more attention on stone culture





Chun Shin-il

Chun is also seeking to become a frontrunner to redeem stones stolen by Japan.

In 2001, he brought back 70 stone heritages on his visit to Japan, 47 of which are on display at the museum.

"As far as I know, there are thousands of stone heritages at museums in Japanese cities such as Tokyo and Kyoto," he said. "I will keep doing my best to win over the Japanese and return our heritages to Korea."

The museum could serve as a connecting point to spread awareness of the nation's stone culture, he said. This will allow us to get deeper into research on stone culture, offering more opportunities to bring back such stolen cultural assets, he said.

He stressed the fastest way to reach the goal is more "interest" in the area.

"Growing numbers of people and organizations are paying more attention to retrieving our cultural properties," he said. "More tangible achievements can be made through continued efforts from individuals and the government."

Toward the end, Chun is planning to hold a series of international conference with a group of stone culture experts at home and abroad.

"We have offered lectures and seminars for a more systematic approach to historical, religious and cultural studies of stone culture," he said. "To expand our global footstep, we will soon hold an international conference."

The museum will also run a scholarship and funding program for researchers in this field.

Backed by such efforts, the museum has built strong visitor loyalty.

"More than half of our visitors have signed up for a yearly membership since we opened in last November," he said. "Considerable numbers of them visit again with their acquaintances. The word-of-mouth effect is the driving force to promote the museum. We are seeking to attain a higher foothold among foreign expats and visitors as well."

Admission is 7,000 won ($6.04), with annual membership costing 10,000 won.





The exhibition hall of the Korean Stone Art Museum displays sculptures under the theme, "A Hill of Prayers Accommodating Many Wishes."

/ Courtesy of Korean Stone Art Museum



Google partnership

The museum is not all about the history and culture. The stone gallery is seeking to take advantage of the state-of-the-art technology by teaming up with Google.

The museum is taking part in the Google Art Project, an online art platform, allowing people to view acclaimed artwork offered by the world's leading art institutions.

"Google has recently taken panoramic views of the stone heritages of the museum," he said. "The digital content will be available in the second half of this year."

Anyone in the world can zoom in all the exhibits and enjoy the museum's general views through Google Street View, he said.

For more information on the Korean Stone Art Museum, please visit www.koreanstonemuseum.com/en/
Microsoft Korea CEO Alfred S. Koh delivers a welcoming speech during an event held at Konkuk University, southern Seoul, Friday. / Courtesy of Microsoft Korea



Two firms collaborating for cloud computing since March



By Kim Yoo-chul



Microsoft Korea has closed a deal with LG Uplus to construct a new data center inside LG's state-of-the-art commercial incubator building in Pyeongchon, Anyang, south of Seoul.



"The Korean subsidiary of Microsoft agreed with LG Uplus to create a data center at the LG-built Mega Center in the local provincial city of Pyeongchon. MS Korea is happy to see that the bilateral partnership with LG Uplus is getting stronger," said an official, Sunday.



"The agreement is a result of requests by Microsoft Korea's key corporate clients including LG Uplus," said the official, asking to remain unidentified.



A data center is a facility containing wireless and storage equipment, and various server systems. Because it is core infrastructure, which stores big data and handles its distribution, a stable power supply, and information security are required.



The LG-built Mega Center has two data center buildings with about 500 racks of corporate servers, each of which can be mounted with around 50 individual servers, according to LG Uplus.



Microsoft Korea was impressed about the external scale and strengthened data security, in addition to an efficient power supply with geographical advantages as the center is just about 25 kilometers south of Seoul.



MS Korea is a new addition to LG's data center as the Pyeongcheon hub already houses a lot of local financial and overseas companies digital storage requirements.



LG Uplus said its partnership with Microsoft has so far been successful  the two jointly promote "Biz Skype" business systems.



Biz Skype is a combination of Uplus's Internet phone and Microsoft's Skye for Business platform. This is also compatible with Microsoft's Office applications including Power Point, Excel and Outlook.



"Microsoft Korea is one of LG's key partners. The two-way strategic partnership will be expanding further; with mutual tie-ups, local SMEs can save managerial costs and build up their own internal communication systems, which will also help them see enhancements and change in the style of their own enterprise communication," said the official, adding the two companies also agreed to jointly promote Microsoft's Windows products.



Microsoft Korea declined to comment whether or not the Korean subsidiary agreed with the LG's telecom affiliate to bring some of its confidential data to Korea.



New mission for new Microsoft Korea CEO



New Microsoft Korea CEO Alfred S. Koh, a former Samsung SDS CEO, is expected to talk more about the background of the company's decision to create a data center in Korea in an upcoming news conference with Korean media.



As Koh is an expert in the business-to-business (B2B) segment, he is expected to win more contracts from more Korean companies thanks to the installment of its new data center.



According to officials, its moves are far ahead of Google, which Microsoft believes is its chief rival in cloud computing; and are also in accordance with the company's strategy to expand data center capacity in the United States and non-United States markets.



They said high-growth Asian markets have been a key focus for Microsoft. Therefore, the establishment of its data center in Pyeongchon is understood by many to offer its private network connectivity to its Azure cloud.



"Because Korea is one of the key markets for Microsoft, it's very keen to improve the performance of cloud services for local customers and users, which makes sense," said the official.



MS Korea has already been collaborating with LG Electronics and Samsung Electronics with regards to hardware devices and software.



In addition to LG Uplus, KT, which is the nation's No. 2 mobile carrier, is also partnering with MS Korea for cloud computing-related services and technologies.



The Microsoft-LG Uplus deal could bring about similar results, as Google said it is planning to build more than 10 data centers by the end of next year.



It's uncertain whether Google will include Korea, though Seoul has been consistent in pushing Google to build its latest data center here.



Amazon earlier said it was interested in establishing a data center in Korea by the end of 2017. Related procedures are currently underway, though Amazon officials weren't available for comment.
Top-charting group GFriend is preparing to make their first foray into the Japanese market.

Source Music's CEO confirmed with Korean news outlet Sports Joseon about the group's entrance in other Asian markets.

"We have been meeting with local agencies in Japan ever since last year to feel out the market," the CEO said. "On the other hand, we are planning to enter China more cautiously than we will in Japan."

Although the CEO is preparing for a debut in Japan, he will not simply sign GFriend off to the company that offers the most money.

"We are currently in talks with five different agencies in Japan. Our primary criteria is how much the company can spend on the group, rather than how much we can earn from the contract," he added.

GFriend first attempted to enter the Japanese market at the end of 2015, but were unable to find a suitable agency to help them promote there.

"We are definitely going to make a Japanese debut within 2016," the Source Music CEO said firmly. "There is a high possibility that GFriend will make their debut in Japan after releasing a new song in Korea this summer."

Girlfriend is currently in their second year of promoting, after debuting in Jan. 2015. The group won 15 trophies on live music shows with their latest comeback with "Rough," which was released in January.
The SLFP does not condone the continuation of the Emergency Regulations (The Public Security Ordinance) more than a day necessary

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The gig: Bryson Reaume, 35, is president of City Constructors Inc., one of the companies working on the renaissance of Los Angeles urban core. The company he founded at age 23 has been the design-to-completion general contractor on a number of downtown Los Angeles restoration and reuse projects, including the Rowan and El Dorado lofts. Other projects included turning an old apartment building into the AKA Beverly Hills Hotel and overhauling the Best Western Hollywood Hills.

Steady work: Reaume said his company currently has 38 employees, having come back from dramatic workforce cutbacks during the recession. Were expecting to do between $35 million and $40 million in business this year, he said. My business partner Evan Richardson has been absolutely instrumental in the growth of our company, Reaume said. I get a lot from his drive and his work ethic.

Better than Lego: Reaumes love of building things came from pieces a lot bigger than Lego bricks. His dad was a general contractor for residential construction. I worked construction and did a lot of odd jobs even during the school year. I learned a massive amount from that.

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G.I. Joe: Just past his mid-teens, Reaume saw college tuition rise and heard about graduates who werent quickly finding jobs. A better way, he thought, might be to join the military and later use veterans benefits to defray college costs. I enlisted in the Army when I was 17. I was pre-planning for college money, plus those recruiters were pretty persuasive, Reaume said. My parents had to sign me away to allow me to do it because I was so young. Reaume trained as a combat medic, then served in the Army Reserve for about seven years.

The pluses: The good part about that move, other than serving his country, was that his military training gave him excellent preparation for the business world he would join in his early 20s. You have an objective. You prepare on how to accomplish it. You work as a team, which is perfect training for a general contractor. Plus, there is learning about the chain of command, Reaume said.

The minuses: The U.S. military these days relies rather heavily on its reserves. I got activated during 9/11, Reaume said. He was never sent overseas and sounded sorry that he didnt do more when he noted, It was not very exciting, but we did do some satellite communications work. The return to active service also interrupted his schooling at San Luis Obispos Cuesta College, which he hasnt gone back to complete.

Love at first site: In the early 2000s, Reaume took a job he thought would be a one-off, helping out restoring an old downtown office building. He immediately loved it. It was the Douglas Building Lofts downtown, Reaume said. I still remember walking through that building. It was so dilapidated it looked like something from a Mad Max movie. They turned into this absolutely amazing building.

Big Leap: It wasnt easy applying his knowledge of residential construction and battlefield medicine to running a company vying for a piece of major commercial projects. It was a sharp learning curve, Reaume said, like drinking from a fire hose was how I usually described it back then. As a general contractor, his company manages overall construction, from putting together the right team of subcontractors to matters such as quality control, scheduling and logistics.

Stand Out: We were fortunate enough to have teamed up with a fantastic developer, Goodwin Gaw of Gaw Capital Partners, Reaume said. He trusted us. He saw our drive and what we wanted to become. He was the catalyst that allowed us to grow so much pre-recession. Gaw became a role model. What I noticed about Gaw and really liked was that he was always very calm and levelheaded in the face of chaos. A lot of things can go wrong, budgets are busted, decisions and designs not made properly. But he always thought things through and made very rational decisions.

Surviving meltdown: Reaume said his company grew from just two people working inside the Douglas Building project to 50 employees. When the downturn hit, Reaume had to lay off all but 14 employees. To keep his company in business, he worked at cost and accepted no fees. We must have turned down millions of dollars in fees, he said. Reaume said clients still remember that.

Do what you love: City Constructors built a reputation for historic accuracy and bringing projects in on time and at or under budget. Reaume remembers working on the restoration of St. Vibianas Cathedral, restoring its tower and cupola as well as its bathrooms. When you see the news and press around the restoration and people rallying around this downtown Los Angeles landmark, it feels good to be a part of that, Reaume said. We love re-creating these buildings.

Advice: Be a secure boss who doesnt worry about employees outshining him. You have to build a good team. You should always surround yourself with people who are smarter than you, Reaume said, because you can also learn from them and grow with them. That has been huge for me.

Personal: Reaume lives in Los Angeles with his wife, Monica, and two small children. Hes had a lot of interesting hobbies that he no longer has time for, such as flying and Brazilian jujitsu. He said he looks forward to the day when his children are a little older and we can walk or drive down these streets and I can say, Yep, daddy helped build that one, and that one, and that one.

ronald.white@latimes.com

Twitter: @RonWLATimes
The war of words has gotten nasty, with the candidates describing the ideas of their rivals as disingenuous, extreme and capricious.

These are not the comments of presidential candidates. This is the language used by airlines that are competing for a handful of routes to Cuba that the U.S. government will award this summer under the Obama administrations effort to normalize relations with the island nation.

As part of the selection process, the U.S. Department of Transportation has asked that the competing carriers submit written requests for the routes they want as well as responses to the proposals of their rivals.

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The federal agency plans to approve 20 daily round-trip flights to Havana, and 10 flights to nine smaller airports around the communist country.

The language in these responses has taken an ugly tone because airline executives know that the Cuban routes will be in high demand, particularly from Cuban Americans living near Miami, New York and Los Angeles.

In its application, New York-based JetBlue Airways requested 12 daily flights to Havana and took shots at Delta Air Lines, saying JetBlue, not Delta, is the leading domestic airline at JFK, referring to John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York.

Delta, which requested to fly daily to Havana from four U.S. airports, fired back in its application, saying, JetBlues claim that it offered more seats and flights from JFK than any other airline in 2015 is demonstrably false.

In Deltas application, the Atlanta-based carrier took an additional shot at JetBlue by including photos of stranded JetBlue passengers sleeping in chairs at a JFK terminal.

Southwest Airlines, which requested nine of the 20 daily flights to Havana, said it can offer fares lower than American, Spirit and JetBlue on flights between South Florida and Havana.

United Airlines described a projection that Southwest made about demand for its service capricious.

American Airlines, which asked for 12 daily flights into Havana plus 10 daily or weekly flights to other Cuban airports, called Southwests request for six daily flights from Fort Lauderdale to Havana absurd.

American also slammed Alaska Airlines, saying its request for two daily flights from Los Angeles International Airport to Havana is in the extreme and bears no rational relationship to historical, current or future demand.

To read more about travel, tourism and the airline industry, follow me on Twitter at @hugomartin.

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DC Comics, on the heels of stellar box office but disappointing reviews for Warner Bros. Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, took to the stage at WonderCon to reveal their Rebirth lineup, a comic book event the company has long been trumpeting.

Rebirth is a comic event that will run through many of DCs top titles. Not a reboot like the previous New 52 initiative, but a relaunch of over 50 titles that will not throw away recent history but hopes to right the ship in terms of editorial direction.

New creative teams will be taking over many titles while some will remain but be relaunched with No. 1s. Rebirth will be publishing twice monthly on key characters, and the price of the books will be brought down to $2.99.

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But before any announcements were underway, there was an apology. Co-publisher Dan Didio addressed the DC-centric crowd, giving a mea culpa on The New 52, which relaunched many core titles. Though it did some good things, said Didio, it seemed that feedback from the fans, mixed with concern coming from creators, caused the powers that be to rethink every title and character in the comics stable.

We talked about the New 52, but something was missing. You felt it, and over time, we felt it too, said Didio. Why? Well, sometimes you lose your way. The whole purpose [of this event] is to show you, the fans, our commitment to you.

During the panel, co-publisher Jim Lee explained the look of the new comics, and shared designs for the lineup -- including ones for Batman, Superman, a female Latina Green Lantern, and a goateed Green Arrow (which elicited a huge cheer from the crowd).

Every great Green Arrow story, he had a goatee, said Johns.

After the introduction of Rebirth, the new creators took the stage in families to give a one-liner or two about the books they were on. The Bat-family of books, the Superman family, the Justice League family and more were each represented by artists and writers who would be guiding this rebirth. Here were a few takeaways from the nearly two-hour-long gathering.

Tom King is taking over Batman, and Batman Rebirth seems like a perfect match. The ex-CIA member hoped to delve into what makes Batman go as close to the edge as he does, and what pulls him back. Just like he did for the government. He was also happy about the Batman boot camp that Batman and Batwoman would jointly run as leaders of separate teams.

The controversial title of the Rebirth story for Nightwing is Better Than Batman. Nice. And it will be written by Tim Seeley with art by Javi Fernandez and Marcus To.

Julie Benson and Shawna Benson, writers on The 100, take over Batgirl and the Birds of Prey. They promise a storyline where they will track down who is impersonating Oracle.

Scott Snyder and John Romita Jr. will team up for All-Star Batman. Romita Jr. called it the most fun you can with your clothes on. Snyder wanted this Batman to be way out there too. In a Harvey Dent storyline, he described a cross-country trip that Dent and Batman have as Mad Max"-like.

The cover to Action Comics got some gasps from the crowd as you see Superman battling a Superman-suit-clad Lex Luthor. Lex will be vying to be Metropolis Superman whle Kal-El is off in other countries. Dan Jurgens will continue the story of Superman: Lois and Clark.

Gene Luen Yangs New Superman will take a trip to China -- Shanghai to be exact, but hes not the main character here. Kenji Khan gets infused with Supermans power... But he doesnt have Supermans mind or emotions.

A Star Wars moment for Kara Zor-El. It is revealed that Cyborg Superman is her father. Definitely more to come on this from new Supergirl writer Steve Orlando.

Batgirl will be penned by Hope Larson, which the Internet promptly freaked out about in a happy way.

Blue Beetle will feature two Blue Beetles -- Jaime Reyes and Ted Kord.

Greg Rucka is coming back to Wonder Woman. How do you say no to Diana? You really couldnt, said Rucka. The book will have stories running simultaneously with different artists. Wonder Woman: Lies and Wonder Woman: Year One.

Two Green Lantern rookies (a reluctant Jessica Cruz, and a gung-ho Simon Baz) will be helping out the Justice League by Tony S. Daniel and Fernando Pasarin.

And speaking of a duo of Green Lanterns, comics Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps will be written by Robert Venditti with art by Ethan Van Sciver And Rafa Sandoval. And Green Lanterns will come from Sam Humphries and Geoff Johns.

And, oh yeah, theres going to be a second Justice League book in the Rebirth, Justice League America, coming in September.

In Flash, led by writer Joshua Williamson, a speed force storm will bring lots of new speedster into existence. Flash artists include Carmine Di Giandomenico and Neil Googe.

Where does the soul of the machine end and the soul of man start? John Semper plans to go to a dark place with Cyborg and explore the fact that hes a black man living in Detroit. With art by Will Conad and Paul Pelletier.

Aquaman will be penned by Dan Abnett and Brad Walker with art by Walker, Jesus Merino And Phil Briones. The gang hopes to integrate Atlantis into society, with help from Mera.

What is the name of the Joker? It will be answered.

Christopher Priest will take over Deathstroke.

James Tynion IV is writing Detective Comics.

The Harley Quinn team of Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Connor both toyed with the idea of doing a Harley Quinn Afterbirth book instead of a rebirth.

Red Hood, Bizarro and Artemis will form a reverse Trinity of sorts.

The return of Terry McGuinness in Batman Beyond was loudly cheered. And it will be penned by Dan Jurgens with art by Bernard Chang.

The Teen Titans, written by Ben Percy with art by Jonboy Meyers, may end up being Robin vs the Titans because Damien Wayne wants to lead.

In the post-panel press conference, Didio explained a bit about why he felt the need to apologize, saying that you have to admit when things arent going well. He used an example of him being at New York Comic-Con on a panel, and feeling a weird sensation when no asked him one question about story. He knew something was wrong.

Storytelling was also brought up post-panel. And how the medium and the manner in which we tell stories has changed, and how the books and the business should reflect those changes. That means organic diversity in the books and in the creators who write and draw those books. This may cause character changes, etc., but the heart of the character, what made them popular in the first place, never really changes. The market and society are not stagnant, and the readership hasnt finished evolving yet, either, says Didio.

The Rebirth title lineup was announced as follows:

June

Rebirth specials:

Aquaman Rebirth #1

Batman Rebirth #1

The Flash Rebirth #1

Green Arrow Rebirth #1

Green Lanterns Rebirth #1

Superman Rebirth #1

Titans Rebirth #1

Wonder Woman Rebirth #1

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Aquaman #1

Batman #1

The Flash #1

Green Arrow #1

Green Lanterns #1

Superman #1

Wonder Woman #1

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Action Comics #957

Detective Comics #934

July

Rebirth specials:

Batgirl & The Birds Of Prey Rebirth #1

Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps Rebirth #1

The Hellblazer Rebirth #1

Justice League Rebirth #1

Nightwing Rebirth #1

Red Hood & The Outlaws Rebirth #1

New #1 issues (shipping twice monthly):

Hal Jordan & The Green Lantern Corps #1

Justice League #1

Nightwing #1

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Batgirl #1

Batgirl & The Birds Of Prey #1

The Hellblazer #1

Red Hood & The Outlaws #1

The Super-Man #1

Titans #1

Fall

Rebirth Specials:

Batman Beyond Rebirth #1

Blue Beetle Rebirth #1

Cyborg Rebirth #1

Deathstroke Rebirth #1

Earth 2 Rebirth #1

Suicide Squad Rebirth #1

Supergirl Rebirth #1

Teen Titans Rebirth #1

Trinity Rebirth #1

New #1 issues (shipping twice monthly):

Cyborg #1

Deathstroke #1

Harley Quinn #1

Justice League America #1

Suicide Squad #1

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Blue Beetle #1

Earth 2" #1

Gotham Academy: Next Semester #1

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Trinity #1

Follow me on Twitter: @Storiz

MORE WONDERCON:

PHOTOS: Cosplay looks from WonderCon 2016

What Wonder Woman experts had to say about Batman v Supermans Diana Prince

Orphan Black co-creators discuss going back to the beginning for Season 4

Batman v Superman, who wins? We asked and WonderCon answered
Facing a growing outcry, Tribeca Film Festival co-founder Robert De Niro has decided to remove a controversial anti-vaccine film from the gatherings lineup.

Just a day after the actor revealed that he had personally pushed for a showing of the film, titled Vaxxed and directed by the polarizing anti-vaccine activist Andrew Wakefield, De Niro reversed his position.

My intent in screening this film was to provide an opportunity for conversation around an issue that is deeply personal to me and my family, De Niro said in a statement Saturday afternoon. But after reviewing it over the past few days with the Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientific community, we do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for.

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Tribeca caused an uproar earlier in the week when it announced that Vaxxed would be screened at this years festival The movie alleges a cover-up by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention over the measles, mumps and rubella vaccine increasing the risk of autism--a position that has been widely discredited by the scientific community and criticized for leading to a dangerous drop-off in MMR vaccinations. Recent years have brought an increase in measles outbreaks, including a high-profile series of cases tied to Disneyland in 2015.

The festivals decision to give Wakefield a platform--he was also invited to speak as part of a post-screening event--was radioactive from the start. Social media reaction was swift and negative, and many science bloggers spoke out against the decision.

The New Yorker medical journalist Michael Specter told The Times that it was shocking and disgraceful. This is a criminal who is responsible for people dying, Specter said.

L.A. Times columnist Michael Hiltzik was also an outspoken critic. That hand-waving in favor of dialogue can shield a lot of damaging mischief, he wrote.

On Friday, De Niro revealed that he, and not the festivals programmers, had been the one who scheduled the film. He said his interest in the issue came from his experience with his child, who is autistic.

It was unclear what prompted the about-face such a short time later. De Niro in the statement sought to downplay the effects the negative publicity had on his decision.

The festival doesnt seek to avoid or shy away from controversy, he said. However, we have concerns with certain things in this film that we feel prevent us from presenting it in the festival program.

Where this leaves Wakefield remains an open question. The activist could still seek to hold a separate screening in New York outside the festival on April 24, the day it was scheduled.

He also could use the decision as proof of a conspiracy against his theories.

Once you give someone a platform, its very hard to take it away, Specter said earlier in the week. It creates a martyr.

Still, the journalist said that the outcome was far preferable to the alternative, which would have given Wakefield a seal of legitimacy.

It is comforting to know that in the end, Mr. De Niro and his colleagues at the festival responded to data and science rather than to emotion and fear, he wrote in an email. Many children will benefit from this decision.

Wakefield did not immediately comment via social media or a representative. His Twitter page Saturday afternoon continued to tout the festival appearance.

Please go now to the Tribeca Film Festival site for the whistleblower documentary VAXXED and thank them, read the Tweet at the top of his feed, which included a link. The link went to a defunct Tribeca page; the film had been removed from the festivals website.

Twitter: @ZeitchikLAT

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Seven weeks before L.A.'s 2015 municipal election, political aide Caesar Huerta was on the hunt for campaign donations.

His boss, City Councilwoman Nury Martinez, needed contributions from 200 of her constituents to make her campaign eligible for up to $100,000 in taxpayer funds. Huerta, a field deputy, turned to aunts, uncles, cousins and others in his immediate circle, asking for as little as $5, according to several members of his extended family.

Since then, Huerta and at least eight of his relatives have been questioned by FBI agents, called to appear before a federal grand jury, or both, family members told The Times.

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Im not really into politics. I was doing this to support him and his cause, said Panorama City resident Alexandra Galarza, one of at least 18 Huerta relatives listed in city records as Martinez donors. I never thought giving $5 would make me go to federal court.

Huerta, 30, is one of at least five lower-level Martinez staffers who solicited and collected $5 and $10 contributions to the councilwomans re-election effort, according to interviews with several of her constituents in the San Fernando Valley. Those small contributions, part of a federal grand jury investigation, were a major factor in Martinezs success in collecting $65,360 in taxpayer matching funds for her campaign.

Im not really into politics. I was doing this to support him and his cause. I never thought giving $5 would make me go to federal court.  Alexandra Galarza, Panorama City resident

Ethics experts say its not uncommon for elected officials to have their own in-house political staff volunteering on their re-election campaigns. Such efforts are generally allowed under city and state law if they are conducted outside an employees regular work hours, such as weekends or during vacation time.

But those politicians can run into trouble if investigators determine that their staff used government resources  work time, computers or other taxpayer-funded equipment  to engage in campaign activities.

Obviously, if there were campaign violations, and those were done by a city staffer, that looks worse because its [the councilwomans] professional staff, said attorney Gary Winuk, who previously handled enforcement duties for the states Fair Political Practices Commission.

The target of the federal investigation into San Fernando Valley campaign activities remains unclear.

Huerta, a resident of Arleta, had no comment when contacted by The Times, and Martinez declined to discuss the grand jurys efforts. A spokesman for the U.S. attorneys office also had no comment.

In April, an aide to U.S. Rep. Tony Cardenas (D-Los Angeles)  who backed Martinez in her 2013 and 2015 campaigns  disclosed she had received a subpoena to appear before the grand jury. Six months later, a Martinez campaign spokesman confirmed that several of the councilwomans aides had been called before the grand jury to answer questions about her re-election bid. And in recent months, Martinezs constituents  in interviews with The Times  have identified at least 19 people who went to the grand jury and were listed as giving Martinez contributions of $5 or $10.

Some of those people say they told investigators that they never gave those small donations, even though they were listed in city records as having done so. When I go to the [grand] jury, I tell them I dont have extra money to support somebody else, said Ciro Catalan, a resident of Arleta.

Catalan said neither he nor three other relatives  a sister, a brother-in-law and a cousin  gave to Martinezs re-election bid. Yet all four are listed as $5 donors in paperwork submitted by Martinez to the citys Ethics Commission. He also said his wife did give $5.

Federal law enforcement agencies have the power to investigate fraud of more than $5,000 in cities that receive federal funds. In addition, the Los Angeles City Charter bars campaign donors from giving on behalf of another person without that persons knowledge and participation.

Nearly a fifth of the money raised by Martinez for her 2015 re-election campaign came from matching funds, according to Ethics Commission records. If FBI agents suspect that Martinez used fraudulent donor information to obtain taxpayer money, they would be more likely to pursue the people who were in charge  not junior political aides, said attorney Joseph Akrotirianakis, a former prosecutor in the U.S. attorneys office in Los Angeles.

It is unlikely the FBI is targeting a low-level staffer, he added.

Last fall, a campaign spokesman said Martinez understands from the U.S. attorney that she is not a target.

Last year was the first election cycle in L.A. in which, under a newly approved ethics law, council candidates had to obtain contributions from at least 200 residents in their respective districts in order to receive taxpayer funds. Donations as small as $5 were allowed and, under the citys rules, any contribution up to $30 could be made in cash.

Panorama City resident Brian Bautista said he gave $5 to Martinezs campaign in response to a request from his brothers girlfriend, who works as an aide to the councilwoman. The aide, whom he declined to name, went to the familys home and collected four $5 contributions, he said.

I think someone had a 20 and we just split it up, he said.

Bautista said that several months later, he and three family members were summoned to appear before the grand jury. During questioning, he said, prosecutors asked whether he had personally signed a donation form. The 27-year-old bus driver said he told the grand jury that the Martinez staffer filled out the form but that he had signed it himself.

Gary Villagonzalo, who also lives in Panorama City, said he and three other family members also went to the grand jury to answer questions about Martinezs donor list. Villagonzalo said his daughter, without his knowledge, had listed himself, his wife and another family member as $10 donors to the councilwomans campaign.

Villagonzalo said his daughter, a college student, did so after being approached for donations by Martinez staffer Guillermo Marquez.

Marquez, who works in Martinezs Van Nuys office, hung up the phone when reached by The Times.

Martinezs district stretches from Lake Balboa to Sun Valley. First elected to the council in 2013, she has been outspoken about the need for a matching fund system, talking up its significance in L.A. in a video. In a six-minute spot produced by the campaign finance watchdog organization California Common Cause, she said those taxpayer funds provide candidates who arent part of the political establishment a shot at running for office and winning.

Youre going to need money to be able to communicate with voters, Martinez said in the video. Its impossible to zigzag across your district. Theres almost 300,000 people I represent in my district.

Kathay Feng, the top executive at California Common Cause, said its possible that some of Martinezs donors denied that they gave small contributions out of an incorrect belief that donating might get them in trouble with federal authorities. Such behavior would not be unusual in heavily immigrant neighborhoods, such as the ones represented by Martinez, where residents are unfamiliar with campaign finance laws, Feng said.

Its also possible, Feng said, that either Martinezs staffers or her donors cut corners while gathering the small contributions that qualified her for matching funds.

When I look at Nurys organization, I have a hard time believing her office would proactively try to game the system, she added. It feels like there may have been inadvertent mistakes because of an inexperienced and relatively excited group of contributors or entry-level staffers.

After The Times interviewed Feng, the Common Cause video was replaced with a shorter version that did not feature Martinez.

David.zahniser@latimes.com

Twitter: @davidzahniser

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A career smuggler nabbed while guiding four immigrants through the Otay Mountains last year was sentenced Friday to five years in prison.

U.S. Border Patrol agents had caught Efrain Delgado Rosales with undocumented immigrants 23 times in less than 17 years, according to the U.S. attorneys office.

His latest encounter came in November, when agents spotted the 35-year-old guiding the foursome through rugged East County terrain.

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The four men told authorities that Delgado had picked them up at a stash house in Mexico, led them to the border then left them for several hours. As they waited, thieves turned up and robbed them of all of their cash  thousands of dollars.

Delgado returned and  indifferent to the robbery  guided them over the border and through the mountains. While hiking, he left behind three men who could not keep his pace.

At the begging of the fourth man, he eventually returned to collect the distressed trio, each of whom had paid $5,000 to be smuggled into the country.

Federal prosecutors said agents have apprehended Delgado 24 times since 1999, and in all but one instance, he was found with at least two and up to 46 undocumented immigrants.

Teri Figueroa writes for the San Diego Union Tribune.

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As police search for two suspects, residents in a bustling San Francisco neighborhood expressed shock over the slaying of a British tourist that was caught on surveillance video.

Paul Tam, 44, was stabbed in the head Feb. 18 on Post Street. The video shows a robber chasing and then attacking the 44-year-old tourist in the middle of the street.

Tam died Thursday, officials said. According to the Daily Mirror newspaper, Tam was from Manchester and worked in information technology. He apparently was visiting a family member who lived in the area.

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Residents said the area is popular with tourists but that this level of violence was rare.

You hear about, every once in a while, you hear about something happening on Van Ness, like a scuffle for something, but not a stabbing or a homicide or anything like that, resident John Schneider told KGO-TV.

Its a little bit scary because theres so many people here from all over the place, added Angela Macias.

Other residents expressed outrage over the brazen attack.

Authorities said police were looking for two suspects and asked anyone who was in the area of Post between Franklin and Gough streets to contact police.

Police told the San Francisco Chronicle that the victim was stabbed in the head after a man and woman tried to steal his messenger bag. The police said the two scuffled over the messenger bag before the stabbing. The Chronicle said the man was walking near his nieces home.

shelby.grad@latimes.com

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When they pushed him off the prison bus into the swirling dust of the U.S.-Mexico border, they gave him only one instruction: Run.

He watched the other inmates scamper in all directions across the line dividing Laredo, Texas, from Mexico. This is how it ends, he thought to himself, after three honorable years of service in the U.S. Navy and one serious run-in with the law, he was being set adrift, here in a deadly Mexican border town hundreds of miles from home.

So he ran.

Juan Valadez once embraced the Navys ideals: Be your best, serve with honor, protect your country. But because he was born in Mexico and taken to the U.S. as an infant, his pact with America when he joined the military came with a catch: If he ever was convicted of a felony, he would be deported.

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The only legal way to return would be in a casket  a final mercy the U.S. government grants veterans who die after deportation.

Theyll take you back once its not no good to you anymore, Valadez said.

For much of its wartime history, the U.S. has offered naturalization to noncitizens who enlisted in the military and completed boot camp. The practice was halted after the Vietnam War and then resumed a generation later by the Army in 2009, and the Navy after that.

Valadez, 33, is one of the thousands who served in those middle years when naturalization wasnt a part of boot camp graduation.

Advocates estimate there are now at least 2,000 veterans living in northern Mexico, many in border towns such as Tijuana and Juarez where English speakers can find decent-paying work in telemarketing and other service-sector jobs. U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement doesnt track the military history of deportees, so it is difficult to tell exactly how many veterans the government has deported.

In Mexico, Valadez said, his military training and fluent English have drawn the keenest interest from a powerful drug cartel. In a single day, he said, he could make what he earns in a month running the sushi restaurant he now owns in downtown Juarez.

But he has a wife and young daughter now, and he resists picking up the phone. Still, when the bills pile up, the job beckons.

They want to talk to you when you [reach Mexico], said a military veteran in Juarez, who did not want to give his name for fear of reprisal. They know whos here, who can do things they need.

Valadez believes going to work for the cartel, even for simple jobs like driving a truck or running security, would not only be dangerous, but a betrayal.

Im still an American, Im still a sailor, Valadez said.

Valadez admits that he could have done far more to secure a foothold in America.

After boot camp, when he was deployed south of Yemen, in the Gulf of Aden, he could have found someone on his ship who could naturalize him, as the law permits immigrants on active duty abroad. But he never did, and eventually forgot about it.

The modern path to naturalization is far easier, allowing boot camp graduates to participate in a naturalization ceremony. But naturalization ceremonies were not a part of boot camp when Valadez enlisted.

They raised their right hands and swore to defend the Constitution. They thought that made them citizens.  Margaret Stock of Cascadia Cross-Border Law

A Pentagon report, issued in 2008 amid two wars, estimated that about 8,000 noncitizens enlist in the military each year. It is unclear whether enlistment numbers have continued at that pace.

After the Vietnam War, military members had to complete one year of honorable service to even begin applying for citizenship. After the September 2001 terrorist attacks, President George W. Bush signed an executive order allowing for a shorter time frame, clearing the way to a quicker path to citizenship.

The result was scattershot. Some enterprising service members in the country illegally understood the process after deployment and were diligent in filing their applications through their closest embassy. Some thought the boot camp graduation was itself a citizenship ceremony.

They raised their right hands and swore to defend the Constitution, said Margaret Stock of Cascadia Cross-Border Law in Anchorage, Alaska, who has represented many veterans seeking to avoid deportation. They thought that made them citizens.

Some, like Valadez, were unsure of their options.

Military recruiters mislead people, Stock said. They tell them that citizenship will be automatic.

Once deported, veterans are no longer are able to get medical coverage, though the Department of Veterans Affairs will continue to mail them medication.

Vietnam veteran Manuel de Jesus Castano, for instance, was being treated for Lou Gehrigs disease and lupus at an El Paso Veterans Affairs hospital when he was deported in 2011. He was rebuffed every time he tried to come back to the U.S. for treatment, and in 2012 died of a heart attack. He was 55.

Manuel Valenzuela and other advocates for deported veterans helped arrange to have his body returned to the U.S. He is now interred at Ft. Bliss National Cemetery in El Paso, buried with full military honors.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officials say they enforce U.S. immigration law, irrespective of a persons military status.

When Valadez returned from duty in the Gulf of Aden, he left the military and went looking for quick cash. He found it in marijuana.

He told a friend of a friend he would take a shipment of pot from El Paso to Columbus, Ohio. He said he didnt know it at the time, but he was working for the same cartel that would later ask about his services in Juarez. The entire scheme was a setup, Valadez said, and he was eventually convicted of conspiracy to transport drugs, a felony.

He spent three years in prison but said his deportation to Mexico  a country that was all but foreign to him  was essentially a life sentence.

Still, it could be far worse.

On a recent afternoon, as the heat began to build, Valadez unhurriedly prepared the restaurant for opening. With his wife behind the register, he arranged cheap wooden circular tables and chairs into a pattern his servers could move around with ease.

Here, on a busy commercial street in downtown Juarez, Valadez is a successful businessman. The restaurant is an achievement, a purchase he made after two years serving sushi from a food truck.

Half a dozen people, including dishwashers and waiters, rely on him to come to work every day, all the while resisting the pull of easy, dirty money.

I was lucky. I had an uncle in Juarez, he said. Some people, they just disappear.

Twitter: @nigelduara

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Federal prosecutors investigating the possible mishandling of classified materials on Hillary Clintons private email server have begun the process of setting up formal interviews with some of her longtime and closest aides, according to two people familiar with the probe, an indication that the inquiry is moving into its final phases.

Those interviews and the final review of the case, however, could still take many weeks, all but guaranteeing that the investigation will continue to dog Clintons presidential campaign through most, if not all, of the remaining presidential primaries.

No dates have been set for questioning the advisors, but a federal prosecutor in recent weeks has called their lawyers to alert them that he would soon be doing so, the sources said. Prosecutors also are expected to seek an interview with Clinton herself, though the timing remains unclear.

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The interviews by FBI agents and prosecutors will play a significant role in helping them better understand whether Clinton or her aides knowingly or negligently discussed classified government secrets over a non-secure email system when she served as secretary of State.

The meetings also are an indication that much of the investigators background work  recovering deleted emails, understanding how the server operated and determining whether it was breached  is nearing completion.

The interviews are critical to understand the volume of information they have accumulated, said James McJunkin, former head of the FBIs Washington field office. They are likely nearing the end of the investigation and the agents need to interview these people to put the information in context. They will then spend time aligning these statements with other information, emails, classified documents, etc., to determine whether there is a prosecutable case.

Many legal experts believe that Clinton faces little risk of being prosecuted for using the private email system to conduct official business when she served as secretary of State, though that decision has raised questions among some about her judgment. They noted that using a private email system was not banned at the time, and others in government had used personal email to transact official business.

The bigger question is whether she or her aides distributed classified material in email systems that fell outside of the departments secure classified system. But even if prosecutors determine that she did, chances she will be found criminally liable are low. U.S. law makes it a crime for someone to knowingly or willfully retain classified information, handle it in a grossly negligent manner or to pass it to someone not entitled to see it.

Clinton has denied using the email account to send or receive materials marked classified. Though some emails have since been deemed to be too sensitive to release publicly, Clintons campaign has attributed that to overzealous intelligence officials and over-classification run amok.

Legally it doesnt matter if the emails were marked as classified or not, since government officials are obligated to recognize sensitive material and guard against its release. But legal experts noted that such labels would be helpful to prosecutors seeking to prove she knew the information was classified, a key element of the law.

The facts of the case do not fit the law, said Stephen Vladeck, a law professor at American University. Reasonable folks may think that federal law ought to prohibit what Hillary did, but its just not clear to me that it currently does.

Even so, her use of the private server, which was based at her home in New York, has become fodder for Clintons political foes as she campaigns to secure the Democratic nomination for president.

Though Sen. Bernie Sanders has largely declined to use the email scandal against her in the Democratic primary, Republicans have repeatedly said she should be indicted or disqualified from running for the nations top office.

At a recent Democratic debate, Clinton grew exasperated when asked what she would do if indicted. Thats not going to happen, she said.

Her attorney, David Kendall, declined to comment. Her campaign spokesman, Brian Fallon, said in an email that Clinton is ready to work with investigators to conclude the investigation.

She first offered last August to meet and answer any questions they might have, Fallon wrote. She would welcome the opportunity to help them complete their work.

Lawyers for her closest aides  Huma Abedin, Jake Sullivan, Cheryl Mills and Philippe Reines  either did not respond to messages or declined to comment.

The Justice Department and FBI began their investigation after receiving what is known as a security referral in July from the inspector general for U.S. intelligence agencies, which at the time were in the midst of reviewing paper copies of nearly 30,500 emails Clinton turned over in 2014 that she said were work-related.

The State Department has since released all 3,871 pages of Clintons emails in its possession and has determined that 22 of her emails contained top secret information, though they were not marked as such as the time. Hundreds of others contained material that was either secret or confidential, two lower levels of classification.

After stepping down as secretary of State, Clinton, who has said she used her personal email to conduct personal and official business as a matter of convenience, told her staff to delete 31,830 emails on the server that she felt were non-work-related.

In August, the FBI obtained the server and has since recovered most, if not all, of the deleted correspondence, said a person familiar with the investigation.

FBI agents have finished their review of the server and the correspondence turned over by Clinton to the State Department. They have interviewed a number of former aides so they could better understand how the system was used and why Clinton chose to use it, the person said.

Federal prosecutors granted immunity to one of those aides, Bryan Pagliano, who helped set up the server in Clintons home. He has cooperated with the federal investigation and provided security logs that revealed no evidence of foreign hacking, according to a law enforcement official.

His lawyer, Mark MacDougall, did not respond to messages seeking comment.

The probe is being closely watched and supervised by the Justice Departments top officials and prosecutors. FBI Director James B. Comey has said he has been regularly briefed on the investigation, which is being overseen by prosecutors in the Justice Departments national security division.

The decision on whether to prosecute could be difficult. Vladeck, the law professor noted the differences between Clintons email issue and two previous cases involving the mishandling of classified material that resulted in prosecutions and guilty pleas.

In 2005, Sandy Berger, a former national security advisor, pleaded guilty to the unlawful removal and retention of national security information after being caught trying to smuggle classified documents out of the National Archives.

In another case, Gen. David Petraeus, a former CIA director, was investigated for knowingly allowing a mistress to read classified material as she researched a book about him. Petraeus eventually pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor charge of mishandling classified material and was spared prison time.

Legal experts said Petraeus actions were far more serious than anything Clinton is accused of doing. Clintons emails, even those later deemed classified, were sent to aides cleared to read them, for example, and not private citizens, they said.

Several of the lawyers involved in Clintons case are familiar with the differences. Petraeus defense lawyer was Kendall, who also represents Clinton. And a prosecutor helping oversee the Clinton email investigation was part of the team that obtained Petraeus guilty plea.

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Those cases are just so different from what Clinton is accused of doing, Vladeck said. And the Justice Department lawyers know it.

While she is not likely to face legal jeopardy, the emails could cause some political heartburn when the aides are questioned. However, short of an indictment or an explosive revelation, the controversy is not likely to alter the overall dynamics of the primary race or general election, political observers said.

This is clearly disruptive to the campaign, said Mark Mellman, a Democratic pollster. It will take her off message and coverage about important aides being questioned is not coverage youd like to have. However, this issue is largely dismissed by Democratic primary voters and baked into the cake for the general electorate.

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Bernie Sanders scored three wins in Western caucus contests Saturday, giving a powerful psychological boost to his supporters but doing little to move him closer to securing the Democratic nomination.

While results in Washington and Alaska barely dented Hillary Clintons significant delegate lead, Sanders wins underscored her persistent vulnerabilities within her own party, particularly with young voters and liberal activists who have been inspired by her rivals unapologetically liberal message. Sanders also won the Hawaii caucus.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders cast his performance as part of a Western comeback, saying he expects to close the delegate gap with Clinton as the contest moves to the more liberal northeastern states, including her home state of New York. He also said his campaign is increasing its outreach to superdelegates, the party insiders who can pick either candidate, and are overwhelmingly with Clinton.

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The Deep South is a very conservative part of the country, he said. Now that were heading into a progressive part of the country, we expect to do much better.

He added: There is a path to victory. With Clinton far in front, however, it is a difficult path.

I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students. And getting big money out of politics.  Savannah Dills, 24, college student who supports Sanders

Clinton anticipated the losses: She barely campaigned in the three states, making just one day of stops in Washington state, and was spending the Easter weekend with her family.

She is turning her focus to the April 19 contest in New York, seeking to win a large share of the delegates at stake and to avoid the blow of losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate. She is trying to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later, hoping to deliver a big enough haul to unify the Democratic Party and relegate Sanders to little more than a protest candidate.

Sanders, whos found some success in the industrial Midwest, wants to leverage his working-class support and fiery arguments against free trade into an April 5 victory in delegate-rich Wisconsin. He also plans to compete fiercely in New York and is pushing for the party to schedule a debate in the state, saying in the interview that it would be really absurd if one did not take place.

After Sanders two early wins in Washington and Alaska on Saturday, Clinton held a delegate lead of 1,234 to 956 over Sanders, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expands to 1,703-985 once the superdelegates are included. It takes 2,383 delegates to win.

Based on the AP count, Sanders needs to win more than 57 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by Junes end.

His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall  from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates  to prevail.

He was unlikely to emerge from his Saturday sweep with significantly more delegates, winning at least 36 delegates to Clintons 11 for the day after his victories in Alaska and Washington. More are likely to be allocated to Sanders in several weeks, when Washington state Democratic party releases vote shares by district. Sixty-seven delegates are awarded based on results in the states congressional districts.

But theres little question that Sanders has tapped into a powerful frustration within the party. He continues to attract tens of thousands to his rallies and has collected more than $140 million from 4.7 million donations.

Most of his 14 primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats. Hes heavily favored by younger voters, who were a key part of the coalition that boosted Barack Obama to victory twice. Clintons ability to win the White House, should she capture the nomination, will hinge on how well she can motivate his passionate and politically active supporters.

In Spokane, Wash., a huge line of caucus attendees  largely Sanders backers  snaked around a high school parking lot Saturday morning.

I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students, said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. And getting big money out of politics. Hes not paid for by billionaires.

Retiree Dan McLay, 64, attended the caucus in a hard-hat, which he joked he needed because he was one of the relatively few Clinton supporters in the big crowd.

Look at this thing in Brussels, McLay said, referring to the deadly attack in Belgium this week. We need a real experienced leader.

It was strong support for Sanders that brought Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs out to her first caucus in Juneau, Alaska.

This is the first time Ive ever felt that kind of belief in a candidate, that they mean what they say and that they are not saying what they think people want to hear, she said.

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Celebrating a three-state sweep in the latest Democratic Party caucuses, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders said Sunday he believed campaign momentum had shifted in his favor and would position him to defeat Donald Trump.

Sanders beat Hillary Clinton by decisive margins in Hawaii, Alaska and Washington.

Our calculations are that in fact we can win the pledged delegates, Sanders said on NBCs Meet the Press with Chuck Todd. And at a time when we have the momentum, we have won five out of the six last contests in landslide fashion, in all of the national polling that I have seen, we are beating Donald Trump by much greater margins than is Secretary Clinton.

Asked why he no longer scolded his supporters for booing Clinton at his rallies, Sanders suggested crowd reactions were inevitable given the sharp differences in his and Clintons positions.

What we are trying to do in this campaign is to differentiate our positions from Secretary Clinton on the war in Iraq, on fracking, on how we raise money, Sanders said. That is what the American people want to hear.

Meanwhile, Trump, the Republican front-runner, and his chief rival Texas Sen. Ted Cruz continued a nasty, personal fight. On ABCs This Week on Sunday, Trump denied that he was behind a National Enquirer report that claimed Cruz had cheated on his wife.
Today its popular to say that political correctness is destroying America, but a recently discovered set of century-old clippings offer a cautionary reminder of what our country was like without political correctness. From Oregon to South Carolina, journalists and their editors in 1906 felt free to trumpet racial epithets and outright lies, including those they printed about my American grandmother and my Chinese grandfather.

Beginning with their engagement, my grandparents union was national news, simply because of their races. Front-page headlines ranged from the seemingly benign San Francisco Calls Charming Miss Dolly Gives Her Hand to Len Shen Yu to the Denver Posts virulent Los Angeles Heiress Elopes with a Chink Editor of San Fran.

Reporters couldnt be bothered to learn my grandfathers actual name, Liu Chengyu, instead concocting random approximations. And in true tabloid fashion, the Denver paper fabricated the notion that my grandmother was an heiress eloping with her Chinese lover.

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In fact, until the 1906 San Francisco earthquake one month earlier, Dolly Trescott, then 29, had been struggling to support herself by tutoring students in English. One of them was my 30-year-old grandfather-to-be, then enrolled at UC Berkeley and the editor of a newspaper in San Franciscos Chinatown. When the quake struck, Liu Chengyu helped his tutor escape her boarding house on Jackson Street before the Great Fire engulfed it. He then protected her in the tent city for refugees that was erected on the Presidio. Homeless, and with no family other than her naturopath father in Los Angeles, Trescott understandably accepted when this wealthy son of a former Viceroy of Canton proposed marriage.

Liu was a protege of Sun Yatsen. In an ironic twist, his newspaper was an instrument of Suns campaign to overthrow the imperial dynasty that had employed generations of Liu ancestors. My grandfather wanted to see China remade as a Western-style republic. Its not clear that my grandmother knew any more about these revolutionist activities than did the American reporters who dubbed her fiance an embryo diplomat. Regardless, she was prepared to go the distance to marry her Celestial. That alone made her fair game for the papers.

Among its many functions, political correctness applies a brake on the impulse to lie. Its tempting, when spewing venom, to gin up ones case with sensational falsehoods, but less so if you know your audience will call you out and challenge you to justify your prejudices with reason and with facts. In 1906 the citizens who would correct the record were few, but they did exist. The Presbyterian minister who married my grandparents was one.

In the continental United States at the time, all but 17 mostly northeastern states had so-called anti-miscegenation laws that prohibited interracial marriage. And even in a state where it was allowed, finding a willing preacher was no small feat. Trescott and Liu apparently thought they could find one in Mormon Utah, so they boarded a train to Ogden, where reporters gleefully documented the local ministers refusal. The determined couple proceeded to Evanston, Wyo., where the Rev. Leon C. Hills was willing not only to wed them, but also to defend them against the public outrage that followed.

Journalists and their editors in 1906 felt free to trumpet racial epithets and outright lies, including those printed about my American grandmother and my Chinese grandfather.

In a Wyoming Press editorial, Hills made a case for racial (although, alas, not class) tolerance that could well be leveled at those issuing screeds against immigrants today:

Some very unfair and indiscret [sic] remarks have been made by those who do not know the facts of this case. Some speak of this affair as though a Chinese coolie had married some white woman of doubtful character. ... Please pause until you hear some facts. This misunderstanding comes no doubt from three causes: First, from the sensational reports in the newspapers; second, it is due to a gross prejudice in this western country toward the Chinese because of labor problems; third, because some Americans have the idea that the Chinese are an inferior race.

The good reverends appeal had little effect. In South Carolina, Charlestons News and Courier picked up on one bastardization of my grandfathers name to sneer, Miss Dolly Trescott, a white girl, of California, has married a Chinaman whose first name is Sin. This should result in something original.

All this notoriety made the Celestials Wife Wrathy, as one headline put it. After returning to California from their wedding odyssey, my grandmother quietly rented an apartment for the two of them in a swell section of Berkeley, but when three neighboring families learned my grandfathers ethnicity, they went to the press and threatened to move away. My wrathy grandmother was now ready to issue her own statement:

Certain persons have taken it upon themselves to criticise [sic] me because I married an Oriental, but I consider that is purely my own business. ... If necessary I will put the case in the hands of a lawyer.  I will not admit that anyone can drive me out of my present domicile and will fight for my rights to the last.

As far as we know, she won the battle. In 1908, the couples first daughter was born, without fanfare. Three years later, Suns revolution toppled the Manchu empire, and Liu Chengyu hastened back to Shanghai to become a senator in the first Chinese republic. My grandmother followed in 1912, and for the next 24 years my grandparents remained in China, where they had three more children. (My father was the second born.)

Prejudice, from Europeans and Chinese alike, always marked their lives, but never again was it as wanton and widespread as the ugliness captured in those century-old American clippings. If todays campaign against political correctness succeeds, who can doubt that the nasty rhetoric aimed at my grandparents would pale against the vitriol of our times?

Aimee Lius novel Cloud Mountain is based on her grandparents marriage. She teaches in Goddard Colleges MFA program in creative writing at Port Townsend, Washington.

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President Obama wanted last weeks headlines to focus on a U.S. diplomatic triumph, his opening of a new relationship with Cuba. But his upbeat moment in Havana was eclipsed by terrorist bombs in Brussels and fears of more attacks to come. That turn of events captured, in an instant, Obamas foreign policy record: success in diplomacy, frustration at war.

Obama has notched up some genuine achievements with his diplomatic strategy of engagement: the opening to Cuba, a nuclear agreement with Iran and a stronger alliance with Vietnam and other countries in Southeast Asia.

Hes been strikingly less effective, however, at combining diplomacy with force to stabilize parts of the world where the players arent as interested in peaceful engagement  mainly the battle zones of the Middle East.

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Seven years into his presidency, hes still reacting against the errors of his predecessor, George W. Bush. What I think is not smart is the idea that every time there is a problem, we send in our military to impose order, he told Jeffrey Goldberg of the Atlantic in a recent interview.

Hes right, of course; that wouldnt be smart. But its also a straw man. Even Sen. John McCain, Washingtons most enthusiastic interventionist, doesnt advocate troops every time there is a problem.

And Obamas resistance to intervention has come at a cost. Not only the usual critics, but also some veterans of his administration argue that his hasty withdrawal from Iraq and his refusal to support the armed opposition in Syria gave Islamic State the room it needed to grow before the White House noticed it in 2014.

Obama feared a slippery slope in going up against Bashar Assad in Syria, but the war against [Islamic State] is the slipperiest slope of them all, former State Department official Tamara Wittes wrote recently. The lesson is that inaction is not obviously better than action.... It is a choice, and it carries consequences.

Although Obama wants people to remember the new relationships hes opened, like those with Cuba and Iran, his legacy will inescapably include Iraq and Syria too.

After Islamic State fighters swept across northern Iraq in 2014 and threatened to conquer Baghdad, Obama launched airstrikes against the group and sent a small group of U.S. military advisors to shore up Iraqi forces. The advisors have grown to almost 5,000 in Iraq, plus about 50 special operations troops on the ground in neighboring Syria, where Islamic States headquarters lie.

Their missions have been designed to help, rather than supplant, local forces; Obama wants to avoid making U.S. troops responsible for ground combat again.

So progress has been slow. When the U.S. operation began, commanders said they estimated it would take roughly five years to defeat Islamic State, from 2014 to 2019. That was intended to provide time to train local forces on the ground.

When Islamic States operations were confined to Syria and Iraq, that sounded like a tolerable timetable, if a long one. Now that the group has spread to other countries and expanded its war into Europe with devastating effect, a five-year timeline seems less reasonable.

So if theres an Obama Doctrine, at least in the Middle East, it goes something like this: Keep U.S. military commitments limited  but be ready for disappointment when limited action produces modest results.

Obama sometimes sounds as if hed like to focus Americans attention away from the enemies hes been unable to check.

[Islamic State] is not an existential threat to the United States, he told Goldberg. Climate change is a potential existential threat to the entire world.

Hed rather be working on diplomacy in more promising parts of the world, talking with young entrepreneurs in Asia and Africa and Latin America.

If were not talking to them, he said, because the only thing were doing is figuring out how to destroy or cordon off or control the malicious, nihilistic, violent parts of humanity, then were missing the boat. Thats true. But a president cant pick and choose what urgent problems come his way.

Although Obama wants people to remember the new relationships hes opened, like those with Cuba and Iran, his legacy will inescapably include Iraq and Syria too.

He came to office determined to put diplomacy at the center of U.S. foreign policy and reduce our reliance on military force  and hes done that.

But he hasnt solved the toughest riddle: what to do about the worlds most dangerous places, the failed states of the Middle East. That problem remains for his successor to tackle.

The president will spend the rest of the year arguing that his policies have worked, or at least that the alternatives were worse. For now, the grade he deserves is one of incomplete.

doyle.mcmanus@latimes.com

Twitter: @doylemcmanus

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As Californias End of Life Option Act takes effect in June, data from states where aid in dying is already legal raises a question: Who will use the new law? In Oregon, Washington, Montana and Vermont, experience shows that participants will be few in number, well less than 1% of those who die each year. We also know, based on 18 years of data from Oregon, whose Death with Dignity Act was the first such law in the nation, that most of them will be older, white and well-educated.

That puts to rest the worries many have had  that masses of people, particularly the disadvantaged, will be targeted and coerced into dying if physicians are allowed to prescribe a lethal dose of medicine for terminal patients. But in a diverse state like California, the data highlight another concern: The right to die may not be readily available to many and even most people.

The modern aid in dying movement developed alongside medical advancements in the 1960s and 70s  CPR, respirators and defibrillators  that made it possible to save lives that otherwise would have been lost. But those advances also posed new challenges for end-of-life decision making. At the same time, some terminally ill patients found that doing everything to live put the emphasis in the wrong place: length of life over quality of life.

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Nearly 97% of those who have exercised the right to die [in Oregon] were white

Death with dignity court decisions, initiatives and legislation, passed and pending, represent a consensus response to these concerns. Most of the laws, including Californias, closely follow the Oregon model, establishing multiple hurdles for terminally ill patients and highly regulating aid in dying.

With some variations, the protocols look like this: To get a prescription for lethal drugs, patients must be adults, and they must be deemed by two doctors to have six months or less to live. Patients must request a lethal prescription verbally and in writing, with a waiting period in between. If their mental competence is questioned, a psychiatrist must be consulted. Once patients obtain a prescription, they choose when to fill it and when to self-administer the drugs.

So far, Oregons long-term data on DWDA deaths provide the best profile of who uses aid in dying. From 1998 through 2015, 991 Oregonians died from ingesting DWDA drugs. A majority were over the age of 65 (nearly 70%); slightly more were male (51%) than female. Most were diagnosed with terminal cancer (77%). Almost all were enrolled in hospice care (90%) and died at home (94%).

The racial and socioeconomic demographics are also unequivocal: Nearly 97% of those who have exercised the right to die in Oregon were white; 0.1% were African American (there has been just one African American DWDA death in Oregon since 1998); 1% were Latino, 1.3% were Asian.

There are many reasons for this whites-only skew, including Oregons relatively small minority populations. But even where the percentages are higher, its probable minorities will make use of the law in low numbers.

For starters, minorities figure heavily among the millions of Americans with little or no access to quality healthcare, and that includes aid in dying. According to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, compared to whites, minorities receive worse medical care and less of it on about 40% of quality and access measures. Perhaps as important, for some in these populations fear of not getting enough treatment at the end of life, rather than too much, could be a factor.

The African American community, for instance, is still marked by 1972 disclosures about the Tuskegee experiments, in which treatment was withheld from black men who were the subjects of syphilis research. The number of African American organ donors is disproportionately smaller than that of whites, and studies suggest this is largely because many blacks fear that doctors would rather harvest their organs than treat them.

Latinos (20% of the Oregon population; 40% of Californias) also rarely use aid in dying. This is partly explained by age: Latinos are a much younger population than whites (median age, 29, compared to 45 for whites). For Latinos (and African Americans), religious and cultural opposition to aid in dying also plays a role. Many churches, and especially the Roman Catholic Church, have been vocal and influential opponents of death with dignity laws.

When demographics such as education level and insurance type are analyzed along with race, Oregons data tell us that it is the privileged who use aid in dying. They are well educated  since 1998, nearly 72% had at least some college. The more educated you are, the more choices you have, says Kat West, director of policy and programs for Compassion and Choices, a nonprofit organization that advocates for aid in dying. And they have healthcare resources: Nearly 60% were covered at least in part by private insurance.

Insurance coverage may be particularly important. According to a National Public Radio report, in February, the cost of a lethal dose of the most commonly prescribed aid-in-dying drug  the sleeping pill Seconal  rose from $1,500 to more than $3,000. Even a less expensive drug cocktail costs about $400. Insurance may cover at least some of the cost; it is up to each plan. State Medicaid funds are available in Oregon and California, but federal funds cannot be used for aid-in-dying drugs.

Given the nature of death with dignity laws, it isnt surprising that only a small number of people choose to make use of the right to die. Its a complex process. And even among those who qualify for the drugs, know about the law, have access to doctors and have the wherewithal to pay for the prescription, there will always be many who would never consider hastening their deaths.

But if the premise of aid in dying is to prevent pain and suffering among terminal patients  something people of all races and from all walks of life experience  the narrow pattern of use that shows up in the data should give us pause. Choice may be the primary factor behind the predominance of white, privileged patients seeking and using aid in dying, but surely it also represents yet another measure of disparity in American healthcare.

Ann Neumann is a visiting scholar at the Center for Religion and Media at New York University. Her book, The Good Death: An Exploration of Dying in America, was published last month. She will speak at USCs Annenberg School on Tuesday.

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Riding a rebellion fueled by opposition to illegal immigration and pessimism about the nations future, Donald Trump leads a scrambling duo of competitors less than three months before Californias Republican presidential primary, a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times statewide poll has found.

Yet the party whose nomination he is seeking has fractured because of his candidacy, with ominous prospects for Republicans if the New York businessman emerges victorious after the partys summer convention.

A quarter of California Republican voters polled said they would refuse to vote for Trump in November if he is the partys nominee. Almost one-third of those backing Trumps leading competitor, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz, said they would not cast a ballot for Trump. Voters who back Trump, meanwhile, are critical of Cruz, with only half holding a favorable impression of him.

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That division sets up the potential of cascading losses down the ballot for Republicans already fighting the tide in one of the nations most Democratic states, including in a number of contested congressional districts.

Trump, passionately supported and deeply reviled in different corners of the electorate, has extended his reach among Republicans since the last USC/Los Angeles Times poll was taken in September. He now has the support of 37% of GOP voters surveyed, up from 24%.

Cruz, who was in single digits in the last poll behind candidates who have since left the race, is now at 30%. The third candidate, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, was invisible last September and is now at 12%.

But among the voters most likely to turn out, the poll shows the race between Trump and Cruz is nearly tied, with Trump at 36% versus Cruz at 35%. The difference illustrates how a low turnout in the June 7 primary could hurt Trump and boost Cruz.

How many Californians will turn out remains hard to predict because the state has not seen a fully contested June Republican primary since 1964. Also hard to predict is how the overall support for the top candidates will translate into delegates to the Republican nominating convention this summer. The states GOP awards delegates to the winner of each congressional district, so a candidate could lose statewide but still pick up a significant number of delegates.

The poll shows Trump leading in most areas of the state except the Central Valley, where conservative voters put Cruz ahead. In Los Angeles County, the two are nearly tied.

But the controversial Trump clearly has commanded wide swaths of his party in California. The survey showed him leading among college graduates and those without college degrees, and among almost all ranges of income. There was no distinction between the level of support from men and women, despite Trumps well-publicized tirades against women like Fox News anchor Megyn Kelly.

His support draws on voters like Teresa Sumter, who lives in the Modesto suburbs.

I dont believe the politicians anymore, and hes not really a politician, said Sumter, who is 60 and runs a surgical cleaning crew at a hospital. I like what he says.

Sumter said she had never really cared for Trump before this campaign, figuring him as simply a rich man. That has changed.

He thinks like we do, she said, listing illegal immigration as one of her prime issues.

He tells it like it is, she added. I dont think hes lying to us.

Trumps views on immigration are one of the pillars of his candidacy, but the subject also accounts for a serious party fissure in California, where fallout from the 1994 fight over an anti-illegal-immigration measure has contributed greatly to the GOPs shrinking presence.

Among those in the poll who said illegal immigration was a crisis in California, Trump won 48% of the vote, to Cruzs 29% and Kasichs 8%. Among voters less concerned about illegal immigration, Trumps level of support fell to the point that he won only 27% of those who didnt consider it a problem.

About 3 in 5 Trump supporters polled felt illegal immigration was at crisis levels, and 90% described it as either a crisis or a major problem. That sets Trumps backers apart from Californias voters as a whole, of whom only 23% said they saw a crisis. Among Californias registered Republicans, 44% said they saw illegal immigration as a crisis.

Trumps backers also diverge from the rest of the state on the solutions they seek. Just over half of Trump voters polled said those in the country illegally should be deported, the position their candidate has espoused since he entered the race. An additional 28% of his supporters said those immigrants should have a path to citizenship, and 14% favored a narrower right to work legally in the U.S.

Among all Republicans in the poll, only a third backed deportations and 2 in 5 favored a path to citizenship.

Californians as a whole rejected deportations decisively, with only 16% backing that course and two-thirds favoring a right to citizenship for those currently living here illegally.

Only 3 in 5 Republicans said they agreed with Trumps views on immigration, which besides mass deportations include the construction of a giant wall along the nations southern border. One in five Republicans said they strongly disagreed with his positions.

Similarly, among Trump voters, 69% approved of his proposal for a ban on travel to the U.S. by Muslims. That view was shared by only 44% of Republicans overall, and by only 22% of Californians polled. Even among supporters of Cruz, who has suggested similar restrictions on Muslim travel, only 42% said they backed Trumps plans.

A starkly negative assessment of the economy and, more broadly, the future, also marked Trump voters.

Among those who think the nations best years are behind it, Trump carried 40% of Republicans, to 26% for Cruz. Among those more optimistic about the country, the two were tied at 36%.

All told, only 13% of Trump voters felt that the state was headed in the right direction, whereas Californians overall were split. Cruz voters were similarly negative, but Kasichs supporters were more upbeat.

The impact of those views extended to a hypothetical general election matchup between Trump and Democratic front-runner Hillary Clinton. Trump received support from only 9% of those who thought the state was doing well, but 50% of those who thought it was doing poorly. (Clinton easily defeated Trump and Cruz; Kasich did better but still fell to the Democrat by 19 points.)

The breadth of Trumps success in California so far  he led almost all major GOP subgroups except for tea party adherents and those younger than 50, both of which sided with Cruz  suggests he has captured the electorates fancy not solely because of his policy positions but because of his attitude, pollster Randall Gutermuth said.

In some ways, its as much stylistic as it is demographic, said Gutermuth, of the Republican polling firm American Viewpoint, which along with Democratic firm Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research conducted the poll for the USC Dornsife College of Letters, Arts and Sciences and the Los Angeles Times.

When Republicans were asked what kind of presidential candidate they wanted, three categories explained the success of the antagonistic outsider profile that Trump has taken on.

One in five voters said their top priority was a candidate who would represent change; an additional 15% wanted one who would tell it like it is, and 11% wanted someone free of the influence of special interests. In those categories, Trump was far and away the leader. Among those who wanted a blunt-talking candidate, for example, Trump carried 64%, compared with 10% for Cruz and 9% for Kasich.

But Trumps attitude  and his denigration of Mexicans, Muslims, women, the disabled, even prisoners of war  has exacted a price that hurts him in a general election and may yet hobble him in the primary.

Overall, about three-quarters of California voters polled had an unfavorable view of Trump, an eye-opening level for a front-runner. Even among Republicans, only 51% had a favorable impression of Trump, while 43% had an unfavorable view.

And the unfavorable views were expressed with vehemence. Two-thirds of nonpartisan voters, who are essential to any chance of success for a member of the Republican minority in California, had a very unfavorable view of Trump. Seventy-seven percent of Latinos, 74% of those under age 50, 67% of women, 61% of men, and more than 3 in 5 voters of all education and income ranks had a very negative view of him.

Hes an egomaniac who does very stupid things, Barry Kolom, a Los Angeles optometrist, said of Trump. He shoots from the hip; he has no filters. I just think hes a loose cannon.

Cruz, Kolom said, is more consistently conservative and is his default candidate against Trump.

Unfortunately, he said, a lot of people believe that if you are wealthy, you have to be smart, and thats definitely not the case.... Honestly, I think hes pathetic.

Views like that make Republican leaders shudder as they ponder the impact Trumps presence at the top of the ticket could have on down-ballot races. Those fears are real, according to the poll. Almost one-third of voters who described themselves as traditional Republicans said they would refuse to vote for Trump in November, as did 17% of tea party Republicans.

One in 5 Republicans said they would vote for Clinton over Trump in a general election matchup. Fewer would cross the aisle if Cruz or Kasich were nominated.

The poll contacted 1,503 registered voters in California between March 16 and March 23. The sampling error for all voters is 2.8 points in either direction; the margin of error for Republican voters is 5.5 points in either direction.

cathleen.decker@latimes.com

Follow me on Twitter: @cathleendecker. For more on politics, go to latimes.com/decker and sign up for the Essential Politics newsletter

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Lawmakers and labor unions have struck a tentative deal to raise the statewide minimum wage to $10.50 an hour next year and then gradually to $15, averting a costly political campaign this fall and possibly putting California at the forefront of a national movement.

The deal was confirmed Saturday afternoon by sources close to the negotiations who would speak only on condition of anonymity until Gov. Jerry Brown makes a formal announcement as early as Monday.

The minimum wage compromise ends a long debate between the Democratic governor and some of the states most powerful labor unions. For Brown, its political pragmatism; numerous statewide polls have suggested voters would approve a minimum wage proposal  perhaps even a more sweeping version  if given the chance.

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According to a document obtained by The Times, the negotiated deal would boost Californias statewide minimum wage from $10 an hour to $10.50 on Jan. 1, 2017, with a 50-cent increase in 2018 and then $1-per-year increases through 2022. Businesses with fewer than 25 employees would have an extra year to comply, delaying their workers receiving a $15 hourly wage until 2023.

Future statewide minimum wage increases would be linked to inflation, but a governor would have the power to temporarily block some of the initial increases in the event of an economic downturn.

A spokesperson for Brown did not immediately respond to a request for comment, nor did legislative leaders.

Brown, who signed a minimum wage increase in 2013, had resisted multiple efforts to revisit the issue at the legislative level until labor unions made it clear they were prepared to take the issue directly to voters. Last week, the first of two union-sponsored initiatives qualified for the Nov. 8 ballot. Its backers are hopeful that the final agreement will allow them to formally withdraw that initiative in a few weeks.

We want to look at the details first, said Steve Trossman of Service Employees International-United Healthcare Workers West.

Sources say the Legislature could vote on the wage compromise as soon as the end of next week by amending an existing bill on hold since 2015. Its passage would place California ahead of a minimum wage increase now being considered in New York, and would probably add fodder to the raucous presidential race. Both Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have endorsed the goals of a nationwide campaign to raise wages to $15 an hour, and advocates say swift action in California could force both Democratic candidates to embrace what would be a more aggressive plan of action.

The proposal in Sacramento goes beyond private-sector hourly wages by including a gradual addition of up to three new paid sick days for government workers who provide in-home care to the disabled. The timing of those future benefits would be subject to economic conditions, but the proposal still represents a significant victory for labor groups.

In January, Brown warned of a $4-billion-a-year increase in state budget expenses if public-sector care workers  who are paid the minimum wage  were to receive $15 an hour. The gradual ramping up of wages and benefits in the new agreement is more aligned with Browns larger budget philosophy.

Though the agreement will affect millions of low-income workers starting in early 2017, it wont affect efforts by some communities to boost local wages at a more rapid pace. One source described the statewide proposal as simply a floor, or base level, of wages upon which individual cities or regions can build if they choose.

Business groups, which did not immediately respond to requests for comment, were relegated to the sidelines during the negotiations. They had sought some kind of way to preempt the local wage ordinances through state legislation, but labor groups considered that kind of concession a non-starter.

john.myers@latimes.com

liam.dillon@latimes.com

Follow @johnmyers and @dillonliam on Twitter, sign up for our daily Essential Politics newsletter and listen to the weekly California Politics Podcast.

Times staff writer Melanie Mason contributed to this report.

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For Gretchen Shoemaker and her husband, George, the weekend mornings were for cooking, dancing and love.

That was their private time between juggling the care of their three daughters, Georges job as an engineer and Gretchens catering business.

Each morning, Gretchen, whose dream was to someday own a restaurant, would prepare food for her catering gig. George would put on Al Green or Lou Rawls as he joined his wife in blending spices and other ingredients, taking occasional breaks to share a dance.

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And the daughters would giggle from another room as they witnessed their parents obvious affection.

My husband really was a partner, said 76-year-old Shoemaker about George, who died 25 years ago. My daughter described me and my husband as the cup and the saucer.

After she lost her husband, Shoemaker found it difficult to continue her catering business.

I sat in the kitchen crying and saying that I couldnt do it without him, she recalled. It wasnt fun anymore.

However, when her middle daughter, Nika Shoemaker-Machado, and Nikas husband, Marlon Machado, decided they wanted to open their own business about two decades later, Shoemaker knew it was time for her to jump in again.

You know what, its my dream that I want you guys to work on, Shoemaker said.

And so the family opened Georgias Restaurant at the Anaheim Packing District in June 2014.

The restaurant in the multi-business establishment serves soul food like fried chicken, fried catfish, corn bread and black-eyed peas, as well as other popular dishes like jambalaya and tri-tip steak. Soulful sides include corn on the cob, mac and cheese, and collard greens.

Each dish is from a recipe belonging to Shoemaker or her mother or grandmother, who she grew up with in the 1940s.

Gretchen has never written down her recipes. They all come from her memory, which made things a bit difficult for Shoemaker-Machado and her husband.

That was the hardest thing  getting things translated from her mind to a recipe, said Shoemaker-Machado, 47, who lives in Lake Forest with her mother.

The family saw a need for a soul food restaurant with good service after visiting a eatery in Riverside that had delicious dishes but very little interaction with customers.

We wanted to open a restaurant where we would produce good food but the service was also outstanding, said Shoemaker-Machado, whose son also works at Georgias. We wanted people to come in and dine with us and feel like they were dining in our own home.

She said 250 to 350 people eat at Georgias each day, adding that the weekends can usually mean long lines for customers. But, she said, the food is worth the wait.

Sandwiches, with fries or cole slaw, range from $7.95 to $11.95 for the tri-tip. Entrees range from $10.95 to $16.95 for the St. Louis BBQ Ribs. Dessert and wine and beer are available.

When we first thought of this, we thought we would be a little place in a little strip mall and maybe wed serve 75 to 80 people a day, Shoemaker-Machado said. This is beyond our wildest dreams for anything that we ever thought we would have.

Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait said he visits Georgias often.

He said he enjoys the authentic food and chatting with Shoemaker.

Anyone who starts a new business at 75 years of age is a very inspiring person, Tait said. I used to live in Nashville, so I know good Southern cooking when I taste it. Georgias hits it out of the park.

Shoemaker said shes proud of the business and reputation she and her family have built together.

Its amazing now that Im a 76-year-old black woman and I can go into business, she said. I just feel so happy. I made it. Life couldnt be any better. I get up every morning and I thank God that life is so good.

The hardest thing Ive ever had to go through was losing George, but this has really taught me that I am still so blessed.

Georgias Restaurant is at 440 S. Anaheim Blvd., Suite 209A, Anaheim. It is open daily, but hours vary. For more information, contact (714) 906-1900 or info@georgias-restaurant.com.
As more information emerged about the men who detonated bombs in Brussels on Tuesday, it became clear that they were members of a militant cell that was also behind November's attacks in Paris that killed 130.

Here's a brief rundown of the major players involved in each attack, and the connections between the two.

LINKED TO BOTH ATTACKS

Najim Laachraoui | 24 | Dead

(Belgium Federal Police)

Laachraoui was one of the suicide bombers at the Brussels airport, a U.S. official with knowledge of the investigation told the Los Angeles Times.

Laachraoui was also suspected of helping plan the Paris attacks. He is believed to have made the explosives that were set off around the city and to have helped an alleged key participant in the attacks, Salah Abdeslam, during Abdeslam's four months on the run.

Laachraoui traveled to Syria in February 2013, and was on a list maintained by authorities to track Belgian citizens who had traveled there. He is known to have used fake Belgian ID cards identifying him as Soufiane Kayal while traveling in Europe. His DNA was found in houses in the Brussels neighborhoods of Auvelais and Schaerbeek that authorities believed were used in the Paris terrorism plot.

A U.S. official told The Times that Laachraoui had been on an American terrorism watch list.

Khalid El Bakraoui | 27 | Dead

(Interpol Handout)

Bakraoui died detonating a bomb in the Maelbeek Metro Station.

He is the brother of Brahim Bakraoui; both were Belgians of Moroccan descent. A U.S. official told the Los Angeles Times that the brothers had been on an American terrorism watch list.

Khalid El Bakraoui had been sentenced to five years in prison for his part in an armed carjacking, Belgian media reported.

He is also believed to have rented apartments used by the Paris attackers, according to Belgian media.

Salah Abdeslam | 26 | In custody

(AFP/Getty)

Abdeslam grew up in Belgium. A top suspect in last year's Paris attacks that left 130 people dead, he was charged with "terrorist murder" by Belgian authorities. After the Paris attacks, he was the subject of an international manhunt until March 18, when he was shot in the leg and arrested in a police raid. He is being held in isolation in a Belgian jail.

A French prosecutor said Abdeslam had planned to detonate a suicide bomb at Stade de France on Nov. 13 but backed out at the last minute.

He was a childhood friend of Abdelhamid Abaaoud, the suspected mastermind of the Paris attacks.

LINKED TO BRUSSELS ATTACKS

Brahim El Bakraoui | 29 | Dead

(Interpol Handout)

Bakraoui is the brother of Khalid El Bakraoui and was a Belgian of Moroccan descent. He died in the suicide bombing at the Brussels airport, along with Najim Laachraoui.

He had served part of a nine-year prison sentence -- handed down in 2010 -- for his participation in an armed robbery during which a police officer was injured. It was unclear why he was released before completing his term.

In 2015, Bakraoui was deported from Turkey on suspicion of being a foreign fighter involved in the conflict in neighboring Syria. Turkish officials have said they notified Belgium, raising concerns that Belgian officials overlooked warning signs.

Belgian officials downplayed his centrality to the Brussels plot. He's only one of the perpetrators, and not even the most enterprising one, Justice Minister Koen Geens said. He was not the mastermind of this affair.

In a trash bin at a flat in Schaerbeek after the Brussels bombings, investigators said, they found a laptop containing a kind of last testament from Bakraoui.

I don't know what to do, I am in a hurry, read the declaration. I am on the run. People are looking for me everywhere. And if I give myself up, I will end up in a cell.

Unidentified suspect | Likely still on the run

(AFP/Getty Images)

Investigators said one man escaped after abandoning his bomb at the airport.

An airport camera screen grab, made and released March 22 by the Belgian Federal Police, shows this man pushing a luggage cart and walking alongside two of the bombers in the Brussels Airport shortly before the explosions. Some media reports have taken to calling him the "man in white."

A man identified as Fayal C. was charged with terrorism offenses on March 26, and Belgian media reported that he was the surviving airport bombing suspect.

Authorities, however, never publicly alleged that the man was the third airport bomber. He was released on March 29 due to a lack of evidence, seeming to signal that the third airport attacker remains a fugitive and that the massive manhunt for him will continue.

On April 8, a French police official said this man is believed to be Paris attacks suspect Mohamed Abrini, who was arrested that same day in Belgium.

Unidentified suspect | At large

A possible fifth suspect was captured on closed-circuit TV film as he carried a large bag in the subway alongside one of the suicide bombers, according to Belgium TV network RTBF and French newspaper Le Monde.

LINKED TO PARIS ATTACKS

Abdelhamid Abaaoud | 27 | Dead

(AFP/Getty Images)

Abaaoud, the Belgian son of a Moroccan immigrant, was killed in a November police raid in France. He may have been the mastermind of the attacks in Paris. He has also been identified as a suspect in a variety of thwarted plots to attack churches, trains and police officers in Belgium and beyond.

In an active social media life since leaving Belgium for Syria in 2013, Abaaoud was first seen on the Internet as an online recruiter of Europeans. He boasted of the glory of jihad to an audience of disaffected young European Muslims like himself, and he taunted European officials for being unable to catch him.

"A Muslim should not fear the bloated image of the crusader intelligence," he said in an interview published by the Islamic State's in-house magazine in February 2015. "My name and picture were all over the news, yet I was able to stay in their homeland, plan operations against them, and leave safely when doing so became necessary."

Bilal Hadfi | 20 | Dead

(AFP/Getty Images)

Hadfi and two unidentified men blew themselves up outside the Stade de France in Paris.

Hadfi had also been living in Belgium but went to Syria in February 2015.

Brahim Abdeslam | 31 | Dead

(AFP/Getty Images)

Abdeslam died on the night of the Paris attacks when he detonated a suicide vest outside a restaurant. He lived in Belgium and was the brother of Salah Abdeslam. He is believed to have used the pseudonym Amine Choukri.

Brahim spent time in territory controlled by Islamic State and trained in the group's capital of Raqqah, according to what an activist group, known as Raqqah is Being Slaughtered Silently, told the Associated Press.

He reportedly grew up in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek and, along with his brother Salah, owned a bar called Les Beguines.

Chakib Akrouh | 25 | Dead

Officials identified Akrouh as one of the attackers who opened fire at bars and restaurants in Paris on the night of the attacks there. He reportedly had ties to the Molenbeek neighborhood in Brussels.

Akrouh killed himself with a bomb five days after the Paris attacks during a police raid in Saint-Denis.

Foued Mohamed Aggad | 23 | Dead

(AFP/Getty Images)

Aggad attacked the Bataclan concert hall with two other suspects.

He lived in Strasbourg, France, and went to Syria to join Islamic State militants in late 2013, but managed to reenter France, French officials said.

Mohamed Abrini | 31 | In custody

(AFP/Getty)

Abrini grew up in the Brussels neighborhood of Molenbeek. Footage shows him at a gas station with Laachraoui two days before the attacks in Paris. They were driving a black Renault Clio, the same car that was used in the attacks.

He was arrested in Belgium on April 8, Paris police officials confirmed. He is also believed to be the man in the hat who was last seen leaving the Brussels airport after the double explosion there.

Omar Ismail Mostefai | 29 | Dead

(AFP/Getty)

Mostefai attacked the Bataclan Concert Hall in Paris with two other men armed with assault rifles and explosive vests. He was born near Paris, and neighbors where he lived in Chartres reported that he started becoming radicalized about five years before the attacks.

Mostefai had reportedly been on a watch list as someone susceptible to radicalization but not yet requiring extensive surveillance. He was known to police as a small-time criminal whose offenses included driving without a license and insulting behavior toward authorities.

A senior Turkish official told the Associated Press that in 2013, Mostefai entered Turkey, a common pathway to Syria for foreign fighters hoping to join Islamic State. The newspaper Le Monde said Mostefai probably spent the winter of 2013-14 in Syria.

Samy Amimour | 28 | Dead

(AFP/Getty)

Amimour attacked the Bataclan Concert Hall with two other men. He was reportedly raised in a Paris suburb.

Amimour was one of three friends arrested in 2012 on suspicion of plotting to travel to Yemen or Afghanistan to take part in violent jihad, according to the French newspaper Le Parisien. He was put under judicial supervision but disappeared in the fall of 2013.

He apparently later made it to Islamic State-held territory, where he appeared in a video that showed several of the future Paris attackers standing behind captives who were either beheaded or shot.

"Soon on the Champs-Elysees," Amimour said in the video while holding a victim's head aloft, according to the Associated Press.

Unidentified | Dead

(AFP/Getty)

This unidentified man blew himself up outside the Stade de France stadium with two other attackers.

Fingerprints taken from one the suicide bombers outside the stadium matched those of a man who arrived in Europe via Greece in October.

A Syrian passport was found near the mans body, identifying the holder as Ahmad Al Mohammad, 25, from Idlib, Syria. It's not clear if the passport or the name was authentic. According to some reports, Mohammad was a Syrian soldier who died some time ago.

French authorities circulated this photograph asking for help identifying the dead attacker.

Unidentified | Dead

(AFP/Getty)

This man is a second unidentified attacker outside the Stade de France.

UPDATES:

9 a.m. April 8: This article was updated with information about the arrest of Mohamed Abrini.

This article was first published on March 28.
Three suspects detained earlier this week have been officially charged with terrorist activities, prosecutors in Belgium said Saturday, as investigators in this tense capital continue to track down leads from the deadly bombings targeting the airport and metro.

Media reports here linked one of the three men to Tuesdays suicide attack at the Brussels airport, but there was no official confirmation from the authorities.

A suspect who is believed to have escaped from the scene has been the focus of a major police manhunt.

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At least four Islamist extremists took part in the bombings at the airport and on a crowded metro train Tuesday that together killed 31 people and injured more than 250 in the latest terror strikes to stun Europe. Three suicide bombers are known to have died in the attacks, authorities say.

Four Americans have been confirmed as among the dead. Justin Shults and his wife, Stephanie, were killed in the bombing at the airport, according to a statement issued Saturday by his employer, Clarcor. Shults, 30, who was originally from Gatlinburg, Tenn., and his wife, a Lexington, Ky., native, had lived in Brussels since 2014 and were reportedly dropping Stephanies mother off at the airport when the bombs detonated.

A brother and sister from New York, Alexander Pinczowski, 29, and Sascha Pinczowski, 26, also died at the airport, officials confirmed Friday.

Organizers called off a public march against fear scheduled for Easter Sunday in Brussels at the request of Belgian authorities. The city remains on high alert, and officials asked that the march be canceled so that police could focus on the ongoing investigation.

Belgian prosecutors did not specify what role any of the three suspects now under arrest may have played in this weeks strikes or in any other plots.

In a statement Saturday, the federal prosecutors office said the investigation of the Brussels attacks had resulted in the formal arrest of a man identified only as Faycal C. He was placed in custody on suspicion of participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist killings and attempted terrorist killings.

A search of the suspects home turned up no arms or explosives, prosecutors said. The suspect was picked up on Thursday near the main justice building in downtown Brussels.

Belgian news outlets have cited sources saying that Faycal C. was the accomplice who escaped from the airport on Tuesday. Various media accounts here identified the man as Faycal Cheffou, described as a freelance video journalist.

Prosecutors identified the two other suspects charged with participation in the activities of a terrorist group as Rabah N. and Aboubakar A. The arrest of Rabah N. was linked to an arrest in France on Thursday of a suspect allegedly plotting an attack in that country. No further details about the men were released.

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A fourth man swept up in a series of raids in recent days, identified only as Abderamane A., had his detention extended for another 24 hours, authorities said.

Investigators believe that a large cell of Belgian and French nationals, mostly of Moroccan ancestry, was behind both this weeks attacks in Belgium and last Novembers strikes on Paris nightspots that killed 130 people. The Paris killing rampage may have been conceived and plotted in Belgium, authorities say.

On Friday, Belgian prosecutors finally confirmed the most definitive link to date between the Brussels and Paris attacks, declaring that one of the two suicide bombers at the airport was Najim Laachraoui, 24, a Belgian fugitive who had traveled to Syria in 2013.

His DNA was also found on two of the bombs used in the Paris attacks, the prosecutors said. U.S. authorities had already said that Laachraoui, an electrical engineer and suspected bomb-maker, was a key participant in both the Brussels and Paris assaults.

Belgian authorities, facing considerable criticism for what some call their lax handling of the terrorist threat, have been under pressure to find the missing airport attacker.

The normally staid capital, which is also the de facto capital of the European Union, has seen near-daily police raids of homes by anti-terror police wearing ski masks and toting rifles.

The escaped airport plotter was recorded on closed-circuit television moments before Tuesdays attack, wearing a tan jacket and dark cap as he pushed a luggage trolley alongside two other men later identified as suicide bombers. Authorities released the grainy image in a bid to help find the fugitive.

It was unclear if he also intended to blow himself up but backed out at the last moment, or his device failed, or whether the plan called for him to depart from the airport after leaving a bag of bomb materials behind.

NEWSLETTER: Get the days top headlines from Times Editor Davan Maharaj >>

On Friday, Belgian police swept through several neighborhoods in the capital, arresting three suspects.

One of them was shot in the leg as he was taken into custody in broad daylight at a tram stop in the Schaerbeek district, the same neighborhood where the airport bombers had turned a rented flat into an apparent bomb factory, authorities said. Police say the apartment, which was discovered after the bombings, also contained a flag of Islamic State, the Al Qaeda breakaway group that has claimed credit for the Brussels attacks and last Novembers mayhem in Paris.

In dramatic amateur footage purporting to show Fridays arrest in Schaerbeek, police with rifles drawn are seen approaching a man who is lying, apparently injured, on a tram platform littered with broken glass. Police escort a child away from the man before backing off.

The man is seen clutching a bag as a bomb-disposal robot approaches. Witnesses quoted in local media said the robot removed the bag from the scene.

Police later dragged the man away; reports indicated he had been shot in the leg. Several explosions heard in the area were described as controlled detonations.

On Saturday, the prosecutors office identified the man as Abderamane A. His detention was extended 24 hours but no formal charges had yet been brought against him, according to prosecutors.

Belgian officials said Fridays raids were not linked to Tuesdays attacks, but rather to a foiled plot in France disclosed Thursday as police outside Paris arrested Reda Kriket, a 34-year-old French citizen with links to French-Belgian Islamist extremist networks.

French Interior Minister Bernard Cazeneuve said the arrest disrupted a plot that was in its advanced stages.

Last year, Kriket was convicted in absentia in a terrorism case in Belgium along with Abdelhamid Abaaoud, a Belgian national who later was named as the ringleader of last Novembers attacks in Paris. Abaaoud was killed in a shootout with French police days after the November attacks.

In the wake of this weeks bombings, Belgian authorities have come under withering criticism for the nations failure to thwart the assaults despite numerous signs of a homegrown terrorist network on Belgian soil. The prime minister turned down offers from two ministers to resign after reports surfaced that one of the airport suicide bombers, Ibrahim El Bakraoui, had been expelled from Turkey in June on suspicion of terrorist activity, but the Belgian authorities had not taken any action against him.

During a Belgian parliamentary commission hearing Friday, Interior Minister Jan Jambon  one of the Cabinet members whose offer to resign was turned down  said a Belgian federal police liaison officer in Turkey had made a serious blunder by not following up on the case. The officer, who was not identified, would face disciplinary measures, the minister said.

Special correspondent Arthur Debruyne in Brussels and Times staff writer Alexandra Zavis in Los Angeles contributed to this report.

For more news on the attacks in Belgium, follow @mcdneville on Twitter.

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A bomb ripped through a public park packed with families celebrating Easter in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday evening, killing at least 70 people and wounding more than 300 others, most of them women and children, officials said.

A suicide bomber set off an explosive vest packed with ball bearings in a parking lot just feet away from amusement park rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, located in a mostly residential neighborhood of western Lahore.

A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the blast, which it said was aimed at Christians celebrating the Easter holiday. Pakistan, an overwhelmingly Muslim nation, has a small Christian minority. Officials said they had not confirmed if Christians were the target.

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Pakistani news media, quoting officials in Lahore, said 70 people had been killed and that many others were in critical condition.

The bloodshed overwhelmed rescue agencies in Pakistans second largest city. Victims jammed Lahores hospitals, spilling into the corridors where doctors and medical staff raced to treat them. Many more victims arrived at medical facilities in taxis or motorized rickshaws because ambulances were full.

See the most-read stories this hour >>

Pakistani soldiers cordoned off the area as television images showed bloodied bodies being covered in bags and distraught parents being led from the park by police officers.

Pakistani security officials condemned the savage attack and said intelligence agencies would find the perpetrators. The chief minister of Punjab state announced three days of official mourning.

An explosion ripped through the parking lot of a crowded park where many minority Christians had gone to celebrate Easter Sunday. (ARIF ALI / AFP/Getty Images)

We must bring the killers of our innocent brothers, sisters & children to justice, tweeted Gen. Asim Bajwa, Pakistans chief military spokesman.

It was deadliest attack in Pakistan since the December 2014 massacre at an army-run school that left 143 people dead, most of them children, and marked a devastating new turn in militant violence against Pakistani civilians.

The Pakistani Taliban, a federation of insurgent groups that aims to overthrow the Pakistani government, continues to mount brazen attacks despite a nearly two-year military offensive against militant hideouts in the countrys northern tribal belt.

The group that claimed responsibility for Sundays blast, the Jamaat-ul-Ahrar faction of the Pakistani Taliban, split with the federation in 2014 and is believed to have carried out a major attack in Lahore later that year that killed at least 60 people near the Indian border.

In January, a separate splinter faction of the Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for a raid on a university in the northeastern town of Peshawar that killed 21, many of them students who were shot at close range in their dormitories.

Christians, who make up less than 2% of Pakistans 182 million people, have frequently been targeted by Pakistani extremist groups. In 2013, 75 Christians were killed in a suicide bombing at a church in the northeastern city of Peshawar.

Relatives of the victims of the blast cry outside a hospital. (RAHAT DAR / EPA)

Lahore, a cosmopolitan city of more than 12 million and the seat of power in Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs home state of Punjab, has been less scathed by militant violence than other major Pakistani cities. The park where the attack occurred sits on nearly 70 acres and includes a large man-made lake, zip-lines and a rock-climbing wall.

The White House, in a statement, condemned the attack on what has long been a scenic and placid park.

We send our deepest condolences to the loved ones of those killed, just as our thoughts and prayers are with the many injured in the explosion, National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said.

Since 2003, more than 21,000 Pakistani civilians have been killed in militant violence, according to statistics by the South Asia Terrorism Portal, an independent group that tracks the fatalities.

shashank.bengali@latimes.com

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Pope Francis tempered his Easter Sunday message of Christian hope with a denunciation of blind terrorism, recalling victims of attacks in Europe, Africa and elsewhere, as well as expressing dismay that people fleeing war or poverty are being denied welcome as European countries squabble over the refugee crisis.

Tens of thousands of people patiently endured long lines, backpack inspections and metal-detecting checks Sunday to enter St. Peters Square. Under a brilliant sun, they listened to Francis deliver the traditional noon Easter speech from the central balcony of St. Peters Basilica.

To their delight, Francis completed a whirl through the square, made colorful with sprays of tulips and other spring flowers, in his open-topped pope-mobile after celebrating Mass on the steps of the basilica. He leaned over barriers to shake hands, as the vehicle ventured past the Vaticans confines, with his bodyguards jogging alongside on the boulevard.

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For years, Islamist extremists in social media have listed the Vatican and Rome as potential targets due to hosting the headquarters of the Roman Catholic church and several basilicas. Despite the threats, Francis has kept to his habit of trying to be in close physical contact with ordinary people.

Francis said, for the faithful, Jesus who rose after death by crucifixion triumphed over evil and sin. He expressed hope that will draw us closer to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence.

At the end of Mass, he chatted briefly with the former king and queen of Belgium, Albert II and Paola, who attended the ceremony.

In his speech, Francis cited recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Iraq.

He called the message of Easter `'a message of life for all humanity.

Easter invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees  including many children  fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice, he said.

As he has done repeatedly, Francis lamented that all too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance.

Some European countries have erected barbed-wire fences and other barriers to keep out those who continue to arrive on Greek and Italian shores after risky sea voyages on smugglers boats. Another strategy has been for some European countries to express a preference for accepting Christian refugees over Muslim ones  which would effectively rule out the vast majority of Syrian refugees.

Most recently, a host of countries along Europes main migrant route north of Greece to central Europe have simply closed their borders to refugees, stranding thousands of refugee families at different border points.

Francis also decried the destruction and `'contempt for humanitarian law in Syria, millions of whose people have fled to Europe or to refugee camps closer to their homeland.

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Pope Francis concluded a bleak week in Europe with a message of hope during an Easter Vigil service Saturday, saying darkness and fear must not prevail and imprison the world with pessimism.

Francis call to hope on the eve of the most joyful celebration in the Christian calendar contrasted sharply with his sharp condemnation in recent days of the attacks in Belgium and elsewhere by Islamic extremists.

Francis entered the silent and darkened basilica with just a single candle guiding him at the start of the vigil. As he reached the altar, the basilicas floodlights flipped on in a symbolic show of light after the darkness of Good Friday, which recalls Jesus death.

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In his homily, Francis said the hope that Easter brings is a lesson for the Christian faithful to cast aside the pessimism that can imprison people inside themselves.

We see and will continue to see problems both inside and out. They will always be there, he said. But he insisted: Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us and control our hearts.

Today is the celebration of our hope, he said. It is so necessary today. The Easter message recalling Christs resurrection, awakens and resurrects hope in hearts burdened by sadness, he said.

The lengthy vigil service included a papal baptism for 12 adults hailing from China, South Korea and other countries around the world. Early Sunday, Francis will preside over Easter Mass and offer his annual Easter blessing.

During remarks Friday at the Colosseum capping the Way of the Cross procession re-enacting Jesus crucifixion, Francis denounced the terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence.

While the pope was at the Colosseum, his chief alms-giver was out on the streets of Rome giving out sleeping bags to the homeless Friday night in a show of papal support for the citys least fortunate.

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Syrian government forces drove Islamic State militants out of the ancient city of Palmyra on Sunday, dealing a blow to the extremist group that could effectively end its presence in central and eastern parts of the country.

President Bashar Assads army had imposed total control over Palmyra, state news agency SANA reported, citing a military source. Government troops backed by Russian and Syrian air units were pursuing Islamic State militants retreating toward areas held by the group in the east, SANA reported.

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The retaking of Palmyra, a UNESCO World Heritage site that is considered to be one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world, is the clearest indication yet that the tide is turning in favor of government forces against Islamic State, six months after the Russian military began providing its support.

More than 100 government troops and an estimated 400 militants died in the battle, according to the pro-opposition Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group with a network of activists based on the ground in Syria.

The city fell into the hands of the extremists in May in a swift and sudden strike that left many Assad loyalists trapped in the city, only to be brutally killed in a staged mass execution on the stage of Palmyras ancient Roman theater.

During the extremist groups 10-month reign, unique archaeological treasures were blown up by the jihadists, whose austere interpretation of Islamic law caused them to view the relics as sites of pagan worship. Among the known losses are a 2nd century statue, Lion of al-Lat; the citys magnificant Arch of Triumph; the Temple of Baalshamin; and dozens of funeral towers.

In August, the group beheaded Khaled Assad, retired director of Palmyras antiquities museum, before crucifying his mutilated corpse on a traffic light pole in the center of town.

The full extent of damage to Palmyras ancient sites has been unclear, but should be fully revealed in the coming days.

Over the last week, Syrian government forces, backed by Russian special forces units and advisors, clashed with Islamic State militants in and around the city. They finally pushed through to the majestic ruins that lie at the southwest entrance of the citys residential neighborhoods, under heavy cover from Syrian and Russian warplanes and a steady barrage of artillery.

Assads forces were reportedly slowed by their inability to use heavy weaponry in the ruins. They also had to navigate dozens of IEDs, a parting gift left behind by Islamic State fighters.

Embedded pro-government reporters deluged social media with up-to-the-minute updates on the assault, even as the armys media unit broadcast pictures of soldiers holding Kalashnikovs over their heads in triumph, and edited videos of tanks and heavy armor firing into the distance while army helicopters swooped overhead to destroy tanks.

The takeover was confirmed by opposition sources, including the Observatory, which reported that sounds of sporadic gunfire and explosions could still be heard from Palmyras outskirts.

With Palmyra back under government control, world attention turned to the fate of its monuments.

Palmyra was an important caravan oasis in the ancient world that became increasingly important under Roman rule in the 1st century. It was a key stop on the trade route linking Persia, China and India with the Roman Empire.

Besides destroying some of its most important Roman-era structures, Islamic State converted the Palmyra museum into a court and a dungeon, and destroyed a number of Islamic shrines, according to Dr. Maamoun Abdelkarim, director of Syrias antiquities and museums directorate.

Writing in the British Guardian newspaper on Sunday, Abdelkarim issued a plea for the international community to stand with [Syria] in this cultural battle and to unite to save Palmyra.

Syrias heritage is part of humanitys heritage. It cannot be divided among those who support the government and those who support the opposition.

He also said that initial evaluations seemed promising, but once the security situation stabilizes in the next few days, he and his team of 2,500 employees, including exceptional local experts in engineering and archaeology, will breathe new life into Palmyra.

The significance of the Syrian victory over Islamic State, which coincided with Syrias Christian population celebrating Easter, was not lost on the government in the capital, Damascus, where officials were quick to invoke heavy symbolism for the occasion.

Assads Twitter account sent out a glorious Easter salute to all Syrians from a Palmyra baptized in the blood of the men of the Syrian Arab Army.

In the wake of the Brussels terror attacks, other Syrian government officials painted this as part of the Assad governments fight against global terrorism, conflating the Islamic State and the Syrian opposition in the process.

The victory in Palmyra is proof of the correctness of our position against terror since the beginning, which some tried to depict as a crisis in Syria, [while] it is in truth an attack on Syria, said Syrian Information Minister Omran Al-Zoubi in a phone interview with Syrian state TV from the Damascus.

The Syrian government has long insisted that the civil war, which began as a series of mostly peaceful protests against Assads rule, was the work of terrorists, egged on by Syrias enemies in the West and the region.

In September, with Assads forces on the verge of collapse, Russian President Vladimir Putin initiated a large-scale air campaign purportedly against Islamic State. Although the scale of the campaign has since been reduced, Russian troops continue to play a vital role in combat operations throughout the country  a fact Putin reiterated once again Sunday in a congratulatory phone call to Assad, according to SANA.

Beyond Palmyra, the offensives success opens up access to strategically important areas in the countrys east, including parts of Deir Al-Zor and Raqqa, provinces still largely under the control of Islamic State.

Later on Sunday, the Observatory reported that government troops had begun their offensive on Al-Qaryatayn, a Christian-dominated town in central Homs province that had also fallen to Islamic State.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

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The messages from the expectant mothers in Brazil resonate with desperation.

Im thinking of doing the worst, one woman wrote when her order for abortion medication failed to arrive. I really need help. I can no longer eat, and I cry all the time.

The messages were sent to an international advocacy group that had been providing abortion-inducing drugs free of charge to expectant mothers who fear that the Zika virus could cause severe birth defects.

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Now, however, the group has temporarily suspended its operations in the country because Brazilian authorities have confiscated the drugs in the mail. Abortion is prohibited in most instances in Brazil, and the drugs are illegal.

Its not fair to tell women they are going to get a package, and it will not arrive to them, said Leticia Zenevich, a spokeswoman for the advocacy group, Women on Web. Its very tragic.

Even in the face of the Zika virus, providing pregnancy-ending alternatives to women in a country where abortion is in most cases illegal is proving to be nearly impossible, Zenevich said.

Women on Web, a Canadian group that is based in the Netherlands and operates worldwide, said in February that it had sent dozens of packages to women in Brazil but only two packages had arrived. The rest were apparently seized. The packages provided by Women on Web contained misoprostol and mifepristone, which can end a pregnancy.

Authorities acknowledge that they are confiscating abortion drugs sent in the mail because the medicines are banned in Brazil.

The Brazilian Health Surveillance Agency said it was illegal for individuals to receive misoprostol  an abortive substance best known in Brazil by the brand name Cytotec  in the mail.

Packages are checked when they arrive at the post office, and if medications are discovered they are forwarded to us, said Carlos Dias Lopes, an agency press officer.

Lopes, whose bureau is responsible for approving and supervising pharmaceuticals, told The Times: We have a duty to send any illegal substances for destruction.

Since Feb. 1, Women on Web has been providing misoprostol together with mifepristone, a combination that increases the efficacy of the procedure, free of charge to women in countries affected by the Zika virus.

In Brazil, 95% of the packages have been seized, the group said in a statement.

Lopes said his agency was not familiar with the origin of the packages because that was not part of the government bodys work.

The World Health Organization lists misoprostol and mifepristone on its Model List of Essential Medicines that satisfy the priority healthcare needs of the population, but includes the annotation where permitted under national law and where culturally acceptable. It also notes that usage of these drugs requires close medical supervision.

Two-week-old Sophia, who was born with microcephaly, attends a physical therapy session in February at the Pedro I municipal hospital in Campina Grande, Brazil. (Felipe Dana / Associated Press)

Brazil is among several nations in Latin America and the Caribbean that prohibit abortion in most circumstances.

In Brazil, it is only permitted when necessary to save a womans life, in rape cases or in cases of a birth defect known as anencephaly. Calls to relax the countrys abortion laws in the face of the Zika outbreak have run up against fierce opposition from clergy and some politicians.

According to Women on Web, nearly a third of the women who ordered abortion medication from them did so out of a fear of Zika. Scientists suspect that the mosquito-borne virus is linked to an increase in cases of microcephaly, a rare condition in which babies are born with unusually small heads.

Zenevich said the organization received 9,500 emails last year from women largely in Brazil inquiring about abortion medication, and an additional 10,400 emails from women in the Spanish-speaking Americas.

The fear of facing motherhood in the era of Zika had increased demand for the drugs, Zenevich said.

Reproductive rights advocates fear the lack of access to abortion pills might push women to pursue unsafe options to terminate a pregnancy.

We have a situation here in Brazil in which women are having clandestine abortions, and in which women are dying, said Sonia Coelho, a spokeswoman for the National Campaign for the Legalization of Abortion. This brings consequences ... principally for poorer women and black women, who lack the means to have an abortion in a safer

place.

Though illegal, relatively safe clandestine abortions are available in Brazil to those able to pay around $800 or more, almost four times the monthly minimum wage.

The flood of emails from women who ordered the drugs from Women on Web but didnt receive them has been frantic.

One woman, whose medication was confiscated twice, wrote to the group saying she had run out of options: Here in my town theres nothing else to do, its either your service or nothing.

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Some who ordered the confiscated drugs feared they might be hunted down and face criminal prosecution, as one women put it.

The group is advising women with the means to find a post office box in another South American country, such as neighboring Argentina, where the packages could be sent. But for many of the low-income women seeking help, the option is simply unrealistic.

Even before the Zika crisis, a booming business in fake abortion pills had sprung up, said Coelho. Many women resort to buying drugs from traffickers only to discover they are bogus and sometimes dangerous, she said.

We have had cases of women calling us for advice, saying they bought Cytotec but that it did not work, Coelho said. What can we say? Theres nothing she

can do. Who is she going to complain to given that the medicine is prohibited in Brazil?

Special correspondent Rigby reported from Sao Paulo and Times staff writer Simmons reported from Los Angeles.

For more news on global sustainability, go to our Global Development Watch page: latimes.com/global-development

And follow me on Twitter: @AMSimmons1

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Syrian militias armed by different parts of the U.S. war machine have begun to fight each other on the plains between the besieged city of Aleppo and the Turkish border, highlighting how little control U.S. intelligence officers and military planners have over the groups they have financed and trained in the bitter five-year-old civil war.

The fighting has intensified over the last two months, as CIA-armed units and Pentagon-armed ones have repeatedly shot at each other while maneuvering through contested territory on the northern outskirts of Aleppo, U.S. officials and rebel leaders have confirmed.

In mid-February, a CIA-armed militia called Fursan al Haq, or Knights of Righteousness, was run out of the town of Marea, about 20 miles north of Aleppo, by Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces moving in from Kurdish-controlled areas to the east.

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Any faction that attacks us, regardless from where it gets its support, we will fight it, Maj. Fares Bayoush, a leader of Fursan al Haq, said in an interview.

Rebel fighters described similar clashes in the town of Azaz, a key transit point for fighters and supplies between Aleppo and the Turkish border, and on March 3 in the Aleppo neighborhood of Sheikh Maqsud.

The attacks by one U.S.-backed group against another come amid continued heavy fighting in Syria and illustrate the difficulty facing U.S. efforts to coordinate among dozens of armed groups that are trying to overthrow the government of President Bashar Assad, fight the Islamic State militant group and battle one another all at the same time.

It is an enormous challenge, said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-Burbank), the top Democrat on the House Intelligence Committee, who described the clashes between U.S.-supported groups as a fairly new phenomenon.

It is part of the three-dimensional chess that is the Syrian battlefield, he said.

The area in northern Syria around Aleppo, the countrys second-largest city, features not only a war between the Assad government and its opponents, but also periodic battles against Islamic State militants, who control much of eastern Syria and also some territory to the northwest of the city, and long-standing tensions among the ethnic groups that inhabit the area, Arabs, Kurds and Turkmen.

This is a complicated, multi-sided war where our options are severely limited, said a U.S. official, who wasnt authorized to speak publicly on the matter. We know we need a partner on the ground. We cant defeat ISIL without that part of the equation, so we keep trying to forge those relationships. ISIL is an acronym for Islamic State.

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President Obama this month authorized a new Pentagon plan to train and arm Syrian rebel fighters, relaunching a program that was suspended in the fall after a string of embarrassing setbacks which included recruits being ambushed and handing over much of their U.S.-issued ammunition and trucks to an Al Qaeda affiliate.

Amid the setbacks, the Pentagon late last year deployed about 50 special operations forces to Kurdish-held areas in northeastern Syria to better coordinate with local militias and help ensure U.S.-backed rebel groups arent fighting one another. But such skirmishes have become routine.

Last year, the Pentagon helped create a new military coalition, the Syrian Democratic Forces. The goal was to arm the group and prepare it to take territory away from the Islamic State in eastern Syria and to provide information for U.S. airstrikes.

The group is dominated by Kurdish outfits known as Peoples Protection Units or YPG. A few Arab units have joined the force in order to prevent it from looking like an invading Kurdish army, and it has received air-drops of weapons and supplies and assistance from U.S. Special Forces.

Gen. Joseph Votel, now commander of U.S. Special Operations Command and the incoming head of Central Command, said this month that about 80% of the fighters in the Syrian Democratic Forces were Kurdish. The U.S. backing for a heavily Kurdish armed force has been a point of tension with the Turkish government, which has a long history of crushing Kurdish rebellions and doesnt want to see Kurdish units control more of its southern border.

The CIA, meanwhile, has its own operations center inside Turkey from which it has been directing aid to rebel groups in Syria, providing them with TOW antitank missiles from Saudi Arabian weapons stockpiles.

While the Pentagons actions are part of an overt effort by the U.S. and its allies against Islamic State, the CIAs backing of militias is part of a separate covert U.S. effort aimed at keeping pressure on the Assad government in hopes of prodding the Syrian leader to the negotiating table.

At first, the two different sets of fighters were primarily operating in widely separated areas of Syria  the Pentagon-backed Syrian Democratic Forces in the northeastern part of the country and the CIA-backed groups farther west. But over the last several months, Russian airstrikes against anti-Assad fighters in northwestern Syria have weakened them. That created an opening which allowed the Kurdish-led groups to expand their zone of control to the outskirts of Aleppo, bringing them into more frequent conflict with the CIA-backed outfits.

Fighting over territory in Aleppo demonstrates how difficult it is for the U.S. to manage these really localized and in some cases entrenched conflicts, said Nicholas A. Heras, an expert on the Syrian civil war at the Center for a New American Security, a think tank in Washington. Preventing clashes is one of the constant topics in the joint operations room with Turkey.

Over the course of the Syrian civil war, the town of Marea has been on the front line of Islamic States attempts to advance across Aleppo province toward the rest of northern Syria.

On Feb. 18, the Syrian Democratic Forces attacked the town. A fighter with the Suqour Al-Jabal brigade, a group with links to the CIA, said intelligence officers of the U.S.-led coalition fighting Islamic State know their group has clashed with the Pentagon-trained militias.

The MOM knows we fight them, he said, referring to the joint operations center in southern Turkey, using an abbreviation for its name in Turkish, Musterek Operasyon Merkezi. Well fight all who aim to divide Syria or harm its people. The fighter spoke on condition of anonymity.

Marea is home to many of the original Islamist fighters who took up arms against Assad during the Arab Spring in 2011. It has long been a crucial way station for supplies and fighters coming from Turkey into Aleppo.

Attempts by Syrian Democratic Forces to take Marea was a great betrayal and was viewed as a further example of a Kurdish conspiracy to force them from Arab and Turkmen lands, Heras said.

The clashes brought the U.S. and Turkish officials to loggerheads, he added. After diplomatic pressure from the U.S., the militia withdrew to the outskirts of the town as a sign of good faith, he said.

But continued fighting among different U.S.-backed groups may be inevitable, experts on the region said.

Once they cross the border into Syria, you lose a substantial amount of control or ability to control their actions, Jeffrey White, a former Defense Intelligence Agency official, said in a telephone interview. You certainly have the potential for it becoming a larger problem as people fight for territory and control of the northern border area in Aleppo.

Bulos is a special correspondent.

For more on U.S. national security, follow @WJHenn and @ByBrianBennett

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Even before Syrian government forces officially took back the city of Palmyra on Sunday, its prospective liberation from Islamic State militants had won widespread applause and relief.

For one year, Palmyra has been a symbol of the cultural cleansing plaguing the Middle East, Irina Bokova, the director-general of United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) said in a statement last week, as Syrian forces closed in on the ancient city and its spectacular Roman-era ruins. The dynamiting and pillage of its treasures, to break an entire society, sparked a unanimous indignation and strengthened the unprecedented mobilization in favor of the values that unite all humanity.

Ruins in the ancient city of Palmyra, after government troops recaptured the UNESCO world heritage site from Islamic State. (Maher al Mounes / AFP/Getty Images)

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But for the Obama administration and its allies, the retaking of the storied city by the government of Syrian President Bashar Assad, backed by scores of Russian airstrikes, highlights a dilemma: Washington has endeavored to portray the battle against Islamic State as a project of the United States and its allies, while accusing Moscow of attacking moderate rebels instead of the extremists. Palmyra seems to embody an alternative narrative.

The White House, which has struggled for years to find effective partners on the ground in Syria, has difficulty publicly lauding advances against Islamic State by Assad and his allies, including the Russians and Iranians, after years of calling for Assads fall.

Last May, as Islamic State closed in on Palmyra, the U.S.-led aerial coalition that has been pummeling Islamic State in Syria for the past 18 months took no action to prevent the extremists advance toward the historic town  which, until then, had remained in the hands of the sorely overstretched Syrian security forces. The U.S. approach in Palmyra contrasted dramatically with the very proactive U.S. bombardment of Kobani during 2014-15 on behalf of U.S.-allied Kurdish militias fending off a furious Islamic State offensive.

This was, in part, because the Syrian conflict has developed into a multi-sided proxy war, greatly complicating the fight against Islamic State.

The United States major allies in the region, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, are still deeply committed to the fall of Assad and a new government in Damascus more amenable to their interests. Both the Saudis and Turks stepped up aid to their Syrian proxies, mostly various shades of Islamists, in response to the Russian aerial intervention on behalf of Assads forces that began in September.

Riyadh and Ankara have repeatedly denied allegations of helping Islamic State and other Al Qaeda-style militants in Syria. But many rebel groups who have been deemed moderate and received aid from the United States and its allies acknowledge cooperating with Al Nusra Front, the official Al Qaeda franchise in Syria.

The United States and its geopolitical rivals  Russia, Iran and the Assad government in Syria  all view Islamic State as an enemy to be annihilated. But working together to achieve that goal on the fractured terrain of Syria remains a daunting challenge.

Assad and the Russians have long asserted that his government was the leading bulwark against terrorism in Syria. But the Obama administration has backed a contrary argument: Assad is a magnet for Islamic extremists, Washington says, a leader whose violent crackdown on street protests in 2011 sparked the war and drew militants from across the globe to Syria. Once Assad was gone, the U.S. argued, the attraction for Syria-bound jihadists would wane.

A member of the Syrian pro-government forces takes down an Islamic State flag after troops recaptured Palmyra. (AFP/Getty Images)

The scenes of Syrian government forces taking back the storied town of Palmyra and trampling Islamic State flags provide a contrary image.

And now Assads forces may push on to Raqqah, the headquarters of Islamic States self-declared caliphate, about 100 miles northeast of Palmyra.

In crafting their Syria policy moving forward, U.S. officials face a paradox. They seek to weaken Assads government, but not so much as to boost Islamic State and other militant factions that initially arose from the chaos of the Syrian conflict. U.S. officials say their goal in aiding rebel factions is not to force a violent overthrow of Assad, but to push his government into negotiating concessions that would ultimately see him leave office.

For its part, Washington has been clear that the black flag of Islamic State flying over Damascus would be a catastrophic outcome. As part of the ongoing Geneva peace process, both Washington and Moscow have backed the principle that Syrias state institutions must remain intact through any transitional Syrian government that may arise from the peace process.

So far, though, the Assad government has made it clear that its participation in United Nations-backed talks in Geneva is not meant to orchestrate its own demise.

In recent months, the White House has toned down its Assad must go demands, conceding that the Syrian president could stay in power for some unspecified period during a transition to a new, negotiated administration in Syria. Still, Washington insists Assad must step down.

But how to maintain a stable government structure in Damascus without Assad and his loyalists remains a key obstacle for negotiators in Geneva. The lessons of neighboring Iraq resonate.

An image from video recorded by a Russian drone on March 27, 2016, shows a temple in the ancient city of Palmyra. (AFP/Getty Images)

The goal is to avoid the kind of chaos and turmoil that enveloped Iraq in 2003 when the U.S. military ousted Saddam Hussein, resulting in a collapse of the Iraqi state. That set in motion an era of instability and sectarian-fueled violence that continues to this day  and has radiated across the region, sowing chaos.

In fact, Islamic State has its origins in Al Qaeda in Iraq, which emerged from the U.S. occupation and became a potent adversary of Washington and its Iraqi allies. The new war in Syria that began in 2011 drew numerous battle-hardened Islamist fighters from across the border in Iraq.

Many of Islamic States current leaders, including the groups top figure, Abu Bakr Baghdadi, were imprisoned by U.S. forces in Iraq. Just as young militants in Europe become radicalized in prisons, Baghdadi and his confederates appear to have consolidated a sinister strategy of Sunni extremist resistance and expansion during their time at Camp Bucca in southern Iraq.

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Teresa Giudice is keeping busy holding her family of four young daughters together while husband Joe is away serving out his 41-month prison sentence.

The "Real Housewives of New Jersey" stars said their goodbyes earlier this month when Joe reported to New Jersey's Federal Correction Institution, Fort Dix, to begin serving out the terms of his sentence on bank fraud related charges.

"Teresa and the girls are sad that Joe's gone, but they're doing their best to adjust," a source told PEOPLE magazine. A source later added, "Her life centers around taking care of them and making sure they get to their activities to keep life as normal as possible for them."

Family Coming Together to Fill Void

For their part, the girls are rumored to be doing all they can to help out, which makes their reality TV star both proud and happy.

Throughout her days of starring on "RHONJ," Teresa has always shown herself to put heavily into her family. Even while she was away serving out her 11-month prison sentence on some of the same charges her husband was convicted of, she managed to stay hands on.

Scenes from her three-part Bravo special "Teresa Checks In," regularly showed her interacting with her daughters in jailhouse conversations.

The two parents, both 43, were allowed to serve time separately so at least one of them would be able to be home with their daughters. Teresa was released from custody just before Christmas.

Joe Releases Jailhouse Statement

Since starting his sentence, Joe has released a statement through his attorney where he reflected, "It was obviously a very emotional day, but this is a very strong family with a tremendous support system and they will get through this, just as they did when Teresa was away."

Though slapped with a 41-month sentence, Joe has previously expressed he hopes to be released after serving just 18 months.
Honda plans "UR-V" crossover for China

Mar 27, 2016, 5:01pm ET

The Murano-sized crossover will be its flagship SUV in China.

A trademark filing in China appears to have revealed the name of Honda's new flagship crossover in the Chinese market: UR-V.

Teased in the form of the Honda Concept D that was revealed last year at the Shanghai Motor Show last year, the UR-V is a mid-sized crossover that will slot above the CR-V. Honda does not offer the Pilot in China, so the Murano-sized UR-V will serve as the range topper.

Chinese media is reporting that engine choices will include naturally aspirated 2.4-liter and turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinders. Both will have a 6-speed automatic as the sole transmission choice. Honda sees it as a pioneer of the under-tapped mid-size crossover market in China. When it goes on sale, a prices are expected to range from 250,000 to 425,000 yuan ($38,400 to $65,200 US dollars).

At the same time, Honda also filed the names WR-V and CD-X. Both are crossovers based on the Fit platform. Honda already has the Fit-based HR-V, but the WR-V reportedly looks like a tall-riding Fit, while the CD-X is supposedly an Acura-badged, luxury version of the HR-V.

The production version of the UR-V is expected to debut at the Beijing Motor Show next month.

Live images by Ronan Glon.
Steve Curto

Steve Curto, who died Feb. 8 at age 84, will be honored April 17 during the Easton Area Community Center testimonial roast. Curto was a longtime volunteer and board member at the center. Mayor Sal Panto Jr. will declare April 17 as Steve Curto Day. (Courtesy photos)

It isn't every day the mayor sets aside a day in your honor.

But Easton, family and friends will pay posthumous tribute on April 17 to Steve Curto, a longtime volunteer and board member at Easton Area Community Center.

Steve Curto (Courtesy photo)

Mayor Sal Panto Jr. said it will be bittersweet when he declares that Sunday as Steve Curto Day in Easton. Curto died Feb. 8 at 84.

Panto knew Curto since the mayor was a kid, participating in the old St. Mary's Youth Organization on South Side.

"I'm going to be very proud to name that day after him," Panto said. "He was always active in our community and never asked for anything in return."

The honor is timed for the date of the annual Easton Area Community Center testimonial roast, a fundraiser that Curto helped establish 20 years ago.

The testimonial is being held at the Best Western at Routes 22 and 512 in Hanover Township, Northampton County. The banquet will be the culmination of months of planning and work with which Curto was heavily involved.

He was stricken and died just a day after attending the Super Bowl Chili Cook-off in Easton that raises money for the community center.

"He got it halfway under his belt when this happened," said Jeanne Curto, his wife of 54 years.

She said she and the Curtos' two children, son Tony and daughter Gina Kuronya, have been humbled by the sympathies and generosity of people since Steve's passing.

He was involved with the community center at Ninth and Washington streets, formerly St. Anthony's Youth Center, for nearly 50 years.

A longtime union official and player in Democratic politics, Curto retired in 1990 as business agent of the United Food and Commercial Workers Union.

He was a lifelong Easton resident who was born in the West Ward and raised his children on South Side. He got involved with the youth center around the late 1960s.

"He did dedicate a lot of time," said his wife. "I'm really not sure how it all started, maybe because at the time it was called St. Anthony's and he was always active in the church."

He belonged to St. Anthony of Padua Roman Catholic Church.

Curto was known for his gentlemanly style and dapper wardrobe. He was fond of ties, sport jackets and his trademark fedora.

He was someone you could count on to always get things done, said Leonard Buscemi Sr., treasurer of the community center's board of directors and a longtime friend and colleague.

Curto enlisted unions to build and equip a new kitchen that today serves about 50,000 meals a year to kids in the center's after-school and summer programs.

He persuaded businesses and individuals to donate Christmas presents, windbreakers, T-shirts and food.

When volunteers were needed to strip and scrub the floors in preparation for the 2015 ceremony to name the building after philanthropist Lee Grifo, Curto in his 80s was there, Buscemi said.

"You could not find a nicer person than Steve Curto," he said. "He would give you the shirt off his back. He never ever said no, especially when it came to the kids."

This year's testimonial roast will honor former mayor Phil Mitman and bandleader Henry Casella of King Henry & the Showmen.

Besides Steve Curto Day, other plans are in the works to recognize his contributions to the community center and city youth. The Lehigh Valley Labor Council will present a lifetime achievement award on April 23.

Panto said he's declared special days for people roughly 10 times in his years as mayor, most recently to honor auto dealer Andy Daub for his work with the Northampton County Historical & Genealogical Society.

"It's not something I take lightly. I don't do it very often," Panto said. "But these men were cut from the same mold. They just make this community better and better."

The April 17 testimonial begins with a mix and mingle at 3 p.m. and dinner at 4 p.m. Tickets are $60 per person, with all proceeds benefiting the community center.

For information, call 610-253-8271 or email saints1@ptd.net.

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
UPDATE: Meat Loaf date moved again, Sands event center says



Meat Loaf fans heading to Saturday night's sold-out show in Bethlehem are in for a disappointment.

The show is being postponed because of illness, according to a spokesman for Sands Bethlehem Event Center. The nature of the illness was not immediately disclosed.

The new date is Monday night at 8 p.m.

All tickets for Saturday night's show will be honored Monday night at the event center, spokesman Rick Schoenen said.

The multi-platinum musician and entertainer has performed in Bethlehem several times.

Jim Deegan may be reached at jdeegan@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow him on Twitter @jim_deegan. Find lehighvalleylive on Facebook.
At about 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, Cindy Hornaman recalled receiving a horrifying text message from her husband, Chris Hornaman.

Six volunteers from the Lehigh Valley with members of the Centennial School just before leaving Africa. (Courtesy photo)

Chris Hornaman, a member of the Lehigh Valley Chapter Engineers Without Borders and the Emmaus Rotary Club, was flying home with five other volunteers following a service project in Africa.

"It said, 'Hi, arrived in Brussels. Explosions. We're safe. Watch TV,' " Cindy Hornaman recalled.

The group was headed home after spending two weeks in Sierra Leone helping to rebuild a school. Aside from Chris Hornaman, the other five volunteers were Herb Klotz, president of the Allentown West Rotary and a member of Engineers Without Borders; Jennifer Holman, assistant superintendent of the Northwestern Lehigh School District; Pete McKnight, a teacher in the district; Carl Zvanut, member of Engineers Without Borders; and Tom Powers, member of Engineers Without Borders.

Their flight home was supposed to run Africa to Belgium and then, fly home into Newark International Airport, New Jersey by March 21.

But instead the flight leaving Africa was delayed a day and caused the group to wait in-transit March 22 at the Brussels airport. The group was stationed in a waiting area during the explosions, one reported by a suicide bomber, in the departure hall at Brussels Airport.

The explosion killed an estimated 10 people just before 8 a.m. local time on Tuesday, or 3 a.m. Eastern time. About an hour later, another explosion reportedly occurred at the Maelbeek subway station in central Brussels, not far from the European Union's core institutions.

The explosions have been deemed the worst terror attack in Belgium's history, killing a total estimated 20 people and wounding 230 others.

Escaping tragedy

None of the Lehigh Valley volunteers were injured.

The group left their luggage behind when they airport was evacuated. They then fled to Leuven, a small village about 30 kilometers away from the airport, Cindy Hornaman said. The group was cared for by a Belgium Rotary Club.

"Constant efforts were made working with Rotary International and Engineers Without Borders, as well as others, to get the team out of Belgium and home to the USA," Cindy Hornaman said.

The group eventually was able to board a train for Germany and then, fly home. The group arrived at Newark International Airport at 5 p.m. Saturday.

"They're fine right now; After a couple days, this might hit them more," Cindy Hornaman said. "Their focus now is to get as much help as they can for their (future) missions."

Continuing service

Aside from Hornaman, Herb Klotz, Carl Zvanut and Tom Powers also are members of the nonprofit Lehigh Valley Chapter of Engineers Without Borders. The group has a goal to help build infrastructure in struggling communities.

That group of engineers, along with the Rotary Club volunteers, were helping to rebuild Centennial Secondary School in the rural village of Mattru Jong, Sierra Leone. The school had been ransacked by rebels during Sierra Leone's civil war, which lasted for several years in the 1990s.

Cindy Hornaman said the school initially had no sanitation or water, describing the country as "shattered" following the conflict. She said the building had no electricity for 25 years.

The volunteers began two years ago working to drill wells and build a sanitation system. Earlier this month, the group continued their project, installing solar panels for electricity, she said.

The Northwestern Lehigh School District employees had traveled with the group to learn more about a cooperative long-distance learning program with the Sierra Leone teachers, Cindy Hornaman said.

The group already is planning for future mission projects. Two fundraising events are scheduled to help with the efforts:

6 p.m. April 1: De Sales University Union Building, Engineers Without Borders Fundraiser. Information: www.Ewb-lvp.org

4 to 7 p.m. May 15: Holiday Inn-Fogelsville, Tempting Tastes: Allentown West Rotary. Information: www.temptingtastes.net

Pamela Sroka-Holzmann may be reached at pholzmann@lehighvalleylive.com. Follow her on Twitter @pamholzmann. Find lehighvalleylive.com on Facebook.
Nick Cleggs Standard column this week concentrated on the European Referendum, as I suspect many of them will in the next few months. He sought to smash 5 key themes of the Leavers rhetoric.

The first is the claim that our membership of the EU costs us 55 million a day, a figure repeatedly used by Farage, Johnson and others. Its a total con. As the fact-checkers at InFacts have found, in 2015 the net cost was in fact 17 million a day, or around 30p per person. For that entry fee we then get all the benefits that our access to the worlds largest single market brings, which the CBI has estimated to be worth 3,000 to every British household. So every man, woman and child materially benefits many times more than what we pay in.

The second is that, when it comes to trade, the EU needs us more than we need it. At a debate I took part in last week, this was the very first point made by Tory minister Andrea Leadsom. Again, totally bogus. Our exports to the rest of the EU represent around 12 per cent of our GDP but the EUs exports to us are just three per cent of its GDP. Neither side will want a trade war but we should be under no illusion that the EU would have the much stronger hand to play in any negotiations if we left.

The third is that fewer than 750,000 Brits live elsewhere in Europe, far fewer than the number of EU nationals who live in the UK, a fib that Farage used against me in that same debate. But his figure is complete baloney. The Governments own estimates a few years ago suggested around 2.2 million British people were living at least part of the year elsewhere, which is only slightly less than the 2.3 million EU citizens estimated to be living in the UK. The right to live and work across the EU is a two-way street.

The fourth is that EU red tape costs British businesses 600 million a year, a figure cited recently by Boris Johnson, and that the UK is run by a monstrously bloated bureaucracy in Brussels. For a start, this fib is based on the cost of applying regulations not just to business but to the public sector too. And, as with the 55 million-a-day figure, it takes no account of the return we get, either in terms of matters such as cleaner air or the huge benefits those same businesses get from being able to trade freely in the worlds biggest marketplace. And the European Commission is in truth about a 10th the size of Whitehall, employing around half the number of officials employed by HMRC alone.

But the fifth is perhaps the most pernicious. It is the claim that if we withdraw from Europe we can somehow reclaim our borders and wish the problem of mass immigration away. The Farages of this world like to suggest that if we were not part of the EU fewer desperate refugees fleeing war in Syria and elsewhere would seek to make their way here. What cynical nonsense. The truth is that we are not part of the borderless Schengen area and the thousands of traumatised individuals clamouring for refuge in Europe do not make a distinction between EU and non-EU membership. They just want safety and sanctuary. Whats more, if we want to trade with Europe in future as we do now, free movement will undoubtedly be part of the deal. Thats what Norway and Switzerland, which the Brexiteers love to cite as models, have found. Both have to sign up to the EUs rules in order to be part of the single market (even partially in Switzerlands case), and we would too.
You can tell theres an election on. This week, Willie Rennie has painted Easter eggs, sung songs with children at a nursery, visited a farmers market and fed seals.

Heres a look at a whirlwind week in Scotland. Some of it is quite funny.

Monday

Willie was supposed to be going to Amazon in Dunfermline to discuss working practices and pay with employees. At the last minute, Amazon cancelled the meeting. Undeterred, Willie went anyway and recorded this video outside the depot:

Locked outToday, I was supposed to visit Amazon in Dunfermline.At the last minute, they cancelled the visit, because they were too embarrassed to let me see conditions in the center  and too embarrassed by the wages they pay their staff.Big companies like Amazon, that receive government grants, should pay their staff the living wage.Thats why we will never pay government grants to companies that dont pay the living wageAgree? Add your name here: scotlibdems.org.uk/livingwage Posted by Willie Rennie on Monday, 21 March 2016

Tuesday

He was on Scotland 2016 to talk about the SNPs tax plans, or lack of them. In short, they say they can raise 1.2 billion without anyone paying any more tax. That seems to defy the laws of any sort of finance.

Last night I was on Scotland 2016 talking about the SNPs tax plans and challenged John Swinneys claims over what this would mean for public services. The truth is that their plans will not raise an extra penny to invest in schools and deliver the transformation in education that we need. Posted by Willie Rennie on Wednesday, 23 March 2016

Wednesday

He kicks off the Holyrood campaign with piece calling for more Strong Liberal Voices at Holyrood:

Thursday

This is my personal favourite of the week. Visiting an Edinburgh nursery with Edinburgh Western candidate Alex Cole-Hamilton to highlight the importance of early years education, he got right into the singalong:

Today @willie_rennie visited an Edinburgh nursery, read more about our penny for education https://t.co/X38VmR4KUT pic.twitter.com/oxKc8ABn3p  Scot Lib Dems (@scotlibdems) March 24, 2016

Later that evening, the first leaders debate took place. That wasnt nearly so harmonious:

The First Leaders debateLast night,was the first #LeadersDebate of the Scottish Parliament election. Just incase you missed it, here are some of the highlights from last nights debate, including our plans for education, Scotlands new tax powers and what Id say to President Trump: Posted by Willie Rennie on Friday, 25 March 2016

Friday

The rural economy was the theme today. Willie visited Loch Leven Larder and painted Easter eggs with some children:

A busy morning at LLL with @willie_rennie, @wbrobertson1 , @STVNews & some young artists entering our Easter comp! pic.twitter.com/q8Iib2GFgo  Loch Levens Larder (@LochLevenLarder) March 25, 2016

Later he launched Katy Gordons campaign for the West of Scotland.

Saturday

They say never work with children and animals. Willie has done both this week. Here he is feeding the seals with Mid Scotland and Fife candidate Peter Barrett at Deep Sea World in North Queenferry:

Sunday

This morning he was at the Stokcbridge Farmers Market with Edinburgh Central candidate Hannah Bettsworth.

This morning Willie Rennie & Hannah Bettsworth for Edinburgh Central and Lothian were on the campaign trail meeting Easter shoppers and stall holders at Stockbridge Market. Posted by Scottish Liberal Democrats on Sunday, 27 March 2016 Theres only another 5 weeks and 4 days to go

* Caron Lindsay is Editor of Liberal Democrat Voice and blogs at Caron's Musings
THOMONDGATE residents have been left devastated and frightened after An Bord Pleanala recently upheld the decision to give the green light to a new social housing project in the area.

On August 12, 2015, Limerick City and County Council gave the go-ahead to the Mirth Development Project, comprising 18 apartment units for people with long-term accommodation needs by Browns Quay.

A petition issued by the Thomondgate Residents Rights Group was signed by, reportedly, 400 locals, objecting to the development that is being spearheaded by Associated Charities Trust Ltd (ACT), which also operates Thomond House emergency hostel.

Residents have expressed fears that the new project will bring more people with drug and alcohol problems into the area, and will add to the existing anti-social behaviour in the area.

ACT chairperson, Brian Cronin said when they offered to meet with concerned residents, they didnt even acknowledge the letter.

Fianna Fail Deputy Willie ODea, who also objected to the development, said that he was absolutely devastated and shocked to hear of An Bord Pleanalas decision, which was made on March 15.

It will ghettoise the area. I am extremely disappointed. I am going to study the decision, I am going to look at the options and I am going to talk to the residents about it.

After the council gave the project the go-ahead in August, Deputy ODea said that peoples lives have become much more difficult with activities from Thomond House, and this is going to exacerbate those difficulties.

Group chairperson, Brenda Raels said that it is unbelievable that the project will be going ahead.

Most of the people here are over 50, and there are highly volatile people going into this new project, and we already have huge issues with Thomond House. We have huge issues with anti-social behaviour as it stands, and this is going to add to it, she said.

She said that the residents believe that similar clientele will be moving into the new project in Thomondgate.

In response to the residents concerns, Mr Cronin said:

People are entitled to use that appeals process, if they wished. I can only reassure people, and I know some of the concerns was that we would use it for emergency-type hostel. It is not, and it will not be used for that. It will be a permanent social housing scheme.

He said in August that he rejects Deputy ODeas ghettoisation comments.

However, Deputy ODea and residents said that they had previously broken their promise when they informed the community that Thomond House would be only for women, aged 40 and older.

In response, Mr Cronin said that the profile of their criteria changed following a new partnership with the council and the HSE, which funds the project that accommodates women aged 18 and over. He added that they cannot discriminate who fits a certain age profile, and that previous older residents have been since moved to Altamira long-term accommodation.

The type of person that will be accommodated will be decided on, in partnership with the council, through the social housing list. They will have to meet the criteria, as set out by the council, he explained.

He said that he is open to discussing the project with the residents.
OLD photo albums dating back to 1916 which have come into the hands of Galbally man Tim Ryan have opened a window into that historic period in the countrys past.

The collections which are now 100 years old were compiled by Tims uncle Fr Peter Scanlan and will form part of a 1916 commemoration in Galbally on Easter Monday.

Fr Scanlan was a brother of Michael Scanlan, who was shot after escaping while being brought to William Street station in 1921. He is also a brother of Dr Gary Scanlan, who fought with the Cork City Volunteers and later served as a GP in Cappamore for many years.

A fourth brother; Jimmy Scanlan, took part in the rescue of Sean Hogan at Knocklong station in 1919. The album was in America for many years as Fr Peter served as a priest in Oakland, California, Tim explained.

When he died, a cousin of mine brought back a lot of his stuff and then they came into my possession by degrees. There are a number of albums and there could be 200 or 300 photographs altogether between all the albums. They are now of historical significance, especially for that period of our history.

Fr Scanlan took many of the photographs himself.

This Monday at 3pm local groups from Mitchelstown, Anglesboro/Kilbehenny, Ballylanders, the Glen of Aherlow and Galbally will march to represent the volunteers who mobilised in Galbally village on Easter Sunday 1916. A wreath will be placed at the monument, ballads will be sung and The Proclamation will be read.The main speaker will be John O'Mahony, who wrote the book Frongach- University of Revolution.The Last Post and Reveille will be played by Joe Maloney, Knocklong. The Liam Lynch Memorial Pipe Band will attend and there will be light refreshments afterwards in the community centre where a slide show of the large amount of photos will be shown. There will also be an exhibition upstairs showcasing historic artifacts and photos. Everybody is welcome to attend.
MIT researchers created solar cells that are so thin and light that they can be draped on top of a soap bubble, without popping the bubble.

Scientists have created the thinnest, lightest solar power cells yet  so lightweight that they can be draped on top of a soap bubble without popping it.

The researchers suggested that these ultrathin solar cells could be placed on almost any solid surface, including fabric, paper and glass.

Solar cells, technically known as photovoltaic cells, directly convert energy from light into electricity. The new solar cells are as small as 1.3 microns thick. In comparison, the average human hair is about 100 microns thick.

The new devices are also superlightweight, weighing only about 0.01 lbs. per square yard (3.6 grams per square meter). In comparison, typical piece of office paper weighs about 20 times more. [Top 10 Inventions That Changed the World]

The idea to drape a solar cell on top of a soap bubble came because "we wanted people to see how thin this solar cell was, but you can't tell the difference between a 10-micron and a 1-micron film by eye," said study lead author Joel Jean, an electrical engineer at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). "My lab mate Patrick Brown suggested floating the cell on a bubble to make the weight difference much more dramatic, so I tried it. My first reaction to seeing it was probably a lot like yours  'Cool!'"

The new solar cells convert light to electricity with about the same efficiency as conventional, glass-based solar cells, the researchers said. "It's unusual for flexible cells to perform as well as rigid cells on glass," Jean told Live Science.

In addition, the power-to-weight ratio of the new devices is among the highest ever achieved for solar cells. This is key to applications in which weight is important, such as on spacecraft or on high-altitude research balloons, the researchers said.

Conventional silicon-based solar modules produce about 6.8 watts per lb. (15 watts per kilogram), but these new devices can generate more than 2,720 watts per lb. (6 watts per gram), or about 400 times as much.

"It could be so light that you don't even know it's there, on your shirt or on your notebook," study senior author Vladimir Bulovic, an electrical engineer at MIT, said in a statement. "These cells could simply be an add-on to existing structures."

The new cells use an organic compound known as DBP as their primary light-absorbing material. The solar cells are sandwiched between layers of parylene, a commercially available, flexible, transparent plastic that is widely used to protect circuit boards and implanted biomedical devices from environmental damage.

The solar cells and their parylene supports and coatings are fabricated in a vacuum chamber at room temperature without the use of any solvents, the scientists said. In contrast, conventional solar-cell manufacturing requires high temperatures and harsh chemicals. [Top 10 Craziest Environmental Ideas]

The solar cells and the parylene are grown together. The parylene never needs to be handled, cleaned or removed from the vacuum during fabrication, which minimizes exposure to dust and other contaminants that could degrade the performance of the solar cells, according to the researchers.

The scientists acknowledged that the solar cell they created to sit atop a soap bubble might be too thin to be practical  an errant breath could blow it away, they said. "It's, of course, just for show, but we think it makes for a good show," Jean said.

The researchers noted they could easily fabricate parylene films up to 80 microns thick using commercial equipment without losing the other benefits of their manufacturing technique.

"Using this approach, you could imagine laminating lightweight or even invisible solar cells onto windows or other solid surfaces for building- and device-integrated electronics," Jean said. "A more robust consumer product might use these cells laminated onto a conventional flexible plastic sheet, which you could carry around with you for portable power."

The researchers noted their fabrication technique can use a variety of photovoltaic materials beyond the ones they have demonstrated so far. "A more efficient photovoltaic technology could reach even higher power-to-weight ratios than the 6 watts per gram that we showed in this first demonstration," Jean said.

The MIT team's ultrathin solar cells are almost an order of magnitude thinner and lighter than the previous record holder, said Max Shtein, a materials scientist at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, who was not involved in this work, said in a statement. As a result, he noted that this research "has tremendous implications for maximizing power-to-weight [ratios]  important for aerospace applications, for example  and for the ability to simply laminate photovoltaic cells onto existing structures."

It's not yet known when these solar cells might be commercially available, "but a general rule of thumb is that it takes a decade for a technology to go from research lab to market," Jean said. Some of the main challenges in scaling up this approach for commercial use might include developing an integrated system for high-throughput manufacturing  for example, roll-to-roll processing  increasing the deposition speed, and identifying applications where an ultralight and flexible cell would provide some unique value to the user."

Jean, Bulovic and their colleague Annie Wang, also at MIT, detailed their findings in the April issue of the journal Organic Electronics.

Follow us @livescience, Facebook & Google+. Original article on Live Science.
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
Back in April 2015 we reported that one of the China antimonopoly agencies (SAIC) published the IP Misuse Rules, which became effective then. What followed after that surprised everyone. The other anti-monopoly agency (National Development and Reform Commission, NDRC), which was at the centre of the attention of the global IP/antitrust community for last couple of years due to its investigation into Qualcomm and InterDigital in China, announced in the summer that it was asked by the State Council to draft guidelines on IP misuse. NDRC issued a preliminary draft in October 2015 and issued an updated version in January.

At the beginning of January, the third anti-monopoly agency MOFCOM announced its draft IP misuse guidelines are ready, though these are not publicly available. Almost immediately SAIC published online its draft IP Misuse Guidelines, including the English version. The patent office (SIPO) also announced that it is preparing its own version of the guidelines. This means China is going to have four versions of IP misuse guidelines, which will all be submitted to the State Council Antimonopoly Commission for final review and consolidation. Chinese press reported that the State Council will publish its first version in the first half of 2016.

One of the key issues in the earlier October 2015 NDRC draft is the applicability of the guidelines to non-FRAND encumbered patents. It arguably may hold patent owners that have a dominant market position in a product sector to have violated the Chinese antimonopoly law if the patent owners refuse to license or charge "excessive" royalty fees. People have put a lot of hopes in the latest draft to watch if any improvements were made. However, the new draft does not resolve it either. NDRC now removes the section on SEPs and treats both SEPs and non-SEPs under the section of "abuse of dominant market position". This remains highly problematic to those patent owners that have strong portfolios. It seems that the NDRC is tired of the controversies and tries to adopt a single approach to deal with either SEP or non SEPs.

The concept of "innovation market" is deleted from the NDRC draft, as some people have been criticising it for being too confusing. As an alternative, the guideline states that "the influence of exercising IPRs on investments on R&D, or innovation activities should also be considered". A detailed method is also given for calculating the market share of the relevant technology market.

Notably, the SAIC draft guidelines still retain the concept of innovation market and even provide a methodology when the innovation market should be defined and analysed.

The new guideline have re-defined the types of agreements which may raise competition concerns, which include joint R&D, patent pool, cross licensing, standardisation, price restrictions, exclusive grant-back and no-challenge clauses.

Notably, it separates those rules to regulate IPR agreements signed by competitive business operators and those by non-competitive business operators.

For the first type of agreements (Section II(i)), the guideline includes four different circumstances  joint R&D; patent pooling; cross-licensing; and standard formulation. It is stated that the first type of agreement is supposed to cause more antitrust concerns.

For the second type of agreements (Section II(ii) ), the guideline also covers four different circumstances  price constraint; exclusive grant-back; non-challenge clause; and other restrictive clauses.

The guideline recognises that all eight circumstances may help improve efficiency, but also may have the impact of eliminating or restricting competition, or hampering innovation. Some detailed factors are given to be adopted in case-by-case decision.

Interestingly, SAIC Guidelines have fairly similar rules to those in the NDRC guidelines.

The guideline has also incorporated the safe harbour rules and specified a certain market threshold (15% for competitive business operators and 25% for non-competitive business operators). Based on this threshold, some agreements entered by business operators may be exempt from penalties because they do not seriously exclude competition.

Notably, this is inconsistent with the conditions for safe harbour stipulated in the SAIC IP Misuse rules (20% for competitive business operators and 30% of each counterparties). The inconsistency may cause conflict and great confusion in practice.

The guideline entails standards for determining whether an IPR owner has a dominant position (Section III(i)) and, if so, whether it has abused that position (Section III(ii)). It lays out six types of abuse behaviours which include unfairly high royalty fees, refusal to license, tying, impose unreasonable conditions, discriminatory treatment and injunctive relief etc, which both apply to SEP and non-SEP licensing. This arguably will cause greater concern to many people. For example, in the part of "unfairly high royalties", seven factors are listed which apply to the analysis for all types of IP.

We expect that lots of efforts and attention will be devoted to the IPR Misuse Rules in China. Experts have to choose when and how to participate in the commenting processes. Whoever is going to consolidate the four sets of IP misuse guidelines could certainly use lots of help from the international legal community.

He Jing Liu Liangyong

AnJie Law Firm26/F, Tower D, Central International Trade Center6A Jianguomenwai Avenue, Chaoyang District, Beijing 100022, PR ChinaTel: +86 10 8567 5988Fax: +86 10 8567 5999wuli@anjielaw.comwww.anjielaw.com
The use of hyperlinks may be considered as a trade-related copyright infringement under certain circumstances.

There are three types of hyperlinks: (1) deep linking: when a link redirects to another website where illegal works are hosted; (2) inline linking: when a link opens directly a file that contains a work; and (3) surface linking: when a link redirects to the home page of another website.

The first two types of links may be considered as an unauthorised use of works. In fact, in Mexico there is already a precedent in which our authorities determined a trade-related copyright infringement for the use of deep linking. The website that provides the links redirects to illegal websites that host works without the authorisation of the copyright or neighbouring rights holder.

Such activities are considered as an act of public communication of works by making them available to the public. So it becomes necessary to have the authorisation of the copyright or neighbouring rights holder to use works in such a way.

This trade-related copyright infringement may be confirmed by making the analysis, of such activities in light of the three-step test contained in the Berne Convention, which is the basis of every copyright exception:

Certain special cases.

Do not conflict with a normal exploitation of a work.

Do not unreasonably prejudice the legitimate interests of the author.

Hyperlinking is not a special case of exception: it conflicts with the normal exploitation of the work since the use of the work does not consider any kind of remuneration to the copyright owner and it prejudices the legitimate interests of the author since the original authorisation to use the work was different (in most cases, the use is authorised by a restricted access).

Exceptions to hyperlinking may be legally applicable when the three-step test is duly completed.

Mauricio Llanes

Olivares

Pedro Luis Ogazon No 17

Col San Angel

01000 Mexico DF

Tel: +5255 53 22 30 00

Fax: +5255 53 22 30 01

olivlaw@olivares.com.mx

www.olivares.com.mx
Keppel FELS Limited (Keppel FELS), a wholly owned subsidiary of Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd (Keppel O&M), has delivered two jackup rigs to Mexican company, Grupo R.



Built to Keppel's proprietary KFELS B Class design, the rigs, CANTARELL I and CANTARELL II, will be chartered to PEMEX, Mexico's national oil company, for operations in the Cantarell oil field in offshore Mexico. They are the first two of five jackup rigs that Keppel FELS is building for Grupo R.



Mr Wong Kok Seng, Managing Director of Keppel O&M (Offshore) and Keppel FELS, said, "We are pleased to deliver another two rigs in 2016 to our quality client Grupo R. Despite the current low oil price environment, the market continues to prefer safe and efficient rigs with a proven track record like our KFELS B Class. We have built strong relationships with our customers and continue to engage them in developing win-win solutions."



With the two rigs delivered, there will be 10 KFELS B Class rigs working in Mexico, two of which are directly owned by PEMEX. It is the dominant rig design in the region, with those already in operation turning out robust, efficient and economical, performances for Mexico.



The KFELS B Class jackup is designed to operate in water depths of up to 400 feet and drill to depths of 30,000 feet. Developed by Keppel's Offshore Technology Development (OTD), the KFELS B Class jackup is equipped with an advanced and fully-automated high capacity rack and pinion jacking system, and Self-Positioning Fixation System. It has accommodation with full amenities for 150 persons.



Keppel has delivered projects to Mexico since 2004 when it was awarded a contract to build two accommodation modules. Besides building new jackup rigs for Mexico, Keppel has also repaired and serviced a total of 18 rigs that have been deployed in Mexico.



With the deliveries, Keppel FELS has delivered three rigs in 2016 to-date.


Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command Adm. Phil Davidson announced the 2015 USFFC Fleet Sea and Shore Sailors of the Year during a ceremony hosted by the Hampton Roads Navy League at the Sheraton Waterside in Norfolk, March 24.



Aviation Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (AW/SW) Tinisha Franklin, a native of Brooklyn, New York, stationed aboard aircraft carrier USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75) was announced as the 2015 Sea Sailor of the Year and Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 1st Class (AW/SW) Brian McGarrigle, a native of Clearwater, Florida, stationed at Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 40 (HSM-40) as the Shore Sailor of the Year.



"For the Shore Sailors of the Year standing behind me, they come from some 280 commands and 27,000 Sailors, so the handful of Sailors that are up here today are truly the cream of the crop," said Davidson. "For the sea commands, there are 400 commands and some 73,000 Sailors and they come from the East Coast to Bahrain."



Davidson congratulated all 13 candidates for their outstanding performance and the support of their family and friends.



"We constantly talk about making the fleet ready to fight and win, and I'll tell you, these Sailors standing behind me today are the ones who put that 'win' into the words fight and win, no doubt about it," said Davidson.



The announcement came at the conclusion of five full days of activities designed to highlight the individual accomplishments of the 13 finalists. Social functions sponsored by local Hampton Roads military and civilian supporters led to the final event of the SOY competition, an intense review board for each candidate to determine who will represent USFF as the Fleet Sea and Shore SOYs.



"This is completely humbling, it is so surreal and I still can't believe they called my name," said Franklin. "I didn't really expect this for myself at all. I expected and hoped this for the others but to be the one actually receiving the award is an amazing experience."



Franklin credits a large portion of her success to those around her.



"I am here because my Sailors, my leadership and my family believed in me," said Franklin. "Even when I didn't believe in myself; they saw something in me that I didn't see and kept me motivated to get to this point."



The USFF SOY program recognizes the best and brightest Sailors throughout USFF. Davidson awarded each of the finalists the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal.



Franklin will be meritoriously promoted to the rank of chief petty officer by the Chief of Naval Operations in May. McGarrigle will go on to the next round of competition at the Chief of Naval Operations Shore SOY competition later this month in Washington, D.C.



Retired Master Chief Torpedoman Rich Corey, the first Submarine Forces and Atlantic Fleet Sailor of the Year, and the honorary guest speaker of the ceremony, enlisted in the Navy in 1960 and served aboard USS George Washington (SSBN-598) before assuming duty as an instructor at Submarine Base New London, in Groton, Connecticut.



"My selection back in 1972 was one of the most memorable moments of my naval career," said Corey. "I recall there being such great talent and professionalism among my competitors, any one of which were capable of winning. Today's talent is just as strong."



Established in 1972 by the then-Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Elmo Zumwalt and then-Master Chief Petty Officer of the Navy John Whittet, the Sailor of the Year program recognizes Sailors who best represent the ever-growing group of dedicated professional Sailors at each command and ultimately the Navy. When the program began, only the Atlantic and Pacific Fleet Sailors were recognized. Within 10 years, the Sailor of the Year program was expanded to include the shore establishment and Navy Reserve Sailors.



Fleet Sea Sailor of the Year:

Aviation Boatswain's Mate 1st Class (AW/SW) Tinisha Franklin

USS Harry S. Truman (CVN 75), Norfolk



Finalists:

Operations Specialist 1st Class (SW) Amparo Balderas

Commander, Naval Expeditionary Task Force Europe and Africa, Commander Task Force 68 (CTF 68), Rota, Spain



Hospital Corpsman 1st Class (FMF/SW) Genesisjames Dizon

Marine Corps Forces Command, Norfolk



Cryptologic Technician 1st (NAC/IDW/AW) Class Courtney Evers

Navy Information Operations Detachment Kaneohe Bay, Hawaii



Culinary Specialist 1st Class (SW) Christopher Roth

USS Nitze (DDG 94), Norfolk



Construction Mechanic 1st (SCW/SW) Class Michael Steffey

Naval Mobile Construction Battalion 1, Gulfport, Mississippi



Machinist's Mate 1st (SS) Class Christopher Tanner

USS Maryland (SSBN 738), Kings Bay, Georgia



Fleet Shore Sailor of the Year:



Aviation Warfare Systems Operator 1st Class (AW/SW) Brian McGarrigle Helicopter Maritime Strike Squadron 40 (HSM-40) Mayport, Florida



Finalists:



Legalman 1st Class (SW/AW/IDW) Shallon Davis

Naval Surface Squadron 14, Mayport, Florida



Cryptologic Technician 1st Class (IDW/SG) Kevin Owens

Farragut Technical Analysis Center, Washington, D.C.



Logistics Specialist 1st Class (EXW/SW) Norma Porter

Navy Expeditionary Logistics Support Group, Norfolk



Information Systems Technician 1st Class (IDW/SW/AW/SCW) Chantel Riggenbach Military Sealift Command, Norfolk



Machinist's Mate 1st Class (SS) Mark Rosario

Trident Refit Facility (TRF), Kings Bay, Georgia


The Navy announced March 25 that all primary objectives for Ice Exercise (ICEX) 2016 have been met and the breakdown of Ice Camp Sargo is underway.



"The objectives of demonstrating presence, gaining additional Arctic operational experience, furthering partnerships and expanding scientific research were all achieved over the four weeks in which the ice camp was operational. The hard work and dedication displayed by the Arctic Submarine Laboratory, the ICEX participants, and the shore support team made this event an overall success," said Vice Adm. Joseph E. Tofalo, commander, Submarine Forces.



With the primary objectives met and indications of adverse environmental conditions, specifically a crack on the ice floe, that could impact the future safety of the Camp, the decision was made to conclude Ice Camp operations seven days early; submarine operations however continue as planned.



"Completing an exercise with over 200 participants, representing 30 different organizations and four nations, while operating in an unforgiving and dynamic environment like the Arctic is no small feat," said Tofalo.



"All the participants in ICEX accomplished a great deal work," said Larry Estrada, Director of Arctic Submarine Laboratory.



"Significant testing and research took place during this ICEX. What we have learned and the data collected by everyone will only further our understanding of this region and improve our operating capabilities in such an unpredictable environment."



Ice Camp Sargo was comprised of a series of portable lodging huts, dining and storage facilities, and a command post, and was serviced by two primary frozen runways and two backup runways. The Camp was built on a large floating sheet of ice called an ice floe, nearly 200 miles north of Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.



In the demobilization process, the camp will be fully disassembled and all the fuel, tools, equipment, lodging facilities, and waste will be removed from the ice floe. All personnel have safely returned to the mission logistics hub in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska.



The Los Angeles-class attack submarines USS Hampton (SSN 767) and USS Hartford (SSN 768) will remain in Arctic waters and continue under-ice operations through early April.



Submarines have conducted under-ice operations in the Arctic in support of inter-fleet transits, training, cooperative allied engagements and combat training operations for over six decades. USS Nautilus (SSN 571) made the first submerged transit to the North Pole in 1958. USS Skate (SSN 578) was the first U.S. submarine to surface through Arctic ice at the North Pole in March 1959. Since those events, the U.S. Submarine Force has completed more than 120 Arctic exercises, with the last completed in 2014.




A small group of committed citizens marched through uptown Martinsville on Saturday to share a message of love and equality.

United We Stand, United We March: A March of Equality, a Rally Against Hate began at the former site of the big chair across from the Globmans building uptown and continued to the parking lot across from Martinsville Middle School on East Market Street. Once at the parking lot, several people spoke, including event organizer Eli Salgado; Sheila Mercado of Roanoke; Eddie Seay of Rocky Mount; Lissete Mendoza; Joey Martin of Martinsville, who is planning to run for city council; and Martin Jeffrey, who is running for Mayor of Roanoke as an independent candidate.

Salgado said that during a time when hate speech and xenophobia are being used to divide people from one another, its imperative to have events designed to unite citizens from all different walks of life.

When I started advertising this (event), I didnt want to make a flyer that was offensive or a (Facebook invitation) page that anybody would find offensive, Salgado said. But we got feedback that the flyers were inappropriate. We got people saying that we were going to cause violence, that we were going to cause problems in our community, that we were going to take away the peace. But that is not the intention of this assembly. The intention is to come together in this moment, right now, in our country, when people in our leadership are trying to divide us. We want to send a clear message  were not going to let them.

Mercado spoke about the difficulties that Latino immigrants face in America. Many say that Latino immigrants to the U.S. should immigrate through legal channels, Mercado said, but the government limits family visas for immigrants from several countries, such as Mexico. The process can take more than decade.

DREAMers  young immigrants who meet the criteria for the Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors (DREAM) Act, brought to the U.S. before the age of 16  face a uniquely difficult situation, Mercado said.

When you hear the term DREAMers, let me tell you what theyre dreaming about, Mercado said. Theyre dreaming about being accepted in the only country theyve ever known. They hear people scream at them, Go home, go home, you werent born here, this isnt your country. So what country is theirs? They know English. They listen to our music. They go to our schools. They have been saying the pledge of allegiance to their flag since they were in pre-school. Its all they know. How is it not their home? Its the only home theyve ever had, the only home theyve ever wanted.

Seay, who works with the political organization Your Vote, Your Voice, spoke on the importance of voting, citing the sacrifices of Martin Luther King Jr. and his fellow marchers during the Civil Rights Movement.

If you have the power to vote, use it, Seay said. If you dont have that power, you have to fight to get it.  Its your only voice. If you take that lightly, then youre not standing against racism. Youre not standing against sexism. Youre allowing it to happen. Those of us that can vote are the voice of those that cannot.

Martin said that in areas with a great deal of poverty such as Martinsville and Henry County, it is easy for people to become divided due to economic factors.

Youre going to have people who are angry because they dont have a lot, he said. And theyre looking for someone to blame.  So they take it out on their neighbors. But what they need to realize is, they need join with their neighbors. Their voices collectively can be heard.

Jeffrey said that much like Martin Luther King Jr., the organizers should promote love above all else.

Thats where the strength is, he said. Thats whats going to break down the hearts of the people who dont understand that they dont understand.

Jeffrey said that when people from all different walks of life unite  as they did during the rally  it sends a powerful message to a political establishment that wants to keep people divided.

This conversation is as critical to Roanoke as it is to Martinsville, as critical to Virginia as it is to America, he said.

Jeffrey also offered the marchers a quote from late American cultural anthropologist Margaret Mead: Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.

Near the end of the rally, an individual approached the marchers and said that they did not have permission to be on the property, as it was private property owned by Fred Martin of Fred Martin Associates. Salgado told the individual that he had contacted Tim Martin, son of Fred Martin, two weeks earlier, and that Tim Martin had given him permission to use the property for the march.

In an interview with the Bulletin Saturday afternoon, Tim Martin confirmed that his father owns the property, but said that no one had contacted him regarding permission to use the site for the rally and that he knew nothing about it.
Five months after a local state senator for told police he had been threatened by the father of slain TV reporter and Martinsville native Alison Parker, a special prosecutor has been appointed to oversee an ongoing Virginia State Police investigation and decide whether charges are warranted.

Danville Commonwealths Attorney Michael J. Newman confirmed that he was appointed special prosecutor by Chief Circuit Court Judge Joseph W. Milam Jr. of the 22nd Judicial Circuit after receiving a request in January from fellow Circuit Judge Clyde H. Perue Jr., who sits in Franklin County.

State Sen. William M. Stanley Jr., R-Glade Hill, notified police last fall of the alleged threats by Andy Parker, who has become the public face of gun control in Virginia after his daughter, WDBJ reporter Alison Parker, 24, was gunned down with cameraman Adam Ward, on live TV last August. Stanley is a practicing attorney in Franklin County.

I believe that all parties there in Franklin County, even the judge, requested that Judge Milam handle the appointment of any special prosecutor, Newman said. They didnt want to have anything to do with it in reference to any appearance of impropriety.

Franklin County Commonwealths Attorney A.J. Dudley, who assumed office in January after winning the seat in the November election, said his predecessor, former Commonwealths Attorney Cooper Brown, had requested the appointment of a special prosecutor before leaving office.

The basis of (the appointment) was the current and frequent presence of Sen. Stanley as a defense attorney in many cases being handled by the commonwealths attorneys office, Dudley explained. He has an office here and ... does defense work, and he currently serves as an attorney on many matters that are being prosecuted by our office.

Newman confirmed that a state police investigation of Parkers alleged threats is still ongoing, but he declined to elaborate.

The investigation has not been completed, Newman said. I dont have anything to review at this point. Its still a pending investigation.

Reached this week, Parker was astounded to learn from a reporter that an investigation was still proceeding.

The notion that theyre still pushing this as an ongoing investigation is absurd, he said. I just dont get it.

Parker said he hasnt been interviewed by state police, nor has he been advised of an investigation.

If there was anything to this, you would have thought I would have heard something by now  or somebody from state police would knock on my door, Parker said. But nobody has. And I have to think that (Sen.) Stanleys behind it.

Hes doing everything he can to ruin me, Parker added. Hes searching everywhere he can for a friendly (commonwealths attorney) that will take the case and appoint someone to look into it. Thats the only thing I can think of, because there is absolutely no merit to it.

Reached Friday, Stanley strongly denied Parkers claim that he pushed for investigation or contacted anyone to that end.

When Mr. Parker made the threats to me and my family, back before the election, I reported it to the authorities  as were asked to do whenever an elected official receives a threat like this, Stanley said.

And since then Ive been cooperating with state police when asked, he added. I have had nothing to do other than that with the investigation. Any notion that I am trying to push this along  according to Mr. Parker  is just pure nonsense on his part.

Stanley noted that making a threat of bodily injury or harm to another person using electronic means or over the airways is a crime in Virginia. So thats what theyre investigating.

On Oct. 28, Stanley contacted police and said he obtained an application for a concealed-carry permit after Parker sent him a Facebook message that said: Im going to be your worst nightmare you little bastard.

After Gov. Terry McAuliffe entered the fray and told Stanley in a radio appearance on Richmonds WRVA to man up over the perceived online threat, calling Stanleys reporting of the incident a political stunt, Stanley pointed to a second comment he said clearly shows a physical threat from Parker.

Stanley highlighted a comment Parker made beneath a post touting an endorsement of Stanley by the National Rifle Association.

The comment, one of more than a dozen Parker posted to Stanleys page within roughly 30 minutes, accused Stanley of failing to offer condolences after the shooting and concluded: WHEN YOU SEE ME AGAIN, YOU BETTER WALK THE OTHER WAY LEST I BEAT YOUR LITTLE ASS WITH MY BARE HANDS.

Taken together, Stanley said they show without a doubt that Parker meant to do him physical harm.

Parker, who lives in Henry County and is a constituent of Stanleys, apologized that same week in a statement issued through Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun-control advocacy group he has worked with to produce television ads in several key Virginia Senate races.

In my grief over the murder of my daughter and my anger over a political system that allows incidents like this to occur, I spoke regrettably, Parker said at the time.

Parker this week reiterated that he intended no harm to Stanley. The notion that Id hurt the guy, or that there is a threat there, is nuts. I saw him in the hallways in the General Assembly building  I didnt say anything to him  I just walked right by him.

Stanley said he just wants Parker to leave him and his family alone and be allowed to grieve without making threats to others. He said Parker has directed angry outbursts not just to him, but to other elected officials throughout this area.

I want him to have time to grieve, and not make me the object of the anger which is part of that grief, Stanley said. I have done nothing to him, ever. For him to have the anger that he has for me  to make a physical threat against me and my family  theres no reason for that. The grief can explain, but not necessarily excuse, it.
Sixty-five years after he went missing in action, a deceased local soldier was laid to rest on Saturday, giving closure to his family.

A military funeral for Sgt. 1st Class Raymond Keen McMillian was held at One Accord Baptist Church on Kings Mountain Road. His burial followed at Roselawn Memorial Gardens in Martinsville.

Being able to hold the services was a blessing from God, said Randy Strickland, whose wife, Nancy, is McMillians niece and oldest living relative.

The ceremonies brought both sadness and happiness to the family.

The sadness is that weve lost a loved one, Strickland said after the service at the graveside. The happiness is that hes here and weve had closure with the circumstances surrounding McMillians disappearance.

McMillian went missing near Hoengsong, South Korea, while he was helping wounded soldiers following a battle against the Chinese Peoples Volunteer Forces in February 1951.

According to a previous Bulletin article, McMillian was born Sept. 14, 1930, to Viola and Clarence McMillian and entered military service on Nov. 1, 1948. He served as a medic with the Medical Company, 38th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Division, and eventually rose to the rank of sergeant first class.

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 for his military service, according to Martinsville Mayor Danny Turner.

McMillian was on the battlefield during the Battle of Hoengsong, which occurred 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.

Seven days later, he was presumed dead. His remains were not recovered at that time.

He gave his all, the Rev. Dean Ashby, pastor of County Line Christian Church, said during prayer at the graveside.

Ashby reminded about 200 people who attended the graveside service that so much has been paid for our freedom by the efforts of McMillian and other members of the armed forces.

His labors are over. His work is done. May he find peace, and may his family find peace now, said the Rev. Eddie Hawks, pastor of Woodlawn Baptist Church in Rocky Mount.

Many of McMillians remaining family members live in Franklin County, Hawks said.

Earlier this year, the family was notified that McMillians remains had been identified through DNA matching and were being sent home.

His remains were flown into Piedmont Triad International Airport in Greensboro, N.C., on Thursday. An honor guard from Fort Bragg performed military honors at the plane. Officials from Martinsvilles sheriffs office, police and fire departments, as well as other law enforcement units and Martinsville City Council members, escorted the remains back to the city.

Following his funeral at the church on Saturday, numerous people  including members of the Martinsville-Henry County Veterans Honor Guard and local Girl Scouts  lined both sides of Liberty Street and carried large United States flags as the procession made its way to the cemetery.

Members of local motorcycle clubs, law-enforcement officers and others paid their respects to McMillian and his family members by placing their hands over their hearts, remaining in that position until the entire procession arrived at Roselawn.

Im proud of the way that people from Martinsville, Henry County and surrounding areas responded to make this (McMillians services) an honored event.

Del. Charles Poindexter, R-Franklin County, said he also was impressed by the large turnout.

Poindexter mentioned that South Korea now is a democracy, is one of the worlds most prosperous nations and has many Christians.

Therefore, he did not die in vain, Poindexter said of McMillian, and his sacrifices were worthwhile.

At the graveside, the Honor Guard from Fort Lee gave McMillian a 21-gun salute and performed Taps. After the flag atop his casket was folded, it was presented to his family.

Also in honor of McMillian, Martinsville city flags have been flying at half-staff. Gov. Terry McAuliffe ordered that the U.S. and Virginia flags be lowered to half-staff on Saturday.
LOWELL

 A man was critically wounded late Saturday night when he apparently confronted police with a knife and was shot.

Lowell police officials said officers were called to a Cambridge Street residence at about 11 p.m. with a report of a man with a knife threatening to "kill everyone."

The Lowell Sun reported that moments after police arrived on the scene and entered the house officers said shots had been fired and requested an ambulance.

The wounded individual was taken to Lowell General Hospital where police said he was being treated for life-threatening injuries.

No Lowell police officers were physically injured, however, two officers who were shaken by the incident were taken to Lowell General Hospital.
Connecticut state trooper injured in crash

A Connecticut state trooper sustained minor injuries after their police cruiser was struck by another vehicle on Interstate 91 early Saturday morning, police reported. (Photo courtesy: Connecticut State Police)

NORTH HAVEN, CONN  A Connecticut state trooper sustained minor injuries after their police cruiser was struck by another vehicle on Interstate 91 early Saturday morning, police reported.

According to Connecticut State Police, the unidentified officer was stopped on the right shoulder of I-91 near New Haven when their vehicle was struck around 2 a.m. on Saturday.

The Hartford Courant reported that a northbound 2006 Audi A4, driven by 33-year-old Joseph Mickolyzck, of Meriden, crashed into the cruiser's left rear side after veering off of the roadway.

Mickolyzck and the trooper were transported to Yale-New Haven Hospital for treatment of minor injuries, according to the newspaper. Mickolyzck has been charged with operating under the influence and failure to drive in the proper lane. He will appear in court on April 7.

Reports of the incident come just over a week after Massachusetts State Police Trooper Thomas L. Clardy was killed as the result of a crash on the Massachusetts Turnpike in Charlton.
CHICOPEE A family of four was uninjured when the minivan they were in crashed into a McDonalds at 350 Burnett Road in Chicopee Saturday night.

Police and firefighters were called to the scene just after 10 p.m. with a report of a vehicle into the building.

Chicopee Sgt. Thomas Gazda said the driver of the Honda Odyssey told police that he turned into the restaurant parking lot from Burnett Road but doesn't remember what happened after that.

The car apparently drove straight into the side of the building, knocking over a concrete block wall, smashing a large window and pushing over a corner support beam.

The driver, his wife and their two children, ages two and four years old, were able to walk away from the wrecked car. No one in the restaurant at the time of the accident was injured.

The names of those involved is being withheld while police complete their investigation.
five.cands.jpg

The Holyoke City Council Public Service Committee on March 24, 2016 interviewed tax collector candidates Katherine Jackowski, first from left, and Zaida Marsh, center, as well as city auditor candidates Carolyn Thomas-Davis, second from left, Harry Chadwick, fourth from left, and Willie Morales.

(MIKE PLAISANCE / THE REPUBLICAN)

HOLYOKE -- The City Council April 5 will appoint a city auditor from among three candidates who were interviewed in public session Thursday and a tax collector from two interviewed for that job.

Candidates told councilors about their knowledge of doing payrolls, ensuring cash received is banked that day, maneuvering the intricacies of the state retirement system and managing relations with members of the City Council, which appoints them, and the mayor, who supervises them day to day.

The yearly salary advertised for the tax collector was $44,180-$56,995-$67,379. The city auditor salary was listed as "commensurate with experience," Personnel Director Robert Judge said.

The yearly salary for city auditor as listed in the city budget is $71,746 and the yearly salary for tax collector in the budget is $61,270.

For tax collector, the City Council Public Service Committee at City Hall interviewed Katherine Jackowski of Holyoke, acting Holyoke tax collector, and Zaida E. Marsh of Chicopee, corporate accounting associate with Oncore Manufacturing in Springfield.

For city auditor, the committee interviewed Carolyn Thomas-Davis of Springfield, consultant with Reliable Bookkeeping and Consulting; Harry Chadwick of Hadley, chief auditor with the Public Employee Retirement Administration Commission (PERAC); and Willie Morales, city manager of Hudson, Iowa.

Brian G. Smith, who had been city auditor for 25 years, retired in 2014. Bellamy H. Schmidt has been acting auditor.

David Guzman resigned as Holyoke tax collector in January after about five years.

The Public Service Committee led the interviews, with other councilors in attendance also questioning candidates.

Here are highlights from the interviews:

Jackowski:

She worked in the city treasurer's office for five years, was assistant treasurer and also briefly was acting city auditor, she said.

After Guzman left and the role of acting tax collector became available, she volunteered for that and has embraced the job, she said.

"I just found that I really enjoy the work that I've been taking on and doing in that role, so I was interested in applying for the permanent position because I think I've created a solid working environment ...," Jackowski said.

The recent relocation of the tax collector's officer from the second floor in City Hall to the first, adjacent to the city treasurer's office, she said, "I think it's been well-received."

Committee member Jossie M. Valentin asked Jackowski why she applied for the tax collector job over city auditor, given that she has experience with both.

Jackowski enjoyed the auditor work, she said, but "It was a lot more to take on than I had anticipated."

Valentin said people often see contact with the tax collector as unwelcome. She asked Jackowski how she views the office as a welcoming place for the public.

"You have to just listen to people who come in....You have to create an office that is considerate," Jackowski said.

The "lock box" system of accounting in the office has been established and works well, she said. "Lock box" is a system in which bills are sent to a separate entity for processing.

The system was a source of dispute between Guzman and Mayor Alex B. Morse. Guzman said the office would have functioned better had the mayor filled a head clerk position. Morse said the lock box system, which other departments use, would help the city save money because it would cost half of the head clerk's salary while letting the city either cut that position or shift that job to another city department.

Councilor at Large Peter R. Tallman asked if the tax collector's office has enough employees. With the collector, the staff totals three.

Jackowski said yes, that the lock box system has freed up some employee time and a staffer who floats between departments also shares the workload.

"It's been working out just fine," Jackowski said.

Committee member Daniel B. Bresnahan asked Jackowski about the Guzman-Morse clash and the prospect of being a City Council appointee supervised by the mayor.

"Absolutely," Jackowski said. "I completely understand it's a council appointment. You guys are in charge....I'm not going to do anything that's not beneficial to the city."

City Council President Kevin A. Jourdain said Guzman was well regarded but felt the office would function better with another employee instead of the lock-box system. He asked what Jackowski was seeing that Guzman was not.

The floater has been a big help in dealing with bills and other kinds of mail, she said.

Asked about security protocols, given that the tax collector's new basement location is adjacent to a City Hall exit, Jackowski said at least two employees always staff the office at a time.

The office deals with about $10,000 a day, she said, to a question from Ward 5 Councilor Linda L. Vacon. Each employee has only a small amount of cash in a locked drawer at the counter in dealing with the public, with the bulk of the money transacted in the office kept in a safe. The money is brought daily to PeoplesBank nearby on High Street, she said.

Committee member Howard B. Greaney Jr. complimented Jackowski. He phoned the tax collector's office to ask why his vehicle excise tax bill was the same amount as the previous year. The answer was the bill stays the same after the fifth year.

"I was given a very courteous response ...," Greaney said.

Among improvements she is pursuing is a discussion with the Department of Public Works about updating the parking ticketing system, Jackowski said.

Councilor at Large Joseph M. McGiverin asked Jackowski if she considered herself a self-starter.

She is, Jackowski said, noting she dove into learning the MUNIS accounting system and is now the city's liaison on that system.

"You did an excellent job," committee Chairman James M. Leahy said. "Thank you very much. We'll be talking to you."

Marsh:

"I have 15-plus years of experience in the accounting field ....I bring nothing but professionalism, skills, as far as accounting goes," Marsh said.

Leahy asked what she would do to improve the office.

Marsh said that in her current job, the manager sometimes makes announcements without all employees present. That shows a need to improve communication, she said.

"Communication to me is very important and I think that a lot of people take it for granted," Marsh said.

She has experience in municipal government, having worked as assistant to the police chief in South Hadley from 2002 to 2007, with duties that included payroll, according to Marsh's comments and her resume.

The experience with the South Hadley Police Department exposed her to occasional contact with angry people, she said.

"So I had to learn to deal with unhappy people, angry people....So I can say I'm professional about it thanks to that job," Marsh said.

Ward 2 Councilor Nelson R. Roman asked Marsh why she applied for tax collector.

When she saw the position,she said, it excited her. She grew up in Holyoke, she said.

"I love the culture of, still, my city...I have the people skills," she said.

She has two semesters of work before she gets a bachelor's in business from Westfield State University, she said.

The job has a residency requirement, Leahy said. Would Marsh be willing to move here?

She replied that she would become a Holyoke resident.

To a question from McGiverin about handling money, Marsh said she, of course, would ensure that daily trips to the bank are taken and that the safe is locked at all times. She would limit to two the number of employees allowed access to the safe, she said.

"I don't like multiple hands in the pot," Marsh said.

Her current employer, Oncore Manufacturing, makes electrical circuit boards for missiles, medical equipment and "Amber Alert" signs on highways, she said.



Leahy concluded by asking Marsh if she had any questions. Laughter erupted when she asked, what's a day at Holyoke City Hall like?

"It's definitely a busy day, dealing with constituents and at the end of the day, making sure the constituents are happy," Leahy said.



Thomas-Davis:

She has municipal experience, having worked as deputy finance director of the town of West Warwick, Rhode Island from October 2011 to May 2013 and with the town of Portsmouth, Rhode Island from August 2006 to October 2008, she said.

Of her experience in government, Thomas-Davis said she tells people, "I did not choose it, it chose me."

"...I come bringing not only the theoretical knowledge, but hands-on experience." she said.

Valentin asked what the biggest work challenges Thomas-Davis had faced.

Thomas-Davis said she gained opposite kinds of experience in Rhode Island that was valuable. In Portsmouth, the town had a top financial bond rating, so that involved maintaining, she said.

West Warwick had such severe financial problems, the job entailed doing everything to avoid a sinking ship, she said.

McGiverin said that the auditor, appointed by the City Council, is a very important position. Occasionally, the mayor and City Council disagree, he said.

"How would you handle that?" McGiverin said.

"It would be my duty to share any information with any city councilor," Thomas-Davis said.

As an accountant, she has a duty to maintain a high level of reliability and accuracy. She needs to know her office is making high-quality decisions because she is responsible for those decisions, she said.

"At the end of the day, we're working collectively together toward the same goal," Thomas-Davis said.

Asked about possible weaknesses her detractors might cite, Thomas-Davis said she can be someone who is not easily swayed.

Sometimes in such jobs, information gets produced that people might not favor, she said.

"But we have to take the time to try to explain...I don't like people to be not satisfied with what I gave them," Thomas-Davis said.

Tallman thanked Thomas-Davis for applying for "this very, very important position." Tallman asked her to cite her strengths and weaknesses.

Strengths: "Policies and procedures and dealing with management I believe to be my strength," she said.

Weaknesses: An inability to say no, which can result in getting overwhelmed with commitments and realizing a need to stay focused on priorities, she said.

Tallman asked about the residency rule, with Thomas-Davis living in Springfield. She would have no problem moving here, she said.

Thomas-Davis asked if the city was looking to replace someone with the stewardship and stellar reputation of the previous auditor (she didn't identify whether she was referring to Brian Smith or Bellamy Schmidt) or is seeking a new approach.

Leahy said the City Council has 15 members and that question would net 15 different opinions.

"I want the best for the city of Holyoke," Leahy said.

Chadwick:

Chadwick said he would bring 26 years of experience in Massachusetts government to the job of city auditor. That has consisted of being chief auditor with PERAC since January 2008 and being Hampshire County treasurer and chairman of the county retirement board from 1990 to1997, he said.

His current job requires that he work in Boston three days a week. He has been able to say overnight with a relative in Melrose but that arrangement changed in 2015, he said, a factor that helped lead him to interest in the Holyoke auditor job.

"It's time for me to come back home," Chadwick said.

Jourdain asked him to expand on his PERAC duties.

When offered the job in 2008, Chadwick said he knew it would be a challenge going from a staff member to the staff manager. But the office had quality staff, he said.

"I think I've been a very good supervisor ..." Chadwick said.

The year 2015 was a challenging one for his PERAC division as it lost most of its workforce and had to rebuild, he said.

"It was a challenge....certainly we got behind," Chadwick said.

Jourdain asked how familiar Chadwick was with Holyoke's financial situation and its unfunded liability.

(That's the liability facing the city -- $365 million -- if all pension costs for retirees and existing employees had to be paid today. That figure is as of two years ago. Existing assets in the system reduce that liability to about $153 million. The funding schedule calls for that to be paid off at the current yearly rate of payment, which has been about $17 million a year including city and employee contributions, by 2032. That's according to Cheryl Dugre, executive director of the Holyoke Retirement Board.)

Chadwick said he was familiar with the Holyoke financial details and praised Dugre.

McGiverin asked, regarding Holyoke's unfunded pension liability, whether the city should join the state retirement system.

Chadwick said, "I think Holyoke is doing fine. They're meeting their obligations for their funding schedule....I think Holyoke is doing a good job with that."

Jourdain noted the residency requirement and asked about Chadwick's willingness to move here.

Chadwick said he would move here if appointed city auditor.

Greaney asked about Chadwick's experience before 1990. Chadwick said he worked in California at the University of Southern California and at the University of California, Los Angeles.

McGiverin asked Chadwick his view about the city's form off government, with a strong mayor but also a strong City Council :

Chadwick he understands the system of multiple councilors advocating for different wards.:

Tallman asked what Chadwick's first task as auditor would be.

He would meet with and gauge staff, he said.

"I've got to get acclimated to the situation. I'd probably have to do a lot of reading," Chadwick said.

Tallman asked Chadwick to cite a weakness.

"I don't have any at all," Chadwick said.

His career has included public speaking, attending many kinds of meetings and making presentations on issues such as financial reconciliations, he said.

"I'd like to think at this point in my career I don't have any (weaknesses) left," Chadwick said.

"And you're very humble," Greaney said.

Bresnahan asked Chadwick what he would do if the mayor asked him to do something with which he was uncomfortable.

"I'm sure you're aware of the financial crisis the city is now facing, the receivership of the schools ... ," Bresnahan said. "But having a strong mayor and a strong city auditor can sometimes be problematic."

Chadwick said he was used to taking on different kinds of responsibilities. He told an anecdote about being called into the office of a supervisor admonishing him for not voting a particular way on a retirement issue.

Different officials must figure out how to work together, he said.

"We have to come together as a group ..." he said.

He then walked over to Leahy and handed him what he said was a thank you letter.

"Peter Tallman would like you to mail it," Leahy said, a joking reference to Tallman's job as a United States Postal Service letter carrier.

"Thank you very much for the opportunity. I do appreciate it," Chadwick said.

Morales:

Morales said he was originally from here and lived three years on Chestnut Street.

He is an opera tenor, having lived for years in Europe where he toured with opera companies over the continent and parts of Africa. He is also fluent in Spanish and Italian, according to his resume and comments to councilors.

He returned to the United States after someone in Europe asked him about current events in his home country and he felt he was unable to respond and decided to learn, he said.

"I have a passion to bring that to the lay man, the every day person," Morales said.

Valentin asked how his experience as city manager of Hudson, Iowa from 2013 to 2015 would help him here.

Morales said he began in Hudson as an intern. He was hired there later based on his experience in handling reinvestment of municipal bonds, he said.

McGiverin asked about his experience with municipal employee retirement systems.

Morales said he directly managed a staff in Hudson of 16 and indirectly, a group of 45, and that included retirement system issues.

He has experience in helping Hudson with its pension liability and keeping the city as closely tethered as possible to its funding requirements for that system, he said.

One idea to help in fully funding a retirement system, he said, is to keep current employees in the system longer such as by offering them partial retirement, he said.

McGiverin asked about the prospect of dealing with the mayor and City Council.

Morales said the auditor in dealing with the different parts of government must remain objective.

"You want to maintain checks and balances," Morales said.

The auditor's job is to give information to officials so they have an objective way of measuring a situation, he said.

Morales suggested a benefit could be if the city got more creative with the use of "TIF" zones, referring to the tax incentive known as Tax Increment Financing that cities and towns can use to foster redevelopment.

"The private-public relationship is something I feel I specialize in," Morales said.

Tallman asked Morales to identify a weakness.

"I think a lot and I read a lot," Morales said.

That can lead to resistance because he doesn't believe in giving people answers that might put investment at risk, he said.

Greaney asked about the residency rule and Morales said that as he owns a home in Springfield, it would easy enough to rent an apartment here.

Shelley King of Westfield, commercial loan assistant with Florence Savings Bank, was a candidate for tax collector but rescinded her application, Leahy said.

Two candidates for city auditor didn't attend the committee meeting: Grant Wells of Springfield, controller with RUWAC, maker of industrial vacuuum systems, and Susan Carmel of Pittsfield, director of finance and administration and treasurer for the city of Pittsfield.
This updates a story published at 12:45 a.m. Sunday.

SPRINGFIELD A man shot to death in Springfield's North End neighborhood Saturday night was a 20-year-old Ludlow resident, police said Sunday morning.

Police responded to the shooting scene in front of 2702 Main St. at 11:15 p.m., said Sgt. John Delaney, public information officer for the Springfield Police Department.

"The crime was not random in nature. Detectives are trying to determine the motive for the crime and believe that the murder is possibly drug-related in nature," Delaney said.

Police Commissioner John Barbieri expressed condolences to the family and friends of the 20-year-old victim and his family. The name of the victim will not be released until all of his family has been notified.

Barbieri said officers "are working around the clock to make an arrest for this violent act."

Delaney said District Attorney Anthony Gulluni has been notified of the murder and is being updated regularly on the investigation.

No arrests have been made. Anyone with information is asked to call the Springfield Police Detective Bureau at (413) 787-6355. Those who wish to remain anonymous may text a tip via a cell phone by addressing a text message to "CRIMES," or "274637," and then beginning the body of the message with the word "SOLVE."
NARHNEWside.jpg

The former North Adams Regional Hospital on the day Berkshire Medical Center opened a satellite emergency center in the building.

(The Republican/ Jim Kinney)

NORTH ADAMS - On March 25, 2014, the financially struggling North Adams Regional Hospital announced it was closing. Just three days later, it did, leaving many people in Berkshire County without inpatient care and slashing hundreds of jobs.

To mark the two-year anniversary of the closure, a group called the North County Cares Coalition is planning a demonstration Monday at city hall. The group said the event at 4:30 p.m. is "part of an ongoing effort to restore a full-service hospital in Northern Berkshire County."

"When NARH closed... 37,000 people lost access to a full-service hospital and the inpatient beds necessary to meet their significant health care needs," said the coalition in a statement, calling the closure "illegal."

Berkshire Health Systems, the hospital's new owner, still offers some services at the site, including an emergency department, same-day surgery and imaging. But advocates for a full-service hospital say it's not enough, considering the health challenges in northern Berkshire County.

"North County residents struggle more than most with asthma, heart disease, mental illnesses and opioid addiction," the coalition charged.

Speakers at Monday's event include Rachel I. Branch, the great-granddaughter of Arthur Gallup, who bought the land for the original hospital.

The North County Cares Coalition is comprised of residents and advocates, including unionized nurses.
BOSTON - One man was fatally shot and a second man was stabbed Sunday morning in Mattapan.

Detectives are investigating the killing that took place in the area of 227 River St. in Mattapan, according to Boston Police.

Officers were called to the area around 2:10 a.m. Sunday and found one man with gunshot wounds. The man, who appeared to be in his 20s, was pronounced dead at the scene.

Officers found a second male victim who had been stabbed. The man, who also appeared to be in his 20s, was taken to a local hospital with non-life threatening injuries.

Anyone with information is strongly urged to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470.
conway.jpg

Conway is one of seven 'partially-served' towns that will see a broadband buildout in a public-private partnership with Comcast.

(Mary Serreze photo)

The Massachusetts Broadband Institute will negotiate a public-private partnership with Comcast to expand broadband infrastructure in seven towns where the cable company now provides only partial service.

The institute's board of directors met Friday and voted unanimously to approve the expansion, which will benefit from $5 million in state dollars. Comcast had previously not provided service to sparsely-populated rural areas because it was deemed unprofitable.

Comcast was the only company to respond to a request for proposals to extend service to more than 95 percent of households in the towns of Buckland, Chester, Conway, Huntington, Northfield, Pelham and Shelburne.

Mass Broadband, a branch of the the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative, is charged with investing $50 million in state dollars to expand high-speed Internet service to unserved and partially-served towns in the western part of the state.

While a solution for dozens of unserved towns remains stalled -- with $40 million in state dollars and about twice that much in local tax dollars on the line -- residents of towns now partially served by Comcast could see expanded broadband deployment by the end of the year.

Christine Hatch of Mass Broadband said in a letter to town officials that the state agency "will be doing everything we can to start the negotiations as quickly as possible."
If you could bottle up the story of Butte, it might look like a bottle of Headframe Spirits http://www.headframespirits.com/ .

At least thats what distillery owners John and Courtney McKee say.

Since 2012 the company has been distilling whiskey, vodka, gin and bourbon from its Uptown location on Montana Street, branding its products with catchy, Butte-tough names like Orphan Girl, Destroying Angel and Neversweat.

The McKees said theyve had some exciting developments over the years, growing from five to 25 employees.

Annie Pentilla [email protected]

Full Story: http://mtstandard.com/business/the-rising-tide-lifts-all-ships-headframe-spirits-recognized-as/article_c0a901a0-01f8-50b9-a11b-81f914cb4289.html
by Laurie Sullivan , Staff Writer @lauriesullivan, March 25, 2016

The latest anti-Donald Trump conservative super PAC Make America Awesome campaign tried to sway Utah voters in advance of the state's caucuses on Tuesday by targeting a series of Facebook ads to Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints voters.

A series of three total ran on Facebook. The first featured Mitt Romney, and the second emphasized Trump's past support for pro-choice policies. The third ad featured nude images of Trump's wife Melania, a European fashion model., who posed nude for British GQ magazine in 2000.

The ads targeted around 10,000 Mormons of voting age, Liz Mair, the Republican strategist behind Make America Awesome, told Buzzfeed.

The campaign reproduces nude photos of Melania Trump inviting Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints voters to meet "your next first lady. Or you could support Ted Cruz on Tuesday." The same campaign running on Instagram targets woman who attend the church.

It's the first time the group has run ads asking voters to back a specific candidate.

Indeed, Cruz exceeded 50% of the vote in Utah, which would give him 40 of the states delegates.
by Larissa Faw , March 27, 2016

Mobile is disrupting the entire marketing ecosystem -- and Kate Watts, a managing director at Huge, Chieh Huang, co-founder and CEO of Boxed, and Media Kitchen President Barry Lowenthal discussed how agencies and clients are adapting at the 4As Transformation Conference in Miami during a session moderated by tenthavenue's Michael Lieberman.

"Eight years ago, the app store was just being invented," says Huang. "The most powerful thing for your clients didn't even exist. When you think about retail in five years, you just never know [what will be the next big thing]. It is incredibly powerful and sobering at the same time."

Mobile has introduced "friction" into the marketplace through its ability to create new roadblocks to reach consumers, says Lowenthal. He equates the mobile revolution with television's similar path. "Think about how we watch TV, he said. "It is an interrupted model [with commercials disrupting the content]. No one wants to be in a friction environment." And additional innovations like the remote control, VCR, and DVR, created more friction, he added.

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It doesn't have to be this way for mobile, since the medium is still undergoing growing pains. Google and Facebook have done a great job of developing seamless experiences, says Lowenthal. "Agencies need to remove friction if they want to succeed. It will happen when we learn how to work with Facebook and Google better."

And right now, most companies are looking to others for effective strategies. "CPG, retail, and auto in particular like to look at what it is the other guy is doing," says Watts. Her agency has always created a five-year roadmap for its clients, but now the shop can really only plot out one or two years in advance due to the uncertainty of what may be the next big thing, particularly in mobile.

The panelists all agree that advertisers need to develop spots that encourage participation with their phones. Pharmaceutical provider Pfizer, for instance, has elevated its brand corporate communications efforts with a shift toward more personal channels, says Watts. And out-of-home media, in particular, has evolved since people now take a picture of a billboard and post it on their Instagram feed.

Mobile has also increased consumers' expectations. They want content to load faster and brands to anticipate needs based on their behaviors, says Watts. You will have Uber arriving before you even walk out the door, she predicts. Also, she adds, the communications' beacon sensors will start working for you rather than to track you. "It's happening faster than you think," she said.

With mobiles disruptions, ad agencies need to reorganize their internal structures to better meet the needs of its clients. Too many companies still see social media and mobile as afterthoughts, the panelist said. One of the first big arguments Huang had with his startup investors was whether his company needed a social media person. Social, he said, is something agencies and clients alike have to take seriously, he said. If you have one person out of college doing social out of 20,000 employees, it is indicative how seriously the organization is taking [mobile]."

And those that don't create strong mobile experiences risk falling behind. "When I see iconic brands with only 3,000 likes, I think what is going on here?" says Huang.

The panelists cite Netflix as the "gold standard" for doing it right. The platform has great content, a low price, is streamed fast, and keeps your place on every one of your devices. Or to Lowenthals point earlier in the discussion, its a pretty frictionless user experience.
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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.Source: Eurekalert
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Nadda said that the government was aggressively working for the eradication of a slew of other diseases, including leprosy and TB. "It is our duty to see that every child born in the country is immunized against dreaded diseases," he said.The National Technical Advisory Group on vaccines had recommended the phased introduction of Rota virus vaccine in the country's Universal Immunization Program.In the first phase, Rota virus vaccine will be introduced in four States - Odisha, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Andhra Pradesh. It will be provided at government health facilities to children from six weeks of age. The vaccine was launched in Odisha as the state records high diarrhea cases among children and deaths due to improper treatment."We are making appropriate investment, and this has been possible because we have an effective healthcare system with more and more facilities capable of providing the vaccine to the needy children," said Health Ministry Additional Secretary C.K. Mishra.Currently, 9.2% of Odisha's total disease burdens consists of diarrhea patients. The infant mortality rate in Odisha is 51 per 1,000 live births, while the mortality rate of children under five years is 68 per 1,000 births, both far higher than in the other states where the Rota virus vaccine was launched in the first phase on Saturday, March 26, 2016.The diarrhea burden due to Rota virus in Andhra Pradesh stands at 8% while the figure in Haryana and Himachal Pradesh is 8.5% and 5.5% respectively.Globally there are 453,000 child deaths due to Rota virus every year. In India, Rota Virus diarrhea causes about 78,000 deaths and about 8.7 lakh hospitalizations each year. Additionally, 32.7 lakh children under five years of age are treated as outpatients.Source: IANS
Zika has been linked to microcephaly in babies born to mothers infected while pregnant. Microcephaly is a serious birth defect that leaves babies with small heads and incomplete brain development. There is no vaccine to prevent Zika virus and no medicine to treat it.The CDC has reported six cases of sexually transmitted Zika in the US since February 2016, all by men infected while traveling in Latin America who passed it on to their female partners.Brazil is the epicenter of the current Zika outbreak, with about 1.5 million people infected, although most cases only cause mild symptoms including fever, rash, pink eye, headache and muscle and joint pain.The CDC guidance was based on the longest-known risk period, multiplied by three, the health authority said in a news release.In one case, Zika was detected in an infected man's semen 62 days after the onset of symptoms, the CDC said.Men with pregnant partners are advised to use condoms for vaginal, anal or oral sex or to abstain from sex throughout the duration of the pregnancy.For men and women without symptoms who may have been exposed to Zika through travel or sexual contact, the CDC recommends waiting at least eight weeks before trying to become pregnant.The latest CDC figures show 273 cases of Zika in the United States, all related to travel to areas where the virus is actively transmitted.Among US overseas territories, Puerto Rico is the most affected, with 261 cases, mostly transmitted by mosquitoes.The CDC said increasing access to contraception is critical to fighting Zika in Puerto Rico, where two-thirds of pregnancies are unintended. The agency estimated 138,000 women there may be at risk of unintended pregnancy.Source: AFP


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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, The Associated Press has learned.

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 to have 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 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 Tuesdays attacks  this time for a man seen on security footage in the airport with the two suicide attackers. The fear is that the man, whose identity Belgian officials say is not known, will find Abdeslams 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? 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.

The reality is that if we knew exactly how many there were, it wouldnt be happening, she said.

Two of the suicide bombers in Tuesdays 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 hed 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 IS 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 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. Its more about the rhythm of terror operations now.

Similar methods had been developed by al-Qaida but IS 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 IS stronghold in Raqqa, Syria or elsewhere.

In the case of Tuesdays attacks, Abdeslams 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 theyre logistically linked  theyre 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 a Brussels resident with a degree in mechanical engineering  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.

Fifteen kilos of TATP were found in an apartment linked to the Brussels attackers, along with other explosive material, although Laachraoui has not been publicly linked to the latest attack.

And Laachraoui, like the unidentified man seen wearing a white jersey 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.
Lobbyists for the convenience stores and some lawmakers from rural districts in Michigan say the bill gives big businesses a leg up on the competition, allowing them to meet start-up capital requirements automatically by counting pre-existing inventory toward a requirement for selling booze. Businesses big and small are subject to the same rule necessitating them to have at least $250,000 worth of non-alcoholic inventory if they also sell fuel.

"It is a carve-out for Meijer and some of the other big stores. To deny it is, quite frankly, an exercise in semantic gymnastics," Rep. Ray Franz, R-Onekama, said to other House lawmakers before it passed 68-41 during the second to last week before lawmakers' two-week in-district work period. The Senate OK'd the legislation on Thursday 28-8.

Republican Reps. Peter Pettalia of Presque Isle and Ed McBroom of Vulcan also called the bill an "unfair" advantage.

Franz said the issue is emotional for him because he used to own a grocery store. It recently folded 27 years after it went up in flames in 1989 and was restored by Onekama residents who pitched in $85,000 to rebuild after the fire, Franz said. He cites that history as an example of a community invested in local business.

Big businesses like Meijer are "becoming so dominant as to be crushing," Franz said. He thinks the bill will make it even easier for big box stores to swallow mom-and-pop shops.

Lobbyists who say it gives grocery stores like Meijer an unfair advantage say they're going to ask Snyder to veto the legislation. But that seems unlikely, said John Griffin, executive director of the American Petroleum Institute in Michigan.

Griffin said the legislation was "very political," and went through because of a lobbying group that backs the bill, the Michigan Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association.

"I would disagree that this bill makes that situation worse or was some type of an assault," said Spencer Nevins, president of the Beer and Wine Wholesalers Association.

Nevins said he's happy with the bill, which House Majority Floor Leader Aric Nesbitt sponsored. Nevins said it wouldn't hurt rural gas stations.

He said if they were already competing with Meijer and other big grocers the bill wouldn't make it worse. The bill also includes a section allowing certain rural gas stations to sell beer and wine.

Nesbitt said big grocery stores already meet the minimum inventory requirement and the bill just lets them sell beer and wine like other gas stations that meet that threshold.

"As you look at it, this allows for a more open, more competitive marketplace," Nesbitt said.

Mark Griffin, president of the Michigan Petroleum Association, said the bill might put some small convenience stores out of business, however, and called it "totally unfair."

"We hope the governor vetoes the legislation," he said.
HARBOR BEACH  Pat Hagedon is a long-time paraprofessional (parapro) and at-risk tutor. Her in-class duties vary, but one thing is for certain. She will be with Harbor Beach Community Schools students, one-on-one, nearly all day long.

She helps most, if not all, of the kids in her classroom, during the day. She can assist with any subject, but math seems to be the one area that causes the most problems for middle school kids. Plus, as an at-risk tutor, she gives additional help to those who are in jeopardy of falling behind or are in serious trouble of failing.

In addition to teaching in the classroom, Hagedon stays after school and runs a tutoring session five days per week. Her regular school day runs from 7:30 a.m. until school ends. She then tutors from 2:50 until 3:55 p.m.

The tutoring sessions are not just for kids who are falling behind.

Anyone can come, she explained, noting the quite atmosphere helps any student who wants to study after school without distractions. For some, its a quit, safe place to work until their parents come home.

Hagedon is the only parapro to tutor after school. She said one saving grace is the National Honor Society students who assist her. On any given night, she could have 20 to 30 children in the tutoring class, and the National Honor Society students are a great help.

They help the kids like I do, she said. Its more hands-on deck. I (usually) have one of these kids helping, and some nights I have two of them.

There was a time when kids went home to study and have their parents help them with homework. That is not as prevalent today as in times gone by. Hagedon helped explain, Michigan tests are very tough. Its not that parents dont want to help the kids. They just cant,she said. The curriculum has changed so much since they went to school.

Hagedon is able to assist with any subject, but she does have a favorite.

I love math, she said. Math makes sense to me. I like it when kids finally get it. Its great to see the light bulb come on. I love them saying, Mrs. Hagedon, I like the way you explain it. I like it when they come after school and at lunch time. They leave saying, I do get this stuff now. Im not stupid.

She said she loves the sixth, seventh and eighth grade age group.

Theyre quirky, theyre funny, and its a great age group, she said. You dont want to wait until high school to help them. This is the age to help. If they dont get it before high school, then its four years of struggling. Everything gets harder to learn then.

It is obvious Hagedon is a happy-go-lucky, upbeat person. But she does have one point of contention.

People dont understand what I do, she said. They say, Youre an aid in the classroom. I do so much more than that.

There are several parapros in the Harbor Beach school system. Three are in the elementary school and two in the middle school. In addition, three more work at the school through the Huron Intermediate School District. Their job is to work with specific children at risk.

The parapros have an extensive variety of duties on a daily basis. Of course, they work in the classrooms. They also supervise the cafetorium and recess. They take turns working as crossing guards before and after school. In Hagedons case, she also runs a Homework Table in the cafetorium. It is for those students who cant stay after school, or for those struggling in any subject.

Harbor Beach Superintendent Lawrence Kroswek feels Hagedon is an excellent addition to the school.

Mrs. Hagedon epitomizes the quintessential public school employee, he said. She is caring to a fault, comes in early and stays late making sure that all of our children are well taken care of.

She is the kind of public school employee that cares enough about our students to ensure that they do everything they are supposed to do and doesnt ever let them do just whatever they want to do, Kroswek added. She truly is the kind of employee that any public school system would be fortunate to have in their system, and we really appreciate her here at Harbor Beach.

Hagedon became a parapro several years ago.

Ive been here 15 years, she said. I wanted a job that coincided with my kids schedule.

She has been married to her husband, Robert, for 40 years. The couple has two children and one grandchild.

Her grandchild may have been the largest, single factor, in her decision to change her lifes course.

Im going to retire in a couple years, she said. I want to spend more time with my grandson, my kids, and my husband.

Before going back to the classroom, she wanted to say a couple more things about the Harbor Beach tutoring program.

I like that we have an after-school tutoring program, she said. We do a service in this community that not every place does. Mr. Kroswek wanted a strong program, and this one is.
GALENA, Mo. (AP)  A second defendant has been sentenced to life in prison for his role in the southwestern Missouri cabin deaths of a vacationing Michigan couple.

The Springfield News-Leader (http://sgfnow.co/1Tb6PeZ) reports 18-year-old Christopher Allen of Nashville, Tennessee, has pleaded guilty to Stone County murder and burglary charges. His trial was scheduled to begin next month.

A co-defendant, 19-year-old Anthony Zarro, of Spring, Texas, was sentenced to life terms earlier this month after previously pleading guilty to two murder counts.

Prosecutors say Zarro was 16 when Allen 15 when they killed Paul and Margaret Brooks, of Baldwin, Michigan, in their vacation cabin near Lampe.

Zarro and Allen had run away from a Missouri juvenile rehabilitation camp near the Brooks' cabin two days before the couple were beaten and stabbed to death.
HURON COUNTY  Earlier this month, the Huron County Sheriffs Office conducted its annual staff meeting. Annual meetings are held to discuss future office plans, expectations and last years activity. This year, 13 deputies were recognized for their professional excellence in 2015.

Last year, many deputies had to sacrifice some of their free time in order to fulfill the offices scheduling requirements. A shortage of part time help meant that virtually all deputies had to work overtime at some point or another. Seven of the deputies recognized at the meeting worked over 150 hours above and beyond their regular shifts in order to make sure that the jail was properly staffed, as well as provide adequate patrol coverage for the county. Some actually worked well over 300 hours to achieve the task.

Deputies recognized at the meeting were:

 Undersheriff Duane Miller for outstanding service and dedication for another successful year in acquiring grants, forfeitures and military property, which resulted in beneficial projects for the office, with one big accomplishment being the patrol boat Sheriff Joseph J. Murray.

 Deputy Jordan Gunsell for understanding that the citizens of Huron County are relying on its sheriffs office to be available and staffed in order to best serve everyones safety interest.

 Deputy Charles Stevens for understanding that the citizens of Huron County are relying on its sheriffs office to be available and staffed in order to best serve everyones safety interest.

 Deputy Dan Maxwell for understanding that the citizens of Huron County are relying on its sheriffs office to be available and staffed in order to best serve everyones safety interest.

 Deputy Ryan Swartz for continuing to remain very motivated during his 13 years of full time service, which played a big part in efforts on June 23, 2015, and the many days after, which eventually broke up a larceny crime spree that encompassed eight Michigan counties.

 Deputy Steve Bismack, whose out-of-classification talents provided much assistance with department vehicles and special projects, which included the outfitting and fabricating of the new patrol boat Sheriff Joseph J. Murray.

 Deputy Troy Helewski for his vigilance on May 8, 2015, which resulted in taking quick forceful actions to be able to minimize physical harm to Corporal Steve Bischer after he was attacked by an inmate with a homemade shank.

 Deputy Josh Loss for understanding that the citizens of Huron County are relying on its sheriffs office to be available and staffed in order to best serve everyones safety interest.

 Deputy Katie Carter for understanding that the citizens of Huron County are relying on its sheriffs office to be available and staffed in order to best serve everyones safety interest.

 Corporal Stephanie Voss for understanding that the citizens of Huron County are relying on its sheriffs office to be available and staffed in order to best serve everyones safety interest.

 Corporal Steve Bischer for quick thinking and working as a team to successfully subdue an inmate after being stabbed by a homemade shank on May 8, 2015, without further injury to staff or inmate.

 Deputy Daryl Ford for his dedicated participation in efforts on June 23, 2015, and the many days after, which eventually broke up a larceny crime spree that encompassed eight Michigan counties.

 Sgt. Ryan Neumann for understanding that the citizens of Huron County are relying on its sheriffs office to be available and staffed in order to best serve everyones safety interest.
PIGEON  Communities consist of many entities working in concert. Numerous people, businesses and organizations strive to make their surroundings a place where everyone has what they need to make life enjoyable, and safe.

In keeping with that sense of community spirit, and in an effort to ensure the health and welfare of the students at Elkton-Pigeon-Bay Port Laker Schools, the Scheurer Healthcare Network provides on-site medical care, at no expense to the school, or to the students. Laker Schools provides space, and Scheurer Healthcare Network supplies professional medical personnel. Its a win-win partnership called the Scheurer Wellness Clinic.

Several years back, Lakers was interested in having a school nurse ... maybe having the hospital provide nursing services, said Brooke McNabb, a registered nurse and certified diabetes educator. The hospital wasnt too sure how that would work.

So nothing was done at that time. But the request wasnt forgotten.

The hospital conducts a community assessment every year or two, McNabb said. They found that the community felt that healthy living, healthy eating, healthy weight and exercise were all things that came to the top of the list. During that time, when the survey came back, the school asked again about possible nursing services. So the hospital decided to try and cover the needs assessment and see what they could do. Since the school was interested in having us there anyway, why not start with the kids? Thats how the Scheurer Wellness Clinic came to be.

McNabb applied for duty at the clinic, and was accepted. She is on hand from 8 a.m. to noon, Monday through Friday. Together with Nurse Practitioner Brenda Kretzschmer, who is at the clinic on Tuesday and Thursday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., they ensure Laker students receive adequate medical care without having to take time off from school to visit a doctors office.

Its one of our goals to keep the kids in school, McNabb said. We check them over, and we look at their throats and ears.

If there is a significant problem, she contacts the parents and informs them of the situation. Depending on the nature of the issue, she may suggest they visit their family doctor. In some cases, a trip to the emergency room may be in order.

Weve had just about anything you can imagine, McNabb said. It could be a cough or sore throat. It could be a cut or maybe a fall during practice.

The main focus of the service is the middle and high schools; the elementary school has their own nurse. However, if that nurse isnt available, McNabb will go to the elementary wing and provide whatever care is required.

She may also need to go to a classroom to care for a child.

Ive done that a couple of times, McNabb said. One time, we had a student pass out in the gym. I went down and got her with a wheelchair.

The Scheurer Healthcare Network wasnt sure what to expect when it opened the Wellness Clinic. It knew it was possible the on-site nurses could very well end up doing nothing for four hours each day. But it hasnt worked out that way.

Its a well-received service, McNabb said. Were busy every day. During the four hours Im here, we usually have between 30 and 40 students. The mornings fly by. Usually within five minutes of opening, students start coming through the door. Sometimes, Ill even have kids hanging around outside, waiting for me.

She tries to take care of them immediately.

I get them checked in, and then into the exam room, McNabb said. We keep a chart on every student that comes in.

Forms are sent to the parents at the beginning of the school year, seeking permission for the Scheurer Wellness Clinic to treat their children.

There are some parents that dont get it signed and returned on time, but Ill still see the student, McNabb said. If they need medication, Ill call the parent.

A variety of over-the-counter medications, such as Motrin and Tylenol, are kept on hand.

We also have cough drops and eye wash, McNabb said. We check for allergies ... we have Benadryl, in case someone has an allergic reaction. Our intention is to get the student patched up and back to class.

If the nurse practitioner is on duty, McNabb checks the student in and takes their vitals. The student then sees the nurse practitioner.

She is able to function like a physicians assistant, McNabb said. She can see patients, write prescriptions, and provide healthcare on the tier of a doctors care.

In the case of an emergency, depending on the severity of the injury or illness, an ambulance may be called to provide transportation to the emergency room at Scheurer Hospital. Otherwise, McNabb treats her students according to their needs.

We can do CPR, if needed, she said. Weve had students sent off for an x-ray. Ive had parents come and get the student and take them to the emergency room. Ive recommended that. If I think they need to be seen by their family doctor ... if they have an ear infection or something like that ... Ill call the parents. It depends on the issue.

Because of the services it provides, the Scheurer Wellness Clinic has been a beneficial addition to the Laker school system.

Were trying to teach a healthy lifestyle to the kids, and to the parents, McNabb said. By being here, and talking to the student, I can do a little one-on-one educating. Were not just taking care of a patient; were educating them, teaching them how to take care of themselves.

In addition to her work in the clinic, McNabb also does educational presentations in classrooms. Called the Five-Two-One Program, she provides information on how to be healthier.
Almost 100 people mostly from Haiti who were rescued from an overcrowded boat off the Florida coast had no food or water for...
As Marines buckle down for another decade with limited amphibious ships and high operational demand, planners are taking a look at re-purposing some ship classes and reconfiguring others in order to bridge the demand gap.

The Marines' rotational deployment to Darwin, Australia continues to grow, with plans to build up to 2,500 Marines per six-month rotation. And the Marines' Europe-based crisis response task force for Africa -- created because of the dearth of amphibious ships to respond in that part of the world -- is increasingly participating in joint exercises and theater security cooperation efforts on both continents.

At both locations, the lack of available ships to carry Marines is felt, said Lt. Gen. Robert Walsh, commanding general of Marine Corps Combat Development Command.

In the long-term, Marines plan to task a future amphibious group led by the America-class amphibious assault ship USS Tripoli, still under construction, with supporting two 90-day patrols around Australia per rotational deployment, Walsh told Military.com. That future ARG is expected to be based in San Diego and will support operations in the Pacific, including the Darwin troops.

"So it's trying to get [Marines] off Australia to be able to train in other areas because it's tied a lot to that wet season that they have out there," Walsh said. "You put a [Marine air-ground task force] ashore, and ... Marines need to be on ships. We go ashore when we need to be ashore, but we shouldn't design ourselves to be ashore."

With the Tripoli slated for delivery to the Navy at the end of 2018, it could be the 2020s, however, before a Tripoli ARG is ready to deploy. Former chief of Naval Operations Adm. Jon Greenert last year mentioned the amphibious assault ship America, the first of its class, as a possible candidate for future Australia patrols. But USNI News reported in December, the ship may eventually be headed to Japan.

In the interim, Walsh said, and without a clear amphibious solution for the Africa crisis response force, Marines are examining new ways to use prepositioning and logistics ships to transport troops and aircraft. Maritime Prepositioning Squadrons 2 and 3, based out of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean and Guam-Saipan in the Western Pacific, contain 14 ships used in the past for exercises, humanitarian assistance missions and conventional operations. Now, planners are looking at ways to optimize them to carry Marines.

Marines recently certified dry cargo/ammunition ships [T-AKE] for MV-22B Osprey operations, Walsh said. Now, he said, they're looking at other classes, including the large, medium-speed roll-on/roll-off (LMSR) military cargo ships.

"Our LMSR [ships are] not V-22 capable," Walsh said. "But when you look at a ship with the amount of space it has to put Marines on there with a big flight deck on there, we need to get the capability to put V-22s on there and use it in different ways."

Aviation logistics support (roll-on/roll-off) container ships (T-AVB), designed for aircraft maintenance, are also candidates to carry Marines, even though their design, with cranes at the center, is not optimized to land multiple aircraft.

"We're saying, 'well, you could do a little bit with it, but what if you moved the crane and I could land more aircraft.' Or, 'there's not enough berthing, so we want to put more berthing modules on there to increase capacity.' So those are the things we're looking at, is how to get more capability on them, would be one, but the first thing is how can we use them in the configuration we're in right now," Walsh said. "Instead of just having them sitting in there, let's buy more steaming days, get them out there."

Ideas to transport Marines around Europe and Africa are less developed.

During a debrief from a six-month deployment that wrapped up earlier this year, Special Purpose Marine Air-Ground Task Force Crisis Response-Africa Operations Officer Lt. Col. Bradford Carr said the lack of amphibious ships made participation in joint exercises more costly and limited Marines' options.

"The Marine Corps is designed as a maritime force. We're Marines. We belong on ships," he said. "So being able to have that is essential."

Walsh said planners could consider moving part of a maritime prepositioning squadron from the Pacific to support task force operations, but orchestrating that through multiple geographic combatant commands might be challenging. Another option, he said, might be to pull Navy ships out of reserve operating status and task them to support these new mission sets.

"That costs some money to do, but that's another idea we're looking at," he said.

--Hope Hodge Seck can be reached at hope.seck@military.com. Follow her on Twitter at @HopeSeck.

Related Video:
MARTIN, MI -- An armed robbery suspect is dead following a brief police chase and car crash, police said.

Law enforcement officers were dispatched to the Martin area about 3:45 p.m. Saturday, March 26, after receiving a call about an armed robbery at a gas station in Martin.

An Allegan County Sheriff's deputy spotted a car matching the description and tried to make a traffic stop. Instead, the driver led the deputy on a short chase before crashing the car near 10th Street and 129th Avenue in Bradley, south of Wayland.

The driver of the car, who was armed with a handgun, killed himself, police said. The deputy fired one shot at the car.

A man in the car's passenger seat was taken into custody.

The deputy was not injured.

When asked why the deputy fired at the suspect, Allegan County Undersheriff Frank Baker said that would be part of an investigation by the Michigan State Police.

The sheriff's office has asked the state police to head up the investigation into the incident.

"Since we are involved in it, we felt it was the best protocol to have an outside agency assist us," Baker told reporters Saturday evening.

Michigan State Police Sgt. Mitchell Dyer added that no one was injured in the armed robbery at the Admiral gas station. He declined to say how much money was stolen.

Shandra Martinez covers business and other topics for MLive. Email her or follow her on Twitter @shandramartinez.
ANN ARBOR, MI -- Residents in the greater Ann Arbor and Ypsilanti areas can expect to see a fair amount of tree trimming in the coming months.

DTE Energy is planning to do a significant amount of tree trimming throughout the region, including along hundreds of miles of power lines in Washtenaw County.

It's the first major maintenance trimming to hit Ann Arbor in about six years, DTE officials told The Ann Arbor News.

DTE Energy released this map showing where it plans to conduct tree trimming along power lines in the greater Ann Arbor area in 2016.

"This trimming that we're talking about is going to cover kind of whole neighborhoods where the trees need trimming," said DTE spokeswoman Lisa Bolla, adding DTE trims for safety and reliability of the power grid.

The trimming will take place in targeted areas and along several high-voltage power corridors. Not all neighborhoods will be hit.

About two-thirds of the time DTE customers spend without power is due to trees, Bolla said, so DTE proactively trims limbs to try to prevent outages.

"In general, we like to visit each community within this region once every five years to trim trees away from power lines," she said. "In addition, we also trim trees to repair damage in the aftermath of severe storms."

Overall, DTE plans to trim trees in about 300 communities in southeast Michigan in the next year.

In Washtenaw County, that includes the cities of Ann Arbor, Ypsilanti, Saline and Dexter, and several surrounding townships.

"On average we trim trees along about 4,000 miles of power lines each year, and we did about 4,000 miles last year," Bolla said.

DTE Energy released this chart showing line miles of tree trimming in different municipalities.

DTE is contracting with Wright Tree Service to complete the upcoming work.

Bolla said DTE's process has changed in the past year to ensure effective communication and collaboration with customers and communities.

"So, the first thing we do is we talk with government officials in an area and tell them what we're going to do," she said, adding DTE also reaches out to customers by phone and mail to give them a heads up.

Planners and arborists then go into the field and leave door hangers at properties where trimming is needed.

Trees to be trimmed are marked and property owners are left with information about who to contact if they have any questions or concerns.

"We don't want our customers to be surprised," Bolla said.

After those steps are completed, crews are sent to do the trimming, and in some cases remove entire trees.

DTE officials emphasize trees will not be removed without written permission from property owners.

"We remove what we call hazard trees," Bolla said. "So, it's a tree that's dead/dying/diseased, leaning toward our equipment, that type of thing."

Bolla said DTE does not need permission for trimming limbs it thinks need trimming, but she said it's rare that there's ever a situation where crews are on a property trimming against the property owner's wishes.

After the trimming or removal is done, DTE's crews will haul away the debris, unless a customer wants to keep the debris.

DTE workers will then conduct an audit to make sure the trimming was done according to plan.

There also will be customer satisfaction surveys.

Bolla said crews will be trimming trees along power lines both in public rights-of-way and on private property.

"They'll look at everything," she said. "So, in some areas it will be a combination. In some, it might just be road right-of-way."

DTE reports seeing a 70 percent reduction in tree-related power outages in areas where trimming has been completed.

As a proactive measure, DTE recommends planting any trees that are expected to grow more than 20 feet tall at least 20 feet away from power lines.

For more information, visit www.dteenergy.com/treecare.

Kerry Gray, Ann Arbor's urban forest and natural resources planner, couldn't be reached for comment.

Another slightly different map released by DTE Energy showing where it plans to conduct tree trimming along power lines in the greater Ann Arbor area in 2016.

Ryan Stanton covers the city beat for The Ann Arbor News. Reach him at ryanstanton@mlive.com.
GENESEE COUNTY, MI -- Parishioners filled the pews Sunday morning at several Flint-area churches, while children scooped up eggs into bags and baskets in celebration of the Easter holiday.

Related: Flint community shows support for annual Easter Egg hunt

The crowd at New Jerusalem Full Gospel Baptist Church in Genesee Township dressed in their Sunday finest for morning service, many people wearing colorful hats and suits.

All ages filled the sanctuary at First Presbyterian Church on Saginaw Street in downtown Flint. A cross decorated with flowers sat outside St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Flint.

In Clio, around 100 children maneuvered in the dark inside a gymnasium at Clio High School to collect eggs during Vertical Life Church's black light Easter egg hunt. Children received candy and some prizes during the event.
WOODSTOCK TWP., MI - Standing before an audience of mostly family, he had to pause, trying to control inevitable emotion, as he recalled a soldier he knew only as Able.

Able took a fatal shot in the neck as he moved to support Lyman Cory, a young private in the U.S. Marines fighting in his first battle, Iwo Jima, during World War II.

Only a day earlier, Able had confided he was weary of war and desperate for a superficial injury that would send him away from the front.

"I handled those situations. I never faltered. I never broke down or nothing. But when I think about it, it is something I cannot forget," Cory, now 90, said Friday, March 25.

"I see him dying 1,000 times. I wake up at night and see him."

Cory was standing in the living room of a relative's home in Lenawee County's Woodstock Township, west of Onsted, moments after U.S. Rep. Tim Walberg presented him with a folded flag once flown above the nation's capitol.

"You were willing to do what you were called to do... God bless you and thank you from the deepest heart that America has to offer you," Walberg told Cory, grateful and humble in a patriotic necktie.

He was injured on the tiny Japanese island in the Pacific Ocean during the famous battle that killed nearly 7,000 Americans and wounded many more.

Walberg went to the home at the urging of Jamie Richardson, a relative of Cory who had worked on Walberg's campaign for state representative while a college student in Adrian.

The idea was to celebrate Cory and his service, the extent and significance of which Richardson said he did not fully comprehend as he grew up near Cory and his wife's home on Vischer Road.

Part of a replacement draft, Cory was barely 19 when he first arrived in February 1945 at Iwo Jima, and the view was "astonishing."

"The destroyers, cruisers, battleships and even some smaller ships... were really shelling the island so heavily that to an experienced combat person, it would seem that no one could live through it," he wrote in a 23-page recollection displayed at Friday's event.

He and others came ashore in a boat loaded with ammunition and explosives. "I prayed silently for a miracle to succeed with our assignment, but if my time on Earth was up, please give me courage to do my job..."

The effort to unload supplies was one of several occasions Cory described coming under fire, and it is clear he could have easily suffered an alternate destiny.

He was hit in the hip March 13, 1945 when, after exchanging shots with one Japanese soldier, gunfire came, unexpectedly, from a different position. The bullet passed through his cartridge belt without setting off any gun powder and narrowly missed the hand grenades in his field jacket.

His recovery took 78 days and as he was preparing to return to action, the war ended, sparing him from further fighting.

"There were so many cases where (the ball) bounced in your favor and it bounced wrong for the other guy," he said, leaning on a cane with a carved eagle handle.

For years, he lived with the "sickening sound" of a projectile hitting a sergeant in the abdomen. Cory never knew what became of the man, struck within about 3 feet of Cory as they moved with a disorganized platoon made almost entirely of replacements.

"As a combat man, you can never understand: Why did he shoot that guy instead of me?"

Many of Cory's memories are vivid exerts of deadly confrontations. Others are of simple details.

He recalls the tropical chocolate squares that sustained him, the terrible taste of the island water and the specific Psalm that kept him calm when he might have been petrified.

"Sometimes you get scared to death and other times you get brave," he said.

In his written account, he talks of witnessing a plane crash and watching U.S. troops parachute into enemy territory, likely to be taken captive by the Japanese, a circumstance considered worse than dying.

Early in his time on the island, he saw Marines raise a flag, the small banner that preceded the large one staked atop a mountain and famously depicted in photographs. Though this encouraged him, it was not the end. Many more died in the following days and weeks, Cory said.

As he spoke, members of his family stood or sat quietly to listen. Others prepared food in the kitchen.

His daughter, Vicki Maloney, at one point, joined him at the front of the room.

"I am just so proud of him," she later said. To her, it seems he is always recalling a previously untold story.

In the last 10 years he has been more open than in decades past, she said, and Marine tendencies linger.

He never sits or watches much TV, she said. Instead, he busies himself about the yard. "His doctor said that's what keeps him alive."

Cory worked as a manufacturing engineer and built "almost everything" in the house he and his wife share.

He and Shirley Cory, 86, met when she was still in high school. They went on a blind date after Cory saw her singing in a church choir.

The two have been married 68 years, raised two children, and respect each other, Maloney said. They put puzzles together at night and Shirley Cory plays the piano. Sometimes, she plays the Marines' hymn.

For most of their marriage, Lyman Cory stored a letter he spotted on the battle field. It was written in Japanese and addressed to a soldier who never went home.

It was not until 2007, when he met a retired missionary who had spent many years in Japan, that he understood its contents.

A wife wrote her husband, telling him of her concerns and news of their 2-year-old son and unborn second child.

The missionary, who planned to return to Japan, took the letter there and a TV station helped find the writer, a 91-year-old woman. Japanese reporters then came to the United States to interview Cory and aired an hour-long documentary on national TV.

The story shows there were human stories on both sides of the battle, Walberg said.

People forget this.

They forget too the sacrifices, the horrors Cory carries with him even as he sits, 71 years later, in an elegant home with a water view, eating brunch with his wife, supporting him in a neat, pink suit.

There are actions he wishes had not been necessary, that he had not been forced to take, but there is no remorse or regret.

"I've never been ashamed of anything I ever did."
divers.JPG

Members of the Jackson County dive team search the River Raisin in Norvell Township for a paddler who might have been manning a kayak, found overturned and floating in the water Saturday afternoon.

(Danielle Salisbury/MLive.com)

NORVELL TWP., MI - The Jackson County dive team has terminated its search for a possible paddler in the River Raisin off Austin Road.

Authorities found nothing Saturday after an exhaustive search by air and water near Palmer Road, Undersheriff Chris Kuhl said.

A University of Michigan Survival Flight helicopter flew over the area and staff spotted no person, body or anything relevant or concerning, he said.

About 2 p.m., a passerby reported an overturned kayak floating in the water a distance from the shore. Emergency personnel were called to the area and authorities did all they could to assure someone was not in need of rescue or recovery.

Officials were at site of the found kayak for at least four hours. The sheriff's office, its marine division, the dive team, Napoleon Township firefighters and Jackson Community Ambulance were all involved in the response.

One man reported having seen an upright person in the kayak about noon Saturday, but Kuhl said there had not been any reports of someone going into the water or of missing people.

The sheriff's office is asking the owner of the kayak to contact the on-duty sergeant at 517-768-7901 or 911 if the person is a resident of Jackson County so a deputy can speak with the owner.
KALAMAZOO, MI -- Members of Tiana Carruthers' family and her spiritual advisor gathered at Haven Reformed Church Saturday afternoon to speak about Carruthers and what it's been like watching her progress through her recovery.

Carruthers was shot Feb. 20 as she watched her child and a few others on the playground of The Meadows townhomes in Richland Township. She apparently noticed something about alleged shooter Jason Dalton as he drove through the residential complex and warned the group of children to leave the area.

The children, all of whom were 12 and younger, made their way to safety at a nearby apartment building, but Carruthers was shot four times.

One of Tiana's younger sisters, Antasia Fareed, 18, called her sister "amazing."

"She's a great care provider for me and she's always been motherly to me," Fareed said.

Fareed described her sister as strong, courageous, and a hero, but said what she admires most is Carruthers' strength. "She's always the person who lifts the family up and helps keep us together," she said. "Her strength is everything."

"Most people would just succumb to the pain and be like, 'you know what, I'll try this another day,' but she was so focused," he said.

Her uncle said Tiana is putting in countless hours of physical therapy which puts her in a lot of pain, but her desire to walk again and be home with her family pushes her to persevere.

A full recovery is expected for Carruthers, but it may be six to 12 months before she is back to full function, her family said.

Chelsea Purgahn is a multimedia specialist for MLive. Follow her on Instagram and Twitter, and email her at cpurgahn@mlive.com.
Flint Powers Open House 004

A bible and other religious relics sit on a table in the Choir Room at Flint Powers High School on Sunday, Nov. 9, 2014 in Flint.

(Erin Kirkland | MLive File Photo)

MUSKEGON, MI - Revelation is one of the most discussed books of the Bible.

It's obscure and extravagant imagery has led to a wide variety of Christian interpretations with some seeing it as a destructive foretelling of the future and others seeing it as an allegoric representation of the struggle between good and evil.

These topics and more will be discussed at an upcoming Bible prophecy series coming to a variety of locations in West Michigan.

Titled "Unlock Revelation," the 12-part series will attempt to discover the true meaning of Revelation's mysterious symbols.

The series begins on March 28 and continues until April 23. Each location will feature a selected speaker. Admission is free and those who pre-register will receive a free bible prophecy DVD on opening night.

Here is a look at the Muskegon-area locations and the speakers who will be presenting the material.

Muskegon Seventh Day Adventist Church, 2040 Evanston Ave., Muskegon (Dan Frein)

Wood Street Church, 2213 Wood St., Muskegon Heights (Pastor Earl Baldwin, Pastor Paul Retemiah)

Fremont Seventh Day Adventist Church, 5335 Garden St., Fremont (Mike Jacobson, Ryutaro Jacobson)

Shelby Seventh Day Adventist Church, 1929 S 58th Ave., Shelby (Ron Mills)

Grand Haven Community Center, 421 Columbus Ave., Grand Haven (C.R. Kreuzer)

Ludington High School, 508 N. Washington Ave., Ludington (Jenn Myers)

For more information, complete schedules and pre-registration, visit www.UnlockRevelation.com.

Brandon Champion is a journalist for MLive.com. Email him at bchampio@mlive.com and follow him Facebook and Twitter.
Kumawood actor cum rapper Razak Amisaah popularly known in the Creative arts industry as Zack GH yesterday brought joy and smile on the faces of children at King Jesus Orphanage Home at Boadi (Tech) in the Ashanti Region when he celebrated his birthday with them.

The manager of Ghana's favorite actor, Kwadwo Nkansah Lilwin, Zack, as part of his birthday celebration donated items worth thousands of cedis to the children.

Items presented to the home by Zack included, food stuffs, rice, drinks, oil, toiletries, among others. He was accompanied by the entire crew of their group, Bossnation and Rush Energy Drink Manager to do the presentation.

Zack GH, 24th of March born turned 34 yesterday.

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Nairobi (AFP) - Burundi's ruling party has accused Rwandan President Paul Kagame of seeking to "export" genocide, as relations between the two neighbours deteriorate further.

In a statement provided to AFP Sunday, the head of the CNDD-FDD party said Kagame had previously "experimented" with genocide, referring to the 1994 Rwandan genocide in which around 800,000 people were killed, mostly ethnic Tutsis.

"The genocide laboratory is in Rwanda because President Kagame, having experimented there, (wants) to export it to Burundi (to) play a minor imperialist," wrote CNDD-FDD president Pascal Nyabenda.

Ties between the Great Lakes region nations are already at a low ebb, with Burundi and the United Nations both accusing Rwanda of supporting Burundian rebels.

Nyabenda also claimed that some European governments supply arms and funds to the Rwandan leader, who he said is responsible for "recruiting and training young Burundians in refugee camps in Rwanda, so that they can return home to commit acts of genocide".

The ruling party chief went on to criticise the Catholic church which recently called for a dialogue between Kigali and Bujumbura to help de-escalate the growing crisis.

Nyabenda also condemned foreign journalists for taking up the cause of "terrorists", the term used by the ruling party to refer to opponents of the government, both armed and peaceful.

Burundi has been in political crisis since April last year when President Pierre Nkurunziza controversially decided to run for a third term, which he then won in a July election.

The subsequent unrest has left 400 people dead, while some 250,000 have left the country and violent attacks have become a daily routine, raising fears of a return to the civil war fought between 1993-2006.

Concerns have been raised that more radical elements in Burundi's ruling party are gaining influence.

"The Hutu extremist faction of the CNDD-FDD was marginalised until the start of this crisis ... it is clear that they are now in control of the country," a concerned diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.

The diplomat noted that Nyabenda, as well as being ruling party head, is also president of the national assembly and the number two figure in the Burundian state.

"It is feared that there would be dire consequences if the crisis worsened or if there was a serious incident like the death of a senior party official," he said.

The CNDD-FDD party was formed from the main Hutu rebel group that fought against the formerly Tutsi minority-dominated army during the Burundian civil war.

The movement initially had close ties to President Kagame's Rwandan Patriotic Front party but relations have soured in recent years.
Franklin Cudjoe, IMANI Ghana President

26.03.2016 LISTEN

The Executive Director of Policy Think Tank, IMANI Ghana, Franklin Cudjoe has described the decision by the New Patriotic Party, (NPP), to bring three former South African police officers into the country to provide training to the partys security detail, as politically immature.

The NPP has received a lot of criticism especially from the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC) over the issue.

The three were arrested by the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI) and were subsequently charged with conspiracy to commit crime. An Accra Circuit Court on Thursday granted them bail, but they were immediately whisked away by the BNI after court proceedings.

Commenting on the matter on Citi FMs news and current affairs analysis programme, The Big Issue, Franklin Cudjoe said the NPPs action is an embarrassment to the party and the country as a whole.

If I were advising the NPP or any other party that had assumed the role of trying to bring in experts to train some of their own, I will say it was politically immature because in an election year one of the things you dont want to do is to be seen or to be heard associating with any aspects of this whole idea or bringing in some people to come and train some people..

NPP is accusing government of deliberately arresting the people essentially to make it look like they have brought in some mercenaries which is essentially causing an embarrassment to the country, the NPP party itself and Ghanaians.

He indicated that it would have been prudent for the party to hold discussions with the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and some security officials before deciding to bring the 3 South Africans into the country.

NPP acted irresponsibly

Franklin Cudjoes criticism comes days after the National Democratic Congress (NDC) Member of Parliament for Ablekuma South, Fritz Baffour, chided the NPP for exhibiting what he calls irresponsibility in the recruitment of the three.

He said the party clearly side-stepped the laws of the country by taking that decision.
27.03.2016 LISTEN

The District Chief Executive for the Sekyere South District, Hon. Edward Kusi Ayarkwa has admonished his colleague politicians to unite for the good of the country as Christians celebrate the Easter festivities.

If we continue to offend each other and sow seeds of discord amongst ourselves, the significance of the sacrifice Christ made for us would be defeated. So I humbly plead for everybody to change their attitude and lifestyle and realize that somebody came and sacrificed the best part of his life for us he charged.

He wondered why the western world has advanced in development but Africa is still crawling and attributed our woes to disunity and backbiting.

Hon. Ayarkwa therefore appealed to politicians from all sides to unite and harness their potentials since that could aid in bridging the gap between Africa and the west

Development is the principal focus of every government, and people put us in power to make their lives better. However if we allow political affiliations to divide us, we do it at our own peril. I call on all Ghanaians, especially the people of Sekyere South to work for the development of the area regardless of which side of the political divide they belong as Christ did for the world, he added.

On the various festive events that are held as part of the Easter celebrations, Hon. Kusi Ayarkwa urged all organizers and participants to put up behaviors that glorify God and gear their attention toward the Death of Christ.

The Easter celebrations in Ghana have been characterized by immoral acts in recent times. There have been reports of public display of sexual intercourse, drug abuse and blatant disregard for what is right.

Easter is the day we celebrate Jesus Christ rising from the dead. Jesus is the Son of God and gifted His life to die for our sins. On the third day after He died -- the day we now celebrate as Easter Sunday -- His friends went to His grave, and found that

He had risen from the dead. They saw an angel who told them, "Don't be afraid! I know you are looking for Jesus, who was crucified. He isn't here! He has been raised from the dead, just as He said it would happen."
Trailblazers in the smartphone industry, Samsung Electronics have launched unto the Ghanaian market, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

These innovative premium devices are designed to break the rules of what a smartphone can do hence the tagline, Rethink what a phone can do.

According to Jaspreet Singh, Director of IT & Mobile at Samsung Electronics West Africa, At Samsung, we have an unwavering commitment to improve consumer experience with every device we introduce. Our latest addition to the Galaxy S range, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge have been carefully crafted to reset the rules of the smartphone game. We are throwing the challenge out there for smartphone enthusiasts to rethink what a phone can do and all the answers lie in the new Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge.

With the improved camera quality, the Galaxy S7 & S7 Edge are the perfect phones available today that are able to capture precious moments in crisp and vivid images even in lowly lit environments. They are the first smartphones that own the night.

The premium Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are water and dust resistant. They are able to stay in water up to 30 minutes and a depth of 5 ft without any damage to their design and functionality. Pictures and videos can also be taken with these devices under water. With this feature, users are assured of a stress free lifestyle whenever they come close to a body of water.

Samsung KNOX solution provides around-the-clock security against hackers and malware, enforced by regular updates. Additional security is provided by KNOX Enabled App where sensitive data is safely isolated and encrypted.

The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are compatible with the Gear VR which gives a whole new definition to the immersive experience. Running on powerful processors, Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge run smooth and fast, handling every bit of the additional data on the microSD card slot which takes up to 200 GB with confidence. And even with the bigger battery, charging is still fast with the Fast Charging feature guaranteeing users of an extended use of their devices.

In Ghana, consumers of the premium devices are guaranteed of several mouthwatering gifts and discounts which are selected to complement the lifestyle of consumers with the Samsung Galaxy Gift App. Gifts can be redeemed at the partner shops which include Nallem Clothing, Palace Superstore, Niobe Spa, Lord of the Wings, Le Magellan, Honey Suckle, Mama Mia, Vida E Caffe, Nourish Lab Smoothys, Numero Uno, Chicken Inn etc.

Also, consumers have no cause to worry about damaging their phones with the Screen Insurance provided by Electracom. The screen insurance is valid for two damage repairs in one year.
27.03.2016 LISTEN

It started out as a fistfight. Two girls  emboldened by bystanders alternately yelling out support or derision  went toe-to-toe in the residential street before they tumbled to the ground.

It only got uglier from there.

A two-minute cell phone video shot by a witness last week in Hephzibah, Georgia, captures the chaos as others join the fray, some wielding bats or pipes, others their fists. The driver of a black car targets two young men, narrowly misses them, and backs up on the subdivision lawn, striking another vehicle.

In the end, an 18-year-old boy was mortally wounded.

The sheriff in Richmond County has accused nine people  including six high school students  of murder. He told CNN affiliate WJBF that any person who participates in a felony that results in loss of life can be charged with that crime.

Every person who was involved in this type of foolish behavior are going to be charged with the most severe crime that we can possibly charge them with, Sheriff Richard Roundtree told WRDW, another affiliate.

The disturbing video, shot March 18, captured the screams of onlookers and participants during the after-school brawl in the east Georgia suburb of Augusta. A young man used a bat or pipe to strike the vehicle that eventually came charging. At one point, a teen holding his bloodied upper shoulder runs from a porch toward the street.

A girl, her voice hoarse from the effort, screams, Call 911.

As many as 50 people  many of them students at Glenn Hills High School in Augusta  participated in the brawl that resulted in the death of Demajhay Bell, WRDW reported , citing officials.

Bell was stabbed in the neck and died two days later, the affiliate reported.

Richmond County District Attorney Ashley Wright told CNN that none of the defendants has entered a plea because the charges must first be presented to a grand jury for possible indictment. All nine are being held without bond, pending a hearing, she said.

WJBF reported a 10th person is being sought, and that all are facing additional charges of aggravated assault.

According to Roundtree, the dispute began as high school drama.

That drama that happens in high school, and everybody has gone through it, the sheriff told WRDW. But when the adults get involved, thats always a bad thing.

A spokesman for the Richmond County school system, however, told CNN that reports of the altercation beginning at school are unsubstantiated.

[The brawl] did involve students from school, but reports that the incident began at school are unsubstantiated, said Kaden Jacobs. According to our investigation and the information available at this time, it seems to us that this began due to Facebook posts.

Jacobs told CNN that six current Glenn Hills High School students have been charged: Quiasha Henley, ALexis Cain, Tyteanna Thomas and Myah Dunbar, all 18, as well as Terry Lee Daniels and Raheem Jobes, both 19.

All have been suspended pending tribunal hearings, according to Jacobs.

He said that Bell had dropped out of a different district high school in September.

The other three charged, according to WJBF, are Quiauna Henley, 35, Eyvette Lashawn Byrd, 39, and Demetrius Lamont Harris Jr., 21.

It was unclear whether any had retained defense attorneys, and CNN was unable Friday to reach any family members of the nine.

A message left for Bells mother was not immediately returned.

Roundtree said the community cant tolerate such violence.

It was a series of events that led to it. It wasnt just one incident of a violent act against an individual, he told WRDW. This was a coordinated, conscious effort.

-cnn


Flagbearer of the main opposition New Patriotic Party (NPP), Nana Addo Dankwa Akufo-Addo has said he is not violent as it is being alleged by leading members of the governing National Democratic Congress (NDC).

He said if he were violent as some people portray him, he could have caused Ghana to burn following the general elections in 2012 arguing he never did that.

Addressing a group of party faithful in Kumewu, Nana Akufo-Addo said there are a lot of people who are trying to tag him as violent but all that will not work because Ghanaians know he is not a violent man.

He said he loves the country more than he does for his own life arguing a violent person would never do that.

Following the arrest of the three South African ex-cops by the Bureau of National Investigation (BNI), it was revealed that the NPP leadership had invited them to help train security operatives of the flagbearer.

Some leading members of the NDC went ahead acuse NPP flagbearer for fomenting trouble and trying to temper with the safety and security of the country.

Acting National Chairman of the NPP, Freddie Blay told JOYNEWS that the party had chanced on some intelligent report which indicates some persons in the country have plans to harm the flagbearer and the running mate, Dr Mahamudu Bawumia.

He admitted the party invited the three men arguing it was to help beef up protection for the party's leadership ahead of the November polls.

However, Nana Akufo-Addo has refuted such claims saying he is peace-loving and he wants peace in Ghana just as much as everyone.

According to him, if ever there will be violence in Ghana; it will never come from members of the NPP.

He argued the NPP tradition is peace-loving because the party's founders loved democracy, believed strongly in it and laid down their lives for it.

Nonetheless, Nana Akufo-Addo remarked that members of the party will not stop exercising their freedom of speech to help put the country on a better footing.

He said the NPP will speak up and oppose any decision or policies which are not in favor of the general welfare of Ghanaians.

The flagbearer also said the party will not allow anyone to exploit and take NPP members and Ghanaians for granted adding this will never be countenanced in the country ahead of the November polls.

He said the leadership of the NPP will make sure no one rigs the 2016 general election arguing they will not allow it.

Story by Ghana | Myjoyonline.com | Austin Brako-Powers | Email: [email protected]
Police in the Northern Region have arrested a 30-year-old man suspected to be part of the armed men who shot and killed a police officer at Kalba, Friday.

Speaking to Joy News, the Public Relations Officer of the Northern Regional Police, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh said the suspect, Ahmed Musah, 30 and of Fulani descent was arrested on Saturday and is in police custody.

Detective Corporal Yaw Lokpao was shot by some suspected armed robbers while returning from a night duty at Sawla in the Northern region.

The suspected armed robbers were said to have fired gunshots at the deceased when they ran into him after a robbery operation.

ASP Ebenezer Tetteh said the suspects were pursued and one was arrested.

An AK 47 rifle, a cap gun and two motorbikes suspected to have been used by the robbers in their operations were also retrieved, ASP Ebenezer Tetteh revealed.

The body of the deceased has since been deposited at the Wa Government Hospital awaiting autopsy.

Meanwhile, ASP Tetteh said the police are still pursuing the rest of the suspected armed robbers.
Bolgatanga, March 27, GNA - The Peasant Farmers Association of Ghana (PFAG) has urged the Government to ensure that the 2016 Annual Budget for the Agricultural sector focuses more on supporting small-holder farmers than has been outlined.

Mr Charles Nyaaba, the Programme Officer of the PFAG, made the call at a sensitisation workshop, jointly organised by the Association and SEND- Ghana in Bolgatanga to discuss the Agricultural Sector Budget.

He said majority of Small-holder farmers were engaged in the production of vegetables, legumes, and cereals for consumption, but he claimed that such sectors were not catered for in the 2016 Annual Budget for the Agricultural sector.

He alleged that Targeted Programmes for Women; Investment in Extension Services; Climate Resilient Agriculture; Investment in Warehousing; and Investment in Irrigation, particularly dugouts, which were very critical to the empowerment of the small-holder farmers, were all missing in the Budget for the sector.

Mr Nyaaba, however, commended the Government for the proposed good investment in fertiliser and seed subsidy.

But he kicked against the GHE35 Million allocation for the Green House Technology Capacity Building and Training Centres, and asked that the fund be rather channelled towards supporting small-holder farmers.

'This will help boost food production in the country as well as help improve upon the standard of living of the Small holder farmers who form the greatest number of farmers in the country,' he stated.

He said Small holder farmers would not benefit much from the Budget unless special attention was given to them.

The Programme Officer explained that 90 per cent of the farming population was small holders, with 55 per cent of them being women.

The Programme Officer of SEND- Ghana, Nana Aisha Mohammed, explained that the workshop, which was sponsored by Trust Africa, was aimed at presenting the findings of analysis of the 2016 Agriculture Sector Budget; Prospects, Challenges and Opportunities for Small- holder farmers.

It was attended by stakeholders, including representatives of Civil Society Organisations, the Ministry of Food and Agriculture, Irrigation Development Authority, and the Media from the Northern, Upper East and Upper West Regions.

She urged the Government to ensure that the fertiliser and seed subsidy programme benefitted mainly small holder-farmers but not commercial farmers who had the ability to purchase inputs.

The Kassena-Nankana Municipal Chief Executive, Dr Stanislaus Alu Kandingdi, who read a speech on behalf of the Upper East Regional Minister, Mr Albert Abongo, gave the assurance that the Government would ensure that the peasant farmers benefited from the fertiliser and seed subsidy programme towards increasing food production.

'The Tono and Vea Irrigation dams are also being restructured,' he said. 'After completion, the Region will take its first position as the leading supplier of vegetables in this country.

'This will help create more jobs for the youth and reduce migration to cities in search of jobs and also reduce the risk of travelling to Burkina Faso to import tomatoes leading to loss of lives."

GNA
Kumasi, March 27, GNA - The Manhyia Local Prison has been presented with a number of items in support of the upkeep of the inmates.

These included loaves of bread, cartons of soft drinks, boxes of toilet soap and secondhand clothing.

They were a gift from a Roman Catholic philanthropist, Mr. Emmanuel Nebo, and coincided with the celebration of Easter.

He had earlier made a similar donation of rice, gallons of edible oil and large quantity of tomato paste to the Female Unit of the Kumasi Central Prisons.

This, he said, was his contribution to efforts at helping to bring some joy to the prisoners as they joined the rest of the Christian world to celebrate Christ's resurrection.

He pledged regular visits, saying, he was enjoined by his faith to be generous to the poor, the needy and the suffering.

Mr. Martin Nyame, Catholic Catechist in-charge of Prisons in Kumasi, encouraged Christians to provide more support for the prisoners.

They should find time to visit, interact and share the word of God with them to aid their reformation.

Senior Chief Officer at the Manhyia Prison, Hansen Malm, who received the items, thanked the donor for the gesture and urged other individuals and organizations to assist take good care of the inmates.

GNA
Akuse, (E/R) March 27, GNA - The Old Students of the Akuse Methodist Senior High/Technical School, AMESTOSA, has presented a 5,000 litre polytank to the School to ease its water problems.

Dr. Clement Kadogbe, the President of the AMETOSA, who presented the water storage tank, on behalf of the members, said it was their modest contribution towards supporting the School and urged all the old students to pool their resources towards making the lives of students better on campus.

He said the presentation formed part of series of programmes lined up by the old students towards improving the academic performance of students.

Mr Frank Inkum, the headmaster of the School, who received the gift, expressed his gratitude, saying the tank had come at a time when the school was experiencing water shortages.

The Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the Association, Mr. Francis Tetteh, also presented an undisclosed amount of money, as a gift, to a second-year student, Ms. Favour Kpeli, who made the school proud by winning this year's 'What Do You Know" quiz.

He asked the students to emulate the confidence of Ms. Kpeli and take their studies serious to make the investments being made in them by their parents worthwhile.

GNA
Accra, March 27, GNA - Oracle, a US technology company, has opened its new office at the Ghana's Airport City, a move aimed expanding the company's cloud portfolio countrywide and providing sales and consulting services to the sub-region.

Company officials said their primary objective for putting up the regional facility was to train Ghanaian staff in technology innovation to empower them to apply Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as the main driver of Ghana's economic transformation.

Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in data centres.

Mr Cherian Varghese, Oracle's Cluster Leader for sub-Saharan Africa, said the new facility signified the growth of the company's business in Ghana, and would it continue to invest in the people's development to best serve customers.

'Oracle Ghana understands the importance of personal engagement with its customers and partners, and the new office affords the company with a great opportunity to strengthen those relationships even further,' he said.

'Through our vibrant local partner ecosystem and dedicated team of highly skilled and experienced employees, based here in Accra and throughout the greater West African Region, we provide customers with high-value products and services, and work to build lasting relationships through day-to-day engagements.'

The Country Manager of Oracle Ghana, Mr Joseph Asumang, said as a top global technology company, Oracle was committed to innovation, leadership, and excellence, and had, therefore, invested more than $39 billion in research and development, since 2004.

'Our technology is built on open industry standards, and one way that Oracle's engineers drive innovation is by participating in more than a hundred standards - setting organisations,' he said.

He said the Ghana office demonstrated Oracle's commitment to doing business in the country and supporting its customers and partners in West Africa.

'Our approach in Ghana aligns with Oracle's global strategy; we are committed to helping organisations transition to and embrace the cloud; enabling them to transform their businesses with oracle solutions,' he said.

'From the data centre to the cloud, oracle helps eliminate the complexity that can stifle business innovation.'

He said their customers were using information technology as a powerful tool, and they were saving money, while delivering services that were not possible before their partnerships.

In a speech read on his behalf, the Minister of Communications, Dr Edward Omane Boamah, said Oracle had been a key partner in the use and application of ICT in Government institutions.

'The opening of this office complex by Oracle Ghana is a further proof to the world that Ghana is opened for business,' he said.

The company introduced an Oracle Academy that has trained more than 45 educators from nine universities in database design and programming, and java programming.

Officials said the Academy had also trained school children between the ages of eight and 14 years on Alice, a tool designed to give young people their first exposure to programming.

The Academy hosted an ICT career day for 500 students from five universities in Ghana to introduce opportunities in the IT industry, which included a developer's challenge for the participants with judges from the Kofi Annan Centre for Excellence.

It also provided five knowledge transfer sessions and sharing of expertise through face to face and online training sessions on java and oracle technologies to teach entrepreneurs linked to Ghana's innovation hubs - Mobile Web Ghana and Ispace, reaching more than 32 developers.

GNA
Kpone (GAR), March 27, GNA - Nii Okwei Kinka Dowuona VI, President of the Osu Traditional Council, has urged companies to build good relationships with chiefs.

He said a good relationship with the chiefs, who are custodians of the land, would go a long way to create the enabling environment for businesses to grow.

Nii Kinka Dowuona, also the Chairman of the Socio-Economic Committee of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, gave the advice in an interview with the Ghana News Agency after members of the committee had toured the Gold Recovery Ghana Limited at Kpone in the Greater Accra Region.

The tour was on the theme: 'Landlord/Tenant Relationship.'

The members of the committee are Nene Abram Akuaku III, the Ada Mantse and the President of the Greater Accra Regional House of Chiefs, Osongaah Nii Adjei Kraku II, Tema Mantse, Nene Atsure Benta III, the Acting President of the Prampram Traditional Council and Nene Kanor Attiapah III, Acting President of the Ningo Traditional Council.

Nii Kinka Dowuona said chiefs were not only mandated to handle chieftaincy issues but were also responsible for the welfare of society.

Mr Tiyani E. Maswanganye, the Manager of the Gold Recovery Ghana Limited, who briefed the chiefs on the company's activities, said it bought gold dust waste from Obuasi and processed it into steel liners for the mining industry in Ghana.

The company also manufactures aluminum products for export.

Mr Philip Sackitey, the Procurement Officer of the company, took the chiefs round the facility to see some of its products and acquaint themselves with its activities.

GNA
27.03.2016 LISTEN

Lawyer for the embattled head of security for New Patriotic Party (NPP) flagbearer, Nana Asante Bediatuo, has said he will be forced to file a Habeas Corpus in court against the Bureau of National Investigations (BNI).

A Habeas Corpus suit is a recourse in law whereby a person can report an unlawful detention or imprisonment before a court.

This follows the re-arrest of his client, Captain (rtd) Edmund Koda, who was implicated in the arrest of the three former South African ex-Police officers who were arrested last week for allegedly training the private security personnel of the NPP flagbearer, Nana Akufo-Addo.

Nana Asante Bediatuo told Citi News that he will be forced to resort to the law court to force the BNI to produce his client.

Captain Koda is alleged to have invited the three South Africans who have since been granted bail but are currently in the custody of the BNI.

He was reportedly charged with conspiracy to commit a crime and unlawful training but granted bail on Wednesday after the BNI took his statement.

Security operatives also allegedly visited his residence at Weija last week, to carry out a search of the premises.

The state subsequently dropped the charges against him on Thursday but it is thus unclear why he is still in BNI custody after his apparent release.

-citifmonline


Bamako (AFP) - Two Malians who "actively participated" in a deadly Islamist assault on an Ivory Coast beach resort have been arrested, including the right-hand man of the suspected mastermind, security sources said Sunday.

The two were picked up in northern Mali at the weekend, two weeks after the March 13 gun and grenade assault on three hotels and a beach in Grand-Bassam that killed 19 people.

The arrests were welcomed by Ivory Coast which hailed "international cooperation in the fight against terror".

The Grand-Bassam rampage, the first of its kind in the Ivory Coast, was claimed by Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb which has also carried out similar assaults on tourist hotspots in Mali and Burkina Faso.

So far, 15 people have been arrested over the Grand-Bassam attacks, with Ivorian investigators backed by anti-terror specialists and judicial expert from Paris. The United States and Germany are also helping with the probe.

The latest suspects were identified as Ibrahim Ould Mohamed, who was arrested on Friday night, and Midy Ag Sodack Dicko, who was picked up a day later.

"Evidence suggests that they actively participated in the Grand-Bassam attack," a Malian security source told AFP, with the information confirmed by several other sources.

Ould Mohamed, who was arrested late on Friday in Goundam, 80 kilometres (50 miles) southwest of the historic city of Timbuktu, is considered a close confidante of Kounta Dallah, the suspected attacks mastermind.

"He is the driver and the right-hand man of Kounta Dallah, the brains behind the attack. He has provided some interesting information," a Timbuktu police official told AFP, without giving further details.

Dallah, who is still at large, is suspected of both organising and taking part in the attack, according to the Abidjan prosecutor, who did not give his nationality.

"Ibrahim Ould Mohamed did not hide the fact that he is close to Kounta. He knows many things," said a source close to the Timbuktu governorate. He will be transferred Bamako later on Sunday.

- Logistical support -

The second suspect, Ag Sodack Dicko, was arrested on Saturday in Gossi, 160 kilometres (100 miles) west of Gao, the biggest town in northern Mali, a local police source said.

He had "acknowledged that several of those involved in the operation in Grand-Bassam stayed at his place in Abidjan," the source said, referring to Ivory Coast's main city.

"He said he didn't know they were going to carry out this crimes," the source said, dismissing the claim as a bluff.

He provided logistical supposed "and consequently took part in the attack operation" a local police source said. He left Ivory Coast shortly after the attack, taking a flight to Bamako.

At least three assailants armed with grenades and assault rifles took part in the attack in which they stormed three hotels in Grand-Bassam, a resort popular with expats that lies 40 kilometres (25 miles) from Abidjan.

The former French colonial capital is also a UNESCO World Heritage site.

It was the third such strike in West Africa in recent months, following a November assault on a top hotel in Mali's capital which killed 20 people, most of them foreigners, and another in a Burkina Faso hotel in January which killed 30 people.

All three targeted venues frequented by foreigners.

The Grand-Bassam attack bore grim similarities to an Islamist gun and grenade assault on a Tunisian beach resort last June, which left 37 foreign holidaymakers dead.

Faced with a growing jihadist threat, West African nations have scrambled to boost security but are seeing visitor numbers fall as foreign governments warn their nationals about the risks.
Cape Coast, March 27, GNA - Professor David Kofi Essumang of the Department of Chemistry at the University of Cape Coast (UCC) has said Ghana's Environmental Policy document has failed to achieve its major targets because it lacks direction.

The document, he said, also did not have clear objectives and specific guidelines to measure its achievement over a period of time, while there was no provision of funds and other resources to ensure its implementation.

Prof. Essumang who was speaking on the topic: 'An Environment in a Ditch' at an inaugural lecture organised by the UCC, on Thursday, therefore, asked policy makers to revisit the document and address the issues raised towards sustainably managing the complex environmental challenges of the country.

He said successive governments had not showed commitment towards achieving the goals and objectives of the Policy document because issues of the Environment did not really matter to them.

He called for environmental education to be properly integrated into the educational system as a core subject and the harmonization of the policy document with those of the relevant organisations. while assigning institutions specific roles to play for people to be very conscious of the Environment.

Ghana, in November 2012, launched the National Environmental Policy Document to be implemented to ensure sustainable environment.

The Chemistry Professor, criticised the tax system in the country, saying it was still cheaper to import old cars, which were more than 15 years, than to buy new ones, while the importation of scrap engines and old cars already at the garages, which caused the most pollution were not taxed.

He said various environmental risk factors with regards to the presence of chemicals in the soil, air, drinking water and foods that had hazardous effects on humans and the environment had been identified over the past years.

' There is evidence that these environmental chemicals may be strongly linked to breast cancer incidences and other common chronic diseases and conditions such as asthma, autism, other cancers, lung diseases ,obesity and reproductive health problems, 'he stated.

Prof. Essumang said black people had higher body burden levels of many environmental chemicals.

These include mercury, lead, hydrocarbons and polycyclic, he said, and black people also had relatively higher levels of pesticides such as Dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane (DDT), therefore, they should exercise moderation in their uses.

He said research had shown that there were cases of excessive chemical use in farming, while some pesticides used in farming were not registered in the country for the purposes they were being used for, and also they existed in high levels in the Ghanaian environment.

He said though DDT had been banned for years, its existence in the Ghanaian environment showed how porous the national borders were.

'This behaviour continues to make pesticides an inevitable food additive in Ghana and this is very dangerous,' he cautioned.

As a solution to this, the Chemistry Professor proposed the re-activation of the Extension Services of the Agricultural Sector to ensure the proper use of agro-chemicals.

He said Ghanaians should realise that the Environment was completely being threatened by their actions and inactions and that it would take a changed attitude and mindsets to be able to create the desired conducive environment.

'All our water and lands have been destroyed and water security has become a problem,' he said. 'People who are not born asthmatic become asthmatic patients in their old age because of the way we have treated the environment'.

He. therefore, urged the Government and other stakeholders to support interdisciplinary research activities to elaborate and optimise experimental modules towards assessing the possible relationships between xenobiotic exposure and human diseases.

Ghana has a number of legislations on the Environment, including the Environmental Protection Act (ACT 490) Environmental Assessment Regulations and a host of bye laws under the Local Government Assemblies.

GNA
Cape Coast, March 27, GNA - Christians in Cape Coast defied the rains on Sunday morning and converged in churches and at convention grounds for Easter services in commemoration of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The 45 minutes rains, which started around 0900 hours, compelled some Christians who were already on their way to church, on foot, to seek shelter at various places, while others who were almost at their destination hurriedly moved unto the wet grounds, regardless of their white attire.

At the Ebenezer Methodist Church, Siwdo, the Very Reverend John Quayson, the Superintendent Minister of the Siwdo Circuit, who delivered the sermon, said some Christians were ignorant of the resurrection power of Jesus Christ though every Easter; they proclaimed that, 'He has risen'.

Preaching on the theme 'Christ's Victory over Death', he said, as a result of the ignorance they were unable to tap into that power to cause improvements in their finances, health, marriage, education and other aspects of their lives.

He said there was power, healing and maximum value in the blood of Jesus and urged Christians to believe in Jesus for the solution to every challenge they faced.

He gave assurance that, 'If Jesus Christ was able to overcome death; there is nothing he cannot overcome'.

At the Christ Church Anglican Cathedral, the Right Rev. Victor Reginald Atta Baffoe, the Anglican Bishop of Cape Coast, in a sermon on the theme 'The Resurrection Power', urged Christians to allow the power of the risen Christ to guide them in all their activities.

At the Lion of Judah Cathedral of the Light House Chapel International, Bishop Jake Godwyll, said the celebration should draw Christians to the reality of Christ's death and urged them to invest in spiritual things, and work for the Lord, knowing that their labour would not be in vain.

Mostly dressed in white apparels and the uniforms of the various organisations, the congregations sang praises to God for giving His begotten Son to die for the remission of the sins of the world, more than 2,000 years ago.

Rev Fr Samuel Asantey of the St Joseph's Catholic Church at Amanful, asked Christians to let the activities and teachings of the Passion Week through to the resurrection of Christ reflect in their daily activities and duties.

He said as followers of Christ, Christians should be promoters of unity and peace and not those who brought divisions in their homes, families and work places.

He said as true witnesses to the death and resurrection of Christ Jesus it was imperative for all Christians to emulate the moral values of Christ, which were honesty, truthfulness, love and care, to proclaim the gospel of the Lord.

'The new Easter life should bring new leafs, evergreen leafs that will produce fruits all year long and make you promoters of unity,' he added.

Rev Fr. Asantey said just like the early Christians, such as Mary of Magdala, Peter and John, who had the courage and concern for Jesus even at the time of his death, Christians of today should be courageous and have the concern for the word and teachings of the church.

Seventeen persons were baptised into the Catholic faith, while eight received their first communion.

The occasion was also used to launch the church's harvest.

All the churches prayed for peace and the progress of the nation, especially in the November polls.

GNA
27.03.2016 LISTEN

Accra, March 27, GNA - The Christ Apostolic Church International, on Sunday, climaxed its annual Easter Convention across the country with special prayers for the nation, especially for the success of the general election in November.

Apostle Dr Emmanuel O. Donkor, the General Secretary of the Church, led the congregation at the Bantama Area of the Church in the Ashanti Region, to pray for national unity, growth, prosperity, development and peaceful co-existence among the various parties and ethnic groups.

The General theme for this year's Convention is 'Not By Power; But By My Spirit'.

Delivering the sermon at the well-attended service, Apostle Donkor said the mystery of Christ's blessings was revealed in his crucifixion and resurrection, which had brought Salvation to all mankind.

The crucifixion is the 'seal' of the Salvation granted to all people all over the world and so Ghanaians, he said, should immediately take the necessary steps of the period to redeem themselves from the power of sin.

'There is the need for the Christians to be deeply rooted in the love of God to be able to extend same to their families members, friends and colleagues to show that they 'know and love God' ,who did not hesitate to sacrifice his only begotten son to save mankind,' Apostle Donkor said.

'If we love God and ourselves, we would not met out violence on innocent people as Ghana is witnessing all over the place in recent times, but the perpetrators of violence lack the sense of love ,' he said.

He said violence no matter the form it took, must be condemned by all Christians.

'As the nation prepares for the elections there is bound to be friction here and there, which might end up in violence but the Spirit of God enjoins all of us, as Ghanaians, to ensure that peace is maintained before, during, and even after the elections,' Apostle Donkor said.

Delivering the sermon at the Taifa Area of the Accra West Territory, Apostle J.J. Obour, the Field Director of the Church, said the nation would attain peace if only the people would pray and look up to God.

'The spirit of God directs the footsteps of man, therefore, building a nation will require God's direction,' he said. 'Without God we can achieve very little as a nation, so our national leaders and all Ghanaians must, therefore, rely on God as we work towards the development of the country.'

Apostle Obour said if Christians made time for the Holy Spirit, he would give them wisdom, grace and an utmost vision to move forward.

He said in remembering the utmost sacrifice of Christ for mankind, on Easter, Christians should emulate the outstanding virtues of the source their faith and depict the significance of Christ's invaluable sacrifice.

Apostle Obour asked Christians to shun false prophecies, which he said, separated families instead of uniting them.

The Head of the Taifa Central Assembly, Apostle Augustine Bugyei, for his part, asked Ghanaians to put their differences aside and unite for a prosperous nation.

Apostle Bugyei said, 'There is currently very little truth, mercy, forgiveness and the study of the word of God in our society, hence the increasing problems and social vices'.

'Murder, stealing, falsehood, adultery and others, are the social vices that have become the order of the day,' he pointed out.

Christians, he said, must only be boastful in their service to the Lord and not in their affluence as was being demonstrated and they should present their bodies as living sacrifices to God.

GNA
27.03.2016 LISTEN

Tema, March 27, GNA - Ex-workers of the Ghana Ports and Harbours Authority (GPHA) whose severance awards are yet to be paid, have been advised to shun armed robbery and other vices in their struggle to survive.

At a meeting in Tema, Mr Stephen Ashitey-Adjei, leader of the group, said although the temptation to steal to feed, clothe and console their wives and children was real, they should remember that crime only paid in the short term.

Only five of the workers, who were retrenched in 2002, he said, had received their benefits so far.

Mr Ashitey-Adjei, who is popularly known as Mo-shake, asked the ex-workers not to give up their fight for justice through legal means, which seemed to have eluded them since 2002, he said, because of political expediency.

He appealed to President John Mahama to treat the grievances of the ex-workers of GPHA with the dispatch and efficiency as he would have done with the affairs of Ministers, Members of Parliament and other Article 71 office holders.

'We always look up to the President to solve this nagging problem, which has destroyed many men, women and children; we hope that the President would ask the Ministry of Transport and GPHA to pay us what is due us,' he stated

About 500 out of the more than 3000 workers who were retrenched at GPHA in 2002 had lost their lives, he said.

GNA
Salaga, (N/R) March 27 GNA - Vice President Kwesi Amissah-Arthur has urged politicians to campaign on issues and ideas and stop threatening and intimidating their opponents.

He said the Government was committed to ensuring peace, transparent, free and fair elections, therefore, every citizen should support and cooperate towards achieving that goal.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur made the call when he attended the 40th Anniversary Celebration of the Gonjaland Youth Association at Salaga, in the Northern Region, at the weekend.

The Association converges once every year to fraternise and initiate development for the Gonja area.

The theme for the celebration is: 'Forty years of promoting peaceful co-existence for sustainable development of Gonjaland; the role of the Gonjaland Youth Association'.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur asked the traditional rulers in the Gonjaland to restore the reputation that the Gonja people had by having peaceful enskinement regimes to remain models for other areas to emulate.

He charged the traditional authorities in the area to amicably resolve all the recent misunderstandings in respect of ascensions to the various skins in Gonjaland, saying that they had a rich history to protect and a standard to maintain.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur stated that the elimination of the misunderstandings and conflict would provide the atmosphere for sustained progress and development.

He said the theme for the celebration imposed on them the need to promote peace and unity as the surest guarantee to development.

'We must live up to this theme and ensure that the land remains peaceful and unified for the development that needs to take place,' he stated.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur also urged the people to maintain the rich history of the Gonja people, which had highlighted unity, courage, the protection of what is right and to seek the best interest of the people.

He said those attributes constituted a great heritage that should guide the Association and everybody in Gonjaland in whatever position or business they were engaged in.

He said the qualities constituted the building blocks for the future generation.

Vice President Amissah-Arthur said the Association should harness resources to market for tourism and cultural potentials of the area.

He urged leadership of the Association to work closely with State institutions with the requisite expertise as well as the local authorities towards exploiting the tourism potential of Gonjaland.

The Yagbon-Wura ,Tumtumba Bore Essa II, the Overland of Gonjaland, who was represented by the Wasepe Wura, in a speech read by Abdullah Abubakar, a registrar at the Traditional Council, urged the people to come together to support the activities of the Association to achieve its intended objectives.

He emphasised the need for the Association to concentrate on its core mandate of conflict resolution and peace management.

He urged the people not to allow their private interests, social challenges and political settlement bring disunity among the group.

The Yagbon-Wura commended the initiators and past leaders of the Association to continue to work hard and uphold and defend the hard earned success and image of the Gonja Kingdom.

He also urged the chiefs in Gonjaland to use arbitration, customs and traditions of the land to settle chieftaincy cases, which he said, were affecting development in the area.

He appealed to the Government to help find a lasting solution to the acute water problem in Damongo.

Mr Alhassan Dramani, the President of the Gonjaland Youth Association, appealed to the Government to consider setting up a satellite campus of the University for Development Studies in Damongo.

He said though the Government had undertaken some key infrastructural development projects in the area, as Oliver Twist, they would request for more projects.

He urged the Government to give the people its assurance that Cocobod would support them to go into the cultivation and production of jute sacks through a Public Private Partnership arrangement.

GNA
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March 27, 2016 Palmyra's Liberation, Ishtar's Resurrection And The Easter Walk The Syrian Arab Army and its allies have taken the Palmyra ruins and Tadmor city next to them from the Islamic State. To the chagrin of the U.S. State Department (vid), the Islamic State occupiers pulled back into the eastern desert after losing some 500 men. The Syrian government can now use the air base in Palmyra and from there regain control of the eastern desert country up to Deir Ezzor and the Syrian/Iraqi border in the east and towards the Jordan border in the south. The Easter holidays and the fertility symbols of the hare and the eggs are said to be derived from the Germanic goddess Eostre or Ostara. But it is probably more likely that they derive from the older Mesopotamian goddess of Ishtar: Ishtar is the Mesopotamian East Semitic (Akkadian, Assyrian and Babylonian) goddess of fertility, love, war, and sex. She is the counterpart to the earlier attested Sumerian Inanna, and the cognate for the later attested Northwest Semitic Aramean goddess Astarte. Ishtar was an important deity in Mesopotamian religion which was extant from c.3500 BC, until its gradual decline between the 1st and 5th centuries AD in the face of Christianity. Interestingly the myth of Ishtar includes her descent into the underworld of death and her resurrection and return to life after higher divine intervention: One of the most famous myths about Ishtar describes her descent to the underworld. In this myth, Ishtar approaches the gates of the underworld and demands that the gatekeeper open them. ... The gatekeeper hurried to tell Ereshkigal, the Queen of the Underworld. Ereshkigal told the gatekeeper to let Ishtar enter, but "according to the ancient decree". The gatekeeper let Ishtar into the underworld, opening one gate at a time. At each gate, Ishtar had to shed one article of clothing. When she finally passed the seventh gate, she was naked. ...

After Ishtar descended to the underworld, all sexual activity ceased on earth. The god Papsukal reported the situation to Ea, the king of the gods. Ea created an intersex being called Asu-shu-namir and sent it to Ereshkigal, telling it to invoke "the name of the great gods" against her and to ask for the bag containing the waters of life. Ereshkigal was enraged when she heard Asu-shu-namir's demand, but she had to give it the water of life. Asu-shu-namir sprinkled Ishtar with this water, reviving her. Then, Ishtar passed back through the seven gates, getting one article of clothing back at each gate, and was fully clothed as she exited the last gate. Ishtar brings us back to Palmyra which hails from the same age: Palmyra entered the historical record during the Bronze Age around 2000 BC, when Puzur-Ishtar the Tadmorean (Palmyrene) agreed to a contract at an Assyrian trading colony in Kultepe. It was mentioned next in the Mari tablets as a stop for trade caravans and nomadic tribes, such as the Suteans. Today there is a hotel named Ishtar just a two minute walk away from the ruins of Palmyra. Book it for your next years Easter holiday. For me Easter (or Ishtar?) is no Easter without rereading Johann Wolfgang von Goethe's Easter Walk from his Faust I opus: Look from this height whereon we find us

Back to the town we have left behind us, Where from the dark and narrow door

Forth a motley multitude pour. They sun themselves gladly and all are gay,

They celebrate Christ's resurrection to-day. For have not they themselves arisen?

From smoky huts and hovels and stables,

From labor's bonds and traffic's prison,

From the confinement of roofs and gables,

From many a cramping street and alley,

From churches full of the old world's night,

All have come out to the day's broad light. The people of Syria, of Palmyra/Tadmor, have good reason to celebrate today. And to take a happy Easter walk. Happy Easter! Posted by b on March 27, 2016 at 9:21 UTC | Permalink Comments
Photos by U.S. Fish & Wildlife Services

AUSTIN (AP)  The Texas comptroller has terminated an oil and gas industry-funded organization responsible for overseeing the protection of a rare lizard in West Texas.

State records show the Texas Habitat Conservation Foundation failed to perform habitat restoration or monitor drillers and other landowners to ensure protections for the dunes sagebrush lizard.
HOUSTON -- 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.

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 email.

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 percent 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 5,000 potentially carrying a gun.

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.

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.

---

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
A typical busy Saturday at Midland Park Mall had a few extra patrons as local mothers used the mall for a public awareness event on breastfeeding. Several dozen of women sat at the food court and later in front of Sears as part of a two-hour nurse-in, which was organized after an alleged shaming incident of an unidentified mother two weeks ago.

As I understand it, a young mother...was called a slut and videotaped by young gentleman on their phones and shamed (at the mall), said Jennifer Cronick, mother to two-month-old Henry. I heard about it from word of mouth from a friend.

Cronick, Jamie Mathis and other young mothers planned a nurse-in on Facebook. Mathis said that an employee at a store in the mall witnessed the event and that she became a part of the event to show the importance of breastfeeding.

There were a lot of comments on news feeds (that covered the original incident), that women need to cover up, or stay home and do it, or pump before they go out, Mathis said. The ignorance that people spew without thinking - theyre not educated, and they should be, and this is one way to do it. Its important for everyone to be aware that this is something thats normal and beautiful.

Existing groups like Midland-Odessa Breastfeeding Mommies helped to recruit mothers interested in participating. A separate Facebook page, Lets Support Public Breastfeeding, was created by Andrea Marie Valencia-Jaquez.

Midland Park Mall also joined in solidarity by organizing a Mothers Health Event. Midland Memorial Hospital (MMH), Lactation Services of the Permian Basin (LSPB) and The Breast Connection had lactation and nursing consultants and specialists to answer question.

Hearing about the incident that happened here really just kind of pushes you to normalize and rally around each other, and have events like this to show and prove to everybody that it is normal. We need to support our moms who are breastfeeding, MMH lactation manager Casey Weems said.

Mothers asked questions surrounding fertility concerns, the effects of breastfeeding while pregnant and what to expect. Breastfeeding at high risk of miscarriage is recommended against, and the process of breastfeeding should not hurt or lead to bleeding, according to LSPB lactation consultant Barbara Stone and registered nurse Linda Hill at the Breast Connection.

Women are allowed to wear scantily dressed clothing on, but heaven forbid they feed their baby, and when it can be done inconspicuously - though if breastfeeding was the norm, it shouldnt have to be done inconspicuously, Hill said.

Mall manager Kevin Church said that they chose to host the Mothers Health Event at the same time of the nurse-in to help the mothers in their mission to promote education about breastfeeding, including that it is legal. A 1995 state law states that a mother is entitled to breastfeed her baby in any location in which the mother is authorized to be, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

We wanted to educate the community that if you see a woman in public breastfeeding, its OK. Its nothing to stare at or take pictures of, its a normal thing, Church said. Breastfeeding is normal and welcomed and OK, and we support mothers rights to breastfeed where they choose.

Church said that if a mother was harassed in the future at the mall, they can contact security.

Following the event, which lasted about two hours, Valencia-Jaquez wrote the turn out was good. Almost 200 people said they were going.

Im a firm believer that breast is best, and Im also a firm believer that so long as youre not waving it about, I dont see the issue, Cronick said. When Im feeding, Im still a lot more covered up than some of these young ladies wandering about ... in my eyes, it makes very little sense for my reasoning to be frowned upon but their reasoning of showing off is acceptable, thats where the disconnect is for me.

Follow Cassie on Twitter at @Cassie_Burton51
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Someone should sue the President for ...
A Tampa police officer was shot Saturday afternoon during an altercation between two suspects, officials say.



The suspects were also shot, and both died, according to Tampa police.

Police have identified the officer who was wounded as Jose Rodriguez, 53. Rodriguez is a 13-year veteran of the Tampa Police Department. He was taken to Tampa General Hospital where is recovering.



Police say the incident started at 4 p.m. at a Sunoco gas station on 30th Street. Witnesses say two suspects started arguing and shooting at each other.

A witness called 911 and followed the suspects to the Hyatt Place Hotel and led police right to where they could find the suspects.

"These two suspects were driving in two separate vehicles," Tampa police spokesperson Andrea Davis said. "I don't know at this point when they started shooting at each other. Shots were exchanged. When the officer arrived, there was already gunfire exchanging."

Davis said the gunfire continued even after Ofc. Rodriguez showed up.

"The officer was obviously in fear for his life and potentially people around," she said. "There was more gunfire that was exchanged. I don't know how many shots were fired. Who shot who? We just know at this point three people were shot, including the police officer."

Ofc. Rodriguez was shot in the chest as he fired back. The bullet hit him in his bullet-resistant vest, which likely saved his life, officials said.

Ofc. Rodriguez is the first member of the Tampa police force to be shot in the line of duty since Dontae Morris shot and killed officers Jeffrey Kocab and David Curtis in 2010.


The Texas Parks and Wildlife Commission during their March 24 meeting awarded $250,949 to the City of Plainview to go toward the development of Travis Trussell Pond Park located on 10th Street and Ennis.

The application was submitted for the Non-Urban Outdoor Recreation Grant category, and part of an overall $10.4 million the Commission awarded to 39 community parks across the state.

The Non-Urban Outdoor Recreation Grants are given to municipalities with a population less than 500,000 and were awarded to 20 communities. Plainview, along with the City of Gruver, were the only Panhandle region cities to be awarded this year.

Money for the Local Park Grants Program comes from a portion of the sporting goods sales tax through the Texas Recreation & Parks Account and the Texas Large County & Municipality Recreation & Parks Account. Additional money comes from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. Congress appropriates program funding each year. TPWD is the pass-through agency for local governments in Texas.

The scope for the pond project includes re-grading and stabilization of the pond, adding additional land for parking, a walking trail, new fencing, solar lighting, wildlife viewing stations, and interpretive signs. City staff will begin work on the project soon with plans to finish by end of summer.

"City staff with assistance from South Plains Association of Governments has been working on this grant submittal since summer 2015 and we are excited to receive this award from the Texas Parks & Wildlife Commission. The TPWD staff has been great to work with throughout the process." City Manager Jeffrey Snyder said.

"This was a project identified as a priority in our comprehensive plan and we are excited to get started."

Back in September, city council members talked about the possible project.

If approved, the City planned to install a walking trail around the perimeter of the duck pond. They will also remove the fencing on the west side of the duck pond and reinstall a 4- to 6-foot fence on the east side along Ennis Street and two fences, that will reach about half the length of the pond on both north and south sides.

On the west side, the ground will be leveled and grass will be installed. The new layout will allow the public to actually walk up to the lake.

The five-foot wide concrete walkway that will wrap around the pond will have solar lighting installed on the west side as well as two wildlife viewing areas with canopies and benches.
Civic leaders in New Britain want it. So do leaders in Southington and Plainville. Quite a few state lawmakers favor it. So does Tilcon Connecticut Inc.



Its a bill before the General Assembly that would allow Tilcon to expand its Plainville quarry operation onto 131 acres of watershed land in Plainville thats owned by New Britain. Southington would gain 75 acres of open space adjoining Crescent Lake. New Britain would gain decades of lease payments, and then another storage reservoir  one that it may or may not need  40 years down the road. Southington would lose, to some extent, the peaceful recreational use of Crescent Lake during those 40 years of blasting and mining. New Britain would lose some control over the watershed area that now protects its most important source of drinking water, Shuttle Meadow Reservoir, which is in Southington.



A number of area residents oppose this idea, and have testified against it, as have environmental groups including the Connecticut Fund for the Environment and the League of Conservation Voters, as well as the Connecticut Department of Public Health.



Public Health Commissioner Raul Pino testified that there are unanswered questions about the environmental impact of expanded quarrying in that area, questions that could affect water quality at Shuttle Meadow Reservoir, and that state law requires his department to study the effects of allowing such a change.



Rachael Gaudio, of the Connecticut Fund for the Environment, questioned the legality of the move proposed in the bill (SB 300), saying that the mining of these lands would destroy the natural resources and scenic conditions currently present therein.



Whether the concept of trading open-space land for expanded quarrying rights could be extended to other locations  such as Meriden, where another Crescent Lake, this one part of Meridens public water supply, lies just west of Chauncey Peak, which has been heavily mined for a century by another quarrying company in the trap rock and gravel business  is not clear; the history and the geology and the property lines there are very different.



But beyond the specifics of either case, there is an overriding consideration that should carry a great deal of weight when we consider removing watershed protections from any particular area: Connecticut is in the process of studying its public water supplies and watershed, and any idea of allowing intensive excavation of this or that watershed area should only be considered as part of that larger study.



No piecemeal changes, please. Not when water quality could be compromised and scenic vistas may be destroyed.



Lets keep our eye on the big picture.










Across our country, across Texas and especially in the San Antonio area, many people with behavioral health issues arent getting the help they need. Too many people wait six months or more just to get an appointment.

This needs to change. Humana is teaming with the Center for Health Care Services, or CHCS, to focus on this critical issue together.

According to the American Psychiatric Association, about 34 percent of the U.S. population has a mental illness, including substance-use disorders. Humana research shows that up to 80 percent of behavioral issues present as physical health problems, including headaches, sleep issues and high blood pressure, and the overall cost of care for people with both mental health conditions and associated medical conditions is two to three times higher than for people without such comorbidities.

The American Psychiatric Association reports that only 40 percent of adults and 50 percent of children with a diagnosed mental illness receive treatment.

Many mental health professionals dont have the capacity to take on new patients. Increasingly, the number of new mental health professionals is inadequate to keep up with the demand, and as many as half of psychiatrists dont accept insurance. Some dont take patients with Medicare coverage.

Humana asked mental health professionals about factors limiting their participation in networks. Among the reasons:

Little incentive to join a network  practice already full.

Dealing with insurance takes time away from patient care.

No staff to help with paperwork.

Pay rates for mental health services are not adequate.

Those are among the top reasons we now are partnering with the Center for Health Care Services here in San Antonio.

We see opportunities for improvement. CHCS serves people with insurance, people without coverage, people with Medicare and Medicaid  basically, anyone who needs behavioral health care.

We have hired a Humana behavioral health clinician and are coordinating care with CHCS and our Medicare and commercial network. Were considering placing CHCS clinicians in some Humana-affiliated medical clinics, moving the system toward an integrated approach to treating behavioral health. And a telepsychiatry pilot is underway at five Humana-affiliated health care clinics.

To address the concerns mental health professionals have about participating in insurance networks, Humana is taking these steps:

Expanded access: Were working to recruit more behavioral health providers to our networks, expand telepsychiatry, and pursue other strategies to secure more timely access to needed care.

Network modifications: Were establishing networks designed to require less administrative work and dedicating additional Humana associates to manage relationships with our mental health care providers. Also, were ensuring that psychiatrists who are listed in our networks actually are available for appointments with our members.

Integrated behavioral health care: Were training and incentivizing primary care physicians to integrate behavioral health care into their practices and noting in our directories which primary care practices offer mental health services.

Better collaboration: Were working with primary care physicians, behavioral health practitioners, addiction professionals, community health centers, large health care systems and university medical centers to incorporate collaborative care models that recognize and treat both mental and physical health needs of patients.

Reimbursement changes: Were increasing payment rates in high-demand specialties and geographies, analyzing community data to ensure mental health professionals are compensated fairly.

Through innovative partnerships, we are confident we will quickly make progress to ensure more people get the care they need when they need it.

Matthew Ruble, M.D., is medical director/behavioral health for Humana Inc. Leon Evans is president and CEO of the Center for Health Care Services.
While both political parties engage in a national discussion on trade and international economic alliances, they have largely ignored the most relevant issue that has haunted our economy for four decades.

It's time someone said it: The United States should no longer allow Saudi Arabia to hold it hostage. We continue to deal with the consequences of decisions made by an impetuous oil-rich nation that has resulted in oil prices plummeting below $30 per barrel.
Texas and the nation just lost a hero.

Medal of Honor recipient Santiago Jesus Erevia of San Antonio died last week.

Thank you for your service has been a heartfelt comment meant graciously for all military veterans. And it simply doesnt do justice to the thanks that the nations Medal of Honor recipients deserve.

What distinguished Erevia, a Vietnam War veteran, was that he seemingly didnt even expect the gratitude. A friend described him as the silent hero.

The medal, the nations highest, came late, given two years ago in a White House ceremony.

Erevia, who retired from the U.S. Postal Service, had been given the Distinguished Service Cross, the nations second-highest decoration for valor, for his actions in a firefight on May 21, 1969.

Spc. Erevia was with other soldiers from the 101st Airborne Divisions Company C when they were pinned down by enemy troops shooting from four spider holes.

A fellow soldier, Spc. Patrick Diehl, attempted first to clear the holes and was killed.

Erevia picked up Diehls M-16 and with his own rifle, he fired into the spider holes one by one, enemy bullets whizzing by his head, and killed the enemy soldiers. He saved the lives of his comrades.

Erevia  who was born in Corpus Christi but grew up as a farm boy in Nordheim, southeast of San Antonio  got the Medal of Honor after a Pentagon review of Latino and Jewish veterans of World War II, Korea and Vietnam who might have been denied the honor.

The suspicion was that prejudice might have played a role, but his comrades said it was likely because he survived the war. Most Medals of Honor are given posthumously.

Whatever the reason for the lateness of the medal, its clear that Erevia deserved the recognition.

Its not nearly enough, but thank you for your service, Spc. Erevia.
With the start of home buying season comes the search for the best neighborhoods to raise a family, which is often determined by the quality of education in the area.

But year-end best lists that rank top schools can be a little overwhelming for an Alamo City newcomer.
It was an honour to host members from the Oakbank Baptist Church during the week of March 7th in Ottawa. I encourage my constituents to contact my Parliament Hill office for details about arranging a tour in our nations capital. Since I spend much of my time in Ottawa, I always appreciate seeing familiar faces from Southeastern Manitoba.

There are two options for booking a Parliamentary tour. There is a regular tour offered by Parliamentary staff and a tour organized by my office.

The regular tour includes:

the Library of Parliament;

the House of Commons Chamber;

the Senate Chamber and the Memorial Chamber; and

the Memorial Chamber.

The tour provided by my office while similar, also includes Parliament Hills Peace Tower.

Tours are an excellent educational experience for anyone who is interested. It is very common that schools from across the country visit Parliament Hill. If this is something that you as a teacher or principal would like to organize, please contact my Parliament Hill office at 613-992-3128.

To book a tour, I always recommend that you contact my office well in advance for information regarding availabilities. Tours are contingent on both Parliamentary events and my schedule.
Submitted LeeCorp Homes offers manufactured/modular homes, like this custom designed variation of the Islander model in Bayside Estates on Fort Myers Beach.

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Submitted By Dave Horton Advertising

LeeCorp Homes, an Estero-based custom manufactured home dealership, has been recognized by Statistical Surveys as the largest volume dealer of Jacobsen Homes in Florida in 2015. LeeCorp sells custom manufactured/modular homes built by Jacobsen Homes in Safety Harbor, Florida.

There were 102 sales recorded by LeeCorp Homes in 2015. Statistical Surveys is the leading provider of market data solutions for the manufactured/modular housing industry. Jacobsen Homes leads the Florida market with a 34 percent market share of manufactured and HUD homes market.

In the past 33 years, LeeCorp Homes has placed manufactured/modular homes in locations from the Florida Keys to Sarasota County, which includes more than 100 manufactured home and RV communities in Southwest Florida.

The LeeCorp Estero model center offers eight Jacobsen Homes models to tour, ranging from a 493-square-foot park model home to a two-bedroom, two-bath with study home offering 1,500 square feet. Each model showcases options available for customizing a home. In addition, floor plans can be custom designed in size, shape and room configuration.

"LeeCorp Homes has seen many challenges and changes in the manufactured housing industry," said Phil Lee, founder of LeeCorp Homes, "21st century manufactured homes are very well constructed to stand up to Florida's extreme weather conditions. Plus, we are able to offer many choice options that compare to site built housing."

"Each home is unique," explains son Chris Lee, president of LeeCorp Homes, "Our custom designing capabilities result in homes individualized to each customer's needs and wants. We do not build any two homes alike."

Another trend for LeeCorp Homes is placing factory-built manufactured and modular homes on concrete stilt structures on waterfront lots, making for sturdy, weather-resistant homes that also offer parking or storage underneath. LeeCorp has placed stilt homes on Pine Island, both in Bokeelia and St. James City, as well as the city of Venice, Bonita Springs and Naples.

LeeCorp Homes, along with affiliate company LCH Enterprises, can do a complete turnkey package, including a screen room, shed, carport or garage, full landscaping and even a motor port for recreational vehicles.

"Replacement homes are an important part of our business," explained Phil Lee. "Most of the manufactured home parks in Florida were developed in the 1970s and 1980s. Now many desirable manufactured homesites have older, out-of-code homes on them. We are replacing with safer homes that meet current Florida building codes, and offer many beautiful optional features."

LeeCorp Homes has a model center at 20251 U.S. 41 S. in Estero and a sales office in North Port. Online at www.LeeCorpInc.com.
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Real estate show

Jim York, a local Realtor, hosts a real estate update show each week on current issues or trends. Join York every Thursday afternoon from 1:30 to 3 p.m. through the end of the year. There will be a different guest who specializes in a currently relevant topic each week. Any questions about upcoming topics or to be an audience guest, contact U.S.A. Marketing LLC by email: usamrktggroup@cs.com. All shows can also been seen at NaplesYorkRealEstate.com or their Real Estate News Blog: YorkRealEstateGroupSWFL.com.

Fair Housing Summit scheduled

The Housing Authority of the City of Fort Myers, along with the Lee County Department of Human Services, the City of Fort Myers and the City of Cape Coral, will host the Southwest Florida Annual Fair Housing Summit on Wednesday, April 6 from 8 a.m. to noon at the Dr. Carrie Robinson Community Center, 2990 Edison Ave., Fort Myers. The summit will feature information on the Fair Housing Act, reasonable accommodations and modifications in rules and policies, emotional support and service animals, Section 504, special parking requests, Fair Housing Rights of persons with disabilities, a discussion of differences between laws and respective accessibility standards, and more. The event is free and open to the public. Space is limited. To reserve a seat, contact Sherri Campanale, director of Housing & Maintenance Operations at the HACFM, at sherri@hacfm.org or 239-344-3273.

Accreditation earned

Randy Thibaut, CEO, ALC; John Debitetto, ALC; Rob Mintz, MBA, ALC; Doug Meschko, MBA, ALC and Michael Price, ALC of Land Solutions Inc. in Fort Myers, were awarded the Accredited Land Consultant (ALC) designation of the Realtors Land Institute. As ALC's, the Land Solutions team joins the elite group of land specialists who have attained the highest level of knowledge and experience in their profession.

CoStar Power Broker Award winners named

The CoStar Power Broker award by CoStar Group Inc. is an annual industry award recognizing distinguished professionals in commercial real estate brokerage by highlighting the achievements of the firms and individual brokers who closed the highest transaction volumes in commercial property sales or leases in 2015 within their respective markets.

Woodyard & Associates LLC's Todd Holman was named a CoStar Power Broker. Holman qualified as one of the top commercial brokers in the industrial market based on the total leasing transactions he closed during the year. To be selected for this honor, Holman's overall transaction volumes were evaluated by CoStar against other commercial real estate brokers active in the region, and subsequently ranked among the top brokers in the market. Holman has received the CoStar Power Broker award every year since 2007.

CRE Consultants has earned CoStar Power Broker Awards as Top Sales Firm and Top Leasing Firm for 2015. The following CRE Consultants' top-performing agents also garnered Power Broker awards for their exceptional performance in 2015: Randal L. Mercer: Top Office Leasing Broker; Brandon Stoneburner: Top Office Leasing Broker; Enn Luthringer, CCIM: Top Office Leasing Broker; Dave Wallace, CCIM: Top Office Leasing Broker; David Wallace: Top Office Leasing Broker; and Stan Stouder, CCIM: Top Industrial Leasing Broker.

Transactions

Investment Properties Corp. (IPC) brokered these deals:

1031 Exchange Connection Inc. purchased 15,000 square feet known as Seabreeze Plaza, 3050 U.S. 41 N., Naples from Creech Road LLC for $2.825 million. David J. Stevens of IPC negotiated this transaction for the seller. Gary Hains of Gulf Breeze Real Estate negotiated this for the buyer.

Tamiami Ford Inc. purchased 44,947 square feet of industrial space from Debanie Inc. at 4227 Domestic Ave., Naples. The purchase price was $2.45 million. William V. Gonnering of IPC and George Anthony Vukobratovich of Welsh Companies Florida Inc. negotiated this transaction.

Dr. Anurag Kushawaha or MedRock, P.A. leased 1,050 square feet from Rani Investments LLC at 1171 Creekside Parkway, Suite 2, Naples. Tara Stokes of IPC and Jon Kepple of Diversified Real Estate Inc., negotiated this transaction.

Fischler Property Co. negotiated the sale of three commercial condominium units in the Earnhardt Building in downtown Fort Myers. The combined square footage of the three units is 5,340, and all are occupied. According to the firm's founder Phil Fischler, the $303-per-square-foot sales price is evidence of the market's strength and robust appetite for premier assets in downtown Fort Myers' urban core. Fischler Property Co. is a commercial real estate firm focused on investment, infill and redevelopment across Southwest Florida's urban centers.
SHARE Ben Gleib attends the premiere of "The Book of Life" at Regal Cinemas at LA Live on Sun, Oct 12, 2014, in Los Angeles. (Photo by Paul A. Hebert/Invision/AP)

By Dave Osborn of the Naples Daily News

TUESDAY

Learn to dance like the stars by taking Argentine Tango classes, beginners 7-8 p.m., intermediate-advanced 8-9 p.m. $15. Practice session only $5 if you don't take a class. 1673 Pine Ridge Road, Naples. 305-785-8899

THURSDAY

Enjoy Mel Brooks humor? See the monster of a play he created  "Young Frankenstein"  at 8 p.m. at The Naples Players at Sugden Community Theatre, 701 Fifth Ave. S., Naples. 239-263-7990. naplesplayers.org

FRIDAY

Comedian Ben Gleib, a roundtable regular on the show "Chelsea Lately," performs standup at 8 p.m. (and through the weekend) at Off The Hook Comedy Club, 2500 Vanderbilt Beach Road, Suite 1100, North Naples. $20 general admission, $30 VIP seating. 239-389-6901. offthehookcomedy.com

SATURDAY

Bard College professor Joseph Luzzi will discuss "A Grand Tour of Italy: Art, Film, Music, Literature, Wine ... and more!" during a One Day University program 10 a.m.-1 p.m. at Hodges University in North Naples. The program is presented in partnership with the Naples Daily News. onedayu.com/Events/detail/336
Jeffrey Binder, as Dr. Thomas Stockmann, from left; Christopher Kelly as Billing; John Corey as Captain Horster; and Timothy John Smith as Hovstad toast, but any celebration will be short-lived in "An Enemy of the People."

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By Harriet Howard Heithaus of the Naples Daily News

Henrik Ibsen's "An Enemy of the People," the production currently at Gulfshore Playhouse, has more barbs than a porcupine, and everyone takes a thorn squarely in the tush.

The protagonist, Thomas Stockmann, is no ordinary canary singing in a coal mine. He's the town doctor/spa medical director whose futile warnings about its water predated the laying of lines that carry polluted product; there's suspected payback lurking in his good motives.

The mayor, David Stockmann, is his brother, the more urbane of the two, worried equally about his patriarchal stature and his community's viability if its spa is closed, even temporarily.

Hovstad and Billings, the local newspaper editor and reporter, fancy themselves guardians of the public trust, yet tag after money like puppies.

Catherine, the doctor's wife, ends her support for her husband's principles where her ability to feed her family begins. And their oldest daughter, Petra, complains about  but acquiesces in  teaching what she calls "lies" in school.

We could go on about the about the mercenary cold-heartedness of Catherine's stepfather, tannery owner Morton Kill, and the raw Machiavellianism of the printer, Aslaksen.

Still, the biggest black hat goes to the townspeople who worry about the specter of taxes more than about sickening the people who come to their baths for health. Lemmings all, they vote ostracism  except Larry John Meyers, in his priceless portrayal of the town drunk. He is, of course, quickly judged a "foreigner" ineligible to vote. ("Birthers" apparently were in 1880s Norway, too.)

It has dark shades of Flint, Michigan. And, at times, a Donald Trump rally. There's also a dart of uncomfortable truth in David Stockmann's dual responsibilities as mayor and spa director: Differentiating between the government and the corporate money that controls it is naive.

A pervasive undercurrent of selfishness in "An Enemy of the People" cools its characters' best intentions. Director Kristen Coury mines the dramatic potential in those moments skillfully, particularly where they reveal two brothers doomed to an inability to communicate with each other. At the moment when Aslaksen points out to Dr. Stockmann that his study will ruin the community he wants to save, the doctor hesitates. David Stockmann tromps all over the opportunity, coldly demanding his hat and cane.

David Whalen (older brother David) and Jeffrey Binder (Dr. Thomas Stockmann) play off each other like a trump suit between bridge partners. One erudite and imperious, the other driven and impetuous, their relationship is a constant battlefield.

Whalen, helped by Laura Gaston's smart costuming, carries his mind in his top hat, making pronouncements and gesturing with the grace of a ringmaster.

Binder, on the other hand, is given to flighty motions, losing his glasses atop of his forehead and speaking in exclamation points. He's wonderfully animated as a man on a mission. Our only concern is his insistence on high-volume declarations; excitement can telegraph through a whisper as well as a shout.

Larry Paulsen steals the show as the oily Aslaksen, sycophant to whoever is on the biggest horse. He gets some of the best, most arch lines in Rebecca Lenkiewicz' adaptation of the play, and delivers them with a sharp hatpin. He's followed closely by the shifting loyalties of the media, created with admirable ooze by Timothy John Smith (Hovstad) and Christopher Kelly (Billing).

Jessica Wortham as Catherine Stockmann, vacillates believably between support for her husband and panic over the aftermath of his decision. (There's a grim subtext of issues about women's roles, including that of daughter Petra, solidly played as the budding revolutionary by Lindsey Kyler).

Scenic designer Charles Murdock Lucas's wood panel walls adapt well to a publishing house, a town hall and the Stockmann home. The sound design is bit overboard, however, with its downright loud entr'acte music.

And Lenkiewicz 's adaptation of "An Enemy of the People," while economizing it deftly, occasionally ramps up drama at, we feel, the expense of the playwright's intentions.

Altogether, however, the Gulfshore Playhouse production, onstage through April 17, is frightening, dismaying and even funny, sometimes simultaneously. Anyone leaving the Norris Community Center Saturday night was not going home without its issues bubbling up in conversation.

More than once, we'll bet.

if you go

'An Enemy of the People'

What: Gulfshore Playhouse production of Rebecca Lenkiewicz adaptation of Hendrik Ibsen work

Where: Norris Community Center, 755 Eighth Ave. S., Naples

When: 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, March 29 through April 16; 3 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays, April 2 to 17

Tickets: $39 to $54; $20 students

To buy: gulfshoreplayhouse.org or 866-811-4111

Something else: Actor-director talkback Thursday, March 31; four other types of discussions; see the website
Bacon and Balsamic Deviled Eggs. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)

SHARE Bagels and Lox Deviled Eggs. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS) Roasted Red Pepper-Thai Chili Deviled Eggs. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS) Shrimp Deviled Eggs. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS) 5Deviled Eggs with Parsley, Green Onion and Jalapeno. (Gretchen McKay/Pittsburgh Post-Gazette/TNS)

By Gretchen Mckay, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (TNS)

Holiday meals are an excuse to trot out all the familiar, incredible foods we grew up with and absolutely adore, perhaps even more than the family members who gather around the dinner table.

At Easter, that often means honey-glazed ham (with lamb a close second), creamy au gratin potatoes, ricotta pies and eggy sweet breads so rich in tradition. Also, there are the egg dishes, including hard-cooked ones, tinted with all the hues of the rainbow inside coffee cups filled with a stinky mix of water, vinegar and Paas Easter egg dye tablets.

An ancient symbol of new life, colored eggs have been the stuff of Easter baskets and mad-dash egg hunts since the early 19th century, thanks to the Pennsylvania Dutch, who brought their tradition of the Oschter Haws, or Easter Hare, with them when they settled in the commonwealth.

Along with the eggs every year, comes the question: What do you do with all the leftover eggs on Easter Monday? One can only eat so many egg salad sandwiches, after all.

For many, the answer is to slice the orbs in half, mash the yolk, mix it with mayonnaise and/or mustard, spoon the mixture back into the empty egg white shells and then dust the top with paprika for some deviled eggs.

Also sometimes called salad eggs or stuffed eggs, this cocktail party and picnic classic has a long and tasty history. While the first known reference to deviled eggs appeared in print in Great Britain in 1786  the word "deviled" refers to making a dish dark or richly spiced  culinary historians believe the dish's roots can be traced all the way back to Roman times. Then, eggs were boiled and seasoned with spicy sauces or vinegar.

Stuffed eggs similar to what we eat today appeared in Andalusia (now Spain) in the 13th century, and across Europe by the 15th century. Introduced in the U.S. in the 1800s, the finger food became a picnic, party and Easter dinner staple sometime after World War II.

Made with just three or four ingredients, classic deviled eggs might be one of the easiest recipes. But you can be so much more adventurous with the fillings, if you care to step out of the box.

The unusual twists will make that surplus of hard-cooked eggs seem downright egg-cellant.



DEVILED EGGS WITH PARSLEY, GREEN ONIONS AND JALAPENO

PG tested

12 hard-cooked eggs

3/4 cup mayonnaise

2 teaspoons stone-ground or Dijon mustard

2 tablespoons minced fresh parsley, plus extra sprigs for garnish

2 tablespoons minced green onions

1 small jalapeno, minced

1 teaspoon chopped fresh cilantro

Pinch cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon salt

Pepper to taste

1/2 to 1 teaspoon paprika, or to taste

Slice each egg in half lengthwise. Scrape out yolks and place in bowl. Add mayonnaise, mustard and blend together with a fork. Add the rest of the ingredients, except the paprika, and use fork to blend until the mixture gets creamy. Spoon mixture into each egg half. Sprinkle with paprika and garnish with a sprig of parsley.

Makes 24.

 "The Ultimate Paleo Cookbook" by Arsy Vartanian (Page Street Publishing)

BACON AND BALSAMIC DEVILED EGGS

PG tested

12 hard-cooked eggs

5 bacon slices, cooked and crumbled

1/3 cup mayonnaise

2 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped onion

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Cut eggs in half lengthwise and scoop out all the yolks. Put yolks in separate bowl and mash. Add bacon, mayonnaise, onion, mustard, balsamic vinegar, and salt and pepper. Stir until well combined. Spoon the mixture in the egg halves evenly.

Makes 24.

 "The Ultimate Paleo Cookbook" by Arsy Vartanian (Page Street Publishing)

BAGELS AND LOX DEVILED EGGS

PG tested

12 hard-cooked eggs, peeled and halved

1/2 cup cream cheese

1/4 cup mayonnaise

1 teaspoon Dijon mustard

2 sliced scallions

3 ounces smoked salmon, chopped, plus more for garnish

Salt and pepper, to taste

Handful bagel chips, broken into small pieces

Mix together cream cheese, mayonnaise, mustard and scallions. Stir in salmon. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon into the egg whites; top with broken bagel chips and more smoked salmon.

Serves 12.

 Food Network

SHRIMP DEVILED EGGS

PG tested

6 hard-cooked eggs

1 tablespoon mayonnaise

1 tablespoon basil pesto

1 shallots, diced finely

6 green olives, chopped into small pieces

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

2 tablespoons capers

1 cup small cooked shrimp, chopped

Sea salt and black pepper

12 small cooked shrimp, for garnish

Extra-virgin olive oil, for garnish

Good quality paprika, for garnish

Peel and cut eggs in half lengthwise. Remove yolks and place in a medium bowl. Add mayonnaise and pesto to the yolks and mash with a potato masher. Add shallots, olives, parsley, capers and chopped shrimp. Stir to combine. Season with sea salt and black pepper.

Drop teaspoonfuls of the egg yolk mixture into the egg halves, then top with small shrimp. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and sprinkle with paprika. Refrigerate until it's time to serve.

Makes 12.

 Miasdomain.com

ROASTED PEPPER-THAI CHILI DEVILED EGGS

PG tested

8 large hard-cooked eggs

1/3 cup mayonnaise

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1 teaspoon white-wine vinegar

1/4 cup diced roasted peppers

1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon minced red Thai chili

Coarse salt, to taste

Thinly sliced chilies, for garnish

Peel and halve eggs lengthwise; remove yolks and transfer to a bowl. Mash with a fork; mix in mayonnaise, mustard and vinegar. Press through a sieve to make smooth. Pulse yolk mixture with roasted peppers, Thai chili and salt in a food processor.

Using a pastry bag fitted with desired tip (I used a plastic baggie), pipe yolk mixture into whites. Garnish with thinly sliced chilies. Serve immediately, or chill up to 2 hours.

Serves 16.

 Marthastewart.com
Curtis Wayne Wright Jr., Jimmy Rodgers and Mark Sievers

By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News

Turns out, Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. has a thing for Atomic Fireballs, chili corn chips and Jolly Ranchers.

Since his October arrest, the Missouri native has spent more than $850 at the Lee County Jail commissary on everything from candy and junk food to stamps and XXXL boxers.

He's also purchased the necessities: a wash cloth, crew socks, a thermal top, finger toothbrushes and dandruff shampoo.

He's purchased a few packs of playing cards and a word search, plus pens paper and stamps.

But mostly, it's been banana moon pies, jumbo honey buns and root beer barrels.

Wright accepted a plea agreement earlier this year for his role in the killing of Bonita Springs doctor Teresa Sievers. He pleaded guilty for a 25-year prison sentence in exchange for providing substantial information to prosecutors.

Since his arrest, Wright has had three video calls with his sister Windy Wright and her young daughter. His mother Elizabeth Wright made one video call in December.

The logs requested do not include phone calls made to inmates.

Also arrested on suspicion of the crime was Mark Sievers, Teresa Siever's husband, who investigators say orchestrated his wife's killing.

Sievers entered a not guilty plea this week on second-degree murder charges. He will appear in a Lee County Court Monday for his arraignment.

In the meantime, he has spent just over $200 at the jail's commissary.

He's bought toiletries including triple antibiotic cream and deodorant, Colgate toothpaste and cocoa butter lotion.

He's purchased two pairs of boxers  size large  and a couple of tops and pants.

He has bought playing cards, writing pads, pens and stamped envelopes.

He too has purchased some junk food, including chocolate chip cookies, fudge brownies and strawberry Pop-Tarts.

Since his Feb. 26 arrest, Sievers has had four video calls with his mother Bonnie Sievers and four video calls with his mother's partner Melanie DePorter.

Both of his daughters, ages 11 and 9, are listed as eligible visitors, but they have not made video calls or in-person visits. Phone records were not included in the records request made to the Lee County Sherriffs Office. The girls have been in the care of their maternal grandmother Mary Ann Groves since early March.

From the Collier County Jail, Jimmy Rodgers has spent just $39.50 in comparison. He's purchased Now and Later candy, a bag of peppermints, butterscotch candy, three Honey Buns and 39 stamped envelopes with blue pens and paper.

No one has visited Rodgers in the Collier County Jail, according to its records. Records were not available through the Lee County Sheriff's Office for the brief time Rodgers was in custody at the Lee County Jail, a spokesman said.

Rodgers is also scheduled for his arraignment in a Lee County Court Monday.

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RELATED STORIES:
By Kristine Gill of the Naples Daily News

Mark Sievers and Jimmy Ray Rodgers are scheduled to appear before a Lee County judge Monday to be arraigned on second-degree murder charges.

Sievers is accused of orchestrating the killing of his wife Teresa Sievers at their Bonita Springs home in June.

Detectives say he enlisted the help of a childhood friend from Missouri to pull off the crime. Curtis Wayne Wright Jr. traveled to Florida with Rodgers, a man he met in a Missouri jail in 2010, to kill Teresa Sievers, according to investigators.

Wright pleaded guilty to second-degree murder charges and accepted a plea agreement in the case. He will serve a 25-year prison sentence in exchange for providing substantial information to prosecutors.

Both Sievers and Rodgers have entered not guilty pleas.

Sievers will be represented by regional counsel. Rodgers has a public defender.

The men must be represented by attorneys from different state offices to avoid a conflict of interest.

Since his Feb. 26 arrest, the custody of Sievers' two daughters has been in limbo. The Florida Department of Children and families placed the girls, ages 11 and 9, in the care of a Naples family temporarily.

Since March 10, they have been with their maternal grandmother, Mary Ann Groves, at an Estero residence.

Groves has filed for temporary custody of the girls at least through Sievers' incarceration. Sievers is being held at the Lee County Jail on a $4.43 million bond.

Since his arrest, he has had four video visitation sessions with his mother Bonnie Sievers, and four sessions with Melanie DePorter, his mother's partner.

Rodgers has not received any visitors since he was transferred to the Collier County Jail in February.
The crowd was estimated at nearly 10,000. A large throng came to the beach on Marco Island for Easter Sunrise Service early on Sunday morning. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News

SHARE Rev. Dr. Steve Schoof of Marco Presbyterian Church delivers the sermon. Thousands came to the beach on Marco Island for Easter Sunrise Service early on Sunday morning. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News Jarrod Gatlin with daughters Alli and Evann. Thousands came to the beach on Marco Island for Easter Sunrise Service early on Sunday morning. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News Alan Sandlin welcomes the congregation. Thousands came to the beach on Marco Island for Easter Sunrise Service early on Sunday morning. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News Worshippers arrive in the predawn darkness. Thousands came to the beach on Marco Island for Easter Sunrise Service early on Sunday morning. Lance Shearer/Special to the Daily News

By Lance Shearer, Daily News Correspondent

Easter came early this year. It has not fallen as early as March 27 since 2008, and will not come this early again until 2035.

On Marco Island, Easter came extra early, as thousands of people got themselves down to the beach for Easter Sunrise Service in the pre-dawn darkness. Carrying blankets, lawn chairs, and small children, they streamed across Collier Boulevard as the Marco Island Police Department managed the inevitable traffic jam and blocked off two lanes of the four-lane road to allow on-street parking.

This was the 28th year for what is reputed to be among the largest, if not the largest, Easter dawn service in Florida and possibly the country, and longtime organizer Alan Sandlin said there was no doubt this was the biggest crowd yet. "I can't tell you it's the biggest in Florida, but it's the biggest I've found," said Sandlin.

He welcomed the crowd and introduced pastors from four different Protestant churches on Marco Island who joined in the service, helped lead the singing, and functioned as masters of ceremonies. Sitting on the raised platform facing the Gulf of Mexico, as he has for many years, Sandlin had the opportunity to "guesstimate" the attendance, and get a hard count of the number of vessels  52  anchored off the beach in the spectator fleet.

"I am confident we had very close to 10,000," he said.

The sky was just beginning to lighten when the service began at 7 a.m., after a musical prelude. Each word spoken reverberated off the beachside condominiums, and the twin towers of the Marriott Hotel to the south, providing an echo  something like the "call and response" some of the pastors used during their sermons.

Attendees heard an opening prayer from Rev. Kevin Koenig of Marco Lutheran Church, who used his surroundings to tell the congregation: "We build sand castles, but they don't last very long. We must build our castles on the rock of the Lord Jesus Christ."

An additional message came from Rev. Kirk Dreiser of Wesley United Methodist Church. Dreiser is the new kid on the block, as he and his church joined in the multi-faith beach service for the first time. After their respective parts of the program, Koenig and Dreiser left to prepare for Easter services at their own churches.

"We're all telling the same message," said Sandlin.

In the gathering light the thousands on the beach and the hundreds off shore heard Dawn Birch sing "Because He Lives," and joined in singing "How Great Thou Art."

The primary Easter message came from Rev. Dr. Steve Schoof of Marco Presbyterian Church.

"One thing we can all agree on is that our world needs to be made new. Everywhere we look we see the world falling apart," said Schoof.

After more singing, with the sun peeking through the tops of the palm trees, Rev. Thomas McCulley of New Life Community Church challenged attendees to do something with the message they had just heard, and spread their Christian beliefs.

As visitors packed up their chairs and streamed off the beach, Sandlin thanked the hundreds of volunteers who help put on the service, the Marriott Marco Island Hotel and the neighboring condominiums.

In addition to the warm, balmy morning, with a misty sun shining through a veil of clouds, Sandlin speculated that the record attendance was because of the early arrival of Easter, with many visitors who would typically have been back in their northern homes still in town. This was borne out by a number of families, couples and individuals, who made the same point, saying they had heard of the Easter morning celebration on Marco Island but had never before been able to attend.
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Mike Barnes, Naples

Thanks, John Sorey

I'm sure I speak for many in writing to thank Mayor John Sorey for his years of dedicated service to the city of Naples.

Having watched him in action I can attest that no one cared more or worked harder than he did to advance our interests and protect what makes this place so special.

There were many reasons that the Naples Daily News editors chose to endorse Mayor Sorey over his two fine competitors. I won't repeat them here. I'll simply say that his effective leadership and "can do" approach will be missed as we go forward.

His imprint on the beaches, the pier, Freedom Park, Baker Park, EMS, and perhaps especially the crucial issue of water management, have made this community safer, more beautiful, and more livable for us and future generations.

Thank you, Mayor Sorey. You have earned the appreciation of your neighbors. We wish you and your family good health and happiness.
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NATO Deputy Secretary General Ambassador Alexander Vershbow and the 28 ambassadors of the North Atlantic Council arrived in Vilnius on Wednesday (23 March 2016) to discuss the Alliances adaptation, modern defence, and new security challenges. During their two-day visit, they will hold meetings with President Dalia Grybauskaite, Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius and Defence Minister Juozas Olekas.

The North Atlantic Council will visit the Rukla military training area on Thursday (24 March 2016), where Lithuanian and American troops train side-by-side. They will also meet the Commander of the Lithuanian Land Force, Major General Almantas Leika, and the Commander of the U.S. Army Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, to discuss the future of NATOs enhanced forward presence in the eastern part of the Alliance.

The visit of the North Atlantic Council takes place on the eve of the 12th anniversary of Lithuanias accession to NATO. Since then, Lithuania has made important contributions to the Alliances shared security, including through participation in NATO missions in Afghanistan and Kosovo and by hosting a NATO Force Integration Unit as well as NATOs Energy Security Centre of Excellence.

During the visit the Deputy Secretary General and NATO ambassadors will also watch a military demonstration. They will also visit to the Pazaislis monastery.
The official story

Will Fukushima destroy the West Coast fishing industry?

(NaturalNews) In November of last year, California state officials placed an indefinite hold on the commercial crab season, in order to protect public health. The reason given by the state was dangerously high levels of algal toxins in the bodies of the crabs.But according to New York radio station 95.1 FM (), insiders from the California Fish and Game Commission have revealed that the real reason for the ban was dangerously high levels of radioactivity resulting from the 2011 Fukushima nuclear disaster.Radioactive crab are so dangerous to eat that state officials felt the need to protect the public, Superstation 95 reports. But officials were unwilling to publicly admit the true reason for the ban, which contradicts official claims that the Fukushima disaster poses no threat to the U.S. West coast.Officially, California's crab season was closed due to a record bloom of an algae called Pseudo-Nitzchia, also known as red tide. The record red tide began in April, stretched as far north as Washington, and dissipated around October. Some patches were as much as 40 miles wide.Red tide is dangerous because it produces a neurotoxin called domoic acid, which can cause tremors, memory loss and even death. Even though the tide dissipated in October, California officials claimed that domoic acid from the tide had accumulated at dangerous levels in seafood, particularly crabs.In late December, the state partially lifted the crab ban, allowing some fishing off the coasts of Santa Barbara and San Luis Obispo counties. But consumers are still advised to rinse these crabs before cooking them, and to avoid eating their internal organs.But according to, this story is only a ruse to conceal the fact that California crab contains dangerous levels of radioactivity from the Fukushima disaster.In March 2011, a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered multiple meltdowns at Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant. Enormous amounts of radioactive material were ejected into the atmosphere, most of which later settled into the ocean. Since then, more radioactivity has continued to pour into the ocean from the coastal plant. Prevailing ocean currents have been sweeping that radioactivity eastward ever since, and radioactive isotopes from the disaster are now being detected off North America's west coast.says it was contacted by workers from the California Fish and Game Commission, who chose to remain anonymous in order to avoid retribution. The station reports that these workers said that crab, especially Rock crab, contained levels of radiation so high that state officials were concerned they could cause immediate sickness in anyone who ate them."If people started connecting the dots proving radiation in seafood was making them sick, it would utterly destroy California's seafood industry in days,"quotes the sources as saying.Although shutting down the crab-season dealt a major short-term blow to the state's seafood industry, high-ranking officials were more concerned with the industry's long-term health, the station reports. Therefore they instructed the Fish and Wildlife Commission to come up with "some other reason for cancelling the crab season, so as not to panic the public or wreck our industry."The crab are not the first West Coast seafood to be reported radioactive. A recent study found that 100 percent of Pacific bluefin tuna tested off the coast of California contained radioactive materials from the Fukushima disaster.Among the radioactive isotopes already detected off the U.S. west coast is strontium-90, which mimics calcium in the human body and therefore accumulates in the bones. There it can cause cancers of the bone and blood.
The United States has the safest, most effective vaccine supply in history. In the majority of cases, vaccines cause no side effects, however they can occur, as with any medicationbut most are mild. Very rarely, people experience more serious side effects, like allergic reactions.



In those instances, the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (VICP) allows individuals to file a petition for compensation.



Vaccine makers off the hook financially and otherwise

In 1986 the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program was established by Congress because the drug manufacturers threatened to stop manufacturing vaccines if they were not granted legal immunity from damages due to vaccines. It was no longer profitable for them to continue manufacturing vaccines in a free market, because of the large amount of lawsuits for injuries and deaths due to vaccines. So instead of requiring the drug companies to produce safer vaccines, Congress granted them total immunity from civil litigation due to injuries or deaths resulting from vaccines.



'Modern scientific delusion'

(NaturalNews) Americans are routinely told by traditional medical doctors, healthcare providers, government agencies and elected officials that "vaccines are safe," and yet that doesn't explain why billions of taxpayer dollars have been spent to compensate families whose little loved ones have been severely affected or killed by vaccines.In all, according to official federal government figures, taxpayers are on the hook for more than $3.3 billion in compensation costs as noted by the Health Resources and Services Administration, which tracks payouts made via the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program."Being awarded compensation for a petition does not necessarily mean that the vaccine caused the alleged injury. In fact: Over 80 percent of all compensation awarded by the VICP comes as result of a negotiated settlement between the parties in which HHS has not concluded, based upon review of the evidence, that the alleged vaccine(s) caused the alleged injury," the HRSA noted in a recent report.But then when has money ever been a consideration for the federal government? And in order to bolster the government's own claims that "vaccines are safe," whyUncle Sam litigate  if he'sThe fact is, even the government admits that vaccines are not 100 percent safe , even while attempting to downplay the dangers:The compensation fund was begun in 1986 for the very reasons vaccine choice advocates routinely attempt to point out  because ofAs reported byWhat's more, as mentioned, taxpayers are on the hook for financing the compensation fund  not the vaccine makers.reported further that, as of mid-March, the compensation program held more than $3.5 billion, a fund that is fed by a 75-cent tax on all vaccines administered.And speaking of litigation, it turns out that the government isn't nearly so charitable either.further notes that the government does indeed spend millions to fight some claims, postponing inevitable settlements as long as a decade and causing further (undue) pain to grieving families.According to HRSA report:-- Total number of vaccines distributed, 1/1/2006  12/31/2014 = 2,532,428,541-- Total number of vaccine injury awards, FY 2006  FY 2014 = 2,146-- Total amount of vaccine injury awards, FY 2006  FY 2014 = $1,306,003,930.68And there is the autismvaccine link , as Natural News editor Mike Adams, the Health Ranger , has often referenced."[T]he modern scientific delusion about vaccines has been predicated on the belief that vaccines only offer benefits while imposing zero risks. This is the anti-science quackery which is brazenly repeated by the CDC, vaccine manufacturers, doctors and health organizations," Adams, director of the Consumer Wellness Center and author of the upcoming book Forensic Foods wrote in August 2014 , after a leading scientist revealed scientific fraud at the CDC "A more honest analysis of vaccines would have to conclude that vaccines come with some level of inherent risk of harm and death. Scientists can argue all day about the size of such risks, but no rational person can ever honestly say such risks are zero."
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VAXXED film pulled from Robert De Niro's Tribeca Film Festival following totalitarian censorship demands from pharma-linked vaccine pushers and media science trolls

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Robert De Niro was on a phone call before all this happened

Total secrecy: Who got to De Niro, and what threats were made against him?

The mainstream media just committed credibility suicide... everybody knows they're covering up the truth about vaccines

What's so dangerous in this film that no citizen shall be allowed to view it?

We are now living in a scientific dictatorship run by the very same corporations that are systematically poisoning our children

(NaturalNews) There has never been an assault against a documentary film in the history of America like the one we've just witnessed over the last 48 hours. The entire mainstream media waged aThat film, of course, is called VAXXED: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe , and it documents the admission of the CDC's Dr. William Thompson, who admitted taking part in a massive scientific fraud to conceal the truth about vaccines causing autism.This is the first time in the history of film and media that the totality of the media establishment has condemned a film that none of them have ever viewed, desperately trying to make sure no American ever witnesses the hour and a half of film footage that is now "forbidden" to be viewed in a nation founded on free speech.A statement has been posted on the VAXXED documentary website:Natural News can now report that Robert De Niro and his wife spoke directly with U.S. Congressman Bill Posey for approximately one hour on Friday, during which De Niro was given numerous assurances by Congressman Posey that the CDC whistleblower, Dr. William Thompson, really did confess to taking part into conceal the links between vaccines and autism. It was based in part on this assurance that De Niro originally backed the film's screening at Tribeca.But hours later,. Somebody powerful and connected whom we believe. This mysterious conversation has not been revealed. De Niro has not released the names of those from the "scientific community" who threatened him, nor have the VAXXED filmmakers been offered any ability to respond to whatever accusations may have been falsely leveled against the film.The silencing of VAXXED, in other words, was. There is zero transparency, no due process, no discussion and no debate. Robert De Niro may have even been-- an industry already steeped in the maiming and murdering of children worldwide. To silence this powerful film , they would stop at nothing... not even threatening Robert De Niro with destroying his professional career or possibly his life or family.This is the vaccine mafia at work: Threatening people into silence, censoring a powerful documentary, leveling secret accusations in secret meetings, all while ridiculously claiming they alone have a monopoly on scientific truth which can never be challenged, debated or even questioned by anyone.In the coverage of all this,. The entire media just followed in the footsteps of North Korea or Communist China, ordering a film festival to censor a documentary that's so powerful, it threatens the cascade of lies propping up the fraudulent vaccine industry and all its hidden truths (that are about to be exposed).The same Tribeca Film Festival that happily previewed films like "37 USES FOR A DEAD SHEEP" and "TICKED-OFF TRANNIES WITH KNIVES" has decided that the VAXXED documentary is too dangerous for the public to be allowed to view. But this was not a decision reached with rationality and truth: It was arrived at via the process of-- intimidation and threats aimed at Robert De Niro to force him to silence this film and withdraw it from the festival.And so for daring to support freedom of expression on this monumental issue the vaccine-pimping media has desperately tried to conceal, De Niro finds himself in a firestorm of accusations and condemnation by the very same media that also blackballed every single story about CDC whistleblower Dr. William Thompson Meanwhile, every thinking American has now come to the realization thatand is wholly incapable of withstanding even a single low-budget documentary that, frankly, few people would have ever heard about if not for this outrageous censorship effort. Now, the American people are asking the commonsense question: "What's so dangerous in this VAXXED film that we aren't allowed to see it?"Does the film show people being beheaded by terrorists in bloody machete scenes? Nope, for that you have to watch CNN and other mainstream media outlets.Does the film feature lunatic quacks spouting total nonsense and gobbledygook? Nope, because if it did, the vaccine industry would want EVERYONE to watch it!Does the film fabricate total lies and present them as truth? Nope, to see that, you have to watch all the leftist Hollywood revisionist history films like "TRUTH" (which is full of lies, paradoxically).VAXXED, it turns out, is. It is being attacked and censored precisely because it threatens to crumble the great scientific Berlin Wall of the vaccine industry... an industry built almost entirely on lies, cover-ups, censorship and systematic intimidation.In fact,as you watch this story unfold. The media obediently attacks De Niro while vaccine totalitarians demand absolute censorship of a film they've never even seen. They can't name in particular statement in the film that's dangerous or false; they are attacking the entire film by essentially demanding that. Just the mere existence of the film is, all by itself, a serious threat to the entire vaccine industry.All this, of course, is nothing short of "scientific intolerance" and cognitive bigotry on parade. For the vaccine industry to even claim that its products are backed by "science" is wholly laughable. Real science, as everyone knows, is unafraid of scrutiny and debate.. Any industry claiming to have "science" on its side which is simultaneously terrified of a scientific discussion isn't based on science at all.If you ever needed a reason to see the VAXXED documentary, you now have the best reason of all: This is the film thatIn a film industry filled with wanton violence, on-screen rapings, beheadings, bloody war scenes and scenes of torture, the single most dangerous film you're not allowed to see is one that presents an idea.That idea is based on a simple scientific truth about vaccine dangers, and it's considered so dangerous to the vaccine establishment that it must be banned at all costs, even if it means threatening Robert De Niro with being destroyed or perhaps even physically harmed.When the vaccine industry resorts to outright censorship and intimidation tactics against film organizers, you know. It's so damning that the mere utterance of a few words in the film apparently threatens to destroy the entire cesspool of lies upon which the vaccine industry was built., lest people wake up to the reality that their own children are being systematically poisoned, maimed and killed -- knowingly! -- by the vaccine industry and its toxic interventions.Remember: If they can get to Robert De Niro, formerly a champion of free speech and freedom of expression, they will go after anyone and attempt anything that it takes. If they have toagainst theaters to have them evacuated, that's exactly what the vaccine industry will do. If they have to threaten film festival producers with murder -- or threaten their families with bodily harm -- they'll do that, too. There is no tactic outside the bounds of an industry that already engages in the widespread maiming and murder of children. If they will kill your child with their vaccines, in other words, they'll think nothing of threatening a guy like Robert De Niro to get him to participate in their cover-up.. I am in direct touch with the film producers, and I am being kept informed of next steps in this epic battle for free speech and scientific truth.Learn more about VAXXED and vaccines at the following links:The official VAXXED documentary website (and trailer)The official VAXXED documentary Facebook page:https:// www.facebook.com/vaxxedthemovie/
At least 72 people were killed and more than 320 others injured when a suicide bomber targeting Christians blew himself up at a busy park in Lahore on Sunday, NBC News reported.

"Mostly women and children are killed and injured in the blast," Lahore Police Chief Haider Ashraf said, adding that the park was busier than usual as Easter Sunday was being celebrated. "He chose a soft target and that's why he went towards women and children in the park."

Many of the victims had lined up to buy tickets for a train ride when the blast occurred. The dead included 36 kids. The Associated Press reported that 10 members of one family were killed, all Muslims.

A splinter group of the Pakistani Taliban  Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan Jamaatul Ahrar (TTP-JA)  claimed responsibility for the attack.


Dr. Cedric Alexander told NBC 5 in an exclusive interview that Mayor Rahm Emanuel initially offered him the role of police superintendent before reversing course and choosing the Chicago Police Department's Chief of Patrol Eddie Johnson for the job.

Alexander  the current public safety director of DeKalb County, Georgia, and a clinical psychologist with more than 35 years of policing experience  had been labeled the front-runner for weeks.

He told NBC 5 that Emanuel offered him the job when the two met on Thursday in Washington, D.C., his third meeting with the mayor in six days. Alexander also flew to Chicago last weekend and met with Emanuel both Saturday and Sunday.

Alexander said their second one-on-one meeting Sunday went so poorly he left the interview and notified Lori Lightfoot at the Chicago Police Board to withdraw his name from consideration.

"It was his overall tone and demeanor," Alexander told NBC 5, saying that Emanuel questioned his credentials. However, after Alexander's call to Lightfoot, Emanuel reached out in what Alexander described as a "sheepish and nervous" way.

"You were very disrespectful," Alexander said he told the mayor, to which Emanuel responded by asking, "Can we hit the reset button?"

When Alexander told him he was going to be in Washington, D.C., on Thursday, the mayor said he would meet him there. That Thursday meeting was when he suggested Alexander be the next superintendent.

Alexander told NBC 5 that Emanuel said he would make Johnson the first deputy and move Interim Police Superintendent John Escalante to OEMC. Alexander was initially told to fly to Chicago for a meeting with Johnson on Monday and the formal announcement would be made Wednesday.

But on Friday, Alexander was then told to wait for further direction. By Saturday night, Emanuel had reversed course and called Alexander, saying he was "going in a new direction."

"I would like to thank Lori Lightfoot and the great work that she and the police board did to identify three outstanding finalists for this position," Alexander said.

Alexander is often called on by the Justice Department to work with police departments across the country. Alexander had the backing of former Chicago Police Superintendent Terry Hillard and Philadelphia Police Chief Charles Ramsey, who is now an adviser to the Chicago Police Department.

The Chicago City Council Black Caucus demanded a hearing with the three finalists on Thursday. By the following day, the city council scheduled a hearing for this coming Thursday, expressing concern about choosing a candidate from outside Chicago.

While the mayor initially asked the police board to conduct a nationwide search, his staff notified Chicago aldermen late Saturday night he planned to choose Johnson  who was not a finalist, nor did he apply for the job  as the interim superintendent.
Dutch police arrested a 32-year-old Frenchman in the port city of Rotterdam on Sunday at the request of French authorities who suspect him of "involvement in planning a terror attack," prosecutors said.

Residents were evacuated from homes near addresses on two streets that were raided Sunday by anti-terror police, who also took three other men into custody.

French officials requested the arrest Friday after the suspect emerged during an investigation, according to a statement from the Dutch national prosecutor's office.

The suspect was allegedly involved in a plot disrupted by police in the Paris region last week, the Paris prosecutor's office said. Another Frenchman, Reda Kriket, was detained Thursday in that plot and remains in custody.

An official with the Paris prosecutor's office said there is no sign of a link at this stage between Kriket's purported plot and a network behind attacks in Brussels and Paris in recent months.

The Paris official and Dutch prosecutors' Spokesman Wim de Bruin declined to give more details about the alleged plot.

The suspect, whose identity was not released, is expected to be extradited to France soon.

Three other men were detained in Sunday's raids; two with Algerian backgrounds and a third man whose identity could not immediately be established.

De Bruin said the three were held in relation to a Dutch investigation, but he gave no further details.

The raids came with Europe on high alert following last week's deadly suicide bombings in Brussels.
Chaos erupted when parents rushed the fields at an annual PEZ Easter egg hunt in Orange, Connecticut, causing the event to end early, the visitor center's general manager told NBC Connecticut.

Staff had laid out nearly 10,000 eggs over three fields at the PEZ visitor center and planned three start times for different age groups, but some parents ignored that plan, rushing the fields early, trampling signs and shoving other participants. One woman said an adult injured her grandchild's nose.

"My grandson ended up with a bloody [nose] from an ADULT in the 9-12 year old section knocking into him!!!! Where was PEZ personnel?? Where was the safety of our children in your thought process??" Jennifer Barden-Moore wrote on Facebook.

A woman from West Haven said she was separated from her son and later found him in tears.

"It was ridiculous. The parents were literally a poster for everything not to do," said West Haven mom Nicole Welch.

"By the time I found my 4-year-old, he was hysterically crying," she added.

Her son, Vincent, described the scene in his own words.

"Somebody pushed me over and take my eggs and it's very rude of them and they broke my bucket," Vincent recalled.

The event  the third annual  drew more participants this year than the candy maker had expected. More than 1,000 people attended, according to Shawn Peterson, the general manager of the PEZ visitor center.

Peterson said this year, the parents "took over," flooding the "kids only" fields and going on to the next hunt well before the designated start times. The signs on each field were taken or trampled on, Peterson said.

"I take this personally. I dont want this to be a reflection of the brand," said Peterson. "It was a fun thing up until this point."

PEZ said its staff pleaded with parents to follow the rules, but the staff was overwhelmed. He said staffing was the same as in previous years, with one employee at each hunt field, and this weekend's incident was the first.

The company released an updated statement Monday.

"People chose to ignore staff direction and entered the fields before the posted starting times, removing everything well before the activity was to begin. Due to the actions of a few, the good intent quickly turned into a disappointment," the statement read.

Parents stormed the company's Facebook page with concerns and frustrations about the lack of order.

One father who commented on Facebook said his 5-year-old was nearly trampled by other adults despite the presence of no adult signs.

Peterson said the company deliberately refrained from advertising the event widely in an effort to keep the number of attendants low. No one should have left empty handed, the company said. When PEZ noticed the number of people, staff offered parents free coupons and candy inside the venue.

"We sincerely tried our best to create a fun, free activity for everyone to enjoy and greatly appreciate the overwhelming support we have received not only locally, but nationally and internationally as well," the PEZ statement concluded.
The town of Deep River is mourning the loss of longtime First Selectman Dick Smith after he died unexpectedly Friday.

Richard "Smitty" Smith, 65, held the position of First Selectman in the town for the past 26 years. He took the position after graduating from the Municipal Police Training Academy in 1973 and serving as a member of the town Democratic Committee, according to his obituary.

In a statement issued by the Town Hall, " the Town of Deep River has suffered a terrible loss in the passing of First Selectman Dick Smith. The town has lost a leader of over 26 years, the community has lost a friend and we are saddened beyond words..."

Fellow Selectman Angus McDonald tells NBC Connecticut that Smith left a special mark on the town.

No one will fill those shoes. Those shoes will remain empty. We certainly need to move on but no one should try to fill those shoes. No one will.

Residents say Smith was a smart, generous, caring man who went above and beyond for his town.

He was everywhere, everywhere, said Deep River resident Lori Hebert. He did the street sweeping, he did the plowing, he did anything, anything anybody needed. He was part of the town.

The city will hold a candlelight vigil in Smith's memory on Monday, March 28 at 7:30 p.m. at Town Hall.

Calling house will be held at the Town Hall on Tuesday, March 29 from 5-8 p.m. The funeral will be held on Wednesday at St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Chester at 11 a.m.

The Deep River Town Hall will be closed from noon on Tuesday until 8 a.m. Thursday.

Smith is survived by his daughter and son and was predeceased by his wife Carol Smith.


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. Among the confirmed dead:

BART MIGOM, 21

Belgian student Bart Migom was traveling from Brussels to Atlanta to visit his girlfriend when he was killed in the attack on Brussels Airport.

Staff and students at the Howest college in Bruges held a service for him over Easter weekend after his death was confirmed. [[373669131, C]]

Migom, 21, had called his girlfriend Emily Eisenman in Georgia when he was on his way to the airport and had planned to send a follow-up message when he was about to board the plane, Eisenman told NBC's Atlanta affiliate WXIA. She said he had promised to keep in touch every step of the way on his journey to Atlanta. Migom's last words to her were "I love you."

She described being awakened in the middle of the night by a call from Migom's family telling her about the extremist bombings.

A Facebook post by Lode De Geyter, the managing director at Howest, said Migom was a second-year marketing student.

ANDRE ADAM, 79

Gigi Adam said her 79-year-old father Andre Adam died trying to protect his wife during the attack on Brussels Airport.

Adam was a retired Belgian diplomat who had served as his country's ambassador to Cuba, the United States, the United Nations and other countries, Belgium's foreign office spokesman confirmed to NBC News.

"His death has wounded us all forever," Gigi Adam wrote on Facebook. "All his life he had worked towards the peaceful resolution of conflict in the world."

She described her late father as "a cultured and cheerful man" who had met his future wife  "the love of his life"  on his posting to Cuba in the early 1960s. She said on Facebook that her mother had been hospitalized after the attack.

Gigi Adam said her parents had retired to southwest France in recent years.

JUSTIN SHULTS, 30; STEPHANIE SHULTS, 29

A missing American couple have been identified as victims of the attack at the Brussels airport, according to their employers.

Justin Shults, 30, and his wife Stephanie Shults, 29, had not been seen since Tuesday. [[373669261, C]]

Her employer, Mars, Inc., said in a Facebook post Saturday evening that her family had confirmed that she and her husband died in the bombings at the Brussels airport. Justin Shults' employer, Clarcor, had confirmed earlier Saturday that he died in the attack.

Justin Shults, originally from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, and his wife, a Lexington, Kentucky, native, graduated together from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management. They were dropping Stephanie's mother off at the airport and were watching her walk through security when the bombs went off, a family member said.

Justin Shults' brother, Levi Sutton, wrote on social media Saturday that his brother "traveled the world, leaving each destination better than when he arrived."

PATRICIA RIZZO, 48

Patricia Rizzo's family hails from a tiny town in Sicily, but she was as broadly European as they come.

Born in Belgium to a family originally from Calascibetta, near Enna, Sicily, Rizzo graduated from a Belgian university and worked for several Belgian companies as an executive secretary before joining European institutions in 1995.

The Italian Foreign Ministry confirmed Friday that Rizzo, 48, was among the dead from the attack on the Brussels subway at Maelbeek.

"Unfortunately, Patricia is no longer with us," a man who identified himself as Rizzo's cousin, Massimo Leonora, wrote on Facebook. His final post capped days of anxious updates recounting his search of Brussels hospitals in hopes that Rizzo might have been among the injured.

"It's difficult, but at least now we're beyond this unending race against time to find you."

Rizzo moved back to Italy from 2003 to 2008 to work as the assistant to the executive director of the European Food Safety Authority.

In 2008, she was named human resources assistant for the EU's education and culture agency in Brussels and for the past five months had worked in the human resources department of the European Research Council.

"After a few days of excruciating waiting and angst, our worst fears have been confirmed," the ERC's executive leadership said Saturday, praising Rizzo's energy, attitude and spirit.

The Research Council said Rizzo is survived by a son and her parents.

ELITA BORBOR WEAH, 40

Elita Borbor Weah, who was heading to Rhode Island for her stepfather's funeral, had texted family members a photo of herself Tuesday at Brussels Airport.

A short time later, two suicide bombers struck the airport, leaving Weah among their victims.

The 40-year-old had been living in the Netherlands with her 13-year-old daughter after her extended family from Liberia had dispersed across West Africa, Europe and the United States following Liberia's civil wars.

Her brother Oscar Weah, of Providence, Rhode Island, was shaking and in tears Friday as he described how his older sister helped care for him over the years. Other relatives also sang her praises.

"She had a good heart," said 14-year-old niece Eden Weah. "She was always worried about everybody."

Now, in addition to holding a funeral for her 87-year-old stepfather, the family was making arrangements to care for her teenage daughter.

DAVID DIXON, 53

David Dixon had texted family members to say he was safe after two bombs severely damaged Brussels Airport, but he was killed shortly after when a bomber attacked the subway system, The Associated Press reported.

Dixon, 53, a British citizen, was working as a computer programmer at the time of his death, which was confirmed Friday by Britain's Foreign Office.

Friends and family had been searching for him since he failed to arrive at work Tuesday morning in the hours after the bomb attacks.

"This morning we received the most terrible and devastating news about our beloved David," said a statement sent out by officials on behalf of Dixon's family Friday. "At this most painful time our family would gratefully appreciate it if we could be left alone to grieve in private."

Prime Minister David Cameron said he was "deeply saddened" by the death of Dixon, who was originally from Hartlepool, in northeastern England.

ALEXANDER PINCZOWSKI, 29; SASCHA PINCZOWSKI, 26

Two New York City-based siblings are among the dead, their family confirmed Friday.

Alexander and Sascha Pinczowski, Dutch nationals who lived in the U.S., were headed home to the United States when a bomb exploded at Brussels Airport Tuesday morning. Alexander, 29, was on the phone with his mother in the Netherlands when the line went dead, said James Cain, whose daughter Cameron was engaged to Alexander. [[373669221, C]]

Alexander had traveled to the Netherlands to work on a craft-related business that he and Cameron were going to start together, Cain said. The couple met six years ago while taking summer courses in Durham, North Carolina, and had planned to marry within the year.

Sascha Pinczowski, 26, was a 2015 graduate of Marymount Manhattan College in New York with a degree in business. She spent last summer as an intern at a catering company, Shiraz Events.

Shiraz Events President Shai Tertner called her "a bright, hardworking young woman with a great career ahead of her."

ADELMA TAPIA RUIZ, 37

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, the Peruvian Ministry of External Relations confirmed in a statement. 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.

Her brother, Fernando Tapia, told The Associated Press his sister was preparing to catch a flight to New York to meet up with two sisters who live in the United States.

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, 20

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 handles 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.

DENG (First Name and Age Unknown)

The Chinese Embassy in Belgium said Friday that a Chinese national was killed in the attacks. He was identified only by his surname  Deng. No further details were released.
Note: Please leave your own pup at home when visiting The Dog Cafe. It's a place for meeting adoptable dogs only.

While cat cafes hold paw-ferful, tail-swishing sway in several parts of the world, finding a dog cafe, a place where you can have a sip of something cool and visit with a cute canine, remains a rarer beast.

But pup people have been following the pursuits of Sarah Wolfgang, a passionate advocate for our furry friends, especially those in need of a home. The longtime volunteer, who has been involved with dog rescue for many years, wanted to open America's first dog cafe in Los Angeles, a goal that received wide local attention via a "Pup-up" event in early 2015.

Ms. Wolfgang's dream of drinks, dogs, and the happy atmosphere created by both had an early start. Her interest in these lively destinations flowered when her family moved to Korea, which is home to many cafes that invite patrons to socialize with on-site animals. She saw the bonds formed, and how both person and pooch benefited from the interaction.

Now the animal advocate's dream is about to flower further: On Thursday, April 7, after many months of fund-raising and preparation, The Dog Cafe will make its debut in Silver Lake.

Look for extreme romping and cuddling to go down at 240 N. Virgil Avenue. As for days and hours? Trot for the spot Tuesday through Sunday from 11 a.m. to 7 o'clock. You can reserve your spot in advance, which might be a good idea, as many a dogist will be ready to get some on-the-floor huggy time.

Because dog cafes are new-ish, at least 'round these parts, you may have questions. Like, is the beverage-serving area in the same room as the pups? It is not, but rather in "an adjacent space next door."

There is also an admission of ten dollars, which nets you both time with the hounds and a lemonade, tea, or coffee ("or a discount off a specialty beverage"). Grounds & Hounds Coffee Co. and Dogs Drink Coffee are the outfits behind the java. A portion of all proceeds will go "to animals in need."

A note: The Dog Cafe is open to kids 5 and older, but all youths between the ages of 5 and 17 must visit the cafe with a parent or legal guardian.

Retail from The Dog Company will also be sold at the cafe.

As for falling in love with one of the rescues? That could very well happen. Ms. Wolfgang is working with many regional shelters to find those Fidos "who would best benefit from socialization at The Dog Cafe." It's a good point to remember, as petting a pooch isn't simply a sweet but unimportant thing to do. You'll be lending some needed love to an animal who craves it, and who may come further out of his shell because of a show of kindness.

It's big-hearted stuff, and it is preparing to bark for joy in Silver Lake.
Rebekah Jager and Chad Benson said their daughter Payden was playing softball the day she suffered a rare stroke.

"Our 6-year-old daughter that was completely normal playing softball that same morning right before  now is laying in a hospital bed, suffered a massive stroke and now has a bleed on her brain and we don't know why, Paydens mother wept, as she spoke with NBC 7 Friday.

Doctors at Rady Children's Hospital don't know what caused Paydens stroke.

Her parents said a couple of months before the stroke, Payden complained her eyes and head hurt and, every so often, she felt dizzy.

"Sensitive to noise, sensitive to light, she would plug her ears, her mother said. We'd be watching football loud on the surround sound at home and she would come in and say turn it down, turn it down.

Payden's parents said they didnt think much of it, but had her checked out by the doctor several times to be safe.

"We thought it was just 5-year-old attention, maybe she needs glasses, Rebekah explained.

Three weeks ago, after a softball game, Paydens parents were getting ready to take her to the emergency room for a boil that had formed on her leg. Just then, the little girl collapsed in her fathers arms and started shaking.

Once I picked her up she started shaking and then crying and I asked her You okay? Give me a hug; let me know youre okay, he recounted.

Payden was unresponsive and rushed to the emergency room.

It took several days for doctors to diagnose what happened to her as a stroke.

Nineteen days later, Payden as been through countless procedures and even surgery, and still, many questions remain unanswered.

Doctors told Paydens parents that childhood stroke is becoming more common.

Rebekah and Chad told NBC 7 they want other families to be warned of this.

"My main goal now going through all this is to make sure that it doesn't happen again. It doesn't happen to somebody else, her father said.

Payden is unable to eat, speak or breathe on her own now. Her prognosis is not yet known.

"Our main thing is for prayer, Rebekah said. We ask for prayer, support to raise awareness to get her story out so that people know that this does happen and maybe one day we can figure out why."

Rebekah and Chad are hoping to find a specialist who can determine what the original cause of the stroke was, but for now they're just taking it day by day.

If you want to follow Payden's story, go the the Prayers for Payden page on Facebook.




Easter will be celebrated in Southern California Sunday with thousands flocking to services across the region.

In Sherman Oaks, St. Francis De Sales Church had their first-ever Easter sunrise service to celebrate Jesus' resurrection. Prayers at the service included a moment of silence for victims of the attacks In Brussels, Paris and San Bernardino.

Thousands of homeless and near-homeless men, women and children being treated to a special meal at The Midnight Mission in downtown Los Angeles and church services throughout the city. The Midnight Mission will also have an Easter Village where homeless and near-homeless children will be able to meet the Easter Bunny and receive baskets full of candy and other treats.

A free sunrise nondenominational service was also held aboard the battleship Iowa for the second consecutive year. Guests boarded the ship docked at the Port of Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 a.m. for the 6 a.m. service consisting of singing, music, prayers and praise celebrating Jesus' resurrection.

The service is "a tie to history'' as nondenominational Easter services were held aboard the ship when it was in service, according to Jonathan Williams, CEO and president of the Pacific Battleship Center which operates the ship. The service is also part of the center's efforts to make the battleship "a community asset'' and to "connect with the community,'' Williams said. An Easter breakfast and egg hunt is also scheduled as part of the day's activities.

The Easter Sunday Mass, the Mass of the Resurrection of Our Lord, will be celebrated at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels at 7:30 and 10 a.m. in English and at 1 p.m. in Spanish. During the Mass, after all the faithful have renewed their baptismal promises, they will be blessed with Easter holy water as a reminder that in and through Christ, they have died and been born again through the waters of baptism.

Easter is the oldest and most important Christian celebration. Christians believe that by rising from the dead Jesus demonstrated his power over sin and death, manifesting his divinity as the Son of God.

Copyright NBC Southern California/ City News Service
Pope Francis tempered his Easter Sunday message of Christian hope with a denunciation of "blind" terrorism, recalling victims of attacks in Europe, Africa and elsewhere, as well as expressing dismay that people fleeing war or poverty are being denied welcome as European countries squabble over the refugee crisis.

Tens of thousands of people patiently endured long lines, backpack inspections and metal-detecting checks Sunday to enter St. Peter's Square. Under a brilliant sun, they listened to Francis deliver the traditional noon Easter speech from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica. [[197828921, C]]

To their delight, Francis completed a whirl through the square, made colorful with sprays of tulips and other spring flowers, in his open-topped pope-mobile after celebrating Mass on the steps of the basilica. He leaned over barriers to shake hands, as the vehicle ventured past the Vatican's confines, with his bodyguards jogging alongside on the boulevard.

For years, Islamist extremists in social media have listed the Vatican and Rome as potential targets due to hosting the headquarters of the Roman Catholic church and several basilicas. Despite the threats, Francis has kept to his habit of trying to be in close physical contact with ordinary people.

Francis said, for the faithful, Jesus who rose after death by crucifixion "triumphed over evil and sin." He expressed hope that "will draw us closer to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence."

The pontiff's message of peace was reiterated on his official Instagram account, "Franciscus," writing "With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death," in several languages. [[373660841, C]]

At the end of Mass, he chatted briefly with the former king and queen of Belgium, Albert II and Paola, who attended the ceremony.

In his speech, Francis cited recent attacks in Belgium, Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast and Iraq.

He called the message of Easter "a message of life for all humanity."

Easter "invites us not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees  including many children  fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice," he said.

As he has done repeatedly, Francis lamented that "all too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance."

Some European countries have erected barbed-wire fences and other barriers to keep out those who continue to arrive on Greek and Italian shores after risky sea voyages on smugglers' boats. Another strategy has been for some European countries to express a preference for accepting Christian refugees over Muslim ones  which would effectively rule out the vast majority of Syrian refugees. [[238427591, C]]

Most recently, a host of countries along Europe's main migrant route north of Greece to central Europe have simply closed their borders to refugees, stranding thousands of refugee families at different border points.

Francis also decried the destruction and "contempt for humanitarian law" in Syria, millions of whose people have fled to Europe or to refugee camps closer to their homeland.
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.

"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,

And cursed be he that moves my bones."
One man is dead and another injured after a shooting at a truck stop in Jessup, Maryland, according to the Howard County Police Department.

Police said the shooting happened about 1 p.m. in the 7400 block of Assateague Drive. One man was found dead and another injured.

The injured man was take to Shock Trauma and is now stable. Police said he is 57 years old and is from Baltimore.

Police believe it was an isolated incident, possibly a "domestic case." A male suspect is still at large and police are actively searching the area for him.

The suspect is described as an Asian male, wearing blue jeans and a blue jacket.

Police closed Route 1 at Route 175 in Jessup, but have since reopened the area. Drivers were advised to avoid the area.

Stay with News4 as we continue to update this developing story.
The Belgium government sought Sunday to contain criticism of its handling of the Brussels attacks, as investigators launched 13 anti-terror raids in the capital and two other cities and taking four more people in custody.

In central Brussels, riot police used water cannon when scuffles broke out in front of the Bourse, which has become a symbolic rallying point for people to pay their respects to those who died in Tuesday's suicide bombings. Black clad men carrying an anti-Islamic State group banner with an expletive on it held an agitated rally, but were pushed back by riot police.

Interior Minister Jan Jambon conceded Sunday that decades of neglect had hampered the government's response to violent extremism. He said the government has invested 600 million euros ($670 million) into police and security services over the past two years but that Belgium's justice system and security services are still lagging behind.

Jambon, whose offer to resign Thursday was declined by the prime minister, also acknowledged some shortcomings prior to the March 22 suicide bombings in Brussels that left at least 28 victims dead and another 270 wounded. Initial reports that 31 people were killed included the three suicide bombers.

"There have been errors," he said on VRT television.

Jambon said it takes time to hire anti-terror specialists and specialized equipment and insisted that the government's new investments need time before they become visible to the public.

Federal prosecutors, meanwhile, said Sunday morning's raids were linked a "federal case regarding terrorism" but did not specify whether it had any links to the March 22 attacks.

The 13 raids were launched in the capital and the northern cities of Mechelen and Duffel. An investigating judge will decide later whether the four will remain in custody. Five were released after questioning.

As international pressure on Belgium has mounted for serving as an unwitting rear-base for extremist fighters who launched the Nov. 13 massacres that left 130 dead in Paris, the government has felt forced to defend its choices and the actions of investigators. Lawmakers, meanwhile, are demanding an inquiry.

Belgian police and the army have been deployed, sometimes around the clock, at major buildings and sites in the capital in increasing numbers since November, when Brussels went into lockdown over fears that top Paris suspect Salah Abdeslam had returned and was hiding there.

As it turned out, Abdeslam did return, but police did not find and arrest him until March 18, four days before suspects from his network exploded suicide bombs in Brussels.

Belgian investigators have been slammed for not questioning Abdeslam long enough or hard enough after he was shot in the leg during his arrest. Police have also been criticized for taking too long to get to Zaventem airport on Tuesday morning after two suicide bombers blew themselves up there  and left an even bigger third suitcase full of explosives that did not go off.

Jambon and Justice Minister Keen Goens were grilled by lawmakers Friday over how authorities failed to arrest suicide bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui before he blew himself in the packed departure hall at Brussels Airport.

Turkey has said that Bakraoui  whose brother Khalid was the suicide bomber at the Maelbeek subway station on Tuesday  was caught near Turkey's border with Syria in 2015 and Ankara had warned Brussels and the Netherlands that he was "a foreign terrorist fighter." Belgian authorities said they did not know he was suspected of terror-related activities until after he was deported to the Netherlands.

Jambon also said the Brussels subway network had been told to shut off services around 20 minutes before the attack at the subway station, which is close to both the European Union headquarters and the U.S. embassy. He did not fully explain why it was not closed in time, raising more questions about the efficiency of Belgium's security services.

On Sunday, Italian police in the southern city of Salerno said they had arrested an Algerian wanted in Belgium for an alleged false ID crime ring facilitating illegal migration linked to the attacks in Paris. Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested Saturday in the town of Bellizzi, said Luigi Amato, the head of Salerno police's anti-terrorism squad. Ouali, 40, was being held in jail while authorities expect extradition procedures to soon begin.

At the Maelbeek subway station, messages of sadness, solidarity and grief left for victims of the bomb attack there were being collected for storage in the Belgian capital's archives. The messages were laid out on absorbent paper to dry after overnight rain and carefully stacked for transport. Those that can't be taken for safekeeping were being photographed.

"We are trying to collect as many documents we can find and they will be preserved," promised head archivist Frederic Boquet.

Marina Queralt, who often walks with her dog by the Maelbeek station, said the public response to the attacks has been focused on peace.

"Every morning, every afternoon, (the site) was packed with people who wanted just one thing: that people stop killing each other," she said.

Frances D'Emilio in Rome contributed.
Syrian government forces recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra on Sunday, scoring an important victory over Islamic State fighters who waged a 10-month reign of terror there and dealing the group its first major defeat since an international agreement to battle terrorism in the fractured nation took effect last year.

The city known to Syrians as the "Bride of the Desert" is famous for its 2,000-year-old ruins that once drew tens of thousands of visitors each year before ISIS destroyed many of the monuments. The extent of the destruction remained unclear. Initial footage on Syrian TV showed widespread rubble and shattered statues. But Palmyra's grand colonnades appeared to be in relatively good condition.

The government forces were supported by Lebanese militias and Russian air power. The Islamic State now faces pressure on several fronts as Kurdish ground forces advance on its territory in Syria's north and government forces have a new path to its de facto capital, Raqqa, and the contested eastern city of Deir el-Zour.

International airstrikes have pounded IS territory, killing two top leaders in recent weeks, according to the Pentagon. Those strikes have also inflicted dozens of civilian casualties.

In Iraq, government forces backed by the U.S. and Iran are preparing a ground offensive to retake the country's second largest city, Mosul.

The fall of Palmyra comes a month after a partial cease-fire in Syria's civil war came into force. The truce was sponsored by the United States and Russia in part to allow the government and international community to focus on Al-Qaeda styled militants, among them the ISIS group.

In comments reported on state TV, President Bashar Assad described the Palmyra operation as a "significant achievement" offering "new evidence of the effectiveness of the strategy espoused by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism."

ISIS drove government forces from Palmyra in a matter of days last May and later demolished some of its best-known monuments, including two large temples dating back more than 1,800 years and a Roman triumphal archway.

State TV showed the rubble left over from the destruction of the Temple of Bel as well as the damaged archway, the supports of which were still standing. It said a statue of Zenobia, the third century queen who ruled an independent state from Palmyra and figures strongly in Syrian lore, was missing.

Artifacts inside the city's museum also appeared heavily damaged on state TV. A sculpture of the Greek goddess Athena was decapitated, and the museum's basement appeared to have been dynamited, the hall littered with broken statues.

Still, state media reported that a lion statue dating back to the second century, previously thought to have been destroyed by ISIS militants, was found in a damaged but recoverable condition.

Extremists beheaded the archaeological site's 81-year-old director, Riad al-Asaad, in August after he reportedly refused to divulge where authorities had hidden treasures before the group swept in. Militants viewed the ruins as monuments to idolatry.

ISIS also demolished Palmyra's infamous Tadmur prison, where thousands of government opponents were reportedly tortured.

Syrian state TV hailed the government's advance, and a local reporter spoke live from inside Palmyra, showing troops in the center of the town, where some buildings had been reduced to rubble.

Syrian Culture Minister Issam Khalil described the recapture as a "victory for humanity and right over all projects of darkness."

Maamoun Abdulkarim, director of the museums and antiquities department in Damascus, said Palmyra's Great Colonnade had suffered only minor damage. "We will rebuild what you have destroyed," he said, addressing ISIS.

The Syrian opposition, which blames the government for the country's devastating civil war and the rise of ISIS, rejected that narrative.

"The government wants through this operation to win the favor of Western nations by fighting against terrorism, while obscuring its responsibility as providing the reasons for the spread of terror," said Khaled Nasser, a member of the opposition coalition that has been negotiating with the government in Geneva.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, which monitors the conflict through local activists, confirmed that IS had lost the town. Observatory chief Rami Abdurrahman said three weeks of fighting killed more than 400 IS fighters, as well as 180 troops and allied militiamen.

Residents told The Associated Press that ISIS evacuated all of Palmyra's civilians to other territories under its control before government forces entered the city.

"It's joyful for people to return home. Still we are sad to see damage in this historical city," said Sohban Eleiwi, a businessman from Palmyra now residing in Homs.

Other residents said they would not return to live under government rule.

"We don't hate the regime any less than we hate Daesh," said Osama Khatib, a Palmyra native who fled to Turkey three years ago after serving a jail sentence for taking part in demonstrations.

"Daesh and the regime behave the same way," he said.

Government forces had been trying to retake the town for nearly three weeks. Gen. Ali Mayhoub announced on the Syrian TV Sunday afternoon that its recapture "directs a fatal blow to Daesh, undermines the morale of its mercenaries and ushers in the start of its defeat and retreat," referring to ISIS by its Arabic acronym.

Government forces have advanced on a number of fronts in recent months, aided by a Russian air campaign. Moscow announced earlier this month that it would begin drawing down its forces, but said it will continue to target IS and other extremist groups.

Syria's conflict began a little more than five years ago with mostly peaceful protests against the Assad family's four-decade rule. A fierce government crackdown and the rise of an insurgency plunged the country into a full-blown civil war that has killed more than 250,000 people.

Issa reported from Beirut. Associated Press writer Bassem Mroue in Beirut also contributed to this report.
Police in Boston are investigating a fatal shooting in Mattapan reported early Sunday morning.

Officers found a man suffering from a fatal gunshot wound outside of 227 RIver St. He was later declared dead at the scene. Police have not yet released his name.

Another man was found suffering from a non-life threatening knife wound and was transported to Carney Hospital.

Both victims appeared to be in their 20s, police said.

Anyone with information about the incident is encouraged to contact Boston Police Homicide Detectives at (617) 343-4470. You can also leave an anonymous tip by calling the CrimeStoppers Tip Line at 1 (800) 494-TIPS or by texting the word TIP to CRIME (27463)


Emmaus Norwich is a life saver for Jonny

A year ago, Jonny Sage was addicted to heroin and crack cocaine. In his own words, his life had sunk into a spiral of debauchery and horribleness, until he came into contact with Emmaus Norwich.
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Tim Mitchell is a reporter at The News-Gazette. His email is tmitchel@news-gazette.com, and you can follow him on Twitter (@mitchell6).
Red Hulk, Ronin, and more: 10 Heroes and Villains whose secret identities were hidden from readers

There's a longstanding superhero tradition of hiding the identity of certain characters even from readers
Resurrection

Here is the deal: when it comes to knowing whether a person can be raised from the dead by another person, you would just have to believe in something you have never seen or may never see.

We see it in the movies frequently: someone or some other living organism dies, and another person or force has the power to restore life. Well, let us focus solely on human beings and whether they are firm that life can be breathed back into the body after death.

Bring him back to life pastor! Bring her back to life Imam! It is a request that you may never hear at a funeral or hospital, because outwardly all accept death as finality. But desperation and grief prompt a belief at the back of the mind, oh if only it could happen here and now: resurrection. Can a person get life restored into them, after being pronounced medically dead? Resurrection of Jesus Christ, three days after his brutal crucifixion is the central event of the Christian faith that has created the celebration of Easter.

While many sections of Christianity do not celebrate Easter, all believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ. As a matter of fact, without the resurrection story as a fundamental belief, the Christian faith collapses: Jesus The Christ, a man who according to the Holy Bible, was crucified on a Friday and was resurrected the following Sunday.

There are recorded Biblical instances, where Jesus and some of his disciples resurrected people.

In some cases, dead for over three days. There is the story of Jesus commanding his friend Lazarus back to life, having gone to his tomb and people warning Jesus against bringing forth the mans corpse because of the stench. Lazarus had been dead for four days. And there is the other story of the daughter of Jairus who, when Jesus raised her from being dead, professed that the girl was only sleeping, just as he said when he ministered onto Lazarus.

Death of a loved one is always an emotionally draining event. To have the life of your loved one restored would be miraculous, most may say it is impossible. The fact remains, however, that Christians around the world believe that a man can be resurrected. But how do other religions view this possibility, and has anyone of their membership ever performed or witness a resurrection.

Seventh-Day Adventist Christians (SDA) believe Jesus had, and still has the power to raise Himself from the dead because He is, and will always be an all-powerful God: one who is life itself. He is the one who also gives power to whom He chooses.

Pastor Clive Dottin, who represents the Conference of SDA on many issues says, I dont know of any occasion really in our time where someone was raised from the dead. I read a book where one pastor did it. I have no evidence of where it has been done. The Adventist pastor firmly believes that, according to Philippians 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me. The book of Acts 9:36-41 gives a story of such an example. It states, Tabitha was a seamstress who did many good deeds. She got sick and died. Since Peter, the lead Apostle of Christ on whom he built his Church, was in a nearby town they asked him to come. Peter had everyone leave the room where Tabitha lay He knelt down and prayed and then he said to the body, Tabitha, arise. She opened her eyes and then sat up.

Pastor Emrol Gould, who is the president of the Port-of-Spain Trinidad Stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- day Saints says, We do believe that God has powers to do all things, to satisfy his purpose.

Other than whats in the scriptures, no, I have never witnessed one. He did quote two incidents from his denominations published scripture, where the act supposedly happened.

The first is from the Matthew Crowleys talk, which speaks of a man from New Zealand who actually felt life coming back to him after being clinically dead.

The other is quoted in the book, Togan Saints, and surrounds the three-year-old daughter of Elder Iohani Wolfgramm, who was accidentally run over by a loaded taxi. Her head was crushed and her face was terribly disfigured. Muslims are people who consider the Quran to be the verbatim word of God, as revealed to Prophet Muhammad.

They believe that Jesus Christ was a prophet and not the Son of God.

They also believe like Christians, that He did participate in the restoring of life into a human being.

Imam Sheraz Ali of the Nur-e-Islam Mosque, El Socorro Road, San Juan says, Yes, we do believe that it is possible to raise someone from the dead.

There are not many instances where persons were raised from the dead. It is something that hasnt happened since Jesus time. Not anyone in our modern times have done it. He adds, We dont get that power or ability, but Jesus the prophet did it. I have never seen anyone raised from the dead. In the Surat Ali `Imran (Family of Imran), 3:49, Sahih International version, it says, And [make him] a messenger to the Children of Israel, [who will say], Indeed I have come to you with a sign from your Lord in that I design for you from clay [that which is] like the form of a bird, then I breathe into it and it becomes a bird by permission of Allah.

And I cure the blind and the leper, and I give life to the dead - by permission of Allah. And I inform you of what you eat and what you store in your houses. Indeed in that is a sign for you, if you are believers.

Prophet Jesus.

Sunday Newsday tried to make contact with a woman named Indra who took an advertisement in the Classifieds section of a daily newspaper, claiming she witnessed a person coming back to life from the dead. Calls to her phone went unanswered.

After speaking to several other known religious leaders in the country, none of them could say that they had ever witnessed or had second-hand knowledge of anyone being raised from the dead.

All believe in an all-powerful God. All believe that people can be resurrected from the dead with power from God.

Yet none of them have ever conducted such an exercise, have been a part of it, or have had a member of their congregation give the information of such an event in their lifetime.

Some may summarise this fact as a show of spiritual weakness on the part of our religious leaders. Others may suggest that a man can never do such a miracle and its a way to dupe the human race. Others state that the divine source of power does as he/she pleases, including raising the dead, using a human being as the vehicle.

But whatever your belief, one thing is certain: It is better to have hope in something better, than to have no hope at all.
Children, Are U Listening?

And she has issued a challenge to parents and significant adults to reverse the paradigm, if only to ensure the success of future generations of young people.

Many of you are at a loss for words when you need to interact positively with your children.

You say: I dont know what to say or even how to start. It is really sad that words come easier when you are nagging, quarrelling with or criticising your children, Mora said in an open letter to parents ahead of Section One in Children, Are U Listening? Mora said child-rearing can be a very rewarding activity if only we get involved with our children and walk with them in the early years. Referring to the recent reports of youth delinquency at Chaguanas North and El Dorado East Secondary Schools and other institutions, Mora contends that Trinidad and Tobagos culture should be able to encourage positive values in the youth, not the opposite. She also believes that culture nurtures conscience.

Mora, founder of the Arouca- based Miriama Childrens Museum and Teen Turf, suggested that if the experiences learnt in any given community are negative ones, it would be reflected in the behavioural patterns of young people.

We have to teach our young people a sense of identity, a sense of what it means to be Trinidadian and the reasons why we are walking in this sacred space. We have to teach them what is their purpose, Mora told Sunday Newsday.

An easy read, she said Children, Are U Listening? attempts to provide a starting point for young people to become successful in life through education and an internalisation of the countrys culture.

The education system needs to have a humanities base focussing on what it means to be part of a village or a community, she said.

The interactive, 36-page book, written in bold fonts with exercises for young people, is based on Moras Carnival band, Life Is A Balancing Act, which she launched in 2014.

In her mas presentation, the children portrayed moko jumbies, with the stilts being used metaphorically to depict the importance of creating balance in ones life.

Whether you begin in primary school or at the secondary school level, you must understand how important it is to find a balance in life, Mora wrote in Children, Are U Listening? Using this book will assist your child or teenager with learning how to balance his time and give equal weight or attention to the meaningful activities in life and ensure success. Section One of the book basically introduces the concepts of balance, equilibrium and symmetry and the importance of maintaining a healthy outlook.

Mora invited the reader to identify three things that must have balance to work properly.

She suggested that a bicycle, skateboard, see-saw or a person carrying a bucket of water on his/her head may be selected as options. Mora said the human body was the perfect example of balance.

In Section Two, Mora referred to three natures of man: animal, human and divine.

No matter what religion you are, we all must know about the nature of man. Just as we must learn to balance our lifes activities we must learn to balance these natures, she wrote.

Mora wrote that the animal nature often encourages people to be selfish and aggressive.

Advertisements which you see on television use these facts about us to persuade us to spend our money to buy various products, she wrote.

They know that we are selfish and advertisements use beautiful women and handsome men to persuade us to buy the brands. She observed that many movies, video games and television shows were very violent, with bloodshed, dishonesty and sexual activity because they (advertisers) know that we are sexual and aggressive beings and will be attracted to them and want more and more. Mora, who is also a trained teacher, added that much of the music on the airwaves appealed to the sexual and aggressive nature.

The psychologist noted, however, that intelligence and will, were two of the characteristics which set human beings apart from animals that walked on all fours.

Intelligence gives you the power to think for yourself, she said, acknowledging that parents and sometimes teachers often do not think that children can think for themselves. Mora said will gave persons the power to choose good. When you understand that you can think for yourself, you will not allow anyone to choose for you. Mora said people also have a divine nature, which can be developed through the church, mosque or temple or by engaging in humanitarian endeavours in community groups.

Section Three, an overview of the previous two sections, was laid out in a multiple choice format to gauge the readers grasp of the concepts.

Towards the end of the book, Mora urged her readers to commit to being a success.

Do not let anyone stand in your way of being a happy, productive and successful adults, she wrote.

Mora said it was important that children and their parents work as a team at all times.

This booklet will allow you to begin to do this, she said.

You must work together on this and as you grow older you will be able to face challenges and be strong when you need to be. You will be mentally healthy, happy and productive. Mora said, ideally, such positive experiences should be woven into a societys culture.

Culture is the way of life of a people, she said. It is about our music, food, how we relate to one-another and where people live. But what are the various cultures teaching our children? she asked in relation to the episodes of violence and indiscipline being played out in schools.Mora argued that a culture in which illegal drug use, sexual perversion, aggression and disrespect exists would, unfortunately, manifest itself among some groups of young people. She argued that there was a strong possibility that many of the disruptive students were not planned for at the time of their conception. They are just products of biology and opportunity and therefore, their parents might have been that too but did not get the best care and attention, she said.
'He Had the Chance to Go in

and Save the Children'
(Newser)  In the 1980s, Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein was amassing an impressive arsenal. The crown jewel of the collection would have been Big Babylona supergun designed to fire a projectile of more than 1,300 pounds from Iraq into Kuwait or Iran. But the supergun, which was being developed by Canadian artillery expert Gerald Bull, never came to fruition. In a lengthy BBC article, William Park takes a close look at the "tale of hubris, thwarted ambitions, and military secrets" that ultimately lead to Bulls death at the hand of an assassin. Bull began researching supergun technology with the Canadian and US governments in the 1960s. His goal was to use the massive guns as a less expensive way to launch satellites into space. That project, known as HARP, was abruptly ended in 1967 and left Bull devastated, according to a New York Times article from 1990.

Frustrated by Western powers' lack of interest in his project, Bull devised a way to fund it himself by designing and selling weapons to countries including South Africa (which led to prison time for Bull), Iran, Taiwan, and China. By the mid-80s, he was selling weapons to Iraq as well. Iraq then shelled out $25 million to fund Project Babylon in 1988, which included building two 1000mm caliber guns more than 500 feet long and weighing some 1,500 metric tons; the mega-weapon would be mounted on a hillside. But before the guns could be assembled, Park writes, "it would all come to an end." In March 1990, Bull was shot in the back and head as he entered his Brussels apartment. Some believe Israel was behind the assassination, or perhaps the US or Britain. Project Babylon ultimately fizzled. Read Parks fascinating account here. (Read more Saddam Hussein stories.)
(Newser)  There was one agonizing glimmer of hope, but it turns out that a young American couple missing after the bombing of the Brussels airport were in fact killed in the attack. "We found out today that cowards took my brother's life," wrote Levi Sutton, brother of 30-year-old Justin Shults, on Twitter. He also confirmed that Justin's wife, Stephanie, 29, was killed along with him. Both were accountants who moved to Brussels in 2014. They were at the airport to say goodbye to Stephanie's mother, Carolyn Moore, who had come for a visit, and were waving goodbye when the blasts occurred, reports NBC News. Moore wasn't injured.

Justin Shults was from Gatlinburg, Tenn., and his wife was from Lexington, Ky., and both went to grad school at Vanderbilt. "This bright young couple chose, in the spirit of discovery, to become global citizens in order to grow, to learn and to broaden their perspective," said Vanderbilt Chancellor Nicholas S. Zep in a statement. The pair wed in 2011 and moved to Belgium when Stephanie's job at Mars Inc. took them there. "It seemed like the perfect fit for the two adventurers," observes the Tennessean. Their families got a false glimmer of hope earlier in the week when US officials said the couple had been located, but that turned out to be "misinformation," Sutton tweeted at the time. (Read more Brussels attack stories.)
(Newser)  Robert De Niro last week defended the decision to screen Vaxxed at the Tribeca Film Festival, saying, "this is very personal to me and my family and I want there to be a discussion," because he has a child with autism. The actor has since reconsidered, reports the Los Angeles Times, saying now that "we do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for," and that Tribeca has pulled the documentarydirected by discredited anti-vaccination activist Andrew Wakefieldfrom its lineup.

"The Festival doesn't seek to avoid or shy away from controversy," continues De Niro's statement. "However, we have concerns with certain things in this film that we feel prevent us from presenting it in the Festival program." Over at Forbes, Tara Haelle is applauding the move. "He listened to the many autistic individuals disappointed about the films initial inclusion, he listened to the thousands of doctors who care for children, and he listened to the scientific community." (Read more Robert De Niro stories.)
(Newser)  When last we heard from North Korea, the Hermit Kingdom was threatening to take out Manhattan. It's now set its sights on a target much closer to home, albeit in rhetoric no less preposterous, reports Sky News: In a statement titled "Ultimatum to Park Geun-hye Group," Pyongyang demands that the South Korean president apologize for "daring to commit high treason," and that Seoul publicly execute officials it says plotted against the North's leadership, or face "merciless military action" in the form of an artillery strike on its presidential palace. It says such an attack is "just a click away," adds the New York Times, which notes that the threat was accompanied by the release of a propaganda video titled "Last Chance," which less than subtly depicts a nuclear strike on Washington, DC.

Per the video: "If the American imperialists provoke us a bit, we will not hesitate to slap them with a pre-emptive nuclear strike. The United States must choose! Its up to you whether the nation called the United States exists on this planet or not." The threat against DC is pretty far-fetched, but experts note that the North likely could hit Seoul with its artillery. Not coincidentally, the United States and South Korea are conducting their annual joint military exercises, their biggest to date. (Read more North Korea stories.)
(Newser)  According to evolutionary theory, something must have crawled from the sea onto land hundreds of millions of years agobut what? How about a blind fish called Cryptotora thamicola, which uses four fins like crutches to wriggle up waterfalls and across slimy rocks, the Smithsonian reports. Discovered in northern Thailand more than 30 years ago, Cryptotora thamicola came to the attention of US biomechanics researcher Brooke Flammang when a colleague showed her video of the cave dweller crawling along surfaces, Wired reports. "I was like, 'Fish cant do that,'" says Flammang. "Thats ridiculous." So she teamed up with Thai scientist Apinun Suvarnaraksha, who shot video of the endangered species and had a museum specimen CT-scanned at a dental school.

Published in Scientific Reports, their results show that Cryptotora thamicola has a skeletal structure made for walking. The pelvis is bound by long ribs to the spine, and overlapping vertebrae keep the spine stiffunlike modern fish but much like ancient four-limbed tetrapods that once crawled around like salamanders, the New York Times reports. "Functionally, it makes perfect sense, but to see it in a fish is incredibly wild," says Flammang. Scientists have identified possible tetrapod tracks dating back nearly 400 million years, Nature reported in 2009, but could it have been Cryptotora thamicola? "We see these footprints in a fish today, doing something very unfishlike," says Flammang, who believes the Thai fish may show how creatures first reached land. (Evolutionary theory could explain why we can't find alien life.)
(Newser)  Syrian militants backed by different arms of the US government have fought just outside Aleppoa recent headache highlighting the difficulty of intruding on a disastrous war, the LA Times reports. Backed by the Pentagon, the Syrian Democratic Forces in February pushed the CIA-armed Knights of Righteousness out of the town of Marea, just north of Aleppo, according to rebel leaders and US officials. Similar battles have ensued in Aleppo and a town called Azaz, where supplies are moved and rebel fighters transported, rebels say. "Any faction that attacks us, regardless from where it gets its support, we will fight it," explains Maj. Fares Bayoush, a leader of Knights of Righteousness.

"It is an enormous challenge," says Rep. Adam Schiff, who notes that battles between US-backed fighters is "a fairly new phenomenon." Rebels are already known to fight each other around Aleppo in northern Syria, where ethnic tensions have long existed between Turkmen, Arabs, and Kurds. The Syrian Democratic Forces consist mainly of Kurdish units mixed with a few Arabs to keep it "from looking like an invading Kurdish army," the Times says. The SDF scored a major victory in February by taking the town of Al-Shadadi in Hasakeh province from ISIS, Yahoo News reports. Meanwhile, the CIA has a center in Turkey where it arms Syrian rebels with TOW antitank missiles to use against the Assad government. (Read more Syrian civil war stories.)
(Newser)  A woman whose mother went missing for 40 years says she doesn't predict any joyous reunionand feels fresh pain knowing her mom is alive, People reports. "I'm angry," says Tammy Miller, 45, whose mother, Lula Ann Gillespie-Miller, 69, was discovered Thursday in a small Texas town. "This isn't going to be one of those happy, made-for-TV movies." Gillespie-Miller abandoned her four children, including Miller, in Indiana in 1974 and was assumed dead, Miller says. When Indiana State Police tracked the woman down under a different name, Miller says she was "shocked" and called her mom the next day. "It was less than a two-minute conversation," says Miller. "She said, 'I'll call you when I'm able to talk.'"

"I will never call her again," Miller adds. "It felt like being rejected all over again." Gillespie-Miller was a rape survivor who struggled with alcohol and her husband's death in a car accident, Miller says, but that hardly alleviates the pain. "I'm glad she's alive, but it hurts emotionally knowing this was her choice," says Miller. Gillespie-Miller "felt she was too young to be a mother at the time and signed her children over to her parents," according to a police report quoted by NBC News. Miller is glad her mom left the kids with "Grandma Catherine," whose son fathered the other three kids; Miller's dad was apparently an unmarried man who had an affair with Gillespie-Miller. "My grandmother who raised me did an awesome job," says Miller. "She never went one day without letting us kids know she loved us." (This remarkable family reunion is a much happier tale.)
In May, last year, Deborah Craven was admitted to Yale-New Haven medical center. She had to have a "painful and potentially cancerous lesion" on her rib surgically removed.

The lawsuit records that though the radiologists marked the possible cancerous lesion site and inserted metallic coils into her ribs, and later injected a dye that would mark her skin, the team strangely removed the wrong rib, says latino.foxnews.

Dr. Anthony Kim, M.D. and his surgical trainee, Ricardo Quarrie, are in the list of names in the lawsuit filed last week at the New Haven Superior Court. Craven reportedly was not aware that Quarrie, according to the suit, was added to the team of surgeons.

It was only after the surgery that she became conscious, felt pain and realized that her 7th, not 8th rib had been operated.

After becoming aware of the error, Quarrie tried to gloss over it by telling her that "not enough rib" had been operated and a second surgery was called for. She was then subjected to a second surgery.

Her lawyer, Joel T. Faxon, explained in a press release: "The fact that the surgical team operated on the wrong rib despite a clear indication of the proper site is, of course, negligent. But the fact that a cardiothoracic surgeon in training would make the outrageous claim that 'not enough rib had been taken' really takes this to another level of culpability," said Faxon, from Faxon Law Group in New Haven.

"Making the patient undergo another surgery the same day, without owning up to the real medical reason for the repeat surgery is just plain deceitful. If not for the lying, my client would never have instituted a lawsuit. As the old adage goes the cover-up is worse than the crime," he added.

"No one apologized," said Joel Faxon, Craven's attorney. "And they never explained to her how the mistake was made."

Mark D'Antonio, Media Relations Coordinator for Yale-New Haven Hospital, made a public statement explaining that his institution wants to provide the safest and highest quality of care.

"Even in the best organizations, medical errors may occur. When they do, our goal is to acknowledge them, learn from them, and ensure that we minimize any chance that they ever occur again," the statement read.

"With respect to the case of Ms. Craven, we recognized that an error was made, we informed and apologized to the patient, and we immediately reported it to the Connecticut Department of Public Health."
American internet search giants Google have been fined a sum of 100,000euros by the French data protection authority for not wiping out search results in response to a ruling related to European privacy. Google had to abide by de-listing inaccurate results under name searches across all its websites to uphold the Europeans' right to privacy, the National Commission on Informatics and Liberty(CNIL) said in a statement.

According to a ruling by the European Court of Justice in May 2014, people could approach search engines such as Google and Microsoft's Bing to remove irrelevant information from web results appearing under search results for people's names dubbed as the right to be forgotten. The mountain view based number one search engine has been at a tug-of-war with the authorities of European data protection over the ruling. Google did comply however but only exterminating results across its European sites google.de and google.frotherwise resulting in a breach of legal sanctions in free flow of information.

According to the report in May 2014, the CNIL had ordered Google to expand its application to all its domains including google.com since a switch from a regional domain to an international one would be possible in a matter of seconds. The CNIL said that contrary to Google's statements, de-listing all of Google's extensions did not restrict freedom of expression as it didn't heed to demands for any deletion of content from the internet.

However, a Google correspondent said the company had however worked hard to implement "right to be forgotten" ruling comprehensively across Europe. They also added about disagreeing the statement by the CNIL about the authority to restrict content that people could access outside France, and Google did plan to appeal their ruling. It meant that any outsider trying to access de-listed content outside his/her region, nothing would be visible on any domains of Google including the international search engine when accessed from his resident region.

The CNIL however rejected that approach claiming that people's right to privacy shouldn't be restricted to geographical location of those viewing search results.
About 19 elk were killed at a go by wolves on the McNeel Elk Feedground near Bondurant, Wyoming.

It was an unusual killing in northwestern Wyoming, when a gray wolf pack suddenly destroyed 19 elk at night, according to nationalgeographic.

"Normally one or two elk a night here and there is no big deal, but 19 in one night is fairly rare," Wyoming Game and Fish Department supervisor John Lund said.

The theory is that Rim Pack of wolves did it. Most of the elk killed were calves, along with a couple of adult cows. The ghastly killings happened near Bondurant, southeast of Jackson.

"This kind of event is very rare," says Mike Jimenez, the northern Rockies wolf coordinator for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, who is based in Montana. "Occasionally you see them kill five or six animals, but 19 is very unusual."

"Unlike humans, wolves do not kill for sport," writes the Idaho-based advocacy group Living With Wolves. Instead, the animals are often chased off their kills, either by other predators or by people, who often don't even realize they are approaching them.

Usually, the mass killings take place in late winter, probably an effort by the wolves to store some food for later use. Predators often return to the spot in order to keep browsing on the food---usually for weeks.

The pack might end up killing more than it intended. While it returns to polish it off, it gets eaten by scavengers if they leave the elk on the spot.

The killings tend to pare down the preyed herds, as the predators choose sick, old or very young animals.

This time, the destruction of the elk happened at a "feedground," in Wyoming, where wildlife managers gave hay to elk in the winter, so that they could compensate for the habitat loss. There are 22 feedgrounds managed by officials.

Gray wolves lived in the American West for almost 10,000 years, even though they were almost wiped out through hunting and habitat loss in the past few centuries. Of late, they have been re-emerging. Their reintroduction into Yellowstone National Park has helped.

"Wolves are doing well in Wyoming," Jimenez says. "Although surplus kills might not help some people's feelings of wolves, they are quite rare."
Apple's introduction of their latest small-form factor phone the iPhone SE was introduced about some days back.

The four-inch phone is supposed to have the same chip-set in terms of CPU and GPU that is currently in the iPhone 6S. The SE is priced at around 39,000INR and S7 priced at 53,000INR. The only drawbacks of the SE variant is that the resolution has been narrowed down and there is OIS facility and 3d-touch and display to zoom technology in the SE variant.

The SE also houses a faster LTE and also support voice over LTE(VoLTE), along with Bluetooth 4.2 and NFC. However, in 2016 comparing the SE to the android giants like Samsung's S7 is a bit challenging. Samsung and Apple have been inevitable at patent-wars since eternity. Samsung being one of the sources for displays in Apple have always dominated the Android market with their flagship series "S".

During the Mobile world congress that commenced in Barcelona, Spain; Samsung brought out their 2016 versions of Samsung Galaxy "S" series, the S7/S7 edge. The S7 is the non-edge variant with no curved displays being the only noticeable change, at least for me. However, their phones are now IP-68 certified indicating that they're now water(up-to 1.5m and 90 minutes and dust proof.

The Samsung phone however facilitates a qHD resolution of 1440 p with a pixel density of 577. The phone is now secured by Corning gorilla glass 4 at both the sides. Weighing around 150g, it's a 5.6' smartphone compared to Apple iPhone SE's 4-inch display. Both of the phones house bio-metric fingerprint sensors which also work as a secure layer for in-app and store purchases along with phone security to unlock it.

The main changes are that the S7 now includes an additional storage with a micro-SD card up-to 200 GB or use the slot for a secondary SIM card. Both the phones are equipped with 12mp camera at the rear but however Samsung has put in a 5 MP front-facing camera that can record auto-HDR.

Samsung's snapdragon variant support qualcomm quick charge 2.0 which can boost your phone battery to 60% with a mere charge of thirty minutes. Samsung has also bundled in a cloud storage of 115 GB partnered with Microsoft's onedrive. Priced at around 53,000 INR which will further go down as the months pass-by is arguably better in terms of specifications even though Apple's implementation of in-house manufactured chip-sets perform arguably same compared to Samsung's in-house chip-sets.

But as usual, Android and Apple fans will stay loyal to their manufacturers but considering the price point and device performance and display along with the support of Quick Charging in S7, the S7 stands out as a better device in between the two since it also houses additional storage which can be used either as storage by inserting a micro-SD card or a secondary sim also considering the fact that S7 is IP68 certified.

Both of the phones run their respective latest operating systems.
There are still large gender salary gaps between male works and female works and among programmers it's the largest difference according to new study.

According to new research from Glassdoor, a website where current and former employees anonymously rate and leave reviews of the companies and management that they worked for.

The report, based more than 500,000 anonymously shared employee salaries, discoverd that the biggest pay difference-- adjusted for experience, education, position, location, and industry -- existed among specific types of computer programmers, with men making on average 28.3% more than their female colleagues.

Among programmers, scientific and mainframe computer coders saw the biggest gap. Huge gaps also existed in tech jobs such as video game artists (15.8%), information security specialists (14.7%) and front-end engineers (9.7%).

It also identified, similar to what other studies have revealed, that there is a widespread, "unadjusted" gap that shows women making 76 percent of what men are making. (The Census Bureau estimates that it's 79 percent; Pew Research Center found a few years ago that it was 84 percent.)

There may be various reasons why such big gaps exist, but one reason can be , according to Andrew Chamberlain, chief economist at Glassdoor who spearheaded the report, is workplace bias.

"My view is that in heavily male-dominated fields, the people who are making the decisions about pay and promotion are disproportionately men, and that can play a role in why we're seeing gaps in male and female pay," he said. "It's not the case in every one of these occupations, but it's the case in these tech fields."

As American workers aiming toward gender equality in the workplace, pay transparency can play a signficant role in assisting going towards full equality in male-female salary in the workplace.
Microsoft is telling investors it will back bids for Yahoo so long as the company can maintain a positive relationship with the firm, reports Re/code. The report says Yahoo's board is looking to get at least $10 billion for its core Internet business.

According to reports by Re/code various sources, Microsoft execs have been discussing with private equity firms mulling over bids to purchase Yahoo and telling investors the company maybe be willing to lend huge financing to their efforts.

However, Microsoft has not made any firm commitments so far to investors, and any discussions are exploratory.

Yahoo is increasingly feeling the pressure from shareholders and investors to sell its main business instead of going through a spinoff that would separate the company from its multibillion-dollar stakes in Yahoo Japan and Alibaba Group.

Yahoo may have lost its ground among many competitors especially to Facebook and Google for last 5 years, however, the website still gets hundreds of millions of visitors, and the companys email and other services have millions of consistent users and subscribers who would be a valuable addition to a company like Microsoft or AOL.

Amongst this happening, Yahoo is very disappointed with its late performance in the market. We have been extremely disappointed with Yahoos dismal financial performance, poor management execution, egregious compensation and hiring practices, and general lack of accountability, Starboard CEO Jeffrey Smith wrote in Thursdays letter.
Two days after terrorist bombing attack on the Brussels airport, a security guard at a Belgian nuclear plant was killed on Thursday.

The security guard was identified as Didier Prospero and his access badge was stolen. He was a guarding Belgiums national radioactive elements institute at the municipality of Fleurus, to the south of Brussels, and living in the city of Charleroi.

However, the Charleroi prosecutor's office denied that his security pass had been stolen and deactivated as soon as investigators raised the alarm, a public Belgian broadcast entity said.

On Thursday, Derniere Heure reported that the suicide bombers who killed 31 people were initially targeting a nuclear site, but a series of arrests of suspect militants, including suspected Paris attacker Salah Abdeslam, pushed them to speed up their plots.

Last year, a senior nuclear industry official was secretly filmed by militants. It is suspected that they plotted to abduct him to gain information about radioactive materials.

Belgian authorities have looked carefully into the risk posed by jihadists to its nuclear facilities in the past.

Last November 10 hours of surveillance video of a top Belgian nuclear scientist was revealed in a house belonging to a known jihadi, but the existence of the footage was only acknowledged by Belgian authorities on February 18 after it was leaked to a Belgian paper.

British Defense Secretary Michael Fallon expressed his concerns about ISIS getting its hands on a nuclear weapon. When asked, Fallon said that was a new and emerging threat, according to the New York Times.

Right after the Brussels terrorist attacks, personnel from Belgiums two nuclear power stations in Doel and in Tihange were evacuated immediately.
Mexicans celebrating an Easter ritual have burnt effigies of U.S. Republican presidential hopeful Donald J Trump, whose anti-immigrant views have sparked outrage at the south of the American border.

In one of Mexico city's neighbourhood, hundreds of residents yelled various insults as they watched the explosion of the grinning mock-up of the real estate tycoon, with his trademark tuft of blond hair. The burning is part of a widespread Mexican tradition where neighbourhoods burn effigies.

The effigies are often modeled on unpopular political figures. "Since he started his campaign and began talking about immigrants, Mexico, and Mexicans, I said 'I've got to get this guy,'" said an artisan who crafted Trump and whose family has been making those effigies for more than 50 years.

Trump, the front-runner to win the Republican nominations for the Nov. 8 election, has drawn fire in Mexico with his campaign in a vow to build a wall along the southern U.S. border to keep out illegal immigrants and drugs, and to make Mexico pay for it.

Mexican President Enrique Pena Nieto has said his country will not pay a single penny for the wall terming the republican front runner to the likes of Hitler and Mussolini.

Trump, has accused Mexico of sending rapists and drug runners across the border and also determined to increase fees on Mexican visas and all border crossing cards to help make Mexico pay for the wall.
Scream Queens actress Lea Michele seemed to have already bounced back unscathed from his breakup with former beau Matthew Paetz after she appeared smiling in her March 25 Instagram post with friend Jonathan Groff.

Cuddled up in bed, the former Glee star sought comfort from her former Glee costar after her recent split with boyfriend of nearly two years. She looked happy as she seemingly giggled in delight under a blanket. "And suddenly all is right...," the caption on her Instagram post reads.

Groff has been her source of strength ever since the two met 10 years ago. He supported her as she mourned the death of Cory Monteith. Through most of her ups and downs, Michele always turns to Groff for inspiration and support.

"Lea Michele and I have shared some pretty unique experiences since we met...Since Glee, she has inspired people across the world with her unapologetic ambition, insane talent, and astonishing grace. Me, especially," said Groff as he explained the depth of his friendship with Michele as quoted by Us Magazine.

After her departure from Glee, the 29-year old alum has gone on to play roles in Scream Queens while her BFF stars as King George III in Broadway musical Hamilton and appeared in HBO series Looking.

Despite the breakup, Michele remains strong as she gets as much help and support from friends and family who are strongly behind her through thick and thin.

"Lea is surrounded by her friends, who have rallied around her and support her. She's doing fine, focusing on her work, her music and her album," an unnamed insider source said as quoted by People.

Meanwhile, Wisconsin forward Nigel Hayes revealed his celebrity crush for Lea Michele as he faced an inquisitive NCAA tournament press.

"I think I'm going to take it upon myself to use you guys, and profess my ... I have, you know like a celebrity crush, Lea from Glee. If she's watching this, or she hears this, hello, I'm available ...," said Hayes as quoted in a Campus Insiders report.
A reported nuclear breach has compounded fears over the safety of Belgium's nuclear facilities and the extent of ISIS-linked terror networks at the heartland of Europe. Recently, a security guard at a nuclear research facility was killed just two days after the shocking Brussels bombing that killed 31 people and injured more.

The victim was identified as 45-year-old Didier Prospero who was shot to death at his residence in the Froidchapelle district of Brussels following the stripping nuclear plant workers of their security passes by the government less than 24 hours earlier.

"He was killed at gunpoint at his home. All indications are that it has nothing to do with his work, from what we understand. There is no missing pass. All his uniform and his papers are accounted for. G4S are co-operating with the police investigation," a spokesman for G4S (Prospero's security firm) said as quoted by The Telegraph.

The circumstances of his death fueled speculations on unconfirmed reports of the murder's link to terrorism. News of his murder surfaced just as investigative authorities told the public that they have formally charged three people with their connection to the recent suicide bombing attack according to a report by Reuters.

In another development, Belgian security services feared that important knowledge about Belgium's nuclear sites may have been passed on to radical jihadist group ISIS after it was revealed that two of Doel nuclear plant employees appeared to have already left Europe for Syria in order to join the terrorist organization.

As reported by Daily Mail, a much larger ISIS plot to attack nuclear facilities and release radioactive materials into the air may be a work in progress with the recent turn of events.

Because of the surprising events in Belgium, security experts have urged for a re-assessment or a rethink of Belgium's security paradigm.

"We increasingly realize that we have to think about the people who work at facilities and attacks from on site or off site. The nature of threats is becoming more supple and complex. The way security is managed now has got to change," remarked nuclear security expert Roger Howsley as quoted by The Washington Post.
NASA is sending scientists around the world this year including the edge of the Greenland ice sheet to the coral reefs of the South Pacific to study how our planet is changing due to the alarming impact of humans on planet Earth.

Earth science field experiments are not new for NASA, with the next six months to be an active period with major new campaigns taking researchers around the world on a wide range of science investigations.

"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, 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" said Michael Freilich, director of NASA's Earth Science Division in Washington.



With the first new project currently to be examined at Greenland to the extent of which oceans around the region are melting the edges of the ice sheet from below. The team however are already conducting its first airborne survey of the ice edge around its entire coast of Greenland. Some other projects included air quality survey with the help of Korea-US air quality campaign in South Korea scheduled to begin in May.

This joint study between the USA and Korea will advance the ability to monitor air pollution from space, ground sites, ships and satellites. Throughout the remainder of the current year, the team of scientists are working in the tundra and forests around Alaska and north-west canada studying the role of climate in wildfires, thawing permafrost, wildlife migration habits and insect outbreaks.

The Coral Reef Airborne Laboratory (CORAL) project team will begin testing airborne and in-water instruments in Hawaii to assess the condition of threatened coral-based ecosystems. Three airborne research campaigns will take to the skies this summer, focusing on critical climate-related components of the atmosphere.

A better understanding of how the smoke particles alter stratocumulus clouds that play a key role in regional and global surface temperatures and precipitation will help improve current climate models.
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Kolkata:

In a bid to reclaim stake of Bharatiya Janata Party in upcoming Assembly Elections, Prime Minister Narendra Modi will be addressing a public rally in Kharagpur on Sunday.



He is likely to address nothing less than 10 rallies in West Bengal to ensure people vote for his party and let them serve the state.



Last week state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said that as per the State leaderships request, Mr. Modi would hold 10 rallies in the State.



In one day he will have three rallies so he will have to come for three to four days, Mr. Ghosh said.



Among the constituencies where the Prime Minister is expected to campaign are Siliguri in North Bengal, Kharagpur in Paschim Mednipur district, Asansol in Bardhaman district and Malda.



On Sunday, he will also be addressing a rally in Assam's Rangpara.
Islamabad:

After receiving Visa from Indian authorities on Friday five members of a Pakistani Joint Investigation Team (JIT) arrived in Delhi on Sunday to carry forward the probe into the brazen Pathankot Air Base attack, blamed on Pakistan based Jaish-e-Mohammad (JeM) militants. "We have issued visas to five Pakistani officials, who will be going to India to get evidence about the Pathankot attack," an Indian High Commission spokesperson said in Islamabad.



The five-member probe team comprises senior officials from both the military intelligence as well as civil administration and is headed by the Chief of Punjab Counter Terrorism Department (CTD) Additional Inspector General of Police Muhammad Tahir Rai.



Other members include Lahore Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujjaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer. (Also read. Pakistan may make Masood Azhar available for questioning if found guilty )



This is the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials have travelled to India to investigate a terror attack. The team is expected to examine the weapons used by the terrorists carrying out the assault on IAF base in Pathankot besides recording the statements of the victims, Pakistani media reports said.



Earlier, Pakistan had constituted a six-member Special Investigation Team (SIT) for the initial probe into the case based on the leads provided by India. India had agreed to allow the Pakistani JIT to visit the Pathankot Air Base after External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met with her Pakistani counterpart Sartaj Aziz in Kathmandu on the sidelines of SAARC Ministerial meeting on March 17. (Also read. NIA releases photos of Pathankot attack terrorists)

Swaraj had said that the Pakistani investigators will reach India on March 27 and will begin their work on 28. India has been pressing Pakistan for action over the brazen assault on the key IAF base on January 2 in which seven Indian security personnel were killed. In the gun-battle, six terrorists were also killed. The attack led to the postponement of a scheduled meeting between Foreign Secretaries of Pakistan and India in January in Islamabad.



On February 18, Pakistan had lodged an FIR in connection with the Pathankot terror attack without naming JeM chief Masood Azhar who India has accused of having masterminded the strike. The FIR by the Counter-Terrorism Department of Punjab police was lodged on the basis of information provided by National Security Adviser Ajit Doval that the attackers crossed from Pakistan into India and attacked the airbase. (Also read. Pathankot attack: India asks Pakistan to inform about JIT visit 5 days in advance)

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Noida:

Noida Police has registered a case of cheating against the owner of Ringing Bells who had offered to sell the worlds cheapest smartphone following a complaint filed by BJP leader Kirit Somaiya. The police registered the case under Section 420 (cheating) of IPC and the IT Act on Tuesday. The owner of Ringing Bells Mohit Goel and company president Ashok Chaddha have been named in the FIR, police said.

Ringing Bells had recently offered with much fanfare a smartphone, named Freedom 251, at just Rs 251 and claimed it to be the cheapest smartphone. But Somaiya, in his complaint, said it was not possible to manufacture a smartphone at Rs 251 and the owner of the company was fooling the people.

Primary investigation found the matter fit for FIR. A case has been lodged and a team has been constituted to investigate the case, SSP, S Kiran said. We have asked the company to submit documents required for the investigation, said DSP Anup Singh. The firm said it is ready to cooperate with the police. (Also read. Is Ringing Bells' Freedom 251 smartphone worth Rs 3600?)

We remain committed to cooperating with any government agency that may require inquiring 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 smartphones, including the Freedom 251, Mohit Goel said.
New Delhi:

Congress today termed as murder of democracy and unconstitutional the decision of the central government to impose Presidents rule in Uttarkhand and said the Narendra Modi dispensation was out to bring down duly-elected governments. It is murder of democracy, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said while commenting on dismissal of the partys government in Uttarakhand.



He said it demonstrates that BJP does not believe in democracy. It is not surprising...The real desire of the government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner, Congress general secretary Ambika Soni said. At every step, constitutional rules have been broken... The Governor did not send the kind of report (rebel Congress leader Vijay) Bahuguna and BJP wanted...it is so glaring for everyone to see, she said.



She said Chief Minister Harish Rawat would have proved his majority on the floor of Assembly tomorrow. On options available with the Congress, Soni said CM Harish Rawat is in process of discussing with his Cabinet colleagues what is the best possible way forward. Uttarakhand was brought under Presidents rule by the Centre on grounds of breakdown of governance in a controversial decision which comes in the wake of a political crisis triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress. (Also read. Uttarakhand crisis: Harish Rawat condemns 'threat' by Centre over President's rule)



President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Art 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet. The Cabinet had held an emergency meeting here last night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short a visit to Assam to return to the capital for the purpose.



The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor K K Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state Assembly tomorrow. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is believed to have briefed the President late last night explaining the rationale for the Cabinets recommendation.



The dismissal of the Rawat government now renders tomorrows confidence vote infructuous. It also came amidst reports that Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had disqualified 9 rebel Congress MLAs that would have enabled Rawat to sail through in the trust vote. (Also read. Uttarakhand crisis: Suspense mounts over fate of 9 rebel Cong MLAs, Centre mulls President Rule)

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New Delhi :

It seems like the Modi government will be in deep trouble after Finance Minister Arun Jaitley called the moments in Hyderabad Central University (HCU) and JNU events are small section of Jehadis. In the case of JNU, the predominant section of those involved in the agitation was ultra-Left barring a small section of jehadis, who had their faces masked during a demonstration on the campus on Feb 9 in which anti-national slogans were raised, he said.

The name of Dr B R Ambedkar was unfairly used in the case of HCU where protests erupted after the suicide by a research scholar Rohith Vemula, Jaitley said during an interaction with PTI journalists. He drew satisfaction from the fact that religious and minority groups and their leaders across the country had not participated in the debate set off by the events in the two universities.

The moderate Left and the Congress had got trapped into what was otherwise a movement of the ultra-Left, the minister said, adding that the BJP had therefore taken it as an ideological challenge. The BJP had won the first round of this ideological debate in the sense that everybody had to come at least close to the position we were taking. (Also read. 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai' controversy continues: Will Mehbooba Mufti raise this slogan, asks AAP leader Kapil Mishra)

Asked if he expected more rounds in the debate, the BJP leader said that it was not a battle his party had started. We are not raising the debate to this extent (of further rounds) but if somebody against starts the whole idea, then the debate will certainly carry on. When asked if the BJP was reaping political dividends by raising the nationalism debate, Jaitley said, I am not looking for a dividend. This was an ideological positioning and we have made our point. On this battle I dont think we can lose.

Answering questions, Jaitley saw no contradiction between the governments agenda of development and the debate over nationalism. I think there is a section in this country, however small, which does not find this discourse very fascinating. So it wants to divert the issue. It is not compulsory in this country to raise a slogan (of Bharat Mata ki Jai). But it became an issue only when somebody said I take objection and I will not raise it, he said in an apparent reference to a declaration made by Majlis MP Asaduddin Owaisi.

Asked if it was an overkill to slap sedition charges against JNU students union President Kanhaiya Kumar, Jaitley said it was a legal issue and he would not like to get into it. That is a matter of individual culpability. Whether he is technically liable, what sections should he be prosecuted for and whether he should be prosecuted or not. I do not want to prejudice the trial even against him or for that matter anybody else. (Also read. Tharoor's remark likening Kanhaiya to Bhagat Singh draws BJP ire)

There are slogans being raised that this country will be broken up by jung (war). We will break up this country by jung. And an individual goes and participates in this unlawful assembly where this resolve is being made. So whether he is legally liable or not, is a question which courts will have to look into, he said.

Attacking the Congress, Jaitley said people from mainstream parties should have thought twice before joining an unlawful assembly which is talking of a jung to break this country. In Parliament I had said there are two types of peopleone who think first and then act and the other who act first and then think. Congress leaders first took the step. They went and joined and preached that this break up of this country slogan is free speech and we have come here to defend this free speech.

The minister contended that the overwhelming majority of this country has disapproved of the very character of the anti-India slogans. He said he was personally in favour of radical romancing in universities in which one says something not very responsible out of extra enthusiasm which after 10 years he realises that it was not the most sensible thing to do. You can give a licence for that. But I think having said that somehow to speak in terms of desh ki barbadi, desh ke tukde, tukde, I think this crossed all limits, he said. (Also read. #BharatMataKiJay: AIMIM leader Asaduddin Owaisi's tongue costs Rs 1 crore!)

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Washington:

In a warning shot to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders today trounced the Democratic front-runner in the crucial presidential caucuses in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, making inroads into her substantial lead in the race for the partys nomination for the White House.

Sanders, 74, won Washington state by getting more than 72 per cent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 80 per cent of the votes. He also won in Hawaii with a big margin over the former secretary of state.

For Clinton, 68, who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.

Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders.

We knew things were going to improve as we headed west, Sanders said at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin. We are making significant inroads in ... Clintons lead ... We have a path toward victory, the Vermont Senator told his supporters.

Clintons, including the former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsie Clinton, spend quite a bit of time in Washington. In Alaska, which has 16 delegates at stake, the wife of Sanders campaigned for a few days.

We knew things were going to improve as we headed West, Sanders said. With your help were going to win right here in Wisconsin, he said. So dont let anyone tell you we cant win the nomination, or win the general election. Were going to do both of those things.

He said the momentum building behind his campaign comes from big crowds at rallies, from overwhelming victories, from record turnouts at caucuses and primaries, from a grassroots campaign taking on the political establishment and from more than two million supporters who donated less than USD 30 apiece on average.

We are on a path toward victory, Sanders said in Wisconsin, where the Democratic primaries are scheduled for April 5. There are 86 pledged delegates at stake in Wisconsin.

To become a Democratic party presidential nominee, Clinton or Sanders need at least 2,382 delegates of the total 4,763 delegates including 712 super delegates, who are party office bearers and are not elected as part of the presidential primaries. Super delegates are independent and are free to vote to any of the candidates.

So far, Clinton leads the race to the White House in the Democratic party as she has 1,703 delegates. This includes 1,234 delegates she won during the presidential primaries and 469 super delegates who have said they would vote for her.

On the other hand, Sanders has 985 delegates to his kitty. These include 956 delegates won by him and 29 super delegates, who have pledged support to him. Clintons campaign privately acknowledged that Saturday would be a good one for Sanders, and her efforts in Washington were aimed mostly at trying to keep the race relatively close, as delegates are distributed proportionally. The size of Sanderss margins today served as a warning shot to Clinton.

Washington and Alaska had always looked to be favorable territory for Sanders, because they are predominantly white and rural population. Clinton had campaigned in Washington after losing to Barack Obama by about a 2-1 margin in 2008.

Even though Wisconsin could be fertile territory for Sanders on April 5, Clinton is poised to do well in her home state of New York on April 19 with its 247 pledged delegates.

She also faces favorable territory in the upcoming Super Tuesday contest on April 26 when Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and Maryland voters head to the polls and nearly 400 pledged delegates are at stake.

Bernie Sanders is not just earning the delegates he needs to win, he is showing DCs professional pundit class that, despite their premature eulogising of his progressive political revolution, the fight for the Democratic nomination is far from over, said Charles Chamberlain, executive director, Democracy for America.

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Palmyra:

Syrian troops recaptured the ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group today and pledged to build on the win with an advance against other jihadist strongholds.

President Bashar al-Assad hailed the victory as an important achievement and fresh proof of the efficiency of the Syrian army and its allies in fighting terrorism.

The army said pro-government forces had cleared IS fighters from the UNESCO world heritage site, where the jihadists sparked a global outcry with the systematic destruction of treasured monuments.

Palmyra will be the central base to broaden operations... against Daesh in numerous areas, primarily Deir Ezzor and Raqa, the army said in a statement carried by state media, using an Arabic name for IS.

The northern city of Raqa is ISs main Syrian bastion and the oil-rich eastern province of Deir Ezzor is another key stronghold.

Backed by a barrage of Russian air strikes, Syrian troops and allied militia launched a major offensive to retake the desert city this month.

Palmyra is both a symbolic and strategic prize for Assads forces, as it provides control of the surrounding desert extending all the way to the Iraqi border.

At least 400 IS fighters were killed in the battle for the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On the government side, 188 troops and militiamen were killed.

Thats the heaviest losses that IS has sustained in a single battle since its creation in 2013, the director of the Britain-based monitoring group, Rami Abdel Rahman, told AFP.

He said two cars packed with explosives blew up in the afternoon, one west of Palmyra and the other northeast of the city. A military source told AFP that IS militants had retreated towards the east as the army made its final push.

Syrian state television broadcast footage from inside Palmyras famed museum, showing jagged pieces of sculptures on the ground and blanketed in dust. A stone head of one statue lay in the centre of one room.

Most artefacts were evacuated by antiquities staff before IS arrived in May 2015, but larger pieces that could not be moved remained in the building.

An AFP journalist inside Palmyra said residential neighbourhoods were like ghost towns with no civilians in sight while damage was widespread. Most buildings bore impacts from artillery shells and gunfire, and some were entirely reduced to rubble.

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New Delhi:

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today condemned the Lahore blasts and offered his condolences to the families of the deceased. Heard about the blast in Lahore. I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased & prayers with the injured, Modi tweeted.

Over 50 people including women and children, enjoying Easter holiday at a popular public park, were today killed and nearly 200 others injured in a powerful suicide blast in Pakistans eastern city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province. PM Narendra Modi calls up Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif; expresses condolences over the deaths in Lahore blast

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When it rains, when snow melts, and brooks flow  whether you live in Norfolk or Stratford, in an old-industry city like Danbury or a country town like Bridgewater  the Housatonic River carries that water to the Long Island Sound, to the sea.

It all runs downhill, said Ed Siergiej of Danbury, chairman of the Still River Alliance Commission, which is working to improve the water quality in one of the Housatonics main tributaries.

You cannot make generalizations about the Housatonic watershed of nearly 2,000 square miles. It covers 83 towns in western Connecticut, a good chunk of the Berkshire Hills in Massachusetts and three border towns in New York. These are widely differing places, and more than mileage separates communities like Salisbury and Ansonia.

The Housatonic Valley Association has to watch it all.

We have eight regions within our watershed and each has a unique geography, said HVA director Lynn Werner. You get a river for fishing, for recreation. You get all these places.

The HVA is 75 years old this year. It is the oldest river advocacy group in New England and one of the oldest in the United States.

To celebrate, the organization will sponsor a 10-day Source-to-Sound canoe trip that will start in the marshes north of Pittsfield, Mass., on April 22  Earth Day  and end in the Long Island Sound on May 1. Paddlers who want to join the trip, whether for the entire 149 miles or for just a leg or two, should contact the HVA by April 8 by calling 860-672-6678 or going to www.hvatoday.org. The entire itinerary is posted on the website.

This is the fourth Source-to-Sound trip the group has run.

The HVA really believes that if people get close to the river, get on the river, it stays with them, said Richard Sears, the organizations development director. If we get children involved, they become lifelong stewards.

The HVA began creating these lifelong stewards of water and land in 1941.

Its founder was Charles Downing Lay, a pioneering landscape architect whose major projects include Battery Park and Bryant Park in New York City.

Lay lived in Stratford, in his family home 100 yards from the Housatonic, and had a summer camp  a collection of cottages  in Cornwall. He knew the river and its different landscapes well.

He absolutely loved its beauty, Werner said. He was a planner by profession and by passion, and he really believed people could make wise, intelligent decisions about the places they lived.

Lay started the HVA  first called the Housatonic Valley Conference  by organizing like-minded volunteers to help protect the river and the land surrounding it.

He was thinking ahead of his time, Werner said. He saw the river as special and deserving of protection.

Werner said Lays guiding philosophy  intelligent conservation of whats best about the Housatonic region  has always been at the core of what the HVA tries to do.

Its as relevant now as then, she said.

But development pressures throughout the watershed grew. The Housatonic got seriously polluted by PCBs leaching out of the General Electric plant in Pittsfield. The environmental movement of the 1960s led to the monumental environmental legislation of the 1970s.

It seemed for a while we were hit by one big issue after another, Werner said over battles with GE, the effort to stop the construction of the Super 7 highway, and the contentious fight over the route of the Iroquois pipeline through Litchfield County.

To stay abreast of all these changes, the HVA grew. Instead of volunteers, it has a staff of 10 full-time and four part-time employees. Along with its headquarters in Cornwall, it has offices in South Lee, Massachusetts and in Amenia, N.Y. It also has ties to about 75 organizations in the watershed  federal, state, municipal and private non-profits groups alike.

Its big recent projects include the creation of Litchfield County Greenprint  an effort to identify the most valuable open spaces parcels in the county in hopes of preserving them as open space. It is also a partner with the Housatonic River Commission, the group leading the effort for federal Wild and Scenic River designation for the northern section of the Housatonic.

Its also begun a multi-year effort to address the increasing load of pollution carried into the Housatonic by stormwater runoff. But rather than look for one over-arching solution, its looking at each of its tributaries as a different region with different needs and different solutions.

One the first places its trying this approach is with the Still River Alliance. Although the river runs through Danbury, Brookfield and New Milford, its watershed extends into the towns of New Fairfield, Ridgefield and Bethel. Planning for the Still River addresses that.

Theyre looking at non-point sources of pollution, said Alice Dew, Brookfields land use manager. That should be great.

Those sources include storm water from paved surfaces such as roads and parking lots.

Were looking at the big hitters,said Siergiej. If we can address them, we can see some real improvements.

Werner said HVA concentrates on non-point pollution because its only getting worse.

People are paving more land. Climate change is making the atmosphere wetter and warmer. This may mean heavier storms washing more sand and salt, grease and fertilizer into the rivers.

In Connecticut, we have some of the oldest infrastructure in the country, Werner said of the states storm water system. Its doing exactly what it was designed to do: Deliver toxic water into our rivers.

So the HVA  using its tried-and-true 75-year-old methods  is finding another way to follow, and clean, its river running downhill.

In five years, you may see some major improvements in the water in Long Island Sound, Werner said.

Contact Robert Miller at earthmattersrgm@gmail.com
There are times when I imagine what it must have been like to be a real Connecticut Yankee farmer. To work from dark to dark caring for the animals, plowing and planting and harvesting and working like no one has before or since. Digging foundations and wells by hand. Living in farmhouses without central heat or indoor plumbing.

These were cautious, frugal and careful people who knew how to husband their resources. They did not buy on credit and what they purchased was made to last.
According to the latest WHO data, life expectancy in Nigeria is: male 53.7, female 55.4 and total life expectancy is 54.5 which gives N...





Below are the twelve reasons why life is short in Nigeria. There may be more:

Culled from Naij

According to the latest WHO data, life expectancy in Nigeria is: male 53.7, female 55.4 and total life expectancy is 54.5 which gives Nigeria a World Life Expectancy ranking of 177. Why are Nigerians dying so young?Poor living condition often contribute to poor quality of life among NigeriansCommunal killings have dominated Nigerias national life since Independence. More Nigerians have died from sporadic communal killings than in other parts of the world. We have had flash points in Jos, Northern Nigeria and other parts of the country. These deaths often claim hundreds of lives in their prime.Nigerias healthcare system is in shambles. Our hospitals are mere consulting clinics. Many Nigerians go to hospitals and end up in the morgue. The state of healthcare is the reason why Nigerians die early.In Nigeria, one can easily fall to crime such as kidnapping, abduction and ritual killing. Only recently, a school leaver going to write examination into the university was abducted and later found dead having been raped. Many more Nigerians have died through this means.According to statistics from UNICEF, one in five Nigerian children do not live to see their fifth birthday due to malnutrition.Life is hard in Nigeria. Majority of the over one hundred and seventy million people live below poverty line. People die from simple ailments that an average European would ordinarily take for granted.In Nigeria, the living condition is poor. Noise level, traffic gridlock, car honking all contribute to stress. Even poor environment where people inhale dirty air is a contributing factor.Compare this to the serene life in many European cities where there is Clean Air Act and strong compliance and enforcement of standards. These contribute to the healthy life of an average European.Poor infrastructure such as roads often lead to accidents with many lives lost. More Nigerians died from road accidents that in any part of the world.In Nigeria, if one does not die from other causes, one is sure to die from accidental or intentional police shooting.The rate at which buildings collapse in Nigeria now makes it a major cause of death.In Nigeria, malaria kills faster than AIDS. It is the number one cause of death among infants.Heart disease and hypertension which used to be common among the elderly also kill is another cause of death for young people.Believe it or not, many Nigerians believe life can be cut short by the evil machinations of witches and wizards. How far that is true is what one cannot begin to test.If you want to find out, visit a place of worship and hear Nigerians pray against evil spirits.In Nigeria, ignorance is behind many untimely deaths. An average Nigerian work all year round while a European takes a break for vacation.How many public parks are in Lagos for example? The green areas are built up leading to poor quality of life of the people.
Nigerias High Commissioner in Cameroon, Ambassador Hadisa Mustapha has said there are four million hardworking Nigerians in the country...

Nigerias High Commissioner in Cameroon, Ambassador Hadisa Mustapha has said there are four million hardworking Nigerians in the country.She made the disclosure onboard Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) OKPABANA at the weekend in Douala, during a dinner with Nigerias contingent to exercise Obangame/Saharan Express.Describing as untrue the allegation of hostilities against Nigerians in Cameroon, Mustapha stated that the relationship between both countries have improved significantly since the conclusion of the rivalry over Bakassi Peninsula.The seeming hostility against Nigerians in Cameroon are mere allegations. There are four million hardworking Nigerians here. We have professional Nigerians, business people and people in the car, spareparts businesses. We also have professional in the international organisations, teachers and clergymen.As an Embassy, we get report on all issues concerning Nigerians and we have three missions here  two consulate and the High Commission.I want to say that there is a lot of improvement in the situation with Nigerians. This started from the end of Bakassi. Definitely, there are a few issues and most have to do with immigration status of Nigerians.I do not want to say it is trend that is so rampant or that it is an issue against Nigerians per se. Every country has its own policies and security measures. With the security challenges around, every country is trying to do its best to curb crime and criminality.As a mission, we are very much in touch with our community. We meet with them often and whenever they bring their problems, we take the matter to the authorities and they listen to us, she said.Mustapha commended the Navy for its participation in the exercise, noting that aside showcasing its military might, the ship has promoted maritime diplomacy.This is the second Obangame Express I have witnessed. It is always nice to see our ship in harbour of a foreign country flying our flag. The exercise itself is very important for our military, particularly the navy to show we have full control of our maritime domain.It is also a very good way of promoting maritime diplomacy. So, we are very happy and proud to have NNS OKPABANA here, she said.
President Muhammadu Buhari today promised that mass killings of innocent Nigerians, abductions and other criminal atrocities would so...

President Muhammadu Buhari today promised that mass killings of innocent Nigerians, abductions and other criminal atrocities would soon become history in the country.The president made the pledge in his Easter message to the nation.He said that his administration was determined to achieve peace and security across the nation by ending the avoidable conflicts and crises that hindered national progress.He explained that already, the nations security apparatus were being reformed and empowered to win the war against terrorism and other criminal activities across the country.He stressed that the unfortunate incidents in recent years involving the wanton shedding of the blood of men, women and children in frequent orgies of criminal, political, ethnic and religious violence had become embarrassing and unacceptable.He said, My administration is determined to achieve peace and security across our nation by ending the avoidable conflicts and crises that hinder our national progress.I ask for the support of all Nigerians in this regard. We must put a stop to politically motivated killings. Our communities must be made safe again for all inhabitants to live together in peace and harmony.Our armed forces, police and other security agencies are being progressively reformed, repositioned and empowered to win the war against terrorism and make mass killings, abductions and other criminal atrocities things of the past in our beloved country.Let us all also play our parts as patriotic citizens and do all that we can to ensure that we make Nigeria a safer, more peaceful and happier place for its people and others.The President, who rejoiced with Nigerians, especially Christian brothers and sisters, who were celebrating Easter, urged them to imbibe the essential message of Jesus Christ, who repeatedly urged his disciples and followers to love one another as I have loved you.He added, As we celebrate Easter this year, I sincerely believe that it will serve our dear nation very well if we all imbibe this essential message of Jesus Christ and truly learn to love our countrymen and women as we love ourselves.Indeed, we will surely make faster progress towards the achievement of the peaceful, united, strong, progressive and prosperous country we all desire if, as a nation, we eschew all divisive, parochial, ethnic and religious sentiments and rivalries, and begin to live more harmoniously with our compatriots, as Jesus Christ and the founders of the worlds other great religions enjoined mankind.NAN
Chad has withdrawn from the ongoing Afcon 2017 qualifiers citing financial constraints ahead of their return leg match against Tanzan...

This decision may affect Nigerias chances of making it to the 2017 AFCON unless the Super Eagles do well enough to topple Egypt at the top of the standings in Group G, with two games now left to play.It was gathered that with Chads withdrawal, all the results secured against them in the series will be cancelled and there will be little chance for any team to emerge from Group G as one of the best two losers that will join the other group winners to take part in the 2017 AFCON billed for Gabon.The Chadians were beaten 1-0 at home by Tanzania over the weekend in round three of the qualifying series but their withdrawal now makes the group complicated.An official statement by Chad signed by FA general secretary, Moctar Mahamoud, said the country will not be in Tanzania for Mondays AFCON qualifier due to the harsh economic realities, which has also affected their participation in other international competitions.Chad are bottom of Group G with no points having lost their matches against Nigeria, Egypt and Tanzania. Egypt top the group with seven points while Nigeria have five points.If they had not withdrawn, besides the trip to Tanzania, Chad are also due to host Nigeria in June before a final group game against Egypt.Nigeria did not qualify for the last Nations Cup won by the Elephants of Cote dIvoire.
The Nigerian government plans to send some members of the Chibok community to Cameroon to verify the claim of a female suicide bomber arr...

The Nigerian government plans to send some members of the Chibok community to Cameroon to verify the claim of a female suicide bomber arrested in Borno state on Friday that she is one of the missing schoolgirls abducted in Chibok almost two years ago.A statement on Saturday by the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Garba Shehu, said that the Minister of Women Affairs, Senator Aisha Alhassan and Nigerian high commissioner in Cameroon have already swung into action and are receiving a lot of cooperation from the Cameroonian authorities.The statement also said that it has been confirmed that one of two girls is claiming to be among the girls stolen from Chibok on 14th April 2014, noting that doubts have creeped into the claim following new information from Cameroon that the two girls were aged about ten years.One of the two is also believed to be heavily drugged and therefore not in full control of her senses, Garba said.Malam Garba also revealed that the Nigerian high commissioner in Cameroon, Ambassador Hadiza Zakari Mustapha had confirmed that the arrested girls may be brought to the Capital, Younde by Monday, at which point the High Commission will seek permission to meet with them.The Murtala Mohammed Foundation, the statement said, has offered to cooperate with Nigeriaan government in sponsoring two parents from Chibok who have been selected to embark on the trip to Cameroon.The two are Yakubu Nkeki, Chairman of the Parents of the Abducted Girls from Chibok association, and Yana Galang, the groups women leader.The Nigerian High Commission will receive the two and will facilitate their access to the two girls once permission to meet and verify their identity is obtained from the Cameroonian authorities. The statement stated
The Birnin Kebbi Central Market has been gutted by fire, according to the the News Agency of Nigeria. A NAN correspondent, who visited...

The Birnin Kebbi Central Market has been gutted by fire, according to the the News Agency of Nigeria.A NAN correspondent, who visited the scene of the incident today, reported that property worth millions of naira was destroyed but no life was lost in the fire, which started in the early hours of the day.The Chairman of the central market management, Alhaji Abubakar Bandam, told journalists in Birnin Kebbi that the fire was noticed at about midnight, adding that the source of the inferno had yet to be determined.He said the management of the market was working closely with security agencies to identify the cause, just as he commended the states fire service for its prompt response.The state Director of the Fire Service, Alhaji Bello Zagga, told NAN that the fire lasted for several hours because the firefighting vans did not have easy access to the spot of the inferno.He said although the source of the fire had yet to be identified, it appeared that illegal electrical wiring and connections in shops were responsible.Government officials, led by the Chief of Staff to the governor, Alhaji Suleiman Argungu, and the Emir of Gwandu, Alhaji Mohammad Bashar, visited the scene to sympathise with traders who lost their goods.
The Three Lions came from behind to earn a remarkable away win in Berlin, with Tottenham and Leicester strikers Harry Kane and Jamie Vard...

Eric Dier scored a superb injury-time header to give England a brilliant 3-2 win over world champions Germany in Berlin on Saturday.Roy Hodgson's men fell 2-0 behind at the Olympiastadion, with goals from Toni Kroos and Mario Gomez giving Joachim Low's men a seemingly unassailable lead.However, Harry Kane halved the deficit with a superb turn and shot in the second-half, before Jamie Vardy's stunning flicked finish levelled proceedings on the night.England then pressed forward in search of a winner and, after Dele Alli had missed a gilt-edged chance, Dier rose highest in the box to head home a Jordan Henderson corner and earn the Three Lions a fantastic win.(Goal.com)
The-yet-to-abate fuel scarcity in the country assumed a dangerous dimension on Saturday in Ilorin, the Kwara state as three gunmen opened...

The-yet-to-abate fuel scarcity in the country assumed a dangerous dimension on Saturday in Ilorin, the Kwara state as three gunmen opened fire on motorists queuing for petrol.The incident happened at one Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Filling Stations in the metropolis.In the ensuing melee, it was gathered that the gunmen left two young men and a lady with serious injuries.Some others on the queue and other officials of the station were said to have scampered for safety.The incident according to eyewitnesses occurred in the early hours of the day. It was gathered that the three men were part of some youths who had forced themselves on the station, located along Offa Garage Road, to manage the gates to reduce the practice by many motorists to jump the queue in their desperate bid to get fuel.An eyewitness said it was due to an argument among the boys; you know they are thugs and they have been at the gate but we dont really know what led to the argument but we just suddenly heard the gunshots and it was later discovered that some people were seriously injured.The three victims it was gathered were rushed to a private hospital, Yusjib Industrial Medicare, along the same axis.The Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the facility, Dr Yusuf Abdulraheem, told newsmen the three victims were in stable conditions. He said one of them had been taken to a laboratory where the bullets in him would be extracted.Kwara police commands spokesperson Ajayi Okasanmi confirmed the development.He said that one of the gunmen has been arrested adding that a locally made pistol and some live cartridges were recovered from the suspect.Management of the filling station could not be reached, as the Manager only promised to call back after several calls to him. He also did not respond to text messages from reporters.
The Federal Government is sending to Cameroun immediately a delegation comprising parents of some of the girls abducted in Chibok, Borno ...

The Federal Government is sending to Cameroun immediately a delegation comprising parents of some of the girls abducted in Chibok, Borno State. They are to go and identify the self-professed Chibok girl suicide bomber arrested in the northern part of that country on Friday.The 15 year old girl and her female accomplice were apprehended by local self-defence forces in the village of Limani, in an area of northern Cameroun that has been the target of frequent suicide bombings in recent months moment before they could blow themselves up.The two carried explosive devices on their bodies.They are now being interrogated by Camerouns security agents who said they would contact their Nigerian counterparts with a view to ascertaining the Chibok girls claim.Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the President, Malam Garba Shehu, said that Women Affairs Minister Aisha Alhassan and the Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroon have already swung into action and are receiving a lot of cooperation from the Cameroonian authorities on the issue.Shehu confirmed that one of the two girls indeed claimed to be among the abducted girls although there were doubts last night about the claim following fresh information from Cameroon that the two girls were aged about ten years.One of the two is also believed to be heavily drugged and therefore not in full control of her senses, Shehu added.The Nigerian High Commissioner in Cameroon, Ambassador Hadiza Zakari Mustapha is expected to seek permission to meet with the suspects.The Murtala Muhammed Foundation has offered to sponsor two parents from Chibok who have been selected to embark on the trip to Cameroon.The two are Yakubu Nkeki, Chairman of the Parents of the Abducted Girls from Chibok Association, and Yana Galang, the groups women leader.The Nigerian High Commission will receive the two and will facilitate their access to the two girls once permission to meet and verify their identity is obtained from the Cameroonian authorities, Shehu said.Nigeria and the rest of the world, it was gathered on good authority in Abuja yesterday, are keen to hear revelations that may be made by the suspect if truly she is one of the 219 girls abducted by the terror sect, Boko Haram, from the Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State in April, 2014.Government has been unable to establish the whereabouts of the girls which makes their rescue difficult.Well placed sources confirmed last night that the Chibok girl was yesterday flown from Maroua in northern Cameroun to the capital, Yaounde for debriefing and identification.Abuja was however monitoring development last night.The Defence Headquarters was said to be waiting for information on the development from the Multi-National Joint Task Force of which Cameroun is a member.The source said: From the situation report, the girl was taken to Salak Airport in Maroua from where she was flown to Yaounde for debriefing and proper identification.The debriefing of the suspect will begin later today (last night). Apart from Nigeria, many countries are interested in the latest development.The Federal Government is monitoring the situation in Cameroon to get the true picture of who was arrested.All I can assure you is that a bilateral understanding will prevail at the endA military source said the Camerounian military was yet to link up with the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) with the appropriate communication.So, the Nigerian military authorities cannot make any categorical statement. Even when we get information from Cameroun, we still have to verify it.It is expected that the girl, if truly is among the missing Chibok students, will shed light on their abduction, their treatment by the terrorists, the fate of the other girls and the like.#BringBackOurGirls group which was set up to arouse public interest in the fate of the Chibok girls said yesterday in Abuja that it was expecting official information from the Federal Government on the matter.Spokespersons for the group- Aisha Yesufu, Oby Ezekwesili and Hadiza Bala Usman, said in statement in Abuja that they could not respond immediately to the news conclusively until we have facts from the Nigerian government; from whom we requested and have eagerly been awaiting official information on the matter.In the interim however, our thoughts are as follows:The claim by the young woman that she is a Chibok girl should reawaken the Nigerian government to the zeal and commitment necessary for ensuring that they are rescued and brought back;This development suggests that we now have a possible source of credible intelligence as to what transpired, where the others are, and other leads required to facilitate their rescue.Regardless of whether she is one of our Chibok girls or not, our thoughts and sentiments remain the same:using children, girls who should be in school (or any humans at all) as suicide bombers is not only tragic and cruel, it is completely reprehensible and we denounce it;these children suicide bomber are themselves victims, and must be seen and treated as such;iii. we all must hasten to free all those in captivity. For as long as they are with the monsters, we all are ourselves unsafe and equally in captivity;a few weeks ago, a girl suicide bomber did not detonate her device at an IDP camp because she knew her family was most likely in that camp, and she could not kill them.It is important to send out messages that counter the programming of the terrorists. This may help in empowering these victims from detonating the explosives and accessing help;this particular experience highlights the importance of building not only a regional coalition among neighbouring countries to counter terror, but a global one.The Nigerian government as a matter of urgency needs to swiftly act to ascertain the facts of this matter and make them public. It is getting to 24 hours since the news broke.We need to know her name and identity, her parents names, where she is from, possibly extract DNA samples for quick testing and matching, etc.This should be a wakeup call to the Nigerian government to adopt and utilise our citizens-developed tool the Verification, Authentication, and Reunification System (VARS) designed by our movement for such scenarios as these. This tool was accepted by the federal government on 8 July 2015 during our meeting with the president, but has not been deployed.Likewise, the Missing Persons Register which would have been useful in tracking this young victim in order to commence her rehabilitation, reunification, and reintegration process with her family and community.Each of the two girls in Cameroun were said to be carrying explosives weighing 12kilogrammes.
The #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy group has said that the teenager bomber who claimed to be one of the Chibok girls when she was ap...

The #BringBackOurGirls (#BBOG) advocacy group has said that the teenager bomber who claimed to be one of the Chibok girls when she was apprehended in Cameroon is a victim despite the situation.The group said that the claim by the young girl should re-awaken the Federal Government on the need to speedily rescue the Chibok girls who will soon be celebrating two years in captivity.#BBOG said that the arrest of the girl means that the government now has a means of credible intelligence as to the location of the other girls and the need to rescue them.The group responded to the arrest in a press statement signed by its leaders, Aisha Yesufu, Oby Ezekwesili and Hadiza Bala-Usman.We received news yesterday Friday 25 March, of an arrested girl-child suicide bomber in Cameroon who identified herself as one of our abducted Chibok girls.We are presently unable to respond to this news conclusively until we have facts from the Nigerian government; from whom we requested and have eagerly been awaiting official information on the matter.In the interim however, our thoughts are as follows:The claim by the young woman that she is a Chibok girl should reawaken the Nigerian government to the zeal and commitment necessary for ensuring that they are rescued and brought back;This development suggests that we now have a possible source of credible intelligence as to what transpired, where the others are, and other leads required to facilitate their rescue.Regardless of whether she is one of our Chibok girls or not, our thoughts and sentiments remain the same:Using children, girls who should be in school (or any humans at all) as suicide bombers is not only tragic and cruel, it is completely reprehensible and we denounce it;These children suicide bomber are themselves victims, and must be seen and treated as such;We all must hasten to free all those in captivity. For as long as they are with the monsters, we all are ourselves unsafe and equally in captivity;A few weeks ago, a girl suicide bomber did not detonate her device at an IDP camp because she knew her family was most likely in that camp, and she could not kill them. It is important to send out messages that counter the programming of the terrorists. This may help in empowering these victims from detonating the explosives and accessing help;This particular experience highlights the importance of building not only a regional coalition among neighbouring countries to counter terror, but a global one.The Nigerian government as a matter of urgency, needs to swiftly act to ascertain the facts of this matter and make them public. It is getting to 24 hours since the news broke. We need to know her name and identity, her parents names, where she is from, possibly extract DNA samples for quick testing and matching, etc.This should be a wakeup call to the Nigerian government to adopt and utilise our citizens-developed tool the Verification, Authentication, and Reunification System (VARS) designed by our movement for such scenarios as these. This tool was accepted by the federal government on 8 July 2015 during our meeting with the president, but has not been deployed.Likewise, the Missing Persons Register which would have been useful in tracking this young victim in order to commence her rehabilitation, reunification, and reintegration process with her family and community, the group stated.
Ex-former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, lampooned Ibe Kachikwu, Minister...

Ex-former governor of Lagos State and national leader of the All Progressives Congress, APC, yesterday, lampooned Ibe Kachikwu, Minister of State, Petroleum, for telling Nigerians that he was not trained as a magician, a reference to the lingering fuel scarcity that appears to be defying efforts of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.Tinubu, who is not known for flippancy, wondered why a public servant would talk down on those he was meant to serve, charging: Kachikwus flippancy was out-of-line. He was basically telling Nigerians that they should be lucky that they are getting the inadequate supply they now suffer and that they should just be quiet and endure the shortage for several weeks more.The ten paragraph statement, titled:, dripping with venomous pillory, nevertheless, attempted to inspire hope that, whereas tough times were here, we must all realize that they would be even harder and much darker would be the immediate horizon had we allowed the venal, kleptocracy of the PDP to continue to lord over the land solely for their selfish benefit and not for the common good.The APC leader went on: I am confident that President Buhari and this government can resolve the issues that press us. From establishing full security and safety to staking a claim to true economic prosperity and fairness, this government shall salvage our national pride and purpose.Tinubus statement reads:1.The art of governance is difficult and complex, especially during trying times. The steep reduction in global oil prices from over 100 dollars per barrel to roughly 40 presents a hard challenge. We can no longer afford past practices. Nigeria now requires creative reform, materially changing the substance of national economic policy as well as the objectives of that policy and how the policy is presented to the people. Therein lies the essence of progressive democratic governance.2.The Buhari administration represents the last best hope we have to install such governance in Nigeria and avert the catastrophe that would have befallen us had the prior government remained in place. Had the nation continued with the spendthrift corruption and vagabond economic policies of that administration, we would have soon experienced such a collision with the harsh consequences of that governments malign ways that our very institutions of government may have been distorted beyond fixture and repair.3.In this effort, there may be no economic matter more difficult to unravel and more sensitive to the purse of the average person than the current fuel scarcity. Even here I am confident of progress because I know the commitment of the president to resolving this matter. I make no attempt to hide it. I am an avid and partisan supporter of this government and of the progressive policies of the party, the APC, upon which this government is based.4. With that I do reserve the right and the duty as a Nigerian to voice my opinion when I believe a member of this government has strayed from the progressive calling required of this administration. I do this because my greater devotion and love are for this nation and its people. Party and politics fall secondary.5.Much public ire has been drawn to the statement made by minister of state Ibe kachikwu that he was not trained as a magician and that basically Nigerians should count themselves fortunate that the NNPC under his stewardship has been able to bring in the amount of petrol fuel it is currently doing.6.Perhaps the statement by Kachikwu was made in a moment of unguarded frustration or was an awkward attempt at a joke. Whatever the motive, it was untimely and off-putting. The remark did not sit well with the Nigerian people; they were as right to feel insulted as the Minister was wrong to have said such a thing. The fuel shortage is severely biting for the average person. They are forced to remain in lines far too long, for too much time, to pay too much money for too little fuel. This is no joking matter. Livelihoods and peoples welfare are at stake. With so much on the line, Kachikwus flippancy was out-of-line. He was basically telling Nigerians that they should be lucky that they are getting the inadequate supply they now suffer and that they should just be quiet and endure the shortage for several weeks more.7.Kachikwus intervention was unhelpful. It panicked and disappointed the public as to the duration of the crisis. It insulted the people by its tonality. He spoke with the imperious nature of a member of the elitist government the people voted out last year and not the progressive one they voted in. Kachikwu must be reminded that he was not coerced to take this job. He accepted the job and its responsibilities knowingly. He also must remember that he does not own NNPC. This also is not a private company that owes nothing to the public except the duty of fair dealing. He is a public servant. The seat he sits upon is owned by Nigerians not by him. The company he runs is owned by Nigerians not by him. They are his boss. He is not theirs. Power is vested in the people. He is a mere custodian or agent of their will. In talking to us in such a manner, he committed an act of insubordination. If he had talked so cavalierly to his boss in the private sector, he would have been reprimanded or worse. If wise, the man should refrain from such interjections in the future.8.As his ultimate bosses, the people have a right to demand the requisite performance and respect from him. He should apologize for treating them so lightly in this instance. His portfolio being a strategically important one, he needs to reestablish the correct relationship with the public. They no longer feel he is working for their optimal benefit as their servant. Instead, he seems to be standing above them, telling them to take it or leave it. For his policies and stint in office to be successful and a help to this government, he must have the support and belief of the people at this tough time. He must talk to them in a way that they believe he seeks their best interest and understands the hardship weighing upon them. He must ask them to work with him and perhaps to endure a bit longer but with the knowledge that he is working to resolve this matter as fast as he can and as permanently as possible. That he is dedicated to the position that once these current lines are gone that never again shall they reappear as long as he has any influence in the matter. To do this, requires no magic nor training in that strange craft. It requires empathy, compassion and the willpower to forge a better Nigeria. These must be the common trademarks of those serving in a progressive government for these attributes are integral parts of the spirit and ideals upon which the APC was founded. Upon such notions was this administration voted into office by the Nigerian people in the operation of their sovereign will to seek a national leadership that would pursue their interests to the utmost and give them every fair chance to live in a better Nigeria.9.Even though times are hard we must all realize that they would be even harder and much darker would be the immediate horizon had we allowed the venal, kleptocracy of the PDP to continue to lord over the land solely for their selfish benefit and not for the common good.10. I am confident that President Buhari and this government can resolve the issues that press us. From establishing full security and safety to staking a claim to true economic prosperity and fairness, this government shall salvage our national pride and purpose. Let all of us, in and out, of government never forget this. If we adhere to this remembrance, we shall see that magic will not be needed to bring the progress we seek.
-- The Coast Guard on Saturday suspended its search for several

about a half-mile off the Brigantine coast.

Authorities launched a search Friday after receiving a report around 5:45 p.m. that three to four people were in the water from a capsized fishing boat.

"There were no correlating reports of missing or overdue boaters in the area," the Coast Guard said in a statement.

Coast Guard teams searched about 196 square miles of the ocean over a 22-hour period, the agency said. Responders continued to search by air and water, but found no sign of a boat.

Anyone with information can contact Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay at 215-271-4960.

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
-- A

he used "excessive force" to protect a student from being attacked in a brawl, The Press of Atlantic City reported Saturday.

Then-physical education teacher Phillip Eisenstein, 28, said he broke up the fight several times between two sixth-graders at the New York Avenue School in October, the newspaper said. As students were leaving, one tried to attack the other pupil.

Eisenstein grabbed one student under his arms to prevent an assault and took him to the school's office, he told the newspaper.

The state Department of Children and Families investigated and found the educator did not use undue force, according to the report.

Eisenstein has appealed his firing and the school board has not announced its decision on the case

Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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Paul Czajak, of Farmingdale, has his seventh children's book coming out in May.

Even when reading to the sippy cup crowd, or perhaps especially when reading to the sippy cup crowd, I want books to enchant. Nothing twee and never talk down to children; they're short, not stupid.

Paul Czajak (pronounced Say-Jack) enchants and imparts lessons subtly with his delightful children's books. They're fun and contain lines such as these, from "Monster Needs His Sleep": "Monster fell out of bed (a bit dramatically). I need a drink, I'm very parched, he said emphatically."

Czajak, 45, spent 21 years as a chemist before becoming a full-time writer. He lives with his wife and two children in Farmingdale and frequently speaks at schools, inspiring children to write, as he did last week at the Ranney School in Tinton Falls.

His seventh book comes out in May and Czajak spoke this week with New Jersey Authors.

In this book, a monster is afraid of the dark and doesn't want to go to sleep.

Was being a children's book author something you always wanted to become?

It didn't strike me as something I ever wanted to do. It wasn't until I had kids that I started getting ideas for children's books. I kept telling my wife every time I would see my kids do something: 'I see a children's book.' And she grew tired of it and told me to write it down.

What did you want to be when growing up?

I always had an affinity for science. First, I wanted to be a marine biologist then a veterinarian, then reality hits you when you hit college and I knew I wanted science. I wasn't a very good writer in college.

On your book flaps, you mention a professor gave you an F and told you to get a tutor. Given that, what happened?

That was tough. It wasn't until after that I realized I was always writing for the wrong genre.

Children's books are the literary equivalent of modern art - everyone thinks he can do it. Is that the case?

They are deceptively simple and the first one I ever wrote was exactly that -- and I thought I could do this. The first one I wrote never got published and it's still sitting in a pile to be revised. It wasn't until I started going to conferences and learning the craft before I was able to write a book that could get published. People don't seem to understand that you have to learn how to do it.

In this book, the Monster finds out he is too young to vote and too young to run for president, but he is just the right age to fight for causes he believes in, such as keeping libraries open.

What's your best advice for aspiring children's book authors?

It's not necessarily what you put on the page, it's what you don't. (It helps if) you get paired with an illustrator, who knows how to marry a story (with pictures). But if you have too much story and don't give enough room for the illustrator it will be a horrible book and it won't get published.

How often do you write?

I try and write every day. Either going back and revising or writing. You have to do it every day. If you don't, then you are not working.

Children's books contain lessons. What are some you try to teach?

In "Monster Needs a Costume" it was about thinking outside the box. Monster couldn't really decide what he wanted to be for Halloween so he decided to be everything. It's about being creative.

In "Monster Needs Your Vote" there are couple in there, in my opinion. You have your main moral of the story: It does not matter if he wins or loses he is fighting for something he believes in. He finds out he is too young to be president but he keeps on going. He does not care. Because he is running on what he wants, not what people need. Our community needs this library and our country needs education, a whole underlying thing there of wants and needs.

Where did you get your first library card?

Pine Hill Library in Sherborn, MA. I even helped out in the library. They let me help on the weekends and after school. I learned the Dewey Decimal system and put books away.

Who are your favorite children's authors?

I love Oliver Jeffers. Every time I pick up one of his books he makes me laugh, Maurice Sendak is really good. My daughter loves Mo Willems and Jane Yolen.

How about adult writers?



I am obsessed with George R. Martin. I just read, "Nick and Nora's Infinite Playlist" by David Levithan.

What are you working on now?

I had an idea for a YA novel and I have written the first draft of that and am in depths of revising that.
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At 46, New Jersey-bred hip-hop artist and producer Wyclef Jean is gearing up for his latest splash, tied to new album "The Carnival 3." (Katie Piper and Karl Ferguson Jr.)

How old was Quincy Jones when he first collaborated with Michael Jackson?

Wyclef Jean waits for an answer, in response to a prodding of own age -- the dauntless Jersey-bred emcee is 46 -- and the role music still plays in his life.

Jones, an industry behemoth whose chameleonic career Jean has intently studied -- was 45 when he first took on Jackson's 1979 smash "Off The Wall."

"See, I'm just getting started, baby!" Jean exclaims in a recent interview, noting that when he won his first Grammy Award in 1997, as a member of the Fugees and orchestrator of the group's seminal LP "The Score," Jones assured Jean he hadn't even begun his climb.

The luminary had it right. Twenty years removed from "The Score," an album forged almost entirely in Jean's uncle's basement in East Orange, the artist has carved a career defined by its versatility and subsequent high-profile successes -- his ill-fated dip into Haitian politics notwithstanding.

Jean's raspy collaboration with Colombian pop star Shakira, for 2006's "Hips Don't Lie," reached No. 1 in 55 countries, and his producer's credit on Santana's titanic "Supernatural" linked him to the record's Album of the Year Grammy Award in 2000.

Shakira and Wyclef Jean perform "Hips Don't Lie" at the 2007 Grammys. (Photo by Kevin Winter/Getty Images)

Now, ahead of Jean's first solo album in seven years -- most recent was 2009's confessional concept LP "From the Hut, to the Projects to the Mansion" -- as well as an anticipated Tuesday performance at the Brooklyn Bowl, the self-described "man behind the music" speaks vibrantly as he draws the curtain on his new act "Carnival 3."

"This album is inspired by 1994, all the way to 2020 -- I'm always ahead," Jean boasts. "If you're a lover of hip-hop, you know I always bring you the world music of hip-hop."

He speaks of the Caribbean and reggae influences he's injected and inflected into virtually every release since the Fugees, and of the blaring, party brass of his new single "My Girl."

He adds: "Those horns make you say 'okay, Clef's back, Clef wants to have fun again.'"

"My Girl" will be incorporated into Jean's Brooklyn set -- the second of two concerts marking his first borough gigs in a decade -- though he has no idea where it fits in.

"My secret is I never have a set list," he says. "My whole performance is based off of energy. As humans, we are all just vibrations ... all I do is celebrate that vibration to you and if you give it back to me, then we're going to have a magical night. You're gonna be on every drug you can possibly be on, without being on them."

"Carnival III," the official title of a project deemed "Clefication" this time last year, is planned for a fall release on New York indie label Heads Music, and like its acclaimed precursors, allows space for his resume of talents -- rapping, singing, instrumentation, production -- plus a slew of featured artists, including Emeli Sande, Pusha T, DJ Khaled and even Daryl Hall.

"There's people who want to hear me rap on the album, I'm not gonna let them down," he says. "And people will want to hear where I left off with Shakira, I'm not gonna let them down either."

Of course, the eclectic artist is eager to discuss his new projects, but as a man who's spent most of his last three decades around North Jersey -- he now lives in Saddle River with his wife and daughter -- Jean is equally content in doling out local memories, of days competing in "the best talent shows ever" at Vailsburg High School in Newark, and faculty who recognized the teen's abilities early on.

"My first manager was my gym teacher, how crazy is that?" he says.

Jean recalls sneaking into surrounding high schools' lunch periods to battle-rap other students, and according to the cocksure rhymer, he usually won with ease.

But Jean admits one defeat, at the hands of a rival who spun his unorthodox living situation into verbal ammunition.

Wyclef Jean's senior portrait from Vailsburg High School, class of '88.

When Jean was 15, his father purchased a partially burned funeral home on South Orange Avenue in Newark, with plans of building the area's first English-Creole bilingual church on the lot. But while construction was taking place, Jean's family was forced to live in the charred home's basement.

"We were with the coffins, the embalming fluid," he says. "You know that show 'Six Feet Under'? That was us in the hood."

"We used to be so ashamed," he continues, "I would look out the window and have to let all of the kids walk first to school, then me and my brothers would sneak out and jump the fence, so no one would see us. We never wanted people to know where we lived."

But a challenger bent on embarrassing Jean caught wind of his homelife.

"He's rapping and says 'Clef is in the Twilight Zone, because he lives in a burnt funeral home,'" Jean says. "All the kids start running, laughing, and I'm like 'come back, come back!'"

Jean graduated from Vailsburg in 1988, and several years later relocated to East Orange -- his uncle's basement on drug-riddled South Clinton Street -- and with just a VFX keyboard purchased by his cousin, began his career in earnest.

After the Fugees' 1994 debut LP "Blunted On Reality" wasn't commercially successful, Jean, Lauryn Hill and Pras Michel spent long hours down in Jean's basement-turned-studio in 1995, molding "The Score" and what would become the best-selling rap album to that point.

"It was like being an inventor, like Steve Jobs decides he's going to go in his garage with a group of dudes and create something," Jean says. "I knew it was a vibe, and we knew the block was gonna love it, but we always said, we wanted to be a hip-hop band, not just rapping. So we started bringing in our instruments and that set us apart."

Critics praised "The Score" for its sonic crossroads of rap, R&B and reggae -- a testament to Jean's Haitian roots -- as well as its astute ghetto commentary.

"We wanted to bring a different perspective of the hood," Jean says. "There's really no difference between N.W.A. and the Fugees. As authors, we painted differently. On "The Beast," when we're saying 'on the town the beast is loose,' we're saying the same thing as them saying 'F--- Tha Police.'

"We wanted to do something where the neighborhood would feel like their voice was being represented," he says. "At the time, as still today, police brutality was a part of it. That's why 'The Beast' is still powerful."

Twenty years later, the passion to propel his viewpoint across the globe continues to burns hot.

"I'm still on my warmup," Jean assures. "I'm excited about working with a label that's going to bring out the next Erykah Badu, the next Lauryn Hill, the next Beyonce. It's the youth that gives me my energy."

Bobby Olivier may be reached at bolivier@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @BobbyOlivier. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- A 37-year-old man died early Sunday after a domestic dispute on 12th Avenue, authorities said.

The cause of death is being determined by an autopsy, Katherine Carter, a spokeswoman for the Essex County Prosecutor's Office.

The dispute took place at about 11:30 p.m. He was hospitalized and pronounced dead at University Hospital at 2:55 a.m.

Officials have not released his identity yet. The prosecutor's office is investigating.

Correction: The man killed was 37 years old. The Essex County Prosecutor's Office initially identified him as 51.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK  Following the unexpected Minnesota placement of the presumed future archbishop of New Jersey's largest archdiocese, Newark Archbishop John J. Myers could now remain in his post past age 75  the canon-law age at which bishops must submit their resignations.

This isn't "unusual," according to religious experts.

According to canon law, bishops are asked to submit their resignation at age 75, but it is up to the pope to determine when he accepts that resignation. But, Newark Archdiocese spokesman Jim Goodness said, bishops can no longer be active in their posts after age 80.

Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda, a well-regarded canon lawyer with degrees from Harvard and Columbia universities and ample experience in Rome, was named Coadjutor Archbishop of the Newark Archdiocese in September 2013. This essentially meant he was set to succeed Myers when he turns 75 in July.

Instead, Pope Francis surprised members of the Newark Archdiocese Thursday when he announced he was appointing Hebda Archbishop in Saint Paul and Minneapolis. In June, in light of a sex scandal that rocked the Twin City Archdiocese, Hebda was named the interim leader, but he said at the time that he thought the post was temporary.

Goodness said he didn't want to speculate on whether or not a replacement for Myers would be found before July.

However, he said, there have been several bishops who stayed active in their posts past age 75.

In March, the pope named Bishop-Elect James Checchio the new bishop of Metuchen to replace bishop Paul Bootkoski, who turned 75 last July, he said. Checchio will be installed as the new bishop of Metuchen in May.

"It's not an unusual situation," Goodness said. "(Several years ago) Bishop Frank Rodimer of Paterson remained after he had submitted his letter of resignation for close to a year before Bishop Arthur Serratelli was named and installed as the bishop."

According to Jesuit Fr. Thomas J. Reese, a senior analyst for the National Catholic Reporter, Pope Paul VI put in the age requirement for bishops' resignations.

Reese added that, because the pope appointed a coadjutor to Newark in the first place, it seems "highly unlikely" Myers will be allowed to stay in place long after turning 75.

"I would expect a new archbishop by the end of the summer, or certainly by the end of the year," he said.

Kean University Associate Professor of History Christopher Bellitto, an expert on papal affairs, said "75 is a good, long age."

For popes, however, there is no age limit for the job, Bellitto said. He emphasized that this rule for priests and bishops does not mean they cease to "be" priests or bishops.

"If you're ordained, you never stop being a priest or a bishop. What you lose is your job," he explained. "You have to resign."

Hebda's new appointment, Bellitto said, was truly shocking because he had been name coadjutor in Newark. That usually guarantees "immediate right of succession," he said.

Typically, this title is granted in situations where the archbishop's health is ailing, but with the "significant problems in the Archdiocese of Newark, they were looking for a seamless transition," Bellitto noted.

Hebda was brought to Newark three years ago, after Myers faced serious criticism for his handling of a priest who was charged with groping a boy.

Last June, Hebda was assigned to Minnesota a week after prosecutors criminally charged the archdiocese of the Twin Cities with systemically failing to protect children from a sexually abusive priest.

The pope's decision on Thursday to move Hebda out west has shocked New Jersey, where Catholics bemoaned the pope's decision.

"Hebda has the reputation for being a fixer. He comes in and fixes problems, and that's why he was sent to Newark. A bigger problem came along," Bellitto said.

Laura Herzog may be reached at lherzog@njadvancemedia.com. Follow her on Twitter @LauraHerzogL. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
NEWARK -- Three Newark men were arrested early Sunday after the stolen car they were in crashed into a police cruiser, authorities said.

Police had set up a road safety checkpoint at Ferry and Brill streets, Acting Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said in a release.

A black Mercedes approached that police identified as stolen, Ambrose said. The car moved to avoid the road block, striking a police car in the process.

Three people were arrested after the crash: Khalyl Harley, 18, Kenyon Esannanson, 23 and Alsherric D. Felder, 21. They were allegedly involved in a shooting in East Orange, Ambrose said. Police there had placed a "be on the lookout" on the Mercedes.

Officers were not seriously injured in the crash. The three men were charged with receiving stolen property.

Anyone with information should call 877-NWK-TIPS or 877-NWK-GUNS. All calls are anonymous.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Police are looking for a suspect in a shooting in Newark. (File photo)

NEWARK -- Police are looking for a man who fired a gun Saturday afternoon in Newark, striking at least one person.

Officers went to a home in the 200 block of West End Avenue just after 1 p.m. after a report of shots fired, Newark Public Safety Director Anthony Ambrose said.

A woman there said she had gotten into a fight with another woman, Ambrose said. While fighting, they heard gunshots and ran.

Meanwhile, police learned someone had been dropped off at University Hospital with a gunshot wound sustained at the West End Avenue shooting, Ambrose said. Detective Richard Pisano interviewed the woman who dropped off the shooting victim.

Through that interview and several others, Pisano identified Alaray Cogdell, 22, as a suspect, Ambrose said. Police issued a warrant for Cogell's arrest on charges of aggravated assault and multiple weapons offenses. Bail was set at $150,000.

Anyone with information should call the Newark Police Crime Stoppers' tip line at (877) NWK-TIPS or (877) NWK-GUNS.

Myles Ma may be reached at mma@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @MylesMaNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Jockey Florent Geroux reacts to winning the 103rd running of the Twinspires.com Louisiana Derby (Grade II) with Gun Runner at the Fair Grounds Race Course in New Orleans, LA, Saturday, March 26, 2016. (Photo by Amanda Hodges Weir | Hodges Photography)

Road to the Kentucky Derby

Churchill Downs' management had been salivating over an epic May 7 Kentucky Derby featuring last year's Eclipse champion Nyquist and the highly talented Mohaymen, the winner of Aqueduct's Remsen and Gulfstream Park's Holy Bull and Fountain of Youth and a supporting cast of 18 3-year-old colts.

Mohaymen, the flashy grey who competes in the colors of the Shadwell Stable for trainer Kiaran McLaughlin and jockey Junior Alvarado, had the easiest time winning the $400,000, Grade 2 Fountain of Youth Stakes on Feb. 28. His next start is planned for the Florida Derby on April 2 at Gulfstream.

The CD bean counters took a shot in the chops when trainer Doug O'Neill announced he was shipping Nyquist to Gulfstream Park for the Florida Derby. The great race had gone South.

No matter which colt wins all the Florida money, both colts will qualify for the Derby. (If Nyquist wins the Florida race, he collects a cool $1 million from Fasig-Tipton because he sold at their venue.)

When they get there, Mohaymen and Nayquist's connections had better be prepared for a stiff challenge from Gun Runner, a convincing winner of the $1 million, Grade 2 Louisiana Derby on March 26.

In the Louisiana Derby, he and jockey Florent Geroux attended the pace set by Candy My Boy and made the lead at the head of the home stretch.

Dazzling Gem was third another 1-1/4 lengths back. Mo Tom, the winner of the track's Grade 3 Le Compte in January and the even money favorite to win the La. Derby, settled for fourth after jockey Corey Lanerie tried to go up the rail in the stretch and was blocked.

Tampa Bay Derby

Destin, from the New York-based powerhouse of trainer Todd Pletcher, took the lead at the head of the stretch and went on to win the $350,000, Grade II Tampa Bay Derby at Oldsmar, Fla. in track record time on March 12.

Jockey John Velazquez opted to jump off Destin and take the ride on Pletcher trainee Outwork. Javier Castellano, then took the ride on Destin. As the field turned for home, it was Outwork on the inside and Destin outside dueling for the finish line. At the wire, it was Destin a length ahead of Outwork with long-shot Star Hill seven lengths back in third place.

Destin goes forward toward the first Saturday in May with a record of three wins from five starts that included February's Sam F. Davis, the track's main prep for their Derby.

San Felipe

Danzing Candy made his first start in stakes company for trainer Cliff Sise a winning one when he made every pole a winning one in Santa Anita's $400,000, Grade 2 San Felipe.

Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith said, "Our game plan was to put him on the lead unless he didn't jump out of there well. We didn't want to experiment...I left there very aggressive and he didn't get away with anything (slow fractions). If you go 22 (seconds for the first quarter mile) on this track today, you're smokin'. And for him to hold off the caliber of horses he held off, was very impressive," Smith said.

At the line, it was Danzing Candy two lengths ahead of the 8 to 5 favorite Mor Spirit, the winner of Los Alamitos' Grade 1 Futurity and Santa Anita's Grade 3 Robert B. Lewis. Exaggerator, the $1 million Grade 3 Delta Jackpot winner, took third 2-3/4 lengths astern of Mor Spirit.

Gotham

Shagaf, with a recovering jockey in the saddle, took the lead down the stretch and went on to win the 64th running of the $400,000, Grade 3 Gotham Stakes at Aqueduct on March 5.

Ortiz, last year's leading rider on the NYRA circuit, went down when his mount, Call Star, stumbled just beyond the finish line two races earlier. After being removed from the track by ambulance, the young journeyman was examined by on-site medical staff and was cleared for the ride in the Gotham.

Mega-trainer Chad Brown said his colt had a "learning experience" going down the backstretch in the mile and 1/16 race. "Irad told me he had to take hold of him to see what everyone else was going to do. (Shagaf) was a little on and a little off the bridle down the backside catching all that dirt for the first time.

"The fact he can secure a spot early with his positional speed is going to come in handy later on," he said.

His first stakes try in stakes company resulted in a 1-1/4-length win over long shot, Laoban.

Adventist, coming off a third place finish in the Grade 3 Withers, was third again.

Sunny Ridge, racing in the colors of Red Bank, N.J. attorney Dennis Drazin, went into the Gotham with 18 Derby points. A win would have earned him a sure stall in the Derby starting gate, if his owner opted to accept it.

However, Drazin was quoted several times the week before the Gotham saying he would pass the Kentucky Derby in favor of the second two legs of the Triple Crown, the Preakness and Belmont. He said he was taking dead aim at the Grade 1 Haskell at Monmouth Park, a track at which Drazin has a very important advisory position.

Rebel

After using last year's Rebel Stakes at Oaklawn Park as a major rung in American Pharoah's climb to immortality in the horse racing world, he returned this year with Michael Tabor, Mrs. John Magnier and Derrick Smith's Cupid to win the $900,000, Grade 2 Rebel.

The grey son of the red-hot stallion Tapit beat 12 rivals and earned back $540,000 of his $900,000 Keeneland 2014 purchase price.

In the Rebel, Martin Garcia sent his colt from 10th coming out of the gate to first place within the first quarter mile in 22.96 seconds. From there on, he made every pole a winning one getting the mile and a sixteenth in 1 minute, 43.84 seconds over a fast track.

Derby Leaderboard

Here are the top 20 (with ties) on the Derby list. (At the end of the qualifying season, ties for the 20th spot will be broken by Non-Restricted Stakes Earnings.)

151 Points. Winchell Thoroughbreds' and Three Chimneys'

51 Points. Twin Creeks Racing's

50 Points. Shadwell's

44 Points. Michael L. Petersen's

40 Points. Gayle Benson's

32 Points. GMB Racing's

30 Points. Reddam Racing's

26 Points. Big Chief Racing's

23 Points. Dennis Drazin's

22 Points. Southern Equine and McCormick Racing's

20 Points. Brittlyn Stable's

Seven races, each worth 100 Derby points, remain.

Road to the Derby Oaks

Eclipse Champion and Breeders' Cup Juvenile winner Songbird continued her run to absolute favoritism in the May 6 Kentucky Oaks with the easiest of wins in the $100,000, Grade 3 Santa Ysabel at Santa Anita on March 5.

Racing in the colors of former South Jersey auto dealer Rick Porter, with Hall of Fame rider Mike Smith in the saddle for Hall of Fame trainer Jerry Hollandorfer, the daughter Medaglia d'Oro from Ivanavinalot beat eight rivals in the 8-1/2-furlong Santa Ysabel. The race Porter said "was mostly for keeping her tuned."

According to Hollendorfer, Songbird will be pointed to Santa Anita's $400,000, Grade 1 Santa Anita Oaks on April 9. He then looked into the future and said, If she looks real good, we'll try to think about Kentucky."

Terra Promessa's trainer, Hall of Fame candidate Steve Asmussen, just might be doing a rain dance in Louisville, Ky. the first week in May.

The filly found a muddy and sealed race track much to her liking when she came from fourth place in a field of six 3-year-old fillies to win Oaklawn Park's $200,000, Grade 3 Honeybee on March 12.

The 6-1/2-length win over the 9 to 10 favorite Nickname (also an Asmussen trainee) earned Terra Promessa 50 points toward getting one of 14 starting stalls in the May 6 Kentucky Oaks.

Terra Promessa, a Stonestreet home-bred by Curlin from Missile Bay, boosted her record to three wins from four lifetime starts when she became the sixth winner of the Honeybee for Asmussen.

Cathryn Sofia, a $30,000 yearling purchase, looked like a million dollar filly when she galloped to a 7-length win in the $200,000, Grade 2 Davona Dale Stakes at Gulfstream Park on Feb. 27. A daughter of the Maryland stallion Street Boss, defeated five rivals running the one-turn mile in 1 minute, 36.61 seconds.

After the race, 2015 Eclipse winning jockey Javier Castellano said, "I was just a passenger, just the pilot."

A beaming trainer John Servis summed up his reaction to the win saying, "Today, I think was probably, to me, her most impressive race. She trained well going into the race. It was only her fourth start. I think there's a lot more there. She's showed me a little more every time. Today, she was push-button.

Whether or not Servis opts to start in the April 2 Gulfstream Oaks or sit back and await the Kentucky Oaks, Cathryn Sofia will make he next start a defense of her four-for-four lifetime record. Those four wins have earned Cash is King a $335,520 return on their $30,000 investment.

Ed Stanco, the owner who gave the Pennsylvania horse racing reputation a major boost in 2013 when his filly Princess of Sylmar won the Oaks and dominated her division throughout the year, came back with another Oaks contender when Mo d'Amour won Aqueduct's $125,000 Busher.

Mo d'Amour's win at 8-1/2 furlongs over six rivals for trainer, Todd Pletcher. But, the daughter of Uncle Mo from Neverthesame was forced to survive a rough trip.

Coming out of the gate, Dreams to Reality came over on Arch or Nothing. That rival bumped Mo d'Amour knocking her several lanes wide. Jockey Chris DeCarlo kept her tracking the pace. They went four wide in the home stretch and got home two lengths ahead of Dreams to Reality who earned 20 Oaks points. Katniss the Victor, the odds-on choice with the bettors, was also jostled at the start before finishing third another head behind Dreams of Reality.

Mo d'Amour ran the 8-1/2 furlongs over the Big A's inner (winter) track in 1 minute, 47.37 seconds to gain her third win from five starts.

If Pletcher decides Mo d'Amour needs another race, the logical next step is the April 9 running of the $300,000, Grade 2 Gazelle at a mile and furlong over the main track at Aqueduct.

Going into the $400,000, Grade 2 Fairgrounds Oaks, owner J. Paul Reddam and trainer Doug O'Neill were tired of seeing last year's Juvenile Filly Eclipse Champion Songbird on the entry list. In her last five races their filly, Land Over Sea, she finished behind the champion.

Without Songbird, the fans at Fairgrounds made the daughter of Bellamy Road from the Pulpit mare Belle Waiting the 9 to 5 favorite to beat seven rivals in the 8-1/2-furlong race, the first filly race worth 100 qualifying points for the May 6 running of the Kentucky Oaks.

The gleaming chestnut did not disappoint as she came from sixth place, put her head in front and repelled a rally from long shot Dream Dance.

Oaks Leaderboard

Here is the current Oaks Leaderboard with seven 100-point races left in the Churchill Downs convoluted system for getting into the Kentucky Oaks.128 Points. Reddam Racing's Land Over Sea, Doug O'Neill.

90 Points. Fox Hill Farm's

60 points. Cash is King Stable's

50 points. King of Prussia Stable's

44 Points. Stoneway Farm's

36 Points. LNJ Foxwoods'

30 Points. Alpha Delta Stable's

24 points. Cottonwood Stables'

21 points. Gabriel Duignan's

20 points. Magdelena Racing's

(Ties for the 14th qualifying spot will be broken by earnings in non-restricted stake races.)

Racing returns to Parx

"They're off and racing again at Parx."

Thoroughbred racing restarted at the Bensalem, Pa. oval on Feb. 27 after a hiatus to install a new safety rail and then to rehabilitate the track after winter storms.

Live racing will be offered on a Saturday through Tuesday schedule on a regular basis until Parx takes a summer vacation starting Aug. 10. (Easter Sunday, March 27 will be dark.) The annual Parx Fall Festival kicks off Sept. 3 and runs Saturday through Tuesday, Oct. 25 highlighted by the $1 million, Grade 1 Cotillion for 3-year-old fillies and the $1 million, Grade 2 Pennsylvania Derby scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 24.

Post time for all live racing cards is 12:55 p.m.

Pennsylvania consolidates racing commissions

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A threat to halt Thoroughbred and Standardbred horse racing in Pennsylvania when the funds necessary to finance its operation dried up has been averted with the adoption of a law to consolidate the governing bodies of the two sports.

Governor Tom Wolf signed the bill on Feb.23 the created a nine-member commission to govern both disciplines under one governing umbrella. Five members of the nine-member panel will be appointed by the governor. They will be a veterinarian, and representatives from Thoroughbred racing, Thoroughbred breeding, Standardbred racing and Standardbred breeding.

The new law also shifts the fiscal responsibility for financing the governance of horse racing in the commonwealth from the general treasury to the sport itself. It includes new license fees for track operators and electronic wagering services.

In October 2015, the State Department of Agriculture said it no longer had the funds to operate the Pennsylvania Equine Toxicology Research Laboratory at West Chester University. Without the facilities to test animals in competition, the state faced the possibility of having to shut down racing. The shortage of funds, according to the Department of Agriculture, is the result of a 71 percent decline in pari-mutuel racing since 2001.

Monmouth announces stake schedule

OCEANPORT, N.J. -- Summer 2016 saw records for attendance and betting fall when the legendary American Pharoah followed his Triple Crown win with a geared-down victory in Monmouth Park's Grade 1 Haskell Invitational.

Track management is looking for another bonanza day on July 31 when they will again present the $1 million Haskell as key highlight of a five-stakes day.

In a schedule released in March 23, the track is kicking off May 14 with the $75,000 Decathalon sprint for 3-year-olds and up as the first of 41 added money events running through the $100,000 Sorority for 2-year-old fillies on September 5.

Sixteen graded stakes are on the Monmouth Bill of Fare worth $2.9 million. They include the $300,000, Grade 1 United Nations at 1-3/8 miles on the turf on July 3.

For current equestrian news see Horse News or check out the online version of the print edition.

Horse News covers everything equestrian in the mid-Atlantic area and can be reached at horsenews@hcdemocrat.com

To subscribe to the print edition call 908-948-1309.

For advertising e-mail mchapman@njadvancemedia.com. Find Horse News on Facebook
JERSEY CITY -- Local activists and church groups made Easter extra special this year for residents in the most need.

Every weekend, Grace Community Services hosts breakfast for the homeless, low-income residents, and the elderly through the Breakfast Plus Program.

But for Easter, the organization wanted to make sure those in need

Volunteers from Grace Van Vorst Church, St. Matthew's Evangelical Lutheran Church, Taproot Organics, and the Brennan Center of Justice at New York University School of Law put together a bag of necessities for those who attended the breakfast this morning.

Girl Scouts from Troop 12912 also donated items for distribution, along with handwritten notes for each recipient.

The bags included soaps, shampoo, tissues, new socks, non-perishable food, and lotion among other items.

Breakfast Plus operates out of Grace Van Vorst Church on Erie Street and works to provide nutritious and hot meals to those in need.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
Salem

A 21-year-old man remains hospitalized after being shot in the buttocks early Easter morning, a city spokeswoman said. Caitlin Mota | The Jersey Journal

JERSEY CITY -- A 21-year-old man remains hospitalized after being shot in the buttocks early Easter morning, a city spokeswoman said.

At about 1:30 a.m., police responded to Salem Lafayette Court at Union and Atlantic streets for the shooting, spokeswoman Jennifer Morrill said.

Police found the victim had been shot in the buttocks. He was transported to Jersey City Medical Center-Barnabas Health for treatment, where he is listed in stable condition, Morrill said.

No additional information was provided and the investigation is ongoing.

Last week, two men were arrested near the same housing complex after police responded to the area to disperse a large crowd.

In that incident, a police officer was dragged by a car while trying to apprehend a suspect, officials said.

Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
TRENTON -- "I know everyone says 'if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere'...well if you can make it in Trenton, you can make it anywhere."

That's how Ewing Councilman Kevin Baxter honored Carrie Petit-Compere - the Trenton-native who's currently appearing in "The Color Purple" on Broadway,

Last week, the Trenton Young Scholars Institute hosted a reception to honor her.

Broadway's "The Color Purple" actress Carrie (James) Petit Compere.

"You're an example to naysayers," Trenton Mayor Eric Jackson said to Compere. "Greatness comes out of the city of Trenton. We're proud to know you. We're proud you represent us."

Also making tributes were state Sen. Shirley Turner, Pastor Ethan Evans of Grace Community Church, Young Scholars of Trenton President Edward Bullock and Young Scholars of Trenton Founder and Executive Director Jerri Morrison - who happens to also be Compere's aunt.

The Trenton Broadway star was escorted into the reception room by her husband Jerry Compere, and her high school age children.

Compere lives with her family in New York City now but grew up in Trenton - where she graduated from Trenton Central High School.

"It was not easy growing up in the City of Trenton," Compere said. "There were quite a few challenges but I thank God for parents who were deeply rooted in faith and Christ...who believed beyond our circumstances."

Compere said both her mother and aunt died in the past few years. She sang a song dedicated to her mother on Monday and broke down in tears when she thanked everyone in the room for coming to honor her.

"I am a proud Trenton native," Compere said through tears. "I love my family."

Several audience members shouted back "we love you too."

Co-founder of Trenton Community Music School and The Trenton Children's Chorus Marcia Wood said she remembers back to 1989 when she first met a young Compere - then Carrie James - at the launch of the city's chorus.

"There was no audition, everyone was welcome, but (co-founder) Sue Ellen listened to each one as they paraded in," Wood said.

Wood said Compere's voice was "a gift of God," but she was too old for the children's chorus and instead became a teen mentor.

After serving as a Trenton teen mentor, Compere graduated from the Westminster Choir College at Rider University, launching her career.

She has appeared on off-Broadway productions such as "Sistas," in the first national tour of "Shrek" and her first Broadway debut was in "Holler If Ya Hear Me" - based on hip-hop legend Tupac Shakur's life, Playbill stated.

Compere said she was cast in The Color Purple in June of last year as one of the three church ladies and as the understudy for lead Sofia.

"The church ladies are the comic relief to a very dramatic play," Compere said.

The recruiting website Backstage described the church ladies as the "town busybodies."

The tough Sofia - played by hit Netflix series "Orange is the New Black" actress Danielle Brooks - is one of three African American women trying to survive life in 1930s Georgia. Oprah Winfrey - now a producer of the Broadway play, based off of Alice Walker's award-winning novel - portrayed Sofia in the 1985 film.

Compere said she feels blessed to be working alongside the three "wonderful" leading actors - Brooks, Jennifer Hudson and British stage actor Cynthia Erivo. She also gave a nod to "The Color Purple" director John Doyle.

"This role has been exciting as our director John Doyle has allowed us to break the fourth wall," Compere said. Breaking "the fourth wall" in actor-speak essentially means characters interact with the audience.

Compere brought two of the other play actors Carla Stewart and Joaquina Kalukango to Monday's reception.

"I am overwhelmed by this appreciation of such a beautiful soul," Stewart said of the Trenton ceremony. "I think this is amazing. You (speaking to Compere) are an amazing woman, an amazing wife, an amazing mother and an amazing friend."

Lindsay Rittenhouse may be reached at lrittenhouse@njadvancemedia.com. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
ASBURY PARK -- While the city has gone through ups and downs, one thing has remained constant: the annual Easter Pageant Parade.

It's a tradition that dates back to the mid-1930s when the city's bustling boardwalk was a premier Jersey Shore destination. Now in its 81st year, a couple hundred people gathered on the south end of the boardwalk near Convention Hall for the parade, which featured colorful outfits, bonnets and suits.

"It's an important community event, and not just for Asbury residents," said the pageant's co-director and director of community development, Cassandra Dickerson. "We attract people from as far as Red Bank, Long Branch, Tinton Falls, Freehold, Neptune and Point Pleasant - it's a family-friendly event, and that's why people from all over attend."

Rumson resident Joan Cambria remembers when the parade used to draw thousands of people to the Asbury Park boardwalk. Now it gets approximately 400 hundred spectators but the thrill still exists, Cambria said.

"It's still a fabulous city, it's enriching and it's still good," Cambria said of Asbury Park. "It may not be Grenada, but it's not 'Only Asbury Park.'"

This year's event featured six categories: Best Dressed Man, Woman, Boy, Girl and Family, and Most Unusual Bonnett. The judges included Deputy Mayor Amy Quinn, Councilman Jessie Kendle, Carrie Turner of Madison Marquette, the boardwalk's chief developer, and Jessie Ricks of the Asbury Park Board of Education.

Keyshawn and Kylar Joseph have participated in the pageant for the past five years. The brothers from Neptune City say they love coming out and seeing the other participants.

"I love seeing all the other bonnets and the outfits," said Keyshawn Joseph, 16.

Kyler Joseph, 13, said this is one of the only events he and his brother participate in.

Their mother, Susan, chuckled when she overhead that statement from Kyler.

"It's one of the only times I can get them to dress up from head to toe," Susan Joseph said.

While some in attendance happened to stumble upon the parade on the sunny day, others know it's a tradition in the city.

Dickerson, the parade's director, said many people look forward to the parade each year.

"They know it's going to happen, and they love it," she said. "They want to come out and support it."

Alex Napoliello may be reached at anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @alexnapoNJ. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
MONTCLAIR -- In a blink of an eye, a rehabilitated golden eagle takes flight and disappears into the trees.



With the help of staff and volunteers from Toms River Avian Care and the Raptor Trust in Millington, a rare visitor to New Jersey is back in the wild and likely heading north toward Canada.



It was February when this golden eagle was found in a snare trap by a hunter in South Jersey. The bird became unconscious as it struggled to free itself, tightening the wire around its neck. The hunter removed the snare from the bird and brought it to Popcorn Park Zoo in Lacey Township. It was moved to Toms River Avian Care and then later treated at the Raptor Trust in Millington.



The eagle remained at the Trust for about five weeks until it was given a clean bill of health and cleared for release. The bird was brought to the Montclair Hawk Watch, a joint project of New Jersey Audubon and Montclair Bird Club located at the first Watchung Mountain in Montclair.



"It can find its way along the ridges and up the Hudson River from here," according to Chris Soucy, director of the Raptor Trust. "Its got a good shot to get to where it needs to go."



Following a series of measurements and blood work, the eagle was fitted with a GPS transmitter -- the first time ever for this bird species in New Jersey. With the transmitter, biologists can track the bird and learn more about where it goes and how it moves.



"This bird in particular has the newest duty cycles, said Michael Lanzone, CEO of Cellular Tracking Technologies. "So we actually know the bird's behavior now too. We'll know, is it hunting, is it perched, is it preening. Exactly what it's doing and when."



With a count of 1 - 2 - 3, the eagle was hoisted into the air and on its way.



"It's a good day to release any bird," said Chris Soucy, Director of the Raptor Trust. "But when you can release an endangered species or an uncommon species like this golden eagle, it's really pretty touching."

Andre Malok may be reached at amalok@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @AndreMalok. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
Donald Trump did something really shocking last week.

No, it wasn't getting into a dispute with Ted Cruz over their respective wives.

It was going into the lion's den and punching the lion in the nose.

The den in question was the editorial board of the Washington Post. The members thereof are perhaps the foremost proponents of what could be called a "Wilsonian" foreign policy if you like it or "neoconservative" if you don't like it.

Whatever you call it, Trump dismissed it decisively.

When asked about whether the U.S. should be "promoting democracy and freedom overseas," as was done in the Reagan years, Trump replied, "I do think it's a different world today and I don't think we should be nation-building anymore. I think it's proven not to work. And we have a different country than we did then. You know we have 19 trillion dollars in debt."

He went on to question why the U.S. should always take the lead in disputes ranging from the Mideast to the South China Sea. And then he followed up by repeating his hard-line stance on immigration.

"There's a serious, serious problem with the Muslims and it's got to be addressed," Trump said.

This did not go over well with the people at the Post. (Read this column of mine to realize why they have always been wrong about the Mideast while this of us they deride as "realists" have been right) But it goes over well with the people who vote in Republican presidential primaries.

If the results so far are any indication, those people share Trump's view that pretty much everything the Beltway crowd has done since 9/11 has been an expensive disaster.

We started out fighting a small group called Al Qaeda holed up in caves in the mountains of Afghanistan. After 15 years of war, we now find ourselves facing an Islamic State that occupies two countries and is exporting terror to Europe.

It didn't have to be that way. There were always two ways of looking at the threat post-9/11. One was expansionist and the other was what the Post writers like to call "isolationist."

I never thought that term made sense. Look at Switzerland. Somehow the Swiss have stayed out of other people's wars for centuries while maintaining good trade relations.

Their neighbors in France face a terrorist threat and the Belgians suffered that deadly attack last week. But nobody's bombing the Swiss.

The Swiss keep tabs on their visitors. Not the good old U.S. of A. Six months after those planes hit the World Trade Center, the Bush administration sent visa renewals to two of the hijackers.

Bush called it "an interesting wake-up call" and promised to reform the Immigration and Naturalization Service. But the borders remained porous. Instead of clamping down at home, Bush decided to declare an open-ended "War on Terror."

War fever was so rampant among Republicans at the time that few dared express doubts about the Iraq War. But as early as 2004 Trump was pointing out correctly that the experiment in nation-building was ill-conceived. Twelve years later, that message is resonating with the base.

That sentiment is so strong that even Ted Cruz feels obligated to make Trump-like statements when it comes to the issue of Muslim communities in America. In his reaction to the Brussels attacks last week, Cruz promised to have police "patrol and secure Muslim neighborhoods before they become radicalized."

The image of officers commanding "Drop that Koran and put your hands up!" might make for a good cartoon, but not good policy.

Meanwhile when it comes to the wives, the pro-Trump Republicans I know like to talk about something that has nothing to do with looks.

State Sen. Mike Doherty, a conservative who was Trump's first major supporter in New Jersey, said that when he read that Tweet in which Trump threatened to spill the goods on Heidi Cruz, he assumed Trump was going to talk about the time when she and her future husband worked together in the Bush administration.

"She worked closely with the folks that crafted Bush's foreign policy," Doherty "And she's got ties with the Council on Foreign Relations, which is an interventionist globalist organization."

Doherty is a West Point grad who served as an artillery officer in Germany during the Cold War. He said Trump's right about getting our allies to pick up more of the tab for their own defense.

"He's really the first to ask why we are paying to defend Europe and Japan," Doherty said. "We have to pay rental on the bases. We have to hire host- country people to work there."

Doherty said that unlike the other Republicans, Trump has made it clear he wants to pull back from the Mideast once ISIS is defeated.

"We ran a pro-war candidate in 2008 and lost. Then we ran a pro-war candidate in 2012 and lost," he said. "Trump should repeat that Washington Post speech to everyone in America."

He should indeed.

As for sending Tweets, maybe he should quit while he's ahead.

ALSO: WHO'S THE CRAZY ONE? - Check this Washington Post account of the interview. The reporter finds it "baffling" that Trump did not take the bait and endorse Post publisher Fred Ryan's insane suggestion that we use tactical nuclear weapons against ISIS.

Nuclear weapons against a ragtag army of religious fanatics? If we somehow managed to trap ISIS troops in a location where they could easily be targeted, we could totally annihilate them with conventional strikes from B-52s.

But starting a nuclear war over a patch of dirt in the Mideast is so stupid it defies description. Yet the Post reporter clearly seems to think there was something odd about the way Trump brushed off the question.

The alternative would have been to say to the members of the editorial board: Do you realize that your publisher just asked me the single stupidest question anyone has ever asked a politician?

Here's the exchange:

Post publisher Fred Ryan asked Trump if he would consider using a tactical nuclear strike against the forces of the Islamic State, were he president. Trump responded that he didn't want to "start the process of nuclear," then reminding the editors that he was "a counter-puncher."

"Remember, one thing that everybody has said, I'm a counter-puncher," Trump said. "Rubio hit me. Bush hit me. When I said low energy, he's a low-energy individual, he hit me first. He spent, by the way -- he spent 18 million dollars' worth of negative ads on me. That's putting..."

Ryan jumped in. "This is about ISIS," he reminded Trump. "You would not use a tactical nuclear weapon against ISIS?"

"I'll tell you one thing," Trump replied. "This is a very good looking group of people here. Could I just go around so I know who the hell I'm talking to?"

Go to the 56-minute mark below to see for yourself the nuttiest question in journalistic history:
After decades with no direct access to eastbound West Broadway from Interstate 29, the Iowa Department of Transportation unveiled two design concepts for an I-29/I-480/West Broadway interchange at a public meeting in Council Bluffs Thursday evening.

Currently, north- and southbound traffic on I-29 can exit and go west on I-480 into Omaha. Vehicles that are eastbound on I-480 can travel either north or south on I-29 or continue east on West Broadway toward downtown Council Bluffs. However, drivers who are north- or southbound on I-29 cannot exit at West Broadway in order to travel east into the city.

Scott Suhr, the district planner for the Iowa Department of Transportation, said at the time the Interstate highway was built through Council Bluffs, planners determined that the least impact to businesses and property owners would have southbound drivers wanting to reach eastbound West Broadway exit at Avenue G and northbound drivers exit at North 35th Street and follow city streets to West Broadway.

Suhr said DOT planners are currently looking at two alternatives to complete the I-29 interchange at West Broadway. He said a preferred alternate would likely be selected sometime this summer.

Selection of the alternative that will be used will determine how much property the state will need to acquire to complete the project and its ultimate cost.

Suhr said any right-of-way purchases needed for the interchange improvement would take place in 2018. Actual construction of the West Broadway access improvements is currently anticipated to start in 2020 and be completed in 2024.

The two concepts unveiled Thursday are alike in calling for a new interchange at 40th Street with direct access to I-480 and West Broadway.

The DOTs Concept 1 would be a combined interchange between Ninth Avenue, Second Avenue, West Broadway and Avenue G providing direct access between West Broadway and I-29 via one-way frontage roads that would be located east (northbound, starting at Ninth Avenue) and west (southbound) of the existing I-29 right of way. There would be no interchange access at North 35th Street.

Concept 2 also provides direct access, via frontage roads between West Broadway and I-29 to and from the south, again starting or ending at Ninth Avenue. But rather than having access roads north of West Broadway, the second concept would utilize direct ramps between West Broadway and I-29 to and from the north.

As currently envisioned, this alternative would also provide direct access between I-480 and Ninth Avenue. With this alternative, there would be no interchange access provided at Avenue G or 35th Street.
A Cambrian College professor is receiving a Caring Canadian Award from Governor General David Johnston next week.

A Cambrian College professor is receiving a Caring Canadian Award from Governor General David Johnston next week.



Kayla Levesque, co-ordinator of Cambrian's Business Administration Accounting Program, is being honoured for her work with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program in Sudbury.



Levesque has been mobilizing people of varying ages and backgrounds in Sudbury for more than six years, successfully recruiting, training and organizing volunteers for (the program), a release from the Governor General's office said.



The program also received a 2016 Civic Award from Greater Sudbury. A release from the city said the program has been running for the last 20 years in the city.



Last year, this team of volunteers completed 4,287 income tax returns, the release said. This resulted in a savings of $343,000 for low-income individuals. Support income such as ODSP or Ontario Works can no longer be accessed without a latest tax return, and therefore this service allows people to secure financial support.



The program runs in March and April each year and six volunteer tax preparers and one receptionist work an average of 600 hours per month. The group completes income tax returns for low-income individuals and families at no charge.



The clientele served is seniors, unemployed individuals, students, and others.



Over the last nine years, an estimated 30,000 income tax returns have been filed, with an estimated value of $1.7 million dollars, the release said. Many of these volunteers have been involved in the program for more than 10 years.



The Community Volunteer Income Tax Program is a partnership with United Way and the Canadian Revenue Agency. The city provides free space at libraries, parking for volunteers and has refurbished and provided laptops to the program.



Johnston and his wife, Sharon, will visit Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and North Bay next week to hand out the awards.



Sharon and I are delighted to be visiting northern and northwestern Ontario, Johnston said in a news release. The communities of Thunder Bay, Sioux Lookout and North Bay each have unique strengths and cultures, and each is a regional hub of challenge, change and opportunity.



Were looking forward to meeting with community members and to participating in a series of activities related to volunteerism, mental health and collaboration with First Nations.



Johnston will be in Thunder Bay on Tuesday, Sioux Lookout on Wednesday and North Bay on Thursday. His detailed itinerary, as well as a full list of award recipients, can be found at

www.gg.ca/document.aspx?id=16365&lan=eng
A combination of snow, freezing rain and high winds left more than 100,000 people in the Toronto area without power this week.

A combination of snow, freezing rain and high winds left more than 100,000 people in the Toronto area without power this week.



But thanks in part to efforts from other utilities  including Sudbury Hydro  power was back on Saturday for 60,000 of those customers.



Six workers from Sudbury headed south on Good Friday, including the husband of Lisa Hamill, who sent Northern Life photos of the scene the six encountered.



In a message to Northern Life, Hamill said the local crew found power lines covered in ice one to two inches thick.



Can (you) please give a big shout out for the six men from Sudbury hydro that left yesterday morning, to leave their families on Easter weekend to help the people in need down in the Toronto? Hamill wrote.



Sudbury Hydro spokesperson Wendy Watson said Saturday that three crews of two people each took three bucket trucks to the Alliston area, where, as of Saturday afternoon, 11,312 customers were still without power.



They were sent at the request of Hydro One, Watson said, who will pay their salaries, as well as a rental fee for the trucks. They're expected back in Sudbury sometime Monday.



No single utility has enough staff to handle major incidents, so utilities have agreements to help each other, she said.



We all pitch in and help whenever we can, Watson said. And we can spare them.



In such cases, staff are given the option of whether to go, and Sudbury Hydro was able to quickly find six to volunteer, she added.



As of Saturday afternoon, Hydro One reported it had restored power to more than 61,400 customers following the ice storm, which caused extensive damage to its distribution system across southwestern and central Ontario.



More than 1,200 Hydro One employees and crews from neighbouring utilities have answered the call and are working through the Easter weekend across southern Ontario to repair widespread damage, the company said in a news release.



They continue to repair heavy damage to restore power to the remaining 42,300 customers in the areas that have been hit the hardest.



"There is still a pile of ice on the hydro lines and the trees are draped all over them," Barry Coyle, distribution superintendent, Orangeville Operations, is quoted as saying in the release. "Once it warms up, we will likely see a spike in outages as the weight comes off the trees and they start to stand up straight again and come into contact with the lines."



Coyle also said the heavy ice brought with it specific safety concerns for both Hydro One crews and the public.



"It's very slippery out there, so we're using a lot of ice cleats on boots so the crews can move around safely," Coyle said. "But the big safety concern today for everyone is that, as the temperature rises there will be a lot of falling ice and branches. Everyone needs to be very aware of what's above them at all times."



In addition to Sudbury Hydro, Hydro One is receiving help from Haldimand Hydro, Festival Hydro, Woodstock Hydro, Erie Thames Hydro, Niagara Peninsula Hydro, Ottawa Hydro, Brampton Hydro One, Peterborough PUC, Midland PUC and Newmarket Hydro.



At present, there are 992 incidents affecting more than 42,300 customers.



Go to www.hydroone.com for updated information.
KEARNEY  As a fourth-grader, it became Daniel Jaimes dream to attend college. He knew that determination, even as an elementary school student, was necessary to achieving his goal.

I remember my family was coming back from a family vacation in Mexico, and I asked my mom to help me with long division math. The look she gave me when she realized she couldnt help me, because she had never gotten that far in school, was when it hit me that I was on my own, said Jaimes, now a first-generation college student at the University of Nebraska at Kearney.

Jaimes parents stopped attending school at second and third grade. He was told that earning a college degree was necessary to make it in the United States. He tried to be more involved in extracurricular activities in high school to make his college application more appealing and to be considered for scholarships.

But Jaimes said getting his parents approval to participate was no easy feat, and he recalls arguing with them frequently.

My parents never pushed me in school. There was a conflict of culture there, because to them it seemed my involvement in extracurricular activities wasnt important. There were other things I could be doing, he said.

The other things Jaimes parents thought he should do included working. In Mexican culture, males are expected to work at a very young age to provide for their families, Jaimes said.

Jaimes parents finally agreed to let him participate in extracurricular activities when he was a sophomore at Lexington High School. He took up football, cross-country, wrestling, speech, one-act plays and soccer.

While his parents did not push him through school, Jaimes says he had one motivator: his younger brother, Miguel Jaimes, currently a sophomore psychology major at UNK.

I knew that I couldnt be telling my younger brother he needed to go to college if I wasnt working on going to college myself, Jaimes said. I knew he was always looking, whether directly or indirectly, at all my choices and actions, that they would either make me more or less credible.

Jaimes said it became apparent to him at a young age that joining the military would be necessary to finance his college education. With permission from his parents, he joined the Nebraska Army National Guard at age 17.

The main reason I joined was for educational purposes, he said. But I also wanted to give back to the state and country that gave me so much.

During his freshman year at UNK, Jaimes received word that he was set to deploy to Iraq the following summer.

In preparation for deployment, he missed a lot of class. He was later informed that he would not be deployed after all, and Jaimes got to finish what he started.

Thats when I really started taking college really seriously, Jaimes said. It was my third year and I shouldnt have even been in school then, I should have been in Iraq. The Lord gave me another chance, and I told myself I needed to take college seriously, buckle down and graduate.

Jaimes said he pursued a teaching degree at UNK after discovering he was passionate about helping young people as a volunteer coach in high school. He enjoyed providing them the opportunity he never had at their age.

Jaimes is now in a masters program at UNK, working toward receiving an English as a Second Language endorsement so he can potentially teach abroad. He earned his Bachelor of Arts in Education in 2014

I never got the chance to study abroad because my major took up so much time, Jaimes said. I would travel on my own, but it was never enough.

Jaimes is aiming to complete his masters degree in May 2017.

Teaching abroad is his ultimate goal, but Jaimes first has his sights on other opportunities to get experience. He mentioned working on a college campus with students or returning to the Youth Rehabilitation Training Center in Kearney, where he completed his student teaching.

Something that I am passionate about is being able to help others, Jaimes said. We often get so lost in the demands of our everyday life that we forget that everyone else is living their own story, with their own challenges and hardships. Although they may be different from our own, everyone will almost always appreciate a bit of help.
VALPARAISO  For the third time in five years, Roy Castro is calling Porter County Jail home.

This time, he's awaiting trial on burglary, theft and armed robbery charges.

The 25-year-old father of two swears it will be his last time.

This time, he says, he's spending his time in jail learning how to be a better man and father, thanks to a program affectionately nicknamed the God Pod.

"A lot of us have known what we do is wrong, but we never had the power to get out," said Castro, who said he's battled drug addiction most of his life.

The men in the pod have turned to God and a group of volunteers to help them take control of their lives.

"I hit bottom with drugs and my life. My little brother had been through the program last year, and he convinced me to apply," said Castro, who has been living in the God Pod with about a dozen other inmates for the last two months.

In the beginning

The official name of the program is Biblical Life Principles.

It is a strict, intensive program. Participants spend at least five hours a day, five days a week in classes and Bible study.

Volunteer instructors teach classes in conflict resolution, financial management and Biblical Life Principles. They attend meetings of Reformers Unanimous, a faith-based addiction group.

They live together, eat together. More importantly, they hold one another accountable and support one another, because for many, this could be their last chance.

Jay Birky, chaplain and program director for Porter County Jail, visited a similar program with former Sheriff Dave Lain about two years ago at Kent County Jail in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

"They had something similar and when we left, we knew we wanted to institute it here," Birky said.

Inmates must apply to be in the God Pod, Birky said. They must be willing to put in the work and live under stricter rules than enforced in the prison's general population.

There is no cussing or vulgar talk. No talking loud. No arguing. The men stand when anyone in leadership enters the room.

"We try to read their motive," Birky said.

"Do they really want to change the lifestyle they are living? They can be of any faith or of no faith. We have had one Muslim member."

The program began in June 2014. Volunteers from nine area churches teach classes, support the men and provide funding. Birky said there has been little, if any cost, to the county for the program beyond the usual costs of housing the inmates.

Funding for the program has been left to private resources.

Ben Polhemus, pastor of Liberty Bible Church in Liberty Township, estimated that in the last year and a half, the churches spent about $5,000 to $7,000 to provide materials used for the program inside the jail. In most cases, those who volunteered to teach one of the classes also purchased the material for the classes.

The churches, Polhemus said, have banded together under the umbrella, God Pod Community. The group will operate the after-care portion of the program, including raising and managing funds.

They are estimating a budget of $30,000 to run the after-care program, Polhemus said, adding that doesn't take into account individual donations of clothing, rent or, in one case, a car. They have set up a bank account, and Open Door Fellowship church in Kouts is managing the program's finances.

"Often the faith community tends to live in a bubble. This gets them out of the bubble," Birky said, adding he tells volunteers when he brings them to the pod, "This is not a zoo. These are men behind bars who made a bad decision. We help them through the program to make better decisions."

Since its inception, 53 men have gone through the program. Only seven have returned as inmates. Birky said that is far less than local, state and national recidivism rates. An Indiana Department of Corrections report states the 2014 recidivism rate in the state is just under 40 percent. A National Institute of Justice report sets the three-year national recidivism rate at about 68 percent. So far, less than 20 percent of God Pod members, or about 13 percent, have re-offended and returned to Porter County Jail.

Pod Father

"I went from gang-banging to banging for the Lord," said Jesus Fuentes, 41, of Chicago and East Chicago.

Fuentes pleaded guilty to federal racketeering charges last year including drug trafficking, murder and ordering two other murders. The alleged founder of Dark Side Two Six Street Gang is awaiting sentencing in federal court.

"I've learned that even Moses killed a man. God still allowed him to split the Red Sea, so I know he can forgive me," said Fuentes, who is called Pod Father by the other inmates.

Soft-spoken and reticent to talk about his past, Fuentes said he is one of the original four members of the God Pod.

"At 12, I became a gang member when we moved to Chicago," he said. "I did nothing but gang-banging. I was into drugs, pot and cocaine."

He got into gangs, he said, because of a less-than-ideal home life.

"My stepfather beat me. I found love and acceptance on the streets," he said.

Fuentes said when he was arrested nearly three years ago, he wanted to change his life.

"I wanted to change from the old way to the new way. It has given me a lot of peace. He changed my life for the better. I'm thankful for this program Chaplain Birky started. He don't look at our charges. It's like God's love says, come as you are and he will make the changes," Fuentes said.

"It's all about turning our negative into a positive."

While Fuentes is facing life in prison, he said he won't change once he's transferred to a federal facility. Instead, he hopes to begin Bible study or similar classes wherever he's sentenced.

Chasing money and girls

Trevino Benton, 36, of Chicago, has been in and out of jail since he was 17.

"My addictions were chasing money and girls," said Benton, who is serving time for check fraud.

Benton, a father of five, said he believes God led him to Porter County Jail.

"I was sick of living the life I was leading. One day I asked God for help, and he led me to this program," said Benton, who has been part of the God Pod since July.

"You sit around all these people and all you do is the negative," he said about his life before the God Pod.

"I had been down the road for a long time. I had hit rock-bottom. I feel that it is God working to eventually help me re-enter life."

Benton, who loves to write, said he's working on getting his CDL and wants to minister to young people when he gets out. He pleaded guilty in February and was sentenced to two years in jail.

'They are not getting paid'

Ryan Wellman isn't sure what he'd be doing now if it weren't for the God Pod.

"I'd be hurting, that's for sure," he said.

Wellman, 30, of Kouts, spent 385 days in jail on charges of domestic battery and resisting law enforcement. He spent nine months of his time in the God Pod. He's been out of jail for six months.

"I had given my life to Christ in jail. I realized there was a lot of negative in the jail, and I applied for the God Pod," he said, adding it wasn't only the time he spent inside the God Pod, but also the support that continued once he was released, that has made a difference.

As part of the program, inmates have to participate in an after-care program, including associating with a church, having an accountability partner and meeting once or twice a week at a local restaurant for breakfast or lunch to touch base with one another and provide support.

Wellman went to a church in Kouts. He said a couple offered for him to stay in their home until he got back on his feet. Another member offered him a job in a landscaping company.

"The program works, because the state is not involved," Wellman said.

"Every volunteer is a volunteer. They are not getting paid for this. I see their hearts in this. They pour their hearts into this."

Another man at the church volunteered the use of a rental home to the program to house the men once they got out, Birky said. The only thing they needed to do was pay for the utilities. Donations have been raised to pay those utilities for two years.

Wellman will manage the house.

Ultimately, Birky said, they'd like to start a business to provide jobs for the men once they leave jail.

Building relationships

"I always had a heart for people who the church doesn't do a good job for," said Ben Polhemus, the pastor of Liberty Bible Church in Liberty Township and a volunteer instructor for the program.

Polhemus said the success of the program is built on relationships.

"These guys have exposed us to their families, which is really important. We open up our networks to them as well. We want to integrate them into our lives and relationships. It is a model of what Jesus did," Polhemus said.

"It is the whole relationship piece. If you can't help them build relationships, they'll go back to a toxic situation."

Polhemus and fellow volunteer Terry Machowicz, pastor at Town and Country Christian Church in Winfield, said they get as much as they receive.

"It's a calling. It's the way God wires you," Machowicz said. "It is a joy investing in people's lives."

"It also changes our perspective on people. Most of us have pretty good lives," Polhemus said. "It helps us understand being poor, growing up without support."

Why does it work?

"When God gets ahold of somebody, if they allow it, their lives will change. It is a therapeutic community. It is one thing to take Bible study, it is another to live it," Birky said. "In our pod, we've had big, grown men break down in tears and take their masks off. They become different men."

Sheriff Dave Reynolds embraced the program when he took office.

"From my perspective, they are making a concerted effort to turn their lives around. This program and others offered by the jail are in an effort to give them the opportunity to make better choices," Reynolds said, calling it a pragmatic approach.

"If you don't provide programs, if you don't give them the opportunity to learn to make better decisions, to turn their lives around, they are going to get out and continually victimize society."
WHITING  This tiny city has a storied past that has its roots in what used to be called Standard Oil, now known as BP or British Petroleum, and the railroad, providing access to Chicago.

Whiting School Board member Anthony Borgo, who is also the historian for the Whiting Public Library, and Gayle Faulkner Kosalko, vice president of the Whiting Robertsdale Historical Society, can recap the history of the city at a moment's notice.

Borgo talks about the early days of Whiting. He said 1852 was the first phase of construction of the railroad, providing access to Chicago.

"It was very important," he said. "It was shipping lines from the east coast to Chicago. The first people who settled in the Whiting area were George Roberts and George Clark. They purchased property in the area, and it became known as the Whiting Robertsdale area. Robertsdale is technically Hammond, but the history of that community and Whiting are tied together. Prior to Whiting becoming a municipality, they shared a lot of the same borders."

In the early days, the most important stations located on the Michigan Southern Railroad were Miller, Pine and Whiting. Miller was named after a railroad foreman who was in charge of the construction of the station. Pine was hardly more than a depot. The Whiting station was originally known as Whitings Crossing. The station and the city were named after Herbert "Pop" Whiting, a train conductor for more than 50 years, Borgo said.

In 1880, the Census Bureau counted 115 people in Whiting.

Standard Oil of Indiana was established in 1889, when John D. Rockefeller sent company officials to buy 235 acres of land for a new refinery, and people flocked to the area, and Borgo said it began to resemble a town.

By the early 1900s it was the leading provider of kerosene and gasoline in the Midwest, notes the History of Amoco website. Historians said in 1922, Standard Oil absorbed the American Oil Co., founded in Baltimore in 1910, and began branding products as Amoco, which later would become its company name. The company is now known as just BP.

In August of 1955, there was an explosion at the Standard Oil Refinery which shook the small community and destroyed homes; two people died and 19 were injured.

Michael Schrage, president and CEO of Centier Bank, said the history of the city and the bank are entwined. He said the bank was started by his great-grandfather Henry, who acquired many acres of land which was mostly dunes and swampland.

According to the bank's history, the foundation for this legacy in Indiana business began in 1895, when Henry Schrage opened the Bank of Whiting. One of Lake Countys pioneers, Henry Schrage was Whitings first postmaster and was instrumental in building much of Northwest Indianas economic development. He conducted business during a time of settlement in Whiting, when streets did not exist, cars did not exist, and it took more than a day to travel into Chicago by horse and carriage.

Schrage said his great-grandfather was very involved for many years in Whiting's growth. Today, Centier has 52 banking locations throughout the northern half of the state with the furthest locations in Indianapolis and Fort Wayne.

According to the city of Whiting's website, the community had 10,000 people in 1923, and 4,000 employed at what was then called Standard Oil. Today, the census said there are about 4,891 residents.

Kosalko remembers moving from the Hessville neighborhood in Hammond to Whiting when she was a sixth-grader in 1960 because her father taught at Whiting High School.

"It was a complete change of lifestyle for me," she said. "I noticed among my new friends how much pride they had in their ethnicity, the Polish, the Slovak, the Hungarians. I was Irish, but I hadn't given it much thought. Everyone's father, aunt, uncle, grandfather all worked at Standard Oil then."

Kosalko said there is something very charming about Whiting.

"It's very tiny," she said. "We have a beautiful lakefront. If you're coming home from college or just coming back to visit, everyone takes a drive through the Whiting Park. We also have so many events in Whiting and we're in the 16th year of producing our little newspaper called 'The Write Stuff.' It's totally nonpolitical. It's all about Whiting, the schools, the kids, the events, like the Pierogi Fest, and the arts.

"The homes here are not cookie cutter. Every house is different. People have beautiful flowers in the summer and lots of decorations at Christmas and Halloween," she said.
The days of doctors handwriting prescriptions are virtually over, at least in New York state.

Starting Sunday, doctors will be required to electronically send prescriptions to pharmacies instead of writing them out, as part of Governor Cuomo's "I-STOP" initiative.

It aims to curb drug abuse and prescription fraud.

Doctors who don't comply will be penalized.

This makes New York the first state to require e-prescriptions to be sent through a secure system.

Handwritten prescriptions will still be allowed in certain cases, such as when refills are needed out-of-state or if technical problems arise.
Catholic New Yorkers celebrated Easter on Sunday and as our Gene Apodaca tells us, it's as much about having fun as having faith.

Inside Saint Patrick's Cathedral Sunday morning, Cardinal Timothy Dolan celebrated Easter Mass.

But outside on Fifth avenue it was the highly informal celebration of whimsy and creativity.

"What's the inspiration for your hat? Easter and my egg is about to fall off ha ha ha."

The Easter Bonnet Festival dates back to the 1870s, where in lieu of floats and marching bands people showed off their best holiday bonnets.

This group chose all things New York as their theme this year.

"I chose the transportation system and probably spent a month crafting all the little pieces and putting it together," said one bonneted paradegoer.

"My New York City theme is Sex in the City," said another. "We have our cosmos glamour shopping."

From the big city to these busy bees, they even brought their pup along for the ride.

"This is something I love doing every year, it's spring," said a third Easter reveler. "Easter is my Halloween, I guess."

Unlike many other parades here in the city, this one is much less organized. Participants are basically wandering the streets taking in all the unique creations.

"My brother said I was crazy," said one man. "I said I'm not crazy I just want to enjoy myself."

And while there was plenty of that  many didn't lose sight of what the holiday was all about.

"This is Easter, Jesus rose today so we're very inspired today," said one of the faithful.

An important day in the Catholic faith, paired with a little bit of fun.

Participants will be marching along Fifth Avenue in their hats until 4 p.m.
Police Commissioner Bill Bratton has more harsh words for Republican Presidential hopeful Ted Cruz after his recent comments about the NYPD.

In an op-ed in Sunday's Daily News, Bratton responded to Cruz's proposal last week that the police should "patrol and secure Muslim communities before they become radicalized."

Bratton says Cruz knows nothing about counter-terrorism in New York City, and that the NYPD treats every neighborhood and community the same.

He also says Cruz is exploiting people's fears in the wake of the terror attacks in Belgium.

Bratton also responded to Cruz's comments about the NYPD's Demographics Unit and the reason for its closure.

The Texas Senator said the unit was removed because of political correctness.

Bratton says the decision was made because the work of the unit was finished.
Several women who have accused Bill Cosby of sexual assault say they are upset that the new National Museum of African American History and Culture plans not to mention their accusations in an exhibition that recognizes Mr. Cosbys pioneering work in comedy and television.

If they just speak about the contributions, there will be this enormous presence that is not talked about, Patricia Leary Steuer, 59, who has accused Mr. Cosby of assaulting her decades ago, said on Saturday.

The entertainers footprint will be small in the museum, which will showcase more than 3,000 artifacts over all and is to open in September on the National Mall in Washington. The Cosby sections will include just a few objects that recognize his work as a comedian, his work on the television programs I Spy and The Cosby Show, and his support of black Hollywood stuntmen.

Curators at the museum said that they felt his achievements should stand alone.

How to handle Mr. Cosbys legacy is just one of the difficult decisions faced by the museum as it tries to tell the story of black history and culture in America. The museums 11 inaugural exhibitions will, among other things, focus on slavery, segregation, music and the military.
The third season of Orphan Black, the binge-worthy thriller in which Tatiana Maslany plays more than five clones (and counting), arrives on Amazon. And celebrate the holiday with Judy Garland and Fred Astaire in the movie musical Easter Parade.



Whats Streaming

ORPHAN BLACK on Amazon. It seems that every time the clone club sisterhood  different characters all played by a versatile Tatiana Maslany  gets closer to uncovering the truth about its origins, a new layer of mystery creates complications that throw the womens lives into turmoil all over again. At the end of the second season, they discovered that they werent the only clones created in secret; there was a group of highly trained male clones made for a top-secret military initiative called Project Castor. The intrigue and breakneck pace of this series lend themselves to binge watching. Good thing the entire season is available. (Image: Ms. Maslany, center)

Whats on TV

FACE THE NATION 10:30 a.m. on CBS. John Dickerson sits down with Secretary of State John Kerry to discuss the American response to the bombings in Brussels. Other guests include Representative Michael McCaul, Republican of Texas, and John Miller, deputy commissioner of intelligence and counterterrorism for the New York City Police Department.

THE OPEN MIND 3:30 p.m. on World. Becca Heller, a founder and the director of the International Refugee Assistance Project, discusses the global migration crisis.
Talya Rahel Bock and Raphael Saadya Cohen are to be married March 27 at Beth Sholom Congregation and Talmud Torah in Potomac, Md. Rabbi Elie Kaunfer is to perform the ceremony.

The bride, 32, works in Washington as a vice president for wealth management advice with Bank of America Merrill Lynch. She received two bachelors degrees, both magna cum laude, one in economic history from Barnard and the other in Talmud from the Jewish Theological Seminary of America in New York, from which she also received a masters in Jewish education.

She is a daughter of Aviva Bock and Geoffrey Bock of Newton, Mass.

The groom, 34, also works in Washington, where he is a political scientist specializing in military and national security policy at the RAND Corporation, the research and policy organization in Santa Monica, Calif. He is also an adjunct assistant professor of security studies at Georgetown, from which he received a masters degree in that subject, as well as a Ph.D. in government. He graduated magna cum laude from Harvard. The groom is also a major in the United States Army Reserve who is stationed at Fort Belvoir, Va., on weekends.

He is a son of Judith Cohen and Dr. Eliot Cohen of Silver Spring, Md.

The couple met in 2011 in Washington through their synagogue, DC Minyan, and began dating in September 2014 after reconnecting on JDate.
Im not used to Eastern politics, Mr. Ryan said. I found that most everybody with the exception of Merrick that worked in Washington, you have to be careful about trusting them.

Finding Common Ground

During his 19 years on the bench, Judge Garland has tried to resist what can be an isolating job. He turns up at investitures, portrait unveilings and charity dinners and socializes with members of the citys legal elite. He holds annual summer reunions for his fiercely loyal clerks at his home in Bethesda, Md., serving bagels and lox and cooing over their children, whom he calls his grand-clerks.

He tutors disadvantaged children and performs the occasional wedding. At the 2000 Nantucket ceremony of Beth Wilkinson, a top aide to him at Justice, and David Gregory, the former host of the NBC program Meet the Press, the nervous judge started the ceremony without the bride. David turned to him, Ms. Wilkinson recalled, and said, Merrick, dont you think we should wait for Beth? 

In his chambers at the imposing federal courthouse here, Judge Garland keeps a coffee pot strategically placed, he has said, so that he has to walk by the clerks to get to it, and can stop and ask what they are doing.

Rather than have them write long memos for him, as is the custom of many other judges, he insists on doing his own research, for fear that he might miss some nuance or the finer points of an argument. Then, he said: We just argue it out. I pick clerks who can say no to me, in a nice way  who can say, Thats wrong, judge, and this is the reason why. 

His colleagues say that as chief judge, a position he assumed in 2013, he can find a sliver of common ground and build a decision around that. One pointed to a politically charged case that challenged the constitutionality of a ban on federal contractors making political donations.

Judge Garland pulled liberal and conservative judges toward the middle, issuing an opinion that upheld the law, but on the narrowest grounds. The final vote was 11 to 0; the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.
SYDNEY, Australia  Since he was arrested in 2010, Matthew Ng has lost his $100 million business, his health and his family.

He has been kept apart from his wife and three younger children, whom he sees only sporadically. His eldest daughter fell into a deep depression, stopped eating and died.

An Australian businessman who had been working in China, Mr. Ng was sentenced by a Chinese court in 2011 to more than 12 years in prison on bribery and fraud charges. His lawyer contends that the case was fabricated to allow a Chinese state-owned company to confiscate his business.

In 2014, he was transferred to Australia under a bilateral treaty that allows prisoners to serve their sentences in their home countries.
As Mr. Zarrab sits in jail in the United States, having been denied bail, his case has again captured the imagination of many Turks who believe the original corruption inquiry was swept under the rug and who now hope that an American court will achieve what Turkish courts were unable to: a full and fair hearing of corruption allegations that touched the highest levels of government here.

The 2013 inquiry mainly focused on corruption in the construction business and the public financing of real estate development. It also cast a spotlight on an issue that had long been a concern of the United States: the role of Turkey in helping Iran evade international sanctions over its nuclear program. One of the targets was the chief executive of the state-owned Halkbank, which the United States had long accused of working with Iran to evade sanctions in a scheme that involved using gold to buy Iranian oil and gas.

Mr. Zarrab was accused of aiding that scheme, but he was exonerated in Turkey after his arrest in 2013. The United States indictment, though, does not mention Halkbank. It lists numerous counts of money laundering and bank fraud, and it accuses Mr. Zarrab and others of conspiring for years to violate and evade United States sanctions against Iran and Iranian entities, Mr. Bharara said in a statement released this week with the indictment.

Mr. Zarrabs arrest has given many Turks something to smile about this week as they are otherwise unnerved by a series of terrorist attacks, including a suicide bombing last weekend on Istiklal Avenue, Istanbuls long pedestrian shopping street in the heart of the citys European quarter.

It is unclear whether the American investigation intersects at all with the allegations Mr. Zarrab faced in Turkey. But critics of the Turkish government, who say the corruption inquiry was silenced through firings of the police and prosecutors who carried it out, are hoping that Mr. Zarrab, in trying to save himself, sings, and sings loudly.

Two articles, side by side, in Thursdays Hurriyet Daily News, a Turkish newspaper, highlighted the divergence of Turkish and American justice. One reported that an arrest warrant had been issued for a Turkish prosecutor involved in the original graft case; the other was about Mr. Zarrabs having been denied bail in the United States.
As he once described it, his goal is to challenge the rules that we have for what is beauty or what is optimism, moving beyond kitsch and Pop irony into a kind of late-capitalist sublime that can be ravishing and terrifying at the same time.

If taste is the thing that guides you, Mr. Da Corte (pronounced da-COR-tah) said in an interview during an installation break, then how can you step outside that and try to look at everything every day as if its new? To live somewhere up here? He made a gesture with both hands to the space above his head, and added: I always like to hope that I have no taste, which is not the same thing as tastelessness.

Mr. Da Cortes art-world reputation as something of a gleefully sinister provocateur is belied in person; he is affable, humble and speaks with great clarity about the art-historical underpinnings of his work. He grew up around Philadelphia in a large, extended, close-knit family and spent several years as a child in Caracas, Venezuela, where his father was born and raised. The electric colors and material exuberance that have become his trademarks derive partly from that South American heritage. Pinata parties were real, he said. They were a very big deal. And I remember waking up every day and seeing mangoes on the ground, which didnt happen in Pennsylvania.

After attending the School of Visual Arts in New York with thoughts of becoming a Disney animator, and later earning an M.F.A. from Yale, he came to notice in the art world fairly quickly in 2010 with a three-minute video inspired by and set to the 1974 Leonard Cohen song Chelsea Hotel #2. Mr. Da Corte made the video shortly after his car, with his computer, clothes and all of his studio notes, had been stolen from a street in New York. Depressed, he returned to Philadelphia and went to one of his favorite no-frills supermarkets, Fine Fare on West Girard Street in the beleaguered Ludlow neighborhood, and loaded a shopping cart, mostly with processed food and plastic.
Religion as art, art as religion: This is the dual ethos of the modern encyclopedic museum, preserving objects of devotion in a secular age. It could also be the motto of the composer Karlheinz Stockhausen, the creator of grandiose spectacles of sublimity and kitsch, whose works fed his deeply idiosyncratic spiritual practice and vice versa.

So it was a perfect match of music and place on Saturday morning at the Cloisters, the Metropolitan Museum of Arts medieval outpost in Upper Manhattan, when the sound of the organ in Stockhausens Himmelfahrt (Ascension) filled an airy 12th-century chapel, punctuating periods of velvety richness with gusts of discordance and cleansing pings of a bell. Ancient met modern, both fixated on praising the glory of God.

Riddle me this: Himmelfahrt lasts 36 minutes, yet it is the first hour of Stockhausens Klang (Sound), a loopy liturgical epic that had its American premiere this weekend as a production of the Met and Analog Arts. In 2004, after completing Licht, a seven-opera cycle based on the days of the week, Stockhausen turned his attention to the natural next frontier with Klang: the 24 hours of the day. He envisioned pieces of various lengths, each representing an hour, and completed 21 before his death in 2007.

Image The percussionist Stuart Gerber on Himmels-Tur (Heavens Door) at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Credit... Tina Fineberg for The New York Times

A handful of the hours have been performed in this country  a few years ago I heard Freude (Joy), the second, a harp duet in which the musicians slap the strings and chant in Latin  but certainly not the whole shebang, until this weekend.
JERUSALEM  Israels High Court of Justice struck down on Sunday a deal that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reached in December to enable the development of a major offshore natural gas field.

The gas trove, called Leviathan, has the potential to transform Israel into an exporter of the fuel, but it has been plagued by delays.

The court specifically objected to a part of the agreement between the government and the projects developers, which are led by Noble Energy, that prohibits changes to regulations affecting the project for 10 years.

Justice Elyakim Rubinstein, the courts deputy president, said that the government did not have the authority to make such a long-term deal, which would bind its successors, especially when the issue at hand is a matter of real political controversy.
One great example is Dialog in the Dark, by Andreas Heinecke. It offers the experience of daily life in pitch darkness. You have a blind guide who becomes the one who is able and you are disabled. You need him to take you through daily life, going to the market, crossing the road. You pay for the experience, which is a very impactful one, and it helps provide jobs for the blind. There are a lot of different models.

Q. What kind of social enterprises have you started?

A. Eight years ago, I approached Vivocity (a Singapore shopping mall) and asked them to give me space where I could help disadvantaged people who make handicrafts sell their work during the first and last weekend of the month  because in Singapore, thats payday and people are more likely to be willing to part with money to buy a little something. I think we all need a space where we can buy, sell and trade.

I think that every shopping mall in the world should have this marketplace concept, maybe just two days a month, and allow the marginalized and artisans to showcase and sell their products.

More recently I invested into an app called FastFast Delivery. Its like an Uber for courier service. I got the idea because I sit on many boards, and they need me to sign lots of documents. My staff is always tracking me down, and I thought, wouldnt it be nice to just have those papers delivered wherever I am that day, and give an opportunity to people who are currently unemployed or maybe retired and need a bit more cash? So I found someone, my co-founder, who could create the platform, and since we launched last August, weve had about 900 drivers who signed up. I set it up thinking this would primarily be used by individuals like myself, but what weve found is that our top clients are actually hotel concierges and small business, like florists, cookie shops that just want something delivered immediately.

Q. What advice would you give to a young social entrepreneur?

A. I think todays young people do have a heart and want to do good, but if you want to succeed thats not enough. You also need to think through your financial model. So my advice: Before launching yourself into a business, get some experience, do volunteering work. Many youngsters today have been raised on handouts from their parents and they need to build some inner core strength. They cant take stress, because theyve never really experienced hardship, theyve never experienced failure; their parents have always been there to help. To build a muscle you need to train it regularly; its the same in business. You will have issues coming your way every day, and thats something you need to learn to deal with so it doesnt become stressful.

What you learn early on will be valuable lessons. My grandparents owned a dispensary clinic and I was always there, doing magic to entertain people waiting. In primary Grade 4, I started reselling 3-D cards for someone else at school. Id make about 20-30 percent on each card and I learned to save that money, and then give it away. I think its good to let children experience how to make money from an early age and encourage them to give back.

Q. You play a role as a mentor to many youngsters. Did you have a good mentor yourself?

A. Along my journey Ive had different mentors, business mentors and spiritual, but the greatest mentor Ive ever had has been my mom. She always brings me back to ground. She has never been the one who says, Go for it at all cost. A couple of years ago, I was working on a big project, I really poured my heart and soul into it and I got played by my partner. I thought about going to court, and then my mom told me, Let it go, you dont need it. Even if you win, its going to eat you up and Im just going to lose you as a daughter. As an entrepreneur I wanted to fight for it, but in the end I let it go.
BAGHDAD  The liberation of Ramadi in the closing days of 2015 was a rare moment of success for Iraq. It has given Iraqis an opportunity to examine what works and what doesnt in the fight against the Islamic State. It has also generated a momentum that we should capitalize on if we truly want to expunge the jihadist group from Iraqi soil, including from the crucial city of Mosul, and take the first steps toward a meaningful reconciliation for our country.

The operation in Ramadi worked for three reasons. American airstrikes and military and intelligence advice were instrumental. The cooperation between the Iraqi Army and the local government of Anbar Province also proved effective. The critical element, though, was tapping into the potential of the areas Sunni tribes and the local communities, who helped to push the Islamic State out. This revived the hope among Iraqis that with the help of the international coalition led by the United States we are indeed capable of taking back our own cities.

Liberating Ramadi broke the mold of past operations, in which unlawful sectarian militias, on the government payroll as part of the popular mobilization forces, swept through recaptured towns and villages, conducting reprisal killings and destroying homes and mosques. Amnesty International and other groups documented those atrocities. Many people in Salahuddin and Diyala Provinces, which were retaken from the Islamic State last year, were barred from returning to their homes and forced to live in makeshift camps. In towns like Muqdadiya, in Diyala Province near the border with Iran, armed groups used the fight against the Islamic State as cover for a heinous campaign of ethnic cleansing, which spawned recurring battles and violence that continues today.

This conflict also widened the gap between people living in those newly liberated areas and the government in Baghdad. The government not only failed to prevent those atrocities, but it was also unable to contain the scale of damage or bring the militias to justice. Families displaced by sectarian militias are still wondering if they will be compensated for the destruction of their property and the loss of civilian lives and economic resources. If those areas, with their majority Sunni populations, are going to remain impervious to the Islamic States offensives in the future, they will need to recover economically. That will require Baghdads assistance.
The recent attacks in Belgium and elsewhere would have been catastrophic if the terrorists had gotten their hands on nuclear weapons or even a primitive dirty bomb, which combines nuclear material with conventional explosives. International efforts to prevent access to such weapons have made significant progress in recent years, but there is still a long way to go.

The Nuclear Security Summit, started by President Obama in 2010, aims to address this problem by encouraging governments to secure and eliminate weapons-usable nuclear materials. The fourth of these meetings begins Thursday in Washington, with more than 50 world leaders, including President Xi Jinping of China, expected to attend, though not President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

In the last six years, such meetings have persuaded 14 countries and Taiwan to give up their weapons-usable plutonium and highly enriched uranium. Twelve others, including France, Russia and the United States, have decreased their stockpiles of nuclear materials. Many states have made nuclear-related facilities more secure and have strengthened cooperation against nuclear smuggling. Nuclear detection equipment has been installed at more than 300 international border crossings, airports and seaports.

But progress is slow, even though the need for enhanced protections has become more urgent, given the concerns that terrorist groups are seeking nuclear technology. More than 1,800 metric tons of nuclear material remain stored in 24 countries, much of it vulnerable to theft, according to former Senator Sam Nunn, co-chairman of the Nuclear Threat Initiative, a nonprofit advocacy group. An increasing number of countries are pursuing nuclear energy projects, even though they lack the legal, regulatory and security frameworks to ensure that such programs, designed to produce power, not weapons, are protected, he said.
ROME  Silicon Valleys battle over encryption is heading to Europe.

In the United States, the F.B.I.s demands that Apple help unlock an iPhone used by a mass killer in California opened a heated debate on privacy. After recent attacks on the Continent, like the bombings in Brussels last week and the wave of violence in Paris last November, governments across the European Union are increasingly pushing for greater access to peoples digital lives.

This week, French lawmakers are expected to debate proposals to toughen laws, giving intelligence services greater power to get access to personal data.

The battle has pitted Europes fears about the potential for further attacks against concerns from Apple and other American technology giants like Google and Facebook that weakening encryption technologies may create so-called back doors to peoples digital information that could be misused by European law enforcement officials, or even intelligence agencies of unfriendly countries.

The recent attacks have pushed many Europeans to favor greater powers for law enforcement over privacy. But opponents say such measures should not undermine the regions tough data protection rules that enshrine privacy on par with other rights like freedom of expression.
CHICAGO  Mayor Rahm Emanuel has informed some city leaders that he has chosen an interim superintendent of police, rejecting three candidates that had been recommended by the police board, as he seeks to repair Chicagos fractured relationship with its police force.

Eddie Johnson, the Police Departments chief of patrol, was asked to take the job as interim police superintendent, said Anthony Beale, the alderman for Chicagos Ninth Ward. The selection was reported by The Chicago Sun-Times late Saturday.

The choice of Chief Johnson, who is African-American and a 27-year veteran of the force, suggested that the mayor believed an insider was needed to help restore the communitys trust in the department.

The job at the helm of Chicagos roughly 12,000 officers, which pays $260,000, is among the toughest in American law enforcement. Chief Johnson would face challenges of rising violence; bruised officer morale; and community relations, particularly with African-Americans, that have been strained by outrage over police misconduct. The move by Mr. Emanuel signaled his disapproval of three candidates who had been presented this month by the Chicago Police Board.
The bombing came as large protests were held in other parts of the country to protest the execution in February of the man who murdered a secular politician five years ago. While public opinion has largely been galvanized by attacks on civilians by jihadists, particularly the killing of 150 people at a school in Peshawar in 2014, the protests are a sign that widespread sympathy remains for extremist groups in Pakistan.

The Jamaat-e-Ahrar spokesman, Mr. Ehsan, said the bombing was also to give a message to government that it cannot deter us even in their stronghold, Lahore. Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province, is the hometown of Pakistans prime minister, Nawaz Sharif; his younger brother, Shahbaz Sharif, is the chief minister of the province.

Even though Pakistani officials rebutted the claim that Christians were the target, a large number of Christian families were in the park because of the Easter holiday, the local news media reported. The 67-acre park has walking paths, as well as rides for children.

As the country reeled from this latest spasm of violence, the civilian and military leadership huddled separately to deal with the precipitating sense of crisis. Prime Minister Sharif held a four-hour meeting with his top ministers while Gen. Raheel Sharif, the army chief, who is not related to the prime minister or his brother, directed intelligence agencies to investigate the attack and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Traffic along Pacific Coast Highway is jam packed. Parking spaces are scarce. Hotels are sold out.

Orange County may not be as crazy as Cancun or other spring break party spots, but it has become the go-to place for those looking to soak up the Southern California lifestyle.

The warmer-than-normal temperatures in March and April the past few years have helped put Orange County on the map as an ideal spring break destination for people around the world  resulting in more money being spent at businesses, more taxes generated for cities and more people soaking up the surf and sand on local beaches.

Kimi Hensley and Shelia Dow of Bakersfield packed up their teenagers and spent four days at Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa last week. They usually go to Pismo Beach, but this year opted for Huntington.

You can walk to any food places anywhere, the kids have been at the beach every day, said Hensley. During the evenings, they have bonfires at the beach.

Peter Rice, general manager of the Hyatt, said this year is busier than last year  with all the 517 rooms filled last week, and only a few open this week.

Weve established this loyalty with customers over the years, so we get them back, and we are attracting new customers as well, he said.

Spring break used to be the week before Easter and the week after, but now it spans a month that sees lots of visitors coming to town from around the world.

Its great for business, Rice said. The demand just continues to climb.

Kelly Miller, president and CEO of Visit Huntington Beach, said its not just the nice weather that brings people to town. Visit Huntington Beach has been busy promoting Surf City and Orange County around the world  in Mexico, the Middle East and China  as a destination spot.

The increase in visitation is apparent in occupancy tax generated in the city. In 2015, those taxes amounted to $1.5 million for March and April, up from $1.3 million the same period the previous year. In 2013, the city generated $1.2 million.

Its about economic development. It allows the community to support more jobs, Miller said. Thats what its all about for us. If we can get more people to come here, stay longer and have a great time in Surf City, USA, thats great for our community.

Miller, who is also chairman of the Orange County Visitors Association, said the 60th anniversary of Disney is also drawing people to the area.

With all (Disneys) integrated marketing throughout the country, it helps them make the final decision on where they want to go in the United States, Miller said.

They hope its the families, not the raging partiers, who will spend money exploring the town, Miller said.

Amy Lowry, co-owner at Endless Sun Surf School in Newport Beach, said the beaches have been packed.

Its nuts, it looks like summer, she said.

Two weeks ago, the beaches were full of Canadians and Texans, and last week it seemed there were more visitors from Northern and Central California.

A new trend shes noticed is families taking surf lessons together .

I think its so neat to watch families learn together, what an experience that is, Lowry said. Its a pretty good memory, for sure. Its kind of a unique experience.

Contact the writer: lconnelly@ocregister.com
Americas baby boomers, even as they increasingly enter retirement, continue to dominate our political economy in ways no previous group of elderly has done. Sadly, their impact has also proven toxic, presenting our beleaguered electorate a likely Hobbesian presidential choice between a disliked, and distrusted, political veteran and a billionaire agitator most Americans find scary.

Throughout the campaign, boomers have provided the bedrock of support for both Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump. Bernie Sanders may have devastated Clinton among millennial voters, by almost 3-1, but she has more than offset that gap by winning overwhelming support from older voters.

In the South, it was older African Americans, particularly women, who sealed Clintons big wins. But older voters of all races have supercharged her campaign elsewhere; she won older voters by 39 percentage points in Missouri and 54 points in Ohio. She also captured upward of 73 percent of their votes in critical states like Virginia.

No surprise that she also did well in Arizona and Florida, states that are major retirement havens. Four of the five areas with the most retirees per capita are located in these two states.

But its Donald Trump who arguably was the biggest winner in the boomer wars. He has thrived most in states with aging white populations, notably Nevada, Arizona, Florida, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and South Carolina. He has consistently run five to 15 points better with the boomer generation than among younger GOP primary voters.

Some of this preference is attributable to racist and xenophobic sentiments among older people, who are, for example, typically far less favorable toward inter-racial dating than younger cohorts. Similarly, boomers are far more likely than millennials to harbor patriotic sentiments; only a third of them believe America is the greatest country in the world, compared with half of boomers. Trumps appeal to Make America great again may connect with boomers, but not so much with their offspring.

Why they Matter So Much

Right now, boomers  generally defined as those born from 1946-64  matter more politically than millennials. In 2011, there were 76 million boomers and 79 million millennials. By 2030, there will be 78 million millennials and 56 million boomers. But the millennial edge at the ballot box is diminished in large part because many do not vote. Seniors turn out at over 70 percent, while barely 40 percent of those under age 25 cast ballots.

Boomer influence may actually be greater this year, since its unlikely a Clinton-Trump race will excite many millennials. This suggests that boomers are likely to continue to dominate our politics until more of them die off. Today, notes Pew, millennials are 25.5 percent of the age-eligible electorate. By 2020, they will be 36.5 percent. One can hope that, as they get older, start families and buy houses, millennials relatively weak turnout numbers will begin to increase.

Boomer domination contributes to our increasingly strident and divided politics. Overall, boomers are far more partisan than younger voters; half of boomers see a big difference between the two major parties, notes Pew, compared with 31 percent of millennials.

Boomers have always tended to divisiveness, given their early experiences with both the Vietnam War and the cultural conflicts of the 1960s. The flower power generation may have gained the headlines, but most of them years later ended up supporting Ronald Reagan, not exactly a hip candidate. They remain divided today.

Progressive boomers

Clinton exemplifies almost perfectly the progressive boomer. She has maintained, despite her never-ending search for money, some standard ideological positions, notably on social issues, such as abortion, civil rights and, more recently, gay rights. Unlike the millennial Left, which tends to stress income inequality and sometimes espouses extreme environmentalism, Clinton is a product of the meritocracy; she cavorts with Wall Street and other Democratic funders and, until this campaign, was largely moderate on economic and environmental issues.

A Democratic age gap has dominated the primary season. Sanders, largely due to his appeal to younger voters, has forced Clinton to the left. She has, in short order, abandoned her previous views on such issues as the Trans-Pacific Trade Partnership and the Keystone XL pipeline. But we can expect, once she finally dispatches the cranky socialist from Vermont, she will shift back to more moderate, less economically disruptive conventional liberal positions, particularly on the economy.

This makes perfect sense, given that boomers, including the progressives, own most of the property and financial assets in this country. In the next five years, notes the Nielsen Co. and BoomAgers, boomers are projected to hold 70 percent of U.S. disposable income and buy 49 percent of total consumer-packaged goods.

Whats more, they stand to inherit $15 trillion over the next 20 years. Seniors are the one age group in society to have made significant economic gains over the past decade; Americas diminished affluent middle class is also aging.

Upward of 70 percent of boomers are homeowners; many own businesses or inhabit the upper echelons of the media, the bureaucracy and academia. Progressive boomers  the remnants of the flower power generation  may be politically correct about race, gender and the environment, but they dont favor anything that could hurt housing values. In fact, green policies and strict zoning  which tend to stifle homebuilding  have proven enormous boons to them, particularly here in California.

In contrast, millennials typically have comparatively little wealth to conserve or protect. Like Karl Marxs proletarians, many of them own little and may have few prospects for ever buying a house. They have, so to speak, nothing to lose but their debts. So its no surprise that upward of a third of the young embrace Sanders socialist views that promise free college and a bevy of subsidies. If the boomers are hogging the assets, why not?

Graying Trumpites

Boomers have also powered the improbable rise of Donald Trump. The former reality-show star appeals to the more down-market boomers, who have long struggled against the often better-educated, more privileged progressives. Some of these boomers, no doubt, retain racist and sexist sentiments, which Trump, to his everlasting shame, has seen fit to exploit. Boomers are overwhelmingly white  well over 70 percent, versus roughly 58 percent of millennials.

At the same time, Trump benefits from the growing ranks of conservative boomers. Today, according to Gallup, 44 percent of boomers consider themselves conservative, more than twice as many as many who identify as liberal.

This divide represents an extension of the 1960s culture wars  more violent and divisive than those experienced in the 1980s or thereafter. A portion of boomers care about abortion and other religious issues, but pressing economic concerns and issues like immigration seem more critical. If conservative boomers cared most about religious social conservatism, we would be talking about Ted Cruz as the GOP nominee.

Many Trump supporters, as has been well-documented, come from the lower middle and working classes. But even moderately affluent boomers worry greatly about the future of their offspring and the country as a whole. Nearly half (46 percent) believe the future may well be worse than the past. Not surprising, then, that they respond well to Trumps promise to make America great again.

Time marches on

Boomer predominance may make some Republicans more confident than they should be. Hope that there is a vast pool of disengaged white voters ready to be spurred by a more polarizing candidate, be it Cruz of Trump, however, seems a bit of a fantasy. Over time, the divisiveness of the emerging GOP message seems likely to trap Republicans rather than expand their base.

Take Arizona, a state with a large boomer and senior population. Even there, the minority share of the electorate is growing, and many are hostile to the Trump message. From 2012-16, the minority share of the Arizona electorate expanded by 3 percent, to close to 36 percent. This is a nationwide phenomenon.

This suggests we are heading into a turbulent period, with the dominant voting bloc either retired or headed that direction. Given that many boomers are in, or close to, retirement may explain why slow economic growth has not been a key issue for either party, despite its direct relationship to a host of economic and social issues. Instead, our politics  right and left  remain stuck in familiar divisions and obsessed with preserving the living standards of a tremulous older generation.

Eventually, of course, millennials will take the reins, but one has to wonder whether, by then, this horse will be worth riding. Boomers are rapidly draining the life out of our economy and politics. The prospect of Hillary Clinton versus Donald Trump will not help reverse this decline, but likely will accelerate it.

Joel Kotkin is a R.C. Hobbs Presidential Fellow in Urban Futures at Chapman University and executive director of the Center for Opportunity Urbanism in Houston. His next book, The Human City: Urbanism for the Rest of Us, will be published in April by Agate.
HELSINKI  Church officials say that worshippers celebrated Easter Mass near the smoking ruins of a 230-year-old church in western Finland, burned down the night before in an apparent arson attack.

Jussi Leppala, spokesman for the Ylivieska church, said the fire came as a shock to the congretation, finding difficuly in expressing his feelings but added that it was almost like having your home burn down.

Chief Superintendent Mikko Vuorio of the Oulu police said officers had detained one male suspect on suspicion of setting the fire. Vuorio said the man had provisionally admitted to the attack, but he gave no motive or other details of the suspect or the alleged attack.

The Ylivieska church, built in 1786, burned beyond repair, Leppala said.
BEIRUT  Syrias government declared Sunday that its forces had seized Palmyra from the Islamic State, driving the militants out of the archaeologically significant city in a blow to the extremist group.

Retaking the desert city, a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization world heritage site known for its Roman-era ruins, is a substantial victory for Syrian President Bashar Assad. His forces appear to have seized the upper hand in a devastating civil war that has turned into a dangerous proxy conflict.

It also is a victory for Russias military involvement in Syria, an intervention that began in September and has inflicted heavy damage on rebel groups and bolstered Assad, an ally. Palmyras capture helps clear a path for pro-government forces to possibly push on to Raqqa, a city in eastern Syria that is the Islamic States self-declared capital.

The liberation of the historic city of Palmyra today is an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism, state television quoted Assad as saying during a meeting with a French delegation, the Reuters news agency reported.

In a telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Syrian leader over the assault, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin this month announced that he would draw down the bulk of his forces in Syria. But many of his warplanes have remained in the country and provided crucial air support for the nearly month-old offensive to retake Palmyra, about 150 miles northeast of the capital, Damascus.

State television showed troops entering what it said was Palmyra. The images depict a deserted city that appears to have suffered heavy damage from fighting. Streets are covered in rubble. The facades of buildings are heavily pockmarked.

Citing an unnamed military official, the official Syrian Arab News Agency said pro-government forces had eliminated the last gatherings of ISIS terrorists in the city and destroyed their last hideouts. The Islamic State is also known as ISIS.

But an activist and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said clashes continued in the northeastern corner of the city, even as most of the Islamic State militants had withdrawn.

ISIS sent two car bombs to the city center a while ago, said Khalid al-Homsi, an activist from the city who resides in Turkey.

The extent of the damage to Palmyras 2,000-year-old ruins remains unclear. Unconfirmed images posted on social media purport to show recent explosions in the vicinity of the citys medieval citadel.

After taking over Palmyra in May, the Islamic State began destroying some monuments, including the 1st-century Temple of Bel and the Arch of Triumph, which a Roman emperor built in about A.D. 200. The extremist group also used the monuments as forums for executions.

Islamic State militants have carried out large-scale anti-idolatry campaigns, destroying several precious artifacts in the parts of Syria and Iraq under its control. The group uses extremist interpretations of Islam to justify the destruction, often targeting pre-Islamic artifacts viewed as idolatrous.

The recapturing of Palmyra is the latest sign that the group has been badly weakened in its strongholds in Iraq and Syria by both pro-Assad fighters and U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab forces.

Late last year, Iraqi forces drove Islamic State militants out of the city of Ramadi. In February, Kurdish fighters defeated the group at al-Shaddadi, a town in eastern Syria.

U.S. military officials estimate that the group has lost more than 40 percent of the territory it held in Iraq and more than 20 percent in Syria.

The attack on Palmyra comes amid a nationwide cease-fire that has substantially reduced violence, despite numerous violations claimed by government and anti-government fighters.

The partial truce does not include the Islamic State and has received strong backing from Russia and the United States, even though the two powers support opposing sides in the conflict.
In politics, optics  the look of something and the press it generates  sometimes, no, often matter more than policy. And on Sunday, House Intelligence Committee Chairman Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Calif., described the optics of Obamas decision to continue planned state visits to Cuba and Argentina after Tuesdays terrorist attacks in Brussels as pretty darn bad.

On Fox News Sunday, Nunes described Obamas time in Cuba as hanging out. . .with a known financier of terrorism. Nunes implied that the presidents time might have been better spent last week focused on rooting out terrorist cells around the world. He also described these cells in language typically reserved for the coordinated efforts of nation states to create empires. Nunes said the cells have effectively established colonies for terrorist organizations such as the Islamic State, also known as ISIS and ISIL, and al-Qaida in Africa, Asia and Europe.

Heres the key part of what Nunes said from a show transcript:

So what needs to happen here is that the Obama administration submitted their strategy to the United States Congress which was a seven page strategy on defeating what they call extremism.

First of all, you have to define the problem. And so, look, I think its fair whether people say, what is your strategy? Well, look, the president of the United States should not be hanging out in Cuba with a known financier of terrorism.

What the president of the United States should be doing is calling together all our allies in a coalition of the willing, including those in the Middle East that want to sit down together as leaders at a neutral location, put all the intelligence on the table so that we can find out where all the pockets of ISIS and al Qaida are. Because remember, we have colonies now that have spread from Western Africa, all the way to Southeast Asia and now it looks like they have a command and control structure in parts of Europe.

So, what the president should be doing is sitting down with these leaders, identifying the problem, and then coming up with a plan and asking all the countries to participate more than they ever have in what is really going to be a long war, a generational war against radical Islamic extremism.



In 1982, Cuba earned a slot on the shortlist of nations the United States officially considers as having financed terrorist activity. Cuba helped to finance leftist political movements  some of them militarized and violent  in Latin America during the 1980s.

In May, the Obama administration removed Cuba from the list, one step in a larger effort to normalize relations between the United States and the island nation. Only three countries remain on the current U.S. list of state sponsors of terrorism: Iran, placed on the list in 1984; Sudan, placed on the list in 1993; and Syria, which has been included since 1979.

Obamas state visit to Cuba was planned long before the Brussels terror attacks. He described his decision to continue the visits to Cuba and Argentina as an effort to show no capitulation to terrorist organizations. However, Nunes connected the uninterrupted state visits with what he described Sunday as an overall absence of a meaningful strategy to address terrorism and the chaos of Syria:

Well, look, theres never really been a plan. So when you look at what needs to be done in Iraq and Syria, that is a containment strategy. That is not a strategy ultimately to defeat ISIS, because ISIS has spread over to North Africa. So, a lot of the fighters and weapons and money, et cetera, have been coming from North Africa into Syria and Iraq.

So, its a containment strategy thats not working. We know its not working because the threat that was identified by the intelligence community several years ago was that worst thing that could happen is allowing people to go from the West into Iraq and Syria and then back out. So, theres just a failed strategy here thats getting worse. You have the secretary of state just on Friday saying that were winning against Syria  against ISIS in Syria and Iraq.

This seems to me to be just delusional, while at the same time, youve got the president of the United States dancing down in Argentina when he should be meeting with the leaders of Europe and other allies to try to take the fight to the enemy.



Nunes, who is in his early 40s, is the youngest member of Congress to serve as chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. As such, Nunes was born after the United States 55-year-old Cuban embargo began. However, Nuness comments Sunday indicate that he is not part of the growing contingent of Americans who view Cuba favorably or the nearly 60 percent who support normalizing relations with Cuba, according to a pair of Gallup polls conducted this and last year.
NEW YORK  Lydia Callis wanted to get her mother a gym membership for Christmas last year. When she called to arrange a consultation, she mentioned that her mom (who lives in Arizona) is deaf and would need a sign-language interpreter for the session. The health club said it would not provide a signer. Callis  who became an Internet sensation during Hurricane Sandy as Mayor Michael R. Bloombergs exuberant sign-language interpreter  told the club that it was actually required by law to do so. Still it refused, and Callis, who was calling from Manhattan, gave up.

Last year was the 25th anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act, and yet this kind of scenario plays out regularly for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. While the broader culture has become accustomed to certain changes the law has engendered, particularly wheelchair access, the rights of the deaf have frequently been misunderstood or simply disregarded.

Recently, however, a deaf rights movement has begun to gain ground, particularly in New York.

One sign of this momentum has been a flurry of lawsuits. Last year, the citys Department of Homeless Services settled a case that charged its shelters with failing to provide American Sign Language interpreters for deaf residents, and a suit filed last summer in Westchester County claimed that two hospitals refused a deaf couples requests for interpreters after the husband had a heart attack.

Another case involved Diana Williams, a deaf woman from Staten Island who was arrested in 2011 and was denied a sign-language interpreter, as the federal law dictates. In October, the Police Department settled her lawsuit for $750,000. Her lawyers, from the Eisenberg & Baum Law Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, said it was one of the biggest payouts of its kind.

Whats disturbing about all these lawsuits is that the ADA has been in effect for several decades, Eric Baum, one of the firms founders, recently said. Baum said his firm had litigated about 100 deaf discrimination cases, roughly half in the New York metropolitan area, many dealing with a failure to provide interpreters. He was sitting in the Union Square office alongside the Law Centers co-directors: Andrew Rozynski, a lawyer and fluent ASL signer whose parents are deaf, and Sheryl Eisenberg-Michalowski, a deaf rights liaison who was born deaf.

According to Rozynski, many other law firms turn down such cases because they dont want to pay for interpreters or are in the dark about deaf culture and ADA law. These are exactly the sort of cases that the Law Center, now in its fifth year, was created to handle. (One of the few other places specializing in this work, the New York Center for Law and Justice, a nonprofit that offers legal and social services to indigent people who are deaf or hard of hearing, has been handling an array of cases for more than a decade. About five years ago, it also began taking on ADA discrimination suits, including the one against the Department of Homeless Services.)

The law as it applies to its typical violators  police departments, hospitals, schools, government agencies or businesses  is clear enough, Baum said.

But time and time again, he said, people ignore the laws that are written.

Whats more, he added, some ADA violators have been sued multiple times, including the New York Police Department, which the Law Center has filed three suits against.

Even though the Department of Justice forced them into an agreement, said Rozynski, referring to a 2009 consent agreement requiring the Police Department to follow the provisions of the ADA, theyre still flouting the law.

This spring, however, the department is introducing a pilot program in three precincts aimed at helping the deaf and hard of hearing gain greater access to police services, said Susan Herman, a deputy commissioner. The program will give the department access to two ASL interpreting agencies, Herman said. (The current policy allows such interpreters only for scheduled events.) In addition, supervisors will have tablet computers for quick access to sign-language interpreters provided by a translation service on Skype.

These changes are exactly what the Law Center has been striving for. We want to make sure that there is a correction, Baum said. Lawsuit by lawsuit, their fight broadcasts a message.

Callis, the owner of LC Interpreting Services, said recently that she noticed a rise in requests for interpreters, which she chalked up to greater awareness of the law, not to mention a desire not to get sued. Callis, 34, was the only hearing person in a deaf family. A longtime advocate of deaf rights, she said her star turn with Bloomberg during his Hurricane Sandy news conferences made people aware that deaf culture exists all around them.

One of her firms services is to offer cultural competency training to help businesses integrate their deaf employees.

Deaf people are becoming more aware of their rights and are learning to stand up for themselves, she said.

Yet Callis argued that government has a role to play, like requiring licenses for ASL interpreters  a bill proposing this has stalled in the New York Senate. She also pointed out that New York state, unlike many states, does not have a commission for the deaf and hard of hearing.

One development came on March 14, when Mayor Bill de Blasio signed into law bills that will benefit the deaf and hard of hearing; one calls for all city agencies to have a staff member dedicated to assisting people with disabilities, while another requires that all promotional materials for public events organized by the city detail what forms of accessibility will be available, such as sign language, Braille or large print.

According to a 2014 census, there are about 208,000 people in New York City who are deaf or hard of hearing.

So it should come as no surprise that many events in the city cater to the deaf: museum tours, poetry slams, deaf-friendly happy hours.

At one happy hour this year, a group of people gathered at Pop Pub in the East Village. They greeted one another with hugs, sipping drinks and chatting as any bar patrons would  but they were talking with their hands.

Maleni Chaitoo was at a table conversing with a friend. A native New Yorker in her late 30s who lives in the Chelsea section of Manhattan, she produces a Web series, acts and works at the outfitter Patagonia with an iPad in hand, which allows her to text-chat with customers. I see it as a job to show hearing people that they can interact with deaf people, she said through an interpreter.

Though this was her first time coming to happy hour at Pop Pub, she saw lots of familiar faces from school or from other ASL events. I came here to get my fix in my native tongue, she said. I need to socialize with people who can sign. I call them my ASL people, who are deaf and hearing.

Also present was Opal Gordon, 53, who lives in the East Village and is unemployed. (According to a 2013 study by the Annual Disability Statistics Compendium, only around 50 percent of deaf and hard-of-hearing people in the United States are employed.) I love New York  this is my city, Gordon said through an interpreter. Im used to this life, but deaf people struggle every day.

Though hearing people sometimes react to her with apprehension, Gordon said, she is adept at navigating their world, and when she goes to a store or restaurant, things tend to be fine. Take this situation, she said. Were at a bar, we look like normal people and were able to interact. It just takes a bit more patience from people who can hear. We can even text back and forth.

In September, however, when she was arrested for violating an order of protection, police officers did not try to communicate with her and failed to provide a sign-language interpreter for more than 20 hours during her custody, she said. With the Law Center for Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Gordon is suing.

I feel strong, she said. Im going to fight on behalf of the deaf community.
ALEXANDRIA, Va.  President Barack Obama and the first family attended Easter service at a historic black church that traces its origins to when Thomas Jefferson was president.

The Rev. Howard-John Wesley, the pastor at Alfred Street Baptist Church, welcomed back the Obamas, whom he described as the gorgeous family. The Obamas also visited the church last Easter.

The congregation, led by a choir clad in crimson, gold and white robes, joined in song early in the service, with the pastor asking them to share introductions, but dont act crazy as the hundreds in attendance exchanged hugs and handshakes.

Many in the choir and audience smiled as they swayed and clapped to the music and sang the refrain yes, He lives, a reference to the resurrection of Jesus Christ, the event Christians celebrate on Easter.

Wesley delivered a sermon that noted the suffering Jesus endured, and he encouraged the congregation to have faith that, if God could raise Jesus from the dead, he can help them get through their hardships.

No matter what youre going through, you dont have to be afraid because God can handle it, Wesley said.

The Obamas spent about an hour at the service and returned to the White House, where on the South Lawn, workers and performers were preparing for the annual Easter Egg Roll to be held Monday.
Its Easter time, and even if a bunny hasnt left any eggs for you, we have a few questions to test your egg knowledge.

THE U.S. OF EGG

Q: Which U.S. state produces the most eggs?

The 2015 egg production for the U.S. was 96.4 billion. Here are the top 10 producing states, in millions:

1. Iowa, 12,463 2. Ohio, 9,316 3. Indiana, 8,005 4. Pennsylvania, 7,751 5. Texas, 5,118 6. Georgia, 4,832 7. Michigan, 3,846 8. North Carolina, 3,661 9. California, 3,306 10. Arkansas, 3,277

COOP SCOOP

Q: In California how many chickens can you have in a 60-square-foot coop?

California law requires a 5-by-12-foot coop to have no more than 60 chickens. That is equal to 1 square foot per chicken.

SUPER SIZE ME

Q: How many ounces does an ostrich egg weigh?

KNOW THE LOGO

Q: Does every carton of eggs need to have a USDA certified logo?

USDA grading is voluntary for egg farms, and those that choose to have the inspections pay for the service. Egg companies that do not use the USDAs grading service are monitored by state agencies.

HOW MANY WE EAT

Q: How many eggs do we eat a year?

According to the USDA, the average American consumed 19 pounds of eggs in 2012, the equivalent of 152 large eggs. Shell eggs were 70 percent, and processed egg products were 30 percent.

CHILL OUT

Q: Is the U.S. the only country that refrigerates eggs?

The U.S., Japan, Australia and Scandinavian countries tend to refrigerate eggs. In the 1970s, American producers perfected egg-washing machines with the intent of preventing bacterial outbreaks. The wash cleans shells, but it also removes a barely visible sheen that naturally seals eggs, so refrigeration is used to try to prevent the spread of salmonella.

HARD TIMES

Q: What is the best way to make a hard-boiled egg?

Steam eggs for 11 minutes, then put in cold water for easy peeling.

WHAT WE SHELL OUT

Q: How much do we spend on eggs?

WHAT WE BUY

Q: What type of egg do we buy the most?

Americans lay down the money for more large eggs in major retail supermarkets than any other type of egg, according to the USDA Nation Retail Report.
Security or freedom? Those questions keep popping up like an automatic smartphone app, most recently after Tuesdays terrorist bombings in Brussels. And just before that, after the December terrorist attack in San Bernardino.

How intensively should people be searched at airports? How much access should government have to our digital lives? These questions also are important to the high-tech economies of Orange County and the Inland Empire. Too much emphasis on security, and some people will stop using devices from American companies and turn to those from China, South Korea and elsewhere.

A major front in the battle has been the FBIs demand that Apple Inc. write new computer codes to open the iPhone used by one of the San Bernardino terrorists. But just before the Brussels attack, the FBI acknowledged that it didnt need Apples help to crack the phone.

The Press-Enterprise reported, The U.S. Justice Department said Monday that it found an outside party that might be able to crack the security encryption of an iPhone used by one of the terrorists in the San Bernardino shooting  a move that could end the high-powered court fight to force Apple engineers to do the work.

The Israeli website YNet News reported Wednesday: The FBI has been reportedly using the services of the Israeli-based company Cellebrite in its effort to break the protection on a terrorists locked iPhone, according to experts in the field familiar with the case. On Thursday, the BBC reported that Cellebrite replied to an inquiry that it works with the FBI but would not say more.

Cellebrites website explains its services include, File system extractions, decoding and analysis can be performed on locked iOS devices with a simple or complex passcode.  If a complex password is set on the device, physical extraction can be performed without access to emails and keychain.

As large and powerful a company as Apple is, its puny compared with the vast resources of the U.S. government, which include the ability to hire any company to do its work, whether based in this country or in friendly countries, like Israel. This ability long has been known, for example, in James Bamfords books on the National Security Agency, an even more powerful spying agency than the FBI.

Terrorism must be fought. But the next time the government wants to violate our Fourth Amendment right against unreasonable searches and seizures, lets remember how it initially overreached in the iPhone case.
VATICAN CITY  Pope Francis said Saturday that darkness and fear must not prevail as he concluded a bleak week in Europe with a message of hope during an Easter Vigil service in St. Peters Basilica.

Francis entered the silent and darkened basilica with just a single candle guiding him at the start of the vigil. As he reached the altar, the basilicas floodlights flipped on in a symbolic show of light after the darkness of Jesus crucifixion.

In his homily, Francis said the hope that Easter brings is a lesson for the Christian faithful to cast aside the hopelessness that can imprison people inside of themselves.

We see and will continue to see problems both inside and out. They will always be there, he said. But he insisted: Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us and control our hearts.

The lengthy vigil service includes a papal baptism for 12 adults hailing from around the world. A few hours after it ends, Francis will preside over Easter Sunday Mass and offer his annual Easter blessing.

Francis message of hope followed his bleak condemnations on Good Friday and earlier in the week of the attacks by Islamic extremists in Brussels and elsewhere.

During remarks Friday at the Colosseum capping the Way of the Cross procession re-enacting Jesus crucifixion, Francis denounced the terrorist acts committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence.

While the pope was at the Colosseum, his chief alms-giver was out on the streets of Rome giving out sleeping bags to the homeless Friday night in a show of papal support for the citys least fortunate.
A Harvard economist known globally for his work on climate change policy sat in the Sacramento office of the oil industrys lobbying firm recently, making the case that California is fighting global warming the wrong way.

The state has a good cap-and-trade system, Robert Stavins said, but some of its other environmental policies are weakening it. He pointed to a rule known as the low carbon fuel standard, which is supposed to increase production of clean fuels.

Environmental advocates consider it a complement to the cap-and-trade program that makes industry pay for emitting carbon. Stavins had other words.

Its contradictory. Its counterproductive. Its perverse, he said. I would recommend eliminating it.

Californias low carbon fuel policy is shaping up as a major fight this year for the states oil industry, an influential behemoth that spent more than $10.9 million lobbying Sacramento last year, more than any other interest group.

Theres a storm coming, biofuels lobbyist Chris Hessler told a roomful of clean energy advocates at a recent conference on low carbon fuels. If we dont meet this attack vigorously, were all going to be in a lot of trouble.

The oil industry was front and center in the biggest fight to hit the state Capitol last year: a proposal to cut Californias petroleum consumption in half over the next 15 years to slow the pace of climate change. The industry won its battle when lawmakers stripped the oil provision from Senate Bill 350. But Californias larger oil war is far from over, and the newest battle lines are beginning to emerge.

Gov. Jerry Brown is plowing ahead with plans to cut vehicle oil use in half through executive orders and regulations like the low carbon fuel standard. The standard requires producers to cut the carbon intensity of their fuels 10 percent by 2020. To reach the standard, refineries will have to make a blend that uses more alternative fuels  like ethanol  and less oil.

The program was adopted in 2009 but was locked in a court battle for years. California regulators prevailed, and took action last year to resume the program. Now producers must start changing the way they formulate their fuel or buy credits if their product is over the limit.

Thats led to higher costs for fuel makers, which they are passing on to consumers at a rate of about 4 cents per gallon, according to the California Energy Commission. At that rate, oil companies are paying about $750 million per year for the fuel standard. But the price is likely to keep increasing, the oil industry warns, as it gets tougher to meet the standard that increases over time.

Which is where Stavins argument comes in. It goes like this: The cleaner fuels required by the low carbon fuel standard will emit less greenhouse gas. That will reduce the need for fuel producers to buy permits in the cap-and-trade system (which makes industry pay for emitting climate-warming pollution) and create additional emissions by allowing other manufacturers to buy the pollution permits. Less demand will also depress prices on the cap-and-trade market.

Stavins is the director of Harvards Environmental Economics Program and part of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, a prestigious group of experts who review research for the United Nations. Hes also an adviser to the Western States Petroleum Association, which paid him to make the trip to Sacramento, where he talked with reporters before a day of meetings with lawmakers and business leaders.

Environmental advocates and California clean air regulators reject his view. They say the fuel standard works in harmony with other carbon-reducing programs and its an important piece of Californias effort to achieve its climate change goals.

One of the major goals of the low carbon fuel standard  is to drive innovation of new and alternative low carbon fuels, said Stanley Young, spokesman for the California Air Resources Board. The cap-and-trade program on its own cannot do that.

Alternative fuel producers gathered in a ballroom near the Capitol days after Stavins visit to Sacramento. During a presentation on the rising price of low carbon fuel credits, Hessler, the biofuels lobbyist, warned that the program is coming under political attack.

He defended the fuel standard, saying the regulation limits the price of the credits, and the cost to consumers will be kept down as some fuel producers make money by selling credits to others. He urged conference participants to share his information with California policymakers to counter opposition to the low carbon fuel standard.

Weve got to be ready for this, Hessler said.

A fight last year over a low carbon fuel standard in the state of Washington may provide some clues about how things could go down here. There, Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee proposed a low carbon fuel standard but failed to earn enough support for it in the Legislature. The fuel standard became a bargaining chip for Republicans in negotiations about funding for transportation infrastructure.

Here in California, lawmakers and Gov. Brown are also negotiating a plan to pay for a backlog of repairs to state roads and highways. Brown has pitched spending $36 billion over the next decade with a mix of taxes and other revenue sources. Republican votes are necessary to reach the two-thirds threshold for approving new taxes. So far, Republicans have balked at the plan, with some suggesting that the fuel standard should be included in the negotiations.

As were having the discussions about transportation funding in general in California, and transportation taxes in particular, this ought to be part of the discussion, said Assemblyman Jay Obernolte, R-Hesperia.

Its a message echoed by the president of the Western States Petroleum Association, which advocated against the low carbon fuel standard in Washington. Catherine Reheis-Boyd said she wants California lawmakers to take a very hard look at the low carbon fuel standard as they consider the future of climate change policies and the desire to repair the states roads.

All those things interplay, Reheis-Boyd said. Thats a big conversation. I think people across the state are willing to have it, and I think were at a pivotal point to have it this year.

CALmatters is a nonprofit

journalism venture dedicated to explaining state policies and politics. For more news analysis

by Laurel Rosenhall, go to calmatters.org/newsanalysis.
WASHINGTON  Twice a day, for breakfast and lunch, Benjamin R. Civiletti, attorney general to President Jimmy Carter, invited his seven special assistants  mostly young graduates of the nations most prestigious law schools  to his private dining room at the Justice Department for casual conversation or friendly debate.

Merrick B. Garland, fresh from a Supreme Court clerkship, 26 and looking years younger, showed little interest in chitchat. Even in staff meetings, he spoke so rarely that some colleagues figured him for shy or insecure.

But it became clear over time that Garland was silently working out his arguments, processing facts and testing alternatives. Surrounded by overachievers in a city full of people clamoring to be heard, he was waiting until he had something to say.

He has a tendency to save up his points, and when he finally speaks up, his points come out almost like a Gatling gun, said Lovida H. Coleman Jr., who worked with him back then and remains a close friend. Not in an unpleasant way, not in a way of showing off. He was smart and to the point.

Garland, now chief judge of the federal appeals court in Washington and President Barack Obamas nominee to the Supreme Court, has deftly navigated the capitals high-powered legal circles for decades.

In a city where ambition is often rewarded when accompanied by partisan loyalty, he has pulled off a rare feat, advancing as a centrist whose hallmark is finding the middle ground. His sharp mind  he was a standout in high school and at Harvard, and won clerkships with legal luminaries  has long commanded attention. Civiletti liked to tease Garlands fellow assistants that he had a resume that makes you want to cry.

Other judges, law school classmates and old friends describe his ability to deliver solutions, identifying areas of agreement, sometimes on narrow grounds, when people are sharply divided.

The essence of who you are is who you are at an early stage, said Abbe D. Lowell, a Washington lawyer who worked alongside Garland as a fellow assistant to Civiletti. Not only is he book smart, but hes really able to use all of that intelligence to forge consensus.

In his rise to the top, Garland, 63, has made canny decisions: choosing the Justice Department aide job rather than starting his career at a prominent law firm; later leaving a lucrative partnership to get trial experience as a federal prosecutor. He calls himself an accidental judge, because he was offered a judicial appointment while in line for a top Justice Department position.

Look at his record, Coleman said. Every choice is virtually perfect.

He was guided in the ways of Washington and the law by various mentors: a Supreme Court justice, an Illinois congressman-turned-judge, a former corporate lawyer. But Garland has thrived in part, many from both parties say, simply because he is nice. Several people used similar, somewhat surprising, language to describe the tough-minded legal advocate: a sweet spirit, Frank Keating, the former Oklahoma governor and a Republican, put it.

From his days as a high school student leader in the Chicago suburbs in the tumultuous late 1960s  where he spoke up for free speech yet shunned protests against the Vietnam War  to his time at the hypercompetitive Harvard Law Review, and through his years in Washington, Garland has accumulated friends and seemingly made few enemies.

But when it comes to a Supreme Court confirmation process, his careful course could hurt as much as it helps. With Republican leaders refusing to hold hearings on his nomination and insisting that Obamas successor should pick the next justice, conservative advocacy groups say there is proof, like his votes on gun rights or the fact that he volunteered for Democrats like Bill Clinton and Michael Dukakis, that he is hardly as moderate as he may seem. Those on the left have their own complaints  that he is not a bold thinker or reliably liberal  but have mostly held back.

Hes not an intellectual leader of the left or the right, observed Tom Goldstein, an appellate lawyer and the founder of SCOTUSblog, a website devoted to Supreme Court news. The people out there cheering for the Garland nomination are the professional legal class in Washington, D.C., Goldstein said. What you dont see are the progressive, committed liberals saying, Heres our guy, lets march into battle for him.

In a 2013 panel discussion, titled Life Lessons Learned, the judge revealed his approach to dealing with the harshness of the city that has been the backdrop to his lifes work.

They tell you in Washington that if you want a friend, get a dog, he said then. That is not true. Get a family. This is a hard place to be.

During his 19 years on the bench, Garland has tried to resist what can be an isolating job. He turns up at investitures, portrait unveilings and charity dinners and socializes with members of the citys legal elite. He holds annual summer reunions for his fiercely loyal clerks at his home in Bethesda, Maryland, serving bagels and lox and cooing over their children, whom he calls his grand-clerks.

He tutors disadvantaged children and performs the occasional wedding. At the 2000 Nantucket ceremony of Beth Wilkinson, a top aide to him at Justice, and David Gregory, the former host of the NBC program Meet the Press, the nervous judge started the ceremony without the bride. David turned to him, Wilkinson recalled, and said, Merrick, dont you think we should wait for Beth?

In his chambers at the imposing federal courthouse here, Garland keeps a coffee pot strategically placed, he has said, so that he has to walk by the clerks to get to it, and can stop and ask what they are doing.

Rather than have them write long memos for him, as is the custom of many other judges, he insists on doing his own research, for fear that he might miss some nuance or the finer points of an argument. Then, he said: We just argue it out. I pick clerks who can say no to me, in a nice way  who can say, Thats wrong, judge, and this is the reason why.

His colleagues say that as chief judge, a position he assumed in 2013, he can find a sliver of common ground and build a decision around that. One pointed to a politically charged case that challenged the constitutionality of a ban on federal contractors making political donations.

Garland pulled liberal and conservative judges toward the middle, issuing an opinion that upheld the law, but on the narrowest grounds. The final vote was 11-0; the Supreme Court refused to hear an appeal.

Having been passed over by Obama twice  first for Justice Sonia Sotomayor, and then Justice Elena Kagan, both more palatable to the political left  Garland is, the White House hopes, a man for this moment. Still, even with his mostly-in-the-middle record, it may not be enough.

If you wanted to game a Supreme Court nomination, you would go to one side or the other, said Neal Katyal, former acting solicitor general. Merrick surely had people whispering in his ear for years to do that.
SEOUL, South Korea  The man drove Ju Chan Yang to a mountain overlooking North Koreas border with China. He looked around, making sure they were alone. Then he dialed his Chinese cellphone and handed it to her.

On the other end was Jus father in South Korea. It was the first time they had heard each others voice since her father fled there two years earlier.

We barely spoke 10 minutes before the connection was suddenly lost, Ju, 25, said, describing the 2009 episode during a recent interview. My father lost sleep that night, fearing that I might have been caught by North Korean soldiers.

Smuggled-in Chinese mobile phones, which enable North Koreans near the border with China to gain access to its mobile networks, are an increasingly vital bridge between the North and the outside world.

They connect North Koreans to relatives who have defected abroad, mostly to South Korea. North Koreans also flee their repressive country, as Ju eventually did, through a smuggling operation arranged by mobile phones.

But the bridge has become increasingly precarious under Kim Jong Un, the North Korean leader.

In 2014, Kim ordered his government to tighten mosquito nets to block foreign information from slipping in and prevent his people from communicating with outsiders and fleeing. The number of North Korean defectors arriving in South Korea, once as high as 2,914 in 2009, plummeted to 1,276 last year.

Kim also strengthened a crackdown on mobile phones smuggled from China, deploying more soldiers and modern surveillance devices along the border to jam signals or trace them to those using the banned phones.

In a 57-page report titled Connection Denied, Amnesty International said this month that North Koreans caught making calls on the phones could face criminal charges. If they call someone in South Korea or other countries labeled enemies, they could face charges of treason as well as incarceration in prison camps.

Nothing can ever justify people being thrown in detention for trying to fulfill a basic human need  to connect with their family and friends, said Arnold Fang, the author of the report, which relied on interviews with experts and 17 recent defectors from North Korea.

Kims clampdown on phones linked to Chinese mobile networks also heightens the risk for those who help bring news about his totalitarian country to the outside world. North Koreans use the phones to talk or send text messages and even photos to reporters and activists in South Korea and elsewhere.

If they are caught by officials from the North, bribes are virtually the only way to avoid prison, or worse.

When my sources call me, they shut the doors of the house and keep a lookout outside, said Kang Mi-jin, a reporter for Daily NK, a news website based in Seoul that focuses on the North. I tell them to have a place to quickly hide their phone and carry bribe money, usually 2,000 Chinese yuan, with them, always. It can decide whether they live or die.

Thanks to her sources in North Korea, Kang, 48, broke some of the most talked-about news on Kims secretive government in recent years. She was the first to report that Kims wife, Ri Sol Ju, was pregnant in 2012 and that the leader was limping in 2014 because of ankle surgery.

The people I talked to in the North are thirsty for outside news  asking as many questions of me as I do of them, said Kang, herself a defector. They want to know how defectors live in the South, how much a South Korean worker makes a month, whether its really true that South Korean housewives have so many pieces of clothes they throw some away.

(BEGIN OPTIONAL TRIM.)

North Korea runs its own mobile phone network. Started in 2008 as a joint venture with the Egyptian company Orascom, the network, Koryolink, has more than 3 million subscribers. But it does not allow international calls. For ordinary citizens, landline calls are monitored and mostly confined to domestic connections.

Internet access is also restricted to foreign visitors and a select elite. North Koreans are also not permitted to exchange letters, emails or telephone calls with people in South Korea.

Thus, for ordinary North Koreans, virtually the only means of communicating directly with outsiders is to travel to the border with China and use cellphones that have been smuggled in.

North Korean traders began using cellphones during a famine in the 1990s to help illegally bring food and other goods from China.

But North Koreans who have fled to the South since the famine also started hiring smugglers to send Chinese phones and SIM cards to relatives left behind. Defectors and Amnesty International said the illicit trade in Chinese mobile phones in the North was growing.

In 2008, Choi Hyun Joon, 51, a North Korean defector in Seoul, hired a middleman in China. The middleman called his contact in North Korea on his Chinese cellphone and told him to find Chois daughter, Choi Ji Woo, in Pyongyang, the North Korean capital.

It took two months for the middleman to get his daughter to the border for a call with Choi. He first had to forge a travel permit for her; in North Korea, travel from town to town is closely monitored.

Later, Choi wired his daughter 8 million won, or $6,700, in a transaction made possible by the Chinese mobile phone. Each year, defectors in South Korea send millions of dollars to their families in the North through intermediaries in China and North Korea who use Chinese mobile phones to arrange the transactions.

By the time the money reached her, the sum had shrunk by half, the rest deducted as brokers fees for the middlemen.

You lose 30 to 50 percent of the money, but still it is the only way to send money to our loved ones, said Choi, who managed to get his daughter out in 2010.

Ju remembered the day that the middleman her father had hired appeared at a workers restaurant in Chongjin, a port city in northeast North Korea, where she was working in 2009.

He discreetly showed Ju a code word only she and her parents knew, a combination of her and her mothers names.

I knew I could trust him, Ju said. He said I should go to the border to make a phone call with my parents in the South.

In the summer of 2010, her father called her to the Chinese border for the last time. There, she was handed over to a North Korean guard who was part of a smuggling operation. He helped her swim across a rain-swollen river to China. Once there, he used his cellphone to call another middleman to come pick her up  and pay his fee.

The soldier had his Chinese cellphone wrapped in plastic and between his teeth when he swam across the river, said Ju, who arrived in South Korea in 2011. The phone is what links North Korea to the outside world.
Europes positioning with regard to the radical Muslim problem can be compared to a scary B-movie. You know, in a house full of zombies, serial killers, ghosts or whatever, instead of just getting the heck out of that house the heroes decide to stay and search the attic, or the basement, or preferably split up and do both. Likewise, European countries, fully aware of the dangers that lurk within the otherwise peaceful Muslim populations, instead enthusiastically gulp up an unending stream of unvetted masses into their midst with ever opening arms in the name of political correctness.

Okay, they win. Theyve now proven themselves to be loving human beings. One has to wonder if the resulting carnage is worth it.

Ted Robinson

Newport Beach

  

Re: Can it be stopped? [Front page, March 23]: Yes, it can be stopped. But only if we dont interfere in civil wars all over the world and create all kinds of enemies. When we send our troops there, they will naturally send their troops here. We keep forgetting the lesson we learned in Vietnam: They will fight their kind of war and not our kind of war.

R.J. Dolwani

Newport Beach

  

If I were the president of the United States I would call a meeting of my Joint Chiefs of Staff. I would tell them I want a plan to destroy ISIS and their assets. Those assets include command and control centers, supply depots, training camps, troop camps, oil fields, oil trucks and any convoys moving through the desert. I would tell them the plan should include air power and whatever ground troops they would need. I would tell them they will be given all the supplies equipment and manpower they need, whether its battalions, regiments or divisions. I would tell them once they are done they will leave. They will not rebuild, set up governments or win the hearts and minds of the people. I would tell them they are not to be concerned with rules of engagement, collateral damage, political correctness or what any politicians say. I will deal with all of that. Their only concern is to complete the mission. Once the plan is approved, they own it. Its up to them to implement it and carry it out. If they do not complete the mission, I would tell them they will all be replaced by others who will.

I know this sounds cruel and cold, but thats the world we live in. Europe has neither the will nor the courage to confront ISIS on the battlefield. It is content to live under the umbrella of protection we provide. I, for one, am tired of seeing memorial services, candle lightings and empty words from politicians. ISIS needs to be destroyed now.

Carl Baker

Mission Viejo

  

The recent bombings that killed at least 31 people in Belgium should not have come as a surprise, as Belgium was a disaster waiting to happen.

Not only were thousands of Islamic State members coming into Europe, including Belgium, from Syria and Iraq, but Belgium had abysmal terrorist security and intelligence, which was worsened by its multinational composition, which made coordination nearly impossible. In addition, it had woefully inadequate staff to handle severe emergencies like this.

Kenneth L. Zimmerman

Huntington Beach

  

Re: Time to mourn, not to overreact [Opinion, March 23]: The Registers editorial staff tells us not to overreact, bringing up the multitude of consequences we got ourselves involved in when we invaded Afghanistan and Iraq. The war against ISIS from the United States, and the rest of the world, is nothing short of lip service with not a single country doing very much. What coalition is there if it is not led by the United States? No one wants to contribute to the effort because they are used to our country doing it all. Why sacrifice their men and women and their resources now when their populace seemingly hasnt reached the point of indignant saturation?

However, not once in the Register editorial are the words Muslim terrorists used. In the lengthy editorial, the only one specifying Muslims at all was Ted Cruz, who the Register quoted in the aftermath. These acts are perpetrated by Muslims. President Obama, too, is unwilling to use those words to describe the murderers of the innocent. This is political correctness gone amok. Yet, when the Jewish people try to avenge crimes against their people and their country, there seems to be no limit to calling them out even if only one Palestinian is killed. So why does the Register take the stand that labeling the vicious Muslim organization of radicals controverting their religion, to find justice and ascension to the heavens to be with their God, by attacking people, like in the World Trade Center and San Bernardino here in our country, verboten? No one is claiming that Muslims are bad people, but call out those that are.

Barry Wasserman

Huntington Beach
Closing the gender pay gap has become a rallying cry heard round the country.

Bernie Sanders has made it a plank of his presidential campaign. Shareholder rights groups are lobbying to make public companies such as Amazon, eBay and Intel more accountable by backing shareholder proposals to disclose differences in pay between men and women.

On Jan. 1, California put into effect a fair pay law that advocates say is the strictest in the country for ensuring people are paid the same for jobs with substantially similar work, regardless of gender.

Not only will it have a positive impact on California, but the country as a whole, because there are so many national employers with outlets there, said Lisa Maatz, vice president of government relations for the American Association of University Women, which studies wage disparities. Its forcing them to clean up their houses in other states as well.

Nationwide, women earn an average 79 percent of what men make, according to U.S. employment statistics. In Orange County, the gender pay gap depends on where you live, ranging from about 73 percent to 98 percent, although theres more to the numbers than meets the eye.

Here is more about pay disparity, what causes it, and what employees and employers can do about it:

Whats up with Orange Countys gender pay gap?

The countys wage gap is smallest for women working full time who live in Anaheim, Santa Ana and Orange. Their average earnings equal 97.2 cents for every $1 their male counterparts make, according to AAUW.

The advocacy group analyzed Bureau of Labor Statistics job data by U.S. Congressional districts to come up with wage gaps across the country. The gender pay gap is highest for women working full time in Irvine, Tustin, Mission Viejo and surrounding communities. They make only 72.6 cents for every $1 earned by full-time employees in the same area, according to AAUW.

Why is the gap lower in some areas?

The differences come from the types of jobs, pay and employers in a given area. The gender pay gap is often smaller in areas with more employers in health care, education and government. Traditionally, those industries have higher concentrations of female employees and also are more unionized than others, which can lead to more equitable pay, Maatz said.

Are there other reasons pay gaps vary?

Pay gaps can be smaller in areas with high concentrations of jobs with a higher degree of substitutability, meaning people dont need special skills to do the work, according to Russell Mangum, an economics professor at Concordia University in Irvine.

That could explain the lower pay gap in Anaheim, Orange and Santa Ana, which comprise Congressional District 46 and where the average annual wages for men ($32,138) and women ($31,228) are the lowest in the county. Mangum said when exploring wages, economists also look at factors such as education, work experience, industry, working conditions, and job flexibility.

Research has shown that when you measure all these characteristics, there is not a clear gender gap, he said.

What about O.C. companies?

Getting Orange County companies to discuss wage disparities is somewhat difficult. Several major O.C. employers I contacted wouldnt comment for this column.

A spokesperson for Disneyland Resort, which has approximately 27,000 employees, said the company is proud of our pay practices, but doesnt disclose internal data. First American Financial Corp., which has about 1,860 employees, also wouldnt comment.

A website for the city of Anaheim, which has approx. 3,500 employees, lists compensation, including salary, health benefits and bonuses for city workers, but doesnt break out statistics on gender.

Bill McLeod, Anaheims human resources director, said hes proud the citys workforce reflects opportunities for all employees, and as we look across the board, there are a number or high-ranking women currently employed.

What exactly does the new state law cover?

The law amends existing state fair pay laws, including preventing companies from relying on previously ill-defined factors to justify pay differences. It also restricts employers from retaliating or discriminating against employees for sharing salary information.

The changes could help women by giving them more information to use in salary negotiations.

If employees can talk, they have a better chance of finding out about a pay gap and asking questions to rectify it, Maatz said. In addition, when employers know that employees can discuss their pay, its incentive for them to change discriminatory practices, she said.

How effective will it be for fixing the problem?

Labor lawyers predict the equal pay law will lead to more lawsuits. The law and publicity surrounding disparities in gender pay have already led California companies such as Gap and Salesforce to audit their pay practices and adjust compensation as needed.

Labor industry watchers predict more companies will conduct similar audits. However, Mangum, the Concordia economics professor, said the issue is complex, and just because theres a new law, it doesnt mean differences in pay will go away completely.

What can you do if you think youre being underpaid because of your gender?

Read your companys personnel policies to find out about procedures for reporting a problem and available remedies. Approaching your employer may seem scary, but its a place to start, Maatz said.

Employees can file a complaint with the state Department of Fair Employment and Housing, or the National Labor Relations Board. Organizations such as AAUW, the National Committee on Equal Pay, and Californias Equal Rights Advocates have additional resources on their respective websites.

Maatz also encourages people  men and women  to do a better job of negotiating their salaries.

What can businesses do to make sure theyre complying with the law?

Employers who are following the law shouldnt have anything to be afraid of. Maatz also suggests companies do an audit. Companies also can use training programs to become more transparent about pay practices and guard against conscious or unconscious biases that could affect compensation, she said.

Michelle V. Rafter specializes in covering jobs and employment issues. Send your questions about job hunting, careers or workplace issues to her at michellerafter@comcast.net or find her on Twitter @MichelleRafter.
STE. GENEVIEVE, Mo.  Missouri state police are investigating the jail death of a former sheriffs deputy who was facing federal and state charges of sexually abusing women and enticing a minor into prostitution.

Marty Rainey was found dead Saturday morning in the Ste. Genevieve County jail, sheriffs Maj. Jason Schott told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The death of the 52-year-old Rainey, who lived in Sullivan and formerly worked as a deputy in Gasconade County in east-central Missouri, appears to be a suicide, Schott said. He declined to say whether Rainey had been on suicide watch.

The Missouri State Highway Patrols investigation of the in-custody death is standard procedure, Schott said.

Court documents allege Rainey would threaten or coerce women into having sex while he was on duty.

A federal grand jury indicted Rainey on March 2 in St. Louis on a charge of enticement of a minor to engage in a commercial sex act and four counts of deprivation of rights under color of law.

Rainey, who served as a police officer for the Missouri communities of Hermann and Rosebud while also doing the deputy job, had already been charged in state court in January of last year with two counts each of sexual assault and acceding to corruption by a public servant, as well as statutory rape and use of a child in a sexual performance.

Raineys attorney, Christian Goeke, said federal marshals told him about Raineys death. Goeke had been trying to get Rainey released on bail before trial on the federal charges. Prosecutors opposed the release, partly because of the serious nature of the charges and concerns about Raineys mental health.

(Raineys death) is certainly not an outcome that our office was seeking. I have sympathy for this family, U.S. Attorney Richard Callahan said.

A Rainey acquaintance, 47-year-old Jonathan Pohlmann, pleaded guilty Monday to a federal charge of conspiracy to violate civil rights. He had been accused of conspiring with the former deputy in assaults on women.
BAGHDAD  Influential Iraqi Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr met with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi Sunday night after beginning a sit-in in Baghdads highly fortified Green Zone intended to be a show of force following his calls to combat government corruption.

Earlier in the day security forces stepped aside to allow al-Sadr to enter the Green Zone after weeks of protests in the Iraqi capital. Al-Sadr has repeatedly called on al-Abadi to enact sweeping economic and political reforms.

I am a representative of the people and will enter the (Green Zone), al-Sadr told hundreds of his supporters gathered outside the compounds walls, asking his followers to stay outside and remain peaceful.

As al-Sadr walked through a checkpoint to enter the Green Zone, officials in charge of the compounds security greeted the cleric with kisses and provided him with a chair. Al-Sadr was accompanied by his personal security detail and the leader of his Shiite militia, Sarayat al-Salam. After he began his sit-in, al-Sadrs supporters started erecting tents and laying down mattresses.

In February, al-Sadr demanded Iraqi politicians be replaced with more technocrats and that the countrys powerful Shiite militias be incorporated into the defense and interior ministries.

After weeks of growing protests in the Iraqi capital, al-Sadr repeatedly threatened to storm the compound if his demands for government overhaul were not met. Baghdads Green Zone, encircled by blast walls and razor wire, is closed to most Iraqis and houses the countrys political elite as well as most of the citys foreign embassies. Al-Sadr has called it a bastion of corruption.

Most Iraqis blame the countrys politicians for the graft and mismanagement that are draining Iraqs already scarce resources. Unlike the widespread, largely civic protests last summer, however, al-Sadrs demonstrations are attended almost exclusively by his supporters, who have made few concrete policy demands.

Earlier this month, Iraqi security forces manning checkpoints in Baghdad again stepped aside to allow al-Sadrs supporters to march up to the Green Zones outer walls to begin a sit-in, despite a government order deeming the gathering unauthorized. The move called into question Prime Minister al-Abadis ability to control security in the capital.

I thank the security forces, al-Sadr said before beginning his sit-in. He who attacks them, attacks me, he added.

While al-Abadi proposed a reform package last August, few of his plans have been implemented as the leader has made several political missteps and struggled with the countrys increasingly sectarian politics amid the ongoing fight against the Islamic State group. Shiites dominate the central government, while the countrys Kurds in the north exercise increasing autonomy and much of the Sunni population has either been displaced by violence or continues to live under IS rule.
WASHINGTON  Bernie Sanders won Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska and Washington state on Saturday, victories he hopes will stoke a spring comeback against the commanding front-runner, Hillary Clinton.

The Vermont senator was trying to build his enduring support among liberal activists into a three-state sweep that could help him narrow a gap of 300 delegates won in primaries by Clinton. The two Democrats were also competing in Hawaii.

While Sanders faces a steep climb to the nomination, a string of losses for Clinton would highlight persistent vulnerabilities within her own party. Sanders continues to attract tens of thousands to his rallies  drawing more than 17,000 in Seattle this week  and has collected more than $140 million from 2 million donors.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, before voters in Hawaii gathered for their caucuses, Sanders cast his wins Saturday as part of a Western comeback, citing recent victories in Utah and Idaho as a sign that his campaign still had a path to the nomination.

We just won the state of Washington. That is what momentum is about, he said. Dont let anybody tell you we cant win the nomination or we cant win the general election. Were going to do both of those things.

Most of his dozen primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats. Hes heavily favored by younger voters, who were a key part of the coalition that boosted Obama to victory twice.

In Spokane, Washington, a huge line of caucus attendees snaked around a high school parking lot on Saturday morning.

I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students, said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. And getting big money out of politics. Hes not paid for by billionaires.

Retiree Dan McLay, 64, attended the caucus in a hard-hat, which he joked he needed because he was one of the relatively few Clinton supporters in the big crowd.

Look at this thing in Brussels, McLay said, referring to the deadly bombings. We need a real experienced leader.

For Sanders, turning passionate support into the party nomination has grown increasingly difficult.

Clinton had a delegate lead of 1,223 to 920 over Sanders going into Saturdays contests, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expanded to 1,692-949 once the superdelegates, or party officials who can back either candidate, were included.

Based on that count, Sanders still needs to win 58 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by Junes end.

His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall  from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates  to prevail.

Because Democrats allocate their delegates on a proportional basis, meaning that the popular vote loser can still pick up a share, his Saturday victories netted Sanders a gain of at least 27 delegates to at least five for Clinton.

Sanders spent several days campaigning in Washington state and dispatched his wife, Jane, to Alaska and Hawaii. Clinton campaigned in Washington state for one-day and did not send any high-profile supporters to either of the other two states.

Clinton has been looking past the primary contests and aiming at potential Republican challengers. In interviews, rallies and speeches this week, she largely focused on Tuesdays deadly attacks in Brussels, casting GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as unqualified to deal with complicated international threats.

Her campaign sees the April 19 contest in New York as an important one, not just because of the rich delegate prize but because losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate would be a psychological blow. She hopes to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later.
Over two telephone conversations on Friday, Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, discussed his views on foreign policy with Maggie Haberman and David E. Sanger of The New York Times. Here are some excerpts we highlighted.

On whether he would be willing for the United States to be the first to use nuclear weapons in a confrontation with adversaries:

An absolute last step.  I personally think its biggest problem the world has, nuclear capability  And the first one to use them, I think that would be a very bad thing. And I will tell you, I would very much not want to be the first one to use them, that I can say.

On whether the United States should spy on its allies, and whether President Barack Obama was right to stop the listening in on Angela Merkels cellphone:

You know, Id rather not say that. I would like to see what theyre doing. Because you know, many countries, I cant say Germany, but many countries are spying on us. I think that was a great disservice done by Edward Snowden. That I can tell you.

On whether to allow Japan and South Korea to build their own nuclear arsenal:

Its a position that at some point is something that we have to talk about, and if the United States keeps on its path, its current path of weakness, theyre going to want to have that anyway with or without me discussing it, because I dont think they feel very secure in whats going on with our country.

On whether he would withdraw U.S. forces from Japan and South Korea if those countries do not increase their payments to cover the costs of those troops:

Yes, I would. I would not do so happily, but I would be willing to do it We cannot afford to be losing vast amounts of billions of dollars on all of this And I have a feeling that theyd up the ante very much. I think they would, and if they wouldnt I would really have to say yes.

On his standards for using U.S. troops abroad, such as for homeland protection, for humanitarian intervention, or to aid allies:

It sounds nice to say, I have a blanket standard; heres what it is. No. 1 is the protection of our country, OK? Thats always going to be No. 1, by far. Thats by a factor of 100 After that it depends on the country, the region, how friendly theyve been toward us. You have countries that havent been friendly to us that were protecting. So its how good theyve been toward us, etc., etc.

On recent American engagement in the Middle East:

If you would go back 15 years ago, and Im not saying it was only Obama, it was Obamas getting out, it was other peoples getting in, but you go back 15 years ago, and I say this: If our presidents would have just gone to the beach and enjoyed the ocean and the sun, we wouldve been much better off in the Middle East, than all of this tremendous death, destruction, and you know, monetary loss.

On whether he would stop buying oil from Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates if those countries refused to send ground troops to fight ISIS:

Theres two answers to that. The answer is, probably yes, but I would also say this: We are not being reimbursed for our protection You know, Saudi Arabia the amount of money they have is phenomenal. But we protect countries, and take tremendous monetary hits on protecting countries.  And yet, without us, Saudi Arabia wouldnt exist for very long. It would be, you know, a catastrophic failure without our protection.

On the United States fight against ISIS and our efforts to seek a political accord between President Bashar Assad of Syria and rebel forces:

Well, I thought the approach of fighting Assad and ISIS simultaneously was madness, and idiocy. Theyre fighting each other and yet were fighting both of them. You know, we were fighting both of them. I think that our far bigger problem than Assad is ISIS, Ive always felt that. Assad is, you know Im not saying Assad is a good man, cause hes not, but our far greater problem is not Assad, its ISIS.

On summing up his worldview as America First:

Im not isolationist, but I am America First. So I like the expression We have been disrespected, mocked, and ripped off for many, many years by people that were smarter, shrewder, tougher. We were the big bully, but we were not smartly led The big stupid bully, and we were systematically ripped off by everybody. From China to Japan to South Korea to the Middle East protecting Saudi Arabia and not being properly reimbursed I mean they were making a billion dollars a day before the oil went down The whole thing is preposterous We will not be ripped off anymore, were going to be friendly with everybody, but were not going to be taken advantage of by anybody.

On his recent comments questioning the effectiveness of NATO and its ability to combat terrorism:

Ill tell you the problems I have with NATO. No. 1, we pay far too much.  NATO is unfair.  Because it really helps them more so than the United States, and we pay a disproportionate share. Now, Im a person that  you notice I talk about economics quite a bit, in these military situations, because it is about economics, because we dont have money anymore because weve been taking care of so many people in so many different forms that we dont have money.  So NATO is something that at the time was excellent. Today, it has to be changed. It has to be changed to include terror. It has to be changed from the standpoint of cost because the United States bears far too much of the cost of NATO.

On whether Russia will end up dominating Ukraine:

Well, unless, unless there is, you know, somewhat of a resurgence frankly from people that are around it. Or they would ask us for help. But they dont ask us for help. Theyre not even asking us for help. Theyre literally not even talking about it, and these are the countries that border the Ukraine.

On how he would combat Chinas assertiveness over islands in the South China Sea:

We have great economic  and people dont understand this  but we have tremendous economic power over China.  And thats the power of trade. Because they use us as their bank, as their piggy bank, they take  but they dont have to pay us back. Its better than a bank because they take money out but then they dont have to pay us back.

On why he wants to avoid being too specific about his foreign policy plans:

A politician would say, Oh I would never go to war, or theyd say, Oh I would go to war. I dont want to say what Id do because, again, we need unpredictability.  The problem we have is that, maybe because its a democracy and maybe because we have to be so open  maybe because you have to say what you have to say in order to get elected  who knows? But I wouldnt want to say. I wouldnt want them to know what my real thinking is.
Before low-income families shuffle their children off to college, the Obama administration wants them to know which schools will give their sons and daughters the best shot at graduating. And UC Irvine is right up there.

The Department of Education issued a report Thursday highlighting public and private universities that excel at enrolling and graduating students who are needy enough to qualify for federal Pell Grants. Those students comprise at least 40 percent of the population at all of the schools featured in the report, and 50 percent of them graduate within six years.

Regional public universities, such as UCI, have some of the best track records in serving low-income students, as do private religious schools and womens colleges, according to the report, Fulfilling the promise, serving the need. What makes many of these schools stand out is their concerted effort to improve outcomes for students with modest means. That might mean providing emergency financial aid to keep students from dropping out or increasing academic advisement and mentoring.

UCI and UC San Diego were cited as schools that outperform peer institutions in enrolling and graduating recipients of Pell Grants, free financial aid for low-income students. Forty-three percent of students at each campus receive the grants.

The report also pointed to UCIs high six-year graduation rate for Pell recipients: 87 percent, one percentage point higher than the rate for all students graduating in six years. Its four-year graduation rate is 68 percent, according to the schools website.

A lot of that goes to our academic support for all students. We have 13 schools with their own academic advising units, said Michael Dennin, UCI vice provost for teaching and learning and the dean of the undergraduate education division.

Even though we are a major research university, we have a small-school feel, Dennin said.

Dennin heads a new office, opened last May, that focuses on teaching practices that lead to student success and offering support to students.

Were taking students who are low-income, who think they cant participate in study-abroad programs and internships, and teaching them that all these opportunities are available to them, Dennin said.

Another difference at UCI, Dennin said, is its focus on helping students who are the first in their family to go to college. More than half of the university is made up of first-gen students.

Last year, UCI was ranked first in the nation by The New York Times as the school doing the most for low-income students, based in part on the percentage of students who receive Pell Grants.

The latest report was culled from data available on the College Scorecard, an online tool that includes college-specific information about student costs, loans and potential earning power.

For California residents, undergraduate tuition in the University of California system is $12,240, but with housing and other expenses, a year at a UC school averages between $29,500 and $33,600.

The university offers free tuition to students from families that make less than $80,000 annually, but the other costs are too high for many families. UCI students joined a national protest in November over high college costs.

Meanwhile, UCI recently released a 10-year plan that would increase its current student population of about 30,800 to 40,000. The university wants a quarter of those students to be Latino to more accurately represent the diversity of California. Theyre nearing that goal.

This year, the Irvine school saw freshman applications jump more than 8 percent, reaching nearly 98,000.

UCI led the nine-school system in California in resident Chicano/Latino freshman applicants: 20,521, according to the UCI website. And it was second among the UC schools in the number of California-resident African-American freshmen who applied: 2,296.

Staff writer Ian Wheeler and the Washington Post contributed to this report.

Contact the writer: 714-796-7829 or rkopetman@ocregister.com
SAN FRANCISCO  On a weed-pocked parking lot behind a batch of government offices, Sonoma County is about to propel California into the hottest trend in housing for the homeless: tiny homes.

The county is planning to build an entire village of them.

Faced with soaring rents and construction costs over the past few years, homeless-policy planners across the nation have been increasingly turning toward minuscule houses  ranging in size from closets to toolsheds  as a cheap solution to getting street people indoors. A dozen villages of the tiny homes, with supportive counseling services close at hand, have sprung up in Oregon, Washington, Texas, North Carolina, New York and Tennessee. Dozens of other U.S. communities are planning villages of their own.

In California, the furthest along in this process is Sonoma County. Early plans are also afoot for villages in San Francisco and Berkeley, and scattered tiny homes have already cropped up in San Francisco and Oakland.

That doesnt mean these things are a lock  not everyone is a fan of the concept. Some, like homeless activist Carol Denney of Berkeley, say its demeaning to offer people homes smaller than cars while the wealthy get mansions. And tiny homes created without official sanction often are treated the same as homeless tents  shoved along and regarded as nuisances.

But the village-and-services approach, like the one planned in Sonoma County, has so far been well received. So in that county, its full speed ahead.

Look, what homeless people want is a home  something better than a tent, said Sonoma County Supervisor Shirlee Zane, who conceived her countys tiny-home village plan. When you have as many people homeless as we do in this county  about 2,000 on the streets, living outside  you have to try everything.

She stood in the middle of the quarter-acre parking lot site for the village and surveyed it with the passion of an artist about to apply paint to a canvas. The lot, now used as overflow parking for county workers, is in Santa Rosa and sits between the countys Human Services Department, which handles welfare and poverty housing issues, and the Probation Department of the Sheriffs Office.

If all goes as Zane hopes, a dozen tiny homes with up to 24 residents will dot the lot by August. The Board of Supervisors approved the land use in January, and the county has received 35 proposals from developers who want to construct the village.

Here, people will get their self-respect back, Zane said. They can move in, get connected with counseling, better health, job help  and then move into more permanent housing. But in the meantime, they can have four walls they call their own.

Tiny homes have been trending for about five years among back-to-the-land types, hipsters and middle-class people looking for an affordable home with boutique artistry to it. Television shows such as Tiny House Nation on the A&E Network showcase eye-popping creations that can sell for more than $100,000, or be hand-built for tens of thousands of dollars.

The homes Zane has in mind, and those cropping up for the down and out in other communities, are not of that ilk. They range instead from $40 mobile abodes crafted by an artist in Oakland from scrap materials to stand-alone houses built by contractors or the homeless themselves for $1,200 in Portland, Ore., and $5,000 in Madison, Wis.

Sonoma County planners are aiming for homes that will each cost $20,000 or so, but could go much higher depending on whats offered in appliances and utility hookups. The tab is bigger than elsewhere because of the Bay Areas astronomical housing costs, and the countys desire to set an example for the state with a solid product.

Typically, tiny homes like these range from about 250 square feet to 500 square feet. Many are built on wheels so they can be easily moved. Even without wheels, most are so small they can be toted with trailers.

The big attraction for communities building them is, of course, the relatively tiny cost.

The typical tab for building a supportive housing unit in an urban setting is about $300,000. In a more rural county like Sonoma, population 495,000, it runs about half that. Construction and planning typically take two to five years.

Tiny homes not only come in at a fraction of the cost, they can be built and installed in a handful of months on public land or donated space on religious or other private property. Showers and bathrooms are often communal, and electric and water hookups are minimal compared with larger buildings.

Another option, leasing buildings from private owners, can cost up to $2,000 per unit per month. After a few years, that cost exceeds what it would take to build a tiny home.

The cost savings are huge, and believe me, weve looked at all the models, Zane said.

There is no price tag yet for her two-year pilot project, but that will come when all the bids are assessed this spring, she said. The figures she focuses on are those commonly touted in the Bay Area: It costs about $60,000 a year to leave someone in the street absorbing police, medical and other expenses, but about $15,000 to $20,000 to keep someone in supportive housing.

As a family therapist, a minister in Los Angeles and a director of nonprofits, Zane has dealt with homelessness for decades. She and other county officials subscribe to housing first, the practice of housing street people quickly before connecting them with counseling for whatever drug, job or mental issues savaged their lives.

But if you dont build the housing, she said, its hard to practice what you preach. Social service programs help, but they dont do anything unless you have the housing and shelter. Tiny homes can help give us that.

Tiny-home villages began springing up in cities including Dallas, Seattle and Nashville over the past three years. But the granddaddy of them all, used as a model for the technique, is Dignity Village in Portland, Ore.

Dignity began as a tent city under a bridge in 2000. Four years later, after the city was unable to dismantle the community, the Portland City Council offered residents a city-owned lot near the main airport and agreed to let them largely govern themselves.

Today, the early tents have been replaced with 43 hand-built tiny homes for 60 formerly homeless residents. The village elects a council, charges each resident $35 a month for operating expenses, and requires 10 weekly hours of work to help keep the place tidy and functional. No drunkenness, fighting or drug use are allowed on-site. Counseling and other support services are nearby at government agencies and nonprofits.

In one sense, this is just another homeless camp  but in another sense its not, said Dignity Village Councilman Scott Layman, 52. Not all people want to remain homeless, and if you find people who want to get up and back into society, this is the place.

Residents are generally limited to a two-year stay, with the idea that they will move into more permanent digs after righting their lives.

They should absolutely try something like this in California, Layman said. Whatever works.

Villages of tiny homes havent gotten significant blowback in cities where they cropped up, since local governments helped shepherd them into existence. But individual homes ad hoc appearance on city streets often gets a rocky reception.

In San Francisco and Oakland, hand-built tiny homes that crop up are often quickly moved along by authorities, just like tents. In Los Angeles this winter, 40 solar-powered, 6-by-8-foot wheeled homes built by a local musician were handed out near camps and highways  and promptly ran into hostility from residents and officials.

Police and sanitation workers have been vigorously clearing them away, finding guns and drug paraphernalia in some. The Los Angeles mayors office labeled them a safety hazard.

The conflict there is being closely watched by homeless advocates in Virginia, Illinois and other states where advocates are contemplating joining the tiny-home movement. The general agreement is that establishing villages with support services and government cooperation is the best way to go.

In the past, I think people associated small  like tiny homes  with having no dignity, but that has changed, said Tracy Baim, a Chicago publisher and chairperson of the nations first major conference on the topic. The Tiny Home Summit will be held in Chicago in late April.

Baims goal is to help create Chicagos first tiny-home village over the next two years and populate it with homeless community-college students.

The tiny-homes movement has proven you can make beautiful homes for very little money, and they can be good places to live in, she said. Its growing, and we want in.

Carol Denney of Berkeley takes the opposite tack  she says the tiny home movement is wrongheaded from the start.

Tiny homes are an insidious, seductive mechanism for pouring enormous amounts of resources into housing as few people as possible, Denney said. An editor of the Street Spirit homeless-activist newspaper, she has argued against plans being discussed for tiny homes in Berkeley. You can build real houses for a lot less for what youre getting.

But the cute factor of tiny homes just takes people apart, she said. We are a rich country. Why should homeless people have to live in something super-small just because they are poor?

Supervisor Zane said truly building enough fuller-size houses for now is just a dream, given the need to stretch dollars far and fast.

You have to deal with what you can realistically get done, and this is it, she said. I think this county has been pretty unique in looking outside the box for solutions.

And right now, she said, strolling the parking lot that by fall will be someones tiny front yard, Id call this a win-win-win site.

Perhaps the most important vote of confidence for Zanes plan comes from the areas homeless. Everyone queried about it appears enthusiastic.

My own home? That would be a great idea, Brian Brendon, 38, said as he panhandled on a park bench in downtown Santa Rosa. I dont care if its small. If its warmer and its dry and its my own, Ill take it.
No issue is more entwined in paradox than that of free trade versus protectionism. Heres the first. Polling suggests that voters recognize the benefits of free trade more now than at anytime in many years, even as the presidential candidates advocate more protectionism.

The polling company Gallup recently studied public attitudes on trade over the past quarter century. The question Gallup has asked over the years is whether free trade is more of a threat to America or an opportunity. In 2016, 58 percent of respondents said trade was more on opportunity versus 34 percent who said it is a threat. This may not be an overwhelming acclamation for international trade, but it is the most support Gallup has recorded.

Wow, people get Adam Smiths law of comparative advantage.

Yet on the presidential campaign trail, Trump keeps scoring victories in Republican primaries with his protectionist threat of a 45 percent tariff imposed on China. Meanwhile, on the Democratic side, Hillary Clinton and, especially, Bernie Sanders keep bashing free trade for shrinking the middle class.

These attacks against international trade are mostly spurious because American workers engaged in export industries get paid on average 15 percent to 20 percent more than workers in domestic-only jobs. We export high value-added products and import low-cost consumer items.

Dan Mitchell of the Cato Institute notes that free trade has become the convenient political scapegoat for voter frustration with a stagnant economy. The U.S. economy isnt performing because of a hostile tax and regulatory policies, he notes. That is why companies and jobs are leaving. Hes right. Open trade borders force the politicians to take competitiveness seriously  something Washington hasnt done for years.

Thank goodness we dont allow California to close off its borders to commerce with Arizona and Texas or taxes in the Golden State would really skyrocket.

Heres another trade paradox. Voter support for free trade is rising among Democrats and independents, but falling among Republican voters. As Investors Business Daily recently reported, in the latest Gallup polls, 63 percent of Democrats and Independents said trade is mainly an opportunity (up from the low 30s a decade ago). But just 50 percent of Republicans feel this way, which is down from a high of 57 percent in 2002.

Now we see why Trumps tariff talks are resonating with a segment of conservative middle class voters. Some of this rejection of trade among Republicans may be a knee jerk reaction to Obamas support for the Asia trade deal, which is now being disparaged as Obamatrade.

The final paradox is that so many liberals, like Bernie Sanders, keep claiming that free trade hurts the poor. Wrong. Protectionism via tariffs is a regressive tax and would almost certainly exacerbate income inequality. The people who benefit the most from low-cost imports from China and sold at Wal-Mart or Target are the working poor.

Hillary Clinton and George Soros surely dont shop at Wal-Mart.

On a global scale, the nations that tend to be the poorest in the world, for example, North Korea, Bangladesh and tribal African countries, dont engage in international trade. Opening up markets to trade is one of the best anti-poverty programs ever  much more effective than welfare or foreign aid.

The Gallup data seems to confirm that most voters instinctively understand all this.

Thats the good news. The bad news is the paradox that they dont seem to be voting that way.

Stephen Moore is an economics consultant at freedom Works and a Fox News contributor.
BERLIN  In the United States, Republican presidential candidate front-runner Donald Trump is a hero to some, a problem to others, but generally seen a force of nature and perhaps unstoppable.

The rest of the world is having a hard time digesting that he could well be the Republican standard-bearer, if not the leader of the free world. Hes described as evil, a cyberbully, a rich narcissist, even a sort of anti-Christ. His populist campaign promises must be theater, the thinking goes, and cant be taken seriously.

The notion that Trump could actually be the president of the United States is seen as everything from inconceivable to creating a sort of nostalgia for the good old days of the disliked George W. Bush.

The word clown  favored by the New York Daily News, as well  tends to pop up quite a bit.

Consider a recent column on the Peoples Daily newspaper website in China, which described Trump as  a rich, narcissist and inflammatory candidate.

The clown is now the biggest dark horse, the column asserts.

Tageszeitung, a leftist German newspaper, in a recent editorial that referred to Trumps tactics as cyberbullying also called him the angry clown, darling of the masses.

The centrist German newspaper Die Welt notes simply, The field of the Republican candidates is dominated by a clown.

That public commentary reflects, analysts said, growing international concern about Trumps rise.

For Europeans there is a mixture of incredulity and anxiety, said Richard G. Whitman, a European politics expert at the University of Kent. The anxiety comes from what such a wild-card president might mean for the place of the United States in the world.

As for Trumps comments on immigration and questioning the value of NATO, these have been viewed as offensive or creating uncertainty, Whitman said.

One place that Europeans, especially Germans, have been unwilling to go in attacking Trump is comparisons to Adolf Hitler, the infamous German leader whose campaign of racial hatred killed 6 million Jews and as many members of other ethnic groups. Germans dont make such comparisons, even if some of Trumps harshest critics in the U.S. do. Hitler was Hitler, and the Holocaust is without comparison.

In a recent interview published in Welt am Sonntag, German Economic Minister Sigmar Gabriel put Trump in more contemporary company.

Donald Trump, Marine Le Pen or Geert Wilders  all these right-wing populists  are not only a threat to peace and social cohesion, but also to economic development, Gabriel said, referring to the leaders of nationalist political movements in France and the Netherlands.

Joerg Wolf, the editor in chief at the Atlantic Initiative research center in Berlin, said Trump himself wasnt as concerning to Europeans as the fact that his support was so high.

We thought he was promoting the Trump brand, and would be off the stage when the serious campaign began, Wolf said. People are realizing . its not just Trump we need to worry about. People, a lot of Americans apparently, back him. Europeans can no longer count on U.S. support.
THOUSANDS of acres of forest in the Slieve Bloom mountains are at immediate risk of being wiped out by fire, because of EU laws which are preventing firebreaks being dug into environmentally protected bogland.

THOUSANDS of acres of forest in the Slieve Bloom mountains are at immediate risk of being wiped out by fire, because of EU laws which are preventing firebreaks being dug into environmentally protected bogland.

Sinn Fein TD Brian Stanley is demanding that common sense prevail on the problem.

We need a reality check here. We cant afford to have timber in state owned forests going up in smoke. Its a minimum disturbance to the environment that will prevent a maximum amount of damage, he told the Offaly Express.

The mountains have the largest area of blanket bog in the country, zoned a Special Area of Protection and a National Heritage Area because of rare flora and fauna. However the tracts of open gorse and heather have suffered three serious fires in the past month alone, and are surrounded by valuable Coillte forests, with nothing to stop fire spreading and wiping them out but the diligence of the emergency services.

Firebreaks are strips of cleared land about 6m wide that stop fires spreading, but the National Parks and Wildlife Service who are responsible for the bog cannot allow it to be dug up.

Deputy Stanley is urging both semi state bodies, Coillte and the National Parks and Wildlife Service to work together to stop a major catastrophe from happening.

He has tabled a question to the Minister for the Environment Phil Hogan, requesting immediate steps to be taken to solve the problem. These fires are causing huge environmental damage and also pose a large risk to forests in the area. I am calling on the Office of Public Works and Coillte to put measures in place such as fire boundaries. These were used effectively to prevent forest fires in the 1960s and 70s and they now need to be brought back in to use. They should also examine the potential of the limited holding of water from streams in the area which could be used for fire-fighting.

Meawhile, blazes that have erupted over the past three Wednesday nights, are believed to have been deliberately started.

The most recent fire destroyed 50 acres on the Tinnahinch mountain, and took fire services two hours to bring under control, though if the ground hadnt been wet, it would have been much worse according to Coillte District Manager Richard Whelan.

If that fire had taken off, not alone 2,000 acres of SAC land but thousands of acres of forest would be gone. It is a worry for any forester. Such a large amount of heather and gorse, if the conditions were right, its a potential disaster if someone puts a match to it, he said.

The forester says that the two agencies need to sit down and decide on a protection plan for both the forest and the national park reserve, suggesting that some ground disturbance is necessary for firebreaks.

Valuable wildlife habitat takes years to come back. You have to do a little to help a lot, if it went up it would all be destroyed, he said.

He urged the public to alert the Gardai immediately if they see a fire, saying that is a criminal offence under the Wildlife Act to start a fire outdoors without a permit between March 1 and August 31.
Fortune magazine released its third annual list of the Worlds Greatest Leaders last week, and the list of 50 CEOs, heads of state, activists and other leaders is nearly half women  there are 23 this year, compared with 15 last year and 19 in 2014.

German Chancellor Angela Merkel is No. 2 in the rankings, followed by Aung San Suu Kyi, the leader of the National League for Democracy in Myanmar. Three other women made the top 10, including Christiana Figueres, the executive secretary for the U.N. Framework Convention on Climate Change (No. 7), Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg (No. 9) and Sheikh Hasina, the prime minister of Bangladesh (No. 10).

While the magazine doesnt offer an explanation for the growth in women on the list other than to note theres a noticeable groundswell behind women fighting to advance other women, the women on the list come from many fields, including social activism (Black Lives Matter co-founders Alicia Garza, Patrisse Cullors and Opal Tometi at No. 27), the military (U.S. Army Rangers Kristen Griest and Shaye Haver at No. 34) and the foundation world (Melinda Gates and Gates Foundation CEO Sue Desmond-Hellman at No. 41).

One notable woman missing from the list is Hillary Clinton, the Democratic front-runner in the 2016 presidential race. Then again, also missing are her fellow candidates.

Thats not an accident, wrote Fortune Editor Alan Murray. The U.S. political system is broken, and we see little reason to think the current contenders can fix it.

There are, however, more U.S. elected officials than there have been in the past, from Govs. Nikki Haley of South Carolina (No. 17) and Gina Raimondo of Rhode Island (No. 38) to Speaker of the House Paul Ryan of Wisconsin (No. 8). While unyielding in their competing worldviews, Murray wrote of Ryan and Justice Ginsburg, they each have that key quality of empathy essential for todays challenges.

And what about the business leaders? This years No. 1 is Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon, who also owns the Washington Post.

Fortunes Adam Lashinsky writes not only about Bezos success at Amazon, but also how as the owner of the Post and a financier of space projects, hes taking on a broader leadership role.

Apples Tim Cook, who led last years list, is at No. 5, and Huateng Pony Ma, CEO of Chinas Tencent, is No. 12. Only three other Fortune 500 chief executives make the list: J.C. Penneys Marvin Ellison, BlackRocks Larry Fink and Salesforce.coms Marc Benioff.
SEOUL, South Korea (AP)  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.

The company said last week that its staff pledged to reduce hierarchical practices, unnecessary meetings and excessive working hours in a Startup Samsung ceremony held at its headquarters in Suwon, South Korea.

The first step in this new culture of flexibility? Requiring all its executives to sign a statement promising to scrap the companys traditional authoritarian ways.

Samsung is searching for new business strategies as a father-to-son leadership transition looms. Lee Jae Yong, 48, is expected to succeed his ailing father, Lee Kun Hee, at a time when Samsungs mainstay semiconductor and phone businesses face intensifying competition from Chinese rivals. Samsung has its eye on expanding into health care and pharmaceuticals but has lagged Silicon Valley in embracing trends such as autonomous driving and artificial intelligence.

The company says it will announce in June exactly how it plans to reorganize its workers and eliminate red tape. It said new vacation systems would allow employees to spend more time with their families and take breaks for self-improvement.

By starting to reform the corporate culture, it means we will execute quickly, seek open communication culture and continue to innovate as a startup company, Samsung said in a statement.

Samsung says it has been trying to reform its very Korean corporate culture to suit its identity as a global company and to encourage more creativity and grassroots input from workers. Like most Korean companies, its management style tends to mirror the authoritarian ways of South Koreas past, when a military dictator ruled the country.

But analysts said Samsung faces a huge challenge in leveling a seniority-based corporate hierarchy that is decades old. Some suggested the campaign also might be aimed at identifying underperforming workers and trimming the companys managerial ranks to cut costs.

South Korea has a military and seniority-based culture. Will that be eliminated simply by removing Samsungs ranking system? It will never happen, said Kim Young Woo, an analyst at SK Securities.

Kim said the measures are a prelude to layoffs. Older workers at Samsung who were promoted based on their seniority would be forced to leave the company early as younger talent moves up the ladder based on merits. It means that (Samsung) will have a slimmer labor force, Kim said.

Samsungs regimented, authoritarian ways may have helped it quickly catch up with Sony and other Japanese manufacturers, but they also have hindered recruitment of top talent. That has been a liability as the company competes with Silicon Valley firms that allow workers more independence and flexibility.

Last year, 26,000 Samsung employees participated in online debates, pitching in ideas on how to reform its personnel system. Some have been allowed to build products or launch services outside their original job descriptions at internal Samsung startups. The company also introduced flexible working hours last year, though current employees said work hours are still too long.
EPS, his supporters detained for trying to hold hunger strike in TN assembly

Tamil Nadu: Light to moderate rain in the next few days

TN Poll 2016: BJP announces 54 candidates in 1st list

India

oi-PTI

Chennai, Mar 27: BJP national secretary H Raja and two state vice presidents are among the 54 persons in the party's first list of candidates released for the May 16 Assembly polls in Tamil Nadu.

According to the list of candidates put up on the BJP's national website, Raja, a former Karaikudi MLA, will contest from T Nagar in Chennai which has traditionally favoured DMK or AIADMK.

BJP's state vice president and prominent woman leader Vanathi Sreenivasan has been fielded from Coimbatore (South) while another vice president M Chakravarthy will fight from Tiruthani, as per the details on the website.

Known for making controversial remarks, Raja had earlier unsuccessfully contested from Alandur during the 2006 Assembly polls. Sreenivasan, a familiar face in TV debates, was the party's choice for Mylapore constituency in the city for the 2011 Assembly elections which was won by AIADMK.

The party named its candidates for 54 constituencies including six reserved seats. Karuppu Muruganantham, who unsuccessfully contested from Thanjavur for the 2014 Lok Sabha polls, is fighting from Pattukottai constituency this time.

In Vedaranyam constituency in Nagapattinam district, BJP has fielded former DMK strongman and three-time MLA S K Vedaratnam, who contested as an independent in the 2011 assembly polls.

The Central Election Committee of BJP had announced the list of 54 candidates for the Tamil Nadu assembly polls at Delhi yesterday and said that a second list would be issued after talks with IJK and NJP fructify in the coming days.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, March 27, 2016, 11:43 [IST]
Not just future of Sena but democracy at stake, says Uddhav

CBI registers 2 more cases against Chhota Rajan

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, March 27: CBI has registered two fresh cases against gangster Chhota Rajan related to alleged murder of suspected rivals and assassination attempt on a businessman in Mumbai at the request of Maharashtra government authorities.

CBI sources said the first case relates to Bhendi Bazar shoot out allegedly executed by hired shooters of Rajan in February 2010 in which two persons--Shakeel Modak and Irfan Qureishi--were killed while one Asif Dadhi was injured. Modak was believed to be very close to a well known politician who had been an MLC and an MLA. Modak owned a fishing trawler.

Qureishi used to work in a printing press. Dadhi was under the Mumbai police scanner over alleged illegal activities but was cleared by the competent court.

The agency sources said a case has been registered against four unknown persons under various sections of IPC related to murder and provisions of the arms act. They said the second case relates to an alleged attempt made on the life of Mumbai-based businessman and hotelier B R Shetty in October 2012 by two motorcycle-borne shooters suspected to be linked to Rajan.

The case, which was probed by Amboli Police, has now been taken over by CBI, which has registered a case against two unknown persons under the IPC provisions related to attempt to murder, arms act and stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA). When asked about these cases, CBI spokesperson R K Gaur confirmed the development.

"CBI has taken over the investigation in these two cases which were earlier registered by the Mumbai police," he said.

Maharashtra authorities have referred to CBI over 70 cases in which involvement of Rajan is suspected. The agency has so far registered three cases including these two. Earlier, it had registered the case relating to the murder of journalist J Dey, who was allegedly shot dead on the instructions of Rajan.

CBI FIR does not name Rajan because according to rules, the agency takes over the report registered by the local police.

After the probe, the agency may add or delete names of suspects in its final report submitted to the court. Rajan was detained by Indonesian Police in Bali on 25 October last year on his arrival from Australia following a Red Corner Notice by the Interpol. He was later deported to India on November 6, 2015.

CBI has also charge-sheeted him for allegedly using a fake passport which he used to dodge enforcement agencies.

PTI
Mamata miffed for not being invited to be part of Bangaldesh PM's India visit

Centre may add to PM's J-K package: Arun Jaitley

India

oi-PTI

New Delhi, Mar 27: Pledging full support to the new PDP-BJP government to be formed in Jammu and Kashmir, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley today said the Centre may add to the Prime Minister's Rs. 80,000 cr package announced in November last if resources permit.

"There are two guiding factors. One is the agenda for governance and one is the Prime Minister's package. There is so much in the Prime Minister's package that even if our resources permit us year to year, we will add to it," he told PTI in an interaction.

"Therefore, I think this is a great opportunity to have the popular government there which implements each one of these suggestions," he added.

Asked if the Centre would encourage them to implement the package, the Finance Minister said, "we are fully committed on that."

Last year, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a Rs 80,000-crore package for building a modern, progressive and prosperous state.

The package includes money for providing relief and rehabilitation of 2014 flood victims, rehabilitation of West Pakistan refugees and Kashmir pandits, roads and highways, health and tourism.

Yesterday, PDP chief and Chief Ministerial candidate Mehbooba Mufti, met Governor NN Vohra and staked claim for government formation in Jammu and Kashmir with BJP backing the first Muslim woman CM of the state.

The two coalition partners are yet to decide on the dates of swearing-in ceremony.

PTI
Fact Check: Images falsely shared with claim that it is chopper that crashed in Uttarakhand

Uttarakhand: Congress terms imposition of President's rule as 'assault on democracy'

India

oi-Shreyas

New Delhi, Mar 27: Ahead of Monday's trust vote exercise in the Uttarakhand assembly, the center imposing President's rule on the state has attracted scathing flak from the Congress party. The Congress party has termed the move as atrocious and strategized assault on democracy.

Earlier the speaker of Uttarakhand assembly effecting Anti Defection Law 1985 disqualified 9 Congress law makers for rebelling against the party. This had reduced the number of MLAs from 70 to 61. The assembly was due to go into trust vote on Monday, March 28.

In a sudden development the centre after getting the nod from the President imposed President's rule on the state in the afternoon hours of Sunday, March 27.

Assault on democracy: Moily



Sharply reacting to the fresh move by the Narendra Modi led NDA (National Democratic Alliance), Former Union Minister, and MP Veerappa Moily termed the action as 'murder of democracy'. "The Modi government has subverted the democratic process and it is the blatant assault on the democracy of the nation."

What the centre has done was atrocious. It is unfortunately, both attack on the Constitution of India and the democracy. Though the speaker of Uttarakhand assembly disqualified 9 MLAs exercising Anti Defection Law, the centre has gone ahead with wrongly imposing the the rule, Moily opined to OneIndia.

He said there is a pattern to this. "The government earlier imposed president's rule on state of Arunachal Pradesh and now Uttarakhand is bearing the brunt of NDA's political brutalities," Moily viewed. He further added that the trend is dangerous and the government is constantly trying to subvert democratic process.

This would hurt the BJP over the course of time and BJP will not come to power in the upcoming general elections, Moily observed.

Murder of democracy

A spokesperson of the Congress Brijesh Kalappa said "I have been continuously saying that there is a pattern to this." After Arunachal Pradesh, the NDA has now successfully destabilised another Congress ruled state." He termed the action as murder of democracy.

After BJP lost elections in Delhi and Bihar, the party is resorting to ugly modes to destabilise the Congress ruled states. The trend is very dangerous and the government will continue this.

When asked about Anti-Defection Law enforcement, Brijesh said, though the law was introduced during Rajeev Gandhi's era in 1985, it was present BJP government strengthened the law and ironically they themselves have violated it.

Another spokesperson Dr Ajoy Kumar said the BJP is trying to assassin the very essence of democracy. With all possible means, he alleged, the BJP is trying to destabilise the Congress.

OneIndia News
Next CM of Himachal Pradesh: Is Dhumal still in the race?

Dhumal asks Centre to hold simultaneous polls to all bodies

India

oi-PTI

Hamirpur (HP), March 26: Former Himachal Chief Minister and senior BJP leader, Prem Kumar Dhumal on Sunday, March 27 sked the Centre to explore the possibility of holding simultaneous elections to all constitutional bodies, including Panchayati Raj Institutions, state Assembly and Lok Sabha.

"If elections to all elected bodies could be held in one go, it would save huge amount of money wasted in holding the polls time and again," he said while addressing the newly elected Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) members from BJP.

Dhumal said that despite the hurdles created by ruling Congress, BJP was able to muster majority in all the PRIs and credited the party leaders and people of the district for the success.

The BJP leader said the Virbhadra Singh-led government was staring at midterm assembly polls, given the number of graft charges levelled against the Chief Minister. He added the central government was giving adequate funds to the state's development and allied activities but sadly the funds were being misused by the ruling Congress.

PTI
India's Defence Procurement Policy to be launched online

India

oi-PTI

Panaji, March 27: India's Defence Procurement Policy (DPP) would be launched online during Defence Expo India-2016, to be held in south Goa from on Monday, March 27 Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar said. "We will be launching the Defence Procurement Policy online during DefExpo.

It will be put on Ministry's website," Parrikar said ahead of the inauguration of the two-day mega event. Parrikar said expo's current edition is one of the most important events in the field of production, exports and Indianisation of the sector.

He, however, clarified that 'Make In India' in the defence sector and DefExpo are two different things. "The basic concept of Defence Expo is a commercial exchange between various companies which will happen here," the former chief minister said.

The website of Defence Expo, monitored by the Defence Ministry, has listed 1,054 companies who will be setting up their stalls for the exhibition to be held at Naqueri-Betul village in South Goa.

"Defexpo India is clearly steering the path of steady growth and has been receiving overwhelming and unprecedented international response with each edition," ministry's website on the mega event said. The exhibition will have live demonstration of air display on March 28-29 at the site which is located adjacent to the Arabian Sea.

The land that was acquired for setting up an industrial estate has been temporarily allotted to the Defence Ministry for the expo.

The exhibition would be spread over six lakh square metres of land. The event earlier witnessed protest by locals and activists claiming that they were not taken into confidence. Petitions had also been filed before the Goa bench of Bombay High Court opposing it.

The HC, which would be hearing the matter on Wednesday, refused to stay the event.

PTI
Reimbursement of tuition fee is eligible to students of pre-KG

India

oi-PTI

Chennai, Mar 27: The Madras High Court was informed by the Union Government that reimbursement of tuition fees from out of the Central funds for children admitted in top private schools, under 25 per cent Right To Eduction quota, would be available to students admitted in pre-KG as well.

The clarification was submitted by the Union Government to an anomaly cited due to which Tamil Nadu Government was unable to first pay tuition fee arrears running to several crore to private schools and then demand reimbursement of the sum from the Centre.

Right to Education Act (RTE) provides admission of children from downtrodden sections of society in class one of private schools.

In Tamil Nadu majority of such free admissions had taken place in LKG and UKG classes and the state was not able to access the Central funds under the Act.

When the PIL filed by 'Change India', an NGO, came up for hearing before the First Bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M M Sundresh the Union Government submitted that it had allocated Rs 250.65 crore for seven states for reimbursements in the academic year 2015-16.

But the PIL said that the Tamil Nadu had not received any amount for reimbursement. The bench said "we are informed that so far not a penny had been released to Tamil Nadu."

Tamil Nadu government submitted that admissions made to such private unaided schools are in LKG and UKG categories and that was stated to be creating a problem.

The Centre said that it had on January 11, 2016 written to the Tamil Nadu Government stating that the reimburse clause would apply to admissions in pre-school education as well.

Taking note of the clarification, the judges said they were "surprised that an issue that could have been sorted out between the Central and state governments had been brought to the High Court."

"Now that the letter makes the issue abundantly clear. We see no reason why the state government should not meet the requirement, where after the Central government should release the funds", the judges said.

PTI
No surprises here: Mallikarjun Kharge is the new Cong chief

After the 'Jihad' comment, Patil now claims \"I never said it\"

Strong wind of change will blow away Congress in Assam: PM Modi

India

oi-IANS

By Ians English

Rangapara (Assam), March 27: A strong wind blowing across Assam is all set to uproot the ruling Congress in the forthcoming assmebly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday, March 27and appealed to people for a decisive mandate in favour of the BJP.

He was addressing a public rally at Rangapara, located on the north bank of the Branhmaputra river, in Assam's Sonitpur district.

On Saturday, Modi kick-started the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign in the poll-bound Assam by addressing four public rallies and a citizens' meeting in four districts of the state.

"Today my programe was at 10 a.m. and I was wondering how the people will come so early? There are no roads also here. But I am happy to see such a large gathering, which has even belittled this field. I assure you that I'll return this love of yours with interest by doing development works," Modi told people at the rally.

"...this time, I can see that there is a strong wind of change blowing here, which will uproot the Congress. The bad governance of 15 years will end and there will be a new sunrise of development," he said.

Targetting the Congress party for the problems of people in Assam, he appealed for a decisive mandate.

"When you press the button on April 4 and April 11, keep in your mind the Congress' misrule of 60 years. The reason behind your problems is only these people (Congress). Press the button in such a way that BJP and its allies get absolute majority. Never give an indecisive mandate, otherwise your future will be left insecure."

Modi said people of India gave a decisive mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 Lok sabha polls. And now India is getting applauded worldwide.

"If you want to listen to the same applause for Assam, vote for absolute majority to BJP and its allies in the forthcoming polls."

The two-phase assembly polls in Assam's 126 constituencies are scheduled to take place on April 4 and April 11.

IANS
This Bihu season, Assam is dancing to the tunes of politics

India

oi-Oneindia

By Maitreyee Boruah

Guwahati, March 27: April is the month of festivity for Assamese people. Bohag or Rongali Bihu marks the advent of spring and the entire state dances to the tunes of music and merry making.

It is the biggest festival for Assamese society and the celebration beginning from April 14 continues for almost a month.

In several places Bihu pandals (podiums where popular musicians, singers and folk artistes come together to highlight best of Assamese culture) have been erected.

Most of the housewives have already started preparation for local delicacies like ladoos and pithas to serve to the revellers.

However, this year Bihu festivities are colliding with the Assam Assembly Elections 2016.

The election fever has literally hijacked the glamour of Bihu festivities.

The polls in the state will be held in two phases on April 4 and April 11. A total of 1.98 crore voters will decide the fate of candidates fighting elections in the 126 Assembly seats.

It is a high stake election for both the BJP and Congress. If Congress is fighting anti-incumbency and vying to capture power in the northeastern state for the historical fourth term in a row, the BJP is looking to capture power in the state for the first time.

Riding high on the success of the last Lok Sabha elections, BJP is confident that it would come to power in the state.

In the last Lok Sabha polls, the BJP won seven out of 14 seats in Assam. It was a huge morale boost for the party as the state is ruled by the Congress.

The ruling Congress managed only three seats. Moreover, the BJP has stitched an alliance with the regional parties Asom Gana Parishad (AGP) and Bodo People's Front (BPF).

The BJP supporters feel that the state is still under the spell of Modi wave and it would help the party to win the elections.

"Narendra Modi rules the hearts of the people in the state. The voters will definitely vote for Modi and help BJP win the elections," said a BJP member.

On Saturday, the PM started his five-day-long visit in the state. He will campaign across Assam during his stay.

Attacking the Congress government under Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Modi on Saturday said, "Assam is now a diseased state and the root of all disease and trouble is Congress, which must be uprooted at all costs."

Modi addressed two election rallies in Upper Assam's Bihpuria and Bokakhat constituencies on Saturday.

However, Congress is also not giving up easily.

In spite of several surveys signaling a win for the BJP-AGP alliance in the state, Gogoi is confident of his party's victory.

"I am sure that people of Assam will shower their love and affection and ensure that Congress is back to power in the state. I have done some mistakes as I am not perfect. However, I am not vindictive."

"There is anti-incumbency, but anti-incumbency is there against other parties too," Gogoi added.

Several poll pundits feel predicting results in the state is difficult, as it is a complex scenario.

Political parties having ideological differences have forged alliances to win elections.

"It is not easy to predict anything at this stage. The entire political scenario looks convoluted right now," said senior journalist Rupam Baruah.

However, voters unaware of such complexities of politics are confused as well as a bit awe-stuck seeing a surge of big political names visiting the state.

"It is good to see Modi making repeated visits to the state. After all elections are coming closer and political leaders from Delhi are visiting Assam to garner votes for their parties. Otherwise who cares for Assam or Northeast India," said Nilima Deka, a college student in Guwahati.

Similarly resident of Guwahati and homemaker Mitali Bora, who loves to cook Bihu delicacies duringthe festival time, says she is yet to make her decision whom to cast her vote.

"It is a circus. Politicians ask for our votes during elections, afterwards they forget their promises. Assam has several problems. The major ones are unemployment and bad infrastructure," added Mitali.

No matter, what the election results hold for political parties, come April 14, every Assamese heart would flutter in the songs of the spring.

OneIndia News

For Breaking News and Instant Updates Allow Notifications

Story first published: Sunday, March 27, 2016, 10:06 [IST]
TN, Puducherry jewellers plan to resume strike on March 28

India

oi-PTI

Chennai, Mar 27: 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 on Monday, March 28.

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 per cent excise duty levy proposed by Finance Minister Arun Jaitley 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 per cent 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 per cent of the jewellers are still in protest. Only 10 per cent 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.

PTI

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Story first published: Sunday, March 27, 2016, 11:59 [IST]
Youth murdered in TN town in suspected honour killing

India

oi-PTI

Karur (TN), Mar 27: In yet another suspected honour killing in Tamil Nadu, a youth was hacked to death in a liquor bar here apparently for marrying a girl against the wishes of her family a year ago.

Police said Suresh Arockiasamy was attacked by a four- member gang with sickles used to open tender coconuts when he was having a drink at the bar attached to a state-run liquor outlet late last night. The victim, in his mid 20s, died while being rushed to a hospital.

Police said a man called them over phone and informed that he had hired the gang to kill Arockiasamy because he had married his sister against his wish and brought dishonour to the family.

The latest incident comes barely a fortnight after a Dalit youth was hacked to death in full public view at a bus stand in Tirupur in a suspected honour killing for marrying a Hindu girl of different caste who escaped the attack. The Tirupur incident led to public outrage.

The video footage of the savage attack, carried out allegedly at the behest of the girl's father, went viral and several political parties condemned such honour killings. Police in Karur said they were trying to gather evidence, including possible CCTV recordings in the area.

They said Arockiasamy had married the girl one year ago and she was recently "kidnapped" by her relatives. When the girl was produced in the Madras High Court after a habeas corpus petition was filed, she had opted to go with her parents.

It was against this back ground that Arockiaswamy had been murdered, police said. A special team had been formed to investigate the murder, police added.

PTI
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 address Aus students on India's economic resurgence

International

oi-PTI

Melbourne, March 27: Finance Minister Arun Jaitley's address to students at the Sydney campus of a leading business school will shed light on Indian government's recent initiatives and its impact on global economy, the president of the school said.

Jaitley, who will be in Australia on a four-day visit from March 29, will address the students at the SP Jain School of Global Management on 'Reimaging Indian economy', shedding light on recent initiatives of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government to take advantage of country's growth trajectory.

He would also be addressing the growing culture of entrepreneurship in India and inviting investments from Australia.

Nitish Jain, President of SP Jain School of Global Management, said that it was critical for the students to pay attention to Jaitley's words as his presence in Australia reflects the excitement the global community has with India's economic resurgence and how this would positively impact the world economy.

PTI
Drunk American Airlines co-pilot detained: police

International

oi-PTI

Washington, March 27: A co-pilot for American Airlines was detained at Detroit airport on suspicion of being drunk, leading to the cancellation of a flight, an airport spokesman said.

The co-pilot was taken into custody after allegedly failing a Breathalyzer test administered by airport police, Detroit Metropolitan Airport spokesman Michael Conway said yesterday. As a result of the incident, American Airlines canceled Flight 736 from Detroit to Philadelphia yesterday.

"We are re-accommodating our customers on other flights," American Airlines spokeswoman Laura Nedbal said in a statement. "Safety is our highest priority and we apologise to our customers for the disruption to their travel plans." Airport police were called to the North Terminal in the early morning hours in response to a report of a pilot who was "exhibiting signs of being drunk," Conway said.

The co-pilot was administered a more precise sobriety test at a local police department. Both tests showed he was over the legal limit for operating an aircraft, media quoted the airport police as saying. Authorities did not name the co-pilot pending possible charges, but said he was born in 1965 and is a resident of Pennsylvania.

He was later released from custody after his alcohol level dropped, Conway said. Airport police are now developing a case to present to the local prosecutor's office, Conway said, noting that these kinds of incidents are "extremely rare."

PTI
Pakistan should continue to take credible action against terror: India

'India does not support any one political group in Nepal'

International

oi-PTI

Kathmandu, Mar 27: While acknowledging that multi-faceted Indo-Nepal ties witnessed "ups and downs" recently following the anti-Constitution agitation by Madhesis, India has described as a "misconception" the notion that it supports any one political group in Nepal.

"There is a misconception that India supports any one group. We have a policy for Nepal...not for any one group," Ranjit Rae, India's Ambassador here, said.

Rae was asked about his country's stand vis-a-vis political parties representing Madhesis, mostly of Indian-origin who have raised concerns over certain provisions in the new Constitution.

Madhesis reside in Terai region bordering India. Late last year, a four-month long agitation by Madhesis virtually crippled the landlocked country as the stir, which saw sporadic violence, severely affected supply of essential items through trade routes along Indo-Nepal border.

Nepal had accused India of imposing a proxy blockade by backing the Madhesis.

"India and Nepal share strong and multi-faceted relations which have seen ups and downs. Our Prime Minister (Narendra Modi) has visited (Nepal) twice in the last two-and- a-half years. This shows the importance India attaches to Nepal," Rae said when asked about the current status of bilateral ties.

He was interacting with a visiting group of Indian journalists at a tourism event organised over the weekend by state-run Nepal Airlines and KGH Group of Hotels, a leading player in local hospitality sector.

Asked about issues raised by Madhesis, Rae said "we have already welcomed two amendments made in the Constitution by the Nepal Government."

The amendments (made in January) referred to by the envoy related to proportionate and inclusive representation of all marginalised communities, including the Madhesis, in all state mechanisms and allocation of seats in Parliament on the basis of population. However, Madhesis are still not satisfied.

They are opposing carving out of seven provinces under the Constitution and demanding adequate protection of their rights. Asked about this, Rae said all issues should be resolved through dialogue in a peaceful and democratic manner.

To a query about the China factor in Indo-Nepal ties, the Ambassador said Beijing, too, wants political stability, peace and development in the Himalayan nation.

"India and China want stability and development in Nepal. Nepal is a complex society. It has faced violence, insurgency in the past."

PTI
Saudi executes Pakistani convicted of murder

International

oi-PTI

Riyadh, Mar 27: Saudi authorities executed a Pakistani convicted of killing a Bangladeshi woman today, raising to 79 the number of death sentences they have carried out this year.

Elias Ismail was found guilty of fatally stabbing Hajar Hussein during a robbery and was executed in the Red Sea city of Jeddah, an interior ministry statement carried by the official SPA news agency said.

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.

IANS
US presidential polls 2016: Hillary Clinton's campaign looks nervous after Sanders's big wins?

International

oi-Shubham

Washington, March 27: After losing five of the last six states that went to polling, former US secretary of state Hillary Clinton could be in a spot of bother despite having a big lead over her opponent Bernie Sanders.

Though Clinton did not address the results publicly on Saturday (March 26), her campaign aimed to raise funds off her defeats and that could be perceived as a desperation in the Clinton camp.

Shortly after Sanders was projected as the winner in Alaska, Clinton's campaign head Robby Mook reached out to the supporters in an email saying they haven't made it big yet in online fundraising and that the opponents could do well in all the three states that went to polling on Saturday. He thanked the supporters and assured them that Clinton still has a commanding delegate lead and their help can see her securing the nomination for the November 8 general elections.

Clinton has 1,234 delegates at the moment as against Sanders's 956 (excepting the superdelegates, including whom gives the former an even bigger lead).

Washington and Alaska always looked fertile for Sanders, thanks to their predominantly white rural population which favours the Vermont senator. Even the Clinton camp acknowledges in private that this Saturday would favour Sanders more than her.

According to experts, Sanders sends across the message that he is against the Wall Street's big money is making the Western states scramble and pay heavy negative dividends.

And Clinton is certainly not the gainer from states that follow such a train of thought.

Oneindia News
Dhanteras 2022: How much gold can you buy from Dubai

Uttarakhand: Rahul asks PM not to allow his 'love of power overrule people's mandate'

New Delhi

oi-Shubham

New Delhi, March 27: Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday over the Uttarakhand crisis. [Congress to move court against President's Rule in Uttarakhand]

In a tweet posted by OfficeofRG, he said: "Modiji don't let your love of power overrule ppl's mandate. @INCIndia is ready-fight elections, seek ppl's mandate, don't usurp their right."

Modiji don't let your love of power overrule ppl's mandate. @INCIndia is ready-fight elections, seek ppl's mandate, don't usurp their right  Office of RG (@OfficeOfRG) March 27, 2016

Harish Rawat slams move of imposing President's Rule

Earlier on Sunday, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat condemned the move to impose President's Rule in the state as a "murder" of democracy and the Constitution and Prime Minister Narendra Modi's hands were soaked in the "blood" of the "trampled" aspirations of the people.

He said the central rule was a result of a "premeditated conspiracy" hatched by the Centre to topple a democratically elected Congress government in the state.

He also accused the BJP of baying for his blood right from the day he took over the responsibility in 2014 and aimed to destabilise his government.

Oneindia News
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Forex Comes to the Forefront in China Next Month at China Forex Expo

Published March 27, 2016 by Lee R

A wealth of speakers and awards will showcase the emerging forex sector to the world from one of its hotbeds, at next month's China Forex Expo.

The financial and mathematical components of iGaming and e-commerce will be on full display next month in China at the Shenzhen Forex Expo.

Overview

On the weekend of April 15-16, the 2016 China Forex Expo will host forex brokers, IBs, binary options leaders, affiliates, investors and technology solution providers at the Great China International Exchange Square for an eye-opening two day intensive front-loaded with innovative learning, updating, and networking opportunities in the area of foreign exchange. The sponsors are seeking to illuminate the forex environment in the fluid Chinese economy where an affluent to upper middle class consumer base is growing.

The Opportunity

The China Forex Expo is an opportunity for forex brokers from all over the world to promote their online trading platforms to tens of thousands of attendees.

Speakers

Speakers include Jeffrey Triganza (FXMT Pty Ltd.), with 27 years experience in forex across various asset classes in multiple roles; Mark Coe (MCC Capital Advisors), the FX trader whose Global Macro trading strategies and risk management has raised over $85 MN USD in client assets via his proprietary quantitative model; innovator Bradley Hall, founder and of a number of successful forex companies with 29 years of finance, M&A, operational and fund management experience; and Uuoption's Yu Qidao, who has been teaching businesses the binary option he authored in 2011 to fill forex market and industry gaps.

Subjects

Speech subjects will include How do Forex Trader/Dealer make money for their banks?; and keynote speeches on the Integrity Importance of Central Banks and FOREX Companies; Innovation for Financial Technology; and the The Benefits of Developing Binary Option Platforms.

Forex Awards Presented

Plus, don't forget the Forex Awards, with 27 categories including Best Forex Broker of the Year; Best Forex Broker in China; Most Trusted Forex Broker; and Best Trading Platform Provider for Asia. Stay tuned for more news as the event nears.
Nollywood star, Omotola Jalade-Ekeinde, has lamented the level of insecurity in the country and called for a state of emergency in troubled zones.

She also said she believes Nigeria needs some kind of revolution to get better.

The 41-year-old actress said this while fielding questions from her fans in a tweet chat, #Osexyfriday, on Friday.

I am appealing to the government to immediately see to the rising rate of depression, suicide, police brutality, ritual killings and general lack of safety in the Country. Its at an all-time high now, there should be a state of emergency declared, Omotola said while tackling some pertinent questions.

Asked why she did not openly support any presidential candidate in the last election, the actress gave her reasons.

She said while she spoke in favour of non-establishment candidates, they started their campaigns late.

They all started late, I knew their chances were very slim. However, I did advice choosing from the new pool of presidential hopefuls, Omotola said.

The actress, who is also actively involved in activism and charity, also added that she did not think her support for any candidate could have made any difference.

The mother-of-four also advocated for concerted efforts towards nation building.

I totally understand, however, Excuses wont move us forward. We must be Angry enough and divert our Anger towards looking for real change. We need to know the use of political offices, ask questions and engage the leaders.

I hope soon we birth a Jerry Rawlins or something of that kind. We do need a revolution. Nigeria is too big and important for it to implode. However, there are still honest people. Dont be discouraged, she said.

Away from national issues, the actress-cum-singer also cautioned against compromising career for a life partner.

A lot lies on your choice of a spouse. Are they understanding, mature minded and supportive?

Your spouse needs to be your career partner, knowing its both of you against the world. If not, its a rocky ride ahead. However, dont compromise your career, its your sanity.

Asked what her biggest advice to a young person who has just come of age, she said, Ill say, dont become a stranger. Youre becoming independent not escaping incarceration. Be realistic. Have a budget and still keep in touch with the big P. They love you.
A Nigerian car manufacturing company claims it has obtained a court order that allows it to take control of one of the countrys largest banks.

Innoson Nigeria Limited on Friday said it obtained a writ of Fifa from the Federal High Court in Awka, Anambra State, against Guaranty Trust Bank (GTB) to implement the judgment given by Nigerian courts over the lingering crisis between it and the bank.

A copy of the Awka court order was sent to PREMIUM TIMES.

The company in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Cornel Osigwe, said a judgement given by the Federal High Court in Ibadan was upheld by the Supreme Court of Nigeria.

A Writ of Fieri Facias (or Writ of Fi Fa) is a document issued by the court for the purpose of effecting court judgment on a debtors property. It is also the legal instrument by which the assets of a judgment debtor may be seized.

Innoson and GTB have for long been locked in legal tussles following disagreements over a business deal.

On Friday, Innoson claimed its Chairman, Innocent Chukwuma, has been mandated to take over GTB after the supreme court dismissed GTBs appeal against the judgement of the appeal court in Ibadan.

The Chairman of Innoson Group, Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma, OFR has through a Writ of FiFa taken over Guaranty Trust Bank PLC for and on behalf of Innoson Nigeria Ltd as a result of the banks indebtedness to Innoson Nigeria Ltd, the statement said.

In a landmark decision on February 27th 2019, the Supreme Court of Nigeria dismissed GTBs appeal  SC. 694/2014  against the judgment of Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division.

The Court of Appeal, Ibadan division had in its decision of 6th February 2014 dismissed GTBs appeal against the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division.

Thus, the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute  to pay N2.4billion to Innoson with a 22% interest, per annum, on the judgment sum until the final liquidation of the judgment debt. Rather than obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal, GTB approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeals decision, the auto firm said.

The company in its statement said a ruling delivered by Supreme Court Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour dismissed GTBs appeal and thus affirmed the concurrent judgment of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division.

The ruling, it said, ordered GTB by to pay N2.4 billion to Innoson with a 22 per cent interest, per annum, on the judgment until the final liquidation of the judgment.

The Judgment debt of N2.4bn has an accrued interest as at today of about N6,717,909,849.96 which results to about N8.8 billion, the statement said.

Based on the Supreme Courts decision of 27th February 2019 the counsel to Innoson, Prof McCarthy Mbadugha ESQ, had approached the Federal High Court, Awka Division for leave to enforce the judgment having obtained certificates of Judgment from the Ibadan Division of the Federal High Court.

Mr Chukwuma, the founder of Innoson Motors, dragged GTBank to court in 2011, alleging arbitrary charges levelled against him and a string of bank accounts he held at the bank. But GTBank later counter-sued, saying it was Mr Chukwuma who allegedly falsified bank and shipping documents to obtain tax waivers from the Nigerian government.

The bank subsequently referred the matter to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). The anti-graft office filed criminal charges against Mr Chukwuma at a Lagos court. Last month, he was declared wanted for failing to appear for arraignment in the matter, which is still proceeding separately from the N14 billion arbitrary charges lawsuit currently at appellate levels.

Mr Chukwuma denied the allegations of doctoring shipping documents, saying the matter had previously been investigated by the EFCC and the police both of whom cleared him of any wrongdoing.

He accused GTBank of using law enforcement agencies to hound him and cripple his business, a claim the bank also denied.

Efforts to get GTBs reaction to the latest development were unsuccessful as of Friday evening.
CSP Dolapo Badmus has shared the picture of an herbalist who was arrested after he exhumed a corpse either intent to sell the body parts so as to raise money.

Read her report on the case which she published on her social media page:
Controversial Lagos socialite, Pretty Mike, has come for short women in his new Instagram post.

Ha! He had all sorts of means things to say about them.

Read below

Short Girls and there wahala-: They are the EvE among our midst,

These are women 5.3ft and below.A short petite woman might still be considered cute and mistaken for a 12yrs old,but a short thick Lady with huge bumbum are the worst . The shorter they are the closer they are to the devil,thats is why its easier for him to whisper words into their ears

In history,female with the worst Atrocities are mostly short women They are the fighters,with the sharpest of tongue ..especially those with a short and small frame,its like they swallowed a microphone as they have the loudest of voice and they are very quick to use it .

A short woman is never satisfied in bed ..they have a sex drive with that of a horse,especially those in relationships.. If there is ever a female arm robber ..it will be a short woman,they have the balls for it

They are mean,evil and they dont play.

They are extremely strong and have the tendency to beat their husband and if they cant beat,they use poison as an alternative A short woman would still marry a short man and end up being the man of the house while producing mustard seed children.

If you cheat on a short thick woman be very sure she is going to revenge by sleeping with all ur family and friends as a short woman never forgives. Please do not invite me for a wedding if both the bride and the groom fall under the category of short syndrome,thats is wicked and unfair for the next generation of children who will be called kekere all their lives .

We where all created in Gods image with the exception of short women.#TagDem 





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This is quite unfortunate. A Ghanian man identified only as Alex has butchered his wife and poured hot water on her in London after she dumped him for marrying a second wife.

According to photos going viral on social media, the man reportedly married another woman in Ghana despite being married for two years to wife he just butchered.

The wife whom he stays with in London started

suspecting the husband after he had a conversation with someone on the phone and tried to hide it from her. After the man stepped out, she took his phone and picked the number. She later spoke with the number and found out that its Alex new wife. The report claims she introduced herself and asked the second woman to leave her husband but the woman ignored her. The second wife stated that Alex has explained to her their marriage in London is not official according to Ghanaian culture because they just married in London without any family consent so she wont leave the marriage. The first wife packed all her things and left the man despite the pleads from the husband.

Just 2 weeks ago, Alex called the first wife to come for her mails. Without thinking twice she went there for her mail. Alex locked the door and attacked the woman with knives and scissors. He went as far as pouring hot water on her for leaving him.
Newly elected APC lawmakers must tow the party line or be whipped out of the party, Bola Tinubu has said

Mr Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress (APC) national leader, said that party discipline would be upheld in addressing the leadership tussle of the 9th National Assembly.

Mr Tinubu said this while speaking with journalists in Lagos on Friday after a prayer programme organised by Islamic and Christian clerics to mark his 67th birthday.

Party discipline is key, we must be discipline in the party. We were a little careless in 2015. We created the opportunity for serpent to get into our party and that did not allow Nigeria to make the desired progress.

You have seen the result of it and we are not going to allow that to happen again. We are going to respect our party and we are going to apply the whip.

It is either you stay with us or you follow us or you leave. You have the freedom to choose but the freedom does not give you as a minority to go and collaborate and protrude our mandate given to you to another party who was our opposition and who is still our opposition.

We would not take that this time, no matter who you think you are. That is how it is built. Why do you want to deviate from what has been structured?

We look at our reward system equally, zone by zone, he said.

The APC leadership recently declared support for Yobe senator, Ahmed Lawan to become the next Senate President. Lagos lawmaker and Mr Tinubus protege, Femi Gbajabiamila, was also endorsed to become the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

The move was condemned by other APC lawmakers including Borno senator, Ali Ndume, who seeks to be the Senate president. Mr Ndume has vowed to continue with his ambition, saying he enjoys the support of many of the elected APC senators.

A Gombe senator, Danjuma Goje, is also in the race to be Senate President.

The APC enjoys a clear majority in the incoming Senate, winning over 60 of the 109 Senate seats.

The party is expected to produce the Senate president, but as it happened in 2015, a different candidate other than that endorsed by the party leadership may emerge the winner of the topmost legislative position.

While both Messrs Lawan and Gbajabiamila were endorsed for the positions in 2015, Bukola Saraki and Yakubu Dogara emerged the Senate President and Speaker of the House respectively.

The two winners later defected from the APC to the PDP.

Tinubu speaks on his past

Also at the event on Friday, Mr Tinubu said that his life as a politician at 67 had been a fulfilling journey.

When I joined politics, there were a lot of uncertainties because it was during the military regime. There were lots of struggles but my concern is about people and the future of my country.

My mother stood by me when I told her then that I was joining politics. She told me to be ready to take all sorts of insults whenever they cross my way. May her soul rest in peace, he said.

The struggle was tough. It created a justice on June 12 election of MKO and some people deserted the camp, the struggle, the spirit.

We have stayed with this struggle. We know democracy is not easy but it is the only system of government that we chose.

Ever since, it has been a very fulfilling journey. There is always the twist and turns in politics.

Today, we endure, we persevere, we think, adjust, collaborate, merged and became single party just like yesterday, he said.

Mr Tinubu said that the APC was in government for the common man.

You will think that APC had been on for twenty years but is not up to six years. We went through compromises because we know that if we form a good alliance of progressive thinkers and believers in the ideology of common man, we will be able to serve the people.

It is not by criticism alone. You have to have the opportunity to even change the life of the people and quality of their standard of living.

So, we stood by it, we persevered persistently, uttered our voice, offered our recommendations, and then we are here. And today I am extremely happy that we are in government for the common man.

The only way to change Nigeria from penury is to fashion out our own organic economic strategy and plan that will continue to cater for all, he said.
The Consumer Protection Council has begun an awareness campaign on the National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) across major cities in Nigeria where cigarettes and shisha are openly sold.

On Thursday, the agencys officials  accompanied by police officers  visited the popular old Ojota motor park in Lagos and nearby garages, as well as the Classique and Vibe lounges in Oregun, were Shisha is sold to patrons, to enforce the law.

Given that the council is mandated by law to enforce all enactments aimed at protecting consumers, like the NTCA, and mindful that tobacco products pose grave health risks to consumers, we resolved to enforce all the enforceable provisions of the Act, Babatunde Irukera, the CPC director general, told PREMIUM TIMES on Friday.

However, we also considered it necessary to sensitise tobacco dealers and the public to the provisions of the law before we commence full enforcement.

Earlier, the agency had conducted the same exercise in Port Harcourt accompanied by officers of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), visiting the Waterline motor park where they met traders and retailers at Bob Izua motor park, the Rivers State Transport Company, and Elechi neighbourhood. The team also visited the streets leading to the Sani Abacha Way in GRA Phase 2.

Lounges visited for the enforcement of shisha ban include Ace Lounge, Kelly Sport Bar, Casablanca Bar, and Cubana Lounge among others.

In as much as ignorance of the law is not an excuse, we always sensitise and encourage businesses to voluntarily obey extant legislation, rules and regulations. Often, it is when that fails that we resort to full enforcement of the law, Mr Irukera, a lawyer, said.

Last month, the CPC had embarked on a similar exercise in the federal capital territory.

The National Tobacco Control Act (NTCA) 2015 regulates and controls the production, manufacture, sale, advertising, promotion and sponsorship of tobacco products in the country.

In 2017, the Nigerian government introduced nine regulations in the NTCA that would be implemented.

The regulations included the prohibition of the sale of tobacco products to and by anyone below 18 years; ban of sale of cigarettes in single sticks, cigarettes must be sold in packs of 20 sticks only; smokeless tobacco shall be sold in a minimum of a pack of 30 grammes; ban of sale or offer for sale or distribution of tobacco or tobacco products through mail, internet, or other online devices.

The rest were the prohibition of interference of the tobacco industry in public health and related issues; prohibition of smoking in public places; prosecution of the manager of a public place who permits smoking; prohibition of tobacco advertising, promotion and sponsorship; and tobacco products compliance with the specified standard for content as set out by the Standards Organisation of Nigeria.

The CPC awareness campaign also involved impending enforcement of the ban on the smoking of shisha, which, incidentally, is not captured in the NTCA.

But Mr Irukera said the Nigeria Industrial Standard for Tobacco and Tobacco Products prohibits the use of flavouring substances, with the potential to initiate or appeal to children, in the manufacture of tobacco products like cigarettes, shisha and a host of others.

Preliminary examination has shown that shisha is mostly flavoured, hence violates the provisions of the said standard, he said.

That explains our impending enforcement activity with respect to shisha. Again, like the case of other tobacco products, we are using the ongoing exercise to draw attention to the fact that flavoured shisha violates extant regulations, and we will soon commence full enforcement against same.

Oluseun Esan, the programme coordinator for the Nigeria Tobacco Control Alliance, speaking at a press conference in Lagos on Friday commended the action of the CPC.

We thank the agencies especially the CPC who took the lead for standing with the Nigerian people, Mr Esan said.

We ask that they should not rest on their oars and that all enforcement agencies take it upon themselves to regularly enforce the provisions in every nook and cranny of Nigeria. We will continue to look out for it.

Nigerias tobacco control bill was passed into law in 2015 but enforcement has remained a challenge because several sections of the bill required the approval of the regulations by the National Assembly.

Mr Esan said the National Assemblys Committee on Delegated Legislation has begun calling on stakeholders to attend an Interactive Session on the regulation.

We call on the Committee on Delegated Legislation in the National Assembly to consider the health, safety, and future of the Nigerian people; to stand on the part of the masses against the tobacco industry who makes profits at the expense of the health and live of the Nigerian people, he said.

We call on them to approve the Regulations as it is, without watering down the provisions. Nigeria is one of the least regulated countries in Africa when it has to do with tobacco. The TI (tobacco industry) makes a lot of profit at the expense of the lives of the citizens and regrettably, they pay insignificant taxes which is also one of the lowest in Africa.

The CPC said its awareness campaign is a continuous exercise and that, afterwards, a full enforcement of the NTCA across the country would begin.

Nobody has been arrested in the course of the ongoing exercise, said Mr Irukera.

But when we commence full enforcement in the near future, violators will be arrested, where necessary, and non-conforming products will be removed from the market, in line with the provisions of the Councils enabling law.
Innoson Chairman, Chief Dr. Innocent Chukwuma

Innoson Nigeria Limited, Nigerias indigenous vehicle production company, has instituted a move to take over Guaranty Trust Bank, GTB, following a ruling by the Supreme Court over the banks N8.7 billion indebtedness to the company.

According to the companys chairman, Chief Dr Innocent Chukwuma, the move was made through a Writ of FiFa taken over Guaranty Trust Bank PLC for and on half of Innoson Nigeria Ltd as a result of the Banks indebtedness to Innoson Nigeria Ltd.

In a landmark decision on February 27th 2019, the Supreme Court had dismissed GTBs appeal marked SC. 694/2014- against the judgment of Court of Appeal, Ibadan Division.

The Court of Appeal, Ibadan division had in its decision of 6th February 2014 dismissed GTBs appeal against the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division.

Thus, the Court of Appeal affirmed the judgment of the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute  to pay N2.4 Billion to Innoson with a 22 per cent interest, per annum, on the judgment sum until the final liquidation of the judgment debt.

Rather than obey the judgment of the Court of Appeal, GTB approached the Supreme Court to challenge the Court of Appeals decision.

However, in a ruling delivered by Honourable Olabode Rhodes-Vivour JSC on Wednesday, the Lord Justices of the Supreme Court (JSC) dismissed GTBs appeal and thus affirmed the concurrent judgment of both the Court of Appeal and the Federal High Court, Ibadan Division which ordered GTB by way of Garnishee order absolute  to pay N2.4 Billion to Innoson with a 22% interest, per annum, on the judgment until the final liquidation of the judgment.

A statement by the Innoson groups Head of Corporate Communications, Cornel Osigwe disclosed that The Judgment debt of N2.4B has an accrued interest as at today of about N6,717,909,849.96 which results to about N8.8 Billion.

Based on the Supreme Courts decision of 27th February 2019 the counsel to Innoson, Prof McCarthy Mbadugha ESQ, had approached the Federal High Court, Awka Division for leave to enforce the judgment having obtained Certificates of Judgment from the Ibadan Division of the Federal High Court.

Having obtained the requisite leave, the Federal High Court issued the necessary process for levying execution  the Writ of Fifa.
According to Punch Metro, the money laundering trial of the Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ondo State, Clement Faboyede, began on Friday with the first prosecution witness narrating to the court how the politician allegedly took delivery of a cash sum of N500m some days to the 2015 general elections.

Faboyede, alongside the Ondo State Coordinator of President Goodluck Jonathan Campaign Organisation in 2015, Modupe Adetokunbo, is facing three counts of money laundering before the Federal High Court in Lagos.

They were arraigned in June 2018 by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

The trial opened on Friday with the manager of a branch of Fidelity Bank in Akure, the Ondo State capital, Michael Owolanke, testifying against the defendants.

Led in evidence by the EFCC lawyer, Ekene Iheanacho, Owolanke told the court that on the instructions of one of his superiors he released N500m to Faboyede and Adetokunbo on March 27, 2015 on the bank premises.

He said, When the defendants came (to the bank), I put a call back to Martin, telling him that Engineer Faboyede and Mr Modupe Adetokunbo were around to pick up the cash.

He (Martin) said I should go ahead (to pay them). I got their means of identification and prepared a receipt for them to acknowledge that the money had been handed over to them intact.

I took them to where the money was kept at the bullion bay; they confirmed the sum of N500m packed in Ghana-must-go bags and evacuated the money into two Hilux vehicles and drove away.

Through the witness, the prosecutor tendered the defendants means of identification submitted to the bank and the receipt issued for the N500m payment as exhibits and the court admitted same in evidence against the defendants.

Responding to further questions from the prosecutor, the witness said the receipt issued to the defendants for the payment of N500m did not have the logo of the bank.

Asked why this was so, Owolanke said, For the purpose of this transaction, there is no logo of the bank on the receipt because they (the defendants) are not customers of the bank.

He added that the N500m payment was not documented and could not be found in the record of the bank.

Justice Saliu Saidu adjourned the case till April 4 for continuation of trial.

But Faboyede and Adetokunbo have pleaded not guilty to the charges.
It's hard to imagine that the country that controls so much nuclear firepower and drops so many bombs every day is unwilling to educate its children and house its own people.

The poor have been with us since there was an "us." And, as much as I would like to see zero poverty in the United States, a country that spends trillions on its domestic and international security apparatuses, I know that the political will for such policies is just not there today. This, despite the efforts of thousands of people just like me all over the country to alleviate the unnecessary suffering of the poor in the US. Instead, it has become clear from the rhetoric of the 2016 Presidential campaigns, that it is easier to preen oneself by boasting of increasing such security spending, and almost never to decrease it. Not even Democratic Party Presidential candidate Bernie Sanders discusses cutting back on military spending and cutting weapons systems. Thus, we can have a Presidential election and not one word is uttered about the criminalization of the poor and now the crisis of homelessness that afflicts a growing number of cities on the west coast of the US.

It is hard to estimate the number of homeless people in the US, but one indicator is the number of school children who do not have an address. According to the Child Trends Databank, at the start of the 2013-2014 academic year, there were approximately 1.4 million children in the United States who reported to school and did not have an address to give to school authorities. Child Trends asserts that while reporting has improved and can provide some background for the increased numbers, the sad fact is that the instance of homelessness among children is increasing.

So, the most vulnerable population in the US, that would normally be counted on to provide a quality of life for the country's inhabitants for generations to come, are not being equipped by their country to serve their country. Of course, the distribution of this pain is not shared: Black and Latino children are disproportionately represented in the country's homeless children population, with Blacks taking the larger share. Also, all of the insecurities associated with growing up under such circumstances are heaped upon these children, making survival and thriving extremely difficult for them.

From the predatory nature of neoliberalism, which is a kind of capitalism (with all of its inherent deficiencies) on steroids, this situation, while dire for all concerned, is not surprising. Thomas Piketty provides the clearest example yet of the long-term effects of capitalism: growing inequality. Now, add to that, the neoliberal philosophy that the state has no business trying to protect the interests of its citizens, yet exists to extend the hegemony of those with wealth and power over more and more segments of the population in more and more facets of their lives.



Homelessness In America

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Thus, in the neoliberal state, allowing the child-teacher relationship to become mediated by the local Chamber of Commerce is alright. The same goes for the doctor-patient relationship that is now mediated in the US by powerful insurance companies who determine whether their customers live or die by the premium they've purchased and paid for. The student-teacher relationship is now mediated by banks so that the learner's ability to even function as a student depends on the "creditworthiness" of the learner rather than his or her eagerness to learn and become an important component in the functioning of American society.

While true leaders in other countries prioritize an education for their citizens and a future for their countries, US decision-makers are headed in the opposite direction. And like lemmings, Americans unquestioningly follow this sheer and utter madness. The Nation observes that universities in the US are more attached to Wall Street than ever. The blind faith of the US population in the rectitude of its governmental decisions has been betrayed. Now, that faith should be completely broken by the west coast crisis of homelessness. Should be, but it probably won't be.

From California to Washington State -- from the Mexican border to the Canadian border -- mayors are grappling with a homeless problem evocative of the Great Depression and "Hoover Towns" known during the presidency of Herbert Hoover as "Hoovervilles." On December 10, 2015, mayors from Los Angeles, San Francisco, Portland and Eugene, Oregon held their first Summit in Portland on the housing crisis engulfing their cities. They proclaimed that they don't understand enough about what is happening to their citizens and in the country. They gathered because they are concerned about the impact on their cities. They also recognized that many of the homeless are veterans of the Administration's current wars.

Ten years ago, Portland declared its "war" against homelessness yet, in 2016, there are as many homeless as there were at the time of the declaration. A tech worker in San Francisco wrote a letter to the mayor complaining about having to come into visual contact with "homeless riff-raff." I doubt that that same tech worker even bothered to defend the right of people to remain in their neighborhoods attacked by rapacious developers who have veritably wiped out San Francisco's Black community and inner-city neighborhoods where people could find affordable housing. The nuns of the Fraternite Notre Dame who run the Mary of Nazareth Soup Kitchen are an example. They tend to the needs of San Francisco's homeless. But, they, themselves are at risk of becoming homeless because the landlord raised their rent by more than 50 percent while a developer lurks in the background attempting to build more housing in the neighborhood, but is opposed by residents because not enough of it is affordable. The San Francisco Weekly News calls the city's homeless population the result of the city's failed policies. Seattle declared a homelessness "State of Emergency" in November of last year.

It's hard to imagine that the country that controls so much nuclear firepower and that drops so many bombs on Somalia, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Pakistan everyday including today is increasingly unwilling to educate its children and house its citizens. While China has lifted 400 million of its people from dire poverty, the US seems on the path to consigning such a fate for its citizens.

Republican President Dwight David Eisenhower uttered these memorable words: "Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron."

The US government is run by a group of predators who are making public policy that benefits the few at the expense of the many. The sooner Americans and people in the rest of the world realize this, the sooner we can create real change inside the US that will radiate well beyond its borders.


The Dawn of Easter

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We will be voting not only for who will succeed Barack Obama, but what.

I've never been an Obama worshipper, nor a believer of what Republicans have said about him. Like Jefferson, Madison, Monroe and Wilson, President Obama is a product of his time, necessarily touching the hem of the garment of compromise, better than most -- chess playing his battle choices, arguably gaining more than he gave up to corporate giants and their political puppets.

Before Tuesday November 7, 2000, I never believed there were financial CEOs, smoke screening tobacco companies, pharmaceutical drug dealers, Food Desert creators addicting the unsuspecting to diabetes, nor elders of black gold polluting earth, air and water.

Never did I believe oral in the Oval could so poison thinking, contaminate judgement and corrode our electoral process that both American voters, and those who distain the privilege with abstinence, could so tea stain our national ideals, sacrifice our young on foreign and domestic battlefields and murder The American Dream, in selected neighborhoods.

Before the ascension of George W. Bush and Dick Cheney, I never imagined the party of Barry Goldwater could, with malice aforethought, deposit America's deposits in the out-house of Corporatism. However, now that the legacy of Lincoln and Teddy Roosevelt has been so mutilated, isn't it too late to, Go Set a Watchman, to warn us of the societal dangers in income disparity, gender inequality and an unlivable minimum wage?

Before, slavery, white supremacy and man's inhumanity to man were forced underground with Good Friday's bloodshed April 14, 1865, did, the South Shall Rise Again, foretell Citizens United and a gutted Voting Rights Law?

Averting our eyes in silence while others attempt to snatch the brass ring of a tarnished Exceptionalism, mistaking repetitive, braggadocios vain glory for God's Will, do we not risk losing our souls on the altar of denial -- not because we are an evil people, but because, in crucifixion, it is the not my job bystander who is the welcome mat allowing the evil of those who know not what they do, to nail our decency to the cross of hate for and fear of the creativity of diversity.

Putting our faith in bankruptcy experts and political prostitutes, guarantees easy Right now, but if we truly desire Heaven on earth, we need to reset our search engines to a higher ground. America's survival is not in the distractions of Madison Avenue glitter, or the crowd think of the latest small screen device.

Long before my friendship with the voice of The Exorcist demon, Mercedes McCambridge, my Grandmamma shared with me her revelation of The War of Angels: the more you try to fight the good fight, the more the Devil, desperate for Likes and Followers, will connive to get you.

All our disharmony of Left v. Right, Black v. White, Environment v. Institutional greed, Gay v. Straight, Climate Injustice v. Oil Wars, Church v. State -- is the same in-fighting in which humanity has engaged since before Christians were terrified that Darwin's, pre-DNA theory of evolution by natural selection would uproot Eden's Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil.

What really erodes a nation, is hating one's fellow citizens and allowing the pitiful few to corral the global economy by financially raping the masses.

Truth is, except for brief shining moments, America has never lived out the true meaning of its creed: We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, for, with the possible exception of the first Easter, there is no perfection on earth -- certainly not in the fairytales of the half that has been told in our classrooms.

Perhaps The Good Fight for redemption cannot be won by humankind alone. Perhaps the glory of resurrection, comes with our ascension from our eternal internal struggle between Johnny Rocco's, Yeah. That's it. More. That's right! I want more, to fixing our thoughts on what is true, honorable, pure, lovely and admirable -- people, places and things that are excellent and worthy of praise, like the Assumption of The Golden Rule.


Bernie Sanders for President

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The Democratic side may be no better, plus the long lines and too few machines cited in major states like Arizona which went heavily to Clinton, possibly because of over-representation from pre-election day voting, and even broken or fraudulently programmed machines.

Even Alan Grayson called this out in an email to his supporters:

Dear (recipient), Voter suppression/electoral manipulation. We saw it in Arizona on Tuesday, but it started long before then. Soviet dictator Joseph Stalin once said, "The people who cast the votes decide nothing. The people who count the votes decide everything." Stalin simply announced whatever voting results he wanted. Here, in the United States, we do things differently. As the ghost of Stalin might say: "The people who attempt to cast the votes in the United States decide nothing. The people who determine how many polling locations there will be, where they'll be, and how long they'll be open decide everything." We saw it this week in Arizona. We have seen it over and over again in Florida. Police roadblocks between black neighborhoods and the polls. Criminalization of voter registration efforts. Touchscreen machines where a vote for X magically becomes a vote for Y. Exclusion from the voter rolls because you have the same name -- the same name! -- as someone else who was convicted of a felony. (John Smith, you're screwed.) One or two voting machines for a college with 60,000 students. Butterfly ballots and hanging chads. But we here at the Grayson Campaign, we fight back against that....





It is a very major thing when a sitting Congressman questions the integrity of the voting process itself, even the actual machines used to count votes.



All of this benefits the status quo candidates, of course.



I've seen another thing, though it's a moving target and when I started tallying the results, the factors changed before I could finish. It seems like the contests are called by AP (which is used by most Mainstream Media) early with 1-8% of the votes uncounted, mostly in rural areas that normally go to Sanders. I started creating a table that showed this, but then a few days later, they caught up, but by then, of course, people aren't looking at the states that already had primaries over a week ago, so they could have missed the adjustments. This is sort of what the writer is saying here, because it is disproportionately counting those pre-election day votes and ignoring the election day votes that are more likely to swing to Sanders.





Whether you're a Republican favoring the non-mainstream candidate Trump or a Democrat favoring Sanders, or you just want honest elections, you ought to be alarmed by the degradation of our primary process. In the quest to shave a few dollars off election costs, states are jeopardizing Democracy itself.


Reprinted from Sputnik

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. Both atrocities have been claimed by the Daesh terror group, whose stronghold is in remote parts of Syria and Iraq. Although, in the two European attacks, most of the terrorists involved are known to have been born in Belgium -- albeit of Arab national heritage. There is, however, a cloying tendency in Europe's public response over its latest terrorist victims which appears to be an indulgent, egocentric mourning that is bereft of any bigger cognizant picture. By that we mean that Europe somehow thinks itself unique in suffering this violence as if it is a vile visitation levied on its streets for no rhyme or reason.

Not at issue here is consoling victims of terrorism. What is at issue is truthfully trying to understand how this scourge of violence is now haunting Europe.

The trouble with much of the reaction to this week's terror attack in Brussels is that it seems solely on the level of raw emotion, with scant reasoning or analysis about how this terrorism is instigated at its roots. By who and why?

Holding vigils, shedding tears and vaguely demanding "an end to terrorism" is all very well. So are calls for "solidarity" between European countries.

Terrorist violence may be mindless in its indiscriminate brutality towards innocent civilians. But terrorism is often not mindless in how it originates as a cultural phenomenon. There are specific political causes, protagonists, financing networks and weapons routes that need to be addressed.

As with the earlier Paris attacks, large crowds of people have this week taken to the center of Brussels to hold vigils and memorials for the victims. But the public discourse is still on a solely emotional level.

Landmark buildings have been lit up at night with the black-yellow-red tricolor of Belgium's national flag. The Eiffel Tower, Brandenburg Gate and Trevi Fountain are among the famous monuments showing illuminated solidarity.

But where are the searching public questions illuminating how or why this terrorist upsurge is happening?

Political leaders have voiced sympathy and solidarity with Belgium. European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker called for a "union of security," while French President Francois Hollande said the massacre in Brussels was "an attack on the whole of Europe."

These are just empty platitudes being articulated by political leaders, seemingly couched in "solidarity."


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Renowned French security expert Paul Barril has let loose a bombshell: the existence of Operation Beluga, a covert Western intelligence scheme intended to undermine Russia and its leaders.



Is that what's behind much of the threatening rhetoric now going back and forth between the US and Russia?



Barril exposed Operation Beluga in a recent interview with Swiss businessman Pascal Najadi on the 2006 Alexander Litvinenko death case. Litvinenko was a reputed former spy who many believe was murdered with radioactive polonium on orders of Vladimir Putin.



Najadi says the interview drew out the converse revelation that Litvinenko was actually killed by "an Italian who administered the deadly polonium 210." What's more, he astonishingly says, the operation was carried out under the auspices of the US and UK.



In my books The Phony Litvinenko Murder and Litvinenko Murder Case Solved I've written about an Italian connection. But I can't confirm that Barril is talking about the same person.



Here's what Najadi told me:







Barril's comments deserve serious consideration. A former officer of the French Gendarmerie Nationale, he's been dubbed "Supercop" in France. Barril is cofounder of the GIGN French antiterror group, and has also served in French presidential security. During his career he has led several private security companies, as well.



Najadi says, "These new revelations from Captain Paul Barril now open a new window to the truth about the motive for killing Alexander Litvinenko."



Litvinenko's death has been a hot topic for officials within British officialdom. A UK coroner's inquest failed to reach a verdict on the manner and cause of Litvinenko's death, even after the passage of almost ten years. Then a politically-motivated official inquiry was authorized by Prime Minister David Cameron. Its final report hypothesized that Putin was behind the death, but it failed to produce any credible evidence. (See "Six Reasons You Can't Take the Litvinenko Report Seriously")



Britain had accused two Russians of poisoning Litvinenko. But the UK prosecutor failed to make his case against them, claiming that he had only "grave suspicions" about who's to blame. Then there was the aborted coroner's inquest, and finally a report was issued under suspicious circumstances by a discredited judge who lacked the basic qualifications for conducting an official inquiry. (See "Britain Allowed Unqualified Judge to Decide Litvinenko Case. Now Inquiry Report Must Be Recalled" and "Discredited Litvinenko 'Judge' Sends Parliament Untrustworthy Verdict.")



Now the Litvinenko scandal takes on a new proportion. It's no longer just an incessantly long-running murder mystery. It just might be the telltale sign of an enormous geopolitical provocation that is wreaking havoc with world stability.



In the run-up to the American presidential election many of the candidates have talked very tough on dealing with Russia's role in the world. I wonder how many of them have bought into the Beluga scheme.







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William Dunkerley Social Media Pages:

William Dunkerley is author of the books "Ukraine in the Crosshairs," "The Phony Litvinenko Murder, "Litvinenko Murder Case Solved," and "Medvedev's Media Affairs," published by Omnicom Press. Mr. Dunkerley also has authored several monographs (more...)



The views expressed herein are the sole responsibility of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of this website or its editors.





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Reprinted from Middle East Eye

Families threaten to pull children from Jaffa's first mixed Arab-Jewish school, accusing Tel Aviv officials of breaking promises





JAFFA, Israel -- It is a rare scene: in a classroom on the southern outskirts of Tel Aviv, young Israeli children -- Jewish and Palestinian -- play and study together, casually chatting and joking in a mix of Hebrew and Arabic.

The opening of the first bilingual classrooms in Israel's largest city was celebrated with great excitement by parents and teachers last September. It broke with a decades-old model of strict segregation between the country's Jewish and Palestinian pupils.

Israel includes a large and often-overlooked minority of 1.7 million Palestinian citizens, a fifth of the population.

Only months into the educational experiment, however, the mood has soured. Hundreds of parents staged a protest in central Tel Aviv this month, chanting "All children are equal" and "We demand bilingual education." Both Israeli Jews and Palestinian citizens of Israel who had sent their kids there turned out.

They accuse the municipality and education ministry -- both of which officially support the project -- of betraying the ideals of bilingualism, and have threatened to pull their children out of the school.

"We held a vote and 80 percent of parents agreed that they would not let their children continue at the school if things stay as they are," Assaf Ronel, a spokesman for the parents, told Middle East Eye.

"We have demanded that the municipality commit to our vision in writing, and provide a proper space for a Palestinian identity in the school."

Shuli Dichter, director of Hand in Hand, an organization that promotes bilingual education in Israel, calls the 170 families taking part in its Jaffa project "pioneers."

Hand in Hand operates four bilingual schools across Israel and two kindergartens. Jaffa's primary school classes are the most recent addition.

The idea of children from different cultural backgrounds learning together and speaking each other's language may seem uncontroversial. But it has prompted a fierce backlash from right-wing Jewish groups in Israel.

In late 2014, Hand in Hand's flagship school in Jerusalem was torched by activists from Lehava, an organization that opposes integration between Jewish and Palestinian citizens. Graffiti daubed on the walls read "Death to the Arabs" and "There can be no coexistence with cancer."

Three of the group's members were jailed last year. In January Israel's high court increased the sentences of two brothers involved in the arson attack.

Although Lehava is a fringe group, it draws on ideas that have found favor with much larger numbers of Israeli Jews, especially over the past 15 years as the country has lurched to the right.

A survey by the Pew polling organization this month found that half of Israeli Jews wanted Arabs expelled from the state, and 79 percent believed Jews should have more rights than their Palestinian compatriots.
Reprinted from Sputnik

It took four months for Salah Abdeslam -- one of the alleged commando members on Paris 11.13 -- to be captured in Brussels after a shootout. He never escaped to Syria; he never moved away from his known digs in Molenbeek.It took only four days for the next plot twist -- a coordinated jihadi attack at Brussels airport and a metro station only 500 meters away from the EU headquarters.

Under a blowback scenario, this was largely predictable. Belgian Foreign Minister Didier Reynders had even warned during the weekend attacks were imminent. More worrying is the leak that Belgian secret services -- as well as Western intel agencies -- had "precise" info about the risk of an attack at the airport and a probable attack on the metro.

Even more significantly, and before the arrest of Abdeslam, none other than neo-Ottoman Sultan Erdogan, leader of a key "NATO ally," had seen the writing on the wall; "There is no reason why the bomb that exploded in Ankara cannot explode in Brussels, in any other European city." Erdogan was, of course, drawing a nasty, false connection between Kurds and Salafi-jihadis, yet he sounded like he was delivering a mix of prophecy and threat.

Walking Dead Schengen

Europe once again has been drowned in the same old warped litany. Two jihadi suicide brothers. An expert ISIS/ISIL/Daesh bomb maker -- who may have manufactured the suicide vests used in Paris, loaded with Triacetone Triperoxide (TATP). An evaded airport bomber leaving a will on his laptop. A mysterious rifle found near one of the blown-up jihadis. No passports were found -- at least not yet; instead, an incriminating ISIS/ISIL/Daesh flag.

A tsunami of police has congested the streets of European capitals to "ease public anxiety" and "act as a deterrent" -- as if this show of force would enforce anything other than fear.

The US State Department -- truthful to its spectacular record of inanity -- blurted out that ISIS/ISIL/Daesh is "under pressure." US diplomats might as well have placed a call to "NATO ally" Erdogan, for whom the fake "Caliphate" at a minimum can be used as a pre-positioned, actionable asset in the Middle East chessboard.

Ratings for the latest EU show -- the savage bickering over the "security challenge" to Fortress Europe -- went through the roof. Across many an EU capital, clock towers avidly "celebrated," in unison, the demonization of refugees and the decapitation of multiculturalism.

And Schengen, which was in Walking Dead mode, was hit with a sawed-off shotgun and is now, well, pretty much dead.

The end of Schengen may cost the EU as much as $100 billion. Xenophobia and Islamophobia, for their part -- which are offered free of charge -- never had it so good.

Europol sources swear that at least 5,000 jihadis have entered the EU disguised as refugees. No one's asking; if they have been positively identified, how come they were not arrested? At least 400 of those may be ready to wreak havoc all across Europe.

Brussels airport happens to be just a couple of kilometers away from NATO's HQ -- whose alleged mission is to maintain security in Europe while actually, in practice, behaving like a Robocop from Africa to Central Asia. The jihadis, instead, aimed at an airport under virtually maximum security and a metro station within walking distance from the Barlaymont, the HQ of the European Commission (EC). They may even have planned to attack two nuclear plants in Doel and Tihange.

The fact that ISIS/ISIL/Daesh is blowing up citizens from the EU and many other nationalities right under NATO's noses cannot but raise eyebrows. Especially when we know that for NATO and its sorry gallery of Strangeloves, Breedloves and Breedhates, the "enemy" is not Salafi-jihadism, but "evil" Russia.

What about an R2P for Europe?
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This photograph and caption originally was published Feb. 2, 1959 in the Daily News.

The Piccadilly, formerly the Frolic Coffee Shop, opened for business in its new location at 125 West Larkin Street. Owner of the business, which had been located in the Frolic Theatre building for the past several years, is Wilfred Cox. Breakfast, lunches and dinners will be served. The dinner menu will feature charcoal steaks and prime ribs of beef, Cox announced.

EXTRA: (Mrs. Wilfred Cox opened the restaurant July 3, 1940, and Mr. Cox, then in Canada, joined her in September of that year. Their original business was known as the Frolic Sweet Shop and was located in the Frolic Theatre building at West Main and Gordon.

When fire destroyed the theater and their restaurant in April 1943, the Coxes purchased the Den on East Main and operated it until mid December 1944. By then the Frolic Theatre had been rebuilt and the Coxes returned to their original location.

When the Frolic Theatre was razed, the Coxes relocated on West Larkin and renamed their restaurant The Piccadilly, opening there in February 1959.)
MidMichigan Health was awarded a $494,900 rural telemedicine grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

The grant will be used to expand specialty medical services into rural areas of need. The grant will benefit residents across Clare, Gladwin, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Ogemaw, Roscommon and Huron counties. MidMichigans project was one of three selected in Michigan and one of 75 awarded nationwide.

Because of this funding, some patients, especially those with neurology, stroke, cardiology, pulmonology, congestive obstructive pulmonary disease, congestive heart failure, autoimmune and sepsis conditions, will soon be able to receive some specialty services closer to home through telemedicine.

By using a telecommunications link connecting local communities to MidMichigan specialists, the patient, local provider and specialist can exchange health care information electronically using high-resolution audio and video equipment and data transfer to provide care to rural patients. In addition some patients, such as those with congestive heart failure, will be able to take part in special self-management care clinics by participating remotely from their local hospital connected to MidMichigan Medical Center - Midland.

With the right technology, services of highly qualified specialty physicians are not just restricted to brick and mortar health care facilities  they can be delivered even into the patients home, said Dr. Pankaj Jandwani, chief medical information officer, MidMichigan Health. I am excited to say that this grant will help us implement modern tele-technology and infrastructure for our rural and elderly patients.

The USDA rural telemedicine grant gives us the ability to expand access to MidMichigan Health specialists, as well as our partners at the University of Michigan Health System, to areas that have traditionally been limited by geography from these specialty services, added Tom Wood, director of trauma and telemedicine, MidMichigan Health. Using some of the best hardware and software available, our providers will have the ability to virtually meet and treat patients in 23 new locations, saving the patients and their families driving time, lost wages, allowing them to receive care in their home community, and eliminating delays in life-saving treatment in rural hospitals. MidMichigan Health intends to be a leader in telehealth and this grant provides the foundation for the expansive programs to come.

The funding, which comes from the USDAs Distance Learning and Telemedicine Grant program, was authorized by the 2014 Farm Bill.
Dick Fabian, who worked as a news anchor and meteorologist for WNEM-TV for 20 years before retiring in 1997, has died at the age of 81.

Fabian died peacefully Saturday at his home, according to his obituary.
EDITORS NOTE  OWI means operating while intoxicated. DWLS means driving while license suspended. (MC) is for Judge Michael D. Carpenter. (L) is for Magistrate Gerald Ladwig. Sentences may vary based on previous offenses committed by the defendant. Some sentencings include other fees imposed by the state.

Auburn

Shannon May Babcock, 44, no proof of insurance on Dec. 24, $210 fine (MC).

Bay City

James Donald Card, 50, DWLS on Jan. 28, $400 fines and costs (MC).

Jerry Lee Labean, 44, jostling on Jan. 15, 30 days in jail with credit for one day (MC).

Farwell

Justin Michael Elsea, 21, allowing DWLS on Jan. 27, $400 fines and costs (MC).

Freeland

Sarah Grace Stinton-Czuprynski, 32, OWI on Nov. 27, 93 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for two days, $600 fines and costs, six months probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Gladwin

Daniel Sloan Hill, 27, second-offense OWI on Oct. 18, one year in jail with all but 16 days held in abeyance and credit for one day, $1,225 fines and costs, one year probation, attend substance abuse program, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, vehicle immobilized for 90 days (MC).

Brian Joseph Smith, 46, allowing DWLS on Dec. 28, $500 fines and costs (MC).

Midland

Leann Elizabeth Armenta, 52, North Saginaw Road, defrauding innkeeper on Sept. 25, 52 days in jail with credit for time served, $12.25 restitution (MC).

Andrew John Bobalek, 27, East Siebert Road, drunk and disorderly person on June 13, 30 days in jail with credit for four days, $200 fines and costs, $2,475.90 restitution (MC).

Lisa Marie Bommarito, 47, West Sugnet Road, impaired driving on Nov. 17, $775 fines and costs (MC).

Scott Douglas Draves, 53, South Five Mile Road, allowing DWLS on Feb. 5, $600 fines and costs (MC).

Tucker James Dulude, 25, West Olson Road, DWLS on Feb. 7, $975 fines and costs (MC).

Dawn Rose Ghaith, 52, Parsons Court, attempted third-degree retail fraud on Nov. 25, 46 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for one day, $500 fines and costs, $8.36 restitution, six months probation, may not enter Wal-Mart, attend counseling as directed (MC).

Elizabeth Jeannette King, 37, North Saginaw Road, allowing DWLS on Feb. 28, $250 fines and costs (MC).

Emilio Santiago-Cruz Martinez, 22, Dauer Street, DWLS on Dec. 7, 93 days in jail with credit for 60 days (MC).

Tracy Marie Stemler, 49, Sturgeon Creek Parkway, disturbing the peace on Sept. 28, 90 days in jail held in abeyance with credit for two days, $600 fines and costs, one year probation, to be monitored by an alcohol tether for 90 days, not to be involved in any assaultive, threatening, intimidating, violent, aggressive, disorderly or abusive behavior toward any person, no contact with the victim, may not use or possess drugs or alcohol, subject to random drug and alcohol screening, may not enter bars, attend counseling as directed, no negative third party contact with the victim, one year sentence delay (MC).

Saginaw

Dominique Lanell Cook, 27, DWLS on Feb. 8, 83 days in jail with credit for one day, vehicle immobilized (MC).

Manual Gomez, 40, attempted second-offense DWLS and false identification on March 11, three days in jail with credit for two days, $800 fines and costs (MC).

Sanford

Giget Marie Sersaw, 35, allowing DWLS on Dec. 8, $500 fines and costs (MC).

Wheeler

Eric Jon Schmidt, 22, allowing DWLS on Feb. 6, $250 fines and costs (MC).

Elsewhere

Embery Gene Pope Jr., 31, Flint, allowing DWLS on Jan. 10, 60 days in jail with credit for 50 days (MC).
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A number of students in two Rockland County schools were reportedly exposed to a person suffering from tuberculosis. Health officials in the local area have already warned parents about the situation. However, they noted that the risk of spreading the illness is currently under control.

Washington Times said that health authorities have already identified the exposed students at Nyack Middle and Liberty Elementary Schools. The students were also given information on how they can be tested for the disease. The public has also been assured that there is no more risk of the disease to spread.

According to CBS New York, "less than fifty" students were exposed to the person with TB, who has already been admittied in the hospital. "There has been no exposure on school grounds in any buildings whatsoever, so there's really no concern for other students, staff members of visitors to our schools," explained Nyack School superintendent Dr. Jams Montesano. "It seems to be a contained event."

Rockland County Students Exposed To Person With Tuberculosis https://t.co/BWOxcjDG4B  CBS New York (@CBSNewYork) March 24, 2016

The same report noted that the exposure could have happened inside a school bus, but the county has yet to confirm this information. What they affirmed was that the person with TB became ill two weeks ago and was later on diagnosed with the disease.

"TB is one of the major killers in the world today. Most of the cases we see here in America are cases that are brought in where someone has traveled abroad," Rockland Health Commissioner Dr. Patricia Ruppert told CBS New York. "That's being evaluated at this time and it may be the case."

Parents in the area have been warned of the common symptoms of TB which include fatigue, fever, coughing, weight loss and sleeping problems. Many of them were shock with the return of the bacteria which has not been a problem in the United States for the past years.

Resident Darrell Caniero said the community did not expect that something like this would happen. "I was caught off guard by it, but I wouldn't say I was alarmed," he added.
Prince Henry of Wales, also known as Prince Harry is in Nepal for his 5-day official visit. On Wednesday, the British Royal attended the Nepal Girl Summit in Kathmandu and gave a very powerful speech and addressed the issue on child marriage and the lack of education.

The young prince, alongside Nepal's first female President, Bidhya Devi Bhandari, was in attendance at the event. He spoke on behalf of young girls around the world who are currently going through difficult times in their lives. He stressed the role of education in the transformation of lives of millions of people in the community, and ultimately the whole country.

On #HarryinNepal last official day, PH will open the @Girlsummit with President Bhandari. pic.twitter.com/ulkGpPit6e  Emily Andrews (@byEmilyAndrews) March 23, 2016

According to Refinery29, Prince Harry mentioned that there were 62 million girls who were deprived of education, and at least two-thirds of approximately 800 million people in the world not taught how to read or write were women. He also emphasized that the only way for inequality, illiteracy, and poverty among women can be stopped is through education.

"I believe it is vitally important for men like me to acknowledge this as loudly and openly as role models do like President Bhandari, the U.S. first lady Michelle Obama and activists like Malala," he said. The next issue the prince spoke about was the prevalence of child marriage in the country.

The Himalayan Times reported him talking about young girls being forced out of school and into getting married. Prince Harry also said that people need to acknowledge the fact that so many countries and cultures are not doing a good job at protecting the opportunities of young women and girls the same way they do for boys. He added saying that girls need to go through so many difficulties to get the opportunity they deserve.

"After marriage at young age, girls soon become locked in a cycle of illiteracy, poverty, ill health and ultimately powerlessness," he said, adding "Only education can break this cycle. When girls finish their schooling, they gain skills, knowledge and confidence. In short, they are empowered to improve their lives and the lives of everyone around them."

The young prince also talked about his charity, Sentebale which has already helped thousands of children gain access to education and healthcare in Lesotho, South Africa and in Nottingham, England. He said he has seen how even just the smallest opportunity in keeping a child away from gangs, encouraging them to stay in school and on track to a more fulfilling and prosperous life.
Hollywood actress Jessica Biel, also known as Justin Timberlake's wife, is getting a lot of reports from the paparazzi saying she is carrying a second baby. On March 23, she finally set the record straight and told everyone that she is actually not pregnant.

The now Mrs. Timberlake sat with Ellen DeGeneres to talk about her new restaurant called Au Fudge, which is a family and child-friendly place that she recently just opened in Hollywood. Jessica Biel also opened up about her and her husband's toddler, Silas and how adorable he is growing up so fast. While she was at it, she also talked about those reports about her expecting another baby and she just wanted to clear things out that it is not happening anytime time soon.

Hollywood Life got a hold of this news saying that the 34-year-old actress was actually a little taken aback by these reports, but she just happened to also found a humor out of it. "I don't even know what to say about these things. I feel like, I thought I was doing good with my yoga practice," Biel said while explaining things to Ellen DeGeneres. "I thought I was in the gym, but no, I have a gut apparently."

"Date Night!" A photo posted by Jessica Biel (@jessicabiel) on Nov 4, 2015 at 5:29pm PST

The whole thing even became funnier when she said that she actually had to give her husband a call to confirm to him that they are not having a new baby. "I heard that and I called Justin. I was like, 'Are we? No. Oh, okay. Cool'. He usually knows more that I do about everything," the actress/restaurateur continued.

Mrs. Timberlake has been keeping herself busy with her new restaurant, especially now that it is gaining a lot of great reviews from customers and even food critics. It was recently featured on LA Times and it is looking like it is going to be even more huge in the coming days.
The National Institute of Mental Health, Postpartum Progress, UNC Chapel Hill and Apple Inc collaborated to conduct a large study about postpartum depression. The companies will be rolling out a free app that will be a venue for patients to participate in the study in an effort to better understand postpartum depression.

CNN reports on how we could better understand postpartum depression through an iPhone app. Led by researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine and the consortium "Postpartum Depression: Action Towards Causes and Treatment," the free app that was launched last March 21 aims to understand the biological cause of postpartum depression and psychosis, as well as to develop innovative treatments for the disorder.

PPD ACT app developed by UNC researches genetic signs of postpartum depression https://t.co/MOW0lbPWy5 pic.twitter.com/ugqddHO8BT  Vanessa Mason (@vanessamason) March 24, 2016

How does the app work?

Dr. Samantha Meltzer-Body, director of the perinatal psychiatry program at the UNC Center for Women's Mood Disorders, not only led the study, but also designed the app that will be the tool for the study. Meltzer-Body emphasized the need to understand the underlying biology and the genetic risk for postpartum depression.

The app, called the PPD Act app, is part of Apple's ResearchKit. This will allow researchers to reach participants worldwide. KDSK says that once the app is downloaded, you will be prompted to answer 10 questions from the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale.

This tool has been used to assess symptoms of perinatal mood and anxiety disorders. The answers will then be evaluated and will release personalized diagnosis and treatment suggestions. Those found with severe symptoms will be asked to participate a genetic study and if they agree, they will be sent "spit kits" from the National Institute of Mental Health for spit samples, reports CNN.

Global-wide reach

Currently, the app is available in the United States and Australia. The team will be rolling out a British version of the app in the United Kingdom real soon, as per Meltzer-Brody. They are also planning to create other versions specific for other countries.

Usually, it will take months or even years to find volunteers for these types of study. However, with Apple's involvement, they may get the women to participate easily. Their goal is to get 100,000 women from different parts of the world.

Now the challenge is to reach women who are underprivileged in low-income communities who may not own an iPhone. The researchers plan to distribute iTouches to clinics around the country. To know more about postpartum depression, check out the video below:
A new study, conducted by the National Association of Schoolmasters Union of Women Teachers (NASUWT) in the United Kingdom, has some shocking revelations. They found that children as young as 7 years old have been caught "sexting" at school.

The Telegraph reports that the said study, which was launched at the NASUWT's annual conference in Birmingham on Friday, revealed that more than half of teachers in the U.K. were aware that some children at school are engaged in sexting, an act that involves using social media to exchange sexually explicit photographs, videos or images via cell phone. These include primary school students who are as young as 7 years old.

The teaching union, which has surveyed over 1300 teachers, also found that more than half of them were aware of sexting incidents involving students aged 13 to 16 years old. Moreover, a quarter of the teachers knew that 11-year-olds do the act while in school.

The study also highlighted some shocking incidents of students' behavior at school. In one incident, a girl tricked a boy to send a photo of his genitals, which she then forwarded to others. In another event, a group of pupils shared their female classmate's explicit selfies, which the latter took for a boy at another school.

Reacting to the study, a spokesman for the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) told The Guardian that the number of students involved in sexting is alarming. The representative said that despite severe risks involved, students continue to practice the act as part of their everyday lives.

"When something goes wrong, the consequences can be devastating," the NSPCC spokesperson stated. "Apart from exposing them to bullying when images are shared, it could make children targets for sex offenders in some cases."

Aside from sexting incidents, NASUWT 's annual study also found that almost half of teachers in the U.K. had experienced receiving insulting, bullying or sexist messages from students through social media. It was also discovered that one third of teachers did not report the abuse, while half of them believed nothing could be done.
The list of genetic mutations that can cause autism spectrum disorders (ASD) has expanded. A new study reveals that autism can be caused by more diverse genetic mutations that previously thought.

According to Psych Central, researchers from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine performed a study on hundreds of volunteers from families with one child affected by ASD. The research team sequenced the complete genomes of every family member, including the normally developing siblings and the parents.

In this new study, the researchers looked for de novo mutations. These are defined as gene alterations appearing spontaneously in one's offspring. De novo mutations are due to a mutation in a mother's egg or a father's sperm.

Prior research has shown that de novo mutations contribute to increased risk of developing autism spectrum disorders, particularly in cases with no family history of autism.

A common type of the novo mutations is a "spelling mistake." In case of a spelling mistake, a single letter of the DNA code is changed. However, this latest research has found many other mutations introducing more complex changes.

These complex changes, rather than altering a single letter of the DNA code, involve the insertion or deletion of entire words or sentences of the DNA code. These alterations are called structural variants. The latest study found a large variety of such spontaneous mutations.

The researchers also found that structural mutations could sometimes occur in tight clusters. In these cases, a combination of different genetic mutations occurs all at once. The research team considers that their findings represent a significant advance in efforts to explain the autism spectrum disorder's genetic basis.

Senior author Jonathan Sebat, Ph.D., associate professor of psychiatry and cellular and molecular medicine at University of California, San Diego School of Medicine, explained that "these mutations can insert, delete, or in some cases scramble the DNA sequence."

The findings of the new research are published online in The American Journal of Human Genetics. In the future, additional research could lead to more effective and more personalized treatments for autism.
In spite of the many advances made in recent years in the United States and around the world toward greater awareness and acceptance of the variety of genders and sexual orientations and expressions in the human species, there will always be setbacks. One such setback was seen in North Carolina this week, where the most anti-LGBT law in the U.S. has been passed. A backlash of businesses, politicians, rights groups, individuals, and more have already spoken out. For our part, well remind ourselves of a few of the Buddhas words and re-share a 2014 interview with the creators of TransBuddhists.org.

From the Karaniya-Metta Sutta:

This must be done to gain the State of Peace.

One must be able, upright and straightforward;

Pleasant in Speech, mild and not proud. Easily contented and easily supportable;

Not caught up in too many duties and frugal in ones wants.

Calm in mind, discriminative and courteous;

Not closely attached to households. Avoiding any mean deeds blameworthy by the wise.

Thinking always thus: May all beings be happy and safe,

May they all have tranquil minds. Whatsoever pulsates with the breath of life 

the frail or strong, without exception 

the long, the large, the medium-sized, the short, the thin or fat. Those visible, and those invisible, those living far away or nearby;

Beings who are already born and those yet unborn.

May they all be happy!

We can turn to the scholarship of Peter Harvey, whose An Introduction to Buddhist Ethics is essential reading. In that work he writes:

Early Buddhist texts refer to the sex of a person as something that can change within one life, as well as between lives. In the Vinaya, there is reference to a monk in whom the sexual characteristics of a woman appeared, and a nun in whom the sexual characteristics of a man appeared. 1 In both cases, the Buddha appears to accept this and simply say that the ex-monk nun should follow the rules of the nuns, and the ex-nun monk should follow the rules of the monks. In commentarial literature, the sex of a person is seen as determined at conception, but as subject to possible change (Asl. 322 ). 2 Causes of sex-change are seen as karmic in nature. The Dhammapada commentary tells of a man instantly turning into a woman when he is sexually attracted to a monk; after marrying and giving birth, she then turns back to a man when she asks the monks forgiveness, and goes on to become an Arahat (Dhp. A. I.325-32; cf. AKB. IV. 55 ab). Sex-change, then, is not seen as limiting spiritual potential.

One might reasonably apply this to one who changes gender as well.

We might also appeal to the Tibetan tong-len (giving and taking) practice  wherein we recognize the suffering of others and meditatively practice taking it in, transforming it into bliss or freedom, and returning it back into the world. If you are unaware of the suffering of transgender people, consider:

These are all characteristics of people in the United States who are more susceptible to violence, says the National Center for Transgender Equalitys Mara Keisling, of people who are more marginalized economically and educationally, people who end up having a bullseye on their back.

As we sit back this Saturday night or Easter Sunday, think about the Buddhist values of compassion or loving-kindness and the ways that Buddhist teachers, masters, philosophers, and so on have suggested that they be enacted in the world to reduce suffering.

Who counts as trans* and why is it important for Buddhists today to understand the term?

We use trans* (trans or trans-star) as an umbrella term to describe anyone whos had an experience of their internal understanding of their gender not matching the gender they were assigned at birth. That includes people who transition from one gender to another, people whose understanding of their own gender is something other than male or female, people who cross-dress or express their gender in different ways at different times, and more.

As Buddhists, when we practice mindfulness, we come into contact with whats actually going on for us and others by way of our our sensations and thoughts. This coming into contact allows us to see the truth of what is happening and offer compassion where its needed, to ourselves and to others. This happens through connection with each other.

When cisgender people take time to learn more about trans*ness and what it can be like to live as a trans* person, they can find points of connection around shared human experience. For example, while someone who is cisgender may not identify with a particular difficult situation faced by a trans* person, its very possible that they can connect to emotions associated with that experience, which could be feelings of being ignored or disrespected, of those of anger, frustration, or shame.

On the other hand, when people dont understand about trans* peoples experiences, retreat centers or sanghas or any other type of organization unintentionally replicate structures that can exclude or oppress many trans folks, such as gender segregation.

A person who learns about trans* experiences both has the opportunity to concretely support trans* people by taking steps to make Buddhist spaces more accessible, as well as to reconsider and think more carefully about their own conditioned understandings of gender.

How many trans* people are there in America? Is there a sense that there is a greater/less/about the same percentage of trans* people interested in Buddhism as in the general populous? Is there something in particular about Buddhism that attracts trans* people more than other religions?

According to demographic research, there are about 700,000 transgender people in the US, but this refers primarily to people who currently live as a gender other than the one they were assigned at birth. When you include people from the whole trans* umbrella, that number is probably considerably higher.

For some trans* people, transition can be a time in which to let go of fixed ideas of who we think we are and who we think we will become, and in which we need to develop patience with oneself and others. The Buddhist teachings can be especially helpful during this time.

Many trans* people may also come to Buddhist practice after having been forced to leave the religious community in which they were raised, so thats another reason why its especially important to make Buddhist communities welcoming to trans* people.

All of that said, we dont think theres anything essentially more attractive about Buddhism to trans folks. Trans people are variously attracted to many different religions and spiritual practices, and Buddhism attracts some of us specifically as individuals. The key point is to make sure that others who could benefit from the healing available through Buddhist practice arent excluded.

What are a couple of the most common problems trans*Buddhists encounter in sangha or retreat?

As we discuss in our guide, trans*Buddhists face particular issues when attending overnight retreats. Overnight housing and restrooms are often separated between men and women, and private accommodations may be unavailable or financially inaccessible for those who do not identify as men or women, or for those who do, but whose bodies do not look like other mens and womens bodies.

Another issue is that people in sanghas may not have met anyone who is trans* before and say hurtful or offensive things by accident. Common examples are calling a trans* person by the wrong pronoun or asking overly personal questions of trans* people about their bodies. Using binary gendered language (men and women) in dharma talks or chants is another instance, and wed recommend using people of all genders instead.

These issues are of particular concern in the context of a sangha, because the sangha is one of the three treasures or refuges (Buddha, Dharma, Sangha), an opportunity for practitioners to share with and learn from one another. As trans*Buddhists, we need to be able to bring our whole selves to our practice, and to be met with understanding and respect.

In addition to distributing and teaching on the guide, the three of you lead discussions and meditation sessions for groups of trans* identified folks. How is this an important part of your work?

We find trans*Buddhist sangha a tremendous support as it is a place to discuss the sticking points in dharma that we encounter that are unique to identity and trans* experience.

For instance, teachings on emptiness are often articulated as a call to renounce identity. One of us was in a retreat once where the teacher gave the instruction during a guided meditation to, Forget your gender, among forgetting other self identifiers. We know where teacher was going with this suggestion, encouraging us to drop our stories and unite our hearts in this base sense of interbeing, but forgetting gender has extremely different connotations for trans* people than for cis people. Most if not all of us are defending our existence as non-cisgender on a daily basiswith insurance companies who wont cover our medical needs because were trans*, families who have a hard time accepting us, people calling us the wrong pronoun, navigating finding and holding a job where we are treated respectfully, and the list goes on.

Equanimity, or acceptance, is another teaching that may have particular implications for trans* folks, being that many of us are at odds with the body, name, gender categorization that we were given at birth and go to lengths to change them in order to be more at peace with ourselves as we walk in the world.

We believe that identity can be used to investigate, uncover, and remember our true self which is obscured by greed, hatred, and delusion. In trans* sangha, we can feel safer bringing up specific experiences that we might not feel comfortable sharing around non-trans* people and explore them as they pertain to our dharma practice. The spiritual path runs directly through our lives, and its really helpful to connect with people who may have similar experiences.

What are some simple things that teachers and other Sangha members can do to make trans* people feel safe and welcome in these environments?

Its always great when someone is already familiar with trans* peoples issues, either because theyve already known someone trans* or because theyve educated themselves about it  this makes it much easier for us to openly share our experiences without having to explain ourselves. Reading books or websites is a great first step in terms of educating yourself about trans* issues  weve included some recommended reading options at the end of our guide.

When first exploring these topics, it may help to cultivate a beginners mind with regard to gender ask yourself a lot of questions. When were you first aware of your gender? How do you know that youre not trans*? When you see a stranger and know that they are male or female, how exactly did you know that?

Specifically in terms of supporting trans* people in Buddhist centers, it might be helpful to start by imagining what it might be like to be a trans* person visiting the center, especially if the person did not look clearly male or female. If you were this person, where would you use the restroom? If someone called you by the wrong pronoun, would you feel comfortable correcting them? What if a teacher called you by the wrong pronoun, would you feel that you could speak with them, or with someone else about it?

One of us has personally felt supported when other sangha members listened to his experiences and spoke up for him when he needed them to, for instance by correcting and educating another sangha member when they used the wrong pronoun. However, some people would prefer to be supported in other ways, for instance, they might prefer not to be spoken up for, but supported and encouraged in addressing the issue themselves. Its best to check in with the person about what theyd prefer. You could say, Sam, I noticed yesterday that James was calling you by the wrong pronoun. Id be happy to speak up and correct people when they do that, but I wanted to check with you about what youd prefer in those situations.

Supporting trans* students practice and leadership development is also really important. There are few trans* Buddhist teachers that we know of in the U.S., so more need to be trained! Current teachers and community dharma leaders, please support trans* folks who express interest in deepening their practice in that way. Due to financial burdens with transition and other related life circumstances, trans* practitioners may struggle to afford classes and retreats. Retreat centers can keep this in mind when distributing scholarship funds, or have a set fund for LGBTIQ-folks in addition to other identity specific funds, such as for people of color and/or youth. Sangha members can also donate to their trans* friends if they are in need of help making it to a retreat.

Along with your guide, are there websites, films, books, etc that could serve as educational tools for sanghas?

Kate Bornsteins My Gender Workbook is a great start for anyone who wants to think a little more deeply about gender by looking at their own gender. Janet Mocks recent memoir, Redefining Realness was a great read as well.

Unfortunately, many film portrayals of trans* people are stereotypical and offensive, however, A Self-Made Man and Southern Comfort are both good documentaries that tell stories of trans men. Gun Hill Road is a fictional film about a young trans woman, although it should be noted that, like most media about trans* people, it focuses on the transition process, rather than other, equally important, aspects of trans* peoples lives.

For a more extensive resource list, see the Appendix of our guide.

What are your plans for the future of this trans*Buddhist project?

Thanks for asking! We want to focus on building community among trans*Buddhists, as well as continuing our work to help retreat centers become more welcoming toward trans* people. After our successful launch party for our Developing Trans*Competence guide and our workshop at the Philadelphia Trans-Health Conference, we want to continue to create spaces for trans*Buddhists to come together, both in person and online. To that end, we are planning to hold a trans*Buddhist meditation and discussion event in NYC this fall, and have created a group for trans*Buddhists on the Insight Timer app/website. In the future, we hope to have events to connect with other trans*Buddhists through events on Skype or Google Hangouts.

About Us:

Founded in 2013, we are a small collective of Buddhist practitioners from different traditions who seek to address systemic exclusion of transgender and gender nonconforming people from Buddhist spaces. Through our Developing Trans*Competence guide, our website, and in-person workshops, we work to support all sanghas in having the information and resources they need to be welcoming to trans*people. We serve as a forum for trans* practitioners to receive help with challenges related to residential practice logistics and community-related issues. We believe that the refuge and connection available through shared dharma practice hold great healing power and are dedicated to making them more accessible.We recognize the interconnection of struggles experienced by individuals of all social identities, including races, classes, sexual orientations, gender identities, ages, abilities, cultures, and ethnicities. We stand in solidarity with and support other efforts to make Buddhism more inclusive in this country.

See more and download or purchase a print version of Developing Trans*Competence: A Guide for Meditation and Retreat Centers at http://transbuddhists.org/.
My wife and I attended a performance of The Lion King this afternoon in which two of the young children of one of our home teaching families had roles. (One was Young Simba  a pretty substantial part. The other donned and doffed and donned again probably at least a half dozen different costumes as part of the ensemble.) It was an amazingly ambitious undertaking for children of their age and for their teachers and directors and support staff, and they did remarkably well.

A famous song in the play reminded me, though, of one of my many notable contributions to world civilization. Its entitled Hakunu Murtaddan, and its sung to the tune of The Lion Kings Hakuna Matata.

In Arabic, hakunu murtaddan means Ill be an apostate. And yes, I know: Purists will object that the phrase, which I invented, is a rather odd mishmash of Egyptian colloquial Arabic with a hyper-classical indefinite accusative nominal ending. But one does what one must do in the noble quest to create great art.

Other than that change, though, the lyrics of the original Hakuna Matata required no alteration whatever. Thats the remarkable thing about many great works of genius, of course. Once theyve been achieved, they seem obvious. But only in retrospect.

The background to my creation is that I commonly see statements from ex-Mormons in which they celebrate their newfound freedom, the bliss that theyve attained now that theyre no longer encumbered by the teachings, standards, and ideals of the Church.

Anyway, though, here are the lyrics for Hakunu Murtaddan:

Hakunu Murtaddan, what a wonderful phrase!

Hakunu Murtaddan, aint no passing craze.

It means no worries for the rest of your days.

Its our problem-free philosophy, Hakunu Murtaddan.
Patna: Holi in Patna passed away peacefully on Thursday as people of all ages, particularly the younger crowd, observed the festival with much fervor a day after it was celebrated in other parts of the nation.

On the occasion, Chief Minister Nitish Kumar wished the people of Bihar a happy Holi saying this was one festival that brought people from different faith together.

Throughout the city, young men were seen applying paint and color to their friends and even strangers  all in the spirit of Holi.

Meanwhile, Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) President Lalu Prasad Yadav and his two sons  Health Minister Tej Pratap Yadav and Deputy Chief Minister Tejaswi Yadav  played dry Holi at Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's official residence at 7 Circular Road. A number of senior JD-U and RJD leaders also took part in the Holi celebration at the CM's residence.

Prashant Kishore, Kumar's special counsel and the election advisor to several other parties including the Congress, also celebrated Holi at the CM's house.

Holi was also observed at the Yadav residence where a number of supporters of both the Health Minister and Deputy Chief Minister came from Mahua and Raghopur to take part in the ongoing festivity.
"Blood Money" Frees Imprisoned Iranian Ranger Who Killed Poacher In Self-Defense

03/27/16

Source: International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran

Gholam-Hossein Khaledi, an Iranian park ranger sentenced to death for killing a poacher in 2010, was released on March 18, 2016 after paying 12 billion rials (about $400,000 USD) diyah ("blood money") to the victim's family.



Gholam-Hossein Khaledi (center) after he was released from prison



Khaledi argued that he and his colleagues were attacked by the victim, Mohammad Payegozaran, and other hunters, near Mount Dena in southwestern Iran after the rangers issued cease and desist orders following the discovery of an illegal hunt.

Khaledi said he killed Payegozaran on July 15, 2010 in self-defense when he saw the hunter coming at him with a knife, according to an article published in February 2013 by the reformist Shargh newspaper.

Khaledi's lawyer told the International Campaign for Human Rights in Iran that the judges who sentenced his client to death chose not to recognize park rangers as law enforcement agents even though Iran's Environmental Guards Law permits rangers to carry weapons to protect the environment.

"Civil rights activists and friends of the environment [environmental activists] played an important part in his [Khaledi's] freedom so he could spend the [Persian] New Year [starting March 20, 2016] with his family," Khaledi's lawyer, Faizollah Afshar, told the Campaign.

Khaledi, who was working for the Environmental Protection Organization at the time of the incident, was held for 2 years and 9 months until he was sentenced to death by a three-judge panel in the southwestern city of Yasouj in February 2013.

He had spent more than five years in prison before being pardoned from death row.

The "blood money"-financial compensation provided in cases of murder to the victim's next of kin-was collected by Khaledi's relatives and supporters during several months of fundraising, according to Afshar.

The final meeting where Khaledi was pardoned was held on March 18, 2016 at the office of Ayatollah Sharafeddin Malek Hosseini, the supreme leader's representative in Kohgiluyeh and Boyer-Ahmad Province and the province's representative in the Assembly of Experts.

"Three of my children have died. My father is old and sick. My mother is unable to walk. They live a hard life with a thousand problems... my wife is suffering from heart problems... my daughter, Nazanin, is in middle school and I haven't been able to do anything for her. I have been able to see her only three times, each time for only 10 minutes... I cannot withstand the stress and psychological pressures within these four walls anymore," wrote Khaledi in a letter from prison to his boss, Masoumeh Ebtekar, the head of the Environmental Protection Organization, in October 2013.

Ebtekar said in a February 2014 interview that "Over the past three decades, 113 park rangers have been murdered by attackers of the country's natural resources, and over the past eight years seven park rangers have gone to prison for shooting at hunters."

Environmental activists argue that park rangers suffer the most in working to prevent illegal poaching while receiving insufficient legal support.

"Park rangers should either be allowed to carry guns or they shouldn't," activist Mehrdad Mossabebitold the semi-official Mehr News Agency on October 8, 2011.



"They are allowed guns; they should be allowed to use them to shoot, or they shouldn't," he said. "If they are allowed to shoot, the law should protect them. If not, then the poor rangers should be given shovels and sticks instead."

Earlier this month another park ranger, As'ad Taghizadeh, was pardoned after paying an unknown amount in "blood money" after spending eight years in prison in Yasouj for killing a hunter, also in the Mount Dena region.

"Everything has changed, except for Mount Dena, which lives forever," said Taghizadeh after walking out of prison, according to an article published in Etemad newspaper on March 8, 2016.
Iran, Pakistan Aim To Boost Trade

03/27/16

Source: RFE/RL

The leaders of Pakistan and Iran say they are targeting $5 billion worth of mutual trade by 2021. Iranian President Hassan Rohani and Pakistani Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif announced their trade goal as Rohani wrapped up a two-day visit to Islamabad on March 26.





Iranian President Hassan Rohani (right) with his Pakistani counterpart Mamnoon Hussain.

(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency)



The Iranian president told reporters that the two countries want to connect Pakistan's port of Gwadar on the Arabian Sea with Iran's port of Chahbahar, in southeastern Iran, through railway, road, and shipping lines.



Rohani said one of the reasons for this is to help integrate China into the region.



Pakistan and Iran also agreed to open two additional border crossings to enhance trade.



Trade between Pakistan and Iran fell to $432 million in 2010-11 from $1.32 billion in 2008-09, according to the Trade Development Authority of Pakistan.



Part of the drop was due to sanctions imposed by Western powers on Tehran that were aimed at halting a nuclear program they suspected of seeking to develop a nuclear bomb.



Most of the sanctions were lifted in January in return for Iran complying with a deal to curb its nuclear ambitions.



Based on reporting by AFP and Reuters



Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Tehran Denies Supporting Cyberattacks Against U.S. Banks

03/27/16

Source: RFE/RL

Iran has denied supporting cyberattacks against the United States after a U.S. court formally charged seven Iranian nationals over hacking dozens of American banks and a New York dam.



Related Article: Obama 'Stepped Up' Iran Cyberattacks



"The Islamic Republic of Iran has never had dangerous cyber actions on its agenda and does not support such measures," Iran's Foreign Ministry said in a statement on March 26.



The U.S. Justice Department on March 24 indicted the 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 coordinated hacking campaign from 2011 to 2013, according to the indictment.



At a news conference, Attorney General Loretta Lynch said the cyberattacks 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 statement by mfa.ir and reporting by AFP, AP, and Reuters



Related Articles:
At Least Seven Killed In Iranian Emergency Helicopter Crash

03/27/16

Source: RFE/RL

An air ambulance helicopter crashed in southern Iran, killing all on board, Iranian media reported on March 25. Red Crescent spokesman Mostafa Mortazavi was quoted by ISNA news agency saying seven were killed, including the patient, crew members, and medics.



(photo by Tasnim News Agency)



Other Iranian news outlets said as many as 10 were killed, including possibly people in vehicles on the ground.



The helicopter went down about 30 kilometers south of the southeastern city of Shiraz as it was taking a patient in serious condition from a remote area to Shiraz.



A local official told state TV the cause of the crash was under investigation. Iran's official news agency IRNA said the area has experienced wind, heavy rainfall, and low visibility in recent days.



Some news reports said the helicopter struck a high-voltage power line.



Air accidents are not uncommon in Iran, with many blamed on aging aircraft and poor maintenance.



Based on reporting by Reuters, AP, and AFP



Copyright (c) 2016 RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org
Iran Hopes for Talks With Saudis to Resolve Differences

03/27/16

By Ayaz Gul, VOA

ISLAMABAD-Iranian President Hassan Rouhani says his country is ready to "do anything it can" to restore its relations with Saudi Arabia, for the sake of promoting progress and prosperity in the Muslim world.



Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 26, 2016.



Iran's President Hassan Rouhani speaks during a news conference in Islamabad, Pakistan, March 26, 2016.

Rouhani, who wound up a two-day visit to Pakistan Saturday, said he believes in resolving differences through talks, although direct talks between the two nations are unlikely in the short term.

Saudi Arabia broke off relations with Iran in January, when mobs stormed into the kingdom's embassy in Tehran to protest against the Saudis' execution of a Shi'ite religious leader.

Hope for a resolution

Speaking to reporters in Islamabad, Rouhani said Iran is "not interested in tension with Saudi Arabia."

"Iran is a very big country in the region and the Muslim world," he said. "Saudi Arabia plays an influential role in the Muslim world. Therefore, if there is a problem between the two countries it has to be resolved."

Rouhani noted that Iran's nuclear agreement with the international community last year provided a good example of how seemingly intractable problems can be solved through negotiations.

Since arriving Friday on his first visit to Pakistan as president, the Iranian leader has concluded agreements with Pakistani civilian and military officials on expanded trade and economic relations, cooperation on energy issues and improved security along the two countries' 1,000-kilometer-long border.

In Tehran's view, Rouhani said, the standoff between Saudi Arabia and Iran is holding back progress and prosperity throughout the Muslim world.

"We hope that in the near future we will find the right path to lead us to resolve the issues between us," he told reporters, adding that Pakistan is one of several nations that have offered to mediate between Shi'ite Iran and Saudi Arabia, whose monarchy follows the Sunni branch of Islam.

Syrian conflict

Differences between Shi'ite and Sunni Muslims have long divided the two countries, and they have been on opposite sides of the civil war in Syria - Iran backing the regime of President Bashar al-Assad and Saudi Arabia supporting rebels fighting to overthrow Assad.

As a first step toward cooperation, the Iranian president said all sides should choke off weapons shipments that allow Islamic State terror gangs to keep fighting.

Rouhani also called for an absolute ban on trade involving oil that Islamic State produces in the parts of Iraq under its control.

Despite continuing violence in several parts of Syria, Rouhani said Iran welcomes recent moves toward a cease-fire between Damascus government forces and opposition fighters.

Islamabad has deep political and financial ties to Riyadh, and has been trying to maintain a delicate balance to promote ties with Tehran while not upsetting Saudi Arabia.

Tehran has almost completed work on a natural-gas pipeline that could supply Pakistan's energy needs, Rouhani said, and he urged Islamabad to complete the project on its side of the border. He said Pakistani leaders assured him they are committed to the pipeline project, but that work had been stalled by international economic sanctions against Iran.
Iranian Kurds appear targeted for arrests during Norooz

03/27/16

Source: Radio Zamaneh

A number of Iranian Kurdish citizens have reportedly been arrested in various regions of Kurdistan province during Norooz festivities. Political activists had warned earlier of the increasing security-laden atmosphere in the province.



Norooz celebration at the Kurdish village of Balak in Marivan, Western Iran

(photo by

Norooz celebration at the Kurdish village of Balak in Marivan, Western Iran(photo by Islamic Republic News Agency

Kordpa reported on Thursday March 24 that at least 20 activists in Kurdish regions of Iran were arrested on the last day of the Iranian calendar year (March 19). The arrests were reportedly concentrated in Sanandaj and Boukan.



On March 22, a number of citizens were arrested in Sanandaj after a large public Norooz celebration for wearing Kurdish outfits and dancing their folk dances during the festivities.



The Iran Human Rights website reports that Sara Milani, Ladan Sohrabi and Shahla Vakili were among the detainees and they have not been released despite the posting of bail. The report adds that three members of the Vakili family who had gone to the police to inquire about their kin were also arrested.



Kordpa reports that at least 15 people were arrested in Boukan following Norooz celebrations and their fate remains unknown so far.



According to a report on Kordpa, in the past year, an average of two activists a day have been arrested in the Kurdish region of Iran. The report adds that in the past year, 735 activists have been arrested in Kurdistan and 63 of those cases led to prison sentences.
The condition of a woman wounded during a hostage standoff Thursday, March 24, in Redlands is improving, a hospital official said Saturday afternoon.

Shortly after 4:30 p.m., medical personnel caring for shooting victim Kristin Bauer at Loma Linda University Medical Center upgraded her condition to serious, said hospital spokeswoman Susan Onuma. Bauer had been classified as in critical condition following her hospitalization late Thursday afternoon.

Bauer remained in serious condition Sunday evening, Onuma said.

Authorities said Bauers ex-boyfriend, identified by police as Andrew Mike, appeared to have shot at her at 4:45 p.m. during a standoff with police in a Redlands neighborhood. Subsequently, officers opened fire and killed Mike, also known as Andrew Bermudez.

The incident started at about 2:15 p.m. when Mike, 29, entered the Office Depot at 602 Orange St., where Bauer works as a manager. Mike reportedly began to argue with Bauer, who had recently broken off their relationship.

As the argument escalated, Mike fired at Bauer, but missed and hit a nearby shopper in the finger, authorities said. Mike then took Bauer hostage, police say, and brought her to a neighborhood on High Avenue near the store, where he negotiated with officers via cellphone before the shooting began.

Contact the writer: 951-368-9690 or michaelwilliams@pressenterprise.com

RELATED
The U.S. military has killed a senior Islamic State leader in Syria as part of a push to wipe out top commanders in the terrorist group, Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.

The dead official, who was known as Haji Imam, served as Islamic States finance minister, Carter said Friday at the Pentagon. His death, along with those of other key figures, will crimp the Islamic States capabilities even as the U.S. remains far from fully defeating the militants, Pentagon officials said.

We are systematically eliminating ISILs cabinet, Carter told reporters, using one of the acronyms for Islamic State. We believe these actions have been successful and have done damage to ISIL.

Carter and Marine General Joseph Dunford, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, disclosed the U.S. move three days after Islamic State claimed credit for the terrorist bombings that killed at least 31 people in Brussels. While Carter said he couldnt say whether Haji Imam had anything to do with Islamic States assaults in Paris last year and Belgium this week, the slain leader clearly was part of efforts to recruit foreign fighters.

Speaking in Brussels, U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry said Islamic States battlefield setbacks in Syria and Iraq are driving the group to escalate its offensive against civilians in Europe. He spoke as Syrian government troops closed in Friday on Palmyra and the Iraqi army advanced toward Mosul in campaigns to retake two Islamic State strongholds.

Caliphate Fantasy

The very reason that Daesh is resorting to actions outside the Middle East is that its fantasy of a caliphate is collapsing before their eyes, Kerry told reporters, using another name for the Islamic State. Its territory is shrinking every day.

Carter didnt describe how the U.S. killed Haji Imam and other Islamic State terrorists or when the deaths occurred, beyond saying they came this week. He also didnt give details on Haji Imams age or national origin. The Islamic State leader was responsible for some external affairs, plots and was a well-known terrorist within ISILs ranks, dating back to its earliest iteration as Al-Queda in Iraq, Carter said.

Eliminating the groups top officials, while necessary and important, isnt sufficient by itself, and those commanders will be replaced, Carter said. Dunford said the push against Islamic State is far from complete, even though the U.S. attacks have made a dent in the groups resources.

The momentum is in our favor, Dunford said. But by no means would I say were about to break the back of ISIL or that the fight is over.

The U.S. presence on the ground to fight Islamic State has expanded, including the limited use of special forces that can gather intelligence and help conduct raids in Iraq and Syria.

While the Pentagon officials said the official U.S. presence of advisers and trainers in Iraq remains at the 3,800 approved by President Barack Obama, they said the number fluctuates and has exceeded that level as troops rotate in before the departure of those they are replacing.

Dunford gave the most direct indication so far that he and Carter have recommended that Obama, who has resisted engaging U.S. troops in ground combat, approve sending more Americans to Iraq.

The secretary and I believe there will be an increase to the U.S. forces in the coming weeks, the general said.

With assistance from James G. Neuger To contact the reporter on this story: Alan Katz in Washington at akatz5@bloomberg.net. To contact the editors responsible for this story: Sara Forden at sforden@bloomberg.net, Edward Dufner, John Lear
U.S. Food and Drug Administration officials last week announced a recall of pistachios sold commercially by a San Diego County company to outlets throughout the Inland Empire.

The firm American Gourmet, located in Vista, is voluntarily recalling its brand, American Gourmet Roasted and Salted Peanuts, with expiration dates from Nov. 5, 2016 through March 13, 2017. The reason for the recall stems from possible salmonella contamination.

Salmonella is an organism that can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail and older people, and those with weakened immune systems, according to FDA officials. Those infected can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain. In rare circumstances, the infection can result in more severe illnesses.

The products were distributed in retail stores in San Diego, Riverside, and San Bernardino counties. No illnesses from the pistachios have been reported to date.

Consumers should return the products for a full refund from the stores where they purchased them. More information can be obtained by calling 760-599-0480.
For Tom McCollum, the annual Easter sunrise service atop Mount Rubidoux in Riverside is a tradition that links generations of his family.

The Boy Scouts lit the trail today, said McCollum, 58, of Coronado. My father grew up in Riverside and he was a Boy Scout and lit the trail growing up.

He died a long time ago, McCollum said. Every time I come up here I think of him.

As he and wife Linda raised their own kids, they continued to attend the service. Those children are now grown. But on Sunday morning, McCollum shared a picture of the service with a son in Thailand  who sent back a picture of the Easter celebration he attended.

McCollum sat with family members near the front of the crowd of people  estimated at 2,500 to 3,000  who hiked to the top of Mount Rubidoux for the 107th annual Easter sunrise service.

With a giant illuminated cross standing sentry, people sat on lawn chairs and blankets around a makeshift altar in the dirt to listen to speakers and musicians share prayers, songs, Bible readings and other messages in English and Spanish.

The sun climbed over the ridge to the east shortly before 7 a.m. and the mountaintop was bathed in light by the end of the interdenominational service.

Thats what the resurrection brings us: this light and hope that (springs) out of the darkness, said Pastor Brian Park, who helped officiate the event. We need to celebrate this resurrection and what Christ did.

At the end of the service, Paul acknowledged the work of the Boy Scouts who illuminated the Mount Rubidoux trails for the faithful who hiked up before dawn, and of the students from Cal Baptist who set up a series of white crosses along the way bearing scripture passages.

A little later Sunday morning at Calvary Chapel Hemet, churchgoers attended an Easter musical titled Who is this Man?

In the church lobby, latecomers in their Easter best passed by cast members dressed in sandals and colorful robes.

The play was directed by Doug Knechtel and his wife, Angie.

It basically asks the question, who is Jesus Christ and why did he come? And why is that relevant today? said Doug Knechtel.

The musical is a church tradition dating back over 20 years, said Angie Knechtel. Recently it had been staged at the Ramona Bowl, but this year it was moved to the church, the altar serving as a stage representing a Jerusalem marketplace, a temple and garden.

Hemet resident Wayne Ridder, 49, and Monica Canzano, 48, of Upland, said they were seeing it for the first time. They were among the 1,500 people who were expected to attend the three performances of the play, including a Friday night show and Saturday matinee.

I thought it was very beautifully done, Canzano said. It was very different from what Im used to. Im used to more of a narrative (telling of the Easter story). Here there was so much singing. That was nice.
Slover Mountain, or whats left of it, is a landmark in southern Colton.

Years of mining have removed much of the mountain, but its namesake, mountain man Isaac Slover, seemed to have been much tougher than the mountain named after him.

Isaac (sometimes Cristobal) Slover was born in Pennsylvania in 1776 or 1777. According to the Old Spanish Trail Associations research, he spent his early adulthood in Kentucky farming several acres. He had a wife named Peggy, and they raised seven children who survived to adulthood.

In the early 1820s, the widowed Isaac Slover left the farm to his adult children and followed one of his passions  hunting. He followed the Arkansas River about 1,500 miles, trapping and hunting along the way, and began a career as a trapper based out of what became Pueblo, Colo.

In 1826, Slover joined a trapping expedition out of Taos, N.M., under the leadership of S. and J. Pattie. They were quite successful, but their supplies soon ran low.

They stashed their pelts and went to Baja California for relief, only to be arrested by Mexican police who claimed they were spies. Slover and the group spent some time in a jail in San Diego, but they eventually were released and went back to New Mexico.

In the 1830s, Slover married a widow in Taos named Maria Barbara Aragon. Soon afterward, they moved to California and spent a few years in Los Angeles, having found some friends there whom they had known in New Mexico.

However, Slover apparently did not like Los Angeles, so he opted to move east in 1842, settling near the community of Agua Mansa. At the base of the hill bearing his name, Slover and his wife, Barbara, built a small adobe home and became a mainstay of early Inland Southern California.

Early San Bernardino pioneer John Brown had met Slover in the Rocky Mountains years before. When Brown arrived in San Bernardino, he was amazed to find his onetime friend and trapping partner Slover living nearby.

To my great surprise here I again met my old Rocky Mountain hunter, Cristobal Slover and his faithful wife, Dona Barbarita, Brown wrote years later.

In Southern California, Slover continued his love of hunting and always had an affinity for hunting bear. At this time, one could still find bears living in the San Bernardino and San Jacinto mountains, so hunting for them was not as odd as it sounds today.

However, Slovers love of bear hunting eventually proved fatal. On one trip, Slover and a pal named Bill McMines took off north into the Cajon Pass in search of bears. Near the summit, the pair came upon a large grizzly bear.

Slover took aim and fired. The shot hit the bear but only wounded it and forced the bear to retreat away from Slover and McMines. Against the sage advice of McMines, Slover reloaded and followed the bear into the chaparral, where the wounded animal had sought refuge.

Slover let his guard down and the wounded bear pounced on him, breaking both of Slovers legs and one arm and nearly tearing off his scalp. McMines returned to San Bernardino to get a group together to retrieve Slover, and they found the bear dead and Slover barely alive. They got him back to San Bernardino, where he died the next day.

Years later, the mountain where he lived and a nearby street were named for Isaac Slover, who had led a very adventurous life.

If you have an idea for a future Back in the Day column, contact Steve Lech and Kim Jarrell Johnson at backinthedaype@gmail.com.
Beaumont to welcome home Vietnam veterans

BEAUMONT  The Beaumont-Cherry Valley Recreation and Parks Department is holding its seventh annual Welcome Home Vietnam Veterans Day from 4 to 6 p.m. Wednesday, March 30 at Noble Creek Park, 650 W. Oak Valley Blvd., Beaumont. There will be a flag salute, the national anthem and honorary certificates for veterans.

Information: 951-845-9555

 Amy Zahn

SAN BERNARDINO  On April 1, the Humane Society of San Bernardino Valley will have a fundraiser at El Torito, 118 E Hospitality Lane.

Participants must print a flier from the human societys website and bring it to the restaurant on the day of the event between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m. Twenty percent of the bill will be donated to the group.

Information: hssbv.org or 909-386-1400, ext. 224

 Anne Marie Walker

RIVERSIDE  The American Advertising Federation recognized a slew of students from Riverside City College, Platt College, California Baptist University, La Sierra University, Cal State San Bernardino and The Art Institute of California Inland Empire at its 2016 Inland Empire American Advertising Awards event March 18 at the Mission Inn.

The students took home awards for a competition described in a news release as the eighth largest student competition in the nation for applied digital media students. Poster design, illustration and book design were among the categories.

 Staff report

MORENO VALLEY  Local Councilwoman LaDonna Jempson was honored as a Woman of Distinction on March 19 by state Assemblyman Jose Medina, D-Riverside, at the annual award Distinction luncheon.

A news release from the city says recipients of the award were lauded by Medina for making significant contributions to their communities and for serving as a role model for young women.

 Staff report

RIVERSIDE  A free course for Alzheimers disease family caregivers will be held April 4 through May 9 at Desire Home Care, 10759 Magnolia Ave., Suite J. Classes are 6 to 8 p.m. Mondays.

A course flier says attendants will learn about Alzheimers and dementia, how to help their loved ones, how to understand difficult behavior and how to take care of themselves.

Registration is required. To register, call 909-346-2629.

 Staff report

MORENO VALLEY  The Moreno Valley Historical Society will hold its annual fundraiser 6 to 9 p.m. April 8 at the March Field Air Museum. The evening includes a silent auction, entertainment and a prime rib dinner.

Tickets are $30 and are available by calling Alice Bradley at 951-242-1519 or emailing myhistory@mvhistoricalsociety.org. Tickets will also be for sale at the door.

Tram service from parking lot to the museum will be provided.

 Staff report

Send items for possible inclusion in Community Notes to community@pressenterprise.com.
Pennsylvania Budget

Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf, speaks to members of the media at the state Capitol in Harrisburg Pa. Tuesday, June 30, 2015. (AP Photo/Chris Knight)

(Chris Knight)

By Tony May

So what do we mean when we say 'Kicking the can down the road?'

Tony May (PennLive File)

According to one definition, you "you delay a decision in hopes that the problem or issue will go away or somebody else will make the decision later."

According to another, "it refers to the practice of kicking a can ahead of oneself while walking along a road. So, metaphorically, the phrase means to defer conclusive action with a short-term solution."

In the latest chapter of Pennsylvania's ongoing impasse over the state budget, the legislature was doing the kicking - sending a more-or-less balanced budget to the governor's desk earlier this month.

It was a "pooch kick," buying the Commonwealth about three months of relative peace before the next fiscal year begins on July 1.

At first, Gov. Tom Wolf promised a quick veto.

But with word from school districts that they had exhausted fiscal gimmicks to keep their doors open without a steady stream of cash from the state, Wolf relented and said he would allow the budget bill to become law without his signature.

He wasn't going to kick the can himself; but he was going to let the can roll down the road for a ways.

"I've convinced myself it's the right thing to do," Wolf told reporters several times last week in explaining his decision to allow the latest 2015-16 budget passed by the General Assembly to pass into law without his signature, borrowing an explanation from Donald Trump relying on his most trusted advisor.

So where do we go from here? Who picks up the can? And what do we do with it?

Last year, legislative leaders said they wanted action on property tax reform, liquor store operations and state pensions as part of a master plan to set the state on a new course that might - just might - include new state spending.

Unstated, by them, was the implication that new spending would be accompanied by new taxation.

Now, we have a short term budget with no action on property tax, liquor or pensions and everybody possessing at least a Texas Instruments pocket calculator or a functioning abacus is predicting a "structural deficit" for the next fiscal year running anywhere from $1.6 billion to $2 billion or more.

Where is the money to come from to fill the budget gap? Republicans, in the middle of an election year, refuse to talk publicly about a rational plan to address state spending needs.

They say we must consider cutting government waste and fraud first. They haven't identified where that waste and fraud exists but they're pretty sure it's out there.

If you think you've already heard all this before, it's because you have. The legislature and the governor have spent most of their time over the past year just staring at the can in the middle of the road, hoping that someone would make it disappear.

Kicking the can might be described as progress of a sort.

So how can we change the dynamics of the deadlock. Surely the state has weathered similar crises? How did we solve things in the old days?

Glad you asked.

Let's get into the wayback machine and set the clock for 1983. Because of a recession with nagging high unemployment, the state had been borrowing heavily from the federal government to pay unemployment compensation benefits to laid off workers.

The debt had grown to $1.3 billion and the feds wanted their money back. And we're talking about 1983 dollars when the entire state General Fund budget was just shy of $8 billion.

The equivalent in 2016 budget terms would be a deficit of $12 billion.

Compromise between the legislative and executive branches wasn't going to happen so they - legislative leaders and the governor - turned the problem over to the stakeholders via an independent commission empowered to come up with recommendations.

The group was led by the faces of labor and industry - in this case, Cliff Jones, president of the state Chamber of Commerce, and Julius Uehlein, head of the state AFL-CIO.

Here's how the official history of the Department of Labor and Industry describes the outcome:

A 21-member coalition of business, labor, administration and legislative leaders, led by Julius Uehlein, president of the state AFL-CIO, and Cliff Jones, president of the state Chamber of Commerce and a former L&I secretary, drafted a compromise plan. The measure for the first time placed a tax (of .1 percent) on employees, not just employers, and cut back benefits by 5 percent, reportedly only the second time that that had occurred since the program began in the 1930s. It also reduced the number of weeks of eligibility, and raised some taxes on employers. Gov. Dick Thornburgh signed the proposed amendments into law on July 15, 1983 (Evening News, July 21, 1983).

The panel in the current case needs to be built around the basic education establishment - say Nathan Mains of the Pennsylvania School Boards Association and Jerry Oleksiak, president of the Pennsylvania State Education Association.

Both are in their first year on the job so they haven't had the opportunity to work together - or at odds - so chances are good that they could build a good case for a compromise on education funding.

Add in, say, David Patti, head of the Pennsylvania Business Council and Gene Barr of the State Chamber and someone from one of the state employee unions and someone from the building trades and you would have the nucleus of a committee that legislators would respect.

The leaders identified above might not volunteer to be drafted. No one welcomes the opportunity to make tough choices.

But they represent key stakeholders - men and women whose futures are being harmed by the prolonged budget stalemate.

Just as important, they represent proven voting blocs - people who can re-elect (or reject) legislators at the polls.

The important thing is that a blue-ribbon group would change the dynamics of the situation.

Otherwise, that can will keep rolling down the road.
shutterstock_minimum wage.jpg

(Shutterstock)

By Alex Halper

Wolf administration spokesman Jeff Sheridan's recent opinion column ("Here's why we need to raise the minimum wage for everyone," March 10 PennLive) erroneously claims that raising labor costs on employers will somehow grow the economy or increase jobs.

In fact, history and any number of independent studies have shown that government mandated wage hikes lead to numerous negative unintended consequences.

It's important to note that the only evidence cited by Gov. Tom Wolf at a recent press conference to support the administration's position is a study that is more than 20 years old and has been thoroughly discredited by economists.

A majority of studies have shown that these types of "feel good" policies end up hurting many of the people they are intended to help.

A report by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office found that an increase in the minimum wage to $10.10 an hour would result in the loss of 500,000 to one million jobs nationwide.

A Pennsylvania-specific study by the Independent Fiscal Office showed similar results - with the loss of 31,000 jobs throughout the Commonwealth.

Small businesses would be among the hardest hit by a minimum wage increase. The last time Pennsylvania raised the minimum wage, small business owners were forced to halt hiring, reduce employee hours and in some instances, cut jobs due to the increased cost of doing business.

Government mandated wage hikes also disproportionately harm entry level workers. Studies have shown how mandated increases can create additional burdens on those living in poverty - many of whom may not have a job at all - due to the higher prices of goods and services that result from increased labor costs.

To truly help low-wage earners, we need to help provide them necessary skills training.

Strengthening workforce development programs will give workers the tools they need to close an existing jobs skills gap and more long-term career opportunities.

More targeted approaches - such as implementing an Earned Income Tax Credit for working Americans - will better help low-wage earners support their families as they move upward through the workforce without triggering negative consequences on employment.

Alex Halper is the director of Government Affairs at the Pennsylvania Chamber of Business and Industry. He writes from Harrisburg.

http://www.pennlive.com/opinion/2016/03/heres_why_we_need_to_raise_the.html
Governor Tom Wolf 2016-17 budget address

Pennsylvania House Appropriations Committee Chair William Adolph, R-Springfield and House Republicans gather in the Capitol Rotunda after listening to Gov. Tom Wolf give his 2016-17 State Budget address to the legislature Feb. 9, 2016 in Harrisburg, Pa. Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com

(Mark Pynes | mpynes@pennlive.com)

By Charlie Gerow

The Rolling Stones famously sang a half-century ago that "You can't always get what you want."

Republican strategist Charlie Gerow (PennLive file)

But, as Messrs Jagger and Richards also sagely observed, "If you try sometimes you find you get what you need."

It's advice that Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration might find worthy of heeding.

The York County Democrat has never been very subtle about what he WANTS.

For nearly two years, he's made clear that he wants to dramatically increase state spending and, in order to do so, drastically raise the tax burden of every working Pennsylvanian.

There was one major roadblock to his plan: There were never enough votes in the Pennsylvania legislature to pass anything even close to what Wolf wanted.

Wolf's rhetorical support for his quest to raise taxes and spending to historic levels is built on his professed concern over a so-called "structural deficit."

What exactly that deficit is depends upon whom you're talking to.

The Democratic State Treasurer's Office says, "... the term can mean different things to different people." That's not exactly the kind of precision you'd expect from an MIT grad.

Regardless of the size of any "structural deficit," one thing is certain: Dramatically ramping up state spending isn't going to reduce the deficit, it's only going to make things worse.

When families or businesses face a deficit they don't increase their spending to get out of the hole.

State government has the choice of controlling spending or taking more of workers' paychecks each payday. Legislators haven't heard cries from their constituents for the latter option.

The first time the Wolf tax plan was put to a vote not a single legislator, Democrat or Republican, voted for it.

Yet Wolf held onto his plan, like a dog with a bone, to escalate spending to historic highs and to sock us with huge tax increases. Thus the nine month debacle that only ended this week.

Along the way, Wolf got named "the most liberal governor in America" for his efforts to increase taxes and spending. He also managed to become the least popular governor in America.

As his polling numbers plummeted, many in his own party became uncomfortable standing with him on the eve of their re-election efforts.

When the Republican-dominated legislature passed a series of supplemental appropriations last week, they were joined by a dozen to nearly 30 Democrats.

That number is important because, in the face of yet another of Wolf's veto threats, the possibility of a veto override loomed large.

Such an effort would have started in the House where 134 votes would have been required based on the current membership.

In other words, 16 Democrats would have had to bolt with their governor. Given the fact that nearly twice that many already had, the potential for a politically lethal showdown caused the governor to take another look.

That dose of political reality was coupled with the fact that editorials from across the state were calling on him to end the stalemate.

So were leaders in his own party.

Bill Green, the scion of one of the state's most prominent Democratic families, told Wolf, "I acknowledge your intent but let's admit -- it is not working." He urged Wolf to sign the latest budget package, despite Wolf's stated intention to veto it.

There was also the fact that, without a new state budget, many school districts were now faced with the daunting prospect of closing their doors.

They'd already been forced to borrow millions to remain open. The prospect of schools shutting down just weeks before graduation certainly didn't make for good election year politics, much less good policy.

So, by mid-week, the governor had conceded. He didn't sign the new budget, he merely said he'd let it become law without his signature, a procedural move allowed under Pennsylvania law.

Winston Churchill once observed that Americans always do the right thing -- after they've exhausted all other options. Wolf was out of options. It wasn't so much seeing the light as feeling the heat that caused him to finally let us have a budget.

Of course this occurred as deliberations are already underway on a new budget, due in three months.

Wolf will again ask for increased spending and new taxes to pay for it. But if there weren't votes for such a plan in an "off year," it's hard to imagine them materializing as legislators are campaigning for re-election.

The people have spoken. They don't believe their lives will be improved by state government taking more of their pay each week.

Wolf finally acceded to their wish and allowed a sensible budget to become law.

It may not have been what he wanted. It's what the taxpayers of Pennsylvania needed.


Lagniappe Remarks by U.S. President

Barack Obama to the people of Cuba Time / Getty / Chip Somodevilla



U.S. President Barack Obama waves after delivering remarks

at the Gran Teatro de la Habana Alicia Alonso in the historic

Old Havana, neighborhood March 22, 2016 in Havana, Cuba.

President Obama spoke directly to the Cuban people

in speech in Havana, outlining a path forward for

the U.S. and the island nation. Here is a full transcript of his remarks. "PRESIDENT OBAMA: Thank you. (Applause.) Muchas gracias. Thank you so much. Thank you very much. President Castro, the people of Cuba, thank you so much for the warm welcome that I have received, that my family have received, and that our delegation has received. It is an extraordinary honor to be here today. Before I begin, please indulge me. I want to comment on the terrorist attacks that have taken place in Brussels. The thoughts and the prayers of the American people are with the people of Belgium. We stand in solidarity with them in condemning these outrageous attacks against innocent people. We will do whatever is necessary to support our friend and ally, Belgium, in bringing to justice those who are responsible. And 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. We can -- and will -- defeat those who threaten the safety and security of people all around the world. To the government and the people of Cuba, I want to thank you for the kindness that you've shown to me and Michelle, Malia, Sasha, my mother-in-law, Marian. Cultivo una rosa blanca. (Applause.) In his most famous poem, Jose Marti made this offering of friendship and peace to both his friend and his enemy. Today, as the President of the United States of America, I offer the Cuban people el saludo de paz. (Applause.) Havana is only 90 miles from Florida, but to get here we had to travel a great distance -- over barriers of history and ideology; barriers of pain and separation. The blue waters beneath Air Force One once carried American battleships to this island -- to liberate, but also to exert control over Cuba. Those waters also carried generations of Cuban revolutionaries to the United States, where they built support for their cause. And that short distance has been crossed by hundreds of thousands of Cuban exiles -- on planes and makeshift rafts -- who came to America in pursuit of freedom and opportunity, sometimes leaving behind everything they owned and every person that they loved. Like so many people in both of our countries, my lifetime has spanned a time of isolation between us. The Cuban Revolution took place the same year that my father came to the United States from Kenya. The Bay of Pigs took place the year that I was born. The next year, the entire world held its breath, watching our two countries, as humanity came as close as we ever have to the horror of nuclear war. As the decades rolled by, our governments settled into a seemingly endless confrontation, fighting battles through proxies. In a world that remade itself time and again, one constant was the conflict between the United States and Cuba. I have come here to bury the last remnant of the Cold War in the Americas. (Applause.) I have come here to extend the hand of friendship to the Cuban people. (Applause.) I want to be clear: The differences between our governments over these many years are real and they are important. I'm sure President Castro would say the same thing -- I know, because I've heard him address those differences at length. But before I discuss those issues, we also need to recognize how much we share. Because in many ways, the United States and Cuba are like two brothers who've been estranged for many years, even as we share the same blood. We both live in a new world, colonized by Europeans. Cuba, like the United States, was built in part by slaves brought here from Africa. Like the United States, the Cuban people can trace their heritage to both slaves and slave-owners. We've welcomed both immigrants who came a great distance to start new lives in the Americas. Over the years, our cultures have blended together. Dr. Carlos Finlay's work in Cuba paved the way for generations of doctors, including Walter Reed, who drew on Dr. Finlay's work to help combat Yellow Fever. Just as Marti wrote some of his most famous words in New York, Ernest Hemingway made a home in Cuba, and found inspiration in the waters of these shores. We share a national past-time -- La Pelota -- and later today our players will compete on the same Havana field that Jackie Robinson played on before he made his Major League debut. (Applause.) And it's said that our greatest boxer, Muhammad Ali, once paid tribute to a Cuban that he could never fight -- saying that he would only be able to reach a draw with the great Cuban, Teofilo Stevenson. (Applause.) So even as our governments became adversaries, our people continued to share these common passions, particularly as so many Cubans came to America. In Miami or Havana, you can find places to dance the Cha-Cha-Cha or the Salsa, and eat ropa vieja. People in both of our countries have sung along with Celia Cruz or Gloria Estefan, and now listen to reggaeton or Pitbull. (Laughter.) Millions of our people share a common religion -- a faith that I paid tribute to at the Shrine of our Lady of Charity in Miami, a peace that Cubans find in La Cachita. For all of our differences, the Cuban and American people share common values in their own lives. A sense of patriotism and a sense of pride -- a lot of pride. A profound love of family. A passion for our children, a commitment to their education. And that's why I believe our grandchildren will look back on this period of isolation as an aberration, as just one chapter in a longer story of family and of friendship. But we cannot, and should not, ignore the very real differences that we have -- about how we organize our governments, our economies, and our societies. Cuba has a one-party system; the United States is a multi-party democracy. Cuba has a socialist economic model; the United States is an open market. Cuba has emphasized the role and rights of the state; the United States is founded upon the rights of the individual. Despite these differences, on December 17th 2014, President Castro and I announced that the United States and Cuba would begin a process to normalize relations between our countries. (Applause.) Since then, we have established diplomatic relations and opened embassies. We've begun initiatives to cooperate on health and agriculture, education and law enforcement. We've reached agreements to restore direct flights and mail service. We've expanded commercial ties, and increased the capacity of Americans to travel and do business in Cuba. And these changes have been welcomed, even though there are still opponents to these policies. But still, many people on both sides of this debate have asked: Why now? Why now? There is one simple answer: What the United States was doing was not working. We have to have the courage to acknowledge that truth. A policy of isolation designed for the Cold War made little sense in the 21st century. The embargo was only hurting the Cuban people instead of helping them. And I've always believed in what Martin Luther King, Jr. called the fierce urgency of now -- we should not fear change, we should embrace it. (Applause.) That leads me to a bigger and more important reason for these changes: Creo en el pueblo Cubano. I believe in the Cuban people. (Applause.) This is not just a policy of normalizing relations with the Cuban government. The United States of America is normalizing relations with the Cuban people. (Applause.) And today, I want to share with you my vision of what our future can be. I want the Cuban people -- especially the young people -- to understand why I believe that you should look to the future with hope; not the false promise which insists that things are better than they really are, or the blind optimism that says all your problems can go away tomorrow. Hope that is rooted in the future that you can choose and that you can shape, and that you can build for your country. I'm hopeful because I believe that the Cuban people are as innovative as any people in the world. In a global economy, powered by ideas and information, a country's greatest asset is its people. In the United States, we have a clear monument to what the Cuban people can build: it's called Miami. Here in Havana, we see that same talent in cuentapropistas, cooperatives and old cars that still run. El Cubano inventa del aire. (Applause.) Cuba has an extraordinary resource -- a system of education which values every boy and every girl. (Applause.) And in recent years, the Cuban government has begun to open up to the world, and to open up more space for that talent to thrive. In just a few years, we've seen how cuentapropistas can succeed while sustaining a distinctly Cuban spirit. Being self-employed is not about becoming more like America, it's about being yourself. Look at Sandra Lidice Aldama, who chose to start a small business. Cubans, she said, can innovate and adapt without losing our identity our secret is in not copying or imitating but simply being ourselves. Look at Papito Valladeres, a barber, whose success allowed him to improve conditions in his neighborhood. I realize I'm not going to solve all of the world's problems, he said. But if I can solve problems in the little piece of the world where I live, it can ripple across Havana. That's where hope begins -- with the ability to earn your own living, and to build something you can be proud of. That's why our policies focus on supporting Cubans, instead of hurting them. That's why we got rid of limits on remittances -- so ordinary Cubans have more resources. That's why we're encouraging travel -- which will build bridges between our people, and bring more revenue to those Cuban small businesses. That's why we've opened up space for commerce and exchanges -- so that Americans and Cubans can work together to find cures for diseases, and create jobs, and open the door to more opportunity for the Cuban people. As President of the United States, I've called on our Congress to lift the embargo. (Applause.) It is an outdated burden on the Cuban people. It's a burden on the Americans who want to work and do business or invest here in Cuba. It's time to lift the embargo. But even if we lifted the embargo tomorrow, Cubans would not realize their potential without continued change here in Cuba. (Applause.) It should be easier to open a business here in Cuba. A worker should be able to get a job directly with companies who invest here in Cuba. Two currencies shouldn't separate the type of salaries that Cubans can earn. The Internet should be available across the island, so that Cubans can connect to the wider world -- (applause) -- and to one of the greatest engines of growth in human history. There's no limitation from the United States on the ability of Cuba to take these steps. It's up to you. And I can tell you as a friend that sustainable prosperity in the 21st century depends upon education, health care, and environmental protection. But it also depends on the free and open exchange of ideas. If you can't access information online, if you cannot be exposed to different points of view, you will not reach your full potential. And over time, the youth will lose hope. I know these issues are sensitive, especially coming from an American President. Before 1959, some Americans saw Cuba as something to exploit, ignored poverty, enabled corruption. And since 1959, we've been shadow-boxers in this battle of geopolitics and personalities. I know the history, but I refuse to be trapped by it. (Applause.) I've made it clear that the United States has neither the capacity, nor the intention to impose change on Cuba. What changes come will depend upon the Cuban people. We will not impose our political or economic system on you. We recognize that every country, every people, must chart its own course and shape its own model. But having removed the shadow of history from our relationship, I must speak honestly about the things that I believe -- the things that we, as Americans, believe. As Marti said, Liberty is the right of every man to be honest, to think and to speak without hypocrisy. So let me tell you what I believe. I can't force you to agree, but you should know what I think. I believe that every person should be equal under the law. (Applause.) Every child deserves the dignity that comes with education, and health care and food on the table and a roof over their heads. (Applause.) I believe citizens should be free to speak their mind without fear -- (applause) -- 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. (Applause.) I believe that every person should have the freedom to practice their faith peacefully and publicly. (Applause.) And, yes, I believe voters should be able to choose their governments in free and democratic elections. (Applause.) Not everybody agrees with me on this. Not everybody agrees with the American people on this. But I believe those human rights are universal. (Applause.) I believe they are the rights of the American people, the Cuban people, and people around the world. Now, there's no secret that our governments disagree on many of these issues. I've had frank conversations with President Castro. For many years, he has pointed out the flaws in the American system -- economic inequality; the death penalty; racial discrimination; wars abroad. That's just a sample. He has a much longer list. (Laughter.) But here's what the Cuban people need to understand: I welcome this open debate and dialogue. It's good. It's healthy. I'm not afraid of it. We do have too much money in American politics. But, in America, it's still possible for somebody like me -- a child who was raised by a single mom, a child of mixed race who did not have a lot of money -- to pursue and achieve the highest office in the land. That's what's possible in America. (Applause.) We do have challenges with racial bias -- in our communities, in our criminal justice system, in our society -- the legacy of slavery and segregation. But the fact that we have open debates within America's own democracy is what allows us to get better. In 1959, the year that my father moved to America, it was illegal for him to marry my mother, who was white, in many American states. When I first started school, we were still struggling to desegregate schools across the American South. But people organized; they protested; they debated these issues; they challenged government officials. And because of those protests, and because of those debates, and because of popular mobilization, I'm able to stand here today as an African-American and as President of the United States. That was because of the freedoms that were afforded in the United States that we were able to bring about change. I'm not saying this is easy. There's still enormous problems in our society. But democracy is the way that we solve them. That's how we got health care for more of our people. That's how we made enormous gains in women's rights and gay rights. That's how we address the inequality that concentrates so much wealth at the top of our society. Because workers can organize and ordinary people have a voice, American democracy has given our people the opportunity to pursue their dreams and enjoy a high standard of living. (Applause.) Now, there are still some tough fights. It isn't always pretty, the process of democracy. It's often frustrating. You can see that in the election going on back home. But just stop and consider this fact about the American campaign that's taking place right now. You had two Cuban Americans in the Republican Party, running against the legacy of a black man who is President, while arguing that they're the best person to beat the Democratic nominee who will either be a woman or a Democratic Socialist. (Laughter and applause.) Who would have believed that back in 1959? That's a measure of our progress as a democracy. (Applause.) So here's my message to the Cuban government and the Cuban people: The ideals that are the starting point for every revolution -- America's revolution, Cuba's revolution, the liberation movements around the world -- those ideals find their truest expression, I believe, in democracy. Not because American democracy is perfect, but precisely because we're not. And we -- like every country -- need the space that democracy gives us to change. It gives individuals the capacity to be catalysts to think in new ways, and to reimagine how our society should be, and to make them better. There's already an evolution taking place inside of Cuba, a generational change. Many suggested that I come here and ask the people of Cuba to tear something down -- but I'm appealing to the young people of Cuba who will lift something up, build something new. (Applause.) El futuro de Cuba tiene que estar en las manos del pueblo Cubano. (Applause.) And to President Castro -- who I appreciate being here today -- I want you to know, I believe my visit here demonstrates you do not need to fear a threat from the United States. And given your commitment to Cuba's sovereignty and self-determination, I am also confident that you need not fear the different voices of the Cuban people -- and their capacity to speak, and assemble, and vote for their leaders. In fact, I'm hopeful for the future because I trust that the Cuban people will make the right decisions. And as you do, I'm also confident that Cuba can continue to play an important role in the hemisphere and around the globe -- and my hope is, is that you can do so as a partner with the United States. We've played very different roles in the world. But no one should deny the service that thousands of Cuban doctors have delivered for the poor and suffering. (Applause.) Last year, American health care workers -- and the U.S. military -- worked side-by-side with Cubans to save lives and stamp out Ebola in West Africa. I believe that we should continue that kind of cooperation in other countries. We've been on the different side of so many conflicts in the Americas. But today, Americans and Cubans are sitting together at the negotiating table, and we are helping the Colombian people resolve a civil war that's dragged on for decades. (Applause.) That kind of cooperation is good for everybody. It gives everyone in this hemisphere hope. We took different journeys to our support for the people of South Africa in ending apartheid. But President Castro and I could both be there in Johannesburg to pay tribute to the legacy of the great Nelson Mandela. (Applause.) And in examining his life and his words, I'm sure we both realize we have more work to do to promote equality in our own countries -- to reduce discrimination based on race in our own countries. And in Cuba, we want our engagement to help lift up the Cubans who are of African descent -- (applause) -- who've proven that there's nothing they cannot achieve when given the chance. We've been a part of different blocs of nations in the hemisphere, and we will continue to have profound differences about how to promote peace, security, opportunity, and human rights. But as we normalize our relations, I believe it can help foster a greater sense of unity in the Americas -- todos somos Americanos. (Applause.) From the beginning of my time in office, I've urged the people of the Americas to leave behind the ideological battles of the past. We are in a new era. I know that many of the issues that I've talked about lack the drama of the past. And I know that part of Cuba's identity is its pride in being a small island nation that could stand up for its rights, and shake the world. But I also know that Cuba will always stand out because of the talent, hard work, and pride of the Cuban people. That's your strength. (Applause.) Cuba doesn't have to be defined by being against the United States, any more than the United States should be defined by being against Cuba. I'm hopeful for the future because of the reconciliation that's taking place among the Cuban people. I know that for some Cubans on the island, there may be a sense that those who left somehow supported the old order in Cuba. I'm sure there's a narrative that lingers here which suggests that Cuban exiles ignored the problems of pre-Revolutionary Cuba, and rejected the struggle to build a new future. But I can tell you today that so many Cuban exiles carry a memory of painful -- and sometimes violent -- separation. They love Cuba. A part of them still considers this their true home. That's why their passion is so strong. That's why their heartache is so great. And for the Cuban American community that I've come to know and respect, this is not just about politics. This is about family -- the memory of a home that was lost; the desire to rebuild a broken bond; the hope for a better future the hope for return and reconciliation. For all of the politics, people are people, and Cubans are Cubans. And I've come here -- I've traveled this distance -- on a bridge that was built by Cubans on both sides of the Florida Straits. I first got to know the talent and passion of the Cuban people in America. And I know how they have suffered more than the pain of exile -- they also know what it's like to be an outsider, and to struggle, and to work harder to make sure their children can reach higher in America. So the reconciliation of the Cuban people -- the children and grandchildren of revolution, and the children and grandchildren of exile -- that is fundamental to Cuba's future. (Applause.) You see it in Gloria Gonzalez, who traveled here in 2013 for the first time after 61 years of separation, and was met by her sister, Llorca. You recognized me, but I didn't recognize you, Gloria said after she embraced her sibling. Imagine that, after 61 years. You see it in Melinda Lopez, who came to her family's old home. And as she was walking the streets, an elderly woman recognized her as her mother's daughter, and began to cry. She took her into her home and showed her a pile of photos that included Melinda's baby picture, which her mother had sent 50 years ago. Melinda later said, So many of us are now getting so much back. You see it in Cristian Miguel Soler, a young man who became the first of his family to travel here after 50 years. And meeting relatives for the first time, he said, I realized that family is family no matter the distance between us. Sometimes the most important changes start in small places. The tides of history can leave people in conflict and exile and poverty. It takes time for those circumstances to change. But the recognition of a common humanity, the reconciliation of people bound by blood and a belief in one another -- that's where progress begins. Understanding, and listening, and forgiveness. And if the Cuban people face the future together, it will be more likely that the young people of today will be able to live with dignity and achieve their dreams right here in Cuba. The history of the United States and Cuba encompass revolution and conflict; struggle and sacrifice; retribution and, now, reconciliation. It is time, now, for us to leave the past behind. It is time for us to look forward to the future together -- un future de esperanza. And it won't be easy, and there will be setbacks. It will take time. But my time here in Cuba renews my hope and my confidence in what the Cuban people will do. We can make this journey as friends, and as neighbors, and as family -- together. Si se puede. Muchas gracias. (Applause.) March 22, 2016 / 10:10 A.M. CST



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Despite oil prices Argentina has all eyes from majors



US President Barack Obama (L) and Argentinian President Mauricio Macri in Buenos Aires during the U.S. Presidnet offical visit to Argentina last week.

CARACAS

Petroleumworld.com 03 28 2016

Argentina offers one of the few places on earth where oil companies are not suffering from the full force of the collapse in prices. Argentina regulates oil prices, a policy originally intended to insulate the public from the whims of the market, protecting people from triple-digit crude prices. But with the crash in prices since mid-2014, the effect of the regulation has reversed: motorists are now effectively subsidizing the oil industry.

Prices for light oil are set at $67 per barrel and natural gas prices fixed at $7.50 per million Btu (MMBtu). That means consumers are not reaping the benefits of cheap fuel. The higher prices they pay offer a huge lifeline for the oil industry.

From the consumer's standpoint, that may not sound like a great deal. But it may help Argentina's shale industry keep their momentum going. Argentina holds some of the largest shale potential outside of the United States. According to the EIA, Argentina has over 800 trillion cubic feet of unproved technically recoverable shale gas reserves (more than the 622 tcf located in the U.S.) and 27 billion barrels of shale oil, which is less than only the U.S., Russia, and China.

The bulk of Argentina's shale reserves are located in the Vaca Muerta, a vast shale basin in central Argentina. The Vaca Muerta has attracted companies from around the world, including ExxonMobil, Chevron, Royal Dutch Shell and Gazprom.

Drilling activity has continued to grow, but high costs and infrastructure constraints have prevented production levels from rocketing skywards as they did in places like Texas or North Dakota.

But regulated oil prices could also prevent Argentina from suffering the effects of the bust that are now clearly visible across the well-known shale areas of the United States.

This is so important, strategically, said the outgoing CEO of state-owned YPF, Miguel Galuccio, referring to regulated prices, according to the WSJ.

Last week, Galuccio announced that production from the Vaca Muerta continued to inch upwards, having reached 50,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (boe/d), up from 44,000 boe/d last year.

But Argentina faces profitability challenges even with regulated oil prices. Galuccio said that the profit from YPF's shale oil and gas production was marginal. YPF announced spending reductions as well as the decision to reduce its rig count. The company spent only $4 billion in 2015, down from the original $6 billion it had planned on spending. YPF will trim another 25% from its budget for 2016.

Galuccio argued, though, that the economics will improve as drilling scales up, techniques are refined, and operators learn more about the basin. He said that YPF has already reduced costs from the average shale well from $16 million to $13 million each. He expects that costs will decline to $10 million per well in 2016.

Regulated oil prices can buy YPF  and other companies, including YPF's joint venture partner, Chevron  some space to continue to drill and bring costs down. We are doing this to sustain activity and employment, said Argentina's labor minister, Jorge Triaca, referring to artificially high prices.

You've got to incentivize people to do exploration and development, especially when prices are low, said Ali Moshiri, the top Chevron official in Latin America said.

If Argentina carries on with these incentives, it will encourage others to come to the country.

Meanwhile, a corporate makeover is also underway. Argentina's new President Mauricio Macri pushed YPF's CEO Miguel Galuccio out the door last week. The FT reported that Argentina's new energy minister, Juan Jose Aranguren, was not fond of Galuccio. In particular, he was critical of ballooning debt levels that took place under Galuccio's management. Galuccio will be succeeded by a former JP Morgan executive.

But Galuccio is also credited with turning YPF's fortunes around. Since taking the helm in 2012 after the government of former President Cristina Fernandez nationalized YPF, he improved the company's operations and achieved production increases.

President Macri and the new YPF CEO hope to keep the momentum going. Whether or not having the Argentine public subsidize oil prices is smart policy, it offers the shale industry a rare bright spot for the energy industry.






Life is just a bowl of cherries, but where would we be without the blueberry?

It fills pies that shout "summertime," transforms pancakes, brightens cereal, glorifies vanilla ice cream, and perfects the muffin.

So you might think that fat, sweet blueberries have been around, like sunshine, forever. But no.

Nature gave us instead the small "swamp huckleberry," as the wild blueberry was once known in these parts.

It took Elizabeth White, a visionary young farmer from Burlington County, working with an inspired botanist, to launch the modern blueberry industry 100 years ago.

Now worth $850 million annually, the industry literally traces its roots to the Pinelands.

The California-based U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is this year marking the centennial of the berry's commercial introduction and will hold its annual convention in Philadelphia in October so that members can travel to Pemberton Township to see where it all began.

"She was the oldest daughter of Joseph J. White, a Quaker cranberry grower," Albertine Senske explained on a recent overcast afternoon.

Senske, 79, was sitting in a large clapboard house off Whites Bogs Road where a framed portrait of Elizabeth White gazed from over the fireplace. Outside, scrub pines coated with silver-green lichen shuddered in the wind.

Plain to the point of spare, this is Elizabeth White's former home, part of a complex of buildings, fields, and bogs called Whitesbog Village in Brendan T. Byrne State Forest.

On April 2, the Whitesbog Preservation Trust will conduct a daylong symposium (whitesbog.org) on the local history of the highbush blueberry and White's contribution to it. Born in 1871 in nearby New Lisbon, she died in 1954.

Never married, "she helped her father run the business," explained Senske, Whitesbog's archivist, "and they were always looking for a second crop that might cushion them in summer" if the cranberry harvest performed badly in fall.

Alas, little else but cranberry grew well in the sandy soil of South Jersey's pine forests - the reason colonial farmers had derisively dubbed this region "the barrens."

That changed in 1910 when White one day spotted an article, "Experiments in Blueberry Culture," in a U.S. Department of Agriculture bulletin.

"Elizabeth says to her father, 'Ha, ha. Let's find out what this fellow's got to say,' " Penske, a former Philadelphia schoolteacher and systems analyst, recounted.

The article's author, USDA botanist Frederick V. Coville, had discovered that blueberry bushes needed highly acidic soil, and must be cross-pollinated, because they don't self-pollinate - two of several reasons why they usually failed as planted crops.

Coville reported, however, that he had been able to cross a few wild "lowbush" and "highbush" varieties at a farm in New Hampshire, and was planning further experiments.

"I'd like to get in the middle of all this," White wrote him, noting that wild blueberries grew in abundance on her family's 3,000 acres. (Cranberries and blueberries belong to the genus vaccinium, and need wet, acidic soil.)

She invited him to do research on the White farm, and Coville agreed. The two would go on to form a partnership that has become legendary in modern U.S. horticulture.

"Coville arrives on March 1, 1911," said Senske, "and explains he will need some 'raw materials' - wild blueberry bushes - with which to work.

"Well, the people who knew where the best bushes were were the local woodsmen," who sold wild berries to local hotels. "And the person who knew the woodsmen was Elizabeth."

One of those was a local named Ezekiel Sooy, who for a fee led Coville and White to his best bushes. Coville selected three and shipped them to his greenhouse laboratory in Washington, and White began the search for more.

The next year, she started handing out glass canning jars bearing an inch of formaldehyde, along with a ring gauge for measuring berry diameters. She instructed her woodsmen to pick from their best bushes, drop samples in the jars, and note which came from which bush.

"She paid them by size, and if she and Dr. Coville liked what they saw, she would say to the woodsman, 'I'd like to buy your bush,' and he'd lead her to it," Senske said.

"She'd tag it and in November, when the sap had gone back into the bushes, she'd dig them up, bring them back here, and winter them."

White planted 100.

Out of the 100 she recommended six to Coville for hybridization, naming each after the locals who had discovered them in the wild. The "Dunphy" got its name from 10-year-old Theodore Dunphy, and the "Rubel" - still available at nurseries - for Ruben Leek, a Chatsworth carpenter.

In 1915, Coville sent White cultivars he'd created at his greenhouses in Washington, and in 1916 White harvested the very first commercial crop of hybridized "highbush" blueberries.

"She sold the entire crop - 17 crates of 32 pints each - to the Hudson River Day Liner," a ferry service, said Senske. "She made $114.82 the first year."

Within a decade, blueberries were developing into major commercial crops, and are today grown in 13 states, Canada, and Chile. California leads nationally in productivity, with $106 million worth of fruit grown in 2014. New Jersey is fifth, with nearly $80 million.

A century later, Coville's and White's research methods continue in South Jersey.

"I describe myself as a blueberry breeder," said Mark Ehlenfeldt, a research geneticist for the USDA, "and what we're most concerned about here is turning out new blueberry varieties."

Ehlenfeldt, 59, wearing a straw hat, was standing in one of the sheet-plastic greenhouses that dot the Marucci Center for Blueberry and Cranberry Research outside Chatsworth.

"One of the things going on in the industry is a move toward more mechanical harvesters," he said. "So for that you need a certain kind of blueberry: firm, and one that ripens more or less at the same time."

Spread before him were dozens of black plastic flats containing russet-green seedlings one inch high. "This is a variety from North Carolina with very, very firm fruit," he said, pointing to a cluster of flats labeled "Reveille."

Its firmness made it ideal for mechanical harvesting, Ehlenfeldt explained, but he was crossing it with varieties like "Midcrop" and the late-season "Elliott" for better flavor and different growing times.

Taking a tiny white flower bud between his fingers, Ehlenfeldt shook a bit of pale yellow pollen onto his thumbnail, then dabbed it onto the stigma - a little green filament - of another.

"It will take a month and a half for that fruit to develop. Then we harvest it off the plant, extract the seed, and plant it in October. That's the starting point for the next generation."

They will grow for three years before he and his team will know what kind of fruit each crossing has produced.

doreilly@phillynews.com 856-779-3841
Carbon monoxide kills 4 at apartments

New Castle County police were investigating Saturday four deaths at a Wilmington apartment complex a day earlier from suspected carbon monoxide poisoning.

Found Friday evening in two units of Building G of the Evergreen Apartments at Riverfront Heights on Homestead Road, police said, were Carl Dunfee, 60; Veronica Mousely, 58; Andrew Spanakos, 72; and Nancy Uniacke, 56. A dog also was found dead, police said.

In addition, five adults and three children were stricken and treated at Wilmington hospitals. One of those remained hospitalized Saturday, listed in stable condition.

- Bob Fernandez

Coast Guard suspends search for boat reported capsized off Brigantine

The Coast Guard suspended Saturday afternoon its search for a boat that was reported capsized Friday night off Brigantine, a spokesman said. Three to four people were feared to have been aboard, according to the report.

Helicopters, planes, and boats searched 196 square miles of the Atlantic Ocean off Brigantine and found "no clues that there was a boat that capsized," Coast Guard Chief Nick Ameen said Saturday evening. Those clues would have included floating debris.

The search was suspended about 3:30 p.m.

Ameen noted that the search was not terminated and that it could be quickly reactivated if new information came to light.

On Friday, a man walking on the beach called 911 to report that a boat had capsized and people were in the water. When police arrived, they also saw a vessel and called the Coast Guard about 9:45 p.m.

- Bob Fernandez and Kathy Boccella

Monday is last day to register

for Pennsylvania primary

Monday is the final day to register to vote in Pennsylvania's primary.

Eligible voters must be 18, a U.S. citizen, and a state resident. Voters must be enrolled in a political party to vote in that party's primary. All registered voters can vote on ballot questions.

Residents can complete the entire registration process online at www.votes.pa.com or in person at state Department of Transportation photo license centers, various government agencies, and county registration offices. Registration applications are available at those locations and on the Web. Registration is also accepted via mail.

In 2012, the last presidential election, only 20 percent of state registered voters cast ballots in the primary. In 2008, 42.7 percent of registered voters turned out statewide. In addition to the presidential election, Pennsylvanians will vote for Senate, Congress, and statehouse representatives on primary day, April 26. - Julia Terruso
Introduction

Rucu Pichincha - Quito's Twin Terrors

Julia and Suca waiting for the teleferico to drop off Mateo and Sharon

The sign says that bikes are verboten which is not true and characteristic of sometimes outdated Ecuadorian signs. Biking is allowed in the area

Quito views

Rucu Pichincha views

and now we go down

No shortage of views

These trails show the wear of wildlife and feet; farmers graze here

Dropping lower to Ruta Humboldt now in the treed part of the highlands

Spot the biker

Well that was a blast!

Volcan Quilotoa - Now we get High

Chimborazo - The Big Volcano

Where to stay

Other parts

Ecuador has an 8,000-year-old history with Europeans as a recent entrant. Its history is dominated largely by indigenous communities which goes a long way to explaining why Ecuadorian trails came to be. Incas came into the picture in the late 15th century swooping in from what is now Peru. The Incas conquered and then were conquered. Their operational method was to move conquered populations wholesale from one part of their empire to another; sometimes thousands of kilometers. This resulted in some native languages and cultures (Quechua most noticeably) being widespread over many geographies. Their large built-up transportation network of roads and trails also made it easy to move populations en masse. These roads and trails now can connect singletrack.The difficulty can be in connecting the various disparate trail networks and making sense of the local communities who lay claim to and/or own the trails. With an area of 248,000km2 Ecuador is small compared to Canada at 9,985,000 km2 and comparable in size to the state of Oregon or the entire United Kingdom. The country is 714 km (444 mi) long and 658 km (409 mi) wide. Compounding its compact nature is the fact that a good chunk of the country is in the Amazon jungle basin; sparsely populated and difficult to navigate. Although Ecuador is small there is a lot going on in the land as even our first few days showed us. The high uplands of the Cordillera where we were biking is densely populated and the land extensively worked. You do need either a lot of research or a good chunk of local knowledge to make sense of how best to connect the trails together. Luckily we were with Mateo Cuesta of Ride Ecuador to help with this.In the first part of our trip we rode some of the more minor volcanoes. In the next part of our trip we were a bit more acclimatized to elevation and tackled higher and bigger objectives. It bears repeating that there are no less than 31 volcanoes over 3800m within a 100km radius of Quito. Many of these volcanos, including the well-known Cotopaxi and Tungurahua are active. These two were rumbling during our time here disgorging ash and displacing people. The highest peak in Ecuador is the dormant Volcano Chimborazo with its massively glaciated peak and summit block standing at 6,310m. Another mind-blowing factoid; the Equator runs through the glaciated Volcano Cayambe (5790m) so you can always bike, hike or ski on glaciers at the equator if thats your fancy.Today were off to one of the two Pichincha volcanos  signature mountains of Quito. Rucu Pichincha is the non-active twin to Guagua aka Baby (which is burping out smoke). Because we are soft and because we had many days of riding to do we used the Teleferico to get to 4000m. Then we climbed further to approx 4400m, 400m shy of the summit then rode down trails towards Quito. Despite the volcanic activity, tourism in Ecuador is still alive and well as is the mountain biking.These two volcanos are popular acclimation climbs; used to prep for climbs for higher mountains. Its a signature of Ride Ecuadors preparation that we started with smaller mountains (recall that Ilalo was 'only' a little over 3000m) and then slowly but surely built up to higher elevations. Today we topped out at elevations that was oxygen-depriving for sea-level dwellers but were still able to pedal. We would have fared far worse if we had tried to ride this on our first day off the plane to Ecuador.Of note, we chose to ride Rucu because one can get there easily from Quito and make it a more relaxed outing. You can ride Guagua but it entails a longish drive a fair bit west of the city of Quito and then up a jeep road to then hike/push bikes to the summit. Either ride is worthwhile and makes for incredible views.Today we rode with Suca and Julia who run the company WIP  they make customized bike clothing both for men and women. Their clothing is designed and made in Ecuador  rather a nice touch!Day five of our Ecuador mountain biking trip was supposed to be a rest day and had us further acclimatizing to altitude by sleeping at 3914m and then riding a short loop close to Volcan Quilotoa. Quilotoa is both the name of the water-filled caldera (old crater) of the now-extinct volcano and the small town closest to the volcano. You get there by way of a two-three hour drive southwest from Quito towards higher points in the Ecuadorian Andean cordillera passing some larger and many smaller towns. The area is deep in the heart of land inhabited mainly by indigenous people; tourism is a major contributor to their well-being and one can see that tourism dollars go a long way here.The ride is part of the Quilotoa Loop , an exceptionally beautifully scenic and well-known hiking/biking loop towards the center of Ecuador. Sharon and Mateo went for a short ride sampling part of the loop while Lee recovered from drinking the Agua Ibarra.The Quilotoa loop itself is in an area where you pay a small fee to enter the area where you can view the Caldera. The pay-for area is surrounded by the small indigenous name-saked community that has taken full advantage of its prime location by establishing hostels, some restaurants and small markets. The section of ride on the loop is fairly flat being high on the alpine plateau and thats a good thing since at 4000m you probably wont be charging too hard. Generally speaking its almost always cool and breezy (daytime temps of 10 to 15 C) here so dress accordingly.After Quilotoa, we hit the literal highest point of our trip following days of acclimatization to altitude. Chimborazo was the landmark of the day. Its last known activity was in 550AD and it is believed to be dormant. Chimbo tops out at 6280m and is the tallest peak in Ecuador. If you were to measure the height of Chimborazo from the center of the earth it would be approximately 2km taller than Everest, thus giving it the somewhat tongue-in-cheek reputation of being bigger than Everest.The top of Chimbo is completely covered by glaciers so getting to the peak by bike would be problematic, so we contented ourselves by starting the day by scrambling to 5020m to the high refugio of Chimborazo just short of snowline. We then descended to the Panamerican Highway at 4360m.Following Chimborazo's descent mainly on access roads, we dropped onto the Ruta Los Hieleros/Ice Route. As on other glaciated Ecuadorian mountains, Chimborazos glacial ice used to be mined by locals (the so-called Hieleros from Spanish Hielo for Ice) to be sold in the markets of Guaranda and Riobamba. In earlier days, the people transported ice for cooling to Incan coastal towns and were still doing so as late as the 80s (more in this BBC documentary ). More mundanely the route is primarily singletrack, and if you didnt know better the Incans rode mountain bikes; as portions of the trail have perfectly sculpted natural turns and berms as it drops 2200m to the Guaranda valleys.Of note you must have a naturalist guide to enter the Chimborazo National Park. You cannot hire a guide on the spot but must pre-arrange for someone 24hours in advance. No exceptions are made. Be warned of this as other biking and outdoors parties have been turned back from Chimbo if they do not have a guide. You will also end many vertical km's below and a long distance away from where you started. I truly don't have a clue how you could do this route without some support either from Ride Ecuador or from locals. You could ride all of it but you'd be at it for a long grind uphill and into headwinds on gravel roads and the Panamerican.The Hosteria Alpaka was the first hotel in Quilotoa and was set up by an indigenous couple who are doing incredibly well in this small town. The food is simple and good. Accommodations are clean and basic. Keep in mind where you are and how hard it is to get amenities to a relatively geographically isolated place like this and you will better appreciate the warmth of the wood-fired stove in the roomsWe stayed at the Posada La Estacion in Urbina. This small Refugio is housed in the old station building in Urbina and has been run by Rodrigo Donoso for over 20 years. Rodrigo is an accomplished climber who owns and runs the Refugio. He also guides climbers who want to climb Chimborazo, Tungurahua & Cotopaxi, mountains which he has climbed probably hundreds of times. Rodrigo also runs Alta Montana which runs guided trips and arranges accommodations and acclimatization in the area.More pictures, maps and details on Sharon and Lee's site are below: @leelau /@mateo5
Bernie Sanders celebrated his two big caucus victories in Washington and Alaska by destroying Gov. Scott Walker and the Koch brothers during a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.

Sen. Sanders said:

Democracy means one person and one vote and whether Gov. Scott Walker likes it or not that is exactly what we are going to bring to every state in this country, including Wisconsin. And I say to Gov. Walker and all of the other cowardly Republican governors if you can not win or participate in a free and fair election where everybody votes, get out of politics and get a new job.

At a time when this country has one of the lowest voter turnouts of any major country on Earth, the idea that Gov. Walker or any other governor would make it harder for people to participate in the political process is beyond comprehension, and together are we not only going to overturn this disastrous Citizens United Supreme Court decision, but we are going to create a situation where everyone in this country eighteen years of age or older who is a citizen will have the right to vote, Scott Walker notwithstanding.

When we have nationally a situation where the Koch brothers and a handful of billionaires. Oh, I forgot. I hope I didnt offend the governor. I understand that he and the Koch brothers are good pals. But when you have the Koch brothers and a handful of billionaires prepared to spend $900 billion in this election cycle, that my friends is not democracy. That is oligarchy, and we will change that.

I know that our Republican friends and elected officials tremble at the idea of large numbers of Americans participating in the political process. Ive got bad news for them. That is exactly what is going to happen in this country.
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Sen. Bernie Sanders is challenging Hillary Clinton to debate him in New York before the states primary on April 19.

Video:

Sanders brought up the debate during an appearance on Meet The Press:

CHUCK TODD: Now, according to our folks, the last time you chastised your supporters for booing Hillary Clinton was on February 23rd. Now you dont do that. Any reason? BERNIE SANDERS: No, no reason at all. You know, every day we are in different position here. I respect Secretary Clinton, I dont want our supporters to be booing her. But there are real differences of opinion. And one of the differences is that she has raised $15 million from Wall Street. We have raised 6 million individual contributions, averaging $27 a piece. People respond the way they respond. But what we are trying to do in this campaign is to differentiate our positions from Secretary Clinton on the war in Iraq, on fracking, on how we raise money. That is what the American people want to hear. And by the way, one other point, Chuck. I would hope very much that as we go into New York State, Secretary Clintons home state, that we will have a debate, New York City, upstate, wherever, on the important issues facing New York and in fact the country. CHUCK TODD: Are you worried she wont debate you anymore? BERNIE SANDERS: Yeah, I do have a little bit of concern about that. But I certainly would like to see a debate in New York State.

Sanders campaign manager Jeff Weaver sent a letter to Clinton campaign manager Robby Mook pressing him for the April Democratic debate to be held in New York, It is difficult to understand your motivation. Can you please explain why New York should not host the April debate? Is the Secretary concerned about debating before the people who twice elected her to the U.S. Senate? Perhaps there is some tactical advantage you are seeking by avoiding a debate in New York but I would remind you that Sen. Sanders agreed to debate the secretary in New Hampshire when he was well ahead in the polls.

The Sanders campaign thinks that they have a shot at winning New York, and they would like a chance to debate former Sec. of State Clinton ahead of the states primary. Frontrunners dont like debates. Clinton really doesnt need the debate in New York, so it is easy to see why her campaign would not be interested in the Sanders proposal.

Supporters of the trailing candidate like to frame these questions as a matter of political courage or cowardice, but the truth is that no frontrunner in any election likes additional debates. Debates always benefit the challenger more. That being said, the April Democratic primary debate will likely end up in Wisconsin, New York or Pennsylvania.

Bernie Sanders is pressing hard, but Hillary Clinton has little to gain by debating in New York.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders shot down the corporate medias attempt to silence his campaign during an interview on ABCs This Week.

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ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

Transcript via ABCs This Week:

KARL: So youve won big out there in those three states. Youre still way behind in the delegate count.

But does that  what does this mean for the race?

Does this mean you are absolutely 

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: Well 

KARL:  going through to the 

SANDERS:  what it  Jonathan, what it means is we won three landslides last night. Weve won six out of seven contests in the last 11 days. Weve cut Secretary Clintons lead by a third during that period of time.

A national poll just came out that had us 1 point ahead of Secretary Clinton, when we started 60 points behind. And every national and state poll that I have seen, virtually every one, has us defeating Donald Trump. CNN had us defeating him by 20 points.

Clearly we have the momentum. And I think, at the end of the day, were going to end up with more pledged delegates than Secretary Clinton.

And then I think the super delegates are going to have make a very difficult decision and that is, if a candidate wins in a state by 40 or 50 points, who are you going to give your vote to?

And, second of all, which candidate is better positioned to defeat Trump or any of the other Republican candidates?

I think a lot of the super delegates are going to conclude that its Bernie Sanders.

KARL: But you still need 73 percent of the delegates going forward, which is a huge 

(CROSSTALK)

SANDERS: No, we dont. No, no, no.

KARL: Well 

SANDERS: No, I dont accept that. That is not the case. Youre assuming that every super delegate who now supports Secretary Clinton will stay with her. Youre not taking into consideration the fact there are hundreds of delegates, super delegates, who have not yet made a decision. We think we can win many of them.

And what we showed yesterday is, in fact, the momentum is with us; we think were going to do well in Wisconsin. We think we got a real shot in New York. And then we go out to California. You go out to Oregon. Thats the most progressive part of America. We think were going to do very well there.

So I will not deny for one second that we still remain the underdogs, but we have come a long, long way, you will have to concede, in the last 10 months. We do have a path toward victory.
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According to the latest Gallup Daily Tracking Poll, President Obamas job approval rating has reached a new high of 53%.

President Obama gained a point from his approval rating during last weeks Gallup Daily Tracking Poll, and his job approval ratings have completely reversed from where they were one year ago at this time. In March of 2015, President Obamas approval rating split was 44% approve and 51% disapprove for a net rating of (-7).

Obamas current approval rating is 53% with a disapproval rating of 44%, which is a net (+9) approval rating. Obamas approval rating has been steadily growing since mid-January 2016, and more recently, the President has added a point to his approval rating in each of the past three weeks.

There has been a great deal of speculation about why President Obama is getting more popular. Part of the reason for the uptick in his numbers is the economy. Gas prices are low, the economy is growing, and the general economic climate is vastly improved from the days of the Bushs Great Recession.

A new level of appreciation seems to be developing for President Obama as the horrific Republican presidential nomination contest has unfolded before the eyes of the country. Many Americans, who may have taken President Obamas class and decency for granted are getting a dose of Donald Trump on a daily basis. It is quite plausible that the ugliness of Trump is making Obama more popular.

The rising Obama approval rating is great news for Democrats as the party heads into what could be a matchup with Donald Trump. A popular President Obama will be a huge asset to Democrats on the campaign trail, and the higher the voter satisfaction with the current president, the less likely they are to be open to the Republican message of change.

After nearly eight years of hard work and success, President Obama seems to be finally getting some of the credit and appreciation that he deserves.
In order to spice up their social lives while doing jail time, the inmates of the Federal Prisons in Oba, Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area, Ogun State, have put together a musical band from a set of instruments donated to them by some philanthropists.

The 12-man band put its music talent on display, on Easter Friday, when a church  the Latter Rain Assembly  visited the prison to donate items, as well as counsel the inmates as part of the Easter celebration.

A PREMIUM TIMES correspondent at the event reported that the visiting church members, the prison warders, and many of the inmates danced to the performance of the group.

The leader of the band said the group was formed to add value to their lives while serving their prison terms, and to also help them ward off depression.

He said music could discourage the inmates from forming bad gangs, and also help in reforming them.

He appealed for the donation of more musical equipment to the group.
Pope Francis has urged the world to use the weapons of love to combat the evil of blind and brutal violence, following the attacks in Brussels.

This was contained in his Easter message on Sunday at St Peters Basilica, after a week of sombre religious events commemorating Jesus death.

Francis, while speaking under tight security for tens of thousands of people, spoke of violence, injustice and threats to peace in many parts of the world.

May he (the risen Jesus) draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world.

He mentioned recent attacks in Belgium, where at least 31 people were killed by Islamist militants, as well as those in Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq.

With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death.

The 79-year-old Argentine pontiff urged people to channel the hope of Easter in order to defeat the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people.

The pope condemned the Brussels attacks several times during the past week, including at a Good Friday service where he said followers of religions who carried out acts of fundamentalism or terrorism were profaning Gods name.

Francis expressed the hope that recent talks could resolve the conflict in Syria in order to end the sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord.

He urged Europe not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, including many children fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice.

The European Union and Turkey have agreed to stop the flow of migrants to Europe in return for political and financial concessions for Ankara.

Turkey and The Aegean islands have been the main route for migrants and refugees pouring into Europe in the past year.

Francis called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and resolutions to conflicts and political tensions in Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Ukraine.

(Reuters/NAN)
The Swiss government has confirmed that it has so far returned $723 million (about N142.43 billion) of stolen funds seized from the family of the late former head of state, Sani Abacha, to the Nigerian government over the last 10 years.

The amount excludes $321million (about N63.24 billion) which the Swiss authorities recently said recently it was planning to repatriate to Nigeria.

These details are contained in the agreement signed on March 8, 2016 in Abuja by representatives of the Swiss Federal Council and the Nigerian government.

The agreement, titled Letter of Intent on the restitution of illegally-acquired assets forfeited in Switzerland, was signed by Nigerias Attorney-General and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, and the Swiss Head of Foreign Affairs Department, Didier Burkhalter.

The document, obtained by PREMIUM TIMES, reveals that $321 million acquired illicitly by the Abacha family, was initially deposited in Luxemburg before being confiscated by the Swiss Republic Judiciary and Canton of Geneva following a December 11, 2014 forfeiture order.

The agreement says funds to be returned to Nigeria would contribute to the implementation of social programmes for the benefit of the Nigerian people in an efficient and accountable way, guaranteed by a monitoring by World Bank.

Acknowledging the cooperation of Switzerland and Nigeria as an excellent opportunity to fight against corruption at domestic and international levels, the signatories to the agreement recalled the long partnership by their two countries in asset recovery based the principles of national interest, trust and mutual respect.

Considering Chapter V of the UN Convention against corruption, which is the international legal framework for asset recovery, the signatories also drew attention to Article 51 of the document that states afford each other measures of cooperation and assistance.

The agreement also emphasized the need for the process of repatriation of the stolen funds to be undertaken based on international best practices of transparency and accountability in a manner that satisfy the scrutiny of civil society and the international community.

The signatories affirmed, among others, their intention to maintain a fruitful cooperation based on trust and respect in order to enable transparent and efficient use of the funds for the benefits of the Nigerian people.

They also agreed to ensure that the deployment of the funds was monitored by the World Bank in line with separate forfeiture orders issued by the Swiss Public Prosecutor and the Canton of Geneva on December 11, 2014.

The two countries pledged to maintain regular exchanges and constructive engagements towards the conclusion of the processes necessary for the final return of the looted funds to Nigeria, adding that the letter of intent, which does not impose any legally binding obligation, would continue to provide the basis for their cooperation.

The implementation of the present letter of Intent between the Signatories (Swiss and Nigerian governments) is guided by the principle of ethics, mutual respect and cooperation, the agreement stated.
The Federal Government is to send some members of the Chibok community to neighbouring Cameroon, to verify whether a female suicide bomber arrested on Friday, is one of the abducted Chibok schoolgirls.

This information is contained in a statement issued in Abuja on Saturday by Garba Shehu, the Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to President Muhammadu Buhari.

The statement said already the Minister of Women Affairs, Aisha Alhassan, and the Nigerian high commissioner in Cameroon had swung into action and were receiving a lot of cooperation from the Cameroonian authorities.

It has been confirmed that one of two girls is claiming to be among the girls stolen from Chibok on April 14, last year, although doubts have creeped into the claim following new information from Cameroon that the two girls are aged about 10 years, it stated.

According to the statement, one of the two is also believed to be heavily drugged and therefore not in full control of her senses.

It said that the Nigerias High Commissioner to Cameroon, Hadiza Mustapha, confirmed that the arrested girls might be brought to the Cameroonian capital, Younde, by Monday, at which point the High Commission would seek permission to meet with them.

The statement said that the Murtala Mohammed Foundation had offered to cooperate with federal government in sponsoring two parents from Chibok, who were selected to embark on the trip to Cameroon.

The two are Yakubu Nkeki, Chairman of the Parents of the Abducted Girls from Chibok association, and Yana Galang, the groups women leader.

The Nigerian High Commission will receive the two and will facilitate their access to the two girls once permission to meet and verify their identity is obtained from the Cameroonian authorities, the statement added.

About 250 Chibok schoolgirls were reported to have been abducted by members of the Boko Haram terror sect at the Chibok Government Secondary School in Borno about two years ago.

About 51 of the affected schoolgirls were also reported to have escaped from their abductors, who were transporting them to unknown destinations, on the fateful day of their abduction.

Meanwhile, reacting to the arrest of the arrested girl in Cameroon, the BringBackOurGirls movement urged the government to adopt and utilise our citizens-developed tool the Verification, Authentication, and Reunification System (VARS) designed by our movement for such scenarios as these.

This tool was accepted by the federal government on 8 July 2015 during our meeting with the president, but has not been deployed.

Likewise, the Missing Persons Register which would have been useful in tracking this young victim in order to commence her rehabilitation, reunification, and reintegration process with her family and community.

In a joint statement by three of its leaders, Aisha Yesufu, Oby Ezekwesili and Hadiza Bala Usman, the group said,

We received news yesterday Friday 25 March, of an arrested girl-child suicide bomber in Cameroon who identified herself as one of our abducted Chibok girls.

We are presently unable to respond to this news conclusively until we have facts from the Nigerian government; from whom we requested and have eagerly been awaiting official information on the matter.

In the interim however, our thoughts are as follows:

1.

i. The claim by the young woman that she is a Chibok girl should reawaken the Nigerian government to the zeal and commitment necessary for ensuring that they are rescued and brought back;

ii. This development suggests that we now have a possible source of credible intelligence as to what transpired, where the others are, and other leads required to facilitate their rescue.

2. Regardless of whether she is one of our Chibok girls or not, our thoughts and sentiments remain the same:

i. using children, girls who should be in school (or any humans at all) as suicide bombers is not only tragic and cruel, it is completely reprehensible and we denounce it;

ii. these children suicide bomber are themselves victims, and must be seen and treated as such;

iii. we all must hasten to free all those in captivity. For as long as they are with the monsters, we all are ourselves unsafe and equally in captivity;

iv. a few weeks ago, a girl suicide bomber did not detonate her device at an IDP camp because she knew her family was most likely in that camp, and she could not kill them.

It is important to send out messages that counter the programming of the terrorists. This may help in empowering these victims from detonating the explosives and accessing help;

v. this particular experience highlights the importance of building not only a regional coalition among neighbouring countries to counter terror, but a global one.

3. The Nigerian government as a matter of urgency, needs to swiftly act to ascertain the facts of this matter and make them public. It is getting to 24 hours since the news broke.

We need to know her name and identity, her parents names, where she is from, possibly extract DNA samples for quick testing and matching, etc.

4. This should be a wakeup call to the Nigerian government to adopt and utilise our citizens-developed tool the Verification, Authentication, and Reunification System (VARS) designed by our movement for such scenarios as these. This tool was accepted by the federal government on 8 July 2015 during our meeting with the president, but has not been deployed.

Likewise, the Missing Persons Register which would have been useful in tracking this young victim in order to commence her rehabilitation, reunification, and reintegration process with her family and community.

We are eagerly awaiting.
A leader of the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, Bola Tinubu, has lambasted the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu over his comments that he is not a magician and cannot, therefore, provide immediate solution to the ongoing fuel crisis.

Mr. Kachikwu had on Wednesday, after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari and the leadership of two major labour unions in the oil industry, PENGASSAN and NUPENG, told state house correspondents that Nigerians could witness two more months of fuel scarcity.

He said although the nations refineries were beginning to work, the fuel to be produced from the refineries would not be sold but kept in a strategic reserve.

He also said although he has received numerous trainings, being a magician was not one of the trainings he received.

A lot of Nigerians came down hard on Mr. Kachikwu after the statement forcing the state oil firm, NNPC, to issue a statement defraying the impact of the comments made by the minister.

Mr. Tinubu, in a statement he personally signed on Saturday, berated Mr. Kachikwu for his comments, saying, they show a lack of respect and empathy to Nigerians.

The former Lagos State governor, in his statement published by The Nation Newspapers, said Nigerians were right to feel insulted as the minister was wrong to have made those comments.

In a rare criticism of an official of the Buhari administration, Mr. Tinubu said Mr. Kachikwu being in a progressive administration, should not be seen acting like in the past.

The art of governance is difficult and complex, especially during trying times. The steep reduction in global oil prices from over 100 dollars per barrel to roughly 40 presents a hard challenge.

We can no longer afford past practices. Nigeria now requires creative reform, materially changing the substance of national economic policy as well as the objectives of that policy and how the policy is presented to the people. Therein lies the essence of progressive democratic governance.

The Buhari administration represents the last best hope we have to install such governance in Nigeria and avert the catastrophe that would have befallen us had the prior government remained in place.

Had the nation continued with the spendthrift corruption and vagabond economic policies of that administration, we would have soon experienced such a collision with the harsh consequences of that governments malign ways that our very institutions of government may have been distorted beyond fixture and repair, he said.

The APC leader also said, In this effort, there may be no economic matter more difficult to unravel and more sensitive to the purse of the average person than the current fuel scarcity.

Even here I am confident of progress because I know the commitment of the president to resolving this matter. I make no attempt to hide it. I am an avid and partisan supporter of this government and of the progressive policies of the party, the APC, upon which this government is based.

With that I do reserve the right and the duty as a Nigerian to voice my opinion when I believe a member of this government has strayed from the progressive calling required of this administration. I do this because my greater devotion and love are for this nation and its people. Party and politics fall secondary.

Much public ire has been drawn to the statement made by Minister of State (Ibe Kachikwu) that he was not trained as a magician and that basically Nigerians should count themselves fortunate that the NNPC under his stewardship has been able to bring in the amount of petrol fuel it is currently doing.

Perhaps the statement by Kachikwu was made in a moment of unguarded frustration or was an awkward attempt at a joke. Whatever the motive, it was untimely and off-putting. The remark did not sit well with the Nigerian people; they were as right to feel insulted as the minister was wrong to have said such a thing.

The fuel shortage is severely biting for the average person. They are forced to remain in lines far too long, for too much time, to pay too much money for too little fuel. This is no joking matter. Livelihoods and peoples welfare are at stake. With so much on the line, Kachikwus flippancy was out-of-line. He was basically telling Nigerians that they should be lucky that they are getting the inadequate supply they now suffer and that they should just be quiet, and endure the shortage for several weeks more.

Kachikwus intervention was unhelpful. It panicked and disappointed the public as to the duration of the crisis. It insulted the people by its tonality. He spoke with the imperious nature of a member of the elitist government the people voted out last year and not the progressive one they voted in.

Mr. Tinubu also told Mr. Kachikwu that no one forced him to take the appointment to serve as a member of cabinet and he should have known the responsibilities expected of him.

He also must remember that he does not own NNPC. This also is not a private company that owes nothing to the public except the duty of fair dealing. He is a public servant. The seat he sits upon is owned by Nigerians not by him. The company he runs is owned by Nigerians not by him. They are his boss. He is not theirs. Power is vested in the people. He is a mere custodian or agent of their will. In talking to us in such a manner, he committed an act of insubordination.

If he had talked so cavalierly to his boss in the private sector, he would have been reprimanded or worse. If wise, the man should refrain from such interjections in the future, Mr. Tinubu said.

The APC leader said having abused the sensibilities of Nigerians, Mr. Kachikwu should apologise for treating them so lightly in this instance. His portfolio being a strategically important one, he needs to re-establish the correct relationship with the public. They no longer feel he is working for their optimal benefit as their servant. Instead, he seems to be standing above them, telling them to take it or leave it.

For his policies and stint in office to be successful and a help to this government, he must have the support and belief of the people at this tough time. He must talk to them in a way that they believe he seeks their best interest and understands the hardship weighing upon them. He must ask them to work with him and perhaps to endure a bit longer but with the knowledge that he is working to resolve this matter as fast as he can and as permanently as possible. That he is dedicated to the position that once these current lines are gone that never again shall they reappear as long as he has any influence in the matter.

To do this, requires no magic nor training in that strange craft. It requires empathy, compassion and the willpower to forge a better Nigeria. These must be the common trademarks of those serving in a progressive government for these attributes are integral parts of the spirit and ideals upon which the APC was founded. Upon such notions was this administration voted into office by the Nigerian people in the operation of their sovereign will to seek a national leadership that would pursue their interests to the utmost and give them every fair chance to live in a better Nigeria.

Even though times are hard we must all realise that they would be even harder and much darker would be the immediate horizon had we allowed the venal, kleptocracy of the PDP to continue to lord over the land solely for their selfish benefit and not for the common good.

I am confident that President Buhari and this government can resolve the issues that press us. From establishing full security and safety to staking a claim to true economic prosperity and fairness, this government shall salvage our national pride and purpose, Mr. Tinubu said.
An Army Colonel serving with Nigeria Army School of Infantry, Jaji, Kaduna State, has been reportedly kidnapped by unknown gunmen.

The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Usman Abdul, confirmed the kidnap on Sunday in a statement issued in Kaduna.

He said the colonel was abducted around Kamazo near NNPC junction, Kaduna, at about 7:30 p.m. on Saturday.

The abductors dropped off his wife and left with him in his car and headed towards Abuja. They drove in a Mercedes Benz GK black colour with registration number Abuja, KUJ 154 TZ, he said.
Chad have backed out of the qualifying race for the 2017 Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON.

The West African country cited financial constraints for their decision.

This decision may affect Nigerias chances of making it to the 2017 AFCON unless the Super Eagles do well enough to topple Egypt at the top of the standings in Group G, with two games now left to play.

PREMIUM TIMES understands that with Chads withdrawal, all the results secured against them in the series will be cancelled and there will be little chance for any team to emerge from Group G as one of the best two losers that will join the other group winners to take part in the 2017 AFCON billed for Gabon.

The Chadians were beaten 1-0 at home by Tanzania over the weekend in round three of the qualifying series but their withdrawal now makes the group complicated.

An official statement by Chad signed by FA general secretary, Moctar Mahamoud, said the country will not be in Tanzania for Mondays AFCON qualifier due to the harsh economic realities, which has also affected their participation in other international competitions.

Chad are bottom of Group G with no points having lost their matches against Nigeria, Egypt and Tanzania. Egypt top the group with seven points while Nigeria have five points.

If they had not withdrawn, besides the trip to Tanzania, Chad are also due to host Nigeria in June before a final group game against Egypt.

Nigeria did not qualify for the last Nations Cup won by the Elephants of Cote dIvoire.
The two major political parties in Nigeria, the governing All Progressives Congress, APC, and the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, have felicitated with Nigerians on the Easter celebrations and called on citizens to use the occasion to renew the bond of love, forgiveness and peaceful co-existence, irrespective of religious, ethnic and political beliefs.

In an Easter message by its National Chairman, John Odigie-Oyegun, the APC urged Nigerians to imbibe the humility, tolerance, selflessness and sacrifice exhibited by Jesus Christ when he gave his life to save mankind.

The APC National Chairman urged the Christian community especially religious leaders to always promote religious harmony among various religious groups.



He assured that the APC-led administration of President Muhammed Buhari is committed to delivering on the change agenda promised Nigerians.



The 2016 National Budget recently passed by the National Assembly provides ample framework to deliver on these promises, he said.



Mr. Odigie-Oyegun called for greater international cooperation to effectively combat global terrorism.



In the wake of the recent gruesome March 22 Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek Metro Station terror attacks in the Belgian capital, Brussels and the March 25 stadium suicide attack in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, the need for greater international cooperation in the fight against global terrorism is reinforced.



No country is insulated from the global terrorism threat. Our best chance is to come together as a unified front to defeat this global threat.



I call on all Nigerians irrespective of religious, ethnic and political affiliation to support government in the fight against violent extremism, abductions, mass killings, politically-motivated killings and other criminal activities. Also, the public should remain vigilant and cooperate with security agencies in the fight against all criminal activities.



While we salute and pray for our armed forces, police and other security agencies fighting to restore peace and normalcy in Nigerias North East, let us be rest assured that the end to the Boko Haram-led insurgency and other forms of terrorism by the extremist sect is near, he said.

On his part, the National Chairman of the PDP, Ali Modu-Sheriff, also called on Nigerians to imbibe the spirit of peace and forgiveness.

The PDP chairman said just as Easter represents the triumph of life over death, Nigerians can draw strength and inspiration to overcome the division, disagreements and bitterness that now threaten the unity and corporate existence of our dear nation.



The party, in a message issued by the National Publicity Secretary, Olisa Metuh, on Saturday said such devotion to national unity and harmony is paramount to overcoming the economic, social and security challenges presently confronting the nation.

Indeed, the occasion of Easter presents us a great lesson in faith in the Almighty God and the triumph of good over evil, the very reason we must humble ourselves and seek divine intervention for our dear country.

Our unity is our strongest source of strength as a nation. We must therefore collectively determine to end the bitterness, hostilities and division that keep us apart and seek only the virtues of love, forgiveness, charity and such others that unite us as a people.

In the same vein, duty beckons on all of us to imbibe a life of constant prayers for our leaders at all levels to be divinely guided against actions and inactions that tend to polarize the people and create tension in the land.

We must all continue to see ourselves as brothers and sisters and work together towards fulfilling the mind of God who, in His infinite wisdom destined us to live together as a united and prosperous nation, where nobody is molested and where fairness and the wellbeing of all citizens are paramount as guaranteed within the laws.

On this note the PDP joins in praying for the nation and wishing all citizens happy Easter celebrations, the statement said.
The Nigeria Immigration Service on Sunday said it repatriated 25 illegal migrants from Rivers State.

The Comptroller, Rivers command of the service, Ishaka Haliru, disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria in Port Harcourt.

He said the affected migrants were citizens of ECOWAS member states and four others who breached immigration laws.

He said the command was ready to curb the influx of illegal migrants in the state.

Mr. Haliru urged Nigerians who planned to travel to any neighbouring country to obtain ECOWAS passports to avoid illegal entry or embarrassment by the immigration service.

We recently repatriated 25 illegal migrants from ECOWAS member states. The majority of them are Togolese and four others from non ECOWAS states.

It is only a person who has regularised his stay within 90 days that is permitted to either establish a legal business or work in the country. This is in line with Immigrations focus treaty, he said.

Mr. Haliru said that officers of the of the command had displayed high level of vigilance to tackle passport racketeering.

We do not experience passport racketeering in Rivers. The investigation and intelligence units are working in synergy to check proliferation of passports in the state, he said.

The comptroller also said the command did not lose any personnel during the March 19 re-run legislative polls in the state.

He described as untrue a report which said it lost an officer during the election, saying that the victim belonged to Peace Corps.

He said Peace Corps uniform was like that of Immigration service which made people to believe that the victim was of Immigration service.

He urged the Federal Government to take measures to check proliferation of uniforms by private security agencies.

(NAN)
The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Yakubu Dogara, has lamented the Kano market inferno, urging the citizens to be proactive in preventing such incident.

Midnight fire on Friday razed down hundreds of shops in Kanos Sabon Gari market, one of the major commodity markets in northern Nigeria.

The cause of the fire, which raged for most of Saturday, is yet to be ascertained.

In a statement by his Special Assistant on broadcast media, Yakubu Fagge, Mr. Dogara called on the affected traders to develop self-preventive techniques that would complement with the governments effort in combatting fire disaster.

The speaker, who described fire incident as unfortunate, urged Kano people, especially the affected traders, to accept the as the will God.

Mr. Dogara urged citizens to complement governments effort in ensuring safety in markets and other businesses premises to avert future disasters.
The authorities of St. Peter Cathedral Church, Ake, Abeokuta on Sunday warned treasury looters not to donate part of their loot to the church, else a report would be made to security agencies.

The Diocean Bishop of Egba, Emmanuel Adekunle, made the declaration in his sermon at the Ogun State Police Command 2016 Thanksgiving Service held at the Cathedral Church in the town.

The cleric said it has become stock in trade of treasury looters to donate to churches from their ill gotten wealth; lamenting that, even when churches are aware, they praise-sing the looters.

Dont steal where you are working and bring to church as donation or tithe, we shall not accept such gestures, whether as donations or tithes.

If we discovered such we shall expose the donor. If you do this you will be ridiculed, he said.

He, however, explained that those with clean wealth would not be discouraged from contributing to the church.

The cleric also tasked residents to be vigilant in their various communities, as a way to expose criminals within. He said criminals are not ghosts, but reside within communities, hence the need for community policing.
The South East chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, has condemned the call by some Civil Society Organizations that the Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, should resign or be fired for his inability to find a solution to the lingering petrol crisis in the country.

Mr. Kachikwu has come under fire over his comments that the fuel scarcity being experienced in the country may likely continue for the next two months.

He also said he has no magic to find a solution to the problem before that time.

A leader of the governing APC, Bola Tinubu, on Saturday lambasted the petroleum minister, saying his comments showed a lack of respect and empathy to suffering Nigerians.

A coalition of civil society groups, Civil Society Coalition for Positive Change and Stand Up for Nigeria, SUN, on Sunday issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Mr. Kachikwu to resign from office over the prolonged scarcity of fuel.

The groups stated that the inability of the minister of state to restore normalcy to the current fuel crisis shows his incompetence to manage the situation.

Venatius Torkuma and Labake Boboye, National President and Executive Director of the groups respectively, in a joint statement said the Minister of State for Petroleum has failed to justify his appointment.

Kachikwu will not resign

The South East APC in a statement signed by Osita Okechukwu said Mr. Tinubu is not only politically correct but has the constitutional rights to condemn the awkward joke made by the Hon Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu.

However, the South East Zone of the All Progressives Congress (APC) do not subscribe to the call for his resignation.

The party said those calling for the Ministers resignation should not forget the transparent manner Mr. Kachikwu and his staff deployed in the petroleum product importation and fuel supply chain; a policy, they said, has saved Nigeria over N500 billion.

May we also remind those who call for his resignation, how the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) turned the petroleum product importation and fuel supply chain into a slush fund, recklessly increased the cost geometrically from N634 billion in 2010 to N1.6 trillion in 2012. In 2013, N888 billion was officially budgeted with a supplementary budget of N232 billion in the same year, making an average N1 trillion per annum.

It is our considered opinion that Kachikwu should stay, for bringing sanity to the petroleum product import and fuel supply chain in the last 10 months, it said.
The National Directorate of Employment, NDE, on Sunday said it had put mechanisms in place to recover its loans from defaulters.

Edmund Onwuliri, Deputy Director, Information and Public Relations of NDE, disclosed this during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Abuja.

He said beneficiaries of the loans, who participated in NDE skills acquisition training, were given start-up capital and equipment.

He said the majority of them were yet to pay back the loans.

Mr. Onwuliri urged the defaulters to repay the loans to avoid compelling their guarantors from being forced to pay back the loans by themselves.

You are dealing with human beings; even commercial banks are not finding it easy to recover loans from their clients.

Our own case is peculiar as the organisation is dealing with unemployed youths who have no experience in business.

(NAN)
The Nigerian Air Force, NAF, has announced a planned expansion of its platforms in North-Eastern Nigeria towards speedy response in counter-insurgency operations.

The Chief of Air Staff, Sadiq Abubakar, who stated this while on a visit to military formations and traditional institutions in Borno State announced that the Nigerian Air Force is exploring the possibility of expanding the Air Force group in the North-East to ensure the total restoration of peace is achieved in the shortest time possible.

Mr. Abubakar explained that with the planned expansions, more personnel will be deployed and more platforms created to widen our operations towards timely and speedy response in counter-insurgency campaigns.

We are already widening the roles of our regiments as special combat forces to secure and protect key points after successful operations.

Mr. Abubakar, an Air Marshall, who commended the military in the ongoing campaign against terrorists, said the citizens have lots of roles to play.

The public should complement the gallantry of our armed forces by being security conscious through timely reporting of suspicious objects, movements, or strange persons to the nearest security agencies.

Security is a collective effort not only that of security agencies as government alone cannot provide security absolutely to its citizens without the support and cooperation of its citizens.

While commending the support and encouragement from President Muhammadu Buhari to the Nigerian armed forces, the Air Force chief urged the states to do the same in the fight against terrorism and insurgency.

During his visit to the palace of Shehu of Borno, the traditional ruler, Abubakar El Kanemi, called on the government to work assiduously towards ensuring the return of Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs, to their villages.

Mr. El-Kanemi said most of the IDPs in the state are prepared to go back to their homes to enable them prepare for the farming season.

I wish to therefore appeal to the government to facilitate their return in collaboration with the state government and other donor agencies as well as the security agencies by providing adequate security and conducive living environment for the displaced persons.

The pledge by the Air chief is coming in the heels of successes recorded by the Air Force in its ongoing fight against the extremist group, Boko Haram.

An Unmanned Combat Aerial Vehicle, UAV, belonging to the force, recently destroyed a logistics base used by Boko Haram.

The Air Force said the UAV was on intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, ISR, mission when it came across the gathering of Boko Haram terrorists at Garin Moloma, about one kilometre north of the Sambisa Forest, a Boko Haram enclave.

Recent Air Mishaps

The need for additional platforms by the Nigerian Air Force also occurs in the light of recent crashes experienced by the service.

Last year, an aircraft belonging to the Air Force crashed in Yola, the capital of Adamawa State.

The jet was returning from an operation in Borno State when it reportedly encountered bad weather and crashed, killing the pilot.

Also, an Mi-35 Helicopter, belonging to the Air Force, crashed in 2014 while on a training mission Borno State.

The chopper reportedly crashed due to technical fault at a location south of Bama town.

The Air Force also lost two other helicopters in three days in Adamawa state in 2014.

Both choppers went down while on surveillance mission at Damare, a suburb of Girei local government in the state.

Despite the setbacks, the Nigerian Air Force recently announced that its patrol and surveillance activities have succeeded in blocking routes through which petroleum products and other materials are supplied to the extremist Boko Haram sect.

It said patrols along the Nigeria-Cameroon borders have greatly strained the supply efforts of the BHT (Boko Haram terrorists).

The service in a statement said, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) through its intensified and persistent efforts in the ongoing fight against Boko Haram Terrorists (BHT) has intercepted over 4,000 drums and jerry cans of petroleum products and other smuggled items.

The items, suspected to be supplies meant for BHT, were confiscated from the smugglers in Pepe, Dashin-Hausa, Belel Bilachi, and Konkul villages located along the Nigeria-Cameroon Borders.
Six suspects have been arrested by soldiers for their alleged roles in the communal crisis in Ibi in Local Government Area of Taraba State.

Chima Egemole, the Commanding Officer of the 93 Battalion, Takum, announced the arrest while parading the suspects before reporters on Sunday in Takum.

Mr. Egemole, a Lieutenant Colonel, disclosed that two peace meetings were held in Ibi recently as directed by the military authorities, but the arrested youth continued with violence.

Prior to the most recent incident on Friday, two peace meetings were held in Ibi within the same week with a view to finding amicable solution to the crisis. But it seems the miscreants are bent on going on with the with crisis, he said.

He added that: It took the prompt intervention of troops and other security agents to restore normalcy in the area.

The commanding officer said a 24 hour curfew has been imposed on Ibi while a manhunt for the remaining hoodlums was in progress.

Mr. Egemole, who explained that the Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratais mission was to ensure the restoration of peace among all Nigerians, urged all stakeholders to continue with negotiations.

Arms and ammunition seized by the army and displayed at the event include three AK47 assault rifles, two AK47 magazines, 104 rounds of 7.2MM, 19 rounds of 5.5 MM, four single barrel guns, 11 cartridges, among others.

Mr. Egemole, thereafter, handed over the six suspects and the arms and ammunition to John Akpovwovwo, the Divisional Police Officer in Takum, who transferred them to the state headquarters for further investigation and prosecution.
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested three women suspected to be specialists in child trafficking.

Haruna Mohammed, the Public Relation Officer of the command, disclosed this on Sunday in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria in Bauchi.

He said the suspects were arrested by detectives of the command on March 25.

Mr. Mohammed said one of the suspects from Plateau was arrested for selling a 17-month-old baby to a woman from Imo State at the cost of N200,000.

He also said the woman also sold a 14-month-old-baby to another woman, who hailed from Benue, at the cost of N80,000.

He said that the two babies have been recovered.

Mr. Mohammed said that the mother of one of the babies, Fauziya Adamu, has been identified by the police while efforts were being made to trace the mother of the other child.

The spokesman said that the suspects would be charged to court for prosecution.

(NAN)
Residents of Gbagyi community in Kaduna State have called on the state government to rescind its decision of demolishing the settlement.

The Kaduna State Government through it development control agency, KASUPDA, issued a warning asking those who built on the land to vacate or face outright demolition.

Speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, some residents described the planned action as inhuman and asked that the government rescind its decision to demolish the area.

This issue has been resolved since 2011 by Late Yakowa. I dont know what interest the present government has on this area, a resident, Boni Bakay, said.

This land is even outside the state city centre but they are so interested that they want to evict us from our lands by all means and we shall reject it, Mr. Bakay said.

Another resident, Hannatu Bayi, said she put all her life savings into building her house in the area.

If I lose this house I lose everything. I know I bought the land from relevant authorities and I have my documents with me. But the El-Rufai people are not willing to listen, all they want is to finish us, the widow said.

Ben Chuks, a grocery store owner in the area, said the government should have a rethink of its plan.

We are not happy with the governments stance on this and I tell you all of us will resist it, because we did not steal the land. We bought them with our money, he said.

Some of the residents had on March 17 staged a protest against the planned the demolition.

The Kaduna State Government has, however, said it will recognize and protect every proven title to land.

Samuel Aruwan, Governor Nasir El-Rufais spokesperson, said the planned demolition was to restore the land back to the rightful owner which is the Kaduna Polytechnic.

As the municipal authority in which all land in the state is vested upon, the government was again approached in 2015 by the Kaduna Polytechnic requesting action to preserve their title, he said.
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.
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Name : proftpd

Product : Fedora 24

Version : 1.3.5b

Release : 1.fc24

URL : http://www.proftpd.org/

Summary : Flexible, stable and highly-configurable FTP server

Description :

ProFTPD is an enhanced FTP server with a focus toward simplicity, security,

and ease of configuration. It features a very Apache-like configuration

syntax, and a highly customizable server infrastructure, including support for

multiple 'virtual' FTP servers, anonymous FTP, and permission-based

directory

visibility.



This package defaults to the standalone behavior of ProFTPD, but all the

needed scripts to have it run by systemd instead are included.



-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

Update Information:



Cumulative maintenance release from upstream. Highlights are: * SSH RSA

hostkeys smaller than 2048 bits now work properly. * MLSD response lines are

now

properly CRLF terminated. * Fixed selection of DH groups from TLSDHParamFile

(CVE-2016-3125) Various other bug fixes are also included.

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

References:



[ 1 ] Bug #1317420 - CVE-2016-3125 proftpd: usage of 1024 bit DH key even

with manual parameters set

https://bugzilla.redhat.com/show_bug.cgi?id=1317420

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-



This update can be installed with the "yum" update program. Use

su -c 'yum update proftpd' at the command line.

For more information, refer to "Managing Software with yum",

available at https://docs.fedoraproject.org/yum/.



All packages are signed with the Fedora Project GPG key. More details on the

GPG keys used by the Fedora Project can be found at

https://fedoraproject.org/keys

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

-

_______________________________________________

package-announce mailing list

package-announce@lists.fedoraproject.org

https://admin.fedoraproject.org/mailman/listinfo/package-announce


If you were looking for the Charlestown Democratic Town Committee website and ended up here, try this





Got news tips, gossip, suggestions, complaints?E-mail us: progressivecharlestown@gmail.com We strive to avoid errors in our articles. Our correction policy can be found here
Kathmandu, March 25 : Nepal's ruling Communist Party of Nepal (Marxist-Leninist) on Friday welcomed cooperation deals inked with China during the ongoing visit of Prime Minister K. P. Sharma Oli.

"These bilateral cooperation deals are highly significant which help achieving long-term socio-economic development goals to Nepal on its own," Xinhua cited the CPN-ML as saying in a statement.

Stating that the deals have opened new gateway for diversifying Nepal's trade, the party also stressed on earnest implementation of those pacts.

"Bilateral cooperation deals reached between the two countries on trade diversification, cross border connectivity, infrastructure development, investment, reconstruction, climate change, energy, tourism and finance have a long-term significance for Nepal's socio-economic development," the party added.

Nepal and China had sealed 10 separate agreements and memorandums of understanding, including Transit Transport Agreement and Joint Feasibility Study of Free Trade Agreement during the visit of the Nepali prime minister in Beijing.

Oli's week-long visit to China has drawn huge attention of the Nepalese people who hailed the agreements and MoUs as a milestone in enhancing cooperation between the two neighbours.
New Delhi, March 26 : Former Uttarakhand chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, who is also heading the rebellion against Chief Minister Harish Rawat, demanded dismissal of the state government and also sought President's Rule in the state.

"The chief minister should resign immediately and if he doesn't, I urge President's Rule be imposed in the state and fresh elections be conducted thereafter," Bahuguna told reporters.

He also accused Uttarakhand governor K.K. Paul of misusing his constitutional position and sought his removal.

"The governor has misused his constitutional position, we will demand that governor be removed. He gave 10 days time to a minority government to come into majority," Bahuguna said.

He also dared Rawat to order a Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) enquiry into the whole matter.

"Why Rawat is not ordering CBI probe into the whole matter. If I had been the chief minister, I would have ordered CBI probe," he said.

He also accused the chief minister of indulging in factionalism in the state Congress.
New Delhi, March 26 : Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Saturday urged the chief ministers of all states to oppose the central government's proposal to levy excise duty on non-silver jewellery.

"I wrote to prime minister a few days back seeking roll back of excise on jewellers. Today, I wrote letters to all chief ministers urging them also to write to PM," Kejriwal tweeted on Saturday.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, in his budget speech, had proposed levying one percent excise duty on non-silver jewellery.

Many jewellers and bullion traders associations have been opposing the move and have been on an indefinite strike since March 2.

"I have written to the prime minister requesting him to roll back the excise proposal. I also request you to oppose the excise duty on jewellers and write to the central government in this regard," Kejriwal said in his letter to the chief ministers.
Pyongyang, March 27 : North Korea on Saturday threatened to fire long-range artillery at Seoul unless South Korean President Park Geun-hye apologizes and punishes those who planned striking Pyongyang leadership.

Pyongyang issued the warning in an ultimatum sent to the Park administration by the artillery force of the Korean People's Army (KPA), according to the official KCNA news agency.

The ultimatum urged Park to offer "an official apology" to all Korean people for "dare attempts to slander and do harm to the sun of Songun," which refers to North Korea's top leader, Kim Jong Un.

It also asked Park and her administration to punish those who designed the operation for striking Pyongyang leadership and "finish them without mercy."

The military threatened in the ultimatum that if the Park administration did not respond to the warning, the artillery force would "move over to merciless military action."

South Korea's presidential office Cheong Wa Dae and other major government buildings are within the firing range of the KPA's long-range artillery, it added.

Pyongyang has in recent days repeatedly threatened to launch strikes at Cheong Wa Dae and other government offices in Seoul with artillery and rockets as tensions continue to escalate on the Korean Peninsula.

On March 7, South Korea and the United States began joint annual war games "Key Resolve" and "Foal Eagle," which Pyongyang claimed were rehearsals for northward invasion.

The drills included a "beheading operation" that took North Korea leadership as a hypothetical target.

In response, Pyongyang stepped up missile and rocket launches as well as artillery firing exercises.
Santiago, March 27 : The Chilean health ministry has confirmed the first case of sexually transmitted Zika virus in the country, the media reported on Sunday.

The 46-year-old woman was infected with the virus as she had unprotected sex with her partner, who was infected with Zika in Haiti, said the ministry on Saturday.

"This is the first case of the virus being sexually transmitted in mainland Chile, where the Aedes aegypti mosquito, which transmits the disease, does not exist," Xinhua news agency quoted the ministry as sayig.

The ministry warned against unprotected sex among people at risk as the majority of the infections caused by the Zika virus are symptom less.

"They should consider practicing safe sex or abstaining from sexual activity for at least four weeks after they return (to Chile from risk countries). In the case of pregnant women, this care should be taken during their whole gestation period," the ministry added.

There have been 10 confirmed imported Zika cases in Chile, eight of them in 2016.
Washington, March 27 : Bernie Sanders swept to resounding victories in Democratic presidential nomination contests in the Western caucus states of Washington and Alaska, but failed to shake Hillary Clinton's frontrunner status.

Hawaii is also holding caucuses Saturday as well, but results are expected after midnight here.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed West," Sanders said at a jubilant rally before 8,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin -- a state that will hold the next major contest in 10 days. "We have a path toward victory."

Clinton has built up her delegate lead on the back of a strong run in the South, but Sanders argued Saturday that the map now offers more opportunities for his campaign because his wins are being powered by huge turnout among younger voters.

"With your help we're going to win right here in Wisconsin," he said. "So don't let anyone tell you we can't win the nomination, or win the general election. We're going to do both of those things."

But even with his big victories on Saturday, Sanders faces steep hurdles in catching Clinton in the delegate count.

While Washington had 101 delegates up for grabs, Hawaii and Alaska were relatively small prizes -- with just 25 and 16 delegates at stake respectively.

With over 90 percent votes counted, Sanders held a wide lead over Clinton in Washington, 72 percent to 28 percent and 80 percent to 20 percent in Alaska.

As delegates are distributed proportionally in Democratic contests, Sanders is likely to get more than three fourths of the delegates in the two states.

Clinton did not address the results publicly on Saturday, but her campaign sought to raise money off her losses in Saturday's contests, portraying them as a warning to donors, according to CNN.

The size of Sanders's margins on Saturday served as a warning shot to Clinton, allowing him to make the argument at his rally in Madison that he was "making significant inroads" into Clinton's delegate lead, CNN said.

In Hawaii, Sanders is backed by the first Hindu-American member of the US House Tulsi Gabbard, who broke with Democratic Party leadership to show her support for Sanders.

In an emotional Sanders campaign ad featuring Gabbard, who served a 12-month tour in Iraq, she talks about the importance of Sanders's vote against the Iraq War.

"The American people are not looking to settle for inches," Gabbard says in the ad. "They're looking for real change."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
Jaipur, March 27 : At least five people were killed and 47 others injured when a bus collided with a tanker on a highway near Phalodi in Jodhpur district, officials said on Sunday.

"The accident occurred late last night when a bus collided with a tanker about 35 kms from Phalodi on the Jaisalmer highway. We admitted 21 people in Phalodi hospital and rest in Jodhpur hospital," Virendra Singh, SHO, Phalodi police station told IANS.

Ashok, an injured passenger said, "We all are from the Jain community. Around 60 of us were travelling from Phalodi to Jaisalmer. Suddenly the collision happened and I don't remember how. We asked for help and people took us to the hospital."

Constable of Phalodi Police Station, Gopi Kishan said, "These passengers are all from Gujarat and had come to visit Jaisalmer and are from the Jain community."
Kabul, March 27 : A total of 53 militants gave up fighting and surrendered their weapons in Afghanistan's Nangarhar province on Sunday.

"Today (Sunday) we are welcoming 53 former armed oppositions, including 43 Taliban and 10 fighters of Islamic State. I am calling upon all armed opposition groups to give up fighting," Xinhua news agency quoted a senior official as saying.

The militants were active in Achin, Nazian, Shinwar and Pachir Hagam districts over the past couple of years, the official said.

All the insurgents handed over their weapons to the authorities.

Speaking on the militants' welcoming ceremony, Nangarhar provincial governor Salim Khan Kunduzi promised to provide job opportunities to them.

Over 10,000 Taliban militants have given up fighting and reintegrated with their communities since 2010, according to Afghanistan High Peace Council, the government-backed peace agency.

However, Taliban militants rejected the claim, insisting that no fighter of the group has surrendered.
Mumbai, March 27 : Popular Indian actors are landing roles in international projects, but actress Kareena Kapoor Khan says she is not eyeing Hollywood.

Asked if she would like to feature in a Hollywood film, Kareena said: "I have no interest in Hollywood. Today, people are watching Hindi films all over the world and in fact Hindi films are dubbed in all languages... So, it's not that they (West) don't know other actresses.

"To work in Hollywood, a different kind of energy and dedication is required, but I don't think I have that in me."

Kareena is currently busy promoting her film "Ki & Ka" -- a film which breaks gender stereotypes with its theme. The actress credits her husband Saif Ali Khan for being supportive and allowing her to do the film.

"Partner's support is very important. If my partner was not supportive, I would not be able to do a film like 'Ki & Ka'," she said, adding that Saif found the film "progressive" in its thought.

The movie features Arjun Kapoor as Kabir, an IIT graduate and a house husband, who has grown up wanting to be like his mother and not like his father and will be seen doing household.

On the other hand, Kareena essays Kia, an ambitious and a career-oriented woman.

Directed by R. Balki, the film is slated to release on April 1.
Dimapur, March 27 : The NSCN-Reformation, one of the strongest armed groups in Nagaland, will observe Monday as a black day to protest against a year of abrogation of ceasefire by the NSCN-Khaplang group.

"March 28 is a black day for us as instead of considering peace, the Khaplang group last year abrogated the ceasefire with the Indian government," Wangtin Konyak, president of NSCN-R, told IANS.

The NSCN-R came into existence in April 2015, immediately after the NSCN-Khaplang broke the ceasefire with New Delhi.

The founders of the NSCN-Reformation, who were formerly senior leaders of the Khaplang group and opposed to abrogating the peace pact, now have a ceasefire with the Indian government.

The group was the first among other armed groups of Nagaland to publicly support the framework agreement inked between the NSCN-IM and the central government on August 3, 2015.

The abrogation of the ceasefire by the Khaplang group was followed by a series of attacks on the Indian army, including the killing of four Assam Rifles personnel in Mon district of Nagaland and the later killing of 20 Dogra Regiment soldiers in Chandel district of Manipur.
Baghmundi (West Bengal), March 27 : Taking credit for the restoration of peace in the Maoist-affected Junglemahal region, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Sunday urged people not to vote for the "unethical Congress-Left Front alliance".

"People are now living in peace in Purulia. When our government came to power, the challenge was to restore peace in Juglemahal (forested stretches comprising large areas of Bankura, West Midnapore and Purulia districts known to be Maoist pockets)," Banerjee said at a poll rally in Baghmundi block in Purulia, around 320 km from Kolkata.

Banerjee said people were stricken by fear during the 34-year rule of the Communist Party of India-Marxist led Left Front.

"There was fear of police, fear of getting arrested after being labelled a Maoist, or fear of bullets."

Banerjee said that while buses had stopped plying, train services were halted at night, and schools and colleges got over by day time.

"But now peace prevails in Jungelmahal. This is our biggest achievement," the Trinamool Congress supremo said.

Describing the Congress-Left Front understanding as "selfish" and "unethical", she said those who love the CPI-M, should not vote for the Congress.

Nepal Mahato, the Congress legislator from Baghmundi, is seeking re-election with the support of the Left Front.

"I will ask those who love the CPI-M, and the All India Forward Bloc, don't vote for the Congress candidate. The CPI-M and the Congress have struck an immoral, selfish and unethical understanding," she added.
Jerusalem, March 27 : Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu softened his stance on Sunday against a soldier accused of killing a Palestinian attacker at point blank while lying wounded on the ground.

Netanyahu said the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) "maintain high ethical values" and rejected those who challenge "the IDF's morality", at the beginning of the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, Xinhua news agency cited a statement from his office as saying.

"Any challenge to the morality of the IDF is outrageous and unacceptable," Netanyahu said.

He also said that the soldiers were dealing with "bloodthirsty murderers", talking about Palestinian attackers, and added that the military's investigation of the incident should take into account the "difficult operational conditions" the soldiers faced.

"I am certain that... the inquiry takes into account all conditions. We must all support the IDF and our soldiers who safeguard our security," Netanyahu said.

On Thursday, a volunteer for the B'tselem organisation, an Israeli organisation advocating for human rights in the occupied territories, captured footage of a soldier shooting a Palestinian attacker in the head after an attack in Hebron.

The graphic footage showed that the soldier shooting the Palestinian at point blank while he was lying on the ground injured and was unarmed.

The IDF has suspended the soldier and said he would be facing murder charges amid a military police investigation.

It took place shortly after two Palestinian attackers stabbed an Israeli soldier and injured him lightly. Soldiers at the scene shot them, according to the IDF. The two died eventually.

Back on Thursday, Netanyahu said that this event does not reflect on the ethical stance of the IDF, but he had since slightly altered his position, amid voices of right-wingers who defended the soldier.

Netanyahu also said on Saturday that the soldiers who find themselves in "murderous terror attacks" deserve support.

The soldier's family and supporters claimed over the weekend that the soldier feared the attacker had an explosive device on him.

Furthermore, the soldier won the support of Israeli right-wing ministers like nationalist Education Minister Naftali Bennett, who said the claims against the soldier are "absurd" as "we are at war".

A total of 28 Israelis have been killed in a wave of violence which started in October, in shooting, stabbing and car-ramming attacks.

Nearly 190 Palestinians were killed during the period, some during clashes in protests with Israeli security forces, while many others were gunned down at scenes of attack after allegedly carrying, or trying to carry out, attacks against Israelis.

Israel faced criticism from human rights groups, the Palestinians, Europe and the US for shooting and killing Palestinian attackers even though they no longer posed a threat at the scenes of the attacks.

Recently, Israeli officials locked horns with Swedish Foreign Minister Margot Wallstrom, who called to investigate Israel's "extra-judicial" killings of Palestinian attackers.

Israeli officials in response said she is "biased" against Israel and "anti-Semitic."

Israeli leaders say the reason for the wave of unrest is the Palestinian Authority's incitement to violence, whereas the Palestinians say it is the result of frustration amid 49 years of Israeli occupation of the West Bank, east Jerusalem and Gaza Strip, where they wish to establish a Palestinian state.
Thiruvananthapuram, March 27 : Christians in Kerala on Sunday celebrated Easter in all its splendour with a bit of everything -- prayers, good food and drinks.

From early morning, most homes saw activity as people got ready to go to their churches for the Easter mass.

The parish vicars handed over a piece of cake to the believers, and in some churches, a sip of wine, signalling the end of the 50-day Lent, when the most devout Christians turn vegetarian.

The Easter breakfast had delicious items like appam (pancake made of rice flour mixed with toddy), chicken stew, beef roast, duck dishes, steamed bananas, egg roast and cake.

After the meal, most people rested awhile as for the past one week, prayers in churches were generally held either early in the morning or at night.

In many homes, the Easter lunch on Sunday had the conventional rice dishes accompanied by various curries and non-vegetarian items like fish and meat.

Many people had steaming hot biriyani.

For many people, Easter is never complete without a drink.

"We returned from church around 6 a.m. and had a drink. We then had our breakfast and soon went to bed. Got up around noon, had another round of drinks and had lunch. We will have another round and this year's Easter comes to a close with dinner," said K.J. Abraham, who has come for a short vacation from Kuwait.

According to the latest census report, of the 33.4 million population of Kerala, there are 61.41 lakh Christians. Of this, Catholics account for over 50 percent.
Mumbai, March 27 : Actress Jacqueline Fernandez, who has been busy with back-to-back shooting schedules, got some much-needed family time on Easter. The Sri Lankan beauty says she is glad her mother made the day more special by flying down here to celebrate.

"Easter is a really important festival for us and we love celebrating it together. This year my mom has come from Sri Lanka. She also brought my favourite homemade hot cross buns which has been an Easter staple since childhood," Jacqueline said in a statement.

Jacqueline, who has been living in Mumbai, was happy to have spent the day with her mother.

The actress will next be seen on the silver screen in "Housefull 3", "Dishoom" and "A Flying Jatt' this year.
Dehradun/New Delhi, March 27 : President's Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand on Sunday after days of political uncertainty triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress, prompting Chief Minister Harish Rawat to accuse the BJP-led central government of murdering democracy.

A Rashtrapati Bhavan source said President Pranab Mukherjee approved the union cabinet's decision to dismiss the Rawat-led Congress government. The cabinet met Saturday night with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the chair and recommended central rule in the hill state.

The president signed the proclamation, which also recommended placing the state assembly in suspended animation, the source said. This is Uttarakhand's first experience with President's Rule since it was carved out of Uttar Pradesh in 2000.

Speaking to reporters after meeting Governor K.K. Paul, the chief minister did not spare the central government and Prime Minister Modi too.

Modi had the "blood of the aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand on his hands", he said, alleging that the BJP-led central government slashed the budget for his state and even cut funds for the restoration of the Kedarnath temple, devastated by the 2013 flash floods, and the Kumbh Mela.

He hinted that the Congress may move court against the decision to impose President's Rule.

"We will take support to all legal options. This will be decided by our advocates. I was heading a very delicate majority. If Congress comes back to power, we will increase the Vidhan Sabha seats from 70 to 90."

The central government justified the Uttarakhand decision, saying the state was "a textbook case for enforcing President's Rule" on grounds of "breakdown of governance".

"I believe there cannot be a better example (for implementing President's Rule)," Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said in New Delhi. "For the last nine days, the constitution was being violated in Uttarakhand."

The crisis in the state began when nine Congress legislators, including former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, who Rawat replaced, revolted against the chief minister and turned to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which was happy to support them.

On March 18, things came to a head when the assembly passed the budget appropriation bill by voice vote even as more than half the members in the house sought a division, which would have led to recorded voting.

The rebel Congress lawmakers supported the BJP's demand for a conscience vote. Speaker Govind Kunjwal declined the request.

Before the rebellion, the Congress had 36 members in the 70-member house and the BJP 31. With nine of its lawmakers aligning with the BJP, the Congress was left with 27 and six from smaller parties backing the Rawat government. The chief minister was asked to prove his majority on Monday but the central government decided to act a day earlier.

On Saturday, the 69-year-old chief minister was shown striking an alleged multi-crore rupees deal for bringing the rebels back into the party. The sting operation was aired by an Uttarakhand channel.

The Congress leader denied the allegation and accused the BJP of "buying" the Congress rebels to topple his government. He said his two former colleagues - Bahuguna and Harak Singh Rawat - had connived with the BJP.

The Congress said it was not surprised.

"The real desire of the government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner," party general secretary Ambika Soni said.

"At every step, constitutional rules have been broken...it is so glaring for everyone to see."

The Uttarakhand decision also came under fire from Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

BJP general secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya said his party was not averse to forming the next government in Uttarakhand if given an opportunity.
Mumbai, March 27 : Jet Airways on Sunday started daily non-stop services from Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto to its new European gateway in Amsterdam.

In a release here, Jet Airways said the three flights from Delhi, Mumbai and Toronto landed at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport on schedule.

Ahead of the departure of the first flights to Amsterdam, a multi-faith ceremony with lamp lighting was performed at both Mumbai and Delhi airports, it said.

The Netherlands Ambassador to India Alphonsus Stoelinga was present on the occasion at Delhi airport, while the Netherlands Consul General Geoffrey van Leeuwen was among those at the event at Mumbai airport, it added.

"Today (Sunday) marks the start of our new service connecting three continents, together with our code share partners KLM and Delta Air Lines," Jet Airways chairman Naresh Goyal said in the statement.

"We are happy to operate daily flights to Amsterdam from Mumbai, Delhi and Toronto, thereby providing greater choice and connectivity to our guests and facilitating trade and co-operation between India and the Netherlands.

"Through Amsterdam our new European gateway and along with our codeshare partners, we will now offer seamless connectivity to over 30 destinations in Europe and 11 destinations in the United States and Canada to our guests," he added.

The relocation of the Indian carrier's European gateway from Brussels has taken place even as the airport at the Belgian capital was the target of suicide bomb attacks last Tuesday that killed over 10 people and injured many, including two Jet Airways staffers.
Washington, March 27 : Hillary Clinton felt the 'Bern' as rival Bernie Sanders swept all three Democratic presidential nomination contests, giving the frontrunner a warning that the race for the party's nomination is far from over.

The self-styled Democratic Socialist dominated the Pacific Northwest on Saturday, routing Clinton in Washington state by 72.3 percent to 27.5 percent, smoked her in Alaska by 80.7 percent to 19.3 percent and won in Hawaii by 70.6 percent to 29.2 percent.

While Washington had 101 delegates up for grabs, Hawaii and Alaska were relatively small prizes -- with just 25 and 16 delegates at stake respectively.

As all three states allocate delegates proportionately, Sanders would likely corner three fourths of them.

Sanders called the results of the Western caucuses a "resounding" win and proclaimed his campaign has a "path toward victory".

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed West," Sanders said at a jubilant rally before 8,000 people in Madison, Wisconsin -- a state that will hold the next major contest in 10 days. "We have a path toward victory."

But as of Saturday evening, Clinton was maintaining a 278-delegate lead over Sanders and a 469-to-29 advantage among super delegates, party officials and functionaries who are free to vote for any candidates.

Clinton did not address the results publicly and tweeted on Saturday: "We need serious leadership, shouting and chest-beating are not a strategy."

Sanders in a speech in Wisconsin criticised Republican rivals Donald Trump and Ted Cruz for "spending time attacking each other's wives".

"How crazy is that?" he said. "The reason we are doing well is because we are talking about the real issues facing America and we're telling the truth."

Sanders added that the one issue on which he and Clinton agree is that "no Republican should make it to the Oval Office."

In Hawaii, Sanders was backed by the first Hindu-American member of the US House Tulsi Gabbard, who broke with the Democratic Party leadership to show her support for Sanders.

An emotional Sanders campaign ad featuring Gabbard, who served a 12-month tour in Iraq, said: "The American people are not looking to settle for inches. They're looking for real change."

(Arun Kumar can be contacted at arun.kumar@ians.in)
New Delhi, March 27 : The Congress on Sunday lashed out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, saying the move was a "naked negation of the Constitutional norms".

"The governor had asked the Congress government to prove its majority on March 28. What, then, is the justification for imposition of President's Rule 24 hours before the floor test to prove majority? It shows complete lack of respect for the constitution on part of the prime minister," Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala told reporters here.

"The Supreme Court has categorically held that once a floor test has been ordered, the governor cannot recommend President's Rule based on his subjective satisfaction," he said.

Another Congress leader Kapil Sibal challenged the authenticity of the sting operation which has been made a reference point by the central government in disposing the Harish Rawat government.

"Which constitutional breakdown has taken place in Uttarakhand, they are talking about? Has any riots taken place in Uttarakhand? Will the cabinet decide about the authenticity of a sting operation now?

"Thousands of sting operations have happened in Madhya Pradesh. What about them?" asked Sibal, insisting that the move reflected "an unprecedented arrogance of power and position on part of the prime minister".

Earlier in the day, President Pranab Mukherjee approved the decision of the union cabinet to impose central rule in Uttarakhand on grounds of instability and breakdown in law and order situation in the state.

The cabinet recommended the central rule on Saturday night after an hour-long meeting chaired by Modi. With this, the Uttarakhand assembly was placed under suspended animation.
Islamabad, March 27 : At least four people were killed and 20 others injured when a bomb exploded in a public park in Pakistan's Lahore city on Sunday evening, the media reported.

Samaa News said the explosion happened inside the parking stand located near the main gate of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park.

The media said the bomb might have been fixed on a motorbike parked in the stand.

Xinhua said the injured were shifted to Sheikh Zaid hospital where several of them were said to be in critical condition.
New Delhi, March 27 : A 25-year-old married woman, who was an aspiring model, was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her house here, police said on Sunday. Her husband has been arrested after it was alleged that he used to torture her.

Priyanka Kapoor was found dead late Friday at her residence in south Delhi's Defence Colony area. She was married to Nitin Chawala who runs a restaurant, police said.

"At about 12.30 a.m. on March 25 we got information that a woman was not responding from her room, bolted from inside, at her flat in Defence Colony area. Police along with fire brigade staff reached the place and broke open the door in the presence of Priyanka's mother and her husband.

"In the room Priyanka was found hanging from the ceiling fan. She was taken to AIIMS where doctors declared her dead," the police officer said.

A sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) enquiry has been initiated in the matter. On the statement of Priyanka's sister Dimpi Kapoor, a case under the Dowry Prohibition Act was registered against her husband who was later arrested, the police officer said.

In her statement, Dimpi alleged that Chawala used to torture beat and harass Priyanka for dowry.

"Police also found a note believed to have been written by the woman before her death. Similar types of allegations were also made in the letter recovered from the spot," the police officer said.
Lahore, March 27 : Around 20 people were killed when a powerful explosion devastated one of the main gates of the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park here on Sunday evening, officials said.

The deafening explosion -- apparently caused by a suicide bomber -- hit gate no.1 around 6.30 p.m. when the park was teeming with families, specially women and children, dazed witnesses said.

More than 100 people were injured and rushed to hospitals, where many of them were said to be in critical condition, The Nation and Dawn newspapers said.

Witnesses were quoted as saying that there were pools of blood and scattered body parts in the park.

Rescuers, including police, and more than 20 ambulances rushed to the park and began ferrying the wounded.

ARY News said 5-6 kg of explosives may have been used in the explosion, which was heard in a large part of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

Samaa News said the explosion took place inside the parking stand located near the main gate of the park.

Some reports said the bomb might have been fixed on a parked motorbike.

Xinhua said the injured were shifted to Sheikh Zaid hospital where several of them were said to be in critical condition.

An emergency was declared in all government hospitals in Lahore. Police cordoned off the park.

Punjab Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif condemned the terrorist attack.
New Delhi, March 27 : Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the deadly suicide blast in Pakistan's Lahore that killed around 50 people on Sunday evening.

"Heard about the blast in Lahore. I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased & prayers with the injured: PM," Modi tweeted from his PMO India account.

More than 50 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Sunday evening near the main gate of the crowded Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in Lahore, media reports said.
Lahore, March 27 : More than 50 people were killed when a suicide bomber blew himself up on Sunday evening near the main gate of the crowded and popular Gulshan-e-Iqbal park here, officials said.

Superintendent of Police Muhammad Iqbal of Iqbal Town area, where the park is located, confirmed it was a suicide attack and said 53 people had been killed.

More than 200 people were injured in the ghastly tragedy. Many of them were in critical condition in three main hospitals which frantically appealed to Lahore residents to donate blood.

The deafening explosion took place around 6.30 p.m. when the park was teeming with families, especially women and children, enjoying the Sunday and Easter holiday.

Police officials said the blast occurred only a few metres from the children's swings.

Media reports quoted witnesses as saying that body parts were strewn everywhere.

Daily Pakistan said the park was packed when the attack took place. "There were body parts everywhere," the Dawn quoted a witness as saying.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Mohammad Usman also confirmed that it was a suicide attack and said that ball bearings used in the explosive had been found at the parking lot.

Police rescuers and over 20 ambulances ambulances raced to the park, which is crowded every weekend, and ferried the injured to hospitals.

Others who survived the explosion helped to take the injured to hospitals in taxis and and rickshaws.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Haider Ashraf said the suicide bomber blew up in the parking lot. Xinhua news agency said that the terrorist's body parts were found at the site.

The first international reaction came from India, where Prime Minister Narendra Modi denounced the deadly blast.

"I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased and prayers with the injured: PM," Modi tweeted.

In Pakistan, shocked leaders condemned the brutal terror. They included President Mamnoon Hussain, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif and Chief Minister Shahbaz Sharif of Punjab.

ARY News said 5-6 kg of explosives may have been used in the explosion, which was heard in a large part of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

An emergency was declared in all government hospitals in Lahore. While police cordoned off the park, troops were also rushed to the site to help the civilian authorities.
New Delhi, March 27 : The Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and All India Bullion Jewellers and Swarnkar Federation (AIBJSF) said on Sunday that they will not withdraw their strike, which entered its 26th day, till the time the government withdraws the proposed one percent excise duty on non-silver jewellery.

In the wake of indefinite strike by jewellery trade in the country since March 2 against imposition of excise duty, the CAIT, in a a statement, said: "The basic fundamental of levying excise on jewellery trade is untenable since the finance minister in his budget speech has announced imposition of excise on manufacturing of gold & diamond whereas jewellery traders are merely the sellers and not the manufacturers."

It noted that under the Central Excise Act, there is no term like 'principal manufacturer' and as such, crafting this new term into the ambit of excise is against the provisions of the act and "a case of stretching powers to an unreasonable extent".

CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal told reporters that the government should keep the decision in abeyance till the issue is resolved.

"Government should take traders into confidence and open the door for discussion on the matter. Traders are not running from paying taxes. The profit of traders are very low and one percent levy is very high," he said.

"We have been on strike for last 26 days and will continue to do so for indefinite period till the time government rolls back its decision," AIBJSF president Praveen Goel told reporters here.

He said that the worst-affected with this proposal are daily wage artisans.

Although the AIBJSF is continuing with the strike, three other associations - GJF, ABJA and GJEPC - called off the strike on March 19 following the government's assurance that there would be no harassment of traders by tax officials.

A three-member committee, headed by former chief economic adviser to the finance ministry, Ashok Lahiri, has been constituted to look into issues related to excise duty on jewellery and find a solution.

Over 300,000 jewellery shops owing allegiance to more than 300 associations across India went on strike since the excise duty announcement in the budget presented on February 29.

They have also been opposing the government rule making permanent account number (PAN) card as a mandatory proof on purchases of Rs.2 lakh and above.

The size of the gems and jewellery industry, that is still an unorganised sector, is estimated to be in the range of between Rs.2.5-3 lakh crore.

The government move was prompted by the aim to bring the growing sector into the mainstream of economic activity by levying a tax.
Cape Town, March 28 : The National Assembly should investigate "patterns of state capture" by the Indian Gupta family, South Africa's opposition Democratic Alliance said on Sunday.

The DA made the appeal after Jackson Mthembu, Chief Whip of the ruling African National Congress (ANC), voiced support for calls to investigate "patterns of state capture" by the Gupta family, Xinhua reported.

The wealthy Gupta family, which allegedly keeps close ties with President Jacob Zuma, his family and ANC officials, has been accused of exerting undue influence on South Africa's state affairs by offering cabinet posts to ANC officials.

The family has, however, denied the accusation.

Earlier this month, DA Leader Mmusi Maimane submitted a substantive motion in the NA, requesting that the House establish an ad hoc committee to investigate revelations regarding the Gupta family and their illicit influence over the Presidency and Executive.

If Mthembu is serious and not merely offering lip service, he and his caucus should support this motion in the NA and work with the opposition to ensure that this ad hoc committee is free of political influence, the DA said in a statement.

"The Gupta family's influence has infiltrated various government departments and appointment processes, and it is important that an ad hoc committee represented by these portfolios investigate these allegations and report to Parliament," DA Chief Whip John Steenhuisen said in the statement.

If any undue influence or improper conduct is found, the committee should recommend swift action against all those who have compromised their oaths of office, Steenhuisen added.

The committee, he said, must also recommend measures to prevent similar incidents from occurring in future to ensure that a fair South Africa is maintained.
BELLEVILLE, Ill. (AP)  A move by several southern Illinois judges to avoid a November election in which they would require more votes than most other candidates is drawing attention due to skyrocketing campaign costs and the undue influence that money might have.

The three Democratic St. Clair County circuit judges plan to retire later this year to avoid retention elections, in which they would run unopposed but need 60 percent approval rather than a simple majority. Judges John Baricevic, Bob Haida and Robert LeChien argue that if they retire then they are free to seek election as first-time candidates and would only need to exceed a 50 percent vote threshold.

The tactic is being challenged by Belleville's city clerk, a Republican, and criticized by those who believe Illinois would be better served if its judges were appointed.

"If you're a judge in a political system, you find a way to play within the system," said Debra Erenberg, director of state affairs for Justice at Stake, an advocacy group that favors public financing of judicial elections. "They have found a loophole."

The judges' collective decision was fueled by accusations that they had turned a blind eye to the behavior of Michael Cook, a former St. Clair drug court judge who was imprisoned for two years for heroin possession and a weapons violation, said Baricevic, the county's chief judge. Cook's downfall came after the March 2013 death by cocaine overdose of St. Clair associate judge Joseph Christ at a Pike County hunting lodge owned by Cook's family.

Judges in retention elections are limited in the topics they can discuss with voters, including Cook and Christ, so the three thought it best to temporarily resign.

Talk-radio host Bob Romanik, a former Metro East police chief, strip club owner and twice-convicted felon running for a state legislative seat as a Republican, says the St. Clair courthouse has a "culture of corruption."

"Using 'corrupt' and 'judge' in the same sentence is a terrible accusation," said Baricevic, who, along with Haida, was a state's attorney in the traditionally Democratic county. "If you're going to, in essence, get charged with a criminal allegation in an election, you ought to be able to respond."

Groups representing plaintiffs' lawyers and business interests increasingly are targeting the state's judicial elections, which Baricevic and Haida also mentioned in separate interviews as factors in their decision. In 2014, Illinois Supreme Court Justice Lloyd Karmeier barely won a retention election dominated by third-party spending from plaintiffs' lawyers and the Republican State Leadership Committee. That followed a 2004 partisan race in which a record $9.3 million was spent as Karmeier, a Republican considered friendly to business, defeated a Democratic appellate judge.

Two of the St. Clair County judges face Republican opponents in the general election; Haida is unopposed.

The state Constitution says sitting judges "may" file to run for retention, wording that Belleville clerk Dallas Cook says indicates a requirement. The three judges argue that the phrasing allows them to choose between retention elections and partisan contests.

In response to a suit by the Belleville clerk  a GOP candidate for St. Clair County circuit court clerk  a Sangamon County judge in February ruled that the St. Clair judges can remain on the November ballot.

"Judges should be held to the highest of standards," Cook said of that decision, which he has appealed. "It could not be any clearer that they are trying to game the system."

Judicial reformers who favor the broader use of merit selection  a process used to select associate judges in Illinois say the St. Clair scenario is just one more example of the need for change.

About two-thirds of the 50 states have merit selection for some or all of their judges, including Missouri, where a judicial selection process adopted in 1940 has become a national model. Under the Missouri Plan, the governor appoints judges on the state Supreme Court, lower appeals courts and Kansas City and St. Louis trial courts. A special nominating commission selects finalists for the governor's consideration.
MOLINE  As if on cue, thunder clapped as he applauded his chamber of commerce colleagues and mentors for making him look so good for the past 10 years.

Paul Rumler, 36, chief economic development officer and executive vice president at the Quad Cities Chamber of Commerce, recently announced his impending resignation to take a job in Grand Rapids, Mich., as its chamber's chief strategy officer. He makes the switch in May.

Mr. Rumler is a Moline native, graduating from Moline High School and Black Hawk College. He also graduated from Boston University and Georgia State University and served a stint on the staff of then-U.S. House Democratic whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland. "So, yes, I've moved away before," he said.

And he's come back before.

"Never say never," he said, when asked if he might return.

He and his wife, Leah Rumler, are excited about his new opportunity in Grand Rapids, he said.

"The time was right to make a change," Mr. Rumler said. "And I'm always up for a new challenge."

He came back to Moline after college hoping "to make an impact in my hometown," he said.

And he believes his key legacy was made through economic development.

His assigned duties were to provide "oversight and strategic management to a $6 million budget and 32-person staff related to economic development, downtown revitalization, workforce development, membership recruitment, programs and events, communications, military affairs" and intergovernmental relations, according to his resume information.

Mr. Rumler's efforts netted him international and local "leaders under 40" awards.

Some of his key accomplishments include securing $240 million for a Chicago-to-the-Quad-Cities passenger rail service and $2 million for nonstop flights between Washington, D.C., and the Quad-Cities. Despite the facts that flights were halted last week, and trains have yet to run, Mr. Rumler said he was proud of accomplishing the funding phases.

Mr. Rumler's other victories included developing a Quad-Cities Manufacturing Innovation Hub; leading the work that brought a $40 million reinvestment in Moline's SouthPark Mall; and his Rock Island Arsenal and Western Illinois University advocacy work.

What he is proudest of, however, is working with such a great team of people.

"No one could have done all this alone," he said

The team he developed closed more than 50 projects that resulted in 6,076 jobs and $1.7 billion in economic impact. His economic development team was recognized as the "Best of Iowa" in 2015.

The team's success drew thunderous clapping from the Thursday morning rainstorm, and from fellow chamber leaders. who expressed their thanks and appreciation for Mr. Rumlers role in moving priority projects forward.

He has been a strong asset to this community and the chamber, and we know he will take with him to Grand Rapids the same level of expertise and dedication that he brought to the office each and every day during his time here," chamber president and CEO Tara Barney said.

As chief economic development officer, Paul built a forward-thinking and collaborative team not only on the chamber staff, but also among the economic development professionals throughout the region who regularly work together to advance the Quad-Cities, Quad Cities First board chairman and Unity Point Health-Trinity CEO Rick Seidler said.

Mr. Rumler had a final piece of advice he wanted to pour out to Quad-Citians.

"Get involved in your community," he said.

Mr. Rumler served on more than a dozen other community boards, including the John Deere Classic, UnityPoint-Trinity, the USO of Illinois, Quad-Cities Defense alliance, workforce development, Goodwill, Western Illinois University Quad-Cities and a host of others.

His first act upon returning home was to challenge incumbent State Sen. Mike Jacobs in the 2006 Democrat primary. He narrowly lost, then tried again in 2008 and lost again.

"I could have been just pigeon-holed for running for state senate and losing, but I decided to roll up my sleeves and keep working," he said.

His colleagues agreed that his leadership, knowledge, energy and dedication will be missed.
CIRCLEVILLE, Ohio (AP)  Guards at Ohio's juvenile detention centers are now called youth specialists, and school uniforms are replacing prison garb during classes.

Free from court oversight for the first time in nearly a decade, Ohio's youth prison system is adjusting to a long-term mission of housing and rehabilitating the state's most troubled juvenile offenders.

"What we've done in the past is treat the children who are incarcerated like mini adults," said Linda Janes, deputy director for the Department of Youth Services. "We know better now through research and through all kinds of evidence that that's a mistake. Children have to be treated like children."

States have been rethinking juvenile justice for several years as alternatives to a tough-on-crime approach that did little to rehabilitate children. Arkansas, Hawaii, Kansas, South Dakota and West Virginia are among several states that adopted changes to juvenile justice approaches in the past five years, according to the National Conference on State Legislatures.

At Circleville Juvenile Correctional Facility, about 30 miles south of Columbus, gone are the days when youths walked a literal line down a hall with hands behind their backs, meant to instill discipline and discourage flashing of gang signals.

Today, they take classes in a high school that on the inside looks like most other schools in Ohio, with walls sporting colorful stripes and inspirational signs, such as "Hope is the new dope!"

The boys help raise vegetables, including broccoli and tomatoes, in a greenhouse, as well as tilapia in a large plastic tank. The vegetables are donated to food banks while the popular table fish is used to help them develop their cooking skills. They use a machine to turn food waste into compost for the grounds.

"When you take the time out to actually find out who you are, it's a whole new ball game," said Tyrone, an 18-year-old inmate from Cincinnati who recently graduated from the high school at the Circleville facility. He hopes to study business and law at Central State University once released. Because he originally was charged as a juvenile, The Associated Press agreed to identify him by his first name only.

Tyrone, serving a four-year sentence for armed robbery, said the most important thing he has learned behind bars was also the hardest  the need for self-control and understanding that hitting first is not always the way to solve arguments. He credits a drum beat of encouragement from staff for his turnaround.

A 2004 lawsuit accused the Ohio youth agency of excessive use of force against children, providing inadequate education, medical and mental health care and failing to adequately train and supervise staff. That year, Ohio had seven juvenile detention centers that housed around 1,800 children.

Last December, federal Judge Algenon Marbley ended the court-ordered oversight established in 2008 to settle the lawsuit.

Today, the department has three facilities and four alternate placement sites and houses fewer than 500 children. It has no girls' detention center and instead houses them in three of the alternate sites.

In Ohio and other states that have taken a new look at rehabilitating juveniles, many youths going through the criminal justice system now serve their time in local centers close to family and community support networks.

The rates of children returning to prison  either the youth or adult systems  are slowly trending downward, according to state data. Of youth released in 2005, 52 percent were back behind bars after three years. Of those released in 2011, 47 percent returned over three years. More recent single-year rates show a similar trend.

One outcome of these changes is youths under state control tend to be older and have the most needs. Many grew up in poverty and have serious mental health and addiction problems.

Ohio's bipartisan Correctional Institution Inspection Committee said in a report last fall that use-of-force incidents at Circleville were still too high. The agency also cited problems with youths not attending class or being removed for bad behavior.

The union representing guards-turned-youth-specialists says it has lost some discipline tools used to respond to dangerous situations, such as solitary confinement.

Janes, the agency deputy director, said the children Ohio now houses were once dubbed "the worst of the worst" and beyond rehabilitation.

"We really have the attitude that they're kids with the most issues and the most trauma in their background, and the kids in the most need," she said.
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Emma Krass does not take her free speech rights for granted.

As a campus activist, Krass has not shied away from speaking out against injustice during her four years at the University of Georgia  even when its been inconvenient or difficult to do so.
SHARE William Thomas Lemon Date of birth: Sept. 2, 1968 Vitals: 6 feet, 2 inches; 180 pounds; blond hair, brown eyes Charge: Prohibition from owning ammunition Justin Carl Clark Date of birth: Aug. 3, 1991 Vitals: 5 feet, 4 inches; 140 pounds; brown hair, blue eyes Charge: Grand theft auto Kenneth James Barth Date of birth: Sept. 30, 1977 Vitals: 6 feet; 175 pounds; black hair, brown eyes Charge: Burglary Kenzy Shay Larsen Date of birth: May 26, 1994 Vitals: 5 feet, 9 inches; 140 pounds; brown hair, brown eyes Charge: Petty theft

By Staff Reports

Shasta's Most Wanted, featured in the Record Searchlight in cooperation with local law enforcement agencies, targets people who have failed to show up in court for sentencing after being convicted.

As of Friday a total of 575 arrests have been made through the Most Wanted program since it began in September 2013. Authorities say they have seen an increase in criminals failing to appear in court since the onset of Assembly Bill 109. Also known as prison realignment, the state program shifted certain state prison inmates to county supervision.

Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti said court appearances have been going up since the rollout.

Five new people are added each week. Those caught will be held until at least their next court appearances. Shasta County Secret Witness is offering a reward of up to $250 for information leading to an arrest. Tips can be provided anonymously.

Anyone with information is asked to call 245-6540 or 243-2319. The feature appears Sundays in the Record Searchlight's Northern California section and on Redding.com.
SHARE Darco Darco

Retired K-9 Darco dies on Friday

A canine crime-fighter who for nearly seven years sniffed out drugs and helped Shasta County sheriff's deputies catch bad guys died on Good Friday.

The death of retired K-9 Darco was shared Friday night on the sheriff's office's Facebook page. Friends of Shasta County K9 made the announcement, but did not reveal the cause.

During his career, which spanned from 2007 to 2013, Darco assisted in 191 felony arrests, 112 misdemeanor arrests and 172 narcotic searches. He was deployed 442 times.

Friends of Shasta County K9 extended condolences to his handler, deputy Tom Moon and his family.

"Darco had a successful career and 3 years of happy retirement with his handler," the Facebook post reads. "He will be greatly missed. Thank you Deputy Moon for your dedication to the K9 team and service you and Darco provided to the citizens of Shasta County."

Man arrested in stabbing

Deputies arrested a 30-year-old man Saturday who was accused of stabbing another man following an argument near Shasta Dam, according to the Shasta County Sheriff's Office.

The stabbing came after a spree of burglaries in the Shasta Lake area, deputies said.

Deputies at about 5 a.m. went to the AMPM-ARCO market at Railroad Avenue near Highway 273 for a report of an assault that occurred just outside city limits.

At the market they found Levi Mayhan, 42, suffering from multiple stab wounds, Sgt. Steve Grashoff said. Medics took him to a hospital for treatment.

An investigation revealed Kenneth Clark stabbed Mayhan on the left side of his body and head after an argument that followed a spree of burglaries earlier in the morning at several locations near Shasta Lake, Grashoff said.

Another man, Timmathy Philpott, 25, was involved in the argument, but left apparently before the stabbing, which happened at one of the lookouts near the dam, deputies said. All three were involved in the burglaries, according to deputies.

While the Sheriff's Office is not releasing detailed information on the case, Grashoff said the argument became heated as Philpott left Clark and Mayhan and the stabbing happened shortly afterward.

Clark also was taken to a hospital for treatment of minor injuries, but upon his release deputies will book him into the Shasta County Jail on suspicion of attempted murder, Grashoff said.

Philpott was interviewed by deputies and released, they said.

The Sheriff's Office asks anyone with information on the case, or any victims of a burglary in the Shasta Lake area between 3 a.m. and 5 a.m. Saturday, to call 245-6540 or 245-6025.

Stalled train fixed Friday night

A Union Pacific train that broke down in Redding on Friday afternoon was repaired and sent on its way just before 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Street crews were removing traffic barricades from downtown crossings at 11:30 p.m. Friday.

Motorists were forced to take alternative street routes, such as Railroad Avenue and Eureka Way, for about eight hours into the evening while the train was stopped in its tracks due to a broken wheel.
Public Service Officer Shauntelle Kelley of the Anderson Police Department walks back to her vehicle this month after trying to serve a subpoena.

SHARE Anderson Police Department Community Service Officer Renee Canavan processes property recently.

By Joe Szydlowski of the Redding Record Searchlight

As cities and police departments cope with shrinking staff and budgets, Shauntelle Kelley personifies a solution.

The community service officer at the Anderson Police Department already provides a crucial service by assisting with duties that help free up sworn officers so they can spend more time on the streets. In the coming weeks, she will take on a hybrid position that includes code enforcement duties for the city.

"(I'll) collaborate and communicate between code enforcement and law enforcement," said Kelley, who's been with the police department since 2002.

Community service officers tend to be jacks of most trades  they can take on a wide range of tasks such as taking reports, animal control, police vehicle maintenance, property management, traffic control and other non-emergency calls.

They've long been part of area police departments, but like their sworn counterparts, their numbers have plummeted since the Great Recession sapped municipal budgets. Shasta County saw the number of civilian employees working in law enforcement drop 26 percent between 2007 and 2014. That's more than twice the drop of Shasta County sworn personnel, and almost four times the statewide cuts in civilian employees, according to data from the California Department of Justice.

Their duties fell largely on armed sworn officers, sucking up time that used to be spent on proactive enforcement, officials say. For residents, that led to frustratingly long waits for officers to show up to crime scenes to take reports and process evidence.

As those issues have festered, area law enforcement agencies are trying to find ways to either add more community service officers or expand their roles. The Blueprint for Public Safety by Matrix Consulting recommends Redding Police Chief Robert Paoletti not only hire more community service officers but also expand their responsibilities. Paoletti has said he's not willing to have CSOs take on duties that involve potential contact with suspects, such as asking panhandlers to move along.

In Anderson, Police Chief Michael Johnson worked with City Manager Jeff Kiser to create the hybrid role Kelley will take on. The city's code enforcement cases were getting backlogged  about 200 were waiting for attention  and the police department couldn't hire an additional CSO to help. The city couldn't afford to hire another code enforcement officer. So Kelley will work half her time on traditional CSO duties and the other half on code enforcement. Her policing skills will come in handy in her new role.

"(There are) several things code enforcement officers couldn't do as (only) a code enforcement officer, like ... using law enforcement systems to research people, places, stolen property," Johnson said.

EASIER ON BUDGETS

CSOs usually are paid 20 percent to 30 percent less than sworn officers, said Casey Carlson, chief of the Butte College Police Department, which has five sworn and two community service officers, who handle parking enforcement in addition to normal CSO duties.

"At the Anderson Police department, a CSO is a very diversified position," said CSO Renee Canavan, who handles evidence processing, delivering court documents and a variety of other tasks.

Those duties, and how they're assigned, vary from department to department. In most cases, CSOs work behind the scenes on tasks and cases with little potential violence.

Of the around 34,000 calls answered by Red Bluff police officers last year, between 40 percent and 50 percent fit that type, said Police Chief Kyle Sanders. That's why he is swapping out two open sworn officer positions for three CSOs at a cost of about $180,000  about $7,000 more than filling the two sworn officer positions, he said.

The three current CSOs process evidence and provide vehicle maintenance, but don't take reports from the field, Sanders said. The new CSOs would field some of those calls and take reports each day, allowing sworn officers to target problem areas on their beat with proactive measures.

"CSOs focus on theft, burglaries, vehicle collisions, missing persons reports," he said. "They're cold calls, the suspects aren't immediately present."

CSOs do come with a catch, however. While CSOs can take some calls sworn officers mostly handle now, they can't replace the traditional sworn officers who carry a badge and a gun, Carlson said.

"They're fantastic and work out really well, but that can't be the majority of your department," he said.

The Shasta County Sheriff's Office has officers whose job duties line up with police CSOs, but have different a job title, said Sheriff Tom Bosenko.

Their less flexible nature is a reason why Bosenko says he is considering converting some of the vacant CSO positions into correctional deputy positions. Currently, the jail has 14 CSO positions, with several who normally work in other stations assigned temporarily to the jail because it is so short staffed, he said.

Those at the jail help with booking inmates, compile state and locally required statistical reports, monitor inmates via a closed-circuit video system, process those in the work-release program and the day reporting center, among other work, Bosenko said.

His office expects to add four more once the Adult Rehabilitative Center opens, set for 2018.

Nonetheless, his office would consider hiring both CSOs and correctional deputies with any new funding. But because his office already also has a shortage of sworn deputies, he isn't keen yet to swap those positions out for the CSO-type.

Redding's Police Chief Paoletti has called for both more sworn officers and CSOs. He had been out of the office and unavailable for comment recently.

His office currently has four CSOs.

RECESSION HITS

In the Great Recession many law enforcement departments, including the Redding Police Department, significantly cut civilian personnel to address budget shortfalls.

How many those agencies have since hired back is unclear.

The California Police Chiefs Association doesn't track the number of CSOs around the state, said Sara Edmonds, communications and marketing manager for the organization.

"There are quite a few agencies throughout the state that do have CSOs (but) whether that is specifically related to the recession? We wouldn't know," she said in an email.

The state Department of Justice provides numbers on sworn and civilian personnel, grouping CSOs with records staff and receptionists.

In the North State, the number of law enforcement employees plummeted 12 percent in Shasta, Tehama, Siskiyou and Trinity counties since the mid-2000s to 2014. But the number of civilian employees fell 32 percent from a high in 2005 of 307 employees.

Collectively Shasta County's sheriff and police departments were down 25 sworn officer positions in 2014 compared with 2007, when they reported 284 sworn officers. But those agencies have lost around 40 civilian positions from a pre-recession high of 154 positions in 2007, according to the California Department of Justice.

OPTIONS

Kelley hopes to take on more code enforcement work after a few months  she's helping fill in until another CSO can be hired in Anderson.

Eventually, she'll be able to go out and identify problem houses and businesses as well, he said.

From the little he's heard about the Kelley's new position, Butte College police chief Carlson said it sounds like it would fit rather well. But a bigger impact, he said, is on the sworn force.

"They definitely do take a burden off of police officers," he said.
University of Washington immunologist Michael Gale Jr. holds frozen isolates from the Zika virus outbreak in Brazil that he will use in his testing. (Steve Ringman/Seattle Times/TNS)

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By Rosalind Bentley, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

ATLANTA  Anyone who has traveled to an area affected by the Zika outbreak and who wants to start a family should reconsider doing so for at least six months after travel, federal health officials said Friday.

Warning that the Zika virus persists in semen longer than in blood, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention issued its strictest guidelines yet on sexual contact.

We previously focused on women who were already pregnant, said Dr. Denise Jamieson, one of the doctors leading the CDCs pregnancy and birth defects team as part of its Zika response. Now this is concerning women who want to get pregnant.

Though it is primarily transmitted by bites from mosquitoes commonly found in the Southern United States, Zika is also passed along through sexual contact by semen. In tests, the virus has persisted in semen for 62 days after the onset of the virus, which is long after it is undetectable in blood, the CDC reported Friday.

Researchers are still trying to figure out whether Zika lasts longer than two months in semen, but because the virus is believed to cause severe birth defects in fetuses at any stage of development, the CDC put out the new guidance Friday.

Men who have traveled to, or who live in, regions where a Zika outbreak is present should not have sex without a condom for six months if they have had any symptoms related to Zika, health officials said. Those symptoms include fever, sore joints, skin rash and conjunctivitis (red eyes). The condom requirement goes for all types of sexual activity, vaginal, oral or anal.

Yet, the majority of people who have Zika are asymptomatic. In those instances, for men who have had no symptoms of Zika, but who have traveled to a region in the midst of an outbreak, they should not have unprotected sex for at least eight weeks, the CDC said.

Similarly, women who have had Zika symptoms after traveling to an area with Zika should not try to get pregnant for at least six months after the onset of symptoms. That area now spans from Mexico to Puerto Rico to Brazil. Even if no symptoms are present, if a woman has been to any of those 39 countries or territories she should wait at least eight weeks before getting pregnant and even then should consult with her family doctor.

Jamieson said the safe-sex/abstinence windows were based on best guesses rather than hard data.

Theres still so much we dont know, Jamieson said in a teleconference Friday. The guidelines represent our best attempts to provide reasonable time frames based on what we know about how long the virus persists in semen and blood.

So far, there have been six confirmed cases of sexual transmission of the virus in the contiguous U.S., though the men who passed the virus along to their partners had recently traveled to areas in the Americas with active Zika events. In the U.S., Puerto Rico has been the epicenter of the outbreak with 261 cases. The U.S. Virgin Islands has recorded 11 as of this week.

For the first time in the pandemic, the CDC guidelines regarding male sexual behavior, implicitly acknowledge male-to-male, as well as male-to-female sexual contact. During the teleconference however, CDC researchers did not say whether there is evidence that a man who has had sex with another man who has Zika could then pass it along to a female sexual partner.

Theres still a lot we need to know to make evidence-based recommendations, Jamieson said.

The new guidelines were announced just as many people around the United States are traveling for spring break, some to destinations in countries where the Zika pandemic has wreaked havoc. The link between the virus and the devastating birth defect microcephaly is becoming increasingly certain, researchers said. The defect, which is marked by an unusually small head, underdeveloped brain and cognitive disorders, can set a family up for years of emotional and financial stress.



2016 The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.)

Visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution (Atlanta, Ga.) at www.ajc.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.
The United States.

Not many countries in the world are so wedded to the idea of common identity that they put it in the name.

And on the money: E Pluribus Unum.

Or, to adapt Dr. King: We are "caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny."

Sure feels like we're united, doesn't it?

If you answered yes, you either a) are a beautiful person whose pure eyes see only good in the world or b) just woke up from a very long nap. In either case, congratulations and hold on to that feeling.

For the rest of us news junkies, it feels as if there are two, four, 20, 80 Americas right now.

We're not just liberal and conservative, black and white, gay and straight. We're democratic socialist and Wall Street progressive, we're wall-building nationalists or evangelical warriors, we're free-market moderates or free-to-carry oath keepers.

The kids are feeling it, too.

Emerson, my 10-year-old, is getting his first fully-aware experience of a presidential campaign this year. In the back seat on the way to school, he and his buddies have been talking about Trump, and about Hillary, and about the difference between winning primaries and winning general elections. (OK, I'm kind of proud of that last one  they're pretty bright kids.)

Like many parents, given some of the R-rated content of this election, I've had mixed feelings about letting him tune in. Really, do I need to explain the significance of the small hands comment to a fourth-grader?

But I'm also hopeful. If he can see that we're able to get through this kind of election and maintain our identity as a country  that the system established by our founders is even bigger than the personalities of the flawed and oversized egos who want to occupy the White House  he'll have a true sense of America's resilience.

It's going to take that resilience to get us through the passionate arguments of the coming months with any sense of unity intact.

Researchers who study why we cling so tightly to our belief systems in adulthood have found that when a fundamental perception is challenged, it feels like a threat to our very identity. We don't make it better when we extend every political argument into an ad hominem attack. Don't believe in gay marriage? You're a "bigot." Don't believe in unfettered gun rights? You're a "traitor."

Our positions have only hardened under the influence of echo-chamber media  Fox News and MSNBC, or your group of like-minded friends on Facebook.

There is politics, and there's personal life. But increasingly, they're blending into one. We don't just root for candidates  we identify with them and become quite righteous in our struggle against what we see as the evil of all the others.

Spend too much time thinking about that, and it'll really get you down.

But then, sometimes, there's a reminder that the threads of commonality are stronger than we think.

Last week, my Rotary club hosted students from the International House at UC Berkeley. These graduate students come from all over the world, and each year a small group comes to Redding to get a taste of American life outside the bubble of Berkeley.

One young European scholar stood up and shared his experience, noting some anti-American sentiments back home and his own desire to see the "true America." In just a few days touring our area and staying with a local family, he seemed genuinely moved by the generosity and genuineness of the people here.

"If this is the true U.S.," he said, "your country should be very proud of it."

I like to think he's right. This is the true United States and it's not as divided, or divisive, as it looks on TV.

Reach Editor Silas Lyons at 225-8210 or silas.lyons@redding.com. He's on Facebook and Instagram, and on Twitter @silaslyons_RS.
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Abdul Aziz, Redding

The recent terrorism in Brussels is heinous. The solution applied, so far, has been the use of military force. It has not been effective because killing one terrorist simultaneously produces many more. Mullahs work non-stop. The West has not even tried to limit this.

The stoppage of the production of new terrorists is the only way to rid the world of radicals. This requires the use of ideological means.

Mullahs use religion to incite naive Muslims by providing patently false interpretation of Islam and the Quran. In this fight, the West has no edge. Common Muslims and their governments are either intimidated or are in cahoots with the mullahs.

Fortunately, a solution does exist. That is to use the Muslims who don't believe in terrorism and have the religious knowledge to provide the arguments for peace from the Quran and the Hadith that the salvation of the Muslim people lies in using peaceful means, not violence.

Particularly, I point to Ahmadi Muslims, who have been preaching this. They were successful against the use of violence. But then in Pakistan, in 1972, and later in many other Muslim countries, they were officially declared non-Muslims and prohibited from exercising their right to worship and teach the Quran.

Now the mullahs have complete freedom. The West could help the world by forcing Muslim countries, through the use of conditions attached to providing financial and military aid, to support human rights and freedom speech to Ahmadi and other tolerant Muslims.
Redding Fire Chief Gerry Grey demonstrates a smoke-alarm installation Saturday.

SHARE Volunteers Elizabeth Feather (left) and Keri Barley install smoke alarms in the home of Kenny Stevenson (center) Saturday. Eric Nielsen of the Redding Fire Department installs a smoke alarm at a residence Saturday. The Redding Fire Department, Shasta College Firefighter Academy and Shasta Union High School Fire Academy volunteers receive orientation about smoke-alarm installation. Volunteers gather supplies and team up to visit their designated neighborhoods.

By Amber Sandhu of the Redding Record Searchlight

More than 30 volunteers made their way through the Parkview neighborhood on Saturday morning to install smoke alarms in residents' homes, an initiative taken on by the American Red Cross' Northeastern California Chapter as part of its national Home Fire Campaign.

The Red Cross launched the campaign for the very first time in Redding with goals of reducing fire deaths and injuries by 25 percent through installing smoke alarms and educating and helping families create an evacuation plan in case of a house fire.

Redding Fire Chief Gerry Gray said that house fires in Redding are higher than the California average. House fires in California average at 2.99 fires per 1,000 residents, while fires in Redding are at 5.10 fires per 1,000 residents, Gray said. In 2015 alone, he said the fire department responded to 157 house fires.

He added the Parkview neighborhood had a substantial number of house fires last year, particularly because the homes are more than 50 years old.

This rung true for Parkview resident Kenny Stevenson, 32, who was doing construction work on his home, which was built in 1947. Stevenson's home needed smoke detectors, so when volunteers Elizabeth Feather, 21, from Simpson University, Keri Barley, 38, of the Red Cross, and Redding firefighter Eric Nielsen, 33, stopped by, Stevenson welcomed them in.

"They came at a perfect time today," Stevenson said.

Volunteers installed smoke alarms in each of the bedrooms and the living room. The Red Cross procured 500 smoke detectors which have a 10-year lifespan.

Nearly half the fires caused are either "human related" and the other half are due to a mechanical issue, Gray said. It's why the Red Cross and the fire department emphasized the importance of an evacuation plan for residents. "It's very important, especially for the kids, and to let them know that we must stick to a plan," Gray said.

Kendra Pospychalla, disaster program manager with the local Red Cross chapter, said the plan is to do similar events throughout the year and continue to dispel myths about house fires, how they're caused and create family-based evacuation plans.

"This is one of the top killers," she said about home fires.

Michelle LaPierre-Bell, executive director of the American Red Cross Gold Country Region, said that last year, 49 lives were saved across the nation because of smoke alarms installed by Red Cross volunteers.

Volunteers were from the American Red Cross, Redding Fire Department, Simpson University, Northern California Veterans Museum and Heritage Centers, Service Employees International Union, Bethel Global Response, Shasta College Firefighter Academy, Shasta Union High School Fire Academy and United Way of Northern California.
'Dealing with Pakistan can become dangerous, and even suicidal, for the powers that be in New Delhi,' warns Rajeev Sharma.

With Pakistan's five-member investigating team's arrival in India for 'joint investigations' of the terror attack at the Pathankot military base, it is time to focus on two important aspects of the about to unfold India-Pakistan bonhomie: Operational and political.

Operationally, one may ask where is the need for Pakistani investigators to visit the terror site when India has already shared relevant details like telephone numbers and call records with Pakistan?

What will the Pakistanis investigate?

What will be achieved by the Pakistani team visiting the crime scenes?

Strictly from the perspective of criminal jurisprudence, what can be achieved by visiting a crime scene after a gap of almost two months? Won't the 'crime scene' be 'dressed up'?

Won't the witnesses whose statements the Pakistani team record be tutored?

Will these be admissible in Pakistani courts even if one were to presume for argument's sake that the Pakistani system is the finest in the world and the Pakistani establishment is run by angels?

The only relevance and importance of the upcoming 'joint investigations' lies in political symbolism.

After all, it is going to be a friendly match where nobody is a winner and nobody is a loser.

The imagery of sleuths from India and Pakistan working hand in hand to jointly investigate a terror attack will impress the world and will definitely be no less than the eighth wonder of the world for Indians and Pakistanis.

But will this imagery and symbolism help in any way in meeting the fundamental Indian requirement that the perpetrators of the Pathankot are brought to justice and the main culprit, Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar, is prosecuted?

This seems nothing but wishful thinking. The move to bring Pakistani investigators inside the Pathankot airbase is nothing but populist diplomacy. The question is whether any two nations anywhere in the world can achieve anything from populist diplomacy?

There is yet another lurking danger inherent in this entire exercise. What happens when yet another high profile terror attack takes place in India, a possibility no one can rule out?

Will the Modi government again play host to yet another Pakistani probe team to conduct 'joint investigations'?

This leads us to the other aspect that I mentioned at the outset: The political aspect.

The Modi government's Pakistan policy is bewildering; many would find it confused and confusing.

There is no official word yet from the government whether the Pakistani Joint Investigation Team would be allowed access to the Pathankot airbase, and more importantly why. The Modi government, which has been airing its policies through the social media, hasn't used this route either for unveiling its Pakistan policy.

Equally baffling is the conduct of the Opposition parties, particularly the Congress, who have maintained total silence on the issue thus far. However, there is every likelihood of there being a method, a strategy, behind the Opposition's silence on this serious national security issue.

Most likely, the Opposition is deliberately keeping mum and waiting for the unprecedented India-Pakistan 'joint investigations' into the January 2-5 terror attack on the Pathankot military base to unfold.

The method behind the Opposition's silence on the Pathankot 'joint investigations' could be this: The Opposition knows that the Modi government is about to fall in its own trap and it will come out with all guns blazing after the government actually falls in this trap.

Dealing with Pakistan is not only difficult, but can also become dangerous, and even suicidal, for the powers that be in New Delhi.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's predecessors Manmohan Singh and Atal Bihari Vajpayee realised so and learnt hard lessons.

The BJP's very own 'Iron Man' L K Adavni dug his own political grave by trying to win friends and influence people in Pakistan. Advani's Jinnah remarks triggered his political downfall and finally scripted his complete redundancy politically. Advani's loss proved to be Modi's gain.

Now it is Modi's turn to be afflicted with the Pakistan itch. We should soon know how things pan out.

Rajeev Sharma is an independent journalist and strategic analyst who tweets @Kishkindha
At least 69 people, including women and children, enjoying Easter holiday at a popular park, were on Sunday killed and nearly 300 others injured when a suicide bomber blew himself up in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, the capital of Punjab province.

IMAGE: Security officials gather at the site of a blast outside a public park in Lahore. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

A large number of people including Christians were present in the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park in Iqbal Town area when the powerful blast occurred, leaving many in a pool of blood.

"It is suspected that a suicide bomber blew himself up at the main gate of the park," Deputy Inspector General Lahore Police Haider Asharaf said. He said about 8-10 kilogrammes of explosive might have been used in the blast.

District Coordination Officer Lahore retired Capt Muhammad Usman said: "At least 69 people have been killed and over 300 injured in the blast."

IMAGE: Rescue workers move a body from the site of a blast outside a public park in Lahore, Pakistan. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

He, however, ruled out that Christians were the target of the attack. "It was not a Christian park. Christians may be among the dead."

Punjab minister Bilal Yasin said over 300 people have been injured in the blast. "The death toll may rise as a number of injured are in critical condition," he said.

An official of the Punjab police told PTI that the suicide bomber -- believed to be in his 20s -- managed to enter the park and blew himself up near the swings. "It appears that the suicide bomber's main target were children," he said.

IMAGE: Rescue workers move a body from the site of a blast outside a public park in Lahore, Pakistan. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

The park is located in a posh-locality in Lahore -- a comparatively peaceful city in an otherwise violence-wracked Pakistan which is also the hometown of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif.

The army has joined rescue officials to shift the injured to hospitals. An emergency has been declared in city hospitals and appeals have been made to people to donate blood.

Eyewitnesses said there were scattered body parts all around the park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening. The crowd was "unusually large" because of Easter.

IMAGE: Men mourn the death of their relatives after a blast outside a public park in Lahore. Photograph: Mohsin Raza/Reuters

"My two children were taking swings when a powerful blast occurred. Me and the children fell on the ground. I was semi-unconscious. When I fully regained consciousness I ran to find my children," Saleem Shahid, one of the injured in the blast, said at a city hospital where he was being treated.

His children sustained injuries in the blast. "Thank God! They were alive having injuries on their head. I tore my shirt and made a bandage of it," Shahid said.

Police tried to evacuate the park but people looking for their kins refused to leave the place.

"Still a good number of people are in critical condition," Emergency Services Rescue spokesperson Deeba Shahnaz said.

Punjab government has announced a three-day mourning in the province. Several leaders, including Prime Minister Sharif and Pakistan Tehreek-i-Insaf chief Imran Khan, have condemned the blast.

Christians leaders also strongly condemned the attack.
A five-member Joint Investigation Team from Pakistan that included an ISI official reached Pathankot on Sunday to carry out a probe into the attack at the IAF base at Pathankot marking the first-ever such visit to the country to probe a terror case.

It will also analyse investigations being carried out by the National Investigation Agency so far.

The team, which was received by officials of the NIA and Pakistan High Commission, will on Tuesday visit Pathankot for the probe into the attack at the Indian Air Force base carried out by Pakistan-based Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group on January 2. It flew in to Pathankot by a special flight from Pakistan.

The team is headed by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department Muhammad Tahir Rai and comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence official Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence official Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer.

During 26/11 Mumbai attack case, Pakistan had sent a judicial commission to cross-examine some of the witnesses in the case.

The team would be going to the NIA headquarters on Monday morning where they would be given a 90-minute presentation by NIA team about the probe conducted so far and evidences that show that the terror attack was planned from across the border in Pakistan, official sources said. Seven security personnel were killed in the attack.

In the post-lunch session, the Pakistani team would be raising their set of questions to the NIA investigators to clear doubts, if any, before they fly to Pathankot in a special plane on Tuesday morning, the sources said.

The IAF airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas and NIA team would show some of the areas where the Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour-long gun battle with security personnel.

India plans to provide the probe team from Pakistan access to all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF.

The sources said that cooperation to the Pakistani team would be based on the principle of reciprocity hoping that an Indian team would be allowed to travel to Pakistan at a later date.

Witnesses, excepting personnel of NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF, have been lined up for the Pakistan probe team.

The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.

The three men were kidnapped by the terrorists on the intervening night of December 31 and January one before they entered into IAF base.

NIA will also share details about the four terrorists which includes their native villages, people who had cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through Bamiyal village on Indo-Pak border.

DNA samples were taken from the energy drink that they are believed to have consumed before carrrying out the sucide attack, official sources had said.

Pakistani team will also be taken to the point where the Jaish terrorists had breached into India, they said.

While India has made it clear that it will cooperate in the probe provided Pakistan reciprocates in the same way, the sources said the Pakistani side would be asked about some details that India had sought from them.

This includes some phone numbers, persons involved which includes brother of Jaish Chief Masood Azhar and companies who had supplied the packed food to the terrorists.

India can make a request to Pakistan for allowing an Indian probe team there for investigations at a later date, they had added.

India will also cite similarities between the Pathankot attack and those in Samba and Kathua last year like using same GPS and wirless sets, the modus operandi of hijacking cars, energy drink 'Red bull' (common in all attacks), identical wire cutters and arms and ammunition of Eastern Europe, Russian and Chinese make which available in the Af-Pak region.

The terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with the security forces at the IAF base from the intervening night of January 1 and 2. Seven security personnel were killed, while four bodies of terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed were recovered.

The bodies have been preserved.

Out of the four, two of them have been identified as Nasir and Salim. Nasir was the one who had called his mother Baber in Bhawalpur using the phone snatched from the jeweller friend of Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh.

NIA has also given details, including the batch numbers, of food packets used by the terrorists after infiltrating into India on December 30. The terrorists had carefully buried the packets which had Pakistani markings and manufacturing dates of November-December 2015, the sources said.
Rebel Congress leader Vijay Bahuguna on Sunday welcomed the imposition of President's Rule in Uttarakhand, saying the government headed by Harish Rawat needed to be dismissed as it was involved in "corruption".

Bahuguna, a former chief minister, expressed hope that the central rule will not prolong and fresh elections would be held in his state.

"I welcome it..It is a good step," he said while commenting on imposition of the central rule in his state.

He also alleged that the developments in Uttarakhand prior to imposition of President's Rule amounted to "murder of democracy" as he criticised the role of the Speaker in the whole affair.

Bahuguna, a bete noire of Harish Rawat, said the happenings in the state, including the sting operation against the chief minister, necessitated dismissal of the state government.

"I hope the President's Rule will not be there for long time and fresh elections will be held early," he said.

At the same time, he said if there is a possibility of formation of a government within the present Assembly, it would be good.

Uttarakhand was brought under President's rule by the Centre on grounds of "breakdown of governance" in a controversial decision which comes in the wake of a political crisis triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Art 356 of the Constitution dismissing the Congress government headed by Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.

The Cabinet had held an emergency meeting here last night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short a visit to Assam to return to the capital for the purpose.

The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor K K Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state assembly on Monday.

The dismissal of the Rawat government now renders tomorrow's confidence vote infructuous.

It also came amidst reports that Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal had disqualified 9 rebel Congress MLAs that would have enabled Rawat to sail through in the trust vote.
In a warning shot to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders on Sunday trounced the Democratic front-runner in the crucial presidential caucuses in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, making "inroads" into her substantial lead in the race for the party's nomination for the White House.

IMAGE: Democratic U.S. presidential candidate Bernie Sanders holds a rally at Safeco Field in Seattle, Washington. Photograph: David Ryder/ Reuters

Sanders, 74, won Washington state by getting more than 72 per cent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 80 per cent of the votes. He also won in Hawaii with a big margin over the former secretary of state.

For Clinton, 68, who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.

Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed west," Sanders said at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.

"We are making significant inroads in ... Clinton's lead ... We have a path toward victory," the Vermont Senator told his supporters.

Clintons, including the former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsie Clinton, spend quite a bit of time in Washington.

In Alaska, which has 16 delegates at stake, the wife of Sanders campaigned for a few days.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed West," Sanders said.

"With your help we're going to win right here in Wisconsin," he said. "So don't let anyone tell you we can't win the nomination, or win the general election. We're going to do both of those things."

He said the momentum building behind his campaign comes from big crowds at rallies, from overwhelming victories, from record turnouts at caucuses and primaries, from a grassroots campaign taking on the political establishment and from more than two million supporters who donated less than USD 30 apiece on average.

"We are on a path toward victory," Sanders said in Wisconsin, where the Democratic primaries are scheduled for April 5. There are 86 pledged delegates at stake in Wisconsin.

To become a Democratic party presidential nominee, Clinton or Sanders need at least 2,382 delegates of the total 4,763 delegates including 712 super delegates, who are party office bearers and are not elected as part of the presidential primaries. Super delegates are independent and are free to vote to any of the candidates.

So far, Clinton leads the race to the White House in the Democratic party as she has 1,703 delegates. This includes 1,234 delegates she won during the presidential primaries and 469 super delegates who have said they would vote for her.

On the other hand, Sanders has 985 delegates to his kitty. These include 956 delegates won by him and 29 super delegates, who have pledged support to him.

Clinton's campaign privately acknowledged that Saturday would be a good one for Sanders, and her efforts in Washington were aimed mostly at trying to keep the race relatively close, as delegates are distributed proportionally.

The size of Sanders's margins on Sunday served as a warning shot to Clinton.

Washington and Alaska had always looked to be favourable territory for Sanders, because they are predominantly white and rural population. Clinton had campaigned in Washington after losing to Barack Obama by about a 2-1 margin in 2008.

Even though Wisconsin could be fertile territory for Sanders on April 5, Clinton is poised to do well in her home state of New York on April 19 with its 247 pledged delegates.

She also faces favorable territory in the upcoming Super Tuesday contest on April 26 when Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and Maryland voters head to the polls and nearly 400 pledged delegates are at stake.

"Bernie Sanders is not just earning the delegates he needs to win, he is showing DC's professional pundit class that, despite their premature eulogising of his progressive political revolution, the fight for the Democratic nomination is far from over," said Charles Chamberlain, executive director, Democracy for America.
What you need to know about Powerball and the $580 million jackpot
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.
Incident reports released Saturday by the Abilene Police Department:

Burglary of Vehicle, 1900 block of Denton, Thursday.

A 35-year-old man reported $600 worth of clothing was taken from inside his truck. The victim will press charges.

Criminal Mischief, 2500 block of Maple Street, Friday.

A 19-year-old woman reported a suspect slashed her back left tire, causing $150 in damages.

Forgery, 400 block of Pecan Street, Friday.

A 32-year-old woman reported a subject mailed her a check with instructions on how to cash it and send the subject most of the money. The check was invalid.

Theft, 5100 block of South 1st Street, Friday.

A 33-year-old man reported he left tools in a vehicle he was working on. The car was released to the customer. Some of the tools, but not all, were returned.

Burglary of Residence, 2900 block of South 3rd Street, Friday.

A 25-year-old woman reported an unknown suspect broke into her home while she was away and stole $2,500 worth of items.

Aggravated Robbery, 2600 block of Buffalo Gap Road, Friday.

A 19-year-old man reported four suspects grabbed him and forced him into a vehicle, where they beat him and stole his wallet and phone. The man will not press charges.

Assault  Family Violence, 600 block of East North 18th Street, Friday.

A 37-year-old man reported being assaulted by a 40-year-old female, who claimed the man assaulted her. Both received bodily injuries. The investigation in ongoing.

Theft, 3300 block of Sherry Lane, Friday.

A 54-year-old man reported his car key was stolen while he was in the apartment lobby. Only one other person had access to the area at the time the key was reported missing.

Assault  Family Violence, 2100 block of Kirkwood Street, Friday.

A 50-year-old man reported being assaulted by a 54-year-old woman.

Assault  Family Violence, 900 block of Luzon Street, Friday.

A 43-year-old woman reported being assaulted by her daughter during an argument. The woman suffered bites on her left bicep. The woman will press charges.

Assault  Family Violence, 4800 block of State Street, Friday.

A 52-year-old woman reported being assaulted by her 48-year-old ex-boyfriend after she discovered he had a new girlfriend.
Stingers. Buzz offs. Busy Bee round. Lifelines. Specialty categories.

Spelling words correctly has changed. Bee-lieve it.

On Tuesday evening, adult spellers will gather again at the downtown branch of the Abilene Public Library system to test their linguistic limits at what formerly was called FundSpell, now Spell Abilene.

Ten teams will compete to continue a tradition for the Taylor County Adult Literacy Council, whose work largely goes unseen by the general public but becomes highly visible once a year thanks to the bee. This is the 25th anniversary bee, always held in March.

""I've enjoyed the annual ALC spelling bee because it's the only place you can spell competitively in public," said longtime Rotary Club of Abilene go-to speller Bruce Lampert. "And it's for a good cause."

The bee once was the primary fundraiser for literacy council, hence the competition's original name. Teams paid $200 the first year and eventually $350 to enter, a small price for citywide bragging rights. Other groups and individuals donated funds as well.

Now, teams enter at no charge and the council's effort is directed at soliciting funds via a fundraising letter.

"We tell people, here's what we do ... please give us money," said council president Marilyn Flournoy, a retired AISD teacher/administrator who has been involved with adult education for 43 years.

This is the second year for this new effort. The council has roughly $5,000 to work with each year in its mission to assist the education of adults in a 19-county area served by the Abilene ISD. The district this academic year is administering its share of the $73 million available in Texas through state and federal grant money.

Currently, there are almost 1,300 students enrolled throughout the AISD's area.

"That's all time high," said Mignon Lawson, who supervises adult ed for the district. Some are high-school dropouts, some are immigrants to the United States, some are overcoming learning disabilities.

"It's a diversified group," she said.

Most students are trying to better themselves, so money is tight. Organization of the local council began in 1988, when the state encouraged the formation of literacy councils. At the same time, the learning center concept, in which students worked individually, was reorganized into a more formal class structure.

The Abilene council first drew up bylaws and then organized as a nonprofit. The next year, it added 15 community members. Champions of literacy who visited Abilene on behalf of the new council included Babar, the elephant, Texas' First Lady Laura Bush and, at different times, a roller skater and a horse rider who were rollin' and ridin' for reading.

Early on, a primary goal was to find volunteers to provide one-on-one reading help to complement class instruction that targeted a GED degree and learning English as a second language.

"As we grew," said Flournoy, a founding member, "we began to see other needs. We needed to do some fundraising."

That need was met in large part when board member Susan Robinson suggested an adult spelling bee, which she found were being held elsewhere.

The first was held at the Paramount Theatre in 1991. There have been as many as 20 competing teams, and one year was an all-local celebrity competition and it wasn't held one year, when only funding requests were made, Flournoy said.

"I think the literacy council does a great job supporting adult students who are trying to pass their GED or learn how to speak and read English," said former board member and Reporter-News editor Glenn Dromgoole. The newspaper, he said, in 1987 championed the creation of a literacy council here in a full-page editorial titled "50 Ways You Can Stamp Out Illiteracy" that was reprinted elsewhere.

"I recall one woman who was in her 30s and enrolled in adult ed so she could learn to read. One day, she wrote this about her literacy teacher: 'She opened my window and showed me the rainbow.'

"That," Dromgoole said, "is really what FundSpell is about."

The need for adult ed

Flournoy has been a part of adult ed since 1973, starting as a teacher, then becoming what then was called the Big Country Adult Education Co-Op director in 1986 before moving into a volunteer role in 2007 with her retirement in 2005 plus two years of part-time work. She succeeded Dave Boyll as president four years ago.

"I love working with adult education," she said. "It's a second chance. When a student gets a GED, goes to college and can read to their children, that's when I get warm fuzzies."

She has seen instruction given at the former Woodson High School and move, in order, to The Bridge and Alexander Building downtown, to space on Orange Street, to the former Travis Elementary School and finally to Alta Vista.

While most classes are held in schoolhouse environments, other classes are being organized at workplaces to better accommodate employees. At one Abilene business, a class is planned for as early as 6 a.m. Other classes are held in the afternoon and evenings  whenever adults have time to go to school and when school is out.

The Abilene ISD has been involved in adult education since the 1960s, Lawson said.

Teachers are hired through the AISD, although the umbrella organization no longer is the Texas Education Agency but the Texas Workforce Commission, a decision made by the 83rd Legislature. Lawson said the goal for years was to move adult ed to the commission, to utilize funding to put people to work.

"Getting a job is now the focus, not education," said Flournoy, taking an educator's assessment of the change. "We need a happy medium."

Lawson said "the concept is a good thing, to build this across the state, but it takes times. That's the hardest part."

The Abilene ISD is one of about three dozen administrators of regional adult ed programs in Texas.

Thus, a former goal of obtaining only a GED (general educational development) degree has evolved to taking that and continuing education or getting a job. Today, a student can complete a GED while also being co-enrolled in a community or technical college with hopes of entering the workforce at a faster rate.

Lawson said the state has a 2020 goal of 20,000 GED graduates entering some sort of higher education program.

"It's a lofty goal," she said.

How the council helps is to provide funds to encourage students to follow through on their intentions. Funds have been used primarily to help pay for:

Bus passes so students have transportation to and from classes

Childcare so students with children can attend evening classes (that was discontinued in December 2012)

Incentives, which teachers use to reward students who exceptional efforts, such as perfect attendence or help with expenses, such as lunch when a group outside of Abilene comes here for tests. There also are end-of-year and Christmas parties at the main Abilene site, the former Alta Vista Elementary School.

Testing, which is $33.75 per test or $135 for all four (students still pay their share "so they buy in," Flournoy said).

Tests are given two days a week at the south-side Region XIV Education Service Center. Students must pay for a test with a credit card.

The council hopes to resume having a full-blown graduation ceremony, for which it provides caps and gowns, and a reception. This year's scheduled graduation date is May 26.

That joyful effort has been made a challenge because with a state agency overseeing adult education, test results are private. The council no longer has access to records to verify who passed the group of four tests (math, science, social studies and reading/writing as language arts). It relies on students to telling them.

"A graduation is so important to them," Flournoy said.

Word up on the Bee

Lampert, director of pastoral care at Hendrick Medical Center, has been a faithful member of the Rotary Club of Abilene's three-person team since 2002. He joined the club when he moved to Abilene from Stamford in 1993.

"Our team tripped up on the word bonhomie," he said of his first FundSpell foray, held that year at The Grace Museum that year.

Rotary has been a part of the spelling bee "almost since the beginning," said original and current board member Dave Boyll, a Rotarian himself. Some funds from last year's Taste of Abilene event, staged by the club, were designated for the literacy council.

Boyll stops short of calling Lampert, a Rotarian since 1979, a ringer. But he has advantages  a knowledge of Greek and Hebrew root words thanks to his two seminary degrees, knowledge of medical terms and acronyms from working at a hospital, and a general knowledge based on his fondness of reading, where he has learned his Latin words. He also works the crossword and Jumble in the newspaper.

"I'm a word guy, always have been," he said. But "the learning curve for me was pretty steep, since I went from being a pastor to a chaplain almost overnight."

Remembering a word given 14 years ago, he obviously also has a good memory. He has been on two winning teams, the last in 2013.

"Most of the time, as I recall, we either got knocked out early or won," he said. "You know, the ecstasy and the agony."

As for hard words, many spellers fear the French. Lampert does, too.

"I remember distinctly two words that got me: haricot and rotisserie. Both of them are French words, and French words always cause me problems, because I either miss the silent consonant or try to add an extra vowel," he said.

What word won three years ago?

"It was terpsichorean, which can mean either pertaining to dancing or a dancer," he said. Something every Baptist preacher knows about it?

"Here's how I knew the spelling of that word. I grew up in Waco in the 1950s and 60s, and was an avid reader of the Waco Tribune," he said. "There was a Terpsichorean Club in Waco in those days, and they always put announcements for their club meetings in the community section of the local newspaper.

"So I grew up seeing the word, and the spelling stuck in my mindeven 45 years later."

His team may not need to sting another team  pass off a word it doesn't want to spell  or buzz off a word it doesn't want to spell. Or call on local spelling whizzes Kate or Jack Miller, the past and present sister-brother spelling bee champs.

For several years early on, a team from Arby's was tough to beat. A restaurant employee, Flournoy recalled, read the dictionary every day and carried the team.

Before she began choosing the spelling words, the task that for years fell to Gladys Best, a public library employee who, by hand, provided words, pronunciations and usage in a sentence. Flournoy said the task remains time consuming, though technology now helps with preparing for a bee.

She has used categories to make the bee more fun and fair. Some she has used are food, dog breeds, musical instruments, plants and frequently misspelled U.S. cities.

She credits, or good-naturedly "blames," current board members Abbie Randolph and Kathy Strong, who is the event organizer, for with fresh ideas for recent bees.

"After 23 years, it was hard to change," Flournoy said, laughing.

But, most would agree, it's still fun to spell.

IF YOU GO

What: Spell Abilene, Taylor County Adult Literacy Council spelling bee for adults

Who: 10 teams will be competing for honors

When: Tuesday

Where: Abilene Public Library, 202 Cedar St., second-floor auditorium

FIRST ON BOARD

Original Taylor County Adult Literacy Council board members in 1989 were Glenn Dromgoole, Neil Fry, Pete Hernandez, Joel Loya, Charles Dunnam, Iris Nash, Dave Boyll, Bill Minter, Billy King, Dana Gibson, Susan Robinson, Steve Abel, Richard Valdez, Laurie Dudley, Mava Farris and Marilyn Flournoy, who currently is board president. The council was organized in 1988, with Bruce Condit of the West Texas Council of Governments, named chairman.

WORD PLAY

The winning word in the first Taylor County Adult Literacy Council spelling bee was switterion, spelled by the Shirts Etcetera team of Bob Batjer, Leslie Boykin and Andy Parker. It was the last word on an auxiliary list provided by council president Susan Robinson after all words on the contest list were exhausted. The deciding word in 2015 was pterodactyl, spelled correctly by the team of Martin Dawson, Hilary Gwilt and Krista Young and missed by its opponent. The trio also had to spell ambidextrous correctly to secure the win. What was the first word misspelled at the first bee in 1991? Quarantine, by a team from KTAB-TV.
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Many Americans will join in the celebration of Easter on Sunday.

Women folk take advantage of the opportunity to buy pretty clothes and dress up their children. There will be picnics, Easter egg hunts and family get-togethers. Thousands of Easter bunnies and Easter eggs will be sold. Many businesses will close Sunday so that their employees can be together with their families.

Another activity to do Easter Sunday is to go to church. Many churches will have sunrise services, and some will have pageant presentations. For many people, this might be the only day of the year they go to church. In fact, most churches will have excellent attendance.

These are all good activities but really, what is Easter all about? Why do millions of people around the world celebrate Easter Sunday?

According to the Bible, a man called Jesus was the son of God who came to Earth by being born of a young virgin by the name of Mary. For many years, His birth had been prophesied. Isaiah 9:6 reads, "For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Jesus did public ministry for three years. He preached, taught, healed the sick, forgave sinners and performed miracles. Some miracles that come to mind: Jesus turned water into wine, made the blind to see, made the cripple walk, fed thousands of people with a couple of fish and five loaves of bread, calmed the sea during a storm, provided a "big catch of fish" for some journeymen fishermen and resurrected his friend, Lazarus. With his words, compassion and example, He changed the hearts of men and women. It is hard to explain but even today, in our troubled world, people who follow the teachings of Jesus are more at peace with themselves.

Jesus selected and trained 12 ordinary men  disciples  to continue his work on Earth. Of all the disciples, Peter was the outspoken one. Another disciple, John, is known as the beloved disciple. Judas, the treasurer in the group, is the disciple who betrayed Jesus.

Jesus had love and compassion for mankind. He is the one who said "let the little children come to me." He said the greatest commandment was "love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind,"' He is the author of the Golden Rule: "Do to others as you would have them do to you." He taught The Lord's Prayer. "Love your neighbor as yourself" is another of Jesus' famous teachings.

Jesus was accused falsely of many wrongdoings and for this He was sentenced to be crucified. After three days, he arose, and today he is alive. Many well-known heroes of the world are buried and people can go to their graves and see their remains. Not so with Jesus; His grave is empty. No one is there. Jesus is alive and living today.

According to the Bible, many people saw Him alive after the crucifixion. He ascended to heaven and is seated at the right hand of God interceding for men and women who are willing to follow Him. And that is what Easter is all about.

An important question might be, "Do you have a relationship with this man called Jesus, and do you believe that he was resurrected and he is alive today?" God sent Jesus to provide eternal life through him. Do you believe this? The prophet Jeremiah (29:11) said, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."

Of course, the question asked by nonbelievers is: "How do you know that Jesus lives?" Maybe the best answer is from a stanza in the hymn, "He Lives," written in 1933 by Alfred H. Ackley:

"He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me along life's narrow way.

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know he lives? He lives within my heart."

On Sunday we will go to church and, as usual, our extended family will enjoy our traditional home-cooked Sunday meal. Afterward, we will have an egg hunt for our grandchildren.

Yes, we followers of Jesus Christ also have a lot of fun.

Joe Alcorta is a professor of Spanish at Hardin-Simmons University. He lives in Abilene.
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Months ago, when Susan King disclosed that she suffered from and was getting treatment for depression, I thought it was great of her to disclose that to the voters. I voted for her in the primary.

A few days ago, KTXS-TV reported that they, and others, tried to get the release of 911 calls to her home through a Public Information Act request. Her recent lawsuit attempt to block the release of the 911 calls to her home, saying that it would violate her personal health privacy, are rather puzzling given the fact that she already had disclosed her illness and her treatment for it. She needs to release that 911 information to the voters if there is nothing to hide.

Voters have the right to know everything about the candidates who are running for office as well as already in office. For instance, the United States president and vice president are given annual health exams and that information is released to the public.

Recently, there have been serious concerns about health privacy, especially when it involves mental health. HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) restricts doctors from releasing health information about patients. Several doctors who treated and evaluated the German pilot who deliberately crashed the airliner into a mountain knew he was seriously mentally ill but could not reveal that fact to his employer, the airline company.

Also, there have been mass shootings in which the shooters were undergoing mental health treatment but the people who should have known of the person's mental condition were not informed of the problem because of HIPAA. An example of that is the ex-military person who shot, wounded and killed numerous employees at the Navy headquarters in Maryland about two years ago.

We have here what is called a conflict of rights  the patient's right to health privacy vs. the rights of people who are potential victims of the mentally ill. This is a problem that is long overdue solving.

It is not my intention in any way to suggest that Ms. King is going to go shoot anyone or fly an airplane into a mountain. But if the president and vice president can fully release their annual health exams. then surely she can release the 911 information that the media is requesting.

Vice President Joe Biden had a 911 call Aug. 21, 2013, made from his house and the information was released immediately.

If Ms. King doesn't fully release the requested 911 information, then, in my opinion, the public could reasonably conclude that she is desperate to hide something serious that she doesn't want the voters to know.

My father, who was an accountant and income tax consultant, had a sign on the wall behind his desk which reflected the way he lived and what he expected from others. It read: "The Strongest Argument is The Simple Truth, Simply Told."

That would be good advice for Ms. King.

John Mathews lives in Abilene.

Editor's note: The Reporter-News also has requested the 911 call information.
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If you saw my face you, would see I'm not laughing.

Still, it's funny how these billionaires distribute their billions, yet fight tooth and nail to prevent working folks from getting a leg up.

The minimum wage needs to be increased, but it's a larger issue than that. The Waltons, Kochs and Trumps of the world certainly have become astronomically wealthier every year while most working class folks' wages have stagnated. The Koch brothers recently have filed a case with the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent workers from working together to appeal for a living wage. Walmart workers have finally have been given a substantial pay raise after years of tremendous financial struggle by employees and some outspoken employees being fired. Funny.

Raising the minimum wage certainly would help the working mom and dad. There have been various studies showing small-business owners would be affected by this, but some studies show productivity increases and employment opportunities go up. There also have been some local business owners that pay quite well because they want good employees and want to keep them.

Costco's CEO gives his employees some of the best hourly wages in the country, for that very reason.

Some will rail against the culture of welfare. Welfare is not a fulfilling way to live. Work is surely more fulfilling. Yet some refuse to consider that most people at or below minimum wage struggle every day to make ends meet. They also refuse to consider raising it so workers choose work as fulfilling.

The Koch brothers' case would not allow workers to work together to demand a living wage. Speaker of the House Paul Ryan took the job with the understanding he still wants to have family time. Great. Yet, he has opposed almost every effort to guarantee the cafeteria worker, store clerk and highway worker won't have to take a second job to avoid less time with family.

One presidential candidate, when asked about the wage issue, replied, "They just need to work harder!"

Tell that to the migrant farmworker or construction worker. In fact, on the presidential campaign trail, many candidates complain about the stagnant wages of the working class and proclaim "I'm the candidate of the working people," oppose almost every single effort to raise worker's wages. Funny.

The lowest paid employees of school districts are food service workers, custodial staff and classroom paraprofessionals. Oftentimes, they are the hardest working ones, also working a second job. Then there's the Florida bus driver who, after many family crises, received a paycheck in October for $3.93 after health deductions.

In general, national studies show the same pattern.

Our system of funding Texas public education has been declared unconstitutional. We still have not recovered the complete funding totals we had before the 2011 cuts. According to the annual "Quality Counts" report from national publication Education Week, Texas ranks 45th compared with other states in per pupil spending. Texas spent $7,957 per student, well below the national average of $11,667 per student.

Some say "Well, you can't throw money at education and expect better results." How do we know? We've never tried it. Can we at least become average?

Our governor has ignored the funding problem, instead allowing the unfair system to continue. Last year, there were 3,700 fewer teachers in school districts than there were before school funding was cut in 2011. At the same time, student enrollment grew by more than 220,000.

Locally, the Abilene ISD administration has been receptive to making sure the lowest-paid employees are paid a living wage. They are working with Texas State Teacher's Association (TSTA) on making it happen. It's the right thing to do and just like Costco we need to hire good people and keep them. Among many West Texas districts, we are at or near the bottom for wages among noncertified folks. Many of these workers have second jobs.

Imagine what we could do if we invested more in hardworking employees and our children's future. It would be adequately meeting the needs of all kids and all districts, no matter the ZIP code.

That would be something worth smiling about.

Mark Grose is an Abilene ISD educational liaison and the president of Texas State Teacher's Association local Education Abilene.
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 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 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.

Eugene Robinson's email address is eugenerobinson@washpost.com. He writes for The Washington Post Writers Group.
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An Afro-Cuban dissident who spent time in Fidel Castro's gulags, Oscar Biscet is one of many who represent the real Cuba, the people who will be hidden from sight as President Barack Obama visits this week. While the president basks in the Cuban sun and in photo ops with its heavy-handed dictator, the fate and freedom of political resisters like Biscet remains grim. Biscet is free in technical terms, but in reality, he remains among dissenters who live in an invisible prison: a society still very much under the thumb of a totalitarian regime. And Obama will provide that very regime with dangerously unwarranted legitimacy of a diplomatic visit.

Biscet and I were convicted of the same crime: fidelity to our consciences. Biscet, a doctor, blew the whistle on corruption and abuse in Cuba's health care system. The government called it "disrespect." My crime was in refusing to put a simple sign on my desk that said, "I'm with Fidel." He and I and countless others who refused to go along with the Castro regime's flagrant human rights violations were sentenced to decades in jail, where the government showed no restraint in trying to break us into submission.

And while both of us are technically free men now, Biscet and others like him living in Cuba go about their lives bearing the invisible shackles of a government that tolerates not a word of protest.

The entire island of Cuba lives garroted by these unseen chains. And despite glossy magazine ads inviting travelers to come for the mojitos and pristine beaches, and cheerful state visits from the likes of John Kerry and Obama, nothing has changed. Rather, as countless organizations have attested, human rights abuses have only escalated, and Cuba is in violation of basic stipulations in its diplomatic agreement with the United States by refusing to allow workers from the Red Cross and United Nations to come and lift the palm-studded hood and take a look.

When the president announced his intention to reopen diplomatic relations between the United States and Cuba, he said, "I believe that we can do more to support the Cuban people and promote our values through engagement." What followed was to be expected from a dictatorial government that has reigned through violent oppression with nothing but ruler slaps from world governments. Cuba also has cover from international institutions like the U.N., where it sits on the Human Rights Council ranting yearly about "human rights abuses" in other countries. And now, to secure its rewards like state visits and relaxed sanctions from the United States, it will escalate political crackdowns. The government, which no doubt doesn't want to scare away American tourists with visions of bloodied protesters being dragged from the streets, is sending a message to dissidents louder than ever: Shut up or be locked up. As a Washington Post editorial said, there were more than 8,000 political arrests in 2015, up by thousands from years prior. The crackdown on dissidents prompted Kerry to cancel a trip he had scheduled just weeks before Obama's visit.

The president's decision to go anyway sends a message of favoritism for the strong at the expense of the weak. Dictators dream about friendly visits from heads of state; such a favor from the president of the United States is the ultimate fantasy. It provides an endless trove of propaganda material that helps lend legitimacy to the Castro regime, whose agenda of late consists of courting big corporations desperately needed to boost a failed experiment in socialism on one hand, and bulldozing house churches on the other.

Antagonizing believers is a particular specialty of the Castro regime. To them, faith is especially dangerous, because it kindles the conscience and keeps it burning when enemies advance. "Viva Cristo Rey!" were the last words of so many of my friends who were dragged to the shooting wall. Eventually, the government realized this was a battle cry for freedom, one that came from the deepest part of the men they were killing, and one that was only inspiring more men to die faithful to their consciences and to something greater than Fidel Castro. Their executioners realized that an expression of faith was more powerful than the explosion of a gun. So eventually, they gagged them.

The men who did this are still in power today. In agreeing to meet with Raul Castro, Obama rewards a regime that rules with brutal force and systemically violates human rights. He shrugs his shoulders at the little man. He shows a callous disregard for the human conscience, the single greatest threat to any ruler.

In a March 10 response to an angry message from the Damas de Blanco, an opposition movement of the mothers, wives and other female relatives of jailed dissidents known for their all-white attire, Obama thanked them for being "an inspiration to human rights movements around the world."

I wonder how many more women will be made into Damas by his trip to Cuba.

Armando Valladares is a poet and artist who spent 22 years as a political prisoner in Cuba. His memoir, "Against All Hope," has been translated to 18 languages and is a New York Times best-seller.
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WASHINGTONA unique collection of writings by a female Tibetan mystic, little known even among Tibetan Buddhists, is providing a rare glimpse of religious life in Tibet 100 years ago and is stirring new interest among scholars seven decades after her death.



The treasure revealer Sera Khandro (1892-1940) wrote her autobiography not in classical Tibetan but in the colloquial Tibetan dialect of Golok, in an area that now straddles the border between China's Sichuan and Qinghai provinces. Shes the subject of a forthcoming book by Sarah Jacoby, an assistant professor of religion at Chicago's Northwestern University.



Because Sera Khandro didnt have a monastic educationshe never studied in a monastery or a nunneryshe writes in a kind of oral language, Jacoby said in an interview.



So her autobiography is a kind of snapshot of the way people wrote in Golok 100 years ago. Its for the cultural and religious preservation of Golok history that people are interested in it, as well as the fact that it is one of the few female-authored autobiographies in Tibetan literature.



Jacobys book, tentatively titled Love Revelations: The Autobiography of a Tibetan Buddhist Dakini, is scheduled for publication by Columbia University Press.



Unique voice



Tibetan Buddhism is a religious tradition often seen as dominated by men. Great female teachers have appeared, but have produced few written works.



Sera Khandro thus remains something of an anomalywhich is one reason the official Sichuan Nationalities Publishing House last year reprinted her Collected Works in six volumes.



The project to collect, edit, and print Sera Khandro's collected works was undertaken by a Chinese government office that translates as the "Golok Regional Office of Old Manuscripts," which is dedicated to preserving Golok history, culture, literature, and language through collecting and publishing manuscripts from the region, said Jacoby.



Sarah Jacoby. Photo: Northwestern University Sera Khandro was born to a socially prominent family in the Tibetan capital Lhasa, Jacoby said. At the age of 13, she received in visions two treasure revelation cyclesseparate series of teachings and meditation practicesfrom the Tibetan Buddhist deity Vajravarahi.



She revealed more texts deriving from similar visions throughout her life, Jacoby said.



Those cycles include many, many, many texts. Hundreds of texts fit into those larger two rubrics. So theres a lot there, Jacoby said.



Her Collected Works also include a biography she wrote of her main guru and consort, Drime Ozer, her autobiographywhich is very long, 407 pagesin Tibetan cursive manuscript form, and a commentary on Dujom Lingpas Buddhahood Without Meditation.



Dujom Lingpas monastery in Dartsang, Serta County, Kardze Tibetan Autonomous Prefecturea place visited by Sera Khandro. Photo: Sarah Jacoby A particularly interesting set of Sera Khandros revelations is her Cycle of Prophecies, in which she recorded and dated many individual visions that she had, Jacoby said.



Sera Khandro wrote her texts originally in a cursive style popular in Eastern Tibet called yiknak, Jacoby said. Like manuscripts in the medieval West, these texts were never printed in woodblock form (though others were in Tibet) but had to be hand-copied by scribes, which limited their circulation.



A Sera Khandro manuscript, written in yiknak script. Photo: Sarah Jacoby



Sad series of events

To escape an arranged marriage and devote herself to religious practice, Sera Khandro left home at 15 and traveled with a party of pilgrims to Golok in the far northeast of Tibet.

Initially encountering hostility in the religious community she had hoped to join, she attached herself to a nomad family as a servant. Later, she became the consort of a man named Gara Gyalse, the son of a prominent "treasure" revealer, from Padma County, in Golok.



But soon the relationship soured, and they got along poorly.



When Sera Khandro began her relationship with Gara Gyalse, she was 19 years old, had no source of income, and had no family of any kind nearby to help her. And she was in the middle of Golok, which even today is a very difficult place to live, Jacoby said.



Back then she wrote about starving and freezing, not having enough clothes to wear, and not knowing where she would live.



Eventually, Gara Gyalse allowed Sera Khandro to leave him, as she had become very ill, and she became the consort of Drime Ozer. This was a lama whose traveling party she had joined on her journey to Golok, and for whom she had the deepest devotion.



Together, Sera Khandro and Drime Ozer revealed further "treasures," Jacoby said. And when Drime Ozer died, Sera Khandro retired to live and teach at a small monastery in Golok called Sera, from which she took her name.



Reincarnation



In 2007, Jacoby and her husband Antonio Terrone, both fluent in Tibetan, traveled to the Kham region of Tibet and met a contemporary incarnation of Sera Khandro.



We spent several days with her in a Vairochana cave in Gyalrong and interviewed her and talked to her about what it was like to be a part of this lineage and how she understood her position as Sera Khandros incarnation, Jacoby said.



Its been very interesting to see how these traditions really do live on in contemporary Tibet.



Original reporting by Richard Finney. Edited by Sarah Jackson-Han.


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
Nazim Gadzhiyev, 72, who since 2012 has headed the Lezgin public organization Sadval (Unity), was found stabbed to death on March 21 at his apartment in Makhachkala, almost exactly one year to the day since the still-unsolved death of Sadval activist Ruslan Magomedragimov.

Bloggers such as Ruslan Gereyev who commented on Gadzhiyev's demise lauded his commitment over five decades to the concept of Lezgin autonomy, but at the same time opined that Sadval and the older generation of activists cannot achieve the desired results in today's evolving political landscape.

The Lezgins are a north-eastern Caucasian ethnos who claim to be the descendants of the ancient kingdom of Caucasian Albania that fell to Arab conquerors in the 8th century A.D. Their historic homeland was divided in 1860 between two gubernias of Tsarist Russia -- Daghestan, which in 1918 remained part of Russia, and Shemakha, which formed part of the short-lived Azerbaijan Democratic Republic that was subsumed into Soviet Russia in 1920.

At the time of the 2010 Russian Federation census, there were 385,240 Lezgins living in Daghestan, primarily in the south of the republic. They were the fourth largest ethnic group (13.3 percent of the total population.)

Estimates of the number of Lezgins in Azerbaijan vary widely. In 2014, they were officially estimated to account for 2 percent of the total population of 9,686,210 (193,724), while unofficial estimates range from 400,000 to 850,000.

The first demands by Lezgins in the U.S.S.R., including Gadzhiyev, for a separate Lezgin territorial-administrative unit date back to the 1960s, and were swiftly suppressed.

In July 1990, inspired by Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev's policy of glasnost, Lezgins in Daghestan established the informal organization Sadval to campaign for the "unification" of Lezgin-populated territories, a demand that resonated with at least some of their co-ethnics in the Azerbaijan Soviet Socialist Republic.

Spearheading Public Protests

From the mid-1990s through the first decade of this century, however, Sadval's primary objective has switched several times, depending on whether its moderate or radical wing was formulating policy, from an independent state, to an autonomous Lezgin region within Daghestan that would subsume part of northern Azerbaijan, to an autonomous Lezgin region within Azerbaijan, which would have necessitated ceding Russian territory.

Over the past few years, Sadval's focus has narrowed. Its activists spearheaded public protests in 2013 against the perceived threat posed to the ecosystem of Daghestan's Magerramkent district by Azerbaijan's alleged use of more water from the Samur River than it is entitled to under the September 2010 interstate border treaty. They also opposed what were seen as efforts by Azerbaijan to expand its presence and influence in southern Daghestan, especially the town of Derbent.

Meanwhile, the Federal National-Cultural Autonomy of the Lezgins (FLNKA), an official body with close ties to the Russian State Duma and the Russian Foreign Ministry, apparently took upon itself those aspects of Sadval's agenda that derive from the division of the ethnic group between two states.

In 2008, FLNKA together with the State Duma's Committee for Nationality Affairs compiled and circulated a brochure calling for official condemnation of the division and "ethnocide" of the Lezgin people in the 1920s, and demanding that the border between the Russian Federation and Azerbaijan be redrawn to incorporate the northern districts of Azerbaijan into Daghestan. (That demand was not met by the terms of the 2010 treaty.) In other words, FLNKA allowed itself on that occasion to be used as a policy instrument for exerting Russian pressure on Azerbaijan.

FLNKA has recently formally applied for consultative status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council.

At the same time, on the local as opposed to the federal level, successive Republic of Daghestan leaders have energetically sought to establish cordial and mutually beneficial ties with Azerbaijan, in the name of which the interests of the Lezgins have been quietly shelved.

That situation may change, however, if, as some analysts speculate, North Caucasus Federal District head Sergei Melikov, who is of Lezgin extraction, is chosen to succeed incumbent Ramazan Abdulatipov as Republic of Daghestan head when Abdulatipov turns 70 later this year.
Iranian factory workers and shopkeepers went on strike on October 22 as nationwide protests sparked by the death in custody of Mahsa Amini, arrested for "improperly" wearing a head scarf entered a sixth week, activists said.

The death of 22-year-old Amini has fueled the biggest protests seen in the Islamic republic in years.

Young women have led the charge, removing their head scarves, chanting anti-government slogans, and confronting the security forces on the streets, despite a crackdown that rights groups say has killed at least 215 people, including 27 children.

Activists issued a call for fresh demonstrations as the Iranian working week got under way on October 22, but it was difficult to immediately assess the turnout due to curbs on Internet access.

"On Saturday... We will be together for freedom," activist Atena Daemi said in a Twitter post that bore an image of a bare-headed woman with her fist raised in the air.

The 1500tasvir social media channel said that there were "strikes in a couple of cities including Sanandaj, Bukan, and Saqez" but added that it was difficult to see evidence of them online as "the internet connection is too slow."

Saqez, in the western province of Kurdistan, is Amini's home town, where angry protests broke out at her burial last month, sparking the nationwide demonstrations.

The Norway-based Hengaw rights group also said that shopkeepers were on strike in Bukan, Sanandaj, Saqez, and Marivan.



At Shahid Beheshti University in Tehran, dozens of students were seen in a video tweeted by 1500tasvir clapping and chanting during a protest on October 22.

Dozens of workers were seen gathering outside the Aidin chocolate factory in Tabriz, the capital of East Azerbaijan province, in other footage it shared.

The videos have not been independently verified.

People were also gathering abroad for rallies in solidarity with the Iranian protest movement.

Tens of thousands of people have taken to the streets of Berlin to show support. Iranian activist Hamed Esmaeilion -- whose wife and daughter were killed when a Ukrainian passenger plane was shot down near Tehran in 2020 --is expected to be the main speaker in the German capital.



An online petition promoted by Esmaeilion asking the Group of Seven leading industrialized nations to expel the Islamic republic's diplomats has so far garnered nearly 657,000 signatures.

In Tokyo, demonstrators held up portraits of Amini and others who have been killed in the crackdown, as well as a banner bearing the protest slogan, "Women, life, freedom."

A teachers' union in Iran has called for a nationwide strike on October 23 and 24.

The Coordinating Council of Teachers Syndicates said the "sit-in" would be in response to "systematic oppression" by the security forces at schools.

The council identified in a statement four teenagers who had been killed in the crackdown -- Nika Shahkarami, Sarina Esmailzadeh, Abolfazl Adinezadeh, and Asra Panahi -- and said a large number of teachers had been arrested without charge.

"Iran's teachers do not tolerate these atrocities and tyranny and proclaims that we are for the people, and these bullets and pellets you shoot at the people target our lives and souls," it said.

Meanwhile Reza Pahlavi, the exiled former crown prince of Iran, stressed in a speech on October 20 to the protesters that there is a need to form a "pluralist provisional government" for the transition from Iran's Islamic republic.

Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian accused the United States of supporting the protests in an effort to win concessions in talks aimed at restarting the nuclear 2015 agreement.



"The Americans continue to exchange messages with us, but they are trying to fan the flames of what has been going on inside Iran in recent days," Amir-Abdollahian said during a visit to Armenia.

U.S. officials have dismissed Tehrans accusations that the weeks-long mass protests in Iran have been orchestrated by the United States or Israel

With reporting by AFP and dpa
Pakistani authorities say an apparent suicide bombing has killed at least 69 people, mostly women and children, and wounded hundreds more after a blast tore through the parking lot of a crowded public park in the eastern city of Lahore where Christians were celebrating Easter Sunday.



An affiliate of the Pakistani Taliban has claimed responsibility for the deadly March 27 blast, saying it deliberately targeted Christians celebrating Easter at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park near the center of the city of some 8 million.



Ahsanullah Ahsan, a spokesman for the Taliban faction calling itself Jamat ul Ahrar, warned that the group would carry out more attacks and that the attack was a "message" to Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif, who counts the Punjab province and its capital, Lahore, as a political stronghold.



The same group claimed responsibility earlier this month for a March 7 suicide bombing at the entrance to a court building in northwestern Pakistan that killed at least 17. It described that attack as revenge for the hanging of Mumtaz Qadri, who was executed last month for the 2011 killing of a provincial governor.



Officials said many women and children were among the dead and wounded in Lahore on March 27.

WATCH: Scores Killed In Pakistan Park Bombing (natural sound, viewers may find some scenes disturbing)



It was not immediately known how many of the dead and injured were from the Christian community.



Lahore's top administration official, Muhammad Usman, said the death toll had reached 69 people. Officials said more than 280 were also wounded.



"The rescue operation is continuing," Usman was quoted by AFP as saying.



A medical superintendent at a Lahore hospital told AFP that most of the wounded were in critical condition. "I fear the death toll will rise," he said



Reuters reported that the blast occurred just outside the park's exit gate and a few meters from children's swings.



Senior police official Haider Ashraf said the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, noting that ball bearings were found at the park. He added that the area was crowded with Christians celebrating the Easter holidays.



Indian Prime Minister Naredra Modi called Sharif to condemn the attack.



The White House condemned the apparent suicide attack as "cowardly" and pledged to work with Pakistan to defeat those who terrorize the country.



"The United States condemns in the strongest terms today's appalling terrorist attack in Lahore, Pakistan," Ned Price, a spokesman for U.S. President Barack Obama's National Security Council, said in a statement.



"This cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park has killed dozens of innocent civilians and left scores injured," Price added.



Media footage and witness accounts revealed the gruesome carnage left in the wake of the blast.



Children and women were shown standing in pools of blood outside the park, crying and screaming. Rescue officials, police, and bystanders carried injured people to ambulances and private cars.



Javed Ali, a 35-year-old resident who lives across from the park, told AFP that he told his family not to go to there because it was overcrowded with Christians celebrating Easter.



He said the explosion shattered the windows of his home.



"Everything was shaking, there were cries and dust everywhere," he told AFP. "After ten minutes I went outside. There was human flesh on the walls of our house. People were crying, I could hear ambulances."



Overall levels of militant violence in Pakistan have fallen since the army launched a major offensive against Taliban and Al-Qaeda strongholds in the northwest border areas in 2014, though militants continue to stage major attacks occasionally.

With reporting by Reuters, AFP, AP, and dpa
Syrian government forces, backed by Russian airstrikes, have recaptured the historic city of Palmyra from Islamic State (IS) militants, an advance that President Bashar al-Assad hailed as an "important achievement" demonstrating the success of his army's fight against terrorism.

The loss of Palmyra is a major setback for the extremist IS group, which declared a caliphate in 2014 across large swaths of Syria and Iraq.

It follows a nearly three-week push by Assad's forces to recapture the central city, which IS militants overran in May 2015.

"The liberation of the historic city of Palmyra today is an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian Army and its allies in the war against terrorism," Assad told a delegation of French parliamentarians in Damascus.

He also took a swipe at the global coalition striking Islamic State (IS) targets in Syria and Iraq, saying the Syrian Army's victory "shows the coalition -- led by the United States and including more than 60 countries -- isn't serious about fighting terrorism."

Syrian television announced earlier in the day that the army and its militia allies took complete control of Palmyra and were clearing mines and bombs set up by the militants.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a British-based monitoring group, said that there was still gunfire in the eastern part of the city early in the morning on March 27, but that the majority of IS militants there had pulled out and retreated east.

Retaking the town is a major symbolic and strategic victory for Assad's government, which has made steady gains in recent months against IS and opposition rebel groups.

PHOTO GALLERY: The Ancient City Of Palmyra

Photo Gallery: Ancient Palmyra Threatened By Islamic State Militants Syrian authorities say Islamic State militants have advanced to within 2 kilometers of Palmyra, an ancient city with outstanding architectural heritage dating from the first century. The militants have caused significant damage to similar sites they have overrun in Iraq, posting videos of themselves destroying antiquities. UNESCO includes Palmyra on its list of World Heritage sites, describing it as one of the most important cultural centers of the ancient world -- a crossroads for local, Persian, Greek and Roman influences. Share on Facebook

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The road linking Palmyra to Raqqa, an IS stronghold, is now under army control, which means that IS fighters can only retreat eastward toward the Iraqi border.

The Syrian Army's general command said that Palmyra would become "a launchpad to expand military operations" against IS forces in Raqqa and Deir al-Zor, another stronghold of the extremist group.

It vowed to "tighten the noose on the terrorist group and cut supply routesahead of their complete recapture."

Despite Russia's announcement that it was pulling out most of its military forces from Syria two weeks ago, Russian jets and helicopters carried out dozens of strikes over the ancient city at the height of the fighting.

The Russian Defense ministry said on March 27 that its forces had made 40 flights over the area of Palmyra during the last 24 hours, striking 117 targets and killing more than 80 militants, Russian news agencies reported.

The ministry added that the cease-fire in Syria had been violated 10 times during the past 24 hours but that overall it was holding, news agencies reported.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said President Vladimir Putin congratulated Assad on the recapture Palmyra in a March 27 phone call.

"In a conversation with the Syrian president, Vladimir Putin congratulated his colleague on Syrian forces liberating the city of Palmyra from terrorists, noting the importance of preserving this unique historic city for world culture," Russia's state-owned RIA Novosti news agency quoted Peskov as saying.



Meanwhile, Rami Abdulrahman, head of the British-based Observatory, said that 400 Islamic State fighters and 180 government troops and allied militiamen died in the fighting for Palmyra.

Abdulrahman described the battle as the single biggest defeat for the group since it declared an Islamic caliphate in the areas of Syria and Iraq that it controlled in 2014

IS fighters have been under pressure since Syrian and Iraqi military forces launched offensives to retake the key bastions in the group's self-proclaimed caliphate.

They were driven out of the Iraqi city of Ramadi only three months ago, a major victory for Iraq. They also lost the Iraqi city of Tikrit last year and the Syrian town of Al-Shadadi in February.

On March 24, the Iraqi Army announced that it would launch an offensive to retake Iraq's second-largest city, Mosul, which has been under IS control since June 2014.

Many of Palmyra's Roman-era relics, including the 2,000-year-old Temple of Bel and the iconic Arch of Triumph, have been blown up by IS, which claims they promoted "idolatry."

UNESCO has called the campaign of destruction a war crime punishable by the International Criminal Court.

Syrian television on March 27 broadcast footage from inside a Palmyra museum that showed toppled and damaged statues, as well as multiple smashed display cases.

The Syrian government's antiquities chief said other ancient landmarks remained standing and vowed to restore the damaged monuments.

"Palmyra has been liberated. This is the end of the destruction in Palmyra," Mamoun Abdelkarim was quoted by Reuters as saying. "How many times did we cry for Palmyra? How many times did we feel despair? But we did not lose hope."

With reporting by AFP, AP, dpa, and Reuters


Grindly Johnson, Virginias deputy secretary of transportation, was recently awarded a Women Who Move the Nation Award by the Conference of Minority Transportation Officials. She was named Woman of the Year last year by the Central Virginia Chapter of the Womens Transportation Seminar. Johnson, who graduated with a bachelors degree in accounting from Norfolk State University in 1975, never planned to work in transportation. But by all accounts, she has left her mark on the field, often acting as a mentor to other women and minorities. Most recently, she was tapped by the governor to study how to reduce the cost of tolls in Hampton Roads for people who cant afford them.

The Richmond Times-Dispatch caught up with Johnson on Friday, after she returned from a trip to Alexandria to speak to a group of women about diversity and her role in transportation.

QUESTION: What advice do you give young women beginning careers in transportation, engineering, business or other fields related to yours?

ANSWER: I just tell them pick something you enjoy doing. You are a lot more successful when you are doing things that you enjoy. The one thing about millennials, a lot of them are into making lots of money. And who doesnt want to make lots of money. But theyre also into giving back to the community and a balanced work life and personal life. I also tell them you have to keep that balance and you cant just be all about the money. If you find something youre truly passionate about and youre good at it, the money comes. So I tell them find something that you really enjoy to do, do it well, work hard and always strive to be the best. Always. And youre going to have some failures. Ive had some failures in my life. But you dont let one setback stop you, you just keep going. I always tell my mentees, never let them see you sweat.

QUESTION: What advice do you wish someone had given you?

ANSWER: I stayed at one company too long. Thats the biggest mistake I think I made. Staying at one company too long and being too comfortable. You get a job and youre doing good and youre making good money and I got comfortable. And that was the worst thing I couldve done, because you always need to stretch yourself. You should never be complacent. Since I have left that, Im always pushing. Im planning what Im going to do when this appointment is over. I still think there are a lot of things that I can do to have a positive impact on the lives of others.

QUESTION: You just got back from the D.C., where you were a panelist at a White House conference called Energizing, Empowering and Engaging Women in Transportation.What are a couple of things you learned there that you can bring back to your work here in Virginia?

ANSWER: I learned quite a bit because its always nice to talk to other women, to see what theyve been going through. See if theyre having the same issues, how were overcoming those and just to network. So to me, that was beneficial. But one of the reasons why I received the award is because of my mentoring of women and minorities and my work with small businesses. So those are the things that I bring back to our agencies.

QUESTION: You mentioned sharing stories and seeing what people were overcoming. What about personally? Is there a story that shows personal challenges youve overcome?

ANSWER: I have been in the workforce since 1975. I graduated in December of 1975. I can go back to when I was a state tax auditor. When I was hired they referred to me as a two-fer. When I say a two-fer, I was black and I was a female and this was 76. There was a push to hire more women and more minorities. Even though my supervisor at the time told me I was a two-fer, I dont think he said it maliciously. Weve maintained a good relationship. The things that Ive overcome. Well, going to many meetings and being the only one that looks like me in a room. Thats a little intimidating when you are fresh out of school. Im an only child. I grew up in a segregated neighborhood. My teachers were my mothers friends. My doctors were my mothers friends. We were always told you had to do more and you always had to strive higher and higher. So I just kept doing what I could do. My father instilled in me an awesome work ethic. I just kept pushing. You cant have fear. Youre going to have mistakes. Youre going to have failures, but you just keep coming back. What I always tell my folks that I mentor is that you have to keep reinventing yourself. You have to stay relevant. You have to help somebody else. You have to pay it back. And one size does not fit all. How I got to my position was not the normal way. It was not a plan. I didnt have a plan to work in transportation. I just took advantage of opportunities that came my way.

QUESTION: Where do you look for inspiration, especially in a field that is still dominated by men?
It looks like nothing was found at this location. Maybe try a search?

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The long search for the sources of polychlorinated biphenyls, or PCBs, in the New River is winding down, a state environmental spokesman said last week.

An April 5 meeting at Radford University will be an opportunity for residents to hear the most recent findings from years of study of how the industrial chemical got into fish and sediment in most of the New Rivers length in Virginia, state Department of Environmental Quality spokesman Bill Hayden said. Residents will have a month after the meeting to offer comments on the hunt for the sources of the PCBs.

Then, late this year, the state will finally release its account of where the PCBs came from, how they got in the water and what can be done about it, Hayden said.

But its too early to discuss a timetable for cleaning up the PCBs, Hayden added.

Its just very slow, deliberate work, Hayden said of what has already been a 15-year effort.

In August 2001, the state announced that routine testing had discovered PCBs and issued warnings not to eat carp  and later, catfish or smallmouth bass  caught in a long stretch of the New River. A search for the source of the pollution began quickly but seemed to turn up little as years went by. There has been only one cleanup of a PCBs site, a Pulaski County quarry where old electrical equipment was abandoned, since the search began, Hayden confirmed. And in 2005, when regulators announced that the quarry had been cleaned by hauling away contaminated dirt, their determination was that it had nothing to do with the pollution in the river.

Hayden said that the long lag between discovering the PCBs and coming to conclusions about sources and possible remedies is normal. When a waterway is determined to be impaired, state environmental staff begin a long process that eventually ends in a total maximum daily load, or TMDL, study, he said. The maximum daily load refers to how much pollution is too much in a given body of water.

It takes a long time  a decade or more, Hayden said.

Until their manufacturing was banned in 1977, PCBs were widely used in many applications, including paint, rubber products and the electrical capacitors and transformers that were part of everything from televisions and fluorescent light fixtures to utility substations and industrial equipment.

Because the chemical did not burn easily, it was added to the oil used as coolants in the equipment. As the oil seeped out of the equipment or was released in accidents, PCB contamination occurred in many areas across the United States.

Studies linked PCBs to a variety of health problems. The federal Centers for Disease Control calls the substance a possible carcinogen and said people exposed to it have reported gastrointestinal disturbances, elevated serum enzyme and triglyceride levels, and numbness of the extremities, among other effects.

When PCBs were first found in the New River, the affected zone officially began at the Peppers Ferry bridge near Radford and extended downstream to the West Virginia line. People were told not to eat carp caught in this part of the river.

But as more testing was done, the boundary of the impaired area was pushed upstream to the Interstate 77 bridge in Wythe County.

People were told not to eat carp caught downstream from the Claytor dam, and to have a maximum of two meals per month of flathead or channel catfish caught in this area. Upstream from the Claytor dam, people were advised to have no more than two meals per month of carp or smallmouth bass.

In Tazewell County, the Bluestone River, which flows north to join the New River in West Virginia, also is listed as impaired by PCBs, with warnings not to eat carp caught there or to have more than two meals per month of white sucker, rock bass and largemouth bass.

Hayden said that his agency still is sorting through possible sources that were mostly identified by 2004, when regulators working with a committee of residents drew up a list of 81 sites where PCBs were thought to have been used. At a 2003 meeting of the citizens committee, residents expressed frustration that the PCBs effort at that time only had funding to carry out 53 tests of soil or water that might detect the presence of PCBs.

Funding also limited additional testing of fish and sediment, and the report to be issued this year is largely based on results from 2001 and 2012, Hayden said.

The possible source list of a dozen years ago included American Electric Powers Claytor Dam and Glen Lyn power plant, the then-operating foundries in Radford and the Celanese plant in Giles County, the Radford Army Ammunition Plant, and Virginia Tech and Radford University. Also on the list were landfills, businesses and other sites across the New River watershed.

In an update on the PCBs effort at last years New River Symposium, state environmental officials said that testing showed contamination hot spots at Peak Creek in Pulaski County, and Wolf and Walker creeks in Giles County.

Shawn Hash, owner of Tangent Outfitters, expressed amazement Thursday that the state still was working on its PCBs study. A member of the citizens committee in 2003, Hash said that he had to wonder how dangerous state officials think the PCBs are.

If it is vitally important to life as we know it, then lets pitch in and get this done, Hash said.  If its a health risk, lets deal with it.  A threat is a threat.
Five months after a Franklin County state senator told police he had been threatened by the father of the Roanoke TV reporter fatally shot during a live broadcast, a special prosecutor has been appointed to oversee an ongoing Virginia State Police investigation and decide whether charges are warranted.

Danville Commonwealths Attorney Michael Newman confirmed that he was appointed special prosecutor by Chief Circuit Court Judge Joseph Milam of the 22nd Judicial Circuit after receiving a request in January from fellow Circuit Court Judge Clyde Perdue, who sits in Franklin County.

State Sen. Bill Stanley, R-Franklin County, notified police last fall of the alleged threats by Andy Parker, who has become the public face of gun control in Virginia after his daughter, WDBJ (Channel 7) reporter Alison Parker, 24, was gunned down with cameraman Adam Ward on live television in August. Stanley is a practicing attorney in Franklin County.

I believe that all parties there in Franklin County, even the judge, requested that Judge Milam handle the appointment of any special prosecutor, Newman said. They didnt want to have anything to do with it in reference to any appearance of impropriety.

Franklin County Commonwealths Attorney A.J. Dudley, who assumed office in January after winning the seat in the November election, said his predecessor, Cooper Brown, had requested the appointment of a special prosecutor before leaving office.

The basis of [the appointment] was the current and frequent presence of Senator Stanley as a defense attorney in many cases being handled by the commonwealths attorneys office, Dudley explained. He has an office here and  does defense work, and he currently serves as an attorney on many matters that are being prosecuted by our office.

Newman confirmed that a state police investigation of Parkers alleged threats is still ongoing, but he declined to elaborate.

The investigation has not been completed, Newman said. I dont have anything to review at this point. Its still a pending investigation.

Reached last week, Parker was astounded to learn from a reporter that an investigation was still proceeding.

The notion that theyre still pushing this as an ongoing investigation is absurd, he said. I just dont get it.

Parker said he hasnt been interviewed by state police, nor has he been advised of an investigation.

If there was anything to this, you would have thought I would have heard something by now  or somebody from state police would knock on my door, Parker said. But nobody has. And I have to think that Stanleys behind it.

Hes doing everything he can to ruin me, Parker added. Hes searching everywhere he can for a friendly [commonwealths attorney] that will take the case and appoint someone to look into it. Thats the only thing I can think of, because there is absolutely no merit to it.

Reached Friday, Stanley denied Parkers claim that he pushed for an investigation or contacted anyone to that end.

When Mr. Parker made the threats to me and my family, back before the election, I reported it to the authorities  as were asked to do whenever an elected official receives a threat like this, Stanley said.

And since then Ive been cooperating with state police when asked, he added. I have had nothing to do other than that with the investigation. Any notion that I am trying to push this along  according to Mr. Parker  is just pure nonsense on his part.

Stanley noted that making a threat of bodily injury or harm to another person using electronic means or over the airways is a crime in Virginia. So thats what theyre investigating.

On Oct. 28, Stanley contacted police and said he obtained an application for a concealed-carry permit after Parker sent him a Facebook message that said: Im going to be your worst nightmare you little bastard.

After Gov. Terry McAuliffe entered the fray and told Stanley in a radio appearance on Richmonds WRVA to man up over the perceived online threat, calling Stanleys reporting of the incident a political stunt, Stanley pointed to a second comment he said clearly shows a physical threat from Parker.

Stanley highlighted a comment Parker made beneath a post touting an endorsement of Stanley by the National Rifle Association.

The comment, one of more than a dozen Parker posted to Stanleys page within roughly 30 minutes, accused Stanley of failing to offer condolences after the shooting and concluded: WHEN YOU SEE ME AGAIN, YOU BETTER WALK THE OTHER WAY LEST I BEAT YOUR LITTLE ASS WITH MY BARE HANDS.

Taken together, Stanley said they show without a doubt that Parker meant to do him physical harm.

Parker, who lives in Henry County and is a constituent of Stanleys, apologized that same week in a statement issued through Everytown for Gun Safety, the gun-control advocacy group he worked with to produce television ads in several key Virginia Senate races.

In my grief over the murder of my daughter and my anger over a political system that allows incidents like this to occur, I spoke regrettably, Parker said at the time.

Parker last week reiterated that he intended no harm to Stanley.

The notion that Id hurt the guy, or that there is a threat there, is nuts. I saw him in the hallways in the General Assembly building  I didnt say anything to him  I just walked right by him.

Stanley said he just wants Parker to leave him and his family alone and grieve without making threats to others. He said Parker has directed angry outbursts not just to him, but to other elected officials throughout this area.

I want him to have time to grieve, and not make me the object of the anger which is part of that grief, Stanley said. I have done nothing to him, ever. For him to have the anger that he has for me  to make a physical threat against me and my family  theres no reason for that. The grief can explain, but not necessarily excuse, it.
His name was Lea Myers and he lived with his wife Arrie just over the hill from my house. He was born April 29, 1863.

A headstone with an incorrect version of his first name  Lee  marked the spot of his burial in a small cemetery near the corner of Piney Woods and Childress Roads. Another older, and correct, stone was found once digging began on the morning of March 11.

That day, grandsons and cousins, John Tommy Myers Jr. and John Jack Akers, had come to move Leas remains to rest next to his wife. Arrie had moved to Christiansburg after the death of her spouse. She was buried in Sunset Cemetery and something about that separation was troubling to the family.

As explained to me by Tyler Myers, grandson to Tommy, the morning of the expedition: It was Tommys idea. It kind of bothered him that the grandparents werent together.

Tyler was standing on Piney Woods Road as I was finishing my run. I couldnt resist asking what was up. (My editor has assured me that being nosey is a good thing for a journalist.)

Tyler introduced me to Tommy and Tommys son, Dan Myers. Jack had brought along his son, Barry. I was immediately taken by the scene: Here they were, generations later, caring for their kin. This spoke volumes about the family. Plus, Id never been to an exhuming.

I learned more from this group, both that morning and in a follow-up interview. Tommy schemed on the project for a while. He was the Circuit Court Clerk of Montgomery County from 1967 to 1991 and knew some protocol was required.

He sought help from Horne Funeral Home in Christiansburg. Johnny Muncy, assistant manager at Hornes, was present that morning.

The overall process to secure necessary permits and line up appropriate equipment took about three weeks, per Muncy.

The company will be asked to conduct a disinterment every two or three years: When we do, it is usually in cases like this when a family wants to move someone from a small family cemetery to a place where their loved ones will receive a continuous level of care.

Horne hired professionals from the Richard Wilbert Vault Company in Salem for the actual excavation and care of the remains.

Tommy hired someone to clear the way to the cemetery and also had to check with the property owners. Access is always guaranteed to family members, but moving large digging equipment is another thing.

Digging began about 8:40 a.m. and a piece of cloth was identified around 9:16 a.m. When the backhoe scooped about 9 feet down, there was little evidence other than the fabric. Some discussions ensued about headstone placement, passage of time and what happens if and when a small cemetery like this is mowed. It was possible that they needed to be digging a bit more to the west.

In western Christian tradition, graves typically face east, a fact that had escaped me until now. Dan Myers pointed that out and I wondered aloud why.

Because then they can all watch the sun rise each morning, he said with a completely straight face. This was my introduction to the Myers wit.

The company and the project were both entertaining and interesting, but I had another meeting to attend to that morning. I left as the second round of digging began.

Tyler texted me as more discoveries were made. They had found a tooth. A casket screw. More cloth.

Decomposition takes its toll after so many years. Lea Myers was buried in July 1922. Interestingly, he was a carpenter by profession, producing cabinets, furniture and even caskets.

But they were dirt poor, Tommy Myers explained during an interview a few days later. He has done some genealogy work and has detailed notes on how the Myers family arrived in Childress.

On September 7, 1867, Leas father bought 1.5 acres from Anderson Howard for $200, he read.

The Myers men shared other details.

Tommys father worked at the old mill in Childress.

And Aunt B (short for Blanche), who is Jacks mother, worked at the Palmer store, which is an abandoned building at the front of our property  the Hamp Howard House.

(The Hamp Howard House is recognized as a landmark through the Montgomery County Historic Sites Survey, according to a framed certificate inherited from the previous owners).

I saw several Palmer and Howard names among those buried in the small Childress cemetery.

Family lore has it that Arrie walked a milking cow from Childress to Christiansburg when she moved to live with her oldest daughter after Lea died.

While he was an excellent wood worker, Lea was illiterate. Tommy and Dan learned that from a Childress neighbor who once had Lea work on a family members house.

Tommys father attended school to the seventh grade, likely in a small structure on a neighbors property. As you can imagine, educational opportunities were not abundant, he summarized.

Family matters with the Myers clan. I saw that again and again. Tyler reinforced his pride in noting that his people are born and die here. Dan tracked down the number of living descendants of Lea: 59. Jack and Barry were not readily available to meet as they, along with another sibling, are caretakers for wife and mother Louise, something that Tommy and Dan did for Annie Myers, from 2007 to 2013.

The research, the stories and the connections sometimes made on an informal basis all illuminate a continuity from generation to generation. They also link to a hardscrabble time.

Arries walk likely took her all day. It took me 15 minutes to drive to Tommys house, located near Sunset Cemetery.

Which is where they took Leas remains to rest next to Arries grave. And thats another neat twist to this whole story.

When Tommy had determined that he could move his grandfather, the next step was to contact Sunset to see what space might be available.

And, if at all possible, something close to Arrie.

As it turns out, there was a spot right next to her.

This was really something, Muncy noted. It would be rare to have an open space, especially in that section of the cemetery.

Tommy was absolutely committed to the prospect, but this unexpected opportunity seemed to seal the deal: That we could put him right next to his wife was the icing on the cake.
AMBULANCE workers have praised the benefits of having 166 lifesaving in locations across Rotherham.

Town centre workers like market staff, wardens and parking enforcement officers have all been trained to use the equipment.

A defibrillator in the market saved the life of a 60-year-old man suffering a cardiac arrest in November 2014 - weeks after it was installed.

Emma Scott, community defibrillation officer at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: It is a real benefit to have them in public places with an access code easily available from the ambulance service.

Having easy access means immediate lifesaving care can be provided in an emergency situation, such as cardiac arrest, in the vital minutes before the ambulance arrives.

We know that in many medical emergencies the first few minutes are critical and if effective treatment can be performed within those first minutes, lives can be saved and disability reduced.

She added: These pieces of kit really do have the potential to help to save more lives and are an important asset to communities.

Town centre warden Adam Barlow, security guard Andrew Heath, cleaner Roy Hughes and office worker Laura France used a public defibrillator to restart the market customers heart in the 2014 incident.

Defibrillators work by delivering a controlled electric shock to the heart, allowing it to naturally return to a normal rhythm.

More than 50 of the kits have been provided as part of the Rotherham Heart Town project involving YAS, Rotherham Borough Council and the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

Lauren Mallinson, BHF fundraising manager, said: More than 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital every year but less than one in ten survive.

More people could be saved if more defibrillators were available in public places and if more people felt confident using them and performing CPR.

Cllr Ken Wyatt said: Rotherham has been leading the field in public access to defibrillators over the last few years and we now have an extensive network of them in town centre buildings.
Hon Hai Precision Industry Co., Foxconn Technology Group's flagship company, denied media reports that the bailout of Sharp Corp. (SHCAY.PK) will be approved and signed on March 31, a day after Hon Hai's board meets.

In Taiwan stock exchange, Hon Hai said that the progress in talks to buy Sharp will determine whether the deal is discussed at the board meeting, which will go ahead as scheduled.

On Saturday, Hon Hai Precision Industry and Sharp have agreed on a bailout, the Nikkei reported, citing people familiar with the ongoing talks.

Hon Hai and Sharp will hold board meetings on March 30 to approve the deal and sign the acquisition agreement the following day.

Foxconn will cut its original 489 billion yen offer for newly issued Sharp stock by around 100 billion yen, Nikkei said, with Foxconn also to put down a 100 billion yen deposit upon the signing of the agreement Thursday.

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March 18, 2016 POE VOWS TO BUILD MORE AGRO-INDUSTRIAL ZONES FOR SUGAR FARMERS NEGROS OCCIDENTAL--As the dry spell continues to take its toll on the sugar industry, leading presidential candidate Sen. Grace Poe vowed to give the P2 billion mandated by law to help the country's sugar farmers. Poe, who brought her campaign to Bacolod Friday, said her "Gobyernong may Puso" will also increase infrastructure support for the local sugar industry by building more agro-industrial zones and shared facilities to aid the processing and marketing of products. "'Yung mga taniman, yung mga naaani, babagsak doon, bibilhin doon, o may mga shared facilities or byproducts from crops that can actually be processed there. And the farmers that will be displaced (by mechanization) can be the ones working in these agro-industrial zones," she said in an interview in Bacolod. Poe, who remains the voters' top pick for president, also promised steady funding for the Sugarcane Industry Development Act of 2015 (SIDA), if she wins. The law requires P2 billion a year starting 2016 to increase the competitiveness of the local sugar industry. "Importante that the funding in the Sugar Regulatory Administration (SRA) is kept steady. We would like to maintain P2 billion and then incrementally increase it to be able to help the farmers particularly during the dead season, 'pag walang harvest," Poe said. Under the SIDA, the Philippine Sugar Corporation and the SRA are tasked to ensure that the P2-billion fund will be used as specified under the law: 50 percent for infrastructure support, including irrigation; 15 percent for block farms; 15 percent for socialized credit; 15 percent for research and development; and 5 percent for scholarship grants. The SIDA aims to improve farm productivity and sugar yield of Filipino farmers, especially amid lower tariffs on imported sugar under the ASEAN Economic Community. More than half of Negros Occidental's agricultural land is planted to sugarcane, making the province the Philippines' top sugar producer, contributing over half of the country's total production. However, the Negros Island region has been identified as the most high-risk area for El Nino in the Visayas, with the dry spell seen to affect the region until 2018, according to the country's weather bureau. January 2016 figures from the SRA showed that P99.5 million worth of sugarcane crops have been damaged due to El Nino and 7,372 hectares of sugarcane plantation are rendered unproductive by drought. This affects around 8,000 farmers. Aside from providing institutional support, Poe said the focus of government efforts should be towards building resilience and environmental sustainability, as well as strengthening crop insurance programs and affordable loan mechanisms. Poe and her running mate Sen. Francis Escudero are in Negros Occidental with the senatorial bets of their coalition, Partido Galing at Puso. They met with local officials and multi-sectoral groups. In 2013, Poe garnered 451,366, making her the province's top choice for senator.
Internet infra development key to more jobs,

better economy - Bongbong Marcos

VICE Presidential candidate Senator Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos, Jr. has called for a clearer and more comprehensive internet infrastructure saying it is a vital component to improving the economy.

In a statement, Marcos said that planning the country's internet infrastructure development is essential to any developing nation in this day and age because it is where jobs are created, better services are rendered and the economy blossoms.

"Before jobs can multiply, we need to expand our economy. The first thing we need to do is to expand our infrastructure, including our internet. We need to increase our infrastructure development in order to help businesses flourish as it would also subsequently add jobs," Marcos said.

Marcos lamented a 2015 report of Internet metrics provider Ookla where the Philippines ranked 21st out of 22 Asians countries with the slowest Internet download speed.

"It is such a disappointment that we lag behind our Asian neighbors in terms of internet speed and connection when internet is such an indispensable part of today's world," he pointed out.

According to Marcos, with changes in global commerce, the next administration should adopt a mindset where telecommunications, especially the Internet, is part of the essential infrastructure.

Marcos noted that the country's 2.5% GDP growth is hampered due in part to poor infrastructure development funding.

"What we should follow is a business-directed Internet infrastructure because most businesses use the internet anyway. This is where the government comes in by improving our telecommunications in order to have a better run for our economy," Marcos explained.
Joanna Newsom recently released Divers, her first new studio album in five years. Since setting out into the world with her 2004 debut, The Milk-Eyed Mender  her full-size orchestral harp in tow  the 33-year-old Nevada City native and Mills College alumna has become an indie hero, turned the world onto her eclectic influences ranging from Appalachian folk songs to Renaissance madrigals, and settled down with her husband, actor Andy Samberg. She spoke to us from her home in Los Angeles.

Q: Your latest album alone took five years to make. Do you feel like you have come full circle because you started as an unknown commodity, went out there and proved yourself and now youre back in a space where theres no pressure?

A: I think even at the time it wasnt about proving myself. It was about having an opportunity to potentially play music as my living, as my job. I felt really excited and hoped people would like it, but I never had that plucky, Im-going-to-prove-myself mentality. I definitely have slowed down a little bit in my process.

Q: Why is that?

A: The overarching structure for this record was so complicated it just took so long. I didnt even know how long it was going to take. I was working the whole time. So far, I havent had that artistic crisis of, why bother? Its more about waiting for the good idea.

Q: Is it hard to stay in touch with the magic as you grow older and maybe more cynical?

A: I dont think so. Life pulls me in a lot of different directions, but theres still this set of priorities that have survived my life. Ive been really lucky that I get to keep making music; it infuses the act. Theres something sacred with how rare it is that I get to do that.

Q: A lot of this album is about your difficulty to adjusting to life in New York. Was it that bad?

A: Even living in San Francisco for me was hard. I had to decamp to Nevada City every weekend. New York was too dense and too loud and intense for me. There was something comedic about it. I lived there part-time for four years and I took the subway maybe five times. I walked everywhere. That was the only way to navigate without freaking out. I feel like I was in Blade Runner.

Q: Do you still get nervous walking out onstage?

A: Im more nervous doing an interview than playing a show. Theres something really anchoring and distilling about the act of sitting and playing music. It burns off all the other stuff. It pulls me back to the personal act. You can see my awkwardness on display between songs.

Aidin Vaziri is The San Francisco Chronicles pop music critic. Email: avaziri@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MusicSF

Joanna Newsom: 7:30 p.m. Sunday, March 27. $35-$45. Fox Theater, 1807 Telegraph Ave., Oakland. www.apeconcerts.com. Watch the official video to Sapokanikan here: https://youtu.be/ky9Ro9pP2gc

Joanna Newsom In Conversation with Dave Eggers: 7:30 p.m. Monday, May 16. City Arts and Lectures, Nourse Theater, 1955 Sutter St., S.F. (415) 392-4400. www.cityarts.net
California Highway Patrol /

An 18-year-old San Pablo woman was killed Saturday night when a drunken driver careened into her disabled car on the shoulder of Interstate 80 in Fairfield, authorities said.

Investigators with the California Highway Patrol reported that Marc Crawley, 46, of Suisun City lost control of his 1968 Ford Mustang shortly before 8 p.m. on eastbound I-80 and collided with a disabled car along the highway, pushing it into two people standing in front of it.
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A chilly mist and predawn darkness didnt stop the Bay Areas faithful from making the annual trek up Mount Davidson for an Easter sunrise service Sunday.

The hills landmark cross, illuminated with booming stage lights so that it could be seen through the morning fog, served as a beacon for hundreds who hiked the muddy trails to the citys highest point for the 94th year of the holiday celebration atop the peak.

It was worth getting up early, said San Francisco resident Aracelis Gil, who made the half-mile or so walk with her husband  even with an injured knee. I wanted to feel the sense of community on such an important day.

The nondenominational service, which began at 7 a.m. with the large crowd huddled amid a grove of eucalyptus trees, started with a bagpipe rendition of Amazing Grace and continued with hymns, prayers and Bible readings.

What a celebration, said Phillip Murti of Millbrae, who has attended the event for the past 20 years.

Murti said the early morning hike was no big deal after a career working the graveyard shift loading planes for United Airlines.

Rebecca Jorgenson, who was on Mount Davidson for the first time, came all the way from Whitefish, Mont. She was visiting friends in San Francisco and wanted to kick off Easter with a morning service as she would have done back home.

Jorgenson said the trail up the hill was easy, especially after coming from the Rockies. Still, she admitted she was a little tired from spending the weekend walking the citys steep, hilly streets.

The 103-foot-tall cross at the top of Mount Davidson was built in 1932. The steel and concrete structure replaced less sturdy versions that had been put up to honor the Christian faith.

The Council of Armenian American Organizations of Northern California owns and maintains the cross.

The Rev. Mesrop Ash of St. John Armenian Apostolic Church of San Francisco, told the worshipers Sunday morning: When you and I look at the cross, we see the same thing: hope  something to really build our lives upon amid the tumultuous times we live in.

Kurtis Alexander is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: kalexander@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @kurtisalexander
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Police officers arrested Sarah Kynoch, 34, of Walnut Park (Los Angeles County), Saturday morning in front of the Safeway store on Commerce Boulevard in Rohnert Park. She was booked on charges that included robbery, kidnapping, assault with a deadly weapon and possession of narcotics paraphernalia.

Officers first responded to the busy shopping center shortly after 10 a.m. in response to a report of someone wielding a gun outside of the store.
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Any headhunter would be ecstatic to recruit Sean Plankey, a lieutenant commander in the U.S. Coast Guard who conducted cyberspace operations in Afghanistan, was awarded a Bronze Star, has an Ivy League masters degree in computer science and will leave the military this summer after 13 years.

But despite his stellar resume, Plankey, 34, was uncertain how to transition to a civilian career  a sentiment shared by many veterans.

Thats why he jumped at the chance to participate in a pilot program called BreakLine, which helps veterans connect with Bay Area tech employers.

This has given me a rocket start into the tech industry, said Plankey, who lives in Washington, D.C. Now I can describe my vision in Bay Area terms. His goal: to lead teams developing cybersecurity products.

Plankey is among 17 men and six women part way through the inaugural BreakLine, a four-week intensive training program that combines MBA-type courses, talks by industry luminaries, hands-on group projects, evening social events and a week at each of the programs four sponsors: Andreessen Horowitz, Hewlett Packard Enterprise, PayPal and Salesforce.

The programs impetus came from Bethany Coates, who has interacted with vets in her role as assistant dean of the Stanford Graduate School of Business.

She noticed that many vets felt they ran into brick walls as they sought careers. Even the most accomplished may need help translating the militarys arcane language into something employers can grasp, networking in the civilian world and learning about jobs outside of defense and law enforcement.

At the same time, I cross paths regularly with tech executives who say they are in the middle of a talent shortage, Coates said. They wanted access to an additional pipeline of exceptional people in order to fill the leadership and management roles currently available.

BreakLine seeks to address both issues, said Coates, who took unpaid leave from Stanford to launch the program, using her own funds plus backing from the four sponsors. Vets pay $475 tuition. Its something I feel passionate about, she said.

Many veterans clearly have qualities that tech companies seek, said Steve Fusco, a former Marine Corps captain who now serves as PayPals executive vice president and general manager of North American distribution. But theres still a big disconnect to bridge.

These individuals have leadership experience under highly stressful situations, with the need to focus on mission accomplishment and agility, he said. But in Silicon Valley, sometimes there are challenges in defining how your skills can translate into those of the technology industry.

Fusco gave a BreakLine course called 12 things I learned about corporate America I wish someone had told me when I got out of the military. One tip: Find a knowledgeable mentor  a task that BreakLine can help with. PayPal has already extended job offers to some participants, he said.

Other top-tier executives on tap to speak during this session: venture capitalists Marc Andreessen and Ben Horowitz, PayPal CEO Dan Schulman, Tanium CEO Orion Hindawi, former Twitter CEO Dick Costolo and HP Enterprise CEO Meg Whitman.

With about 250,000 service members expected to leave the military over each of the next four years, the need for civilian career counseling will continue to grow.

BreakLine is among many private-sector programs addressing this need. Salesforce, for instance, has one called VetForce that hopes to train, certify and help find jobs for 40,000 veterans using its cloud software by 2020, said Sarah Franklin, vice president of administrative marketing.

Under a concerted push by the federal government and corporate America, the unemployment rate for veterans hit a seven-year low of 4.6 percent last year, according to the Labor Dept., outpacing the national rate of 5.2 percent for non-veterans. Post 9/11 veterans, the youngest and most struggling, had a 5.8 percent rate.

While BreakLine is designed to be small and focus on the most-accomplished veterans  participants undergo a rigorous selection process  its ultimate reach may come from the snowball effect.

For every veteran who successfully transitions to a Silicon Valley career, 20 of their friends will follow, said Margit Wennmachers, a partner at Andreessen Horowitz. Theyll bring their own network.

Her firm constantly scouts for talent for its portfolio companies, generally considered the most impressive roster in Silicon Valley. She can vividly see the ways veterans could plug in, get acclimated and be productive. Anyone who runs a large organization that does customer support, sets up new markets in cities, sells to government agencies, will understand the potential, she said.

Likewise, BreakLine participants can see the possibilities.

In the tech world, anything is possible, said Lee Busby, a decorated Army special operations sergeant major who will retire in October after 20 years in service. He feels that battlefield culture can translate to success in the workplace. If we were on a beach building sandcastles, and I trust you and you trust me, then were going to make the best damn sandcastle, he said. If not, wed just have a heap of sand. The same goes for building products.

BreakLine and similar programs are compelling, said Don Faul, chief operating officer of Redwood Citys Athos. They solve a huge need in helping veterans adjust to a different culture, communication style and decision-making process

Hes serving as a BreakLine mentor, leading a team working on marketing strategies for Athos smart workout clothes. A former Marine Corps platoon commander, he landed executive jobs at Google, Facebook and Pinterest after getting a Stanford MBA.

Ten years ago, there werent many veterans in tech, Faul said. Now theres a tremendous need for experienced leaders and an opportunity to find them in this huge source of talent.

Carolyn Said is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. Email: csaid@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @csaid
BILLINGS, Mont.  Descendants of a bison herd captured and sent to Canada more than a century ago will be relocated to a Montana American Indian reservation next month, in what tribal leaders bill as a homecoming for a species emblematic of their traditions.

The shipment of animals from Albertas Elk Island National Park to the Blackfeet Indian Reservation follows a 2014 treaty among tribes in the U.S. and Canada. That agreement aims to restore bison to areas of the Rocky Mountains and Great Plains where millions once roamed.

For thousands of years the Blackfeet lived among the buffalo here. The buffalo sustained our way of life, provided our food, clothing, shelter, Blackfeet Chairman Harry Barnes said. It became part of our spiritual being. We want to return the buffalo.

The 89 plains bison, also known as buffalo, will form the nucleus of a herd that tribal leaders envision will soon roam freely across a vast landscape: the Blackfeet reservation, nearby Glacier National Park and the Badger-Two Medicine wilderness  more than 4,000 square miles combined.

Bison were hunted to near-extinction in the late 1800s as European settlers advanced across the once-open American West.

Most of the animals that survive today are in commercial herds, raised for their meat and typically interbred with cattle. The Blackfeet have a commercial bison herd established in 1972 that numbers more than 400 animals.

The lineage of Elk Islands bison, which experts say are free of cattle genes, traces back to a small group of animals captured by several American Indians on Blackfeet land just south of Canada.

Those bison were later sold to two men, Charles Allard and Michel Pablo, who formed what became known as the Pablo-Allard herd. By the early 1900s, the herd was said to be the largest collection of the animals remaining in the U.S.

After U.S. officials rejected a sale offer from Pablo, the Canadian government purchased most of the bison.

The relocation comes as the restoration of genetically pure bison to the Wests grasslands and forests have gained traction. The efforts include the relocation of some genetically pure bison from Yellowstone National Park to two Indian reservations in eastern and central Montana.

Ranchers and landowners near the reservations have strongly opposed the tribes plans, driven by concerns over disease and the prospect of bison competing with cattle for grass.

The Blackfeet will loan 20 of the Elk Island bison to the Oakland Zoo in California for a special exhibit slated to open this fall, according to tribal officials and the zoos president, Joel Parrott.
1 Cruz vs Trump: Ted Cruz accused Republican presidential rival Donald Trump of stoking false rumors about his personal life on Friday, charging that the billionaire businessman and GOP front-runner was trafficking in sleaze and slime. Speaking to reporters in Wisconsin, Cruz said the campaign has taken a darker turn. He accused Trump and his henchmen of spreading untrue rumors on social media and in a supermarket tabloid that Cruz cheated on his wife, Heidi.

2 Abortion law: Indiana Gov. Mike Pence signed a bill this week that adds broad limits to womens access to abortions, banning those motivated solely by the mothers objection to the fetus race, gender or disability, and placing new restrictions on doctors. The law, which passed both chambers of the Republican-controlled General Assembly, is among several limiting abortion that have passed conservative legislatures in recent years, but the sheer number of restrictions in Indianas legislation made it distinct. In addition to holding doctors liable if a woman has an abortion solely because of objections to the fetus race, sex or a disability, like Down syndrome, the law restricts fetal tissue donation and requires doctors performing abortions to have admitting privileges at a hospital.
SAN FRANCISCO (BCN)



Police arrested a man who had several warrants for his arrest last week after a four-hour standoff at San Francisco's Pier 48, police said today.



On March 17 at 2:33 p.m. officers responded to a report of a man going in and out of the water near Pier 48, according to police.



Upon arrival, officers found the man under the pier and he appeared to be in crisis. When officers contacted him, he refused to come out from underneath the pier, police said.



The police department's Hostage/Crisis Negotiation Team responded to the scene, along with a police marine unit and a fire department boat.



The man had stripped down to his shorts and rescuers became concerned he would catch hypothermia. Additionally, they were worried that rising tides could trap the man underneath the pier.



At one point, the man moved himself onto a barge that was tied to the pier, according to police.



Negotiators attempted to convince the man to move to safety and even offered him a lifejacket, however, he refused to take it.



During the negotiations, officers identified the man as San Francisco resident Angelo Valdez, 27. Officers discovered Valdez had several outstanding warrants for domestic violence, spousal battery, violating a restraining order and resisting arrest, police said.



Valdez then informed negotiators that he was a mixed-martial arts fighter and continued to disobey the negotiators' requests.



As the sun began to set and air temperatures dropped, officers and fire department rescue swimmers decided to take Valdez into custody.



Around 6:45 p.m., officers cornered Valdez on the edge of the barge and deployed pepper spray to distract him. Officers then were able to detain Valdez, according to police.



As he was detained, emergency crews provided Valdez with first aid and blankets to keep him warm. Valdez was then placed onto a Stokes stretcher and lowered onto a fireboat, before being moved to an awaiting ambulance at the pier.



After being taken to a hospital for a medical evaluation, officers arrested Valdez on suspicion of resisting arrest, providing false identification and trespassing, in addition to his outstanding warrants, police said.
















All can feel right with the world when you celebrate the coronation of spring.

The first big winter in years has recharged the land, the lakes and waterfalls. April arrives Friday. No matter what activities you love, its game on.

What sets you free? I like to ask. Of the thousands of destinations, here are 10 must-see locations, by region, that can provide answers for you. They are not secret by any means, but they do provide unparalleled beauty and adventures. And if youre like me, pick all of them.

1. Sierra Nevada, Yosemite Valley waterfalls: The major falls are flush, crowned by Yosemite Falls. Even from a mile away on the valley floor, the pounding of the falls can sound like freight train. From Tunnel View, the view of Yosemite Valley again is brought to life by Bridalveil Fall. The Mist Trail is open to the top of Vernal Fall, and above the brink, as snow and ice melts off the trail, it will be easier to trek up to Nevada Fall. With a 101 percent-of-normal snowpack in the Merced watershed, the waterfalls will reach peak flows from snowmelt with warm weather in April and early May. Info: Yosemite National Park, (209) 372-0200, www.nps.gov/yose.

2. North state, Shasta Lake: Giant Shasta resembled a vast dust bowl at the start of winter. This past week, it hit 87 percent full, 110 percent of normal, and is being managed to rise to 95 percent (and maybe higher) in May. The water is still cold, but as it warms from 57 to 65 degrees, with high, stable water levels, Shasta has a chance to provide some of the highest catch rates for bass in the Western U.S. The summer looks spectacular for boating and water sports. Info: Shasta Lake Visitor Center, (530) 275-1589, www.shastalake.com.

3. Tahoe, Heavenlys Skyline Trail: At Heavenly Mountain Resort, skiers and boarders call it miles of corduroy. Try the Skyline Trail and you can ski for miles on intermediate runs with spectacular views across Lake Tahoe. Heavenly announced last week it will stay open through April 17. They reported 26 lifts operating, 95 trails open, 52 groomed, access to 4,800 acres, with a 93-inch snowpack and 336-inch snowfall for season. Info: (800) 432-8365, www.skiheavenly.com.

4. Santa Cruz Mountains, Silver Falls/Golden Cascade: As a birthday present to myself every April, I try to visit this single spot, the brink of Silver Falls and beyond to the Golden Cascade. Its a 4.7-mile hike to Berry Creek Falls, the 70-foot free fall, then another mile up the canyon to the Golden Cascade. Right now, the Sunset Trail (for a loop hike) is blocked and closed by downed trees, so it is an 11.4-mile trip, no loop; return on the same route. Info: Big Basin Redwoods State Park, (831) 338-8860, www.parks.ca.gov.

5. North Sierra foothills, Feather Falls: The viewing deck is perched on a knife-edge outcrop over the canyon, where you get a full frontal of 410-foot Feather Falls. Like the wildflowers in the foothills, the waterfall is in full bloom. The trip features a 9.5-mile loop, long but easy, with a bridged crossing of gorgeous Frey Creek. A small, free campground is near the trailhead. Info: Feather Falls Ranger District, Plumas National Forest, Oroville, (530) 534-6500, www.fs.usda.gov/plumas.

6. Marin, Sky Trail: The trailhead is off Limantour Road at Point Reyes National Seashore. Then its a rhythmic climb, 1.3 miles to Sky Camp, with sensational views on nearby west-facing hills of Drakes Bay, Point Reyes and across the Pacific Ocean. En route, you will see freshly unrolled bracken ferns, plus rafts of forget-me-nots and other wildflowers. The trail leads into old-growth forest, with options to create loop hikes with a 1,000-foot descent to the beach (and then return). Info: Point Reyes National Seashore, (415) 464-5100, Ext. 2; www.nps.gov/pore.

7. Redwood Empire, Fern Canyon: One of the best destinations in the Redwood Empire is Fern Canyon at Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park. You walk through the center of a small canyon with vertical walls lined with fern, hopping your way along (and through, at high water) a small stream. The trek can be extended on the Coastal Trail, past a series of small canyon-fed waterfalls in deep forest to your right, a wilderness beach to your left. Sightings of Roosevelt elk are common. Info: Prairie Creek Redwoods State Park, (707) 465-7347; Visitor Center, (707) 465-7354; parks.ca.gov.

8. East Bay hills, Wildcat hilltop via Tilden: The hills are so green that it looks like the Land of Oz. From Inspiration Point, ride a mountain bike on Nimitz Way (heavily used, paved) for 4.1 miles to a gate into Wildcat Canyon Regional Park. Continue ahead on the dirt trail to the flank of one of the hills, then drop your bike and trek to the top. The payoff is an amazing 360 across San Francisco Bay, San Pablo Bay and miles of surrounding foothills. Info: Tilden Regional Park, (888) 327-2757, option 3, Ext. 4562; www.ebparks.org.

9. Peninsula, San Pedro Ridge: San Pedro Valley County Park is located at Linda Mar in Pacifica. Take the Montara Mountain Trail up through a eucalyptus grove for about 2.5 miles to San Pedro Ridge. You get a towering view across Pacifica north to San Francisco, with Sweeney Ridge roughly to the east, the Pacific Ocean to the west. This one can make you feel like youve hit the restart button on life. Info: San Pedro Valley County Park, (650) 355-8289; http://parks.smcgov.org/san-pedro-valley-park.

10. Sacramento Valley, Pardee Lake: Pardee is a gem in the foothills of Calaveras County, one of the prettiest lakes anywhere in spring. Pardee is 93 percent full, 108 percent of normal, and the surrounding foothills are blooming with fiddlenecks, poppies, goldfields and many other wildflowers. Fishing can be excellent for trout and kokanee salmon. Two campgrounds include rules than ban excessive noise. Info: Pardee Lake Recreation Area, 4900 Stony Creek Road, Ione, CA 95640-9439; office: (209) 772-1472; Pardee Lake Marina, (209) 772-8108; www.lakepardeerecreation.com.

Tom Stienstra is The San Francisco Chronicles outdoor writer. Email: tstienstra@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @StienstraTom
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SACRAMENTO  California lawmakers have reached a tentative deal with labor groups to increase the states minimum wage to $15 an hour over the next six years, a move that could head off a costly fight at the ballot box in November.

The Legislature is expected to roll out the deal this week, according to the Assembly speakers office. In an email obtained by The Chronicle, Speaker Anthony Rendon told Assembly Democratic Caucus members that there appears to be a minimum-wage deal, which will be discussed Monday during a caucus meeting. A vote on the plan could come as early as Thursday, sources said.

If a deal is reached, proponents of the minimum-wage initiative could pull the measure from the ballot, a move that would mark the first victory for a 2015 law that changed the way California deals with ballot initiatives. Previously, initiatives had to appear on the ballot once they were submitted with the necessary signatures to qualify, regardless of whether the measures proponents still supported it.

Labor unions qualified the minimum-wage ballot initiative last week after gathering the needed 365,880 signatures. The initiative would boost Californias minimum-wage from the current $10 an hour to $15 an hour by January 2021 by increasing about a dollar most years. Backers of another initiative are still collecting signatures for their alternative, which would push the hourly minimum to $15 on July 15, 2020.

More for you Voters to decide states minimum-wage increase

The tentative agreement between Gov. Jerry Browns office, labor and legislative leaders would raise the minimum to $15 an hour in 2022 and would give small businesses another year beyond that to reach the $15 level, according to Rendons email to Assembly Democrats. The added time could be enough to persuade state business leaders to sign on, especially if the more aggressive minimum-wage increase looks like a winner in November.

Yearly increases proposed

Under the deal, the rate would increase by 50 cents the first two years, to $10.50 in 2017 and $11 in 2018, then by $1 per year until it reaches $15 in 2022, according to a source.

The tentative agreement also includes the caveat that the wage increases could be halted during economic downturns, according to the email.

Steve Trossman, a spokesman for Service Employees International Union-United Healthcare Workers West, which sponsored the minimum-wage ballot measure that qualified last week, declined to say whether his union has signed on to the tentative deal.

If there is legislation, we want to see whats on it and we want to analyze it, he said. If its passed and its signed, then well decide what we will do with our initiative.

With the initiative having already qualified for the November ballot, labor interests hold the upper hand in the negotiation. Although an agreement with Brown and the Legislature would save them from what would probably be a fierce  and fiercely expensive  fall campaign against California employers and business interests, thats a battle they believe they would win.

We already have an initiative, Trossman said. And its very popular.

California has one of the highest minimum wages in the country at $10 an hour. Massachusetts minimum wage is also $10 an hour, while Washington, D.C., has the highest at $10.50.

Several Bay Area cities have recently passed legislation ensuring that local workers will make at least $15 per hour well before 2022.

The minimum wage in Emeryville will hit $15 in 2017 or 2018 (depending on the size of the business), low-wage workers in San Francisco, Mountain View and Sunnyvale will receive at least $15 per hour by 2018, and employees in El Cerrito will hit the $15-per-hour threshold by 2019.

Berkeley, Oakland, Richmond, Palo Alto and Santa Clara have also boosted their minimum wages since 2014, according to data collected by the UC Berkeley Labor Center.

Nationwide, half of the 32 counties and cities that have passed local minimum-wage laws since 2012 were in California, the center found.

Resistance from employers

Business groups opposed to raising the minimum wage recently created the Consumers Against Higher Prices Committee to fight the ballot initiative. The group includes the California Restaurant Association, the California Retailers Association and the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce.

It is imperative that lawmakers listen to the voices of their constituents rather than bowing to the will of special interest groups, the group said Sunday. If this overreaching deal is passed through the Legislature, it will not solve any of the fundamental problems it seeks to address, and will result in devastating impacts to family-run businesses, education, seniors, services for the disabled, working families and more.

Sen. Mark Leno, D-San Francisco, wrote a bill last year to raise the minimum wage to $13 by 2017 and add cost-of-living increases starting in 2019. That bill, SB3, stalled in the Assembly but is expected to be rewritten if a deal is reached so that Leno carries the legislation that would bring the minimum wage to $15 in 2022.

If that happens, it will be the first time lawmakers have taken advantage of the 2015 law designed to give proponents of initiatives that have qualified for the ballot an opportunity to work with lawmakers to craft deals. SB1253 requires the Legislature to hold a joint public hearing on a proposed initiative as soon as 25 percent of the required signatures are collected.

The bill also allows initiatives that have qualified to be pulled from the ballot by their backers. In the past, once an initiative was certified as having collected the signatures needed to make the ballot, only the courts could remove it. For example, in 2012, a proposition on Senate redistricting became irrelevant after a California Supreme Court decision on the matter. By the time the initiative appeared on the ballot, supporters had stopped campaigning for it and even wrote opposition arguments.

How its supposed to work

Darrell Steinberg, the former Senate president pro tem who wrote SB1253, said Sunday that the tentative minimum-wage deal shows his ballot reform bill is working.

This is an example of exactly how its supposed to work, Steinberg said. It shouldnt be such drama at the point where signatures are due. Then its all or nothing. Now what happens is the initiative proponents have until the end of June to determine whether to go forward. That leaves more time for them, the governor and the Legislature to find common ground.

Chronicle staff writer Joaquin Palomino contributed to this report.

Melody Gutierrez and John Wildermuth are San Francisco Chronicle staff writers. Email: mgutierrez@sfchronicle.com, jwildermuth@sfchronicle.com Twitter: @MelodyGutierrez, @jwildermuth

Increased pay

Californias minimum wage would reach $15 an hour in 2022:
The conversation started the way it had a few hundred times before. Cuba was on the TV news again for the latest U.S. move to end the long-pointless embargo, and the young, earnest backpacker guy next to me at the airport decided to share.

I reeeeeeaaaally want to get to Cuba soon, he said. You know, before it totally changes.

Why is it going to change? I asked, knowing it would be the same answer Id heard before.

You know, its all the tourists, said the Guy Who Is Not a Tourist.

Never mind that Cuba isnt going to change as fast as most people imagine (a case of Americans thinking the world revolves around us  a topic for another day). I had to ask the question.

What makes you think youre not a tourist?

He was stunned, as if Id sucker-punched him or made wildly lewd suggestions about his mother. He vehemently launched into a list of all the exotic places hed been as an independent traveler, saying that he goes to off the beaten path destinations and experiences a place, beyond whats in the guidebook.

While he didnt offer specific definitions of the two types of traveler, he was absolutely certain there is an us and a them. And, sadly, hes not alone.

We make fun of their bizarre clothes, the comical way they talk, their unfamiliar customs. If tourists were from their own country, self-proclaimed travelers would embrace them as another culture.

Instead, its us versus them.

Traveler Versus Tourist is not only one of the most pointless and, frankly, tiresome conflicts in the realm of travel, for the most part its only furthered by people who want to feel superior about the way they see the world. And its unnecessary.

If we travel, were travelers. A more realistic (and less judgmental) way to look at travel is in terms of Leisure Versus Discovery. Sometimes, you want to wander down that alley in Istanbul to find a great bookshop, or visit that incense-clouded temple while trekking through Bhutan, or take a moment of quiet reflection among the stones of mystical Machu Picchu.

Sometimes, you just want to sit on a South Pacific beach holding a cocktail with an umbrella in it.

And theres nothing wrong with that.

Theres room for both. In fact, its a sliding scale from leisure to discovery  most travelers (and most trips) are a combination of both. Leisure completely devoid of discovery gets boring after a while, and discovery devoid of leisure probably makes Jack a dull boy.

Why should we change these long-standing ways to define travelers? Why should we end the war?

First, because only one side is fighting. While Ive never heard leisure-leaning people complain about the discovery folks, it seems like complaining about leisure travelers is a full-time job for more than a few discovery people.

Second, we should define the travel, not the traveler. Its too easy to pigeonhole people, and therefore dehumanize them  something that people who espouse cultural sensitivity ought to understand.

Last, at a time when only 30 percent of Americans have passports and 40 percent of us never go anywhere (not out of town overnight), we should be encouraging all travel. Anything that takes us beyond our borders enriches us, as people and as a nation.

Now, if only Machu Picchu had a beach.

Spud Hilton is the editor of Travel. Email: shilton@sfchronicle.com. Twitter and Instagram: @spudhilton
BEIRUT  Syrian government forces recaptured the desert oasis city of Palmyra on Sunday, the state news agency and a monitoring group reported, after driving out Islamic State fighters who had occupied the city for the better part of a year, summarily executed residents and dynamited ancient ruins.

Syrian state television, which has closely covered a three-week push by President Bashar Assad to regain Palmyra, aired celebratory footage Sunday showing government soldiers around the historical sites. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group, said that fighting was continuing in a few districts of the city, as well as at a military prison.

But the majority of the Islamic State contingent in Palmyra had withdrawn or been routed, with hundreds of its fighters killed, the observatory said, highlighting the extremist groups broader struggles to retain territory in Syria and Iraq. At the same time, the advance by Assads troops handed him a strategically important military prize that added weight to the contention that his government is a crucial bulwark against the jihadists of the Islamic State.

In a statement carried by the Syrian state news agency Sunday, Assad called the victory an important achievement and new evidence of the effectiveness of the strategy followed by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism.

The battle also provided further confirmation of how significantly Russias intervention on behalf of Assad had transformed his fortunes. Islamic State fighters had easily taken Palmyra in May from government troops, who had hardly mounted a fight. The recapture of the city Sunday came after Russia carried out dozens of air strikes in support of the government coalition.

The Islamic States capture of the city had provoked worldwide anguish because it gave the extremist group control over Palmyras spectacular ruins, the remains of a civilization that 2,000 years ago was a crossroads between Roman, Persian and local cultures.

During the Islamic States occupation of the UNESCO World Heritage site, antiquities officials feared that several significant sites had been fully or partially destroyed, including the Temple of Baalshamin and the Temple of Baal.

The entrance of government troops into the city will provide an opportunity to more closely inspect the damage. In a statement last week, Irina Bokova, the director general of UNESCO, welcomed the liberation of Palmyra from the Islamic State and called the reported damage to the site an immense loss to Syrians and to the world.

Maamoun Abdulkarim, Syrias director general of antiquities, who has not been able to visit Palmyra for two years because of the fighting there, said Sunday that he hoped to visit the city within a day or two. Initial reports suggested that there had been damage to the wall of the citys medieval citadel, but it can be fixed, he said. The Temple of Baal was largely destroyed, though some stones remained intact, he said.

We will try to rebuild it, he said. It wont be like before.
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Six of the top citywide news stories in the New York area. (Staten Island Advance)

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Ever wonder what's going on off Staten Island? Here's a list of a variety of interesting top citywide news stories:

Those deaf and hard of hearing starting to be listened to

It started last year with the 25th anniversary for the Americans With Disabilities Act. And now it continues to grow in the form of a budding deaf rights movement.

Read it in the New York Times: Deaf and Hard of Hearing Fight to Be Heard

New York's minimum wage may be about to be raised, but...

A deal between Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo and Albany leaders could be announced in the coming days regarding the increase of the minimum wage to $15. However, to reach such a point, a number of exemptions had to be included.

Read it in the New York Times: Exemptions May Color Deal to Lift New York State's Minimum Wage



Tickets and jail time could be handed out for texting while walking soon

The "distracted walking" law proposed by Assemblywoman Pamela Lampitt bans texting while walking and enforces the use of hands-free devices. In New Jersey, for example, the state could see $50 tickets or 15 days in jail as punishment for breaking the potential new law.

Read it in the New York Post: Walking while texting could soon land you in jail



An early look at another Republican challenger for de Blasio's next year

Real-estate developer, Paul Massey Jr., is eyeing a run against Mayor Bill de Blasio in the 2017 mayoral race. He'd potentially be the third Republican to announce a bid for the mayor's mansion.

Read it in the New York Post: Wealthy developer eyes run against de Blasio next year

Negotiations are underway to give Medicaid to freed inmates

The Assembly of New York is looking to provide Medicaid to what they call "high needs" inmates 30 days before their release.

Read it in the New York Daily News: N.Y. Assembly proposes Medicaid coverage for freed inmates

New central terminal coming to LaGuardia Airport within 4-5 years

The officially named Terminal B, that will cost $4.2 billion to design and build, is scheduled to be done between 2020 and 2021.

Read it in the New York Observer: LaGuardia's Pricey Central Terminal Approved Amid Infighting
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Lilies surrounded the altar, and the celebrant processed in to "Lift High the Cross."

"We have completed our journey in Lent," began Father Marc Rosselli at the 8:30 a.m. Easter Sunday mass at St. Mary of the Assumption and Our Lady of Mount Carmel-St. Benedicta Church. "Now we must proclaim in the actions of our lives the joy that Christ has risen."

The celebration of renewed life was a poignant at some parishes this Easter. For some it was the first time they were celebrating the holiest day of the Christian calendar in a new church or with traditions of new parishioners.

Church mergers last year closed some places of worship and combined congregations.

"The merge has gone much more successfully than expected," said Father Mark Hallinan, pastor, before mass began.

Acknowledging, there were some rough edges, he said the Mount Carmel parish has been energized by the most active of St. Mary's parish who have come and shared their traditions. On Good Friday, they re-enacted the Stations of the Cross on Castleton Avenue. And on the night before Palm Sunday, the St. Mary's parishioners made Palm crosses, part of their tradition. They worked until 5 a.m.

"They had no rest. They went from construction to selling. And they made over $4,000," he said. He typically expects 25 to 30 people at the early mass, but thought there would be a boost for Easter. There were double that many attending and families still arriving as mass started.

Long-time parishioner Marcella Mikos of Port Richmond credits Father Hallinan with helping to smooth the transition.

"There is a really nice spirit of welcoming and participating," said the Port Richmond resident, a parishioner of Mount Carmel-St. Benedicta for over 70 years. "Father Mark is the spirit, a motivator; in his own quiet way he has brought people together.

Masses in Spanish accommodate the St. Mary's congregation at Mount Carmel's strongly Italian parish.

"I like to come here to pray to God," said Jaime Cruz, with the help of Father Hallinan translating his Spanish.

CHURCH OF THE ASSUMPTION

At the Church of the Assumption churchgoers negotiate a short steep flight of stairs.

"Just shows how strong their faith is," said Margaret Moschetto, pastoral associate with the Catholic Community of St. Peter-Assumption-St. Paul as she welcomed older parishioners who made it to the top.

"It takes time; gives us an opportunity to be patient," she said of the absorption of St. Paul's into Assumption's parish.

This was the first Easter that the chapel in St. Paul's on Clinton Avenue was closed. St. Paul's had parking and was handicap accessible, but it was also smaller in size. So the New Brighton church on Webster Avenue was chosen.

On Easter morning, the capacity of Assumption Church was an asset as families and latecomers streamed in, filling most of the pews.

"When I was younger, you had to get here early or stand in the back. It is coming back to that. It's packed again," said Gregory Collins who grew up in the church and was attending the 10 a.m. Easter service with his granddaughter Morgan Collins,4, who was beaming in her pink spring finery.

Some people were lost in the transition.

"It was painful to have to have the chapel closed. We lost a piece of us," said Andrea Zucco, a Eucharistic minister for the parish. "But the church is not the building; it's the people. We have lost some people in the move. It's sad. They are missed. But we are together to worship the Lord, and we have all come together as a family."

ST. JOSEPH CHURCH

At St. Joseph Church in Rosebank, over 400 worshippers were standing in the aisle and crowding out the door into the vestibule.

"I haven't seen that since I was a child," said Henry Nadal, 85, a parishioner at St. Mary's for 30 years. St. Joseph's had absorbed nearby St. Mary's where the congregation was dwindling.

"Father 'Vic' Buebendorf was a great liturgist, very precise. There is a little more spontaneity here," he said of the beloved pastor of St. Mary's who died in August.

St. Joseph's parishioner Paulette Duran felt sympathetic to the members of St. Mary's.

"I have been coming here for 16 to 20 years. I couldn't imagine it closing. How hurtful it would be," she said. "I is crowded now, but there's a lot more depth, an extended family. "

She noted how so many different cultures are combined in the parish, traditionally Italian and Irish, now African-American, Filipino, African, Vietnamese.

Brigena Kolendrekay, a former St. Mary's parishioner, could feel both emotions, sad to change churches, but happy to be welcomed. Also she said, "It is nice to see the church full."

"While there are groanings, I listen to everyone," said Deacon Paul Kosinski. Mostly, he said, people talk about things they miss. A woman from St. Mary's lamented the loss of the tradition of going to the Easter font for the newly blessed water, he said.

"While she will always have a fond memory of the Easter font, she'll have new liturgical moments, new touchings of God in her liturgy," he said
STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- A Mariners Harbor man, paralyzed from the waist down in a shooting at a Stapleton bar three years ago, has been awarded $1.1 million, records show.

Errol DeGroat, 27, was shot and wounded by another patron, Isiah Gregory, 25, during an early morning dispute on Oct. 20, 2013, inside the former Toro51 nightclub at 523 Bay St., said authorities.

Last year, Gregory pleaded guilty to attempted first-degree assault to satisfy charges brought against him in this case and several others, Advance records show. He was sentenced to seven years in prison.

In February 2014, DeGroat sued Toro51 and several other defendants in state Supreme Court, St. George.

He alleged the defendants failed to provide adequate security.

The bar, contended DeGroat's civil complaint, allowed patrons to become drunk and knew that "violent confrontations" were occurring.

In a separate criminal complaint, prosecutors alleged DeGroat and the 260-pound Gregory began arguing, and Gregory pulled out a gun and shot the victim in the chest.

When the lawsuit was filed, DeGroat's lawyer, Michael H. Bush, a principal of the New Dorp firm Chelli & Bush, said the bullet was pressing on his client's spinal cord, and doctors said it would be too dangerous to attempt to remove it. DeGroat is bound to a wheelchair.

In July of last year, Justice Kim Dollard ordered a default judgment on liability against Toro51 due to its failure to respond to the civil lawsuit.

She referred the case to a referee to determine damages against Toro51.

Referee Edward V. Corrigan said DeGroat sought a judgment of $1 million for all his damages.

Such an award for DeGroat's past pain and suffering and future pain and suffering is "easily sustainable," based on the nature of his injuries and settlements and verdicts in cases where similar injuries have occurred, said Corrigan.

In addition to the $1 million, the referee awarded DeGroat about $132,000 for his proven medical costs.

Bush, DeGroat's lawyer, declined comment on the award.

Public records indicate Toro51 is no longer in business.
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"Choose, United States. Whether the country called United States continues to exist in this planet depends on your choice," read a message that flashed on the screen to the background of a burning U.S. Capitol building and American flag. The video also warned that the North would "not hesitate" to attack the United States with its nuclear weapons if "American imperialists even make the slightest move against us."
The cry of betrayal had resonated in the corridors of NSW Parliament. It was an unlikely alliance that took action.

The rights of children conceived from anonymous sperm donation to trace their genetic origin, by preserving files showing where they came from in a central register, had been abandoned by Health Minister Jillian Skinner.

As Victoria introduced world-first laws giving the offspring of anonymous donors the right to identify their fathers, but not contact them, NSW children would be left with far less.

Although a new law would allow them to request non-identifying details (ethnicity, hair colour) about their donors from NSW clinics, the NSW government had reneged on the important pledge to collect and centrally store these files.
"I was delighted to see your piece on the ANU yurt ... I have walked past the yurt often and was excited to hear the story behind it.

In our sweet simplicity we imagined that this was entirely a good news story but the plot is thicker than we thought. Now "concerned ANU Japanese and Chinese student" Erin McCullagh has contacted us with a polite diatribe.

Pitched on a lawn near the Chancelry it is, as reported, the gift of the Mongolian government as recognition of and support for the teaching of Mongolian culture and languages at the ANU.

Last Thursday's nomadic column (on Thursday it was pitched on page 12 of the dear, old-fashioned paper edition so many of you still cling to when you really should by now be enjoying the digital Times) rejoiced at the Australian National University's acquisition of a splendid Mongolian yurt.

Street art eye staring out at Ainslie alleyway. Credit:Mel Edwards

"But I wonder if you are aware of the tragic irony of this yurt being erected at this time? Right now the ANU is trying very hard to cut the budget of the School of Culture, History and Language, which is the area in which Mongolian culture and language courses are being taught.

"We are potentially seeing a 40 per cent cut in teaching staff, the movement of smaller courses online and the cutting of some languages completely. The staff and students of the School of Culture, History and Language are deeply concerned about these cuts, yet the vice-chancellor [Brian Schmidt] and Veronica Taylor [dean of the school] are failing to give us the information necessary to fully understand and evaluate these cuts. "While the vice-chancellor and Veronica Taylor happily welcome international ambassadors and Mongolian yurts, they are cutting courses which strengthen these ties and make them sustainable in the future. I find this tragically ironic, especially as we are entering the Asian Century. Thank you for listening to my tirade."

The Canberra Times (in its endearing old paper editions and in its exciting, journalism-of-tomorrow digital editions) is looking into these matters.

Let us hope that, to make it homely, there will soon be a cat given a home in and around the yurt (a black one would look great lounging, purring, among all that golden silk). And, with the National Folk Festival underway we bring you a poignant cruelty to cats message just issued by the organisers of the famous Los Angeles Cat Art Show. That fabled show is underway as we speak and cat-lovers (this columnist is one) will find, with a little deft Googling and Facebooking, a gallery of every wondrous work in the huge exhibition.
ANZ has compensated nine clients, who were defrauded or given misrepresentations by internal employees, to the tune of $2.6 million without reporting it to the corporate regulator, the bank's own submission to an inquiry says.

ANZ revealed the fraud in a series of answers to questions on notice requested by the joint parliamentary committee overseeing the inquiry into impairment of consumer loans.

ANZ did not file a breach report with ASIC despite dismissing an employee for fraud Credit:Bloomberg

The explosive response to questions on notice also shows that until March 2011, nearly one in four loans held by the bank were low doc loans.

The insight into fraud and misrepresentation within ANZ's home loan division comes amid a wave of scandals rocking the bank, including the alleged rigging to the bank bill swap rate and a Fair Work claim that shed light on the toxic culture within the bank's traders.
Microsoft executives have reportedly met with private equity firms and potential bidders for Yahoo!, and may be willing to provide financial support for the purchase.

The talks are exploratory and there has been no commitment of any funding made by Microsoft, according to a report by US technology website Recode.

Until now Yahoo!, under chief executive Marissa Mayer, has focused on turning the struggling business around. But pressure from investors may see it sell its core search engine and email businesses, rather than just selling off its international assets, such as its stake in Chinese e-commerce company Alibaba.

Meanwhile activist hedge fund Starboard Value is attempting to overthrow the board at Yahoo!, as the company has struggled to keep pace with Google and Facebook.

"The same management team and board that has failed shareholders for years wants shareholders to entrust them with one of the most crucial decisions yet to be made  the outcome of the strategic review process for the core search and display advertising businesses (the "core business") and the eventual fate of Yahoo's minority equity interests in Alibaba and Yahoo Japan," Starboard Value fund manager Jeff Smith wrote in a letter to Yahoo investors last week.
The maiden cargo of natural gas from the gigantic Gorgon project off the coast of Western Australia set sail for Japan last week. After all the delays and the enormous costs blowouts it was quite a milestone.

Even though this is one of the world's premier resources projects and a marvel of engineering, its contribution to the Australian economy has been overblown, much in the way Indian conglomerate Adani has exaggerated the benefits of its Carmichael coal project, or the Gladstone LNG triumvirate has positioned itself as the nation's next export saviour.

The national dialogue, in short, has been distorted by self-interest, often to deflect criticism that multinationals operating in Australia do not pay their fair share of income tax and royalties.

Just before the first Gorgon shipment departed, federal Resources Minister Josh Frydenberg said: "Federal taxation revenue derived from the Gorgon project alone is estimated by ACIL Allen Consulting to total nearly $70 billion by 2040, and the project is expected to contribute more than $440 billion to national GDP."
I can't think why, but Easter always reminds me of Christianity. Not, of course, that Christianity has anything to do with the grubby, materialist world of economics. Or does it?

Australia is the most unbelieving it has ever been, with the most recent census saying that only 61 per cent people identify themselves as even nominally Christian.

The church has had strong influences over our modern economy. Credit:Michael Mucci

Twenty-two per cent say they have no religion and another 9 per cent didn't bother answering the question. People of non-Christian religions account for 7 per cent of the population.

Separate figures say only about 8 per cent of Australians attend religious services regularly. This is about the same as in Britain and France, but a lot less than in Canada or the United States.
It's been a long day for British actor Richard Glaves. He has spent his working day playing Prince Henry of Wales, better known as Prince Harry.

"The Harry I play is partly that character we know from the media  the playboy going out a lot and enjoying life  but in the play he's starting to feel it's all a bit hollow," Glaves says.

Richard Glaves (as Prince Harry) with Lucy Phelps in King Charles III. Credit:Richard Hubert Smith

The actor is speaking from the historic English city of Norwich after two performances of writer Mike Bartlett's West End hit King Charles III. The play is set in the near future. Queen Elizabeth has died and Charles has finally come to the throne, only to walk straight into a constitutional crisis. Harry's crisis of confidence runs parallel to that plot, Glaves says."Harry's in turmoil, a bit knocked off balance by the death of his grandmother. He meets a girl, an art student  and a republican  and she takes him out to show him a little bit of what real life is for ordinary people."

Bartlett's play, which premiered in 2014 in London's Almeida Theatre and collected the award for best play at the 2015 Olivier Awards, arrives in Sydney next week having played the West End, Broadway and a British tour. It features an all-British cast including Robert Powell in the title role, Penelope Beaumont as Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Jennifer Bryden (Kate, Duchess of Cambridge) and Ben Righton as Harry's elder brother, Prince William.
Coalition MPs would be the main beneficiaries of a multi-million plan to give politicians with big electorates extra offices and staff.

A major review of politician's entitlements released this week recommended extra taxpayer support for MPs in the "Big Six" electorates that have a land area of more than 500,000 square kilometres.

The entitlements review has recommended "the Bronwyn Rule". Credit:Andrew Meares

Under the plan  which has the Turnbull government's in-principle support  the members would get a third, fully-staffed electorate office. They could also be in line for bigger travel allowances and charter flight budgets.

The new electorate offices could cost as much as $500,000 each to set up, based on recent examples of fit-out costs. Taxpayers would then be charged hundreds of thousands more every year for staff and other operational costs.
Advocates for the recognition of Lyme disease fear their hard-fought for Senate inquiry would be derailed if Malcolm Turnbull called a double-dissolution election.

The odds of that happening were shortened on Monday, when the prime minister recalled both houses of parliament for April and brought forward the budget.

Marie Huttley-Jackson with her daughter Genavieve, 8, who has been diagnosed with Lyme disease, or Lyme-like illness. Credit:Jay Cronan

If he were to call a double dissolution, voters would head to the polls on July 2, but the government would enter caretaker mode before then.

The inquiry into Lyme disease, due to report in June, has accepted more than 350 submissions and is investigating the existence of the controversial disease and doctors' treatment of patients.
Children offered for adoption are being represented as photogenic child models with attractive personalities in a controversial internet advertising campaign run by a NSW government-funded charity.

The marketing campaign by Barnardos has infuriated an adult adoptees support group which claims it is akin to an online sale of children and misrepresents the character and looks of potential adoptees.

Screenshot of Barnardos Australia adoption website.

The web campaign, which features beaming child models alongside captions such as Owen "is five years old ..and can be a little chatterbox ..and has a delightful sense of humour" is being used to advertise children while avoiding breaching privacy laws which prohibit their identification.

This week, 16 children were being advertised on the site using child models and the captions.
Sydney: A sixth teenager has been charged over a group assault and robbery in Sydney's west in January that left a man with serious brain injuries.

The 22-year-old was allegedly attacked by seven people in Lidcombe early on January 17 after chasing a 14-year-old girl who had snatched his phone, police said.

He was rushed to Westmead Hospital with serious head injuries and is expected to remain in intensive care for several months.

A 15-year-old boy has been charged with reckless grievous bodily harm in company, steal from person and breach of bail and is expected to front a children's court on Monday.

A 16-year-old boy and two 14-year-old girls have already been charged, while two other girls, aged 14 and 15, have received official cautions in line with the Young Offenders Act.
It found that properties in neighbourhoods with lower rental yields and higher expected capital gains were more likely to be unoccupied. Gordon-Killara on the north shore had the highest share of vacant apartments, with more than one in six unoccupied on Census night. By contrast, only one in 42 dwellings (2.4 per cent) in Green Valley-Cecil Hills, in Sydney's west, was unoccupied. The results suggested property investors in some of Sydney's most sought-after areas were focusing on growing the value of their properties, with losses offset by tax incentives such as negative gearing and capital gains concessions. This could leave investors indifferent to whether the dwellings were occupied, Dr Troy and Professor Randolph said.

"If you choose to accept that there is a housing shortage in Sydney, then the sheer scale and location of these figures strongly suggest that this is an artificially produced scarcity," they said. The effect of this, they added, was to limit the availability of housing where it was most wanted. The trend was likely to have become more pronounced since 2011, "as more housing is being delivered precisely in the locations where there appears to be a concentration of homes standing empty". Apartments in neighbourhoods with lower rental yields (about two per cent) were 2.5 times more likely to be unoccupied than those in neighbourhoods with rental yields of 6 per cent or higher.

Houses were more than twice as likely to be unoccupied. Grattan Institute chief executive John Daley said anecdotally there had been an increase in overseas buyers, some of whom may be less concerned about leaving a property vacant. But he cautioned that there could be a number of reasons for recording a property as unoccupied in the Census, such as the dwelling being between owners or tenants.

"Even if your rental return is 1.5 per cent, it's tough to believe it's not better than nothing," Mr Daley said. Nevertheless, a similar trend of "speculative vacancies" has been documented in Melbourne by think tank Prosper Australia, which based its assessment on abnormally low water usage. Almost 83,000 properties, or 4.8 per cent of Melbourne's total housing stock, appeared to be unused based on water usage of less than 50 litres a day  including up to 19 per cent of investor-owned property, the December report found. Chris Johnson, the chief executive of developer lobby group the Urban Taskforce, said the Census findings likely reflected the fact that those at the higher end of the market had the luxury of keeping their property empty for part of the time. "The supply issue is actually about affordability," he said. "You can well say there are a whole lot of $2 million apartments that aren't fully used at the moment ...but people just don't have the money to be able to move into that sort of apartment."
Saxon Wright is set to open a cash-free cafe in Brisbane. Credit:Luis Enrique Ascui But Wright says the benefits for his business, which employs 40 staff and turns over $10 million a year, outweigh the disadvantages. "It changes the way we can interact with customers as we are no longer bound by them having to walk up to a certain point to order," he says. "As an owner and operator of stores it enables us to give our staff a better way of running a cafe at the end of the day." Square Australia managing director Ben Pfisterer says increased competition in the payments space is a good thing. Credit:Jesse Marlow Wright is looking forward to no till errors, no adding errors and no need to cash off at the end of the day.

"A lot of cafes like cash if they are not declaring their full income and paying staff off the books but we declare everything so why not turn that into an advantage?," he says. "We won't get 100 per cent adoption upfront but for us it is a statement about who we are as a business and what our values are. We value digital." Incumbents innovate We won't get 100 per cent adoption upfront but for us it is a statement about who we are as a business and what our values are. Saxon Wright The digital payment options for small businesses are increasing with the launch of Square in Australia alongside innovations by Australian payments businesses and the major banks. Pablo & Rusty's cashless cafe is using the Commonwealth Bank's Kounta on Albert payment system which enables businesses to use a single device to both take payments and access front-end point of sale and back-end processing systems.

Claire Roberts, executive general manager of local business banking at Commonwealth Bank describes the system as "a world first". "It really takes two devices, your traditional payment and point of sale devices, and creates one device and more importantly a mobile device so you can get to work queue busting," she says. Roberts says the future of payments for small business involves apps on payment devices and increased use of the data available through payment systems. "Albert was always designed to be extended and have its functionality extended," she says. "The key things for small and medium-size businesses is footprint agility so the insights that Albert provides can tell them where there might be markets or opportunities to do a pop-up store or more distribution ability." Here come the disruptors

The major shakeup in the payment space for small business is the launch of Square in Australia this month. Square is Twitter founder Jack Dorsey's other venture and is driven by the Square Reader, a three-centimetre square piece of plastic that plugs into any smartphone or tablet and turns it into a credit card processor.



Dorsey, who started Square in 2009, wants to make the payment space "magical". Square country manager Ben Pfisterer is equally enthusiastic. "We absolutely think it's exciting", he says. "What we think is exciting is the power and data you can get from sales," he says. "Over time you can analyse the data and measure how staff and products are performing." Pfisterer says the influx of new entrants to the market is "a great thing" and will spur innovation.

"One thing we are seeing is an absolute simplification of the transaction process," he says. Looking beyond the cashless store, Pfisterer predicts in the future there will be instant check in when you walk into a store. "It could be as simple as proximity when you walk into a store or more extreme solutions like facial recognition and technology that could be looked at," he says. Jost Stollmann, co-founder and chief executive of Australian mobile payments operator Tyro, is unperturbed by Square's launch in Australia.

"We consider our competitors to be the major banks who dominate the market," he says. Stollmann says Square provides a low-cost entry for merchants who take occasional card payments while Tyro targets small and medium businesses which are fast growing and process a significant amount of card transactions. Square's offering also fails to provide a tap and go option. Stollmann claims Tyro has lead the way in innovation in the payments space. "The first thing we did was we eliminated the outages which the major banks left the community with regularly, the second thing we did was we eliminated the risk that pin or card credentials could be compromised," he says. "We keep the consumer and the retailer safe."
Phil Galloway stands in an open field between vast stretches of almond trees. The empty land is marginal and the sun above it bright.

One day soon he hopes to roll out 220,000 solar panels across the empty space on the Almas Almonds farm at Bannerton, generating enough electricity to power about 30,000 homes.

Phil Galloway, managing director of Syncline Energy, has big plans to bring solar energy to Bannerton in Victoria and the surrounding area. Credit:Simon O'Dwyer

"The sun is really just another crop", Mr Galloway, a former BHP executive, said during a meeting with the local council this week.

"And we're utilising land that would have otherwise stood empty."
This one got lopsided in a hurry, and that was just what Notre Dame needed

football
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.
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B elgian prosecutors have charged another man with terror offences in the wake of the Brussels bombings that killed 31 people.

The man has been accused of participation in a terrorist group after being shot during a raid in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek, Belgian media reported.

He was charged following a related raid in France this week that authorities say foiled another attack plot.

The news comes after three people were charged over last weeks suicide bombings at the capitals airport and a Metro station.

Belgian prosecutors said a man identified as Faycal C, who was arrested on Thursday, has been charged with "involvement in a terrorist group, terrorist murder and attempted terrorist murder."

Man in white: The suspect was caught on security video

He is believed to be the man in the light vest and hat pictured on security video with two men who blew themselves up at the airport.

Two other suspects detained on Thursday and identified as Raba N and Aboubakar A have been charged with "involvement in the activities of a terrorist group."

Meanwhile, police in Salerno, Italy, have arrested an Algerian wanted by Belgium for facilitating travel of illegal migrants in connection with the November 13 attacks in Paris.

With 270 injured victims including some with extreme burns following the Brussels attacks, authorities have warned the death toll from the attacks could still rise.

A march through the city planned for today in solidarity with the victims has been called off because the emergency services are too stretched.

Interior minister Jan Jambon said "We understand fully the emotions.

We understand that everyone wants to express these feelings."

But, he added, "we invite the citizens not to have this demonstration".
B elgian police used water cannon to disperse a group of black-clad protesters who descended on a peaceful rally at a Brussels memorial site this afternoon.

Hundreds of people had gathered at Place de la Bourse to pay tribute to the 31 victims of Tuesdays bomb attacks when dozens of men barged through.

In some cases wearing masks or balaclavas, the men carried a banner with a message against Islamic State, the extremist group which claimed responsibility for the bombing.

Reuters/Yves Herman

Riots squads moved into the square and protesters were ushered away as water cannon were deployed.

Place de la Bourse had become the focal point of mourning following the bombings at the citys airport and a metro station, with candle-lit vigils and hundreds of flowers and messages being left.

The government had yesterday urged people not to march through Brussels in solidarity with the victims because security forces have been stretched in the wake of last weeks atrocities.

Earlier this morning, authorities revealed they held 13 raids in Brussels and the northern cities of Mechelen and Duffel, linked to a "federal case regarding terrorism".
A pedestrian in his 30s has died after he was hit by a Mercedes in south London last night.

The man was struck by a white Mercedes A Class car at around 11pm on the northbound carriageway of Croydon Road in Caterham.

Police and paramedics were called out to the crash, near the Wapses Lodge Roundabout, but the man was pronounced dead at the scene.

The car driver, a woman in her 20s, was treated for minor injuries but two passengers riding with her were unharmed, police say.

Following the crash, the A22 was closed in both directions for several hours from the junction with Godstone Road and Wapses Lodge Roundabout.

The Surrey Police Collision Investigation Unit are appealing for witnesses to the accident.

Anyone with information should call police on 01483 639922, or call 101 quoting reference P16067728.
P olice are hunting a man following a stabbing in west London on Good Friday.

A male victim in his 20s was rushed to hospital after being knifed on Little Ealing Lane, Ealing, at about 7pm.

Police said his injuries are no longer thought to be serious, but today appealed for help tracing a man they wish to question in connection with incident.

Officers want to speak to Alem Shah, a 24-year-old from West Ealing with a QPR tattoo on the inside of his right wrist.

Contact detectives on 07825 114094 with any information.
D etectives today renewed efforts to trace a driver who left a 10-year-old boy fighting for his life after a hit-and-run crash in south London.

The child still remains in a critical condition 48 hours after the collision on Kingswood Road, Streatham Hill, shortly after 2pm on Friday, police said.

He was knocked down by a light-coloured hatchback police believe was an Audi A3.

The vehicle is thought to have sustained damage to its headlights in the collision.

Detective Sergeant Steve Pidgeon said: "It is impossible to believe that the driver did not know they had been involved in a very serious collision.

"I am urging this driver to come forward and speak with us immediately."

Contact Scotland Yards Collision Investigation Unit at Merton on 020 8543 5157 with any information.
P olice today appealed for information after two bouncers were stabbed outside a nightclub.

The men - both in their 20s - were attacked in a double stabbing outside the Fire club in Vauxhall in the early hours of Saturday morning.

Scotland Yard said officers were called to the scene in Parry Street at about 1.40am following reports of a fight.

The two men were found with serious stab wounds and have both been taken to hospital, where they remain in a serious condition.

Police said there have not yet been any arrests and the incident is not believed to be gang related.

Chief Inspector Roy Smith from Lambeth borough police said: "I urge anyone who has any information in relation to this incident, no matter how insignificant you may feel it to be, to contact us.

"Police officers responded within minutes of the call being received and there will be an increased police presence in and around Vauxhall this weekend."

Anyone with information or who may have witnessed the incident is urged to call Lambeth CID on 020 8649 2191 or via 101. To remain anonymous call Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111.
T housands turned out today to watch Cambridge beat Oxford in an Easter Sunday Boat Race despite a risk of torrential rain and travel disruption.

Fans lined the 4.2-mile route from Putney to Chiswick as the UK's two oldest university's met each other for the 162nd annual contest.

Morris dancers entertained enthusiasts as they crammed Thames banks and climbed on to boat houses for a fleeting glimpse of the race.

They watched Cambridge claim victory over Oxford for the first time in four years in the men's clash.

But in the women's race, Oxford triumphed comfortably as their rivals struggled with a water-logged boat that meant they came close to sinking.

It came amid warnings from weather forecasters that the capital could be hit by heavy showers, hail and thunder as Storm Katie charted a course towards London.

Some rail services were down too, forcing passengers to take different - and longer - routes to the spectacle.
T he leader of a church fined for hosting noisy services at 3am has vowed to continue doing so  because that is when demons and "the spiritual world" are most active.

The Kingdom Church in Camberwell, south London, was fined 7,740 at Camberwell Magistrates Court after causing sleepless nights for neighbours with loud preaching and amplified music, from 3am to 5am every Saturday morning.

But the churchs leader, Bishop Climate Irungu, insisted the congregations would continue in the middle of the night.

However, he said the church has now sound-proofed the building by installing a new floor and ceiling, to protect neighbours from excessive noise.

Because of our religious beliefs, we have to do them during the night, he told the Standard.

That is the time when were dealing with spiritual things, when the spiritual world is busy.

Church leader Bishop Climate Irungu / Bishop Climate Irungu

"That's the time when demons are more active, when people are asleep, that's when they will come."

The church, in Camberwell Station Road, claims the sermons help people find "deliverance" from sickness, financial hardship and demonic soul ties.

Bishop Climate, 41, said worshippers come from "all over the world" to attend them.

He said his church, which is Pentecostal, has received a barrage of hate mail over its late-night sessions but warned that those responsible would face divine justice.

We received a lot of hate mail from atheists and people like witches and Satanists, he said, before adding: Im pursuing legal justice and divine justice. In the bible, when people mock, God deals with them.

Im hoping that people who have been mocking us, people speaking bad things  God is going to deal with them.

He also hit out at Southwark council, which prosecuted the church after receiving a flood of noise complaints, for claiming that it had offered to resolve the matter without going court.

For a respected member of the council to give false information about this ministry and the church is an outrage, he said.

Mr Irungu, who says he heads up 400 churches around the world, added: My main goal for my church ministry is to continue to uplift, set free and deliver anyone who needs a breakthrough in their life.

Our 3AM service has helped hundreds of people whom have all shared their testimony about what God has done for them.

Southwark council insisted it did attempt to engage with the church before the matter reached the courts.
A Russian website sparked ridicule after publishing a guide to London areas where it claims police fear to tread.

Sputnik News, a news agency with links to the Kremlin, warned readers not to walk through Brixton in a guide to notorious migrant districts in major European cities.

Published in the wake of deadly terror attacks in Brussels, the article - titled Where police fear to tread: Closer look at EUs Notorious Migrant Districts - warned that modern London is not the one you might read about in a Charles Dickens novel.

The piece focuses on neighbourhoods in three major European cities  London, Paris and Berlin  which it describes as potentially explosive.

Citing the Brussels suburb of Molenbeek, an area of the city which has become synonymous with jihadism, the article says: The infamous Brussels community isn't the only migrant suburb in Europe which lives in accordance with its own laws and traditions, sometimes resembling a state within a state.

Warning: The guidance issued on the Sputnik News site

It then focuses on Brixton  a hotbed of gentrification in the capital - which it claims is known as one of the most dangerous districts in the city.

The article continues: The multi-ethnic borough itself is predominantly populated by people of African and Caribbean descent. Brixton is notorious for high levels of unemployment and poverty.

The 'guide' adds: "RT recommends avoiding walking in the borough."

Brixton was described as a dangerous area in the article (Picture: Alex Lentati)

It then goes on to cite Peckham has another troublesome district of London, saying: Peckham is mainly populated by immigrants from African countries and has the largest concentration of illegal immigrants and refugees in London.

In a later section of the article, the authors suggested: The last time the world heard about these new Londoners was in the summer of 2011 when large-scale riots erupted in Tottenham and then quickly spilled over to the other districts of London."

After being posted online last night, the blog attracted ridicule from Londoners  particularly those familiar with Brixton.

The Ritzy cinema in Brixton, south London

PhD researcher Michael Veale joked that Brixton carries the "danger of acute quinoa poisoning" in a nod to the area's rapid gentrification.

Another Twitter user added simply: "This is such a load of rubbish."

Dani Rabaiotti wrote: "The only dangerous thing about #Brixton these days is the danger of being bankrupted by the price of a beer."

And Leah Kreitzman used Twitter to post a direct response to the blog.

Journalist Katy Lee posted a link to the article with the caption: "Pretty special piece of journalism from Russia's Sputnik on European 'ethnic ghettos' where 'police fear to tread."

Lambeth councillor Florence Eshalomi, who represents Brixton Hill, said: "I've lived in Brixton all my life and Sputnik readers may wish to make contact with people who actually know the area instead of [reading] misinformation from a website.

Brixton and Peckham are thriving areas in south London, home to many famous icons and places including the late David Bowie and film star John Boyega. Like most inner London boroughs there are some challenges but there is a strong community spirit which is a testament to the diverse mix of people living in both areas.


T ony Blair has warned attacks such as Brussels would continue unless Islamic State is crushed by the military.

The former Labour Prime Minister said that the roots of Islamism needed to be understood in order to counter it.

Writing in the Sunday Times, Mr Blair argued that a new strategy was needed to defeat extremism that included greater co-operation between intelligence agencies.

An effective system of processing refugees was also needed to stop the security risk of uncontrolled flows of people across Europe, he said.

But he also argued that IS, also known as Isis, needed to be eliminated more quickly.

Mr Blair said: "We can use local allies in the fight, but they need equipment and where they need active, on-the-ground, military support from us, we should give it.

"The Americans are doing this now - at least to a degree and with effect.

"But to have allowed Isis to become the largest militia in Libya right on Europe's doorstep is extraordinary. It has to be crushed."

Blair on IS

Mr Blair founded the Tony Blair Faith Foundation which provides practical support to counter religious conflict and extremism. He previously served as peace envoy to the Middle East and works in eight African countries advising presidents.

He was prime minister during the 2003 invasion of Iraq and is expected to come in for criticism in the official inquiry report into the Iraq war - the Chilcot report - when it is finally published.

In the article he called for Western ground forces to take action wherever a terrorist group emerges as they were necessary to win the fight against extremism.

He said that in the long term, education promoting religious tolerance and effective aid and development policy needed to be prioritised.

His comments came after 31 people were killed in terror attacks in Brussels last week.
T he clocks went forward at 1am this morning leaving a lot of people very confused.

Everyone has lost 60 minutes in bed because of the change, which marks the switch to British Summer Time to maximise our daylight hours.

But even though the change is automatic on most digital clocks and on mobile phones, some people getting up this morning seem more baffled than ever.

People on social media have been complaining that they don't know whether the time needs to be adjusted or not.

Other people have simply forgotten about the change.

Twitter user @violetteblog wrote: Raise your hand if you completely forgot about the clocks going forward and woke up in a confused panic.

But many people are just angry that the change had to happen at all.

100 Years of British Summer Time: Things you didn't know about BST

Kellie Cox wrote: "Is the government alright to steal an hour of my sleep by putting the clocks forward?"

This article was written at 9am British Summer Time.
A t least 65 people have been killed and scores wounded in Pakistan by an Easter bomb blast in a crowded park packed with Christians.

About 300 were injured, many critically, by the explosion in the eastern city of Lahore.

The blast took place near the children's rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park, local police chief Haider Ashraf said.

He said it appeared to have been a suicide bombing but added investigations were ongoing.

The area was crowded with Christians celebrating the Easter holidays, and many families were leaving the park  which is guarded by police and private security - when the blast occurred, Mr Ashraf said.

"We are in a warlike situation and there is always a general threat but no specific threat alert was received for this place," he said.

Footage broadcast on local television stations showed chaotic scenes in the park, with people running while carrying children and cradling the wounded in their laps.

A witness, not identified by name on Pakistan's Geo TV station, said he was heading toward a ride with his wife and two children when he heard a huge explosion and all four of them were thrown to the floor.

UK Prime Minister David Cameron promised British help for the country following news of the bombing.

Mr Cameron, who used his Easter message to urge Britons of all faiths to stand up for Christian values, said he was shocked by the attack.

"My thoughts are with the families and friends of the victims. We will do what we can to help," the PM posted on his Twitter feed.

Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn said: "My thoughts are with the victims and the family of the victims of the horrific attack in Lahore.

"Solidarity with the emergency services there."
Nebraska Extension in the Panhandle is launching a special, area-wide 4-H group in the Panhandle and north-central Nebraska to help members in grades 7 and 8 develop leadership skills while meeting other 4-Hers throughout the region.

The group is known as Leadership Opportunities for Growth in Nebraska 4-H (LOG N 4-H). A kick-off event is planned for May 25-26 at the state 4-H camp at Halsey, where members will develop a mission statement, design a group T-shirt, and help create a leadership skill plan. They also will participate in a variety of fun activities designed to build leadership skills and group trust.

The cost to attend is $25, and applications are due by April 15. To apply, contact your local Nebraska Extension office or any 4-H educator or assistant in county offices around the Panhandle. Scholarships may be available for applicants who need them, through local 4-H councils.

Following the organizational event, LOG N 4-H members will meet with Extension youth staff four times a year: two summer meetings, one meeting in between fall and winter sports, and one between winter and spring sports.

The idea for LOG N 4-H originated with a group of Extension educators in the Panhandle who work with youth, including Cynthia Gill, Sue Pearman, Melissa Mracek, Marlena Greisse and Sarah Paisley.

As educators, we realized there was a lack of leadership training in western Nebraska, said Paisley, who is based in Garden and Deuel counties. Youth could go to a variety of leadership camps as high-school students, but we wanted to reach a younger age group and provide an experience right in the Panhandle.

The new program is for youth in the entire Panhandle Extension District, which includes the 11 counties in the Panhandle along with Cherry, Grant, Hooker, Thomas and Blaine counties in the Sandhills.

Members of LOG N 4-H will function as a regional group, but also set priorities and agenda that is likely to entail special projects in their home communities, according to Paisley.

After building leadership skills, we hope that these students will become junior leaders who assist with programs, Clover Kids, and continued involvement with future program participants, she said.

The main focus will be leadership skills. But Paisley said the Extension educators also hope to help the youth develop skills needed to be successful in college and career paths, such as communication skills, critical thinking skills, and self-confidence.
HALSEY -- Students age 14  18 with an interest in learning about the outdoors are encouraged to attend the 53rd Nebraska Youth Range Camp that will be held June 6  10 at the Nebraska State 4-H Camp in Halsey.

The Nebraska Youth Range Camp consists of a four-and-a-half day dynamic curriculum that appeals to students with a wide array of interests including, but not limited to, rangeland management, conservation, ecology, animal science, and wildlife. With over 50 years to perfect and evolve this curriculum, every student, no matter what prior experience they have, will learn substantial information that will help them become more aware of Nebraskas most prevalent landuse. Rangelands cover nearly 50 percent of Nebraska and approximately 60 percent of the United States. These numbers convey the dominance of this land use, but recently there have been several political issues regarding the management of these rangelands. This further emphasizes the reason it is important to educate youth so we may enable them to become proficient and effective leaders in resource management, as well as educated voters.

Students attending Range Camp will be actively involved with field activities, lectures, hands-on experience, and recreational leadership and team-building activities that are all led by up to 20 of Nebraskas most respected and dedicated leaders, teachers and professionals from various agencies, colleges and universities. Students will also prepare for the upcoming Range Judging season and be a step ahead of the competition. The Range Judging Contest format will be changing this year, and Range Camp students will be among the first to learn about all of these changes. Each student will be sent home with new friends, fun memories, a binder that is filled with educational materials, and a t-shirt.

Financial sponsorship is available. Last years students received a substantial level of sponsorship. Interested individuals can find more information, the Range Camp application, and the brochure, by visiting the Nebraska Society for Range Management website at www.nesrm.org and then clicking on the Nebraska Youth Range Camp link on the left side of the page or sending an email to Shelly@SandhillsTaskForce.org. Applications need to be submitted by May 27. Attendance is capped at 65 students. Individuals will be selected on a first come first served basis.

Range Camp is made possible through the Nebraska Section of the Society for Range Management with assistance from several Nebraska ranches, the Nebraska Grazing Lands Coalition, the Sandhills Task Force, several of Nebraskas Natural Resource Districts, the Natural Resources Conservation Service, the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension Service, and many volunteers.

***Photo caption: 2015 Campers and volunteers.***
CHAPPELL, Neb.  The last image Deuel County Deputy Michael Hutchinson recalls seeing before he was hustled into the hospital was emergency technician Adam Haywards face.

The last time Hayward saw Hutchinson, he and others pulled a dozen heart monitor cables off his friends chest, torso and legs, and removed a blood-pressure cuff and a finger clip measuring pulse and oxygen levels. He left Hutchinson in the emergency room with a team of doctors, nurses and technicians already busy assessing his multiple bullet wounds.

Hayward stepped outside, overwhelmed and upset.

Fourteen weeks later, he sat on a bench against a wall in a village community center packed with people. Laughter and the aroma of pancakes on the griddle filled the air. He cradled his 2-month-old daughter in his left arm.

Then Hutchinson arrived. A benefit-dinner crowd collapsed around him. Hayward waited for an opening. After a few minutes, he stood, walked five steps and grabbed Hutchinsons right hand.

Hey, buddy, how you doin? he said.

The two men fell into a long hug, with baby Eadyn snug between them. Faces buried in the others shoulder, emotions flowed in tears.

Thanks for what you did, a choked- up Hutchinson whispered. Ill never forget it.

Hutchinson  ambushed and shot four times at close range while serving an arrest warrant in Big Springs last Dec. 3  says he is alive today not just because of a series of extraordinary coincidences, good fortune and heroic efforts by colleagues, friends and strangers.

I believe God had a hand in it, he said during a recent interview in his farmstead living room. Otherwise, I wouldnt be here today.

'Most of the time you can talk to people and get them to do what you need them to do if you just explain it to them.'

Hutchinson, 52, is a career law enforcement officer who served in a variety of positions across the state before taking a job as a Deuel County sheriffs deputy in October 2014 to be closer to a daughter and her family in western Nebraska.

A native of Ogallala, he grew up in Cozad, playing high school football and wrestling for the Haymakers. After graduating in 1982 he enlisted in the Army National Guard and trained as a military policeman before joining the regular Army in 1986.

Stationed at Fort Polk, Louisiana, he met Karyl Andrews on a blind date. They married and had three children.

Hutchinson said it was hard to raise children when he was away on training exercises half the time, so he left the Army, and the couple moved their young family to Nebraska in 1989.

He has worked for police departments in Lexington, Cozad, Wayne, Mitchell and David City. He has also served in sheriffs offices in Keith, Merrick, Nance and Butler Counties.

He was a sheriffs sergeant in Butler County when he learned of an opening with the Deuel County Sheriffs Office in Chappell, a community only 60 miles from where daughter Molly Deaver lived in Grant with her husband, James, and son, Everett, now 2.

Lifes too short, Hutchinson said he and his wife decided. Lets go be out around the grandkids.

The Deuel County Sheriffs Office is staffed by a sheriff and three deputies. They are responsible for patrolling the countys 441 square miles and two communities: Big Springs, population 397, and the county seat of Chappell, population 930. The towns represent two-thirds of the people in the county.

Marijuana and other drug cases stemming from routine traffic stops out of Colorado on Interstates 76 and 80 have swamped the little jurisdiction in recent years.

Hutchinsons daily routine started with checking in with a joint communications center in Ogallala and patrolling U.S. Highway 30 during his 10-minute drive to Chappell. Before stopping at the Sheriffs Office in the courthouse basement, his first duty usually was providing traffic control at the schools.

He put a stop to a local habit of making U-turns in school crosswalks.

Theyd been doing it for umpteen years, he said. I tell them Hey, I see you do that again, youll get a ticket. Most of the time you can talk to people and get them to do what you need them to do if you just explain it to them.

Hutchinson, 52, is a career law enforcement officer who served in a variety of positions across the state before taking a job as a Deuel County sheriffs deputy in October 2014 to be closer to a daughter and her family in western Nebraska.

'I turned around and theres a shotgun in my face. He told me Im going to kill you. Youre going to die today.''

The Hutchinsons celebrated Michaels birthday, the night before the shooting, at a dinner with Molly and her family at the Open Range Grill in Ogallala. Molly surprised her parents with news that she was pregnant and expecting in July.

The next day dawned bright and chilly, a brisk 30 degrees at the Hutchinsons rented farmhouse.

Hutchinson was up by 6 a.m. and cooked himself bacon and hard-fried eggs, added a slice of cheese and slipped it all between two pieces of toast to create a breakfast sandwich. He clicked the remote starter for his black-and-gold patrol car  a 2013 Dodge Charger  to warm it and start the defrosters. He checked his equipment and was out the door.

He radioed that he was on duty: 9783, Ogallala. 10-41.

Hutchinson headed to Chappell as usual, then later that morning to Big Springs for funeral escort duty. After Hutchinson finished the assignment, Sheriff Scott DeCoste called by mobile phone and told Hutchinson to stay in town, because a Colorado judge had just issued an arrest warrant for Neil Stretesky of Big Springs.

Stretesky, a 66-year-old electrician, was out of jail on an attempted first-degree murder charge. He was arrested in October 2014 after beating his 90-year-old father with a hammer in Julesburg, Colorado. During the incident, Stretesky twice pointed an AR-15 rifle at Sedgwick County Sheriff Randy Peck, according to court documents. The sheriff drew his gun and told Stretesky to drop the rifle or he would kill him. Stretesky complied.

Knowing Streteskys recent violent history, DeCoste, Hutchinson and Deputies Jerod Hahn and Spencer Rowley  the entire department  met at the Big Springs Sheriffs Office to plan how to take Stretesky into custody. Hahn, 33, had been on the staff about seven months; Rowley, 24, had been hired in mid-November. DeCoste, a 17-year law enforcement veteran, was appointed sheriff in October.

The plan called for Hutchinson to go to the Stretesky house and knock on the door. DeCoste, Hahn and Rowley would be parked in two vehicles out of sight nearby. When Hutchinson made contact with Stretesky, the others would drive up and assist.

Im, like, OK, said Hutchinson, who has served thousands of paper services and hundreds of warrants of all kinds during his 26-year career.

The old dashboard video camera in Hutchinsons car was on the blink, and unlike the other three officers, he didnt have a body camera. DeCoste gave Hutchinson his body camera.

Hutchinson headed to Streteskys house about 12:20 p.m. As he neared the dwelling on West Cedar Street, he saw Streteskys wife, Nellie, pull into the driveway and hurry into the hillside house. Hutchinson pulled in behind her car.

I thought Well, this guy has been pointing guns at other people before. Im going to put on my tac vest, Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson was not wearing a body armor vest under his shirt because it didnt fit. His bulkier and heavier tactical vest, designed for high-risk situations, was in the back seat.

Hutchinson stepped out of his car, opened the left rear door of his car and heard shouting.

I turned around and theres a shotgun in my face, he said.

It was Neil Stretesky.

He told me Im going to kill you. Youre going to die today, Hutchinson said.

The deputy replied: Neil, Im not here to get killed or anything. Im here basically to talk to you about your dog.

Neighbors had long complained about Streteskys dog running loose. Deputies had been to the house with warnings. Hutchinson was to use the dog ruse when he went to the door.

He said Bullshit, I know youre here to pick me up, Hutchinson said.

Stretesky fired the shotgun into the ground, at Hutchinsons feet. He commanded Hutchinson to drop his weapons near the rear wheel.

Im not giving you my gun, Neil, Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson noticed Stretesky having trouble jacking the forestock of the pump-action shotgun to eject the spent shell and chamber a fresh one. Hutchinson figured he didnt have time to draw his Glock .40-caliber pistol. He grabbed the barrel and stock of the shotgun and tussled with Stretesky before swinging the stock into his jaw.

He went backwards. I went backwards, Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson fell on his back, his legs raised.

The next thing I know is I hear a shot. I felt a burning sensation in my left leg.

'I prayed the Lord would give me one more shot to make this stop and prayed that my aim be true.'

DeCoste heard a shotgun blast while parking his car about 75 yards away at the bottom of the hill and talking on his mobile phone to a deputy a block away.

Did you hear that? Did you hear that? the sheriff yelled into his phone.

As DeCoste grabbed his gearshift he heard voices, scuffling noises and another shotgun blast.

The sheriff dropped his phone and raced the marked sport utility vehicle around the corner and up the hill. He saw Hutchinson and Stretesky wrestling over the shotgun. He watched Hutchinson fall on his back. He saw Stretesky stand over Hutchinson  who flipped to his front after the first shot  with a handgun and shoot.

Stretesky turned and fired a shot at the approaching sheriff, now about 10 yards away. The bullet hit the vehicle frame between the windshield and drivers door.

I stop and I put it in reverse and I hit the gas, DeCoste said. The RPMs went really high and the speed was really slow.

The gearshift lodged in neutral instead of reverse. DeCoste let the vehicle roll down the hill to back away from Stretesky, who pointed the gun at him the entire time. When Stretesky turned the weapon back to the fallen Hutchinson, DeCoste stopped the car. He was about 50 yards away. He reached for his AR-15 patrol rifle, stepped out, loaded a bullet into the chamber and shouldered the gun.

Then there was a pop. He shot him again, DeCoste said.

DeCoste pulled the rifles trigger. Nothing happened. The safety was engaged.

The sheriff flipped the safety off, shouldered the rifle and fired. Stretesky fell behind Hutchinson. DeCoste didnt know it, but his shot missed.

Stretesky briefly peered over Hutchinsons body at DeCoste, ducked and did something with his hands, the sheriff said. Authorities believe thats when Stretesky shot Hutchinson under the right armpit. It was the fourth wound.

Hutchinson lay between the sheriff and Stretesky. DeCoste had a small target.

I prayed the Lord would give me one more shot to make this stop and prayed that my aim be true, DeCoste said. He picked his head back up and I shot. I shot him in the face.

Streteskys handgun rolled about 6 feet away. He lay mortally wounded. It was the first time in DeCostes career that he had fired his gun at a suspect. Last month, a Deuel County grand jury found the use of deadly force justified.

DeCoste and the two deputies ran to the men. Stretesky and Hutchinsons feet were tangled. DeCoste, a trained emergency technician, pulled Stretesky away and turned over Hutchinson to find and address his wounds.

Hutchinsons first words to DeCoste: He shot me in the butt. I cant believe he shot me in the butt.

DeCoste was ecstatic his friend was alive.

Law enforcement vehicles outside the home of Neil Stretesky in Big Springs Nebraska, on Thursday after a Deuel County deputy was seriously wounded and Stretesky was shot and killed while being served a warrant.

'Just hang on, buddy. Well get you some help. Just hang in there.'

The Big Springs Fire Department and its ambulance are staffed by volunteers, who respond immediately when paged for emergencies.

Many of them happened to attend the funeral Hutchinson helped at an hour earlier  instead of being at their jobs scattered across the region  and were still in town for a luncheon at the Assembly of God Church three blocks from the Stretesky house.

Among them was 36-year-old Adam Hayward, who, 14 months earlier, while still the Deuel County sheriff, had hired Hutchinson. Hayward was now an agronomy products salesman for a co-op in Grant. He typically would be nearly 40 miles away at his job.

Hayward and his pregnant wife were making a brief stop at their Big Springs home before returning to the church from the cemetery burial when his scanner erupted with a report of an active shooter. The towns fire whistle wailed. Haywards pager sounded. It was 12:24 p.m.

Hayward hurried to the fire hall and was in the back of the first ambulance to arrive at the shooting scene 4 minutes later. The ambulance stopped within 10 feet of the victims and Hayward flung open the door.

There lay Hutchinson, blood pooling on the ground around his legs. Hayward hadnt known his friend and former colleague was one of the victims.

Hayward cut into Hutchinsons pants with trauma scissors to find the leg wound. Hayward and DeCoste put pressure on the wounds, wrapped them and lifted Hutchinson to a backboard and into the rear of the ambulance.

Another ambulance crew tended to Stretesky.

Hutchinsons ambulance rolled away from the scene at 12:33 p.m. The nearest hospital is 12 miles away, in Julesburg, Colorado.

The Big Springs responders, however, had decided before they arrived at the scene of the shooting to head 22 miles to Ogallala Community Hospital, because it has a surgeon on staff with wartime experience in bullet wounds. The crew had already called ahead for an Ogallala paramedic to head west toward Big Springs.

As the ambulance sped east down U.S. Highway 30, the crew monitored Hutchinsons vital signs and cared for his wounds. It also discovered one of his armpit wounds.

He was in quite a bit of pain, Hayward said. He was having trouble breathing.

Paramedic Jordan Meininger intercepted the ambulance near Brule and jumped in for the final 9 miles into Ogallala. He administered pain medication and inserted a tube into Hutchinsons chest to relieve pressure and aid his breathing.

Hayward encouraged Hutchinson.

Just hang on, buddy. Well get you some help. Just hang in there.

Karyl and Michael Hutchinson walk outside their home in Chappell, Nebraska, earlier this month.

'Is he dead?'

Karyl Hutchinson was eating soup for lunch at her desk in Grant, annoyed that her husband wasnt answering his cellphone. She works for her daughter and son-in-law at their auto repair shop.

Perkins County Sheriff Jim Brueggeman banged on the locked door. He told Karyl there had been an officer-involved shooting and to come with him. Karyl assumed her husband had shot someone.

I never could have imagined that he was the one that got shot, she said. Hes so good at his job that theres no way.

As she reached for her purse, Brueggeman shook and turned ghostly white.

Mikes been shot, he said.

During the 20-mile drive to Ogallala, Brueggeman kept lowering the volume on his communications radio so Karyl couldnt hear.

I finally said Is he dead? Because if you know hes dead, Id rather you tell me than let you drive me all the way to Ogallala thinking Im going to get there and hes still alive.

Brueggeman said he knew only that the wounds were serious.

'Officer Hutchinson, I'm Dr. Banks. You have severe injuries. We're going to take good care of you.'

Dr. Shane Banks, 40, was home for lunch in Ogallala when the hospitals chief operating room nurse called to tell him gunshot victims were en route.

Banks joined the 18-bed hospitals staff in 2013. A Missouri native, he graduated from the Air Force Academy and the University of Texas in San Antonio medical school. His 12-year military career included a tour at Offutt Air Force Base near Bellevue from 2007 to 2009, where he helped with weekend trauma calls at the Nebraska Medical Center in Omaha.

He also served four months as a combat surgeon at Joint Base Balad in Iraq in 2008. Three years later he deployed with special operations forces on the front lines in south-central Afghanistan for five months.

I was pretty busy, he said.

When Hutchinson arrived at the hospital, Banks met him in the emergency room.

Standing at the deputys head, Banks leaned over  their faces upside down to each other  and said: Officer Hutchinson, Im Dr. Banks. You have severe injuries. Were going to take good care of you.

Hutchinson replied: OK. You do what you got to do. Please make sure my wife knows.

Banks said Hutchinson was in the emergency room about 20 minutes while the medical team established intravenous lines, drew blood and assessed injuries. Hutchinson told the team his medical history and the medications he takes.

He was in severe pain but had a very calm demeanor. He was very polite, Banks said.

Moving into an operating room, Banks was joined by another doctor, two certified registered nurse anesthetists, two surgery nurses and three other nurses who worked the edges of the activity.

Banks said their goals included stopping major bleeding, controlling contamination (especially as Hutchinson had suffered injuries to organs) and preparing the deputy for prompt transfer to a major medical center.

Karyl arrived at the hospital during the hour her husband was in surgery.

Banks passed Hutchinson off to a waiting medical helicopter crew from Great Plains Health, a regional medical center in North Platte, for the flight to North Colorado Medical Center in Greeley.

We said some prayers for him, too.

Karyl spent the next three months at her husbands side, sleeping in a recliner or window seat in his hospital rooms.

The family descended on Greeley. Daughter Sarah Andrews of Chicago drove nonstop to Greeley with daughters Lilly, 15, and Yael, 3. Son James came from Casper, Wyoming, and Molly from Grant.

Colorado law enforcement agencies provided money, food and lodging for the family  even a big-screen TV to watch the Denver Broncos win the Super Bowl.

You leave home in the morning and you dont realize that youre not going to be back for 11 weeks, Karyl said. About three weeks into it, it dawned on me that I needed someone to come clean out the refrigerator.

Hutchinson underwent four surgeries, shuttling back and forth between the hospital and a long-term acute care center in neighboring Johnstown. He returned home to Chappell and a heros welcome Feb. 22.

When the Hutchinsons walked into their house they found it still decorated for Christmas. Michael insisted on spending the next day wrapping gifts. That night they watched their 2-year-old grandson open his presents.

Hutchinson received hundreds of cards and letters, including a handwritten note from Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts.

He had an Its a Wonderful Life moment, when you get to see how many lives youve touched, Karyl said.

Hutchinson at the benefit pancake feed held in his honor March 11 in Brule. Hutchinson is flanked by Adam Hayward and his baby daughter, Eadyn, at left, and Deuel County Sheriff Scott DeCoste.

'Im going to kick your ass for not having your vest on!'

Hutchinson didnt expect to eat syrup-soaked, cold pancakes, but he had no choice.

Nearly every time a friend or stranger  well-wishers all  passed by his table at the Brule Community Hall earlier this month, Hutchinson popped up to shake a hand. But not when a former boss arrived.

Sit still! ordered retired Keith County Sheriff Earl Schenck.

Schenck looked down at Hutchinson and told him to get well fast, because Im going to kick your ass for not having your vest on!

Schenck later acknowledged that Hutchinsons body armor wouldnt have done much to prevent the point-blank wounds he received.

But I dont care, he said. He still has a kick in the butt coming. He just scared the hell out of me when I heard about it.

The Brule Lions Club pancake feed was one of several dinners, silent auctions and other events nearby communities and organizations hosted to financially help the Hutchinsons. It raised about $2,800. The Hutchinsons said the donations help replace Karyls lost income. She hasnt worked since the shooting, in order to be with her husband.

Hutchinsons mother, Mary Ann Fong of Elwood, Nebraska, came for the pancakes and also attended a soup supper in Big Springs shortly after the shooting.

Its overwhelming to see all the people who turn out, she said.

Dayton and Carolyn Ballentine of Brule had never met Hutchinson but were seated down the table from him.

We have to support law enforcement, Carolyn said. Theyre out there every day putting their lives on the line.

Hutchinsons sister, Tracie Guffey of Blue Springs, Missouri, said rural communities stand tall in the way they rally around their own.

It says a lot about small towns, she said, and it says a lot about the person.

Michael Hutchinson has an hour of physical therapy exercises every Monday, Wednesday and Friday at Sedgwick County Health Center in Julesburg, Colorado.

'I'm not strong enough yet.'

Hutchinson hasnt returned to work. Doctors told him it will be six to 12 months before that day may come.

He suffered traumatic gunshot wounds in the lower left torso, under each arm, and what he calls the Forrest Gump shot into his left upper hamstring.

One bullet fractured his pelvis. His spleen is gone. He will never have full use of his kidneys. Parts of his stomach and intestines are gone. His damaged liver is expected to rejuvenate.

My goals right now are to physically get stronger, build up stamina again so that I can do the things I want to do, he said. Ill probably go see a psychiatrist and make sure Im functioning upstairs. ... Mentally, Ive got to be able to talk about this without falling apart.

An exercise bicycle sits nearby at a picture window with a view of a greening field of winter wheat. A copy of Emotional Survival for Law Enforcement sits atop an end table beside his couch.

Hutchinson still rises each day at 5 or 6 a.m. to do exercises prescribed by his physical therapist. He makes breakfast, showers, shaves and brushes his teeth.

Then I sit to catch my breath, he said. I tend to fatigue easily.

By 3 p.m., hes ready for a nap.

Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, he travels 16 miles to the Sedgwick County Health Center in Julesburg for an hour of physical therapy stretching and exercises.

The low-impact exercises are designed to increase Hutchinsons stamina, stretch and strengthen muscles, provide a cardiovascular workout and improve balance.

Physical therapist Wes Harens runs Hutchinson through the paces, and although the deputy dives into the routines, he keeps Harens on his toes.

How many was that? a weary Hutchinson asked during a hamstring exercise.

Six or seven, Harens said.

I thought it was 10, Hutchinson said.

After Harens asked Hutchinson during a balance exercise how far he was walking, he suggested the deputy increase it to one or two blocks.

Our blocks are like a mile long, Hutchinson said, referring to country roads.

Harens, in mock exasperation, responded: You know what I mean.

Hutchinson was a broad-chested, formidable figure as a law enforcement officer, with a shaved head and goatee. Standing about 5-foot-10, he was a fit 265 pounds and filled out his Army Strong T-shirts. After four surgeries he returned home with a nagging infection and low-grade fever, weighing less than 220 pounds and unable to get out of a chair or up from the floor by himself.

His Olympic-style weight set gathers dust in the basement.

Im not strong enough yet, he said.

The effort is evident when the exercises are strenuous. I tend to fatigue easily, Hutchinson said.

'My job wasnt to give up that day, and I didnt.'

Hutchinson replays the Big Springs encounter over and over in his mind.

If a guys got a gun, you want to try to talk the situation down, because its the best thing youve got, he said.

Grabbing the shotgun at close range was his only chance, because it would take the weapon out of the equation.

It wasnt a situation for a Taser, he said.

Hutchinson relies on his high school wrestling skills when subduing suspects.

I like to be in close, he said. When theres separation, theres too much time to think. Too much time to let your hands do whatever.

He has pulled a gun on suspects, but has never fired. I was able to make a believer out of them, he said.

Hutchinson said he lost control of Stretesky when both men stumbled backward. Hutchinson saw no handgun on Stretesky, but now assumes it was tucked in the back waistband of his blue jeans.

There is no video of the encounter. The borrowed body camera he was wearing turned out to have a dead battery.

DeCoste said Streteskys shotgun and 9 mm Glock handgun were stolen from a neighboring house. The shotgun was thought to have been missing since the Thanksgiving holiday. The pistol was taken from a bedroom nightstand shortly before the assault on Hutchinson.

DeCoste later learned that Streteskys attorney, a public defender, called his client the morning of Dec. 3 to tell him a judge had issued the arrest warrant.

About 10 law enforcement officers are killed in ambushes each year in the United States, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. On average, one officer is killed in the line of duty every 60 hours.

Hutchinson said he cant help but dissect his actions that day.

Did I do this right? I must have done something right. ... My job wasnt to give up that day, and I didnt.

Hutchinson sits in a custom-made chair with a Deuel County sheriff's patch, a gift from a grateful member of the community, at his home in Chappell.

'I'm in no hurry.'

A few days before the shooting, Hutchinsons son called and read a Bible passage from Ephesians.

It was about putting on Gods armor and carrying his shield, Hutchinson said.

He has taken that as a sign that God has a plan for him.

I just dont know what it is yet, he said. Part of me wants to slow down and do something else. Another part of me says Get your ass back in that car, youve still got a lot of sheep to herd out there. 

He thinks of his grandchildren and spending time with them.

Well just wait and see. Im in no hurry, he said.
My students did awesome. This was their first time going to state so none of us knew what to expect. The goal was to go and have it be a learning experience. If we won that would be a bonus, said Betty Anderson, bio-medicine instructor at Scottsbluff High School.

The Scottsbluff High School HOSA Chapter attended the Nebraska HOSA State Leadership Conference at the University of Nebraska Medical Center-Omaha campus on March 21-22.

Over 300 high school students from 22 different schools as well as 26 college students from four undergraduate institutions participated in the competition. Schools competed in different medical events and the Scottsbluff students placed in every event except one. The students also competed and won against UNMC students in the Medical Photography, Nursing Assistant, Extemporaneous Health Poster and CPR/First Aid categories.

Twenty-eight students from Scottsbluff High School participated in the competition. Nine students qualified for the National HOSA competition and the chapter had three double National Qualifiers. The students placed in all but one of the events, receiving four first place wins.

Hannah Balandran and Myela Garcia, juniors at Scottsbluff High School, received first place in the CPR/First Aid category. Balandran also received recognition as being the Outstanding Chapter Leader at the conference.

It was pretty exciting to win state. It was really fun, you always had something to do. You could also mingle with teens from other schools, we got to speak to them about their experiences, said Balandran.

The students also had different sessions and workshops that they could attend during the two days they were there.

HOSA is a high school and post-secondary organization for students who are interested in pursuing a career in the medical field. All of the students in HOSA at Scottsbluff are also in health science classes. It is similar to Future Business Leaders of America, Future Farmers of America, or Family, Career, and Community Leaders of America. It is sanctioned by the Nebraska Department of Education. (HOSA used to stand for Health Occupations Students of America, but in 2004 the organization opted to change their name to HOSA: Future Health Professionals.)

The students spent numerous hours in practice in preparation for the competition.

The CPR team spent several hours with Anderson, some of the time was at night, around 8:30 to 9:30 p.m. Anderson said that the students were dedicated and motivated, going into the competition with the mindset they were going to win.

We wouldnt have gotten first place if we didnt have an instructor like Mrs. Anderson, she can get some of the credit, too, said Garcia.

A large number of students prepared poster presentations on a particular field of interest. Some of the events like the CPR/First Aid event were based on scenarios that the students had to perform as if it was actually happening. The event was also two-part. First students took a computerized test on the subject of CPR and then they had to perform the scenarios. At the competition, the students have 12 minutes to prepare a scenario before presenting them.

The scenarios dealt with choking, splinting, heat-related emergencies, severe bleeding and shock, Adult VLS without an AED, Adult VLS with an AED and infant BLS.

We just kept repeating the scenarios until we had them down, said Garcia.

The HOSA group was also able to receive training from those from the Regional West Medical Center, UNMC and the Area Health Education Center.

Garcia and Blandran also had two books that they read for their preparation.

The students that did well at state competition, such as Balandran and Garcia, will go on to the National HOSA conference in Nashville, Tennessee on June 21-25. The students will get a couple weeks of break before starting again on preparation for the competition. Anderson believes there will be 150 teams in the CPR/First Aid event at the national competition. This year is also an International Conference so they will face even more competition.

Students will need to provide their own funding to go to the National Competition. Currently, HOSA doesnt have any funding so a big challenge will be fundraising. Anderson is hoping that those in the medical field step up to help with the costs.

Anderson definitely thinks the students exceeded everyones expectations and all of the students are going to college prepared and understanding the healthcare needs of the community.

Hopefully, after they finish their education these students come back to the area, said Anderson.
LINCOLN  Its best to get out of the way when a foot chase ensues between the cops and someone they aim to arrest.

That was the upshot of a Nebraska Supreme Court ruling Friday that dismissed a lawsuit by a former Omaha woman who was hurt by two Douglas County deputies chasing a juvenile wanted on an arrest warrant.

Joan C. Phillips was inadvertently knocked down by the sheriffs deputies in 2010. She suffered a broken elbow, nerve damage and more than $14,000 in medical expenses, for which she filed a personal injury lawsuit against the county and Sheriff Tim Dunning.

At the time of the incident, Phillips worked as a teacher at Ombudsman Educational Services, a private, alternative school for children with behavioral problems or at risk of dropping out.

Before their arrival, the deputies had spoken to Phillips about their intent to arrest one of her female students. Phillips instructed them to come to the back door of the building at 5034 S. 153rd St. to avoid disrupting classes, according an account of the incident in Fridays ruling.

After the deputies arrived, Phillips led the student out the back door. But when the girl saw the deputies, she turned and ran back into the school.

The deputies chased on foot, but in the process they bumped Phillips, causing her to hit the wall and fall to the ground. The deputies caught the student as she was trying to open a classroom door, forced her to the floor and handcuffed her.

The teacher sued in 2011, claiming permanent physical injuries, mental pain and suffering, lost wages and future medical expenses. Based on a claim her attorney filed with the county, Phillips suffered a fractured left elbow that left her with damage to her elbow ligaments and the ulnar nerve in her arm.

In 2013, Douglas County District Judge Gary Randall dismissed the lawsuit, saying Phillips had failed to raise a legitimate claim.

A unanimous Supreme Court upheld the dismissal.

Writing for the court, Judge Lindsey Miller-Lerman said the deputies were allowed to use a reasonable amount of force to carry out the arrest of the runaway student. In order to win her negligence claim, the teacher needed to show that the deputies breached their duty to exercise reasonable care to prevent their actions from injuring an innocent bystander.

Nothing in the record suggests that the deputies were acting recklessly or unreasonably at the point in time when they made contact with Phillips, Miller-Lerman wrote in Fridays opinion.

Phillips was able to return to teaching, but she has since moved out of the state, said her attorney, Ronald Frank of Omaha.

Were disappointed in the decision, he said Friday.
OMAHA, Neb. (AP)  A Muslim civil rights and advocacy group is asking officials to pursue a hate crimes investigation after a threatening email was sent to the Islamic Center of Omaha, which has been the target of several recent acts of vandalism.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations has asked the FBI and local police to investigate the email, which was sent the day after Tuesday's deadly attacks in Brussels. The email reads, "Your so-called peaceful religion just killed more innocent people. We think it is now time to fight back starting with you. Believe it. See you in hell."

Mohammed Rasheed, a spokesman for the Omaha center, told the Omaha World-Herald (http://bit.ly/1Rsq5Qn ) that he and other center members are concerned about the threat.

He condemned the Brussels bombings and other attacks for which the Islamic State has claimed responsibility.

"A lot of people are getting killed, including Muslims," Rasheed said. "They are killing humanity, basically everybody, and we condemn that."

In August, a large rock was thrown through the center's glass door, causing about $400 in damage. Two months later, security cameras at the center showed a man in a mask throwing another large rock at a window.

In November, following the attacks in Paris, someone spray-painted a likeness of the Eiffel Tower on an outside wall of the center. And in January, rocks were again thrown at the center's door and raw bacon was wrapped around the handle of an exterior door.

The Quran, the holy book of Islam, prohibits Muslims from eating pork, and pigs and pork products have been used to taunt or offend Muslims.

The FBI and Omaha police did not return messages left by the World-Herald on Friday.

Rasheed encouraged people to visit the center to learn more about Islam.

"This violence is not part of Islam," he said.
Aaron Paul, the son of a Southern Baptist minister, emerged from a Scripture-centric childhood with a sunny personality and a deep gratitude for his many blessings.

Paul goes through life with a smile and good words for everyone from cast mates (Breaking Bad co-star Bryan Cranston is one of his closest friends) to random tourists (he once surprised visitors who were gawking at his home by coming out to chat).

But something about Paul, perhaps the haunted look he is able to summon into his eyes, keeps getting him cast as deeply troubled characters. The most famous, of course, is Jesse Pinkman, chemistry teacher Walter Whites meth-making student on Breaking Bad, a role for which Paul won three Emmys.

As much as Jesse broke bad, viewers still rooted for him, Paul pointed out as the AMC series was ending. Hes a drug dealer. Hes a murderer. But for some reason you really care for him. You want to protect him.

Paul would be the first to credit the writing, but he generated that same reluctant sympathy in the recent Triple 9, playing a conflicted criminal opposite another close friend, Norman Reedus (Daryl on The Walking Dead), as his brother.

The Path, arriving Wednesday on Hulu with the first two of 10 episodes, could seem like something of a departure for Paul. As Eddie Lane, he is a happy man, content in a long-term marriage to Sarah (Michelle Monaghan of True Detective) and the father of two.

But Eddies life is anything but picket-fence normal, and when we meet him, his eyes have that haunted look. Eddie and Sarah are members of the Meyerist Movement, a religious cult led locally by the controlling Cal Roberts (Hugh Dancy of Hannibal), who is ambitious and powerful, but not so powerful as he wants to be.

As the dark and fascinating drama opens, Sarah worries that Eddie, just back home from a training session, had an affair while he was away. But something else entirely happened at the retreat, something that gave Eddie growing doubts about the Meyerist Movement and his part in it.

Paul didnt find a specific connection to the role because of his childhood in Idaho, where his father preached at several churches, he said when Hulu introduced The Path to TV critics meeting in Los Angeles this winter. His family was nothing like a cult, and not controlling; his mother even drove with him to Hollywood when he decided to pursue an acting career at age 17.

But my father was a very intense Southern Baptist minister, Paul said. I had to read the Bible multiple times, so I know the Scripture (and) I am definitely drawn to that sort of story.

Religion is fascinating, Paul said, in the way humans are just desperately trying to find answers to their questions.

Thats true for Eddie, who is having some sort of doubt, you come to realize, Paul said. Hes really searching for his questions to be answered, trying to find the truth in them.

Based on its initial description, The Path was quickly labeled that Scientology drama. But Jessica Goldberg, who created The Path, with Jason Katims (Friday Night Lights, Parenthood) as executive producer, said that wasnt accurate.

The goal is to look at both sides of religion, where it brings comfort, and (what happens) when you go against the grain, Goldberg said.

In fact, The Path might have been less interesting if it had revolved around specific beliefs, she contended.

It felt like it would be too narrow, it wouldnt allow you the same sort of storytelling opportunities, if we put it into something that already existed, she said, noting that the Meyerists are referred to as a movement, not a religion.

As for their tenets, I wanted to invent my ideal faith to fit the story, she said. Of course, with any faith, theres a sort of dark side to it.

Goldberg and her writers looked at how religion calls to so many people right now, she said. And we culled from some of our favorite things, both Eastern and Western religions, and made our own faith. Its taken from lots of different existing faiths and our own sort of fantasy of what youre looking for when youre in deep pain.

The New Age overtones to the Meyerists come out of her childhood in Woodstock, N.Y., a town that had tons of seekers and lots of crystally religions, Goldberg said.

But the pivotal plot point, Eddies crisis of faith, comes from the point that most of us have in our life where we wake up one day and the ground you stood on is no longer ground anymore, she said. Thats really the leaping off point of the show for me.

For Monaghan, One of the things that I felt appealing about this was really the exploration of religion and how it saves people and how far people are willing to go, or what they do, in the name of religion, she said.

The Path explores the positive aspects, and then sometimes how your convictions can take you down a rabbit hole of some darker things, she added. Weve all witnessed that.

The characters, Dancy said, are very much living a life of belief, and faith is incredibly important to them. There are some problems, some fault lines, within the structure that theyre in. But the basic thing that drives them all is that they believe, and that they want to believe.

As for the Movement as a cult, Nobody thinks theyre in a cult, right? Dancy said. These guys, they are not having that thought. Theyre just trying to improve their lives, strive for something, heal themselves, heal people. There is something beautiful about that, and thats one of the two sides of the story.

After talking seriously for half an hour, Paul was clearly happy to be asked what he had so far enjoyed most about making The Path, and the sunny Aaron Paul emerged.

I come to set with these beautiful people every day, he said. To share the screen with (them) is just so incredible. Its such a dream come true.

The Path

Three stars (out of four)

When  Wednesday

Where  Hulu (two episodes), then new episodes weekly

More info  hulu.com/the-path
ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Pakistan summoned the Indian ambassador on Friday to protest against the illegal entry of an Indian spy who Pakistan said was captured in the violence-plagued province of Baluchistan the previous day.

The accusation could raise tension between the nuclear-armed rivals months after India blamed Pakistan-based militants for an attack on an Indian air base in which seven military personnel were killed.

"(Pakistan) conveyed our protest and deep concern on the illegal entry into Pakistan by a RAW officer and his involvement in subversive activities in Baluchistan and Karachi," Pakistan's foreign ministry said in a statement, referring to the message conveyed to India's ambassador.

RAW is India's Research and Analysis Wing, its main external intelligence agency.

Pakistan believes India is supporting a separatist insurgency in resource-rich Baluchistan. It also accuses India of fuelling strife in the city of Karachi.

India denies any such meddling.

India has long accused Pakistan of backing militants fighting Indian security forces in its part of the divided Kashmir region, of helping militants launch attacks elsewhere in India and backing the Taliban in Afghanistan.

Pakistan say it only offers diplomatic support to the Muslim people of Kashmir living under what Pakistan says is heavy-handed Indian rule. It denies backing militant attacks in India.

A Pakistani military official in Baluchistan told Reuters the suspected RAW spy was an Indian navy officer. Another Pakistani official gave the same information.

Both declined to be identified as they were not authorized to give details of the incident to the media.

One of the officials said the suspected spy had been moved to Islamabad for interrogation.

The neighbors have fought three wars since 1947, two of them over Kashmir which they both claim in full but rule in part.

Baluchistan's provincial interior minister, Mir Sarfaraz Bugti, told reporters the arrest "proved Indian involvement" in his province.

Last year, Defence Minister Khawaja Asif said RAW was bent on annihilating Pakistan.

"RAW has been formed to undo Pakistan and to wipe Pakistan off the map of the world," Asif said in a television interview.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif made improving ties with India a priority when he won a 2013 election. But his push is seen as causing friction with the army which sees relations with India as its domain.

Last December, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise stopover in Pakistan to meet Sharif, the first visit by an Indian premier in over a decade.

The visit raised hopes that stop-and-start negotiations might finally make progress after decades of hostility.

(Reporting and writing by Mehreen Zahra-Malik; Editing by Robert Birsel)
UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 8-K

CURRENT REPORT

Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

Date of Report (Date of earliest event reported): March 24, 2016

Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Delaware 001-35935 20-0216859 (State or other jurisdiction of incorporation) (Commission File Number) (IRS Employer Identification No.) 270 E. Grand Avenue South San Francisco, California 94080 (Address of principal executive offices) (Zip Code)

Registrants telephone number, including area code: (650) 246-7300

Check the appropriate box below if the Form 8-K filing is intended to simultaneously satisfy the filing obligations of the registrant under any of the following provisions:

 Written communications pursuant to Rule 425 under the Securities Act (17 CFR 230.425)

 Soliciting material pursuant to Rule 14a-12 under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14a-12)

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 14d-2(b) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.14d-2(b))

 Pre-commencement communications pursuant to Rule 13e-4(c) under the Exchange Act (17 CFR 240.13e-4(c))

Item 8.01 Other Events.

On March 24, 2016, Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc., issued a press release announcing the topline results from its Phase 3 APEX Trial of Betrixaban for the prevention of blood clots in acute medically ill patients. A copy of the press release is attached as Exhibit 99.1 to this report.

Item 9.01 Financial Statements and Exhibits.

(d) Exhibits

Number Description of Document 99.1 Press Release entitled Portola Pharmaceuticals Announces Topline Results from Phase 3 APEX Trial of Betrixaban for Prevention of Blood Clots in Acute Medically Ill Patients dated March 24, 2016.

SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned hereunto duly authorized.

Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc. Dated: March 25, 2016 By: /s/ Mardi C. Dier Mardi C. Dier Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer

EXHIBIT INDEX

Number Description of Document 99.1 Press Release entitled Portola Pharmaceuticals Announces Topline Results from Phase 3 APEX Trial of Betrixaban for Prevention of Blood Clots in Acute Medically Ill Patients dated March 24, 2016.

Exhibit 99.1

Portola Pharmaceuticals Announces Topline Results from Phase 3 APEX Trial of

Betrixaban for Prevention of Blood Clots in Acute Medically Ill Patients

Full Data Set to be Presented at International Society of Thrombosis

and Haemostasis (ISTH) Congress in May

Company to Hold Conference Call Today at 8:30 am ET

South San Francisco, Calif., (March 24, 2016)  Portola Pharmaceuticals (Nasdaq: PTLA) today announced topline data from the Phase 3 APEX (Acute Medically Ill VTE Prevention with Extended Duration Betrixaban) Study, which evaluated the superiority of extended-duration anticoagulation with oral betrixaban compared with standard of care anticoagulation with injectable enoxaparin for the prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE), or blood clots, in acute medically ill patients. These are patients who are hospitalized for serious common medical conditions, such as heart failure, stroke, infection and pulmonary disease.

APEX was designed to assess the relative risk (RR) in the composite endpoint of ultrasound-detected (asymptomatic) proximal deep venous thrombosis (DVT), symptomatic DVT, non-fatal pulmonary embolism (PE) or VTE-related death in high-risk acute medically ill patients treated with oral betrixaban for 35-47 days versus standard of care preventive anticoagulation with injectable enoxaparin dosed for 104 days. APEX enrolled 7,513 patients at more than 450 clinical sites worldwide.

The primary efficacy and safety analysis consisted of three pre-specified patient groups of increasing sample size: Cohort 1 - patients with elevated D-dimer levels (62 percent of the overall study population), Cohort 2 - patients with elevated D-dimer levels or age > 75 years (91 percent of the overall study population), and the overall study population. By protocol definition, primary efficacy analysis testing of Cohort 1 was done first and required a p value of 0.05 or less in order to test Cohort 2, which in turn required a p value of 0.05 or less in order to test the overall study population.

Cohort 1 achieved a p value of 0.054, which did not meet the threshold. Cohort 2 and the overall study population achieved p values of 0.029 and 0.006, respectively. There was no statistical difference in major bleeding between the betrixaban and enoxaparin arms in any of these three patient groups. The number of fatal bleeds was balanced between the two arms, and the number of intracranial hemorrhages was numerically lower in the betrixaban arm. Positive net clinical benefit with betrixaban was observed.

While we understand that the interpretation of these statistical and clinical results will be subject to discussions with regulatory agencies, we and the APEX Study academic leadership believe that the data in Cohort 1 were sufficiently strong to support a full assessment of Cohort 2 and the overall study population, said Bill Lis, chief executive officer of Portola. We believe the overall robustness of the efficacy and safety results in this high-risk patient population, including the positive net clinical benefit observed, provide ample evidence to support the submission of an NDA later this year.

APEX is a groundbreaking study because it is the first thrombosis prevention trial to incorporate an enrichment strategy and statistical analysis plan derived from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) guidance document on enrichment strategies for clinical trials. This approach was incorporated into the APEX design in cooperation with the FDA and European Medicines Agency (EMA).

A summary of key topline efficacy and safety data follows:

Primary Efficacy Analysis

(VTE) Primary Safety Analysis

(Major Bleeding) RR* p value RR* p value Cohort 1: Elevated D-Dimer 0.806 0.054 0.88 0.722 Cohort 2: Elevated D-Dimer or Age > 75 0.800 0.029 1.19 0.564 Overall Study Population 0.760 0.006 1.19 0.554

* RR = relative risk calculated as the frequency of events with betrixaban divided by the frequency of events with enoxaparin

VTE is a common disorder that contributes significantly to the burden of morbidity and mortality, said Alexander (Ander) T. Cohen, MBBS, M.Sc., M.D., co-principal investigator of APEX and honorary consultant vascular physician at Kings College London. The attributable risk of acute medical illnesses to VTE is at least 25% and a reduction of this risk will result in important health benefits. APEX is the first study of extended thromboprophylaxis with a Factor Xa inhibitor in the large population of acute medically ill patients to reduce VTE without an increase in major bleeding. Based on the results of the APEX trial, betrixaban could have an important role to play in preventing VTE in this setting.

The APEX results will be presented at the International Society on Thrombosis and Haemostasis (ISTH) Congress on Friday, May 27, 2016. Full data will also be submitted for publication.

About VTE in Acute Medically Ill Patients

An estimated 20 million acute medically ill patients in the G7 countries are at risk of developing VTE either while in the hospital or following discharge. More than 1 million VTEs and 150,000 VTE-related deaths occur in acute medically ill patients each year in the G7 countries, despite the use of injectable enoxaparin in the hospital. Although more than half of VTE events occur after the patient is discharged from the hospital, no anticoagulant, including any of the marketed oral Factor Xa inhibitors, is approved for VTE prophylaxis in both the hospital setting and for the extended post-discharge period.

Conference Call Details

To access the live conference call, please dial (844) 452-6828 from the U.S. and Canada or +1 (765) 507-2588 internationally, and use the passcode 79012351. Please dial in 10 minutes prior to the start of the call. To access the live and subsequently archived webcast of the conference call, go to the Investor Relations section of the companys website at http://investors.portola.com. Please connect to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the call to allow for any software download that may be necessary. A replay of the webcast will be available on the Companys website for 30 days following the live event.

About Betrixaban

Betrixaban directly inhibits the activity of Factor Xa, an important validated target in the blood coagulation pathway, to prevent life-threatening thrombosis. Betrixaban has distinct properties that may allow it to demonstrate clinical benefit without the significant imbalance in the risk of major bleeding seen with other agents in the class. These include a 19-25-hour half-life for once-daily dosing; a low peak-to-trough drug concentration ratio that minimizes anticoagulant variability; low renal clearance; and no significant CYP3A4 metabolism, which may reduce the risk of drug-drug interactions.

About Portola Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Portola Pharmaceuticals is a biopharmaceutical company developing product candidates that could significantly advance the fields of thrombosis and other hematologic diseases. The Company is advancing its three programs using novel biomarker and genetic approaches that may increase the likelihood of clinical, regulatory and commercial success of its potentially life-saving therapies. These programs include betrixaban, an oral, once-daily Factor Xa inhibitor; andexanet alfa, a recombinant protein designed to reverse the anticoagulant effect in patients treated with an oral or injectable Factor Xa inhibitor; and cerdulatinib, a Syk/JAK inhibitor in development to treat hematologic cancers. Portolas partnered program is focused on developing selective Syk inhibitors for inflammatory conditions. For more information, visit www.portola.com and follow the Company on Twitter @Portola_Pharma.

Forward-looking Statement

Statements contained in this press release regarding matters that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Because such statements are subject to risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Such statements include, but are not limited to statements regarding the potential for study results to support an application for regulatory approval of betrixaban, the potential for betrixaban, subject to regulatory approval, to play a role in both in-hospital and post-discharge prevention of VTE; our interpretation and characterization of APEX study results. Risks that contribute to the uncertain nature of the forward-looking statements include: results of discussions with regulatory authorities regarding interpretation of full APEX study results in light of cohort 1 falling short of its primary efficacy threshold; that FDA and other regulatory authorities may not approve betrixaban; whether the clinical results of betrixaban will meet the regulatory requirements for approval; whether regulatory submissions will occur or will be submitted in a timely manner, that marketing approvals may not be granted, or if granted, may have significant limitations on their use or require additional studies; the accuracy of Portolas estimates regarding its expenses and capital requirements; regulatory developments in the United States and foreign countries; Portolas ability to obtain and maintain intellectual property protection for its product candidates; and the loss of key scientific or management personnel. These and other risks and uncertainties are described more fully in Portolas most recent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its Annual Report on Form 10-K, which was

filed on February 29, 2016. All forward-looking statements contained in this press release speak only as of the date on which they were made. Portola undertakes no obligation to update such statements to reflect events that occur or circumstances that exist after the date on which they were made.

# # #

Investor Contact:

Ana Kapor

Portola Pharmaceuticals

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Julie Normart

W2O Group

[email protected]
A Housing New Zealand home in Palmerston North which tested positive for methamphetamine.

More state houses in Palmerston North are testing positive for methamphetamine as authorities meet the scourge with a co-ordinated response.

According to information obtained from Housing New Zealand, released under the Official Information Act, more and more state homes in the city are testing positive for methamphetamine, commonly known as P.

From June to December 2015, there were 14 Housing New Zealand homes that tested positive for P and were undergoing decontamination in Palmerston North City.

This is up from nine in the full year to June 2015 and just one the previous year.

READ MORE:

*Scale of the P crisis revealed in Christchurch housing rebuild

* Kapiti family homeless after buying meth-contaminated house in Waikanae

* P contamination rampant and growing in New Zealand state homes

* More Marlborough home buyers requesting methamphetamine test before sale

In the wider Manawatu, Taranaki and Wairarapa region, excluding Palmerston North, there were 27 state houses undergoing decontamination in June 2014-15, compared to one state house in the previous year.

NZ House Surveys founder Jeff Twigge believes more people are using methamphetamine.

His company, which tests residential homes for drugs throughout Manawatu, Horowhenua and Rangitikei, had 18 houses out of 103 test positive for methamphetamine in the past year, he said.

All houses had tested positive as a result from people smoking the drug. One house had been used as a drug lab, he said.

People living in contaminated homes could experience everything from headaches to dizziness and skin irritations, he said.

"Then on the worse side of things, when it's been used as a lab and the contamination is very high, then it can end up in cancers and heart attacks."

Another major problem was people buying contaminated secondhand furniture.

He said a common misconception was people assuming they would be able to smell the drug  but "you can't smell it".

Housing New Zealand government relations manager Rachel Kelly said the increase in the number of properties identified as contaminated were largely a result of improved information sharing with police and a greater focus on identifying the use and manufacture of meth in state homes.

Manawatu Tenants Union co-ordinator Kevin Reilly said state housing in Manawatu was already hard enough for people to get, and a spike in contaminated houses would only add to the problem.

He said the number of people coming to the union in need of housing was "ridiculous".

"There's a real crisis going on here, a real crisis."

Since 2013, Housing New Zealand has been required to demolish 14 properties across New Zealand that were contaminated with methamphetamine. None of these properties were in the Manawatu area.

Last year, there were six houses vacant due to methamphetamine contamination in Palmerston North, and one in the Manawatu District.

Twigge said for a house to be decontaminated, it could cost between $8000 and $10,000 on the "light side".

"It can go well into six figures  they can end up demolishing the building but generally [decontamination costs] anything from $10,000 to $30,000."

It costs about $250 to get a house tested for P.

He said the two biggest areas in Palmerston North where houses were testing positive were Milson and Terrace End. Homes in Hokowhitu had also given positive readings.

He said his testings provided a positive or negative result and if it was positive, a more expensive test was required to determine how bad the contamination was.

Andy Stewart from AREINZ Professionals said more people purchasing homes were opting for meth testings.

"I think that there's far more awareness of it and I think that more and more people will want meth tests done as part of their conditions to be met before they purchase the property, and that is understandable.

"I've been in the industry for 29 years and it's something that we didn't used to have to worry about, but it's becoming such a big issue now."
Police were called to the scene around 1.20am on Sunday.

Members of the public stepped in and applied first aid to a stricken teenager who was stabbed in the arm during an altercation in Hamilton.

The 18 year old was stabbed and assaulted on Massey St in Frankton, around 1.20am on Sunday.

Police found four people nearby, two of which were arrested and are due to appear in the Hamilton District Court.

Police would like to thank the public that helped the injured man, Senior Sergeant Andrew O'Reilly, of the Waikato District Command Centre said.

The teenager was taken to Waikato Hospital, but has since been discharged.
Blenheim man Greg Hine with his ute, which he had covered with a wrap-on sign of the New Zealand flag to show his support for keeping it.

Kaikoura voters, along with the rest of New Zealand, supported keeping the existing flag, a breakdown of results reveals.

Fifty-three per cent, or 19,041 voters, supported the Union Jack and Southern Cross combination, while 46.8 per cent, or 16,816 voters, opted for Kyle Lockwood's silver fern flag.

The electorate had the third highest voter turnout in New Zealand with 76.8 per cent of voters taking part in the second flag referendum.

FILE Picton artist David Aitken with his alternative NZ flag designs. He feels New Zealands flag is out of date and not inclusive.

The national result showed 56.6 per cent of voters, or 1.2 million people, opted to retain the incumbent, while 915,008 people or 43.2 per cent chose the alternative that won the first referendum last year.

READ MORE:

* Flag referendum results: Kiwis vote to retain the current New Zealand flag

* 12 things the flag process got very wrong

The cost of the two referenda was $26 million.

Former Royal New Zealand Airforce (RNZAF) serviceman Greg Hine, of Blenheim, showed his support for the 114-year-old version by plastering it over his ute.

Hine said he was relieved by the result.

"I was cautiously optimistic but given the amount of money, time and effort that the change brigade put into it, I am pretty amazed that we came out on top."

Hine, who served eight years in the armed forces, said the union flag was not "just a rag on a pole".

"For me it is right at my heart.

"It is a symbol of our nation's identity, past and present. As a New Zealander of German, Irish, English and Ngati Kahungunu descent, I am grateful for the rights and privileges afforded me and my forebears by the creation of New Zealand as a part of the Commonwealth."

The "flag change fraternity" had focused on the negative aspects of the United Kingdom's association with New Zealand in the past 100 years.

But they had positive influences including our democratic system and freedom of speech laws, he said.

The discussion and debate had been positive but he was disappointed by the number of people "shouting down" the flag.

The proposed design looked like a "lolly wrapper drawn in a kid's colouring competition", he said.

"If the flag had been changed I would have flown the current flag anyway."

Picton artist David Aitken said New Zealand's flag was out of date and not inclusive.

Aitken voted for the new flag but it was a protest vote, he said.

"I was annoyed that we were manipulated to choose between the two designs. The dilemma for me was I wanted a new flag because change was necessary but I didn't care for the design.

"It is outrageous the new flag doesn't have any reference to Maori at all. We are still flying an imperial symbol which is flag on a flag."

Aitken had written to Prime Minister John Key in protest that there was no artist or designer on the flag consideration panel.

Aitken designed two alternative flags earlier last year and had them made up full-sized by companies in Renwick and Auckland.

The flags featured four stars on top of bands of red and green, against a navy blue background.

The debate had been a good conversation starter but had also polarised opinion, Aitken said.

"To have the RSA [Returned and Services Association] defend to the bitter end that we must retain the flag is unfortunate. The flag has changed several times in the past and it will change again.

"John Key got it right but the timing was wrong. The optimum time for a new flag is when New Zealand becomes a republic."

The process had "stumbled" with the design but he predicted New Zealand would eventually get a new flag.

"People have got the message that we aren't anti-change, we just weren't satisfied with the proposed new design."

- The age of the New Zealand flag was incorrectly stated. This has been corrected. We apologise for the error.
Industry urges govt. to cut tax anomalies on new vehicles By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

Industry experts have called on the government to tax brand new vehicles on the car manufacturers price.

Were making representations to the Treasury on this. We dont agree with the current way of taxing brand new cars, Arthur Senanayake, Chairman IWS Holdings, a company dealing in luxury vehicles, told the Business Times.

The most transparent way of taxing a vehicle is on the actual price of the car, he stated. The brand new vehicles should be taxed on the manufacturers invoice, he reiterated noting that this gives the true picture of the product cost. He added that if theres evidence of any malpractices in this regard, the culprits should be taken to task and not penalise all importers on a blanket basis. However, he said that while the vehicles of European manufacturers arent taxed on invoices the government taxes on invoices of Indian, Malaysian and Korean manufacturers.

Now were told that the state wants to tax the vehicles on the cost, insurance and freight (CIF) value of the UK website of the car manufacturers which shouldnt be the case as vehicles in these sites have totally different options as opposed to standard cars, he said adding that under invoicing was started by some car importers to take advantage of the US$ 30, 000  35, 000 ceiling on the CIF value government servants concessionary duty permits which has jeopardized the position of direct car importers.
Mitsubishi Corp to supply and install power transmission cables for CEB View(s):

Mitsubishi Corporation (MC), together with J-Power Systems Corporation (subsidiary of Sumitomo Electric Industries, Ltd) and LTL Projects (Pvt) Ltd (LTL) of Sri Lanka, has been awarded a contract by the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) for the installation of underground transmission and distribution cables in the Greater Colombo region of Sri Lanka.

MC and JPS will supply the underground transmission cables, while LTL will be in charge of supplying ancillary equipment and installation. The project, which receives some of its financing under a Japanese ODA loan, will cost approximately 7.5 billion yen and is scheduled for completion in May 2018, according to an LTL media release.

Electricity demand in Sri Lanka is expected to see an annual increase of around 7 per cent in the coming years, a reflection of the countrys 7 per cent per annum GDP growth rate. The Greater Colombo area, the islands financial centre and capital region, is in a particularly critical situation. Not only is an already insufficient power supply failing to keep up with rapidly increasing demand, but the rate of electricity loss during transmission due to the aging of current transmission infrastructure is also extremely high when compared with other countries in Asia, the release said.

This project, it said, is therefore considered to be a major step towards addressing an urgent crisis and is viewed as an essential part of the effort to secure a stable supply of electricity to Greater Colombo. Through this project, MC will be seeking to contribute not only to the stable supply of electricity in Sri Lanka, but also to the countrys overall economic growth, while at the same time proactively seeking to expand its involvement in electricity-related businesses across Asia, LTL said.
U-turn by Sri Lanka: Suspended TV digitalisation deal back to Japan View(s):

The government, after a lull of over a year, and to the dismay of the community of broadcasters, has decided to hand over Sri Lankas Digitalisation of Television Broadcasting Project back to the Japanese company which was earlier contracted by the previous Rajapaksa regime.

This decision has been taken by the cabinet economic management committee following representations made by Advisor to the Ministry of National Policy and Economic Affairs R. Paskaralingam recently.

Justifying his claim, Mr. Paskaralingam told the committee that Japan has agreed to provide a sum of Rs. 2.5 billion for the project implementation as a loan on extremely favourable terms and conditions for Sri Lanka.

The TV digitalization deal between Sri Lanka and Japan came under wide criticism and accusation of corruption and commission taking when the previous government entered into a loan agreement with the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) in September 2014.

Official sources said the present government suspended the project as the Japanese system is not widely used in countries worldwide and Sri Lanka will have to import Japanese television sets as it is very unlikely that the TV sets available in the Lankan market are compatible with the Japanese system.

Under this deal Japanese companies stand to gain much through sales and maintenance contracts. The Rajapaksa regime had allegedly planned to get massive commissions from Japanese TV imports at that time, several heads of private television broadcasters told the Business Times.

The previous government had been accused of massive corruption involving the potential conversion of the television Industry into digital system via this agreement with Japan resulting in the present government halting the deal.

The immediate u-turn of the government is surprising, a former head of engineering of a TV channel told the Business Times adding that a sub committee comprising several engineers and TV industry veteran Dr. D.B.

Nihalsingha has recommended that Sri Lanka should adopt the European originated DVB-T2 (Digital Video Broadcasting  Second Generation) as the standard for digital terrestrial television broadcasting in 2010.

Digital TV broadcasting offers many advantages over analogue systems for end-users, operators and regulators. Apart from increasing the number of programmes and quality of pictures, digital systems can provide new innovative services, such as interactive TV, electronic programme guides and mobile TV as well as transmit image and sound in high-definition (HDTV) and ultra-high definition (UHDTV).

Digital TV requires less energy to ensure the same coverage as for analogue while decreasing overall costs of transmission.

The more efficient use of radio spectrum brought on by digital TV also allows for the so-called digital dividend resulting from the freeing up of much-needed spectrum for use by other services, such as mobile broadband, he added.
Was Sobitha Thera done in to stop him singing the Yahapalana blues? View(s):

Monk makes startling claim from Mahindas office in political temple

Dont come to play around with the Buddhist robe warning to Govt

When a Buddhist monk belonging to the Rajapaksa chapter suddenly stands up and says there is something fishy in the way the chief architect of the Yahapalana movement, the Venerable Sobitha Thera, died; and casts an aspersion that he may have been done in by forces who feared he would speak of his growing disappointment with the government he helped create to give true effect to the democratic ideals he advanced; it is time for the President and Prime Minister to take careful note of the dangerous diatribe levelled against them and appoint an independent commission whose findings, hopefully, will nip this canard in the blooming bud.

For it seems as though the Bring Back Mahinda mafia have temporary laid down their worn out Sinhala chauvinistic drum aside and instead of the Bodu Bala Davula made a different set of monks pick up the Ruhunu Drum also known as the Yak Beraya to thump out the no less potent  Save Buddhism  warning; and come up with a mystery element in the death of the Venerable Sobitha Thera to serve as the rhythmic theme to whip up protests against the Yahapalana doctrine of which, ironically, the Ven. Thera was the prime promoter, the seer and sire.

In a surprise outburst coming four months after the death of the venerable Sobitha Thera who died of heart failure at Singapores Mount Elizabeth Hospital on November 8 last year, Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera, now released from his remand cell after a judge freed him on bail three weeks ago, claims that there was a conspiracy behind the Theras sudden demise. Speaking from Mahinda Rajapaksas political office at the Abayaramaya Temple in Narahenpita on Monday, he added a sinister touch to his delayed yet timely charge when he said that Ven. Sobitha had visited him several days before his sudden death and had expressed his disapproval at the direction the country was moving in.

Sobitha Thera had been ill but he was never weak. A surgery performed on Sobitha Thera had been successful and he had recovered, Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera said, giving his all clear prognosis of the Theras medical condition. Therefore, there were serious doubts about his death. When I stated that Ven. Sobitha Theras death was suspicious and there should be an investigation, some top members of the Government sought to brush my views aside. Instead of an investigation, they obtained statements from Mahanayakes to undermine what I said. I demand that the Government hold an inquiry forthwith.

True, the claims of a pro-Mahinda monk made from his political Mahanayake Mahindas office in Abhayarama temple can be attributed to his political bent and the Government can dismiss the insinuation it contains with the contempt it deserves. True, the canard hurled from the lips of one who normally unzips it to give voice on radio and TV to exhort others to uphold the fourth precept can perhaps be attributed to an inherent craving to avenge his incarceration in a remand cell last month for allegedly possessing a baby elephant illegally, which he says, in his defence, was abandoned on his temple land by someone  perhaps in the way some drop unwanted kittens on anothers premises, especially on temple ground where food is plenty, rather than drowning them in the Beira Lake. True, the Government has many grounds to base a decision to reject Uduwe Dhammaloka Theras claim outright but shouldnt prudence dictate that rather than wish it away it is best it is tackled head on and laid to rest once and for all?

Uduwe Dhammaloka Theras claim that Sobitha Thera had visited him to confide in him  him? a known confirmed Rajapaksa disciple?  is indeed surprising. Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera is much junior to Sobitha Thera, not only in years but also in terms of ordination hierarchy  and his claim that Sobitha Tthera visited him must give pause since it is rather unusual for senior monks, especially those ill with serious heart conditions, to pay house calls on those way down the seniority line. If Ven Sobitha Thera indeed did, how sad that Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera didnt go to see this ailing mount of a man but waited till the mountain came to him.

But what is astonishing is the claim that the Pope of Yahapalanaya Sobitha Thera had come in search of Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera a few days before his death and sought his shoulder to cry on and found in his cherubic countenance the authorised priest confessor to admit his sin of propagating the Yahapalana blasphemy against the Rajapaksa credo. This is the statement smuggled into Uduwe Dhammalokas call for a probe into Sobitha Theras death that reveals the machinations at work to tar the Governments canvass with its own foremost artists rainbow hued brush. For the innuendo contained therein is nothing short of an accusation of murder done by Yahapalana forces to prevent the moral voice of the nation from singing the Yahapalana blues in public.

No doubt there will be a few similar monks of the same designer robe who will step forward to testify on oath if need be, that indeed Sobitha Thera had risen from his sick bed and tottered to Uduwe Dhammalokas sitting room to give tear to his disappointment that the ideals of Yahapalanaya he wished to see firmly established were not taking place and that his long dreamt dream for Lanka was dead. These maybe the monks Uduwe Dhammaloka was thinking of when he said there were many ready to come forward and give evidence before an independent commission that the noble monk had expressed his heartbreak at having brought the Maithri-Ranil government into power only to see his dream die.

No doubt there will be many who will give oral testimony that the Yahapalana lion had come to a Rajapaksa kuti to hang his mane in sorrowful remorse; but, alas, from the voiceless lips of the un-replying dead thera there can come no word and Sobitha Theras moving spirit will remain mute, impotent to refute even one word of what is now suddenly claimed in his noble name.

But its no secret that Sobitha Thera was extremely disappointed in the inability of the Maithripala presidency to bring in the changes he so earnestly wished, notably the failure of the new Government to arrest and indict those who had plundered the countrys coffers, brazenly flouted the countrys laws, abused their powers, denied the people their rights and even kept elephants captured illegally and cruelly from the national parks as a status symbol of their new found power and royal connections.

He also grew exasperated with the Maithripala Governments delay in reforming the Constitution due to the wild antics of the Bring Back Mahinda activists and berated the Government for tarrying reforms and tolerating charades. But he did not hide his disappointment or his frustrations. He did not have to furtively whisper his disillusionments to a few in private. He was not that kind of monk who needed someone elses crooked shoulder to lean on. That was not his style. What he had to say, he said direct. And couldnt care less who was listening or taking down notes in the shadows.

Frustrated by the absence of any dynamism in fulfilling promises made in the Maithri manifesto led the Ven Sobitha Thera to rail at President Sirisena on 1st March 2015 at the Social Justice Convention. Mr. President, we did the most difficult thing with greatest hardship for many years. To heat the griddle we blew the grate for years. We blew and blew and heated and heated the griddle. We heated it to burn the rotiya. Not to bask in the warmth. Now we came here to say we did not heat the griddle to bask in its warmth. We made it to burn the rotiya. So burn the rotiya, he declared, critical of the slow pace and lethargic attitude in fulfilling the election promises made in the Maithripala manifesto. That was Venerable Sobitha Thera at his no-holds-barred best. To say he was anything else than direct is an affront to his noble memory. It is saddening to note it being suggested that he was wont to saying one thing in public and another behind cloaked robes, behind closed doors

It is also no secret that when President Sirisena decided to give nominations to Mahinda Rajapaksa and his brigand of rebels to contest the August general election under the SLFP banner, it deeply upset the Venerable Thera. An aghast Sobitha Thera addressed the nation and asked all those who had the means to migrate to foreign lands to immediately pack their bags and go; and advised those who could not afford to at least apply for their visas to seek permanent residence in hell. Such was the horror with which he watched the then unfolding scenario and such the dread he held for the possibility of a Rajapaksa comeback to a position of power to wreck to nought the glorious vision he had beheld for so long and worked so tirelessly lifelong to dawn for the people of Lanka, a just and righteous motherland.

Thus Sobitha Theras growing despondency over some of the actions of the new government was no closely guarded secret he kept to himself and shared only with a few that it now requires Uduwe Dhammaloka, a follower of Mahinda who treads the Rajapaksa path, to pop out of his remand cell and reveal it to the nation at this juncture without offering an explanation as to why he kept it secret for so long.

As Prof. Sarath Wijesooriya who succeeded the Venerable Thera to become the head of the National Movement for Social Justice (NMSJ) which was founded by the Thera to be the vehicle to promote and defend civil liberties, said this week, Ven. Sobitha had been very disappointed over the Governments failure. In fact, I strongly criticised the Government and pointed out Ven. Sobithas anger at the way Yahapalana rulers behaved. But, those trying to exploit Ven. Sobithas death should be exposed. He urged the Government to inquire into the specific allegations made by Uduwe Dhammaloka thera or face the consequences.

But though the Government can respond to this calumny as the natural outpourings of one with an axe to grind, isnt it far wiser to nail the innuendo than leave it in the air for mavericks to further exploit? The CID, it is reported has already launched an investigation into the affair. But what is needed is an independent commission to probe the entire affair to the satisfaction of the general public.

This was rightly the demand made by Ven. Elle Gunawansa Thera who also addressed a news conference along with Uduwe Dhammaloka and Ven Muruttettuwe Ananda. Gunawansa Thera spoke of eminent monks who have died in the past in circumstances that gave rise to suspicion. He said, When we were small one of those monks who died was Venerable Kotagama Vachissara Thera. Till today we do not know whether he died or whether death was inflicted upon him. After that another death fuelled suspicion was that of Venerable Panadure Ariyadhamma Thera. Even today we have a doubt in our mind about that death. Then the next death we can talk about is the death of Ven Gangodawila Soma Thera. All these monks lived their lives with the people. Even when they had an illness, even a small illness and we visited them, the next time we would be attending their funeral. Likewise we have a great doubt about the death of Sobitha Thera. It is because of this doubt that we, Ven Muruttettuwe Ananda, Uduwe Thera who remained Sobitha Theras kalyani mithra or genuine friends, decided to ask the government to appoint a commission with full powers to probe what happened to Sobitha Thera.

Ven Elle is right in his demand to call for a commission. As he said the people have a right to know what really happened to the thera during his last days in a Singapore hospital. The people have a right to know whether he received the proper treatment for his heart condition. But a call to probe medical negligence is radically different from a call to probe political murder. Then it creates a doubt whether such a call is motivated by a genuine concern or whether its spurred by an evil intention, a naraka chethana to exploit the monks death for political gain.

Consider what Ven Elle has to say next. He says: We ask this commission on the grounds of suspicion and doubt. In time to come some of our monks also may die or have death forced on them. We have a doubt about that. Already about 48 Buddhist monks have been taken to courts for diverse reasons and have been imprisoned. In Lankans history I have never seen monks being covered in bed sheets and taken like goni billas to the court house. But the constitution says that whilst Buddhism will be safeguarded it shall also be fostered. What is happening now is not nourishment but malnourishment of the Maha Sangha and the Buddhists. We cannot watch this happening. Therefore we tell all athi pundits kindly that we say this with responsibility and like to remind the political sections first do not come to play with the robe. This is enough. This must stop immediately. Has a member of any other religious clergy been taken into custody? What is happening? An injustice is happening to us. Before this injustice we can no longer keep our mouths shut or merely watch. We have a designated title. We are the nations guardian gods. Do Thai or Myanmar monks have this? No. But Buddhist monks in this country are hailed as the nations guardians gods. We have been given this title for the last 2500 years. It is because of this that all of you are living.

As these monks ponder over what ever happened to the Ven. Sobitha Thera to whom they say they were kalyani mithra or genuine friends, they should also chew over the fact that if, as they say again, he confided in Uduwe Dhammaloka Thera and let him in on his own guarded secret that he was depressed over the failure of the Maithripala presidency to create the Yahapalana state he envisaged, it was only because he abhorred even more the country sliding to the Rajapaksa era again where the rule of law was almost nonexistent  the self same repugnant era they are busy working to see re-established and which Ven Sobitha worked so hard to see demolished.

But before they pick up their watapathas and pledge themselves to the task of bringing the Rajapaksa circus back to town to dawn the carnival for the corrupt and immunity for the guilty, they should  if they aspire to be the nations guardian gods  perhaps turn their minds, between media briefings, to stanza 9 of the Yamaka Vagga chapter in the Dhammapada which states: Whoever, unstainless, without self-control and truthfulness, should don the yellow robe is not worthy of it.
Cannonball Run at GFH View(s):

French Ambassador to Sri Lanka Jean-Marin Schuh and German Ambassador JuergenMorhard recently took part in the traditional Cannonball run celebrated by Colombos 150 year old Galle Face Hotel, which was held last year.

The Cannonball run is an annual tradition celebrated on the Galle Face Green, to commemorate the extraordinary incident of a cannon misfire by a member of the British Artillery in 1845. The 30-pound cannon had misfired during a practice session around the southern ramparts of the Colombo Fort, crashing through the roof of the now Galle Face Hotel, leaving a heavy dent on the drawing room floor where it came to rest under a chair. The cannonball is at present preserved in the museum located in the South Wing of the hotel.

In memory of this infamous incident an annual run has been held over the years, which begins at the cannon on the Fort end of the Green and ends at the cannonball placed on a pedestal in the hotel.

The runners are generally members of the diplomatic community, who, over the years have included the likes of the American Ambassador Robert O Blake and the British High Commissioner Peter Hayes (2008), Maldivian Ambassador Ali Hussein Didi and Russian Ambassador Vladimir P Mikhaylov (2010), French Ambassador Christine Robichon and Norwegian Ambassador Hilde Haraldstad (2011), Canadian High Commissioner Bruce Levy and British High Commissioner John Rankin (2012) to name a few.
Irish Fest on Paradise Beach View(s):

Mount Lavinia Hotels Paradise Beach is decked in green for three full days for the best Irish fiesta to celebrate St. Patricks Day. The celebrations, which kicked off on 17 March, continued for three full days.

Bringing the festival outdoor to the Paradise Beach, Irish Festival offered a different experience this year. The atmosphere blends tropical with Irish; food, drinks, music and dance under the starry skies, with feet buried in the golden sand. Topped up with a series of fun-filled games, the festival definitely offers great excitement.

Aer Lingus, the Irish band which is performed at the festival, comes from one of the oldest music societies in Ireland, the Aer Lingus Musical Society. Comprising six members and the group of tap dancers, they add to the fun and frolic of the beach festival.
Dont keep people in the dark, tell the truth and impose power cuts: CEB engineers View(s):

The Ceylon Electricity Board Engineers Union has urged the Government to tell the people the truth about the multiple crises in the electricity sector and impose daily power cuts for at least one hour.

There are plans to buy another 100MW of emergency power. We are at a critical juncture. Even if 100MW of power is procured next week, its transportation and installation will take another three to four weeks. Before that, at this rate of usage, water levels of Laxapana and Samanalawewa reservoirs will drop drastically, endangering power supply to the South and water supply to Colombo, CEBEU President Athula Wanniarachchi said.

He said the union believed the best option was to tell the people about the magnitude of the crisis and begin power cuts for at least one hour a day. If that decision is delayed, 100MW of emergency power will not be enough. It might end up with 500MW of emergency power. It may also cost around 10-15 billion rupees to buy emergency power of 100MW for three months. If the requirement increases to 500MW for six to seven months, it will have a direct impact, not only on the CEB, but the entire economy, he warned.

He said that at this critical moment, political leaders should go beyond narrow party agendas and unite for the sake of the country. If power cuts have to be imposed, it is due to the bad decisions of successive governments, he said.

According to the engineers union leader, the water levels in major reservoirs are receding more rapidly than anticipated. The use of hydropower plants is restricted due to water being preserved for the next agricultural cycle. Additionally, several cities and townships are dependent on the Victoria, Moussekele and Castlereigh reservoirs for drinking water.

During the dry season, salt water enters into the river and we have to release water from the Moussekele and Castlereigh reservoirs to avoid this, Mr Wanniarachchi said. So the last drop of water has to be kept for drinking, not for electricity.

To make things worse, the support from embedded generation or mini hydro  which has an installed capacity of 240 megawatts  is now almost zero, he said. He said wind power generation (which provides 10 percent of the supply) was also minimal during the prevailing season. With outages at the Lakvijaya power plant in Norochcholai after the recent blackouts, the hydropower plants were used more than expected, thereby causing a worsening of the situation.

Meanwhile, due to high temperatures and dry weather, daily electricity usage by consumers has increased sharply from 35 gigawatt hours to 42 gigawatt hours. Under the CEBs previous Long Term Generation Plan, it had been expected to generate power from the 500 megawatt Sampur coal power plant by 2014, Mr. Wanniarachchi said. As the Indians are pushing for a low quality, low reliability Indian technology, for which the CEB cannot agree, this project has been dragging for the past ten years and its future is also very uncertain.

Mr. Wanniarachchi said a bad decision taken by the Government was to abandon the retired diesel power plants in 2015 that is, the 100MW Puttalam, 100MW Embilipitiya, 25MW Matara, 20MW Sapugaskanda and 50MW barge power plants at the Port.

At the end of their power purchase agreements (PPAs) we have already paid for their investment so we should have purchased or hired them at a low value, Mr. Wanniarachchi said. At that time, the owners did not have any demand for the plants and the only potential buyer was the CEB.
Easter messages from the President and PM View(s):

Easter symbolises Christs supreme sacrifice for humankind: President Sirisena

President Sirisena in his message said that Easter symbolises the supreme sacrifice made for humankind by Jesus Christ.

Christian devotees celebrate this day because the Christ, through his limitless sacrifices, succeeded in rising to the supreme divinity. This is an occasion that reflects the values of Easter and the Christian religion, compassion, forgiveness, kindness, hard work and responsibility, the values that we all can celebrate and share, the President said.

He said that, humanity in the world through the ages, shone through the great religions that taught people to look at others through the principle of equality. These values were of great strength to the people to resist evil thoughts of hate and anger.

Easter is to be celebrated with reverence and reflection: Premier Ranil Wickremesinghe

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe too extended his wishes in his message to the masses saying that, as Easter is Christianitys most holy occasion, it is to be celebrated with reverence and reflection.

The death of Lord Jesus Christ commemorated on Good Friday and his joyful resurrection on Easter Sunday serves as a powerful reminder of the theme central to his message of love, justice and mercy, he said.

He said there are lessons we, as a nation, can learn from Lord Jesus Christs message of hope; to rise above petty disparities, party and political strife, religious and ethnic differences and unite as one people, one nation.
Hack-in heist: Main culprit still at large By Duruthu Edirimuni Chandrasekera View(s): View(s):

While Bangladesh investigators are to visit Sri Lanka in connection with the US$ 100 million hack-in heist that has rocked the global financial world, the main culprit in Sri Lanka is still at large, Criminal Investigation Department (CID) sources said.

A senior CID officer told the Sunday Times that the NGO Shalika Foundation which had been set up in the guise of helping low income families was being probed under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act. He said the NGO had a strong link with a Sri Lankan who had extensive business connections with Japan and that the CID was on this mans trail. We are aware of his whereabouts and we are probing his dealings with this NGO, the officer said, declining to give more information. Colombos Chief Magistrate Gihan Pilapitiya last Monday directed the Immigration and Emigration Controller to prevent the directors of Shalika Foundation from leaving the country. This came after the detection that Chinese cyber criminals had transferred US$ 20 million to the NGOs account after they hacked in to Bangladesh Central Banks account with the US Federal Reserve Board. An alert Sri Lankan bank employee had made the detection and stalled the transfer.

Following a request by the CID, the Chief Magistrate barred Gamage Shalika Perera of Dehiwala, Don Prasad Rohitha of Piliyandala, Nishantha Nalaka Walakuluarachchi of Homagama, Sanjeewa Tissa Bandara of Dehiwala and Shirani Dhammika Fernando of Dehiwala from leaving the country.
SLFP meeting in Matara disrupted by Qualified Graduate Teachers sans appointments View(s):

A tense situation arose yesterday when a group attempted to obstruct a Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP) meeting in Matara attended by United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) General Secretary Mahinda Amaraweera. The meeting had been organised by Southern Province Education Minister, Chandima Rasaputra, with UPFA General Secretary and Minister Amaraweera in attendance as chief guest.

A group of individuals calling themselves Qualified Graduate Teachers of the Southern Province conducted a protest in front of the building in Matara. The protestors claimed they had successfully passed the Graduate Teacher recruitment examination held for the Southern Province, but that, Provincial Minister Rasaputra had appointed his supporters to fill teacher vacancies, instead of the qualified candidates.

Heated words were exchanged between the protestors and those inside the hall. The protestors also blocked the buildings front entrance, which meant that police had to use the rear exit to get both Minister Amaraweera and Provincial Minister Rasaputra out from the location.
Tender procedure for 65,000 houses flawed and fraudulent: Chief Opp. Whip View(s):

Chief Opposition Whip JVP MP Anura Kumara Dissanayake, on Thursday, questioned the tender procedure adopted in awarding the contracts for the construction of 65,000 houses to resettle displaced people in the North.

He alleged that the process lacked transparency and a massive financial fraud had occurred during this tender procedure. He said the cost of a housing unit that had been estimated at Rs 1.2 million, had risen to Rs. 2.1 million subsequently.

The JVP Leader said this amount was questionable, as the cost of a housing unit constructed under the housing project undertaken by India stands at Rs. 550,000, and the cost of a housing unit constructed with EU funds stands at Rs. 650,000.

He queried whether the lowest bidder had been given the contract, adding that separate tenders should have been called for the construction of houses and supply of housing equipment to those houses, adding that it was wrong to merge the two into one tender.

Minister of Prison Reforms, Rehabilitation and Hindu Religious Affairs, D.M. Swaminathan in his reply said that Arcelor Mittal Construction France was selected for the construction of the 65,000 houses, as this company was the lowest bidder covering all aspects of the construction.

He said that Arcelor Mittal Construction France had submitted a comprehensive confirmed financing arrangement with an optional package including lower interest, grace period and long term repayment period through the HSBC.

He said the reason for cost increase from Rs. 1.2 million per unit to Rs. 2.1 million was attributed to fluctuation in the US$ exchange rate, and that, the two model houses constructed were well received by the public.
Use less water or face cuts By Kasun Warakapitiya View(s): View(s):

The National Water Supply and Drainage Board (NWSDB) yesterday warned of possible water cuts if the prevailing drought conditions continued.

General Manager B.W.R. Balasuriya told the Sunday Times that the water purification plants were working beyond capacity and the Board might have to impose cuts if the consumption patterns continued.The consumption has increased due to the excessive heat and people are using more water for drinking and bathing,he said.

Mr. Balasuriya appealed to the people to refrain from using purified tap water for the washing of vehicles or watering of plants.

The warning came, as coastal area residents complained that their drinking water was getting mixed with sea water as the river water levels were dropping.

Among the worst affected areas were Wadduwa, Kalutara, Hikkaduwa and Matara. Mr. Balasuriya said the situation in Colombo was under control due to the availability of water in the Kelaniya River.

Meanwhile the Meteorological Department predicted yesterday there may be rains during the next three days, but not beyond that.
Baby of Medical Faculties takes big strides 25 years after its beginnings, the Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kelaniya has much to be proud of. Kumudini Hettiarachchi reports View(s): View(s):

It has come of age taking its place among the vibrant state Medical Faculties in the country, building on the rubble of a controversial private medical college.

The Faculty of Medicine of the University of Kelaniya which more or less rose like a phoenix from the ashes of the North Colombo Medical College (NCMC) is 25 years old and to showcase its achievements over these two decades and five, its first International Scientific Conference will be held on April 7 and 8, with the inauguration on April 6.

Marking 25 yearsWhile the ceremonial inauguration of the International Scientific Conference will be held with President Maithripala Sirisena as Chief Guest at the Hilton Colombo Residencies on April 6, the sessions over the next two days will be on home-ground at the Medical Faculty at Ragama.The inaugural Kelaniya Medical Faculty Oration on Post-Traumatic Stress: The Sri Lankan Experience will be delivered by Consultant Psychiatrist Dr. Shehan Williams on April 6.Meanwhile, the Keynote Address on Developing a research agenda in a less-than-research-friendly environment: The Ragama story will be delivered on April 7 by Prof. Janaka de Silva who is Senior Professor and Chair of Medicine at the Medical Faculty, Director of the Post-graduate Institute of Medicine, University of Colombo and Chairman of the National Research Council.

Numerous have not only been its achievements but also the recognition it has garnered, both locally and internationally, for major research that has emanated from within its portals, set amidst 35 acres to the rear of the North Colombo Teaching Hospital at Ragama.

It is last week, as buildings get a touch of paint and front columns are strengthened with mortar, that we meet the amiable Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Kelaniya, Prof. Nilanthi de Silva, for a chat and a walkabout on campus where some students in small groups peer at copious notes while others have their eyes glued to microscopes in the Parasitology Laboratory.

To the query of what is unique about this Medical Faculty which is still a baby compared to the veterans and grandparents, age-wise of those at Colombo (established in 1870) and Peradeniya (set up in 1962), the answer comes from Prof. de Silva without hesitation.

Not only does this Medical Faculty produce medical degree holders each year but it is the only higher education institution sending forth speech and language therapy experts armed with a Bachelor of Science. It is also the only Medical Faculty with its very own Clinical Trials Unit, a Disability Studies Unit which has now matured into the Department of Disability and a Molecular Medicine Unit (MMU).

Before looking at the high-points of achievement, we are taken back in time for a historical interlude.

These premises were originally occupied by the NCMC, a private medical school set up in 1981. With the NCMC caught up in raging controversy and closure being imminent, its physical assets had been vested with the University of Kelaniya. It was in 1991 that the first batch of students recruited under the state admission criteria made Ragama their home under Founder-Dean Prof. Carlo Fonseka. Some of the NCMC Professors who fit the bill were also absorbed into the new state Medical Faculty while others were recruited through the usual state system.

As the NCMC phased out, the state Medical Faculty phased in, says Prof. de Silva who had joined the faculty in 1993 as a Lecturer and worked her way up as Senior Lecturer, then Professor and now Senior Professor in Parasitology, taking over the mantle of Dean in 2012.

The state Medical Facultys beginnings were humble, first occupying some dingy rooms and then gradually spreading across the campus as the NCMC put up its shutters, a glimpse into the not-too-distant past reveals. In its 25 years, the Medical Faculty has taken in 27 batches of students with 3,400 passing out with the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree and serving the men, women and children across the country as doctors.

Explaining how the B.Sc in Speech and Language Therapy came about, Prof. de Silva says that in the late 1990s, a team arrived from the Institute of Child Health, Great Ormond Street Hospital in the United Kingdom to perform surgery on children who had serious cleft palate issues. Once the operations were done, however, follow-up could not be carried out for those children as there was no one trained in speech and language therapy. Seeing this challenge as an opportunity, the Medical Faculty  which already had a Disability Studies Unit engaging in physiotherapy and community-based rehabilitation  launched a two-year fee-levying diploma course in this field.

Later, the diploma graduated to a four-year specially-designed state degree programme which included speech and language therapy as well as audiology, providing facilities for qualifying within Sri Lanka, for those who had secured such qualifications in the west or India earlier. The first batch of 35 B.Sc holders in Speech and Language Therapy passed out in 2013, with the country having 116 qualified in this field now, employed by the Health Ministry and private sector hospitals.

These students are also trained to work in schools, helping to identify children with learning disabilities linked to speech. They can assess them and suggest who can join mainstream schools, says Prof. de Silva.

There has been value-addition to the Medical Faculty by the Department of Disability Studies and the MMU, which is obvious on the day that the Sunday Times visits the campus.

Across the road from the Medical Faculty, two sets of parents have come with their little ones for evaluation and rehabilitation at the Department of Disability Studies. This is while senior staff members of the MMU  which is now making a mark in the arena of DNA testing for paternity as well as forensic fingerprinting in criminal cases such as murders and rapes  have just returned from court after giving evidence in a murder case.

Moving from the students to the academic staff of the Medical Faculty, Prof. de Silva points out that they have been encouraged to engage in high-quality research, not doing research for its own sake. These efforts have paid off, as research of value, ranging from worm infections to malaria diagnosis, snake-bite, yellow oleander (kaneru) poisoning to acute and chronic liver failure has been put on the world map by the Medical Faculty.

Impactful and relevant research is what we have been engaged in. If at the end of research, peers ask so what? it would be an exercise in futility. The proof that our research has been impactful comes with more than 100 citations in other eminent published research worldwide, she says, adding that the secret of success has been hard work with inter-disciplinary links, supplementing and complementing each other. All of the 125 academics have jelled into a team that works well.

We have confidence about the expertise available in Sri Lanka. We have used international expertise but the premise has always been that through diligence, local expertise can reach the pinnacle, according to her, with the Clinical Trials Unit also contributing much towards the Medical Facultys significant achievements.

The 25 years have not been free of challenges and Prof. de Silva says one small challenge has been the distance between the university administration based at Kelaniya and the Medical Faculty administration based at Ragama. A bigger hurdle had been staff retention as turnover was high, which has now been surmounted while another has been to get the student body to keep its focus, while engaging in the idealism of youth.

Prevention of ragging is always on the minds of the academic staff, she says, citing a case of severe ragging in a private boarding last year where stern action in the form of a suspension was taken against the culprits. Regular are her meetings with the Students Union, as she believes that no to ragging of freshers should come from the senior students themselves to make it doable.

With the faculty population consisting of 60% girls and 40% boys, Prof. de Silva is also mentoring the girls to take their rightful place on committees so that their voices and issues would be heard and then could be dealt with.

The 60 foreigners, a majority from Bhutan, add a different cultural flavour to the student body and the share of monies from the fees levied from them that the faculty gets is utilized for the development of infrastructure and resources, she adds.

There are also the little touches which have gone a long way. Not concentrating on studies alone, the campus is teaching students the importance of greening the environment and conserving energy. Waste segregation has been implemented within the campus, while a compost plant, two biogas units and solar panels have also been established.

Looking into the future, Prof. de Silva says that they are discussing the setting up of a specialty womens hospital on the campus, with the Health Ministry.

Another dream is the establishment of a day-care centre of excellence with state-of-the-art facilities for children with developmental disabilities under a multidisciplinary team.

Says Prof. de Silva with passion: Then we can have training facilities for students and postgraduates and also for parents to enable them to give the best possible care to their children when they are at home.
Park ranger Jarron McInnes has been re-instated at TECT All Terrain Park, after a dust-up with stroppy French freedom campers led to his sacking.

Jarron is reported to be back on the job, pending a full hearing of the Employment Relations Authority, which has ruled the park ranger has a case for unjustified dismissal.
A 9-year-old Amish boy was killed Saturday morning in a farming accident in the town of Hammond in St. Lawrence County, according to a report in the Watertown Daily Times.

The boy was identified as David Mast by his father, Henry Mast, according to WWNY television.

State police said the boy was operating a horse-drawn manure spreader and apparently fell off and was struck by the implement's wheels, according to the television report.

A passerby reportedly saw the accident and notified the family.
ROCHESTER, N.Y. -- Antony A. L. McLetchie moved a little more than a year ago to become superintendent of the Rochester School for the Deaf.

McLetchie took charge of one of the nation's oldest schools for children who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. But McLetchie's relocation was much more than another chapter in his career. Moving to Rochester meant better and easier access to healthcare, professional services, media and so many other important and everyday aspects of life.

"I feel like a normal person here," McLetchie said through an American Sign Language/English interpreter.

Rochester has the highest per capita population of deaf or hard-of-hearing adults younger than 65 in the nation, according to an analysis of U.S. Census data by the National Technical Institute for the Deaf, a part of Rochester Institute of Technology.

The institute is a large part of why Rochester has become a magnet for deaf people. But NTID is just one piece of the story.

The fuller explanation involves decades of big industry jobs and small, local business decisions that not only drew deaf people to Rochester but encouraged them to stay.

At first, Kodak and Xerox provided work for deaf people, many interviewed said. Bars and restaurants -- and even local television news reports -- turned on captioning long before news tickers became common. Hospitals began staffing interpreters. Hair stylists and bartenders who learned ASL attracted loyal clients. And as the major factories downsized, video relay services and other communications businesses opened. All the while, a parish for deaf people grew.

"There's even a deaf Rotary Club here," said the Rev. Ray Fleming, a Roman Catholic priest for two parishes in Rochester -- one hearing and one deaf.

As more deaf and hard-of-hearing people settled here, a critical mass formed. Now the city has a deaf dentist, two deaf veterinarians and deaf attorneys. The local medical school routinely graduates doctors who happen to be deaf.

"Rochester grew a deaf middle class," said Dr. Peter Hauser, a psychologist and professor who directs the Deaf Studies Laboratory at NTID.

Perhaps most importantly, many said, Rochester's hearing residents have helped make communication ordinary instead of onerous. "Rochester has been a very accessible community," McLetchie said. "(Hearing) people already know how to sign. Or they write back and forth. Or use smart phones. Rochester has certainly evolved. And it's a tremendous model."

So many people in Rochester know ASL, those who use it in public must be mindful, said Bernie Hurwitz, an assistant vice president of RIT for NTID. "The odds are pretty good somebody in that restaurant will know what you're signing," he said, laughing.

SUPPORT FOR GENERATIONS



The Rochester School for the Deaf opened in 1876. Instructors emphasized fingerspelling -- literally spelling each letter by hand. It became known as the Rochester Method. In later years, the school began emphasizing bilingual studies -- ASL and English languages.

Today, the school is one of 11 for deaf, blind or severely physically disabled students run by the state. The school is still small; enrollment this year is 116 students, pre-K to 12. Yet over the decades, many graduates found work in Rochester and stayed, McLetchie said.

By the mid-1960s, federal leaders were looking for a home for a technical college for deaf and hard-of-hearing students. RIT beat out eight other colleges (with the help of then-U.S. Rep. Hugh Carey and advocates from the Rochester School for the Deaf) and became the home of the National Technical Institute for the Deaf. In 1968 the school opened and 70 students enrolled.

Five decades later, NTID enrolls about 1,200 students each year in programs ranging from associate degrees to doctorates. (More than 70 percent of the school's budget is subsidized by the federal government.) Those students live and study on RIT's campus. Dorms house hearing and deaf students; flickering lights are common as notifications throughout campus.

About 94 percent of graduates with NTID associate degrees get jobs, Hurwitz said. And all of those students must have some off-campus internship to graduate -- a requirement that has built a stable of businesses in Rochester and throughout the country that regularly hire NTID graduates.

Tabitha Benavides and Chinkee Gratrix are chemistry majors at NTID. Like so many young college students, they spent much of their first few months on-campus because they didn't have cars. More recently, they've been exploring Rochester and Niagara Falls. They both said they didn't see anything extra special about Rochester, though its deaf community is noticeably bigger, Gratrix said.

Gratrix, who is from Vancouver, Ore., wants to stay. "I'm hoping to work at RIT," she said, through an interpreter. "I've had wonderful role models. Maybe I can be the next one for someone else."

That, many say, explains so much about Rochester's deaf community. NTID now has about 8,000 alums -- graduates who can mentor the next generation, Hurwitz said. "It really provides a comfort zone," he said.

A CARING, COMPASSIONATE PRIEST



The Rev. Ray Fleming came to Rochester at about the same time a parish for the deaf formed here in the early 1980s. Fleming grew up in Butte, Mont., where he was the only deaf kid he knew. He graduated from Gallaudet University, the liberal arts school for the deaf and hard-of-hearing in Washington, D.C.

In Rochester, Fleming became minister to the Emmanuel Church of the Deaf. As parishes in the Rochester-area consolidated, it made sense for Fleming to oversee a second parish for hearing people. So about 10 years ago, Fleming began ministering to both the St. Monica Parish (with about 400 households) and the Emmanuel Parish (with about 100 households).

Now, Fleming celebrates two Sunday morning Masses at St. Monica Church in Rochester's 19th Ward neighborhood. He speaks at the 9 a.m. service and signs during the 11 a.m. service.

Fleming calls himself deaf, though he can hear with the help of powerful hearing aids. When he speaks, he uses asides, rising phrases and dramatic whispers to emphasize lessons in his homilies. "Do what I have done," he told a group of St. Monica parishioners at a recent Mass, emphasizing a message of the Lenten season.

Fleming says he worries about serving his hearing parishioners. He can't talk on the phone, he says.

His hearing parishioners don't seem to mind. Bob Engle joined the St. Monica parish about 18 months ago because of "Father Ray."

"He's the most caring, compassionate priest I've ever met," Engle said. "You just have to remember to be in front of him when you speak to him."

COMMUNITY SUPPORTS



Engle lives in Greece, one of Rochester's biggest suburbs. Many of the school districts in Rochester and its suburbs, including Greece, offer ASL as a language elective.

That is not unique. (And neither is a parish for deaf people in the Roman Catholic church, Fleming said.)

About 13 percent of public schools across New York offer ASL as a language option, according to the New York State Education Department. But only 11 districts in New York offer fourth-year ASL, including the Greece Central School District.

The University of Rochester Medical Center includes programs that study and treat deaf or hard-of-hearing patients. The school offers training for future doctors who might have deaf patients. The Deaf Wellness Center, a part of the medical center, provides mental health services to deaf people in the region.

Each year, the wellness center ensures at least one doctoral intern is deaf, according to Dr. Robert Pollard. All students learn to treat both hearing and non-hearing patients, he said.

"We have a deaf social worker and a deaf counselor," Pollard said. The medical school currently has two deaf students, and Strong Memorial Hospital has a deaf nurse on staff, he said.

"When you're in Rochester, it's just par for the course," he said.



One of the few parts of the Rochester community without a deaf or hard-of-hearing person is local politics. Hurwitz, of NTID, said he couldn't think of anyone who had run for or won office.

"Not yet," he said.
Washington state, Hawaii and Alaska Democrats caucus Saturday, March 26. This post will be updated with analysis and results (all times Eastern).

CAUCUS RESULTS

* 5:24 p.m. EDT: Bernie Sanders wins Alaska caucus

* 6:28 p.m. EDT: Bernie Sanders wins Washington state caucus

* 4:05 a.m. EDT, March 27: Bernie Sanders wins Hawaii caucus

NEWS AND ANALYSIS

7:05 a.m.: Sanders has solid showing, but doesn't dent Clinton's delegate lead

Bernie Sanders netted nearly three dozen delegates after his win in Hawaii, having swept three states. It's a solid showing, but it didn't significantly tighten Hillary Clinton's overall big lead.

Sanders needs to win 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates through June to be able to clinch the Democratic nomination. So far he's only winning 37 percent.

With 25 Hawaii delegates at stake, Sanders picked up 17. Clinton gained eight. That means in Saturday's contests, Sanders won a total of 55 delegates, having also won Washington state and Alaska. Clinton picked up 20.

More delegates are likely to be allocated to Sanders in several weeks, when the Washington state Democratic party releases vote shares by district. Still, Clinton maintains a wide advantage in delegates. Based on primaries and caucuses to date, she's won 1,243 delegates to Sanders' 975.

Clinton's lead is even bigger when including superdelegates, or party officials who can back any candidate they wish. Including superdelegates, Clinton has 1,712 delegates to Sanders' 1,004. It takes 2,383 to win.

4:25 a.m.: Sanders wins in Hawaii

Bernie Sanders has scored three wins in Western caucus contests, giving a powerful psychological boost to his supporters but doing little to move him closer to securing the Democratic nomination.

While results in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii barely dented Hillary Clinton's significant delegate lead, Sanders' wins underscored her persistent vulnerabilities within her own party, particularly with young voters and liberal activists who have been inspired by her rival's unapologetically liberal message.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders cast his performance as part of a Western comeback, saying he expects to close the delegate gap with Clinton as the contest moves to the more liberal northeastern states, including her home state of New York. He also said his campaign is increasing its outreach to superdelegates.

As of 2:50 a.m. Sunday, results from Hawaii were still pending.

According to the Honolulu Star-Advertiser, a strong voter turnout led to some confusion and frustration at the polls.

Update from The Associated Press (10:37 p.m. Saturday): Sanders trims Clinton's delegate lead



Bernie Sanders trimmed Hillary Clinton's delegate lead to below 300 delegates Saturday, having won big in Alaska and Washington state. But he still has a long way to go to catch up to her.



For the day, Sanders netted roughly two dozen delegates, winning at least 36 to Clinton's 11. Results from Hawaii are still to come and some delegates from Washington won't be allocated until weeks from now.



Based on primaries and caucuses to date, Clinton currently leads Sanders, 1,234 to 956. Clinton previously had a lead of more than 300 delegates after her five-state sweep on March 15.



Including superdelegates, or party officials who can back any candidate, Clinton's lead is much wider.



She now has at least 1,703, or 71 percent of the number needed to win.



Sanders has at least 985. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates and uncommitted superdelegates through June if he hopes to win the nomination.



Update from The Associated Press (7:45 p.m.): Clinton's delegate lead strong despite losses

Bernie Sanders clearly had a good day, winning big in Washington state and Alaska. But that's not impacting Hillary Clinton's overall lead in the Democratic presidential race much due to a smaller pool of delegates at stake Saturday.

Ultimately, Sanders still needs to win more than 67 percent of remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses as well as uncommitted superdelegates to clinch the nomination.

Based on primaries and caucuses to date, Clinton now has 1,228 to Sanders' 947.

Including superdelegates, or party officials who can back any candidate, Clinton has at least 1,697 to Sanders' 976. It takes 2,383 to win.

Update from The Associated Press (6:40 p.m.): Sanders basks in twin wins

Bernie Sanders says the West is putting him on path to an improbable success in the Democratic presidential race. Despite his victories in Alaska and Washington state in the latest voting, Hillary Clinton remains in a far stronger position to capture the nomination.

Even so, Sanders told a spirited rally in Madison, Wisconsin: "We knew things were going to improve as we headed West."

And he implored his cheering Wisconsin supporters to turn out in the state's April 5 Democratic contest and advance him on a "path toward victory."

He says he knew from the start of his campaign that he'd struggle in the Deep South but his fortunes would improve as the campaign went West.

Update from The Associated Press (6:30 p.m.): Dividing Washington state's delegates

Bernie Sanders' big win in Washington state means he stands to receive a majority of the state's delegates. But the exact tally may not be known for several weeks.

With 101 delegates at stake, Washington is the biggest prize of Saturday's three Democratic state caucuses.

Thirty-four of the Washington delegates are awarded on a statewide basis. Sanders will win at least 18 of those, and Hillary Clinton will receive at least five.

The remaining 67 delegates are awarded based on vote results in the state's congressional districts. Those delegates will be awarded at a later date, when the state Democratic Party releases the vote shares by congressional district.

Update (6:28 p.m.): Sanders wins Washington state caucus

Bernie Sanders wins the Democratic presidential caucuses in Washington state, The Associated Press reports.

And neither state's vote was close, The Oregonian says, with the Vermont senator scoring double-digit victories over former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Hawaii caucus results are expected soon.

Charles Chamberlain, executive director of the grassroots progressive group Democracy for America, heralded the outcomes and the continued momentum they give Sanders. "Bernie Sanders's resounding wins in Alaska and Washington state are big deals, period. And, likely a victory later this evening in Hawaii will only make it even bigger," he said in a statement. "With each victory today, Bernie Sanders is not only significantly cutting down Secretary Clinton's delegate advantage by delivering the margins of victory he needs take the lead in June, he's giving voice to millions of grassroots Democrats who know that Bernie continues to be our party's strongest nominee against Donald Trump's campaign of bigotry, hate and division."

Update from The Associated Press (5:24 p.m.): Sanders wins Alaska caucus

Bernie Sanders has won the Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska. It's his first victory over front-runner Hillary Clinton in the three states holding party caucuses on Saturday.

Update from The Oregonian (5:05 p.m.): Sanders on fire in Alaska, Washington

With about 15 percent of the results in, Bernie Sanders is grabbing more than 80 percent of caucus-goers' support in Alaska and more than 70 percent in Washington. There are no results yet from Hawaii.

Sanders and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton have already turned their attention to Wisconsin, which votes on April 5. Clinton has dominated in the South and Sanders' greatest strength has been in caucus states. Wisconsin will give Sanders a key opportunity to show that his primary win in Michigan earlier this month was no fluke and that he really can compete with the front-runner all the way to the convention.

Update from The Oregonian (3:12 p.m.): Is Bernie Sanders trouncing Hillary Clinton in Washington?

In Washington state, "hostility toward Clinton has grown as her campaign pushed claims she has long been a champion of progressive causes," The Guardian reports.

If you're going just by social media, Sanders is unstoppable in Washington, with Clinton a very distant second. "Huge voter turnout in #WAcaucus, especially with young voters," tweeted Khaled Beydoun. "Spells great news for #Bernie."

There also seems to be a fair amount of fear among Sanders supporters of voter fraud and vote suppression.

Washington offers 118 delegates, the most of the three states voting today.

Hillary Clinton volunteers Amy Paxson, far right, and Charles Tice work the crown for their candidate at the Democratic party caucus in Anchorage, Alaska Saturday, March 26, 2016. (AP Photo/Michael Dinneen)

Sanders vs. Clinton in Hawaii, Alaska and Washington state

Bernie Sanders is pushing for a trifecta of wins in Democratic presidential caucuses Saturday in Hawaii, Alaska and Washington state. He's hoping to stage a spring comeback against the commanding front-runner, Hillary Clinton.

The Vermont senator has spent much of the week on the West Coast, trying to build his enduring support among liberal activists into a sweep Saturday. That could help him narrow a gap of 300 delegates won in primaries behind Clinton.

According to an Associated Press analysis, Sanders would need to get more than 67 percent of the total remaining delegates won in the primaries and uncommitted superdelegates to take the nomination. Washington offers the biggest prize of delegates on Saturday with 118, more than double that of Alaska (20) and Hawaii (34) combined.

While Sanders faces a steep climb to the nomination, a string of losses for Clinton in the latest voting would highlight her persistent vulnerabilities. Clinton currently leads Sanders in the Associated Press delegate count, 1,690 to 946, with 2,383 needed to win the nomination.

The Associated Press, The Oregonian and NJ Advance Media contributed to this report.
markdixonpromo.jpg

Morgan Mark, left, of Kingston, New York, and Jonathan Dixon, of Saugerties, New York, are seen in undated police photos. They are facing charges of marijuana possession and related crimes.

(Connecticut State Police)

WILLINGTON, Conn. -- Two Upstate New York men have been arrested after police in Connecticut said they found 4 pounds of marijuana and thousands in cash in their car during a traffic stop.



Jonathan Dixon, 28, of Saugerties, New York, and Morgan Mark, 28, of Kingston, New York, both of Ulster County, are facing charges of marijuana possession and related crimes.



Police said they stopped Dixon for speeding Friday morning on Interstate 84 in Willington.



Police said they detected the odor of marijuana and asked to search the car. Police found more than 4 pounds of marijuana hidden in shopping bags and more than $67,000 in cash in a knit bag.



The items were seized along with the vehicle.



Both men are being held on $500,000 bond. They're scheduled to appear in court Monday.



It's unclear whether they have attorneys who could comment.
SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- A man shot by Syracuse police last week is now facing charges in connection with a high-speed chase near the Canadian border in December.

Federal agents charged Jeffrey J. Kelley, 32, of Syracuse, with fleeing an immigration checkpoint and failing to present his vehicle for inspection at an international border crossing.

Jeffrey Kelley

Kelley was shot in a confrontation with Syracuse police officers Tuesday night. Syracuse police went to his apartment at 1006 Ivy Ridge Road in Syracuse after a family member reported Kelley was threatening to hurt himself.

When officers attempted to enter Kelley's home, he threatened them, police said. After 30 minutes inside the apartment, Kelley charged at police officers, who fired their weapons in self-defense, police chief Frank Fowler said.

After Kelley was hospitalized and treated for injuries police said were minor, he was held on a weapons possession charge at the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail.

Federal investigators Friday got a warrant to arrest Kelley in connection with a high-speed chase in the Thousand Islands in December.

Homeland Security investigators provided the following account of the Dec. 19 chase:

Kelley was driving south through the Alexandria Bay checkpoint just before 7 p.m. He stopped at an officer's direction and produced his New York driver's license. But when the officer asked him to lower a window so he could inspect the car, Kelley refused.

The officer then told Kelley to turn off his car and hand over the keys.

That's when Kelley accelerated and zoomed away from the checkpoint southbound on Interstate 81. He left his driver's license with the officer.

Another officer pursued Kelley's vehicle, a Jeep 4x4, across the Thousand Islands Bridge and for more than five miles.

The officer chased Kelley at more than 100 miles per hour, but lost sight of his vehicle early on in the chase. The officer was unable to catch Kelley.

Kelley remains at the Onondaga County Justice Center without bail. He has also been charged with violating a family court order. His next court appearance is scheduled for Monday at 10 a.m.

Reporter Julie McMahon covers public education and Syracuse city schools. She can be reached anytime: Email | Twitter | 315-412-1992
A 5-year-old boy was hit by a truck inside the St. Lucie Mobile Village in Indiantown, just after 2 p.m. Friday, said a Martin County Fire Rescue spokesman. The boy later died from his injuries. (LAURIE K. BLANDFORD/TREASURE COAST NEWSPAPERS)

SHARE Ashten Dowling, 5, (center) poses with his brother Nathaniel Dowling-Gonzalez, 9, sister Layla Dowling-Gonzalez, 7, and sister Yanitza P. Cruz, 8 months. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO BY THE DOWLING-GONZALEZ FAMILY) Steven Guerrero Tina Guerrero

By Nicholas Samuel of TCPalm

INDIANTOWN  Every morning, Ashten Drew Dowling, 5, would run into the bedrooms of his family members and say, "I love you," at their home in St. Lucie Mobile Village, his uncle Steven Guerrero said on Saturday.

But Friday morning would be the last time his family would hear those words from him.

Ashten was riding his bicycle in the mobile home park in Indiantown about 2 p.m. Friday when a Dodge Ram driven by Ladi Hernandez-Perez, 18, struck the boy as the driver backed out of a driveway, according to a Florida Highway Patrol news release. FHP continues to investigate the crash and no charges have been filed as of Saturday.

The 5-year-old sustained a head injury and was taken to Martin Hospital South in Stuart, where he later died on Friday, according to the news release.

"I love my sweet Ashten. He was the happiest little boy in the world and could make a friend anywhere he went," said his mother, Cassandra Dowling-Gonzalez, on Saturday. "He was gentle and never mean. His smile was like a ray of sunshine and he left an imprint on anyone's heart that he met."

Dowling-Gonzalez, 27, said Ashten was, as the 5-year-old would say, the "best big brother and the most awesome little brother in the whole wide world" to his siblings  his older brother Nathaniel Dowling-Gonzalez, 9, his older sister Layla Dowling-Gonzalez, 7, and his sister Yanitza P. Cruz, 8 months.

Guerrero, 29, lived with Ashten and his family in the mobile home park in the 11000 block of Southwest Kanner Highway.

The uncle cried Saturday as he recalled seeing his nephew on the ground Friday just a few houses away. He said a police officer was present at the time of the incident and checked Ashten's pulse after he was hit by the truck.

"I wanted to help him so bad, but I couldn't," said Guerrero, who said he would play video games with Ashten and Nathaniel at the mobile home.

Guerrero said that on Friday morning, the 5-year-old asked his step dad, Francisco, if he could ride his bike outside.

Two minutes later, everyone heard a loud bang and Nathaniel ran outside to see what happened.

Guerrero said Nathaniel ran back inside and told him something was wrong with Ashten and that the child was lying on the ground.

"I thought he was exaggerating," Guerrero said Saturday as he looked toward the street, tears coming down his eyes.

The uncle said Ashten was always happy and that even when he got in trouble, nobody could stay mad at him.

"He would make sad, puppy dog faces," Guerrero said. "He would run up to you, hug you and say, 'I'm sorry.' "

Tina Guerrero, Ashten's grandmother, said the 5-year-old had learned how to ride a bike without training wheels just a few weeks ago. She thanked all of the neighbors in the community for their support, and thanked one neighbor for taking her to the hospital to see her Ashten.

Ashten's family has set up a Go Fund Me Page at www.gofundme.com/mrvzrtxc for people to donate money toward funeral expenses.

The Go Fund Me page has gathered $3,110 in donations so far.

Dowling-Gonzalez said she will begin making funeral arrangements on Monday.

Staff writer Laurie K. Blandford contributed to this report.

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Netflix has commissioned a full second season of hit comedy Scrotal Recall after the first season proved to be a surprise success on the network. The second season will reunite the full cast from season one and will consist of eight brand new episodes.

The commission of a second season comes as somewhat of a surprise to fans due to the fact that the first season aired back in 2014. Season one was originally broadcast on UK television and was aired on the Channel 4 network. Netflix later picked up the series and made all six episodes available in April 2015, and the show became a surprise success for the streaming service. Although Netflix doesn't release ratings numbers, the social media buzz on the show was palpable, and viewing numbers are apparently significant enough that the streaming service decided to save the show from its former one season and done status.

All three of the main stars of the show, Johnny Flynn, Antonia Thomas and Daniel Ings, will return. The series focuses on Flynn's character Dylan Witter, who, upon discovering he has contracted the sexually transmitted disease chlamydia, is instructed to contact all his former sexual partners to inform them that they may have been exposed. Through a series of flashbacks, we witness the various circumstances that led to Flynn's various relationships as he makes his way down the list, supported by his BFFs Evie and Luke, played by Thomas and Ings. As he relives the past, Dylan discovers that the true love he's been searching for may have been there all along.

The new series commission will consist of eight episodes, two more than were produced for season one, and will be a joint production between Netflix and BBC Worldwide America.

"BBC Worldwide North America and Netflix have had a longstanding and successful relationship. We brought Scrotal Recall to Netflix as it is typical of the distinctive and original programming they champion and bring to their viewers. Who can't love Dylan and his band of dysfunctional twentysomething friends as they look for life's answers with a mix of partying and bad mistakes," said executive VP, content production, sales and distribution, Matt Forde.

There's no word yet on when the second season of Scrotal Recall may debut, but given that production has yet to begin, it's safe to say it won't appear on screens until at least late 2016, which will make it over two full years since season one debuted. Impatient fans can take solace in the fact that, as is always the case with Netflix releases, all eight new episodes will be made available for viewing at the same time.

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It is no secret that Japan continues to send whaling expeditions to Antarctica despite international criticism.

As reported by Tech Times, Japan on Thursday confirmed the killing of more than 300 minke whales  200 of which were pregnant.

Ships from Japan's Institute of Cetacean Research returned from an almost four month-long hunting mission under the guise of scientific research.

The expeditions, however, are considered defiance of the International Court of Justice ruling which declared that whaling in Antarctica is illegal.

Japan's decision to send whaling expeditions has received criticism from different countries. Greg Hunt, Environment Minister in Australia, said the country condemns the act.

"We do not accept in any way, shape or form the concept of killing whales for so-called 'scientific research,'" said Hunt.

United Kingdom's ministry for environment Defra also expressed its disappointment with Japan's decision.

"This undermines the global ban on commercial whaling which the UK strongly supports," the ministry said.

But why does Japan do it, anyway?

Japan has not ignored the IC Justice ruling, but that doesn't mean it completely followed it either. In November 2015, the country said its "scientific" whaling program will only take 333 minke whales.

BBC news reported that the whale meat from the expedition "ends up on the plate."

And yet other reports say that Japanese consumers are not really clamoring for it. A Wired report said that the consumption of whale meat in Japan stands at 4,000 to 5,000 tons every year.

Consider the fact that Japan consumes about 600 million tons of seafood annually, indicating that meat from the sea mammals occupy "small" place on the country's dinner plate.

The nation's whaling program is also quite miniscule. The American Cetacean Society said that the global population of minke whales is currently at more than 1 million.

Japan has taken 3,600 minke whales since the launch of its scientific research program. Some experts believe that the 333 minke whales that Japan takes every year is not likely to impact the population of the sea mammals.

The Japanese aren't the only ones hunting whales. Norwegian whalers are also hunting minke whales, and their quota is a whopping 1,000 every year. The same goes for Icelandic whalers.

According to a paper [pdf] by Keiko Hirata, a political scientist from California State University Northridge, there are two factors as to why Japan's is still pushing through its whaling missions: cultural and political.

First, the Japanese do not see minke whales as charismatic sea mammals in need of protection from consumption.

Hirata said that in Japanese, the symbol for whale  which is pronounced as kujira  includes within it a component that means fish.

"Most Japanese lack any special love of whales and disagree with Western animal rights activists who insist on whales' rights," said Hirata, adding that most of them consider it hypocritical that Westerners kill kangaroos and baby cattle while saying that it is morally wrong to kill whales.

Second, maintaining Japan's whaling efforts is an act of maintaining political turf. The expeditions are overseen by the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, and Hirata said if the program is ended, the officials will be out of work.

Hirata concluded that Japan is not likely to change its stance in the near future. As of today, minke whales are not endangered.

In December 2015, Australia and other countries have challenged Japan over its whaling program, threatening to pursue legal action.

Photo : Martin Cathrae | Flickr

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Google is allegedly experimenting with the regular Android camera app so that it can integrate the "Visual Search" abilities and features of Goggles.

While one has the option of downloading the Google Goggles app to search for a specific image, as well as its source by using one's camera, this may soon change.

If the rumors are true, then one may be able to look for anything they can espy with their camera on their Android-powered device directly!

According to a report from SlashGear, an anonymous source has revealed to the site that Google is potentially working on a novel feature for Android cameras. This feature will possibly enable Android smartphone users to directly search out information from the pictures.

"Today we're to understand  from an anonymous source, as it were  that Google may soon be releasing a new camera feature they've had in testing for some time. This feature would allow the user to use their standard Google Camera app to search for information based on what they're able to see - but more than that," revealed the publication.

The source also shared an image (below) which offers glimpses into the potential of the technology Google allegedly has in the pipeline.

The technology Google plausibly has in the pipeline is essentially a merger of its visual-search based app Google Goggles and the Android camera.

For the unfamiliar, Google Goggles enables users of the app to click pictures of famous or identifiable things and gives more details on the same. For example you are in Italy and snap-up a picture of the Trevi Fountain (or the Fontana di Trevi) in Rome. If you search Google Goggles using the picture it will give you a low-down on the history of the famous landmark.

Moreover, the app also has the ability to read text in nearly 8 languages, and even translate the same.

The functionality said the publication's source has been tested out on a "wearable computing device." This hints that Google could have tested the technology on its Google Glass or may have deployed it on its impending rumored AR/VR headset.

The integration has several benefits for users and would enable a user to outline or circle the article they wish to capture with their finger. This can be done in real-time or even after the image or video has been taken. Thanks to this functionality, a user will have the option of getting only the article they wish to get identified with ease, eliminating the background information in the image which is unimportant.

Whether Google will take the wraps off this technology at the upcoming Google I/O in May remains to be seen.

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Contact lenses may alter the community of bacteria in the eyes, a new study has found.

All body sites including the mouth, gut and skin have normal bacterial community, which is expected to provide resistance and protection from harmful pathogens. The eyes are no exceptions.

Contact lenses are considered to be a risk factor for the occurrence of different eye infections such as keratitis and conjunctivitis. With this, researchers from New York University School of Medicine hypothesized that wearing contact lenses may be linked with alterations in the bacterial community of the eyes.

The Study

To investigate, the authors compared the bacterial communities of the conjunctiva and under-eye skin of 58 subjects and studied samples from 20 participants, of whom nine are contact lens wearers and 11 are non-wearers.

All in all, the team was able to collect 250 specimens via cotton swabs  116 from the conjunctiva, 114 from under-eye skin and 20 from contact lenses.

The researchers compared the sample in three separate times using a laboratory method called 16s rRNA sequencing.

Bacteria-rich Eyes

The findings of the investigations have shown that there were more types of bacteria on the conjunctiva or ocular surface than on the under-eye skin  a result that is quite surprising according to corresponding author Maria Gloria Dominguez-Bello.

The bacterial community of the eye surface of contact lens wearers is more comparable to the skin than in non-wearers. The surface was rich with bacterial types such as Pseudomonas, Acinetobacter, Methylobacterium and Lactobacillus.

These bacteria were also present among non-wearers, but it was found more on the skin under the eye than on the eye surface itself, except for Lactobacillus. These people also had some bacterial types on the eye surface and these include Haemophilus, Neisseria, Streptococcus and Staphylococcus, among others.

In terms of the different time periods, the authors did not observe significant differences between the bacterial communities of the eye surface and under-eye skin.

Implications Of The Study

More than 30 million people in the U.S. wear contact lenses, according to records from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

This research may provide helpful insights for future studies that aim to explore the potential roles of the microbiome in the increased risk of eye infections among people who wear contact lenses.

Despite this, it may still be too early to give firm advice to contact lens wearers. "When we can better understand the mechanisms, we will be able to test hypotheses and propose preventive measurements," says Dominguez-Bello.

The study was published online in the journal mBio on Tuesday.

Photo: Mark Probst | Flickr

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We are in the third month of 2016 and so far a number of smartphone makers have launched their mobile phones. However, there are still many Android-powered handsets that will be unveiled this year.

Here are some of the handsets that will be launched in 2016.

Samsung Galaxy Note 6

Samsung has already launched its first flagships of 2016 and the company's next flagship, the Galaxy Note 6, is expected to be launched in August or September this year.

The phablet may sport a 5.8-inch slim RGB AMOLED display with a QHD resolution of 2,560 x 1,440 pixels. Just like the Galaxy S7 and the Galaxy S7 edge, the upcoming Galaxy Note 6 may be available in two variants: one with a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor and the other with an Exynos 8 chipset.

While 4 GB of RAM is expected to be the norm for flagship smartphones in 2016, the Galaxy Note 6 is believed to come with 6 GB of RAM.

Samsung is said to be working on improving the camera of the Galaxy Note 6. Rumors claim that the phablet may have a 12-megapixel primary camera with Super Optical Image Stabilization System, which will allow users to take quality images in low-light conditions.

A previous report suggests that Samsung has applied for a patent for the S Pen, which can double as a stand for smartphones in the Galaxy Note series. It will be interesting to see if the Galaxy Note 6 gets the S Pen, which will also act as a stand.

Huawei P9

Huawei is scheduled to launch its next flagship, the Huawei P9, on April 6. The P9 will be the fifth smartphone in Huawei's P-series. The mobile device is speculated to come in four variants. As previously reported by Tech Times, there may be a standard 5.2-inch model, a budget- friendly variant dubbed P9 Lite, a beefed-up feature-rich version and a version with a bigger screen, which could be known as the P9 Max or P9 Plus.

If rumors are to be believed then the Huawei flagship will have a HiSilicon Kirin 950 octa-core processor for and Mali-T880 GPU. The standard version of the phone is said to have 3 GB of RAM, a display resolution of 1,080p and a 3,900 mAh battery. The premium version of the P9 may have 4 GB of RAM.

A leaked image of the Huawei P9 hints at a USB Type-C port for fast charging and data transfer. Rumors also reveal that the handset may be available in 32 GB, 64 GB and 128 GB internal storage options.

The smartphone is also said to boast two 12-megapixel sensors, which will bring better focus.

OnePlus 3

OnePlus is a Chinese smartphone maker founded in 2013. The company's OnePlus One, which was unveiled in April 2014, was highly popular in the market as the device included high-end features but had a competitive price tag. The company launched the successor of the OnePlus One, the OnePlus 2, in July 2015 and now the company is said to working on a flagship for 2016 dubbed OnePlus 3.

The upcoming OnePlus 3 is rumored to tout a 5.5-inch Full HD screen, Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, 4 GB of RAM, 32 GB of internal memory, a 16-megapixel primary and an 8-megapixel selfie camera.

The Android 6.0 Marshmallow-powered handset is expected to be launched toward the end of Q2 2016.

Moto X 2016

Lenovo completed the acquisition of Motorola Mobility in October 2014. In 2015, the company released a number of smartphones that cluttered the handset lineup and confused many customers. However, the company has confirmed that in 2016 it will launch only 15 phones.

The Lenovo Vibe phones will fill the entry- to mid-level market, while the Moto-branded mobile devices will only include top-end features.

Rumors on the Moto X 2016 are quite thin but speculations are rife that the device will have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 820 processor, a big camera sensor and a fingerprint scanner. Being a high-end phone, customers should also expect 4 GB of RAM, a higher battery capacity and Android 6.0 Marshmallow as the operating system.

An image of the Moto X 2016 has been leaked by Chinese website Wapvnet, which suggests that the phone will have a full-metal unibody design.

The Moto X 2016 is estimated to be launched in mid-2016.

BlackBerry's Next Android Phone

BlackBerry launched its first Android smartphone, the BlackBerry Priv, in September 2015. The Canadian company's decision to launch an Android phone was well welcomed in the smartphone space.

BlackBerry has not revealed its plans to launch another Android-based phone; however, given the success of the BlackBerry Priv, it is highly likely that BlackBerry enthusiasts will possibly see another Android-powered BlackBerry handset this year.

The next Android-based BlackBerry smartphone may launch and release toward the end of this year.

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The United States forces killed Islamic States' No. 2 Haji Imam, the ISIS' finance minister, in an airstrike in Syria this week.

Defense Secretary Ash Carter announced the news in a Pentagon press briefing that was joined in by the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Marine Corps Gen. Joe Dunford.

Carter said that the United States-led coalitions is "systemically eliminating" the Islamic States' cabinet, which include Haji Imam.

He said that Imam had been regarded as a well-renowned terrorist within the ISIS' ranks, dating back to the organization's earliest iteration as al-Qaeda in Iraq.

"The removal of this [ISIS] leader will hamper the organization's ability ... to conduct operations both inside and outside of Iraq," Carter said.

The official likewise confirmed the death of another key leader of ISIS, Abu Omar al-Shishani otherwise known as Omar the Chechen, in an operation conducted earlier this month.

He also went on to say that the coalition's campaign plan is to collapse the ISIS' "parent tumor" both in Syria and in Iraq, with the focus on its power center in Mosul and Raqqa.

Imam had been widely reported as a senior leader and second in command within the organization. He was also believed as the one who watched over and steered the funding of ISIS. Moreover, word has it that Imam allegedly managed the day-to-day operations for the Islamic State plus its affiliates in Iraq, Syria and Libya.

Carter could not verify, though, if Imam was involved with the terrorist attacks launched in Paris and in Brussels a few days ago that took at least 31 lives and wounded more than 270 others.

CNN reports that the operation was originally planned to capture Imam alive, citing a United States official. However, the moment helicopters of the U.S special operations forces flew over the vehicle carrying Imam, something happened, triggering them to fire on the vehicle instead. The official would not say, though, what it was that made them decide to change the original plan.

In the meantime, the secretary also added that apart from killing Imam and Omar the Chechen, the U.S forces likewise targeted another top ISIS leader charged with paying fighters in Iraq, Abu Sara, along with the ISIS' quite a few associates.

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In 2013, Gucci, an American pit bull terrier disappeared two weeks before his owners Gary and Ayana Kellys moved from San Antonio, Texas to Norfolk Virginia.

Although the family spent their final weeks in Texas looking for their lost pet, they were not able to find him and were forced to give up.

Ayana recalled they were devastated that they were not able to find the missing pup but eventually left the state to move 1,500 miles across the country.

"We really felt like we left a family member behind. It was a long, depressing feeling, like an empty void you just can't fill," Ayana said.

In early March though, the Kellys received a wonderful surprise. They received a phone call from a San Antonio shelter informing them that their microchipped dog is in the shelter's care.

They were told that Gucci had been living with somebody for a while but he was dropped off at the shelter.

Ayana wanted to personally retrieve Gucci when she learned of the news but because the place is too far, the Kellys opted to hire For The Love of Paws R.I. Rescue and Transport, an animal rescue group to return the dog to them.

Gucci then travelled more than 1,500 miles to finally be reunited with his long lost family making it home on Thursday night.

Wendy Perry, who drove the dog to Virginia warned the family that their pet may no longer be the same dog that disappeared from their yard three years ago. She told the family that their dog may have been abused or used for breeding.

The dog, however, appeared to be the same pet that the family lost. Kelly said that Gucci remains the same gray and white dog when he was returned to them.

It also seemed that the dog did not forget the family either. When he arrived in his new home, he wagged his tail and went around the house just as if he had already been there before.

Gary said that the return of their long lost dog feels like one of their kids has come back home.

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Google says 1 million Gmail accounts might have been targeted by government hackers

Intelligence agencies all over the world look to gather information relevant to their various operations, which also includes hacking email accounts. For a while now, Google has been able to recognize such government-backed hackers and alert customers who are possibly affected by it so that they can take instant action.

In order to make the already secure Gmail safer, Google yesterday announced that it will notify users if they are being targeted by a state-sponsored hacker using a new warning. The company said it will also be increasing the visibility of other types of Gmail security warnings to try and help people better protect themselves.

Also Read- Best Free Email Service Providers

Until now, as many as 1 million Gmail accounts may have been targeted by government-backed attackers disclosed Google. While the search giant did not reveal the exact number, it also did not clarify how it knows when these hacks take place. However, the company did acknowledge that it knows who the targets are.

Since 2012, weve warned Gmail users when we suspect theyve been targeted by state-sponsored attackers, Google said in a blog post. The users that receive these warnings are often activists, journalists, and policy-makers taking bold stands around the world.

A pink Warning tab appears on top of Gmail when a hack is detected, advising the affected users to protect themselves in a much better way.

In addition to that bar, Google will now provide full-page warning with instructions about how these users can stay safe. Users may see these new warnings instead of, or in addition to, the existing ones, Google added.

Google says, These warnings are rare  fewer than 0.1 per cent of users ever receive them  but they are critically important. In other words, as many as about 1 million users might have received warnings about their email being hacked by a state sponsored hacker.

In recent months, Google has been increasing its Gmail security.

Last month, it introduced a security measure in the form of a small red padlock next to a senders email address to highlight if the message is potentially unsafe.

In its security update, one of its recent changes is the expansion of the safe browsing notifications.

Safe Browsing already protects Gmail users by identifying potentially dangerous links in messages, Google wrote in a recent blog post.

Starting this week, Gmail users will begin to see warnings if they click these links, further extending this protection to different web browsers and email apps.

If users receive a message that cannot be validated, they will also see a question mark where they may otherwise see a profile photo or logo, Google said.

This is what it looks like, so dont be surprised if you see it in Gmail in the future:

Google said that the amount of inbound mail sent over an encrypted connection increased by 25% from the time they have introduced a visual element to mark unencrypted emails in Gmail 44 days ago,.

To further enhance email encryption, Google has combined with Comcast, Microsoft and Yahoo to submit a draft IETF specification for SMTP Strict Transport Security. Basically, Google and its partners want to ensure that encrypted email remains encrypted along its whole route from sender to recipient.

As part of Safe Internet Day, Google announced that it will reward users with 2GB of free Drive cloud storage for those that complete its online security check.

Completing the security check is free and lets Google scan the users internet connection to warn them if it sees anything unusual.
The Education Secretary has reportedly slammed "ridiculous" rules concerning the colour of pens teachers use to mark pupils' work.

Nicky Morgan has criticised a complex system whereby teachers use up to six different coloured pens when marking.

Her criticism follows evidence that teachers in primary schools spend up to ten hours a week marking as the Department for Education published new recommendations to help ease workload issues.

And a coloured pens system is likely to increase the time they spend marking instead of being in the classroom with children.

Some teachers use pink ink when they want to make critical comments regarding pupil's answers rather than red because it is seen as an "aggressive" colour. Other teachers use purple, blue or the more "positive" green ink.

The system is believed to have been inspired by an Ofsted guide on marking which was issued in 2011 but withdrawn last year.

However, a source close to Morgan told the Sunday Times: "The notion that we expect books to be marked in a particular colour of ink is ridiculous."

Michael Parsons, a teacher at Roath Park Primary School in Cardiff, said his institution uses the system of colour pens.
Leaving the EU would leave the NHS facing a real economic "challenge" and could result in foreign doctors leaving Britain, Jeremy Hunt has warned.

The Health Secretary has said a vote for Brexit in June would lead to a loss of investment, truly undermine the public finances and inevitably mean less money for the NHS.

Mr Hunt's comments have been attacked by Leave campaigners who have accused the government of "scaremongering" and forcing Cabinet members into telling "demeaning scare stories."
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Easter eggs would be cheaper next year if Britain voted to leave the European Union, Vote Leave campaigners have claimed.

The pro-Brexit campaign group has said the price of chocolate eggs could go down if unilateral trade deals with chocolate-producing countries such as Indonesia, Nigeria and Brazil could remove "punitive tariffs" imposed by Brussels on imports.

Vote Leave estimate as much as 1.28 of the cost of a 10 Easter egg was accounted for by such charges, which are levied on chocolate products but not raw cocoa beans.
The source said that Mr Cameron refuses to make eye contact with Eurosceptic ministers and ignores them when they pass in corridors. Downing Street denied the accusation.

In a further sign of the growing divisions within the Tory party, a "Downing Street insider" was quoted comparing eurosceptics to Isil over their apparent refusal to negotiate.

Earlier this year the Prime Minister lifted "collective responsibility" rules for members of the Government, meaning that they are able to campaign on both sides of the EU argument.

Mr Cameron warned ministers on opposite sides to treat each other with "respect and courtesy", but the campaign has been marked by a series of unseemly spats which have divided the party.

A source said: "It has got pretty bad. David doesn't even make eye contact when he passes the eurosceptics in the corridor. It's like school when you annoy the popular crowd. But I suppose that's all he knows so it is to be expected.
By 1981 he was a regular guest on Johnny Carsons Tonight Show. Carson enjoyed Shandlings work and the young comedian might have taken the presenters chair when Carson retired. But Shandling wanted to explore deeper themes, and was aware of the destructive effects of fame.

The whole world is show business now, he said in 1998. Everyone wants to be famous. They think being famous will change their life. Im here to tell them that it doesnt.

Shandling, in effect, turned himself into a sitcom character, first on Its Garry Shandlings Show, about a sitcom star supposedly playing himself (aired in Britain in 1986 on late-night BBC Two) and then, in 1992, on The Larry Sanders Show (HBO and BBC Two).

Larry Sanders was set backstage at a late-night television chat show much like Tonight. Shandling was the highly strung host who is tactfully protected from network interference by his vodka-swilling producer Artie (Rip Torn). Much comedy derives from Sanderss interactions both with Artie and with his insensitive sidekick, the announcer Hank Kingsley, played by Jeffrey Tambor.

Each episode was built around a work day and preparations for the arrival of a special guest. Real film-star guests playing themselves would willingly undergo the required humiliations, to rich comic effect. The tone was that of a documentary or reality television programme. Most of all, Shandling/Sanders himself was the wellspring of the humour; the scripts specialised in the comedy of insecurity, toe-curling embarrassment and the ever-present fear of unravelling under the pressures of performance.

The Larry Sanders Show gained a devoted cult following in Britain and its techniques were taken up by writers and performers such as Ricky Gervais, Armando Iannucci and Sacha Baron Cohen. Among the staff writers on the show was Hollywoods current king of comedy, the writer and director Judd Apatow. It went off the air in 1998, the year it won a Bafta, and Shandling himself an Emmy award for writing.

Shandling appeared in films, such as Town & Country (2001) with his friend Warren Beatty and Iron Man 2 (2010), but never enjoyed the same success again. He became a mentor to younger comedians and in recent years he worked with Apatow and Baron Cohen, helping them sharpen up their scripts.

He was a revered figure in his world. Nice guys finish first, he would say. If you dont know that, then you dont know where the finish line is.

Garry Shandling, born November 29 1949, died March 24 2016
A Scottish Nationalist MP is at the centre of an expenses row after a fellow party politician paid her company 87,616 of taxpayers money from his parliamentary expense account.

Chic Brodie, the SNP Scottish Parliament member for South of Scotland, handed the sum to start-up company Caledonii Resources, which is 90 per cent owned by Corri Wilson, SNP MP for Ayr.

Mr Brodie said last night he paid Ms Wilson as outsourced contract staff to do constituency casework and arrange meetings for him.

However, Ms Wilson described herself in Companies House filings as unemployed (ex-civil service) for the entire period when the payments were made.

The amounts paid were up to 85 per cent higher than those allowed for staff by the Westminster parliamentary expenses watchdog, Ipsa.
There is so much that needs to be done, and are so many people in need of help. Last week the world witnessed terror in Belgium. Bombings in Brussels, the bitter fruit of religious fanaticism, took dozens of lives and left hundreds injured. Questions about the security of Europe have to be addressed, yet again.

Why did the authorities fail to prevent this attack? Has Belgium done enough to integrate its large Muslim population? And what will the effect of the outrage be on the EUs desperate bid to stem the flow of refugees to the continent? A boy at the Idomeni camp in Greece, which holds 12,000 people in wretched conditions, was photographed holding a sign that read Sorry for Brussels.

There is a temptation among Europeans to panic. Lord Carey, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, reminds us that Jesus said on the first Easter Sunday: Do not be afraid!
As egg-scuses go, it is unlikely to smooth many ruffled feathers.

Cadbury has responded to a backlash from customers over the apparent disappearance of the word Easter from the front of its Easter egg packaging by insisting that it has not banned it  just relegated it to the back.

The chocolate giant has filled its feed on the social media site Twitter with replies to angry messages questioning why Easter treats are now routinely labelled simply as milk chocolate egg with no overt mention of the Christian festival.

In dozens of postings, many of them accompanied by smiley face symbols, the company attempted to reassure customers with messages such as: There's no policy to remove 'Easter', it's still mentioned on the back!
The family of a popular Muslim shopkeeper who was murdered after posting an online Easter message to my beloved Christian nation has disclosed they fear for their lives following the brutal attack.

Asad Shahs wife and siblings said they had been left heartbroken by the killing and they had been overwhelmed by the messages of support they had received from the local community in the Shawlands area of Glasgow.

But they only spoke on the condition their names were not published for fear of retribution and disclosed they have been advised by the police to be careful what they say in order to protect their security.
Theresa May's pledge to deploy more than 2,000 extra armed police officers to protect Britains streets risks being undermined because officers fear they will be hounded if they shoot a suspect.

The Home Secretary has announced there will be a "surge" of more than 1,000 new armed police officers deployed across the country in the wake of theterrorist attacks in Brussels.

Ms May has also changed the law to enable the 1,000 armed police officers guarding Britains nuclear power stations to be redistributed in the event of multiple terror attacks.
The Border Force is facing significant cuts at "the worse possible time" in a move that would weaken UK security against a Brussels-style terror attack, Labour has warned.

Andy Burnham, the shadow home secretary, renewed calls for its budget to be published after hearing from whistleblowers that staff were told to anticipate 6 per cent reductions this year and next - a total of 88 million.

He has written to Theresa May, warning it is the "worst possible time" to squeeze spending and criticising the "highly unusual" failure to release the budget just days before the start of the financial year.

The Home Secretary was "going to great lengths to hide these cuts" because she was aware of the dangers "in her heart of hearts", Mr Burnham said.

It comes as new research by Vote Leave found that 40 per cent of the UK border's five force fleet of cutters has been moved to the Aegean Sea to deal with the migration crisis, leaving just two cutters to patrol the UK coastline.

The Home Office said "all necessary measures" would be taken to protect the UK's border but conceded that the Border Force budget was still be be finalised.

A spokesman pointed to a 41 million investment in additional officers as part of a crackdown on border crime and millions spent improving security in French ports.
How is it possible to speak volumes without uttering a single word? In the five years since her marriage, The Duchess of Cambridge has been learning from the best, and she clearly values the support she has received from her grandmother-in-law the Queen.

'She's been very generous in not being forceful at all in any of her views.' Kate reveals in tonights ITV documentary Our Queen At Ninety.

'I feel she's been there, a gentle guidance really for me.' However, Kate has been the perfect pupil to sit poised, sharpened pencil at the ready.

The Prince of Wales and Prince William were both born into the family, and they have over the decades developed ideas about their roles. Meanwhile the Queen speaks through her actions, and it appears that she has been guiding Kate to do the same, with the Duchess making it clear through nine of her 12 patronages that her primary focus in royal life will be on the welfare and development of children.
A man who tweeted about stopping a Muslim 'women' (sic) in the street and challenging her to "explain Brussels", has said he will sue the Metropolitan Police after charges of race-hate against him were dropped.

Matthew Doyle, 46, from South Croydon, no longer faces the charge after the Met Police was told it had jumped the gun and did not have the power to make the decision without consulting the Attorney-General or the CPS.

Mr Doyle was due to appear at Camberwell Green Magistrates' Court on Saturday, but on Friday night the Met police said the charge had been dropped.
Left to her own devices, the Queen would live quietly - and anonymously - in the countryside surrounded by horses and dogs. So says Margaret Rhodes who, as the Queens first cousin, can probably be expected to know.

This was just one of many insights about the Queen, which feature in the landmark documentary I recently completed, and which airs on Sunday night at 8pm on ITV.

Ive been making documentaries for 16 years, but this was my first major biographical piece. Filming with the Royal Family was like arriving in a new country. You have to feel your way, learn the language and negotiate complex protocols.

The biggest challenge was how to tell a story that would help us understand both the Queen's life today, but also the last ninety - extraordinary - years.

How were we going to build a coherent picture out of a jigsaw puzzle of contemporary engagements - everything from the opening of a new Dental Hospital in Edgbaston to a Commonwealth Summit in Malta?

In the end I decided to use the Queen's working life today as a prism through which we could look at her life and reign.
Britain's borders are almost undefended against terrorists and criminals using small boats and planes, a watchdog has found.

David Bolt, the Chief Inspector of Borders, disclosed failings which could give back-door entry to jihadists.

There are just three Border Force patrol vessels for the whole coast, less than one-twentieth of Frances capability. Two more were either tied up in port or deployed to the Mediterranean refugee crisis. Aerial surveillance was scrapped in January to save money.

Crews on small vessels such as yachts, tugs and motorboats or general maritime should notify officials of their arrival on a phone line but just 177 out of tens of thousands did in 2014.

The report admits that there is no reliable data for the number of general maritime arrivals in the UK and no systematic collection of information about any aspect of general maritime.

Almost no information is known about the names of passengers on any small vessel, the inspectorate was told.

The patrols had almost no systematic tasking and only one crew, which is based in Harwich and Felixstowe, regularly boarded any suspect vessel.
World powers must speed up efforts to crush the Islamic State group, Tony Blair has said, as he appeared to lend his support to military action against the extremist militants in Libya.

The former Prime Minister said it was extraordinary that an offshoot of Islamic State in Iraq and Levant (Isis) had been allowed to gain so much power on the edge of Europe.

Fighting the extremists, also known as Isis, and their attempt to create a so-called caliphate across the Middle East should include on-the-ground support from Western militaries, as well as working with local allies, he said.
Al-Qaeda has shot down a fighter jet in Yemen with a surface-to-air missile, it was claimed yesterday, raising fears that jihadists are gaining access to more sophisticated weaponry.

The Emirati plane was destroyed earlier this month while flying low during a strike on al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) targets.

Local authorities insist the French-made mirage jet crashed due to a "technical malfunction."

But sources in Yemen have told the Independent that it was shot down with a Russian SA-7, a powerful heat-seeking missile with a "kill zone" of up to 15,000 metres at altitude.

The incident marks a worrying escalation in the country's civil war and adds to concerns that jihadists groups in the Middle East are acquiring more advanced weapons.

"Al-Qaeda has confiscated huge amounts of weapons from bases in Yemen, the source told the Independent.

"[They] are smarter than Islamic State. They speak with the tribal elders, they co-opt people, get them on their side.

"Islamic State uses fear and coercion," they added, "its flashy and seeks a lot of attention but al-Qaeda is laying low and playing the long game.

The source also claimed that "co-operative army officers were helping the jihadists to obtain weapons, many of which were supplied by the US to Yemeni forces during the presidency of Ali Abdullah Saleh.
A "cure for cancer" using yoga could be scientifically proven within a year, a senior Indian government official has claimed.

The head of Indias ministry for alternative medicine said researchers at a Bangalore institute were in the process of submitting research showing that yoga techniques could be used to prevent or arrest the disease.

The institute has found a technique of yoga for the prevention and cure of cancer. They have proved it. The process uses only practising of special asanas [poses], said Shripad Yasso Naik.
Rahul Gandhi, the Congress vice-president, last week alleged that toppling elected governments by indulging in horse trading and blatant misuse of money and muscle seems to be BJP's new model.

Presidents Rule allows a centrally appointed state governor to temporarily replace the elected state government if the latter is no longer able to function.

It has long been open to abuse. Indira Gandhis government used the law 39 times during her first period in office, usually to remove opposition-led state governments.

Rules were tightened by the Supreme Court in 1994 to prevent its misuse.

Uttarakhand lies in the north of India, and is best known to Westerners for the famous yoga retreat at Rishikesh, close to the ashram famously visited by the Beatles in 1968.
According to investigators, the 34-year-old operated a network of companies and currency exchange centres through which some $300 to $400 million (210m-280m) passed each year on behalf of Guzman's Sinaloa cartel, for a total of more than $4 billion in a decade.

Mr Alvarez Inzunza operated in Sinaloa and Jalisco states, but was in Oaxaca on holiday when he was detained, and was captured without any "need to shoot off firearms and without putting other citizens at risk," federal police added.

Authorities had put out an order for Mr Alvarez Inzunza's provisional detention, so that he can be extradited to the United States at the request of a federal court in Washington.
Donald Trump has said he would likely halt purchases of oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies, unless they seriously commit themselves to the fight against the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.

The policy proposal from the Republican frontrunner came as he warned in the wake of the Brussels attacks that jihadists were making the Western world  including Britain  no longer a safe place.

In the first in-depth interview on the real estate mogul's foreign policy beliefs, Mr Trump painted a picture of an America crumbling at the seams that can no longer afford to be the policeman of the world.

Mr Trump accused everyone from Arab countries to NATO of "ripping off" the United States, by relying on the country for their security.

We protect countries, and take tremendous monetary hits on protecting countries," he told the New York Times. "We lose, everywhere. We lose monetarily, everywhere."

Singling out Saudi Arabia, he said that if the country werent without the cloak of American protection, Mr Trump said. I dont think it would be around.

To rebalance the deal, Mr Trump said, Saudi Arabia should deploy ground troops to fight Isil in Syria and Iraq, or "substantially reimburse" the United States for combating the militant group.
Scenes of chaos awaited thousands of EU staff due to start arriving on theGreek islands of Lesbos and Chios today to begin processing asylum seekers under a controversial EU deal to deport them back to Turkey.

The eastern Aegean Islands are struggling to cope with a humanitarian and public order crisis after several major international organisations pulled out of refugee camps last week in protest at the scheme they say is inhumane.

The UNHCR, Mecidin Sans Frontiers, the International Rescue Committee, Save the Children and the Norwegian Refugee Council all halted their logistical and aid programmes for refugees on the islands this week, saying that they wanted no part in a system of detention and deportation.
A lawyer representing two alleged Russian terrorists in the Ukraine has been found dead, prompting fears he was killed to stop the facts of the case from being made public.

Yury Grabovsky, a defense lawyer representing Russian citizen Alexander Alexandrov, had been missing for several weeks before authorities dug up his body on a farm 138 kilometers from Kiev early Friday. He was last seen on March 5, and police opened a case on his disappearance on March 10.

The grisly discovery of his remains came after Ukrainian authorities announced they intended to use Mr Grabovsky's client in a prisoner exchange with Russia to get Ukrainian pilot Nadezhda Savchenko back on Ukrainian soil.

At a briefing in Kiev on Friday, Ukraine's top military prosecutor Anatoly Matios said Grabovsky was killed in a violent way and finished off with a firearm as part of what prosecutors believe was a specially planned operation.

Two Ukrainian men have been detained in connection with the crime, though their identities have not yet been disclosed. One is said to have had fake credentials for Ukraine's Security Service.
The city is both a symbolic and strategic prize for Assad's forces, as it provides control of the surrounding desert extending all the way to the Iraqi border. At least 400 ISIL fighters were killed in the battle for the city, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said. On the government side, 188 troops and militiamen were killed.
He was supposed to be the candidate to unite the Republican party and prevent its presidential nomination falling into the hands of an offensive braggart with no political experience.

Ted Cruz, the senator from Texas, has been picking up endorsements and cash ever since he emerged as the man most likely to stop Donald Trump's insurgent campaign.

But the party establishment may have to think again after a week in which Mr Cruz has been sucked into an unseemly row with Mr Trump over their wives, enflamed Muslim opinion with his response to the Brussels attacks and defended a foreign adviser best known as a conspiracy theorist who believes the biggest threat to America is an electro-magnetic pulse taking out the power grid.

Julian Zelizer, a professor at Princeton University, said: "The greatest political sleight of hand in this campaign has been Ted Cruz's remaking himself into the reasonable establishment candidate.

"In fact he has been at the far end of the political spectrum and practised an aggressive, smash-mouth style of politics that has sometimes made Trump look tame."

If the likes of Mitt Romney, the Republicans' White House candidate in 2012, and Jeb Bush, the ultimate establishment figure, could once overlook Mr Cruz's hardline positions as they grappled with the threat of a divisive Trump run, they may struggle to portray him as a unifying figure after the past week.
An online petition to allow guns into the Republican National Convention has received almost 35,000 signatures by supporters who have declared the decision to make the arena a gun-free zone a hypocritical act.

The convention will be held between 18 and 21 July at the Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, a venue with a policy that forbids firearms and other weapons of any kind on its grounds.

The petition's author who remains anonymous asks the three remaining Republican presidential candidate to push the Republican National Committee to push for this policy to be changed, arguing that it is putting participants lives "at risk".

"Cleveland, Ohio is consistently ranked as one of the top ten most dangerous cities in America," the petition says. "By forcing attendees to leave their firearms at home, the RNC and Quicken Loans Arena are putting tens of thousands of people at risk both inside and outside of the convention site."
Bernie Sanders secured a hat-trick of commanding victories in the Alaska, Washington State and Hawaii caucuses on Saturday night, putting the brakes on Hillary Clintons drive to secure the Democratic nomination.

While Mrs Clinton retains a comfortable lead in the delegate count, the Vermont senators impressive performance in two western states shows there is still life in his campaign.

Major networks declared Mr Sanders the comfortable winner in all three contests, with the Vermont senator racking up more than 70 per cent of the votes that had been counted.

According to the latest projections, Mr Sanders was on course to win 79.2 per cent of votes in the Alaska caucus and Mrs Clinton 20.8 per cent.

In Washington he was projected to win 74.6 percent against 25.1 for Mrs Clinton.
Thorntons has been criticised for charging 15 for a Easter egg similar to one sold in cut-price supermarket chain Aldi for 3.

The luxury chocolate retailer was selling the Continental Milk, Dark and White chocolate egg for five times the price of the similar egg sold by the German retailer, The Sun reports.
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
It is well known that Japan does not have a strong voice on the global stage. Japan is a member of the G-8 and frequently holds a non-permanent seat on the U.N. Security Council.

However, in the most important discussions in those international arenas, Japan supports or simply follows the directions of the United States, leaving the impression that it has no independent opinions to contribute to global discussions.

As a loyal ally of the superpower and a recipient of security protection, Japan appears satisfied with its second-class status on the international stage.

Given the miserable memories of WWII and the prewar years, the Japanese people may have come to the conclusion that Japan should never have robust foreign policies and should play a modest role in the world. We can complacently say the economy, rather than political power, is the proud achievement of the Japanese nation.

The lack of political influence, though, irritates some Japanese. When Korean American organizations succeeded in building comfort women statues in local cities in the United States, or when foreign observers show sympathy to China on its territorial dispute with Japan, conservative Japanese groups complain vehemently that we should strengthen our public relations and push the international media to publish Japans narratives.

It is not only the conservative groups but internationally oriented Japanese who now say Japan should play a more robust global role and promote its own ideas on various international platforms.

Supported by these globally active Japanese, some new arenas are starting to enhance Japans weak public voice. Genron NPO, a private think tank based in Tokyo, has recently established the World Agenda Council.

The purpose of the WAC is to awaken Japanese people to global issues, such as the prevention of terrorism, the fight against infectious diseases, global warming, and migration, which are not necessarily of immediate concern to Japan.

Genron NPO President Yasushi Kudo said,

We want to wipe out the impression that Japan is only interested in its own concerns and is insensitive to tragedies in foreign countries.

Another merit of the WAC is that it is a private think tank. In the international sessions, government participants must speak according to official policies and tend to turn discussions into tedious, sterile debate about official government positions.

Such debates neither deepen intellectual insights nor do they foster understanding of possible solutions. Successful global sessions, such as the Davos Forum in Switzerland or Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore are privately organized.

Genron NPO has been selected as a member institution of the Council of Councils created by the U.S. Council on Foreign Relations. The COC comprises distinguished think tanks from the United States, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Genron NPO hopes that many participants from COC member think tanks will contribute to generating high-quality discussions. The key to this kind of dialogue is a solution-focused approach. We want to initiate dialogue leading to solutions, Kudo said.

The Tokyo Foundation, another private think tank in Japan, has organized Japan-U.S.-Europe forums since 2013. The Trilateral Forum Tokyo, jointly organized with the U.S.-German Marshall Fund, facilitates dialogue in which opinion makers from Japan, the United States and Europe participate.

The Trilateral Forum started with the notion that global issues should no longer be the sole basis for transatlantic or transpacific cooperation. The forum is unique in inviting world-class intellectuals to interact with Japanese participants, allowing them to exchange views about global issues.

What are the conditions for such discussions to achieve fruitful outcomes? History provides some indicators.

More than 100 years ago, Japanese business tycoon Eiichi Shibusawa traveled around the world and was infuriated at the absence of articles related to Japan in foreign newspapers.

He called on senior officials of Japans Foreign Ministry to establish a news agency whose task was to deliver Japan-related news to the foreign media. In spite of this, little Japanese news was published because Americans and Europeans showed scant interest in what was happening in a Far Eastern country.

They were especially not keen to read propaganda stories produced by the semigovernmental news organization. News from Japan contained increasingly more propaganda as the country deepened its invasion into the Chinese continent, inviting derision from the international audience and confinement of Japan into complete isolation.

At the 1919 Paris Peace Conference, the Japanese delegation kept silent when the conference discussed how to keep the peace and uphold the universal rights of nations, only raising their voice on the issue of territorial claims in North East Asia.

Due to its apparent lack of qualification to talk on global issues, Japan lost its status as a major negotiator in the middle of the Paris conference. Before WWII Japanese intellectuals did not speak of independent ideas and proposals in the international arenas. The only institution to express Japans thinking was the government, which was out of touch with global trends, and which was despised or ignored.

It is not only prewar Japan that invited this negative response from the international audience. Nowadays, when the Chinese government makes loud speeches for territorial claims in the South China Sea or for the suppression of ethnic minorities, we feel that China is out of step with world opinion.

My reaction to George W. Bush was similar when he tried to legitimize the unilateral war in Iraq, even after we knew there were no weapons of mass destruction in the country.

With all such past experiences, we can assert that only privately organized dialogue can achieve mutual understanding between foreign opinion leaders and serve national interests.

(Hiroki Sugita is the managing senior writer of Kyodo News.)

==Kyodo



Source link
Time-lapse photographer Rufus Blackwell spent the last two months carrying a DJI Osmo handheld stabilized camera around Ho Chi Minh City. The three-minute video below was the result.

The OSMO is a hand held gimble camera that keeps the shot amazingly steady even if you are shooting hand held, Blackwell told Thanh Nien News.

A completely new way of creating a moving time-lapse. This allows you so much latitude you can warp time. This was a highly experimental shoot.

Blackwell won the 2014 Travel Photographer of the Year contest in the video category with a piece about the Kumbh Mela festival in India and the 100 million people that attended it.
I have two great kids and have always been keen on a third. But my partner thinks enough is enough. My long campaign to change her mind has been to no avail. Barring a Biblical-scale miracle, we're done.

One of the biggest decisions any couple will make is whether to have children and, if so, how many. But as Australia's population ages, the way mothers and fathers bargain over babies is increasingly important for the whole society, not just individual families.

It's more than a decade since Peter Costello set the demographic alarm bells ringing with his famous call for Australian couples to have "one for the father, one for the mother and one for the country". The former treasurer made those remarks when the Howard government introduced its baby bonus in 2004 amid warnings about the long-term consequences of our ageing population. The fertility rate did rise between 2004 and 2008, although demographers question whether government policy had much to do with it.

But from a peak of 2.02 in 2008, the fertility rate has fallen back to 1.8, the latest figures show - not much higher than when Costello urged couples to breed for the nation. Finding ways to sustain a healthy birth rate is as important now as it was when Costello was treasurer.
In fact, the kindness of strangers that is so often central to the narrative of similar adventure travel books is in desperately short supply during much of Marquis' epic journey  at least until she reaches Australia. She says simply that it is the plain, unvarnished truth of her story "as a white female". "This is the condition of the woman in this world, alone. It is difficult," she says. "I've met some men who have been travelling in Mongolia who never had any trouble at all." Mongolia seems to be a hell hole for the sole female traveller. For weeks on end she was harassed in the early hours by drunken Mongolian horsemen, bent on having "fun" with the unusual outsider  or worse. She was forced to behave almost as a hunted animal, making her camp deep in the woods, never staying in one place for more than a night, being careful not to leave any tracks. My mission is to be this little bridge between human and nature. I cross this bridge and I come back and say we need to find our sense of belonging to this planet because we all have the same address  it's here, this planet. Sarah Marquis

Even during the day, she didn't receive much of a welcome from the people she met. Only later did she hear of a local legend almost uniquely calculated to load the dice heavily against her. "I discovered in Mongolian culture you have this tale that has been told around the fireplace where they say death is coming when you meet a white female walking alone in a desert," she says. "After travelling in the country I heard that tale. Unfortunately in Mongolia that was probably in the back of everyone's minds who I was meeting." Crossing solo some of the planet's most challenging regions has been a way of life for Swiss-born Marquis, since her teens, when she rode across central Turkey on horseback. Now 43, she has walked around Australia, north to south in the US and spent eight months trekking 7000 kilometres through the Andes. In 2014, she was named one of National Geographic's Adventurers of the Year. All of which means that she bristles slightly when I call her a "traveller". "No, no, no," she insists. "I'm not travelling, I'm exploring, which is different. I'm off the beaten track, I'm in the woods, I'm in nature, I don't follow paths. This is the big difference  I'm not travelling."

The preparation she puts into her expeditions is, as one might expect, meticulous and extraordinary in its detail. However, less expected is that, just like the Prussian general who declared "no plan survives contact with the enemy", she believes it is just as important to mentally discard all those plans from the first step. "There is enormous preparation for the unexpected," she says. "In your mind you have to be prepared and then you have to let it go. There are two processes. One is an intellectual process and then you have to let it go and rely on your instincts. It is really complex. "I have realised over the years that the preparation is just to make me feel good, to feel ready. But I'll never be ready because I don't know what is coming." The obvious question is "Why?" Why put yourself through the torment, hunger, sickness and danger she described compellingly in Wild By Nature? As with most of the people I have spoken to for whom extreme adventure is a way of life, her response manages to be both oblique and convincing.
Sam Simmons and friend in The Urban Monkey With Murray Foote. He lets out a booming laugh. "I don't want to talk about it one-on-one. In front of 300 people in my undies? Fine." The late Rodney Dangerfield once joked: "My mother never breastfed me.She told me she only liked me as a friend." In reality Dangerfield's mother never gave him a kiss, a hug or a compliment. That he could transform a neglectful childhood into a lewd gag is testament to the fact that beyond the cliche of the sad clown are a host of performers who took the crap that life dealt them and fashioned it into something unrecognisable, and sometimes funny. Sam Simmons at his first gig in 2001, a parody of Sesame Street's Bert and Ernie. "He's probably one of the most high-functioning people I've ever met," says Simmons' wife Roslyn Durnford. "He's really, really good at compartmentalising what's good to dwell on and what's not good to dwell on. He does think deeply about things but doesn't dwell in sorrow."

"He's a really, really nice guy," says his oldest friend, Stuart Peevor. "He's such a generous person, such a warm person. He would never joke about someone with a disability or anything, or somebody who didn't deserve it. You'd want more people in society to be like him. He had a troubled childhood so he knows the value of being loving to people." If you want to describe what Simmons does, you could do worse than use the word he most frequently turns to himself: silliness. It might connote nonsense, or childishness, or the inconsequential, but when he's firing, Simmons' brand of silliness is weapons-grade. He uses it to disarm, to dismantle expectations of what "good" comedy looks like. Sustained for long enough, his act comes to feel like a kind of ritual exorcism, an ecstatic purging of fears and doubts. Not long after the bounty episode a word came to mind to describe Simmons' new show: shamanic. He uses the same word when we're talking the next day, and it ties into his vision of silliness. "Silly for me is being lost in a moment," he says. "When I'm really in it  it's a feeling of being lost in a moment, on stage."

The first thing Simmons does when we meet up on a crisp Adelaide morning is pull an old picture book from his bag. It's a second-hand thing from the 1970s he's just found in a shop, and its focus is on animals of the world. I have no idea why he's showing this to me.That's kind of what you're thinking throughout a Sam Simmons show, too. But just like his performances, there's nothing random about it. When I speak to Peevor, he insists I mention the comedian's love of animals. In an alternative universe Simmons is a zookeeper. He was far enough down that path that he was offered the opportunity to spend six months on the Cocos Islands with elephants in quarantine on their way to Australia. "That would have been the perfect amount of training in animal husbandry to come back and start the beginning of a career there," Simmons says. "I was right on the fence  But I still look at the animal stuff and go oh, I miss that. I'd love to do it again." Every one of Simmons' shows is packed with animals, but he never explains why. It's just a reflection of his world. Other aspects of his comedy can be traced back to formative influences, too. Raised by a single working mother, his babysitters were The Goodies, Monkey, Benny Hill. He carries them around inside his head. He says that there's probably a lot of John Cleese kicking around up there as well. "Without realising it he really must have influenced me. Just that rage of Basil Fawlty. I can't help it. It's in me. Everyone sees it. He encapsulates it, doesn't he? Rage and silliness combined. What a mix. It's perfect alchemy."

Peevor and Simmons met in year 8 while Simmons was living in Adelaide. "I remember him from day one being a bit of an odd cat," says Simmons' friend. "He's always been a bit of a performer. Not looking for attention but just expressing himself. Most of our high school time was spent trying to make each other laugh." Yet Simmons' first attempt at comedy wasn't until 2001, at a benefit gig for a friend whose handbag had been stolen, which is not the origin story of most Edinburgh Comedy Award winners. "Me and a fella named Greg Eales got up on stage and did a really terrible parody song thing called Smutty and Pert, like Ernie and Bert. How lame is that?It was the worst. But it was there it began." Simmons was working at St Kilda icon Greasy Joe's and the now-defunct diner's famous horseshoe-shaped counter gave him an audience in the round. "You would have a mixture of people around that bar which included sex workers, mums and their kids, a really racist old Vietnam vet, drag queens. It was this weird amalgam of people around this bar and I found it wonderful. I would perform for them and really draw an audience. And I got a little bit of a bug for it." He began to perform in comedy rooms. "Never did stand-up. I was always just doing my own thing." One of his earliest supporters was Melbourne comedy doyenne Janet McLeod, who gave him a two-month residency at her Local Laughs night. "I was an early adopter of Sam Simmons," says McLeod. "I put him on every couple of weeks to see what would happen. He was varying levels of great and shit. Some ideas he would come up with would not translate to people or just be technologically messy or something, but I always enjoyed whatever he attempted."

McLeod says that Simmons has synaesthesia, the condition in which senses overlap, so that sounds can seem to have colours or flavours come with their own audio track. "In giving him feedback about stuff I would put myself into that mindset and give him feedback based on different sensory ideas," she says. "I would describe comedy and the things he was doing in terms of music and in terms of movement. He'd go 'I don't know why that didn't work' and I'd describe it musically and he'd go 'oh, got it'." This might help explain the sensory confusion of Simmons' shows, too, which pile on music, pre-recorded dialogue, food (so much food),mountains of costumes, constant lighting shifts, original drawings, frequent excursions beyond the stage, props that are never used and audience members who often are. If you write the sheer variety of his act off as mere weirdness, you might lose sight of the fact that an hour with Simmons is a tour of the comic spectrum: physical comedy, musical comedy, sketch and character work, puns, one-liners, shaggy dog stories, mime, crowd work, visual gags, observational comedy, meta-comedy and more, all delivered with the kind of pummelling intensity that can eventually have you laughing at a bounty on someone's head. Just don't go thinking any of it is  you know. "Tell me what's random about it? That's in there for that reason and sets off that later on. I know what I'm doing. It's trying to do a funny version of something like Inception. It's lame to say that but I like that things trigger other things and that's the point of it." These days Simmons bounces between London, Los Angeles and Australia. He's spent at least a year of the last four in LA, and has a feeling that's where he may end up. He regularly does underground gigs there with fellow comedian Dr Brown  the only other performer to win those two top comedy awards for the same show  and the two are developing a TV series that sounds like an all-comedy version of Breaking Bad. He also feels a spiritual kinship with the oft-derided Californian city. "There's this weird hippie thing that I love. I go to yoga and have people talking to me about putting the bad stuff away and planting it in the soil beneath your feet and I'm like 'yeah, I'll do that, all right!' I love it! Also, I have a little drinking problem, I know I do, and when I'm here I drink. I don't do that over there."
A man has been charged with the murder of popular outback nurse Gayle Woodford, prompting calls for improved welfare for remote healthcare workers.

Ms Woodford's body was found in a shallow, roadside grave a short distance from the remote South Australian community Fregon on Saturday, four days after she was last seen about 9.40pm on Wednesday.

Gayle Woodford's body was found in a shallow roadside grave. Credit:Facebook

A Mimili man, 36, who was arrested and charged with vehicle theft on Thursday after police stopped a local ambulance normally driven by Ms Woodford near Coober Pedy, was then charged with murder on Sunday.

Another man and a woman who were also in the ambulance have not been charged.
Bills arriving after the due date, birthday cards missing their mark, and businesses unwittingly breaking the law  this is the reality of life under Australia Post's new two speed mail service. The mail is so slow that retirees are phoning in birthday wishes instead of writing cards and schools have stopped posting newsletters.

This super-slow snail mail was introduced by Australia Post on January 4, ostensibly to save money on overnight processing and planes. Stamp prices also went up  an ordinary letter now costs $1 and takes up to six working days to be delivered. (Maybe this is why the Prime Minister called a three-month election campaign  to make sure the postman has enough time to deliver all the political junk mail.)

Letters can now take weeks to be delivered, under the slower two-speed mail system. Credit:Ryan Stuart

But while the changes were announced last year, it appears some industries have been caught unawares. For example, the National Credit Providers Association has just realised its members could be breaching the National Credit Act because it requires they wait 30 days before taking someone to court over unpaid bills. The law actually states the day of notice is the date "it would have been delivered in the ordinary course of post".

The NCPA has since realised members cannot rely on "ordinary" post speeds any more.
A homeowner has been charged with murder after he allegedly confronted a burglar who broke into his house on Saturday morning and left the intruder with fatal injuries.

Police say Richard James Slater, 34, known as Ricky Slater, broke into a house in Cleary Street in the Newcastle suburb of Hamilton early on Saturday.

Benjamin Batterham, 33, who lives at the home with his young family, is believed to have found Mr Slater inside his house about 3.30am.

Mr Batterham and a 32-year-old friend became involved in a fight with Mr Slater, which continued outside on the street
At just a few hours old, Bentley John Fidge has this youngest child thing sorted.

The secret to happy older siblings? Bring gifts.

Baby Bentley, with his mum, Skye, welcomed as Brisbane's first Easter baby. Credit:Amy Remeikis

And by holding out until just two minutes before 1am on Easter Sunday, Brisbane's first Easter baby not only secured siblings five-year-old Aliciah and two-year-old Joesph more chocolate eggs than their wildest dreams, he also gave mum Skye a gift, albeit a slightly tardy one.

"He's a bit late, but he's a good gift for Easter," the 23-year-old said.
A Gold Coast man is expected to face court after he allegedly bit a police officer during a bungled escape attempt on at Nerang on the weekend.

The cop involved was one of four police injured in separate incidents over Easter, with male officers also injured in Mackay and Gympie.

A Gold Coast police officer allegedly bitten during an arrest was one of four police injured over the weekend. Credit:Jorge Branco

On the Gold Coast, police say a 25-year-old man attempted to flee after being stopped with a stash of drugs and cash on Saturday morning.

It's alleged he refused to leave his car and that he bit a male officer on the hand and injured another during a subsequent struggle.
Queensland has as much chance of splitting into two separate states as it does of becoming the AFL capital of Australia - it's possible, but the support just isn't there.

With a federal election on the way, the split state debate, has, much like clock work, ticked back around, with the State engaged in the same circular argument it has had since 1852.

Bob Katter's been talking about it for years, but the likelihood of Qld splitting is slim. Credit:Alex Ellinghausen

While state elections crack open the daylight saving debate, federal polls tend to spark conversation about the creation of Australia's newest state - by dividing its most decentralised one into two, usually led by a north Queensland MP, prepared to "stick it" to those latte-sipping city dwellers who don't understand or appreciate the north.

Bob Katter has been a long time proponent. Clive Palmer, who has the maverick MP act down, if not the locality, has also expressed his support in the past.
Sarah* was asleep when Jack* broke into her house, screaming abuse. He grabbed her by the hair and punched her in the face, before she tried to escape out the front door. He grabbed her by the hair again, dragged her inside, and continued the onslaught.

She lost a tooth and suffered a broken jaw. She had five intervention orders out against Jack. She was his third victim.

A new Victoria Police taskforce has been set up to counter domestic violence. Credit:File Image

What are the common traits of men like Jack, who police consider to be the worst family violence offenders in Victoria? The new Victoria Police Family Violence Task force is finding out.

Of those charged with offences against three or more victims in the past decade, half had mental health issues.
A nursing home expansion proposed in one of Melbourne's most desirable pockets, to be built for some of society's most vulnerable, has been blocked by Greens and socialist councillors at the behest of scores of residents.

Clifton Hill's Sambell Lodge is an aged care centre for the disadvantaged, run by the Brotherhood of St Laurence.

Sambell Lodge resident Graeme Doyle in his room, surrounded by his artwork. Credit:Wayne Taylor

Half of its residents were homeless before finding a place, and many have histories of mental illness and alcohol abuse.

The centre's rooms are small and do not have their own bathrooms, and the Brotherhood wants to more than double the size of the 38-year-old centre opposite the Darling Gardens.
The family of the two siblings killed in the infamous Swanston Street wall collapse is seeking compensation from building giant Grocon.

Easter Monday marks three years since students Alexander Jones, 19, his sister Bridget, 18, and French woman Marie-Faith Fiawoo were crushed under a brick wall that crashed down onto a busy footpath in central Melbourne.

Ian and Sue Jones with their children Bridget and Alexander, who were killed when a wall collapsed on them in Swanston Street in 2013.

The wall was situated on the Swanston Street boundary of a large Grocon construction project at the former Carlton and United Breweries site.

Fairfax Media understands the Jones family has launched an application for financial compensation related to their children's deaths to be paid by Grocon, which owned and controlled the multimillion-dollar work site.
An unborn baby has died following a horror car crash near Geelong on Easter Saturday.

Two cars collided on the Midland Highway in Bannockburn about 4pm, police said.

A 31-year-old pregnant woman from Ballarat North suffered serious injuries and was flown to hospital, where her 31-week-old unborn child died.

The death brings the state's road toll to 78, up 16 from the same time last year.

Although Victorian law does not recognise a fetus as a child until it has taken a breath, fetuses killed in car crashes that are more than 20 weeks are counted towards the state's road toll.
Victoria is demanding more than $6 billion extra from the Turnbull government for large projects, saying a severe funding imbalance is holding back the state economy.

Before the April 27 state budget, the May 3 federal budget and a probable July 2 federal election, the Andrews government has dramatically stepped up its demands for Commonwealth cash.

Victoria wants $6.3 billion of federal cash to spend on infrastructure. Credit:Daniel Munoz

Victoria has long complained it is getting just 9 per cent of the national infrastructure carve-up  much less than its one-quarter share of the national population. Now it has put a figure on the size of the shortfall.

State Treasury analysis provided to Fairfax Media shows that for Victoria to receive its population share of infrastructure payments over the five years to 2018-19, the Turnbull government would need to hand over an extra $6.3 billion.
Kabul: Afghanistan's top electoral official has resigned, potentially complicating efforts to organise parliamentary elections for this northern autumn.

Ahmad Yousuf Nuristani, who has repeatedly accused the government of meddling in the electoral process, stepped down two years after himself being accused of failing to prevent fraud in a bitterly disputed presidential ballot.

Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani points to a map of Afghanistan's north-east after a 2002 earthquake. Credit:AP

A spokesman for the Independent Election Commission, which Mr Nuristani chaired, said he had resigned in the "national interest", declining to comment further.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani accepted his resignation, the presidential palace said on its Twitter feed.
Lahore: A suicide bomber killed at least 65 people and injured more than 280 others, mostly women and children, at a public park in the Pakistani city of Lahore on Sunday, striking at the heart of Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's political base of Punjab.

The blast occurred in the parking area of Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park, a few metres away from children's swings.

Pakistan, a nuclear-armed nation of 190 million people, is plagued by a Taliban insurgency, criminal gangs and sectarian violence. Punjab is its biggest and wealthiest province.

Eyewitnesses said they saw body parts strewn across the parking lot once the dust had settled after the blast.
Amsterdam: Dutch anti-terrorism police have arrested a 32-year-old man in Rotterdam on suspicion of preparing an attack on France and also detained three other people, national prosecutors say.

"French authorities on Friday requested the arrest of the French citizen, who had been identified in a terrorism investigation," prosecutors said in a statement on Sunday.

He was suspected of "involvement in preparing a terrorist attack".
NEW YORK, March 26, 2016 -- NYS Governor Andrew Cuomo will officially open the 2016 New York International Auto Show on Saturday, March 26 at 9:15 am during an opening ceremony that includes celebrity appearances, musical performances, and a brand new vehicle donation to an Afghanistan War hero who was injured in combat.

Toyota and the New York International Auto Show are joining forces to celebrate and honor US Army Sergeant First Class Jeffrey Hackett of Oswego County, New York. Toyota is donating a 2016 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid to. Hackett lost his right leg and suffered serious injuries all over his body due to an IED explosion that happened when he and his fellow soldiers were clearing a house in Afghanistan in 2011.

The Bussani Mobility Team of Bethpage, N.Y., outfitted Hackett's new ride with a special steering controls as well as pedals that can all be used with a left foot. Toyota Financial Services also provided Hackett with its Platinum Toyota Extra Care Vehicle Service Agreement, which expands coverage for his RAV4 Hybrid for up to 6 years or 100,000 miles.



World's Fastest Man Presents World's Fastest Car at Auto Show

Don't blink or you'll miss the all-new 2017 Nissan GT-R, Nissan's legendary supercar, alongside Usain Bolt, the "world's fastest human" at the Auto Show's opening festivities.

West Point Band Band Rocks the House

West Point's The Benny Havens Band brings the best of rock, hip-hop, R&B, and country to audiences everywhere and will be performing live at 9:00 am at the Auto Show.
Prominent pastor Rev. George Waddles Sr. will be preaching Easter Sunday at Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church on Chicagos South Sideas he has for the last 29 yearsdespite evidence that he may have sexually molested a young girl in his office during counseling sessions.

Waddles has pleaded not guilty to aggravated criminal sexual abuse, a felony that carries a potential seven-year prison sentence.

According to Cook County prosecutors, who laid out their case during a bond hearing in September 2015, the 67-year-old Rev. Waddles had known the alleged victim since she was a toddler. The girlwhom The Daily Beast is not naming because she is a minor and an alleged victim of sexual abuseand her family had dutifully attended services multiple times a week and her mother even taught Sunday school at Zion Hill.

By the time the girl was 13, in 2011, Assistant States Attorney Tara Pease-Harkin said, Waddleswho has a masters degree in social workwas privately counseling her in his office. Within a year, the sessions between the pastor and the teen allegedly became inappropriate.

Prosecutors said that from 2012 to 2014, Waddles told the girl that he had been dreaming about her and thinking about her when she wasnt around. He asked, and she refused, to lift her shirt, and he tried to kiss and hug her at the end of counseling sessions.

On two different occasions, Waddles tried to inappropriately touch the girl and apologized when she refused, Cook County States Attorneys spokesman Steve Campbell told The Daily Beast.

In 2014, Waddles allegedly asked the then-15-year-old girl to sit on his lap. When she did, he put his hand inside her pants, and inside her underwear. She left his office and told her mother a month later.

The mother and daughter confronted Waddles at a meeting in his office, and later with Waddless wife, Karen Waddles, present, Pease-Harkin said. (In an unrelated Facebook post a few months earlier, Karen Waddles wrote that she was concerned about whats happening with our young girls. Theyre becoming sexualized at an early age and its hard to know how to protect themI think the church must speak upwe need to set standards, live by those standards ourselves, and hold each other accountable.)

From that meeting allegedly came an admission from Waddles that he had inappropriately touched the girl as well as a request that the pair not go to policeall secretly recorded by the girls mother on her cellphone, prosecutors say.

Such an admission, if it is allowed in court and it indeed shows what Pease-Harkin suggests, could be a particularly damning piece of evidence. Though Illinois has strict privacy laws which regulate the recording of public conversations, Waddless taped confession might meet the criteria for an exception to the law, according to Eric Johnson, a professor at University of Illinois College of Law.

Ticking off the statutory exceptions to state law, Johnson noted that since the alleged victims mother wasnt recording at the behest of police, was participating in the conversation, and suspected Waddles had committed a crime against her daughter, its my guess that the recording will be admissible, Johnson told The Daily Beast in an email.

At the September hearing, Pease-Harkin also said that two other women had come forward claiming to be victims of Waddless abuse. One who reported unwanted hugs and kisses in 1996 when she was 11 also claimed Waddles made her touch his penis. Another said he tried to hug and kiss her during office counseling session in 2006, and wouldnt allow her to leave his office. No criminal charges were ever filed in these cases.

A spokeswoman from the states Department of Children and Family Services told the Chicago Tribune an agency investigation did not find that abuse had occurred.

Waddles turned himself into police on Sept. 29, 2015, and according to prosecutors, made a positive disclosure to detectives consistent with the girls story.

Waddles was released from jail, and a judge ruled he would be allowed to continue to perform his duties as pastor, but could have no contact with anyone under the age of 18 without another adult present.

Calls to Waddles and Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church were not returned. When called for comment, Waddless attorney, Marc Salone, said, You mean any comment besides the presumption of innocence guaranteed by the U.S. Constitution? I believe in the Constitution. I think we should let the courts decide.

At some point. the trial will happen and the court, and not the court of popular opinion, will decide every defendants fate, Salone said.

But according to the girl and her family, the only person being treated like a criminal in this case is the alleged victim.

In an interview with the Chicago Tribune, the family said that they had been shunned by their former congregation and were receiving weekly intimidating phone calls. At the same time, according to the Tribune, Waddles has remained in the pulpit, and been invited to speak at other churches. His congregation celebrated the anniversary of his service with a special program, and offered prayers and words of encouragement on the churchs Facebook page, which has since gone private. The judge also granted Waddless request to travel to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, where he preached at Greater Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church on its 19th anniversary.

Three weeks before he was charged, at the National Baptist Convention (NBC), Waddles resigned as president of the groups Congress of Christian Education. NBC president Jerry Young addressed the street talk about Waddless resignation at the convention and said he was not fired, but was stepping down for unspecified health reasons. (In arresting documents, Waddles reported taking medication for hypertension and a heart condition.)

When youre so wrapped up in it, its hard to see the truth, the alleged victim told a Tribune reporter. They see him as God. They dont do what God says. They do what he says.

Youre supposed to be championed for doing whats right, her mother said.

The reaction to rally around the accused, especially when he is in a position of power, is all too common, said Barbara Blaine, founder and president of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a support group for sexual-abuse survivors.

Blaine has been to Zion Hill Missionary Baptist Church to pass out fliers to churchgoers urging them to stand with the alleged victim and remove Waddles from ministry until the case is resolved, but church officials and hired security kept her away from the parishioners, she said.

Blaine plans to go back on Sunday, April 24, the day before Waddless next court appearance.

Since starting her group 27 years ago, Blaineherself a survivor of abusetold The Daily Beast, It never ceases to amaze me how parishioners still will not believe that their pastor could do such a thing, as if the barometer is, If I know the accused, it couldnt be true.

We all know perpetrators, we just dont know we know them, she said.
The following two letters are excerpts from The Selected Letters of Laura Ingalls Wilder by William Anderson. The letters between Wilder and her daughter Rose capture what may be surprising to many. Wilder loathed the Roosevelts and the New Deal.

********

Rose considered the reelection of Franklin D. Roosevelt to be national approval of the New Deal. Laura Ingalls Wilder and Manly shared Roses dislike of the administration. In this letter Laura refers to Roses official residence as being at Rocky Ridge, claiming head of the household status to reduce her income tax. Laura discusses this situation, her own local antiNew Deal activities, and home news.

March 12, 1937

Rose Dearest,

Your letter enclosing Dewey Shorts came this P.M. [Republican Dewey Short, who hailed from Missouris Seventh Congressional District, was a member of the United States House of Representatives. He was a staunch opponent of the New Deal.]

Dewey Short is a grand person. He and Clark deserve a medal for valor. We were interested in his letter.

It is all right about those tax reports. If we work you for a handout, it is not your fault. Ill stay out of income tax as long as I can. You can contribute quite a bit to us, and still the figures wont amount to $2,500 and that is what I understand is the limit to keep us from paying tax on our income. So rest easy.

Damn everything anyway!

You can still be head of this household, and we can keep it up for you. God knows the farm is not self supporting. You have contributed to keeping it up for years. You dont have to pay rent; the farm house can just be your home, and if you pay to keep it up, that is supporting us and our home. . . . .Whos the wiser?

Truman is a liar. I wrote to him on this tablet paper. [Harry S. Truman was elected as a Democratic senator from Missouri in 1934.] There is a petition being signed to send congressmen at Denniss office. We keep talking, but I dont know how much good it does.

I will be in town tomorrow to see Aunt Daisy and to give her your message. I will stir around a little and see how many I can get to sign to Dennis petition. [Aunt Daisy was Daisy Bray Freeman, the second wife of George Freeman, organizer of the Bank of Mansfield and a prominent citizen.]

People drive me wild. They as a whole are getting just what they deserve. Whats the use? they ask, it wont do any good, they say. [Laura refers to political apathy.] I simply cant read it in the papers any more. It makes me sick, actually.

Well, I hasten to relieve your mind, when all the time the subject of greatest importance is my new spring suit. To say that I was flabbergasted when I opened the box is putting it mildly. Rose, honey, it is lovely and fits like new spring suits should fit. The color is exactly what I like too. I like the feel of the goods of my new suit. It feels like sugar and cream tastes.

But look what you have done to me!

Not a blouse did I have but what disgraced the suit and absolutely not a hat I have will go with it. So I have spent my tightly pinched pennies. I have ordered two blouses from Montgomery Wards, one a lighter blue and one an eggshell. And then as a crowning extravagance I have ordered a dress, the exact blue of the suit, to wear with the top coat when I need it. It is acetylene silk, I know it but it is not spelled right. It is Acetate Crepe and cost $2.98. But I know it is a beauty. The blouses are silk. Havent got them yet, just sent the order. Now I must get a hat.

Isnt it grand how John is doing? Im tickled pink. [Rose sent John Turner to New Mexico Military Institute for the school year.]

Havent heard anything from Corrine. She has no phone and I hesitate to have them call her down into the drug store [the Murrays, after vacating Rocky Ridge, moved into rooms above Fusons Drug Store in Mansfield]. She could call me from somewhere, but never has since they moved. I havent seen her. Have only been in town three times since they moved, or maybe four, and had so many other things to do. Didnt want to climb the stairs, either. Im saving of my breath, you know, though it hasnt bothered me for some time. The house stands just as it did when Manly wrote you about it. I think Corrine is all right, or she couldnt do the things I hear of her doing. There is no need that you should worry about her.

Manly has made garden this week. Planted potatoes, peas, lettuce, radishes and turnips. It is lovely weather, makes an itching in my feet [to travel]. But! dust settled over us again.

Ill wear the grapes whenever possible. Just now, I am wearing the pearls day and night. I sort of forgot about em till one night they woke me up saying they were sick. I got them out next morning.

I think I have found the yarn to finish the rug, at Montgomery Wards. Have ordered it and if it is not right can return it.

Manly likes so much to make rugs, I think I will let him work up all my old clothes into rugs like the pattern you drew.

I have so many clothes now, Ill never make over the old ones. As for giving them to anyone, they would go on relief before theyd make them over. Besides Im fed up with giving things to people. So well put those lovely old things into rugs.

How wonderful that Talbot Mundy to be able to write The Sayings of Taliesin himself. They are so good. Do you know the book I have, Queen Cleopatra by Mundy, comes between Tros and The Purple Pirate? It is grand to have them both. Dont lose Tros.

We will try our best to keep the strawberries safe. Manly is doing something in the garden this afternoon. I dont know what, but seems unable to keep away from it.

We often talk of what you mention, there being no opportunities now. If we had had such opportunities when we were young we would have been rich. If we were only a little younger than we are, we would do something about them. Anyone who will half try can make money surprisingly now. How they can keep from it, I cant see. Nor what they do with the money they cant prevent themselves from making.

Bruce says he gets $20 a month from his three cows. He feeds them hay he put up himself. They eat the leavings from our goats roughness. I mean, the cows eat what the goats wont eat, and a little grain. And still Bruce is always hard up. I use him for an example because I know his affairs. Everyone else is the same. Suppose it costs half of the $20 to feed Bruces family, which it doesnt. What would $10 a month clear have meant to us when we came here [in 1894]? Besides Bruce works a great deal of the time at good wages. They dont seem to be extravagant. But what becomes of their money? Of course nobody elses business is any of mine. But I find my heart is getting harder. I can have no least sympathy for people who can do, and will only holler that there are no chances for them now.

I wish they all might have the opportunities we had when I was young and no more. Wouldnt it be fun to watch em?

My dear, I thank you so much for my new suit. It is lovely! Wish I could do something that would please you half as much.

I sent you a little loaf of Sweet bread of Greece. Tell me how you like it.

Ill burn your letter and you burn mine.

Much love,

Mama Bess

********

Lauras conservative bent escalated. Her reference to a birthday party for President Roosevelt was actually a fund-raiser to aid victims of infantile paralysis. Laura does not mention it, but Corinne Murray was on the planning committee. The New Deal Works Progress Administration had funded a sanitary sewerage project in Mansfield, and a $5,000 vocational- agricultural building at the high school.

February 20, 1939

Rose Dearest,

The job of writing to you was all done up. And now comes the goody Valentine which calls for another letter. Never mind! I like to talk to you. And thank you for the Valentine box of candy. I may wear store teeth, but my old sweet tooth has never been extracted.

There isnt much to write about, so Ill just gossip a little.

Have you celebrated F.D.R.s birthday properly? Mansfield is all torn up over it.

The tickets for Roosevelts birthday party in the Masonic Hall were 25 cents apiece and they couldnt sell them. There were less than fifty people there. The refreshments were ordered from Springfield and cost nearly all the ticket money.

I really should have thought that there would have been the whole town there.

Mansfield has got $65,000 from the WPA and is bonding the city for $17,000, to be their share for building a sewerage system. The town is already bonded for more than it is worth.

God help the poor taxpayers!

We have had a rain. For three days and nights it rained. Water ran down the ditches and the creek roared. Yesterday it stopped and turned cold. Last night there was a sprinkling of snow and today is cold but the sun shines.

Have I told you we have lots of goat milk again? There are five little kids. Well be getting fat now I suppose.

We will be going up to Springfield first of next week so I can collect $20 interest from the Union National Bank. I intend to buy a mattress and blankets for my old oak bedstead on the sleeping porch and enamel to refinish it, and the dresser and commode that go with it. Then my $20 will be spent. We are going to put some kind of wallboard on the sleeping porch and make it look nice again, as it did when you were here. Then Ill put a pretty linoleum on the floor. But we will not put in a bathroom upstairs, at least not now. It will take all my interest money to do the other things I want to do now. And we are living within our income, in spite of your advice. We feel easier that way. Besides, it would be a lot of trouble to put in a bathroom, and we are dodging all the trouble we can.

It is almost impossible to hire help here and when we do they are absolutely no good. Karl Tripp is almost impossible too.

But I had not thought the situation in New York could be as you write. [Rose had probably complained about New Deal programs hiring employees away from the private sector.] I wish Mrs. Roosevelt would have to scrub her own floors and do her own work.

Hope you are settled and comfortable. Much love,

Mama Bess

From THE SELECTED LETTERS OF LAURA INGALLS WILDER by William Anderson Copyright  2016 by William Anderson. Reprinted courtesy of Harper, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.
For weeks, Donald Trumps words Win, win, win! Were gonna win so much youre gonna get bored with winning! had been swirling in my head. They had become a rhetorical riddle my mind would not quit turning over. The eyes, stunned by what had all the trappings of a debut, proved easier to fool. But the ears suspected an encore performance they had heard beforethe repetitive speech, the stunted and imperfect sentences where eloquence had been expected. Both in construct and theme, in the promise to deliver the undeliverable, for inherent to the nature of winning is the notion of exclusivity, the necessary absence of collectivity, Trumps voice had a familiar echo.

Then a friend forwarded a clip of an archival link from February 1979. It was a short interview the late ABC News anchorman, Peter Jennings, had conducted with the leader of the Iranian revolution, Ayatollah Khomeini. They were aboard an Air France flight that was taking the leader to Tehran, where delirious millions had lined the streets to welcome him after 14 years in exile.

The Ayatollah who had brought the pious and the secular together was billed as the ultimate trifectaat once a Shiite saint (an imam, a position to which he was elevated upon landing), the local equivalent of Mahatma Gandhi for opposing the monarchy, and the most visible heir to the lyrical tradition which had produced Rumi and Omar Khayyam.

Taking my lead from the nation, I was ripe to fall in love with the leader despite all that was unlovable about himthe dark robe, the unruly gray beard, the ascetic eyebrows that never parted. Still, glued to the television, I was yearning to hear what that homebound repository of public hope had to say.

Please kindly tell us, asked Peter Jennings, how you feel about your return to Iran?

Nothing! said our turbaned Odysseus.

The suave translator, Sadegh Ghotbzadeh, hailed as one of his own by the very imam who ordered his execution a few years later, turned nothing into no comment for the camera.

Jennings persisted: Is he sad, happy?

Again, no comment!

Nothing! should have alarmed everyone. That unfeeling answer foretold the unfeeling man who thereafter proved capable of carrying out some of the most heartless acts in modern Iran. The Ayatollah could not have been more forthcoming. The trouble was that we, Iranians, were in a national stupor, drunk on anger, deaf and blind to the truth even as it marched across our television screens and brazenly spoke to us. That anger led to a collective ecstasy whose tide Iranians rode into a historic deception.

Hours after landing, the Ayatollah gave his first speech in Tehrans major cemetery, of all places. His choice of a venue also foreshadowed the decimation that would follow. But our intoxication would not yield to thinking, nor lift by reason.

There was no trace of Rumi in that speech. If anything, Rumi was turning in his grave hearing the Persian syntax so wildly violated. That day, the Ayatollah promised: We will build homes. But dont be satisfied with just that. We will make water and electricity free for the poor. We will make public transportation free for the poor. But dont be satisfied with just that.  We will build this world, and the after-life.

He also promised to (38 years later I still cringe) whack the government in the mouth. In subsequent speeches, he dubbed the United States the Great Satan and put forth his foreign policy agenda for dealing with the worlds greatest power: It [America] cant do a damn thing! That belligerent gesture brought Iran to a nadir in its diplomatic history, to the notorious hostage crisis of 1979.

The heedless students who scaled the walls of the U.S. compound that November have since regretted their act, for they learned that wrecking relations takes only hours, while building them takes decades.

The protesters who chant build that wall at rallies throughout America are bound for a similar lesson.

For the same reasons the Ayatollah openly detested the educated, Mr. Trump loves the uneducated. Needless to say that neither public transportation, nor water and electricity ever became free for any Iranian, just in the same way that all Americans are unlikely to turn into winners. Americans often ask why Iranians, who seem to be so far above their regime, do not revolt to overthrow that regime. The answer, in great part, is that the hangover from the previous one gone so awry still lingers.

A few years ago, I swore allegiance to the flag of the United States and promised to protect it against any threats. I see one now. Therefore, this essay.

Roya Hakakian arrived in the U.S. as a refugee in 1985. She is the author of, most recently, Assassins of the Turquoise Palace.
I dont know whether there are any moral saints, wrote the philosopher Susan Wolf, in her famous 1982 article Moral Saints. But if there are, I am glad that neither I nor those about whom I care most are among them. As Wolf saw it, there was something dubious, suspect, about the idea of sainthood. One whose life was dominated by a commitment to improving the welfare of others or of society as a whole would be dreary, self-abnegating in the extreme, and well-nigh impossible to be around. And that personal dislikeability would, in itself, complicate the persons ostensible saintliness.

To begin, the saint would have to eschew much of what makes any life great. All aspects of self-cultivation and pleasure-seeking, unless they somehow redounded to the welfare of others, would be verbotenno passion for French cooking when one could be building houses for the homeless! The saint would at all times try to speak well of othersbut how annoying is that? No gossip or cruel humor. Although a moral saint might well enjoy a good episode of Father Knows Best, Wolf wrote, he may not in good conscience be able to laugh at a Marx Brothers movie or enjoy a play by George Bernard Shaw. And in the saints conversation there must be no edginess, which by its nature risks giving offense. A moral saint will have to be very, very nice. It is important that he not be offensive. The worry is that, as a result, he will have to be dull-witted or humorless or bland.

I thought of Wolfs article when I read the announcement last week that Pope Francis had set Sept. 4, 2016, as the date of the canonization of Mother Teresa. Her sainthood has been a foregone conclusion since December, when the pope ratified the requisite second posthumous miracle performed by the late nun: the 2008 recovery of a comatose and dying Brazilian man. For months, his relatives had prayed for Mother Teresas intercession. The Catholic Church, on getting word of this man, who had awakened, returned to work, and gone on to father two children with his wife, empaneled a medical commission to investigate, and last year it voted unanimously that the cure is inexplicable in the light of present-day medical knowledge.

I always disliked Mother Teresa, in a way that felt good and didnt seem to warrant scrutiny. But the news that she will now be an actual Saint, not just someone always called saintlyin other words, that her cult is now guaranteed to outlive us allset me to interrogating my enmity. And the brief against Mother Teresa, I decided, begins with the arguments that Wolf adumbrates in her articlebut does not end there. We should add to it Christopher Hitchenss powerful claims about Mother Teresas coziness with right-wing dictators and her cruelty to the poor people she said she was helping. And, finally, we should cast an overdue eye on the institution of Catholic sainthood.

Mother Teresa, the 1979 Nobel Peace Prize winner, has long been an enduring metaphor for sainthood. In 1982, Wolf thought to mention Mother Teresa in her article, in part as a cautionary tale: Despite my conviction that it is as rational and as good for a person to take Katharine Hepburn or Jane Austen as her role model instead of Mother Teresa, it would be absurd to deny that Mother Teresa is a morally better person. Wolf didnt quite say that Mother Teresa was humorless, self-righteous, and lacking even one ounce of self-deprecationbut she didnt not say it, either. The implication was clear. Mother Teresa was an example of the problematic moral saint.

Wolf never got this far into pop sociology, but I think we know the type she means: the person who, because she comes to believe that her cultivated persona is such a force for good in the world, never lets the mask slip. A list of contemporary saintly figuresnone has been as widely admired, or as carefully remote, as Mother Teresamight include Elie Wiesel, Oprah Winfrey, the Queen Mother, and Maya Angelou. Its debatable how much good any of them didexcept in the case of Winfrey, who, by giving a TV platform to so many medical hucksters and New Age spiritual charlatans, did great harm. Whats not debatable is how each has performed the role of saintliness, with all the traits Wolf identifies: lack of irony, witlessness, a curious lack of observable joie de vivre. Can we picture any of them being silly, or experiencing genuine, laugh-until-you-spit-food joy?

But, one may ask, didnt Mother Teresa do a tremendous amount of good? After all, the order she founded, the Missionaries of Charity, offered shelter and care to the poor, sick, and dying, most famously in Calcutta but around the world. Here Id defer to Hitchenss brilliant, and brilliantly titled, 1995 manifesto The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice. In this little book, which was much dismissed by Mother Teresas apologists but never really contradicted, Hitchens showed the ruthless side of Mother Teresa. She spoke well of the brutal Duvalier dictatorship, which had given money to her religious order. She sent a plea for clemency to the judge sentencing savings and loan swindler Charles Keating, who had given her over a million dollars. She appeared with 1970s cult leader and sexual predator John-Roger, who also had given her money.

So Mother Teresas friendship was for salebut that wasnt the worst that could be said about her. Hitchenss hostility to religion could cross over into hysteria, even idiocy: He once reproduced in print the urban legend that Orthodox Jews have sex through a hole in a sheet, so that their bodies dont touch. But he got something essentially right about Mother Teresas theology when he noted that she wanted those in her care to suffer. Why else did shedespite the unaudited millions that her order brings in in donationsprovide her homes dying residents with thin cots, instead of proper hospital beds? Why did she deny them adequate narcotic pain relief? And why did she treat their pain as a beautiful thing? Because she believed that suffering brought the sick closer to Jesus Christ.

The point, Hitchens wrote, after adducing careful evidence, is not the honest relief of suffering but the promulgation of a cult based on death and suffering and subjection. Mother Teresa (who herself, it should be noted, has checked into some of the finest and costliest clinics and hospitals in the West during her bouts with heart trouble and old age) once gave this game away in a filmed interview. Describing a person in the last agonies of cancer, she told the camera what she told this terminal patient: You are suffering like Christ on the cross. So Jesus must be kissing you. Unconscious of the account to which this irony might be charged, she then told of the sufferers reply: Then please tell him to stop kissing me.

The Catholic Church, of course, does not canonize people for their moral perfection. For Catholics, all human beings are fallen and sinful in nature; canonized saints are not perfect beings but simply people who led lives worthy enough to receive special recognition in their afterlives (as a technical matter, saints are those whose names can be invoked in the liturgy). So Mother Teresa could be as bad as Hitchens said she was, and yet in relevant ways good enough to deserve sainthood. And therein lies a problem. For while the church never claimed that saints are necessarily super-human, our popular perception of saints requires them to be, and so we develop historical amnesia about who they really were.

Some of the Catholic saints, even some of the real biggies, were perfectly dreadful. For starters, a startling number were anti-Semites. How dare Christians have the slightest intercourse with Jews, those most miserable of all men, asked St. John Chrysostom, the fourth-century church father. In Jesus time, the Jews evil ways corrupted the morals of the people, according to St. Thomas Aquinas. Jews are slayers of the Lord, murderers of the prophets, said St. Gregory of Nyssa. If it seems bit unfair to hold men ancient and medieval to our modern ideals of tolerationafter all, to be a European Christian was, once upon a time, to be taught to despise Jewsthen consider all the saints who were bloody crusaders, or cruel catechizers of unwilling native peoples. One begins to see that theres something unnerving about the whole category.

Of course, Wolf, the philosopher, would immediately recognize that Catholic saints were not supposed to be moral saints, not as she understands the term. The Catholic Church has historically looked to canonize people of grandeurinstitution builders, martyrs, self-flagellators, mystics, and of course miracle workersbut not always men and women of particular kindness or generosity. Contemporary Americans have tacked on a third expectation of saints, the Winfrey expectation, that they publicly perform warmth and love, if possible after encountering, in their own lives, great suffering. By brushing against evilMother Teresa in the Calcutta slums, Wiesel in the Holocaust, Winfrey and Angelou in their own childhood abuseand then emerging as beacons of love and optimism, they shore up our wishes for the perfectibility of the world.

It is our shortsighted, and very modern error, that we want Mother Teresa to be a saint by all these definitions. She was a shrewd operator, one of the great institution builders of our time. And she was a kind of witness to depravity. But she wasnt always kind, and only by suspending our honest judgment could we find her easy to love.
Its Easter, and Christians around the world are celebrating the resurrection of Jesus. Oddly, though, in the past few years the biggest surprises of the Easter season have come three days earlier, on Holy Thursday, the day when Christians celebrate the Last Supper. This year Pope Francis washed the feet of 12 young refugees. Traditionally, Popes would wash the feet of 12 Catholic men, but Francis has broken with tradition. The first year of his papacy he outraged some conservatives by choosing to wash the feet of criminals, women, and Muslims.

The choice of refugees is deliberate. Francis is trying to make the point that we are called to serve the weakest members of society who, right now, are refugees. Its a commendable gesture that has made news but you may wonder: How did a spa treatment become first a religious ritual and then a political statement?

The basis for washing feet on Holy Thursday is the account of the Last Supper. According to the Gospels, Jesus washed the feet of the disciples before his final meal with them. At the time, the disciples were debating their relative position in the kingdom of heaven. By taking on the role of a servant and washing the feet of his followers, Jesus was highlighting their pride. It was a subversive act that threw shade on the apostles ambitions. It was absorbed into Christian ritual almost immediately, being incorporated into baptismal practice across the empire from the second century onwards. And, in the 16th century, radical reforming Protestants tried to re-create the faith of the apostolic era by reintroducing foot washing into their daily lives.

Feet are a bodily focal point in the Bible. The first thing that God commands Moses to do in Exodus is to take off his shoes. He was in a holy place, God said, and he was muddying the place up. Jesus is on the receiving end of the gesture on several occasions. In John, when he visits Lazarus, Lazaruss sister Mary washes his feet, and in Luke an unnamed woman washes Jesus feet and anoints them with oil. Both women use their own hair to pat his feet dry.

The practice was taken over not only by popes but also by priests in general and even monarchs. Until 1689, English monarchs personally washed the feet of the poor. The ritual was often accompanied by the distribution of alms and clothing. But in 1689 the custom was suspended by the Protestant co-regents William and Mary, who elected to distribute coins instead. (To this day Elizabeth II still honors the custom and gives special minted money to a carefully selected group.)

As a practice, Christianity had inherited foot washing from Judaism. According to more than one rabbinic opinion, foot washing was a service that a wife was expected to render to her husband, regardless of however many maids were on hand to perform the service. Foot washing was prohibited on the Sabbath, Yom Kippur and Tisha bAv, but if a person had recently arrived from a journey caked in dirt the prohibition was lifted for them.

All the same, foot washing isnt an exclusively Judeo-Christian practice. In Buddhism, feet are considered the most unclean part of the body; even pointing ones feet in the direction of an altar or ones teacher is considered disrespectful. Ritual ablution is one of the eight offerings traditionally made to the Buddha. These offerings allow the believer to purify negative karma. In India, the parents of the bride habitually wash the feet of the groom as a means of demonstrating respect to the man who is marrying their daughter.

Even beyond Franciss gestures of humility, religious foot washing continues to be socially subversive and politically sensitive. Muslims traditionally engage in wudhu (ritual washing of various body parts, including the feet) before prayingin other words, five times a day. Because of the frequency of foot washing, public footbaths are common in Muslim countries. Their availability means that observant Muslims dont have to resort to washing their feet in the sinks of public bathrooms. The installation of footbaths has met with resistance here in the U.S. To the consternation of some, a growing number of universities have installed them on their campuses.

If washing ones own feet is a gesture of respect toward the deity, and washing the feet of others an act of humility and servitude, then kissing the feet of others was the ultimate act of obeisance. The 12th-century Pope Innocent III required that kings and fellow clerics kiss his right foot. It certainly put uppity monarchs in their place. While Francis doesnt encourage it, even today some attempt to kiss the feet of the Pope.

The sociological roots of the practice and its association with ritual purity are relatively easy to identify. In the ancient world from which the practice sprang people would wear sandals constructed from hard-to-clean animal hides. In a dusty, agrarian world feet would become caked in dirt and mud, and it was a gesture of hospitality to provide basins of water (and even a helpful servant) to travel-fatigued guests.

In its origins, then, foot washing was a gesture of hospitality, but it quickly morphed into a ceremony about social status. As ritual theorists and anyone who has ever gotten a pedicure before a hot date know, those washing feet are socially inferior to those being washed and those being washed are inferior to those for whom the ritual is performed. But for those wanting to subvert social order theres an opportunity to draw attention to injustice. When important people like Pope Francis wash the feet of the marginalized they shine a spotlight on inequality. Ultimately, if you want to aim high, stoop low.
The Easter Rising, the 1916 armed insurrection that hindsight tells us was the opening act in the successful Irish fight for independence from Great Britain, was by almost any measure a catastrophe.

It did not, at the time, look like the beginning of anything. The conspirators who planned it did not plan well, nor did what plans they laid turn out the way they hoped. Hundreds of people died needlessly.

It would have been almost impossible at the time to predict that the Easter Rising was a turning point in Irish history, that the events of that bloody week would set in motion a chain of events that would ultimately result in Irelands independence. Historians and partisans still argue over the efficacy of the revolt and its execution. But Ireland being Ireland, a land that bred some of the finest writing of the last century, it is not surprising that the finest summation of that event comes from a poet, William Butler Yeats, whose ambivalent and mysterious Easter, 1916 is not only one of the most powerful poems ever written but a splendid snapshot of his nations confusion over what had transpired in the revolt and the concurrent understanding that something momentous, a profound game change, had just happened.

When the six-day revolt was over, smothered by fierce British retaliation that left more than 400 people deadmost of them civiliansas well as thousands wounded and the city of Dublin shelled and burned, every aspect of the revolt bore the stench of failure.

A lot of that failure was the fault of the conspirators. They failed to capture key positions in the city of Dublin, including city hall and the docks and railway stations. So when the British sent troops to quell the revolt, they had little trouble entering Dublin, where most of the fighting took place. For that matter, confusion was general all over Ireland.

Worse, the conspirators failed to warn their countrymen about what was happening, so that once the fighting started, some of the fiercest opposition came from the Irish themselves, and not only from the six, largely Protestant counties in the North that would eventually make up what is now Northern Ireland. Many Dubliners, for instance, were confused and baffled by the revolt in their streets, and either actively opposed the insurrectionists or simply refused to help them.

Things might have turned out very differently in the long run had the British settled for merely restoring peace and exploiting that lack of consensus on the part of the Irish. Instead, they savagely put down the revolt and then sent some 90 conspirators to face the firing squad in a matter of days. The reprisals, coupled with the hard line the British took going forward, fueled the opposition and, more important, solidified it. Factions coalesced behind Sinn Fein, the militant group that would spearhead the fight for independence, and the table was set for the civil war that eight years later resulted in the Irish Free State and ultimately in the republic of Ireland in 1937. The Irish lost in the Easter rebellion, but the English lost Ireland.

Yeats was 50 years old at the time, a prominent poet still known mostly as one of the leaders of the Irish renaissance, a movement that extolled the native traditions and folklore of the country. Like his collaborators, the playwright John Millington Synge and Lady Augusta Gregory, Yeats was a cultural revolutionary, but he was not particularly political and disparaged violence as a means of creating an Irish republic. But at the time of the Easter rebellion, he was in the process of changing as a poet, influenced both by literary modernism and the events in his own country. Going forward, he was guided as much by what he saw in the street outside his door as he was by the past, and what he wrote from then on would secure his reputation as arguably the finest poet of the 20th century.

The amazing thing about this transformation is that it did not make the poet more didactic. Yeats was never a preacher. Rather, it made him more subtle, more open to ambiguity. But ambiguity in Yeatss hands was neither wishy washy nor vague. He might be oblique, but he was never opaque.

In Easter, 1916, written in the months that followed the failed uprising, he would express perfectly the confusion and awe with which he and the citizens of his country were consumed.

We make out of the quarrel with others, rhetoric, but of the quarrel with ourselves, poetry, he once said, and no poem of his illustrates that sentiment better than Easter, 1916. It begins in everydayness: I have met them at close of day / Coming with vivid faces / From counter or desk among / Eighteenth-century houses. / I have passed with a nod of the head / Or polite meaningless words, / Or have lingered awhile and said / Polite meaningless words, / And thought before I had done / Of a mocking tale or a gibe / To please a companion / Around the fire at the club, / Being certain that they and I / But lived where motley is worn: / All changed, changed utterly: / A terrible beauty is born.

This is the plainest of the poems four verses, but even here, the quotidian is upended and placed in the past tense. That foolish, almost clownish reality (where motley is worn) is seen, as it were, in the rear-view mirror. Something has happened, something both terrible and beautiful, and there is no going back.

The rest of the poem proceeds in similar fashion, with people and realities changing like clouds (Minute by minute they change), and each part, fractal fashion, reflects the whole of the poem. Even a man he despised he now sees in a different light, less than a hero perhaps but more than a cad.

In the end Yeats is still not sure whether the price paid was worth it (Was it needless death after all?). But on one point he does not dither: The men and women he writes about changed history, and in turn they too were changed, as Yeats was, by what happened in that bloody week a century ago.

The easy explanation for all this is to say that the Easter Rising politicized Yeats, and to the extent that it drew him into more complete engagement with his time and his country, that is true. But to stop there does a disservice to the confusion and mystery he has witnessed and set down with such clarity in his poem. For Easter, 1916 is not only complex and mysterious, it is about complexity and mystery, about beauties that are terrible. Events, especially cataclysmic events, he tells us, are not easily parsed, and we do them and ourselves an injustice to pretend otherwise. All we can do, the poem reminds us, is to confront conflicting realities and reconcile them as best we can. No poet, not even Yeats himself, ever said it better than in Easter, 1916.
It was impossible to overlook the towering timber cross in the front of the handsome little sanctuary at Zion United Church of Christ. That should, after all, be the point during Holy Week.

A few minutes before the start of the Maundy Thursday service, the crowd looked a little thin. The morning's heavy rains had perhaps discouraged some folks.

But by the time the service began at noon, the pews had filled in nicely with members of more than a half-dozen Henderson churches  Zion UCC, of course, but also First Christian, Community Baptist, St. Paul's Episcopal, the Presbyterian Church, First United Methodist and Holy Name Catholic churches.

Those are the traditional weekly hosts of the Henderson Ministerial Association's annual Lenten Series of services that stretch over six weeks. It for several years fallen to Zion UCC to host the service on Maundy Thursday.

("Maundy," I read, refers to Jesus' humbling of himself by washing his disciples' feet at the Last Supper, mere hours before the betrayal and arrest. The word derives from the Latin word for "commandment." The Gospel of John reports that after the foot washing, Jesus gave the disciples a new commandment: "Love one another.")

To be sure, Lent isn't a tradition for every denomination. Still, Zion UCC's pastor, Rev. Robert Coons, remarked at the start of the service that it's good when members of different congregations come together in worship. I've made several new friends as a result of attending, including among several of the pastors.

This year's service at Zion UCC included some familiar traditions, such as the Short Way of the Cross. This consists of a leader reciting 14 stages, or "stations," of Jesus' trip to and crucifixion on the cross on Good Friday, with each recital followed by a liturgical response from the congregation.

Then there was an entirely nontraditional presentation, by a costumed Rev. Coons  a dramatization of an anguished Judas coming to the realization of what he had done by betraying Jesus.

But on this Maundy Thursday, what moved me most were the hymns we sang.

First was "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," which begins with one of the most powerful declarations ever heard in a hymn:

"When I survey the wondrous cross

on which the Prince of glory died;

My richest gain I count but loss

and pour contempt on all my pride."

This marvelous hymn was written by Isaac Watts and first published in 1707, and today is regarded as a masterpiece. The New Century Hymnal, from which we sang, declared that it "has been acclaimed as one of the finest in the English language."

Charles Wesley, who wrote more than 6,000 hymns  including "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing"  reportedly said he would give up all his songs to have written "Wondrous Cross."

Curiously, the original fourth stanza is typically omitted from hymnals, despite its moving poetry:

"His dying crimson, like a robe,

Spreads o'er his body on the tree;

Then I am dead to all the globe,

And all the globe is dead to me."

Less familiar to me was "O Sacred Head, Now Wounded." Our hymnal attributed it to a medieval Latin text that dates to the 12th century. It was translated into German by a Lutheran pastor hundreds of years later. We sang a popular English version that was translated by a young American Presbyterian minister, James Waddel Alexander, in 1830.

It was the first line of the second stanza that stopped me in my tracks:

"What you, dear Savior, suffered was all for sinners' gain"

Well, yes, there you have it. But have you ever seen it expressed quite so bluntly? I hadn't, or don't recall it.

So now it is Easter.

This year, it comes early. Easter falls on the first Sunday after the first full moon after the spring equinox (aka, the first day of spring). It can fall as early as March 22 or as late as April 25, according to people who have a much better bead on such things than me.

Still, as early as it comes this year, it looks like Easter. The grass is turning green and is growing. Lawns are being mowed. Daffodils are blooming in Central Park here, and some trees have begun to flower. When I last checked, the temperature was forecast to be 70 degrees.

With the arrival of Easter, Lent has passed. I'm afraid, once again, that I didn't observe it as solemnly as I could.

I did not fast (although I have cut back on bread a bit, albeit it for reasons of vanity).

I didn't give up some delicious thing for Lent, as my Catholic friends traditionally do and others have begun to as well.

I didn't meditate on its meaning as deeply as one ought, largely because my mind tends to wander when in meditation but mostly because I didn't commit to it.

And I haven't repented as profoundly as I should when Easter approaches.

But I can say that I was moved by lyrics from a pair of hymns written so very long ago.

Chuck Stinnett can be reached at chuck.stinnett@gmail.com.
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By Gleaner Staff

The Henderson County Republican Party's Executive Committee will meet April 7 to select a candidate to run for judge-executive in the November general election. The meeting is not open to the public.

According to a news release from the party, "While Governor Bevin has appointed Brad Schneider to serve as interim county judge-executive until the November election, it is the duty of the local Republican Executive Committee to nominate a candidate for the ballot."

In an interview after Bevin made the announcement on March 18, Schneider said he'd met with the county Republican Party's executive committee prior to his interview with the governor.

"I intend to run," Schneider said at the time. "The campaign will start almost immediately."

Henderson County Republican Party Chairman Richard Shoulders said he did not attend the meeting in which Schneider met with county party officials but said he'd read the minutes and the topic of whether Schneider would be the nominee never came up.

"That meeting was about making a recommendation to the governor for judge-executive," Shoulders said Friday. "The nominee is an entirely separate issue."

Schneider said Friday he was confident he would be the Republican nominee.

If he is not selected, Schneider said, "the only way I could run is as a write-in candidate. I'm not sure I'd want to go that route if I don't get the Republican nomination. I really haven't given it much thought."

Schneider could not run as an independent since he is registered as a Republican.

Democratic nominee Tina McCormick filed paperwork Thursday to run in the general election in November for the position. McCormick, executive director of the Kentucky Rural Health Association, is the wife of late Judge-executive Hugh McCormick.

Tina McCormick was elected as the Democratic nominee at the Henderson County Democratic Party executive meeting on Monday night.

She and the Republican nominee will face each other in November's general election. The winner will serve out the remaining two years of Hugh McCormick's term.
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.
NEW YORK CITY -- A free, public two-day event at The Cooper Union in Manhattan marking the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising in Ireland will examine that country's history and future.

The first evening, Sunday, April 27, from 7 to 11 p.m., will look at the cause of labor and James Connolly's legacy in the American and Irish labor movements. Connelly, an Irish leader, was executed for his role in the Easter Rising. The second evening, Monday, April 28, also from 7 ro 11 p.m. considers Ireland's past, present and future and the case for Irish unity.
WASHINGTON  Connecticut lawmakers are hoping a study they helped commission will stop the federal government from selling Plum Island, 840 acres of land in Long Island Sound where the federal government has long studied dangerous animal diseases.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture ran biological experiments for decades on the island, working on animal illnesses like swine flu and foot-and-mouth disease, a highly contagious livestock illness.

But the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is now in charge of the National Bio and Agro-Defense Facility on Plum Island and is shutting down operations there and moving the laboratory to Manhattan, Kansas. The General Services Administration has been tasked with selling the island to the highest bidder, and said Friday it is moving ahead with preparations.

A coalition of environmental groups, including Audubon Connecticut and Connecticut Fund for the Environment/Save the Sound, and lawmakers from Connecticut and New York are trying to stop that sale to developers. Saying it has unique flora and fauna because it has been kept from development and has had a limited human presence, environmentalists want the island, named for the beach plums that grow along its shores, to become a national park or wildlife sanctuary.

The two environmental groups and U.S. Sens. Richard Blumenthal and Chris Murphy held a press conference Friday in Old Saybrook to talk about a provision inserted in last year's budget bill requiring a study of the island.

"Plum Island is a Connecticut natural treasure it should be preserved and permanently protected, not sold to the highest bidder," Murphy said.

Plum Island's historic sites date back to the Spanish-American War. It is also home to the largest seal colony on Long Island Sound.

The GSA has said there is tremendous interest in Plum Island from potential buyers.

GSA spokesman Patrick J. Sclafani said the agency has engaged a national real estate consulting firm that will be holding focus groups sometime this year "that represent potential market sectors."

To try to block a sale, Blumenthal and Murphy helped insert language last year in a huge budget bill requiring the Department of Homeland Security, the General Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of the Interior to report on the best alternatives for conserving Plum Island's natural and historic resources.

The report is due in June.

"I'm pressing them aggressively and strongly to reach the right conclusion and determine Plum Island should be a national park," Blumenthal said.

He said Congress mandated the sale of Plum Island to help pay for construction of the new bio-lab in Kansas. But last year's budget bill included money for the lab, so the sale of the island is no longer needed, Blumenthal said.

He also said the budget-bill language ordering the multi-agency study on the island would make it difficult to sell Plum Island. "My view of the spirit and intent of the provision is that it can't be done," Blumenthal said.

But Sciafani said the GSA, in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security, is taking environmental and regulatory issues into consideration as they move forward on the sale.

He said the GSA "continues to engage in several regulatory compliance efforts to protect endangered and threatened species, list eligible historic resources on the National Register of Historic Places, assess and protect wetlands, consider effects on the coastal zone, and address the potential presence of residual contamination associated with past use."

He said the compliance efforts are being conducted through consultations with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the National Park Service, the New York State Historic Preservation Office, the New York State Department of Environment and Conservation "and other appropriate consulting parties."

This story originally appeared at CTMirror.org, the website of The Connecticut Mirror, an independent, nonprofit news organization covering government, politics and public policy in the state.

There is also local resistance to the sale of Plum Island, which is part of the New York town of Southold.

Two years ago, Southold sought to safeguard Plum Island by rezoning it so only nature preserves, parks and museums would be allowed.
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LOS ANGELES -- A popular practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine was found shot to death and wrapped in plastic along with his wife and 5-year-old daughter in their palatial two-story home in upscale Santa Barbara County. More than 170 miles to the south, a 27-year-old suspect was arrested in the San Diego area.

What connected the two men remains largely unclear. Authorities said only that the two were recently involved in a business deal, and that financial gain could have been involved in the slayings.

Pierre Haobsh, 27, of Oceanside was taken into custody at gunpoint at a gas station in San Diego County, Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bob Brown said Friday. Investigators with an arrest warrant had been following a red Lexus that belonged to him, Brown said. A loaded handgun and property belonging to one of the victims was found inside the car, the sheriff said.

Deputies who went to check on the welfare of 57-year-old Dr. Weidong "Henry" Han on Wednesday found the bodies of the physician, his 29-year-old wife, Huijie "Jenni" Yu, and the couple's 5-year-old daughter, Emily Han, in the family's multimillion-dollar home on the outskirts of Santa Barbara.

Their bodies were found shot, wrapped in plastic and duct-taped in the garage, a sheriff's statement said. They had last been seen the night before they were found.

Two business associates of Han went to his home after he failed to show up for a meeting -- something they told authorities was highly uncharacteristic of him. The associates called authorities when they found the front door ajar and the family's cars parked outside.

Haobsh is a U.S. citizen, authorities said, but few other details about him were released.

Nadine Jolie Courtney, a beauty blogger and author, wrote in an email message Saturday that Haobsh was her brother. She condemned the killings and extended her prayers to the Han family.

"We cannot wrap our minds around this tragedy and are in a state of shock," she wrote on behalf of herself and her husband.

The killings shook Santa Barbara, where Han, who owned and operated the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic, was a popular figure.

The couple's daughter was a kindergartener at Foothill Elementary School in the Goleta Unified School District, where counselors were made available to her classmates and their parents, the school said in a statement.

Saturday was the girl's sixth birthday, family and friends told the Los Angeles Times.

Han had owned and operated the Santa Barbara Herb Clinic since 1991, according to the clinic's website. Public records show he is a licensed acupuncturist.

A biography on his website says he earned degrees in Oriental and Western medicine from a Beijing university in 1982, graduating at the top of his class. He moved to the U.S. a few years later to study psychology.

Han came from a family of Chinese doctors and provided traditional treatments including acupuncture, acupressure and herbal formulas from an on-site Chinese pharmacy.

He is co-author of the book "Ancient Herbs, Modern Medicine," and he was working on a volume about how to integrate Chinese and Western medicine. At the clinic, he created individualized herbal formulas for each patient that were filled at an on-site pharmacy.

___

Associated Press writer Amy Taxin contributed to this report from Tustin, California.
WESTON -- Rev. Jeff Grant and his wife, Lynn Springer, held a seminar to provide support and counseling to individuals and families with white-collar and nonviolent incarceration issues at Norfield Congregational Church, held by the Weston Kiwanis Club on Saturday morning.

After serving 14 months in a federal prison, Grant gives spiritual and practical advice to those in need based on his own experiences.

"Our job is to try and reach people who are suffering in silence," said Grant, minister and director of the Progressive Prison Project. "I provide one-on-one pastoral counseling for the men (who are serving their sentences) and my wife Lynn supports the families going through these tough times."

Grant and Springer are an outreach ministry who work with Norfield Congregational Church in Weston, the Christ Church in Greenwich and the First Baptist Church in Bridgeport.

"We try to change the mindset of these families," said Springer, founding advocate for the Innocent Spouse & Children Project. "These people come from very privileged lives. We try to get these families to find gratitude in their situations, and we work on that a lot."

Springer also helps the families with practical information because once the men are sentenced, the families are (usually) left without the breadwinner. She instructs them on using food banks and other services.

"We help people all over the country. If they are close by, we invite them to our house," said Springer. "We are like one family. One Christmas, we had a family over and we helped them make Christmas presents for their kids ... We try to shift them into a loving life in a different way, where they are grateful for a new day -- which can be quite a contrast since there's no more jetting off to the Bahamas or St. Barts."

Grant has been a guest preacher at the Christ & Holy Trinity Episcopal Church in Westport and the Emmanuel Episcopal in Weston.

"Part of my one-on-one pastoral counseling involves prison readiness," said Grant. "Not only do I do the spiritual side, but I also counsel them on the pragmatic side: how to navigate the system and try to help them get a career afterwards. I also help teach them how to handle themselves (in prison) -- what to talk about and what not to talk about."

Grant and Springer emphasize that they try to teach these people that they need to treat these experiences as transformative and periods of growth, instead of punishments.

"We want these people to build their own rehabilitation program," said Springer. "

Grant was sentenced to 18 months in a federal prison for making false statements on the SBA 9/11 loan application -- low-interest loans for businesses that had been adversely affected by the terrorist attack. Grant was a corporate and real estate lawyer for a firm located in Mamaroneck, N.Y. He applied for the loan because of the shame and guilt he felt towards his struggling business, as well as his escalating addiction to painkillers. On Easter Sunday of 2006, he reported to Allenwood Low Security Corrections Institution in White Deer, Penn.

"I got a reduced sentence for my service work," said Grant. "I made full restitution of the money that was loaned."

Grant turned to the ministry when he was released from prison, after a recommendation from Rev. Chris Tate at the Second Congregational Church in Greenwich.

"There is a lot of suffering for these fathers and families, and they could be living right down the street and you'd never know," said Grant. "We try to show passion and empathy to their struggle and help them through it."

The Progressive Prison Project/Innocent Spouse & Children Project is the first ministry in the U.S. created to provide confidential support and counseling for white-collar and other non-violent incarceration issues.

For more information about Grant and Springer or for people going through a similar situation, visit their website for Progressive Prison Project/Innocent Spouse & Children Project at prisonist.org or call them at (203) 769-1096.
The shocking news reports were all too familiar: attacks using improvised explosive devices and suicide bombers in a major European capital, leaving scores dead and wounded. Madrid 2004. London 2005. Paris 2015. And now, Brussels 2016 is added to the grim list of scarred cities. But while the similarities are clear, the attacks in Brussels likely illustrate and portend radical changes in the terrorism and security landscape.

The first seismic shift comes from Brussels's almost certain link to the November Paris attacks. Although the connection is not yet confirmed, early evidence suggests that the attackers in Brussels were closely linked to if not an integral part of the network that planned and executed the Paris events. Should this turn out to be the case -- unlike closely timed copycat attacks of the past, such as that in London in 2005 -- Brussels would mark the first time since 9/11 that a terrorist cell in the West survived to launch more than a single attack. And this despite four months of Europe's most intensive counterterrorism operations of the past 15 years by France, Belgium and other partner nations.

If confirmed, the significance of this network's ability to survive cannot be underestimated and is likely driven by three factors: volume, sophistication and communications. With respect to volume, the sheer number of potential terrorists, especially ones who have received training thanks to the proximity of the Syrian conflict, is simply overwhelming European security services. With this volume has also come a level of sophistication - in planning, in staying "below the radar" and in creation of effective improvised explosive devices -- that would have allowed this cell to survive the disruption of network safe houses and leadership and still move forward successfully.

Finally, we must examine closely the extent to which widely available and simple-to-use methods of secure electronic communications could have allowed this cell to hide its electronic tracks post-Paris. In the past, once attacks occurred in the West, the United States and our allies were masterful in quickly obtaining and exploiting every bit of digital evidence associated with a plot. As a result, in 15 years no cells were sufficiently clandestine or resilient to continue to plot after being revealed by an attack. Although we never completely eliminated the masterminds in Pakistan, Yemen or Somalia, we always discovered enough to eliminate the group that had established roots in the West. I fear what we shall find in the Paris-Brussels network is that the group's communications were effectively hidden or sufficiently ephemeral to prevent security services from fully mapping the network that lived -- post-Paris -- to fight another day.

Brussels does not simply represent change in the terrorists, it also portends great change (or future failure) for European security services. Post-Paris, the European Union's open borders were on life support; post-Brussels, the Schengen Agreement that requires such reliance on European counterparts is all but dead. As terrorists move freely about, a borderless Europe is already challenging, but when combined with bordered European security and intelligence services, the result is tragically predictable. The European Parliament will not give in easily, but a thickening of European borders, the establishment of robust, multilateral information-sharing arrangements and new European intelligence cooperation will be required to reduce the likelihood of future tragedies.

The United States has a critical role to play in addressing both of these sets of challenges. As the West's technology center and intelligence leader, we must continue to work closely with our European partners and strengthen key bilateral and multilateral relationships. Moreover, we must re-learn -- and re-teach -- the painful lessons of the past decade-plus: Effective counterterrorism must balance a forceful mix of offense, defense and engagement with both partners and vulnerable populations. We must redouble our efforts to address the deadly cauldron that Syria has become, recognizing that disrupting networks closer to home is more difficult than it has been in the past. There are no quick fixes on any of these fronts, but there will be no fixes at all if we do not recognize the significant evolution of the terrorism threat and our ability to address it.

Michael Leiter, executive vice president of the national security company Leidos, was director of theNational Counterterrorism Center from 2007 to 2011.
Major Dustin Wilke, commander of the Aviation Support group station near the Grand Island Airport, was the speaker. He is associated with the Blackhawk helicopter group. The group conducts regular training sessions in preparation for natural disasters such as floods, hurricanes and fires. They also are help in doing patrol work during the nighttime along the Mexican border.
For more than 80 years, the Ogallala Aquifer, the largest fresh-water aquifer in the world, has been the main source of agricultural and public water for Nebraska and parts of seven other states.

Now researchers from the Institute of Agriculture and Natural Resources at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and the Nebraska Water Center, part of the Robert B. Daugherty Water for Food Institute at the University of Nebraska, will play key roles in a U.S. Department of Agriculture National Institute of Food and Agriculture-funded consortium to address agricultural sustainability on the aquifer.

The consortium has been awarded a USDA Water for Agriculture Challenge Area Coordinated Agricultural Project grant, which will provide $10 million over four years for research and extension activities to address water challenges in the Ogallala Aquifer region. The grant will take a comprehensive approach, integrating management strategies to improve water use across the region.

The Ogallala Aquifer region accounts for 30 percent of total crop and animal production in the United States, and more than 90 percent of the water pumped from the aquifer is used for irrigated agriculture. With climate change projections and recent declines of groundwater, the aquifer, along with many of the world's aquifers, is declining on a path many consider to be unsustainable.

Groundwater levels and management practices vary greatly across the Ogallala Aquifer region. This project seeks to develop a successful model of integration that leads to wide-scale changes in the management of the aquifer and informs aquifer management across the world.

"The Ogallala Aquifer is a vast resource that is vitally important to Nebraska agriculture and to our state's ag economy, but it is not endless and needs to be used and cared for wisely and sustainably," said Chittaranjan Ray, director of the Nebraska Water Center.

As part of the project, Ray will take a leading role in gathering adequate hydrologic and crop water use data, which can be used to manage pumping rates. A comprehensive hydrologic model exists for the Northern High Plains region of the Ogallala, but an aquifer-wide hydrologic model has never been created.

"This project recognizes and will build upon a wealth of knowledge and previous aquifer research to build a useable baseline of data on water levels, pumpage dynamics, institutional controls and climatic variability," Ray said. "This data will be used to develop the best cropping management and irrigation technologies that will help maintain aquifer health into the future, keeping appropriate economic and social issues in mind."

While gathering this data is challenging, Ray will rely on longstanding Nebraska Water Center connections with groups with a history of addressing the state's water issues.

To implement new policies and management practices, establishing communication networks across the region will be necessary. In addition, the project will look to inform non-farm consumers about the role of water in food production.

Co-investigators from UNL are Tim Shaver, agronomist and nutrient management specialist; Daran Rudnick, Water for Food Institute faculty fellow and irrigation management specialist; and Karina Schoengold, Water for Food Institute faculty fellow and environmental and resource economist.
LINCOLN -- The air above New York City is a little cleaner, thanks to Nebraska soybean growers. Heating oil dealers in the Big Apple are blending more biodiesel into their product because it reduces harmful emissions.

The initial push to use biodiesel in heating oil came from the Nebraska Soybean Board (NSB). The board funded research proving biodiesel's viability as a heating oil blend, now known as Bioheat. Soybean farmers from Nebraska and other states recently visited New York to see firsthand how biodiesel is filling a need for cleaner burning fuel in the city.

Steven Levy, fuel distributor and member of the National Biodiesel Board, said Bioheat has helped the industry meet demand for cleaner energy, and he credits the foresight of Nebraska farmers.

"People in Nebraska saw the opportunity in heating oil. They truly opened the door," said Levy.

The group visited a biodiesel terminal and met with heating oil dealers like Allison Heaney, the owner and president of Skaggs-Walsh, who said Bioheat has helped fight perceptions that heating oil is a dirty, old-fashioned fuel.

"Utilizing Bioheat has really allowed me to enter the 21st century in my business," Heaney said. "Bioheat has really breathed new life into my industry."

Greg Anderson is a NSB director and member of the National Biodiesel Board. He said the NSB "went out on a limb" to invest in the potential of biodiesel, and he's gratified to see the investment pay off for farmers, heating oil dealers and the environment.

"New York City is now the largest consumer of biodiesel in the U.S. due in large part to Bioheat," said Anderson. "We didn't envision the market growing to this scale, this quickly, but the Nebraska Soybean Board is proud of the role we've played in this success story."

Anderson said there's plenty of potential for additional growth. Within the city of New York, heating oil is required to contain 2 percent biodiesel. But blends of up to 20 percent biodiesel were recently approved for use. Biodiesel blends also fuel the city's diesel-powered vehicles.

"We're no niche product anymore," Anderson said. "We're mainstream."

Anderson and Heaney agree that heating oil dealers and farmers are more similar than people might think. The trip, sponsored by the National Biodiesel Board, helps them better understand a relationship that benefits both.

"The heating oil industry is filled with a lot of family businesses and it seems like a perfect fit with the farming community," Heaney said.

"Like farmers, oil heat dealers are very connected to their customers and have deep roots and tradition," Anderson said.
The Platte River Whooping Crane Maintenance Trust, which owns and operates the Crane Trust Nature and Visitor Center, has asked to have all its land and buildings exempt from property tax.

The request would take 28 parcels, with nearly $10 million of land and building value, off the tax rolls in Hall County. The trust has made a similar request in Buffalo County.

The trust made a formal plea on Tuesday to the Hall County Board of Supervisors, sitting as the board of equalization, because County Assessor Jan Pelland had recommended against the exemption. The board postponed a determination to its next meeting at 9 a.m. April 5.

The trust uses the land for scientific research and allows public access, trust attorney Jordan Adam from Omaha said.

One of the tests for exempt status is whether or not the property is used for educational and charitable benefit, Adam said. They have researchers from across the world that come onto the Crane Trust property and study the birds in their natural habitat.

The county exempted the trusts $1.5 million research center and 40 acres along the Platte River northwest of Amick Acres in 2011. The county initially denied that exemption, but the trust appealed to the Nebraska Tax Equalization and Review Commission. The county granted the request prior to a TERC hearing.

The trusts $1.4 million visitor center near the Interstate 80 Alda interchange was exempted in 1996, along with 3.5 acres of nearby habitat in 2005, when those facilities were owned by a different nonprofit.

The trust asked last year to exempt six additional parcels, primarily between the research center and visitor center. The county denied that request, which the trust appealed to TERC. No hearing date has been set.

This year, the trust is again asking for those six parcels to be exempt, plus 22 more along both sides of the Platte River from Alda Road to Highway 281.

I dont feel that all of these are being used in an educational manner, Pelland said, and the fact that some of them are being leased out for grazing and row-crop purposes, I didnt feel they were justified in being exempted.

The trust argued that the lease money goes back into its charitable mission. Adam said the planting and grazing are also part of the trusts stewardship of the land for migrating sandhill cranes and endangered whooping cranes.

Controlled burning, flattening of the land, grazing and crop production create an area for the birds to roost and nest, he said.

Trust Vice President Brice Krohn said diversity and disturbance are needed on the land to complete the ecological process.

Without the cattle grazing, without the bison, we dont know how that habitat would be in the future, Krohn said. It could be a very tree forested species versus an open grassland without the disturbance that we do.

The trust also clears river channels and islands to make a place for the birds, he said.

Our management actions today are promoting what we have here now, Krohn said.

But Supervisor Steve Schuppan of Doniphan said hes lived in Hall County all his life, and cranes have always been here and always will be, regardless of the trusts action.

Boards like ours have to make a stand sometime against this stuff, he said. It cant go on like this. It just erodes our tax base.

Adam said the request affects 4,100 acres that generate $132,000 in property taxes annually.

Pellands records show the 28 parcels encompass just more than 5,000 acres with a valuation of nearly $9.7 million.

Records show three school districts would be the biggest losers of tax revenue. Northwest has nearly $3.7 million of the valuation; Wood River, $3.3 million; and Doniphan-Trumbull, nearly $2.7 million.

Northwest Superintendent Matt Fisher said the exemption would shrink the number of people paying property tax to support Northwest, which would be a shift of the tax burden.

Wed just as soon not see that happen, Fisher said. But, at the same time, theres obviously value in what theyre doing, too.

Supervisor Jane Richardson asked Adam if the land remains leased.

Were talking about 2016, and we do not have any of this property under lease right now, Adam said.

Through additional questioning, though, the board determined that the trust intends to lease land in 2016, typically April through October, Krohn said.

The board asked to know the percentage of land that would be leased, and neither Adam nor Krohn could provide specific acreages or percentages. They offered to provide the details in the coming days.

Pelland said a percentage of property can be exempt based on how much is used for the exempt purpose, such as clubs that are exempt but pay taxes on the area where they sell alcohol, which cannot be tax-exempt. It comes down to revenues, she said, which is why she is recommending against the exemption for the trust.

In the past, about 50 percent of the land has been leased, Adam estimated. With less than 50 percent of the land leased and all of it used for education, research and habitat, Adam said the trust is requesting a 100 percent exemption.

Schuppan said any tax exemption goes against the word of Dick Spelts, who helped create and run the trust in the 1970s and promised the land would always remain on the tax rolls.

Thats hearsay, Adam told Schuppan.

This aint a courtroom, Schuppan replied.

Pretty soon, were not going to have anything in this county to tax anymore, Schuppan said. I honestly dont see how you can go out and lease part of this land and then not say youre not generating any income off it.

Adam said he didnt see how the county could exempt the research center and visitor center and not the rest of the Crane Trust land.

If this gets denied, were going ... to appeal it to TERC, and its going to spend more time of the countys resources on something that I dont think has any merit on a legal basis, Adam said.

Supervisor Doug Lanfear said he favored TERC deciding the issue.

The board requested the trust bring back specific data on how much of the land has been leased in the past and how much will be leased in 2016, which Adam consented to provide.
Today is Maundy Thursday, and tomorrow is Good Friday. Today and tomorrow are my two most significant, influential days of the year, Kristine Diana Schroeder said this past Thursday afternoon at Messiah Lutheran Church in Grand Island.

Schroeder, an ordained Lutheran pastor who was born with a medical condition known as Proteus-like syndrome, said the two holy days are important because Christs suffering and death on the cross let her know that in no way am I alone. God already knows what it is like to send his son to suffer.

That gave my parents the comfort that God had already experienced everything they experienced every time I had to go in for an excruciating test or had to have another surgery or when they had to leave their 6-month-old at the hospital overnight, she said. It was not an easy thing to do, but it gave them the strength to say, We are not alone in this, and someones walking this journey with us.

Even as a child, these were my favorite two days, Schroeder said. The holy days point to the love of what was done for us. Easter is the promise fulfilled. Today (Maundy Thursday) we are told, Do this in remembrance of me. Even though you are going to betray me and even though youre not going to do what youre supposed to do, I still love you enough to do what Im going to do tomorrow.

Schroeder said Jesus promises to his followers are kept on Easter Sunday. She thinks many others also understand that human suffering finds hope in Jesus Resurrection on Easter Sunday.

Ive always tried to make it clear to people that my trial for the most part has been a medical, life-altering or mortality type of suffering, she said. We may look at someone and think they have the perfect life, but they really dont. Everybody has got their own trial theyre dealing with at certain times in their life, and that changes over time. Mine has just been pretty consistent. I think it speaks to what we all suffer in our own way.

Schroeder said Easter Sunday is also a reminder that the only constant thing is God. The only thing that is never changing is God. Even though we celebrate Easter every year, its that reminder, that promised fulfilled again, that I am still who I say I am.

While Schroeder believes she has much company in facing lifes trials, she is unique in one way: She has written a book called, Trials to Triumph: A True Story of Faith and Hope. Her familys faith journey began when she was born in Lancaster, Calif., because her birth defects were immediately obvious.

There were bony abnormalities, a lot of tumors that were visible to the naked eye, uneven limbs. Those were the things that they could be seen without doing any testing.

The answers were slow in coming.

It was years of diagnosis after diagnosis to find out that those were the wrong diagnoses, she said. That was a trial for her parents, Jerry and Lois Scott.

When I was very young, the doctors told my parents that I wouldnt live past high school. I didnt know that until I was in my late 20s. And I didnt receive an official diagnosis until 2002.

That 2002 diagnosis was that Schroeder has Proteus-like syndrome. It is distinguished from Proteus syndrome, which becomes apparent within the first 6 to 18 months of an infants life, when tumors and bony abnormalities begin to appear.

I was born with everything, Schroeder said.

Proteus syndrome is extremely rare, as is Proteus-like. That is why finding an answer was elusive.

We initially used to drive from Lancaster to downtown Los Angeles before the freeways were built to the Mojave Desert, so it would take an hour and a half plus to get there, Schroeder said.

It was a nearly constant routine.

There was one year when I had five surgeries. You go for all the pre-surgery appointments. You go to the hospital. There was only one day in my childhood that my parents did not come to see me when I was in the hospital.

Schroeder had 25 surgeries before she was 20 and has had 42 to date. They included things such as spinal fusion and operations to make it easier for her to walk. Some surgeries involved life-threatening situations, including once when a tumor was wrapped around a main artery.

They didnt know that until they went in there, but it was certainly a good thing they took it out, she said.

Despite all the previous incorrect diagnoses, Schroeder almost immediately accepted the diagnosis of Proteus-like syndrome because she had every single symptom.

Most patients with Proteus die before they hit their 20s, and the biggest cause of death is pulmonary embolism. I had just had four blood clots to my lungs within 12 months, she said. You learn that you shouldnt live past your 20s, and here I am in my 30s (at the time of diagnosis), and you say, OK, because it kind of hits the age progression.

Schroeder said the right diagnosis happened because one doctor was determined to do enough testing to get the right answer. Ironically, even if Proteus-like had been diagnosed at birth, perhaps the only thing that might have been changed is treatment to prevent her pulmonary embolisms.

Before receiving her diagnosis, Schroeder had been doing a lot of praying and soul-searching. That included reading the third chapter of Ecclesiastes, which begins, To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven. She was stopped short when she came to the verse that said there was a time to search and a time to give up. She asked if it mattered if she got ever got a right answer.

Does that really change who you are? For me, that became very climatic. Then, within about 10, 11 months, the diagnosis came.

Schroeder said her book is not a story of personal perseverance but of asking questions while living in faith. She grew up in a Christian home, with the pastor at her church, Larry Johnson, becoming very influential for both her and her family. Because she went through so many tests and spent so many nights in the hospital, she had a lot of time alone to ask her questions. She prayed and read Scripture, coming to the realization that God is wherever I am.

Schroeder said the questions she asked are not unique.

I think anybody would ask why, she said.

She said her other far-from-unique questions were, What am I supposed to learn from this? What am I supposed to do with this? How do you make sense out of this? The reality is I dont believe that anybody in any difficult situation  or even life in general  thinks anything different. You see a car accident and you ask why, what am I supposed to learn from this, what do I take from this? Someone dies; we ask similar questions.

The only difference is that Schroeder asked the questions so early in life, coming to terms with her mortality at an extremely young age. Her experiences made her see the hand of God, the miracles of God, at work in her life. She believes her story of asking questions while maintaining hope and faith encourages others to take those difficult steps.

Schroeder said the hand of God led her through college and to seminary, where she not only became an ordained minister but also met her husband, Bill, who became pastor at Messiah Lutheran Church in Grand Island almost exactly one year ago.

Schroeder said she wrote her book, published in December, because she realizes everyone at some point needs encouragement.

The wisdom comes from the people Ive met, the families and the children that have influenced my life, and the things Ive learned from them, because thats what makes me who I am. The book is really a culmination of my life and faith story along with the things Ive learned or been taught along the way by others, she said.

Schroeder started writing 10 to 12 years ago, but she realizes that, if she had finished a dozen years ago, theres probably a third or more of the book that wouldnt be there because of the experiences, the miracles, the wisdom that have transpired since then.
DEARBORN, Mich.  If Mark Fields theory is correct, his industry faces novel challenges. His theory about the changing role of driving in Americans lives is one reason Ford Motor Co. now describes itself as an automotive and mobility company.

Fields, Fords CEO, remembers a time when, on the day a teenager became old enough for a drivers license, he or she made an early morning beeline to get it. Many still do, but increasing numbers are less ardent about the machine that made modern America. In 2014, only 76.7 percent of people 20 to 24 years old had drivers licenses, down from 91.8 percent in 1983.

Until recently, Fields says, driving meant the freedom to go out and connect with friends. Now, texting teens squinting at their devices screens dont have to move to stay connected. And given car-use entities like Zipcar and ride-sharing services like Uber, young people do not have to buy a car in order to move.

American automakers sold a record 17.5 million vehicles last year, assisted by low gas prices, low interest rates (the average new-car loan is for more than 65 months and the average amount financed is almost $28,000), and a record-high average age (11.4 years) of the cars and light trucks on Americas roads. But although interest rates will not forever be so low, and although the Federal Reserve Bank of New York estimates that any one percentage point increase in interest rates could decrease vehicle sales 12 percent, Fields sees a $3.1 trillion opportunity.

The worlds core vehicle business (cars, trucks, financing, parts and service) is a $2.3 trillion industry, of which Fords share is 6 percent. But there is a $5.4 trillion sector of emerging opportunities for automakers to meld their businesses with other businesses. Automakers can, he thinks, prosper, perhaps even selling fewer cars, while providing what Fields describes as mobility beyond our traditional definition. Such mobility can involve the mundane, such as electric bicycles. Or the exotic, such as self-driving cars that go far beyond automatic parallel parking to driverless delivery of children to soccer practices or seniors to medical appointments, using sophisticated algorithms and urban mapping.

Car ownership among young adults is declining and vehicle miles driven per American in 2012 were 6.4 percent lower than in 2004, and no higher than in 1997. Time was, children raced on their balloon-tire bikes to car dealerships to experience the excitement of new models. It may someday be that way in emerging markets such as India, where Ford has 2.6 percent of the automobile market  still an infant market  in a country of 1.3 billion people. Fords latest entry in the luxury field, the redesigned Lincoln Continental, was built with an eye to China, where Beijing now has more billionaires than does New York City.

Fields  whose companys best-selling product is the F-Series pickup truck, many of whose purchasers have an almost erotic relationship with it  believes that an automobile is still an emotional purchase. But purchasers who once cared about chrome are now more emotional about technology add-ons that maintain drivers connectivity with their homes, offices and friends.

So far, even the market for electrified vehicles is sluggish. In 2008, the 12 such vehicles had 2.3 percent market share. In 2015, the 60 different hybrids, plug-in hybrids and fully electric vehicles had a market share of 2.7 percent. History, however, teaches that automobiles can suddenly floor historys accelerator.

In the lobby of the headquarters of Fields automotive and mobility company sits one of Henry Fords Model Ts, arguably historys most transformative machine. Manufactured from 1908 to 1927, during which span its inflation-adjusted price fell about 80 percent, it launched the automobile age. Hitherto, people had moved only as far and fast as hooves, sails and then rails could move them. In a historical blink, the automobile emancipated humanity from what has been called the tyranny of distance. And from the loneliness of rural life, and the health hazards posed by the mountains of manure and rivers of urine from urban horses. American households with automobiles went from essentially zero in 1900 to 93 percent in 1929.

Automakers coming technological wizardry will not have such sweeping effects on how life is lived. But like the smartphone in your pocket or purse, which you lived without until about a decade ago and now cannot imagine living without, future automotive and other mobility innovations will, in the modern manner, quickly change from unanticipated to indispensable.
Rosie the Riveter wasnt drafted to do her essential work during World War II. If she had been, she would have collected a pension and some praise. And the women who served as pilots during the countrys greatest conflict definitely would have been better off if the Air Force had demanded their services, rather than accepting them as volunteers.

For women to be truly treated as equals by the military, they need to be equally vulnerable to conscription, should the draft ever be reinstated.

The contributions of women of the greatest generation received renewed recognition in Washington this week, with the arrival of 31 women who manufactured aircraft alongside the original Rosie at the Willow Run plant in Ypsilanti, Michigan.

It took 70 years, and the intervention of Michigan congresswomen Debbie Dingell and Candice Miller, for these civilian women to receive the honor regularly bestowed on military veterans: a free trip to D.C. to see the World War II Memorial.

Another stop on the Rosies sightseeing itinerary was the Women in Military Service For America Memorial, where the more than 1,000 Womens Airforce Service Pilots (WASPs) are given their full due for their 60 million miles flown and 38 lives lost during the war. But not everyone is willing to accord the pilots the recognition they deserve, including ceremonies at Arlington Cemetery.

A 1977 law (sponsored by Cokies mother, Lindy Boggs) granted the pilots retroactive veteran status, and funerals at Arlington followed. But last year, the acting secretary of the Army declared that there was a technical problem in the law, and cut off the WASPs access to the cemetery.

On the same day that the Rosies came to town, the House unanimously passed a bill reversing that decision; now the Senate must act. Leading the charge to reinstate the pilots privileges was Arizona Congresswoman Martha McSally, herself the first female Air Force fighter pilot to fly in combat, who reacted furiously to the acting secretarys insistence that it would require an act of Congress to reverse the decision.

The pilots would have been spared that indignity if they had been fully accepted in the military in the first place. And, as our fighting women have explained for decades, to be fully accepted, women must be eligible for combat. They finally won that battle last December when Defense Secretary Ash Carter declared that all combat jobs, with no exceptions, would be open to women. What follows naturally from that decision is that young women turning 18 in this country, just like young men, should register for the draft.

When draft registration was reinstated in 1980, Congress defeated an amendment to include women in noncombat roles. Some men, arguing that mandatory registration for males amounted to sex discrimination against them, brought suit against the government.

Their claim was rejected in a Supreme Court decision stating that only men could engage in combat, and the point of registration was the availability of names to call up to fight.

Over the years, various proposals to register women have been introduced, insisting that the court ruling no longer applies to the modern military. But in every case, they were rejected based on the argument that women are not in ground combat, and therefore theres no need for them to register.

That all changed with Carters announcement. Since then, two generals have testified before the Senate that they support the requirement that women register, but the civilians in command of the military fell back on the wishy-washy need to discuss the matter further. They, of course, are worried about a political backlash.

And that backlash is what two House Republicans are trying to provoke with their mischievous Draft Americas Daughters Act, hoping to spark a debate that would result in revoking the secretarys decision to allow women in combat.

As it is now, disabled males, illegal immigrants and men recently released from mental institutions or jail are all required to register for the draft. So are women who were born as men. (But not men who were born as women.) Able-bodied young women can watch their brothers sign up while they sit home.

Thats not just bad for the military in case theres ever a need for a draft; its also bad for the women of America.

Baby girls with dont draft me signs around their necks were deployed by demonstrators against the Equal Rights Amendment in the 1970s. Weve learned since then that women seeking equality in the military  or anyplace else  should instead shout, Draft me!

Only then will the men see them as true equals. Just ask the WASPs, or maybe Rosie the Riveter.
In February my wife and I went on a bus tour to Colorado Springs, Colo., Sante Fe and Albuquerque, N.M., the Arizona locations of Winslow, Phoenix, Sedona, Flagstaff and then the Grand Canyon, on to Las Vegas, the Hoover Dam, Salt Lake City, Cheyenne, Wyo., and back home. What an incredible trip from the flat lands of western Nebraska to the foothills and mountains of Colorado, through the deserts of New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada and mountains and valleys of Utah and Wyoming. The scenery on the whole trip was awesome, and as we were traveling through Albuquerque, N.M., to Winslow, Ariz., the tour guide put on a CD of How Great Thou Art. As I was listening to the song while seeing some of Gods wondrous creations, it reminded me of how we take for granted the things God has made and does for us  all the blessings and miracles that happen every day for us to survive.

Not only has he created a spectacular world to live in  in his love for us  he sent his only begotten Son to be crucified and die on a cross and rise again to save us from our sins and offers it to us as a free gift. There is nothing any of us can do to earn salvation. Jesus has done it all and invites us to come to him in humble repentance, confess our sins to him and ask him to come into our hearts and be our Lord and savior. He will come into your heart and be your Lord and master, and by trusting in only him for salvation, we will be in eternity with him. He truly is an awesome God. God have mercy on us and bless us.
Monet rahapelien ystavat ovat viime vuosina loytaneet netticasinot ja olleet ihmeissaan. Verrattuna kotimaisen Veikkauksen kivijalkarahapeleihin puhutaan aivan eri tason palautusprosenteista ja lisaksi pelaaminen on aarimmaisen helppoa ja turvallista. Netticasinoiden maara on tana paivana todella suuri ja niita loytyy jokaiseen lahtoon, suurin ongelma aloittelevalla pelaajalla onkin tehda valinta siita, minka netticasinon valitsee. Kaikkien netticasinoiden mainospuheet naet lupaavat kauniita asioita ja niiden lapinakeminen on tietysti tarkeaa. Nyrkkisaantona voidaan kuitenkin jo kattelyssa todeta, etta jos valitsemasi netticasino on lisensoitu ETA-alueella, sen kanssa ei tule olemaan ongelmia, ellei niita itse jarjesta. Kay tutustumassa parhaisiin netticasinoihin osoitteessa www.ilmaiskierroksia.info!

Ensimmainen nyrkkisaanto on siis varmistaa, etta valitsemallasi netticasinolla on ETA-alueen lisenssi. Suurimmassa osassa tapauksista se on Maltan eli MGA:n lisenssi. Myos Viron, Englannin ja Gibraltarin lisensseja nakyy ja naissa valvonta on jopa Maltaa tiukempaa. Lopputulema on kuitenkin se, etta ETA-alueen lisenssi takaa suomalaisille verovapaat voitot seka sen, etta niita valvotaan kontrolloidusti. Maailmalla on iso nippu Curacaon lisenssilla toimivia netticasinoita ja niistakin suurin osa on laadukkaita. Ne eivat kuitenkaan ole suomalaisille asiakkaille verovapaita, joten emme suosittele niita.

Tana paivana markkinoille on ilmaantunut paljon ETA-alueella toimiva netticasinoita ilman rekisteroitymista. Jos tarkoitus on vain pelata yksittaisia pelikertoja, on varsin helppo suositella naita. Netticasinot ilman rekisteroitymista tarjoavat palvelun tunnistautumisen verkkopankin avainlukulistan avulla ja saman palvelun kautta tapahtuvat talletukset ja mahdolliset voittojen nostot silmanrapayksessa. Normaaleihin netticasinoihin pitaa asiakkaan rekisteroitya, tehda talletukset ja tunnistautua dokumenttien avulla. Tama on lisenssiehtojen mukainen kaytanto, eika kovinkaan monimutkainen, mutta silti monet asiakkaat haluavat yksinkertaista ja nopeaa palvelua. Toki normaalit netticasinot tarjoavat usein asiakkailleen laadukkaita talletusbonuksia ja erilaisia kampanjoita, joten kannattaa tarkkaan punnita, kumman ratkaisun valitsee. Kannattaa myos muistaa, etta tunnistautuminen tehdaan vain kerran, joten mikaan jatkuva riippakivi se ei ole.

Suomalaiset asiakkaat ovat netticasinoille tarkeita, joten kaikilla vahankin laadukkailla netticasinoilla on suomenkieliset sivut seka suomenkielinen asiakaspalvelu  suomenkielisyys kannattaakin ottaa netticasinoa valittaessa nyrkkisaannoksi. Vaikka tana paivana englanninkielisyys on harvoille ongelma, on suomenkielisten netticasinoiden maara niin valtava, etta suosittelemme niiden kayttoa. Rahansiirrot ovat tana paivana niin hyvassa mallissa, etta niiden kanssa tuskin tulee mitaan ongelmia. Kolme tarkeinta segmenttia: Suomalaiset verkkopankit, luottokortit (Visa, Mastercard) seka nettilompakot (Skrill, Neteller) loytyvat jokaisesta laadukkaasta netticasinosta. Viime vuosien trendiksi noussut verkkokauppa on kehittanyt rahansiirrot niin laadukkaiksi ja nopeiksi, etta niiden suhteen ei ole enaa vuosiin ollut ongelmia. Luonnollisesti netticasinot kayttavat naita samoja palveluita ja hyotyvat kehityksesta.

Naiden isojen linjojen jalkeen netticasinon valintaan vaikuttavat luonnollisesti tarjottavat tervetuliaisbonukset  uudet asiakkaat saavat tana paivana kovan kilpailun myota merkittavia etuja netticasinoilta ja niita kannattaa luonnollisesti vertailla. Erilaiset talletusbonukset, ilmaiskierrokset seka ilmaiset pelirahat tuovat suuriakin rahanarvoisia etuja ja niiden vertailu on ehdottomasti kannattavaa. Myoskaan useampien tilien avaaminen ja tervetuliaistarjousten kayttaminen ei missaan nimessa ole huono idea.

Kun edella mainitut asiat ovat mieleisia ja vaihtoehtoja on vielakin jaljella, mennaan jo nyansseihin. Toki pelivalikoima on yksi kriteeri, mutta taman paivan netticasinoissa tamakin asia on paasaantoisesti varsin samanlainen. Toki useamman samantasoisen netticasinon vertailussa kannattaa yleensa valita se, jossa on eniten peleja tarjolla. Vaikka omat suosikit loytyisivatkin useammasta, voi tulevaisuudessa mielenkiinto nousta joihinkin muihin peleihin ja silloin on tietysti mukavampaa, etta ne loytyvat valikoimista. Viimeisena voidaan nostaa esiin kaytettavyys  joidenkin netticasinoiden sivut ovat vilkkuvia, valkkyvia ja epakaytannollisia. Omaan silmaan ja kaytettavyyteen sopiva sivusto on luonnollisesti aina se paras valinta. Tarjonta netticasinoissa on tana paivana valtava ja jokaiselle loytyy varmasti se oma netticasino  onnea matkaan!
Gelato, smoothies, pizza and more: Check out the newest in Bucks' eats

These new Bucks County dining spots are serving up everything from gelato, pastries and pizza to green smoothies, cold-pressed juices and acai bowls.
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Linkedin Safrin La Batu (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 27, 2016

The influx of holiday travelers returning to Jakarta after the long weekend is expected to reach its peak on Sunday evening, the city police have said.



Adj. Sr. Comr. Budiyanto, head of law enforcement at the Jakarta Police traffic unit, said returning travelers would pack most highways connecting the capital to surrounding areas on Sunday night. 'We expect no obstructions to traffic on any of the highways,' he said.



Jakartans enjoyed a long weekend this week as Good Friday was a national holiday, allowing people to start their weekend early.



People started to leave the capital on Thursday, mostly to travel back to their hometowns to get together with members of their extended families, or simply to get away from the capital's hectic life to other places both local and overseas.



Budiyanto said that on Sunday roads leading into the city would be as crowded as Thursday.



'The number of vehicles that will pass on all main routes on Sunday is predicted to be the same as that on Thursday [in the opposite direction],' he told The Jakarta Post.



On Thursday, according to data from the police, the highway connecting Jakarta and Merak in Banten saw a total of 108,186 vehicles leaving the capital. That number was a 11.42 percent increase to the number of vehicles on the previous day.



Meanwhile, the highway connecting Jakarta and Ciawi in West Java saw 103,496 vehicles, or a 13.2 percent increase on the figure for Wednesday. The data also revealed the Jakarta-Cikampek highway saw 97,654 vehicles, or a 20.62 percent increase on the total number of vehicles on Wednesday.



The police also recorded that the number of vehicles traveling on highways connecting the city with Soekarno-Hatta Airport was 91.042, an increase of 5.57 percent from the day before.



To reduce possible congestion, especially on Sunday night, Budiyanto said the police would limit the number of vehicles traveling after 10 p.m. and prohibit travelers from parking their vehicles on the side of toll roads, especially in the vicinity of rest areas.



Budiyanto also said traffic police would provide information on alternative routes for returning travelers.



The police have also prepared measures to prevent congestion including by telling toll operators to collect toll fares from vehicles approaching their gates.



Separately, Iwan Abrianto, spokesman of toll operator PT Jasa Marga said the Jakarta-Cikampek highway was so packed that it had to apply counterflow measures to ease the congestion.



Besides traveling back home during the holiday, a large number of Jakartans chose to spend their holiday visiting a number of tourist spots in the city including Taman Impian Jaya Ancol recreation park, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah cultural park and Ragunan Zoo, which also contributed to widespread congestion in downtown Jakarta.
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Linkedin Dewanti A. Wardhani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 27, 2016

A local community called Ketimbang Ngemis (Instead of Begging) on social media platform Instagram is making the rounds on the internet for its support of elderly residents who survive through poorly paid work.



The community's Instagram handle @ketimbang.ngemis.jakarta, with its tagline 'say no to beggars', has a little over 29,000 followers. Through Instagram, the community shares uplifting stories of the elderly in various low-paid jobs or small businesses who roam the streets of Jakarta.



Ketimbang Ngemis Jakarta spokeswoman 20-year-old Yona Luvina said that most of the pictures were those submitted by the site's followers. Hundreds of pictures have been shared through the Instagram account of the elderly who work odd jobs, where they barely make ends meet.



'This community has been established as a way to support and appreciate poor elderly residents who work instead of begging for money,' Yona told The Jakarta Post recently.



Through Instagram, Yona explained, the community would post a picture of an elderly low-income resident, complete with a caption that tells their story and where they operate. Thus, followers can easily find those pictured on Instagram and help them by purchasing their goods or using their services. Most of those pictured on the Instagram are over 65 years old with various jobs such as selling various traditional foods and beverages, fixing tires and polishing shoes, among many other lines of work.



Hundreds of followers have participated, finding some elderly worker on the streets with a poorly remunerated job or a small business and posting a picture and caption on Instagram. Ketimbang Ngemis Jakarta reposts many of its followers' pictures.



The community, which was first established in Jakarta in June 2015, is also active in other cities such as Bekasi, Bandung and Cirebon, all in West Java: Semarang and Salatiga, in Central Java; Malang, East Java; Yogyakarta; Banjarmasin, South Kalimantan; Medan, North Sumatra; Pekanbaru, Riau; Bengkulu; and Bontang, East Kalimantan; among others.



Yona went on to say that the community also distributes donations to the elderly poor. The community provides a bank account into which followers can donate and the donations are distributed each month. However, she said, the community's volunteers always conducted a thorough survey before distributing its donations.



'We want to make sure that the donation is given to those who need it. Therefore, our volunteers are deployed for a survey,' she said.



Volunteers will be dispatched to the streets to talk to dozens of elderly low-income residents. Those considered to have the heaviest burden receive a donation. The size of the donation, Yona said, varied from a minimum of Rp 500,000 (US$38) to millions of rupiah.



'Through this Instagram account, we want to inspire our followers by the elderly people who are still working hard just to get by every day, so our young and able followers must at least make the same effort. We also want to encourage our followers to share and be more generous because everyone has their own story,' Yona said.



Seventy-year-old Cahyono, who sells coloring books on Jl. MH Thamrin, is one of the many elderly residents who have received a donation from Ketimbang Ngemis Jakarta. In January, he received Rp 500,000 from the community.



Cahyono, who came to Jakarta 20 years ago from Malang has not seen his family since then. He said that several people had noticed him recently and purchased his goods.



'These young people have such a nice initiative and I'm very thankful,' he said.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Sun, March 27, 2016

Thousands of Catholics and Protestants peacefully commemorated the crucifixion of Jesus Christ on Friday, with many gathering to re-enact the event that befell Jesus on his final journey.



In Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara, thousands of Catholics joined a traditional Easter procession, known as 'Kure' where the faithful travel from one customary house to another while chanting prayers.



The procession wrapped up late on Saturday, the eve of Easter Sunday.



'During this procession, which is a tradition passed on from the Portuguese, we stop at 18 traditional customary houses and send prayers,' one of the local leaders in Kupang, Aloysius Kosat Bentura said as quoted by Antara on Saturday.



After the procession, Catholics in the area held a Saturday Alleluya mass in the evening followed by the performance of traditional Bonet dancing as an expression of gratitude for the resurrection of Jesus Christ.



In Ambon, Maluku, Governor Said Assagaff, who is a Muslim, kicked off the Easter celebration by officially opening the Way of the Cross procession.



'On behalf of the Maluku government, I want to wish all Christians a Happy Easter, which is symbolized today with the Way of the Cross procession. This is a very important moment in the history of mankind's faith,' Assagaff said in his speech.



Assagaff also said that a peaceful Easter celebration in the region showed that people of different faiths in the province could live in harmony.



'Harmony such as this could be our social capital; unity among people of different religions in Maluku,' he said as quoted by Antara.



A three-year sectarian conflict in Maluku during the late 1990s resulted in the deaths of thousands of people and displaced hundreds of thousands more. The last sectarian conflict involving Muslims and Christians in the province broke out in Ambon in 1999.



In Jakarta, attendants of the Indonesian Bishops Conference (KWI) urged Catholics across the country to use the Easter celebration as a moment to bolster their resolve to fight for the greater good.



'Love means that we have to do good and fight for justice. Love is the manifestation of action for the downtrodden,' executive secretary of the KWI Benny Susetyo said on Saturday.



Benny said that Catholics should be brave enough to defend the rights of the oppressed, admiring the way that Pope Francis washed and kissed the feet of refugees, including three Muslim men, during a traditional pre-Easter ritual on Friday.



'All of us together, Muslims, Hindus, Catholics, Copts, Evangelicals, are brothers, children of the same God, who want to live in peace, integrated,' Pope Francis said during a visit to a shelter north of Rome that houses refugees seeking political asylum.



Meanwhile, in New Zealand, rather than hunting for chocolate eggs, normally a popular Easter event, bunnies were placed in the firing line at an annual rabbit-shooting event. In the Central Otago district, where the event is held, rabbits are regarded as pests, Reuters reported.



During the 24-hour 'bunny hunt', which began on Good Friday, 10,000 rabbits were shot by more than 300 hunters, grouped into 27 teams. A few ferrets were also released to hunt among the hunters, according to organizer Eugene Ferreira.



Ferriera, 49, president of the Alexandra Lions Club, said that the event had run annually for 25 years and had been first organized after rabbits ' an introduced species ' had developed an immunity to poison.



'It's a big fun event - hunters are out and about, awake all night,' he said.



Ferreira said rabbits were a 'very big problem' for farmers because they caused erosion and ate crops, particularly carrots and cauliflower.



In previous years animal rights activists have protested against the hunt, but Ferriera said none came this year.



However, Hans Kriek, executive director of animal rights organization SAFE, told Reuters his group was 'dead opposed' to the hunt.



'It's inhumane,' he said. 'It's a bunch of amateurs just going out for a bit of a thrill kill'.



Earlier on Friday, thousands of Catholics and Protestants commemorated the crucifixion of Christ by following the path in Jerusalem's Old City that, according to tradition, Jesus walked on his way to the cross, AP reported.



The Good Friday procession passed along the Way of the Cross, retracing Jesus' steps along the Via Dolorosa, the route believed to have been taken by Jesus as he walked to his own crucifixion.
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Linkedin The Jakarta Post Jakarta  Sun, March 27, 2016

A fire destroyed Malabero state detention center in Bengkulu city, Bengkulu province, on Friday night, killing five people who were being detained for alleged involvement in drug crime.



The dead have been named as Agung Nugraha, Heru Biliantoro, Agus Purwanto, Hendra Nopiandi and Medi Satria.



Bengkulu Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Adrian Indra Nurita said on Saturday that autopsies would be conducted on the victims' bodies before they would be handed over to their relatives.



'A victim identification team will identify the bodies,' Adrian said, as quoted by Antara, adding that the bodies were being kept at Bhayangkara Police Hospital in Bengkulu.



Tribunnews.com reported that the fire occurred after officers from the Bengkulu branch of the National Narcotics Agency (BNNP) inspected a block at the detention center. Detainees reportedly attacked the officers. Prior to the incident, the dead detainees had been placed in the block used to hold drugs suspects.



A witness said that a gunshot was heard before the fire broke out at 8:30 p.m.



Law and Human Rights Ministry spokesman Effendi Peranginangin confirmed on Saturday that BNNP officers were inspecting the detention center.



Effendy said the detainees fought the officers, broke open the block's gate and set fire to the detention center.



'The situation was brought under control within two hours,' Effendi said.



Adrian added that the five victims were among 259 detainees held at the center.



After the fire, he said 252 of the detainees had been evacuated from the center and placed in Bentiring Penitentiary in Bengkulu city, one was in hospital being treated for burn injuries and one was being questioned by the BNNP.



'No detainee escaped during the fire. We just removed them,' he said.



Authorities are still investigating who instigated the burning of the detention center.



'Besides technical matters, such as the condition of the building and negligence, we need to look at who was behind the fire. We will await the investigation by the police,' said provincial penitentiary division head Sunar Agus.



Malabero's status had recently been changed from penitentiary to a detention center to hold detainees before they were brought to court, after the government built Bentiring Penitentiary. About 500 convicts were moved from Malabero to Bentiring earlier this month.



In July 2013, two warders and three prisoners died in a riot and fire at Tanjung Gusta Penitentiary in Medan, North Sumatra. Hundreds of prisoners, mostly drug convicts, escaped during the fire, but almost all of them were later recaptured.
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Linkedin Harun Yahya (The Jakarta Post) Istanbul  Sun, March 27, 2016

Today, a happy and peaceful world in which peace, benevolence and beauty prevail is the aspiration of all mankind.



While oppression and sedition encompass the Earth, children are those who suffer most from these problems. However, a promising future is only possible through the healthy physical, mental and social development of children.



The statistics about children, on the other hand, make the blood of people with good conscience run cold: About two million children die of hunger and hunger-related reasons every year.



There are 600 million children living below the poverty line. Millions of children do not have access to drinkable, clean water. More than one billion children are living in war-affected regions.



It is reported that about 10 million children were killed in wars; many more were kidnapped, enslaved, exposed to torture, orphaned and that children who were left alone in refugee camps are subjected to violence and abuse, that many children were forced to join in gangs or army, in the last 10 years. About 300,000 children have joined the fighting in more than thirty war zones.



Those children who live in war and conflict zones, or who are forced to fight in battles, are certainly subjected to the most severe levels of abuse and neglect. Their most fundamental rights, including the right to life, health, education and housing are being violated. While they constantly struggle to survive under the threat of death due to the indiscriminate air raids, they may still lose their lives or be injured by unexploded ordnance and landmines even after the end of conflicts.



Leila Zerrougui, the UN Special Representative for Children and Armed Conflict, stressed that children are harmed the most by the conflicts and acts of violence across Africa and Asia and especially in the Middle East with the following words: 'Children were disproportionately affected, displaced and often the direct targets of acts of violence intended to cause maximum civilian casualties and terrorize entire communities.'



She also called on all of the member states of the UN to maintain sustainable reintegration programs for former child soldiers.



Syrian children, beyond all question, are the ones whose lives are primarily under threat because of war. UNICEF spokeswoman for Regional Office for the Middle East Juliette Touma emphasizes that more than 8 million Syrian children are the victims of civil war:



'There is no safe place left for children in Syria. More than 8 million children, among these being 6 million children in Syria and 2.1 million in neighboring countries, are the victims of the war. Further, 2 million children cannot attend school. More than 700,000 Syrian refugee children in neighboring countries are out of school.'



In a Human Rights Watch report dated Nov. 8 2015, 16-year-old Rasha states that it is hard for her to get used to being out of school and says: 'When I picture my future, I see nothing.'



It is needless to say that this heartbreaking statement is the reflection of the feelings of many more millions of children.



There is another issue that should be placed at the forefront of the world's agenda and requires an immediate solution: 70,000 children are born each year without a homeland in the twenty countries in which many stateless people live due to certain reasons such as ethnic identity, war and displacement. Around the world, a child is born stateless every 10 minutes.



It is an affront to humanity that as many as 250 million children worldwide are thought to be working, deprived of adequate education, health services and basic freedoms. Child labor, a major problem for human development, manifests itself differently in almost every country in the world.



Millions of children are forced or obliged to work under appalling conditions harmful to the child's physical, mental, educational, moral or social development, violating international standards.



Child marriage is another issue requiring an immediate solution. Fourteen million girls are forced to marry every year. Bringing an end to child marriage is achievable primarily through the acknowledgement of children's human rights.



One thing is certain that all children in the world are born with an intrinsic worth as a human being. However, the rights of children have been seriously violated for various reasons, including an increase in immigration, economic crises, rising poverty and unemployment, rapid urbanization, high numbers of children and youth population, wars, terrorism and domestic violence in the recent years.



All of these problems children are subjected to certainly attract the attention of international community; however, the steps being taken have proven insufficient and ineffective. In order to eliminate child smuggling and trafficking and to prevent their being forced to work in exchange for a debt or as a drug addict, their being forced to join an army or being used in illegal activities such as the cultivation and trafficking of drugs, it is necessary to immediately put the solutions formulated by the UN into action.



In an attempt to end this oppression of children, substantial solutions and policies should be contemplated; the efforts of people, institutions and organizations should be enhanced, and the children under risk should be identified and taken under social protection and sufficient amounts of investments should be made on social security.



It is blindingly obvious that everyone is responsible for saving children, who are both the present and the future of the world, from their current situation. Bearing in mind that watching oppression from a distance and sitting on your hands is a form of oppression itself, everyone should take on responsibility and go the extra mile so that the children who are being denied their basic rights can regain their freedom in no time.

_______________



The writer has authored books on politics and religion
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Linkedin Ruslan Sangadji (The Jakarta Post) Palu, Central Sulawesi  Sun, March 27, 2016

Personnel of the joint Indonesian Military (TNI) and Police operation on capturing a notorious Poso-based terrorist group, lead by wanted terrorist Santoso, aka Abu Wardah, have mapped the suspected location of the group, inside Poso forests in Central Sulawesi. The group are down in numbers and cornered, a top police official said.

The troops hunting Santoso's East Indonesia Mujahidin group intensified its search for the group's hideout in Poso forests as they are believed to be behind several attacks against security officers, Central Sulawesi Police chief Brig. Gen. Rudy Sufahriadi said on Saturday.

Under Operation Tinombala, the joint personnel focused their search in Poso's Napu Valley, around three hours from the provincial capital, Palu. Previously the officers had searched Torire Mountain in Lore Peore subdistrict and Talabose Mountain in Central Lore subdistrict.

The search area had been expanded to the Wuasa and Sedoa Mountains in North Lore subdistrict, Rudy said.

The expansion was made as officers suspected that Santoso's group had dispersed.

"We received information that Santoso has been in the Wuasa forest, where our troops went after the group in that area. Then, we received an order to block them in the Sedoa forest," a TNI soldier from the Raider Infantry Battalion told thejakartapost.com on location.

The troops must cross the Sopu river, which has a strong current, to enter the forests on Sedoa Mountain. They would also need to pass people's farms before finally entering the woods at the determined coordinates on foot for two days and two nights.

"We get logistical supplies every 10 days," said the soldier, who asked to remain anonymous.

Operation Tinombala targeting Santoso had entered its third month after being launched in early January to apprehend the terrorist fugitive. Around 3,000 joint personnel from the TNI and police are involved in the operation.

The operation was initially planned for two months until March but had been extended for six months by the Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister, Luhut Pandjaitan, after considering the operation's difficulties in the field to capturing the group.

Moreover, Rudy also said that the group's numbers, believed initially to have had numbered 45 members, was now down to roughly 30 after the officers had killed and arrested several of the group's members.

Those who had died included Agus Surianto, aka Farhan, and Fahrudin, aka Udin, Santoso's couriers, after a deadly shootout with security officers in Sanginora village, South Poso Pesisir, on Feb. 14. Another member Dodo, aka Fonda Amar Solihin, died in a shootout on Feb. 28.

Moreover, from six Chinese Uighur nationals who had joined the militant group, four had died; Faruk, aka Magalasi Bahtusan, Nuretin, aka Abdul, Joko Uigur, aka Turang Ismail, and Sobron, aka Son Haji. Two others, Kohar, aka Malik, and Abdul, are still on the run.

Security officers had also arrested two members alive, Zaenal Effendi and Saad, during the operation. (rin)
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Linkedin Ina Parlina (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 27, 2016

One of the women's wings of the country's largest Muslim organization, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU), Muslimat NU, has supported the call by President Joko 'Jokowi' Widodo to root out drug abuse and radicalism in the country by empowering women and improving their role in the family and in society.



On Saturday, Jokowi attended an event to celebrate the 70th anniversary of Muslimat NU in Malang, East Java, where an anti-drug campaign was launched by Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa, who is also a Muslimat NU leader.



In his speech at the event, Jokowi highlighted the importance of the role of women in the family and community in preventing drug abuse and radicalism ' two problems Indonesia has long been trying to root out.



'So that they [children] are able to shield themselves from the influence of radical teachings and drugs that threaten us all,' Jokowi said, as quoted in a press release distributed by the State Palace. 'Mothers are the first and the most important educational institution for our children.'



Muslimat NU has offices in each of the country's 34 provinces and has more than 36,000 representative offices in villages and subdistricts across the country.



Jokowi has called for a stronger fight against drug abuse, including the execution of drug convicts, and has rejected clemency pleas for convicted traffickers, but numerous arrests related to drug abuse still occur, some of the latest allegedly involving military and police personnel.



Human rights campaigners have repeatedly called for the abolition of capital punishment in the country as they argue it does not deter drug traffickers. Indonesia's move to put to death 14 drug convicts ' both Indonesians and foreigners ' in two rounds of executions last year sparked intense criticism and put Indonesia in the international spotlight.



Despite human rights campaigners' continuing opposition to capital punishment, Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Luhut Pandjaitan recently signaled the country might begin executing around 10 Indonesian drug convicts this year since economic stability, a reason previously used to postpone a third set of executions, was no longer an issue.



NU itself has thrown its support behind Jokowi in pressing ahead with the government's plan to execute drug traffickers.



In his efforts to root out radicalism, Jokowi has been pushing for the adoption of a soft approach and not relying solely on the hard approach in eradicating terrorism in the country, including by calling on clerics and Muslim leaders to help the government crack down on fire-brand sermons by promoting the preaching of peaceful Islam and calling on social media to engage in a counter-narrative.



Indonesia has long had a problem with terrorism with the latest attack being that in the Thamrin area of Central Jakarta in January, which is believed to have been planned from within prison.



Jokowi also expressed his appreciation for Muslimat NU, which supported his presidential bid in 2014, for their contribution to helping to empower women in society.



Minister Khofifah said all Muslimat NU members should work to empower women and contribute to developing the people and the country. 'All Indonesian women should work to improve themselves generally as well as in terms of religious matters in 2016,' she was quoted by Antara News Agency.



Meanwhile former NU chairman Hasyim Muzadi, who is currently a member at the Presidential Advisory Board, reminded all Muslimat NU members to continue improving their contribution to the country and urged Muslimat NU members to maintain impartiality in the face of the great temptation of political affiliations.
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Linkedin Primastuti Handayani (The Jakarta Post) Jakarta  Sun, March 27, 2016

Pictures of taxi drivers running amok, as well as smashing vehicles, during their rally last Tuesday, quickly went viral on social media. The public also saw pictures of a Go-Jek (app-based motorcycle taxi) driver being mobbed and beaten up by a group of people.



There were other pictures of conventional taxi drivers blocking the inner-city toll road in front of the House of Representatives compound, causing traffic to grind to a standstill. While in separate incidents, some passengers were forced to get out of taxis.



Upon seeing those pictures on our gadgets, we all had the same question: 'Where are the police?'



Those incidents took place on the capital's major thoroughfares, not far from the Jakarta Police headquarters, the House compound and several business districts.



The protest had been planned beforehand. The public had been informed that there would be around 12,000 conventional transportation drivers joining the protests. The police had said they would deploy 6,000 personnel for the rally.



However, the chaos still happened and the public mocked the police for being unable to anticipate and prevent the violent acts. Why did the police fail to safeguard Jakarta on that day?



It has only been two months since the police won praise from the public for their quick reaction to the simultaneous bomb blasts on Jl. MH Thamrin, Central Jakarta, in front of the Sarinah department store, on Jan. 14.



At that time, the police earned a lot of credit ' despite losing members in the blasts ' for securing the capital in such a short time and helping to send a message to the world that Jakartans would not bow down to such threats.



The police's general crimes unit's 'Turn Back Crime' slogan became popular thanks to media exposure, although many are still not familiar with the English phrase. Pictures of police officers trying to tackle a group of terror suspects went viral and attracted a lot of public attention.



The campaign was initiated by international police agency Interpol. According to Interpol, Turn Back Crime is a global campaign to highlight the dangers of organized crime and its effects on our day-to-day lives. Using a variety of media channels, the campaign seeks to advise citizens on how to stay safe and encourages the public, businesses and governments to play a role in reducing the impact of crimes.

The Jakarta Police have been trying to popularize the Turn Back Crime slogan since last year by selling merchandise such as shirts, key chains and tumblers. Each shirt is priced at Rp 200,000 (US$15) and so far, around 10,000 shirts have been sold.



But being popular is not about the number of shirts sold.



It is about performance.



And taxpayers have every single right to demand that the police force ' as well as from other civil servants ' do a good job providing public services.



The police have been attempting to carry out internal reform, from improving driver's license issuance services to investigating criminal cases in a shorter time, especially high-profile cases.



However, the result of this reform is still far from satisfying. The police still receive criticism for failing to protect minority groups or guaranteeing freedom of speech and expression. There have been cases where events related to various issues ' from the left wing movement to the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community ' have been forcibly dispersed by the police due to demands from particular groups.



The police as an institution are not free from corruption. The latest case of low-ranking officer Labora Sitorus ' who was sentenced to a 15-year jail term in 2014 by the Supreme Court for taking part in illegal logging, fuel hoarding and money laundering and repeatedly escaping from prison ' shows that the police still need to work much harder if they want to restore their image.



If the police want to rebrand themselves, they must realize that it is not just about promoting a slogan. It needs a marketing strategy in which a new name, slogan, symbol, design or combination thereof is created to help reshape their identity in the minds of consumers, investors, competitors or stakeholders. It is to shed their previous negative image.



In an earlier interview, Indonesian Institute of Sciences (LIPI) researcher Fikri Angga Reksa said that the police needed to improve their performance to fix their image.



'If they do their job well, their image will be good,' he said.



Fikri also said the police had no reason to feel heroic about their actions because they were only doing their job. 'People are excited about their actions just because they rarely see the police do their job well,' he added.



As Jakartans welcome their new police chief Insp. Gen. Moechgiyarto, hopes are high that he will make a difference in the city. During his tenure as West Java Police chief, he promised to protect minority groups, in particular Ahmadis and Shiites. It is a new sign that minorities in Jakarta will receive proper protection by the authorities.



During Tuesday's violent protest, Moechgiyarto who was in Bandung for the West Java Police chief hand-over ceremony, rushed back to Jakarta via helicopter to deal with the situation.



There is always room for improvement, even for the police. And we hope Moechgiyarto will lead his force in the name of the greater good; to serve and protect the people.

____________



The writer is a managing editor at The Jakarta Post.
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Linkedin Zarar Khan (The Jakarta Post) Islamabad  Mon, March 28, 2016

A breakaway Pakistani faction of the militant Taliban group has claimed responsibility for an Easter Sunday bombing that killed 65 people in a park in the eastern city of Lahore that was crowded with Christians, including many children.

Ahsanullah Ahsan, spokesman for Jamaat-ul-Ahrar, told the Associated Press that a suicide bomber with the faction deliberately targeted the Christian community.

The explosion took place near the children's rides in Gulshan-e-Iqbal park local police chief Haider Ashraf said. He said the explosion appeared to have been a suicide bombing, but investigations were ongoing.

The attack killed 65 people and wounded over 300, said Deeba Shahnaz, a spokesman for Lahore rescue administration.

Punjab's chief minister Shahbaz Sharif announced three days of mourning and pledged to bring the perpetrators to justice, said Zaeem Qadri, a spokesman for the provincial government.

The park was manned by police and private security guards, police chief Haider Ashraf said. "We are in a warlike situation and there is always a general threat but no specific threat alert was received for this place," he added.

Schools and businesses in the city will remain closed on Monday, the city's schools association and the Union of Lahore Traders said.

Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif held a meeting to assess the security situation in Lahore, according to a government statement. Pakistan's army chief, Gen. Raheel Sharif, also convened an emergency meeting of the country's intelligence agencies to begin to track down those responsible for the attacks, said army spokesman Gen. Asim Saleem Bajwa.

Salman Rafiq, a health adviser to the Punjab government, called on people to donate blood, saying that many of those wounded were in a critical condition.

One witness, who wished to be identified only by his first name, Afzal, told AP that he had taken 20 children to hospital and carried three dead bodies to a police car.

"I can't explain to you the tragic situation," he said.

Another witness, Tariq Mustapha, said that he had just left the park when he heard an explosion. He said his friend was still missing.

Footage broadcast on local television stations showed chaotic scenes in the park, with people running while carrying children and cradling the wounded in their laps.

A witness, not identified by name on Pakistan's Geo TV station, said he was heading toward a fairground ride with his wife and two children when he heard a huge bang and all four of them were thrown to the floor. A woman was shown crying while looking desperately for her missing 5-year-old son.

A spokesman for the US National Security Council said that the United States "condemns the attack in the strongest terms," describing it as a "cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park." Ned Price said the US would continue to work with Pakistan and its partners to "root out the scourge of terrorism."

Vikas Swarup, spokesman for India's External Affairs ministry, tweeted that Prime Minister Narendra Modi telephoned Pakistani premier Nawaz Sharif to express his deep condolences. He said Modi "underlined the need for uncompromising efforts to fight against terrorism."

Zaheer Babar, Ishtiaq Mahsud and Ashok Sharma contributed to this report.
Theres now a money trail leading from Rivington House to Mayor de Blasio. The former nursing home for AIDS patients was sold for $116 million to luxury developers after the citys Department of Administrative Services (DCAS) lifted a deed restriction.

The Daily News reports that influential lobbyist James Capalino steered $50,000 in donations to Mayor de Blasio after pressing the city for a deed change that allows one of his clients to turn a building restricted for use as a nursing home into luxury condos. And according to the Wall Street Journal, the former property owner, Joel Landau, contributed $4950 to the de Blasio campaign in 2013.

City officials said they did not know before lifting the deed restriction that The Allure Group had already signed a deal to sell the property, profiting more than $70 million. Scott Stringer, the citys comptroller, is investigating the transaction. On Friday, the mayors spokespeople announced, that the citys Office of Investigation is also looking into the matter. The mayor is deeply concerned about the result of what was clearly a flawed process, First Deputy Mayor Anthony Shorris told the Journal.

Heres the timeline thats emerging from the controversial transaction on the Lower East Side:

Jan. 2014: Capalino & Company was hired by VillageCare, the not-for-profit organization that operated Rivington House from 1995-2014. Between February and July of 2014, Capalino met with DCAS employees and other unnamed city staffers three times. Based on what I have been able to obtain, mayoral spokesperson Karen Hinton told the News, no one remembers anyone from the mayors office attending any meeting with Allure or Capalino on this deal.

Feb. 19, 2014: Capalino sent a letter to DCAS Commissioner Stacey Cumberbach regarding a potential sale of the Rivington House property without the deed restrictions imposed by the City.

July 2014: VillageCare announced that it planned to close Rivington House.

Sept. 2014: VillageCare officials appeared before CB3s human services committee. Matthew Lesieur, director of public policy, said the organization was focused on changing the terms of the deed, asking the city to drop the not-for-profit requirement. There are a lot of health care providers, he explained, but they are profit driven, throughout the country, who would readily grab and buy the building and maintain it as a nursing home. Members of the human services committee expressed reservations about turning the facility into a for-profit venture. They passed a resolution calling for a collaborative effort with local elected officials to keep Rivington House as a community asset.

Oct. 7, 2014: At a public meeting, community board leaders indicated that about a half dozen companies responded to VillageCares request for offers to purchase the building. A winning bid had been selected, although it was not disclosed which company came out on top. Later in the month, the board passed a resolution in support of dropping the buildings not-for-profit status. It also called for keeping Rivington House open as a skilled nursing facility.

Oct. 2014: Per the Journal, Joel Landau of The Allure Group wrote an email to a city official in which he outlined plans to buy the building, advocated for the deed change and promised to maintain the property as a nursing home. In the email, he highlighted the community boards support for the changes.

Nov. 2014: Rivington House closed after its residents were transferred to other facilities.

Feb. 9, 2015: VillageCare sold the building, located at 45 Rivington St., to The Allure Group for $28 million. A short time later, Rivington House reopened as the Rivington Center for Nursing & Rehabilitation.

April 2015: Slate Property Group hired Capalino, but the lobbyists spokesperson, Risa Heller, said he did not represent Slate on the Rivington House deal.

April 27, 2015: The Allure Group applied to lift the deed restriction.

May 2015: Capalino wrote a $10,000 check to Campaign For One New York, de Blasios not-for-profit fundraising organization.

May 11, 2015: Slate and The Allure Group signed a contact for the sale of the Lower East Side property. At the time, Slate executive Martin Nussbaum told the Journal, there was a deed restriction on the property, but our contract was to purchase a property that was of residential use. To the extent that it was not residential use, we would not have purchased the property. The sale was contingent on the deed change.

June 24, 2015: A public hearing was held on the proposed deed change. While notice of the meeting was published in the City Record, local elected officials and the community board were not notified.

October 2015-Present: Capalino collects $40,000 in checks for de Blasios 2017 re-election bid, according to the News.

Nov. 11, 2015: The Allure Group paid the city $16 million and, in return, the deed restriction was lifted. According to officials cited by the Journal, Mr. de Blasios administration didnt have a written contract or other documentation forcing Allure to keep the property a nursing home and didnt limit changes when it removed the deed restriction.

Dec. 2015: The Allure Group closed the nursing home. An Allure executive told CB3 that the property had not yet been sold and that the nursing facility would reopen elsewhere on the Lower East Side. The reason for the closure, the executive claimed, was that state Medicaid reimbursements could not be obtained for the property. According to CB3 District Manager Susan Stetzer, Allures Joel Landau said he had no knowledge of a deal with Slate Property Group. Residents in a neighboring building were reporting that a rep of Slate had approached them about construction issues.

Jan. 2016: DCAS Commissioner Cumberbach was reassigned to another city agency.

Feb. 2016: The Allure Group finalized its agreement, selling the property to Slate and partners China Vanke Co. and Adam America Real Estate for $116 million.

On Friday, the administration said it would be changing its procedures, sending all deed modification proposals to the borough president, appropriate City Council member and community board. De Blasio says he will return the 2013 campaign donation from Landau.
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Pianist Ranel Sarmiento looks forward to Phuket International Jazz Day

PHUKET: Pianist Ranel Sarmientos favourite line-up on stage is a simple three-piece  piano, bass, drums: Thats what Im doing on Jazz Day, he averred during an interview in January. I decided not to be a slave anymore to these frontliners. This time I want to fly with my rhythm section.



By Marque A. Rome

Sunday 27 March 2016, 11:06AM

Trouble is, the frontliners wont let him.

Come Jazz Day, on April 30, hes scheduled to play with a duo out of Japan and a guitarist out of New York, in addition to his rhythm section, bassist Kasemsmai Wongchysilpa and drummer Nut Glomchum. The reason: Sarmiento long has been one of Phukets most esteemed accompanists and a star in his own right as interpreter, arranger, conductor and composer.

He didnt set out to be any of those; he wanted to be a guitar player. Sarmiento, 57, from Bacolod, a city of half a million on the island of Negros, in the central Visayas region of the Philippines, started playing aged 5: I would watch my fathers trio at our house, he said, Bill Evans music, all acoustic. His father was rarely at home, dividing his time between gigs in Manila and Japan  a path his son would later follow. So Ranel was raised by his grandfather, a local lawyer and political figure. His first and last piano lessons were five songs from his fathers repertoire: He pushed me into it.

I played piano because that was an introduction to music for me, but I loved playing the guitar  till high school. I was kicked out of five schools. Im proud to say Im a high school drop-out.

Job offers for drop-outs are not plentiful, however, so at 14, Sarmiento got a job playing piano in a goody-goody cocktail lounge. All the older kids and pros had gone overseas, so there were many bars and jazz clubs needing pianists. He earned 14 pesos nightly when a pack of Marlboros cost 45 centavos. One dollar was two pesos.

The goody-goody part of the lounge was the girls, the bar hostesses. They earned five times as much as I did.

Did you get laid?

Yeah. The girls bribed me  took me for a night at the beach cottage, gave me a cheeseburger and Chinese fried noodles, which was very popular then. Maybe it was curiosity. In 1978, aged 20, he left for the bright lights of Manila and was soon hired for a steady gig in Japan; but immigration rules there mandated he play four months then leave the country one month. So for the next ten years he divided his time between Japan, arranging and conducting for a 16-piece band, and Manila, where the jazz is hot.

In 1988 he was summoned back to the Philippines, serving as an apparatchik to a locally influential person: I made lots of money, but things got hot politically with the transition from Marcos to Cory Aquino. Feeling the heat, he hastened to go abroad: As it happened, I was hanging out at a recording studio and met a childhood friend; we used to play bossa together. She was making a demo for Phuket Yacht Club and asked me to sit in  but then the agent said hed take her only if she teamed with me. Thats how I came to Phuket.

He played Yacht Club and later Katathani, but in 1993 moved for two years to Christchurch, New Zealand, to the Chateau on the Park hotel, a local landmark, with a band comprising members of the Christchurch Polytechnic Institute of Technologys jazz faculty: They were purists, only played swing, no fusion or electronics.

Since returning to Thailand in 1995, he has played at leading hotels in Phuket, Bangkok and Pattaya. Great musicians such as bassist Kiko Bona (whose band will also be performing Jazz Day in Phuket) and guitarist Laserne Dixon have teamed with him for performances and recordings. Hes played jazz festivals in Stockholm and Hua Hin (with a steel drum player) and generally cut a name for himself among jazz circles in the country.

Though he likes living in Phuket, Sarmiento says theres no place like Bangkok for playing: Its a big challenge. The competition is tough. You face musicians from all quarters of the globe and you dont know what their abilities are. Its not like Phuket.

Admittedly, the population of Phuket is rather less than that of the capital. But on Jazz Day, April 30, more than 50 musicians from Thailand, the Philippines, Sweden, Canada, the US, Great Britain, Australia, France, Ukraine, Japan and Russia will be joining Sarmiento on stage  the biggest such event in Thailand and one that is sure to test his mettle.

Phuket UNESCO International Jazz Day, the 5th Edition, is proudly sponsored by Phuket City Municipality and The Phuket News. Admission is free. For details, click here.
Tax break to boost Songkran tourism

BANGKOK: To heat up local dining and travel during the sweltering Thai New Year season, the government plans to roll out a new tax incentive scheme aimed at sparking a Songkran spending spree amid the languid economic recovery.

tourismeconomics

By Bangkok Post

Sunday 27 March 2016, 09:00AM

Revellers celebrate Songkran in Phuket. Travel deals to domestic tourist destinations throughout the country offer holiday-makers tax refunds as well. Photo: Suthicha Sirirat

The tax measure is intended to entice people to spend the long public holiday  and baht  at home rather than travelling abroad, Finance Minister Apisak Tantivorawong said.

Like last Decembers temporary shopping tax relief, to take advantage of the scheme, people have to dine at or otherwise shell out at, restaurants, hotels and travel-related companies which can issue tax invoices allowing them to deduct a certain amount from taxable income, said Mr Apisak, without elaborating further.

The measure will be forwarded for the Cabinets approval in the coming weeks.

The government late last year launched a special tax break allowing individuals to deduct up to 15,000 baht on purchases made during the year-end festive season to spur holiday spending. Taxpayers capitalising on the break raked in B4 billion in deductions.

Though the scheme resulted in some state revenue losses, it helped stimulate domestic consumption, with the Revenue Department receiving more in value-added tax (VAT).

Yutthasak Supasorn, the Tourism Authority of Thailand (TAT) governor, said the latest tax measure would help boost spending and drive domestic tourism during the Songkran festival.

He would like to see similar schemes implemented during the low tourist season to boost travel.

Those in the private sector have also shown their support for the measure.

Paisarn Aowsathaporn, executive vice-president for food at Oishi Group Plc, said the government was on the right track to stimulate consumption.

We will increase our food stock by 30% during the Songkran festival and increase store management efficiency, he said.

Surapong Techaruvichit, president of the Thai Hotels Association (THA), has recommended that the government publicise the tax measure so that people understand and capitalise on it.

Apart from the year-end shopping tax incentive, the Revenue Department had also sought to boost consumption last year with a B15,000 travel tax break. The scheme has been extended for another two years.

The measures are aimed at the lower and middle classes, whose spending has not grown over the past five to six months due to economic sluggishness.

In another development, Mr Apisak said the Fiscal Policy Office might need to revise its economic growth forecast to 3.7 per cent this year with the slow global economic recovery, as evidenced by the 11% and 25% contractions of Chinas shipments in January and February, respectively.

The 3.7% economic growth estimate is based on a 0.1% export expansion rate. Mr Apisak is confident, however, that Thai economic growth this year will exceed 3%, compared with last years growth-rate of 2.8%.

The Bank of Thailand is set to revise the countrys economic growth projection this year due to heightening downside risks. The new figure will be released at the end of the month.

The central bank in December cut 2016 growth projection to 3.5% from 3.7% due to a regional economic slowdown, adverse effects from geopolitical conflicts affecting both global demand and tourist confidence and the worse-than-expected local drought, which is taking a toll on agricultural and industrial production.

Mr Apisak said the government had introduced both short and long-term measures to ward off the greater risks of the global slowdown. The long-term measures include big-ticket infrastructure investments -- a set of investment promotion packages and tax incentives for 10 targeted industries -- which are expected to be drivers for the country's S-curve economy.

The economic foundation this government lays down under the new S-curve model will push Thai economic growth to 4-5% in the next three to four years, he said.

Read original story here.
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Cindy Blackstock is a successful person by any measure. She was raised in a nurturing family by a Gitxsan father and Caucasian mother, earned a multitude of degrees and honours and has the satisfaction of knowing her work as a First Nations activist makes a difference in the lives of children.

She was well known among her peers. But two months ago, she won national and international acclaim with a victory on behalf of indigenous children before the Canadian Human Rights Commission, showing they were being shortchanged by Ottawa.

And yet, there is a hole in her own life.

I have a longing to know about my culture, she says, in a phone interview from Ottawa, where shes executive director of the advocacy group First Nations Child & Family Caring Society of Canada.

She wants to know more about the Gitxsan people of northern B.C. She was born in the reserve town of Burns Lake, but grew up off-reserve throughout the North.

The issue came up when I asked her to name a few historical First Nations icons and she remarked she wasnt able to go back past the turn of the 20th century. The teaching of indigenous history in Canadian schools is generally not on par with the story of Confederation or the building of the railroad from coast to coast.

I find my situation is more the rule than the exception among people of my generation, says Blackstock, 51. She adds that when then prime minister Stephen Harper apologized for the residential school system that robbed First Nations children of their heritage, he said the schools sowed the seeds for generations to follow.

Blackstock understands that in her gut. One of those seeds is the cultural erosion that also affects children who didnt go to residential schools.

Moreover, she grew up with symbols all around that Indians were not worth as much as everyone else. You were expected to grow up and be a drunk and be lazy, she says. There were separate entrances for aboriginal people at taverns and she was treated differently, depending on whether she was out with her mother or father. On the playground she was called squaw and felt she wasnt worthy of respect.

As a small child, she didnt know this was racism. You dont know what its called, you just know what it feels like, she says. I wondered, What have we done wrong?

She has a stubborn streak, however, and parents who taught her to work hard, deal with difficulties and focus on character. Her dad was a forest ranger who shared the beauty of the northern forests and her mother stayed home for Cindy and her brother and sister. (The controversies of her life have taught her to be careful about giving up too much information about her family, including their first names.)

I would be crying and my mom would say, You need to stand up for yourself  I think that was really the difference for me  I thought, I am going to walk with my head up.

That difference, followed by career opportunities, gave her another advantage. She explains: I am blessed in that I have been mentored by elders across many nations and, so, while I may not know the specific ceremonies, I am getting better at understanding and living the values.

It was a foundation upon which, in later years, Blackstock met the biggest challenge of her life.

Advocacy gets personal

Ask Blackstock if she has children and she comes back with an unusual response: Single and no kids, except the 163,000-plus that Im honoured to work with on equity issues.

Its no exaggeration. Shes referring to the First Nations children at the centre of the recent landmark decision by the Canadian Human Rights Commission that successive governments racially discriminated against them by paying less for child welfare services.

The ramifications of the January ruling have yet to play out, but it is clear it would not have happened without Blackstock  at least not now.

Far from basking in her success, she worries that history will repeat itself. She knows she has to keep fighting hard to see concrete results.

She wasnt alone, of course. Teams of lawyers, her colleagues at the First Nations Child & Family Caring Society, and the Assembly of First Nations were all involved in filing the 2007 human rights complaint against the Attorney General of Canada, representing the department of Indian Affairs and Northern Development (now called Indigenous and Northern Affairs).

But Blackstock became the symbol of this nine-year battle, for which she paid a high personal price.

The story began for her 30 years ago when she found her true purpose in life.

She was a child protection worker for the B.C. government, 21, based in Vancouver and tasked with keeping families together in hard times. She began to notice how much less Ottawa spent on child welfare services for indigenous children, resulting in more of them being sent to foster homes, often with non-indigenous families.

I realized I needed to help the children, she says simply.

Everything she did was to make her more effective. She already had a degree in social work and took a masters at McGill, before eventually defending her doctoral thesis, on the inequality in Canadas child welfare system, at the University of Toronto in 2009. Currently, shes studying online for a masters in jurisprudence in childrens law and policy at Chicagos Loyola University.

The non-profit advocacy group she helped launch in 1998 has quantified the gap in spending on behalf of First Nations children at between 20 and 30 per cent less. The government disputed that fact before the rights tribunal, arguing the matter is more complex than such statistics suggest.

The tribunal says theres no clear definition of child welfare services, but essentially they are designed to protect the well-being of children. Its more complicated on reserves when needed health and other services usually arent available and the system is bogged down in jurisdictional disputes about money.

Blackstock cites the case of a 4-year-old girl who had complications after routine dental surgery. Something went horribly wrong and she wasnt getting the critical care she needed, she says. It took private citizens donations of money while Health Canada and Indian Affairs bickered over the bill.

She insists that this proven gap (in funding) is widening, not getting smaller, and points out that in 2016, indigenous kids are three times more likely to be in foster care than they were during the worst period of residential schools.

The price tag for Blackstock was the loss of privacy. While she worked on the case against the Canadian government, the government spied on her illegally. She learned about the surveillance by the justice and Indian Affairs departments when she obtained a 2,500-page file on herself under the Privacy Act, filled with snide comments about her by assorted bureaucrats.

The privacy commissioner ruled the government went too far in surveillance that included her Facebook and Twitter accounts, and ordered it to cease. Blackstone donated the $20,000 she was awarded to childrens charities, but didnt take legal action. She says the government was well aware I was scheduled to be the first witness in the human rights case. The idea of witness intimidation was never looked at but is one I think should be explored more, to protect others testifying against the government.

The whole retaliation experience (spying) was shocking and scary but I knew my job as an adult is to stand up for kids, especially kids who are suffering, she says. I hope the government never does this to anyone else ever again. The money spent following me around (more than $5 million) would have been better spent on helping the children.

She sees being taken away from a childs perspective. Federal files (obtained only after long delays and legal scuffles) show that the 163,000 children spent 66 million nights away from their families. Blackstock measures that in sleeps and imagines what is must be like for little kids wondering when they will see their parents again.

Three influences

Blackstock cites three people whose examples helped shape her own life and work:

Dr. Peter Henderson Bryce: A doctor hired by Indian Affairs to report on health conditions at church-run aboriginal schools at the turn of the 20th century, when federal policy was to kill the Indian in the child. His 1907 report detailing scandalous death rates from tuberculosis and blaming both the churches and government wasnt released. But in 1922, he published a book about health conditions at the schools and on reserves called The Story of a National Crime. The outrage of a moral man reverberates more than a century later in his letters of protest to church officials.

Alanis Obomsawin: A highly respected Abenaki filmmaker, 83, whose groundbreaking documentaries for the National Film Board have won national and international awards. Her raw work tells aboriginal truths, including looks at housing conditions at northern Ontarios Attawapiskat (The People of the Kattawapiskak River, 2012) and adolescent suicide (Richard Cardinal: Cry From a Diary of a Metis Child, 1986). A playlist selected from Obomsawins 40-some documentaries is available online at the NFB.

Chief Dan George: A chief of B.C.s Tsleil-Waututh Nation and a writer, who began a film career at 60 and played roles that treated aboriginal characters with respect instead of condescension. His humanity, often shown through humour, stands out in films like Little Big Man, for which he received an Academy Award nomination in 1970. George died in 1981.

A continuing battle for justice

Jan. 26, 2016: The Canadian Human Rights Tribunal, a quasi-judicial body, rules Ottawa racially discriminated against children on reserves by spending less on child welfare. Its only because of their race and/or national or ethnic background that they suffer the adverse impact (from) funding service gaps, delays and denials, says the ruling. It calls Ottawas funding formula outdated and based on flawed assumptions.

The ruling also orders implementation of Jordans Principle, which says care for the child first and fight over who should pay later. Unanimously passed in Parliament in 2007, it was named for Jordan River Anderson, a Cree from Norway House, Man., who died in hospital at 5 while Manitoba and Ottawa were fighting over his care. The ruling says the federal government wrongly insisted on applying the principle so narrowly that it loses all value.

The commission says Blackstocks First Nations Child & Family Caring Society, the co-complainant, asked Ottawa to pay $20,000 in compensation for each child removed from his/her family after 2006. (The society also wants an infusion of $200 million annually to child welfare agencies to level the playing field.)

The ruling, in a case launched while the Conservatives were in power, comes in the first months the Trudeau government, a test of his election promises. In the campaign, he promised a new nation to nation relationship with First Nations peoples, which implies an important legal concept of equality. We have got to get the educational, health and economic outcomes for these children improved, Indigenous Affairs Minister Carolyn Bennett says after the tribunal ruling.

March 10: The government files its submission on the tribunals first requirement  steps for immediate relief. While committing to full-scale reform of the child welfare program, the submission does not commit to immediate changes, which it says could include increases per child and broader discussion around Jordans Principle. The submission commits to re-establishing the National Advisory Committee (cut under Harper) to oversee policy, and be chaired by the Assembly of First Nations and the Indigenous Affairs Ministry.

It says its committed to reform in a manner that respects the authority of Parliament. It suggests two to three months as the timeframe to develop broader reforms in conjunction with the AFN and other parties.

March 15: In advance of the official Caring Society response on immediate relief, Blackstock tells the Star the federal response uses non-binding qualifiers and does not appear to take account of the fact that they are subject to a binding order from the tribunal to cease the discrimination. She adds: I also found it interesting that, as the party found to be discriminating, (the government) wants a role in co-chairing the committee to eliminate the discrimination.

March 22: The Liberal budget allots $ 8.4 billion over five years to First Nations to bring about transformational change. Of this money, $2.6 billion goes to improving primary and secondary education on reserves, $965 million for school infrastructure and $635 million towards child and family services programs.

Perry Bellegarde, national chief of the AFN (co-complainant in the human rights case) calls it a significant first step. Blackstock says the budget falls far short of what is required to meet the human rights ruling. The annual infusion of money for child welfare services should be $200 million, she says, adding that much of the money is delayed for years.

March 31: Deadline for submissions to the tribunal on immediate relief measures from the Caring Society and AFN. The tribunal said it would rule expeditiously, which I hope means in a couple of weeks, says Blackstock.

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NEW YORKA New York federal prosecutor has become a big name in Turkey after the arrest of a prominent businessman who was once entangled in a corruption scandal there.

Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bhararas Twitter following soared from several thousand to over a quarter-million after he tweeted Tuesday that Reza Zarrab would soon face American justice after being arrested on charges of conspiring to evade U.S. economic sanctions against Iran.

Bharara has since fielded a slew of messages in Turkish or from people writing in English about the case. Oklahoma City Thunder centre Enes Kanter, whos Turkish, tweeted a photo of himself in a jersey with Bhararas name on it and said he was proud of the prosecutors work. Another Twitter user wrote to offer the prosecutor shish kebab, Turkish carpets or other Turkish items.

Well, I do love shish kebab but I dont think I can accept gifts just for doing my job, Bharara replied Tuesday in a message that was retweeted over 38,000 times.

The Iranian-Turkish Zarrab, 33, is a well-known figure in Turkey, partly because hes married to Turkish pop star and TV personality Ebru Gundes. But Zarrab gained notoriety on his own when he was arrested in a complicated, high-level Turkish government corruption case in 2013. He maintained his innocence, and the charges were dropped.

Now, Zarrab and two other people are charged in the U.S. with conspiring to process hundreds of millions of dollars worth of financial transactions for Iranian businesses or Irans government  transactions banned by U.S. and international sanctions. The conspirators used a network of companies in Iran, Turkey and elsewhere to launder the proceeds and defraud several financial institutions, including U.S. banks, by concealing the true nature of the financial moves, prosecutors said.

Zarrab was arrested March 19 in Miami; his lawyer hasnt immediately responded to message left Sunday and earlier about the case. Zarrabs co-defendants remain at large.

Bharara has led one of the nations most high-profile federal prosecutors offices since 2009, pursuing cases that range from terrorism to Wall Street fraud to state political corruption and making the cover of Time magazine in 2012. His career also has drawn attention in India, where he was born.

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In 1928, a petri dish in Alexander Flemings lab was accidentally contaminated by a mould spore, leading to the discovery of penicillin and, in time, a revolution in medicine. Deadly infectious diseases like pneumonia, meningitis and tuberculosis could now be reliably treated. Everything from childbirth, to transplant surgery, to chemotherapy was made safer through the use of antimicrobials to prevent infection.

The trouble is that bacteria and other pathogens are constantly evolving into superbugs, capable of resisting our current cache of antimicrobials, which include antibiotics like penicillin as well as antifungals, antiparasitics and antivirals. The WHO warns that a post-antibiotic era  in which common infections and minor injuries can kill  is a very real possibility for the 21st century.

Recent studies predict that by 2050, antimicrobial resistance will claim more lives annually than cancer and drag down the global economy by as much as 3.5 per cent of GDP. There are considerable costs in the here and now, as 18,000 patients are infected with superbugs every year, contributing $1 billion in added health care costs.

In the arms race between germs and medicine, the global community has two complementary strategies at its disposal: First, we can develop new antimicrobials, and secondly, we can slow the emergence of resistant strains through judicious use of current antimicrobials.

As the WHOs warning suggests, neither strategy is being executed effectively at the moment. Very few antimicrobials have been brought to market over the past 30 years  they are unprofitable for drug companies  and we continue to squander the available cache through over- and misuse in health care and animal agriculture.

The bulk of antimicrobial prescribing is done by general practitioners, for outpatient treatment of things like coughs and sore throats. Though there is an element of guesswork in treating these generic symptoms, there appears to be a great deal of over-prescribing. In moments of candour, GPs admit to prescribing antibiotics to placate pushy patients  two-thirds of whom wrongly believe that antibiotics are effective in treating colds and flu. That physicians bow to patients in this way is understandable because there is little regulatory pressure pushing them to be careful stewards.

Other countries have national strategies in the works that appear more rigorous and accountable. Last year, U.S. President Barack Obama announced a system of monitoring and incentives, aimed at reducing inappropriate use of antibiotics in outpatient settings by 50 per cent by 2020. In England, the National Health Service has likewise set targets for reduced outpatient prescribing of antimicrobials, backed by financial incentives. Senior officials with the countrys National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) have mused that doctors who over-prescribe antibiotics may face disciplinary action.

Where is Canada on this issue?

There is consensus that the federal government must play a leadership role on antimicrobial stewardship, co-ordinating efforts by provinces and health professionals. Yet according to a 2015 report by the Auditor General of Canada, nearly two decades of study and consultation have yielded little by way of actual targets and deadlines.

Instead what we see is a heavy emphasis on information gathering and awareness-raising. For example, the Public Health Agency of Canadas Framework for Action on antimicrobial resistance, released in 2014, acknowledges the problem of over-prescribing, but the only concrete proposal mentioned is an annual Antibiotic Awareness Week. A bewildering array of initiatives by the provinces and non-governmental agencies is also engaged in surveying and raising awareness about antimicrobial resistance.

Unlike the U.S. and England, there appear to be no firm targets for reduced antimicrobial prescribing, let alone clear lines of accountability for their achievement.

A key challenge here is that responsibility for health is shared between the federal government and the provinces, with the further wrinkle that physicians are self-regulated by the Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons. Unsurprisingly, our search of the Ontario College of Physicians and Surgeons database turned up zero cases of doctors investigated for poor antimicrobial stewardship.

Given the national and international implications of this issue, the federal government needs to take the lead and ensure that the provinces and in turn physicians make tangible progress.

In our view, the most straightforward path through this jurisdictional morass would be for the federal government to use its spending power to lead by carrot-and-stick  offering the provinces financial incentives for targeted reductions in antibiotic use.

Colleen M. Flood is a Professor in the University of Ottawa and a University Research Chair in Health Law & Policy. She is inaugural director of the Ottawa Centre for Health Law, Policy and Ethics, where Bryan Thomas is a Research Associate.

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Tuesdays attacks in Brussels reinforced a hard truth: Islamic terrorism presents a real threat to Western society. Not because immigration, multiculturalism, and asylum leave us vulnerable to violent ideologies, but because the spectre of terrorism offers fertile ground for our most illiberal tendencies.

My research on irregular migration to Europe involves interviews with EU policy-makers. My most recent trip to Brussels coincided with the lockdown after the November Paris attacks. On my last day I met a senior official after working hours. Looking around the empty bar he worried that another Paris could mean the end of Europe. How can we argue for open borders and solidarity if people dont feel safe? The far right in Western Europe, fascists in the East, the Brexit voices  terrorism plays directly into their hands.

Xenophobic politics track closely with anti-EU sentiment. Frances far-right Front National won the highest proportion of the popular vote in the first round of regional elections in the wake of Paris. The FNs leader, Marine Le Pen, blamed Paris on open borders and Frances crazy, undiscerning immigration policy. They lost the second round only because the Socialists and Republicans colluded to strategically pull candidates.

Research shows the success of xenophobic parties can mean a rightward shift in other countries. This summer Hungarys Viktor Orban secured his position against the far-right Jobbik party by shutting borders and imprisoning migrants. Geert Wilders Dutch Freedom Party surged in popularity after Paris, and now leads the polls. Beata Szydlom, the Polish PM who came to power on a Euro-skeptic agenda, announced that Paris had changed the situation, reneging on refugee redistribution at a press conference where the EU flag had been removed. Anti-EU politicians are mobilizing fear around terrorism and refugees for electoral gain across Europe.

The EU is looking abroad to solve its problems at home. The 3-billion-euro migration deal with Turkey is symptomatic of a pragmatic shift in EU foreign policy. Launched in 2004, the European Neighbourhood Policy was supposed to represent a shift from traditional politics to a normative power agenda. It sought to foster stability through market liberalization, good governance, and rule of law. The newly modified ENP means autocracies wont face lectures on human rights when co-operating on migration. The most charitable interpretation of the Turkey deal is that European leaders are sacrificing a degree of liberal internationalism to undermine anti-EU politicians and save the project as a whole.

Schengen, Europes open border regime, is a byword for both progress and fears around uncontrolled migration and security. The struggle over its meaning could dictate Europes future. Angela Merkel warned that closed borders could mean the end of the Euro and single market given their dependence on mobility of people and goods.

The fragmentation of the worlds largest economy would have far-reaching consequences. But the European experiment is more than a single market. The EU is a key promoter of multilateral institutions. It plays a crucial, if sometimes clumsy, stabilizing role around its near-abroad. Most importantly, Europe symbolizes progress from a continent of war to a community of peace. Liberalism is the soul of the project.

I spent Tuesday speaking with people in Brussels. A friend whos spent her career in EU institutions summed up the prevailing mood: Everyone says they wont be frightened. But ISIS doesnt want to scare us; they want to kill us. We talked about structural inequalities Muslim communities face, endless wars in the Middle East, and the impacts of security responses in Europe. Her depth of analysis only worsened her fear.

Political contagion is not limited by geography. Donald Trump seized on the attacks, promising to protect the West from Muslims. Speaking in Montreal, Le Pen warned that all countries, including Canada, are threatened by Islam and that decisive action was necessary. History teaches us we should reject these appeals.

Europe is at a dangerous crossroads. The 2017 French Presidential election will follow Britains June EU referendum. Closed borders could mean a proliferation of Calais and Idomeni type camps. A fragmented, xenophobic Europe offers Daesh exactly what it wants by fulfilling the prophecy of dangerous and inassimilable outsiders  the Wests historical response to which is as ugly and dangerous as the Caliphate that dominates our fears.

What was once a platitude increasingly sounds like a desperate plea: our openness and diversity are our strength, not our weakness.

Craig Damian Smith is a PhD Candidate in Political Science at U of T. He has conducted several years of research in the Balkans, North Africa, the Middle East, and Europe. Twitter: @craigdamian.

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Employment Minister MaryAnn Mihychuk has put herself  and the Liberal government  in a delicate position.

Last month, in response to pressure from Atlantic Canada, she quietly exempted seafood processors from Ottawas 10-per-cent cap on temporary foreign workers. There was no announcement or parliamentary debate. The government quietly approved a one-year rule change that will allow fish processing plants to bring an unlimited number of temporary foreign workers for a maximum of six months.

Now a host of others  including meat processors, beekeepers and mushroom growers  are lining up to demand equal treatment. Restaurant owners arent far behind.

The Liberal government cant afford to let the temporary foreign workers program (TFWP) balloon as it did under the previous Conservative administration. Former employment minister Jason Kenney encouraged employers to bring in hundreds of thousands of guest workers. They came eagerly from low-wage countries, displacing Canadian employees, filling the entry-level positions sought by domestic job seekers, depressing regional wage rates and liberating businesses owners from their obligation to recruit and train Canadians.

It took Kenney, pressed by CBC News into admitting that the program was rife with abuses, more than a year to rein in it. His restrictions triggered an angry backlash in the oil patch, the food service industry, the Atlantic fishery, the agri-food business and the service sector.

On June 20, 2014, Kenney unveiled the revamped program, calling it a last and limited resort to fill acute labour shortages on a temporary basis when qualified Canadians are not available. Among the changes was a ban on employers in regions where unemployment is over 6 per cent hiring temporary foreign workers. And last Dec. 1, tougher new fines and penalties came into effect for employers who fail to reduce their reliance on foreign workers by July 1 of this year.

Mihychuk is now loosening the restrictions brought in by Kenney. But its only for a year, she insists, and only for a small number of businesses in certain sectors (that) tell us they need more flexibility to meet their workforce needs.

That is not the way employers are reading her message. The government has set a precedent, and now its open season for lobbyists. The Maritime Seafood Coalition won a reprieve; so can other industries that push hard enough.

This has the makings of an unstoppable downslide. If the rookie employment minister is unable to slam on the brakes, the prime ministers senior officials should step in. The best course would be a clear ministerial statement, preferably in Parliament, that there will be no further changes to the temporary foreign workers program

But that would reflect badly on Mihychuk. A gentler, but more labour-intensive, approach would be to instruct every Liberal MP and public employee to say no to all requests to bend the rules.

Both opposition parties are watching the government carefully. Kenney has already accused the Liberals of hatching a secret side deal to make it easier to displace Canadian workers with those from abroad. New Democrat Niki Ashton has raised questions about Mihychuks ability to manage the problematic TFWP. Its just unacceptable to see this kind of improvisation from the government, she said.

There is still time to undo the damage. But it will take speed, skill and party discipline.

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The black-and-white photos of five attractive young adults could be advertisements for a hip new clothing line or milk commercial.

Instead, they are pictures of victims of fentanyl drug overdoses  though not one of them looks anything like an addict. And maybe thats the point.

Their smiling faces are front and centre of a smart FaceTheFentanyl social media campaign launched this past week on the Internet and Twitter to help teens and young adults understand that if it could happen to these kids, it could happen to them. Just like it did to Toronto-area woman Tina Espey, whose photo is part of the launch. She was just 19 when she took an accidental overdose of the painkiller.

The innovative campaign is the bright idea of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police, who launched it in concert with the RCMP and Humber College, as an acknowledgement that enforcement is only one part of the solution to halting the increasing number of overdoses involving fentanyl. Information targeted through media  where teens and young adults will actually see it  is another.

Most worrisome is a counter at the top of the website that is currently at 577. Thats the number of fentanyl overdoses in Ontario since 2010.

Its no wonder there are so many. The drug is 40 times more potent than heroin. Which explains why fentanyl overdoses are mounting. In 2015 there were 16 overdoses involving the drug in a single day in British Columbia, six of them in just one hour.

And the overdoses dont even have to happen to someone who was a user. Some may not be even aware they are taking the drug. As the new website warns: When fentanyl is cut into drugs you cant see, smell or taste it.

Meanwhile, the Twitter site contains messages that can alert readers on the latest fentanyl information or simply let drug users know there are supports out there for them.

The website also gives facts on fentanyl (the equivalent of two grains of sand of fentanyl can kill), lists signs of an overdose, and, importantly, provides information about naloxone, a life-saving drug that can temporarily reverse the effects of an overdose, allowing a user time to get help. When naloxone is in communities, it has been shown to reduce overdose rates by 50 per cent, the website notes.

Indeed, experts from across the country, including members of Toronto Public Health, were calling this week for Ontarios health minister to make naloxone more widely available to tackle rising overdoses in the city. The Centre for Addiction and Mental Health Empowerment Council says it should be available as a non-prescription drug in all health care centres and pharmacies, and this week Health Canada announced it could be available without a prescription, if individual provinces sign off. In New York police officers smartly carry the drug to counteract the effects of an overdose.

Those are all good ideas that should be pursued. In the meantime, the chiefs of police should be applauded for the ingenuity behind the FaceTheFentanyl campaign. It could save lives.

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Re: Historic Cuban meeting exposes deep wounds, March 22

Historic Cuban meeting exposes deep wounds, March 22

Finally an American president has shown the courage, conviction and perseverance to restore normal relations with Cuba, a small, economically isolated vacation hideout that has been at the mercy of U.S. trade and investment for decades.

The Republicans have shown nothing but contempt, jealousy and vindictiveness at Barack Obamas success. They have played a powerful role in delaying and discouraging stronger ties with Cuba and continue to do so with their refusal in Congress to lift the trade embargo. But Obama has shot back by preventing them from reversing his initiatives.

Congratulations to Obama for setting the wheels in motion for making this a better part of the world for everyone to live, work, and play. Dont worry be happy.

Robert Ariano, Scarborough

President Obamas remarks about human rights to President Raul Castro are best appreciated in the context of the U.S.s longest-running vacation camp on the island, where residents get to wear orange jump suits and funky metal jewellery while listening to rock music. So select are the premises that not even top-ranking U.S. citizens are seen residing there.

Peter Scott, Elora

Good. President Obama is going to talk about human rights in Cuba. Last time I checked, Cuba includes Guantanamo Bay Naval Station, the 120 square kilometres of land and water the U.S. has held essentially by force for the last 55 years.

The Guantanamo Bay detention camp at the Naval Station has been in operation since 2002. It was set up there so that the U.S. could avoid having to meet constitutional requirements for fair trials (usually considered an essential component of human rights).

Since its opening, 780 men have been detained there by the U.S. military at some point; 74 of these men have been imprisoned without trial for over 10 years with 45 of these men having been told by the Obama administration that they are being held indefinitely and will not ever be charged or ever receive a trial.

Diana Shields, Toronto

President Barack Obama indeed knows the meaning of the word negotiate a.k.a. compromise ... which is precisely what we need to do with our enemies  in efforts to achieve world peace. And Cuba is as good a place as any to begin, even though many are opposed and would disagree. Obamas trip to Cuba is one for the history books. In the final analysis, historians will hopefully view it favorably. Let us hope that a new relationship between Cuba and America, is just the beginning. Next on the agenda ... Russia?

JoAnn Lee Frank, Clearwater, FL

Whether you agree with it or not, President Obamas visit to Cuba was truly historic, the first by a U.S. president since 1928, opening up doors to a country just 90 miles from the U.S. that has had frigid and acrimonious relations with Cuba since it became communist in 1959.

Though President Obama has been much maligned, in addition to reopening relations with Cuba he has accomplished such important things as becoming our countrys first African-American president, establishing an historic nuclear deal with former enemy Iran, instituted our countrys first national healthcare system, and named our nations first female and Spanish Supreme Court justices.

Kenneth L. Zimmerman, Huntington Beach, CA

Its time Canada stops taking its southern winter vacation playground for granted. With the impending U.S. tourist invasion of Cuba on the doorstep its time for Canada to stand up and be counted.

Cuba according to many we spoke to on a recent trip does not want to lose its self reliance again to American interests (nor China). Surprisingly when challenged with the bold hypothetical  Would you rather be a province of Canada?  the answer was surprisingly positive.

Many regret we didnt vote Max Salzmans motion to annex the Turks and Caicos years ago fearing we would create a net drain on the Canadian taxpayers.

Cuba on the other hand with its climate, fertile land, willing people and off-setting natural resources would be a fitting match as we help them modernize.

Why not Canadian companies providing the products and services. With the historical positive and trusted link between the Castros and the Trudeaus this is the time to act for the benefit of both countries before Obama chalks up some more legacy.

If all this fails we need a Canadians for Donald Trump SuperPAC for the impending election as he has said he will halt consular relations.

As a frequent tourist to Cuba over the past 40 years and a student of Canada/Cuba relations, the Cuban Missile Crises Ive decried the U.S. position on Cuba.

I now realize its more important than ever to put Canadas tourism self interest first and foremost for not just the good of us winter travellers but Cuba as well.

David Simpson, Ottawa

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Relax, you have so much time left to file your taxes this year.

We know: you see that April approaching on the calendar and suddenly you transform into Homer Simpson, racing to the post office to file your wadded-up ball of last-minute tax documents. This year, however, you get a bit of a reprieve.

The Internal Revenue Service opened tax season on Jan. 19 and expects more than 150 million tax returns to be filed this year, but you have until Monday, April 18, to file tax returns and pay any taxes due. You can thank the Emancipation Day holiday in Washington, D.C., for falling on April 15 this year. However, taxpayers in Maine and Massachusetts can wait until Tuesday, April 19 because of Patriots Day observances on April 18.

Also, though the the IRS received a minor budget boost this year, that's just putting a few more operators on duty after the agency answered just 37% of taxpayer calls last year. It won't pay to replace any of the hundreds of tax-compliance employees who are expected to retire this year. That means the odds of a taxpayer facing an audit will fall from last year's 0.84%, though odds of folks with income of $1 million or more being audited still stand at roughly 10%.

Still, even if you'd prefer to pay it straight and not cut corners on your return, you still have a whole lot of time. Last year, we came to the realization that though most accountants are booked during the final weeks of tax season, there are still typically slots available at swamped tax preparation services. Tax software is still an option but Eric Meermann, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent with Palisades Hudson Financial Group in Scarsdale, N.Y., told us last year that there's always one last tool in the procrastinator's chest.

"If you wake up on April 15 with nothing done, there is one major step you can still take that day: electronically file Tax Form 4868 to request an automatic filing extension, says Eric Meermann, a certified financial planner and enrolled agent with Palisades Hudson Financial Group in Scarsdale, N.Y. This action secures you six months of additional time to prepare and file your return without any late filing penalties.

Anthony D. Criscuolo, a certified financial planner with Palisades Hudson Financial Group, notes that workers can still contribute to their IRA by April 18, but you can contribute by the October extension date if youre self-employed and have a SEP IRA. You can still contribute if you havent filed your 2015 tax return yet, are eligible and havent already put in the maximum amount. You can even set up a new IRA by April 18 and make the maximum $5,500 contribution ($6,500 for people 50 and older).

Retirement contributions are valuable for people in all tax bracketsespecially for the affluent who are paying the highest tax rates, Criscuolo says.

Just don't put off filing for that extension or put off calculating your contributions against what you think you'll owe. The federal penalty for failure to file starts at 5% per month and tops out at 25% of taxes owed. That's just from Uncle Sam. Failure to file in New York State, for example, exacts a 7%-per-month penalty. Oh, and you're going to want to calculate what you think you owe and send it in. Otherwise you're subject to a 0.5% to 1% monthly federal penalty for late payment, which also caps out at 25% of your unpaid taxes. The monthly federal penalty for failure to file and failure to pay is capped at 5%, but still isn't ideal to incur both with state penalties on top of them.



As Meerman notes, if you pay at least 90% of your taxes owed when you file an extension request, there's a good chance the failure-to-pay penalty may be waived. Doublecheck information like date of birth and Social Security Numbers before mailing in payment, and get a receipt or e-mail confirmation for any payment sent.

If you're filing late because you don't have the money to pay the IRS at this stage, file anyway. If you're filing in New York State, for instance. the 5% federal penalty and 7% state penalty for failure to file are a lot worse than the 0.5% levy for failure to pay. Take the hit and use those six months to build your resources. Also, if you're self-employed and have your first quarterly tax payment of 2016 due on April 15, you'll again have to consider your priorities but might want to consider going with the current year obligation to keep the interest rates down.

Just don't blow through either the April 18 deadline or the October extension deadline and expect that everything will just work out. Meerman points out that those who file their returns more than 60 days after the deadline (or the extended deadline) are also subject to a minimum penalty of $135 or 100% of the unpaid tax, whichever is less.

If you can't afford to pay your whole tax bill, the IRS generally works with taxpayers to set up installment payment plans or other compromises if necessary, Meerman says. While lateness is never the best-case scenario, the sooner you get your taxes done, the less your tardiness will cost.

This article is commentary by an independent contributor. At the time of publication, the author held no positions in the stocks mentioned.
This Friday, March 25, 2016 police mug photo released by the Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office shows 27-year-old Pierre Haobsh. Haobsh, a business associate of a popular practitioner of Chinese herbal medicine was arrested Friday in connection with what California authorities say was the "horrific" slaying of the herbalist, his wife and the couple's 5-year-old daughter. (Santa Barbara County Sheriffs Office via AP)
ATTLEBORO - School officials are expanding their efforts to explain the education budget and build support for the schools with a series of me
The power, and love, of Jesus is on display regularly at the Austin Powerhouse Church
India plans to provide the probe team from Pakistan access to all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF.

On the eve of the arrival of Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team visit, official sources said India will also press for visit of its probe team to that country for carrying out investigations there.

The sources said the five-member delegation led by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Additional Inspector General of Police Muhammad Tahir Rai will not be provided complete access to the Pathankot air force base but to limited areas where Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with security forces.

The Pakistani team which also comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer will be brought to the airbase in a special plane on March 29.

The airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas.

The team will be briefed thoroughly on March 28 at the NIA headquarters here which will include a 90-minute presentation on the investigations carried in the case so far, the sources said.

This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are travelling to India to investigate a terror attack.

Witnesses, excepting personnel of NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF, have been lined up for the Pakistan probe team.

The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.

The three were kidnapped by the terrorists on the intervening night of December 31 and January one before they entered into IAF base.

The NIA will also share details about the four terrorists which includes their native villages, people who had cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through Bamiyal village on Indo-Pak border.

DNA samples were taken from the energy drink that they are believed to have consumed before carrrying out the sucide attack, they said.

Pakistani team will also be taken to the point where the Jaish terrorists had breached into India, the sources said.

While India has made it clear that it will cooperate in the probe provided Pakistan reciprocates in the same way, the sources said the Pakistani side would be asked about some details that India had sought from them.

This includes some phone numbers, persons involved which includes brother of Jaish Chief Masood Azhar and companies who had supplied the packed food to the terrorists.

India can make a request to Pakistan for allowing an Indian probe team there for investigations at a later date, the sources said.

India will also cite similarities between the Pathankot attack and those in Samba and Kathua last year like using same GPS and wirless sets, the modus operandi of hijacking cars, energy drink 'Red bull' (common in all attacks), identical wire cutters and arms and ammunition of Eastern Europe, Russian and Chinese make which available in the Af-Pak region.

The terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with the security forces at the IAF base from the intervening night of January 1 and 2. Seven security personnel were killed, while four bodies of terrorists belonging to Jaish-e-Mohammed were recovered.

Confusion still remained over whether two more terrorists were involved in the attack. The NIA is now contemplating sending samples of some purported human remains, beleived to be of two terrorists, to a second CFSL laboratory.

NIA is still awaiting a Letters Rogatory from a Pakistan court so that the evidence collected during the probe can be handed over to the JIT "legally".

It had released photographs of the four terrorists killed during the operation with description of their height. The anti-terror probe agency has said one of the terrorists did not have toes in both the feet.

The pictures have been circulated and the public asked to share information about them. Anybody giving "relevant and correct" information would be rewarded up to Rs one lakh, NIA had said.

The agency has already approached the Interpol for issuance of 'Black Notice' for the four. An international notice is issued for identification of unidentified bodies found in a country.

India has already sent a Letters Rogatory to Pakistan seeking certain details about the four terrorists.

India has also been seeking details of the phone numbers dialled by the four terrorists ahead of the attack on the airbase on the intervening night of January 1 and 2.

The numbers are believed to be in the names of people connected with Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group, including Mullah Dadullah and Kashif Jaan. The numbers shared belong to the Pakistani telecom operators like Mobilink, Warid and Telenor.

NIA has also sought details and picture from Khayam Baber of her son who was part of the suicide squad that carried out the attack.

Kashif Jaan, one of the key handlers of the attackers, had accompanied the terrorists till the border, the sources said.

The bodies of the four terrorists have been preserved.

Out of the four, two of them have been identified as Nasir and Salim. Nasir was the one who had called his mother Baber in Bhawalpur using the phone snatched from the jeweller friend of Punjab Police SP Salwinder Singh.

NIA has also given details, including the batch numbers, of food packets used by the terrorists after infiltrating into India on December 30. The terrorists had carefully buried the packets which had Pakistani markings and manufacturing dates of November and December 2015, the sources said.
Bernie Sanders scored a duo of wins in Western caucus contests Saturday, giving a powerful psychological boost to his supporters but doing little to move him closer to securing the Democratic nomination.

While results in Washington and Alaska barely dented Hillary Clintons several hundred delegate lead, Sanders wins underscored her persistent vulnerabilities within her own party, particularly with young voters and liberal activists who have been inspired by her rivals unapologetically liberal message. The two Democrats were also competing in Hawaii.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Sanders cast his performance as part of a Western comeback, saying he expects to close the delegate gap with Clinton as the contest moves to the more liberal northeastern states, including her home state of New York. He also said his campaign is increasing its outreach to superdelegates, the party insiders who can pick either candidate, and are overwhelmingly with Clinton.

The Deep South is a very conservative part of the country, he said. Now that were heading into a progressive part of the country, we expect to do much better.

He added: There is a path to victory. With Clinton far in front, however, it is a difficult path.

Clinton anticipated the losses: She barely campaigned in the three states, making just one day of stops in Washington state, and was spending the Easter weekend with her family.

She is turning her focus to the April 19 contest in New York, seeking to win a large share of the delegates at stake and to avoid the blow of losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate. She is trying to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later, hoping to deliver a big enough haul to unify the Democratic Party and regulate Sanders to little more than a protest candidate.

Sanders, whos found some success in the industrial Midwest, wants to leverage his fiery arguments against free-trade and working-class support into an April 5 victory in delegate-rich Wisconsin. He also plans to compete fiercely in New York and is pushing for the party to schedule a debate in the state, saying in the interview that it would be really absurd if one did not take place.

Before the contests, Clinton had a delegate lead of 1,228 to 976 over Sanders, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expanded to 1,692-949 once the superdelegates are included.

Based on the AP count, Sanders still needs to win 58 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by Junes end.

His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall  from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates  to prevail.

He was unlikely to emerge from his Saturday sweep with significantly more delegates, winning at least 27 delegates to Clintons five for the day after his Washington victory. More are likely to be allocated to Sanders in several weeks, when Washington state Democratic party releases vote shares by district. Sixty-seven delegates are awarded based on results in the states congressional districts.

But theres little question that Sanders has tapped into a powerful frustration within the party. He continues to attract tens of thousands to his rallies and has collected more than $140 million from two million donors.

Most of his 14 primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats. Hes heavily favored by younger voters, who were a key part of the coalition that boosted Barack Obama to victory twice. Clintons ability to win the White House, should she capture the nomination, will hinge on how well she can motivate his passionate  and politically active  supporters.

In Spokane, Washington, a huge line of caucus attendees  largely Sanders backers  snaked around a high school parking lot Saturday morning.

I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students, said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. And getting big money out of politics. Hes not paid for by billionaires.

Retiree Dan McLay, 64, attended the caucus in a hard-hat, which he joked he needed because he was one of the relatively few Clinton supporters in the big crowd.

Look at this thing in Brussels, McLay said, referring to the deadly attack in Belgium this week. We need a real experienced leader.

It was strong support for Sanders that brought Kirsa Hughes-Skandijs out to her first caucus in Juneau, Alaska.

This is the first time Ive ever felt that kind of belief in a candidate, that they mean what they say and that they are not saying what they think people want to hear, she said.

(AP)
Last week, during a terror attack near Admat Yishai in Hebron on Purim morning, an IDF soldier was wounded in a hand and shoulder. After the terrorist was shot and wounded, a soldier who arrived on the scene fired at his head, killing him, as seen in the video. In the second video one hears the shouts of rescuers explaining the terrorist dog is still alive and we cannot treat him for it appears he has a bomb on him. This would indicate the soldier who fired feared the terrorist might be able to detonate an explosive device and this may have compelled him to fire at his head to make sure he was dead.

The soldiers actions were videoed (first video) by an Arab activist working with the left-wing BTselem human rights organization to show the soldier executed the terrorist without justification. This edited video omits the audio portion that expresses fears the terrorist may be armed with a bomb. It simply shows a soldier executing a wounded terrorist.

While family members have released statements to the press in support of their sibling and son, the political community did not waste time condemning to once again seek the approval of the international community. Among those issuing condemnatory statements was Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, who did not wait for a trial, preferring to decide the soldier who fired at a terrorist who seconds earlier tried to murder terrorists and who possibly or likely had a bomb on his body.

PM Netanyahu said What happened today in Hebron does not represent the values of the IDF. The IDF expects its soldiers to behave level-headedly and in accordance with the rules of engagement.

The soldier remains in jail, and not permitted to receive visitors. MK Avigdor Lieberman who heads the Yisrael Beitenu party was denied a request to meet with the soldier.

Video showing the terrorist being shot in his head

In this video in which we hear It appears he has a bomb on him and the terrorist dog appears to still be alive



(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Purim 5776 issued the following statements regarding the UN Human Rights Council on Israel. The UN Human Rights Council has become an anti-Israel circus. It attacks the only democracy in the Middle East and ignores the gross violations of Iran, Syria and North Korea.

The absurdity is that instead of dealing with the Palestinians terrorist attacks and those of Daesh in Europe, it decides to condemn Israel. Israel calls on responsible governments not to honor the decisions of the Council that discriminate against Israel.

The UN council last week voted to blacklist companies based in Yehuda, Shomron, eastern Jerusalem and the Golan Heights in a 32 to 15 vote. Article 17 of the of the resolution calls for the creation of a database of all companied involved in settlements. This would include companies that supply equipment and services and the database will be updated annually.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Tens of thousands of Israelis have already signed a petition to present an award to the IDF soldier who shot and killed the wounded Hebron terrorist in Hebron on Purim morning.

The soldier was imprisoned after a BTselem activist videoed him shooting the terrorist who was on the ground in his head. An investigation into the incident is underway.

The online petition, on Sunday morning 17 Adar-II already had over 35,000 signatures. The petition was initiated by IDF Major (reserves) Ron Levi, who is also a member of the Likud party Central Committee. He is directing the petition to Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon and IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-General Gadi Eizenkott, who were all very quick to publically condemn the soldiers actions before a probe was even launched.

The dati leumi Srugim website reports the soldiers father has already received death threats and police have been notified.

Bayit Yehudi party leader Education Minister Naftali Bennett calls for standing behind the solider pending the outcome of a probe into the shooting. Justice Minister (Bayit Yehudi) Ayelet Shaked also criticized those government officials who do not have a problem condemning the soldier before the probe into the shooting was launched.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
According to reports from the weekly cabinet meeting on Sunday, 17 Adar-II, Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and Education Minister Naftali Bennett got into a harsh exchange of words. PM Netanyahu took offense to comments released by Bennett against him for his public condemnation of the soldier who shot a wounded terrorist dead in Hebron on Purim.

Bennett and colleagues in his party called on elected officials to come out publically in support of the soldier until the probe into the shooting death shows he acted inappropriately.

The Prime Minister reportedly scorned Bennett, telling him Dont you dare lecture me about backing IDF soldiers. The animosity between Mr. Netanyahu and Bennett is a known reality and it usually does not take too much for him to lash out at Bennett is the conditions permit.

Following the release of the BTselem video showing the soldier shooting the terrorist who was on the ground but at the cabinet meeting, Mr. Netanyahu told the press Any challenge to the morality of the IDF is outrageous and unacceptable. The soldiers of the IDF, our children, maintain high ethical values while courageously fighting against bloodthirsty murderers under difficult operational conditions. I am certain that in all cases, as in the current one, the inquiry takes into account all conditions. We must all support the IDF Chief of Staff, the IDF and our soldiers, who safeguard our security.

Joining PM Netanyahu in attacking Bennett were Minister of Public Security Gilad Erdan and Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, who criticized Bennett for his remarks.

(YWN  Israel Desk, Jerusalem)
Since its Easter and the Chancellor has been humbly explaining himself to MPs, lets look at his Budget with our bishops mitre on (a mere dog-collars not good enough, its straight to the top for us).

MPs approved the Budget last week only after George Osborne was forced to shelve planned cuts to disability benefits. Osbornes original Budget led to the resignation of Work and Pensions Secretary Iain Duncan Smith.

So was IDS right, are we no longer heading for a fairer society where the less well-off are taken care of, or are we still all in it together?

Disability cuts row: Osbornes original Budget led to the resignation of Iain Duncan Smith

Well, he has got a point: average annual income of the top 30 per cent of households will be 280 higher after the Budget and that of the bottom 30 per cent will be 565 lower, according to the Resolution Foundation chaired by former Tory Cabinet Minister Lord Willetts.

Osborne has been horribly constrained by restrictions of his own making.

He has bet his own political future on eliminating the deficit, but has imposed limitations on himself on how he can do it: the Tories pledged not to cut the NHS, schools or foreign aid and have sworn to keep boosting pensions no matter what.

President Obama ticked off the Prime Minister for getting a free ride on defence, so the UK had to boost defence spending. That doesnt leave much to cut to tackle the deficit.

Add cuts to Government revenues from lower corporation tax and the elimination of tax for large swathes of small businesses and you get IDS storming out in high dudgeon over cuts to the disabled.

One Nation Toryism it aint. So this Easter, then, we wont tip our hat to the Chancellor after all.

Bernie Ecclestone is a controversial figure, but there are few businessmen who have been as successful

Over four decades, Bernie Ecclestone has taken what was almost a weekend hobby for a few well-heeled enthusiasts and turned Formula 1 into one of the biggest sporting spectacles on the planet.

Now its a business that someone might be prepared to pay $8.5billion (6billion) to take control of  see our story on the previous page.

Ecclestone still owns a stake in the company which runs it and might even increase it.

But it is the US venture capital firm CVC which will have cashed in mightily since it bought its controlling stake in the firm which runs F1, called Delta Topco, for $2billion in 2006.

It halved its stake to its present level, garnering $4.4billion in the process, and has benefited from soaring profits in recent years and now is looking at an $8.5billion payday.
Mrs R.G.writes: In 2013, I bought an investment diamond from Good To Be Green Limited. It was to be stored in a vault in Geneva.

The company later ceased trading and I was contacted by Global Tech Management Limited, which said my diamond was worth 26,000 and I needed to pay 5,600 in VAT.

It rang three or four times a day and offered to store my diamond for free if I invested 20,000, which did not feel right. More recently, another firm said it has my stone.

Diffraction Diamonds, based in Dubai, seems to have all the relevant information, but how do I know who to trust?

Would-be Wolves: Essex boys Daniel Racey (left) and Ricky Burgess (right) ran dodgy boiler scams

The answer may well be not to trust any of them. Good To Be Green was part of a shady network of companies that sold carbon credits, advising investors that prices were soaring.

It claimed to have a team of highly qualified diamond experts, offering superior rare jewels as investments. It was all lies.

This was just a boiler room scam using false claims and high pressure sales calls to cheat people.

The business was run by Ricky Burgess from Westcliff, a suburb of Southend, Essex, who was 21 when he set it up.

Since it ceased trading in 2013, Insolvency Service investigators have found it raked in at least 608,000 by selling carbon credits at a 370 per cent mark-up over their true value.

Three weeks ago, Burgess, now 25, was banned from acting as the director of any company for 15 years.

So much for the would-be Wolf of Westcliff. Next, along came Global Tech Management. Like Good To Be Green, it claimed to be a City investment firm.

It was never licensed by the Financial Conduct Authority, but it boasted it was a manager specialising in international equities and commodities, and even offered hedge funds.

A shady network of companies sold carbon credits and advised investors that prices were soaring

But this was just another boiler room scam. It failed to file any accounts at Companies House  an offence  and was struck off in December.

Boss Daniel Racey was just 24 when he set it up in 2014. He had previously run CNI Consultants Limited, another dodgy carbon credits firm. It was also struck off last year for failing to file accounts.

How did Raceys diamond dealing business know to call you about your stone? The answer lies in our picture. The two dodgy dealers are pals, and like Burgess, Racey is from Westcliff.

But could Racey have the brains to be an investment expert? Unlikely.

In 2009, he was sentenced to an 18-month community order, including 150 hours of unpaid work, after pleading guilty to criminal damage and assaulting his mother after he came home drunk.

In 2011 he went one better, with a 12-month jail sentence after he and a friend broke into what they thought was a drugs den.

Diffraction have said that Mrs R. G.'s diamond is still in safe hands and locked in a vault

They got the address wrong but carried on with the burglary anyway, and were arrested trying to escape with items worth about 1,000.

Raceys excuse to the court was that he had been drinking to excess and taking drugs. So, not a criminal mastermind then.

Neither Racey nor Burgess replied to invitations to comment. But this brings us to Diffraction Diamonds, which told you your stone was not in Geneva but Dubai.

It told me it was a wholesaler of fancy coloured diamonds and Good To Be Green was one of its outlets. It arranged storage in Geneva, which is how it was later able to move your diamond to Dubai.

Diffraction told me: Evidence of the diamond being in the vault (documentary and photographic) can be provided at any time.

So, your diamond exists, and it is in safe keeping. But it is not all good news.

Business Secretary Sajid Javid filed a High Court petition to have Diffraction wound up and the case was to be heard on March 9, but has been adjourned as the firm plans to oppose the petition

After enquiries by the Insolvency Service, Business Secretary Sajid Javid filed a High Court petition to have Diffraction wound up. The case was to be heard on March 9, but has been adjourned as the firm plans to oppose the petition.

Diffraction was set up by David Ramsey, who also previously ran a carbon credits rip-off. The High Court shut it down in 2014 for making false claims and misleading statements and charging exaggerated prices.

Though your diamond exists, it may be worth a fraction of what you paid.

A week ago the Insolvency Service revealed details of evidence it gave recently in court, to close down diamond dealer Heritage FA Limited. Investigator Chris Mayhew said: This company promised safe and spectacular returns, but simply delivered a hole in the pocket for investors.

The mark-up by Heritage was 334 per cent, making it almost impossible for investors to profit. Also, Heritage got the stones from Diffraction. Oh, dear.
You can make money by investing in an Isa or a pension. Or you can go down a more unorthodox route and lend out your body  or parts of it  to help others and make yourself an income.

Here, The Mail on Sunday explores a wide range of options: from being a human guinea pig, selling locks of hair to modelling for others.

Susie Mason is a life model who has been immortalised in hundreds of paintings and even a bronze statue

Become a hand or leg model

You do not have to possess the catwalk appeal of Cara Delevingne to be a top model. You can make a good living from just modelling hands and legs.

Hand models are particularly sought- after for advertising campaigns  handling the goods that are being promoted. When used in TV work, you can earn between 850 and 5,000 a day.

If your hands are used in print advertising you can be paid between 350 and 500 for posing for photographs.

Siobhan Priest, 30, from Balham in South West London, enjoys a successful career modelling her hands, lips and legs for advertising campaigns.

The married mother of one says: I have a naturally slim shape. Although I am just under six foot and wear size ten or 12 clothes, I am perhaps not slim enough to be a catwalk supermodel.

But when modelling body parts, advertising firms often prefer more shape and want people like me who look more like those who buy their goods.

Pin model: Siobhan Priest earns a good living modelling her legs, feet and hands (left in an ad shoot)

Although spotted by a modelling talent scout as a teenager, Siobhan said it was not until she signed up to a body agency specialising in hands, feet, legs, eyes and lips that she embarked on this unusual but successful career.

She says: It is great being able to turn up with hair scraped back and not wearing any make-up  knowing all they are going to focus on are your feet, legs or hands.

'I go to the gym and work out to try to keep toned but for hand, foot and lip modelling it is often just good luck. Anyone interested should contact a specialist agency to see if they have what it takes.

You need to look after your limbs as a model but blemishes such as temporary bruising can often be airbrushed from the photo.

With hands, nails need to be kept trim and well manicured. Long, straight fingers with smooth skin will help get hands into adverts  not freckles or moles.

Bernadette Vong, 36, from St Neots, Cambridgeshire, has been modelling hands for a decade. She says: You would be surprised how vital hands are for advertising. Some are more suitable for promoting beauty products while others have a professional business appeal.

'Mine are most used for promoting technology, such as phones  making gadgets look easy to handle. My hands have even appeared in Vogue.

FURTHER INFORMATION Body part modelling agencies include Hired Hands (020 7267 9212); hiredhandsmodels.com; and BMA Models (01442 878 878), bmamodels.com.

Pose for art

Work as a life model  posing for artists  is not for the bashful as most of the time it involves being studied naked.

But if you are not prudish and are able to sit for a few hours without fidgeting, it can be a financially rewarding pursuit.

You not only help artists with their art and sculpture projects but it can also earn you a few pounds. A life model can expect to be paid 15 an hour to be an art muse  so a full day of modelling might earn you 120.

Susie Mason, 48, from Elmbridge, Surrey, is a freelance life model who has been immortalised in hundreds of paintings and even a bronze statue.

She says: Modelling is rewarding as you are always surrounded by talented people. There is also an element of vanity as you are being used in works of art that will be around forever.

But Susie warns it is not just about lying around. She works out to give herself sufficient stamina to hold certain positions and does regular weight training.

Work of art? If you are not prudish, posing as for artists can be a financially rewarding pursuit

The married mother of two says: It can be gruelling holding the same pose for four hours or more. You also need to keep the mind focused on remaining still.

Susie says her work is varied  everything from sitting for a group of art students in a college studio for a couple of hours in an evening to posing for an individual artist over several days.

Contrary to what many people think, shape or age are no barrier to being a successful model. In fact, sagging breasts, Caesarean scars for women, and balding pot-bellied men can add to artistic appeal.

Figurative artists like to practice drawing people of all ages, shapes and sizes. Rachel McCarthy runs the Register of Artists Models and at 58 is an art model herself.

She says: The first rule for any aspiring model is punctuality. You cannot be late when doing a sitting for others. An ability to sit still  and let your mind drift  is also essential.

Being a life model is usually a part-time occupation as work is not regular  and initially you must be patient as it can take time to build up a reputation.

FURTHER INFORMATION Anyone interested in becoming a life model can contact the Register of Artists Models. Details are available at website Modelreg.co.uk. It charges 38.50 as a subscription to be listed on its website while artists pay 10 a year to find models.

Be a medical guinea pig

Every drug that is either sold across the counter at a pharmacy or prescribed by the doctor needs to have been rigorously tested first.

By the time it gets to so-called human guinea pigs it has already been through countless other examinations  including animal testing.

For any clinical trial to go ahead it has to be proven that the drug is safe for humans  and must be rubber stamped by the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA).

Medical trials are held at private and NHS-supported clinics across Britain. These include everything from flu tests to drugs that combat conditions such as heart disease and cancers.

Volunteers usually have to be in good physical shape and aged between 18 and 65. They must go through an initial screening that less than half pass.

Accommodation is good but not five-star luxury. If on a flu trial you may get your own room with en-suite bathroom, TV and computer games console.

Volunteers usually have to be in good physical shape and aged between 18 and 65

You will also be fed for free as part of the deal  but unfortunately you could be trapped inside the medical treatment complex for a week or more.

Fees vary depending on the nature of the test. A company such as FluCamp might pay around 3,000 for a 12-day stay at its research centre.

You get an influenza virus that is inhaled through the nose followed up with tests in isolation  including the taking of urine and blood samples plus having your heart monitored with an electrocardiogram.

There is also a follow-up check three weeks after leaving.

Other companies that do medical trials include Covance. It offers a range of treatments at its centre in Leeds  paying from 750 for a three-night stopover and a couple of follow-up visits.

Sabine Schneidern, a spokeswoman for Covance, says: We have volunteers who do the trials for a range of reasons  not just the money. For example, we have nurses who take part because they know the important value of the work being done.

She adds: You often do not even feel you are taking the drug. Side effects are nearly always minor as the drugs have already been rigorously tested. And you can end the trial whenever you like.

Those afraid of needles should think twice before signing up  as regular blood samples are often taken.

You must also accept that boredom can play a role as you may have to stay in a complex for weeks  though a good pile of books can help alleviate this.

FURTHER INFORMATION Medical trial details can be found at covanceclinicaltrials.com; flucamp.com; quintilesclinicaltrials.co.uk; and trials4us.co.uk.

Donate sperm or eggs

For a man aged between 18 and 40 sperm donation offers an opportunity to help those with fertility problems who wish to have children.

There are several sperm donation bank outlets across Britain  run by both NHS and private fertility clinics  but it is important only to use a provider that is licensed by the Human Fertilisation & Embry- ology Authority.

Donors can expect to receive 35 plus expenses for every visit they make to a sperm bank.

When you have donated, your identity is not given to the recipient, but once any conceived child reaches the age of 18 they have a right to find out who you are  though the sperm donor will not appear on any birth certificate or be able to make any contact with the child.

This rule only applies to children born by donation from April 2005.

Only a minority of men are approved by sperm banks. If accepted you may be asked to give two samples a week for up to six months  with total payments often capped at 750.

Donors can expect to receive 35 plus expenses for every visit they make to a sperm bank

You must abstain from sex for at least three days before each visit. Donors provide samples in private rooms at the clinics. The containers are then immediately handed over to laboratory staff.

A spokesperson for the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority says: You should not be motivated by money if you are interested in becoming a donor. It is an altruistic act that in some cases offers the only hope for couples with fertility problems. It is not a decision to be taken lightly.

The Birmingham-based National Sperm Bank has struggled to attract donors and admitted it only had nine donors registered with it last year.

Women who wish to donate eggs should be no older than 35. The eggs are taken during a short operation at either an NHS or private medical clinic.

Once the eggs have been harvested, they are fertilised with sperm before being placed into the birth mother.

Before the eggs are taken, donors are put on a course of drugs to synchronise the menstrual cycle with the woman who will receive them.

The procedure can be done at a private clinic or the NHS but the clinic must again be licensed by the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority.

The donor can expect to be paid 750 plus expenses for her eggs.

As with sperm donation, offspring born since April 2005 have a legal right to find out who donated the eggs once they reach the age of 18  but they will not be the legal mother.

A spokesperson for the Human Fertilisation & Embryology Authority says: Taking eggs is an invasive procedure but a wonderful opportunity to help others wishing to have a family.

'Eggs are usually collected using ultrasound guidance while you are sedated, with a hollow needle attached to a probe that collects the eggs.
It may seem hard to believe today of all days, but the world is heading towards a chocolate crisis. Cocoa is the essential ingredient behind every chocolate bar or Easter egg in the world and production is falling, even as consumption is rising.

Less cocoa is produced now than five years ago and the outlook is pretty grim. Ghana, Indonesia and Ivory Coast dominate the market and of these three countries, only the last is increasing production  and that at a very low rate.

Meanwhile, West African cocoa-farming practices have come under sustained criticism, with some parts of the industry accused of using child labour and chronic underpayment of small-scale farmers.

Trouble: Less cocoa is produced now than five years ago and the outlook is pretty grim

Against this backdrop, United Cacao should be a stock market darling. The company owns a cocoa estate of more than 8,000 acres in Peru, of which almost 5,000 acres have been planted.

Production will start by early next year and the aim is to increase tonnage steadily, reaching a peak of more than 8,000 tons a year by 2022.

Cocoa currently sells for around $3,125 (2,188) a ton, implying healthy revenues for United once it finally starts to harvest its fruit. Costs are low and the firm will not have to pay corporation tax, so profits should be pretty high.

United also prides itself on ethical practices, paying farmers a decent wage and even setting up a scheme to provide finance for smallholders around the estate.

And yet the shares have performed abysmally. Midas recommended them at 159p in December 2014 just after they floated. Today they have almost halved to 80p. Why?

Most obviously, the company has yet to make any money and will need to borrow some cash from the bank to take it to production. Chairman and founder Dennis Melka is in talks with local banks and is confident the money will be found, but the uncertainty has clearly prompted a degree of nervousness.

The rout in commodity markets late last year affected cocoa and the price fell from a high of $3,400 to about $2,700. It has since recovered most of those losses and the outlook is good, given that supplies are falling and demand is rising. But the sudden price slump at the end of the year gave some investors the jitters.

United was also accused of illegally clearing Peruvian rain forest to plant its crops. In truth, the area had been decreed an agricultural zone since 1997 and last month the company won a legal case to this effect.

The situation was particularly frustrating for Melka, who claims that he is trying to create better conditions for farmers and lift locals out of unemployment. Now that the Supreme Court of Peru has ruled in Uniteds favour, the company should be able to put the saga behind it. However, it has caused some unwelcome publicity.

Finally, Peru has presidential elections next month and this had added to the uncertainty.

Melka, a US-educated Czech national who previously worked as an investment banker, has spent the past ten years in the plantation crop market, most recently founding and successfully selling palm oil producer Asian Plantations.

He owns 28 per cent of United, with another 38 per cent owned by wealthy supporters and professional agricultural investors.

Midas verdict: Melkas own stake in United Cacao and the faith invested in him by large shareholders should certainly motivate him to make the business a success. Long-term trends in the cocoa market also suggest the company should ultimately do well.

But, as with any early-stage commodity stock, there are risks. Nervous investors should sell now. Patient investors should hold. The intrepid could buy a few at todays cheap price.
In the soup: Premier Foods was attacked by shareholders for rejecting takeover offer

Premier Foods must pay 185million into its pension fund over the next four years, sparking fears that the massive rise in costs may be too much for suitor McCormick to swallow.

The huge increase from 6million this year to more than 40million a year until 2020 will be a key concern for food giant McCormick.

The US company wants to examine details of Premiers 395million pension deficit.

McCormick made an offer for the owner of Oxo and Homepride at 60p a share, which valued it at 1.5billion including debt and pension liabilities.

Premiers board rejected the offer on Wednesday and as a result came under fire from two major shareholders. McCormick has until April 20 to make a firm bid.

The situation became more complex after Japanese food maker Nissin said on Thursday that it had acquired a 17 per cent stake in Premier at 63p a share.
Cakes will be on the rise this Easter  with an increasing number of enthusiasts learning to bake to save money.

Sales of baking ingredients have gone up by more than 60 per cent over the past decade as cash-strapped households have discovered the savings  and pleasure  of baking their own cakes rather than buying ready made, according to research.

The growth in interest has also been fuelled by the popularity of television shows such as BBC1s The Great British Bake Off starring cookery writer Mary Berry  encouraging a third of us to put on an apron and whisk up cakes every week.

Flour power: Roxy Cox bakes two dozen fairy cakes with her son Leo, aged four, each week

By baking your own, a cake that could cost 10 in the shops can be made for less than a 1  and you can enjoy a tasty treat with contents that do not contain any additives.

Easter is a peak time for home baking as cakes  along with chocolate eggs  are seen as symbols that celebrate the resurrection of Christ and mark the end of the austerity of Lent.

Roxy Cox, 22, from Letchworth, Hertfordshire, bakes two dozen fairy cakes each week for a total cost of less than 2  the same price as a cupcake from a coffee shop.

She says: I was brought up baking cakes by my grandmother and we still enjoy making them together. The family fun is now also shared with my four-year-old, Leo. He loves baking fairy cakes, especially putting on the icing.

The building society customer representative, engaged to panel beater Rhys Brickell, 27, with whom she has Leo and 11-month-old Alfie, often bakes double what she needs so she can share the pleasure of baking with friends and work colleagues as it does not cost much more to bake 24 fairy cakes than 12.

Sauce of inspiration: BBC1s The Great British Bake Off starring cookery writer Mary Berry has a fueled a resurgence in cooking at home with the rest of the family

Roxy says a lack of ability is no excuse not to bake, and all that is required is a generous helping of enthusiasm, a cooker, baking tray and ingredients.

All you need is flour, sugar, eggs and butter or margarine  and a dash of something extra like vanilla extract. I pay 1.80 for a fancy cupcake in a local coffee shop, but for the same price my son and I have half an hour of fun working together to bake two-dozen little cakes.

She adds: It is not just the savings and pleasure that attract me  home-baked cakes taste much better and it is far healthier knowing the family is not eating treats packed full of additives.

Paula MacLeod, cake baking and decorating expert on shopping channel Hochanda, believes a great place to start is the Victoria sponge cake.

Cooking up a storm: Roxy bakes the cakes with her son for the price of one cupcake bought in a coffee shop

Recipes are available from a wide range of cookery books, but one free source of information that offers invaluable advice  and cookery lessons  is the Womens Institute website, thewi.org.uk/recipes.

Once you have decided on the cake it is time to shop for ingredients.

This typically includes softened butter or high-fat margarine, caster sugar, eggs, self-raising flower and filling such as raspberry jam.

You may also include milk and extras such as vanilla extract, orange or lemon zest. It is vital to ensure the oven is piping hot  usually 180 degrees Centigrade  before putting in the mix so that the cake does not deflate later on.

MacLeod says: Where beginners often fall is after carefully whisking all the ingredients together and baking the cake to perfection they then leave much of the cake stuck behind in the baking tray.

Closeup of a mona de pascua, a cake eaten in Spain on Easter Monday, decorated with a teddy chick

There is no reason for this  just remember to grease the tray with butter and gently dust with flour, or use non-stick greaseproof paper as a lining. If you are still nervous, invest a few pounds in a non-stick cake tin with a quick-release spring mechanism to avoid disasters. You will find it soon pays for itself.

But MacLeod believes the biggest money-saving tip is the decorations, which can turn a tasty but plain looking cake into a truly magnificent treat.

She says: If you make a cake look more appealing on the outside, suddenly it looks an expensive luxury. There is no need to waste a fortune on celebratory cakes for Easter, birthdays or Christmas as it is easy to decorate yourself.

A chocolate Easter cake can contain similar ingredients to a Victoria sponge but with a few tablespoons of good quality cocoa powder thrown into the mix as a replacement for some of the flour.

Tasty: Ed Balls' ski jump cake on the The Great Sport Relief Bake Off, beaten by rival Kimberly Walsh

MacLeod suggests novices buy ready-made sugar paste  fondant icing  that can be rolled and used to decorate the cake.

Sugar paste can cost 1 but is a convenient alternative to making your own out of ingredients such as icing sugar, water, gelatine, liquid glucose and glycerine.

The total cost of making the Easter cake might be 3 but a similar shop bought example can cost 10 and will not have the same home-baked appeal.
The House of Britannia owns the majority of the Queens glove maker Cornelia James

Brand management and investment company The House of Britannia, which owns the majority of the Queens glove maker Cornelia James, hopes to raise 6million by listing on the ISDX small company market.

The funds will be used for working capital and to enable the firm to make investments in British luxury brands.

The company also has a stake in sparkling wine producer Digby Fine Wines and an exclusive agreement with Royal tailor Benson & Clegg to market the brand abroad.

Chief executive Simon Petherick said: Sales of British personal luxury goods were 8.2 billion in 2013 and are forecast to reach up to 57billion by 2019.
Financial protection insurance claims do not just go unpaid because a customers illness is not deemed critical enough.

Millions of pounds a year goes unclaimed because customers battling a condition sometimes forget they have bought cover.

This happened to nurse and mother-of-two Michelle Hatherly. She was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2013  but only found out months later that she was entitled to 20,000 from insurance she had forgotten about.

Over the moon: Michelle Hatherly was diagnosed with breast cancer in the summer of 2013  but only found out months later that she was entitled to 20,000 from insurance she had forgotten about

It was a check-up call from LifeSearch, her insurance broker, that spurred her into making a claim.

Michelle, 48, from Swansea, says: The adviser immediately said I could claim on my cover  I didnt even realise I had any. After being diagnosed, I could hardly think straight but I was over the moon to find out I could claim.

Michelle had just seen her work sick pay cut in half, so the call came at just the right time.

LifeSearch says Michelles forgetfulness is not unusual. A recent survey of its customers found a significant number who were eligible to claim on protection insurance but had not done so.

One in every nine financial protection claims paid to LifeSearch clients in the second half of last year was a result of its customer service team contacting clients and finding out about a serious change in their health  or even their death.

Most forgotten-policy claims were where relatives of deceased policyholders had not been aware that life cover was in place.

LifeSearch found many of their customers were eligible to claim on protection insurance but had not done so

Emma Thomson, head of customer care, says: Some people forget they have a policy or do not remember specifically what the policy covered, especially if the plan was taken out by somebody else.

Protection insurance adviser Alan Lakey, of Highclere Financial Services, based in Hemel Hempstead, has also seen this problem.

He says: There have been clients in the past Ive identified as having a potential claim but only after speaking with them. It is likely I have clients this applies to now, but I wont know who they are until I meet or speak to them again.

Many dont remember  or know what theyve got.

Forgetfulness can have other surprise results. One of Lakeys clients took out a new policy but never remembered to cancel the old one.

Sitting on a fortune? Most forgotten-policy claims were where relatives of deceased policyholders had not been aware that life cover was in place

Despite the extra expense that would have drained from his monthly outgoings, his wife was paid two lump sums after he died from liver cancer because both policies were still running. One was used to pay off the mortgage and the other gave her money to live on.

Lakey advises people to keep a list of policies. This should include the insurers name, how much the policy costs, when the term ends, contact details and a reminder as to why they have it.

Some customers may have lost track of which company is now responsible for a policy if they bought it a long time ago. This is because many insurers have been swallowed up by rivals.
Soaring crime against firms is a crucial issue for candidates standing for the police and crime commissioner elections in May, the Federation of Small Businesses has warned.

They must make combating business crime a key focus, given the rise of sophisticated criminal gangs, the increase in cyber crime and current low levels of trust in the ability of the police to tackle such issues, according to Mike Cherry, the new chairman at the FSB.

His call comes as it is revealed that a third of firms think crime is increasing, yet a quarter of business owners dont report crimes committed against their company.

Worrying: A quarter of business owners dont report crimes committed against their company

When asked why, the FSB survey found that firms did not think reporting crimes would achieve anything.

Meanwhile, the British Retail Consortiums annual retail crime survey, published in January, found that the bill for UK retail crime soared to 613million in 2015  the highest level since records began and a 2 per cent increase on 2014.

Police and crime commissioners, introduced in 2012, are elected to ensure local police meet the needs of the community. On May 5 this year people in England and Wales, except in London and Greater Manchester, will be able to elect a new police and crime commissioner for their local police force area.

Cherry, elected last Saturday at the FSBs annual meeting in Glasgow, told The Mail on Sunday: The PCCs are pretty key to ensuring that crime against business is at the heart of policing plans.

In April last year a new definition of business crime was adopted as: Any criminal offence committed against a person or property associated by the connection of that person or property to a business, based on the perception of the victim.

Cherry, who runs his own timber business, WH Mason & Son, added: Its taken us almost a decade to get all the police forces to agree to a single definition. The fact you didnt have a single definition meant you couldnt get it recorded properly.

Theyve been undergoing training, which is good news, but it remains a problem that so many businesses will not bother reporting crime.

Hacking: The BRC has said criminals are becoming more sophisticated, and Cherry concurred

About a quarter of reported crime is against business and it shows what a significant impact it has not just on the firms but also the wider community and the economy.

Now we have the issue of cyber crime causing problems for businesses its even more important that crime against business is a focus of policing plans and the PCCs.

He said firms often do not report crimes because they do not believe it will leave to a prosecution or will be too time consuming, adding that sometimes firms do not even get a response.

He said: Getting some sort of response would be helpful because it engages with the victim.

The BRC has said criminals are becoming more sophisticated, and Cherry concurred, saying: We are aware of websites being hacked and frozen with extortion demands.

I think were all the time playing catch up with these criminals.

Were definitely seeing theyre becoming more astute at looking at cyber crime. Thats because its far easier in many ways than physically assaulting the business in a way that traditionally used to happen.
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By The Greater Astoria Historical Society

In conjunction with the Greater Astoria Historical Society, the TimesLedger Newspapers presents noteworthy events in the boroughs history

As chill winter winds gave way to the gentle breezes and new life that mark the passage into spring, America in 1954 was about to enter an uncertain, tumultuous period in its history. Frightening new technology cast a pall of complete destruction over the entire planet. Previously marginalized groups struggled for their voices to be heard, and young Americans growing into adulthood often rebelled to establish an identity distinct from their parents.

Closer to home, out of control youths seemed to run wild in the streets, schools and apartment blocs of the borough. In Elmhurst, two youngsters playing hookey from school on St. Patricks Day tested their Irish luck at the Museum of Natural History, stealing poison darts from an exhibit on the Indians of the Peruvian rain forest. The boys later turned themselves in to the local police station, along with their haul of arrows tipped with the lethal poison curare, which paralyzes the respiratory system, heart and brain of its target.

Not to be outdone in the juvenile arms race, on March 17 a car-stealing zip-gun gang which prowled the streets of Bayside faced justice in Ridgewood Felony Court for assaulting another youth at gunpoint. Bail was set at $10,000 for the ringleader. The gangster who manufactured the crude firearm used in the attack was also tried and held on bail.

In the face of such daily mayhem, the March 9 Long Island Star Journal echoed a common plea from local police: Give us a chance to use our kind of medicine a kick in the pants!

Queens lost a little piece of its history to the relentless march of time that year. On March 28, the 18room Clark mansion on Kissena Boulevard in Flushing was completely destroyed in a two-alarm blaze. Originally named Evergreen Lawn, the mansion and its surrounding estate were built in 1815 by Preserved Fish, so named after surviving a harrowing birth at sea during a heavy storm. A garage on the estate, which was slated for redevelopment into cooperative apartments, housed an antique car collection belonging to the houses last owner, one Henry Austin Clark.

Even the passage of time, however, does not bury beautiful, vivid memories of people, places and experiences long past.

In March, Mrs. Margaret Lyons of 37th Street in Long Island City celebrated her 80th birthday in the house in which she was born in 1874. The sprightly grandmother recalled winter days when families hung their laundry outside, the laundry water stained with the color of clothing, leaving behind a frozen rainbow on the pavement where it was dumped.

The Queens resident wistfully related shopping trips to Manhattantwo trolley rides and a ferry trip each way  before bridges spanned the East River, and stories of neighbors getting together to help build houses for newcomers to the neighborhood.

I often tell my children, she said, reflecting on days past, how I wish Blissville could come back for only one day to let them see what it was like  the rolling green hills and farms, the goats, chickens and pigs that everyone kept, and the dancing and games outdoors in the summertime.
By Samantha Brletich

The Kazakhstan snap Parliamentary elections were held on 20 March 2016. The snap elections were called amidst economic turmoil and fears that the Kazakhstan government would lose voter and public confidence because of the economic situation in Kazakhstan. The elections will solidify autocratic President Nursultan Nazarbayevs rule over the country and make it appear that he has the unwavering support of the people of Kazakhstan. Reports of crackdown of dissent suggest otherwise. The crackdowns, aimed at political dissidents and non-conformists to President Nazarbayevs policies, is a way to control civil unrest and silence critics which is a longstanding criticism of the Nazarbayev Administration.

The elections did not generate significant differences in the countrys political landscape which has remained relatively unchanged since Nazarbayev gained power in 1989. Arguably, the elections are part of Nazarbayevs attempts to make Kazakhstan appear as a democratic country and are part of managed democracy. The elections are being held against the backdrop of a failing economy, fluctuating tenge, low oil revenue prices and the oil market crash, political dissent, and Nazarbayevs need to be reaffirmed by the people of Kazakhstan. The election will also show regional countries that Kazakhstan handle economic problems and is a reliable partner. Nazarbayevs victory was predictable and negative implications stemming from a minor Parliamentary mix-up are non-existent.

A Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) mission monitored the elections. Kazakhstans past elections have fallen short of international standards citing lack of competitive candidates and corruption. As many as 234 candidates from the following six parties vied for 98 available parliament seats: the ruling Nur Otan party and the Party of President Nursultan Nazarbayev (127 candidates), Ak Zhol (35 candidates), Auyl (19 candidates), the Communist People\s Party of Kazakhstan (22 candidates), the Nationwide Social Democratic Party (23 candidates) and the Birlik party (eight candidates). Over 1,000 candidates are running for seats in the lower Parliament. Not much has changed as the other parties platforms do not vary that greatly. Political parties are prohibited from forming blocks.

According to Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, the results of the March 20, 2016, parliamentary elections show, that three parties will have seats in the Majlis[:]Nur-Otan got 82.15 percent of the vote; Ak Zhol, 7.18 percent; and the Communist People\s Party of Kazakhstan took 7.14 percent. These results are similar to the 2012 Parliamentary elections which highlights the lack of political variety and true democracy in the country. The elections were hailed a success by regional organizations, the SCO and the CIS. The ODIHR did not agree as Kazakhstan has a long way to go to fulfill its democratic agreement.

International observers were not surprised at the results. As early voting commenced on Sunday, the Kazakh Central Election Committee, stated that the elections were transparent. The OSCE have been heavily involved as the OSCE/ODIHR Election Observation Mission opened in Astana on17 February, with an11 member core team and 28 long-term-observers deployed throughout the country.

Whether or not the elections will expedite the reforms or guarantee implementation, the economy continues to slow. If Nur Otan retains its majority in Kazakhstans Parliament, the speed of implementation would not be effected. The snap elections directly are not being held to give the government a mandate on 100 steps. The legitimacy of 100 steps is derived from the President and support from Parliament and the overall willingness to reform Kazakhstan. Fifty-nine laws have already entered into force citing information from the Astana Times.

The snap elections center on economic recovery and political change. The snap elections are supported by the Majlis, and the miners and metallurgists to allow for further implementation of reforms, under Plan of the Nation (or 100 Steps) and to understand how we work in a new way, what laws should be adopted to meet the requirements of a market economy, according to the Kazakh BNews news portal. The Head of the Assembly of Peoples of Kazakhstan (APK) stated elections will benefit the country politically and economically. Kazakhstans Peoples Democratic Patriotic Party, known as Aul Party, also supports the snap elections. Support from Aul makes the elections and the decision not so one-sided appear pluralistic. The Astana Times, published astonishing, but not surprising, poll results about voting in a new Majlis and reforms: 92 percent of citizens believe the early elections make the public more confident the new reforms will be implemented. Other poll results are similar.

Recently, on 12 January 2016, protests were held in Astana against the Kazakh Bank and the falling tenge. In response, the Kazakh government offered powdered mares milk on the global market which can generate product worth $1 billion (a year) to mitigate declining global oil prices. Another recent incident was the firing of the Sovereign Wealth Fund manager, Berik Otemurat, stated Kazakhstans National Oil Fund would run out in the next six or seven years. The National Oil Fund, often used as an emergency fund, has fallen 17% from $77 billion since August 2014 and the government is withdrawing about according to the Wall Street Journal. The tenge strengthened slightly in February after the currency declined after the government began to float the currency and the country is still experiencing weakened GDP growth. By mid-March the tenge has recovered by 10%.

Two activists in Kazakhstan, Serizkhan Mambetalin and Ermek Narymbaev, were convicted and sent to prison for two and three years respectively for Facebook posts inciting national discord (Article 174 of the Criminal Code) and the authorities claimed the clips amounted to a serious crime against peace and security of humankind  according to Human Rights Watch. The two men were arrested in October 2015 and their trial began 9 December 2015. A third activist, Bolatbek Blyalov, has movement restricted for three years and cannot [change] his place of residence or work, or [spend] time in public areas during his time off. The punishment for the three activists violates many of Kazakhstans international commitments. On 22 February, the head of the Union of Journalists of Kazakhstan National Press Club, Seitkazy Matayev, was arrested on charges of corruptionaccused of tax evasion and embezzlement of funds. According to TengrinNews, the state anti-corruption agency said Matayev was detained along with his son Aset Matayev who heads the private KazTAG news agency. Seitkazy Matayev was President Nazarbayevs press secretary from 1991 to 1993. The Committee on Protecting Journalists reported that the Mateyevs sent statements to Adil Soz (a local press group) indicated harassment by city and state authorities began in January 2016.

There was also a recent protest in Almaty on 18 March 2016 about the incarceration of activist Yermek Narymbayev, one of the facebook activists, jailed for incitement ethnic strife (Kazakhstan Criminate Code Article 174).

Kazakhstan repeatedly has fallen short of commitments for democratic reforms (particularly press freedoms) and instead has strengthened Nazarbayevs soft authoritarianism. Edward Schatz categorizes Kazakhstan as a soft authoritarian regime that engages in managed information and [discourages] opposition and [encourages] pro-regime authorities. Information management, according to Schatz, is not only through media, but by staging many events to convey information dramatically. Nazarbayev has a history of staging political events. Applying this notion to snap elections, Kazakhstans citizens know of the economic troubles. Snap elections are unnecessary to highlight the problem and snap elections give the impression the government is actively handling the problem and that political change is imminent.

Kazakhstan does consider itself a democracy and whether or not Kazakhstans democracy meets international standards will be revealed once institutions are strengthened. The Kazakhstan-based Astana Times calls the 20 March elections the first step towards returning to the levels of growth and prosperity we experienced. Constitutional reforms may give more power to the lower house, redistributing more power from the strong Presidential system the country now has (in theory).

Poor economic conditions are simple a pretext for squashing dissent and reducing political opposition. The poor economic conditions should be viewed as an opportunity to engage and strengthen civil society, establish dialogue between the government and non-governmental organizations, strengthen financial institutions, and explore alternatives in the energy sector. The crash of the commodities and oil markets presents Kazakhstan a unique opportunity to diversify its economy. The elections also present the opportunity to implement electoral reform as Nazarbayev has not picked a successor which greatly increases political instability and the possible formation of a power vacuum.

Kazakhstan during its time as the Chair for the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe has failed to live up to its democratic obligations. The early Presidential elections of April 2015 showed that democratic reforms have yet to materialize. However, failure of democratization (all-encompassing to include media and political rights) and constant criticism has not stopped Kazakhstan from taking on the role of an international mediator on many high-profile conflictsIran and Syriaand from becoming a reliable and cooperative economic, trade, and security partners to its neighbors. Kazakhstans slow rise on the stage fuel autocratic behaviors.

Kazakhstans elections, while varied, reflect Kazakhstans wavering commitment to democracy and lack of party pluralism. Snap elections and early Presidential elections provide an opportunity for Kazakhstan to slowly implement electoral reforms and most importantly media reforms. Kazakhstans Election Law is weak as it does provide for equal party distribution and fails to provide a concrete and non-ambiguous criteria for campaign finance.

About the author: Samantha M. Brletich is a researcher and writer specializing in Central Asia and governance, security, terrorism, and development issues. She possesses a Masters in Peace Operations Policy from George Mason University in Virginia, United States. She works with the virtual think tank Modern Diplomacy specializing in Central Asia and diplomatic trends. Her work has appeared in multiple publications focused on diplomacy and Central Asia respectively. She is currently an employee of the U.S. Federal Government.

The views expressed in this article are the author\s own and do not necessarily reflect The Times Of Earth\s editorial policy.
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.
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While the big news last week pointed to another historic increase in crude oil supplies, natural gas received news that it is now the major energy source for electricity generation in the U.S.

The abundant supply of oil and natural gas in the U.S. continues to keep prices low.

The Energy Information Administration reported Wednesday crude stocks in the U.S. rose by 9.4 million barrels to a record total of 532.5 million barrels.

The news of increased oil supplies caused oil futures for May delivery on the NYMEX to drop 4 percent, down $1.66, to settle at $39.79 per barrel on March 23. The decline in price reversed a two-month rally from a low of $26 per barrel to a high of $41 earlier in the week.

On the other hand, there were reports that oil supplies in a major trading area declined, and there was a decrease in gasoline supplies. EIA reported that gasoline stocks fell 4.6 million barrels, and demand for gasoline over the past four weeks rose 7 percent year on year. Also, crude stockpiles at the Cushing, Oklahoma, delivery hub fell 1.3 million barrels, declining for the first time in seven weeks.

Another event impacting oil prices is the anticipated meeting of oil exporting countries next month to limit more production. Qatar has invited the 13 OPEC members to Doha on April 17 for another round of talks to widen the production deal. Libya and Iran have snubbed the initiative, arguing that they will need to boost their crude output further before considering joining any caps on production. Iran's oil production has been reported at about 300,000 barrels per day currently with expectations to increase.

Increased hedging volume is evident in Commodities Futures Trading Commission data as well as anecdotal evidence from commodities trading desk, and it's not confined to distressed producers, according to a report from Morgan Stanley.

"IG Permian producers are actively willing to hedge at $45-$50 in 2017, which should cap the potential upside in prices," the report stated. Hedging is a financial tool that can be used to reduce risk associated with volatile price swings.

Regarding natural gas, EIA expects the combination of market forces and government policies will continue to stimulate the use of natural gas to provide 33 percent of generation in 2016 while coal's share falls to 32 percent. The expected share of nonhydro renewables (wind and solar) increases to 8 percent in 2016, with hydropower's share at 6 percent.

Coal and natural gas generation shares over the past decade have been responsive to changes in relation to fuel prices. For example, particularly low natural gas prices throughout much of 2012 following an extremely mild 2011-2012 winter led to a significant rise in the natural gas generation share between 2011 and 2012, often displacing coal-fired generation. With higher natural gas prices in 2013 and 2014, coal regained some of its generation share.

However, with a return to lower natural gas prices in 2015 favoring increased natural gas-fired generation, coal's generation share dropped again, EIA stated.

Environmental regulations affecting power plants have played a role in driving coal's declining generation share over the past decade, although plant owners in some states have made investments to shift generation toward natural gas at least partly for environmental reasons.

Environmental regulations may play a larger role in conjunction with market forces.

Owners of some coal plants will face decisions to either retire units or reduce their usage rate to comply with requirements to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from existing fossil fuel-fired power plants under the Clean Power Plan, which is scheduled to take effect in 2022 but has recently been stayed by the Supreme Court pending the outcome of litigation.

Beyond the growing market share for natural gas-fired generation over the past decade, coal's generation share has also been reduced by the growing market share of wind and solar. Unlike the growth of natural gas-fired generation, which has largely been market-driven, increased use of wind and solar has largely been driven by a combination of state and federal policies.

Natural gas closed on NYMEX at $1.794 on March 23.

Alex Mills is president of the Texas Alliance of Energy Producers. The opinions expressed are solely of the author.
Contributed photoS Mexico City and New York-based photographer Livia Corona Benjamin's "Dos milliones de cases para Mexico IV" (2015) shows a family posed in the living room of their small home in a community of equally small and same homes.

SHARE Mexico City photographer Yvonne Venegas' "San Pedro Garza Garcia II" (2014) focuses on upper-class Mexican society. Her work is among that of 22 contemporary Mexican artists currently showing at the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery. Contributed photo Monterrey-based photographer Alejandro Cartagena's "Carpoolers II" (2013) from the exhibit "Existe lo que tiene nombre: Contemporary Photography in Mexico," on display through April 22 in the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery at Midwestern State University.

By Richard Carter, Special to the Times Record News

If it's April, it must be Latin America art month in Wichita Falls.

Two major photography exhibits dealing with Mexico are showing in Midwestern State University galleries.

David Taylor's show, "Monuments: 276 views of the United States-Mexico Border," runs through April 30 at the Wichita Falls Museum of Art at MSU.

A second major exhibit, "Existe lo que tiene nombre: Contemporary Photography in Mexico" is up at the Juanita Harvey Art Gallery in the Fain Fine Arts Center at MSU.

The latter show is the product of San Francisco-based curator Sergio de La Torre and his Tijuana counterpart, Javier Ramirez Limon. Both curators were on the MSU campus for the opening of their exhibit and spoke to students in photography and art history classes, according to Gary Goldberg, gallery director and professor of art at MSU.

"The exhibit originally opened at SF Camerawork in San Francisco, the oldest continuous nonprofit photography gallery in the Bay area, and a very important West Coast gallery," Goldberg said.

The show then traveled to the Arizona State University Museum of Art before arriving at MSU. "We are fortunate to have the exhibit. It's a prestigious show," he said.

The exhibit features around 50 images by 22 Mexican photographers dealing with contemporary issues of art and culture in their country. The show is roughly divided into a documentary and a conceptual approach, he said.

"The cultures of Mexico and the United States are so intermingled," Goldberg said, "that many of the same images and issues are also happening in American photography, and around the world.

"In Latin America, they seem to have more of a documentary political focus," he said. Historically, there has been a strong political vein in Mexican art from its origins to the present. "You see a lot of photographers, maybe more so than in the United States, dealing with social and political issues and using photography as a media to address those issues."

Some of the photographers deal with social issues like population and how and where people live. Photographer Livia Corona Benjamin's work explored what happened when newly elected President Vincente Fox in 2000 mandated the building of 2 million homes to address social needs.

The homes were built, as her four images show, but they were constructed at a bare minimum and without planning for infrastructure such as schools. Corona Benjamin's "Dos milliones de cases para Mexico I, II, III, IV" (2006-15) shows a sequence beginning with one house, thousands of houses, an impromptu structural add-on to a cookie cutter house, and finally an image of a somewhat sad family in their scrunched up living room.

Unlike many current shows about contemporary Mexico, the exhibit does not simply focus on the poor. Mexico City photographer Yvonne Venegas' photographs explore upper class Mexican society and how members of the class present themselves to the world and to each other. Her series "San Pedro Garza Garcia, I, II, III, IV" (2014) focuses on portraiture and high-end magazine culture.

Large-scale environmental concerns are also addressed. Juan Carlos Coppel's "La grieta, I, II" (2014) captures images of a nine mile crack that suddenly appeared in his town that measured 10 feet deep and 3 feet wide. The ecological disaster shut off a road connecting two towns and access to water, and there was intense speculation whether it was a man-made issue or natural.

Monterrey-based Alejandro Cartagena's "Carpoolers, I, II, III" (2013) shows Mexican low-wage earners lying down in the back of pickups on the way to work. The photographer has shown on four continents and published a book in 2014 titled "Carpoolers."

Some of the photographs in the exhibition have a very formalist kind of approach, Goldberg said. Mexico City painter and photographer Alejandra Laviada in her "Hotel Bamer, I, II, III, IV and V" (2006) shows what was left behind in the abandoned hotel.

"There's different wallpapers and carpeting and paint that come together to create strange planes and interesting formal aesthetic concerns," he said.

Probably the most beautiful picture from a traditional aesthetic point of view, Goldberg said, is one of a sunset on a river by Culiacan-based Fernando Brito.

"From a distance, it looks as what we would think of as pretty. But when you get close to it, you find out that that's not what it's about. It's what is in the shadows, which is in very interesting observation about life," he said.

"Photography is an important media in Mexico, and there's a really rich history of both contemporary and historic images coming out of country," Goldberg said.

"The exhibit is a great show, and there's a lot of interesting things going on." In addition, there are six videos being shown on a loop in the Foyer Gallery that address issues from the perspective of video.

IF YOU GO:

What: "Existe lo que tiene nombre: Contemporary Photography in Mexico"

Where: Juanita Harvey Art Gallery, Fain Fine Arts Center, Midwestern State University

When: Through April 22 during gallery hours, 9 a.m. to noon and 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays.

Information: 940-397-4264 and art@mwsu.edu
Officer Brandie Young/Contributed photo Recruit Heather Zimny works out during the Wichita Falls Police Department's Police Academy.

SHARE Officer Brandie Young/Contributed photo Recruit Ashley Davin (far left) squats against a wall during an exercise as part of the Wichita Falls Police Department's Police Academy. Officer Brandie Young/Contributed photo Recruit Cindy Casillas (left) squats against a wall during an exercise as part of the Wichita Falls Police Department's Police Academy.

By Patrick Johnston, patrick.johnston@timesrecordnews.com

The three women of the 69th Police Academy of the Wichita Falls Police Department don't expect any special treatment, just because of their sex.

"They're just like any of the guys in the room," said Joey Anderson, WFPD Police Academy coordinator. "All of the recruits are expected to perform at a certain standard, which our department requires. They have to do it all."

Anderson said they have brought unique backgrounds and experiences that have been beneficial to the class  currently 18 recruits  and their careers as police officers after they graduate, which is scheduled for August.

Finding a place wherever needed

Cindy Casillas, 28, is a lifelong Wichita Falls resident and graduate of Wichita Falls High School.

When she first went back to college, she began to take criminal justice courses and fell in love with the career. But, she wanted to see what the day-to-day duties of being a police officer were and signed up for the Wichita Falls Citizens Police Academy.

"I wanted to experience it first," Casillas said. "I thought, 'let me go through this class first and see if it is something I'd like to do.' "

The citizens version of the police academy gave her a chance to get a hands-on experience of being an officer.

"It definitely opened my eyes to see what they go through every day  the good and the bad," Casillas said. "... It helps you really value the officers that do the job, because it's not something safe every day.

After graduating from the class in December, Casillas signed up for the police academy to pursue a career as an officer.

She said while the academy has been tough, she knows the training and work she is putting in now will help in her career down the road.

"Of course they are going to push us, because every day we don't know what we're going to encounter out there," she said. "They expect us to do our best."

Casillas looks to constantly strive to push herself and "not stop at the least but to always reach for higher."

In looking forward at potential career paths in the police department, Casillas said she could see herself serving the community in almost every department.

"I really like working with youth. At my church, I'm the youth leader. I see a lot of what they go through and like to let them know that not all police officers are bad."

Learning to work within 'grey area'

Ashley Davin, 29, originally from Kansas, is one of two recruits in this year's class who has served as a military police officer before joining the academy.

She started off as a secondary education major in college before transferring over to criminal justice.

"I wanted a taste of it, like Casillas did, so I joined the Air National Guard  wanting to finish out my education but also going to an academy," Davin said.

Since joining the military in 2007, she served in security forces, or military police, and deployed three times. She was active guard for most of her time in the guard before transferring to Wichita Falls to become a more traditional, part-time guard member and transition to the civilian police force.

Davin felt she knew a little bit of what to expect when it came to the academy after serving as a military police officer. However, she also said she had a lot to learn still.

"There's been a lot that is different," Davin said. "For the most part in my career in the military, it's right or it's wrong. I have learned throughout this academy so far, within the job, there is a lot of discretion and a lot of grey area."

She believes her experiences making quick decisions under varying circumstances during deployment will help her when it comes to those personal judgments that are made on a daily basis by police officers.

"We'll see when we get there. Right now, we've been solely education and going through the books," she said. "I feel like that will be a strength when we get there, though."

Ever since high school, she worked with youth at a camp geared toward children living in homeless shelters or protective custody.

"That's always been a big passion of mine  helping kids that came from circumstances they can't control," Davin said.

She hopes to find ways to make a difference in those children's lives by making an "impression" on those children and being a positive role model in their lives.

"I want to let them know that with their actions, they can become anything they want and there's a way for them to get out and be what they want," she said.

Changing times lead to a new career

Heather Zimny, 44, has lived in Wichita Falls since first grade and came to the police academy after having a change of heart about her first profession  teaching.

"The main reason I got into teaching was being with the teenagers and having that interaction and being able to be an authority figure role model with them," Zimny said.

Over her 11-year career in the classroom, things changed in education and Zimny began to consider if she was still getting the interactions and role model experiences she first desired.

"Of course people come and go, but the overall feeling of why I was there and my purpose changed," she said.

When the opportunity came around, Zimny spoke with her husband and chose to apply for the police academy.

"I decided it was something I could do where I could still serve as a role model for these kids, especially with the negative views they have on law enforcement," Zimny said.

She hopes to be able to work with the community and especially teenagers during her career in law enforcement as a police officer.

"Even though they are impressionable with the videos and things they watch, they are also impressionable by people they trust and have confidence in," Zimny said. "Hopefully, I can be some kind of role model to them, or someone they can look up to as a positive influence."

Zimny believes her previous experience in the classroom will be an asset for her and help her push through the more difficult parts of the academy.

"I think working with the students (previously) and being able to communicate with them will definitely help working with the community," she said. "I think just knowing the kids and knowing what their lives are like makes a difference too."

Women serving in law enforcement

Of the approximately 200 police officers employed by the WFPD, 17 of them are women  including one lieutenant and two sergeants. Sgt. Deanna Tofte was promoted from officer on March 4.

According to the Bureau of Labor and Statistics' Labor Force Statistics from the Current Population Survey Report (http://www.bls.gov/cps/cpsaat39.htm), there were about 114,000 first-line supervisors of police and detectives  of which about 17,000 are women  in 2015 nationwide.

It also stated of the approximately 655,000 police and sheriff's patrol officers across the nation, about 86,000 are women.
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Jimmie Earnest "Jim" Richards, 68 of Wichita Falls, Texas succumbed to lung cancer after an arduous but courageous battle on Wednesday March 23, 2016. At the time of death he was surrounded by his devoted wife and family at his daughter's home in Keller, Texas.

Funeral services will include an opportunity for viewing on Wednesday March 30th between 6-8pm and memorial service Thursday March 31st at 3 p.m. with Pastor Ryan Fontenot officiating. Services will take place at Owens & Brumley 1317 9th Street, Wichita Falls, Texas 76301.

Jim was born on March 8, 1948 to the late George and Eldora Richards and later raised by Roy and Leora Barka in Fairchild, Wisconsin. His family included siblings Allen, Jeannie, Mary, Julie, and Larry Richards. Upon joining Roy and Leora's family his siblings also comprised of Doris, Darleen, and Donna Barka.

On June 9, 1968 Jim married the love of his life, Ellen Haner in Lawrence, Indiana. During their life together they raised two children, James and Tamara. Jim committed his life to his family until his final days. In the midst of battling this dreadful illness he continued to demonstrate his selflessness and love for family by focusing on nothing but their well being as opposed to his debilitating pain. Although Jim was a man of few words he was always the strength and center of his family.

Beginning at a very young age Jim developed a love for cars that continued throughout his lifetime until his passing. He applied this passion for cars to his life's work as a master mechanic until he transitioned to shop foreman at Herb Easley Chevrolet. As shop foreman he served as an expert resource to the mechanics that worked with him throughout the years.

Other hobbies and interests included billiard playing, collecting coins, and hot wheels. His love for collecting hot wheels extended to the point of purchasing a limited edition exact replica of the hot wheels camaro when released by chevrolet. In all of Jim's endevours and interests, he impacted the lives of many and left a definite mark during his lifetime.

Survivors include his loving wife of 48 years, Ellen Richards, two children James Richards and Tamara Simmons, grandchildren Courtney and Tanner Simmons, and lastly a great-granddaughter Ava Simmons.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.owensandbrumley.com
Tim Burton's 2003 film Big Fish follows the fantastical life of Edward Bloom, played by Ewan McGregor as a young man. With stories of giants, witches, and werewolves, the line between reality and embellishment is always blurry in Bloom's tall tales, but we've always been especially smitten with young Edward's discovery of the curiousbut enchantingtown of Spectre, tucked away behind a haunted forest. Years after his first visit, Edward returns to Spectre to find that the once quaint and beautiful little town has fallen into decay and disrepair.

The town of Spectre was actually custom built for the Tim Burton-directed movie on Jackson Lake Island, a small private island situated on the Alabama River outside of Millbrook, Alabamaand it still exists! The now-crumbling set is covered in Spanish moss, but shoes still dangle between the poles marking the town's entrance (in the movie, the town's residents all walked around barefoot).
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Schenectady

Two people were arrested after police said they fired guns at a person early Sunday near a crowd of about 150 people and police officers who were gathered in a parking lot in the heart of downtown.

The shooting followed a melee outside a nearby pizza shop and took place hours after a performance of The Lion King ended at nearby Proctors theater.

Schenectady police said the shooting happened after officers responded to reports of a fight outside Nico's Pizzeria at 441 State St. just after 2 a.m.

As police dispersed a large crowd that gathered outside, a second fight broke out around the corner on Barrett Street near the rear of a Citizen's Bank.

Police said a police sergeant injured his ankle during the incident but no one else was hurt. Two people pulled handguns and began to shoot at a third person while the large crowd and police officers were still in the area.

Schenectady police said both shooting suspects were quickly arrested, including one who was caught after a brief foot chase. Officers said both of the handguns believed to be used in the shooting were recovered.

Rammell G. Steward, 29, and Ronald N. Diggs, 25, both Schenectady residents, were charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, a felony. Steward was also charged with second-degree menacing, second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.

A third person, Damien Bethea, 24, of Rotterdam was charged with second-degree obstructing governmental administration and resisting arrest.

Rotterdam police, Guilderland police, New York State Police and the Schenectady County Sheriff's Department assisted during the incident.

The violence took place as the large crowd congregated outside Nico's, Schenectady police spokesman Lt. Mark McCracken said. While the restaurant's website says it is only open until 11 p.m. on Saturdays, McCracken said Nico's is also a bar and was open into the early morning hours Sunday.

The pizzeria was closed Sunday, and Phillip Ruggiero, who is listed as holding the restaurant's liquor license, could not be reached for comment.

Reported shootings in Schenectady's central downtown area have been rare during the last decade. The last publicized case was in September 2010 when two men left Bombers Burrito Bar around 2 a.m. and began fighting. After one man left and crossed State Street, the other man was shot in the thigh by someone who got out of a nearby car and fired a shotgun at him.

The suspects in Sunday's shooting were scheduled to be arraigned in City Court.

lstanforth@timesunion.com  518-454-5697
ISLAMABAD (AP)  A health official says that 44 people have been killed and 91 wounded in a blast in a park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore.

Salman Rafiq, an adviser to the chief minister of Punjab province, said Sunday that many of the wounded are in a critical condition.
Assyrians in Northern Iraq Celebrate Easter in the Shadow of ISIS

Assyrians attending Easter service in Alqosh, Iraq. ( Rudaw) Alqosh, Iraq -- Christians in this predominantly Christian town in northern Iraq that has lived in the shadow of the Islamic State group ever since the militants swept across Iraq in June 2014, celebrated Easter with fellow Christians from surrounding villages who were made homeless by the ISIS sweep. Father Ghazwan Yusuf Baho celebrated the resurrection of Jesus with his congregation of some 600 Christians, many of them classified as displaced persons marking the holy day away from their homes for a second year. With the frontline of the war with ISIS less than 20 kilometers away, the faithful came together in a town church for Easter on Saturday. "Yes, we are celebrating today in Alqosh and we are only 15 kilometers away from the frontlines of the war," said Baho. "But we tried to show that we are far from the war, because we have hope and we ask God to save us and everyone else from wars, especially in our areas." ISIS has come as close as three kilometers from the Alqosh district, but the militants were driven away by the Kurdish Peshmerga forces. Residents of Alqosh had feared a fate similar to the Kurdish Yezidi town of Shingal, where in August 2014 ISIS went on a spree of murder and mayhem against the minority Yezidis. Alqosh, in a region that houses one of the world's oldest Christian communities, saw its population thin out after the attack by ISIS, which has been bent on killing or enslaving all non-Muslims. But most families returned after the militants were pushed back by the Peshmerga. The Alqosh district lies 44 kilometers from the center of Mosul, which has been the ISIS stronghold in Iraq since it was captured by the militants in June 2014. Iraqi forces, backed by coalition air strikes and artillery, and with the Peshmerga playing a supporting role, began an offensive on the Makhmour front Thursday, seen as a first step of an anticipated operation to liberate Mosul. After the ISIS attack on Christians in Telkef and Telsqof, Alqosh residents had deserted their homes and sought shelter in the city of Duhok in the Kurdistan Region. Residents say the majority returned after the Peshmerga offensive against the militants. Alqosh is an old town where Christians have lived since ancient times. Northern Iraq -- including Alqosh -- housed the largest concentration of Christians who still spoke Aramaic -- the language spoken by Jesus. But villages and town scattered around Mosul have been deserted or destroyed over the course of time, most notably by ISIS. In Alqosh, five Christian places of worship remain, one of them 1,500 years old. There are still 100 families that have not returned to Alqosh, because they left for Turkey and Jordan in the face of ISIS advances. But residents believe that those families also will eventually return.
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Increased investment in family-run or small-scale hotels and lodging facilities could convert Lake George day-trippers to overnight guests, resulting in millions of dollars of additional tourist spending per year, according to a McKinsey & Company study.

"There's always going to be people coming only for the day. There will always be that audience," but new hotel accommodations would encourage them to stay longer, Ed Bartholomew, Warren County Economic Development president and CEO, said.

Fifty percent of visitors to Lake George come only for the day, according to Capital 20.20: Advancing the Region Through Focused Investment, a report that answers information gathered by McKinsey. If each of the 3.8 million day-trippers spent an additional $25 during their visit, it would add $95 million annually to the tourist industry, the study said. The area's Regional Economic Development Council hired McKinsey last fall to compete for a share of the Upstate Revitalization Initiative. As a result, the Albany area received $98.1 million to fund 114 projects.

Lake George is addressing the potential market opportunities, according to Bartholomew. A new six-story Courtyard by Marriott, under construction on Canada Street, the main thoroughfare of Lake George, will be complete by June. Meanwhile, across the street, the Surfside on the Lake demolished one of its buildings and is replacing it with a three-story building with underground parking. The Surfside will open in May.

Bartholomew is confident other lodging facilities in the area will make similar improvements.

The tourism season in the Capital Region is growing but is still strongest in the summer, with 30 to 45 percent vacancy in the winter months, the study said. Growth, however, shows there is an "appetite for sustained year-round tourism," according to the study.

"We are trying to make Lake George a year-round destination," said JoAnn Conley, tourism coordinator for the Warren County Tourism Department.

The department has encouraged businesses to stay open past Columbus Day but it has been difficult, she said.

The department in January hired BBG&G, a marketing and public relations firm from Campbell Hall in Orange County, to evaluate and analyze the tourism strategies of Warren County by the end of the year. Some items the firm will evaluate include:

Marketing strategies such as the website and social media

Operational strategies such as infrastructure, attractions and events and transportation opportunities

Marketing coordination between the tourism department, chambers of commerce, convention and visitors bureaus and private businesses.

BBG&G will make recommendations on improving marketing strategies, new opportunities and distribution channels and metrics to allow Warren County to measure progress.

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Historically, the Lake George Regional Chamber of Commerce has focused more on attracting those coming from about a four- to five-hour radius, including New York City, Boston and Philadelphia, said Michael Consuelo, the chamber's executive director. About 55 million people visit Lake George each year from those areas, he said.

"We do see a great deal of Capital District visitors come for the day," he said. "The goal is always to get the day-trippers to stay longer." But he said, "We are trying to capture both markets."

Still, Lake George Mayor Robert Blais disputed the McKinsey study findings. He does not believe half of the tourists to Lake George are day-trippers.

"I don't get that impression at all," he said, adding that about 70 percent of visitors surveyed at the Thursday night firework shows last year said they traveled from beyond the Capital Region. The firework shows draw up to 10,000 people per event.

In Blais' opinion, the newer hotels could appeal to a younger generation, those looking for accommodations that have a full range of amenities the "mom and pop" motels, cabins, and hotels can't offer.

"If they find accommodations pleasing to them they'll stay," Blais said.
Kimmy Venter loves looking at real estate listings. She has an app on her phone, and uses downtime to stay up-to-date on what houses cost in the different parts of the Capital Region. She studies the pictures to see design trends. But it doesn't mean she's in the market, or that she and her husband, Brendan, plan to buy a house any time soon. Kimmy loves real estate, but she's not in love. She's happy renting.

The Venters, both 29, represent a phenomenon within the millennial generation. There is a portion of the generation born after 1980 who either can't afford or don't want to buy a house. There are a whopping 83 million millennials, and what they do or don't do has significant impact on the country. They are beyond college age now, a time when tradition dictates they should be getting married and buying their first homes. Some of them are buying houses, but enough have remained renters or tenants of Mom and Dad that first-time home buyers account for only 33 percent of the market, the lowest rate since 1987, according to the National Association of Realtors. In the Capital Region, the number of homeowners younger than 35 dropped from 15.8 percent in 1990 to 9.2 percent in 2010. By 2014, the number dropped again, to 8.9 percent.

Robert Marini Jr., a third-generation builder, thinks he knows why.

"Up until 2006, if you bought real estate, it would always go up in value. Now after you pay the mortgage tax and hire a realtor, you have to wonder if you're going to get out for what you paid, let alone make money," Marini said. "Why, unless you were rooted in your career here, would you buy?"

Increased regulations have made it more expensive to build new houses, Marini said, an expense he is forced to build into the purchase price. And young buyers just don't have the money, he's found. Marini still builds houses, but he's putting energy into rentals. Marini Builders is finishing 160 rental condos in Brunswick after completing a similar condo development in North Bethlehem, where rent starts at $1,595.

Like the Venters, Ashley and Michael Bouck would like to buy a house someday as well, but they are unwilling to settle for a house they don't love. Recently married, Ashley is the executive director of Girls Inc. and Michael works for the Transportation Security Administration at the Albany International Airport. They looked at houses around the time of their wedding a year and a half ago. When they couldn't find a house they liked in the $200,000 range in Delmar, they decided to stay in Colonie. They rent one side of a duplex for $1,000 a month. It has a yard and a shed the couple shares with the other tenants. Michael mows the lawn for a small break on rent. Immediately after they moved in, the water heater broke and they were relieved it was a cost for the landlord, not them.

"I look once in a while to see what's out there, but we're in no rush," Ashley said.

Venter, the one who likes to cruise the real estate listings, is the communications director at the American Red Cross Eastern New York Region and Brendan is a lawyer. They are in a good place financially, and they want to buy a house someday, but their situation is good in the condo they rent in East Greenbush. They pay less than $1,000 a month in rent for two bedrooms and one bathroom. In addition to the convenience of the location, Venter said it's likely nicer than any starter home they could buy. Beyond that, Venter said she is intimidated by the home-buying process.

"It's a really big step and we have everything we need, so what's the rush?"

Real estate agent Judi Gabler of RealtyUSA, a millennial herself, said young buyers are often afraid to buy because they don't understand buying. At the start of her career six years ago, Gabler held quarterly seminars for first-time home buyers, a practice she's restarting now that her career has taken off and she has a team of associates behind her. At the seminars, Gabler brought in a mortgage broker, a lawyer and a home inspector to answer questions. She likes to correct the misconception that buyers have to put down 20 percent of the purchase price. Eligible buyers can put down far less than that, and if you qualify for a USDA loan, you can buy with 100 percent financing and even your closing costs are rolled in.

"I always have percentage rates in hand, and I let them know the rate was 17 percent when a lot of our parents bought, and now a 30-year fixed rate mortgage is 3.9 percent," Gabler said. "Even if you have more money to put down, you're better off putting down less and rolling the extra money into other investments with a higher return."

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Gabler said it also helps her relationship with first-time home buyer clients that at 29, she knows what it was like to be 25, saddled with college loan debt and new in her career. Gabler and her husband bought their first house, a "fixer-upper," she said, in December 2014.

Even those who believe strongly in the value of home ownership struggle to make it happen. Kate Kowalski, 24, and Dan Fisher, 26, are engaged to be married this summer. While they shop for houses in Saratoga County, they are sharing a place with Kowalski's twin brothers in a North Greenbush apartment complex. They hope to buy a house by the time their lease is up in June. Kowalski is a social worker and has a job at St. Paul's Center in Rensselaer, a homeless shelter for women and children. Fisher works as a safety auditor for a private company. Their combined income is about $80,000  too much to qualify for a subsidized loan. Kowlaski said she has a lot of college loan debt and regrets going to a private school for her undergraduate degree because it was so expensive.

Avid Phish fans, the couple no longer travels to shows, and now only go out to eat once a week. Both their cars are paid for and they pay off their credit cards monthly. Still, they are relying on help from family to make their dream of homeownership come true. Fisher's parents plan to give them money toward a down payment. Kowalski's father and stepfather have building and renovation experience and have helped them avoid houses with structural problems. Kowalski and Fisher are open to the idea of buying a fixer-upper, and look forward to weekends spent doing projects around the house.

"Rent money doesn't go toward anything," Fisher said. "It's not an investment."

"We both grew up in close-knit communities and our families instilled these values in us," Kowalski said. "When we raise a family, we want our kids to have what we had."

lhornbeck@timesunion.com  518-454-5352  @leighhornbeck
Fishkill

Kevin Moore begged for the beating to stop. "God help me," he pleaded. But the blows from the prison guards kept coming. They shoved the inmate to the ground and shackled his wrists. An officer swung a baton at Moore's head. At least two others drove kicks into his ribs and threw punches at his face.

A sergeant, Kathy L. Scott, stood by and ignored the inmate's cries for help inside a dayroom of the maximum-security Downstate Correctional Facility. "What did I do, ma'am?" Moore asked Scott, a correction officer for 17 years.

When it was over, the officers, some of whom have been implicated in other inmate beatings, lifted Moore's battered body from a small pool of blood. He could barely walk or see through his swollen eyes. His injuries included a collapsed lung, eye-socket fractures, blurred vision, bruised legs and five broken ribs, according to court records that outline what state officials said happened that day.

"You're not a monster now," Officer George Santiago Jr. allegedly told Moore, 56, before throwing another punch into Moore's bleeding eye. He finished by ripping a clump of dreadlocks from the side of the inmate's skull.

When officers from New York City's Rikers Island jail arrived at the Dutchess County prison the following morning to bring Moore to a court hearing, they refused to take him unless his visible injuries were photographed and documented. Moore's condition was so serious the Rikers' officers eventually brought him to Elmhurst Hospital in Queens. He was then transferred to Bellevue Hospital, and hospitalized for about two weeks.

More than two years after the incident, the FBI has opened an investigation into Moore's beating, apparently part of an expanding probe by the U.S. Attorney's office in Manhattan into accusations that rogue state prison officers have systematically beaten or tortured inmates.

The federal probe was revealed six months ago, when U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara announced his office was investigating whether a group of officers at Fishkill Correctional Facility, which is less than two miles south of the Downstate prison facility, beat a mentally ill inmate to death last April. The death of Samuel D. Harrell III, whose alleged assailants were known as the "Beat Up Squad," brought widespread attention and sparked a federal wrongful-death lawsuit that was filed by Harrell's wife, Diane. At the request of Bharara's office, the lawsuit was stayed pending the outcome of the federal criminal investigation.

In Moore's case, the four officers accused of taking part in the beating claim he lied about the incident. They also said Moore was only slightly injured when they wrestled him to the ground after he refused orders and shoved a guard trying to ferry him to a holding cell. The put him in a special housing unit cell, where he remained for 12 hours after a prison medical evaluation determined he wasn't injured.

Moore was at the Downstate prison for just one night, on his way from Coxsackie state prison to a New York City court hearing. He suffers from claustrophobia and acknowledged to investigators that he became agitated when he and other inmates being transported through the Downstate facility were told they'd be held in isolation cells intended for mentally ill prisoners.

The officers claim Moore injured only his back when an officer gave him a "bear hug" and took him to the ground. But a medical examiner from Onondaga County who examined Moore's hospital records testified in a disciplinary hearing two years ago that the injuries were consistent with a beating, including the use of a weapon like a baton and kicks to the ribs.

"There were also numerous internal injuries including fractures of the internal body wall," the medical examiner, Robert Stoppacher, testified, according to court records.

The sergeant and three officers later disciplined privately also said there was no blood, although an inmate who witnessed the incident told investigators he was ordered to clean up the mess, then threw away the bloody paper towels. That inmate also said he saw Moore being dragged out of the dayroom after the beating. Another inmate told investigators that Moore's face looked "weird," apparently due to his face being disfigured from the beating.

The officers' accounts of the November 2013 assault fell apart during an internal investigation that relied heavily on the testimony of inmate witnesses. Investigators noted those inmates were separated in the prison yet still gave similar versions of what they saw unfold. The case was briefly explored by the Dutchess County district attorney's office, which empaneled a grand jury last June but did not take any action, courts records show.

Santiago, who became a correction officer in 2006, was accused of initiating the beating of Moore. He and Scott, the supervising officer, were both fired two years ago when an arbitrator found "credible evidence" they took part in the November 2013 assault, and then lied about it and falsified documents to cover up what happened. Two other officers implicated in the beating, Donald Cosman and Carson Morris, were disciplined but the agency did not seek their termination even though they were also found guilty in an administrative hearing of using excessive force.

The details of the beating, outlined in federal court filings and arbitration records, would normally never be made public because of a provision in state law that prohibits disclosure of prison officers' personnel records, even if the misconduct is criminal or results in an arrest. The state Department of Corrections and Community Supervision has used the controversial statute to liberally withhold records on inmate abuse, often releasing only heavily redacted documents that shield the identity of any accused officers, as well as the prisons where they work and the identities of inmates who have filed abuse complaints.

But the circumstances of Moore's beating were laid bare after Santiago and Scott filed a federal lawsuit accusing state prison officials of targeting their jobs because of their minority status  Hispanic and female, respectively. Santiago and Scott also claim they were fired to "curry favor" with the NAACP  which filed a complaint about Moore's assault  and with the U.S. Justice Department, which is probing their case.

"DOCCS cannot comment due to an ongoing federal investigation and statutory protections afforded to personnel actions," said Thomas Mailey, an agency spokesman. "We can confirm that the four staff members associated with this incident are no longer employed by DOCCS." He didn't identify the other two officers or say whether they resigned.

Last week, an attorney for Santiago and Scott filed a motion asking a federal judge to put their lawsuit against the state on hold because of the FBI's investigation.

"The FBI has now taken up the mantle of conducting a federal criminal investigation of the plaintiffs' underlying use of force as to inmate Moore," said Damond J. Carter, an attorney for Santiago and Scott, in a motion to the court requesting the stay. "The issue of one person making statements against another person in seeking leniency from any criminal prosecution is real and actual."

At least three of the officers involved in Moore's beating have been accused of taking part in prior incidents involving inmate abuse, or lying about it. Scott, the female sergeant, and Morris, one of the correction officers implicated in Moore's beating, were both punished in September 2013 after being found guilty of lying to internal affairs investigators about an incident in which an inmate's head was rammed through a glass door of a law library at Downstate Correctional Facility.

Scott, who then went by the last name "Todd," was penalized $5,250 in payroll deductions but remained on duty as a sergeant. Morris lost eight vacation days but also remained on duty as a correction officer, records show.

Last year, the state paid $60,000 to settle two federal lawsuits in which inmates said they were beaten by prison officers, and that Santiago and Scott were involved in both incidents.

In one of the cases, which was settled in November for $52,500, an inmate, Archie Singletary, said officers at Downstate attacked him without reason in September 2013 in a recreation yard. Singletary said they kicked and punched him while he was handcuffed on the ground. Singletary's claim also said that several officers, including Santiago, rammed his head through a window, breaking his cheekbone, while dragging him to the infirmary. The facial injury that Singletary suffered from being thrust through the window required surgery, according to court records.

Singletary's claim said he was beaten again when officers brought him from the infirmary to a special housing unit cell, where he was held in isolation for 90 days on disciplinary charges that he said were fabricated to justify the beating.

In July, the state paid $7,500 to settle another federal lawsuit filed by an inmate, Keenan Parker, who accused Santiago, Scott and three other correction officers of beating him and trying to break his leg during a pat-and-frisk search at Downstate Correctional Facility in August 2013, three months before Moore was beaten. Parker said the officers rammed his face into a wall and that Santiago was instructed by another officer to break Parker's leg. He said Santiago stomped on his legs and tried unsuccessfully to twist his leg until it broke.

The inmate also said Sgt. Scott, who was supervising the situation, allegedly laughed and declined to use a camcorder to record the incident, stating: "We're going to enjoy this."

blyons@timesunion.com  518-454-5547  @brendan_lyonstu
Albany

"Ruslan is not in Ukraine anymore," English language teacher Nancy Mohammadi said in a sing-song voice.

Her class of 21 newly arrived refugees from Ukraine, Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ghana, Congo, Nepal and Bhutan bobbed their heads to the rhythm and tried to repeat the unfamiliar words.

She called on Ruslan Rudskiy, a former lumber shop owner from the town of Ternopil in western Ukraine. Rudskiy, his wife, Gianna, and 19-year-old daughter Victoria fled a homeland thrown into chaos in 2014 by Russia's military invasion.

More Information About this series The Times Union series "Our Immigrant Story" is being published in conjunction with a community-wide celebration of immigrants and cultural diversity in the Capital Region. A monthlong series of exhibits, lectures and performances will culminate in an Albany Pro Musica Concert, "A City of Immigrants," on April 3 at Troy Savings Bank Music Hall. Look for these stories and more in print this week: English language learners in Albany schools Programs to ease the transition for new immigrants working for Capital Region companies In Preview: Albany Pro Musica's "A City of Immigrants" Immigrants spread culinary diversity On timesunion.com/immigration Interactive graphics charting the waves of Capital Region immigration. Interactive immigration timeline with links to Times Union archive stories. Video interviews with: Nancy Mohammdi, a longtime ESL teacher Maseeh Mukhtar, an Afghan refugee who came to Troy at 4 and graduate student at SUNY Polytechnic in Albany Myanoe Aung, a Burmese refugee and a 7th grader at Myers Middle School in Albany Nihad Hussein, a Kurdish refugee who fled Iraq after Islamic State terrorists who invaded Uzma Popal, director of the Muslim Soup Kitchen Project See More Collapse

"Ruslan not anymore Ukraine," Rudskiy said. A few of the other students tossed back their heads and chuckled. Rudskiy's brow furrowed and he prepared to begin afresh.

"Remember, we don't laugh at each other," cautioned Mohammadi, a teacher of English as a second language, or ESL, for four decades. "We're all in this together. We just keep trying and practicing. Ruslan, you need to listen to the sound. In English, we sing a little bit. The sentences go up and down, almost like music."

Later, in halting English he explained to a reporter why he left Ukraine. "Putin push us out. Putin terrorist," he said.

Rudskiy's family is among a new wave of immigrants in the Capital Region, with a different provenance than predominantly European immigration waves throughout the 19th and early 20th centuries. The largest numbers of immigrants locally in 2014 came from Asia and Latin America and, more specifically, from India, Pakistan, China, Africa and the West Indies. There were nearly 74,000 foreign-born individuals living in the Census bureau's Albany-Schenectady-Troy metro area in 2014. That's the second-highest number of immigrants locally since a peak of 81,000 in 1910. The numbers are based on the University of Minnesota's IPUMS-USA database that analyzed Census figures. A precise number is hard to ascertain because many immigrants prefer to live under the radar.

One in four New Yorkers of working age are foreign-born and there are 4.2 million immigrants statewide. Roughly one-third of business owners are immigrants and $12.6 billion in revenue was generated last year by recently arrived immigrant business owners across the state.

"We keep forgetting and need to remember who we are as a nation and what made us great," said Jorge Montalvo, New York's deputy secretary of state and founding director of the state's Office for New Americans, established in 2013. "That statue in the harbor reminds us of the central place of immigration in our history."

Montalvo oversees 27 neighborhood-based opportunity centers across the state, including one on Broadway in downtown Albany, that offer free English classes, job training, legal assistance with U.S. citizenship applications and other services. The state agency has a $7.4 million budget.

"We're trying to empower new Americans to live their American dream," said Montalvo, whose parents emigrated from Ecuador in the 1970s and settled in the South Bronx, where they live now on the same street as Montalvo, the state's energetic, loquacious ambassador for new immigrants.

Those who beat long odds and make it to these shores are exceptional by any measure.

There are currently more than 60 million displaced people  half of them children  worldwide, the highest level ever recorded, according to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. That compares to 51 million displaced in 2014 and 38 million a decade ago. The global refugee crisis is expected to grow with deadly conflicts flaring across wide swaths of Africa, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, forcing masses of people to flee their homes and seek refuge and safety elsewhere.

The vast displacements reach far beyond those millions fleeing civil war in Syria and the resulting European migrant crisis. Masses of other desperate people are on the move around the world, fleeing famine, disease, natural disasters, religious persecution, sectarian violence, civil war and all manner of traumatic displacements.

A extremely small trickle from this flood of refugees and asylum seekers will end up resettled in the Capital Region. Since 2005, about 3,100 refugees from a dozen troubled countries have been resettled here through the Albany field office of the U.S. Committee on Refugees and Immigrants, or USCRI. Another 400 are expected to arrive this year. Many of them, particularly more than 1,200 Burmese refugees resettled here in the past decade, had languished in tents on muddy fields in squalid, sprawling refugee camps for 20 years or more, waiting for their name to be called for an American visa. The Burmese represent about 40 percent of the local refugees, followed by Iraq and Afghanistan with about 20 percent each. More than 80 percent of the refugees have relatives in the area who can help them acclimate and gain a foothold.

The Rudskiys arrived from Ukraine six months ago not knowing any English. They rented an apartment in Cohoes, near a relative and a long-established Ukrainian community. They make an hourlong bus ride, with two transfers, to attend free English languages classes offered by the Refugee and Immigrant Support Services of Emmaus. RISSE was established in 2007 by the Emmaus United Methodist Church in Albany's Pine Hills neighborhood. Staffed largely by volunteers and funded through donations, it provides English language instruction for more than 75 newly arrived adult refugees and immigrants and nearly 100 children of refugees in an after-school program that offers tutoring, socializing, playtime and a meal.

"I study math, read books, go on the computer and listen to Justin Bieber and Katy Perry," said Rawan Nadeesh, a second-grader at Giffen Elementary School in Albany. She attends the after-school program with her younger sister, Rena, a kindergartner at the South End school. Their mother works in the cafeteria at RISSE. The family came from Yemen eight years ago and their father works at a convenience store, the most common job for Yemeni immigrants locally.

Nadeesh drew an illustrated story with colored markers at a table with children from Thailand, Myanmar, Iraq, Afghanistan, Nepal, Rwanda, Sudan, Eritrea, Pakistan and other countries. They were silly and fidgety and joyful and full of moxie like any other little kids.

"We should not forget that none of these families left by choice," said Rifat Filkins, executive director of RISSE, a former school principal in Pakistan who came to area in 2009 speaking Pashto and Urdu. She was unhappy and frustrated as she struggled to speak fluently in English, which she read and wrote well. She considered returning to Pakistan.

"I was scared to death I'd say the wrong thing in English and was constantly translating from Urdu in my mind," Filkins said. "I had a very good education and I still struggled. You can't really understand the language barrier unless you've experienced it. I'm happy I stayed, and it was the right thing for me. But that urge to return home never goes away, especially for adults. Their main motivation is to give their children a better opportunity. Unfortunately, many have nothing to go home to."

They represent a tiny fraction of 1 percent of millions of refugees and asylum-seekers around the world hoping to get their ticket to America punched.

Despite setbacks that destroyed the dreams of so many, these refugees made it to Albany with  to borrow a title from President Barack Obama's memoir  the audacity of hope.

"It is remarkable to think of everything they have endured and survived. I call them my alpha families," Mohammadi said. "They are so strong and resilient. Many of them were treated like human waste. But they never gave up. I learn more from them than they ever learn from me. I see the face of God in them."

Among her students in the English language classes run by RISSE are two women from Bhutan, a tiny Buddhist monarchy squeezed between India and China where members of a Christian minority have long been oppressed. Bishnu Gimirey and Mandri Dhalal fled persecution in their villages in the Himalaya Mountains in the 1990s and spent 20 years in a succession of refugee camps. Gimirey arrived in Albany seven months ago, and two of her five children attend Albany High School. Her husband is looking for a job.

Dhalal, her husband and five children arrived five years ago. She is a homemaker and her husband and two sons work as hotel cleaners.

"We like it here," Dhalal said.

"Little by little, I learn English," Gimirey said.

They sat next to each other in class and whispered in Nepali when they were not repeating the sing-song sentences.

In another classroom, Nihad Hussein, a Kurd who ran a small auto repair shop in Mosul, Iraq, is torn between two lands. His wife and two children live with him in an apartment in Albany and an 8-year-old daughter, his mother, two sisters and an uncle got separated and are stuck in Kurdistan as they seek asylum and await visas.

Hussein said their 5-year-old son, Buhaadeen, has autism but is doing well at a special needs school program in Schenectady, something that did not exist in Iraq or the Kurdish-controlled area where Hussein's family settled after bombing and fighting around Mosul in the spring of 2014. They fled the brutality and mass killings wrought by Islamic State extremists.

"I can't go back," Hussein said. "We ran and left everything behind. A neighbor told me ISIS put notes on our doors that said if we came back they would cut our heads off."

His wife, who does not speak English, takes care of their 6-month-old son, Sarmad, while Buhaadeen is at school. Hussein has good English skills and started looking for a job, but he needs working papers before he can be hired.

"I'll take any job," he said. "Kurdish people love America. USA fights ISIS and defends Kurdistan."

A critical factor for new arrivals is proficiency in English, the single largest hurdle to employment. It also eases common feelings of confusion, isolation and depression that refugees and immigrants experience in a strange, new place where they are starting from scratch.

Learning English and cultural assimilation are much easier for children and many adults never achieve those goals. Instead, they accept menial work and make sacrifices so their sons and daughters can get an American education and reach higher than was ever possible in their broken, oppressed homelands.

"Our perspective is very positive and our refugees greatly improve their lives in terms of nutrition, health care, education and opportunity, particularly those who came from refugee camps," said Jill Peckenpaugh, director of Albany's USCRI field office. "They don't succeed overnight, but to look at what our refugees achieve here is a testament to their hard work and how welcome and supportive this area has been."

There are many success stories, such as LueLu Pathaw, a Burmese refugee who arrived with her husband and three small children in 2009 after years in a refugee camp in Thailand. She learned English, completed a GED, became a certified nursing assistant and worked as a health aide at a nursing home while raising a family that grew to five children. Her husband has a job at Walmart, where many Burmese refugees work. She received a Second Chance Scholarship and in May will receive an associate degree in business at Hudson Valley Community College, where she made the dean's list. She plans to continue her studies at the University at Albany in the fall, with the goal of earning an accounting degree and becoming a CPA. The couple bought a home off Delaware Avenue, where a number of Burmese families live. Their oldest daughter is an honor roll student at Hackett Middle School.

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"LueLu is amazing and we're so proud of her and family," said Deborah Taylor, who started as a USCRI volunteer in 2009. She's assisted 20 families of Burmese refugees who are Karenni, a persecuted ethnic minority of subsistence farmers from the rugged mountain region along Myanmar's border with Thailand. She drives family members to appointments with doctors, helps fill out employment and social services forms and is a resource in negotiating bureaucracy.

Taylor said many of the Burmese refugees find jobs at Sealy and Comfortex along with Walmart and as cleaners in hospitals and hotels. Employers tell Taylor that the refugees are among their most reliable, dedicated workers.

Yet the first Karenni teenager will graduate from high school this year after 17 teens dropped out from the families Taylor assisted. Many of those teens now work at Walmart.

"It's not that they don't value education, but their parents might have only gone to first or second grade. The limited education in the refugee camps was very poor," Taylor said. "They get a job at Walmart, make enough to buy a car and they consider that a huge success compared to living in the refugee camp."

Aside from LueLu Pathaw and a couple of others, only a handful of dozens of Burmese refugee adults Taylor assisted learned enough English to pass the U.S. citizenship test.

But success stories abound, such as Francis Sengabo, who fled civil war and genocide in Rwanda in 1994, spent more than a decade in a Tanzanian refugee camp and resettled in Albany in 2007. Sengabo and his wife have three children. He is operations director at RISSE, where he helps coordinate English language classes for refugees and immigrants from more than a dozen countries. "They will make it if they learn English and study hard," he said.

Uzma Popal, of Latham, came with her family from Pakistan at age 9 and her father worked three jobs to support seven children. "My father's my hero," she said. She and her husband, an Afghan refugee who is a computer programmer for a bank, have four children. Popal is the director of the Muslim Soup Kitchen, a group of about 200 volunteers from seven mosques. They purchase food, cook and serve a meal for about 400 people each month at homeless shelters. They also gather donations of clothing, school supplies, diapers and toiletries for the homeless and needy refugee families. About 98 percent of those they help are non-Muslims.

"We want to give back to those less fortunate," Popal said. "We're also practicing Islam the way it's meant to be, through charity and feeding the poor. We hope it changes people's minds about Muslims."

Maseeh Mukhtar is a University at Albany graduate who is now a nano science graduate student at SUNY Poltechnic Institute. His family fled a destabilized Afghanistan after the end of Soviet occupation, spent three years in a refugee camp in Pakistan and came to Troy in 1992 when he was 4. After terrifying initial days in kindergarten when he did not know any English, he quickly learned the language and excelled academically. He has a bachelor's degree in physics from UAlbany. He speaks seven languages  Pashto, Farsi, Arabic, Swahili, Hindi, Spanish and English  and worked in Tanzania as a Peace Corps volunteer.

"I guess I'm part of a classic immigrant story that keeps repeating itself," Mukhtar said. "I'm grateful for the opportunity I received as a refugee, but I feel like I've worked hard to succeed. I've lived in a refugee camp, I've experienced it and I don't appreciate Donald Trump speaking about something he knows nothing about. He appeals to people's lowest instincts."

Nabeel Shohatee was 12 when he immigrated with an older brother from Yemen in 1982 and settled in Schenectady, where relatives lived. His father sold clothes door to door and later was a night shift maintenance worker at the General Electric Research & Development Center for 25 years. He stressed education for his children. Shohatee was one of the first among the local Yemeni community to earn a college degree, a bachelor's in business in 1992 from Siena College. He worked in the Times Union's accounting department for a decade before joining in 2004 SUNY's Center for International Development, where he is senior project manager and coordinates programs in Africa and the Middle East.

A decade ago, Shohatee started his own business, Marhaba Service, which provides assistance to more than 80 Yemeni convenience store owners with bookkeeping, translation and immigration document needs.

There are now more than 2,000 immigrants from Yemen living in the area and a brutal civil war has brought a steady stream here in recent months. "We've averaged three to five immigrants from Yemen each week for the past six months," Shohatee said. The newcomers follow a similar pattern. They move into an upstairs apartment above a convenience store owned by a relative, typically in an inner-city neighborhood of Albany, Schenectady or Troy. They work long hours behind the counter, and each store supports several families.

They scrimp and save to wire money back to relatives living in poverty in Yemen.

"Word got around my office at Marhaba (it means welcome in Arabic) that a couple who had nothing were having twins back in our village outside Ibb. We gathered $2,300 in donations in a week," Shohatee said.

Shohatee is now beginning to raise funds for the first local Yemeni community center. They are looking for property, perhaps near the Afghan Islamic Center on North Brandywine Avenue in Schenectady, a mosque that many Yemenis attend.

"We've reached a point where we feel we need our own place," said Shohatee, who envisions a community center that offers classes in Arabic and English and programs to celebrate and preserve Yemeni culture.

Which is precisely what so many other immigrant groups did decades earlier.

pgrondahl@timesunion.com  518-454-5623  @PaulGrondahl
Call it cowtown political theater of the absurdbut people are still more worried about who did or didn't slap a horse that's supposedly voting for Donald trump according to oursources.Meanwhile, TKC is kind of amazed that so-called Conservatives have such an extensive knowledge of Tranny porn. BTW, stop sending me dong pix. I don't open them. That kinda thing ain't my bag, baby!For the record, while TKC is attracted only to chubby white broads with Internets skill and a knowledge of CSS sytle-sheets and HTML5 . . . There's no denying a Kansas City based Trans performer/modeland seems a lot more "inviting" than most of the peeps pushing their rabid agenda online. Again . . . Not my bag but let's not forget that Jay Leno once said that "Politics is Hollywood for ugly people." Not bad for a guy who looked like Frankenstein and a reminder that rabid "conservative" hateration against a lady who could be another star along the lines of a more liberal Caitlyn Jenner "doth protest too much" and reveals a great deal of not-so-secret obsession.And so, we're on the outset of yet another season of violent and divisive protest which, some say, leads to more violence and discord on local streets. At the state level, Rather than dealing with real budget and economic concerns, Conservatives in Kansas and Missouri are cracking down onandAnd all of this trans-obsession among both liberals and conservatives leads us back to ourand this playlist from our diverse community of musical favorites . . .As always, thanks for reading this week and have a safe and fun Saturday night . . .
SPECIAL THANKS TO A KANSAS CITY POLITICAL SCIENCE PROFESSOR WHO SENT US A QUICK NOTE ON THE LATEST ELECTION 2016 CAMPAIGN SENSATION THAT'S MAKING THE PUBLIC LOOK DUMB AND DUMBER!!!

"I don't know if it has come up on your blog but I'm getting really tired of correcting my students and facing fights with my colleagues because they don't know the history of the Americas.





I was amiable toward the Sanders campaign and believed they did a great job of outreach locally. So many young people working in this election is an encouraging sign. Yet a recent campaign stunt sent shivers up my spine. Bernie Sanders engaging a bird is reminiscent of a stunt that Fidel Catro often used in order to lend religious significance to his brutal dictatorship.





We're on Spring Break so I can't lecture my students on this topic so I think your blog might help raise awareness. What does this obvious political stunt say about our nation. An obviously trained bird is causing a social media sensation with very little context or frame of reference? Why isn't the media making this comparison and working to inform their readers? Didn't they go to college? There are no questions or discussions of the larger significance of this bird stunt in an era where we are supposed to be more connected and informed. I hope you can help. I've include a some reading materials for your consideration."

"The spectacle of white doves in Castro's speech is one in a long history of examples in which Caribbean leaders publicly use symbols from local religions. Coded performances in the Caribbean political arena often have dual implications: One is geared to impress upon the international press and those with capital invested in the country that the speaker is popular and will maintain the status quo; another is geared to the local population by using icons from their religious practices. Because these symbols often derive from secret religions, their use dramatically implies that the leader is privy to local secrets and esoteric power. By sharing a symbolic language created from the legacy of African bondage, their use demonstrates a leader's ties to the local population. The intimacy of this discourse implies that a leader is 100 percent Cuban (to use a phrase from the Cuban Revolution) and not a puppet figure sent from Washington, DC. Analogous to Bakhtin's "double-voiced word," symbols are here used to speak "doubly"--one message to the leaders of the First World, another to the general Cuban population."

It's reallymy bag but a little bird flying out of the sky and seemingly blessing Democratic Presidential contender Bernie Sanders sparks many to note that the American electorate is without any sense of history or context when it comes to political discourse.And so . . .Here's the word . . .First of all, screw you professor . . .talk down to TKC.I looked through the litany of stuff this d-bag sent and here's the only thing worth a peek:A note from the abstract . . .I know Sen. Bernie Sanders is smart but this alleged political stunt in trying to get the Black vote might be over the heads of many. The Clinton's seem more effective when they just write big checks.Nobody knows if Bernie was in on this possible bit of political history with deep roots in the discourse of the Western Hemisphere but I have to agree with the nutty professor and remind folks that what's worse is that nobody even notices the reference and only a precious few are willing to ask questions.Sadly, there areand signals a stunning bit of cynicism in American political discourse.Real talk: I guess the TKC community college and then UMKC city college education isn't so paltry after all given that this topic is flying over the heads of even some of the most well educated and informed political pundits yet our blog community has plucked the information from the sky. Natch.Sadly, just look at the other side of the aisle and a reality show contestant winning far more hearts and minds to realize that this could be the worst American electionand the public is far to misinformed to notice.Developing . . .
Matthew 25:40: "And the King will answer them, Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'

TRANS DISCRIMINATION IS THE NEW FRONTIER OF KANSAS CITY DIVERSITY AND INCLUSION!!!

TRANSGENDER PROTECTIONS ARE PART OF THE LAW IN KANSAS CITY AND VIOLATIONS OF THEIR RIGHTS COME WITH SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES!!!

Easter Sunday morning and we invite ourto partake in scripture that we're either using as a bit of sacrilegepossibly living word testimony to promote tolerance.You decide, here's the word . . .Accordingly . . .Think about it . . . There are elements with African-American, ethnic and religious communities who believe that discrimination against this group is some how justified.The Trans community in Kansas City is truly a minority within a minority  often many times over  and they're openly viewed with outright hostility by some self-professed Christians.Yet, like it or not, respecting the inalienable rights of Transgender people is the logical extension of the fight for equality among all Americans.More importantly . . .Let's not forget that Kansas City is one ofAnd so, because. . . We look toward this public info discrimination allegation and take a glimpse of the world to come and a changing American cultural landscape. Checkit:The other night when I was at the Midland to see Excision, I was Dangerously and innapropriately outed in front of hundreds of people by security while trying to go through the security lines for re-entry.When I first entered the midland I had absolutely no issues with going through the security line for my gender (Women).The Security tried to ID me in order to get through (Not normal), she yelled at me and called me a man in front of hundreds of people and made me switch lines, which rattled me and made me feel scared. Outing people in front of people like this can leave a mental scar and can be extremely dangerous for them as well, especially since Kansas City has one of the Highest rates for Trans Violence.I'm looking to sue Crowd Systems and the Midland Theater for this discrimination as well as the emotional damage and danger it put me in.The LGBT fight is still not over, sure we have gay marriage now, but trans people are still discriminated against and are still fighting to have basic rights. Every fight we take, no matter how minor helps further the fight for trans rights.I'm only asking for a bit to help cover some legal fees to fight CSI and the Midland.No act of discrimination should go unnoticed.Thank you for your help.########Developing . . .
Greece has begun evacuating migrants from the main Idomeni camp on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) border, while the flow of refugees arriving on Aegean islands has slowed to a trickle

Greece has begun evacuating migrants from the main Idomeni camp on the Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia (FYROM) border, while the flow of refugees arriving on Aegean islands has slowed to a trickle, officials said Saturday.

Eight buses transported around 400 refugees from Idomeni to nearby refugee camps Friday, local police sources said.

A dozen more buses were waiting for migrants reluctant to leave the border, which has been shut down since earlier this month.

"People who have no hope or have no money, maybe they will go. But I have hope, maybe something better will happen tomorrow, maybe today," said 40-year-old Fatema Ahmed from Iraq, who has a 13-year-old son in Germany and three daughters with her in the camp.

She said she would consider leaving the squalid Idomeni camp -- where people are sheltering even on railway tracks -- if the Greek government gives every migrant family "a simple shelter" to live in.

Difficult conditions

Those persuaded to board the first buses were mainly parents with children who can no longer tolerate the difficult conditions.

Janger Hassan, 29, from Iraqi Kurdistan, who has been at the Idomeni camp for a month with his wife and two young children, thinks he will probably leave.

"Theres nothing to do here. The children are getting sick. Its a bad situation the last two days its windy, sometimes its raining here," he told AFP.

"We don't have a choice. We have to move," he said.

Desperation was evident in the camp. One tent bore the slogan: "Help us open the border."

A total of 11,603 people remained at the sprawling border camp on Saturday, according to the latest official count.

Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman of the SOMP agency, which is coordinating Athens' response to the refugee crisis, said the operation to evacuate Idomeni will intensify from Monday.

"More than 2,000 places can be found immediately for the refugees that are at the Idomeni camp and from Monday on this number can double", Kyritsis added, pledging to create 30,000 more places in the next three weeks in new shelters.

Influx slowing

Meanwhile, the flow of refugees arriving in Greece is slowing.

Greece on Thursday said no migrants had arrived on its Aegean islands in the previous 24 hours, for the first time since the controversial EU-Turkey deal to halt the massive influx came into force at the weekend.

The agreement, under which all migrants landing on the Greek islands face being sent back to Turkey, went into effect last Sunday.

Despite the deal 1,662 people arrived on Monday, but this fell to 600 on Tuesday and 260 on Wednesday.

On Friday, the number of new arrivals was 161, down to 78 on Saturday, according to official numbers given by the Greek government, while the number of migrants in Greece was 50,236.

Security personnel and asylum experts

Greek authorities have used the relative calm to put in place logistics to send people back, including the deployment of 4,000 security personnel and asylum experts.

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 applications are considered by Greek and European officials.

Medical charity Doctors Without Borders (MSF), the UN refugee agency UNHCR, 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.

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.

Source: AFP

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
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More than 400 delegates and 35 regional and international speakers are taking part in the upcoming 8th annual Compliance and Anti-Money Laundering Seminar hosted by Thomson Reuters in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The event takes place on May 9 and 10 at Al Faisaliah Hotel.



The seminar will be held in partnership with the Institute of Finance of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the patronage of Abdulaziz Al-Furaih, vice governor of Saudi Arabian Monetary Agency (SAMA).



Dr Fahad Aldossari, director general, The Institute of Finance, said: We are pleased to host the 8th Compliance & Anti Money Laundering Seminar in collaboration with Thomson Reuters. We realize the importance of upholding sound compliance, responsible leadership and anti-financial crime regulations, as well as growing ethical businesses. This year, the seminar will extend the dialogue to the corporate and capital market segments, as well as professionals, in addition to financial institutions.



The seminar continues to serve as a unique platform for connecting the regulatory, governance, risk and compliance community with their regional and international counterparts, to exchange views, discuss common challenges and share best practices, he added.



Nadim Najjar, managing director, Mena, Thomson Reuters, said: Whilst the last 10 years have seen a significant regulatory activity challenging financial institutions, it has also seen a leap forward in terms of international and regional regulators coming together and co-operating with each other in order to weather a global recession, mitigate risks, and try to ensure that mistakes of the past are not relived.



We have seen the financial markets put under immense scrutiny by their own regulators, and simply put, regulators have let fines do the talking. The sheer size and threat of some of these enforcement actions, and the volume of regulatory change that comes from regional and international regulators, means that whilst 10 years ago compliance was a very small part of a banks back office, today it is a vital and growing part of business operations, he added.



As the financial sector continues to internationalize, it is important for companies and regulators in the Kingdom to discuss the full scope of the legal requirements that could impact a regulated firm and the conduct of its business, Najjar concluded.



The seminar is supported by leading banks and financial institutions including Banque Saudi Fransi, Samba, Saudi British Bank, Al Ahli , Saudi Hollandi Bank and ICSA.  TradeArabia News Service
Omans Sumail Industrial Estate has completed 15 per cent of an infrastructure project valued at RO39 million ($100.8 million) in Al Dakhiliyah Governorate, said a top official.



Nasser Al Mabsali, director of projects department at Public Establishments for Industrial Estates (PEIE), explained that the project is expected to be completed by first quarter of 2017.



The project involves development of infrastructure facilities of the estate on a total area of 753 hectares The first phase involves an area of 548 hectares while the second phase covers an area of 205 hectares.



Al Mabsali said that the project also involves implementation of road works along 46.29 km for the first phase and 10.21 km for the second phase.



"Moreover, the project comprises implementation of water network over 47.96 km for the first phase and 10.81 km for the second phase, as well as irrigation network extending 47.96 km for the first phase and 10.52 km for the second phase, he said.



Rainwater drainage network will be implemented as part of the project over 36.16 km for the first phase and 13.11 km for the second phase, in addition to a sewage network, 41.9 km in length for the first phase and 10.38 km for the second phase, anda fibre-optic network in cooperation with Oman Broadband Company, 32.41 km in length for the first phase and 8.82 km for the second phase. Power cable works are also involved extending 50.6 km for the first phase and 15.95 km for the second phase," he explained.



He added that the project also includes implementation of wadi protection works over 17 km.



"Besides, the project consists of establishment of a water tank in the first phase with a capacity of 2,500 cu m of reinforced concrete with a pumping station with a capacity of 48 litres per second; a water tank in the second phase with a capacity of 2,500 cu m with a pumping station with a capacity of 35 litres per second; a reinforced concrete irrigation tank in the first phase with a capacity of 2,500 cu m with a pumping station with a capacity of 41 litres per second; and an irrigation tank in the second phase with a capacity of 800 cu m with a pumping station with a capacity of 16.5 litres per second.



Additionally, other works are involved in the project including waste management, fencing, planting, parking, 184 security cameras for both phases, two main gates and three emergency exits," Al Mabsali added.



During 2015, Sumail Industrial Estate underwend an initial expansion on an area of 358,682 sq m and was able to localise 42 manufacturing and service projects, a statement said.



A total of 34 projects are under construction and mapping stages, while the number of projects in the pilot production phase and those set for production total 17.



During the same year, the estate met with more than 109 investors and urged the localised projects in the estate to commence their projects promptly. The estate also contributed in organising and sponsoring five events as part of its social responsibility initiatives for the wilayats population in particular and the governorate in general.  TradeArabia News Service
Pope Francis urged the world in his Easter message on Sunday to use the "weapons of love" to combat the evil of "blind and brutal violence", following the attacks in Brussels.



In his traditional, twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message, he spoke of violence, injustice and threats to peace in many parts of the world.



"May he (the risen Jesus) draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism, that blind and brutal form of violence which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world," he said, speaking from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica.



He mentioned recent attacks in Belgium, where at least 31 people were killed by Islamist militants, as well as those in Turkey, Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Ivory Coast, and Iraq.



"With the weapons of love, God has defeated selfishness and death," the leader of the world's 1.2 billion Roman Catholic said from the same balcony from where he first appeared to the world on the night of his election on March 13, 2013.



The 79-year-old Argentine pontiff urged people to channel the hope of Easter in order to defeat "the evil that seems to have the upper hand in the life of so many people".



The pope condemned the Brussels attacks several times during the past week, including at a Good Friday service where he said followers of religions who carried out acts of fundamentalism or terrorism were profaning God's name.



The former king and queen of Belgium, Albert II and Paola, who is Italian, attended the Mass and the pope greeted them afterwards.



In other parts of his address, Francis expressed the hope that recent talks could resolve the conflict in Syria in order to end the "sad wake of destruction, death, contempt for humanitarian law and the breakdown of civil concord".



He urged Europe "not to forget those men and women seeking a better future, an ever more numerous throng of migrants and refugees - including many children - fleeing from war, hunger, poverty and social injustice."



The European Union and Turkey have agreed to stop the flow of migrants to Europe in return for political and financial concessions for Ankara. Turkey and The Aegean islands have been the main route for migrants and refugees pouring into Europe in the past year.



Francis called for dialogue between Israelis and Palestinians, and resolutions to conflicts and political tensions in Yemen, Iraq, Libya, Burundi, Mozambique, the Democratic Republic of the Congo, South Sudan, and Ukraine.



Security was very tight around the square, which was bedecked with more than 35,000 flowers and plants donated by the Netherlands.



Police checked people several times at various points along the approach the square and subjected those with entry tickets to body and bag searches even before they passed through metal detectors. Security sources said police reinforcements had arrived in Rome from other Italian cities.



Islamic State militants have made threats against Catholic targets in Rome. Last year, a website used by militants ran a photo montage showing the movement's black flag flying from the obelisk at the centre of St Peter's Square. -Reuters
Qatar Solar Technologies (QSTec) and Turkish state energy company Elektrik Uretim Anonim Sirketi have partnered to explore areas of mutual interest to develop Turkeys solar sector, a report said.



Turkey is targeting more than 3GW of installed solar capacity, with major plans to back renewable energy investment, reported Gulf Times.



QSTec has also signed MoUs with Turkish industrial groups Bendis Enerji and Fernas Group to co-operate in solar energy industry investments, according to the report.



QSTec and its partners are delighted to be working with Turkey to assist in enabling its full solar energy potential. Turkeys high solar irradiation is excellent for producing clean solar energy and by working together with the right researchers, investors, and local companies, we can make a substantial contribution to Turkeys renewable energy goals, QSTec chairman and CEO Dr Khalid K Al-Hajri was quoted as saying in the report.
Dubai-based Marka, a premier retail operator targeting the mid-to-high-range and luxury segments has announced plans to launch three major brands at the Mall of Qatar in the third quarter of 2016.



Marka, the first public joint stock retail operator in the UAE, said it was the group's first major move outside the UAE.



The foray beyond the UAE will see the company launch Morellis Gelato ice cream, fashion brands City Chic and Weill, and jewelry house dinh van at the Mall of Qatar this year.



Khaled Almheiri, the vice-chairman and managing director of Marka, said: "Qatar has always been a part of our strategic expansion plans beyond the UAE - in particular because of the dynamic retail environment in the country, and the excellent location and tenant composition of the Mall of Qatar."



"Our expansion into Qatar is a significant milestone for Marka, not only because it marks our first international expansion, but also because it demonstrates the progress we are making on our business strategy and the commitments we have to our shareholders," he stated.



Marka CEO Nick Peel said: "Our expansion into Qatar is Markas first reach beyond the UAE, and after only 12 months of full operations, we are proud to be delivering our strategy for expansion and growth. This remarkable opportunity in Qatar has cemented our reputation as an international retail operator within the GCC."



"Our first brands for Qatar are a perfect fit for the market, and we are closely reviewing additional opportunities to expand these brands across Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain and Oman," he added.



The announcement comes close on the heels of Markas plans to launch the regions first Shiseido Beauty Boutique in partnership with the leading Japanese beauty brand at Dubais City Walk Phase II.



"With fabulously fresh Italian gelato of the highest quality, Morellis Gelato offers freshly sculpted dairy and culinary creations that are hand-crafted to a 100-year-old family recipe," said Peel.



Their flavours and extravagant presentations will be tickling customers taste buds as one of the first of Markas F&B brands to be opened at the Mall of Qatar, he stated.



In addition, fashion retailer City Chic is ready to bring its celebration of curves in all sizes to fashionistas in Qatar.



Having a well-established fan base of over 100 stores worldwide, its expansion throughout the UAE saw new outlets opening in Ras Al Khaimah, Dubai and Sharjah with its elegant and stylish brand of womenswear.



For fans of the elegant French look and style, Weill, the oldest French Fashion House in the world, will also be opening its doors at the Qatari retail destination.



The brand, which aims to reinvent the codes of Parisian elegance, is notorious for its unrivalled ready-to-wear collection and stunning seasonal pieces for every occasion, it stated.



In addition, contemporary French jewelry house dinh van will add the perfect complement to any outfit with its bespoke range of luxury, hand-crafted masterpieces. After the successful launch of its boutique in Dubai in the first quarter of 2016, dinh van is poised to be the perfect fit for Qatars jewelry connoisseurs, said the statement from Marka.



The premier retail operator now boasts over 40 outlets with over 1,200 employees throughout the UAE.-TradeArabia News Service
News / National

by Samuel Kadungure

AN impromptu initiative in 2012 to rescue six dystrophic children of the Gwizo family from exclusionary and discriminatory setting that impeded their growth and chances of attaining full potential - has culminated in the creation of a sophisticated centre for neuromuscular patients.Manica Post reported that the first phase of Mount Olive Muscular Dystrophy Centre built by District Outreach for Care and Support (Docas) at Claire was commissioned last month and focus is now on raising $10 million to complete the second phase which includes a 100-dedded hospital.The centre integrates rehabilitation and education of the often neglected and abandoned dystrophic children, while ensuring that their healthcare is improved.Inmates have access to treatment and assistive technologies that prolong their life, access to advanced tests of diagnosis that allow them to know specific type of MD they have, know what the future will bring and risk of passing the disease on to their children.The centre's goal is to cater for an estimated 3 250 MD patients in Zimbabwe.Muscular dystrophy (MD) is a genetic disease that gradually causes weakness and loss of muscle function.Patients with the condition lack normal dystrophin, a protein found in muscles, which helps to protect muscles from injury.In patients with the disease, the muscles become damaged and eventually stop working, leading to disability or death.The disease affects males in a family and it is common to have many muscular dystrophy patients under one roof  and in most cases these patients are prone to ridicule and considered a burden.Docas chief executive officer, Reverend Togara Mapingure, said the centre was dream come true as it provided everything required for quality life for the dystrophic children, including a school, whose integration was meant to eliminate travelling barriers and deeply ingrained cultural intolerances."We have a holistic package for the children, a hospital, muscular dystrophy centre and school all rolled into one to effectively improve the condition of the children. We moved 30 children with muscular dystrophy and we expect more," said Rev Mapingure.
News / National

by Stephen Jakes

Heal Zimbabwe Trust has expressed concerns over the failed national healing and reconciliation processes in Zimbabwe.The trust said on this year's occasion of the International Day for the Right to the truth concerning gross human rights violations and for the dignity of victims,it continues to express grave concern over the need for truth telling in the healing and reconciliation process."The purpose of this day which is celebrated every year is to honour the memory of victims of gross and systematic human rights violations and promote the importance of the right to truth and justice. On this day we also pay tribute to those who devoted their lives to, and lost their lives in the struggle to promote and protect human rights for all," said the trust."This year's commemorations come at a time when the national is seized with the herculean task of coming to terms with revelations by Bulawayo Senator, David Coltart (MDC) in his book titled "The Struggle Continues-50 years of Tyranny in Zimbabwe. In the book, Coltart makes shocking revelations on the role played by the current political leadership particularly the Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa on the Gukurahundi atrocities in the 80s."The trust said such allegations against a sitting Vice President who in accordance with the constitution must be promoting unity and peace, highlight how important truth telling ,healing and reconciliation is to all Zimbabweans."Heal Zimbabwe again reiterate the need to expedite operationalization of the National Peace and Reconciliation Commission(NPRC) whose mandate is to spearhead these key processes as enshrined in the constitution," said the trust."Revelations in Sen Coltart's book no matter how damaging they can be pronounced, serve as a reminder that there is need for truth telling for reconciliation and healing to take place. Heal Zimbabwe restates that unless there is enough political will to shift from the denialist approach to past violations, reconciliation and healing will remain a distant dream."The trust said national healing processes including the onerous task that lies ahead for the NPRC, might not yield any results if the political leadership remain in denial on the need for truth telling."It is high time political office bearers and leaders and all persons involved in all past atrocities including recent past events such as the 2008 violence come out openly and take responsibility. The first step to a genuine reconciliation process entails accepting our wrong past and telling the truth to find peace with ourselves and let justice take its course. A never again attitude can only be born from acknowledging wrongs of the past and telling the truth of what happened," said the trust."Heal Zimbabwe calls upon all Zimbabweans who have taken part in any violation to own up in the spirit of enhancing an important reconciliation process. National Healing requires participation by all Zimbabweans."
News / National

by Mtandazo Dube

It is hardly artistic genius rather, aggressive marketing and a saleable Brand Macheso are responsible for the commercial success of sungura ace Alick Macheso's 10th studio album.There is nothing outstanding or unique in Macheso's "Tsoka Dzerwendo". Every trick he used on his latest offering he has used before.It is definitely better than his last self-praising delivery "Kwatakabva Mutunhu", but this is not the kind of product one can compare with the chart-topping "Ndezvashe-h" - the album that carried "Madhuve" and "Chengetai". Or better still "Simbaradzo", which according to official Gramma Records sales sold more than 350 000 copies with songs like "Mai Varubhi" and "Petunia".This effort does not make Macheso the best sungura artiste in the land, it just confirms he is has a bigger and more marketable brand.So before music lovers even speculate if this album is enough to silence Zim dancehall, they should be asking themselves if it is capable of silencing Jah Prayzah.Because as things stand, what Macheso has done is inspire Jah Prayzah and Suluman Chimbetu to pull up their socks and up their game in their next projects.Yes, people will throng Macheso's shows, but do not expect to see any new faces. This album does not have what it takes to recruit new followers.It is just enough to bring back the same old faces that had stopped frequenting his shows because they were disgruntled: disgruntled not only by the artiste's lack of new material on the market, but also bored of watching the same act over and over again.Having lost solid instrumentalists in Zakaria Zakaria, Innocent Mjintu and Lucky Mumiriki, who is sick, plus the desertion by talented band members like vocalist-cum-dancer Franco Silomo and lead guitar maestro Noel Nyazanda, Macheso's act has never been the same.No doubt Macheso is back, but he is back with average music. I give it 65 percent.This business of composing and producing himself is not working for him and his music. There is a certain clumsiness there, a failure to mix elements properly.Considering Macheso's stature, no employee of his would dare tell him that the music he is doing today is not quite friendly to the ear.However, like one blogger predicted, this album is likely to break sales records, but it will not be because of its content.It all boils down to sound marketing strategies spearheaded by Jive Zimbabwe with the support of the resources brought in to bear by Red Cross Zimbabwe, an organisation for which Macheso is an ambassador.If figures being bandied about of sales of 100 000 in the first 12 hours of release are true, then it is clear that the brand, the price of US$1, marketing and distribution played a crucial role.Remember, for the first time in years, Macheso actively participated in the promotion of an album. Had this album been quietly released and played for the first time at some obscure show disguised as a launch, as was Macheso's norm, all this hype would not be there.The elimination of Macheso's previous manager William Tsandukwa also helped a lot: decisions are being made by younger, more dynamic people, people who know when to swallow pride and bring back real talent like they did with drummer Obert Gomba whose drumming skills made a huge difference on this new album.One thing for sure is that the "return" of Macheso has made the local music industry more interesting, competitive and even unpredictable. It is guaranteed that Jah Prayzah is dropping an album this year, so is Sulu - therefore 2016 is indeed a year look forward to both musically and in terms of showbiz activity.An avid Macheso fan, Calvin Mpofu aka Mukoma Kevi, had this to say: "As a Macheso fan, having waited this long, yah it's ok. Judging from what he has done before, I feel that it's not top-of-the-range. Maybe it's because he has no competition. He is our guy, so we will listen. But the truth is those boys, the likes of Franco Silomo and Romeo Gasa are not far behind. So from me this album gets a 50 percent."What is your take dear reader, did Macheso nail it? Air your thoughts
News / National

by Staff reporter

Former War Veterans minister Christopher Mutsvangwa has claimed he is the one who met Chinese officials to discuss President Robert Mugabe, but says the Asian country was not interested in pushing the veteran ruler out of power.Mugabe on March 18 told a rally in Bindura that some people in Zanu-PF were so desperate to see him step down they even approached China to discuss their plans.Speculation was rife that the 92-year-old leader was referring to Vice-President Emmerson Mnangagwa who visited China in July last year.First Lady Grace Mugabe last month accused Mnangagwa of plotting to oust Mugabe.However, Mutsvangwa - whose political future is hanging by a thread for allegedly supporting the VP - said a faction linked to Grace known as G40 had misled Mugabe about the meetings he held with the Chinese."In the course of discussing investments in Zimbabwe, the Chinese asked about political risk given the president's age," he said."It was not in the sense that G40 want people or the president to believe, but in the context of someone who is putting their money."They [Chinese] drew parallels to a retirement age father applying for a mortgage loan."The bank manager will ask for the working age son to co-sign so as to address life risk. State House in Harare received that report and laced it with a nefarious twist to President Mugabe."Mutsvangwa said he assured the Chinese that Zimbabwe was stable, despite Mugabe's age."We were only reassuring them as people parting with their money that they have recourse to a stable and continuous leadership," he said."That the Zanu-PF 2014 congress had affirmed this and in appointing the two vice-presidents - Mnangagwa and [Phelekezela] Mphoko - the president had shown the way, especially with Mnangagwa because he is a long-time friend of the Chinese,"It is the most ludicrous and ridiculous accusation, a result of misinformation by G40 that is intercepting professional advice to the president and supplanting it with garbage-in-garbage-out stuff."Academic Ibbo Mandaza said he did not believe the Chinese wanted Mugabe removed from power because it was not the way they conducted their international relations."The Chinese are too smart for that and have religiously followed a policy of non-interference in the internal affairs of any country," Mandaza said."I have never known them to be involved in any scuffle and reports that they have demanded some sort of indication from Mugabe as to who his successor would be, are nothing but rumour mongering."It is speculation that has no basis. If anything, I think it is the West trying to bundle China into its agenda."Mnangagwa told Chinese State controlled media during his visit that Zimbabwe had fallen behind its neighbours by over 20 years in terms of development.He said the country had to swallow its pride and adopt progressive policies if it were to catch up.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Robert Mugabe's continued hounding of former Vice President Joice Mujuru, the wife of the late revered liberation struggle icon, Retired General Solomon Mujuru, has been savaged by observers as senseless.They also told the Daily News on Sunday yesterday that knowing the president as well as they did, the late Rex Nhongo (Mujuru's liberation struggle nom de guerre) would have been arrested then, were the accusations that he wanted to oust Mugabe from power as early as 2008 true.Yet other observers believe that the current claims suggest that the demise of the general, as well as the ruthless purging of his wife Joice from the warring Zanu-PF are all interlinked.Human rights activist, Dewa Mavhinga, also said Mugabe should not be speaking ill of the late general because he had, by all accounts, in fact tried to democratise Zanu-PF and initiate leadership renewal in the party - which were all positive moves."The main problem was simply that Mugabe never intended to hand over power to anyone, something that he recently confirmed. General Mujuru was right that Mugabe's refusal to hand over power amounted to holding the country to ransom."The sacking of (Joice) Mujuru appears to have been motivated by Mugabe's refusal to leave power, amid expectations within the party that he would let his deputy (Joice) take over after the 2013 elections."Zimbabwe's biggest problem today remains that of lack of leadership renewal," Mavhinga said.Political commentator Earnest Mudzengi said while Mugabe clearly had "some beef" with the general, Joice's situation had been worsened by her exhibition of ambition to succeed the increasingly-frail nonagenarian.But were Mugabe's comments not needlessly raising undue suspicions about Solomon's death?Commentator Rejoice Ngwenya would only say: "It's actually desperation. Why has he (Mugabe) waited until now? It is a tacit admission that he perhaps knows something about Mujuru's death".Analyst Settlement Chikwinya also believes that Rex had become fed up with Mugabe's rule, particularly in light of the fact that the Zanu-PF leader was increasingly moving away from the principles and values of the liberation struggle."I believe the general was instrumental in the formation of the (Simba) Makoni project. In fact, it is possible that the wife (Joice) equally supported that scheme, which could be the reason why the hand symbol used by Makoni is the same used by Zim People First."Mugabe never forgave the Mujurus for that and I believe he is very much aware of how and what happened to Solomon. Joice is suffering collateral damage for sins committed by her husband," Chikwinya said.Media practitioner Tabani Moyo said the real issue, which Mugabe was failing to understand, was that he had overstayed his welcome at the helm of the party and the country."Remember, it is not only the late Mujuru who wanted him out, almost every serious member of Zanu-PF confided to the United States of America embassy that he had become a liability and a threat to the ruling party's existence, which in our case is annexed to that of the country."What is needed here is for him to appreciate that none of the people present today are still confident of his leadership, and the sooner this sad reality dawns on him the better for himself, his family and the country at large."So the president should not disclose this reality as news or speculation, but a commonly shared virtue within and without the party. The expulsions, suspensions and victimisations are sideshows aimed at sprucing up the ugly succession question which needs an immediate address," Moyo said.Activist Farai Muguwu said from what he had gathered, (Solomon) Mujuru was the only person who could tell Mugabe his piece of mind without fearing recriminations."His role in the liberation struggle, including his role in the disbandment of Zipa and elevation of Mugabe to the helm of Zanu-PF in 1976/7, though appreciated by Mugabe, meant that he was also a permanent threat to the commander in chief."The kingmaker role of Mujuru did not start in the post-independence era. It dates back to the imposition of Mugabe at the helm of Zanu in Mozambique."Thus Mugabe knew what Mujuru was capable of doing and him being a man who believes in absolute power and the general being someone who had the guts and perhaps being the only one in Zanu-PF who could challenge Mugabe, the two were naturally incompatible once the former had captured State power."Thus Joice Mujuru is collateral damage. The real threat was Solomon. But maybe the question is whether (Solomon) Mujuru overshot the runway by trying to facilitate the demise of Mugabe towards 2008, knowing too well that Mugabe was always suspicious of him," Maguwu said.
News / National

by Staff reporter

President Robert Mugabe, who is in Japan on an official business visit, has a busy schedule tomorrow as he is expected to meet the Japanese emperor, Akihito at his palace before meeting a number of the country's top politicians and business people.After meeting the emperor, the President is expected to meet Mr Toshiyuki Yokota, who is the President of Japan External Trade Organisation (JETRO) after which he is expected to meet the presidents of Fuji Films and NEC Corporation.Later in the evening, President Mugabe will then meet his host, Japanese Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe at his offices for official talks after which the two will hold a joint press conference.Mugabe is later expected to conclude his visit by meeting the country's legislators from both the house of councils as well as the house of representatives.The President's visit to Japan is at the invitation of Mr Abe and will among many other issues seek investment deals with Japan in the context of the Look East Policy to drive ZIMASSET.Mugabe is accompanied by the First Lady, Doctor Grace Mugabe, Foreign Affairs Minister Simbarashe Mumbengegwi and several senior government officials.
News / Religion

by Staff reporter

OVER 40 000 people on Friday night packed United Family International Church (Ufic) headquarters in Chitungwiza for an Easter conference where Ghanaian preacher, prophet Victor Kusi Boateng prophesied to many people, including prominent individuals.Boateng said prominent gospel musician Michael Mahendere's music career would take a turn for the better.He said while Mahendere was a great musician, God was taking him to greater heights."Music will take you beyond borders as long as you continue riding the wings of this anointing. It's not about your voice or your ability to sing, but the anointing that you are riding upon," Boateng said.Mahendere confirmed working on a new album."I am going to the studio in April and I sang one of the songs with my wife," he said.Mahendere also released a new album with three tracks titled Mandiri that was sold out on Friday during the church service.Boateng said during a storm, it was not about the challenges that one faced, but the miracle that happens during the storm.He prophesied to a man whose child was "supposed to die in a car crash".Boateng also prophesied to Ufic Bulawayo Pastor Tinashe Zuva whose daughter has an eye problem. He said the problem could be traced to where his wife was born and a curse was put on her life to make the child blind.Boateng went on to prophesy to a whole family that he said was cursed to suffer throughout their life.He prayed for the family and said they had been delivered from the curse.Boateng was yesterday and today expected to preach to the Ufic gathering.Ufic leader Prophet Emmanuel Makandiwa said when he picked Boateng from the airport, he could not speak much to him as he (Boateng) was prophesying throughout the journey home. Makandiwa says the Ghanaian is his spiritual father.Last year Boateng also preached during Ufic's Easter conference.
Opinion / Columnist

THE sad story of war veterans, the vanguards of the country's liberation struggle, has been with us for quite some time now.I have decided to chew the bullet ahead of their meeting with President Mugabe on April 7, 2016. There is some truth that these comrades should be told, it's high time.You see, these comrades have been letting people confuse their niceness for a weakness for too long and now some people are really taking them for granted. Vamwe kusvika pakutovarova and using canisters - the ones that were used by the Smith regime to terrorize them during the colonial days.The New International Version of the Holy Book in Proverbs 1vs 22 asks: "How long will you who are simple love your simple ways? How long will mockers delight in mockery and fools hate knowledge?"How long will the war veterans continue playing the nice guys? How long will they allow those who mock them to continue and how long will they allow fools to continue hating knowledge?Don't get me wrong dear reader, I am not trying to incite war veterans to turn violent or anything of that sort. No.My beef with the war veterans is that for far too long, they have let pretenders lead their association and these pretenders are now soiling the good name of the Zimbabwe National Liberation War Veterans' Association.Just look at how Jabulani Sibanda is messing up things for the war veterans. Just look at how Christopher Mutsvangwa has been conducting himself. And don't laugh at this because it's not a laughing matter, just look at how Mandiitawepi Chimene, of all the people, is messing up things for the war veterans. There are quite a few other carton characters who have been making noise in the name of the war veterans.Again, don't get me wrong dear reader, I am not saying these comrades are not war veterans but the truth is that when we talk about commanders from the liberation struggle, these little boys and girls are your pre-school class monitors.Where are the trainers of these comrades who are busy making noise? The ones who gave birth to the liberation struggle.The ones who got real political orientation straight from the Chinese instructors who spoke about chairman Mao's rich ideology. Not some of these pretenders who got political orientation through song and dance.I am talking of the pioneers at Mgagao, I am talking of those who went for military training in Nanking province in China, not pretenders who crossed into Mozambique and never saw action at the war front.I am talking of the Group of 45 that went for military training in Ghana in 1964, not pretenders who crossed into Mozambique after it had become fashionable to join the struggle.I am talking of the first group of female combatants that crossed into Zambia around 1973. The group that stopped going for their menstrual cycles after carrying heavy weapons on countless trips of more than 50 km to the Zambezi River from inland Zambia, not pretenders who followed their boyfriends to Mozambique because they had been made pregnant at the war front.I am talking about the instructors and the commanders who joined the liberation struggle in its infancy who know the importance of respecting their commanders. I am talking about all the senior commanders at the different levels, who know the importance of respecting ranks and hierarchy.I am not talking about pretenders who think just because they crossed into Mozambique after dozing themselves with Marxism, they are special.Where are these veterans of the war veterans?No names for now, but the war veterans know what I am talking about. Why are these veterans letting small boys and small girls appear as if they are the ones who executed the war?Now see what the small boys and small girls are doing to both the liberation struggle and the war veterans themselves? Kuita mahumbwe chaiwo!After attending a high-powered meeting that was also attended by several Government ministers together with Zimbabwe Defence Forces Commander Dr Constantine Chiwenga, Air Force of Zimbabwe Commander, Air Marshal Perrance Shiri, Zimbabwe National Army Commander Lieutenant-General Philip Valerio Sibanda and Commissioner-General of Police Dr Augustine Chihuri, Central Intelligence Organisation Deputy Director-General Aaron Daniel Tonde Nhepera and Zimbabwe Prisons and Correctional Services Deputy Commissioner-General Fadzai Mupfure who represented their bosses Retired Major-Generals Paradzai Zimondi and Happyton Bonyongwe respectively, poor Chimene thought she could play a fast one.She sent one George Mlala to some press conference where he said war veterans were not happy that the association's national chairperson Christopher Mutsvangwa had attended the meeting in preparation for the big meeting with President Mugabe.By the way, this Chimene had been told by the High Court that she should stop masquerading as the interim chairperson of the war veterans after claiming to have passed a vote of no confidence in Mutsvangwa.Reports say Chimene vowed that she would defy the court ruling. Ndiko kudhakwa kwacho nepower here uku or this is just some reckless woman amplifying another man's tomfoolery?Well, Bishop Lazarus says maybe we should not blame Chimene. Let's blame the veterans of the war veterans who are letting twanana tuchimhanya mudziva nemoto.Isaiah 32 vs 6 says: "Fools speak foolishness and make evil plans." Are we not watching as fools speak foolishness and make evil plans?From tomorrow, its exactly 10 days to April 7 when war veterans are supposed to meet President Mugabe. Who exactly is the President going to meet, pretenders or the real owners of the liberation struggle?Reports say the April 7 meeting will strictly be by invite, who exactly is going to be invited? How will pretenders be separated from the real owners of the struggle? How about the gate-crashers?Some will try to play it clever and say, Bishop, the people are the real owners of the struggle and I say if that's the case, then its case closed because on July 31, 2013; the people of Zimbabwe met their commander and showed how happy they were with him.Bishop is out!
Opinion / Columnist

By now, we are all aware that new political entrant Zimbabwe People First (ZPF) party is full of apologists in its top echelons.They have apologised for everything.They apologised for being part of Zanu PF, claiming they were unwilling members. They apologised to victims of political violence and abductions which they themselves allegedly masterminded. They apologised for the economic demise which again was their brainchild.That has been their shameless campaign manifesto - apologise and the people will vote for you. It is that simplistic and they expect to do epic things with such a basic mindset.As for the ZPF ideology, well, that one is a total order. Even its leader, the disgraced former Vice President is dismally failing to articulate what the party stands for. At every attempt it is as if she wants to sell ice to Eskimos.In an interview with a South African radio station recently, Dr Joice Mujuru burdened the programme with unbelievable stutter and stammer that is unconventional of a recent PhD graduate, clearly exposing her newly-founded party's survival chances to the likelihood of an ice ball's existence in hell.The anti-climax of ZPF is its leadership's failure to explain their party's ideology without sounding like the MDC. The more they painstakingly try to do so, the more constipated their ideology sounds.The result is that it betrays itself as an ideology that is way too shallow for a party that was launched as "tsunami" at a colonial five-star hotel built by the loot of hundreds of thousands of plundered cattle from Matabeleland.From the leadership's failure to be original about what their party stands for, everything else became topsy-turvy. They have the tendency of trying to imitate President Mugabe who has always talked of the people being the most important component of the party. Then they are always battling to remember what Morgan Tsvangirai has been taught by his Western backers about working with the "international community" or Britain and America if you like. These are often intertwined into the clumsy ideology of ZPF.The higgity-piddity manner of this failure to articulate clear polices reminds us of what their own protege Didymus Mutasa once warned while quoting Mark Twain that "it is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt."Anyone, anyone at all, who ever doubted that Dr Mujuru is a very dangerous entrant to the opposition politics of this country should rewind and review the arrogance and misplaced self-importance with which she responded to questions from listeners who phoned into the South African radio programme.Almost all the callers asked her to first apologise for bringing the country to its current quagmire but instead, she tried to shift the blame to President Mugabe and condescendingly dwelled on thanking the South African government for taking Zimbabwe's economic refugees.In summary, most callers wanted her to apologise, in her personal capacity, for the role that she has played in the current predicament of this country. Instead of answering plainly, she scornfully said she had since apologised in a statement and she would republish it for those that missed it to see that she was "sorry".The short and long of it is that ZPF suffers from a public relations disasters of monumental propositions, especially when its leadership is put on air. The pathetic handlers of ZPF leadership just hang them out there to dry and every voter worth half a grain of salt would never elect such a parched rags into the office of a mere village head.For all intents and purposes, under the leadership of Dr Mujuru, ZPF will continue to be a hard sell that alienates the electorate because it is as off-putting as it is disgusting.What is worse is that Dr Mujuru still speaks as if she is in power. The tone of her rhetoric is overloaded with a severe and acute identity crisis. She speaks as if she is still Vice President of Zimbabwe and second secretary of the ruling party Zanu PF.She is of the erroneous belief that since she once held these powerful appointed positions, she can commandeer the entire nation to vote for her at the snap of her fingers and the region will sympathise with her while the international community will fund her.Clearly, those who hold her hand have selfishly omitted advising her that she is on her own now and that big Zanu PF tent which used to protect her even though she bungled with mind-boggling propensity, is no longer there. She has to find her own material to build her tent otherwise she will soon perish because of exposure to the unforgiving political environment ridden with a brutal and sceptical electorate out there.Her attack of a single centre of power within a political party such as Zanu PF will also do her more harm than good. Of all people, having been in Government for 34 years, Dr Mujuru should have known that before ZPF, there have been several opposition political parties and their opposition has always been to the centre of power. When the Unity Accord was signed in 1988, both Zanu PF and PF Zapu had realised that more than one centre of power in African politics is not only fatal but retrogressive.Unfortunately, the Unity Accord and its centralism of power was immediately destabilised within a year by the formation of a short-lived political outfit called the Zimbabwe Unity Movement (ZUM), led by the late prodigal Edgar Tekere who at first was violently opposed to the idea of one centre of power but years later warmed up to the idea after a forgettable spat in the political wilderness.There have been several outfits and cabals such as Enock Dumbutshena's Forum Party, Shakespeare Maya's National Alliance for Good Governance, Daniel Shumba's United People's Party, Egypt Dzinemunhenzva's African National Party, Morgan Tsvangirai's Movement for Democratic Change, Job Sikhala's Movement for Democratic Change 99, Welshman Ncube's Movement for Democratic Change, Tendai Biti's People's Democratic Party, Elton Mangoma's Renewal Democrats of Zimbabwe, Simbarashe Makoni's Mavambo, just to mention a few. And now we have Dr Mujuru's Zimbabwe People First.Just like the other parties, they were all formed because of greed, pride, egotism, power-hunger, selfishness and ironically, for a quest of their very own centre of power. Some are now defunct, some irrelevant, some inconsequential and that is the same fate that will befall Dr Mujuru.Without a doubt, ZPF will survive for as long as Humpty Dumpty survived. They do not know how they have scaled a political wall and will soon have a great fall such that all the pawns on their political chessboard will not know how to put their eggy party back together again.Dubulaizitha!
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 26

Former Health Minister Laxmi Kanta Chawla has urged Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal to form high-level district committees to give a reprieve to a number of drug addicts, who were arrested by the Punjab police during its massive drive against drug peddlers in the border state.

Thousands of persons were arrested by the police in the drive launched all over Punjab a couple of years ago. Chawla said a number of youth nabbed by the police were drug addicts and not drug peddlers.

She alleged, Unofficial sources in the Police Department said officials were given a target to arrest drug peddlers. In this race, officials arrested a large number of drug addicts with fictitious recovery.

In a communique to the CM with a copy to the DGP, Punjab police, Suresh Arora, Chawla said a majority of youth fell in the bad company and then in the trap of drug abuse. They needed and deserved medical treatment at drug de-addiction centres and not jail, she added. She said the government should not forget that these youths would have bleak future in jail.

Chawla said, The primary objective of the state government should be weaning youth away from the drug abuse and not putting them behind bars for years in order to earn a false praise. She urged the CM and the DGP to form high-level district committees to hold impartial probe into arrests to save genuine and innocent persons from the harassment of police and making rounds of courts.

Several youth had raised the matter with the Chief Minister during his visit to Amritsar Central Jail in July 2014. While pleading innocence they told the CM that they were arrested by the police while they were consuming drugs. Though the CM had assured them all possible help, nothing had been done in this regard so far.
Tribune News Service

Amritsar, March 26

M Mahdavipour, Irans Grand Ayatullah Sayyed Ali Hosseini Khameneis representative in India, has assured to take up the demand of setting up of a Sikh-Persian school in Punjab with the Iranian Government.

He today visited the campus of Naad Pragas, a society being run by PhD scholars, where Persian language is being taught for the past decade.

He stressed on the promotion of Persian language to revive the ancient relations between Indian and Persian civilisations particularly in Punjab.

Mahdavipour said that there was a need to promote the Persian language in India in general and Punjab in particular. He added that the Persian scholars engaged in the universities here must be encouraged to explore more about this ancient language.

In the context of Sufism studies, he said that practical Sufism was being taught while theoretical Sufism was missing in Indo-Persian studies.

He was informed by the members of the society that Janamsakhis, Sikh religious literature, liberally quoted references of Sikh-Sufi relations.

Even in ancient India, exchange of thought between Iran and India was found during the Sapt Sindhu civilisation, the members said.

They stated that these steps would consolidate bilateral relations in all aspects like culture, trade and welfare. Naad Pragas secretary Satnam Singh told Mahdavipour that the Naag Pragas was teaching famous Sufi literature and Indian creations in Persian language apart from imparting its rudimentary knowledge.

These included Guru Gobind Singhs Zafarnama, Kalams of Bhai Nand Lal, Dr Gulwant Singh translated Japuji in Persian and selected Persian literature.

Among others, Dr Haider Raza Javed, Dr Rehan, Prof Jagdish Singh, Puninder Singh and Dr Sukhwinder Singh were present.
Bathinda, March 26

Farmers, under the BKU Ugrahan, today held a meeting at the Teachers Home and planned for the protest to be held on March 28 across the state. The protest will be staged in front of the Deputy Commissioners office in all districts over failure of the government to meet the long-pending demands of farmers and farm labourers.

Farmers are demanding compensation for the damaged wheat crop due to whitefly attack for which they hold the state government responsible as it supplied the spurious seeds and pesticides to farmers that failed to control the whitefly. The farmers, however, now demanding only the announced compensation of Rs 8,000 per acre per farmer while they had for meantime stopped demanding the enhanced compensation of Rs 40,000 per acre to every farmer for which the farmer unions had staged protests for long time across the state and especially in the Malwa region.  TNS
New Delhi, March 27

The central government will not force companies to take up its once-only offer to settle their retrospective tax disputes, Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley said on Sunday.

"It was an alternative. The choice is theirs. Nobody is being coerced to accept it," he said.

"If they want to continue with the litigation, so be it... the outcome of the litigation will determine (the fate of tax demand)."

Vodafone and Cairn Energy have challenged the governments levy of retrospective taxes on them.

UK oil explorer Cairn Energy has been told to pay Rs 29,000 crore  which includes Rs 10,247 crore it is believed to have made on capital gains in a 2006 business reorganisation in its India unit before getting it listed and interest.

British telecom giant Vodafone has been told to pay Rs 14,200 crore  a figure than includes tax, interest and penalty over its USD 11-billion acquisition of 67 per cent stake in the mobile- phone business owned by Hutchison Whampoa in 2007.

Both the firms have contested the claims.

The central government recently said it was willing to settle tax disputes from June 1. It was however a one-time offer. The companies accepting the offer must also end all arbitration and litigations it had instituted challenging the tax demand.  PTI
Tribune News Service

New Delhi, March 27

The Delhi Government is going to begin a large-scale campaign from April to encourage the city's dealers whose gross turnover is more than Rs 20 lakh annually to register themselves with its VAT department. The move is aimed at boosting the VAT collection in the next financial year.

The Trade and Taxes Department of the city government this year has managed to collect Rs 20,000 crore so far against its target of Rs 21,000 crore which as per officials would be achieved by the end of March.

The objective is to bring more traders under the tax cover at a time when a large number of them are dodging the authorities as found out during the government's new system of uploading bills by customers, said a senior official.

The Trade and Taxes Department will run a campaign in various markets of the Capital and also use Interactive Voice Response System, radio, TV and newspaper ads to reach out to unregistered traders.

The government will also gather intelligence inputs about dealers whose annual turnover is more than Rs 20 lakh but have not registered themselves with the VAT Departm.ent.
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 26

Several Sikh associations today held protest against the Shiv Sena for thrashing a youth at Nawanshahr during a protest yesterday.

The protesters were demanding the registration of a case against Shiv Sena leaders for roughing up the Sikh youth in Nawanshahr who was heading towards Anandpur Sahib.

The protesters laid a siege to the Company Bagh chowk and burnt tyres. The agitation lasted for over two hours. It was only after the police assured to take up the matter with the Nawanshahr police, the protesters lifted the dharna.

Notably, Abhishek Batta, president of Hindu Shiv Sena had died in a road mishap on Phagwara-Nawashahr road at Mahalo village on Friday after his Safari had head on collision with a tractor-trailer. Batta was a resident of New Model Town in Phagwara. The deceased had been returning from Haridwar and heading towards Phillaur when he met with the tragedy.

Following the accident, deceaseds brother Shivi had alleged that his brother had not died in accident rather there seemed some conspiracy behind his death. Demanding registration of murder case against the conspirator, Shiv Sena leaders laid siege outside the Civil Hospital in Nawanshahr. During protest, they also manhandled a Sikh youth Jaswinder and in the melee, his turban was also put off by protesters.

We have been assured by the Jalandhar police that required action will be taken. We submitted our complaint and if police will not act, we will again sit on dharna against the police inaction, Baljit Ahluwalia, a Sikh leader said.
Opinion / Interviews

BORN in Damba (now Mhangura) in 1940, John Makwasha whose Chimurenga name was Bayayi Mabhunu joined politics during the early 1960s during the days of the National Democratic Party after listening to powerful speeches by people like Michel and Nelson Mawema.In 1963, he joined Zanu, becoming the party's secretary for youth in Sinoa (now Chinhoyi) and went on to work full time in the party office after finishing Standard Six.He worked at the party office from December 1963 until 23 August 1964 when he was terrorised by a black CID Rhodesian officer called Chimanga who he says now owns a farm around the Mazvikadei area.In this interview with our team comprising Munyaradzi Huni and Tendai Manzvanzvike, Makwasha talks about his journey going for military training in Ghana after getting assistance from the late Vice President Muzenda, how the Rhodesian Special Branch smuggled one of its spies into their group in Ghana and for the first time reveals that one of the Zanu leaders actually sold them out to the colonial regime. Read on SM: Comrade Makwasha, let's pick up your story while you were working in the Zanu office in Sinoa. Narrate to us your journey from there.Makwasha: I worked at the Zanu offices from December 1963 to August 23 1964. People coming from Zambia would first stop at our offices to hear how the situation was in Rhodesia (Zimbabwe) and because of that, I was harassed by the CID. There was a CID guy called Chimanga, now he has a farm in Mazvikadei, uuuhhh munhu anga ane hutsinye iyeye. He was ruthless, but interestingly after independence he became a member of our CID.This was the provincial office  people from all over including areas such as Zvimba, Guruve and so on would come to buy party cards here.During this time, Zanu split from Zapu. Zapu had been banned so it was now operating as People's Caretaker Council (PCC). So competition for members was quite stiff during this time.Fortunately for us, when Zanu was formed, we had what we called Zanu line up in the office. So for people to join the party, they would ask who were among the leaders.People would ask mainly kuti ko VaChitepo vari kupi, ko vaMugabe vari kupi toti vari kwedu wainzwa munhu oti ndipei card kuno ndiko kwandiri kuda.The Zanu line up comprised the chairman Ndabaningi Sithole, secretary general vaMugabe, then Muzenda, Morton Malianga, Washington Malianga, Michel Mawema, Eddison Zvobgo, Eddison Sithole, vaChitepo and others.During this time, people in the urban areas understood politics more than the people in the rural areas because of the several rallies that were held. During these days the rallies were really well attended.Also during these days, Zanu and PCC supporters would clash frequently and the party had to arrange that I walk around with bodyguards because of my role as youth secretary and my job in the party office. One of my bodyguards was David Guzuzu, one of the Seven Comrades who perished at the famous Chinhoyi Battle in 1966. Guzuzu was my sekuru.SM: Why clashing with PCC?Makwasha: PCC was saying matora vanhu vedu and as Zanu we were seen as rebels. The clashes were very violent during those days.SM: From Zanu offices in Chinhoyi, how then did you go for military training?Makwasha: On 23 August 1964, Zanu was to be banned the next day. I wasn't aware that the party was to be banned. I went home and I was staying close to Bridgette Mugabe's house, about three houses from her house. She would frequently visit me at the Zanu offices and we would talk about politics.So in the evening of 23 August 1964, vaMuzenda came kumba kwaBridgette and asked her where I was staying.Someone was sent to call me and I went to Bridgette's house together with David Guzuzu. We were aware that the party was now moving from platform politics and sending comrades for military training in preparation for armed struggle.VaMuzenda told us that the party was to be banned and chances were that we were going to be arrested. He asked us kuti do you want to remain here and be arrested or you go for military training. We agreed to go for military training.As I made the decision to go for military training, my thinking was, kana ndadzoka pane varungu vaiti shungurudza so ndaida kudzoka nepfuti ndichivarakasha.So that evening, I told my sister nemukuwasha vandaigara navo kuti tava kuenda. VaMuzenda drove us to Harare that night. We were taken kumba kwaSabina Mugabe.SM: Describe what kind of a person was vaMuzenda during these days?Makwasha: He was a very straightforward person who was determined to free his country. Very soft-spoken but full of wisdom. He was also very brave.We spent a whole week kumba kwaSabina tichibuda panze husiku chete. After a week, vaMuzenda came back and gave us some money. He said you are now going outside the country for military training. Around 5am, he took us to the airport. During this time, Federation yanga isati yanyatso pazika, so we didn't need a visa or to book a plane. We got to the airport and bought tickets 5 pounds to fly to Malawi, Blantyre using Central African Airways (CAA).In Blantyre, the Zanu representative Mawere was waiting for us. He took us to his house in Soche high density suburb.There were other comrades who were already there at this time. We were told that some comrades would join us coming from Zambia. After about two weeks, several other comrades came and we were told that our tickets to Ghana had been sorted. We flew to Tanzania using East African Airways. We were about 15 comrades.SM: Do you still remember the names of the other comrades who joined you as you flew to Tanzania?Makwasha: Yes. Sekuru Guzuzu was still there. Others who joined us the ones I can still remember are Christopher Sakala, Lainos Mukaro, Shadreck Rambanepasi, Watson Chihota, Shame Zvikaramba, Stephen Musungwa Zvinavashe (big brother to the late General Zvinavashe) Wisdom Chimanga, Cephas Musakasa, Gilbert Majiri, Emmanuel Masanga, Kenneth Chisango, John Changa, Exavier Virukai and Titus Chakavanga.We got to Tanzania and stayed for two weeks. There were other comrades in Tanzania, who included Rugare Gumbo. We later discovered that hatisi tose tiri parwendo rumwe chete. Vamwe vakanga vaine rwendo rwekuti vari kuenda kuchikoro.SM: How come others were going to school while others were going for military training?Makwasha: There was no clear policy. There were comrades who had relatives outside the country, vakuru vakuru. So these comrades vaiti vakasvika like kuTanzania, their relatives vakuru vakuru vaivarambidza kuti aiwa usaende kuhondo enda kuchikoro.Others who went to school at that time include people like Salatiel Hamadziripi, Rugare Gumbo who told us point blank kuti imi musina kudzidza, ndimi muri kuenda kunodzidza zvepfuti. Kana matora nyika, isusu tiri kuenda kuchikoro touya tokutongai.SM: Did he say that, did this happen or you are saying this because of current politics? We need to be very clear here, these interviews are never supposed to be influenced by current politics. We want to record the correct history here.Makwasha: Zvandiri kutaura izvi, kana mukabvunza vamwe vandaiva navo, ndakanga ndisiri ndega, zvinhu zvakazoita tide kurwa. Some comrades had to be removed from this big house where we were staying. There were two gangs now  vaye vari kunzi vari kuenda kuchikoro and vaiva vashoma and isusu taienda kuhondo. Zvine chokwadi, kwete kuti ipolitics dzanhasi.Kana dai akamira apa nhasi, I will tell him kuti this is what you said. And Rugare Gumbo anga asinganzi Rugare, ainzi Alex Gumbo. Takatozoziva nyika yasununguka kuti anonzi Rugare.Before leaving for Ghana, we were screened again. We were told that in Ghana we were not going to be trained as regular army. We were told that our training would be on guerrilla warfare. We were going to be taught how to manufacture and operate explosives.So this required someone ane kachikoro. Minimum requirement was Standard Six. This is how I got separated from sekuru wangu David Guzuzu. He had standard 3. He was sent kuchikoro chema refugees kuti vawedzere chikoro.Takawonekana zvakanaka but sevanhu who were close, tumisodzi twakabuda. Takavimbisana kuti tichasangana kana vambodzidza because we thought vachazotevera kwataienda kuGhana.In September 1964, we got to Ghana. We were welcomed by the Zanu representative in Ghana at that time, Stanley Parirewa. We were taken to a province called Kumasi which borders Ghana with Ivory Coast. There were comrades from other east and west African countries. There were also some comrades from South Africa.SM: You spoke about regular and guerrilla warfare  what's the difference?Makwasha: Regular army is taught drills, that is marching, left and right turn and so on. From there you go for training kuranch where you are taught how to shoot. From there you are taught resistance. The main focus of the training in regular is that when you meet the enemy, you don't run away. You fight till you have run out of ammunition.On the other hand, guerrilla warfare, is being taught hit and run tactics. You hit your enemy where the enemy is weakest and preserve yourself. The main idea is to destroy the enemy and preserve yourself.So our training was in guerrilla warfare and because of this only the cream of youths were recruited during these early days. After training, we were supposed to come back and destroy the infrastructure of the Rhodesian system so that the colonial government would be forced to sit down and talk about independence.The thinking during these early days was that vanhu vakaita kana 100 nyika taikwanisa kuitora. And I am sure if the comrades who went for this training succeeded in their missions, the colonial regime was going to be forced to talk.We were supposed to cause maximum damage targeting bridges, electricity pylons, service stations, fuel tanks, farm houses and so on.SM: So when you got to Kumasi in Ghana what happened?Makwasha: We were mixed with recruits from these other countries I told you about and our training was the same. So in the beginning, we were taught regular warfare  how to march, how to strip and assemble a gun. The training was going on well, until one day when one of our comrades discovered that the area we were staying yakanga ine makurwe aya ekudya. So we went with our plates tikabata makurwe akawanda. We came back ndokubika makurwe aya. Now we were using the same kitchen with comrades from West Africa and to them makurwe chinhu chinosemesa. Uummm, when they discovered we had used the same pots to cook makurwe aya, pakaita hondo chaiyo. We clashed big time like we almost shot each other as they were saying mabikira mapoto zvinhu zvisingadyiwe.We tried to explain, but it didn't work. These comrades from West Africa vaiendawo kunobata hozhwa vachibika and we protest kuti isu hatidye this. So after these clashes, we started using separate kitchens.SM: You said you were also taught politics. What exactly were you being taught?Makwasha: We were taught politics about courage and how to mobilise masses. We were taught how to conduct ourselves before the masses and we were taught how to explain to the masses who the enemy was and why? And also explaining what a free Zimbabwe would mean for the general populace.SM: So how was your day like during training?Makwasha: We would wake up and go for jogging. The trainers would decide the kilometres, like 20 km. After jogging, we would go bathing then eat breakfast. From there we went for parade around past nine where there was an inspection to see how smart we were.After this we would follow that day's programme, let's say if it was drills, we would go marching for about an hour then go jogging again for kilometres. We would come back and be taught hide and escape tactics, especially crawling. From there we would go kuranch to learn how to shoot and aim. Our main instructor was called Archempong from Ghana. He was a veteran from the Second World War. When we arrived from Zimbabwe, we were about 20 but more and more comrades came from home.Our training went for three months at Kumasi and this camp we were at was called Half Asini. After these three months, we were moved to another camp still in Kumasi province, but now away from the border with Ivory Coast. At this new camp, that's when we got instructors from China who taught us real guerrilla warfare  how to manufacture bombs and so on.SM: So after training, where did you go?Makwasha: About two months before we finished our training, the last person to arrive was a guy called Simon Bhene. When he arrived, akaratidza kungwara kusingaite. Aida kuita shamwari nemunhu wese who was at training and we started having questions kuti haaa, this guy dzakati kwesere here? You can't get to a place woita close to everyone? That's very suspicious.People like Shadreck Chipanga who had earlier joined us at Half Asini knew about Bhene and they knew him as someone who was involved in politics at lower level. So while we got suspicious, we never thought Bhene had been sent by the Rhodesian Special Branch.We later discovered that Bhene had a spy camera that was like a matchbox that he was using to take pictures during training.SM: How had Bhene been recruited to come this far?Makwasha: Our recruiting system was very weak in terms of security during these early days. Bhene came all the way to Accra in Ghana alone and the party representative, Parirewa and Simpson Mutambanengwe brought him to this training camp. I think they didn't know he was on a spying mission.On our way back, we stopped in Kenya and Bhene disappeared at the airport. He had his own ticket and we later learnt that he had boarded Air Rhodesia. We asked Bernard Chidzero who had come to see us at the airport in Kenya why they had let Bhene board Air Rhodesia, but no one gave us a satisfactory response.From Nairobi we flew to Dar es Salaam in Tanzania and we were welcomed by Augustine Mombeshora. After two days, we got into a bus and we were driven to Mbeya. Mbeya is in Tanzania but close to the Zambian border. Here our representative was comrade Chihota. We stayed at Mbeya for about a month.While at Mbeya, that was the last time and place I saw Sekeru vangu Guzuzu. While waiting to go back to Rhodesia, we met anaGuzuzu as they were preparing to go to Cuba for training, but I didn't have the opportunity to talk to him. Security arrangements didn't allow that. I just saw him and in no time they were moved away from the house where we were staying.SM: Now from Mbeya, take us through what happened leading to your deployment into Rhodesia?Makwasha: Before being deployed, we were put into groups and allocated provinces in Rhodesia where we were supposed to go and operate. We were told that we were to meet some contacts in Rhodesia who were supposed to assist us.I was made commander of the group that was going to Fort Victoria (now Masvingo). My group was called Hyena Group and it included comrades like Shadreck Rambanepasi, Wisdom Chimanga, Watson Chihota, Christopher Sakala, Langton Kufa Banda and John Changa.We were taken to the Zambian border with Tanzania, at Tunduma by Noel Mukono. We were given some money to spend at Tunduma as we were waiting to cross into Zambia in the evening. We later crossed into Zambia but we were arrested because we had used an illegal point to enter into Zambia. The Zambian Special Branch said why can't your leaders talk to our leaders so that we know exactly who you are. We were taken back to Tunduma border post and we got into a bus back to Mbeya. When we got there, we told Mukono what had happened and they agreed that they had indeed made a mistake.We then went back to Dar es Salaam by bus. I am talking about my group here. Other groups, I don't know what happened.In Dar es Salaam, we were taken to the railways by Henry Hamadziripi and we were put in goods train like parcels. While hiding in the goods train, we crossed into Zambia and then Rhodesia via Mutare all the way to Salisbury (now Harare).When we got into Salisbury, we gave each other one week to see our relatives. After this, we would re-group and continue our journey to Fort Victoria to meet our contact. This contact was supposed to give us money to buy chemicals to manufacture explosives.I went to Kadoma to see my big brother who the next day organised a job for me because he didn't know what I was up to. On the day we were supposed to re-group with my comrades in Fort Victoria, I told my brother that I was sick. After he had gone to work, I got into a train to Gwelo (now Gweru) then took another train to Fort Victoria.In English there is something called premonition. Kakungonzwa kuti something is wrong somewhere and something is going to happen. When we got to Lalapanzi, I looked outside the window and saw lots of soldiers milling around. I then ignored thinking they were looking for something else.The train stopped and the soldiers gave instruction that no one in the train should make any move. I discovered that some of the people in the train were actually soldiers in plain clothes as they started giving orders to the passengers. Still I ignored all this.While seated, who did I see? I see Bhene coming straight to me. He said, "Hesi John!"In no time, I was arrested and was put under leg irons. I was completely confused. Some people actually said, "Saka tanga takagara negandanga?"Bhene actually said to me, "Mwana wamai ndizvo zvazvinoita." I was too tongue-tied to say anything.The white soldiers called me all sorts of names from terrorist to communist as they took me away. I was driven in a police car with an escort back to Gweru. I was thrown into Gweru prison. The next day, I was taken to a prison at Selous and up to this time, no one had said anything to me. This was in May 1965.I was in the cell alone and the next day, police came and just pushed another person into the cell. I later discovered it was Langton Kufa Banda.When he saw me, he said, "Shef Simon Bhene zvaandiita!" I told him my story also. We actually laughed.Two days later, some CID officers vainzi vana Beans and Mugnus came to take us to Salisbury. These two CID officers were Scotland trained and their speciality was interrogation.In Salisbury, that's when I discovered that all the comrades in my group had been arrested and everyone was saying Bhene was to blame. What was even more suspicious was that it seemed as if someone outside the country, in Tanzania, had given him the list of who was going where. Takanongwa sehuku dzawira mumvura.SM: How did you feel, a fellow black man doing this to you?Makwasha: It really affected us, but we said this should not break our spirits. What we later discovered is that it wasn't Bhene only. Zvaiva nema senior mukati. We looked at how he came for training, how he refused to give his ticket to the leader of our group and vakuru vakamurega achikwira Air Rhodesia in Kenya. It was all planned.SM: When you say you think it was planned with the blessings of some seniors, who are these seniors?Makwasha: I won't mention names, but the leadership that was outside the country Noel Mukono, Henry Hamadziripi and John Mataure, they are the ones who knew all our movements.SM: Are you saying between these three someone sold you out?Makwasha: My biggest suspect was Henry Hamadziripi.SM: Why him?Makwasha: He was a weak person politically. Akanga aine ka tribalism. That's why he took his relatives from amongst us, like Rugare Gumbo, and send them to school while we went for military training.I wasn't surprised that when he died he wasn't made even a provincial hero. Senior leaders in Zanu knew all this. We told them and they later discovered many other things. Some people didn't believe that one day we would be independent.Next week, Makwasha will continue his story narrating the torture in prison, how some of his fellow comrades turned against the struggle while in prison and his time in prison with the now Vice President Mnangagwa. This is not the story for the faint-hearted. Get a copy of The Sunday Mail next week.
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 26

The Punjab Provincial Committee of the CPI (M-L) New Democracy organised a condolence meeting to pay homage to its departed leader Ravi, central committee member and provincial secretary of Telangana state, at Desh Bhagat Yadgar Hall here.

Hundreds of workers, labourers, youths, students, and party activists reached the venue to pay homage to the leader.

B Pardip, a state leader of the party of Telangana, addressed the gathering along with Darshan Singh Khatkar, Ajmer Singh, Kulwinder Singh Waraich, Hardev Singh Sandhu, Tarsem Peter, President and central executive member of AIKMS and Ramesh Rana.

Speaking on the occasion, B Pardip explained about the life of Rayala Subhash Chander Bose aka Ravi, born in 1948 in Khammam district and joined revolutionary movement in 1968, when he was a student and leader of Students Federation, which was under the leadership of communist revolutionaries.

He joined CPI (M-L) and organised an armed squad in Khamman. He played an important role in building the Godavery Vally movement. He led a squad in Polvancha area of Khamman district. When movement in East Godavery district was facing some problems, he worked tirelessly there. He remained under ground since 1968 till his death. He passed away on March 9 2016, he suffered a stroke while in a PC meeting.

Khatkar, Ajmer Singh, while paying homage to Ravi said just like Manmohan Singh, Modi government is serving the interest of international and native corporates and pursuing anti-people policies. For the first time, RSS, a communal fascist organisation, has come into power with absolute majority. It is trying to implement its communal fascism some time in the name of ghar wapse, sometime love-jihad and sometime beef. Now in face of coming assembly election in five states, its raising the issue of nationalism by creating disturbance in Jawahar Lal Nehru University by ABVP, its student wing. Sangh is preaching its own version of nationalism which means a theocratic Hindu state. Which is very dangerous, not only for minorties but also for the democratic and patriotic people of India. They are declaring all those who are opposed to Sangh ideology as anti-national, specially communists and Ambedkarist. This situation has very dangerous portents and people have to fight it.
Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, March 26

The Punjab Youth Congress leadership today joined the protest of various jeweller and sarafa associations. The leaders jointly organised a dharna at Company Bagh Chowk where an effigy of Prime Minister Narendra Modi was burnt.

The protest was led by PYC president Amarpreet Singh Lalli along with the Youth Congress leadership of the region.

Speaking on the occasion, Lalli said the Union Government had done injustice to jewellers by levying excise duty on jewellery as this would increase unnecessary burden on the jewellers to maintain records.

He said the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi and the leadership of the Congress had offered support to the jewellers. We offer our full support to the jewellers and would not let the Union Government to impose unnecessary taxes on the jewellers. We will hold protest wherever and whenever the jewellers associations will seek our cooperation. In the days to come, the Congress will also announce its further course of action in support of the jewelers, Lalli said.

Hundreds of jewellers and gold traders from the Doaba region had recently blocked the PAP chowk, one of the busiest chowks in the region, for more than an hour to protest against the imposition of 1 per cent excise duty on gems and gold jewellery by the Centre. There around 400 jewellery manufacturing shops were lying closed since March 2.
Suhail A Shah

Anantnag, March 26

Three persons, two of them Army men, were wounded in a grenade attack by militants in Bijbehara town of Anantnag district, 40 km south of Srinagar, today.

The soldiers are being treated at the Armys 92-Base Hospital in the Badamibagh cantonment of Srinagar, while the civilian has been admitted to the SK Institute of Medical Sciences in the Soura area of the summer capital.

As per police reports, the attack was carried out at about 2:20 pm on Saturday afternoon near the local police station along the Srinagar-Jammu national highway.

The Army men on duty were targeted in this area, which generally remains very busy, a senior police official from the area said. He said all the three injured had splinter injuries. The injured were immediately taken to the nearby Sub-District Hospital, Bijbehara, from where they were shifted to the respective hospitals.

The civilian is stable, I am told. One of the Army men, however, was in a critical condition, Medical Superintendent of the hospital, Dr Naheed, told The Tribune.

The Army men, surprised by the attack, opened fire as per the eyewitnesses. The militants, however, fled the scene and did not retaliate.

The injured civilian has been identified as Farooq Ahmad of Dupathyar village in the Bijbehara area. The identity of the Army men, however, remains to be ascertained as an Army spokesperson refrained from giving out any details. He also did not comment on the condition of the injured.

Meanwhile, militant outfit Hizb-ul-Mujahideen claimed responsibility for the attack. The outfit spokesperson Burhan-ud-din talked to a local news agency to claim the responsibility for the attack.
Ludhiana, March 26

Residents of LIG flats in the Chandigarh Road area staged a protest outside Division No. 7 police station against alleged inaction by the police and release of the suspects in a case.

Ranjit Singh Rana from the LIG Welfare Association said his son was attacked by goons in the area but the police took no action in this regard. Even though the attempt to attack was captured in a CCTV camera, the police were reluctant to register a case, he alleged.

The residents handed over the suspects to the police. But they were allegedly released by the police, Rana alleged.

The police said the suspects were not arrested last night because the complainants did not record any statement. A case has been registered against the suspects, including Sunil Khurana and Happy under sections 307, 323 and 149 of the IPC, according to the police.  TNS
Kathmandu: Nearly 170 people on board a Jet Airways flight from Delhi had to be evacuated at Nepals Tribhuvan International Airport on Sunday after authorities received a threat about a bomb on the plane. An unidentified person made a call saying that explosives have been planted on board the Jet Airways Flight 260 that took off from New Delhi in the afternoon. Search operations were carried out inside the aircraft, which was taken to the isolation area. However, the bomb threat turned out to be a hoax. PTI
New Delhi, March 27

Uttarakhand was on Sunday brought under Presidents rule by the Centre on grounds of breakdown of governance in a controversial decision which comes in the wake of a political crisis triggered by a rebellion in the ruling Congress.

President Pranab Mukherjee signed the proclamation under Article 356 of the Constitution, dismissing the Congress government headed by Harish Rawat and placing the Assembly under suspended animation this morning on the recommendation of the Union Cabinet.

Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat said they will move court against the imposition of President's rule in the state.

Read:

Speaker disqualifies 9 rebel Cong MLAs in Ukhand

Ukhand textbook example of breakdown of governance: Jaitley

The Union Cabinet had held an emergency meeting here last night presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who had cut short a visit to Assam to return to the Capital for the purpose.

The Cabinet considered several reports received from Governor K.K. Paul, who had described the political situation as volatile and expressed apprehensions over possible pandemonium during the scheduled trial of strength in the state Assembly tomorrow.

Finance Minister Arun Jaitley is believed to have briefed the President late last night explaining the rationale for the Cabinets recommendation.

The dismissal of the Rawat government now renders tomorrows confidence vote infructuous.

Murder of democracy: Cong



The Congress denounced the decision calling it a murder of democracy and unconstitutional the decision of the Central Government to impose Presidents rule in the state and said the Narendra Modi dispensation was out to bring down duly-elected governments.

It is murder of democracy, Congress spokesman Abhishek Manu Singhvi said while commenting on dismissal of the partys government in Uttarakhand.

He said it demonstrates that BJP does not believe in democracy.

We will move Court- Harish Rawat, Congress on President's rule imposed in #Uttarakhand pic.twitter.com/0BZGIywi3n  ANI (@ANI_news) March 27, 2016

It is not surprising... the real desire of the Government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner, Congress general secretary Ambika Soni said.

At every step, constitutional rules have been broken...

The Governor did not send the kind of report (rebel Congress leader Vijay) Bahuguna and the BJP wanted... it is so glaring for everyone to see, she said.

She said Chief Minister Harish Rawat would have proved his majority on the floor of Assembly tomorrow.

On options available with the Congress, Soni said Chief Minister Rawat is in process of discussing with his Cabinet colleagues what is the best possible way forward.  PTI
New Delhi, March 27

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Sardar Sham Singh breathed his last today at the Combined Military Hospital in Lahore.

He was the first president of the PSGPC, formed by the Pakistan Government in 1998, and was elected for various terms to head the bodies that look after Sikh shrines across the neighbouring country, especially Pakistani Punjab.

Born on December 11, 1936, Sham Singh, an agriculturist who hailed from 62 Chak Kadrabad village in Ukara tehsil of Faisalabad, was chosen to head the body which was carved out by the Pakistan Government to take control of gurdwaras which were earlier being looked after by the Amritsar-headquartered Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the premier body of the Sikhs.

The PSGPC was brought under the Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board, which was then headed by former ISI chief Javed Nasir.

Sham Singh would be remembered for the facelift of gurdwaras and bringing a large number of pilgrims from across the world to visit Pakistan.

Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, Gurdwara Bebe Nanaki, Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Dass and others were declared open for pilgrims, unlike earlier times when Pakistan allowed devotees to visit only a couple of gurdwaras in the country, where there are about 172 Sikh shrines.

Sham Singhs tenure was marked by controversies. After his appointment as the PSGPC chief, the then SGPC president, Bibi Jagir Kaur, stopped sending jathas to Pakistan in protest.

She also objected to the appointment of Sham Singh as the PSGPC president. But many Sikh organisations, including the Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee (DSGMC), American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (AGPC), Sikh Committee of Switzerland, and others endorsed the Pakistan committee and Sham Singh as its president.

Later, the SGPC also recognised the PSGPC, though the two committees still hold different opinions over the dates of celebrating Sikh events.

Sham Singh was firm on observing Sikh functions according to the original Nanakshahi calendar, which was released by the Akal Takht in 2003, whereas the SGPC has adopted the amended but controversial Sikh calendar.

Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh, SGPC chief secretary Harcharan Singh and DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK condoled the death.

AGPC chief Jaswant Singh Hoti and coordinator Pritpal Singh recalled Sham Singhs services, saying that he was able to protect Sikh shrines and worked hard to safeguard the interests of Sikhs in Pakistan.

Paramjit Singh Sarna, president of the Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), said Sham Singh was a pillar of strength for Sikhs in Pakistan.

Sham Singh is survived by his son, Sikandar Singh, and daughter Simran Kaur, who live in Pakistan.

Condolences were also expressed by Daljit Singh Bedi, secretary, public relations, SGPC, and Kanwarpal Singh of the Dal Khalsa.

Talking to ANI from Pakistan, Sikandar Singh said his father was ill for several months and he breathed his last early this morning.

He said his father wished to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple but was not able to visit Amritsar due to health problems.

Sham Singh used to actively participate in Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Sikh inter-faith meetings organised in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan. He was involved in the arrangements for the stay of Sikh pilgrims from India to celebrate Gurpurbs and other Sikh functions. ANI

Votary of Hindu-Sikh unity

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee president Sham Singh had recently emerged as a votary of Hindu-Sikh unity. A group of Indian pilgrims that took part in Mahashivratri celebrations at Shri Katasraj in West

Punjab on March 7 recalled that Sham Singh had travelled 300 km from Lahore to attend the event despite health problems. The pilgrims said he had recited verses from Guru Granth Sahib to underline that names of Hindu Gods

figured prominently in the Sikh holy book. Speaking on

the occasion, he had also slammed political leaders for attempts to create divisions between Hindus and Sikhs. We have been offering board and lodging facilities to our Hindu brothers from India at Gurdwara Dera Sahib, Lahore, he had said. Raj Sadosh

SGPC chief, other Sikh leaders mourn death

The Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC) and other Sikh organisations have expressed grief over the death of PSGPC president Sham Singh. SGPC president Avtar Singh Makkar said Sham Singh had put Pakistans gurdwaras on the world map. Even though the population of Sikhs in Pakistan is meagre, the committee under Sham Singh did a marvellous job in the gurdwaras upkeep and management. Dal Khalsa leader Kanwarpal Singh said Sham Singh had helped Sikhs across the globe connect with historical

gurdwaras in Pakistan. Former Delhi Gurdwara Management Committee president Paramjit Singh Sarna also mourned the death. Sham Singh was appointed PSGPC president by Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board in 1998.

He was re-appointed in 2008. The SGPC had initially criticised his appointment as the management of Pakistans Sikh shrines was under its control prior to 1998. Manmeet Singh Gill
SMA Kazmi

Tribune News Service

Dehradun, March 27

Chief Minister Harish Rawat has termed the imposition of the Presidents rule in the state as the murder of democracy.

Talking to mediapersons, Rawat alleged that the BJP-led Central Government has trampled democracy in the state.

He alleged that it was the conspiracy hatched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, rebel Congress leaders former Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and Harak Singh Rawat, along with a section of the media, to topple his government through extra-constitutional means. He said the murder of aspirations of the people of Uttarakhand.

He said there was no moral and legal justification on part of the Centre to impose Presidents rule since the Governor had asked the state government to seek vote of confidence in the House on March 28.

He further said by imposing Presidents rule, the Centre had not cut the head of Rawat but murdered democracy. He said besides taking legal recourse, he would be going before the people on the issue.

He said after taking over the reins of the state, he had been working hard to bring the state back to normalcy after the devastating floods of June 2013.

Rawat alleged that there was a money deal to lure the Congress rebels, adding some people say it is Rs 1,000 crore, some say Rs 500 crore.

Attacking his arch rival Bahuguna and Harak Rawat, he said Bahuguna had disgraced his father by joining hands with communal elements whom his father HN Bahuguna fought through his life.

He said everybody knew about the conduct of Harak Singh. He demanded that a probe should be conducted into their properties and the so-called journalist who allegedly conducted a sting on him.

He said he would meet the Governor soon and apprise him about the ground realities on these issues. He announced that undeterred, he would go to the people to seek mandate on the woks done by his government in the past two years.

From here and there

Modi's hands are dipped in the blood of the trampled aspirations of the people. It is the result of a premeditated conspiracy by the Centre to dislodge a democratically elected government.  Harish Rawat, outgoing Chief Minister

The Uttarakhand Government, headed by Harish Rawat, needed to be dismissed as it was involved in corruption from top to toe. I welcome it. It is a good step.  Vijay Bahuguna, rebel MLA and former CM

The Congress will fight it politically, constitutionally and avail all legal rights that the party has got with it.  Randeep Surjewala, Congress chief spokesman

It is not surprising...The real desire of the Government of India is to bring down duly-elected governments of small states in an undemocratic and unconstitutional manner.  Ambika Soni, Congress general secretary

It's a blatant and brazen display of authoritarian, anti-democratic and anti-Constitutional mindset of the the Modi government. Today's action is a grim reminder of the threat the democratic institutions of the country are facing.  Ghulam Nabi Azad, leader of the opposition in Rajya Sabha

The action is a murder of democracy and subversion of the Constitution. People as well as the courts are likely to take a very dim view of the development.  Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Congress spokesman

There is no better example than this for invoking Article 356 of the Constitution. For the last nine days, every day provisions of the Constitution were being murdered. There are cogent and extremely important grounds on which the Union Cabinet took the decision.  Arun Jaitley, Union Finance Minister
New Delhi, March 27

Pakistan Sikh Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (PSGPC) president Sardar Sham Singh breathed his last on Sunday at the Combined Military Hospital in Lahore.

He was not well for the last one month and admitted in the hospital for a prolong illness. He was the first president of the PSGPC, formed by the Pakistan government in 1998, and was elected for various terms to head the bodies that look after the Sikh shrines spread all over the neighbouring country, especially Pakistan Punjab.

Born on December 11, 1936, Sham Singh, an agriculturist who hailed from Faislabad, was chosen to head the body which was carved out by the Pakistan government to take control of the Sikh Gurdwaras which were earlier being looked after by the Amritsar-headquartered Shiromani Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee (SGPC), the premier body of the Sikhs.

The PSGPC was brought under Pakistan Evacuee Trust Property Board, which was then headed by former ISI chief Javed Nasir.

Sham Singh would be remembered for giving a facelift to gurdwaras and bringing large number of pilgrims from across the world to visit Pakistan.

Gurdwara Kartarpur Sahib, Gurdwara Babye Nanaki, Gurdwara Janam Asthan Guru Ram Dass and many more were declared open for the pilgrimages, unlike the previous times when Pakistan allowed devotees to visit only a couple of gurdwaras in Pakistan whereas there are about 172 historical Sikh shrines.

Sham Singh's tenure was also marked by some controversies. After his appointment as the PSGPC chief, the then president of the SGPC Bibi Jagir Kaur stopped sending jathas (groups of pilgrims) to Pakistan in protest.

She also objected to the appointment of Sham Singh as the PSGPC president. But many Sikh organisations, including Delhi Sikh Gurdwara Management Committee, American Gurdwara Parbandhak Committee, Sikh Committee of Switzerland, Canada and many more endorsed Pakistan committee and Sham Singh as its president.

Later, the SGPC also recognised the existence of the PSGPC. Though both committees still holds different opinion over the dates of celebrating the Sikh dates and functions.

Sham Singh was firm over observing the Sikh religious functions according to the original Nanashahi calendar, which was released by Akal Takht in 2003 whereas the SGPC has adopted the amended but controversial Sikh calendar.

The Sikh world condoled the death of Sham Singh. Akal Takht Jathedar Giani Gurbachan Singh condoled Sham Singhs death. Harcharan Singh, chief secretary of SGPC, said he was saddened over Sham Singh's demise.

DSGMC chief Manjit Singh GK also expressed grief over the demise.

AGPC chief Jaswant Singh Hoti and coordinator Pritpal Singh recalled the services of Sham Singh, saying he was able to protect the Sikh shrines and worked hard to safeguard the interest of the Sikhs in Pakistan as a community.

Paramjit Singh Sarna, the president of Shiromani Akali Dal (Delhi), said Sham Singh was a pillar of strength for the Sikhs in Pakistan and he held a prominent place amongst the Sikh institutions.

Sham Singh belonged to 62 Chak Kadrabad village in Ukara tehsil of Mintgmri in (Faislabad). He is survived by his son Sikandar Singh and daughter Simran Kaur who live in Pakistan.

Condolences were also expressed by Daljit Singh Bedi, secretary public relations of the SGPC and Kanwerpal Singh from Dal Khalsa.

Talking to ANI from Pakistan, Sikandar Singh said his father was ill for more than months and he died early this morning. He added that the family was around him when he breathed his last.

He said his father wished to pay obeisance at the Golden Temple but he was not able to visit Amritsar due to health problems.

Sham Singh used to actively participate in Muslim, Hindu, Christian and Sikh inter-faith meetings organised in Lahore and other cities of Pakistan.

He was involved in the arrangements for the stay of Sikh pilgrims from India to celebrate Gurpurbs and other Sikh religious functions.  ANI
Washington, March 27

In a warning shot to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders on Sunday trounced the Democratic front-runner in the crucial presidential caucuses in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, making inroads into her substantial lead in the race for the partys nomination for the White House.

Sanders, 74, won Washington state by getting more than 72 per cent of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 80 per cent of the votes. He also won in Hawaii with a big margin over the former secretary of state.

For Clinton, 68, who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.

Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders.

We knew things were going to improve as we headed west, Sanders said at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.

We are making significant inroads in ... Clintons lead ... We have a path toward victory, the Vermont Senator told his supporters.

Clintons, including the former president Bill Clinton, and their daughter Chelsie Clinton, spend quite a bit of time in Washington.

In Alaska, which has 16 delegates at stake, the wife of Sanders campaigned for a few days.

We knew things were going to improve as we headed West, Sanders said.

With your help were going to win right here in Wisconsin, he said. So dont let anyone tell you we cant win the nomination, or win the general election. Were going to do both of those things.

He said the momentum building behind his campaign comes from big crowds at rallies, from overwhelming victories, from record turnouts at caucuses and primaries, from a grassroots campaign taking on the political establishment and from more than two million supporters who donated less than USD 30 apiece on average.

We are on a path toward victory, Sanders said in Wisconsin, where the Democratic primaries are scheduled for April 5. There are 86 pledged delegates at stake in Wisconsin.

To become a Democratic party presidential nominee, Clinton or Sanders need at least 2,382 delegates of the total 4,763 delegates including 712 super delegates, who are party office bearers and are not elected as part of the presidential primaries. Super delegates are independent and are free to vote to any of the candidates.

So far, Clinton leads the race to the White House in the Democratic party as she has 1,703 delegates. This includes 1,234 delegates she won during the presidential primaries and 469 super delegates who have said they would vote for her.

On the other hand, Sanders has 985 delegates to his kitty. These include 956 delegates won by him and 29 super delegates, who have pledged support to him.

Clintons campaign privately acknowledged that Saturday would be a good one for Sanders, and her efforts in Washington were aimed mostly at trying to keep the race relatively close, as delegates are distributed proportionally.

The size of Sanderss margins today served as a warning shot to Clinton.

Washington and Alaska had always looked to be favorable territory for Sanders, because they are predominantly white and rural population. Clinton had campaigned in Washington after losing to Barack Obama by about a 2-1 margin in 2008.

Even though Wisconsin could be fertile territory for Sanders on April 5, Clinton is poised to do well in her home state of New York on April 19 with its 247 pledged delegates.

She also faces favorable territory in the upcoming Super Tuesday contest on April 26 when Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Delaware, Rhode Island and Maryland voters head to the polls and nearly 400 pledged delegates are at stake.

Bernie Sanders is not just earning the delegates he needs to win, he is showing DCs professional pundit class that, despite their premature eulogising of his progressive political revolution, the fight for the Democratic nomination is far from over, said Charles Chamberlain, executive director, Democracy for America.  PTI
Washington, March 27

In a warning shot to Hillary Clinton, Bernie Sanders today trounced the Democratic front-runner in the crucial presidential caucuses in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, making "inroads" into her substantial lead in the race for the party's nomination for the White House.

Sanders, 74, won Washington state by getting more than 72% of the total votes counted. In Alaska, he received more than 80% of the votes. He also won in Hawaii with a big margin over the former secretary of state.

For Hillary, 68, who continues to lead in the delegate count and her path to the White House appears to be much easier as compared to Sanders, a defeat in the crucial state of Washington is seen as a major setback.

Home to major iconic US companies like Boeing, Microsoft and Starbucks, Washington state has more than 100 delegates, a large chunk of which has now gone to Sanders.

"We knew things were going to improve as we headed west," Sanders said at a rally in Madison, Wisconsin.

"We are making significant inroads in ... Hillary's lead ... We have a path toward victory," the Vermont Senator told his supporters.

Clinton's campaign privately acknowledged that Saturday would be a good one for Sanders, and her efforts in Washington were aimed mostly at trying to keep the race relatively close, as delegates are distributed proportionally.

The size of Sanders's margins today served as a warning shot to Clinton. Even though Wisconsin could be fertile territory for Sanders on April 5, Hillary is poised to do well in her home state of New York on April 19 with its 247 pledged delegates.  PTI
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WASHINGTON  Bernie Sanders won Democratic presidential caucuses in Alaska and Washington state Saturday, victories he hopes will stoke a spring comeback against commanding front-runner Hillary Clinton.

The Vermont senator was trying to build his enduring support among liberal activists into a three-state sweep that could help him narrow a gap of 300 delegates won in primaries by Clinton. The two Democrats were also competing in Hawaii.

While Sanders faces a steep climb to the nomination, a string of losses for Clinton would highlight persistent vulnerabilities within her own party. Sanders continues to attract tens of thousands to his rallies  drawing more than 17,000 in Seattle this week  and has collected more than $140 million from 2 million donors.

Speaking at a campaign rally in Madison, Wisconsin, before voters in Hawaii gathered for their caucuses, Sanders cast his wins Saturday as part of a Western comeback, citing recent victories in Utah and Idaho as a sign that his campaign still had a path to the nomination.

We just won the state of Washington. That is what momentum is about, he said. Dont let anybody tell you we cant win the nomination or we cant win the general election. Were going to do both of those things.

Most of his dozen primary-season wins have been in states with largely white populations and in caucus contests, which tend to attract the most active liberal Democrats. Hes heavily favored by younger voters, who were a key part of the coalition that boosted Obama to victory twice.

In Spokane, Washington, a huge line of caucus attendees snaked around a high school parking lot Saturday.

I think one of the biggest things is free tuition for students, said Savannah Dills, 24, a college student who supports Sanders. And getting big money out of politics. Hes not paid for by billionaires.

Retiree Dan McLay, 64, attended the caucus in a hard-hat, which he joked he needed because he was one of the relatively few Clinton supporters in the big crowd.

Look at this thing in Brussels, McLay said, referring to the deadly bombings. We need a real experienced leader.

For Sanders, turning passionate support into the party nomination has grown increasingly difficult.

Clinton had a delegate lead of 1,223 to 920 over Sanders going into Saturdays contests, according to an Associated Press analysis, an advantage that expanded to 1,692-949 once the superdelegates, or party officials who can back either candidate, were included.

Based on that count, Sanders still needs to win 58 percent of the remaining delegates from primaries and caucuses to have a majority of those delegates by Junes end.

His bar is even higher when the party officials are considered. He needs to win more than 67 percent of the remaining delegates overall  from primaries, caucuses and the ranks of uncommitted superdelegates  to prevail.

Because Democrats allocate their delegates on a proportional basis, meaning that the popular vote loser can still pick up a share, his Saturday victories netted Sanders a gain of at least 27 delegates to at least five for Clinton.

Sanders spent several days campaigning in Washington state and dispatched his wife, Jane, to Alaska and Hawaii. Clinton campaigned in Washington state for one-day and did not send any high-profile supporters to either of the other two states.

Clinton has been looking past the primary contests and aiming at potential Republican challengers. In interviews, rallies and speeches this week, she largely focused on Tuesdays deadly attacks in Brussels, casting GOP front-runner Donald Trump and Texas Sen. Ted Cruz as unqualified to deal with complicated international threats.

Her campaign sees the April 19 contest in New York as an important one, not just because of the rich delegate prize but because losing to Sanders in a state she represented in the Senate would be a psychological blow. She hopes to lock up an even larger share of delegates in five Northeastern contests a week later.
OKLAHOMA CITY  Candidates seeking to fill congressional and statehouse positions can file for office next month.

The filing period is from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 13-15 on the second floor of the state Capitol.

All 101 seats in the Oklahoma House are up for grabs, and 25 seats in the Senate will be open.

Normally, only 24 seats in the 48-member senate would be open, but Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman, R-Sapulpa, is serving his last year due to term limits.

As a result, Senate District 12, currently held by Bingman, will also be open for those seeking to fill the unexpired term.

Bingman is a former member of the Oklahoma House, serving from 2004-2006 before being elected to the Senate.

Lawmakers are limited to 12 years of service.

With the exception of Senate District 12, the Senate seats open are odd-numbered Districts 1 through 47.

State senators serve four-year terms, and state House members serve a two-year term.

The filing fee for House and Senate seats is $200.

In addition to statehouse seats, the U.S. Senate seat held by Republican James Lankford is also up for grabs, as are the five U.S. House seats.

Lankford was elected to fill the unexpired term of former U.S. Sen. Tom Coburn, who resigned.

The U.S. Senate seat term is for six years, and the U.S. House seats are for two-year terms.

The filing fee for U.S. senator is $1,000, and the fee for U.S. representative is $750.

Also on the ballot is a Corporation Commission seat currently held by Republican Dana Murphy, who is seeking re-election. The filing fee is $500. The term is six years.

Those seeking county offices are to file with the local county election board. Those offices include court clerk, sheriff, county clerk and county commissioner.

The filing fee for those offices is $200.

In lieu of the filing fee, a candidate can submit a petition signed by 4 percent of the registered voters eligible to vote for the candidate in the first election where the candidates name is on the ballot.

Republicans, Democrats, independents and Libertarians are eligible to file for office.

State Election Board Secretary Paul Ziriax said those who file at the Capitol must do so with a cashiers check made out to the Secretary of the Election Board. In addition, the signature of the candidate on the declaration of candidacy must be notarized, he said.

Several state questions also might appear on the Nov. 8 ballot.

It is important to get a sample ballot ahead of time to familiarize yourself, Ziriax said.

Sample ballots and additional information, such as confirming registration and finding the correct polling place, can be obtained by using the online voter tool elections.ok.gov.

The Oklahoma State Election Board website also lists the qualifications for office, has the declaration of candidacy for filers and a survey from the media that a candidate may fill out.
Correction: The last two items in this timeline originally contained an incorrect year. They have been corrected.

The big revelations

April 24, 2015

A 2009 internal investigation involving then-Reserve Deputy Robert Bates is obtained by the Tulsa World and published. The document appears to corroborate the Worlds report using anonymous sources 12 days earlier. The investigation alleges Undersheriff Tim Albin and Maj. Tom Huckeby falsified records, intimidated subordinates and afforded special treatment to Bates. The investigation also details Bates alleged lack of training and his resulting risk to other deputies in the field.

May 7, 2015

The Tulsa World reports some friends and supporters of Tulsa County Sheriff Stanley Glanz  including the daughter of Bates  have received up to $51,000 a year from what the sheriff acknowledged are political patronage positions. All told, about $3.3 million had gone to the sheriffs appointed appraisers since 2009.

Aug. 2, 2015

A Tulsa World investigation found that Bates appeared to be patrolling on his own well before undergoing the requisite training to do so and despite being told to stop by a supervisor.

Aug. 16, 2015

A Tulsa World investigation found that Bates fired a weapon while on duty five times during a five-year, four-month period, which is more than all 12 other advanced reserve deputies combined (one deputy deployed a Taser). The investigation also found Bates may have violated policy on weapons and record-keeping because use-of-force reports for two of the five times he fired a weapon dont exist.

Nov. 3, 2015

The Tulsa World reports former Glanz acknowledged to a law enforcement accrediting agency that Bates was carrying an unapproved firearm that he hadnt qualified with when he fatally shot Harris. Glanz also stated he waived application requirements for reserve deputies if they had been law enforcement officers in the past  which Bates had been for a single year a half century ago. That disclosure runs contrary to prior public statements the sheriff made.

Key events





In an image pulled from a Tulsa County sheriff deputy's hidden camera, Deputy Michael Huckeby (center) Eric Harris pulls a gun from a backpack as he sells it to an undercover Sheriff's deputy during an undercover gun deal last year. PROVIDED

April 2, 2015: Eric Harris is the target of a gun-buy sting organized by the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office Drug/Violent Crimes Task Force. Harris, who had already been the target of a drug-buy operation, bolts from a vehicle as the task force members close in to make an arrest. Harris runs into support and a deputy tackles him to the ground. Reserve Deputy Robert Bates reportedly mistakes his gun for a Taser, shooting Harris once. Harris was transported from the scene by ambulance and pronounced dead at a hospital.

April 10, 2015: The Sheriffs Office holds a news conference to release video of the shooting and the outcome of its own investigation, calling Bates a victim and saying no crime nor policy violation occurred. The footage shows Bates yelling Taser before a single gunshot is heard. Bates drops the gun and says, Oh, I shot him. Im sorry.

After Harris is shot, the video shows him on the ground with Deputy Michael Huckebys knee on his head. Harris says, Im losing my breath. Deputy Joseph Byars responds, F your breath.

April 13, 2015: Tulsa County District Attorney Steve Kunzweiler charges Bates in district court with felony second-degree manslaughter.

Sheriff Stanley Glanz takes questions during a press conference Monday about Reserve Deputy Robert Bates' shooting of Eric Harris. MIKE SIMONS/Tulsa World

April 20, 2015: Sheriff Stanley Glanz speaks at length for the first time in front of local and national reporters at a highly anticipated news conference. Glanz acknowledges there was an investigation involving Bates under former Undersheriff Brian Edwards. Responding to another question from a reporter regarding that probes outcome, Glanz said, I believe that they found that there was no special treatment.

May 4, 2015: Glanz announces he doesnt plan to resign, but says he wont seek re-election during an exclusive interview with the Tulsa World. When pressed on the issue, Glanz shouldered a portion of the blame and said he may have placed too much trust in top-level supervisors under him.

May 6, 2015: Activist group We the People Oklahoma files a petition in Tulsa County District Court requesting a grand jury investigation into the Sheriffs Office as part of an effort to remove Glanz from office.

May 29, 2015: The Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation opens an investigation into allegations of misconduct within the Tulsa County Sheriffs Office.

June 23, 2015: Signatures of 6,647 registered Tulsa County voters are verified by the Tulsa County Election Board on the We the People Oklahoma petition, well more than the 5,000 needed to seat a grand jury.

June 30, 2015: Presiding Judge Rebecca Nightingale orders a grand jury be convened after hearing three hours of arguments and testimony, and denying the motion to dismiss the petition. Nightingale concludes that dismissing the petition because its signature pages were submitted separately from the petition would be putting form over substance.

Aug. 5, 2015: The grand jury begins interviewing witnesses in its inquiry of Glanz and the operations of his office.

Sept. 24, 2015: Internal records audit finds more than half of the files of 112 reserve deputies were missing mandatory training hour records and yearly firearms qualification documentation, and nine advanced reserves hadnt met minimum service hour requirements.

Sept. 30, 2015: Glanz announces he will resign in a prewritten statement moments after the grand jury investigating his office returned two misdemeanor criminal indictments against him as well as an eight-allegation accusation for his removal from office.

Nov. 10, 2015: Glanz is charged with two misdemeanors  willful violation of the law and refusal to perform official duty  by the district attorneys who served as legal advisers to the grand jury.

Jan. 6, 2016: A civil lawsuit against Bates, Glanz and others involved in the gun sting that ended with Eric Harris death is refiled in federal court. The suit alleges Bates was improperly trained and supervised, and accuses Glanz of turning a blind eye to these dangers  to allow his friend and financial benefactor to play cop in the streets of Tulsa County.

Feb. 25, 2016: The Sheriffs Office releases the scathing 238-page Community Safety Institute report that depicts the TCSO as an agency in perceptible decline for at least a decade with a system-wide failure of leadership. The review pummels the Sheriffs Office and notes the reserve deputy program was simply the most visible manifestation of leadership failures. Some friends and supporters of Glanz  including the daughter of Bates  have received up to $51,000 a year from what the sheriff acknowledged are political patronage positions. All told, about $3.3 million had gone to the sheriffs appointed appraisers since 2009.
Week ahead: Congress does not meet.

Cringe-worthy: U.S. Sen. James Lankford said Thursday that the Republican presidential campaign has turned into a big mess.

The Bartlesville Examiner-Enterprise said Lankford told the Chamber of Commerce there, I am very embarrassed as a Republican with the tone that has happened in this race. All of these issues can be talked about in a way that doesnt destroy our nation, and doesnt harm the next generation about what it means to be an American.

Lankford said he will meet with U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland to thank him for Garlands role in solving the Oklahoma City bombing, but will not support a confirmation hearing.

Cheerleader: Fourth District Rep. Tom Cole kept plugging Speaker Paul Ryan as a potential presidential nominee, telling C-SPAN that Ryan could be a figure of destiny.

Look, said Cole, hes already been vetted, hes been on a national ticket, millions of people have already voted for him in that regard. We know how he performs.

Cole acknowledged that Ryan insists he isnt interested in the nomination, but said it may be up to the Wisconsin Republican to again rescue his party from disunion.

If we develop a chaotic situation at a convention, there is a chance that he or somebody else could emerge, Cole said. Frankly, as a big Paul Ryan fan, I certainly would be happy to see something like that happen.

During the same interview, Cole said House Republican budget hawks are asking for things that I think are beyond the ability of the Speaker and our own leadership to promise. The GOP majority has been unable to agree on a budget bill, with some members demanding deeper spending cuts than leadership believes are acceptable to the Senate or the Obama administration.

Dots and Dashes: Second District Rep. Markwayne Mullin quizzed Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Gina McCarthy over the use of federal funds to support the Obama administrations radical climate agenda overseas. ... U.S. Sen. Jim Inhofe warned the EPA to tone down its investigation of a type of widely used agricultural insecticide known as neonicotinoids, saying the agencys reports have led to misleading and sensationalist headlines. Some authorities believe neonicotinoids have contributed to a decline in bee populations. ... Fifth District Rep. Steve Russell has filed a series of bills targeting specific spending programs, including alcohol marketing, tobacco subsidies and National Heritage Sites. His biggest challenge, though, is probably his effort to eliminate federally tax-exempt bonds for building stadiums and arenas.
After being beaten with a pistol and struck in the groin with a rifle butt, and having a hot plug shoved up his nose, Jim Deer felt like he had been pushed to the edge.

By then I was begging them to shoot me, since (I thought) they were going to shoot me anyway, he wrote years later.

Held captive by the Germans after his plane was shot down, Deer didnt give in. Despite the torture, he told them nothing  just his rank and serial number.

In fact, it would be his captors who gave in first.

Sent to a hospital by the Germans, Deer hoped that the worst of POW life was behind him.

But he soon found out just how wrong he was.

James Owen Jim Deer, who spent nine months as a German prisoner of war during World War II, culminating in a forced weeks-long march that would leave many of his fellow captives dead, died Feb. 28. He was 92.

A service was held March 7 at Smith Funeral Home in Sapulpa.

Deer, a gunner and flight engineer on a B-24 Liberator, was assigned to the 703rd Squadron, 445th Bomb Group, flying bombing missions out of Tibenham, England.

Deers 30th and final mission  to destroy a ball-bearing factory in Hamburg, Germany  ended abruptly.

Hit by antiaircraft fire almost as soon as it dropped its bombs, two of the planes engines were knocked out.

Then came the direct hit.

It blew us completely apart, Deer recalled, adding that he was thrown clear of the plane.

I came to while floating down in my hole-riddled parachute; I dont really know how my chute opened.

He discovered later just how fortunate he was: Of the nine crew members, only he and two others survived. The rest were killed instantly when the plane exploded.

Nothing that would happen to Deer next, though, would feel like good fortune.

Captured immediately after he landed, Deer was tortured for refusing to talk.

When he was finally hospitalized, several pieces of shrapnel were removed from his right side.

At the hospital, he was briefly reunited with a crewmate who also had been captured.

They brought (him) in to see me. He cried like a baby after seeing how bad I looked, Deer said.

Deers eventual destination was Stalag Luft IV, a prison camp near Gross Tychow in what is now Poland.

For the next seven months, he had only one cold shower with no soap.

We would sit around in a line and pick lice off of each other and mash the lice.

The worst was yet to come.

On Feb. 6, 1945, with the Russians closing in, camp officials forced Deer and several thousand other prisoners out of the camp on foot, beginning what would become known as the Black March.

For roughly 90 days, despite little food and enduring terrible conditions  temperatures well below zero with snow on the ground  the group was forced to keep moving.

When men inevitably weakened and collapsed, they were shot, Deer said.

Deer helped one man from California keep going for a few weeks.

After a month, I was practically carrying him and I was emaciated and finally couldnt carry him anymore. I had to walk on ahead without him at that point, and it was heartbreaking.

Deer and other survivors were liberated on May 9 near Emsdetten. A British second lieutenant on a motorcycle arrived to inform us that the British 2nd Army was over the next hill and that we were free, Deer said.

His ordeal finally over, Deer was soon on his way home. He arrived in Sapulpa on his 22nd birthday  June 26, 1945.

A native of Richmond, Missouri, Deer had moved to Sapulpa in 1939 with his family.

After the war, he ran Sapulpa Auto Parts for many years, while raising five children with his wife, Mary.

Later in life, he wrote a personal account of his war experiences for his family.

His daughter, Valerie Feken, said Deer would talk about the war, but not every part of it.

He did not like to share the specifics of the torture with anyone, she said. It took him years before he would tell me the details.

Feken said her dad was proud of his service. He was active in veterans projects, and in 2014 participated in a driving tour to raise money for veterans organizations, she said.

Deer was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Mary Deer; a son, James Deer; two sisters and a grandson.

Survivors include four daughters, Linda Edwards, Claudia Jones, Valerie Feken and Ann Deer; 11 grandchildren; 24 great-grandchildren; and two great-great-grandsons.
CAMEROUN :: Cameroon: STANLEY ENOW LEADS THE BLACKLIST CONCERT POWERED BY GUINNESS

The countdown to the biggest and boldest experience to date  the BLACKLIST concert holding on the 26thof March 2016 starts today as Wizkid just arrived in Douala, Cameroon. The concert which will be holding at Bepanda will have our very own Stanley Enow, the Guinness brand ambassador and Wizkid as headline artists performing hit tracks back to back.

Stanley Enow, the Made of Black ambassador who played host to Wizkid said, Across Cameroon there are incredible artists demonstrating their Made of Black attitude and talent and Guinness will be giving 3 of such individuals the stage to showcase what they are made of. These artists have been chosen by the public and will have the opportunity to perform on stage as the first act and experience an international level concert.

On why Guinness decided on a concept of such magnitude Roland Ofori, Marketing Manager Diageo Guinness Cameroon said, Guinness Cameroon has always been about giving back to its stakeholders whether consumers, partners and Cameroonians as a whole. The Blacklist concert is one such way to bring everyone together to the biggest music show ever with two international artists whose music style needs not be introduced in Stanley Enow, who is the Guinness brand ambassador and Wizkid the Nigerian prodigy.

The BLACKLIST concert by Guinness is a way of rewarding our consumers and attendees with a big and bold music show, and this will definitely be one to remember. Charli Azanfack, Brand Manager Guinness said, we will continue to create opportunities for engagement with our loyal consumers while giving local talents the opportunity to prove their mettle as being MADE OF BLACK he continued.

For further information on the BLACKLIST concert check out our Facebook page;www.facebook.com/Guinness.Cm

Guinness encourages responsible drinking.
The Legislature recently drafted a bill allowing private citizens, without regard to proof of ownership or gun safety training, to carry a Colt 45 strapped to their midsection. Other than suggesting we begin practicing the art of "dignified ducking," perhaps we ought to take a deep breath and return once again to the critical and necessary debate of the Founders' intent in the Second Amendment?

A decent online primer on the question can be found by Googling a 2008 Supreme Court case, Columbia, D.C. v. Heller. In a 5-4 decision the court ruled that the Founders intended the right to bear arms to extend to individual citizens unconditionally. Four dissenting justices argued they did not intend that at all. In writing the minority dissent, distinguished jurist John Paul Stevens argued the amendment says no such thing. Quoting the amendment precisely: "A well regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be abridged."

The dissent argued it was the Founders' intent to limit the right to keep and bear arms to those either belonging to or eligible to join, a "well regulated militia."

It is time to revisit this critical, foundational question, given it was decided in 2008 by a 5-4 vote, and given the growing sense of hopelessness the topic evokes. Meanwhile, I'm hoping we don't next meet at the OK Corral, but I'll quietly start pricing gun belts, holsters and small arms. And refining my skills at dignified ducking.

Letters to the editor are encouraged. Send letters to letters@tulsaworld.com.
As a young prosecutor working for the late Tulsa County District Attorney David Moss, I worked several jury trials in child abuse cases. Then, as the Tulsa County district attorney, I prosecuted jury trials in high profile murders, including Oklahomas first, and only dual jury trials. Now, as a Tulsa County district judge, I have presided over a number of child abuse and first-degree murder jury trials.

As a part of these experiences, I have come into very intimate contact with literally thousands of everyday Tulsa County citizens who are summoned to jury duty.

As my experiences with these citizens have grown in numbers, and now more particularly as a district judge, it has become crystal clear to me that, for these citizens, hearing graphic evidence about child abuse or murder can be and most often is a traumatic event.

Evidence in these types of cases is real. It is not the movies or television. It is not just about reading about a case in the newspaper. These jurors see and hear about real victims, real weapons and real crime scenes. Disturbing images are commonplace. Jurors see the real families of victims and defendants.

Research on the issue of juror stress since the 1990s has found there is serious juror stress. Jurors have reported disturbing memories that jury duty left me feeling numb and detached. It has even been reported that the levels of stress can be so severe that it leads to symptoms associated with post-traumatic stress disorder. One study concludes that, for many jurors, trials begin after the verdict. Jurors have been described as unintended victims.

Another study on the issue of juror stress suggests that many people disclose being disturbed by the experience of being on a jury and have appreciated having post-verdict counseling available. Judges in other jurisdictions have ordered a debriefing session with local personnel immediately after verdicts when the jurors still see themselves as a group and while the disturbing evidence is still solvent.

Our own Court of Criminal Appeals even opined in a 1997 case that judges may advise jurors of the signs and symptoms of stress and inform jurors about community mental health counseling and other resources following cases involving exposure to extreme violence, perversion or other evidence likely to induce substantial juror stress.

The court also found that trial courts should be sensitive to these issues, and attempt to address juror concerns or feelings of stress and anxiety by referring jurors to community organizations or law enforcement agencies as appropriate.

None of this is to dissuade citizens from performing their lawful duty when summoned for jury duty. Their service is absolutely necessary for the effectiveness of both our civil and criminal justice systems.

We are in the early stages of addressing this important community issue. I have asked local psychologists from the University of Tulsa Psychology Department to assist us in developing a pilot program in this regard. They have graciously accepted. A review of the various models will be conducted by University of Tulsa student Savannah Morrissey Nicks, working with Megan Ballew, a University of Tulsa clinical psychology professor as well as adjunct professor Kathy LaFortune. In the interest of transparency, Ill say that I am married to Kathy LaFortune.

The results will guide the direction and composition of the model pilot program that one day will help to alleviate the intense emotions and stress often associated with jury duty.

Bill LaFortune is a Tulsa County district judge, former Tulsa County district attorney and former Tulsa mayor. He is a member of the Tulsa World Community Advisory Board. Opinion pieces by board members appear in this space each week.
A neighbourhood row that has led to an Apprehended Violence Order against former Sunday Night producer Mark Llewellyn is expected to be contested in Waverley Local Court in June.

News Corp articles report the dispute centres over renovations at Llewellyns Bronte home, purchased in 2003 and neighbour Barbara Urquhart unhappy at plans to block out her ocean view.

Daughter Jennifer took out an interim AVO in January but both parties have until March 31 to lodge paperwork.

The matter is listed to be mentioned in court on April 7.

Llewellyn was suspended from Sunday Night following an alleged altercation with a producer in October 2014.
Senator Bob Corker released the following statement after reports that Tennessean Justin Shults and his wife Stephanie have been identified as among those killed in the terror attacks in Brussels, Belgium.

Senator Corker's office worked with the families and the State Department to help locate the couple after they were reported missing in the wake of the attacks at the Brussels Airport.

"We are heartbroken by the tragic loss of Justin and Stephanie Shults in the terror attacks in Brussels," said Senator Corker. "To their family members and to all who loved them, we offer our prayers and deepest sympathies as we mourn their passing. We also extend condolences to all of the families who lost loved ones and to the people of Belgium.

He added, From Chattanooga, to Paris, San Bernardino, Brussels, and beyond, we have seen unimaginable events unfold before our eyes. It is clear that the fight against this evil will be a long-term struggle. To protect our citizens, we must deepen our partnership with Europe and other allies to defeat ISIS and other terror groups."
With a global focus on how to reduce safety risks caused by anomalous human behavior and how to fully recover data crucial for analyzing an air crash, a Chinese aircraft manufacturer is using big data and cloud technology to build safer airplanes.

"The time for revolution in aviation safety has come," Wei Ye, executive director and president of the Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China (COMAC) America Corporation told Xinhua on Friday.

An ARJ21 model on display at the 2015 China Aviation Expo, which opened on Wednesday in Beijing. [Photo/China Daily]

The Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety of France (BEA) recently confirmed that the crash of a plane of German budget airline Germanwings a year ago was caused deliberately by its co-pilot, who had been suffering from depression.

The Airbus 320 crashed in southern France on March 24, 2015, while en route from Barcelona to Duesseldorf, killing 150 people on board.

To minimize such risks caused by human factors, COMAC America Corporation is studying the concept of "unmanned flight with human supervision" using a big data-based computer, which operates in an entirely closed environment without influence from outside.

"Without the influence of pilots' 'emotions' and mishandling, a computer-piloted plane is safer than a manned one," Ye said.

In a computer-piloted plane, a hard-drive with big data, which include flight routes, weather information, emergency processing programs, and flight data of 200 pilots accumulated in 20 years, might become the "pilot" in the future; human pilots will only need to insert the hard-drive into the cockpit and monitor the flight in a separate compartment.

This concept could become a future trend in civil aviation and might be tested on unmanned cargo flights first, according to the company.

Meanwhile, the company is conducting research and development on improving the ability to trace a flying plane.
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged efforts to cultivate new growth dynamics and promote the development of new economy.

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (3rd L, front) poses for photos with people at Sanya Resident & Visitor Information Center in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, March 22, 2016. Li had an inspection tour in Sanya and Qionghai of Hainan Province from March 22 to 25, during which Li presided over the 1st Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting and attended the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference 2016. [Photo / Xinhua]

During an inspection tour in south China's Hainan province from Tuesday to Friday, Li said tourism industry is a comprehensive industry, which helps boost the sales of farm produce and also promote the development of consumer-friendly industrial products.

He called for efforts to protect tourists' interests, create a fair market environment to boost the development of the tourism industry.

Local authorities should encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, create an environment that is tolerant of failures, and create enough jobs, as millions of college graduates and vocational school students enter the labor market each year, he said.

Li stressed that governments at all levels should streamline administration, improve their services, as well as raise administrative and resource-allocation efficiencies.

He urged greater efforts to develop the new economy and innovate new business models to improve people's livelihoods and bolster the economy.
Not all parts of the world are in favor of weed especially for leisure marijuana. As for them, it is still considered illicit like the coke. Whether the people like it or not, pot is hot and there are signs that the marijuana business is getting a boost while other industries shutdown and file bankruptcy such as oil and coal industries.

According to the Aspen Times, weed has surpassed the sale of liquors last year for a couple of months from March to April. March, which is also the spring break, recorded a sales total of $998,000 which is the highest in a year.

The marijuana industry is drawing new type of celebrities that made a name for themselves being accomplished in their needs. Mindy Segal is the owner of Mindy's Hot Chocolate in Chicago, author of the cookbook "Cookie Love" and is now working with Cresco Labs to manufacture a line of marijuana-infused sweets such as chocolate brittle bars, granola bites and ready-made cakes to name a few.

Based on the US Border Patrol, confiscation of cannabis along the Mexican border declined. The domestic pot production is damaging the Mexican Cartels.

Legalizing the marijuana industry could generate $44 billion economic impact by the year 2020, according to the 2016 Marijuana Business Factbook published by Marijuana Business Daily, based on the MSN report.

Since Illinois first medical cannabis dispensaries operation after six months, some entrepreneurs and analysts believe it is. Their worries stem from the truth those only 5,000 state residents have registry cards. This is a big reason for the small number of centers on Gov. Bruce Rauner's rejection to widen the list of 39 original qualifying medical conditions enabling patients to acquire the cannabis cards, as reported by Belleville News-Democrat.

California is the first state to legalize marijuana use for medical purposes. A total of 23 states legalized its medicinal use with New York as being the latest. And another state is catching up with the list - Pennsylvania.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania House of Representatives approved Senate Bill 3 earlier this month, seeks to legalize medical weed in liquid, pill and oil formulations, with a vote of 149-43. Similar to other medical-marijuana enterprise, Pennsylvania's law would restrict the number of growers and dispensaries in the state and will generate tax revenue and licensing fees with it, the Motley Fool reported.

Marijuana, legal or not legal, is still abundant in the black market. Whether being used for leisure or for medicinal purposes, it is still being seen and considered as illegal. However, with the declining economy of some states, others resort to the said business hoping that it could lessen their country's problem and generate income for themselves.
CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR David and Sheryl Chrenko, owners of American Colorizing in Ventura, display a historic photograph of Mission San Buenaventura that they colorized. They are across the street from the mission.

SHARE CHUCK KIRMAN/THE STAR David and Sheryl Chrenko, owners of American Colorizing, sort through some of the historic photographs they colorized. CONTRIBUTED PHOTO David and Sheryl Chrenko, the owners of American Colorizing in Ventura, add color to vintage black-and-white photos, like this one of the Dudley House in Ventura, hoping they will provide a deeper, more meaningful connection to history. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOs David and Sheryl Chrenko, the owners of American Colorizing in Ventura, add color to vintage black-and-white photos, like this one of the Dudley House in Ventura, hoping they will provide a deeper, more meaningful connection to history. CONTRIBUTED PHOTOs David and Sheryl Chrenko, the owners of American Colorizing in Ventura, add color to vintage black-and-white photos, like this one of Ventura's Main Street, hoping they will provide a deeper, more meaningful connection to history.

By Mike Nelson, Special to The Star

Since 1972, color television sets have annually outsold black-and-white sets in the United States. That means more than half the current U.S. population  those in their early 40s or younger  have known color television as the norm.

For David and Sheryl Chrenko, the owners of American Colorizing in Ventura, it means there is a market for the colorization of vintage black-and-white photos that can provide a deeper, more meaningful connection to history.

"What we offer is a complement to black-and-white," said David Chrenko, the "colorist" who has combined his passions for history and art through American Colorizing.

"I love black-and-white, and I don't want to get rid of it," he continued with a smile. "But we don't live in a black-and-white world. When you add color, you see details in a photo  the time on a clock, for example, or the writing on a sign  that in black-and-white you would probably not even notice, or be able to see clearly. And the people in the photos no longer are ghosts from yesterday; they're people who could be alive today, because they look more real."

Established on July 4, 2002, American Colorizing over the past decade has engaged in projects for museums, websites, television documentaries and private individuals.

The company recently launched a Kickstarter fundraising campaign to support colorization projects at underfunded museums. Although initial response to the monthlong effort (which concluded March 16) fell short of its $5,000 goal, the Chrenkos believe the campaign ultimately will bring a greater awareness to the benefits of colorization.

"When we colorize these historical photos, it really brings history to life," said Sheryl Chrenko, who oversees marketing. "People look at the photos and say, 'I could be in that picture. Those are people I can relate to.' "

ART BACKGROUND

That was one purpose of "Blood and Glory: The Civil War in Color," History Channel's miniseries that aired in 2015. American Colorization was part of the team that colorized 500 photos from the era. Each, said David Chrenko, took "hours of work," including extensive research that, as a history buff growing up in New Jersey, "was right up my alley."

A Southern California resident since 1974, he studied art and worked in graphic design (at Bomp Magazine and the Bomp music label, which helped promote punk, garage and new wave rock), in radio advertising and production, and for Boeing Aircraft.

After he married Sheryl, a Ventura native, in 2000, his career took a life-changing turn in 2001 when friends asked the Chrenkos to housesit, and invited them to explore their home computer's new colorizing program.

"I basically taught myself how to colorize," David Chrenko said.

Having once imagined what old black-and-white family photos would look like in color and armed with his new "toy" and passion, he began colorizing photos for friends, featured them on a "bare-bones" website, and "eventually we were noticed. By 2011, our site was No. 1 on Google for colorizing photos."

One project led to another. In 2012, the Chrenkos created colorized photos for Ancestry.com's "Wall of Heroes" photo sweepstakes. A year later, they were commissioned by the Royal Alberta Museum in Canada to colorize photos for its yearlong exhibit on Chinese restaurants in western Canada.

"They told us their foot traffic increased 68 percent the first week after people saw our work," David Chrenko said.

Now, with "Blood and Glory" on their resume, as well, the Chrenkos are marketing their services to museums, documentary producers and prospective clients such as cities and organizations planning commemorative celebrations.

"That's why we tried the Kickstarter campaign to support museums," David Chrenko said. "Most museums are underfunded and have to make hard choices on where to spend their limited resources. Not all of them may want colorized photos, but many do, or are intrigued by the idea, and we'd like to make it easier for them."

The Kickstarter campaign was promoted through social media.

"It's a step in the process toward tapping into the interest in this area which we know exists." Sheryl Chrenko added.

GETTING IT RIGHT

The biggest challenge of the colorizing process, David Chrenko said, is "making the color real, even though you figure that the colors of sky, grass, clouds haven't changed too much over the years. But when you have a photo with a lot of buildings, or a lot of faces, getting the tones right isn't easy."

Added his wife: "But Dave really researches the era he's working on. He'll look up advertisements from that era, newspaper articles, books to get information on color, so he can capture it accurately."

And it can take hours to find exactly the right hue.

"I am very detail-oriented and I love to research," David Chrenko said. "We did a colorizing project with black-and-white photos of postwar Berlin, with brick buildings damaged by bombs and fire. It makes you think, 'How does brick look when it's been burned?' You have to research."

And pay attention. In colorizing a Civil War-era photo of President Abraham Lincoln meeting outside with Gen. George McClellan, he made the tree leaves green, before realizing the photo was taken in November.

"So I made the change to fall colors," he said with a smile. "It's part of the process."

Nor does he profess 100 percent accuracy with each photo.

"My main object," he said, "is to make the photo more real for people to see, to provoke an emotional as well as aesthetic response."

In the process, he hopes to "make history cool" for everyone, especially youths who aren't as enthralled as he about the past.

"Kids who have to study history appreciate it more when they relate to people in the photographs they see, especially when those photos are in color, something they know," David Chrenko said. "If we can connect people to history through our work, we've done our job."
<p>Bruce David McFarlands Dragon Lady, Ventura Harbor is part of his East Coast, West Coast exhibition at the Harbor Village Gallery in Ventura through Aug. 30. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception Saturday from 4-7 p.m.</p><p>Contributed photo</p>

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Coasting along

Bruce David McFarland exhibit in Ventura

Views of the East and West coasts will be featured in Bruce David McFarland's "East Coast, West Coast" exhibition at Harbor Village Gallery in Ventura through Aug. 30. The public is invited to meet the artist at a reception Saturday from 4-7 p.m.

A fine-art photographer and digital artist, McFarland shares images from California, New York and Massachusetts, which include traditional and altered photography, digital paintings and digital watercolors as well as multiple-exposure compositions.

McFarland is a member of artist associations in Ventura, Santa Barbara, Ojai, Santa Clarita and Los Angeles and has won awards for his work. His most recent award was the prestigious David Holt award, presented in June by the Santa Barbara Art Association, for "Chelsea Market," a multiple-exposure study highlighting the human experience in Manhattan's trendy shopping district of the same name.

"I make my images in a variety of sizes and on different media, so everyone can afford to own my work," McFarland said. Images will be available as fine-art greeting cards, fine-art prints and hand-signed larger versions.

Much of McFarland's work can be seen on his website, http://www.ArtisticIntervention.com, although several new images will only be available at the show. "Dragon Lady, Ventura Harbor," a photo-based digital watercolor, is shown here.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesdays through Sundays at 1591 Spinnaker Drive, 177C, Ventura. For more information, call 644-2750.
Laurie Marker has no doubts about the future of the big cat with the black spots. "Cheetahs are vulnerable, and their survival is in our hands."

A captive cheetah performs a mock run to maintain its hunting instinct. [Photo/China Daily]

The 62-year-old American living in Namibia since 1991 has devoted her life to saving the fastest land animal on earth, with a top speed of 70 miles (110 kilometers) per hour.

Marker has been compared to Jane Goodall and the late Dian Fosseydefenders of chimpanzees and gorillaswho were the first generation of iconic female pioneers of wildlife conservation in Africa.

When Marker first visited Namibia on the southwest coast of Africa nearly 40 years ago, she was shocked to discover farmers were mercilessly killing the graceful sprinter of the plains.

A century ago, there were 100,000 cheetahs across Africa, the Middle East and into India.

Now, less then 12,000 remain in the wild, all in Africa, except for a tiny population of less than 100 in Iran.

The rapid decline of the cheetahs could have been sharper without Marker's high-profile tireless efforts.

A formidable campaigner and acknowledged world expert, she founded the Cheetah Conservation Fund (CCF) in 1990.

She saw her first when she was 20 and went to work at a wildlife park in the US state of Oregon.

"It was one of the few places in the world that had cheetahs. They had come from Namibia and they fascinated me," she recalled.

"I wanted to know everything about them, but the more questions I asked people would say 'Hmm, we don't know much about them, if you find out something, let us know'."

'Killed like flies'

Marker raised an orphaned female cheetah cub named Khayam in Oregon and, in 1977, took Khayam to Namibia, then known as South-West Africa.

She planned to see if the young cheetah could be taught to hunt for prey as part of research into whether captive cheetahs could be re-introduced into the wild.

But soon after her arrival, she learnt about a more immediate emergencyfarmers were poisoning, trapping and shooting huge numbers of cheetahs.

"What I found out is that farmers were killing cheetahs like flies," she said, estimating that 800 or 900 were killed each year at the time.

"Farmers would tell me 'We hate cheetahs. What are you doing with these animals?' They told me to take them all and go away!"

Namibian farmers continue to kill cheetahs because they threaten valuable livestock, while poachers steal cheetah cubs from their mothers to sell as pets to wealthy clients, particularly in the Middle East.

The threat has driven Marker on a decades-long effort to halt poaching and persuade farmers that a balance can be struck between raising livestock and protecting wildlife.

She has led academic study into the cheetah since the 1970s, and completed a zoology doctorate at Cambridge University in 2002.

Even now she spends much of the time travelling the world, giving lectures and raising funds for her cheetah conservation work.

"The thing about Laurie is she doesn't know the meaning of the word 'no'," said Anne Schmidt-Ktzel, a geneticist who works for CCF.
CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The mother eagle feeds the hatchlings in their nest high above Santa Cruz Island.

Colleen Cason Columnist SHARE CONTRIBUTED PHOTO The mother eagle on Santa Cruz Island spreads her wings to protect her two hatchlings from the intruder the father is fighting overhead.

Spring fever usually takes the blame for slacking at this time of the year.

For me and obsessives like me, we've been ignoring our domestic duties for another reason. We are glued to a 24/7 reality show that streams a domestic drama playing out 40 miles off our coast on Santa Cruz Island.

The stars of the Channel Islands Live Bald Eagle Webcam are two of these birds of prey undertaking the perilous task of raising hatchlings. Their two youngsters arrived two days apart in mid-March.

Scientists working to restore the species on the islands especially welcomed these newborns; this pair tried and failed to produce chicks for the past two years.

Native to the Channel Islands, bald eagles disappeared there in the late 1950s after exposure to the pesticide DDT caused their eggs to crack before chicks could hatch. The absence of these top-of-the-food-chain predators threw island ecology into chaos and set in motion a saga that inspired a novel.

It's one thing to hear that these majestic birds are nesting on the Channel Islands, and it's another to see the intimate details of their existence. The nest perched 30 feet up a Monterey cypress in Sauces Canyon is an engineering marvel. At least a yard in diameter, the structure of sticks and leaves withstood pounding winds last week.

It's thrilling when Papa  known as A-40  swoops into the nest with a silvery blue mackerel he plucked out of the Pacific. Mama  she's A-48  spreads her huge wings to protect her offspring as her mate vanquishes a crow in aerial combat overhead. The babies, going through the ultimate awkward age, bob up and down to be first to the morsels of raw meat the parents feed them.

The female looks like most mothers of newborn twins, exhausted. As one commenter observed, "She could use a spa day."

Is this just us applying human nature to nature? I asked Peter Sharpe, known as the eagle guy.

"These are her first chicks. She's probably never been this tired before," said Sharpe, an Institute for Wildlife Studies ecologist who has been returning our national bird to the Channel Islands for nearly 20 years.

And what would reality TV be without a scandal? This devoted mama was a home wrecker. According to Sharpe, she chased A-40's previous mate from the nest during breeding season. The ex rebounded, taking another mate and hatching a chick of her own.

Commenters who watch the live feed on explore.org do second-guess their parenting skills. Some worry that the adults neglect the smaller one at meal time.

Sharpe offers this scientific assessment: "As long as they are eating and pooping, they are healthy," said Sharpe, who uses the cam to keep tabs on the Channel Islands eagles, including a pair on Catalina that just hatched two eaglets and have a live feed of their own.

Eagle rearing can end badly. Bald eagles have a 50 percent chance of dying in their first year, although Sharpe says mortality rates are lower for birds isolated from humans like on most of the Channel Islands.

Baby eagles can bully a weaker sibling, which can result in starvation for the battered bird.

Sharpe himself has been keeping his eye on sibling aggression in the Santa Cruz nest.

And speaking of contention, two decades ago, scientists made an audacious bet that by removing the nonnative species from Santa Cruz, the bald eagle would soar over the island and the island fox only found in the Channel Islands could be saved from extinction.

This bitterly controversial plan pitted environmentalists against animal-rights activists. It meant slaughtering a few thousand feral pigs introduced by an early landowner. The piglets attracted nonnative golden eagles that dined on the island fox in such numbers that the cat-sized mammal had two paws in the grave. Bald eagles hunt marine life and ignore the foxes. They also chase the golden eagles off the island.

It took five years and nearly $6 million to wipe out the swine, but the plan appears to be working.

Earlier this month, Secretary of the Interior Sally Jewell visited the island to celebrate the recovery of the island fox  the fastest comeback from the endangered list in history.

Returning the bald eagle required an elaborate system of importing chicks and later, when they laid eggs, incubating those eggs and returning them to the nests.

The first bald eagle to hatch unaided by humans in more than 50 years on the Channel Islands came into the world in 2006. Since then, bald eagle recovery has been steady, said Yvonne Menard, a spokeswoman for the National Park Service. Today, there are 19 breeding pairs.

"Ten years ago, I never thought I'd see all these eagles hatching their own eggs," Sharpe told me.

Neither, did I. And now while the dirty dishes pile up and moldy clothes in the hamper, I can't take my eyes off the wonder of it.

Email Colleen Cason at casonpoint101@gmail.com.
STAR FILE PHOTO

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By Wendy Leung of the Ventura County Star

Thousand Oaks Transit, the public bus and dial-a-ride system, could see some significant changes next year, according to a draft proposal to be unveiled next month.

The city is considering changing and expanding its bus routes, perhaps branching out to Agoura Hills, as part of the 2016 Transit Master Plan. Starting April 1, there will be a series of meetings to show residents what's being proposed and to collect feedback.

There will be five meetings held throughout the city. They each last two hours and are designed for attendees to come and go.

"The goal is to get feedback from folks as well as to ask if there's anything we overlooked," said Mike Houser, transit manager for the city.

This is the first time the city is undergoing such an extensive process in analyzing its transit needs.

In December, the city held a round of community meetings to collect ideas for ways to improve the transit system. Once the meetings wrap up in April, the city will do a number of presentations to various city committees before presenting the draft proposal to the City Council.

A final vote by the council on the master plan is scheduled some time this summer.

Among the changes proposed is to add Sunday to the six-days-a-week bus service and make changes to existing routes so Thousand Oaks Transit can connect with local buses in Simi Valley and Moorpark.

Houser said the city also wants to improve the dial-a-ride service and make it easier for residents to schedule a ride. Dial-a-ride is a daily door-to-door service for riders who are 65 or older or who have a disability.

About 8 percent of residents use Thousand Oaks Transit but a consultant hired by the city, Moore and Associates, predicts that by 2035, half of residents will use it.

Houser said it's a nationwide trend not unique to Thousand Oaks.

"The younger generation is not as car centric," Houser said. "People are making more decisions on where to work and live based on transit options."

SCHEDULE

Friday

9:30-11:30 a.m. at Hillcrest Center Community Room, 403 W. Hillcrest Drive

6-8 p.m. at Thousand Oaks City Hall Board Room, 2100 Thousand Oaks Blvd.

Saturday

10 a.m. to noon at California Lutheran University, Swenson Center Room 103, 60 W. Olsen Road

April 5

1-3 p.m. at Newbury Park Library, 2331 Borchard Road

4:30-6:30 p.m. at Borchard Community Center Stage Room, 190 Reino Road
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Here's some food for thought. Or, rather, here are some thoughts for food.

Six months ago, I made a reckless vow. I said I'd eat a column  18 column inches of toxic newsprint, wood-pulp, ink and all  if Donald Trump won the Republican presidential nomination.

My rationale: "Americans are better than Trump," and Republican primary voters wouldn't nominate "a candidate who expresses the bigotry and misogyny that Trump has."

This prediction still looks viable. More than 60 percent of Republican primary voters have rejected Trump so far, and there's a decent chance Republicans can at least force the nationalist demagogue into a contested convention. They know his racism and xenophobia would be a recipe for disaster.

But, to be safe, I am in search of other recipes. With the help of one of the capital's great chefs  and seeking the guidance of readers  I am taking the prudent step of preparing to eat my words.

So I called my friend, the head of the Chef Action Network, who put me in touch with Chef Victor Albisu of Washington's Del Campo restaurant. I did not discuss politics with Chef Victor, but I doubt he's a yuuuuuge Trump fan, based on his recipes.

Here are some of Albisu's proposed recipes  all from parts of the globe that have figured prominently in Trump's campaign:

Chilaquiles (Mexico): "We cut and fry tortillas until crispy, then saute with similarly cut newspaper article and toss in a tomatillo-jalapeno sauce and cover with melted Chihuahua cheese, shredded lettuce, grilled avocado and Mexican crema."

Crispy Dumplings (China): "The newspaper article is ground with pork, spices and lemon grass and seasoned to make filling. On the inside of the dumpling wrapper we lightly brush hoisin sauce. More newspaper pieces are cut and rolled inside. We fill the dumpling with thinly shaved cabbage, spicy chiles and bean sprouts. The dumplings are fried and topped with scallions."

Saffron Rice and Smoked Lamb (Iran): "We brine and then newspaper-smoke the lamb before roasting. It is served over an Iranian Tadigh, a dish of crispy baked saffron rice. Steeping saffron to make a dye, we make cotton-candy strands to use as garnish representing Trump's hair."

Ground Newspaper Falafel (Syria): "The newspaper article is ground and mixed with chickpeas and parsley into falafel and then deep-fried. Strips of newspaper line the pita and the falafels are placed inside, garnished with yogurt, parsley and onions.

Well-Done Steak (America): "We marinate a Wagyu bavette in yogurt, garlic and cumin, then grill it to Trump's preferred temperature: well done. Once removed from the grill we give it a light smoke using dried herbs and shredded newspaper. We then prepare a chimichurri sauce using bits of burned newspaper, chopped burned onion, parsley, cilantro, red peppers and red wine vinegar.".

These are mouthwatering possibilities. But the idea of eating my Trump column should be a crowd-sourced exercise. Please send your thoughts on the above, and your own recipes, to me via Facebook or Twitter. In the event of a Trump victory, the most promising dishes will be featured in a cook-off and consumed by me, con gusto.

Dana Milbank writes for The Washington Post. Email him at dana.milbank@washpost.com or follow him on Twitter, @Milbank.
Firefighters trying to snuff out the biggest wildfire in Kansas history are getting help from military helicopters  and a potential assist from looming rain or snow.

Four UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Kansas National Guard were deployed Saturday in the effort to contain the persistent prairie blazes that since Tuesday have charred at least 620 square miles (1,600 square kilometers) in Oklahoma and southern Kansas.

Six homes have been destroyed and some livestock has been lost, the Kansas adjutant general's office said. Three bridges and one railroad trestle have also been damaged or destroyed. No serious human injuries have been reported.

At least two of the helicopters have 660-gallon (2,500-liter) buckets that will be used to dump water from local sources onto the flames, said Ben Bauman, a spokesman for the Kansas adjutant general's office. The National Guard also was contributing a fuel tanker truck and another ground support vehicle.

Firefighters focused again Saturday southwest of Wichita in Butler County, where only 15 percent of the blaze that has scorched 427 square miles (1,106 square kilometers) of the county was contained, said Darcy Golliher, a spokeswoman for the Kansas Incident Management Team.

The National Weather Service said the area where the fire has raged, which borders Oklahoma, may get one-tenth to one-quarter inch (0.25 to 0.64 centimeters) of rain or snow Saturday night or Sunday morning.

Shawna Hartman, a Kansas Forest Service spokeswoman, said slightly windier conditions prevailed Saturday compared with the previous day. And while she expects the forecast precipitation to add welcome moisture, "it really won't do anything to the fire that's actively burning.''

Still, she said, "we don't anticipate the perimeter [of the fire] increasing at all.''
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The Islamic State issued two videos on Friday warning that the "nightmare" of the Brussels terror attacks "had only just begun", Belgian broadcaster RTBF reported on Saturday.

A man holds a sign as he protests ISIS at New York's Time Square, the United States, March 22, 2016. [Photo/Xinhua]

The videos were sent to Belgian newspaper Le Soir, showing two radical militants ordering western governments to withdraw their troops from Syria and Iraq, RTBF reported.

"Tell them to withdraw their planes and soldiers and you will live in peace," a speaker says in one of the videos.

"The nightmare has only just begun. What will come later will be even more appalling," the video continued.

"Remember my message a year ago when it was announced that we would attack Paris and Brussels. We have achieved that and we have other targets," the video added.
As Belgian riot police marched into formation accompanied by water-trucks, the crowd on the steps of the stock exchange in Brussels cheered. Right-wing activists some locals call fascists had arrived at the quiet memorial to those killed in last week's terror attacks, shouting anti-immigration slogans and performing Nazi salutes.



Always when there is something positive, they come to make it horrible, said Monique Starck, a Belgian homemaker, who was hurried off just as the gathering started to look like a riot. Since the bombings on Tuesday that killed at least 28 people and wounded about 300, mourners have been in this square to express their solidarity with the victims.

The bombings on Tuesday killed at least 31 people, including four U.S. citizens. On Sunday, U.S. President Barack Obama expressed his condolences over the telephone to the parents of Justin and Stephanie Shults, a young American couple who died in the attacks. Later Sunday, the U.S. State Department confirmed the deaths, but not the identifications, of two more Americans killed in the attacks.

Ever since the bombings that wounded nearly 300 people, mourners have been in the Brussels square to express their solidarity with the victims.



After the right-wingers stormed the square, a few bottles and punches were thrown, loud flares were set off and the police, the army and other security forces surrounded the mayhem. For the most part, the group, calling itself Casuals Against Terrorism, and the people already in the square to mourn confined the violence to intense verbal clashes.



Water cannons finally dispersed the group after they were pushed back towards the train station, over-turning trash bins and braking bottles along the way.

WATCH: Police Fire Water Cannon to Disperse Protesters

A "March Against Fear" scheduled to take place Sunday was canceled because authorities said the gathering would draw resources away from the investigation into Tuesday's attacks. But a group of mourners still gathered in a square in the city center.

Even before the activists arrived, some locals noticed army and police presence was heavy in the area compared to recent days.

"When I see so much security, I get scared," said Mustafa Mohammad, an Iraqi refugee, wondering why the police seemed more concerned than the day before.

The Belgian capital remains on edge, as several of those involved in the plot remain on the loose. But investigators appear to have made several advances in the case in recent days.

On Sunday, Brussels police carried out 13 new raids in and around the capital, detaining nine people for questioning in connection with terrorism. Five were later released, the federal prosecutor said.

The statement gave no information about the searches and did not specifically mention the Brussels attacks, which killed 28 people, as well as three suicide bombers.

Algerian arrested in Italy

In a sign of the far-reaching nature of the terror network, Italian police on Sunday arrested an Algerian man suspected of making false IDs used by suspects in the Brussels attacks, as well as the Paris terror attacks in November.

State police say the man, Djamal Eddine Ouali, was arrested Saturday near the town of Salerno. Officials have said he could soon be extradited to Belgium.

On Saturday, Belgian prosecutors identified and issued an arrest warrant for a new suspect in the Brussels attacks. The federal prosecutor's office said in a statement it issued an arrest for a man only identified as Faycal C. for "involvement in a terrorist group, terrorist killings and attempted terrorist killings.

WATCH: Heather Murdock reports from Brussels

The statement did not confirm that Faycal C. is the third Brussels airport suicide bomber seen in airport security camera video alongside two men who blew themselves up there. Belgian media reported that a man named Faycal Cheffou was suspected of fleeing the Brussels airport.

On Friday, Belgian prosecutors said three people were detained in a Brussels counterterrorism operation prompted by the arrest Thursday of a Frenchman in the Paris area suspected of plotting a new attack. The Belgian prosecutor's office confirmed in a statement that Fridays arrests were conducted in three districts of the capital - Schaerbeek, Forest and Saint-Gilles. Two of the three suspects were wounded in the leg.

One of those men has been identified as Abderamane A., who was charged Sunday with participation in a terror group, according to prosecutors.
Easter dawned in Jerusalem with a sunrise service at the Garden Tomb, a holy site said to resemble the burial place of Jesus according to biblical accounts. Pilgrims from around the world sang hymns of the resurrection facing an empty tomb carved into a rock.

A few hours later, Easter Mass was celebrated at the nearby Church of the Holy Sepulcher.

Priests chanted the Easter liturgy as a fragrant cloud of incense engulfed the ancient stone tomb where tradition says Jesus rose from the dead on the third day after his crucifixion.

Its awesome, said American Coleen Schulte. Its a once in a lifetime experience and the Bible comes alive for you. I mean you read it in the United States, you go to church, but now you actually know what it was like and can see it.

It was a sparse turnout this Holy Week in the wake of six months of Israeli-Palestinian violence. Jerusalem has been the focal point of unrest, and armed Israeli police and soldiers carrying assault rifles patrolled the streets.

But Peggy Howe, who is from the U.S. state of Kansas, was not afraid to come.

Have you looked at the rest of the world? she asked. You look at the news back home and maybe you dont see the presence of police as much as you see here. But you have the same issues all around the world.

She said that with terrorist attacks hitting Brussels, Paris and the United States, Israel is as safe as anywhere else.

The Easter holiday, celebrated by Christians around the world, is the holiest day of the Christian calendar. Christians believe Jesus to be the son of God and that he was resurrected from the dead in order to grant eternal life and forgiveness of worldly sins to his followers.

Pope: Use 'weapons of love'

In Rome, Pope Francis challenged the world on Easter Sunday to use "weapons of love" against the evil of "blind and brutal violence," following the attacks in Brussels last week.

The leader of the world's Roman Catholics, presided over an Easter Mass under tight security in Saint Peter's Square.

Afterwards, he delivered his twice-yearly "Urbi et Orbi" (to the city and the world) message in which he asked, "May He (the risen Jesus) draw us closer on this Easter feast to the victims of terrorism  which continues to shed blood in different parts of the world."

Francis also spoke out against the "rejection" that so many migrants and refugees are feeling in Europe, which is experiencing its biggest migration crisis since World War II. "All too often, these brothers and sisters of ours meet along the way with death or, in any event, rejection by those who could offer them welcome and assistance," the pope said.

The pope denounced terrorist acts in a Good Friday observation, saying they are "committed by followers of some religions which profane the name of God and which use the holy name to justify their unprecedented violence."

The pope's chief alms-giver was on the streets of Rome Friday night giving out sleeping bags to the homeless to show papal support for the city's least fortunate.
Pakistani officials say a suicide bomb blast at a crowded public park in the eastern city of Lahore Sunday evening killed at least 65 people and wounded at least 300 others.

Women and children are among the victims, said Salman Rafiq, a health adviser to the government of Punjab province. He said there were seriously wounded people among those taken to local hospitals.



Witnesses say a large number of Christian families celebrating Easter also were present in the Gulshan Iqbal park when the explosion occurred.

A spokesman for a breakaway faction of the Pakistani Taliban (Jamaatul Aurar) claimed responsibility for the bombing and said it specifically targeted Christians.

Less than two percent of Pakistan's population is Christian.

A spokesman for U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said Ban has called for "the perpetrators of this appalling terrorist act to be brought swiftly to justice." He said the secretary-general has urged Pakistan "to do its utmost to put in place protective measures to ensure the personal security of all individuals, including religious minority communities living in the country."

The United States condemned "in the strongest terms" the attack in Lahore, calling it a "cowardly act in what has long been a scenic and placid park," a statement from National Security Council spokesman Ned Price said.

Watch: Protests in Islamabad Over Execution of Mumtaz Qadri

Islamabad protests

Meanwhile in Islamabad, thousands of Pakistanis marched through the streets of the capital city Sunday to protest last months hanging of a man charged with murdering a provincial governor.



The protesters, mostly activists of Islamic parties, rallied against the execution of Mumtaz Qadri who gunned down Punjab's governor, Salman Taseer, in 2011 because the slain politician had called for reforms in the countrys Islamic law against blasphemy.

Police used blockades and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd but failed to do so and the protesters were trying to reach to the parliament building. Several security personnel are reported wounded in clashes with demonstrators.

Protesters set fire to several vehicles, containers and terminals of a public transport bus service linking Islamabad with the neighboring Rawalpindi city. Witnesses say police personnel were running out of tear gas and rubber bullets in their bid to disperse the crowed, prompting the government to call in the the military late on Sunday to help in controlling the situation.

Army spokesman Lt. General Asim Bajwa said troops have also been deployed to secure the so-called Red Zone in Islamabad where parliament, the supreme court and other key government buildings as well as diplomatic missions are located.
A French national suspected of involvement in planning a terror attack has been arrested in The Netherlands.

The 32-year-old, whose identity has not been released, was arrested Sunday at the request of French authorities in the port city of Rotterdam. He is expected to be extradited to France soon.

Three other people were detained in the raid. Two of them were described as ages 43 and 47 and "having an Algerian background," while the third has not yet been identified.

Dutch officials said the French requested the arrest Friday after the suspect was identified in a terrorism investigation.

They released no other details about the suspect or the investigation.
Ghanaian police will provide protection for all presidential candidates and their running mates as part of planned security measures in the run up to the November general election, says Cephas Arthur, Director of Public Relations for the Ghana Police Service.

Police provided security for presidential candidates in the 2012 poll.

There have been recent media reports that comments by politicians on various media platforms are increasing tension and could spark possible electoral violence during the presidential, parliamentary and local elections. Arthur says he does not believe that to be the case.

"I wouldn't say there is tension in the country as a result of political pronouncement, I would rather say people are expressing their views, people are venting their concerns and this is akin to democracy. You allow people to express their opinions express their views as freely as they can and that is not to say there is tension. There is no tension at all," he said.

Arthur says the Inspector General of Police (IGP) John Kudalor plans to meet all stakeholders to address any concerns before the elections.

He earlier met with youth groups of all registered political parties in the capital Accra and has plans to meet with the leadership of all parties.

Meanwhile, Ghanaians have expressed concern about recent reports of individuals and groups importing ammunition to the country.

Local media reported trucks carrying arms which were seized by security operatives at the country's borders. Others speculated that the arms were imported by politicians to destabilize the country. But Arthur says the security agencies are ready to ensure the country maintains its territorial integrity during the electoral process.

"I can assure [Ghanaians] from the point of the police and the sister security agencies that we are on the ground and we are set to ensure that there is a peaceful election. The [reported] instances and the few ones we have on our records where people committed crimes, and who were found out and arrested, indicate that our intelligence is up to the task, and that we are on top of our job, and that we are prepared to do our best. The public has a duty in this, a role to perform by being vigilant," said Arthur.
The three remaining Republican U.S. presidential candidates have each advocated allowing people to openly carry firearms, and an online petition is challenging them to stand behind those policies and call for firearms to be allowed at the party's nominating convention in July.

Cleveland's Quicken Loans Arena is hosting the convention, but has a policy banning any weapons from the facility. It is allowed to do so under law in the state of Ohio, where people can otherwise openly carry guns.

Both Texas Senator Ted Cruz and businessman Donald Trump have criticized so-called gun-free zones, especially schools, saying those policies make the sites less safe.

Trump said in December he would abolish gun-free zones on his first day in office, while Cruz told supporters in December the zones only create places where an attacker knows people will be unarmed. Ohio Governor and presidential candidate John Kasich last year eliminated gun-free zones at the state's National Guard facilities.

More than 30,000 people have signed the Change.org petition that says the candidates should call on the Cleveland arena to suspend its no-gun policy, for the National Rifle Association to condemn it, and for Republican National Committee Chairman Reince Preibus to be ready to relocate the entire convention if guns are not allowed.

The petition was created by the shadowy username "N A" and satirizes language used by gun rights supporters and Republicans.

"By forcing attendees to leave their firearms at home, the RNC and Quicken Loans Arena are putting tens of thousands of people at risk both inside and outside the convention site," it says.

The petition cites the threat of an Islamic State attack, saying that without guns, those inside the arena will be "utterly helpless against evil-doers." It also references President Barack Obama with derogatory emphasis on his middle name, Hussein, in bold letters mimicking the language of those who have been unhappy with his two terms as president.

Many of those sharing the petition on Twitter are clearly not interested in the issue for reasons of defending 2nd Amendment rights to firearms, but rather to challenge the Republican Party on its longtime adherence to the issue.

No matter how many signatures it gets, or whatever real support the call for open carry at the convention may get from legitimate gun rights supporters, there is little chance of seeing holsters as the go-to accessory at the convention.

Cleveland television station WEWS asked the U.S. Secret Service, which is in charge of security at both party's convention sites, and the answer was the same as in 2012 when guns were banned at the Republican convention. The station said the Secret Service cited U.S. law allowing it to "preclude firearms from entering sites visited by our protectees."
Whether classic or futuristic, the cars at the New York International Auto Show are nothing if not flashy. As automakers unveiled the latest models to get consumers revved up, the theme this year seemed to be "go big or go home," but more specifically, go with an SUV.

Automakers across the board offered new SUVs and crossovers, reinforcing the sector's popularity among consumers. Technological developments have increased the fuel efficiency of these vehicles, abolishing the image of SUVs as gas guzzlers.

The Lincoln Motor Co. nearly stole the show with its large SUV concept car, the Navigator. American actor and company spokesman Matthew McConaughey even made an in-person appearance alongside Lincoln President Kumar Galhotra, who described the current market for SUVs as "red hot."

"The segment of large premium SUVs is very strong. Its about 170,000 units here and globally its much bigger. The markets that are important to us are North America and China and the Middle East. So we paid a lot of attention to those customers and their needs," said Galhotra. "These are customers who need a lot of space to move their friends and family and cargo. And this is a customer that also needs a lot of capability."

As a concept car, its not likely the Navigator  with its grand gullwing doors and concertina steps  will make it to your local dealership. The vehicles luxury sensibility, however, eventually will trickle down to production models. Lincoln executives hope the stylish elements will differentiate the brand in the increasingly popular SUV segment.

"Consumers like to ride in SUVs. They like the little extra bit of height that they get. They like that that package feels more utilitarian," said IHS Automotive senior analyst Stephanie Brinley.

"That interest has been there and what were seeing is automakers are meeting that demand," Brinley added.

Flash, sizzle

One of those automakers is Cadillac, which showcased the hard-to-miss XT5. With its bold style, the XT5 is for drivers who want to stand out.

"There are people who want a distinctive car, something that is a face in the crowd, that stands out more," said Uwe Ellinghause, Cadillac chief marketing officer. "This remains one of our major differentiators."

But, looks aside, will SUVs still cost you at the gas pump? No, as it turns out.

"Due to lightweight technologies, the weight of these SUVs is no longer so different to a sedan as it was in the past," said Ellinghause. That decrease in weight translates to better mileage in the long run.

"The delta between a sedan and a comparable SUV for fuel economy is one or two miles to the gallon. Its not that strong. So even if gas prices do come up again, its still a manageable penalty," said Brinley.

That penalty becomes even more manageable when you factor in electric hybrid technology, like that of the Volvo XC90.

Fuel efficiency

Lex Kerssemakers, president and CEO of Volvo Cars of North America, pointed out how the companys XC90 SUV was one of the most fuel-efficient of the category.

"Volvo has elected to go for very fuel-efficient, four-cylinder turbo engines combined with electrification. We offer plug-in hybrid technology, which gives 53 mpg in a big car like the XC90," said Kerssemakers.

Over at Buick, where SUVs comprise nearly 60 percent of sales, the Buick Encore is the market leader in the small SUV segment.

Major maneuverability

Rob Peterson, marketing manager of Buick crossovers, noted that bigger isn't always better when it comes to SUVs.

"Its tough to find parking spots when you have a larger SUV," he said. "The Encore has dimensions which work great for parking spots."

Peterson explained the consumer demand for SUVs. "Much of the move toward SUVS has been driven by the increased capability of SUVs, but in addition, the driving performance, which tends to be much more like a sedan. So people are getting sedan-like performance with [the] drive position of an SUV and the functionality of an SUV as well, and I think thats moving the industry [and] a lot of customers to these segments.

Whether they go for a small, large or crossover SUV, this year U.S. consumers will have plenty to choose from.
Authorities in Mali say two men with alleged links to al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) have been arrested in connection with terror attacks earlier this month in Ivory Coast that left at least 19 people dead.

Police on Sunday said the two suspects were arrested in the past 48 hours in northern Mali, two weeks after the March 13 gun and grenade attack on three hotels and a beach in the Ivorian resort town of Grand-Bassam.

Police identified one of the suspects, Ould Mohamed, as a driver who brought the attackers to Ivory Coast. The French news agency quotes police sources as saying he is believed to be a close confidant of the mastermind behind the Grand-Bassam attacks.

Local prosecutors, speaking last week, said 15 other suspects are in custody.

The North Africa branch of al-Qaida also has claimed responsibility for a hotel assault in November in Mali that killed 20 people, and a similar attack in January that killed 30 others in Burkina Faso. Most of the dead in both attacks were identified as foreigners.

AQIM has it roots in the Algerian civil war of the 1990s, and pledged its loyalty to al-Qaida in 2006. In 2012, AQIM and its allies seized control of northern Mali for nine months, before being driven toward the Algerian border from Malian urban centers by a French-led military force in 2013.

Analysts and security officials in Mali say the militant group has in the past year become more visible in northern Mali, where it has seized control of some local roadways and established a presence in local community meetings.
Zimbabweans have been urged to push for a private citizens bill, which will result in the tackling of the Gukurahundi atrocities of the 1980s that left an estimated 20,000 people dead, hundreds displaced and others maimed.

Dr. Shepherd Mpofu of the University of Johannesburg told VOA Studio 7 some lawmakers can be used to introduce the bill in parliament.

It (bill) can be sponsored by citizens and pushed through one MP (Member of Parliament). We need to make it clear that its time this got addressed and those responsible have to come out.

According to Parliament of Zimbabwe, bills can be classified into three types mainly relating to the source of the legislation and interest the legislation seeks to address.

Public bills relate to matters of public interest on policy and may be introduced by Members of Parliament and private bills are promoted by a person or body of persons whether corporate or not, for the particular interest or benefits of that person or body of persons.

At the same time, hybrid bills are public bills that affect certain private interests of where a private bill has a scope so wide that it affects public interest of policy.

According to Dr. Mpofu, Zimbabweans should take advantage of these parliamentary provisions to sponsor a private bill that could ensure that the Five Brigade atrocities are addressed.

He said if Zimbabweans have to be united, they have to identify a specific entity such as a political party that would push such interests in parliament for the benefit of relatives and victims of the massacres.

Dr. Mpofu said the ruling party is not interested in addressing this matter.  From where I am standing, Zanu PF will continue in power and they will continue to ignore this issue. They can only pretend to address it like the formation of a ministry of healing and reconciliation  but was there any healing at that time  there wasnt.

And now we need to think beyond civic organizations because most of them have been around for a long time but they have neglected this issue of genocide. One has to ask why it has been neglected.

He further noted that Zimbabweans have been given a chance to address the issue, which has hogged the limelight after former Education Minister David Coltart, in his autobiography The Struggle Continues, made a reference to the Five Brigade massacres.

Coltart quoted The Chronicle newspaper, which once reported in the 1980s, that Vice President Emmerson Mnangagwa allegedly compared so-called dissidents and their supporters in Matabeleland and Midlands provinces as cockroaches that needed to be destroyed through the use of a pesticide called DDT (dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane).

The vice president at that time was the Minister of Security under President Robert Mugabes government. He has threatened to sue Coltart, who insists that he stands by what he wrote in the book.

This is a point of departure for Zimbabweans  If we miss this point we might not get it in the near future, said Dr. Mpofu.

Reverend Ray Motsi of the Baptist Church, who is also a member of the National Transitional Justice Working Group, said there is need to urgently address this issue.

I really do believe that the best way to deal with it is to actually find a way in which we begin to help the victims who are struggling, who are not able to move forward even if there is no acceptance of wrong on the side of Zanu PF and those people who were responsible.

We also need to find some psycho-social approaches in terms of development, building more schools in Matabeleland (and Midlands) and providing some capital injection so that people of Matabeleland can start looking after themselves.

Rev. Motsis PHD focused on the North Korean-trained Five Brigade atrocities, which were once described by President Mugabe as a moment of madness. The Zimbabwean leader has never publicly apologized for the massacres.

Mr. Mugabe once set up a team to probe the atrocities, which was headed by lawyer Simplicious Chihambakwe. Results of the Chihambakwe Commission of Inquiry have never been made public. The government has not even released the number of people who were killed by the Five Brigade.

Various independent groups, including a report compiled by the Catholic Commission for Justice and Peace titled Breaking the Silence: Building True Peace, put the figure of civilians who were killed at almost 20,000. The government has neither confirmed nor denied that state security agents and the national army unit killed such a large number of people.

President Mugabes government deployed the Five Brigade in Matabeleland and Midlands regions to allegedly quell the dissident menace, which they linked to then rival, PF Zapu leader, Joshua Nkomo. The late Nkomo denied any links to the dissidents and had to flee Zimbabwe when armed men, believed to be Gukurahundi operatives, raided his home in Pelandaba suburb, Bulawayo, where they killed a bodyguard and several other people.

In his book, The Story of My Life, Nkomo accused President Mugabe of attempting to kill him and exterminate his supporters. In 1987, his party merged with Mr. Mugabes Zanu PF leading to the formation of a unity government, which over the years has experienced serious friction.

One of the key Zapu leaders, former ZIPRA military supremo Dumiso Dabengwa, pulled out of the unity accord, noting that Zapu officials were not being given due recognition in the government by President Mugabe. ZIPRA (Zimbabwe Peoples Revolutionary Army) was Zapus armed wing, which fought alongside the African National Congress of South Africas Umkhonto Wesizwe during the war of liberation of the 1970s.
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Turkish military and coalition forces launched airstrikes at Islamic State (IS) targets in northern Iraq on Saturday after the militant group attacked a military base near Bashika region in Musul province, Turkish armed forces said in a written statement.

The coalition forces destroyed four IS positions, and Turkish air forces subsequently hit another four IS targets, said the statement.

The joint airstrike came after clashes between Kurdish fighters of the northern Iraqi Kurdistan administration at military base in Bashika and IS militants in the region.

On March 24, the Turkish military destroyed the IS positions repelling an attack by the militant group, which was the fourth assault since December against the military camp which is relatively close to IS-held Mosul.

The IS militants launched their first attack on the military camp on Dec. 16 just after Turkey deployed around additional 150 troops to the Bashiqa area in December earlier with aim of training an Iraqi Sunni militia to fight IS. In a second assault on Dec. 27, five Turkish soldiers were injured.

Turkish soldiers killed 17 Islamic State militants in January while the IS group tried to leak into the camp.

The Turkish deployment in Iraq, which Ankara says aims to train Sunni forces against IS, however, have caused a row between Turkey and Iraq as the latter claimed the presence of Turkish troops to the camp was violation of the country's sovereignty.
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Brussels Airport announced on Saturday that passenger flights are not expected to resume before March 29.

Brussels Airport said in a statement that it is starting preparations to partially resume passenger flights and implement new security measures which the federal government imposes on Belgian airports.

The judicial inquiries in the terminal of Brussels Airport have been completed about four days after the attacks at Brussels Airport on Tuesday.

Brussels Airport Company received a permission on Friday afternoon to inspect the building with a small group of engineers to assess the damage.

A limited team of engineers and technicians of Brussels Airport Company will be given the access to the terminal building which was the scene of two terrorist bombings on Tuesday.

The team will examine the stability of the building, check the information technology systems, assess material damage and decide the process to renovate the terminal.
The Waco Childrens Theatre will conduct registration for its 25th annual Summer Performing Arts Camp, for ages 6 to 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at Shivers and Associates, 8283 Bosque Blvd. in Woodway.

Classes in acting, dance, voice, art and design, as well as auditions, rehearsals and performances will be held at Scottish Rite Library and Museum, 2801 W. Waco Drive.

Children in kindergarten through eighth grade will meet from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 6-19, culminating with performances of The Jungle Book.

The teen camp will meet from 2 to 5 p.m. June 6-17 and from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 20-30.

For more information, call Linda Haskett at 776-0707.

Vietnam anniversary

A 50th anniversary Vietnam War Commemoration event will begin at 10:30 a.m. Tuesday at the Avenue of Flags at the Olin E. Teague Veterans Medical Center, 1901 Veterans Memorial Drive in Temple.

Ken Wallingford, a Vietnam veteran and ex-prisoner of war, will be the featured speaker.

Vietnam veterans, who will be pinned with a Vietnam veterans commemorative pin, are encouraged to make a reservation for the public event by calling 498-1320 or by sending an email to deborah.meyer@va.gov.

If weather is inclement, the ceremony will be held under the covered area of the valet parking entrance.

Financial literacy

The Waco NAACP will host a financial literacy workshop for high school and college students from 6:30 to 8 p.m. Wednesday at the Texas Rangers Learning Center, 100 Texas Ranger Trail.

The event will include cash prizes and fun giveaways.

Attendees also can pick up an NAACP scholarship application.

For more information, call 733-5261.

Waco Youth Council

The city of Waco will accept applications through April 21 for the 2016-17 Waco Youth Council.

All area high school students as of fall 2016 who live in the Waco city limits are eligible.

For an application, email Earl Stinnett at earls@ci.waco.tx.us.

Applications are also available at area high school counselors offices and the city secretarys office at Waco City Hall, 300 Austin Ave.

For more information, call Earl Stinnett at 750-8018.

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 at least one week before an event. Notices cannot be accepted by phone. Because of high volume, some items might be omitted.
Hatch Bailey knew he didnt want to sell the original downtown location of Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home to just anybody.

Within an hour of putting it on the market this January, he had his ideal buyer: the church next door.

Mighty Wind Worship Center at 1100 Washington Ave. closed this week on the historic structure, which has operated as Brazos Funeral Home since Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey moved to 6101 Bosque Blvd. about 16 years ago.

It was obviously with mixed feelings for me to let that facility go, because its been in my family for 91 years, said Bailey, president of Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey. It really warms my heart that it will still be a place of ministry. Its a different kind of ministry, but ministry is ministry. I worshipped with them on Sunday, and I felt welcome. Its a natural thing to happen for that building, and I couldnt be happier.

Senior Pastor Joe Carbajal of Mighty Wind said he has had his eye on the funeral home property since the church moved to the former Fellowship Bible Church building in about 1999. Back then, he asked Bailey to give him right of first refusal if he ever sold, and Bailey remembered.

Carbajal said the property solves a parking crunch that has developed as the congregation has grown to more than 700. Mighty Wind officials are looking at several options for the 14,000-square-foot building, including offices, educational facilities, community outreach space and even temporary housing for people awaiting substance abuse treatment. It also could function as an event center for weddings and quinceaneras, he said.

Carbajal said hes not planning major changes to the building, at least for now.

Were just pleased to be able to purchase a landmark like this funeral home, he said. People ask me, Why would you want to buy a funeral home since its all about death and were about life? Thats just it: We want to put life into that building.

Carbajal, a Waco native who has been senior pastor through most of Mighty Winds 28-year life, said he has preached many times at the funeral home at 1124 Washington Ave.

Built in 1925

Wilkirson-Hatch built the Spanish Colonial-style building in 1925 and later connected it to a former fire station and dance studio next door on 12th Street.

After the company moved to Bosque Boulevard in 2000, the downtown location became Funeraria Brazos, catering to Spanish-speaking families. Since 2002 it has been known as Brazos Funeral Home, owned by the families of Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey but operated separately. The Brazos Funeral Home met a community need for lower-cost services but didnt generate much revenue, Bailey has said. In addition, the building suffered interior damage in last years storms and will need repairs.

Carbajal said the church plans to repair the damage, but overall, the building appears to be sound.

Carbajal said the building will help accommodate the steady growth Mighty Wind continues to enjoy.

In addition to the 700 congregants at Mighty Wind, several hundred more attend churches that have been planted in other parts of town by Mighty Wind. The downtown church has a diverse demographic makeup, with about 60 percent Hispanic, 30 percent Anglo and 10 percent black, Carbajal said.

Carbajal said the church has grown by welcoming people who havent been part of a church before.

Our folks arent coming from another denomination, he said. We take in folks who have never been in a church before, taking them off the streets and introducing them to a personal relationship with Christ.
Toward the end of the semiannual Waco Coin Club show Saturday, officials were expecting a two-day count of 250 attendees  a little smaller than usual, but the exhibitors and viewers seemed as intrigued as ever by their chosen pastime.

Club president Tom Campbell said many people who caught the numismatic bug when they were young are aging and scaling back interests that formerly led them around the country in search of treasures that typically take a lot of careful research to evaluate. Where the greatest hunting grounds used to include pocket change, estate sales and rolled coins from banks, Internet sources such as eBay have taken over.

But a perennially fertile field is the coin show circuit, which includes big shows in big cities and features collectors selling to other collectors who need to examine the offerings and then research their true value before deciding to buy, said Larry Cundari, of San Antonio, who had some 1920s-vintage gold coins valued at up to $7,000 on display Saturday.

The price depends on a number of things, including the condition of the coin and how many from that year survive, Cundari said. A collector has to know how to examine the coin and then go to the books and research it.

And thats not just facts and figures, he said.

Theres a lot of history connected with this hobby, Cundari said. For example, they started using silver when the mining companies were pulling so much silver out of the ground that the price crashed. You learn how the politicians made trade-offs with each other, and it affected how much and what kind of money was issued.

But Cundari said hes past the age where traveling all the way to Waco for the one-day September show is feasible, so he usually just makes it to the two-day spring show now.

Still, Campbell said attendance of 250 isnt far below the usual 300 of the past several years for the show held Friday and Saturday at the Bellmead Civic Center.

The shows in Waco have been held for 36 years, but members said coin enthusiasts have been gathering in Waco since about 1947.

Many of the more than 30 exhibitors this weekend came from around Texas. While some had pieces valued in the thousands, most featured hundreds of coins and sometimes paper currency valued in the tens and hundreds of dollars.

Many, such as the Liberty-head dime and buffalo nickel, had been out of circulation for many years, but curiosities like the double-die coin, visibly struck twice, could fetch prices in the thousands, depending on their rarity by date and mint and their condition.

Gary Rollins, of McKinney, had some paper currency about 2 inches by 3 inches, in denominations of 15 and 25 cents, from the Civil War era, when people hid their gold currency fearing its seizure by the government to finance the war effort, particularly in the South.

People took to using IOUs instead of cash, Rollins said. The government started issuing these notes to reduce the confusion.

He also had some currency from the 1920s about 30 percent larger than modern bills. He said the government reduced the size to save money, but the early bills could be that large because people kept their billfolds in coat pockets.

Sandy Garrow, who owns Tom and Sandys Coins and Such with her husband in Riverside, near Huntsville, said interest in coin collecting dropped off for a while but revived noticeably when state-themed quarters started being issued in 1999.

I think it will pick up even more with the issue celebrating state parks in the works now, Garrow said. The quarter for Texas is supposed to feature the Alamo. Were looking forward to that.

She said she and her husband always attend the Waco show, and this is a good one. The crowds are not thick and rushed, so you can take the time to talk to people interested in your collections.

If youre going to spend the time and money to build a collection, you want to make it something you like so you can enjoy it with people who are interested in it, too.

Proceeds from admission tickets and exhibitor fees help fund scholarships at local colleges.

The Waco Coin Club meets at 7 p.m. the second Thursday of each month at the Harrison Senior Center, 718 N. 42nd St. in Waco.
Two things about Russia under President Vladimir Putin: First, never bet too heavily on what the former KGB strongman will do next; second, things are not always what they first appear to be.

Only two weeks ago, I remarked that Russia would not withdraw from Syria till a political settlement regarding Syrias future was achieved to Putins satisfaction, regardless of what his ally, beleaguered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, might wish. While I stand by what I said, I was surprised at Mr. Putins sudden announced withdrawal a couple of days afterward.

Checking my sources reveals more than initially meets the eye: My analysis suggests Russias sudden move amounts to more of a drawdown than a withdrawal because, despite news bulletins to the contrary, Putin yet maintains a certain military presence in Syria. Intelligence imagery indicates the Russian Sukhoi Su-24M bomber aircraft group is still largely in place.

Reason: Russia wants to ensure that the political outcome, whatever form or shape it may be, at least supports some of its long-term objectives. Equally important, an analysis of the imagery shows Russia is not only still expanding infrastructure and facilities around its Latakia naval base but also has deployed additional assets in the past several days.

Yes, Mr. Putin caught us all by surprise with his announced Syrian drawdown. Little wonder: Syria-led coalition forces had some momentum behind them; they were on a roll, gaining ground sometimes even without a fight. But make no mistake: This partial withdrawal does not mean that things are settled militarily. The city of Aleppo remains partially encircled by jihad forces who in turn are encircled by coalition forces headed by the Syrian regime. The objective: cut the jihadists supply lines.

Similarly, the productive area in Syria that lies west from Aleppo and Daraa in the south has yet to be secured. The Syrian desert area in the west, which has no military strategic importance, remains largely in the hands of the Islamic State.

The question now becomes: What does Russias drawdown mean for Syria, the Middle East and geopolitics in general? Some points to consider:

First, the unexpected reduction in forces hardly suggests Russias involvement in Syria is done. To the contrary, Russian aircraft remain. These are not part of the drawdown. Their mission is to attack insurgents not included in the most recent ceasefire, principally Jabhat al-Nusra (another name for al-Qaida) and the Islamic State. To quote a Russian military journalist: The fleet remains; antiaircraft systems remain; the tanks remain; all the marines remain; the helicopters remain; some of the aircraft will remain. Only some of the aircraft and their service personnel are being taken out. And they can come back, of course, in the space of three or four hours.

Second, its conceivable to view the drawdown as an excuse for maintenance of Russian aircraft after an intensive period of sorties. Its also plausible this marks a shift in tempo aimed at metastasizing politics: pausing in what one might see as Russias spiraling down unknown, unfamiliar and possibly perilous paths  something this column has regularly highlighted.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry is just now wrapping up a Moscow meeting with President Putin, an affair with far fewer tensions than recent years have seen between the Obama administration and Russian leaders. In fact, before discussions on expanding access to humanitarian aid and maintaining the Syrian ceasefire even began, Putin uncharacteristically kidded Kerry about his carrying his own luggage.

One assumption is that Mr. Putins drawdown, coinciding with the start of Geneva talks between representatives of the Syrian regime and rebels, was not aimed at the Geneva talks but instead was intended to push the Obama administration into genuine cooperation with Russia. Recall that President Putin stated from the outset his intervention in Syria had limited objectives  to create conditions for a political compromise. Perhaps he is now moving toward that goal.

Another salient point that continues to intrigue analysts: Russias drawdown will put pressure to act on both parties (Syrian regime and opposition groups) at the Geneva talks. The kicker: The burden is also on the United States to stop its own allies  Turkey, Saudi Arabia and Qatar  from providing funding to and arming their proxies or even marching defiantly toward Damascus.

While the United States might be able to convince Saudi Arabia and Qatar, it will find Turkey a significant challenge given that its president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan, needs the Syrian conflict to drag on longer in order to keep his hold on power. You do not have to look far to see how Turkey is using the issue of Syrian immigrants to blackmail Europe to secure money and gain European Union membership. Shame on Turkey, a Muslim country that calls itself a secular and democratic state.

If history is any indication, this would not be the first time Mr. Putin has used a military drawdown to resolve a deadlocked political scene such as the one in Syria. Its something we saw in the lead-up to the Minsk accords concerning Ukraine. Make no mistake: Russias political elites, including Mr. Putin, do not at this time seek a direct confrontation with NATO or the West over either Ukraine or Syria.

Where from here? Against all odds, Iran, Russia and the United States want to see a strong Syria emerge at the end. After all, Syria does have an identity. Its a proud and ancient nation. And some sort of long-sought resolution could not come at a more critical time when fundamental borders and governments throughout the Middle East are eroding, giving way to more violence, floods of refugees and the uncontrollable emergence of sectarian tension along religious lines.

Whatever the outcome, Russias latest move  and the rush by the United States to react to this drawdown  is not just about Syria but rather the future of the global order or what these days passes for it.

David Oualaalou is a global affairs analyst, blogger, author and professor. A former international security analyst in Washington, D.C., he is a part-time instructor at McLennan Community College. He is author of the newly released The Ambiguous Foreign Policy of the United States toward the Muslim World: More than a Handshake.
Church & state

Trib columnist and Baptist pastor Glynn Beatys column in last weekends Sunday Focus was interesting. What interested me most was the quote from Rev. Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Church of Dallas: ...he was not nor could not endorse any one candidate over another, lest his church lose its tax-exempt status...

I would like to ask why a church needs to have tax-exempt status. The tax exemption referred to is covered in Ch. 26USC 501(c)3: In order to receive this exemption, Jeffress church would have to file incorporation papers with the State of Texas and keep records of all funds received and spent. The concept of incorporation of churches under the 501(c)3 statute permits persons who donate to the church to declare these donations as tax deductions.

I see something hypocritical in this arrangement. People voice concerns about the separation of church and state, but in this case the church has made a contract with the state and thus gives up the right to endorse or denounce candidates and legislation which they may deem in violation of their belief structure.

What would Jesus do? Indeed.

Don Garretson, West

Voters be damned

I warned the readership of this newspaper nearly three months ago that neither of the Republican frontrunners, namely Donald Trump and Ted Cruz, had been anointed by the Republican National Convention and, as a result, those power brokers would do anything to steal the nomination from the electorate at the mid-July convention. I have sadly come to realize that the conservative power brokers, almost to a man, are nothing but Democrat Lite.

America desperately needs to clean house in Washington, on both sides of the aisle, and make Congress and the Senate once again a sounding board for Americas will. Both sides, the Democrats and the Republican Establishment, fear both Trump and Cruz, as they cannot be controlled. John Kasich is a burned-out political insider who can be managed and to hell with the American voter.

Dan Dayton, West

A sad day

It was a sad day for voters in McLennan County last week when a district court denied an election redo after the March 1 primary election was compromised and many voters received incorrect ballots. What this courts decision says to me is that a vote is not important. And people wonder why not everyone who can vote actually does so.

When you have a judge who decides an election rather than the voters  well, who can blame disillusioned voters who have given up on the political system?

Allen Lyman, Waco

Trump & God

Do Americans really think God wants Donald Trump to be president? Or do Americans think God has a choice? Do Americans even think?

Kay King, Eddy
 Flash

Italian police arrested an Algerian man on suspicion of collusion with the deadly attacks in Paris and Brussels, Italian media reported on Saturday.

Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested in Bellizzi, a town in the costal province Salerno in southern Italy, on suspicion of producing fake documents that might also be used by some extremists related to the attacks in Paris and Brussels, according to Italian news agency Ansa.

As Italian police revealed, Belgium authorities issued the European arrest warrant against Ouali, on the charge of participation in a criminal organization by making fake documents and abetment of irregular immigration.

According to investigators, the name of the man has appeared in October 2015 when authorities in Brussels seized near 1,000 of photos of fake identity documents.
 Flash

Faisal Cheffou was charged with "participation in activities of a terrorist group, terrorist assassinations and attempted terrorists assassinations" as a head, the Belgian media reported on Saturday.

The man was arrested on Thursday as part of the investigation into Tuesday's bombings in the Brussels Airport. A search was conducted at his home. No weapons or explosives were found.

According to the Belgian broadcaster RTBF, Cheffou was identified as the third man, namely the one with the hat who fled after the attacks at the Brussels airport of Zaventem.

On Tuesday, two explosions at Brussels airport and another one at Maelbeek metro station near the European Union institutions killed at least 31 people and injured another 300, according to official figures.
Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation provides a secondary market for various loans made to borrowers in the United States. It operates through four segments: Farm & Ranch, USDA (United States Department of Agriculture) Guarantees, Rural Utilities, and Institutional Credit. The Farm & Ranch segment purchases and retains eligible mortgage loans that are secured by first liens on agricultural real estate; securitizes eligible mortgage loans, and guarantees the timely payment of principal and interest on securities representing interests in or obligations secured by pools of mortgage loans; and issues long-term standby purchase commitments (LTSPC) on designated eligible mortgage loans. The USDA Guarantees segment purchases portions of certain agricultural and rural development loans guaranteed by the USDA. The Rural Utilities segment purchases and guarantees securities that are backed by loans for electric or telecommunications facilities by lenders organized as cooperatives to borrowers; and purchases eligible rural utilities loans and guarantees of securities backed by those loans, as well as LTSPCs for pools of eligible rural utilities loans. The Institutional Credit segment guarantees and purchases general obligations of lenders and other financial institutions that are secured by pools of loans eligible under the Farmer Mac's Farm & Ranch, USDA Guarantees, or Rural Utilities lines of business. Federal Agricultural Mortgage Corporation was founded in 1987 and is headquartered in Washington, District of Columbia.
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Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. owns, operates, and sells advertising displays in the United States and internationally. It operates through two segments, Americas and Europe. The company offers advertising services through billboards, including bulletins and posters; transit displays, which are advertising surfaces on various types of vehicles or within transit systems; street furniture displays, such as advertising surfaces on bus shelters, information kiosks, freestanding units, and other public structures; spectaculars, which are customized display structures that incorporate videos, multidimensional lettering and figures, mechanical devices and moving parts, and other embellishments; wallscape, a display that drapes over or is suspended from the sides of buildings or other structures. It also provides street furniture equipment, cleaning and maintenance services, operation of public bike programs, and production services; and a public bicycle rental program, which offers bicycles for rent to the general public in various municipalities. As of December 31, 2021, it owned or operated approximately 69,000 advertising displays in the Americas; and 430,000 advertising displays in Europe. The company was formerly known as Eller Media Company and changed its name to Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. in August 2005. Clear Channel Outdoor Holdings, Inc. was founded in 1901 and is headquartered in San Antonio, Texas.
The vast majority of products in the Australian market have not been tested to any safety standard, causing countless preventable injuries, a leading paediatrician says.

Ruth Barker, a Brisbane-based emergency paediatrician, is leading calls for businesses to be forced to make and sell only safe products.

At present, consumer protection laws do not explicitly stop companies from selling unsafe products, unless they are subject to a mandatory standard, such as cots and nursery toys. Cot mattresses, for example, have only a voluntary "firmness test".

Most household products, including children's goods such as high chairs, baby slings and hammocks, do not have to be declared safe before hitting retail shelves.
"My intent in screening this film was to provide an opportunity for conversation around an issue that is deeply personal to me and my family,'' De Niro said in a statement sent to Fairfax.

The prestigious film festival, which De Niro co-founded in New York in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks, has withdrawn Vaxxed: From Cover-Up to Catastrophe from its planned closing night premiere screening.

The actor Robert De Niro has caved into public pressure and withdrawn from the Tribeca Film Festival a controversial film by a discredited former doctor whose false "findings" linking autism to vaccines caused widespread alarm and a decline in vaccination rates.

''But after reviewing it over the past few days with the Tribeca Film Festival team and others from the scientific community, we do not believe it contributes to or furthers the discussion I had hoped for.

''The festival doesn't seek to avoid or shy away from controversy. However, we have concerns with certain things in this film that we feel prevent us from presenting it in the festival program. We have decided to remove it from our schedule."

The film is directed and co-written by Andrew Wakefield, an anti-vaccination activist who co-authored a study, published in the British medical journal The Lancet in 1998, linking autism to the measles-mumps-rubella vaccine.

That study was fully retracted in 2010 when a British medical inquiry found evidence of dishonesty and abuse. Three months later Wakefield was struck off the British medical register.

Scientific reviews including those by the US Centre for Disease Control and Prevention and the British National Health Service have consistently found no causal link between the MMR vaccine and autism.
Those victims have reacted positively when contacted by taskforce detectives, despite some feeling as if they were let down by police when they reported violence in the past.

In the taskforce's cases to date, detectives have been staggered to find that the number of suspected victims linked to an offender doubled as their investigation progressed.

"A lot of these key indicators are repeated. It may be that this perpetrator is just lucky enough to come across people who are almost exactly the same, but what we say is that they identify these factors, and select their partner based on them."

"We've found that their victims may have been in Department of Human Services care as a child, or may have not been able to finish school because of sexual assault," Detective Senior Sergeant Mercer said.

"Or they'll say 'am I in danger, is he coming to get me?' or 'thank God you're here, I was waiting for someone to come and speak to me' or 'please don't tell me someone else has been offended against'.

"The response we have got to date has not been one ounce of negativity, it's been more relief, or excitement. I'm not going to sit here and say that Victoria Police's response to them initially was perfect, but what we're able to provide them with now is an opportunity to tell their story, so that they do get their day in court if that's possible."

Detective Senior Sergeant Mercer would not comment on how many cases were open, but confirmed there were investigations into offenders based in Melbourne and regional Victoria, including some who are in prison.

Taskforce detectives have homed in on serial offenders suspected of committing crimes 20 years earlier, and tracked down victims who have moved interstate.

The taskforce is based on a Scottish model praised internationally for revolutionising the policing of family violence by investigating domestic abuse with the same rigour and intensity as homicide. Scotland's taskforce exposed some of the most brutal family violence offenders the country has seen, such as Joseph Loughran, who abused five Glasgow women during an almost 30-year history of violence.
Homicide detectives are investigating jailed stripper Robyn Lindholm as a serial killer responsible for up to three murders.

Fairfax Media understands Lindholm, 42, who was jailed in December for 25 years for organising the murder of her former lover Wayne Amey, is about to be charged with murdering missing standover man George Teazis, also known as Templeton, in 2005.

Lindholm had been in a volatile, six-year relationship with Teazis and was living with him and his son in Reservoir when the 38-year-old went missing.

The prime suspect at the time of Teazis' disappearance was Mr Amey who was believed to have been having an affair with Lindholm.
A friend, now working in a country that charges income tax, mentioned in a post how he thinks Bahamians are lucky to only have a Value Added Tax (VAT) or the like and not have to suffer the fate of an income tax.

Of course if the Bahamian Government continues spending more than they take in taxation, is the day of reckoning with even more taxation closer than one might imagine?

The added albatross of personal income tax to the burden of VAT and import taxes etc would be one more death knell to an economy already on life support with government policies that debase the business environment.

Anecdotal evidence suggest that over 40% of medium to large businesses pay more to the government in business license taxes than they earn in net profit as a result of being forced to pay a percentage of gross income instead of net profit. This antiquated system is not found in any other country that I can find.

But the governments less than original answer is to slip in another tax! A modern day derivative of let them eat cake.

So far the government has been able to delay heaping on even more taxes by borrowing. But if governments, and The Bahamas Government is no different, had to tax citizens for the deficits they run each year rather than borrowing more money, government spending would soon be maintained at the level of its income taken from taxpayers.

Government deficits and borrowing continue to hide the real cost of government. The sad reality is Bahamians are not really lucky where taxation is concerned as the day of reckoning will come. Too bad todays political class will not be around to accept the responsibility for what theyve done.
The Chinese Ministry of Education is now working on preserving the diverse languages throughout the 34 provinces of China, including those in ethnic minority sites in Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong.

At least 935 fieldwork sites have been identified by the Ministry of Education and 319 of them are currently finishing their targets within the year.

Macau, Taiwan and Hong Kong will have several fieldwork sites as part of the endeavor with Macau and Hong Kong's fieldwork sites focusing on documenting "the use of the corresponding local dialect". It is yet uncertain when these fieldwork sites would start in progress and the Taiwan fieldwork sites are yet to be discussed in detail.

In Guandong, a province close to Macau and Hong Kong, will have 70 fieldwork sites spread around the province to cover the entire province. Hunan province would also have 80 fieldwork sites to support the project.

The language preservation project was launched by the Chinese Ministry of Education in May 2015 in order to preserve both local and ethnic minority dialects are conserved especially in high risk areas. The ministry also urges communities to build museums preserving the area's culture and language.
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By West Kentucky Star Staff

Mar. 25, 2016 | PADUCAH, KY

By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 25, 2016 | 05:19 PM | PADUCAH, KY

Hendron-Lone Oak Elementary School will receive a $16,000 grant from Baptist Health Paducah this fall to launch Project Fit America, a fitness program aimed at reducing childhood obesity.



Hospital officials surprised school staff with news of the grant on Thursday. The school will receive indoor and outdoor fitness equipment, teacher training and curriculum materials.



Hendron-Lone Oak brings to 12 the total number of schools to receive Project Fit grants from Baptist Health Paducah. Paducah's McNabb Elementary and Graves County's Central Elementary were awarded the program in 2007; Lone Oak Elementary, 2009; Concord Elementary, 2011; Clark Elementary, 2012; Benton Elementary, 2013; Calvert City Elementary and East Calloway Elementary, 2014; Morgan Elementary, Heath Elementary and Reidland Intermediate, 2015.



"Hendron-Lone Oak has a culture and academic rigor that has brought this school from a ranking of 234 out of 713 in the state in 2015 to an astounding 29th ranking this year," Principal Jon Reid wrote in the Project Fit America application. "We have prioritized student's health and wellness with equal endeavor as we have to turning around the schools' rank in the state. This grant will be the cornerstone of our curriculum and the catalyst to support the community and family outreach efforts as well for the promotion of healthy lifestyles."



William A. Brown, Baptist Health Paducah president and West Region executive, said the program exemplifies the hospital's focus on health, especially in today's culture when obesity and its related conditions, such as diabetes, are among the area's greatest health risks.



"Since 1953, Baptist has built a foundation for good health in our community," Brown said. "Today Baptist Health reiterates that dedication to community education and disease prevention with the expansion of Project Fit America to our 12th school to help another community of children, staff and families build good lifelong habits for healthy lifestyles."
By West Kentucky Star Staff Mar. 23, 2016 | 06:41 PM | PADUCAH, KY

The American Red Cross has a significant need for type O negative blood donors to donate blood for patients.

Type O negative blood can be transfused to patients with any blood type and is often used in emergency situations. While less than 7 percent of the U.S. population has type O negative blood, hospitals depend on frequent O negative donations to ensure its always available for patients in need.

Eligible donors with type O negative blood are encouraged to make a whole blood or double red cell donation, where available, through the Red Cross. During a double red cell donation, two units of red blood cells are collected while most of the plasma and platelets are returned to the donor.

Type O negative donors are an important part of the Red Cross trauma team, said Garry Allison, director of donor recruitment for the Red Cross Tennessee Valley Blood Services Region. While all blood types are needed, type O negative donations are necessary in emergency situations when there is no time to determine a patients blood type. Because there is such a high demand for type O negative blood, O negative donors are needed to donate often.

Blood donation appointments can be quickly and easily scheduled by using the Red Cross Blood Donor App, visiting redcrossblood.org or calling 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Because of generous donors, the Red Cross is able to provide blood products to trauma patients like Carla Randecker. In 1995, a semi-truck failed to halt at a stop sign, changing Randeckers life forever. She suffered a broken neck and femur. She woke from surgery to see a bag of blood attached to her IV.

Im O negative, a rarity, said Randecker. All I remember was, wow, someone gave their blood for me. I made a promise that day to do the same. When I was well enough, Id return the favor.

Randecker became a regular blood donor and gave for many years. This past year, her family fulfilled her wish to give blood together. Five of the family members who gave were type O negative, and since then, donating blood has become a family tradition. If I teach them nothing else, its that they should always, always, do for others, said Randecker.

The Red Cross must collect approximately 14,000 blood and platelet donations every day for the patients at about 2,600 hospitals and transfusion centers nationwide. Blood and platelets are needed to respond to patient emergencies, including accident and burn victims, heart surgery and organ transplant patients, and those receiving treatment for leukemia, cancer or sickle cell disease.

Those who come to donate now through May 15, 2016, will be entered to win four single-day tickets to any of 10 Cedar Fair theme parks in the U.S. For a full list of participating parks, visit redcross.cedarfair.com.

How to donate blood

Simply download the American Red Cross Blood Donor App, visit redcrossblood.org or call 1-800-RED CROSS (1-800-733-2767) to make an appointment or for more information. All blood types are needed to ensure a reliable supply for patients. A blood donor card or drivers license or two other forms of identification are required at check-in. Individuals who are 17 years of age (16 with parental consent in some states), weigh at least 110 pounds and are in generally good health may be eligible to donate blood. High school students and other donors 18 years of age and younger also have to meet certain height and weight requirements.

Blood donors can now save time at their next donation by using RapidPass to complete their pre-donation reading and health history questionnaire online, on the day of their donation, prior to arriving at the blood drive. To get started and learn more, visit redcrossblood.org/RapidPass and follow the instructions on the site.

The American Red Cross shelters, feeds and provides emotional support to victims of disasters; supplies about 40 percent of the nation's blood; teaches skills that save lives; provides international humanitarian aid; and supports military members and their families. The Red Cross is a not-for-profit organization that depends on volunteers and the generosity of the American public to perform its mission. For more information, please visit redcross.org or cruzrojaamericana.org, or visit us on Twitter at @RedCross.
A pair of bodies discovered in Kentucky Lake this week
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By The Associated Press

Mar. 26, 2016 | LEXINGTON, KY

By The Associated Press Mar. 26, 2016 | 10:19 PM | LEXINGTON, KY

A missing Kentucky native has been identified as a victim killed in the terrorist attack at the Brussels international airport, according to a statement from her employer.



Stephanie Shults and her husband Justin Shults, had not been seen since Tuesday.



Her employer Mars, Incorporated, said in a Facebook post Saturday evening that her family confirmed she and her husband died in the attack on the Brussels airport. Justin Shults employer, Clarcor, confirmed earlier Saturday that he died in the attack.



A Lexington, Kentucky, native, Shults and her husband, originally from Gatlinburg, Tennessee, graduated together from Vanderbilt University's Owen Graduate School of Management.



The couple were dropping Stephanie's mother off at the airport and were watching her walk through security when the bombs went off, a family member said.



U.S. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released a statement after hearing that news that said, "I am deeply saddened by the passing of Stephanie and Justin Shults in the horrifying terrorist attacks in Brussels. Elaine and I join all Kentuckians in sending our condolences to the couple's families at this difficult time."



Matt Bevin's statement earlier in the day - before Stephanie's death was confirmed - said, "Heartbroken by news that Justin Shults is confirmed dead in Brussels. His wife Stephanie, of Lexington, KY, remains missing. Please keep her and their families in your thoughts and prayers."




The new Japanese ambassador to China has been announced Friday and he is Yutaka Yokoi.

Yokoi is previously the Japanese ambassador to Turkey and his appointment as the new Japanese ambassador to China was welcomed considering his extensive knowledge regarding Chinese society and culture. Yokoi learnt how to speak Chinese fluently as he took language training in China and according to one official from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Yokoi's appointment would allow both countries to discuss topics more easily and directly. Even the Chinese media - as seen in the newspaper Global Times - lauded Yokoi for his fluency in the language and Japan's Chinese policy.

With regards to Yokoi's appointment, the Japanese government hopes that the ambassador would assist Japan in reducing tensions and misunderstandings with China diplomatically in his six-year term.
Rita Redmond was a true lady who felt that every pupil had something to gift to the world
Gov. Scott Walker has had a bigger impact on Wisconsins public universities than any governor in decades, and he is among the most aggressive governors in the country in reshaping higher education, experts say.

The governors influence has also extended into the administration of the UW System, which has hired a longtime friend and political confidant to one of its top positions and is governed by a Board of Regents made up almost entirely of his appointees.

Noel Radomski, an expert on the history of the UW System, said Walkers influence on higher education has been greater than any Wisconsin governor since Patrick Lucey merged UW-Madison with the rest of the System in the 1970s.

The new tenure policy, changes Walker sought to the UW Systems mission statement and pushes to cut regulation of the for-profit college industry have made him one of the most active governors in the country on higher education topics, said Thomas Harnisch, director of state relations and policy analysis for the American Association of State Colleges and Universities.

Walker has sought to redefine the foundational policies and practices of universities, Harnisch said. I can think of no other governor who has pursued all of those policy changes in recent years.

According to Democrats, supporters of the UW System and many of its faculty, the changes that Walker has pushed for and signed into law have been disastrous.

Former Regent David Walsh, an appointee of Democratic Gov. Jim Doyle, said the current leaders of state government, Walker chief among them, are as bad as weve ever had for UW.

But for Republicans and those who support changes to public higher education, Walkers legislative accomplishments have been necessary reforms to ensure UW serves Wisconsin residents and the states economy.

Were working to have more of a market-based approach where were more responsive to the private sector, said Assembly Speaker Robin Vos, R-Rochester. Theres a long way to go, but weve started the journey.

A philosophical shift

for UW

Walker declined a request for an interview to discuss his vision for higher education in Wisconsin. Spokeswoman Laurel Patrick said he has sought to make college more affordable while helping students get career-ready earlier.

Walkers top priority for higher education reform has been on helping Wisconsin students and working families to afford a great college education, Patrick said. Connecting students and workers with the skills needed in todays workforce is an important economic development initiative.

According to Patrick, the four-year freeze on in-state undergraduate tuition championed by Walker and the Legislature has saved students thousands of dollars, given the rate at which tuition costs had been rising at UW institutions. Walker has also worked with UW System officials to push for changes that reduce the time it takes students to get a degree, Patrick said.

Wisconsins technical colleges have traditionally focused on job training, Radomski said. But Walker has pushed the UW System to make preparing students for the workforce a higher priority, Radomski said, with less of an emphasis on research or broader undergraduate education.

The governors goal for higher education is very narrow, and it also doesnt stress a lot of the strengths of UW-Madison and UW-Milwaukee, Radomski said.

One case in which that philosophy was evident, Radomski said, was in the attempt by Walkers administration to change the UW Systems mission.

The governors 2015-17 budget proposal removed language from the UW mission statement that referred to pursuing truth and improving the human condition, and replaced it with a reference to the system existing to meet the states workforce needs.

The proposal prompted a huge backlash from UW System officials and alumni. Walker later backed away from the idea, saying it was the result of a miscommunication in his administration, but for many it symbolized Walkers approach to the System and higher education in general.

Walker is far from alone in using his position to influence higher education  Republican governors in particular have sought to reshape public universities in Tennessee, North Carolina, Texas and Kentucky, while Democrats in Oregon have made changes as well.

But Walker has been especially successful in changing the UW System thanks to the Republican-dominated Legislature, Radomski said.

Some of the changes during Walkers administration were proposals he introduced, such as cuts to UW System funding and requiring System employees to contribute to their pensions and health care as part of the 2011 Act 10. Others  the weakening of faculty tenure protections and changes to shared governance that gave more power to administrators, for instance  were introduced by Republican legislators and ultimately signed by Walker.

Among professors and in higher education circles nationally, Harnisch said, Wisconsin has gained a reputation as having a Legislature and a governor that are hostile to the mission and values of public colleges and universities.

UW administration affected, too

Walkers impact on the UW System extends beyond the budget and policy changes.

UW officials in 2014 chose Jim Villa, former chief of staff in Walkers Milwaukee county executive office and a longtime friend of the governor, to lead the Systems Office of University Relations, which manages state and federal lobbying efforts, as well as communications. Villa also declined to be interviewed for this story.

Just over five years into the Walker administration, the UW Systems Board of Regents is now dominated by his appointees. When Regents Charles Pruitt and Jose Delgado finish their terms at the end of April, all but three of the boards 18 members will have been appointed by Walker.

Critics say the current board has been unusually hesitant to criticize proposals from Walker or the Legislature and is too closely tied to the governors office.

Ive never seen the Board of Regents politicized the way it is, said Rep. Terese Berceau, a Madison Democrat on the Assemblys higher education committee. They clearly have some Walker crusaders.

Walsh, whose term on the board ended last summer, sharply criticized the Regents for not launching a more public campaign to reduce the $250 million budget cut the UW System took in the 2015-17 budget. The board also declined to weigh in on the changes to tenure and shared governance in that budget, despite vocal opposition from faculty.

Its just a different Board of Regents, Walsh said, recalling how Gov. Tommy Thompson used to complain that Republican appointees would go rogue and defend the university once they became Regents.

The old Board of Regents was more independent of the governor; the new Board of Regents doesnt think you should criticize the decision-makers, Walsh said.

Regent President Regina Millner did not return messages seeking a response to Walsh and Berceaus comments.

Impact will be felt

for years

Critics and supporters of Walkers approach to higher education agree the breadth of changes to the UW System and size of budget cuts mean the governor will have a lasting impact on Wisconsins public universities.

It will be a long time before we can crawl out of that hole, Walsh said of cuts to the UW System, which has seen its annual funding reduced by $282.8 million over Walkers three state budgets.

UW officials and professors have made dire warnings that those cuts and weakened tenure protections have harmed the systems reputation nationally and threaten to reduce the quality of its institutions.

But Vos says those fears have been overstated and said he hasnt seen any data to show UWs quality is suffering.

UW-Madison administrators have seen an increase in the number of their faculty who are entertaining outside job offers this year  one result, they say, of other universities seeing UW as vulnerable to raids of top faculty and professors being more willing to leave the university after the changes under Walkers administration. By mid-March, the number of retention cases in the UW-Madison College of Letters and Science this academic year was more than double the number the college saw last year.

Walsh predicted the negative effects of Walkers changes will be borne out in the amount of federal research funding UW-Madison professors bring into the university in years to come.

Although faculty have resisted the changes, Vos said the Legislature and Walker have worked to strike a balance that ensures UW System schools provide a quality education while staying affordable for students and their families.

I think sometimes a big, unwieldy institution like the university is very resistant to change, Vos said. Thats part of why the controversy has happened.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 27/03/2016 (2400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Like the ill-fated characters on AMCs The Walking Dead, loyal viewers of the hit show have also been known to suddenly depart the realm for any number of reasons  often having to do with the fatigue that comes with the zombie apocalypse shows inexorably bleak, permanently violent story arc. More than one person has told me they just ran out of stamina and quit watching.

Six seasons in, The Walking Dead is still a ratings wonder. About 12 million American viewers in the 18-to-49 demographic watch it live each week, although that number has been known to dip (as much as 15 per cent recently) when the show drags. Its one of the rare series in which you can still correlate the overnight ratings to the quality, and death toll, of an episode.

Still, most of us slog along with it, perhaps channelling the persistence of lead character Rick (Andrew Lincoln) and the remaining few of Season 1s original survivors (Norman Reeduss Daryl, Melissa McBrides Carol, Steven Yeuns Glenn, Chandler Riggs Carl and Lennie James Morgan) to see things through to the end. But how far off is that? Two seasons? Five? More?

PHOTOS BY GENE PAGE / AMC Andrew Lincoln (left) in a recent episode of The Walking Dead.

In last weeks episode (alert: spoilers galore), when kindly lesbian doctor Denise (Merritt Wever) took an arrow to the head and keeled over, I wondered whether thats how I, too, would one day leave The Walking Dead, as both a fan and as a critic  suddenly and in the middle of an important thought. The problem is weve come so far, and yet there is no end in sight.

The arrow that caught Denise in the back of the skull and emerged through her right eye held special meaning for me because I recently finished (at long last) the task of reading some 3,200 pages of Robert Kirkmans Walking Dead graphic novel, the first 144 issues of which are collected in three heavy volumes reminiscent in size of old phone books. Thats how I recognized a similar surprise arrow attack, in Issue 98 of the comic version, had killed Abraham, a temperamentally fierce addition to Ricks clan of survivors (played by Michael Cudlitz on the series). It was a new feeling for me  the extra-informed knowledge of the superfan  because I generally avoid the novels and comics on which so many of our current shows are based, preferring to judge them as pure television and not adaptations.

For years, I was happy to let The Walking Dead meander, although it often felt like a show that was stuck walking in circles. I felt some need to know where it was headed  especially when, in Season 5, Rick and his gang left the rural perimeter of Atlanta (the show is filmed in Georgia, which coughs up excellent tax breaks for the production) and made its way north to the Washington, D.C. area, where, according to a socially disordered, mullet-sporting man named Eugene (Josh McDermitt), there were scientists waiting for crucial information to reverse the virus (or whatever) that had turned most of the population into zombies.

Washington? Journeying there seemed like a throwback to old sci-fi films, pinning ones hopes on the minds and might of the nations bureaucratic capital. Soon enough (remarkably soon, given their track record), Rick and his gang travelled nearly 1,000 kilometres to northern Virginia, at one point glimpsing a hokey (and non-existent) CGI vista of the Capitol and Washington Monument from above the Potomac. Eugenes promise turned out to be a lie, but nevertheless, The Walking Dead had suddenly acquired what we in the news business call a local angle.

Ricks weary band wound up in Alexandria, home to a small suburban tract of survivalists who, under the leadership of a former Ohio congresswoman (Tovah Feldshuh), built a wall strong enough to keep out the zombies and dangerous humans, while also devising a means for electric power and the comforts of home.

By now, the shows main characters held a deep distrust of anything resembling a utopia or communal refuge, having warred with the governor (David Morrissey) of a similar enclave called Woodbury and then survived a trap set by a cultish group of cannibals at a place called Terminus. These battles exacted a psychological toll  on the characters and the viewers, which is one reason AMC came up with Talking Dead, a post-show analysis and geek-out in which host Chris Hardwick promises to help viewers work through it. About half of The Walking Deads audience sticks around for this free catharsis; the rest of us cope in our own way.

The TV version of The Walking Dead portrays and processes grief far better than the comics have, which has helped lift the show past the realm of horror flick. In between the Woodbury showdown and the cannibal encounter, the main characters were scattered in different directions for most of Season 4, eliciting some of the casts finest performances to date, particularly from McBride and Reedus, who deserved Emmy nominations. (The television academy has routinely ignored The Walking Dead, except in categories such as makeup, sound and visual effects.)

Merritt Wever (from left) Christian Serratos and Norman Reedus in a scene from last weeks episode.

Reunited and reaffirmed in their loyalties to one another, Ricks gang debated whether or not to trust the residents of Alexandria, whom they viewed as weak and overly reliant on a corrugated metal wall. Alexandrians regarded the new arrivals as dangerous, possibly lunatic from so many years of fighting zombies in the wild. In a particularly bloody moment, Rick came to the realization its the humans whove become the true walking dead. They are by now shells of their former selves, trading their moral clarity for an amoral lunge at whatevers left of the world.

Anyone who has ever braved the treachery of the Leesburg Pike on a Saturday afternoon can tell you living in northern Virginia can be its own kind of armageddon. Having barely settled here, our heroes (or anti-heroes, if you prefer) have faced a rapacious gang of marauders as well as one of the biggest zombie hordes theyve ever encountered, which, if nothing else, did us the favour of devouring Alexandrias wimpiest child.

Season 6 has been building toward the looming threat of a man named Negan, a ruthless overlord whose group intimidates and taxes different survivalist communities all across northern Virginia. His name is meant to strike fear into all who hear it, and viewers are expecting Negan to appear by the 90-minute season finale April 3. (Hes played by Jeffrey Dean Morgan, who is currently wrapping things up as The Good Wifes handsome private detective.)

It promises to be a gory showdown and, if the comic books can still be trusted as an overall guide, it may take a season or more of the show to resolve. Particularly savvy fans of the show have already proffered theories Daryl or Abraham will soon meet their end at Negans hand  or perhaps it will be Glenn, as the comic book clearly foretold when Negan beat him to a bloody pulp.

Frankly, the idea of more human-on-human warfare is exhausting  and it might be the point where I let The Walking Dead walk on without me, sort of the way Carol bailed on Alexandria last week and set off once more on her own. Having read so far ahead, its clear the show has no abiding interest in its Washington-area location. Its still filmed in Georgia, and except for the occasional stray references to Interstate 66 and Route 29, I feel Im never going to get the (probably expensive) wide shot of zombies on Capitol Hill or chases through the Metro subway tunnel for which Id hoped.

Thats probably just as well, because The Walking Dead is one of TVs few series that resolutely believes in rural, exurban, small-town settings and everyday Americans, when nearly all our dramas are about rich and powerful people in New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and sometimes Washington.

When the show premiered in 2010, apocalypse of any kind (zombie, viral, comet, climatological, power-grid) was all the rage, making it easy to draw connections between the show and the failing economy, the sense of doom, the Tea Party, the terrorists. It even made sense somehow that The Walking Dead was set in the Bible Belt.

Steven Yeun is one of the remaining actors from the shows first season.

Now we are faced with a bombastic presidential front-runner whose appeal to the hordes in flyover country feels to some observers like yet another end-of-the-world scenario  inexplicable and unstoppable and ripe for allusions to The Walking Dead. I promise you, someone will write a Donald Trump/Walking Dead think piece, if they havent already. Zombies have a way of becoming whatever you need them to be, metaphorically.

Six seasons in, its sometimes easy to forget The Walking Dead is still mainly about zombies  the genuine yuck-faces who in fact stand for nothing, mean nothing, represent nothing except the horror of mortality. They have become so desiccated and are so easily dispatched with a blow to the head they no longer provoke nightmares.

Just the other night, in fact, some zombies made a cameo appearance in a dream I was having, and I barely noticed them. Thats probably a good way to know youve had too much of The Walking Dead.

 Washington Post
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 26/03/2016 (2401 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The family of a Canadian teacher jailed in Indonesia says that itll take another six to eight months before he can feasibly be freed.

Last month Indonesias high court overturned Neil Bantlemans acquittal of charges of sexually abusing children and he was put back in prison.

Bantleman has maintained his innocence since he was accused of abusing three children at an international school in Jakarta.

Canadian teacher Neil Bantleman, centre right, hugs his wife Tracy, after he was released from Cipinang prison in Jakarta, Indonesia, on August 14, 2015. The family of a Canadian teacher jailed in Indonesia says it will take another six to eight months before he can feasibly be freed. THE CANADIAN PRESS/AP-Achmad Ibrahim

Bantlemans brother Guy has spent the last few days in Ottawa meeting with Canadian government officials and MPs.

Guy Bantleman says that the latest information from Indonesia is that it could take six to eight months for the judicial process to move forward.

He says they expected to receive the judges written decision on why the acquittal was overturned more than ten days ago, and they still havent heard anything.

In the Canadian legal system, there are deadlines you have to meet. But in Indonesia, its not the same case, and thats frustrating, Guy Bantleman said.

He says Canadian officials are looking at ways to bring his brother home sooner, both through legal and diplomatic means.
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 27/03/2016 (2400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  The federal government has issued guidance to Canadas spy agency on using contentious new anti-terrorism laws  but most of the instructions wont be made public.

Many passages of the ministerial direction to the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, issued last July, were withheld from release due to provisions of the Access to Information Act concerning security, internal deliberations and cabinet confidences.

The office of Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale said ministerial offices are not involved in the processing of access requests, nor should they be.

Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Ralph Goodale speaks during question period at Parliament Hill in Ottawa on Thursday, March 24, 2016. The federal government has issued guidance to Canada's spy agency on using contentious new anti-terrorism laws  but most of the instructions won't be made public. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Adrian Wyld

But the federal decision to keep much of the ministerial direction under wraps did nothing to reassure those with concerns about C-51, the omnibus security bill that received royal assent early last summer.

The legislation gave CSIS the power to actively disrupt suspected terrorist plots, even allowing the spy service to take actions that breach the Charter of Rights and Freedoms as long as a judge approves.

One of our greatest concerns with C-51 is that CSIS has been given extraordinary new powers, including the power to break the law and violate the Constitution, said Josh Paterson, executive director of the British Columbia Civil Liberties Association.

While some details need to remain secret, its troubling that so much of the ministers high-level, general direction to CSIS on how the agency should interpret its new powers is blacked out. The government should be more transparent about the direction it is giving our spy agencies as to how they should be accountable.

While the public safety minister does not dictate day-to-day decisions by CSIS, he periodically issues written directions to the spy agency that broadly guide its actions.

The July direction combined and replaced two previous instructions, one on spy agency operations and another on accountability to the minister. In drafting it, Public Safety officials consulted CSIS, Justice Canada, the RCMP, Foreign Affairs and the office of then-public safety minister Steven Blaney.

The direction set out overarching parameters for CSISs use of its new powers under C-51 and Bill C-44, which addressed matters including source protection and use of judicial warrants, says a July 29 memo to Blaney.

Elements of the direction that were released to The Canadian Press mention fundamental principles CSIS must follow, including respect for the rule of law and the use of operational methods reasonable and proportional to the threat.

The direction also stresses the fair treatment of human sources who help CSIS and says the spy services activities abroad must respect Canadas foreign policy interests as well as the security of overseas missions and personnel.

However, the details on how all this must be done have been stripped out of the direction and several annexes.

The really interesting stuff, Im sure, is in the redacted portions, said University of Ottawa law professor Craig Forcese, co-author of False Security, a book critiquing C-51.

Forcese said the direction should include things like guidance to CSIS about being careful not to step on the RCMPs toes and potentially derail a criminal prosecution.

I think we need to know some of these details, said Forcese, who questioned classification of parts of the direction as cabinet secrets.

Scott Bardsley, a spokesman for Goodale, said responsibilities for Access to Information requests are delegated within each department and are processed outside of ministers offices.

Avoiding political interference or the appearance of it is crucial for the integrity of the regime. We dont have a comment on particular decisions, he said.

Having said that the goal of our government is to make government information open by default. In the meantime, we have to operate under the existing act.

Follow @JimBronskill on Twitter
Hey there, time traveller!

This article was published 27/03/2016 (2400 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

OTTAWA  Finance Minister Bill Morneau is defending the Liberal governments decision to boost employment insurance benefits for parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan while leaving some hard hit areas of the oil patch out of the budget plan.

Morneau says the government had to decide what areas of the country needed the most help with extra weeks of employment insurance benefits for unemployed workers.

Left out of that list were cities like Edmonton, and parts of Saskatchewan that Premier Brad Wall has said could also use the help.

Finance Minister Bill Morneau takes part in an interview at Finance Headquaters in Ottawa on Thursday, March 24, 2016. Morneau is defending the Liberal government's decision to boost employment insurance benefits for parts of Alberta and Saskatchewan while leaving some hard hit areas of the oil patch out of the budget plan. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Sean Kilpatrick

Morneau told CTVs Question Period that the government chose the 12 regions to help them deal with whats been a significant change and a harder time for those people to get re-employed.

He adds the government is making other changes to the employment insurance program that are designed to help the entire country, including cutting waiting times for applicants to receive their first payments.

Morneau also says the Liberals expect low- and middle-income families to spend money they receive through tax breaks and a new, income-tested child benefit unveiled in the budget and that will help the economy.
Bridget Nhire

By: Chan Yuan

A woman of the United Kingdom, is angry that she was banned from British Airways for life and they even refused to fly her home after her trip.

Bridget Nhire, 33, will never be able to fly with British Airways after she was given a lifetime ban from all of their flights.

Nhire was handcuffed and tied to her seat after another customer complained that she kept getting up to stretch her legs and the two got into an argument at 30,000 feet.

The fashion stylist, who is 5 feet 3 inches tall, said that the incident on her flight from Heathrow Airport to Dubai, left her humiliated.

Police escorted her from the plane and detained her for five hours before she was released without charges.

Nhire said that she was flying to visit friends when a man sitting behind her complained that she was getting up too much.

Nhire said that the man told her to sit down and she replied: aI have the right to get up and walk for my health.a

When the two got into a heated argument, the flight attendants asked Nhire to move to the front of the plane.

Nhire said that the flight attendants told her: aYou are being aggressive, we believe you may have had a little too much to drink.a

Nhire admitted to drinking two glasses of wine with her meal, but claims she was not drunk.

A spokesperson for British Airways said that they have launched a full investigation, gathering statements from passengers and crew before taking the rare step of banning her from their aircrafts for life.

Nhire, who works as a style Aconsultant for fashion brand Reiss, claims that no one listened to her side of the story.

She wants A350 (About $500) in compensation after the airline refused to fly her home when she turned up for her return flight, leaving her stuck in the Dubai International airport until her mother was able book another flight 11 hours later.

British Airways said that they awould never issue a lifetime ban without first carrying out a thorough investigation.a However, they said that Nhire can appeal the decision.
A young man wanted to make a point about racism in the United States, but his plan backfired when he was exposed for a liar by police. 20-year-old Khalil Cavil of Texas was working at the Saltgrass Steak House in Odessa when he claimed he was discriminated against because of his Muslim name. Cavil took
Police Urge Learner Drivers To Check Instructors Are Properly Qualified

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 27th, 2016

North Wales Police are urging learner drives to check that their instructors are properly qualified after an operation carried out last week resulted in a man being arrested on suspicion of fraud.

The joint operation between North Wales Police and the Driving and Vehicle Standards Agency (DVSA) to check that Driving Instructors were qualified and registered with the DVSA was carried out in the Bangor area last week.

During a series of roadside checks, vehicles displaying L-plates or driving school logos were stopped and instructor accreditations were checked.

One man was arrested on suspicion of fraud and taking payments as an Instructor without the appropriate qualifications and authority from the DVSA. He has since been cautioned.

Gareth Edwards, an Investigator with the DVSA said: We are pleased to be working alongside North Wales Police. DVSA urges all learners to ensure their instructor is qualified to teach by checking they display a valid DVSA badge in their windscreen. Learners can also use the free Find a driving instructor service on GOV.UK to see details of their nearest instructors who are approved and registered with the DVSA.

All approved driving instructors undergo regular assessments of their ability to teach and are also CRB checked.

Illegal driving instruction is rare but when it happens can potentially be very serious. We investigate all reported cases and work with the Police to bring offenders to justice.

More than 41,500 approved and trainee driving instructors were working in England, Scotland and Wales in 2014-15, and all DVSA-registered instructors giving lessons to learners have to display an in-date badge on their windscreen.

A green badge shows that the instructor is fully qualified and undergoes regular DSA checks.

A pink badge indicates a trainee who can teach for six months while acquiring teaching experience. The badges should carry the instructors photograph, a unique reference number and an expiry date.

Learner drivers should check their instructors qualifications before getting into the car.

Sergeant Raymond Williams from the Roads Policing Unit said: The police are also worried that illegal driving instructors may not have been through the obligatory enhanced criminal record checks which all authorised Instructors are subject to.

As a force we regularly advice people to check that taxis and private hire vehicles they travel in are appropriately registered. Passengers then have the confidence that the person driving that vehicle has been subjected to a process and a series of checks.

Its exactly the same with learner drivers. Theyre getting into a vehicle with a stranger they may know nothing about.

To report someone who you think is an illegal driving instructor, email or phone DVSA via their fraud and integrity team on 0191 201 8120 or email: fraudandintegrity@dsa.gsi.gov.uk
Volunteers Sought To Make a Difference In Local Community

This article is old - Published: Sunday, Mar 27th, 2016

A local entrepreneur who founded a social enterprise which has already had a significant impact in India is looking to replicate her success in Wrexham.

Jo Clay, founder of Empower  Be The Change is looking to recruit volunteers to act as mentors and take part in projects based across Wrexham. The volunteers will not only help the local community, but will be able to transfer their skills onto unemployed, vulnerable or disadvantaged people living in the area.

The charity itself aims to inspire and encourage individuals and communities to achieve more.

Empower is in the process of developing links with existing local coordinators and enterprises such as Caia Park Partnership and AVOW, as well as national bodies such as the National Trust.

Already Jos work has had a major impact in the rural communities of south Tamil Nadu in India  with her enterprise offering volunteers bespoke international work placements which promote working in partnership with the local citizens.

The objective is to create lasting change through mutual exchange of skills, values, cultures and ideas, all working towards the ultimate goal of eradicating rural poverty.

Jo originally started her venture with Vi-Ability but moved away to set up her own social enterprise. The overriding aim of Empower  Be The Change is to create a society where people are more willing to support each other and the communities in which they live and work.

Recently Wrexhams Assembly Member Lesley Griffiths met with Jo and is encouraging anyone in Wrexham who is interested in getting involved, to contact Jo.

Speaking about the social enterprise, Lesley Griffiths AM said: Jo has always passionately believed in her dynamic enterprise and it was good to catch up with her again to hear about the great progress she has made. Her work has had a positive impact in India, empowering people through positive change.

Jo strongly believes that a similar approach, focusing on the same ideas and values, can be replicated and successful in Wrexham. It is a positive concept for the town that would help local people and communities of which I am fully supportive.

If anyone is interested in finding out more about the enterprise, I would encourage them to contact Jo.

Further information about Empower  Be The Change, can be found on their website here.
6 years, 6 months ago WTAD Newsroom

A young Quincy man lost his life Saturday night as the result of a collision between his motorcycle and an automobile. According to the Quincy Police Department, the crash occurred at 7:42pm in the 900 block of 54th Street across from Peters Body Shop and Towing.

Witnesses say that the vehicle turned into Menard's, in front of the motorcycle, causing the motorcycle to hit the vehicle's passenger side. Upon arrival, bystanders and officers began medical treatment on the motorcyclist. River M. Bugh, age 20 of Quincy, was taken to Blessing Hospital where he was pronounced dead in the Emergency Room at 8:17 p.m.

The investigation is ongoing.
6 years, 6 months ago by QPD

Dawanna L. Tate, 24, for possession of cannabis at 3/Spring on 3-26-16 at 1740. Released on cash bond.

Anthony E. Williams, 23, for no valid DL at 3/Chestnut on 3-26-16 at 1759 hours. PTC.

April M. Maggart, 35, for speeding at 4/Elm on 3-26-16 at 1929 hours. PTC.

Kenneth J. Doellman, 57, for speeding in the 200 block of S. 36th on 3-25-16 at 2019 hours. PTC.

Anthony E. Williams, 23, for FTA-Unlicensed driver, FTA-Transportation of alcohol by driver. Arrested at 3/Spring on 3-26-16 at 1759 hours. Lodged.

Deonte L. Jones, 22, for FTA-possession of cannabis at 5/College

Patsy L. Schlueter (30) of 1130 Jersey was arrested for shoplifting at Family Dollar, 620 Broadway, on 3/26/16. -

Maelen F. Denum (26) of 1610 Vermont was arrested for improper lane usage and no insurance at 4th and Hampshire on 3/25/16. -

Amanda D. Toolate (36) of 323 College Ave was arrested for operating an uninsured vehicle at 8th and Vermont on 3/26/16. -

Kelsey N. Griesbaum (31) of Canton MO was arrested for speeding at 29th and Broadway on 3/26/16. -

Jay D. Darr (28) of 3132 Brentwood Drive was arrested for loud muffler at 48th and Columbus Rd. on 3/25/16. -

Lindsey Parson of 522 Cedar reports that she discovered two tires on a her husband's 2004 Chevrolet pickup truck were slashed and the brake line was cut on 3/4/16. -

A Samsung Galazy Note 5 was found in the 4400 block of Broadway on 3/13/16. -

Laurence A. Stewart of Springfield IL reports that his identity was used to open 3 AT&T accounts back in 2013 while he was incarcerated in the Illinois Department of Corrections. -

A purse belonging to Christina McMullen was recovered from Walmart on 3/12/16. -
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) - America's Second Harvest of the Big Bend hosted a community meal distribution event Saturday.

Volunteers gathered at Greater Love Church of God in Christ to help fight hunger. The mobile pantry program delivers between 8 thousand to 12 thousand pounds of food to people in need. Also at the event, Bank of America presented America's Second Harvest with a 12 thousand donation.

One in six people face hunger in America including more than 100,000 people right here in the big bend region.
People line up on the stairs at Garfield High School as they wait to check in for a Democratic caucus Saturday, March 26, 2016, in Seattle. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Egyptian Parliamentarian Sayed Faraj issued a statement saying that he is forming a parliamentary delegation of ten legislators to go to the Israeli Knesset and discuss subjects relating to Israel-Egypt relations, Arabic media reported last week.

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"It is incumbent upon us to benefit from all of the advancements Israel has made, yet do so without referring to the issue of normalization with the Zionists," Faraj tweeted. According to reports, he went further and said that he isn't against normalization with Israel, and that "we have to be in contact with them."

Egyptians have already begun to refer to Faraj as the "new legislator for normalization," a title which he inherited from former talk show host and parliamentarian Tawfik Okasha, who was ejected from the Egyptian parliament for meeting with the Israeli ambassador to Egypt. Okasha's meeting with the ambassador was taken so poorly amongst members of the Egyptian parliament that a parliamentarian even threw his shoe at Okasha.

Egyptian Parliamentarian Sayed Faraj

Faraj realized that his career could be destroyed by these statements, and quickly went to be interviewed by Egyptian newspaper Al-Watan, saying "I said that if I had the ability to create a parliamentary delegation consisting of ten parliament members and go to the Knesset in order to expose to the world that they (the Israelis- ed.) are responsible for terror in the Arab world, I would do it."

The member of parliament added that some people may have built a theory that he is the one who launched the initiative, but that this simply wasn't the case.

"I am against normalization with Israel," he said, referring to the tweet he said was made by someone else in his name.

In an official statement from his office which was published in Egyptian media, he clarified that he fully supports the Palestinians, and that his words were taken out of context. Faraj also added that he calls on the Israeli opposition parties to put preassure on the governning coalition in order to create a solution to the Palestinian issue, and have it based on a just political agreement. He did this on the occasion of Palestinian Land Day.

It seems that 37 years after signing a peace treaty with Israel, "normalization" is still considered a dirty word in Egypt and in the Egyptian parliament.
BEIRUT - Syrian government forces recaptured Palmyra, state media and a monitoring group said on Sunday, inflicting a significant defeat on the Islamic State group which seized the city last year and destroyed its ancient temples.

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However, a Syrian AFP reporter is saying that it is still impossible to go inside the ancient city of Palmyra, as ISIS has rigged the entire city with explosives.

Syrian television quoted a military source as saying the army and its militia allies took complete control of the city and were clearing mines and bombs laid by the militants.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said there was still gunfire in the eastern part of the city on Sunday morning but the bulk of the Islamic State force had pulled out and retreated east, leaving Palmyra under President Bashar Assad's control.

Syrian army troops in Palmyra (Photo: EPA)

For government forces, the recapture of Palmyra opens up much of Syria's eastern desert stretching to the Iraqi border to the south and Islamic State heartland of Deir al-Zor and Raqqa to the east.

The Observatory said around 180 government soldiers and allied fighters and 400 ISIS fighters were killed in the campaign to retake Palmyra, which is home to some of the most extensive ruins of the Roman empire.

Observatory director Rami Abdulrahman described this as the biggest single defeat for the group since it declared a caliphate in areas of Syria and Iraq under its control in 2014.

Syrian army troops in Palmyra (Photo: AP)

It follows a three-week campaign by the Syrian army and its Iranian and Hezbollah allies on the ground, backed by intensive Russian air strikes, aimed at driving Islamic State back.

Russia's intervention in September turned the tide of Syria's five-year-old conflict in Assad's favor. Despite its announcement that it was pulling out most military forces two weeks ago, Russian jets and helicopters carried out dozens of strikes daily over Palmyra at the height of the clashes.

Palmyra (Photo: AP)

The loss of Palmyra comes three months after Islamic State fighters were driven out of the city of Ramadi in neighboring Iraq, the first major victory for Iraq's army since it collapsed in the face of an assault by the militants in June 2014.

Islamic State has lost ground elsewhere, including the Iraqi city of Tikrit last year and the Syrian town of al-Shadadi in February. The United States said the fall of Shadadi was part of efforts to cut Islamic State's links between its two main power centres: the cities of Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria.
A new docuseries has brought back to the surface questions about the murder of 13-year-old Tair Rada a decade ago with testimony by a man who claims his girlfriend was behind the gruesome killing.

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Despite rulings made by three different courts, dozens of lengthy hearings and hundreds of hours of investigation, some in the Israeli public - including Rada's family - are not convinced that convicted killer Roman Zadorov is in fact to blame for the murder.

The Channel 8 docuseries aired an interview with A., a young man who, six years after the murder, reported to police that his ex-girlfriend was the one who murdered Rada inside a bathroom stall at the Nofey Golan high school in Katzrin.

A.'s testimony was examined at the time by the judges of the Supreme Court, who decided not to accept his claims, while police found his version of events to be baseless. It was also claimed A.'s testimony derived of his desire to frame his former girlfriend.

Tair Rada

"Everything was very planned with her," A. told the show creators in an interview. "When we were lying in bed in the dark, we started talking in whispers. I started asking her what happened."

A. said his girlfriend is mentally unstable, loves the sight of blood, and believes there's a "she-wolf" inside of her that makes her want to cut people and see their internal organs.

"When she entered the school, she wrapped fabric around her chest in an effort to flatten it. She wore a pair of my beige cargo pants and a black sweater. She was wearing a wig that we got for Purim a few years earlier and a cap, and carried a large JanSport bag where she had plain silicon cleaning gloves, a hunting knife she bought in advance and a change of clothes," A. recounted.

A. said his girlfriend went into the bathroom at the school and waited for almost two hours for the right moment to strike. When she heard someone come into the bathroom alone, the girlfriend allegedly came out of the bathroom stall with the knife drawn, grabbed Rada by the shirt and forced her into the bathroom stall, where she allegedly murdered her.

"She said that when she started undressing Tair, girls came into the bathroom. One of them knocked on that stall door and (my girlfriend) told her it was occupied, while blocking the crack under the door so blood won't come out," A. continued.

After hearing no one was in the bathroom, she fled the scene.

A. said that when his girlfriend returned home, "she took a shower. When she was done she called me while I was at work and told me she couldn't forget the smell of the blood."

He said his girlfriend showed him the bag she packed for the murder. "She showed me the clothes she wore, the wig, the knife that was there - it was all bloodied. The first thought that went through my head was call the police. To this very day I don't know why I didn't do it that day," he said.

Psychiatric hospitalization and suicides

In 2012, about six years after the murder, the girlfriend was hospitalized at a psychiatric institute. After three years, her roommate, Anat, committed suicide.

Anat's friend, May Peleg, recounted a story she heard from Anat. "One day Anat came to me and shared with me a story that (her roommate) told her. She told her she had a frog in her belly that was really thirsty for human blood and that she was willing to murder to quench that thirst. (The roommate) told her of an instance in which she tried to murder a friend but was caught, and said there was a case before that when she wasn't caught."

Rada with her parents (Photo courtesy of Channel 8)

Peleg was asked about the instance in which the woman was not caught. "On the day Tair Radar was murdered, (the roommate) came to the school wearing a school uniform and carrying a school bag so no one would suspect her. Inside the bag she had the knife she used for the murder and a change of clothes. She just went into the girls' bathroom and waited for someone to come in - no one in particular. Tair went into the bathroom and (the roommate) stood behind her. She slit her throat while putting a hand on her mouth, and then she went into another stall and changed clothes. She just left the school without anyone being able to tell what had happened," Peleg said.

"Anat was pretty shocked by it and we were torn about what to do. Anat consulted with me on what to do, who to turn to. Unfortunately while we were still debating it, Anat left us. To me, Anat's will is an unwritten one she left me - to bring this story to an end," Peleg continued.

During her interrogation, the girlfriend denied the allegations and claimed her ex-boyfriend was trying to get back at her because of their breakup.

'Police did everything not to investigate this'

Roman Zadorov's lawyer, Elkana List, said in response, "When you hear a story like this for the first time, it seems a bit crazy. That things like that don't happen. On the other hand, I kept thinking about the case of Asaf Steirman, where it was also the girlfriend of the killer Re'i Horev who provided the key to solving the mystery. He confessed the murder to her, and she told police. So there are some similarities."

Zadorov's wife, Olga, told Ynet on Sunday that she was "exposed to this testimony two years ago, when that guy approached our attorneys. Since then, unfortunately, the case has been neglected. Meaning, the police did not want to accept his testimony, and then the process was stopped and nothing was checked."

Convicted killer Roman Zadorov (Photo: Gil Yohanan)

She claimed police did not want to appear like they caught and convicted the wrong person, so they "just kept making the same claim that he is the murderer and wouldn't accept any other version. That's all."

Olga said she intended to once again demand that the case is reopened. "I've been demanding this for many years. Perhaps because of this show, things will actually start moving faster, and perhaps a little public pressure could help us and we could really get to a point where the case is reexamined," she said.

Show ceator Ari Pines agreed. "In our opinion, A. is credible. The testimony he gave, as crazy and farfetched as it sounds, again and again received reinforcements from many things, all kinds of other testimony police had," he said.

"You could say police did everything it could not to investigate this case. Because as far as they're concerned, they have their man and they don't want to reopen this entire thing now," he added.
The IDF Spokesperson, Brig.-Gen. Moti Almoz, responded on Sunday to the harsh criticism from the family of the soldier who shot dead a neutralized terrorist in Hebron, saying the soldier "is not being court-martialed in public, nor is he being lynched."

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In a post on his Facebook page, Almoz stressed that "the soldier is under investigation. We're listening to his version and will continue to do so, and it is up to law enforcement authorities and the justice system to determine" what would happen.

IDF Spokesperson Moti Almoz (Photo: Motti Kimchi)

On Saturday night, the soldier's family held a press conference in which his sister turned to the IDF chief and the IDF spokesperson asking "why are you giving him a court-martial in the media? Why are you killing him without a trial?"

She also asserted that the IDF did not let her brother explain his actions. "Why didn't you give him a minute to explain what he was going through, what he was feeling, was he worried the heinous terrorist was planning on blowing himself up, or perhaps draw a weapon?" she wondered.

The soldier

The IDF spokesman responded to the sister's accusations, saying "All incidents are investigated. We check professionalism, training, activity, weapons, judgment and more. When necessary, the moral aspect is also examined. These incidents are not being examined and investigated so we could 'appear' right, or because of B'Tselem, or because of concern of international pressure. But for the sake of ourselves, our character and values."

Abed al Fatah a-Sharif, along with another Palestinian attacker, stabbed an IDF soldier in Hebron on Thursday. Both were then gunned down by other soldiers.

A video filmed by a B'Tselem volunteer several minutes later shows the wounded a-Sharif lying on the ground motionless as an IDF soldier aims his weapon at him and shoots him in the head.

B'Tselem video showing soldier shoot neutralized terrorist (:   .   )

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The IDF suspended and then arrested the soldier on suspicion of murder , and the militarys Criminal Investigation Division (CID) has already launched an investigation into the incident.

The soldiers lawyer said his client saw a-Sharif moving and feared he was going to detonate a bomb, leading him to shoot the neutralized attacker.

A second video from the incident shows the terrorist moving before being shot, while a third video of the evacuation of the wounded soldier reveals dialogue between the rescue team members and the soldiers around them, with an authoritative figure saying, "He probably has an explosive on him, pay attention. Until the bomb squad comes, nobody touches him." The CID is investigating whether the warning was made by an IDF soldier of commander, or by a civilian paramedic.

Video shows the terrorist moving before being shot

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When questioned by the CID, the soldier claimed that there have been warnings over the past three weeks of a Hamas cell planning a combined terror attack in Hebron that would include both shooting and explosives. The CID said Friday it has yet to check the validity of his claim. His remand has been extended until Tuesday.

The CID is also planning to gather testimony from Palestinians who were at the scene of the attack, after already having spoken to officers and soldiers who were there.

Paramedics evacuate wounded soldier (:   )

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The investigation of the incident has found that one of the junior officers on the scene did check the terrorist for explosives after he was shot down and neutralized.

The soldier who later shot the terrorist to death, however, was not at the scene of the attack when that check was conducted, and was not aware of the fact the officer "cleared" the terrorist of carrying explosives.

The soldier arrived at the scene about two minutes after the attack as reinforcement, and then shot the terrorist who was lying on the ground - of his own accord.

"The procedure for a situation in which there's suspicion the terrorist has an explosive belt on is clear and known, and includes telling the other troops to back away and be careful, something the soldier did not do," an IDF official said on Saturday evening.

Almoz said on Sunday that the investigation into the incident is still ongoing. "On the professional level, we determined the fighters acted properly, and we praised them for the quick neutralization of the terrorists. On the ethical and moral level, we determined after an initial investigation that this was a grave incident. Norms and values are not measured and determined in the comments section, but out in the field, when it's hard and complicated and not everything is clear."

He concluded, saying "We will determine the norms: that this incident is grave, that we will insist that political talk stays out of the IDF. Yes to a fair investigation that has only just begun and that we shouldn't determine its results in advance."
The political controversy over the IDF soldier who shot dead a neutralized soldier continued on Sunday as Education Minister Naftali Bennett clashed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other ministers during a cabinet meeting.

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At the beginning of the weekly meeting, Netanyahu addressed the issue for the third time, after at first harshly condemning the incident and then offering a softer statement two days later.

On Sunday, he continued along the new line he took on Saturday evening.

"Any challenge to the morality of the IDF is outrageous and unacceptable," Netanyahu told the media. "The soldiers of the IDF, our children, maintain high ethical values while courageously fighting against bloodthirsty murderers under difficult operational conditions. I am certain that in all cases, as in the current one, the inquiry takes into account all conditions. We must all support the IDF Chief-of-Staff, the IDF and our soldiers, who safeguard our security."

Bennett and Netanyahu (Photo: EPA)

"I welcome the bill, but it is not enough. We're in a war against murderous Palestinian terrorism," Bennett said. "At the forefront there's the soldier, and we're being tested. Why did you need to jump to condemn the soldier on Thursday, while the GOC Central Command's investigation was only conducted on Friday?"

The Bayit Yehudi leader pressed on, asking "Why is he being led (to court) in handcuffs? What kind of message does this send to thousands of soldiers? An indictment for 'murder'? You're confused who are the good guys and who are the bad guys! Why is the entire leadership dancing to the tune of B'Tselem?"

The soldier under investigation

Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan was quick to respond to Bennett, "Who are you talking about, who were quick to condemn the soldier?"

"You know very well who," Bennett responded.

Shaked backed her party leader, demanding to know why the IDF's press briefings "against the soldiers" haven't stopped.

Interior Minister Aryeh Deri chimed in, saying "We all support the soldier. But there's a world outside, an international attack."

The prime minister agreed. "We're all backing him. Don't preach me about morality," he told Bennett.

"Backing is done in actions, not with words," Bennett insisted. "Why is he being sentenced before the issue is examined?"

Erdan demanded Bennett to name those he accused of "sentencing the soldier. You're talking like we're on one side and you're on another side."

Lieberman: Impeach the defense minister

Yisrael Beytenu leader Avigdor Lieberman also attacked Netanyahu and Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon for not giving what he deemed to be the proper backing to the soldier.

"The prime minister is worthy of being called the ultimate weather vane, he and Ya'alon are the face of the B'Tselem organization," Lieberman told Ynet on Sunday morning.

Lieberman at the Ynet studio.

"I saw Netanyahu's first statement, and then he saw where the winds were blowing - and flipped his position," Lieberman said.

Netanyahu initially determined that "what happened in Hebron does not represent the IDF's values," and then posted a softer message on his official Facebook page on Saturday night in support of the IDF. "The attacks on IDF as an immoral army as expressed over the past weekend are outrageous and the opposite of the truth. The IDF is a moral army that does not execute people. IDF soldiers use their bodies to block murderous terrorist attacks on Israeli soldiers, and they are deserving of all our support. Regarding the latest incidentI trust the IDF to perform a thorough, responsible and fair investigation, as it always does."

Lieberman also lamented, "How can a soldier even expect a fair investigation, a fair trial, when all in the proper authorities in the IDF already know what the commander wants?"

The former Netanyahu ally called the prime minister "spineless," accusing that "all he's trying to do is please public opinion."

Lieberman also called for the impeachment of Defense Minister Ya'alon. "I expect the Likud members to sign the petition demanding to impeach the defense minister immediately."
Harsh criticism was levied across various forums against Haredi members of Knesset who don't know how to speak English : How dare they represent us in the Israeli parliament without knowing English, the language that has long been fundamental, even within our narrow borders?

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I wonder if this requirement shouldn't have come from us, the voters, when we sent them to the Knesset.

The ultra-Orthodox claim that they "must preserve the status quo" and "not breach the ghetto walls" is true at its root. But why doesn't this wall allow us to learn basic English? Not the highest level, not the intermediate level, just the basic level of the spoken language.

Haredi pupils (Photo: Yoav Friedman)

Indeed, it can't be that Haredi schools teach arithmetic or grammar at a basic level, but not English, which is no less important than other disciplines and is not taught at all. It can't be, because English is no less necessary than arithmetic. In the first years of our lives, we don't encounter the fundamental differences in subjects' importance, but when we enter the employment market, we encounter it all too often.

Ultra-Orthodox MKs call on employers at every opportunity they have to accept Haredim in the job market. However, they remain silent when that the same employee that they asked to send to a leading Israeli company is accepted because of their pressure but fails to provide the goods when they discover his ignorance of English.

But forget about employment for a moment. English isn't just there; it begins considerably before. Last year, I flew multiple times to various countries in Europe, and I saw there the reality of the situation. There, I felt how much I'm an outsider.

Were it not for the rudimentary English of those around me, I highly doubt if we would have stayed abroad for more than few minutes. Without the language, "mobility" would be impossible. The taxi driver or the mall vendor don't really care that you don't know English because your teachers refused to breach the walls of the ghetto. The vendor and the taxi driver want to hear you, but they encounter a mute: a stranger in countries where he is supposed to be an ally.

During my stay in Prague, the Czech capital, this topic came up in conversationhow couldn't it? I found myself with my opinion to be in a minority of one against a majority of many. When I write "many," I mean the administrators of ultra-Orthodox junior schools that give our children quality education that hides within it the fact that many of us fearHebrew: in, English: out.

I asked those administrators this question: "What's wrong with English?" Everyone's answer was useless: "There's no problem, you're welcome to send your children to a tutor"

A tutor. Sure. In the current day: when the hard economic burden lies heavily with a considerable part of the citizenry, who haven't the money to get throughor startthe month, they're invited by the administrators to pay hundreds of shekels a month for a tutor. We'll have to pay for it while we demand that the state budget for this, which every other Israeli child receives.

By the way, administrators of haredi educational institutions: Girls learning in seminary are taught English. If they don't, their standing is in doubt, while we, the boys, can't even learn the subject. Why? Is it that English can only destroy one of the sexes?

Far be it from me to interfere with the opinions of the greats of Israel on this subject. I just wonder about the administrators who understand that grammar and algebra are fundamental for ultra-Orthodox students, but English isn't.

Good thing there's Google Translate.
Israels High Court rejected Sunday afternoon Israels natural gas plan which Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu signed last December with US and Israeli gas companies to develop Israel's offshore gas deposits.

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The judges rejected the stability clause, and since it is a prerequisite for the plan  the whole plan was thus rejected. The stability clause was supposed to allow the government or the Knesset to not change the plan for a period of ten years. It was meant to serve as protection from regulatory changes in taxation, antitrust limitations and export quotas. With the exception of Noam Solberg, four of the five justices ruled that the stablity clause was illegal.

Tamar offshore gas field

Nevertheless, the state was given a period of one year during which it could fix any problematic aspects of the deal. At the end of that period of time, if a deal is not worked out, the plan will be cancelled.

Deputy Supreme Court president Elyakim Rubinstein wrote: "The stability clause in this chapter of the plan, in which the government undertakes for a decade to not only not legislate but to also fight any legislation against the plans provisions, was determined without authority  and as such is rejected. It was determined in contrast to the general principle of administrative law regarding the prohibition of shackling the authoritys ability to judge. The government does not have the power to decide not to decide and not to act."

Rubinstein added that this was especially the case when the government seeks to limit the judgment of the next government, "whose composition and ideology will be different than this one." Rubinstein also stated that the stability clause substantially binds the Knessets ability to use its discretion.

Deputy Supreme Court President Elyakim Rubinstein (Photo: Ohad Zwigenberg)

The decision is a blow to Netanyahus stature, who for over a long period went to great pains to get the plan signed. Among other things, he showed up at the the High Courts hearing on the subject and at one point even said, "You know me - when I want something, I get it.

Netanyahu responded to the ruling by saying that "the court's decision seriously threatens the development of gas reserves of the State of Israel. Israel is seen as a state in which excessive judicial intervention makes it difficult to do business with."

Netanyahu tried to dampen the joy over the plans rejection adding that "of course nobody should be celebrating the fact that the gas may remain in the depths of the sea and hundreds of billions will not be distributed to Israeli citizens. We will search for other ways to overcome the severe damage caused to the Israeli economy following this surprising ruling."

The case was brought to the High Court by a host of organizations, including Movement for the Quality of Government, The Israel Union for Environmental Defense, and the Labor and Meretz parties. The main arguments of the petitioners were against the decision-making process and the bypassing of the antitrust commissioner and the plan itself - the fact that the state has undertaken not to change it for ten years. The climax of the hearings occurred when Netanyahu came to the High Court in an attempt to persuade the judges to approve the plan. This is apparently the first time in the history of the High Court that a sitting prime minister came to defend the state's position before the Court as opposed to government prosecutors.

Israel announced the discovery of sizeable offshore natural gas deposits about five years ago, and a partnership made up of Israeli and US companies began extracting gas.

After the antitrust commissioner determined last year that the gas companies' ownership constituted a monopoly, a government committee reached a deal with the firms to break up their control and introduce competition.

Netanyahu received the Economy Ministry and the authority to sign the deal after a series of resignations and moves that removed all of the deal's opponents from the way. Anti-trust commissioner David Gilo opposed the deal and resigned even before the plan was completed. Then-economy minister Aryeh Deri, who was asked to sign a clause bypassing the anti-regulator's authority, refused and resigned as well, leaving the Economy Ministry back in the prime minister's hands.

Israel's Delek and Texas-based Noble Energy, which own a number of recently discovered gas fields that supply factories and Israel's electric company, own Israel's largest natural gas field, Leviathan.
Jamila Hir, also known as "Grandma Jamila," from the Druze village of Peki'in, is Israel's new "ambassador" in Spain. She represented Israel at the prestigious Festival of Women, which is held annually in Segovia, Spain. Hir, a 76-year-old owner of a cosmetic company, amazed the Israeli embassy, conquering the hearts of the Spanish press.

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Hagit Mualem, the Israeli cultural attache in Spain, arranged for Hir to come to the festival, which hosted six women from around the world, who successfully affected change in their respective societies.

Hir creates natural soaps from olive oil and medical herbs, which have garnered a reputation of a curing agent. She is the first Druze woman to build a factory with her own hands. Today she employs hundreds of Jewish, Muslim, Christian, and Druze workers and her small business brings in $50 million in profits and exports to 40 countries. She is also a widow, a mother to five children, a grandmother to 15 grandchildren, and five great grandchildren. She is proud to be the first Druze mother, whose daughter went to college and received a driver's license.

In 2006, on Israeli Independence Day, Hir and Stef Wertheimer, another Israeli businessperson, lit the Independence Day torch for their efforts to develop the Galilee.

During the Festival of Woman and in interviews after it, Hir spoke proudly about the peace that exists within the walls of the factory between Jewish, Druze, Muslim, and Christian women. "They all work together under the same slogan---only women can give birth to peace," Hir said.

She also spoke about how the Druze community lives in peace with Jews and serves in the Israeli security establishment.

Mualem added, "It was important for us to show the diversity and complexity of Israeli society. There are many faces and colors of Israel that Europe does not know. Spanish media simply loved grandma Jamila. She had an amazing performance here."
Yedioth Ahronoth and Ynets conference on combating the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Movement (BDS) against Israel will open Monday morning at the International Convention Center in Jerusalem.

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Click here for the conference's schedule



The conference, will feature a series of panels and discussions. Among the attendees are President Reuven Rivlin, World Jewish Congress President Ron Lauder; and comedien Roseanne Barr, who made a special trip to Israel to take part in the fight against BDS, among many others.

After an opening address by the conference's chair, Yedioth Ahronoth editor-in-chief Ron Yaron, President Rivlin and military historian and journalist Dr. Yoaz Hendel will discuss the boycott movement.

Photo: EPA

Next up will be a panel featuring Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan, whose office is in charge of fighting the boycott on behalf of the government; Ron Lauder, president of the World Jewish Congress; and Ben-Dror Yemini, a Yedioth Ahronoth editorialist and one of the most prominent voices in Israel and in the Jewish world in the struggle against the boycott. They will be joined by US ambassador to Israel Dan Shapiro and Foreign Ministry director-general Dore Gold.

A panel on the political campaign and the challenges of Israeli diplomacy will feature former chairman of the Yesha council Dani Dayan; Col. (res.) Pnina Sharvit-Baruch, an expert on international law; the European Union's ambassador to Israel, Lars Faaborg-Andersen; and Professor Uzi Arad.

BDS led a viral campaign to persuade the European Union to ban the participation of Ambassador Andersen in the conference due to the fact that Yedioth Ahronoth is a right-wing newspaper fighting the Palestinian people, and because the panel includes settler leader Dani Dayan. Anderson withstood the pressure and announced that he would participate in the conference.

Israel's political party leaders and members of the Knesset will also speak at the conference, including Finance Minister Moshe Kahlon, Interior Minister Aryeh Deri, Education Minister Naftali Bennett, Transport Minister Yisrael Katz, Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked, Infrastructure and Energy Minister Yuval Steinitz, Opposition and Zionist Union leader Isaac Herzog, Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid and MK Tzipi Livni.

President Rivlin said on the eve of the conference that "Criticism is pointed, delegitimization is general. There is criticism that is only camouflage for delegitimization, and this type of criticism has to be fought with all our might. I see the BDS movement as one which spreads modern-day blood libels. It does not promote peace, but hate, and we must act to dismantle the BDS altogether."

Minister of Finance Moshe Kahlon stated that his responsibility is to make sure that the Israeli economy is not harmed as a result of boycotts and sanctions. He said that, to date, the Israeli economy has been standing strong against BDS and that the government will allocate as many resources as necessary to carry on the struggle.

Justice Minister Ayelet Shaked described the BDS movement as the 21st century-version of the Protocols of the Elders of Zion. She pointed out that BDS relied on Israeli organizations on numerous occasions to do irreversible harm to Israel."

Education Minister Naftali Bennett portrayed the BDS as a new kind of enemy. He stressed that Israel was able to destroy its former enemies and that it would be capable of doing the same against BDS, which tries to tie the IDFs hands so that it wont be able to defend Israel.

Opposition leader Isaac Herzog noted that "BDS is an ugly phenomenon. It is the combination of hatred of Israel, ignorance and even anti-Semitism. I, and my partners in the Zionist Union, have been fighting these phenomena for years, on every stage around the world, and will continue to do so out of great love for the country. The problem is that Israel has no foreign policy. There is no strategy. Without initiative, without a clear plan, even our best friends will find it increasingly difficult to fight those who hate us.
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Rangapara: Prime Minister Narendra Modi said on Sunday that there was a strong wind of change in Assam which would uproot Congress and its 15 years of misrule.

Addressing a rally here he said, "Congress need to tell what they have done in last 60 years for Assam. Why has this place not received the development it deserves? Who has made Assam poor? I will repay your love with development in Assam."

"In last five manifesto of Congress they have just reshuffled their promises. None of which is fulfilled. For 15 years people reposed faith in Congress but they betrayed the people and their aspirations. A person who's visually impaired, who can't see at all, can also figure out if a road is concrete or not," he added.

The PM went on to say, "The doors of bank were open for the rich. When banks were nationalised, it was said that it was done for the poor people. However, the poor were deprived. I have tightened the screw and will ensure that the money looted from the banks are brought back. I have opened the doors of the bank for poor."

PM Modi further said, "We work on three agenda, development, development at fast pace and Development everywhere."

He also said, "By 2022, everyone will have their own home. We will spend more than 2000 crore for the development of this region."

"On election day, press the right button for development so that people start saying 'A for Assam'," the PM said.

He said people of India gave a decisive mandate to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the 2014 Lok sabha polls and now India was getting applauded worldwide.

"If you want to listen to the same applause for Assam, vote for absolute majority to BJP and its allies in the forthcoming polls," he said.

On Saturday, PM Modi kick-started the Bharatiya Janata Party's campaign in the poll-bound Assam by addressing four public rallies and a citizens' meeting in four districts of the state.

The two-phase assembly polls in Assam's 126 constituencies are scheduled to take place on April 4 and April 11.
Zee Media Bureau/Shruti Mishra

In the name of 'scientific research' the Japanese fleet has recently killed a large number of Minke whales in the Antarctic Ocean.

Four ships from the country's Institute of Cetacean Research returned to their home port after 115-days long expedition capturing 333 whales including more than 200 pregnant females.

Japan has been illegally hunting whales for decades.The Japanese government claimed that this mass slaughter is a part of their 'scientific research'. They especially targeted female whales to determine the specific age at which Minke whale reach sexual maturity.

Their expedition faced global outrage when International Court of Justice in 2014 clearly stated that Japan's Antarctic whaling program has no scientific merits and ordered to stop commercialization of whale meat. However, the halt was short-lived and Japan resolved its whaling practices in the breeding season of 2015-16.

The Australian government openly opposed Japan's decision and also threatened to take legals actions by sending Custom patrol vessel to the Southern Ocean.

The International Whaling Commission- an international body to conserve whale stock- banned commercial whaling in 1986, but scientific research was exempted. Japan has long been accused of taking advantage of this exemption and is aggressively involved in commercial whaling activities.
Surat: Hitting out at Rahul Gandhi over his "Gandhi is ours, Savarkar yours" remark, BJP chief Amit Shah on Sunday asked the BJP cadres to launch a nation-wide movement against Congress on the issue of nationalism.

"Congress is now hell bent on insulting our national heroes. Congress and Rahul Gandhi are now targeting Veer Savarkar. Rahul ji used derogatory words for Savarkar. Rahul Gandhi told BJP in Parliament that Savarkar is ours (BJP's).

"Rahul ji, we accept your views. BJP has no hesitation in accepting that Savarkar is ours. Rahul ji, you don't know anything about Savarkar. BJP workers take inspiration from Savarkar's life and his love for country. We are proud that a person like him was born in India," said Shah said, addressing a farmers' rally organised by BJP here.

Rahul Gandhi, while participating in a debate in the Lok Sabha earlier this month had made a reference to Savarkar, telling the treasury benches "we have Gandhi, you have Savarkar". As BJP members remonstrated, the Congress leader said,"I just said Gandhi is ours and Savarkar yours. Did I say something wrong? Isn't Savarkar yours? Have you dumped him? If you have, you have done a very good thing."

The BJP president also came down hard on Congress for senior party leader Shashi Tharoor's remarks drawing a parallel between legendary freedom fighter Bhagat Singh and JNU Students Union president Kanhaiya Kumar, facing sedition charges.

"You are now comparing Bhagat Singh to Kanhaiya Kumar? You are supporting those who want to break India into pieces? You are insulting Bhagat Singh and Savarkar and telling us that Savarkar is ours? We want to tell you that Savarkar is indeed ours," said Shah.

"It seems that Rahul ji has not read about his grandmother. Indira Gandhi had donated Rs 11,000 from her savings to build the Savarkar memorial. However, Rahul Gandhi does not know about it," said Shah.

Calling for a nation-wide movement against Congress on the issue of nationalism, Shah said,"Congress has started a strange debate on the issue of nationalism. We accept this challenge from Congress. It is the duty of each BJP worker to reach out to every household in the country to rejuvenate the love for our nation and build an army of patriots."

The BJP chief also asked the party workers to brace for the next year's Gujarat Assembly elections.

"We must aim to get more seats than the previous election," said Shah.

"Congress failed to uproot poverty from India. It failed to provide jobs to the youth. It also failed to develop villages. This is the reason why they are losing power in various states," said Shah.
Jammu: Seeking sustained dialogue between India and Pakistan, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said the state would be the biggest beneficiary of peace in the neighbourhood even as he batted for free movement across borders in the subcontinent along the lines of the European Union.

Hostility between the two countries has impacted peace and tranquility in the J&K, he said, adding that he hopes the sub- continent's nations would eschew "myopic tendencies" and work to ensure that people led a peaceful and dignified life.

He also said a situation needs to be created like in the European Union wherein people can move around freely across the various countries.

"If EU could do it, why not India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and other neighbouring countries," he said at a conference organised by the Bangladesh-Bharat-Pakistan Peace Forum on the importance of initiatives for fostering peace and unity among the three nations.

"How long shall the hostilities of the past cast a dark shadow on the present and future in a fast-changing global scenario," he said.

People in the continent, too, have a right to live in a "free and fearless environment", the National Conference leader said, adding the era of mistrust and suspicion has retarded the growth of the countries in the subcontinent.

"This disgusting situation needs to end," he said while accusing the western powers of "promoting the terror scourge".

India and Pakistan must engage "seriously and purposefully' to take the peace initiative forward as neither country can wish the other away, he said.

Noting that confrontation has no place in bilateral ties, Abdullah hoped the two countries will take concrete steps to continue their interaction.

The former J&K chief minister also underscored his unflinching commitment to secularism and said that is the cornerstone of his party's policies.

He said "unity in diversity" has been the "biggest strength" of J&K and cautioned against those who wanted to end this time-tested ethos. National Conference would stand like a rock against those who "even think of polluting the composite culture of J&K", he added.

Abdullah lauded the people for keeping the flame of secularism alive "during the most testing times" and said this was the only ideal that can lead the state to peace, progress and development.

He also called for channelising the energies of the youth towards positive pursuits.

"This can be achieved only when the young people are provided vistas of opportunities to excel in academics and pursue their avocations in a peaceful atmosphere," he said.
New Delhi: Known for taking bold stance against bigotry, noted Bangladeshi author Taslima Nasreen on Sunday stirred up a hornet's nest when she said that minority Muslims can commit heinous crimes in India which is hard to even imagine for minority Hindus in Bangladesh.

Through her Twitter handle, Taslima tweeted, Minority Muslims can do riot, commit violence, rape, even kill a Hindu in India. Minority Hindus can't even imagine doing such things in Bangladesh.

Minority Muslims can do riot,commit violence,rape,even kill a Hindu in India.Minority Hindus can't even imagine doing such things in B'desh.  taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) March 27, 2016

Further putting forth her views on secularism, she said, "Pro religious minority is not the criteria for being a secular person. You are a secular person means you have nothing to do with religion."

Pro religious minority is not the criteria for being a secular person. You are a secular person means you have nothing to do with religion.  taslima nasreen (@taslimanasreen) March 27, 2016

This is not the first time the activist has spoken her mind. In the past too she has been praised and criticised over her bold opinions.
Ahmedabad: Lauding the "Gujarat model", BJP president Amit Shah today said the same model finds resonance in Prime Minister Narendra Modi's effort to make India "world's number 1 country."

"When BJP came to power in Gujarat, a new development model was thought of, which is being praised across the country and all over the world, known as Gujarat model," Shah said addressing a gathering here.

"Here (in Gujarat), government positions and ministries are not a source of enjoyment but a way to serve people. Such a culture is developed by (the) BJP government. And the result is there to see," he said.

Elaborating further on his idea of "Gujarat model," the BJP president said Gujarat developed into a "welfare state" under the leadership of then Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

"When framers of Constitution discussed on what a state should be like, after six-and-half hour discussion, a welfare state was conceived. I can say that under Narendra Modi's leadership, BJP has helped develop Gujarat into a welfare state," he said.

"Today, Narendra Modi government (at the Centre), in full majority, is working to place India as number 1 country in the world, the foundation of which was laid under his leadership as the Chief Minister here (in Gujarat)," Shah added.

Shah was here to inaugurate a bus terminal which has been built, on a public private partnership, over 7,900 square metre area with the facilities of a mall-cum-multiplex, apart from having the capacity to handle 1,278 buses on a daily basis.

While praising "Gujarat model," Shah spoke about various initiatives taken by the state government to address the needs of different sections of society, including 'Kanya Kelavni Yojana' for girl child, 'Van Bandhu Kalyan Yojana' for tribal, 'Sagar Khedut Yojana' for people living in coastal areas, among others.

He also spoke about Sabarmati Riverfront while elaborating on how (Narendra) Modi put a special focus on urban development.

"We came out with 100-150 town planning schemes at once for proper urban development under the leadership of Narendra Modi," the former Gujarat Minister added.
New Delhi: Pakistan's Joint Investigation Team is scheduled to visit India on Sunday with India planning to provide the probe team from Pakistan access to all witnesses in the Pathankot terror attack case but not security personnel from National Security Guard or the BSF.

Official sources said India will also press for visit of its probe team to that country for carrying out investigations there.

The sources said the five-member delegation led by Chief of Punjab's Counter Terrorism Department (CTD), Additional Inspector General of Police Muhammad Tahir Rai will not be provided complete access to the Pathankot air force base but to limited areas where Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorists were engaged in an 80-hour gunbattle with security forces, as per PTI.

The Pakistani team which also comprises Lahore's Deputy Director General Intelligence Bureau Mohammad Azim Arshad, Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) Lt Col Tanvir Ahmed, Military Intelligence Lt Col Irfan Mirza and Gujaranwala CTD Investigating Officer Shahid Tanveer will be brought to the airbase in a special plane on March 29.

The airbase will be visually barricaded by NIA to prevent any view of its critical areas.

The team will be briefed thoroughly on March 28 at the NIA headquarters here which will include a 90-minute presentation on the investigations carried in the case so far, the sources said.

This will be the first time that Pakistani intelligence and police officials are travelling to India to investigate a terror attack.

Witnesses, excepting personnel of NSG, BSF and Garud commandos of IAF, have been lined up for the Pakistan probe team.

The witnesses include Punjab Police Superintendent of Police Salwinder Singh, his jeweller friend Rajesh Verma and cook Madan Gopal and 17 injured people.

The three were kidnapped by the terrorists on the intervening night of December 31 and January one before they entered into IAF base.

The NIA will also share details about the four terrorists which includes their native villages, people who had cooperated with them and facilitated their entry into India through Bamiyal village on Indo-Pak border.

DNA samples were taken from the energy drink that they are believed to have consumed before carrrying out the sucide attack, they said.

Pakistani team will also be taken to the point where the Jaish terrorists had breached into India, the sources said.

While India has made it clear that it will cooperate in the probe provided Pakistan reciprocates in the same way, the sources said the Pakistani side would be asked about some details that India had sought from them.

This includes some phone numbers, persons involved which includes brother of Jaish Chief Masood Azhar and companies who had supplied the packed food to the terrorists.

(With PTI inputs)
Mumbai: Upholding the conviction of three persons for gang-raping five mentally challenged girls in an orphanage run by them, the Bombay High Court has come down heavily on the state Child Welfare Committee (CWC) for failing to do its duty as a watchdog.

A division bench of justices RV More and Anuja Prabhudessai upheld the conviction of Ramchandra Karanjule, Nanabhau Karanjule and Khandu Kasbe on charges of gang-raping and molesting five girls, including three minors, at an orphanage, run by private trust 'Kalyani Mahila Bal Seva Sanstha' at Kalamboli in Navi Mumbai.

Ramchandra Karanjule and his wife were trustees of the orphanage.

In its 120-page judgement on March 11, the high court has come down heavily on the CWC for not doing its job properly and failing to keep a watch on the orphanage.

"The CWC is a primary body for addressing needs of children in need of care and protection. The CWC is required to play a role of watchdog at the district level and ensure that standards of care are maintained and the incidents of exploitation and abuse in all child care institutions are addressed," the high court said.

"In the present case, facts clearly indicate that the CWC members have not acted in the best interest of the child. The insensitive role of CWC in adopting 'I see no wrong and hear no wrong' greatly perturbs our judicial conscience," the bench observed in its order.

"Had they (CWC) performed their duties sincerely and with sensitivity, the truth would have been unearthed and these young helpless vulnerable victims would not have been physically, sexually and emotionally traumatised," it said.

The HC, while upholding the conviction of the three persons, observed that the prosecution has proved beyond reasonable doubt their case that the girls were raped.

The court observed that Ramchandra, as director of the orphanage, portrayed himself to be a "savior, protector and guardian" of such girls who were abandoned by their families and shunned by the society.

"The girls were totally dependent on him for food, clothing, shelter and the other basic necessities for survival. They had nowhere to go and no one to confide in or complain to and had to accept the situation as part of their life, by suppressing their feelings, emotions and anger.

"It was only after the committee appointed by this court took the girls into confidence and encouraged them to give vent to their feelings that they expressed their fear, shame and anger," the court said.

The high court commuted the death sentence awarded to Ramchandra, and allowed the appeal filed by him challenging his conviction under section 302 (murder) of IPC for allegedly causing the death of one inmate.

The high court had upheld his conviction for gang-rape and sentenced him to ten years in prison.

The HC, while acquitting Ramchandra on charges of murder, observed that the prosecution was not able to adduce evidence to prove that the death of an inmate was caused due to physical and sexual abuse.

The court, while relying on medical evidence which claimed that the girl had died due to tuberculosis and acute pneumonia, said, "In the present case, there is absolutely no evidence to prove that the accused had committed any such act, which had resulted in death of...."

Moreover, the prosecution has not adduced any evidence to prove that the girl's death was due to deprivation of proper food and medication.

There is absolutely no evidence to prove that the accused had failed to give medication or proper nutrition to her with an intention of causing her death or with a knowledge that it would cause or accelerate her death, the HC said.

A total of six convicts, including Karanjule, had approached the high court after a sessions court convicted them in March 2013.

Apart from Karanjule, the others convicted by the HC are -- Nanabhau Karanjule, Khandu Kasbe, (both acquaintances of Ramchandra Karanjule), and Sonali Badade (orphanage superintendent) and Parvati Mavale (caretaker).

The high court, however, acquitted Prakash Khadke (acquaintance of Ramchandra Karanjule) from all charges.

The HC had upheld conviction under section 354 (molestation) and two-year sentenced handed over to Nanabhau Karanjule.

It convicted Khandu Kasbe under section 376 (2)(g) and sentenced to ten years imprisonment with Rs 50,000 fine.

The orphanage's superintendent, Sonali Badade, was acquitted under the charge of attempt to murder, but convicted on a lesser charge of causing hurt and sentenced to one year in jail with Rs 2,000 fine.

Similarly, Parvati Mavale was convicted by the high court for causing hurt under section 324 of IPC, and sentenced to one year in jail with Rs 2,000 fine.
Dehrudun: Hour's after President's Rule was imposed in Uttarakhand, Chief Minister Harish Rawat on late Sunday night requested Governor to give him a chance to prove majority in the house tomorrow.

According to news agency ANI, Rawat along with other senior leaders met Uttarakhand Governor today and submitted a letter requesting for a chance to prove majority in the Assembly.

Harish Rawat writes to #Uttarakhand Governor, requests for a chance to prove majority in the house tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/wkDw5Fncj1  ANI (@ANI_news) March 27, 2016

Upset over imposition of President's Rule in the state, which had sent the political temperature in the state soaring, the Congress party today said that they would challenge the move in the court.

Uttarakhand Speaker, Govind Singh Kunjwal, earlier disqualified nine Congress legislators, who had rebelled against the former chief minister Harish Rawat-led government in the state.

The decision to disqualify the nine legislators would reduce the effective strength of the 70-member assembly to 61.

"I have taken a decision to disqualify nine party (Congress) MLAs from the assembly under anti-defection law in view of the petition filed by Uttarakhand Parliamentary Affairs Minister Indira Hridayesh," said Kunjwal.

The development comes even as President's Rule was imposed in the state today following recommendation from the Union government.

As of now the Harish Rawat government is to face confidence motion in the Assembly tomorrow.

The rebel Congress legislators on Saturday released a sting video of Rawat and alleged he was indulging in horse-trading to save his government. The video purportedly showed him bargaining with rebel party lawmakers to win their support ahead of the floor test on Monday.

Reacting to the video, the BJP demanded President's Rule in the state, saying Rawat has no right to continue.

A recommendation to impose President's rule was made during an emergency cabinet meeting called by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday night. Later, President Pranab Mukherjee gave his nod in this regard on Sunday.

Kunjwal, however, said that the Assembly would function as usual until he received an official letter from the Governor KK Paul.

"Business advisory committee's meeting was conducted and in that we have decided upon tomorrow's work. If we do not receive any official letter from the governor regarding this (imposition of President's rule), Assembly will work as scheduled," said Kunjwal.

This move comes as a major setback to the Congress as Arunachal Pradesh was also put under President's Rule in January after dissent from some party legislators. However, the province got a new government under one of the rebel legislators, who was sworn in as the state chief last month.

(With Agency inputs)
Brussels: Belgium charged a suspect thought to be the fugitive third Brussels airport bomber with terrorist murder, as a Sunday peace march for the victims was cancelled for security reasons after the attacks in the heart of Europe.

The postponement of the Easter Sunday rally underscored the tension in Belgium as police track members of an Islamic State group cell linked to both Tuesday`s Brussels attacks that killed 31 as well as the Paris assaults in November.

The airport suspect officially identified as Faycal C, and named by sources close to the inquiry as Faycal Cheffou, was arrested on Thursday night as investigators believe he could be the third man pictured in airport surveillance footage alongside two suicide bombers.

The third man, wearing a distinctive dark hat and light-coloured jacket, has been the subject of a massive manhunt after he fled the scene when his device failed to go off in the attack at Zaventem airport.

In the grieving Belgian capital, a defiant "March Against Fear" had been planned for Sunday from the central Place de La Bourse, which has become a shrine to the victims, but was called off after authorities said the mass gathering could draw much-needed resources away from the investigation.

"Let us allow the security services to do their work and that the march, which we too want to take part in, be delayed for several weeks," Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur said.

March organisers said the "security of our citizens is an absolute priority. We join the authorities in proposing a delay and ask people not to come this Sunday."

Brussels airport meanwhile said an examination of the main building housing the departure hall wrecked by two suicide bombers showed the structure is stable and authorities will now see if temporary check-in desks can be installed.

In a separate statement earlier the airport said it did not expect to be able to reopen before Tuesday, with a partial resumption of passenger services, as it repaired the damage and put in place new security measures.Ministers insist they did everything possible to prevent Tuesday`s attacks and track a network also linked to November`s Paris attacks, but the Belgian government is facing a torrent of criticism at home and abroad.

Many believe it failed to do enough to stop young Belgian fighters going to Syria, and two senior ministers have offered to resign after it emerged airport bomber Ibrahim El Bakraoui had been deported from Turkey as a "terrorist fighter".

"It is an endless nightmare for a country turned upside down," said Le Soir daily in a front-page editorial.

Heavily armed soldiers and police patrolled Brussels and the airport on Saturday, as the city that is home to the EU and NATO headquarters remained on high alert.

Prosecutors charged three people including Faycal C, who is the first person formally accused over the suicide attacks on the airport and the Maalbeek metro station.

Le Soir said on its website that the suspect had been identified by a taxi driver who drove the three bombers to the airport on Tuesday.

A source close to the inquiry told AFP he was being tailed in a car by police when he was arrested on Thursday night outside the federal prosecutor`s office with two other people.

He "has been charged with taking part in a terrorist group, terrorist murder and attempted terrorist murder," the prosecutor said.

Asked if he was the suspected third bomber dubbed the "man in the hat" alongside bombers Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui, a source close to the inquiry told AFP: "That is a hypothesis the investigators are working on."Another man arrested in Belgium named as Rabah N. was also charged Saturday in connection with a separate plot to attack France, deepening the links in what French President Francois Hollande has described as a single terror cell straddling both countries.

The Franco-Belgian links were highlighted the day before as it emerged airport attacker Laachraoui`s DNA was found on bombs at the Bataclan concert hall and Stade de France sites in the Paris attacks.

In Italy, meanwhile, police arrested an Algerian national over a probe into fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers, allegedly including those of Laachraoui.

As the painstaking task of identifying the victims of Tuesday`s attacks continued, officials said 24 of those killed had now been formally identified, 11 of whom were foreign nationals.

Of the 340 people wounded, 62 were still in intensive care.
Brussels: Belgian riot police fired water cannon on Sunday to disperse far-right football hooligans who disrupted mourners at a shrine for victims of the Brussels attacks, as police arrested several suspects in a series of new raids.

In scenes that compounded a week of grief for Belgians, black-clad protesters shouting anti-immigrant slogans moved in on the makeshift memorial at Place de la Bourse where hundreds of people had gathered in a show of solidarity.

Under-fire Belgian authorities meanwhile detained four terror suspects after carrying out 13 raids as they seek to round up a web of jihadists with links to the carnage in the Belgian capital and to attacks and plots in France.

The clashes between the far-right demonstrators and police underscored the tensions in Belgium after Tuesday`s Islamic State suicide attacks on the airport and the metro system in which 28 people died and 340 were wounded.

"This is our home" and "The state, Daesh accomplice" around 300 hooligans chanted, using an alternate term for IS, as they gathered near the square by the stock exchange building, AFP journalists witnessed.

Some trampled on the carpet of flowers, candles and messages left at the site by mourners in recent days while at least one wore a mask with a well-known far-right symbol.Police urged the mourners, who included some Muslims, not to provoke the hooligans, but some chanted "Fascists! Fascists! We`re not having it!"

Riot police with helmets and shields corralled the hooligans before dispersing them with high power water jets, and marshalling them onto trains out of the city.

Around 10 people were arrested, police told AFP.

Brussels mayor Yvan Mayeur said police had done "nothing" to stop the hooligans coming to Brussels despite having advance warning, adding that he was "appalled" that "such thugs have come to provoke residents at the site of their memorial."

The mourners gathered despite the fact that organisers had earlier called off a "March Against Fear" in Brussels on Easter Sunday at the request of Belgian authorities, who said police needed the resources for the attacks investigation.

In a homily at the medieval cathedral of Saints-Michel-et-Gudule in Brussels, the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Malines-Brussels Jozef de Kesel said the attacks "defy understanding."

"We are confronted with evil on an unimaginable scale which causes so much innocent and useless suffering," the Belga news agency quoted de Kesel as saying.

"Easter celebrates victory over evil," he added.Meanwhile, the Belgian Crisis Centre said 28 people had died in the airport and metro attacks, down from an initial toll of 31 which had included the three suicide bombers.

A total 340 people from 19 countries were wounded, of whom 101 remain in hospital -- 62 of them in intensive care.

As Belgium struggles to come to terms with the tragedy, recriminations continue over whether the authorities could and should have done more to prevent the carnage, as the links to the November Paris attacks by IS grow clearer by the day.

US Secretary of State John Kerry said Sunday the Brussels attacks highlighted the "great urgency" facing Europe to tackle the problem of young jihadists returning from fighting in Syria to carry out attacks.

Police carried out 13 raids Sunday across Brussels and the towns of Duffel and Mechelen to the north, the federal prosecutor said, questioning nine people and holding four for further inquiries.

In the latest piece in the puzzle of the jihadist cross-border networks, prosecutors said they had charged a second man with involvement in a terror group over a foiled plot to strike France.

And in the Netherlands police arrested a 32-year-old French national in Rotterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack, Dutch prosecutors said, following a raid carried out at the request of French authorities.

The man is thought to have been planning an attack in France in the name of the Islamic State group along with Reda Kriket, a terror suspect who was detained near Paris on Thursday, a French police source told AFP.Those developments came after Italian police had overnight arrested an Algerian national in connection with a probe into fake IDs used by the Paris attackers, suggesting their networks spread far and wide and will not be easy to dismantle.

Brussels prosecutors said the fake documents were "probably" also used by Salah Abdeslam, the sole surviving Paris attacks suspect, while the probe could also show if the same source also produced documents for those behind the March 22 attacks in Brussels.

The suspect, named as Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was interrogated Sunday but refused to speak, a judicial source said.

On Saturday, a Belgian suspect identified as Faycal Cheffou, widely thought to be the fugitive third bomber from the airport, was charged in Brussels with terrorist murder and participation in a terrorist group.

There has been intense speculation he is the man wearing a dark hat and light-coloured jacket seen in airport surveillance footage alongside Ibrahim El Bakraoui and Najim Laachraoui who blew themselves up.

Brussels airport meanwhile said an examination of the wrecked departure hall showed the structure was stable and authorities will now see if temporary check-in desks can be installed, although it will not reopen before Tuesday.
Helsinki: A large Lutheran church in Ylivieska, northern Finland, was destroyed in a fire lit apparently on purpose.

Police detained a local man born in the 1980s, who has initially confessed, Xinhua quoted police as saying. There were no fatalities.

Built in 1786, the Ylivieska church represented tall Finnish wood church architecture. It could seat 700 people. Nothing could be salvaged, vicar Timo Maatta said.

The church had wall paintings by Swedish artist Thomas Kiempe from the 1780s and Sigurd Wettenhovi-Aspa from 1892.

Saturday's fire in Ylivieska culminated in the crash of the tall steeple. Locals spread photos of the scene on social media.

The fire occurred some hours before a scheduled Easter night vigil. After the church was destroyed, around 500 people attended an outside ceremony near the ruins, which was presided over by Oulu Lutheran bishop Samuli Salmi.

Finnish Minister of Education and Culture Sanni Grahn-Laasonen issued a statement deploring the loss of "centuries of local culture".

Church arson is relatively frequent in Finland. In 2006, a young man caused a fire that destroyed the Cathedral of Porvoo, the site of the declaration of Finnish autonomy by Czar Alexander of Russia.


New York: Republican US presidential front- runner Donald Trump has vowed to pursue an "America First" foreign policy if elected, saying many nations including allies "ripped off" America while China has rebuilt itself from money that it has "drained out of the US".

Expounding his foreign policy priorities, Trump said he would consider pulling out American troops from Japan and South Korea if the close allies did not pay the US more.

Trump told the New York Times that he might stop buying oil from Saudi Arabia if it did not send troops to back US efforts to fight Islamic State militants.

The 69-year-old real estate billionaire, who has kept his momentum rolling despite concerted efforts by party establishment to thwart his presidential aspirations, insisted he was "not isolationist" but "America First".

He said: "We have been disrespected, mocked, and ripped off for many, many years by people that were smarter, shrewder, tougher.

"We were the big bully, but we were not smartly led. And we were the big bully who was the big, stupid bully and we were systematically ripped off by everybody."

"So America first, yes, we will not be ripped off anymore. We're going to be friendly with everybody, but we're not going to be taken advantage of by anybody," he said.

Trump cited the US debt - "soon to be USD 21 tn" - and linked it to the fact the US "defended the world".

"No matter who it is, we defend everybody. When in doubt, come to the United States. We'll defend you. In some cases free of charge."

He said that China, now the world's second largest economy after America, had rebuilt itself from money that has "drained out of the United States".

"They've done it through monetary manipulation, by devaluations. And very sophisticated. I mean, they're grand chess players at devaluation," Trump said.

He added: "I like China very much, I like Chinese people. I respect the Chinese leaders, but you know China's been taking advantage of us for many, many years and we can't allow it to go on."

Talking about the rise of China, he said the best way to halt Beijing's building of military airfields and anti- aircraft batteries on reclaimed islands in the disputed South China Sea was to threaten its access to American markets.

"We have tremendous economic power over China, and that's the power of trade," he said.

He declined to elaborate on his plans for dealing with the Communist giant, saying "I wouldn't want them to know what my real thinking is."

Trump said the US was "not being properly reimbursed" for protecting Saudi Arabia.

"Without us, Saudi Arabia wouldn't exist for very long. It would be, you know, a catastrophic failure without our protection.

"They're a money machine... And yet they don't reimburse us the way we should be reimbursed."

Trump also cited NATO, saying it was "obsolete" as the main international threat now was terrorism.

"NATO is something that at the time was excellent. Today, it has to be changed," he said, adding that the US bore "far too much of the cost of NATO".

He expressed a similar view about the US funding of the United Nations.

Trump said: "We get nothing out of the United Nations. They don't respect us, they don't do what we want, and yet we fund them disproportionately again."

Trump also slammed President Barack Obama's administration for seeking a political exit for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while simultaneously fighting the Islamic State group as "madness and idiocy."

"I'm not saying Assad is a good man, 'cause he's not, but our far greater problem is not Assad, it's ISIS," he said.

Trump also referred to the criticism he had received for calling Brussels a "hellhole waiting to explode" but said that, after the deadly attacks on Tuesday, he had been proved right.

He spoke of the arrest before the attacks of key suspect Salah Abdeslam.

Trump, who has said he supports the use of some methods of torture in some cases, said that if Belgian authorities had "immediately subjected him to very serious interrogation - very, very serious - you might have stopped the bombing".

In the March 22 Republican primary in Arizona, Trump grabbed all the 58 delegates at stake in the state, thus, increasing his total to 739 delegates and further increasing the gap on delegate count with his nearest rival Ted Cruz who has 425.

To win the Republican presidential nominee, Trump needs 1,237 delegates.

He needs to win 52 per cent of the delegates in the rest of the Republican primaries. So far, Trump has won 19 States as against Cruz's victory in eight States so far.
Donald Trump described his foreign policy as an "America first" approach that will stop the US from being systematically "ripped off," he said in a lengthy interview published Saturday.

The phone interview with the New York Times was the most in-depth discussion so far on foreign policy for the Republican frontrunner who has spent his entire career in business.

During the conversation, he detailed his views on issues ranging from East Asian security to Syria, the Islamic State group and relations with allies such as Saudi Arabia.

Trump said he was not an isolationist, but described the United States as a poor debtor nation that disproportionately funds international alliances such as NATO and the United Nations.

Similarly lopsided relationships exist with allies such as Japan, South Korea and Saudi Arabia, he said.

"We have been disrespected, mocked and ripped off for many many years by people that were smarter, shrewder, tougher," he told the Times.

"So America first, yes, we will not be ripped off anymore. We`re going to be friendly with everybody, but we`re not going to be taken advantage of by anybody," he said.

Asked if Japan should be allowed to have nuclear weapons to protect itself from North Korea, Trump suggested that would be an acceptable situation.

"Would I rather have North Korea have them with Japan sitting there having them also? You may very well be better off if that`s the case." he said.

Trump also said he would withdraw US troops from Japan and South Korea unless the two Asian countries significantly increased their contributions to Washington for the military presence.

"We cannot afford to be losing vast amounts of billions of dollars on all of this," he said.

He then slammed President Barack Obama`s administration for seeking a political exit for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad while simultaneously fighting the Islamic State group as "madness and idiocy."

"I`m not saying Assad is a good man, `cause he`s not, but our far greater problem is not Assad, it`s ISIS," he said.

The real estate developer said he would instead target the oil that provides a significant portion of the extremist group`s funding, cracking down on underground banking channels to cut off the flow of money.

Trump, who has repeatedly called for Middle Eastern allies to contribute boots on the ground in the fight against IS, said he would "probably" stop buying oil from countries like Saudi Arabia unless they did so or reimbursed the United States for its role in the fight.

Trump added that he got most of his foreign policy information by reading various newspapers including the New York Times, which released a full transcript of the interview.
The Hague: Dutch police on Sunday arrested a 32-year-old French national in the port city of Rotterdam on suspicion of planning a terror attack, prosecutors said, in a raid carried out at the request of France.

"French authorities on Friday requested the arrest of this French national," the national prosecutor's office said in a statement, adding that the man was suspected "of preparing a terrorist attack".

The statement made no mention of any connection with the November attacks in Paris.

Three other men were also detained in the police operations, including two suspects of Algerian background aged 43 and 47. No immediate details were available about the third man, the statement said.

The raids were carried out in two streets in the west of the city, and several nearby homes were evacuated "for the safety of the residents".

The detained French national is expected to be handed over to France "shortly", prosecutors added.

The Netherlands was already on heightened alert after Tuesday`s airport and metro attacks in Brussels, with security stepped up at airports and train stations and border controls tightened.
Idomeni: Greece said Saturday it has begun emptying the main migrant camp on its border with Macedonia, as the huge tide of refugees flooding into the country slows to a trickle following the EU-Turkey deal.

Eight buses transported around 400 refugees from the Idomeni camp Friday, while another three buses left on Saturday, taking them to other camps set up in northern Greece, local police said.

Those persuaded to board the first buses were mainly parents with children who can no longer tolerate the difficult conditions in the squalid camp.

Janger Hassan, 29, from Iraqi Kurdistan, who has been at the Idomeni camp for a month with his wife and two young children, said he will probably leave too.

"There`s nothing to do here. The children are getting sick. It`s a bad situation, the last two days it`s windy, sometimes it`s raining here," he told AFP.

"We don`t have a choice. We have to move."

But some are still holding out at Idomeni.

"People who have no hope or have no money, maybe they will go," said 40-year-old Fatema Ahmed from Iraq, who has a 13-year-old son in Germany and three daughters with her in the camp.

"But I have hope, maybe something better will happen tomorrow, maybe today," she added.

On Saturday, inside one of the soaking tents of the camp, a 24-year-old woman travelling from Kobani with her two little girls, gave birth to another baby girl.

According to Athens News Agency, the woman was helped by the charity Doctors of the World during her labour that lasted just half-an-hour and was then taken to a hospital with her baby.

A total of around 11,600 people remained at the sprawling border camp on Saturday, according to the latest official count.

Giorgos Kyritsis, spokesman of the SOMP agency which is coordinating Athens` response to the refugee crisis, said the operation to evacuate Idomeni will intensify from Monday.

"More than 2,000 places can be found immediately for the refugees that are at the Idomeni camp and from Monday on this number can double," Kyritsis said, pledging to create 30,000 more places in the next three weeks in new shelters.Meanwhile, the flow of refugees arriving in Greece has been slowing dramatically.

Greece on Thursday said no migrants had arrived on its Aegean islands in the previous 24 hours, for the first time since the controversial EU-Turkey deal, under which all migrants landing on the Greek islands face being sent back to Turkey, went into effect on Sunday.

Before the deal the numbers arriving each day had numbered in the thousands. On Monday, 1,662 people arrived, but this fell to 600 on Tuesday and 260 on Wednesday.

By Friday the number of new arrivals was 161, then down to 78 on Saturday, according to official figures given by the Greek government, while the total number of migrants in Greece stood at 50,236.

Greek authorities have used the relative calm to put in place logistics to send people back to Turkey, including the deployment of 4,000 security personnel and asylum experts.

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 applications are considered by Greek and European officials.

Meanwhile Greek authorities said Saturday at least six foreign nationals were arrested during an operation on the island of Kos in an effort to dismantle a network selling counterfeit documents to refugees and migrants.

During home raids, Greek police seized personal computers, cameras, numerous documents, mobile phones and SIM cards.

Refugees are also trying their luck on the Greek-Albanian border.

Albanian police arrested on Saturday seven Syrian refugees who had entered Albania from Greece, who police then said they sent back, Athens News Agency reported.

Albanian Foreign Minister Ditmir Bushati, who has been in Athens this week for talks with his Greek counterpart, had pledged Albania`s help "despite its modest financial resources."
Rome: An Algerian national wanted by Belgium over a probe into fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers was arrested in Italy on Saturday, local media reported, citing police sources.

The suspect, named as Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was detained under a European arrest warrant in the southern region of Salerno, the reports said.

Ouali was arrested in the southwestern town of Bellizzi as part of a joint operation between anti-terrorist forces and Rome`s special operations police, they said.

He was suspected of being part of a criminal network that produced fake documents for illegal immigration, the AGI news agency reported.

The alleged accomplice of the Brussels attackers would be extradited to Belgium in the coming days, it added.

Suspicions were raised after local immigration officials checked Ouali`s residency permit. Police had been searching for a man with the same name and belonging to the same organisation since January 6.

Hundreds of digital photographs were then seized from a counterfeiter`s workshop, including three of those who planned the deadly attacks in Paris in November.

One of those photographed was Najim Laachraoui, a suicide bomber at Brussels airport, reports quoted police as saying.

Investigations are ongoing as to how Ouali came to be in Italy and into the networks of which he may have been a part.
Hong Kong: It is just over a year since Erwiana Sulistyaningsih`s Hong Kong employer was jailed for horrific abuse of her maid in a case that made headlines around the world.

After pictures of Erwiana`s extensive injuries went viral in 2014, the young Indonesian became the face of a movement determined to force change for the army of more than 300,000 migrant domestic workers in Hong Kong.

Although she never admitted her guilt, employer Law Wan-tung was jailed for six years, a triumph for quietly spoken Erwiana who was held up as a hero.

Both she and migrant rights campaigners hoped the high-profile case would bring enough pressure on authorities in Hong Kong and Indonesia to improve conditions for migrant domestic workers, known locally as "helpers".

A year on, they say it has not.

Visiting Hong Kong for the launch of a documentary about her case and the plight of other maids in the city, Erwiana broke down in tears in front of the audience of mostly Indonesian women, some of whom also wept, as she spoke of her ongoing frustration.

"I hear stories of abuse, cheating and exploitation by recruitment agencies, many different cases, and not just women," Erwiana, 25, told AFP in an interview.

"We haven`t seen any changes yet. There are still so many cases of migrants who never get justice."

Most of Hong Kong`s foreign domestic workers are from Indonesia and the Philippines.

Erwiana and fellow campaigners say workers` home countries and receiving countries must clamp down on the private recruitment agencies that extract exorbitant fees from migrants, plunging them into debt before they even start their jobs.

Workers` passports are routinely kept by their agencies or employers, to stop them from running away.

Abolition of the hated "live-in" rule in Hong Kong, which forces migrant domestic workers to live with their employers, making it almost impossible to escape abusive households, is another key demand.

Campaigners have argued these points repeatedly, even before Erwiana`s case, but they have fallen on deaf ears with authorities.

A report released earlier this month by Hong Kong`s Justice Centre said one in six migrant domestic workers in the city -- around 50,000 people -- were in "forced labour".

Its findings come after a report by the UN Committee Against Torture in December urged Hong Kong authorities to reform laws in order to protect victims of forced labour and trafficking.

"I feel sad. I remember my experiences. The cases keep coming and coming," says Erwiana.The new film launched Sunday, entitled "Erwiana: Justice For All", was shot by Hong Kong-based US filmmaker Gabriel Ordaz and will initially be screened at universities in the city.

Ordaz says he is taking the movie to film festivals in the hope of getting the message out internationally.

The documentary recounts tales of women who have been pushed by poverty to leave their home countries in a bid to create a better life for their families.

It also revisits the horrors of Erwiana`s experience, revealed during her trial -- she was imprisoned, starved and when her body was so weak that she could no longer control her bodily functions she was forced to wear a diaper.

Erwiana is now studying economics and business back home and is working as a counsellor and advisor to migrant workers.

She says she finds it difficult to breathe through a still broken nose, her feet are scarred and she receives counselling.

She is no longer frightened of loud noises as she was in the immediate aftermath of the abuse, but says she has trouble focusing for more than 20 minutes.

"My mind just goes blank," she says.

It is speaking about her mother, who also worked as a domestic worker in Brunei, which brings her to tears at Sunday`s screening.

"Every day I wished she could return so she could raise us, her own children... my mother, and millions of women and men, were forced to work overseas because of poverty and no decent jobs in our home countries," she told the audience.

But despite her frustrations, Erwiana says there is still hope.

Hundreds of supporters gathered in Hong Kong`s Victoria Park Sunday afternoon to chat with Erwiana in the sunshine.

Since her case came to light, she says many migrant domestic workers have contacted her to discuss their own situations.

Erwiana helps put them in touch with a network of NGOs in various countries.

"They (the workers) feel that there is a way to help them," she told AFP.

And while there are still many hurdles to overcome, Erwiana says campaigners must not give up.

"If we don`t take care of ourselves, no one will," she says.
Washington: Rift is growing between Islamic State's foreign and local fighters with recent battlefield setbacks in Iraq and Syria exacerbating latent strains within the terror group as it contends with financial hardships and territory loss, according to a media report.

Foreign fighters, long welcomed by Islamic State as essential parts of its global mission, are generating greater internal discord and even violence just as the group pivots outward to target Europe and the US, the Wall Street Journal reported.

"With time, and because of the financial and management differences between them, the locals started to complain" about the foreign fighters, a Mosul resident was quoted as saying. "We all hope to see the day when this division among the fighters ends them."

"Throughout Islamic State-controlled territory in Iraq and Syria, tempers are flaring, showing how recent battlefield setbacks in Iraq and Syria can exacerbate latent strains within the group as it contends with financial hardships and loss of territory," the report said.

The Mosul resident described a clash he said he witnessed a few weeks ago in a busy market.

In a scene that has become commonplace, a foreign Islamic State fighter angrily denounced an elderly Iraqi man for wearing his beard too short for a properly devout Muslim, the report said.

"Instead of quietly enduring another routine indignity, the old man cursed his detractor, to the surprise of onlookers. But what followed was even more surprising: Six local Iraqi fighters for Islamic State intervened to take the old man's side. The Iraqis beat their foreign comrade, handcuffed him and threw him into a car, then sped away," it said.

At least 38,200 foreign fighters from at least 120 countries have travelled to Syria since the beginning of the five-year conflict, according to US intelligence reports.

Many of them, particularly those from Europe, offer little regard for local traditions or rigid tribal structures of western Iraq and eastern Syria.

The growing resentment tends to bubble up following battlefield defeats, said Patrick Skinner, a former Central Intelligence Agency official who is senior associate at the Soufan Group, which follows Islamic State closely.

After Islamic State lost the strategic town of Tal Abyad in northern Syria to Kurdish fighters last autumn, local fighters blamed foreigners for insufficient support, he said.
By Christian Elion BRAZZAVILLE (Reuters) - Congo Republic President Denis Sassou Nguesso has won a new five-year term with over 60 percent of the vote, the interior minister said on Thursday, but the opposition rejected the outcome, alleging fraud and calling for civil disobedience. Residents said Brazzaville, capital of the oil-producing Central African nation where Sassou Nguesso has ruled for all but five of the past 37 years, was quiet but tense as police and soldiers patrolled the streets. In the economic hub of Pointe Noire, an opposition stronghold, police fired in the air near the Tchi Tchi market to disperse a crowd that had gathered, a witness said. It was not immediately clear who was in the crowd. The government lifted a blackout of telephone and Internet communications imposed for Sunday's vote, a measure it said aimed to prevent unofficial election results circulating and causing unrest. Sassou Nguesso came to power in 1979 and governed the Congo Republic until 1992, when he lost an election. He regained power in 1997 after a civil war and then won elections in 2002 and 2009 amid allegations of fraud. The constitution was changed by referendum last year, lifting term and age limits that would have excluded him from running again. Announcing the results on state television in the early hours of Thursday, Interior Minister Raymond Zephyrin Mboulou said opposition leader Guy-Brice Parfait Kolelas finished a distant second with 15 percent of the vote. ALLEGATIONS OF "STOLEN VOTE" Retired general Jean-Marie Mokoko, a former security adviser to Sassou Nguesso, came third with 14 percent, Mboulou said. A coalition of five opposition candidates said on Wednesday that its own results showed Sassou Nguesso headed for defeat. It was expected to provide its own vote tally Friday. "I ask you to claim your stolen and confiscated vote," Mokoko said in a statement on Thursday, potentially setting the stage for street protests. At least 18 people were killed by security forces during opposition demonstrations ahead of October's constitutional referendum. Mokoko also directed his remarks at Congo's armed forces: "We are a public and republican force in service of the people toward whom we have duties and obligations." Three journalists from the French newspaper Le Monde and Agence France Presse were beaten up as they left an opposition news conference on Wednesday by four men in civilian attire, Le Monde's director said in a statement. The assailants, who identified themselves as police, also seized the journalists' passports and equipment, he said. A government spokesman was not available for comment. Sassou Nguesso's supporters credit him with restoring stability and developing infrastructure, and he campaigned on promises including a commitment to spend a quarter of the budget on education to tackle high youth unemployment. His critics say that Congo's oil wealth has enriched and entrenched a small elite, while around half of the population of 4.5 million lives in poverty. Congo's election has been watched closely across Africa, where several long-ruling presidents are trying to remove constitutionally mandated term limits so that they can stay in power. (Additional reporting and writing by Aaron Ross in Kinshasa; Editing by Joe Bavier and Mark Heinrich)
By David Morgan and Megan Cassella WASHINGTON (Reuters) - 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)
The ongoing protest in front of Toronto police headquarters expanded on Saturday  closing off College Street for much of the day as demonstrators continued to call for charges against the police officer who shot and killed Andrew Loku.

The protesters, who have been camped outside of police headquarters for almost a week, also got a show of support today from CUPE.

Members of the union, including president Fred Hahn, joined the Black Lives Matter demonstration in what Hahn described as a show of "solidarity against oppression."

"Black CUPE members face anti-black racism every day," he said in a statement.

The protest got bigger and louder on Saturday  turning to something of a street party by evening.

Demonstrators have been outside police headquarters since Ontario's Special Investigations Unit said it would not lay charges against the Toronto police officer who shot and killed Loku, a 45-year-old immigrant from South Sudan, in July 2015.

Protesters say what happened to Loku is a symptom of systemic racism.

"I'm a lawyer, but folks don't see that. Before anything, they see a young black man," said Anthony Morgan of the African Canadian Legal Clinic.

Morgan says he hears complaints every day from people about their interactions with police.

But tracking the issue is difficult because the exact number of interactions between police and visible minorities is not made public in Canada.

"We understand that they have a challenging job but  we are confident that job can be rendered more effective if we have more systemic ways of collecting the data," Morgan said.

Black Lives Matter has called for the officer who shot Loku to be identified and charged.

"We know that we're disproportionately targeted. You can hear it from our stories, from our lived experiences," said Pascale Diverlus of the group's Toronto chapter.

By evening College Street had reopened to traffic and DJs and rappers were performing for the crowd from the back of a flatbed truck.
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)
RIYADH (Reuters) - The spokesman for the Saudi-led coalition battling the Iran-allied Houthis in Yemen has been quoted as saying major fighting in the country is drawing towards a close, one year after the military campaign began. Fighting on two of the main battlefronts in Yemen, along the border with Saudi Arabia and in the city of Taiz, has calmed this month following mediation by local tribes and there have been secret talks in Saudi Arabia towards finding a resolution. Saudi TV channel al-Arabiya quoted the spokesman, Brigadier General Ahmed al-Asseri, as saying on Thursday that "the major fighting in Yemen is nearing an end ... (and) the next phase is a stage of restoring stability and reconstructing the country". Arabiya gave no further details and Asseri could not be immediately reached for comment. The Saudi-led coalition began its military campaign a year ago with the aim of preventing the Houthi group and forces loyal to Yemen's ex-president Ali Abdullah Saleh from taking control of the country. It also aims to restore President Abd-Rabbu Mansour Hadi to power in the capital Sanaa. Asseri and Saudi Foreign Minister Adel al-Jubeir have in recent days said that any peace talks can only take place between Hadi and the Houthis, and through the U.N. special envoy Ismail Ould Cheikh Ahmed. Asseri announced last April that the coalition's initial operation had ended, saying it had "neutralized most of the military capabilities of the Houthi militias and their allies that represented a threat to Yemen and neighboring countries". However, the fighting then intensified as the coalition added small numbers of ground troops to support Yemeni fighters, backed by an increasingly heavy air campaign. The coalition retook Yemen's second city, Aden, from the Houthis and Saleh's forces in July, the northeastern town of Marib in September and the small northwestern port of Midi this year. Bitter fighting in Taiz since the autumn calmed somewhat this month and a Houthi siege of the city ended. Near-daily attacks on Saudi border positions have gone on for months, killing hundreds of the kingdom's soldiers and civilian residents of frontier regions. More than 6,000 Yemenis, about half of them civilians, have been killed in the fighting and airstrikes over the past year, the United Nations says. Millions more have been displaced. (Reporting By Angus McDowall; Editing by Gareth Jones)
Zainab Jerrett has been calling St. John's her home since 1991. Born and raised in northeastern Nigeria, her home in St. John's is filled with reminders of her home country.

Jerrett tries to make a trip to Nigeria to see her family once every two years, but it's been eight years since she's been able to make journey.

"I used to go home every two years but 2009, which was the year I was supposed to go and visit, Boko Haram started," she said.

"It was extremely dangerous because my area was pretty much the heart of the place. Those of us who were Christians, we were their first target."

Jerrett's mother sill lives in Nigeria, along with multiple brothers and sisters  one of whom had a scary encounter with Boko Haram.

"I have a sister who is a high court judge. She survived Boko Haram, actually her house was surrounded by Boko Haram," said Jerrett.

"They had already targeted her. Luckily the military came and helped save them."

Thanks to phone calls, emails and text messages Jerrett is able to stay in touch with her family, but it's hard for her to watch Boko Haram's reign of terror on the news.

"Always nervous. Sometimes I will cry," she said. "Last year was pretty much the peak and I was always afraid, always nervous."

The nerves have turned into guilt. Sitting safely in her St. John's home, Jerrett and her husband have little to worry about.

But back home in Nigeria, the government closed public schools in three states in the northeastern region three years ago.

Last year, Jerrett decided she wanted to do something to help.

Jerrett started a non-profit called We Care Foundation. It's aim is to raise funds to get girls out of Boko Haram territory and back into the classroom.

"The girls can't go anywhere because they are targets. They are kidnapped, they are raped," she said.

"What we are trying to do now is, even though they have been out of school, we are trying to see how we can get them back to school."

Story continues

'Crying with tears of joy'

With the help of her foundation, St. Augustine's Anglican Church and multiple fundraising events, Jerrett got enough cash together to help a small number of girls get out of refugee camps and back to school.

"Now we have supported 13 girls, who've gone back to school," said Jerrett, who was tearful when talking about the girls.

"I am really emotional when I am talking about it, because when I call to talk to them to their moms, they are just crying with tears of joy."

However, Jerrett knows there are more who need help in Nigeria

"We know that there are boys, it's not that we are sexist but the girls, their situation is a little more dire because they are ones who are being used mostly as suicide bombers," said Jerrett.

"When they are kidnapped they are used as suicide bombers, that's why we are focusing on girls."

Jerrett's group hopes to raise more money to try and help more Nigerians whose lives have been torn apart by Boko Haram.

The We Care Foundation is hosting a multicultural night and concert April 9 to generate more funds  and attention  for the displaced girls of northeastern Nigeria.

"Having secondary school is important for the girls, now they don't have to get married, or married away, so the fundraising will continue," said Jerrett.

"And we hope if we can do more, we would like to sponsor more."
Syrian government forces and allied militiamen, backed by airstrikes, have made further advances into Palmyra, the ancient city that fell to Islamic State (IS) last May.

The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said they had taken up positions in three neighbourhoods in the modern town.

State-run television also said the army was advancing inside Palmyra.

It broadcast footage from the slopes of the medieval citadel, which was seized by the army on Friday, showing tanks and armoured vehicles firing at IS targets.

Waves of explosions hit buildings, and smoke could be seen rising from a number of locations.

Palmyra's recapture would mark the biggest reversal for IS since Russia's intervention in the five-year conflict.

The city, affectionately known as the "bride of the desert," used to attract tens of thousands of tourists every year.

After taking it over IS demolished some of the best-known monuments at the UNESCO world heritage site.

The extremist group believes the ancient ruins promote idolatry.

The fate of the archaeological site was not immediately clear.on Saturday.

Some reports said there was still fighting in the area, while the Observatory said government forces had retaken it.

The head of the antiquities authority has meanwhile promised to restore the ancient Roman temples and triumphal arch dynamited by IS.

Mamoun Abdelkarim told Reuters work would begin once IS had been driven from Palmyra, hopefully within days.

He said it would act "as a message against terrorism".

He added: "We will rebuild (the monuments) with the stones that remain, and with the remaining columns. (We will) bring life back to Palmyra."
TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan's top security agency said on Monday China's establishment of diplomatic ties with one of the island's former African allies was meant to put pressure on President-elect Tsai Ing-wen to "fall in line" before her inauguration on May 20. China resumed ties with the small west African state of Gambia last week, ending an unofficial diplomatic truce between China and Taiwan following landslide wins in presidential and parliamentary elections by Tsai and her pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party. Gambia was one of only a few African countries, along with Burkina Faso, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe, to recognize Taiwan, which China regards as a wayward province to be recovered by force if necessary. Taiwan has only 22 allies in the world, including the Vatican City. China and Taiwan have for years tried to poach each other's allies, often dangling generous aid packages in front of leaders of developing nations. On Monday, Taiwan's normally secretive National Security Bureau said in a report presented to parliament the island's ties with its few remaining diplomatic allies were at risk of being undermined by financial aid packages from China. "The warning to our new government was thick with meaning," the bureau said in its report. "It had the intention of pressuring President-elect Tsai Ing-wen to respond in her May 20 inaugural speech in a way that falls in line with China's expectations," the bureau said. Tsai said in an interview carried by one of Taiwan's biggest dailies, the China Times, on Monday that both sides should show goodwill in the period before she is sworn in. "Through the expression of goodwill, the hope is to build a foundation of trust," Tsai said. She said through a spokesman last week she hoped the Gambia case was not a "targeted move" by China. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said the resumption of diplomatic ties with Gambia was "not aimed at any person". Hua also warned the United States not to "put in a good word" for Taiwan, after U.S. President Barack Obama signed a bill supporting Taiwan's participation in Interpol. Hua said Interpol was a body only sovereign nations could join. China has repeatedly warned Tsai against any moves toward independence, while Tsai has stuck to her stance of maintaining the status quo without offering a clear policy. Gambia broke its ties with Taiwan in 2013, but did not immediately establish ties with China. (Reporting by J.R. Wu; Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard in Beijing; Editing by Paul Tait and Nick Macfie)
Ireland is preparing to mark the centenary of the Easter Rising against British rule amid fears of an upsurge in dissident republican violence.

The Irish President has told Sky News he does not believe it is dangerous to commemorate the past and that it is "useless... to effect some kind of amnesia".

Michael D Higgins said he would consider it "amoral" to tell victims of violence, in Northern Ireland for example, that they should put it behind them.

:: Irish President Insists Commemorations Are Not Dangerous

"If you are involved in the ethics of memory, you have to transact it, so therefore, you recognise it, and you look at that complexity and that is when you must be open to the different narratives which must be placed side by side," said the Head of State.

Security services on both sides of the border will be on high alert amid fears the commemorations could be hijacked by dissident republicans.

It was Easter 1916 when a poorly-armed band of poets, Irish language enthusiasts and former British soldiers seized Dublins General Post Office.

They read a proclamation declaring Ireland an independent republic, but were quickly overcome by the British, who executed 16 of the leaders, turning public opinion.

Sinn Fein President Gerry Adams TD said: "When the British ruthlessly came in and killed the leaders, they quite deliberately took the head of the revolution. The thinkers and philosophers were removed."

Two years after the uprising, Sinn Fein won a landslide victory. Ireland had voted for the aims of those executed - a republic.

Home Rule had already been agreed but suspended by the outbreak of World War One.

Former Irish prime minister John Bruton says there was no need for an armed uprising.

"People are saying 'well it is not justified to use the gun now - but we are going to justify its being used the past'," he said.

"Now in my view it was wrong on both occasions. 1916 was unnecessary. We had Home Rule already. There was no need for violence. It didn't meet the criteria of a just war."

The Queen paid her respects to those who had been executed during her historic state visit to Ireland but Northern Ireland's First Minister won't commemorate them.

Arlene Foster MLA said: "For me, as a Unionist... who has lived through the troubles in Northern Ireland, where frankly the Easter Rising was used as a justification for the legitimacy of what actually occurred there... it is something I dont see as fitting of official commemoration."
By Dustin Volz WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Seven Iranian hackers broke into computers of dozens of U.S. banks, causing millions of dollars in damages, 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 news 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 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. 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. "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. 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 Peoples 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 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. 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 program 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 and Jim Finkle in Boston; Editing by James Dalgleish and Bill Trott)
WARRENSBURG, Mo., March 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Eyecare Specialties, an optometry practice with locations in Sedalia, Warrensburg, Clinton and, most recently, Lee's Summit, Missouri, is introducing a new doctor on April 1, 2016. Dr. Jill McNaughton has an emphasis in primary care optometry, contact lenses and advanced medical optometry treating such diseases as glaucoma, macular degeneration and cataract detection and monitoring. As such, she will allow the clinic to expand upon the already considerable list of services that it provides. "We couldn't be more excited about the addition of Dr. McNaughton to our team," said Dr. Jason Lake. "With Dr. McNaughton on board, we are better able to assist patients in all aspects of care, making their experience much smoother and easier," he added.



Dr. McNaughton has accumulated considerable amounts of experience during her career. She earned her Bachelor of Science in Biology from the University of Missouri at Columbia in 2002. From there, she went on to earn her Doctor of Optometry from the University of Missouri at St. Louis in 2006. She then started practicing and focused on ocular disease and primary care optometry. This gave her a strong foundation for what was ahead. Later, she branched out into focusing on co-management of surgical and medical patients.

Early in her career, Dr. McNaughton worked at the Veteran's Administration Medical Center in Kansas City, Missouri, where she continued to participate in the co-management of surgical and medical patients. This time, the emphasis was on diabetic eye diseases and glaucoma. She then transitioned to her most recent position at Sabates Eye Centers which she held for nearly 10 years before joining the Eyecare Specialties team. Having such exposure to the excellent services provided by Sabates Eye Center will allow for a seamless transition to Eyecare Specialties and their dedication to top-notch patient care.

Eyecare Specialties offers an array of eye and vision services, including eye and vision exams, vision therapy, Ortho-K and more. "Dr. McNaughton really rounds out our team, and we couldn't be happier to have her on board," said Dr. Lake. "Patients really like her, and she genuinely loves what she does. She's a perfect fit for us."

With locations in Warrensburg, Sedalia, Clinton and, just in the last month, Lee's Summit, Eyecare Specialties is a convenient option for local residents who need glasses, contacts, eye exams or other medical services. The clinic can be reached by calling (660) 747-2020.
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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
TAIPEI  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 Philippine 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.

Manila has yet to respond to Mas invitation as of press time.

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.

The Permanent Court of Arbitration based in The Hague is expected to decide on Manilas case in the next few weeks. Beijing has refused to participate in the tribunals proceedings, citing its indisputable sovereignty over almost the entire South China Sea and the West Philippine Sea.

As part of its case now being considered by an international court in The Hague, the Philippines has argued that no feature in the Spratlys  including Itu Aba  could be legally considered islands because they lack the ability to sustain human habitation or economic life.

But if Itu Aba is determined to be an island, it is entitled to a 370-kilometer exclusive economic zone under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS).

Such a ruling would complicate territorial disputes across the vital trade route and resource-rich region, where Malaysia, Vietnam and Brunei also have claims.

 Reuters
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)
The human gut is a complex and amazing system, and the more we learn about it, the more amazed we are. It turns out
By Amina Ismail CAIRO (Reuters) - Egypt's Interior Ministry said on Thursday that security forces had retrieved a bag and passport belonging to murdered Italian student Giulio Regeni that was in the possession of a criminal gang impersonating policemen 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 Egyptian security services, an allegation the government has strongly denied. Regeni, 28, disappeared on Jan. 25, the anniversary of the 2011 uprising that ended former president Hosni Mubarak's 30-year rule. The Interior Ministry said security forces had targeted the criminal gang which had Regeni's bag and that it had "specialised in impersonating police officers, kidnapping foreigners and forcibly robbing them". It said that a red handbag bearing the Italian flag was found, and inside it was Regeni's passport and other items such as a visa card two cell phones and a "feminine wallet" with the word love on it and a dark substance resembling hashish. "A highly skilled investigation team was formed to uncover the mystery of several reported forced robberies and incidents of impersonating police officers," said the ministry in a statement. The ministry named what it identified as four ring leaders of the gang; Tarek Saad Abd El-Fatah, 52, described as a dangerous offender guilty of fraud and other offences, and his son Saad Tarek Saad, 26. Also mentioned were Mustafa Bakr Awad, 60, charged with fraud and 20 varied offences, and Salah Ali Sayed, 40, who the ministry said had committed similar crimes. Regeni had written articles critical of the Egyptian government, the Italian newspaper that published them said. The broken corpse of the Cambridge University student, who was researching the rise of independent labour unions following the 2011 revolt, was found in a ditch at the side of a motorway on Feb. 3. Egyptian forensics and prosecution officials have said his body showed signs of torture and that he was killed by a blow with a sharp object to the back of the head. The case has put a spotlight on alleged police brutality in Egypt, a strategic ally of the United State and other Western powers. Shopkeepers in Regeni's neighbourhood of Cairo said there were no signs that police in the area had been questioning people since his disappearance or death. Rights groups accuse the police of widespread abuses against Egyptians since the army toppled Egypt's first freely elected president in 2013. Italy has said Egyptian investigators should hand over the evidence they have uncovered on Regeni's death. Egypt invited Italian investigators to take part in the investigation, but judicial sources in Rome say the collaboration has been limited because not enough information was shared. An Egyptian forensics official has told the public prosecutor's office the autopsy he conducted on an Italian student showed he was interrogated for up to seven days before he was killed, two prosecution sources had told Reuters. The findings were the strongest indication yet that Giulio Regeni was killed by Egyptian security services because they point to interrogation methods such as burning with cigarettes in intervals over several days, which human rights groups say are the hallmark of the security services. Interior Ministry spokesmen declined comment on this matter. (Writing by Michael Georgy; Editing by Tom Brown)
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. (Additional reporting by Mark Hosenball in Washington and Jim Finkle in Boston)
A man shot by police in Brussels has been charged with membership of a terror group.

Belgian prosecutors named him as A Abderrahmane, who was shot in the leg when he failed to respond to police demands to raise his arms in the Brussels district of Schaerbeek on Friday.

He is thought to have been involved in a planned attack on France that was foiled following a raid last week.

Another man named as Rabah N has been charged with the same offence.

It comes as operations around Europe saw several terror suspects detained.

Police in Brussels carried out 13 new raids on Sunday, taking nine people into custody for questioning and releasing a further five.

Hours later it emerged that Dutch police had arrested a 32-year-old Frenchman in the port city of Rotterdam.

He was detained at the request of French authorities who suspect him of "involvement in planning a terror attack".

Three other men were held during the same operation: two with Algerian backgrounds and a third man whose identity could not immediately be established.

On Saturday night, an Algerian suspect sought by Belgian investigators was held in southern Italy.

Djamal Eddine Ouali was arrested by armed anti-terrorism police in Bellizzi, near Salerno.

He is suspected of forging documents for the jihadi network behind the Brussels and Paris attacks.

Ouali could be extradited to Belgium within days.

Another man, identified as journalist Faycal Cheffou, has also been charged with terrorist murder after the Brussels attacks, while a suspected terrorist by the name of Reda Kriket was held during the raid near Paris on Thursday.

Meanwhile, European security agencies are hunting for at least eight suspects believed to have assisted with the attacks in Paris and Brussels, according to German newspaper Die Welt am Sonntag.
By Tatiana Jancarikova and Jan Lopatka BRATISLAVA (Reuters) - Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico won Saturday's parliamentary election, nearly complete results showed, but gains by opposition parties including the far right will make it very hard if not impossible to form a new government. If Fico fails to put together a government led by his leftist Smer party, a group of center-right parties could try to form a broad but possibly unstable anti-Fico coalition, a repeat of the 2010 election. Fico, a leftist whose anti-immigration and socially conservative views are in line with neighbors Poland and Hungary, took 28.3 percent of the vote, far ahead of others but less than he had hoped for, results from 99.98 percent of voting districts showed. With euro zone member Slovakia due to take over the European Union's rotating presidency from July, giving it a bigger role in EU policy discussions over the bloc's migration crisis, the election is being watched closely in Brussels. Fico bet on a combination of popular welfare measures such as free train rides for students and pensioners and his opposition to accepting refugees to secure a third term, after ruling in 2006-2010 and 2012-2016. The results showed eight groups won seats in the new parliament, including four that were not in the outgoing one. Some factions rule out working with each other, especially with a far-right party that gained representation. Some analysts raised the prospect of a stalemate that could lead to a minority or temporary cabinet. Fico, who had hoped to rule with one smaller coalition partner, said building a new coalition in a highly fragmented parliament would take time and be tough, given the "very complicated" election results. "As the party that won the election we have the obligation to try build a meaningful and stable government," Fico told reporters. "It will not be easy, I am saying that very clearly." Fico, who dismisses multiculturalism as "a fiction", has pledged never to accept EU-agreed quotas on relocating refugees who have flooded into Greece and Italy from Syria and beyond. Slovakia has a tiny Muslim minority. It has not seen any large numbers of refugees pass through its territory. Opponents portray Fico as an inefficient and unsavoury populist who ignores the need to reform education and healthcare. However, most opposition parties in the predominantly Catholic country agree with Fico's hardline stance on migrants. Refusal to provide guarantees for a bailout of Greece brought down the previous center-right government in 2012. Both Smer-led and center-right coalitions face huge obstacles, because either would have to include the centrist Most-Hid party popular among the Hungarian minority as well as the mildly nationalist Slovak National Party. Most-Hid refuses to work with the nationalists, the party's chief Bela Bugar said, putting the faction that won just 6.5 percent in the position of a possible king-maker. "This will be a more difficult birth than this country has ever experienced," said Marian Lesko, a commentator at weekly Trend. FAR-RIGHT IN PARLIAMENT Slovakia is one of the euro zone's most financially sound states, popular with foreign investors, particularly car makers. But unemployment of more than 10 percent and vast regional differences in wealth, as well as corruption and low healthcare and education standards, have disappointed many voters. The dissatisfaction along with Fico's bet on immigration fears may have brought votes to protest parties. The far-right radical People's Party of central Slovak Governor Marian Kotleba won 8.0 percent, nearly three times more than predicted. Kotleba has in the past sported uniforms reminiscent of the Nazi-era Slovak state, and was investigated, but not found guilty of, spreading hatred toward the Roma minority. (Editing by Tom Brown, Matthew Lewis and Stephen Powell)
By J.R. Wu and Faith Hung TAIPEI (Reuters) - Taiwan needs to protect its international space as its diplomatic position is precarious, president-elect Tsai Ing-wen said on Friday after China resumed ties with former Taiwan ally Gambia and anger over the move grew in the self-ruled island. The small West African state was one of only a few African countries, along with Burkina Faso, Swaziland and Sao Tome and Principe, to recognise Taiwan, which China regards as a wayward province to be recovered by force if necessary. China and Taiwan have for years tried to poach each other's allies, often dangling generous aid packages in front of leaders of developing nations. But they began an unofficial diplomatic truce after signing a series of landmark trade and economic agreements in 2008, after the election of the China-friendly Ma Ying-jeou as Taiwan's president, as Beijing tried to convince Taiwan of its friendly intentions after decades of hostility and suspicion. That truce is now over, following January's landslide election of Tsai and her pro-independence Democratic Progressive Party (DPP). China has repeatedly warned her against any moves towards independence. In comments released via a spokesman, Tsai said China and Taiwan did not need to do anything to harm each other's feelings. "(I) hope the establishment of ties with Gambia is not a targeted move," Tsai said. "At present, Taiwan's diplomatic situation is not optimistic, and needs everyone to unite together to face up to it, to consistently protect our international space." ANGER IN TAIWAN Senior Taiwan lawmakers lined up to criticise China, including from the China-friendly Nationalist Party. "It has seriously hurt the feelings of the Taiwan people," said Nationalist lawmaker Chiang Chi-chen, a member of parliament's defence and foreign affairs committee. DPP lawmaker Lo Chih-cheng said Tsai had pledged to maintain the status quo with China and that she would not take provocative action. "But very regretful, before her inauguration, China with its unilateral action has changed the status quo across the Taiwan Strait," Lo said. Asked if China had dangled any financial incentives in front of Gambia, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lu Kang said Gambia had not bought up "any pre-conditions". While Gambia severed relations with Taiwan in November 2013, causing anger in Taipei, China had held off establishing formal ties with it until now. Influential state-run Chinese tabloid the Global Times said it did not believe the decision represented a collapse of the diplomatic truce, but accused Taiwan of "making trouble". "DPP leader Tsai Ing-wen should act more positively to address the growing uncertainties," it said in an editorial. China's Taiwan Affairs Office first informed its counterpart on the island, the Mainland Affairs Council, of the pending announcement via a mobile phone text message, said Aileen Hu, director of policy planning at the council. But China told Taiwan its top official in charge of Taiwan ties, Zhang Zhijun, was not in so they could not use the ministerial-level hotline both sides have used three times already this year, she added. "We felt this was an issue of a major emergency fulfilling the need to use the hotline," Hu told reporters. The Taiwan Affairs Office did not respond to a request for comment. Gambia had recognised China, officially known as the People's Republic of China, from 1974 to 1995, before switching to Taiwan, officially known as the Republic of China. Other countries with diplomatic ties with Taiwan include the tiny Pacific island states of Nauru and Palau, as well as Vatican City, Paraguay, Panama, Haiti and Nicaragua. (Additional reporting by Ben Blanchard and Megha Rajagopalan in BEIJING; Editing by Nick Macfie, Robert Birsel)
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 snivelling coward" for threatening his wife on Twitter. The U.S. 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 snivelling 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 U.S. 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 unfavourable" 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 unfavourable" 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 unfavourable" 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 towards 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)
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 Nate Raymond NEW YORK (Reuters) - A consultant to Iran's mission to the United Nations has been criminally charged with violating a U.S. law against dealing with that country, according to an indictment made public on Wednesday. Ahmad Sheikhzadeh, 60, faces seven charges including conspiracy to evade U.S. sanctions against Iran, money laundering, and helping arrange false tax returns, the May 18 indictment said. Federal prosecutors unveiled the charges a few hours after a hearing in federal court in Brooklyn, New York, where U.S. District Judge Pamela Chen set a $3 million bond for the defendant. Sheikhzadeh was arrested nearly three weeks ago, court records show, and had pleaded not guilty at a prior hearing. "We will vigorously fight these charges," his lawyer Steve Zissou said outside of court. The defendant has lived in the United States since he was 18, Zissou added. The case came just two months after Iran emerged from years of economic isolation when world powers led by the United States and the European Union lifted crippling sanctions against the country, in return for curbs on Tehran's nuclear ambitions. According to the indictment, Sheikhzadeh was paid a regular cash salary by the Iran mission, often through a colleague employed there, and deposited it into a Citibank checking account. But the indictment said he also used that account for side transactions with two U.S.-based co-conspirators who wished to invest in Iran, and at their request directed an Iran-based co-conspirator to funnel money to people in that country. The defendant "did not obtain any license from the (U.S.) Department of Treasury" authorizing these and other activities, the indictment said. At Wednesday's hearing, Chen restricted Sheikhzadeh from going to the Iranian mission and limited his contact with people there, after a prosecutor expressed concern about whether the defendant might seek sanctuary or become a flight risk. "He does work for a hostile government," and the mission might be a "potential safe haven for him," Assistant U.S. Attorney Tali Farhadian told the judge. Farhadian also said Sheikhzadeh had family in Iran who has "substantial assets." Iran and the United States have no diplomatic relations. The bond will be secured by property belonging to Sheikhzadeh's brother, who worked at New York University. About $800,000 of Sheikhzadeh's assets have also been frozen, Farhadian said. The Iranian mission had no immediate comment. Neither it nor Citibank was named as a defendant in the indictment. (Reporting by Nate Raymond; Additional reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York and Michelle Nichols at the United Nations; Editing by Sandra Maler, Bernard Orr)
US authorities know the identity of the third Brussels airport bomber who is believed to be on the run, Sky News has learned.

The man, who was caught on CCTV wearing a white jacket and a black hat before the attacks, is on the US terror watch list.

The information has been confirmed twice by a Sky News source.

Two brothers involved in the Brussels attacks, Ibrahim and Khalid Bakraoui, were also on the list, according to the Reuters news agency.

It comes comes after Belgium's terror watch status was lowered from the highest to the second highest level .

The decision was taken just two days after the suicide bomb attacks at Zaventem Airport and Maalbeek metro station in Brussels, which left 31 people dead and 316 injured.

Although the terror threat level has been reduced from the maximum of four to three, the authorities say the situation remains "exceptional" and "grave" and that another attack is "likely".

Meanwhile, the chief suspect in the Paris attacks has claimed he "didn't know" about the Brussels terror plot .

The denial by Salah Abdeslam comes amid mounting evidence of strong links between the extremists that carried out the Brussels bombings and those behind November's atrocities.

It has been suggested the Brussels attacks had been due to be carried out over Easter but were brought forward in case Abdeslam revealed details following his arrest.

Investigators believe he and two others, including a man detained with him in the Belgian capital last Friday, planned to use guns and bombs to cause mass casualties in Brussels, according to public broadcaster VRT.

Abdeslam, who was captured after four months on the run , has said he will no longer fight extradition to France.

Defence lawyer Sven Mary said his client, a French citizen, wanted to return as "quickly as possible" to "explain himself".

As investigations continue into the Brussels attacks, local media have reported police believe another man was involved in the bombing on the metro and could be at large.

Story continues

It had previously been thought a lone suicide bomber, Khalid El Bakraoui, had carried out the devastating strike.

The unidentified suspect was captured on CCTV in the metro on Tuesday carrying a large bag alongside Khalid, although it is not known if he was also killed in the attack.

Khalid's brother, Ibrahim, was one of two suicide bombers who targeted Brussels airport the same day.

It has emerged his accomplice, who also blew himself up, was Belgian Najim Laachraoui, 24, identified as the bomb maker in the Paris attacks.

Laachraoui's brother Mourad, 20, has said he was a "nice" and intelligent boy and there were no signs he had been radicalised before he left for Syria in 2013 and broke all contact with the family.

He said the last time saw Najim, who attended a Catholic high school in Brussels, he looked "normal".

In another development, the Dutch justice minister has confirmed one of the attackers was flown from Turkey to Amsterdam in July, but said authorities were not told why and had no cause to detain him.

In a letter to parliament, Ard van der Steur said Ibrahim El Bakraoui had a valid Belgian passport when he arrived in Amsterdam "so there was no reason to take any action" at Schiphol Airport.

His account appears to contradict that of Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who said Ankara had warned Dutch and Belgian officials El Bakraoui was a "foreign terrorist fighter".
Modified On Feb 22, 2017 06:26 PM By Nabeel for Tata Tiago 2015-2019

Tata has had many ups and downs with its latest hatchback. The car was first unveiled in December last year and we have been eagerly waiting for the hatch ever since. We liked the features it offered and the way it was all put together. After avoiding controversies with the Zica name tag, the Tiago was all set to be launched on March 28, 2016. However, the launch has now been postponed to April 06.

It recently made headlines at the Auto Expo and soon after, Tata declared that the car will be called 'Tiago'. Since then, it has been spotted at dealerships, suggesting that the deliveries might start soon after the launch. Bookings for the automobile also started on March 10, for a token amount of Rs. 10,000. The car also made an appearance at the 2016 Geneva Motor Show where it was showcased in certain styling tweaks.

A quick recap of the specs; the hatch comes with two engine options. This line-up consists of the Revotron 1.2-litre petrol and Revotorq 1.05-litre diesel. These engines offer 85PS and 70PS of power respectively. They have been well tuned for city driving and do not break a sweat in bumper to bumper traffic. On the highways, the engines respond well and the new dual path suspension feels well balanced. Steering is neither too light nor too heavy and feels quite confident at high speeds.

It comes with safety features like ABS (Anti-Lock Braking System), EBD (Electronic BrakeForce Distribution) and Corner Stability Control. Other features include Tatas ConnectNext Infotainment System with Bluetooth connectivity, tuner, USB, Aux-in and a large screen display. This system also offers smartphone integration with two apps - Navigation and Juke. The Tiago comes with a segment first - 8 speaker system (4 speakers and 4 tweeters).

This car will go head to head with the likes of the Chevrolet Beat and the Maruti Suzuki Celerio. We expect the prices to start at around Rs. 3.75 lakh. This will really spice up the things in the compact car segment, despite the competitors being well settled in the market.

Watch First Drive of Tata Tiago

Also Read:

Tata Displays Tiago at the 2016 Auto Expo

Will Tiago Make a Difference?

Battle of Hatchbacks: Tiago vs Beat vs Celerio vs i10

Tata Tiago: Will It Change Tata Motors' Fortunes?
Fukushima + 5: The Disaster Continues blackrainpress [at] hotmail.com) by Michael Steinberg

Nuclear Shutdown News chronicles the decline and fall of the nuclear industry, in the US and beyond, and highlights the efforts of those who are working to create a nuclear free future. Here is this month's issue.

On March 9, two days before the fifth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster, the Wall Street Journal ran this story, Japanese Court Orders Shutdown of Nuclear Reactors.



The paper reported that the court issued an injunction to shut down two of the four reactors recently restarted by Kansai Electric Co. because the utility failed to prove to the court's satisfaction that it could operate operate those nukes safely.

Driving the process, the Journal reported, were organized and outspoken community members worried about a repeat of the March 2011 Fukushima disaster.



The paper also reported the ruling requires immediate shutdown of Takahama nuclear reactor unit 3.



A leading actor in this half decade long drama has been Kyoto-based Green Action Japan. Kyoto is a city of 1.5 million, not far enough from the Takahama nuke plant.



After the court's ruling the organization commented, We want to protect Lake Biwa, Japan's largest lake, which provides water for 14 million people. We want to protect Kyoto's cultural heritage from radioactive contamination.



Aileen Moko Smith, Green Action Japan's executive director, added, Restarting of Takahama violates the Nuclear Nuclear Agency's (equivalent of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission) safety standards. Tens of thousands of children, including babies, are not being protected under emergency planning in an outright human rights violation.



Green Action says 100,000 people would have to be evacuated in case of serious accident at the Takahama nuke.



Meanwhile at the ruins of Fukushima itself, three melted down reactors are still a global threat and another nuclear disaster is still looming.



Fukushima's owner, Tokyo Electric Power Company-TEPCO-as well as the Japanese government-have failed to find the molten nuclear fuel rods in units 1, 2 and three.



To keep another catastrophe from breaking out, massive amounts of water have to be constantly spewed into the reactors to keep more highly radioactive fires from starting, whose plumes would circle Mother Earth and deposit fallout fallout everywhere.



But this procedure produces massive amounts radioactive water, and there is no safe place to put it either.



On March 13 Kevin Kamp of Beyond Nuclear reported on KPOO radio in San Francisco, Every day 300 tons-- 80, 000 gallons-- of radioactively contaminated waters flows uncontrolled from Fukushima into the Pacific Ocean. Last year these waters began to hit the shores of North America.

Kamp also said that multiple storage tanks (that were supposed to be temporary) spread around the Fukushima site to hold all this hot stuff, were shoddily constructed, threaten to collapse, and leak into the sea.



On March 11 the Associated Press published an article, Decontamination workers often exploited, shunned, detailing the plight of cleanup workers, thousands of whom are employed in and around the wrecked nuke plant each and every day.



The AP reported that these are people, many in their 50s and 60s, from the margins of society, with no special skills or close family ties.



They're cleaning up radiation in Fukushima,doing sometimes unsafe work, and yet they can't be proud of what they do or even be considered workers, Mitsuo Nakamura, a former day laborer who now heads a citizens group supporting decontamination workers told the AP. They are exploited by the vested interests that have grown in the massive project.



That project, whose ballooning cost is now estimated at $44 billion, or more, the AP reported, could take 40 years or more.



In addition, 100,000 Japanese people are still displaced by the disaster, Beyond Nuclear reported.



Besides all this, the three melted down nuclear reactors are still so radioactive that any human who tries to get anywhere close to one of them would suffer instant death.



To avoid this TEPCO has tried to send in robots to do the lethal dirty work.



But this isn't working out either.



On March 9 Reuters ran a story Robots sent into Fukushima have died. The Reuters report detailed yet another catastrophe within the Fukushima catastrophe.



Fukushima radiation, the news service reported, is still too powerful so it has proven impossible to find and remove blobs of melted fuel rods. The technology to establish the location of the melted fuel rods has not been developed.



Reuters quoted Naohiro Masuda, Tokyo Electric Power's head of Fukushima's decommissioning (dismantling the plants) :The biggest object is the radiation, he said. As soon as the robots get close to the reactors radiation destroys the wiring and renders them useless, causing long delays.



Masuda added that each robot has to be custom made for the reactor it is supposed to enter, a process that takes two years.



NuclearWar, Abroad and At Home



While the worst of the Fukushima disaster is still happening in Japan, the US has not been immune from its effects.



On March 13 Stars and Stripes, a US military newspaper, reported that 13 Navy and 3 Military Sealift vessels still show signs of radiation contamination from Fukushima.



The vessels are among 25 involved in relief effort Operation Tomuditch off the east coast of Japan after Fukushima blew. The Navy admits that the radioactive eye of plume passed over its vessels, and pictures show many sailors involved in decontamination cleanup work.



One of these ships was the aircraft carrier Ronald Reagan, carrying over 5000 personnel, which was then homeported in San Diego.



Stars and Stripes reported, In 2012 eight sailors filed suit, claiming that Fukushima's owner (TEPCO) was negligent for causing radiation contamination that has caused sailors a host of health problems. Later General Electric and Hitatchi, all involved in building Fukushima, were added to the lawsuit, which now includes 350 sailors and is the US Ninth Circuit Court, Stars and Stripes reported.



Among the health problems the sailors allege were caused by Fukushima radiation are genetic system disease, headaches, thyroid problems,rectal bleeding, muscle shrinking, memory loss, testicular cancer,vision problems,and high pitched ringing in ears.



In March 2013, Joseph Mangano and Janette Sherman of the Radiation and Public Health Project (RPHP) reported that radiation from the 2011 Fukushima disaster reached the West Coast of North America in just four days.



Within the contaminated plume were levels of radioactive iodine 211 times above normal found in the US's five Pacific states.



The number of congenital hypothyroid cases (hypothyroid disease is a diminishing of the thyroid gland's ability to function) in these states from March 7, 2011 to December 31, 2011 rose 16% higher than the same period in 2010, compared to a 3% decline in 36 other states.



Both normal and radioactive iodine, if they enter our bodies, will concentrate in our thyroid glands. If the iodine is radioactive, this can be extremely harmful to the unborn and new born.



The RPHP researchers explain, The fetal thyroid gland, the first glandular structure in the human embryo, begins to concentrate iodine and produce thyroid hormones by the 70th day of gestation. Proper brain development is dependent upon adequate thyroid function.



On October 18 last year. NBC.com ran its story Thyroid Cancer Rates Higher in KidsStudy. That study reported children near Fukushima have been have been diagnosed with thyroid cancer rates 20-50 times that of children elsewhere in Japan.



More than 370, 000 children near Fukushima have had their thyroid glands tested since the meltdowns. Thyroid cancer is usually very rare.



But, NBC.com reported, the most recent statistics (from August 2013) show thyroid cancer is suspected or confirmed for 137 kids, a number that rose by 25 from a year earlier. Elsewhere the disease occurs in only 1-2 children per million per year.



This is more than expected, and is emerging faster than expected, said lead author of the study Toshihide Tsuda, of Okayamah University. The study was published in the journal Epidemiology.



Sources: Wall Street Journal wsj.com ; Green Action Japan greenaction-japan.org; Beyond Nuclear beyondnuclear.org; Associated Press ap.org; Stars and Stripes stripes.com; Radiation and Public Health Project radiation.org; reuters.com; NBC.com










The last Sunday of every month attendees of the OO GA will get together a little earlier than usual, at 3 PM to share some food with each othes and the community. There should be a table and utensils/plates courtesy of the Kitchen Committee (such at he is), so just bring a nosh to share if you would like, otherwise come as you are More info

The Occupy Oakland General Assembly meets every Sunday at 4 PM at Oscar Grant Plaza amphitheater at 14th Street & Broadway, often on the steps of City Hall. If it is raining (as in RAINING, not just misting) at 4:00 PM we meet in the basement of the Omni Collective, 4799 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. More GA info
"Capital is the only god that the whole world knows, sees, touches, smells, tastes and excites all our senses. it is the only god that doesn't encounter any atheists" (Paul Lafargue's little known genial satire "Religion of Capital" from 1887.

Trust in the "invisible hand" is a trust in a religion that has a money god. Capital and its multiplication claim an all-determining authority. Only an enlightenment about the economy with the means of religion helps against a capitalism as religion. As Christians refused the worship of the imperial cult, they must resist today the religion of capitalism as atheists.

THEOLOGICAL ENLIGHTENMENT ABOUT CAPITALISM AS A RELIGIONA CAPITALIST CREEDBy Franz Segbers[This article is translated from the German on Franz Segbers webpage. Franz Segbers ia a Protestant professor of theology at the University of Marburg and a prolific writer.]I believe inthe market, the Almighty,the creator of prosperity and happiness,and in profit,its only begotten son, our Lord,conceived by liberalization,arose out of the protestant ethic,suffered under communism and regulation,minimized, maximized and spared,descended in the kingdom of recession,rose from the bear market, andascended in times of boom.Profit is rightly part of the marketof the almighty Father,and will cometo judge the owners of capital and the wage-earners.I believe in private maximization of advantages,constant profitable growth,the community of banks,forgiveness of credits,resurrection of sharesand the eternal business cycle.[Dirk Kresler, The Forced Global Religion of Humankind, Notes on Religio-Capitalism. HTTP://WWW.LITERATURKRITIK.DE/PUBLIC/REZENSION.PHD?REZ_10-14504 .]A satire can first reveal the hidden and mad rationality of an economy that feels awkward like a conviction of faith in a secular society. The above satire recalls Paul Lafargues little known genial satire Religion of Capital from 1887. There we read Capital is the god that the whole world knows, sees, touches, smells, tastes and excites all our senses. It is the only god that does not encounter any atheistsThe other religions are nothing but lip service. Faith in capital governs in the depths of human nature (Paul Lafargue, The Religion of Capital). In a visionary way, Lafargue diagnosed: Capital does not know any homeland or border, any skin color or race or any altar or gender. It is the international god, the universal god and forces all human children under its law (Ibid). A hierarchy of power is central, not the criticism of greed that is older than a millennium. No one can elude the pressure that starts from capital. The creed quoted at the outset formulates a conviction that is believed though not expressed. It has taken over those functions religion had earlier for its billions of forced believers.In the following, I will explain how neoliberal capitalism is free4 of legal prescriptions and instead is guided by reliio-theological assumptions It is normatively based on a religiously founded faith and in this sense is a religion.RELIGION, THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN RELIGION AND DESTRUCTIVE RELIGION AND BETWEEN GOD AND IDOLSUp to today neither the religion-disciplines nor sociology have formulated an acknowledged definition of religions since the dilemma persists of defining religion as a realm of the holy separated from society or the world or understanding religion functionally in the tradition of Durkheim and Parson as a complex that creates values, rituals or faith themes for the cohesion of society. Erich Fromm took up this religion term when he defined religion as any system of thinking and acting shared by a group that offers individuals a n orientating framework and an object of devotion. [Erich Fromm, Having or Being, The mental foundations of a new society, 1976]. At the same time he formulated an ideology-critical task in showing the nature of idols that were and still are worshipped to this day in the history of humanity. [Erich Fromm, You will be like gods. A radical interpretation of the Old Testament and its tradition, 1989].Religion then is in no way a system that is necessarily connected with an idea of God or recognized as a religion. In religion, the person is entrusted with an object of devotion.This object of devotion could be animals, trees, an invisible God, a class, a party, money, success, the market or even a football team. Therefore religion is more than a conviction of dogmas. It orients thought and action. The all-decisive questions are political, social and ideological: What functions as religion? Does it promote human development and the unfolding of specific human powers or paralyze human growth? {Erich Fromm, Psychoanalysis and Religion, in: Collected Works, 1989}. Thus Fromm develops a criterion for clarifying what religion people confide in. Erich Fromm takes up a distinction between God and idols that was deeply at home in the Jewish-Christian intellectual tradition. A religion that serves life worships God while a religion that serves destructive forces is idolatry (Ibid). For him, God is a code for love and justice and idol is a code for a destructive power over people (Ibid). In the biblical tradition, the idol criterion acts as an immanent criticism of destructive religion and in no way refers only disparagingly to a foreign religion of another.MULTIPLYING CAPITAL AS GODS WORKThe invisible hand is the central metaphor for legitimating neoliberal capitalism. Only a market free from all incursions can produce optimal results. Whoever intervenes in the market  even with the best will  brings about the opposite. So the Frankfurter Allgemeiner Zeitung newspaper (FAZ) diagnosed Opels over-production crisis by referring to the effects of the invisible hand as follows: The invisible hand cqaresses the one capiable of adjustment and kicks those who refuse adjustment (FAZ, 10/28/2004). The US Senate subcommittee on the financial crisis concluded: The crisis was not a natural disaster but the result of high risk, complex financial products, hidden conflicts of interest and the failure of monitoring authorities, rating agencies and the market itself (United States Senate Permanent subcommittee on investigations: Wall Street and the Financial Crisis, Anatomy of a Financial Collapse).Alan Greenspan who authoritatively defined American monetary policy from 1987 to the beginning of 2006 admitted this in 2008 gnashing his teeth before the congressional committee on explaining the financial crisis. He erred since he overrated the self-healing powers of the market and regarded strict regulation as unnecessary (Alan Greenspan, Zerknirscht im Kongress, http://www.fax.net ). In 2008 Frank Schirrmacher, editor of FAZ, uncovered the bankruptcy of the metaphysics of the market. The breakdown of basic convictions that theoretically and practically supported neoliberal finance capitalism is blatant.However the paralysis over the market failure did not last long. Untouched by all criticism of the banks for causing the financial crisis, the chairman of the board of Goldman Sachs Llyod Blankfein proclaimed his faith in an invisible hand: banks serve a social purpose and are doing `Gods work (Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfeinh says Banks do Gods Work, in: NY Daily News, November 9, 2009).Ben Bernanke, chairman of the American Federal Reserve, remained deeply religious despite the crisis and unswervingly adhered to the marvelous effect of the free market. When one teaches the economy, understanding the idea of the invisible hand is one of the most exciting moments Markets are a marvelous thing (Patrick Weiter, Federal Reserve chairman Bernanke Markets are marvelous in: FAZ, 8/9/2012). Colin Crouch diagnosed a surprising survival of neoliberalism with its supreme creed, letting the market mechanism rule without state or other incursions (Colin Crouch, the Surprising Survival of Neoliberalism, Berlin 2011). This surprising unswervability despite all crises can only be explained as an unswerving faith in the working of an invisible hand.THE INVISIBLE HAND AS KEY METAPHOR ION NEOLIBERALISMThe demand for more market and less state is the real ideological center of neolIberalism. So Milton Friedman, George Stigler and Friedrich A. Hayek rising in admiration of the invisible hand is not surprising. So the Nobel prize winner and economist Friedrich August von Hayek urged humility toward market processes. Whether people earlier submitted on account of notions that are often regarded today as superstitions is not important from a religious feeling of humility (Friedrich August Hayek, The Road to Serfdom). The term humility according to its original meaning belongs to the dialectic of the relation of master and servant and describes an attitude of deep devotion and readiness to submit.Despite all secularity of modern society, George Soros recognizes a belief in the magic power of the market. Some think the public interest is best served by the unrestricted pursuit of self-interest. How did the marvelous inversion from private interests to a public interest occur thought he invisible hand?ADAM SMITH AND THE INVISIBLE HANDIn 1926 John M. Keynes in his Berlin lecture The End of Laissez-faire called the principle of the invisible hand a religion of economists which served nothing but the unlimited possibility of private moneymaking and the profit of the individual. Keynes criticized the ignorance of economists. National economists today have no relation any more to theological political philosophies from which the dogma of social harmony arose and their academic research no longer leads to similar conclusions (Keynes, John M., The End of Laissez-faire). In his unfortunately largely unknown 1945 treatise titled The Failure of Economic Liberalism as a religio-historical problem called the emphasis on the invisible hand an economic theology. Trust in a universal Creator God who guides and preserves the world in his goodness with an invisible hand is an expression of a religiously grounded trust in a God who governs the world to the good. The theme of trust in the invisible hand was theological with Adam Smith and by no means merely metaphorical or pictorial.Even if Adam Smith only used the metaphor of the invisible hand in two passages, this conviction occurs frequently in his main work The Wealth of Nations. Whoever wants to enlarge his own profit will be guided by an invisible hand to promote a goal that he has no intention of fulfilling. Thus a providence transforms self-interest into public interest since the rich are guided by an invisible hand to accomplish almost the same distribution of vital goods that would happen if the earth were divided in equal parts among all its inhabitants and promotes them without intending this and without knowing the interests of society. (Adam Smith, Theory of Ethical Feelings). Unhindered striving for private gain and advantages add up to the public interest through the providence of an invisible hand. A regime of selfishness is established that one can confidently trust. Whoever indulges his selfishness as much as possible also contributes to the social well-being.Since the market is guided by an invisible hand, the ethical consequences resulting from the pursuit of self-interest are faded out. A tremendous revaluation process stands at the beginning of the modern age. People began to regard greed, that striving for material gain, as a harmless and even useful attitude. Greed or avarice was morally neutralized and even valued as personally advantageous. Therefore there was no reason to limit it. This de-stigmatization of greed broke with a barrier that all ancient philosophies and religions had erected since time immemorial. The vice of greed condemned since antiquity by the philosophers and religions was promoted to a morally innocent and even honorable occupation. Greed and the economic ally organized insatiability that we call growth today becomes a respectable motive. There is also no perpetrator or culprit. Everyone is only a little wheel in a big machine. No one acts. They all only reenact what happens anyway because a divine providence works in the world according to Adam Smith whose kindness and wisdom invented and guided the tremendous machine of the universe since all eternity so it brings forth the greatest possible measure of happiness at all times (Adam Smith, Theory of Ethical Feelings). Since Gods providence governs, one can confidently trust the invisible hand and refrain from all interventions in the market. The management of the great system of the universe is Gods task and not a human task (Adam Smith, Theory of Ethical Feelings).In his Theory of Ethical Feelings, Smith discusses the Stoa in detail. The ancient Stoics were convinced every individual event was a necessary part of the world plan since the world was ruled by the providence of a wise, powerful and kindly God who promotes the general order and blessedness of the whole. The vices and follies of human are a necessary part of the plan  like their wisdom and virtue. Bringing the good out of evil is an eternal art for the thriving and perfection of the great system of nature (Quoted in Hans Christoph Binswanger, The Faith Community of Economists. Essays on the Culture of the Economy, 1998).A conflicting picture appears. Trust in the market comes out of the theologically established trust in the (deistic) God. But the market becomes an end-in-itself and is itself part of a higher order when the market as with Adam Smith is understood as part of an order guaranteed by God. The revival of the theory of the invisible hand shows neoliberalism has fallen back to the state of a religiously substantiated worldview. Binswanger points out Smith struck out all references to Christianity in the sixth edition of the Theory of Ethical Feelings. Adam Smith was a believer in the sense of the Stoa, not in the sense of Christianity (Hans Christoph Binswanger, The Faith Community of Economists). He calls economists who argue with the effects of an invisible hand a Stoic faith community.A theologically established faith in the invisible hand returns with the acceptance of neoliberal capitalism. However the original context and the religio-theological connection of this idiom were not considered. Neoliberal capitalism is religio-theologically established. This means a criticism of capitalism with theological terms is appropriate and is not irrelevant or extraneous. Therefore a capitalism criticism that does not argue religio-critically ignores the central legitimation figure of capitalism and its effect. Therefore capitalism criticism as religion criticism is a mode of enlightenment. An economy based on an invisible hand argues religiously in an unenlightened sense, not scholarly or scientifically.THE RELIGION OF CAPITALISM AS A NEW OPIUM OF THE PEOPLEWhat John M. Keynes described in 1926 as the theoretical and practical refutation of the balancing effect of an invisible hand is still true. An orthodox faith is in danger. The more convincing the argument, the greater the blasphemy (Keynes, John M., The End of Laissez-faire). The supposed lack of alternatives in the religion of capitalism sacralizes capitalism. State regulation of capitalism amounts to blasphemy. Pierre Bourdieu also interpreted the theory and concept of neoliberalism as a utopian faith system. Neoliberalism appears in the semblance of inevitabiolity (Pierre Bourdieu, The `Globalization Myth and the European Social State, in Gegenfeuer. Resistance against the Neoliberal Invasion, 1998). People have no cjhoice. Bourdieu summarizes: This is a religion.The system replaces the acting subject. This is clear in one of the statements of Milton Friedman, Hayeks student: Economic persons are ultimately nothing but marionettes of the laws of the market (cf. Die Zeit, April 7, 1989). The market is determined by divine laws, not by humans as acting subjects. Milton Friedman transferred the responsibility of economic persons to the market. The market replaces acting persons as subjects of responsibility. Thus economic actors are ethically relieved as marionettes of the laws of the market and does not act independently. In a countermove, the market is promoted as an acting subject. There is no causal agent for economic distresses or social injustices from this economic school of thought. The emphasis on marionettes or practical constraints demoralizes and relieves from responsibility. Everyone must join in since there are no alternatives. The invisible hand legitimates an irresponsibility that becomes a system (Emil Brunner, 1932, Zurich). The market becomes the guarantee for ethically-normatively correct conduct of market actors. The economic ally-active person as a responsible subject has long abdicated. Thus the market acts like an active subject that can caress and kick and degrades the human subject to an object. The inversion of the person as historical subject to an object and the invisible hand to an acting subject means the abolition of the person.Karl Marx criticism of religion as opium of the people refers to a neoliberal capitalism that demands a submission of the person under a pressure without alternatives. Capital should dominate and its central function, the infinite increase of capital, be made unrecognizable, unchangeable and unassailable. Capital should be promoted as the all-determining reality before which the world makes a graven image and falls down before it (Isa 44,15). Thus biblical myth criticism becomes actual in ideology criticism where people are ruled by a work of their hands (Isa 17,8). Criticism of idols turns against the subjugation of persons under self-created authorities like those of an economic system. The fetishism of capital can be compared with idolatry like the objective antithesis of the autonomy of capitalism and Gods liberating presence in history.In the act of trust as a genuine religious act, a structural analogy appears between the tr5ust in God in religion and trust in money. This structural analogy occurs in the application of religious and theological terms by neoliberal theoreticians. Capitalism is religion and not merely like a religion. Its cult is capital multiplication.SACRIFICIAL RELIGION OF FINANCE MARKET DRIVEN CAPITALISMFinance market capitalism is a formation of capitalism that has prevailed since the middle of the 1970s and took down previous market limiting institutions through privatization, deregulation and flexibility. The profit-mongering (Plus-macherei) was always the central desire: Accumulate, accumulate! That is Moses and the prophets! What is new in finance market driven casino capitalism is that it wants to receive capital movements on the international capital market from dependence on the profits of real businesses. Karl Marx well-known formula G-W-G (money-goods-money) is shortened in finance market driven capitalism to a direct G-G (money-money) (Christoph Deutschmann, The Promise of Absolute Wealth. On the Religious Nature of Capitalism, 1999).The economist Hans Werner Sinn said: Germany must court business capital because innovation, growth and jobs can only be guaranteed that way (WSM News, 10/30/2005). The financial crisis is the result of a policy that courts capital. The interests of shareholders become the only goal of economic transactions. This strategic goal ruins the profit exploitation goals for employees and produces precarious forms of employment like low wages, subcontracted labor, employment limited in time or mini-jobs to employment flexibly adjusted to the demands of the market. The alleged lack of alternatives to adjustment to the market reminds Christoph Deutschmann of atoning or expiating religious rituals. As to the prescriptions of sacrifice (for example, here reduction of unemployment, there falling rain implored by the gods), the answer always consists in the demand for increasing sacrificial offerings, not in a testing of the functionality of the sacrifice (here: more wage- and social budget cuts on one hand, productivity increases on the other hand: offering additional sacrificial goods to finally pacify the angry gods). In both cases, the cause-effect chains are staged circularly and thereby are immune to empirical criticism (Christoph Deutschmann, The Promise of Absolute Wealth. On the Religious Nature of Capitalism, 1999). While capital profits are fixed at 16, 18 or even 25% despite crises, the employees become a flexible manoeverable mass for ensuring the fixed profit goal. This precariousness is essentially a social power of finance capitalist actors, not a consequence of a logic of the market that could be executed by very small businesses (Klaus Borge, Precariousness in Finance Market Capitalism, in: R. Castel/ K. Duerre (ed), Precariousness, Descent and Exclusion. The social question at the beginning of the 21st century, 2009). The pressure on the real economy and skimming off current profits have produced play money for the finance casino. In the last years, there was a massive redistribution of social wealth in many industrial states  benefiting capital profits and at the expense of mass income. The precariousness of work, the extension of working hours and the reduction of social security are real sacrifices forced on dependent employees for extra profits of shareholders.According to Marx, the sacrifices in capitalism are wicked. The sacrificial cult does not belong to a past religious epoch. An idol is made out of these metals (gold and silver) to make them deities to which more goods, important needs and even humans are sacrificed than blind antiquity ever sacrificed to its false gods (Karl Marx, MEW 13, 103). In the inaugural address of the International Workers Association in September 1864, Karl Marx addressed this sacrificial character of the religion of capitalism and quoted smug complacent scholars who said every legal restriction of the workday must ring the death-bells of British industry that like vampires cannot live without blood, childrens blood. In all times, infanticide or child murder was a mysterious rite of the religion of Moloch. However this was only practical on very solemn occasions, perhaps once a year. At that time Moloch did not have an exclusive special liking for the children of the poor (Karl Marx, Selected Writings, 1934). Thus for Marx, capitalism has become a system and the sacrificial cult is in no way an overcome pre-modern or unenlightened epoch of humanitys history.The trust in the invisible hand is a trust in a religion that has a money god. Capital and its multiplication claim an all-determining authority. The notion of self-regulating finance markets that function efficiently was refuted by the crisis. The central ideological motive of faith in the invisible hand is veiled. However the cynical conditions that bar alternatives and demand sacrifices can only be unmasked through a theological criticism of the religion of capitalism because the false fetishized worship of God makes possible and legitimates sacrifice for capital. At the beginning of the 1980s, theologians of liberation reacted to the disastrous effects of the neoliberal economy particularly in Latin America by unmasking capitalism as a false and destructive (church) service. Now it is time to air a theological criticism of the mechanisms of the religion of the market when the consequences are very clear in the economic and political centers.Neoliberal capitalism is not only a religion in a metaphorical sense. It is a religion that demands real human sacrifice as inevitable. With this, religion criticism has another object. Not believing the supposed secularism of the world religion of globalized capital becomes the challenge of the enlightenment. Only an enlightenment about the economy with the means of religion helps against a capitalism as religion. In the Roman Empire, there was a Pantheon full of gods. Whoever refused the central cult, the worship of the emperor as Gods Son was persecuted like Christians as atheists. As Christians at that time refused the worship of the religion of the imperial cult, so they must resist today the religion of capitalism as atheists.
Readaloud: Dan Baum "Legalize It All: How to win the war on drugs" by WTUL News & Views

Gone viral: an excerpt of Dan Baum's piece, "Legalize It All: How to win the war on drugs," recently published in the April 2016 issue of Harper's magazine, has been shared across social media, resulting in videos, quotes, tweets, and more. Here's the full piece, it's a long one, with policy recommendations, data, and more.

Listen now: Copy the code below to embed this audio into a web page: <audio preload="none" src="https://www.indybay.org/uploads/2016/03/27/dan_baum_legalize_it_all_part_1.mp3" controls="controls"></audio>

"We knew we couldn't make it illegal to be either against the war or black, but by getting the public to associate the hippies with cannabis and blacks with heroin, and then criminalizing both heavily, we could disrupt those communities".



Gone viral: an excerpt of Dan Baum's piece, "Legalize It All: How to win the war on drugs," recently published in the April 2016 issue of Harper's magazine, has been shared across social media, resulting in videos, quotes, tweets, and more.



Here's the full piece, it's a long one, with policy recommendations, data, and more.



In Part 1 you hear what social media is buzzing about. And what most drug policy advocates, harm reductionists, and social justice leaders have long recognized. "Most of what we hate and fear about drugs  the violence, the overdoses, the criminality  derives from prohibition, not drugs. And there will be no victory in this war either; even the Drug Enforcement Administration concedes that the drugs it fights are becoming cheaper and more easily available. Now, for the first time, we have an opportunity to change course. Experiments in alternatives to harsh prohibition are already under way both in this country and abroad."



In Part 2 the author defines our drug problem. It isn't simple drug use, as debilitating drug addiction is relatively small. Rather, Baum introduces policies in Portugal and around the world that have decriminalized drug use to treat it as a public health problem.



In Part 3 the author explores why decriminalization does not work in the US, and proposes that the advantages of a state monopoly over a free market  even a regulated one are vast, since a government monopoly would be the least expensive and most flexible way to legalize drugs. It would generate the most revenue and  more important  it would protect public health.



In Part 4, the author explores his home state and the state furthest along this path, Colorado. "In 2009, Britains Transform Drug Policy Foundation put out a 232-page report called After the War on Drugs: Blueprint for Regulation. The authors suggested issuing licenses for buying and using drugs, with sanctions for those who screw up  much like gun licenses in some U.S. states, or drivers licenses. Users would have their purchases tracked by computer, so rising use would, in theory, be noticed, making intervention possible. Legal vendors would bear partial responsibility for socially destructive incidents  the way bartenders can be held responsible for serving an obvious drunk who later has an accident behind the wheel. For pricing, the report suggests prices high enough to discourage misuse, and sufficiently low to ensure that under-cutting . . . is not profitable for illicit drug suppliers. And although the British group argued for a generally more laissez-faire market than European and Canadian government-run heroin-distribution systems, it embraced a complete ban on any kind of advertising and marketing, and argued instead for plain, pharmaceutical style packaging."



In Part 5, the author concludes, "Legalizing, and then regulating, drug markets will likely be messy, at least in the short term. Still, in a technocratic, capitalist, and fundamentally free society like the United States, education, counseling, treatment, distribution, regulation, pricing, and taxation all seem to better fit our national skill set than the suppression of immense black markets and the violence and corruption that come with it."
Hartford, CT A most interesting A most interesting asbestosis lawsuit is percolating in Hartford, Connecticut, that carries various storylines and potential outcomes: alleged asbestos exposure at the workplace when the employer had emphatically stated there was no asbestos present, followed by testing that confirmed there was; an asbestosis compensation lawsuit recently approved for class-action status even though Workers Compensation law may prohibit some plaintiffs from participating; a class-action lawsuit skewed toward future medical monitoring given that exposure occurred within the last six years, whereas it can take decades for asbestosis disease to develop

In spite of that, it has been reported that lead plaintiff Danny Dougan has been wheezing and complaining of shortness of breath. Is it due to an unusually early onset of asbestosis lung disease? Or is it due, as defendants suggest, from a years-long smoking habit?The(2/12/16) reports that some workers involved in a 2010 reconstruction project at Sikorsky Aircraft, located in Stratford, may have been exposed to asbestos in spite their employer providing assurance that there was no asbestos present, or so it has been alleged.According to the asbestosis lawsuit report, employees of Sikorsky, co-defendants Carrier Corp., and URS Corp. AES, and B-G Mechanical Contractors Inc. of Chicopee, Massachusetts (B-G), were tasked with the removal of pipes and fittings in a boiler house as part of a reconstruction that occurred between March and July 2010. The boiler house dated back to 1930 and is described as a cogeneration plant that produced both heat and electricity.The use of asbestos as insulation for pipes and boilers was common practice in that era, prior to the carcinogenic risks of asbestos becoming more widely known to the greater population.Lead plaintiff Dougan was an employee of B-G. Dougan and his fellow plaintiffs from B-G as well as other workers involved in the project inquired as to the presence of asbestos in the plant and what the risks might be. According to the asbestosis disease lawsuit, the workers were subsequently informed by the defendants that testing had been done, that asbestos was not present on the pipes and pipe fittings, and that it was safe for them to do the work to which they had been assigned, according to court documents related to the lawsuit.It has been reported that workers commenced operations in the cogeneration plant amidst continued misgivings, and continued to raise the matter until testing was conducted in early July of that year.The tests revealed the presence of asbestos. Visible asbestos and overloaded air samples were found as a result of improper disturbance of insulation containing asbestos on pipes and pipe fittings, the lawsuit alleges. Despite these results, the project was not shut down until approximately two weeks later, the suit continues, saying workers continued to be exposed during that time.It was at this time that licensed asbestos contractors were brought in to safely remove asbestos. Sikorsky employees, who continued to operate the boilers and keep them active during the reconstruction project, began to wear respirators following the release of test results.But by then, was it too late?In approving class-action status for the asbestosis lung cancer lawsuit, Judge Grant Miller of Hartford Superior Court noted that employees of Sikorsky and Carrier would be limited as to their participation in the class-action lawsuit given existing rules governing Workers Compensation. The latter, according to themakes it relatively easy for workers to collect asbestosis exposure compensation from their employers, but said compensation could be limited under Workers Compensation rules. Plaintiffs would have to litigate that point individually, as well as litigating the extent and nature of medical monitoring needed in order to minimize the negative health impacts of asbestos exposure going forward.As noted earlier, the alleged exposure to asbestos occurred in 2010, or six years ago. Typically, asbestosis pleural plaques can languish within the body for upwards of 30 years before suddenly emerging in the form of asbestosis cancer. Thus the thrust of the asbestos lawsuit - which has been approved as a class action - would be the potential for asbestosis lung complications in forthcoming decades, and various applications of medical monitoring to be conducted over time that may succeed in minimizing adverse effects.As for plaintiff Dougan, his situation is expected to generate some polarizing testimony from two expert witnesses; one for the plaintiffs and another for the defendants. According to theDr. M. Saul Anwar, a specialist in respiratory diseases, is expected to testify for the plaintiff that screening and early detection can be life-saving and/or improve the quality of life in those individuals who develop asbestos-related diseases, according to court papers.The defendants in the lawsuit are expected to respond with Dr. Barry William Levine of Massachusetts General Hospital, who is expected to testify that Dougan does not suffer from asbestosis lung disease, but rather Mr. Dougan does suffer from severe emphysema attributable to his long history of smoking cigarettes and, as a result, Mr. Dougan requires regular medical surveillance.Stay tuned
- Oil mogul's brother also kidnapped in 2015

- Family presently at a loss on whereabouts of the oil magnate

- Sources describe mode of kidnap

An oil and gas magnate, Mr Razaq Lawal, the CEO of Arolat oil has been abducted in Ayetoro area of Ogun state.

Legit.ng sources say he was kidnapped at about 6.30pm on Sunday, March 27.

Lawal, a native of Ayetoro in Yewa north local government area of Ogun state was picked up by unknown men who came in a white picnic, Highlander and a Camry car.

Our correspondent reliably gathered that the kidnappers disguised like men of the Special Anti Robbery Squad (SARS) until they came down and started shooting.

READ ALSO: Read how two men died in an underground fuel tank in Lagos

A source explained that, "it was like a film, my brother who witnessed the incident disclosed that those people are not security agents but kidnappers.

"They came in three cars and dressed like SARS officials, he said they initially thought that they are police officers until they came down from the cars, started shooting sporadically to the air and everybody had to run for dear lives.

"He said he was beaten blue black before he was whisked away inside the Camry car while they pursued them to Sunwa road before they were fired at to scared them away."

The victim's younger brother, Alhaji Akeem Lawal, was also kidnapped late last year while he was preparing for the 2015 hajj exercise in Saudi Arabia.

Aolak, as he was popularly called, had concluded all arrangements to be part of the 2015 pilgrims from Ogun state, but was abducted few days to his departure, and he missed the hajj exercise.

It was reported that young Lawal's abductors demanded for N150 million naira ransome from the family then.

It was this Razaq Lawal, his elder brother, according to a family source, that ran from pillar to post to secure the release of his brother.

A family source confirmed to our correspondent that the family parted ways with sum of N50 million naira as ransome before Aolak would be released after spending days in their den.

It was gathered that he had been in the hospital since then,recuperating from the wounds he got from the gunshot from his abductors.

It was confirmed this evening that Aolak was just discharged from UCH Ibadan two weeks ago since October last year after he was referred to Ibadan from a private hospital in Abeokuta.

The abductors of the elder Lawal this evening, made it two members of the family that would be kidnapped within six months.

This report is also coming barely hours after it emerged that Colonel Somaila Inusa, a senior army officer was abducted by unknown gunmen in Kaduna, northern Nigeria.

Source: Legit.ng
This program, which pairs nursing home patients with rescued birds as a form of pet therapy, all started with a single, beloved duck. In 2005, Katrina "Kasia" Perkowska, who later started Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue, had no choice but to evacuate New Orleans, Louisiana, in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. During her temporary leave, she stayed in Mississippi to be close to her mother-in-law, who lived in a nursing home. "I had a pet wood duck at the time," Perkowska told The Dodo.

Scooter, Perkowska's pet duck. | Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

"The management at the nursing home heard that I had a duck and they asked me if I could bring her to the nursing home to visit the residents." Even when Perkowska's mother-in-law passed away, she continued to return to the nursing home with Scooter the duck.

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

Although Scooter is not a rescue, Perkowska said she got her before she started rescuing birds herself and before she was properly educated about birds in need. Perkowska said she's never bought another pet since Scooter. Scooter is now 11 years old and unfortunately has cancer - but is still doing quite well, Perkowska said.

Dodo Shows Soulmates Growling Little Kitten Becomes Her Mom's Best Friend

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

Still, Scooter was Perkowska's first bird and she was the one who paved the way for many other ducks, pigeons, chickens, lovebirds and more getting rescued, re-homed (if domesticated), rehabilitated and released back into the wild through Kasia's Ark. "After I moved back to New Orleans, I just started rescuing other birds," Perkowska said. "I also started calling different nursing homes and asking them if they would welcome a visit as well and they said yes. That's how the visiting program got started." In addition to nursing homes around New Orleans, such as St. Joseph's, Perkowska also visits schools and other education centers.

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

"People in nursing homes are just sitting there in their wheelchairs with really nothing else to do," she said.

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

"So when I walk in there with my stroller and a couple of carriers and they see little ducks and chickens, they get excited," she continued. "They get to hold them, pet them, talk about them and get their pictures taken."

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

Many of the birds who come to Kasia's Ark and end up visiting local nursing homes are chickens and ducks who get surrendered during Easter.

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

"I end up with a lot of them right after Easter," Perkowska said. "I am swamped with calls from people who say 'Oh, I have this little duck or chick for Easter and I don't want it anymore and if you don't take it, I'm just going to dump it off at the park,' which is illegal ... it's a huge problem every year."

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

Perkowska now turns frequently to local media outlets around that time of year to spread the message against impulsive pet purchases. Many families don't realize that a pet bird is a commitment and they can't simply be dropped off at the park - because they don't know how to survive on their own. But for the birds who are fortunate enough to find a place at Kasia's Ark, not only are they given a safe, temporary home, they're also bringing people joy and comfort.

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

"When you think of pet therapy you hear of cats or dogs and sometimes even miniature ponies," Perkowska said.

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue

"But you never hear of chickens and ducks. They make people happy too."

Kasia's Ark Bird Rescue
This article reflects a revised number for the FBI personnel working on the Clinton email case. Correction at conclusion of story.



Hillary Clinton, who at the time was selected to be secretary of state, checks her BlackBerry on an elevator at the U.S. Capitol in the District in January 2009. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

Hillary Clintons email problems began in her first days as secretary of state. She insisted on using her personal BlackBerry for all her email communications, but she wasnt allowed to take the device into her seventh-floor suite of offices, a secure space known as Mahogany Row.

For Clinton, this was frustrating. As a political heavyweight and chief of the nations diplomatic corps, she needed to manage a torrent of email to stay connected to colleagues, friends and supporters. She hated having to put her BlackBerry into a lockbox before going into her own office.

Her aides and senior officials pushed to find a way to enable her to use the device in the secure area. But their efforts unsettled the diplomatic security bureau, which was worried that foreign intelligence services could hack her BlackBerry and transform it into a listening device.

On Feb. 17, 2009, less than a month into Clintons tenure, the issue came to a head. Department security, intelligence and technology specialists, along with five officials from the National Security Agency, gathered in a Mahogany Row conference room. They explained the risks to Cheryl Mills, Clintons chief of staff, while also seeking mitigation options that would accommodate Clintons wishes.

The issue here is one of personal comfort, one of the participants in that meeting, Donald Reid, the departments senior coordinator for security infrastructure, wrote afterward in an email that described Clintons inner circle of advisers as dedicated [BlackBerry] addicts.

Clinton used her BlackBerry as the group continued looking for a solution. But unknown to diplomatic security and technology officials at the department, there was another looming communications vulnerability: Clintons BlackBerry was digitally tethered to a private email server in the basement of her family home, some 260 miles to the north in Chappaqua, N.Y., documents and interviews show.

Those officials took no steps to protect the server against intruders and spies, because they apparently were not told about it.

The State Department released 52,000 pages of Hillary Clintons emails as part of a court-ordered process. Here's what else we learned from the publicly released emails. (Monica Akhtar/The Washington Post)

The vulnerability of Clintons basement server is one of the key unanswered questions at the heart of a scandal that has dogged her campaign for the Democratic presidential nomination.

Since Clintons private email account was brought to light a year ago in a New York Times report  followed by an Associated Press report revealing the existence of the server  the matter has been a source of nonstop national news. Private groups have filed lawsuits under the Freedom of Information Act. Investigations were begun by congressional committees and inspector generals offices in the State Department and the U.S. Intelligence Community, which referred the case to the FBI in July for counterintelligence purposes after determining that the server carried classified material.

The FBI is now trying to determine whether a crime was committed in the handling of that classified material. It is also examining whether the server was hacked.

Dozens of FBI personnel have been deployed to run down leads, according to a lawmaker briefed by FBI Director James B. Comey. The FBI has accelerated the investigation because officials want to avoid the possibility of announcing any action too close to the election.

The Washington Post reviewed hundreds of documents and interviewed more than a dozen knowledgeable government officials to understand the decisions and the implications of Clintons actions. The resulting scandal revolves around questions about classified information, the preservation of government records and the security of her email communication.

From the earliest days, Clinton aides and senior officials focused intently on accommodating the secretarys desire to use her private email account, documents and interviews show.

Throughout, they paid insufficient attention to laws and regulations governing the handling of classified material and the preservation of government records, interviews and documents show. They also neglected repeated warnings about the security of the BlackBerry while Clinton and her closest aides took obvious security risks in using the basement server.

Senior officials who helped Clinton with her BlackBerry claim they did not know details of the basement server, the State Department said, even though they received emails from her private account. One email written by a senior official mentioned the server.

The scandal has pitted those who say Clinton was innocently trying to find the easiest way to communicate against those who say she placed herself above the law in a quest for control of her records. She and her campaign have been accused of confusing matters with contradictory and evolving statements that minimized the consequences of her actions.

Clinton, 68, declined to be interviewed. She has said repeatedly that her use of the private server was benign and that there is no evidence of any intrusion.

In a news conference last March, she said: I opted for convenience to use my personal email account, which was allowed by the State Department, because I thought it would be easier to carry just one device for my work and for my personal emails instead of two.

During a Democratic debate on March 9, she acknowledged using poor judgment but maintained she was permitted to use her own server: It wasnt the best choice. I made a mistake. It was not prohibited. It was not in any way disallowed.

The unfolding story of Clintons basement server has outraged advocates of government transparency and mystified political supporters and adversaries alike. Judge Emmet G. Sullivan of the U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C., who is presiding over one of the FOIA lawsuits, has expressed puzzlement over the affair. He noted that Clinton put the State Department in the position of having to ask her to return thousands of government records  her work email.

Am I missing something? Sullivan asked during a Feb. 23 hearing. How in the world could this happen?

Hillary Clinton began preparing to use the private basement server after President Obama picked her to be his secretary of state in November 2008. The system was already in place. It had been set up for former president Bill Clinton, who used it for personal and Clinton Foundation business.

On Jan. 13, 2009, a longtime aide to Bill Clinton registered a private email domain for Hillary Clinton, clintonemail.com, that would allow her to send and receive email through the server.

Eight days later, she was sworn in as secretary of state. Among the multitude of challenges she faced was how to integrate email into her State Department routines. Because Clinton did not use desktop computers, she relied on her personal BlackBerry, which she had started using three years earlier.

For years, employees across the government had used official and private email accounts.

The new president was making broad promises about government transparency that had a bearing on Clintons communication choices. In memos to his agency chiefs, Obama said his administration would promote accountability through the disclosure of a wide array of information, one part of a profound national commitment to ensuring an open government. That included work emails.

One year earlier, during her own presidential campaign, Clinton had said that if elected, we will adopt a presumption of openness and Freedom of Information Act requests and urge agencies to release information quickly.

But in those first few days, Clintons senior advisers were already taking steps that would help her circumvent those high-flown words, according to a chain of internal State Department emails released to Judicial Watch, a conservative nonprofit organization suing the government over Clintons emails.



Cheryl Mills, who served as Hillary Clintons chief of staff, wondered if the State Department could get the secretary of state an encrypted device such as the one from the National Security Agency used by President Obama. (Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty Images)

Leading that effort was Mills, Clintons chief of staff. She was joined by Clinton adviser Huma Abedin, Undersecretary Patrick Kennedy and Lewis Lukens, a senior career official who served as Clintons logistics chief. Their focus was on accommodating Clinton.

Mills wondered whether the department could get her an encrypted device like the one from the NSA that Obama used.

If so, how can we get her one? Mills wrote the group on Saturday evening, Jan. 24.

Lukens responded that same evening, saying he could help set up a stand alone PC in the Secretarys office, connected to the internet (but not through our system) to enable her to check her emails from her desk.

Kennedy wrote that a stand-alone separate network PC was a great idea.

Abedin and Mills declined to comment for this article, according to Clinton spokesman Brian Fallon. Lukens also declined to comment, according to the State Department.

As undersecretary for management, Kennedy occupies a central role in Clintons email saga. The department acknowledged that Kennedy, as part of his normal duties, helped Clinton with her BlackBerry. But in a statement, the department said: Under Secretary Kennedy maintains that he was unaware of the email server. Completely separate from that issue, Under Secretary Kennedy was aware that at the beginning of her tenure, Secretary Clintons staff was interested in setting up a computer at the Department so she could email her family during the work day.

As we have previously made clear  no such computer was ever set up. Furthermore, Under Secretary Kennedy had very little insight into Secretary Clintons email practices including how frequently or infrequently then-Secretary Clinton used email.





As it happened, Clinton would never have a government BlackBerry, personal computer or email account. A request for a secure device from the NSA was rebuffed at the outset: The current state of the art is not too user friendly, has no infrastructure at State, and is very expensive, Reid, the security official, wrote in an email on Feb. 13, adding that each time we asked the question What was the solution for POTUS? we were politely told to shut up and color.

Clinton would continue to use her BlackBerry for virtually all of her government communication, but not on Mahogany Row.

Her first known BlackBerry communication through the basement server came on Jan. 28, 2009, when Clinton exchanged notes with Army Gen. David H. Petraeus, then chief of the U.S. Central Command, according to a State Department spokeswoman. It has not been released.

Few knew the details behind the new clintonemail.com address. But news about her choice to use her own BlackBerry spread quickly among the departments diplomatic security and intelligence countermeasures specialists.

Their fears focused on the seventh floor, which a decade earlier had been the target of Russian spies who managed to plant a listening device inside a decorative chair-rail molding not far from Mahogany Row. In more recent years, in a series of widely publicized cyberattacks, hackers breached computers at the department along with those at other federal agencies and several major corporations.

The State Department security officials were distressed about the possibility that Clintons BlackBerry could be compromised and used for eavesdropping, documents and interviews show.

After the meeting on Feb. 17 with Mills, security officials in the department crafted a memo about the risks. And among themselves, they expressed concern that other department employees would follow the bad example and seek to use insecure BlackBerrys themselves, emails show.

As they worked on the memo, they were aware of a speech delivered by Joel F. Brenner, then chief of counterintelligence at the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, on Feb. 24 at a hotel in Vienna, Va., a State Department document shows. Brenner urged his audience to consider what could have happened to them during a visit to the recent Beijing Olympics.

Your phone or BlackBerry could have been tagged, tracked, monitored and exploited between your disembarking the airplane and reaching the taxi stand at the airport, Brenner said. And when you emailed back home, some or all of the malware may have migrated to your home server. This is not hypothetical.

At the time, Clinton had just returned from an official trip that took her to China and elsewhere in Asia. She was embarking on another foray to the Middle East and Europe. She took her BlackBerry with her.





In early March, Assistant Secretary for Diplomatic Security Eric Boswell delivered a memo with the subject line Use of Blackberries in Mahogany Row.

Our review reaffirms our belief that the vulnerabilities and risks associated with the use of Blackberries in the Mahogany Row [redacted] considerably outweigh the convenience their use can add, the memo said.

He emphasized: Any unclassified Blackberry is highly vulnerable in any setting to remotely and covertly monitoring conversations, retrieving e-mails, and exploiting calendars.

Nine days later, Clinton told Boswell that she had read his memo and gets it, according to an email sent by a senior diplomatic security official. Her attention was drawn to the sentence that indicates (Diplomatic Security) have intelligence concerning this vulnerability during her recent trip to Asia, the email said.

But Clinton kept using her private BlackBerry  and the basement server.

The server was nothing remarkable, the kind of system often used by small businesses, according to people familiar with its configuration at the end of her tenure. It consisted of two off-the-shelf server computers. Both were equipped with antivirus software. They were linked by cable to a local Internet service provider. A firewall was used as protection against hackers.

Few could have known it, but the email system operated in those first two months without the standard encryption generally used on the Internet to protect communication, according to an independent analysis that Venafi Inc., a cybersecurity firm that specializes in the encryption process, took upon itself to publish on its website after the scandal broke.

Not until March 29, 2009  two months after Clinton began using it  did the server receive a digital certificate that protected communication over the Internet through encryption, according to Venafis analysis.

It is unknown whether the system had some other way to encrypt the email traffic at the time. Without encryption  a process that scrambles communication for anyone without the correct key  email, attachments and passwords are transmitted in plain text.

That means that anyone could have accessed it. Anyone, Kevin Bocek, vice president of threat intelligence at Venafi, told The Post.

The system had other features that made it vulnerable to talented hackers, including a software program that enabled users to log on directly from the World Wide Web.

Four computer-security specialists interviewed by The Post said that such a system could be made reasonably secure but that it would need constant monitoring by people trained to look for irregularities in the servers logs.

For data of this sensitivity . . . we would need at a minimum a small team to do monitoring and hardening, said Jason Fossen, a computer-security specialist at the SANS Institute, which provides cybersecurity training around the world.

The man Clinton has said maintained and monitored her server was Bryan Pagliano, who had worked as the technology chief for her political action committee and her presidential campaign. It is not clear whether he had any help. Pagliano had also provided computer services to the Clinton family. In 2008, he received more than $5,000 for that work, according to financial disclosure statements he filed with the government.

In May 2009, with Kennedys help, Pagliano landed a job as a political employee in the State Departments IT division, documents and interviews show. It was an unusual arrangement.

At the same time, Pagliano apparently agreed to maintain the basement server. Officials in the IT division have told investigators they could not recall previously hiring a political appointee. Three of Paglianos supervisors also told investigators they had no idea that Clinton used the basement server or that Pagliano was moonlighting on it.

Through an attorney, Pagliano declined a request from The Post for an interview. He also refused a request from the Senate Judiciary and Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs committees to discuss his role. On Sept. 1, 2015, his attorney told the committees that he would invoke his Fifth Amendment rights if any attempt was made to compel his testimony. He was later given immunity by the Justice Department in exchange for his cooperation, according to articles in the New York Times and The Post.

In a statement, Clintons campaign said the server was protected but declined to provide technical details. Clinton officials have said that server logs given to authorities show no signs of hacking.

The security and integrity of her familys electronic communications was taken seriously from the onset when it was first set up for President Clintons team, the statement said. Suffice it to say, robust protections were put in place and additional upgrades and techniques employed over time as they became available, including consulting and employing third party experts.

The statement added that there is no evidence there was ever a breach.



Rep. Susan Brooks (R-Ind.) speaks as piles of Hillary Clintons e-mails about Libya are seen on the bench during a hearing before the House Select Committee on Benghazi on Capitol Hill on Oct. 22. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

The number of emails moving through the basement system increased quickly as Hillary Clinton dove into the endless details of her globetrotting job. There were 62,320 in all, an average of 296 a week, nearly 1,300 a month, according to numbers Clinton later reported to the State Department. About half of them were work-related.

Her most frequent correspondent was Mills, her chief of staff, who sent thousands of notes. Next came Abedin, the deputy chief of staff, and Jacob Sullivan, also a deputy chief of staff, according to a tally by The Post.

Clinton used hdr22@clintonemail.com as her address, making it immediately apparent that the emails were not coming from or going to a government address.

Most of her emails were routine, including those sent to friends. Some involved the coordination of efforts to bring aid to Haiti by the State Department and her husbands New York-based Clinton Foundation  notes that mixed government and family business, the emails show.

Others involved classified matters. State Department and Intelligence Community officials have determined that 2,093 email chains contained classified information. Most of the classified emails have been labeled as confidential, the lowest level of classification. Clinton herself authored 104 emails that contained classified material, a Post analysis later found.

Before the server received a digital certificate marking the use of standard encryption, Clinton and her aides exchanged notes touching on North Korea, Mexico, Afghanistan, military advisers, CIA operations and a briefing for Obama.

Clinton adviser Philippe Reines wrote a note to her about Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai. Reines started his note by reminding Clinton that Reiness close friend Jeremy Bash is now [CIA Director Leon E.] Panettas Chief of Staff. The rest of the note was redacted before release, under grounds that it was national-security-sensitive.

On Sunday, March 29, 2009, just hours before standard encryption on the server began, Sullivan emailed Clinton a draft of a confidential report she was to make to Obama. Attached is a draft of your Mexico trip report to POTUS, Sullivan wrote.

In the high-pressure world of diplomacy, the sharing of such material had been a discreet but common practice for many years. Officials who manage problems around the clock require a never-ending flow of incisive information to make timely decisions.

Not all classified material is equally sensitive. Much of it involves discussions about foreign countries or leaders, not intelligence sources and methods. Working with classified materials can be cumbersome and, in the case of low-level classification, annoying.

On Feb. 10, 2010, in an exchange with Sullivan, Clinton vented her frustration one day when she wanted to read a statement regarding Jose Miguel Insulza, then secretary general of the Organization of American States. Sullivan wrote that he could not send it to her immediately because the department had put it on the classified network.

Its a public statement! Just email it, Clinton shot back, just moments later.

Trust me, I share your exasperation, Sullivan wrote. But until ops converts it to the unclassified email system, there is no physical way for me to email it. I cant even access it.

Early on June 17, 2011, Clinton grew impatient as she waited for talking points about a sensitive matter that had to be delivered via a secure line.

They say theyve had issues sending secure fax. Theyre working on it, Sullivan wrote his boss.

Clinton told him to take a shortcut.

If they cant, turn into nonpaper w no identifying heading and send nonsecure, she said.

Clinton spokesman Fallon said she was not trying to circumvent the classification system.

What she was asking was that any information that could be transmitted on the unclassified system be transmitted, he said. It is wrong to suggest that she was requesting otherwise. The State Department looked into this and confirmed that no classified material was sent through a non-secure fax or email.

Security remained a constant concern. On June 28, 2011, in response to reports that Gmail accounts of government workers had been targeted by online adversaries, a note went out over Clintons name urging department employees to avoid conducting official Department business from your personal email accounts.

But she herself ignored the warning and continued using her BlackBerry and the basement server.



Chairman Trey Gowdy (R-S.C.) and members of the House Select Committee on Benghazi address the findings of former secretary of state Hillary Clintons personal emails during a news conference at the U.S. Capitol in March 2015. (Gabriella Demczuk/Getty Images)

In December 2012, near the end of Clintons tenure, a nonprofit group called Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington, or CREW, filed a FOIA request seeking records about her email. CREW received a response in May 2013: no records responsive to your request were located.

Other requests for Clinton records met the same fate  until the State Department received a demand from the newly formed House Select Committee on Benghazi in July 2014. The committee wanted Clintons email, among other things, to see what she and others knew about the deadly attack in Libya and the response by the U.S. government.

Officials in the departments congressional affairs office found some Clinton email and saw that she had relied on the private domain, not the departments system.

Secretary of State John F. Kerry resolved to round up the Clinton emails and deliver them to Congress as quickly as possible. Department officials reached out to Clinton informally in the summer of 2014. On Oct. 28, 2014, the department contacted Clinton and the offices of three other former secretaries  Madeleine K. Albright, Condoleezza Rice and Colin L. Powell  asking if they had any email or other federal records in their possession.

Albright and Rice said they did not use email while at State. Powell, secretary of state from 2001 to 2005, had a private email account through America Online but did not retain copies of his emails. The inspector general for the State Department found that Powells personal email account had received two emails from staff that contained national security information classified at the Secret or Confidential levels.

Clinton lawyer David Kendall later told the State Department that her use of personal email was consistent with the practices of other Secretaries of State, citing Powell in particular, according to a letter he wrote in August.

But Powells circumstances also differed from Clintons in notable ways. Powell had a phone line installed in his office solely to link to his private account, which he generally used for personal or non-classified communication. At the time, he was pushing the department to embrace the Internet era and wanted to set an example.

I performed a little test whenever I visited an embassy: Id dive into the first open office I could find (sometimes it was the ambassadors office). If the computer was on, Id try to get into my private email account, Powell wrote in It Worked for Me: In Life and Leadership. If I could, they passed.

Powell conducted virtually all of his classified communications on paper or over a State Department computer installed on his desk that was reserved for classified information, according to interviews. Clinton never had such a desktop or a classified email account, according to the State Department.

On Dec. 5, 2014, Clinton lawyers delivered 12 file boxes filled with printed paper containing more than 30,000 emails. Clinton withheld almost 32,000 emails deemed to be of a personal nature.

1 of 9 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Takeaways from Hillary Clintons e-mails View Photos Clinton has come under fire for using a private email address during her time as secretary of state. The emails are being screened and released in batches. Here are some things weve learned from them. Caption Clinton has come under fire for using a private email address during her time as secretary of state. The emails are being screened and released in batches. Here are some things weve learned from them. Top-secret information in e-mails Democratic presidential candidate Hillary Clinton has previously stated that classified information never traveled across her private server. However, the State Department has acknowledged that "top secret" information was in seven email chains sent or received by her. Richard Drew/AP Wait 1 second to continue.

The department began releasing the emails last May, starting with some 296 emails requested by the Benghazi committee. In reviewing those emails, intelligence officials realized that some contained classified material.

Clinton and her campaign have offered various responses to questions about the classifications. At first, she flat-out denied that her server ever held any. There is no classified material, she said at a March 10, 2015, news conference.

Her campaign later released a statement saying she could not have known whether material was classified, because it was not labeled as such. No information in Clintons emails was marked classified at the time she sent or received them, the statement said.

Clinton has also suggested that many of the emails were classified as a formality only because they were being prepared for release under a FOIA request. Her campaign has said that much of the classified material  in emails sent by more than 300 individuals  came from newspaper accounts and other public sources.

What you are talking about is retroactive classification, she said during a recent debate. And I think what we have got here is a case of overclassification. Her statement appears to conflict with a report to Congress last year by inspectors general from the State Department and the group of spy agencies known as the Intelligence Community. They made their report after the discovery that four emails, from a sample of 40 that went through her server, contained classified information.

These emails were not retroactively classified by the State Department, the report said. Rather these emails contained classified information when they were generated and, according to IC classification officials, that information remains classified today. This classified information should never have been transmitted via an unclassified personal system.

One of those four emails has since been declassified and released publicly by the State Department. The department has questioned the classification of another of those emails.

Twenty-two emails discovered later were deemed so highly classified that they were withheld in their entirety from public release. They are on their face sensitive and obviously classified, Rep. Chris Stewart (R-Utah), a member of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, told The Post. This information should have been maintained in the most secure, classified, top-secret servers.

Fallon pointed out that none of those emails originated with Clinton, something that he said Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), the Senate Select Intelligence Committee vice chairman, has noted. We strongly disagree with the decision to withhold these emails in full, he said.

Under Title 18, Section 1924, of federal law, it is a misdemeanor punishable by fines and imprisonment for a federal employee to knowingly remove classified information without authority and with the intent to retain such documents or materials at an unauthorized location.

Previous cases brought under the law have required proof of an intent to mishandle classified information, a high hurdle in the Clinton case. The basement server also put Clinton at risk of violating laws and regulations aimed at protecting and preserving government records.

In a statement, Clintons campaign said she had received guidance regarding the need to preserve federal records and followed those rules. It was her practice to email government employees on their .gov email address. That way, work emails would be immediately captured and preserved in government record-keeping systems, the statement said.

Fallon said that over 90 percent of the more than 30,000 work-related emails were to or from government email accounts.

Specialists interviewed by The Post said her practices fell short of what laws and regulations mandated. Some of those obligations were spelled out a few months before Clinton took office in National Archives and Records Administration Bulletin 2008-05, which said every email system was supposed to permit easy and timely retrieval of the records.

The secretary of states work emails are supposed to be preserved permanently. In addition, rules also mandated that permanent records are to be sent to the departments Records Service Center at the end of the Secretarys tenure or sooner if necessary for safekeeping.

Under Title 18, Section 2071, it is a Class E felony to take federal records without authorization, something that is sometimes referred to as the alienation of records. The law is rarely enforced, but a conviction can carry a fine or imprisonment.

Jason R. Baron, a former director of litigation at the National Archives and Records Administration, told the Senate Judiciary Committee last year he believed that Clintons server ran afoul of the rules. In a memo to the committee, Baron wrote that the setting up of and maintaining a private email network as the sole means to conduct official business by email, coupled with the failure to timely return email records into government custody, amounts to actions plainly inconsistent with the federal recordkeeping laws.

On May 19, 2015, in response to a FOIA lawsuit from the media organization Vice News, U.S. District Judge Rudolph Contreras ordered all the email to be released in stages, with redactions.

One notable email was sent in August 2011. Stephen Mull, then serving as the departments executive secretary, emailed Abedin, Mills and Kennedy about getting a government-issued BlackBerry linked to a government server for Clinton.

We are working to provide the Secretary per her request a Department issued Blackberry to replace personal unit, which is malfunctioning (possibly because of her personal email server is down.) We will prepare two version for her to use  one with an operating State Department email account (which would mask her identity, but which would also be subject to FOIA requests).



Huma Abedin, a top aide to Hillary Clinton, reacts to testimony at an October hearing of the House Select Committee on Benghazi. (Melina Mara/The Washington Post)

Abedin responded decisively.

Steve  lets discuss the state blackberry. doesnt make a whole lot of sense.

Fallon said the email showed that the secretarys staff opposed the idea of her identity being masked.

Last month, in a hearing about a Judicial Watch lawsuit, U.S. District Judge Sullivan cited that email as part of the reason he ordered the State Department produce records related to its initial failures in the FOIA searches for Clintons records.

Speaking in open court, Sullivan said legitimate questions have been raised about whether Clintons staff was trying to help her to sidestep FOIA.

Were talking about a Cabinet-level official who was accommodated by the government for reasons unknown to the public. And I think thats a fair statement: For reasons heretofore unknown to the public. And all the public can do is speculate, he said, adding: This is all about the publics right to know.

Alice Crites contributed to this report.



CORRECTION: An earlier version of this article incorrectly said that Clinton used two different email addresses, sometimes interchangeably, as secretary of state. She used only hdr22@clintonemail.com as secretary of state. Also, an earlier version of this article reported that 147 FBI agents had been detailed to the investigation, according to a lawmaker briefed by FBI Director James B. Comey. Two U.S. law enforcement officials have since told The Washington Post that figure is too high. The FBI will not provide an exact figure, but the officials say the number of FBI personnel involved is fewer than 50.






Former Ted Cruz campaign communications director Rick Tyler, left, on an MSNBC set in Detroit on March 8. Tyler is one of many campaign veterans this election cycle who quickly transitioned into punditry. (Paul Warner/Getty Images)

As a general rule, whats bad for a campaign is good for cable news. Consider the case of Rick Tyler.

Last month, Tyler, then the communications director for GOP presidential candidate Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Tex.), posted a video on Facebook and Twitter purporting to show Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) bashing the Bible. Unfortunately for Tyler, upon closer listen, it turned out Rubio had been singing the good books praises. Tyler lost his job, and cable news gained a gaffe to babble about for a day.

And for MSNBC, Rick Tylers firing also provided the perfect opportunity to trot out its newest paid political contributor . . . Rick Tyler.

I know were ripping the Band-Aid off here a little bit, Chuck Todd said to his new colleague, a former newsmaker in his first on-air appearance as news commentator, just days after his dismissal. Where do you start with your regret?

Tyler, leaning forward in his camera-friendly blue-and-orange tie, made some conciliatory noises about his judgment error and Cruz doing what he had to do, and how he tried to take down the post as soon as he learned it was a goof, but . . .

It seems to me, Todd said, in gentle absolution, in some ways you were a victim of . . . this fast news cycle.

The news cycle taketh away and the news cycle giveth. Tyler may have messed up on the job, but thats hardly the kind of thing to get you blacklisted from the thriving political-commentary industry these days. Theres always a pulpit for out-of-work campaign staffers on television, where those who cant do, preach.

They show up on MSNBC, CNN and Fox News, with titles that offer little distinction to the average viewer: strategists, analysts, commentators, guests. They talk about polls and strategy, about lanes and ceilings. It doesnt matter if they get things wrong  who in this election hasnt?

The thing about political news on cable, says Jay Rosen, an academic and media critic, is that so much of it is spitballing, and its actually something any reasonably informed citizen can do pretty well.

Networks get credibility by seeking out these insiders, and they claim balance by hiring from both sides of the aisle. Its been going on for a while now. Remember David Gergen, a three-time White House aide turned journalist turned pundit  the perfect flower of the Insider species, as New York Times journalist Michael Kelly called him in a 1993 profile?

Yesterdays reporter is todays White House spokesman is tomorrows pundit, Kelly wrote.



Donna Brazile, who managed Al Gores 2000 presidential campaign, holds forth with Jonathan Karl, left, and Matthew Dowd at a 2012 presidential debate. (Donna Svennevik/ABC)

Paul Begala parlayed his role as a Bill Clinton strategist into a long TV career. He is seen here with James Carville, left, and Tucker Carlson, right, on CNNs Crossfire in 2002. (John Harrington/CNN via Reuters)

Theres plenty of incentive to make the transformation. Some get paid tens of thousands of dollars (or more) to hold forth on TV now and then, while others are just grateful for the chance to promote their brand. Its good to be seen, says Hogan Gidley, a former campaign staffer for both former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee and former senator Rick Santorum of Pennsylvania and now a regular cable guest.

Patti Solis Doyle, who was fired as Hillary Clintons campaign manager in 2008, accepted a CNN offer for the 2016 cycle because she wanted to help her old boss from outside. Its a win-win-win as far as CNN, Solis Doyle and the Clinton team are concerned: CNN gets an insider who worked for Clinton for 17 years, Solis Doyle gets a platform without the grueling hours of a real campaign job, and Clinton gets a prominent supporter on the airwaves at no cost to the campaign.

On the rare occasion where I think the Clinton campaign had a misstep, Ill say so, says Solis Doyle. The campaign does send out their talking points, but I make the decision of whether or not Ill use them.

Every campaign has some version of Solis Doyle on the air, and some of them dont always bother disclosing their ties to candidates. Then there are todays versions of perfect flowers. Theres Al Gores old campaign manager Donna Brazile, now a political strategist and contributor to both CNN and ABC News who also serves as a vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. Or former Bill Clinton strategist Paul Begala, now both a contributor to CNN and an adviser to Priorities USA Action, a super PAC supporting Democratic candidates. Insiders come with hidden value: Networks arent just paying for a talking head but for loyalty, for contacts, for help securing exclusive interviews.

No doubt this highly conspicuous revolving door between media and consulting work is yet another good explanation for why everyone hates Washington. Flip from CNN to MSNBC to Fox and youre likely to hear everyone talking about the same thing, as if they all came from the same cocktail party (which they may have).

Ive got people who say, How can you go on MSNBC?  says Gidley, a conservative. How could I not go on there? Those are my friends.

But there do appear to be some uncrossable lines. Last week, Politicos Mike Allen reported two items involving Stephanie Cutter, former aide to President Obama.

Item one: Cutter to become MSNBC analyst.

Item two: Cutter to help oversee grass-roots effort in support of Obamas pick for the Supreme Court.



Stephanie Cutter, an Obama campaign veteran who became a potent voice on cable news, participates in a panel discussion in Las Vegas in October. (Sam Morris/For The Washington Post)

Hogan Gidley, left, a staffer for the 2012 campaign of Rick Santorum (right), has been a TV regular since his recent campaign job with Mike Huckabee ended. (Jason Reed/Reuters)

Cable news is filled with partisans, but the idea of paying Cutter to come on television and discuss an issue while also working on it behind the scenes was a conflict of interest too great even for the Insiders. MSNBC killed the contract.

These things are bound to happen. There are just so many hours to fill and so few people with actual experience to speak of.

The thing that really bothers me, said Stuart Stevens, Mitt Romneys former strategist and a regular presence on cable, are the tons of people on TV who talk about campaigns that have never been in campaigns at all. There are all these professional conservatives who like to beat up on people who have never spent 19 hours in a campaign headquarters in their lives.

Its better, in other words, to feature people who have successes and failures under their belts  say, even Mike Murphy, architect of the expensively disastrous Jeb Bush campaign, who now occasionally pops onto the screen to talk about the state of the race  than people who havent even had the opportunity to mess up.

In Tylers case, his mistake on the Cruz campaign even seems to have helped him land his gig on MSNBC.

He already had a reputation as a hard-working and likable professional, comfortable in front of the cameras and on good terms with beat reporters. And his was a gaffe that was all too relatable in the click-now, regret-later era of social media. On Sunday, Feb. 21, he saw a video, filmed by a University of Pennsylvania student newspaper, showing Rubio walking through a hotel lobby where a Cruz staffer was reading the Bible. The subtitles over the muddled audio claimed Rubio gestured to the book and said, Not a lot of answers in there. Tyler shared the video.

It was soon revealed that Rubio actually said, All the answers are in there. Cruz, already facing criticism for running a dirty-tricks campaign, asked Tyler to step down that Monday.



Rick Tyler, right, with then-boss Ted Cruz, at the Texas Republicans launch of his presidential campaign at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Va., last March. (Andrew Harnik/AP)

After his farewell party, Tyler texted his friend Peter Zorich to ask for leads on a TV gig.

Just about all of my clients ask me how they can get hired, says Zorich, whose company, Best Guest Media, helps people get booked on television. I tell them all the same thing: Its extremely difficult, and it shouldnt be the goal.

But Tyler had something going for him: His name was all over the news.

It helps if you have a little notoriety, Zorich says.

Zorich contacted a friend at MSNBC, and within 36 hours Tyler was under contract. By Friday, he was on the air. His first interview, with Todd, started with a discussion of the video kerfuffle but quickly moved onto analyzing the horse race. Tyler knows this will probably be a big chunk of his job.

It used to be, people werent interested in process or strategy, says Tyler. But people are interested in all that stuff now. To some extent, Donald Trump is a grotesque, extreme version of the obsession with process  its all he talks about. Its all about polls, or how big his crowd is.

This is not a compliment.

He just nauseates me, Tyler says, noting that he doesnt think he could support Trump if he were the Republican nominee.

Its the kind of statement that could make for some good programming on television, only it hasnt come up yet. Im surprised, but no ones asked me yet, he says. And Im dreading the question.

But not dreading it enough, of course, to stop going on TV.
Wes Knapp, a botanist and ecologist with Marylands Department of Natural Resources, surveys a clearing near the Potomac River where he rediscovered the riverbank goldenrod. (Victoria St. Martin/The Washington Post)

After finding a rare flower last seen in Maryland when Teddy Roosevelt was president, Wes Knapp excitedly headed home to share his breaking botany news with his wife.

Im pretty sure I came home sweaty and tired and told her we found the Solidago rupestris  a bright yellow flower that most others would know as the riverbank goldenrod  and she said, Thats great, can you take out the garbage?  Knapp recalled.

It can be a tough road for those who see treasures where others see weeds. But to hear Knapp talk about his work is to listen to a man describing his little slice of heaven every time he gets to walk out in the woods and get my vitamin D as a botanist and ecologist for Marylands Department of Natural Resources.

[Rare flower rediscovered in Maryland after 112 years]

Knapp slowly walked the banks of the Potomac River in Montgomery County recently to get back to where he had made his find in September.

Wes Knapp holds the riverbank goldenrod in Montgomery County. Knapp rediscovered the flowering plant in September. The last time it had been seen in the state was 112 years ago. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources)

He was constantly scanning, his eyes high and low  thats the harbinger of spring, just a few inches tall and amongst our earliest flowering plants, he said, and you got spicebush starting up here.

As he inched closer to the exact spot, Knapp, who lives in Hurlock, Md., ticked off a mental list of virtual high-fives he received in his inbox when his buddies heard what he had found.

One from Alabama put it on Facebook and tagged me, because someone tagged him and said, This is a cool story, and a person from out West send it to me, he said. I dunno; people get excited, which is good. People do care about nature.

He made nature his lifes work after a horrible day in an organic chemistry class during his sophomore year at Catawba College in North Carolina. It was a nice spring day, he said, and he had spent three hours in a lab where a reaction hadnt worked.

I realized then I couldnt live my life in a lab, he said.

Knapp went outside to the steps of the science building to regroup in the sun and bumped into a professor.

He said, Do you want to work-study in the herbarium,  Knapp remembered. And I didnt know what it was, but I said yes.

The riverbank goldenrod, also known as Solidago rupestris, in Virginia. The flowering plant was recently rediscovered in Maryland after 112 years. (Maryland Department of Natural Resources)

[Botanists agree to loosen Latins grip]

Michael Baranski, Knapps former professor, said the rediscovery of the riverbank goldenrod in Maryland is one of those neat things that keeps us all moving forward.

Were glad to see that element of our biodiversity is still around, Baranski said. Every plant, every animal, every other organism that ever existed represents a unique store of genetic information, something that has evolved over millennia to occupy a certain space in the landscape.

When something goes extinct, we feel sad, he said. But when we find something that seemed to have been gone, we get excited and we think, Wow, gee, its still around  thats great. 

New job every day

Growing up, one of Knapps favorite characters was Bert from Mary Poppins because, every day, Bert had a new job. Now, at 36, Knapp says of his work: Thats so great. Its something different every day.

He said his brother Randy told me Im the closest thing he knows to Indiana Jones.

A New Hampshire native, Knapp came to Maryland in 2001 to take his first, and so far only, job with the states Department of Natural Resources.

He is compactly built with brown hair framing a baby face, and his work wardrobe favors khakis and polo shirts.

He frequently can be spotted with a hydration pack strapped to his back, sipping from a blue plastic hose looped over his right shoulder. For his botanical field expeditions, he also is seldom without a hat, two magnifying glasses and plenty of bug spray.

Of field work, he says: Though its, like, sexy  the idea of all this great field work  theres a lot of ticks, theres a lot of biting insects, theres a lot of sun, dehydration. Its really challenging. Ive had Lyme [disease] twice.

In addition to lots of shoe leather, Knapp relies on a few tools suited to the digital age. He is regarded as among the first to use a computer database to cross-reference sightings of rare flora in neighboring states.

The goldenrod was just across the river in Virginia, and given how seeds can travel by wind gusts and water flows, Knapp thought it had to be in Maryland, too.

He and a team started a search along two islands in Marylands portion of Great Falls Park, and during a second search they found a patch of about 50 goldenrods near Carderock, just west of Bethesda.

As soon as I walked up, I said, There it is. It had the right feel, the right gestalt, the right look, he said, describing the unique shape of the plants leaves.

Knapps wife, Heather, said she probably did talk about taking out garbage after he came home with the news.

The middle-school science and health teacher said she understands that plants are important. But sometimes when she is cooking dinner and has their two daughters on her hips, she said, the botany talk can go in one ear and out the other.

Still, his excitement is what she loves most about him, she said. I married him because hes so passionate about everything, she said. Hes passionate about me, hes passionate about my kids, and that same passion he has for us, he has for his work as well. His work isnt work  its what he loves to do.

What I hope my kids take out of it, she added, is that youre going to work hard and sometimes you might not go out and find a plant, and other times youll hit that home run and find something you think was extinct.

Knapp said he thinks that nature isnt always here for humankinds benefit: Sometimes nature is here for itself, and were just a component of nature.

I dont understand the difference between the last rhinoceros being shot and the last population of this goldenrod being wiped out, he said. Whats the difference?
First lady Michelle Obama arrives for an event on March 14 at the White House with members of the Broadway cast of Hamilton. (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

I recently attended a White House event that featured the cast of the Broadway hit Hamilton. But it was the host for the occasion who was most impressive: first lady Michelle Obama, still standing tall, chin up, despite nearly eight years of enduring the kind of crudities that the wives of some of the current presidential candidates are starting to get a taste of.

Personal insults in politics are certainly nothing new, and even first ladies have long been regarded as fair game. But racial contempt for the Obamas and the development of so many new ways to express it resulted in an unprecedented barrage of ugliness toward her.

In a speech to graduates at Tuskegee University in Alabama last year, she recalled having a lot of sleepless nights . . . fearing how my girls would feel if they found out what some people were saying about their mom.

But its not just uncivil discourse that poisons the political environment.

In 2013, a monument in Georgia to her great-great-great-grandmother  who was born into slavery  was vandalized.

The first lady talked about race, her critics, motherhood and more during a May 9 commencement address at Tuskegee University in Alabama. (Tuskegee University)

In 2011, a gunman fired seven shots into the White House and shattered a window just a few steps from the first familys formal living room. The president, first lady and one of their daughters were away. But their other daughter and Michelle Obamas mother were there.

Fortunately, no one was injured.

Its juvenile for Donald Trump to tweet an unflattering photo of rival Ted Cruzs wife and in poor taste for an anti-Trump super PAC to post a nude photo of Trumps wife. But thats nothing compared to the hateful caricaturing, disrespectful comments and threats that have been aimed at Michelle Obama.

As the first African American first lady, Obama was expected to be flawless  meaning fashionable, sophisticated, smart and worldly, and never too loud, too angry or too black.

Eventually, I realized that if I wanted to keep my sanity and not let others define me, there was only one thing I could do, and that was to have faith in Gods plan for me, she told the Tuskegee graduates. I had to ignore all of the noise and be true to myself  and the rest would work itself out.

Health and nutrition, and caring for veterans are two of her causes that tend to get the most attention. But it was her passion for art and culture that brought the cast of Hamilton to the White House on March 14. In the audience were students from Laurel High School in Prince Georges County, Md., Osbourn High School in Manassas, Va., and Loudoun County High School in Leesburg, Va.

We host a lot of special events here, Obama told them. We do a lot of really cool things. But this, for me personally, is the coolest.

Republican presidential candidate Ted Cruz is blasting rival Donald Trump for a National Enquirer story accusing Cruz of having five mistresses. Here's a breakdown of how a week of fighting got us here. (Sarah Parnass/The Washington Post)

Her affinity for artists, writers and entertainers is not without its critics. In a new book, Listen, Liberal, political analyst Thomas Frank argues that Democratic Party elites, such as the Clintons and the Obamas, have abandoned the working class in favor of a more affluent, creative class of professionals.

But there was nothing elitist in Michelle Obamas comments about art to the students.

We also wanted to highlight all different kinds of American art  on all the art forms: painting, music, culture  especially art forms that had never been seen in these walls, she said. So what did we start with? We started with spoken word, because no one had ever held a poetry slam in the White House, thats for sure.

They brought in a youngster from New York, Lin-Manuel Miranda, who performed the opening song from a musical he was working on about Alexander Hamilton, the nations first secretary of the treasury. Seven years later, Hamilton is the hottest ticket on Broadway. A high school history curriculum has developed around the themes in the play.

I remember I was telling Lin-Manuel that hes got to do this for, like, the Middle East, and all the other issues, Obama said. Youve got to talk about slavery. Youve got to cover it all.

So much for her critics.

Are you all excited? she asked the students. When they roared Yes! the first lady did a charming imitation of a teen girl shimmy to show that she was, too.

May the next first lady  or first man  hold up as well as Michelle Obama.

Correction: An earlier version of this article misstated the year that a gunman fired seven shots into the White House. It happened in 2011.

To read previous columns, go to washingtonpost.com/milloy.
This Starbucks in Woodbridge is one of several coffee shops in Prince William County where the chain plans to serve beer and wine. But not everyone is pleased with the new menu items. (Jonathan Hunley/For The Washington Post)

The highly caffeinated world of Starbucks soon could become a little more mellow, at least at four locations in the Prince William area.

The Seattle-based chain plans to begin selling beer and wine this week at several of its coffeehouses in Northern Virginia. The rollout of new products could take awhile, but it will include one store each in Woodbridge, Manassas, Gainesville and Haymarket.

The move is part of the addition of what Starbucks calls its Evenings menu to existing establishments. The stores will offer a wine selection and craft beers, as well as small plates of food designed to be shared, including items such as artichoke dip or truffle macaroni and cheese.

By expanding our offerings to include food and drinks that are more suitable for the evening hours, we are enhancing our role as a gathering place for the community throughout the day and into the evening, Starbucks spokeswoman Holly Hart Shafer said in an email last week.

The Northern Virginia coffee shops and some others in the state are among a few hundred nationwide slated to begin selling alcohol this year. Starbucks has active or pending licenses to sell wine and beer at 47 locations in Virginia, according to the states Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control.

The coffee giants first Evenings venture was at a Seattle store in 2010. The menu has been instituted in more than 300 stores across the United States, but the only Starbucks where customers can now buy alcohol in this region is at Dulles International Airport.

Some other order-at-the-counter-style chains serve alcohol. An example is Chipotle, which has restaurants near the Woodbridge and Manassas Starbucks locations where Evenings menus are planned.

But the addition of alcohol at a place where caffeine is generally king doesnt sit well with everyone.

For example, Greg Williams, who wrote and produced the addiction-recovery documentary The Anonymous People (2013), said that Starbucks serves wine and beer at the risk of losing business from customers in Alcoholics Anonymous and other groups.

The company has famously taken stands against gun violence and for military veterans, he said, but its embracing alcohol, which contributes to safety issues with guns and health problems for veterans.

This is a big thing, said Williams, who has been in recovery for 14 years and who co-founded the national advocacy group Facing Addiction.

But beyond any kind of social responsibility factor, he said, are economic facts: About 23 million Americans are in recovery, and Starbucks is a key vendor to this population, whose members like to drink coffee and to gather in alcohol-free establishments.

Its literally about consumer preference, Williams said.

Branding consultant Scott Bedbury said, however, it is not as if Starbucks is creating an atmosphere where patrons will be throwing down shots of Jagermeister.

The notion is to provide a safe, neighborhood place where customers can enjoy a glass of wine or a craft beer without the hassles of the bar scene, said Bedbury, former chief marketing officer for Starbucks.

And offering a pinot along with a Pike Place Roast makes American coffee shops even more like the traditional coffeehouses of Europe, he said, where alcohol options are common.

Its not a new idea, said Bedbury, who runs a consulting business called Brandstream.

Starbuckss effort makes sense in other ways, too, he said.

Although it is associated with coffee drinkers, Starbucks has a large percentage of customers  maybe as many as 25 percent  who order something other than regular joe, Bedbury said.

Also, if a store can stay open later because of the initiative, that means more hours that employees can work, and more time in which Starbucks can make money.

The business may be able to make some extra money off of Wes Downs. He said he probably could go for an alcoholic beverage at Starbucks, although his regular order is a caramel Frappuccino.

The Woodbridge resident, interviewed outside the coffee shop near Potomac Mills, where beer and wine sales are planned, voiced a word of caution, however.

Starbucks customers are used to grabbing a drink to go and quickly heading out the door, Downs said. But the chain should foster an environment where patrons stick around a bit before driving if theyve had alcohol instead of java, he said.

If they do it responsibly, Downs said of Starbucks, I think it will be good.
Gladys White Jordan, center, received one of the University of Mary Washingtons most significant awards, the Monroe Medal, at a March 14 ceremony. (Reza Marvashti/University of Mary Washington)

As a young black girl in Stafford County in the 1950s, Gladys White Jordan saw up close how privilege was largely determined by skin color.

Her mother, a maid, kept house for the president and chancellor of the University of Mary Washington, which then served as the selective womens college of the University of Virginia. As a teenager, Jordan assisted her mother working in the kitchen and as a server during dinner parties for local dignitaries at Brompton, the presidents brick manse with a white-columned portico.

When the time came for Jordan to consider her future, she dreamed of attending Mary Washington, and she broached the subject with her mother.

The prevailing idea at that time is that you didnt send girls to college because they were going to get married anyway, and someone was going to take care of them, said Jordan, 78. But I wanted to go to college.

But when Jordans mother spoke to the president, her employer told her the Board of Visitors had no interest in accepting an African American woman, no matter how qualified, into its ranks.

Despite the landmark 1954 Brown v. Board of Education U.S. Supreme Court decision, Jordans admission was denied on the basis of her race. The privilege of an education at Mary Washington, Jordan learned, was for whites only.

I was just sad, Jordan said, but she did not give up on her goal of attaining a higher education. She soon enrolled at Virginia State University, where she earned a bachelors degree in 1960 and a masters degree in 1968.

I realized that I wanted to go to school so you had to get over that feeling that you were rejected, Jordan said. Move on, move on.

Now, more than half a century later, the school that once turned her away has recognized her determination, honoring her with one of its most prestigious awards.

On March 14, she received the schools Monroe Medal, which acknowledges extraordinary career achievement used to benefit humanity and society.

People need to take the initiative to do something, Jordan told the Fredericksburg Free Lance-Star. You might fail, but your failure can open doors for others. We dont succeed at everything, but suppose no one tries, suppose no one had applied.

The first black student to enroll at Mary Washington, Jacquelyn Pulliam, came in 1962. But the schools first black graduate, Venus Jones, did not receive her degree in chemistry until 1968.

Jordan told The Post that she saw how far Mary Washington has come when she looked beside her at the recent award ceremony: The schools special assistant to the president for diversity and inclusion is Leah Cox, an African American woman.

I said, Wait a minute,  Jordan said, noting that Cox is not a janitor or a custodian but in a decision-making role. Thats progress within itself.

Jordan accepted her denial from Mary Washington with grace and achieved success at Virginia State. Upon graduation, she accepted a teaching position in King George County as an English instructor. But, at the time, because of Virginias discriminating policy of Massive Resistance, the school remained segregated. She went on to teach in Richmond.

In 1980, she became one of the first faculty members at Franklin Military Academy, the first public military school in the country. Twice she was elected Teacher of the Year at Franklin, Jordan said. She retired in 1996 after 35 years in the classroom.

Jordan said that she felt that it was her duty to take the setback she was dealt in 1956 and turn it into a success.

She said: Im a fighter. But you wont see my fighting in the streets. Go fight in other ways. Go get the credentials you need, and then opportunities will open up for you.

The fight for civil rights, she noted, was a collective movement.

We can never forget that, she said. It was not a one-person effort.

Jordan said that she recognized that in even a small way she had played a role in pushing for integration at Mary Washington. And her legacy at the school continued.

Her nephew, David White, graduated in 1991 from Mary Washington and served for a time as a minority admissions recruiter.

Im proud of that, she said.


8th Congressional District candidate Will Jawando talks to Democrats at a breakfast in Rockville. (Kate Patterson/For The Washington Post)

Fifth in a series of profiles of candidates seeking the Democratic nomination for Marylands 8th Congressional District.

Parts of Will Jawandos biography are deja vu all over again: white Kansan mother, African father, wife named Michele. When then-Sen. Barack Obama hired Jawando as an aide in 2005, the future president introduced him as apparently my long-lost brother.

But Jawando wants to rewrite at least one chapter of the Obama story: that 2000 congressional primary loss in Chicago. He is hoping for better in the April 26 primary for the Democratic nomination in Marylands 8th Congressional District.

The Silver Spring attorney, 33, is one of nine candidates chasing the open seat created by Rep. Chris Van Hollens decision to run for Senate. Jawando is the youngest in the race and the only African American, two demographic identifiers that lie at the heart of his message.

He contends that Van Hollens successor should reflect the diversity that is remaking the 8th District and the country.

There are a lot of people who arent represented in Congress, Jawando says. Thats a factor in how you move these conversations.

[Racial split defines hotly contested Md. Senate contest]

Jawando also views the seat in the overwhelmingly Democratic 8th as a national platform, much like Van Hollen did. Half the job is the bully pulpit, he said. This is a safe Democratic seat. Whoever wins must play a big role in helping others win. Its a lot more than yea or nay on the vote.

Trim and angular, Jawando evokes memories of a younger version of his old boss. He calls himself a hope and change guy, one of numerous Obama references threaded through his talks in living rooms and candidate forums.

Jawandos issues  a higher minimum wage, secure abortion rights, paid sick and family leave, police accountability and campaign finance reform  mirror those of the rest of the field. One in particular, college affordability, is close to home. Jawando and his wife are carrying more than $160,000 in law school debt, according to his financial disclosure statement.





Although Jawando is the millennial on the ballot, his political DNA retains the imprint of an older congressional style. He began his career as an intern for then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), and counts Rep. Elijah E. Cummings (D-Md.) as an important influence.

At a January living room talk in Bethesda, he spoke up for earmarking  the now-banned practice of members sending federal dollars to their districts, often in the form of pet projects. Jawando acknowledged the potential for abuse but said the ban removed an important lubricant from the legislative process.

It takes away a big incentive for members to negotiate, he said.

Among the $354,000 in campaign donations he received last year was $28,000 from employees of Turing Pharmaceutical  including chief executive Martin Shkreli, who, after making his donation, became infamous for jacking up the price of an anti-parasitic drug by more than 4,000 percent. In December, Shkreli was indicted on charges of securities fraud unrelated to the drug price increase.

[Pharma bro Shkreli contributed to Congressional hopefuls campaign]

Jawando said he met Shkreli  also known as Pharma bro  at a New York reception hosted by a Wall Street friend last summer. After the indictment, Jawando gave half of the $5,400 Shkreli had given him to charity. The rest he donated to the U.S. Treasury.

Jawando kept the money he had received from other Turing employees, he said, because they were not in legal trouble.



Maryland 8th Congressional District candidate Will Jawando greets members of the Rockville/Midcounty Democratic Breakfast Club in January. (Kate Patterson/For The Washington Post)

Jawando grew up in Silver Spring. His mother worked 20 years as a production manager for a publishing company before she learned that she made less than men with the same job.

Kathleen Gross was a student at Fort Hays State University in the early 1970s when she met Olayinka Jawando, a Nigerian who fled civil war and came to Kansas on scholarship. They separated when Jawando was 6 and divorced two years later. The elder Jawando, who has late-stage prostate cancer, lives with his sons family.

[Five things to know about Jawando]

When Jawando was 12, he lost an older friend to gun violence, a memory that lingers. Without an engaged parent and some luck, he says  again, echoing the president  it could have been him. Instead he won scholarships to high school and college.

As a Catholic University law student in 2004, Jawando pushed to establish a campus NAACP chapter, initially resisted by the school because of the organizations stance in favor of abortion rights. Jawandos crusade led to the internship with Pelosi.

Already a fan after reading Dreams From My Father, Jawando starting visiting Obamas Senate office. An aide, struck by the biographical overlap, alerted Obama, who eventually hired him. That led to a White House job as associate director of public engagement, where Jawando worked on passage of the Lilly Ledbetter Fair Pay Act, and later a post in the Education Department.

In 2014, Jawando lost a race for a seat in the Maryland House of Delegates.

Jawando said his background makes him best prepared to serve in Congress a time of great angst, both racial and economic. My life, he said, is a reflection of that angst.

Next: Ana Sol Gutierrez.
Sunday, March 27

Bird Walk The guided tour will include a variety of habitats. Bring binoculars and cameras. 8 a.m. Merrimac Farm Stone House Visitor Center, North Parking Lot, 15014 Deepwood Lane, Nokesville. 703-499-4954. alliance@pwconserve.org. Free.

Colonial childrens games Learn about games played during the Revolutionary and Civil wars. For children 4 and older. Thursday, 11-11:45 a.m. and 2-2:45 p.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Free.

Bingo Proceeds support local veterans. Doors open at noon Sunday with games beginning at 2 p.m. Doors open at 5:15 p.m. Mondays with games beginning at 7:15 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. $15 minimum.

Impressions Osbourn High Schools student art show features mixed media, sculpture and drawings. Through April 17. Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St., Manassas. 703-368-1873. manassasmuseum.org. Free.

Spring Is in the Air Watercolors by Karin Sebolka. Through April 3. Loft Gallery, 313 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-490-1117. loftgallery.org. Free.

The Beauty of Spring An exhibit of mixed media by Anica Kriel of Vienna and mosaics by Diann Root of Alexandria. Through April 4. Artists Undertaking, 309 Mill St., Occoquan. 703-494-0584. theartistsundertaking.com. Free.

To Be Sold Works of 19th-century artist Eyre Crow examine the story of enslaved African Americans sold into forced migration. This exhibit is from the Library of Virginia with support from the National Endowment for the Humanities. Through April 17. Manassas Museum, 9101 Prince William St., Manassas. 703-368-1873. manassasmuseum.org. Free.

Jerry Baker art exhibit This months exhibit features pencil sketches and charcoal drawings by the local artist.Through April 15. Manassas City Hall, 9027 Center St., Manassas. 703-257-8200. Free.

Monday, March 28

AARP income-tax preparation help Mondays, 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursdays, noon-8 p.m. Saturdays, 10 a.m.-2 p.m. through April 18, Bull Run Regional Library, 8051 Ashton Ave., Manassas. 703-792-4530. Free.

Job search network group Plus discussion of various topics related to the search process. 1-3 p.m. House of Mercy, 8170 Flannery Ct., Manassas. 703-659-1636. Free.

Bingo Proceeds support Dale City Knights of Columbus activities and charities. Doors open at 6 p.m. with games beginning at 7:30 p.m. VFW Post 1503, 14631 Minnieville Rd., Dale City. 703-491-2378. $9 minimum.

Cabin Branch Quilters meeting 7 p.m. Lake Ridge Baptist Church, 12450 Clipper Dr., Lake Ridge. 571-285-5405. cabinbranchquilters.org. Free.

Prince William drinking water clinic A kick-off meeting for the Virginia Household Water Quality program. Water testing kits will be provided. 7 p.m. Old Manassas Courthouse, 9248 Lee Ave., Manassas. 703-792-7747. wellwater.bse.vt.edu/clinics. $55.

Prince William Art Society meeting This months program features painter Nicholas Zimbro, creative director of the Clearbrook Center of the Arts at Tacketts Mill. 7:30 p.m. Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-490-5363. princewilliamartsociety.org. Free.

Prince William Community Band Rehearsal, for musicians 19 and older, no auditions necessary. 7:30 p.m. Saunders Middle School, 13557 Spriggs Rd., Manassas. 703-791-4119. pwcb.org. Free.

Tuesday, March 29

AARP income-tax preparation help Tuesdays and Thursdays 11 a.m.-3:30 p.m. through April 14, Chinn Park Regional Library, 13065 Chinn Park Dr., Woodbridge. 703-792-4800. Free.

Virginia family law session The law firms Domestic Relations Practice Group answers questions. noon-1 p.m. Compton & Duling, 12701 Marblestone Dr., Suite 350, Woodbridge. kny@comptonduling.com. 703-583-6060. comptonduling.com. Free; registration required.

Wednesday, March 30

Lighting the Night Learn about the tinsmith trade and make a metal lantern. 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. $2.

Lake Ridge Toastmasters Club Members 18 and older develop their public speaking and leadership skills. 7:30-9:15 p.m. Tall Oaks Community Center, 12298 Cotton Mill Dr., Lake Ridge. 703-491-3020. contact-8913@toastmastersclubs.org. lakeridge.toastmastersclubs.org. $34-$64 membership fee.

Thursday, March 31

An Evening with Art Garfunkel The Grammy-winning folk singer-songwriter performs. 8 p.m. Hylton Performing Arts Center, 10960 George Mason Cir., Manassas. 888-945-2468. hyltoncenter.org. $40-$99.

Friday, April 1

Pond Play Explore the animals that live in the pond. A ranger will catch frogs, turtles and fish with a net so you can see them up close. Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Leesylvania State Park, 2001 Daniel K. Ludwig Dr., Woodbridge. 703-583-6904. Program, free; parking, $5.

American Legion dinner The public is invited to dinner with a different special every week. Proceeds support local veterans and the community. 5:30-7:30 p.m. Woodbridge American Legion, 3640 Friendly Post Lane, Woodbridge. 703-494-4304. vapost364.org. $5-$15.

Saturday, April 2

Park Day Volunteers clean up the park as part of a national effort to clean and restore parks, battlefields and cemeteries. 8 a.m.-noon, Bristoe Station Battlefield Heritage Park, 10708 Bristow Rd., Bristow. 703-366-3049. rorrison@pwcgov.org. Free.

Guided walking tour Sponsored by the Breast Education, Awareness and Treatment (BEAT) Cancer Coalition, the group will visit the bird banding station and look for a variety of birds. Binoculars provided. 10-11 a.m. Occoquan Bay National Wildlife Refuge, 13950 Dawson Beach Rd., Woodbridge. 703-490-4979. Free.

Minnieville Buffer clean-up Wear long pants and sturdy shoes to clean-up the area at the intersection of Minnieville Road and Colby Drive, next to the dog park. Sponsored by the Prince William Conservation Alliance. 10 a.m.-noon, K9 Gunner Memorial Dog Park, 13000 Minnieville Rd., Woodbridge. 703-499-4954. Free.

Quilt show Cabin Branch Quilters and Stone House Quilters sponsor the show featuring more than 200 quilts, a silent auction, raffles and appraisals. 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Prince William County Fairgrounds, 10624 Dumfries Rd., Manassas. 571-285-5405. cabinbranchquilters.org. $5; seniors, $4; 11 and younger, free.

Revolutionary War Weekend Militia and continental encampments will be set up at Williams Ordinary and Weems-Botts Museum, sponsored by the Prince William Historic Preservation Division. 11 a.m.-4 p.m. Prince William Historic Preservation Foundation, 17674 Main St., Dumfries. 703-792-4754. pwhpf.org. pwcgov.org. Free.

First Manassas Battlefield Hike A park historian discusses the First Battle of Bull Run during a 5.5 mile battlefield hike. 1-5 p.m. Manassas National Battlefield Park, Henry Hill Visitor Center, 6511 Sudley Rd., Manassas. 703-361-1339. nps.gov/mana. Free.

Bluebird Trail volunteer training Help monitor bluebird nesting boxes, sponsored by the Prince William Conservation Alliance. 1:30-3:30 p.m. Chinn Park Regional Library, 13065 Chinn Park Dr., Woodbridge. 703-499-4954. Free.

Tavern Night at Williams Ordinary Sample 18th-century-inspired local craft beer and cider by BadWolf Brewing, reminiscent of what was served in the historic tavern. The evening includes historically themed food and music. For adults 21 and older. 7 p.m. Prince William Historic Preservation Foundation, 17674 Main St., Dumfries. 703-792-4754. preservepw.org. $35; reservations required.
My Favorite Hobby art contest for young students

The Northern Virginia Electric Cooperative is accepting entries through May 1 for its 14th annual Electric Co-op Youth Art contest.

This years theme is My Favorite Hobby. Students in kindergarten through fifth grade are encouraged to submit art drawn vertically on 8 1/ 2 -by-11-inch white paper.

Entries should include the childs name, age, grade, mailing address, and the familys daytime phone number.

Entries should be mailed unfolded to Youth Art Contest, c/o Cooperative Living magazine, P.O. Box 2340, Glen Allen, Va. 23058-2340.

First-place winners will receive a $25 cash prize.

The first-, second- and third-place winners in each grade will be featured in the July issue of Cooperative Living magazine.

Visit novec.com for information.

Valor Awards for countys public safety officials

The Prince William Chamber of Commerce recently hosted the Valor Awards, presented annually to dozens of county emergency personnel for heroic acts.

The chamber awarded the gold medal for valor to Scott Kearns, a county police lieutenant, and to Shawn Bliss, a technician I with the county Department of Fire and Rescue.

The silver medal of valor was given to county police officer Ryan Rowland.

For a list of all 25 recipients, visit pwchamber.org.

Marines museum looking for a few good chefs

Eight competitors will go head-to-head in the annual MRE Cook-off on April 16 at the National Museum of the Marine Corps, 18900 Jefferson Davis Hwy., Triangle.

The deadline to enter is April 8.

Contestants randomly pull two MREs (meals ready to eat) from a box and cook them using simple heating elements and basic supplies.

Each contestant is allowed to add ingredients that fit into a gallon-size plastic bag.

Call Michele Flynn at 703-784-4469 or email michele.r.flynn@usmc.mil for information or to register.

The museum, which has been closed for renovations, reopens Friday.
Tiffany Paris (far left) holds her son Shane before his death in 2001. Tiffany regularly visits Shane's grave and leaves gifts like she did before Easter in 2014. (Family photos)

Nearly 80 minutes into her testimony, Tiffany Paris was asked to identify two people in a photograph.

My son, she said quietly.

And? the defense attorney asked.

The man who murdered my son, Paris snapped.

Her opinion about the death was confirmed by a Montgomery County judge who ruled this week that the man, Moussa Sissoko, was guilty in the child-abuse killing of his and Pariss 3-month-old son, Shane.

Shane Paris Sissoko shortly before his death in 2001. (Family photo)

Circuit Court Judge Michael Masons ruling  after a complicated, two-week trial held in front of the judge, not a jury  came in a case that stretches to Shanes death in 2001.

At that time, Sissoko was a 22-year-old father who, according to testimony, appeared to care about his son.

Behind the scenes, though, he was working to become the sole beneficiary of a $750,000 life insurance policy on Shane, according to the judge.

I cant explain human behavior. Nobody can explain human behavior, Mason said Thursday in delivering his verdict. And I think we all know enough, at this age in our lives, that you cant judge by appearances.

Sissoko had been convicted before in the death  in 2002  and was sentenced to life in prison. He appealed, lost, and later asserted that hed had ineffective lawyering during the earlier case. Last year, a different Montgomery Circuit judge, Ronald Rubin, agreed that Sissoko deserved a new trial because his original defense lawyer had failed to call a pediatric neuroradiologist as a witness to discuss Shanes injuries or medical condition, and instead relied on a less qualified neuropathologist. Sissoko remained locked up pending the outcome of the new trial.

Rubins opinion underscored the medical debates at the heart of the case.

In Sissokos new trial, prosecutors said that he inflicted head trauma on Shane. Defense lawyers said prosecutors could not prove what happened and that Shane died from an accident or natural causes.

Moussa Sissoko holds his son Shane in 2001. (Courtesy of Montgomery County Circuit Court)

This is a medical mystery, an attorney for Sissoko, Robert Bonsib, told Mason at trial. Killing his son was not his plan. His son died. He was as devastated as anybody by it, and hes had to spend a long time in jail.

Each side was able to present a case because there were no marks on Shane, or as Mason put it: The trauma was insufficient to leave external evidence of the point of the impact.

In the end, Mason concluded that medical evidence, along with the life insurance plan, showed Sissoko had planned and willfully killed Shane.

The defendant inflicted abusive head trauma upon the deceased that was the cause of his death  by either shaking and/or causing soft impact trauma to the child, Mason said.

Sissoko returned to jail and is set to receive a new sentence May 26.

For Shanes mother, Paris, the judges verdict came as a huge relief. Like a weight lifted off my shoulders, she said after the hearing.

She is now 34 and has a 9-year-old daughter, Shanna. About three years ago, she said, she began telling Shanna about Shane.

You have a baby brother, Paris said.

She regularly visits Shanes grave. On his birthday and at holidays, she will leave presents  a teddy bear, a kite, an Easter basket. Stuff I think hed like, Paris said.

In 1999, she was still in high school in Montgomery County when she and Sissoko started dating. My first real boyfriend, she said.

In the fall of 2000, the two learned Paris was pregnant. A short time later, Sissoko went to Florida to attend college. He later asked Paris to terminate the pregnancy. I dont want you to have it anymore, he said, according to court records.

Sissoko returned to Maryland, and on June 29, 2001, was at Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Spring for Shanes birth.

Sissoko moved in with Paris and Shane, and took a job at a lock and security company, according to court records. It was around this time, Mason said, that Sissoko began pursuing the $750,000 life insurance policy, naming himself as sole beneficiary.

On Aug. 18, 2001, a representative from State Farm told Sissoko that Shane would have to have a medical evaluation, prosecutors Deborah Feinstein and Sherri Koch wrote in court papers.

Sissoko made the arrangements, telling Paris a doctor would visit their home, but that the visit was related to a health insurance matter. When Paris questioned that, Sissoko told her he would cancel the appointment, but he didnt  and arranged to have the evaluation done while Paris was at work, court files show.

Around that time, as Paris learned of messages left at their home from State Farm. Sissoko said they were related to car insurance and renters insurance.

In making his ruling, Mason spoke chiefly about medical evidence. But he also honed in on the life insurance.

Any reasonable person is going to ask: Why would you put a $750,000 policy on a newborn infant?  Mason said from the bench. It seems to make no sense, just on its face.

Mason addressed what Sissoko had told an investigator years earlier: That the policy was a form of college savings plan. But the judge noted Sissoko was making $1,500 a month, yet was signing up for a policy that would cost him $150 a month.

It frankly defies logic and reason, Mason said.

In court papers, prosecutors said that on Sept. 15, 2001  while Paris was at work  Sissoko was caring for Shane. Shortly after lunch, he laid him in a bed. Then, at 2:03 p.m., he called 911 and said Shane was unresponsive and bleeding.

He has gone from a healthy, normal fine young baby boy, Mason said, to all of a sudden what is described as basically a comatose child who is not breathing and with blood coming from his nose.

Paramedics took Shane to Holy Cross, and he was later transferred to Childrens National Medical Center. Shane never regained consciousness, according to prosecutors, and remained on a ventilator until it was removed after 10 days.

He murdered my son, Shanes mother testified this year, for a life insurance policy.
NEW JERSEY

Man accused of luring children to make porn

Federal prosecutors say a New Jersey man created a website that coaxed children into committing sexually explicit acts in front of webcams.

Jonathan Soto, of Branchburg, pleaded not guilty Thursday to conspiracy to produce child pornography and possessing child pornography.

Soto allegedly operated the site from July 2014 through April 2015.

Prosecutors say site users created phony profiles on social-media websites that portrayed them to be children between the ages of 10 and 16. They then chatted with actual minors and lured them to other websites to engage in sexually explicit activity during private chats.

Soto was arrested last April when FBI agents executed a search warrant at his home.

The Anderson Creek Fire near Medicine Lodge, Kansas, is seen in this U.S. Army National Guard picture taken March 25, 2016. (Handout/Reuters)

 Associated Press

CALIFORNIA

Napolitano to monitor harassment plan

University of California President Janet Napolitano announced Saturday the system will closely monitor efforts on the systems Berkeley campus to address sexual harassment complaints and assaults on campus following an outcry over what some saw as light-handed discipline of faculty members who sexually harassed students and staff.

Napolitano said in a statement that Berkeley Chancellor Nicholas Dirks will provide her office with written reports on the universitys plan to address sexual harassment on campus and that the two of them will meet monthly to discuss the issue, with the first meeting scheduled for Friday.

Napolitanos announcement follows a promise last week by Dirks to address and prevent sexual harassment and violence on the Berkeley campus.

The university has faced criticism for what some saw as its lax discipline in three cases involving the campuss vice chancellor for research, a prominent astronomer and the dean of the law school. All three men initially were allowed to keep their jobs but ended up resigning under pressure.

 Associated Press

KANSAS

Black Hawks are used to battle prairie res

Firefighters trying to extinguish the biggest wildfire in Kansas history are getting help from military helicopters.

Two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters from the Kansas National Guard were deployed Saturday in the efforts to contain the persistent prairie blazes that since Tuesday have charred at least 620 square miles in Oklahoma and southern Kansas, destroying at least two homes and killing some livestock. No serious injuries have been reported.

Each helicopter has a 660-gallon bucket that will be used to dump water onto the flames, said Ben Bauman, spokesman for the Kansas Adjutant Generals Office. The National Guard also was contributing a fuel tanker and another ground-support vehicle.

The National Weather Service said the area where the fire has raged, which borders Oklahoma, may get up to a quarter-inch of rain or snow Saturday night or Sunday morning.

 Associated Press

Helicopter crew, patient killed: The Alabama Emergency Management Agency said four people were killed in a helicopter crash in Goodman, Ala. EMA spokesman Greg Robinson said three crew members and a patient were aboard the ambulance helicopter when the crash occurred about 12:17 a.m. Saturday. Robinson said the downed helicopter was found after 7 a.m. Coffee County EMA Deputy Director James Brown told WSFA-TV that the aircraft crashed after responding to a wreck in which the patient had a broken leg and was unconscious.

Co-pilot suspected of being drunk: Federal authorities say an American Airlines co-pilot was been detained at Detroit Metropolitan Airport after he was suspected of being drunk. The Federal Aviation Administration said the co-pilot was held from a Saturday-morning flight from Detroit to Philadelphia. He was suspected of having a blood-alcohol level above the legal limit. The pilot was detained at a security checkpoint after arriving for the flight. An American Airlines spokeswoman said in a statement that the flight was canceled and the airline was putting customers on other flights.

Officers, prisoner killed in crash: Two police officers and a prisoner they were transporting were killed early Saturday in a fiery crash on an interstate highway in Iowa that investigators say was caused by a wrong-way driver, who also died. Des Moines officers Susan Farrell and Carlos Puente-Morales were killed in the crash that occurred about 12:40 a.m. Saturday on Interstate 80 west of Des Moines, police spokesman Sgt. Paul Parizek said. The officers had been returning the prisoner, identified as Tosha Nicole Hyatt, 32, from Council Bluffs to Des Moines when their sport utility vehicle was struck by a vehicle driving the wrong way on the freeway, police said. Police had not named driver of the other vehicle by late Saturday afternoon.

 From news services
SYRIA

Government forces try to retake Palmyra

Syrian government forces, backed by heavy Russian airstrikes, have reportedly seized three neighborhoods inside Palmyra, a town with famed Roman-era ruins that fell to Islamic State forces last May.

Russian jets had carried out 40 air sorties near Palmyra in the previous 24 hours, hitting 158 targets and killing more than 100 militants, Russias Defense Ministry said. Syrian troops and allied militiamen have taken up positions in the three neighborhoods that are part of the modern town, according to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group.

Islamic State fighters have reportedly demolished some of the best-known monuments in the UNESCO World Heritage site. The extremists believe ancient ruins promote idolatry.

 Associated Press

VATICAN CITY

Pope sends out message of hope

Pope Francis said Saturday that darkness and fear must not prevail, as he concluded a bleak week in Europe with a message of hope during an Easter Vigil service in St. Peters Basilica.

In his homily, Francis said the hope that Easter brings is a lesson for the Christian faithful to cast aside the hopelessness that can imprison people inside of themselves. We see and will continue to see problems both inside and out. They will always be there, he said. But he insisted: Let us not allow darkness and fear to distract us and control our hearts.

He would later hold Easter Mass.

His message of hope followed his condemnations on Good Friday and earlier in the week of the attacks by Islamist extremists in Brussels and elsewhere.

 Associated Press

Turkish soldier killed in northern Iraq: A Turkish soldier was killed and another was wounded in northern Iraq on Saturday when rockets fired by Islamic State militants during clashes with Iraqi Kurdish fighters landed in a base where Turkish troops were deployed, Turkeys army said. The NATO member nation, part of the U.S.-led coalition against Islamic State, sent troops to northern Iraq in December, citing heightened security risks near Bashiqa, where its soldiers have been training an Iraqi militia to fight extremist militants. Baghdad objected to the Turkish deployment.

Muslim shopkeeper who wished happy Easter is slain: Scottish police say the killing of a Muslim shopkeeper who wished Christians a happy Easter on social media is being investigated as religiously prejudiced. Vigils were held Friday and Saturday in memory of 40-year-old Asad Shah, who was killed Thursday night in Glasgow. Police say a 32-year-old man has been arrested in connection with Shahs death. The suspect, who police say is Muslim, has not been identified or charged.

North Korea threatens to attack Souths presidential palace: North Korea warned Saturday that its military is ready to attack Seouls presidential palace unless South Korean President Park Geun-hye apologizes for treason and publicly executes officials responsible for what Pyongyang says are plans to attack its leadership. The warning, issued by state media in the name of a unit of the Korean Peoples Army, is the latest in its annual barrage of threats against Washington and Seoul over joint military drills now underway that the North sees as a dress rehearsal for invasion.

Venezuelas president is losing publics support: Just under two-thirds of Venezuelans think Nicolas Maduros presidency should end this year as the opposition pushes to oust him amid a grueling economic crisis, a survey by a leading pollster said. The opposition, which says Maduros unwillingness to reform his socialist policies is pushing Venezuela towards an economic disaster, is pursuing a multi-pronged strategy to oust him.

 From news services
Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, and Ted Cruz and his wife, Heidi. (FROM LEFT: Carlos Osorio/Associated Press; Jim Watson/AFP/Getty Images)

Back in the fall, when Donald Trump dubbed Jeb Bush low-energy, Carlos Gimenez grew a little concerned. By last month, when Marco Rubio and Trump engaged in childish name-calling, the Republican mayor of Miami-Dade County thought the GOP presidential race had gotten out of hand. Now, after a tawdry week that has focused on the wives of Trump and Ted Cruz, Gimenez is certain that the race has moved totally out of bounds.

Politics is a contact sport, Gimenez said, but there should be contact in other ways.

Gimenez is watching with disgust, as are many Republicans across the country, as his partys presidential race turns into a tabloid talk show. After a winter that featured anatomical insults, violent clashes at rallies, and fierce accusations of lying and dirty tricks, Republicans say the past week has been particularly dispiriting.

At a moment when the party had hoped to turn its attention to a general-election matchup against Hillary Clinton, Republicans were instead caught in an uncomfortable back-and-forth over allegations of adultery and jabs at the physical appearance of the wives of Trump and Cruz.

That dispute took on renewed vigor Sunday, when the two candidates went at it again on the morning shows.

Republican frontrunners Ted Cruz and Donald Trump exchange jabs on Sunday talkshows over a National Enquirer article alleging extramarital affairs by Cruz and a near nude photo of Trump's wife distributed by an anti-Trump super PAC. (The Washington Post)

On ABCs This Week With George Stephanopoulos, Trump accused Cruz of helping to orchestrate an attack on his wife from the anti-Trump Make America Awesome super PAC, which placed an ad on social media featuring a racy photograph of Trumps wife, Melania, from an old magazine photo shoot.

Dont forget, I call him Lying Ted. I call him that because nobody that Ive known  Ive known a lot tougher people over the years in business, but Ive never known anybody that lied like Ted Cruz, Trump said.

Trump has offered no evidence that Cruz worked in concert with the super PAC; such collaboration would be a federal crime.

Appearing on Fox News Sunday, Cruz denied playing any role in the ad and denounced it. He slammed Trump for retaliating by retweeting side-by-side photos of his wife, Heidi, and Melania meant to disparage Heidis appearance.

It is inappropriate, it is wrong, it is frankly disgusting to see a candidate attacking the spouse of another, Cruz said.

Cruz has also accused Trump and his associates of pushing a false story to the National Enquirer about him having extramarital affairs. Trump has denied playing any part in the story. Cruz has forcefully denied the Enquirer story.

The other Republican in the race, Ohio Gov. John Kasich, said in an interview that his party is verging on a dangerous point of no return.

1 of 45 Full Screen Autoplay Close Skip Ad  Trump captures the nations attention on the campaign trail View Photos The Republican presidential candidate focuses on Super Tuesday state primaries after a win in Nevada. Caption Businessman Donald Trump officially became the Republican nominee at the partys convention in Cleveland. Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at Trump Doral golf course in Miami. Carlo Allegri/Reuters Wait 1 second to continue.

You never want to resort to family, Kasich said. Thats a horrible thing, and we cannot cross this threshold in this election, because once you cross it, theres never coming back.

The luridness has weighed not only on Republican elected officials but on voters as well. In a recent CBS News-New York Times poll, 60 percent of Republican primary voters said the campaign has made them mostly embarrassed for the party rather than mostly proud. The survey was conducted before the Cruz-Trump fight involving their spouses erupted.

On the campaign trail Friday in Green Bay, Wis., Cruz ordered fried fish for Heidi and their young daughters, pausing to shake hands and pose for selfies. But around him, voters were more focused on the unsavory turn the campaign had taken  which they blamed mostly on Trump.

Thats junior high school stuff, said Chris Cary, 53, a Web programmer who backs Cruz. We should be talking about ISIS. We should be talking about the loss of our freedoms.

Christopher Handler, 60, a painter at Lambeau Field, concurred, saying, I dont like to see the wives getting involved.

Trump has been at the center of many of the campaigns most vitriolic moments. The real estate mogul has insulted Carly Fiorinas looks, questioned Ben Carsons religion, and endlessly mocked Bush, Rubio and Cruz.

His latest fight with Cruz began Tuesday night, hours after the terrorist attacks in Brussels, when Trump tweeted: 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!

Gimenez, who publicly backed Bush, then Rubio and now no one, said such antics mean that the candidates are missing an opportunity to talk about more pressing matters. So much of this stuff is childish, he said.

Jennifer Horn, the chair of the New Hampshire Republican Party, is similarly troubled. I think it is imperative that our candidates focus on the positive and optimistic message of conservatism if we are going to beat Clinton, said Horn, who is not publicly backing a candidate.

Frank Luntz, a Republican pollster who regularly conducts focus groups to capture voter sentiment, said the level of worry within the party escalated dramatically after consecutive contentious debates in Houston on Feb. 25 and in Detroit on March 3.

They are frustrated because they want their candidate to defeat Hillary Clinton, and they think the tone and topics won't succeed at that mission, Luntz said.

After the Detroit debate, Luntz asked his focus group participants to sum up the evening in a word or phrase.

Sophomoric, embarrassment, disappointing, shameful, despicable, angering and schoolyard brawl were some of the responses he received during a broadcast on Fox News Channel.

In that debate, Trump, Cruz and Rubio traded petty insults and spoke condescendingly to one another. At one point, Trump brought up Rubios implications about his manhood to assure the audience there was no problem in that area.

A week earlier in Houston, Rubio ambushed Trump, unleashing attacks on several fronts after largely steering clear of the mogul for months. The next day, Rubio insulted Trumps spelling errors, called him a con artist and joked that his rival may have wet himself during the debate. Trump returned fire, calling Rubio a low-life and a nervous basket case.

Kasich has tried to avoid the kind of fights that have consumed Trump and Cruz and which seemed to do Rubio, Bush and others more harm than good.

Some people call me boring as a result, Kasich said. Well, if Im boring, then good. I accept it.

But taking the high road has yielded Kasich few political rewards. He sits a distant third behind Trump and Cruz in the delegate count. The only state he has won is his home state of Ohio.

Republicans concerned about the tenor of the campaign say that it is not too late to reset to a more civil tone. The field showed it can put aside personal attacks for a mostly cordial policy discussion at a recent debate in Miami.

But every time the campaign seems to move toward higher ground, it slips back into the gutter. And party members worry that the longer the harsh attacks predominate, the more difficult the healing process will become.

This is like smoking, Luntz said. If you stop smoking, your body will repair itself.

David Weigel in Green Bay, Wis., contributed to this report.
Migrants wait at a Turkish coast guard station in Izmirs Dikili district after they were caught while trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos. (Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)

The once-great wave of refugees motoring in cheap rubber rafts across the Aegean Sea from Turkey to the Greek islands has suddenly become a ripple.

Where thousands arrived in a day, now hundreds  and some days far fewer  splash onto the Greek shores from Turkey, a possible sign that the largest mass migration of the 21st century is slowing or that refugees are changing course as Europe scrambles to erect new barriers.

Migration officials and aid workers said that rough seas in recent days may be responsible for the dramatic reduction and that the pebble beaches of Lesbos, Chios and Samos could again see hundreds of boats a day arriving as they did earlier this year.

But in the Syrian quarter of Izmir, once teeming with refugees shopping for life preservers, the cheap hotels are empty. No one is sleeping in the courtyards of the mosques; the dusty parks have been returned to retirees dozing on benches.

Syrian asylum seekers and the smugglers who serve them on the Turkish coast said many migrants were anxious that the European Union was going to make good on its promise to stop the trafficking and turn the refugees back from the islands.

A migrant waits at a coast guard station in Izmir, Turkey, on March 20. (Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)

I fear Europe is now lost to us, said Jassem al-Saleh, a Syrian mathematician who fled Damascus four months ago.

Saleh, 32, got stalled in Izmir while he waited for his fiancee to be smuggled over the border from Syria. She tried twice in two months before she succeeded in joining him a week ago. Now the newlyweds may have missed their chance, they say.

[Theyve escaped war and crossed the sea. Now Europe wants to send them back.]

Saleh said the couple didnt want to waste the $600 each to make the risky passage to Greece, if they were only going to be returned to Turkey the next day.

Its bad business, he said. Were watching and waiting.

So the couple spent their honeymoon camped out at a smugglers crash pad. They were his only customers.

For sure, some Syrians will still try the sea, Saleh said. Theyre risking their lives, so they think the Greeks cant send them back. But I think they will send them back. I think the deal is done. This way is finished.

A migrant girl cries as she waits at a coast guard station in Izmir, Turkey on March 20 after being caught with other migrants while trying to reach the Greek island of Lesbos. (Ozan Kose/AFP/Getty Images)

Over the past 15 months, about 1 million refugees were smuggled from Turkey to the Greek islands. The maritime smuggling mafias made more than $4 billion last year, authorities said.

Some 400 people have died in the Aegean Sea crossings. Most of them drowned, according to the Greek coast guard. An additional 170 are listed as missing.

Earlier this month, the E.U. and the Turks closed a deal that envisions both war refugees and economic migrants stopped in the Greek islands that hug the Turkish coast.

The plan calls for those who make it to the islands to be detained and interviewed by immigration officials there. European leaders then want most of the refugees escorted onto ferries and sent back to Turkey.

The E.U.s Frontex agency, which is responsible for stopping illegal immigration, is bringing the first of 2,500 police officers, asylum case officers, judges and interpreters to Greece to begin processing the refugees.

We know there is a deal, but we dont care. We will go, and they will take pity on us, said Safa Abdulkarim, 40, a widow who is traveling to Belgium, where a new husband awaits her. A dear friend, she explained, a Syrian with Belgian citizenship who drives a bus in the city of Leuven.

Abdulkarim said she is strong and the sea does not frighten her. But doubt began to creep into her conversation.

Can they really just send us back? she asked. Abdulkarim began to recount a story told by millions of refugees before her  how she fled war and killing in Syria, escaping from Palmyra to Douma to Homs, how she ran across the muddy Turkish border with a smuggler whom she paid $1,800, bringing along her 18-year-old daughter and younger son.

More than 60 percent of the arrivals in the Greek islands are women and children. Half are Syrians; Afghans and Iraqis are the next-largest groups.

[Most of the refugees stuck in Greece are now women and children]

Europe has apparently heard enough of these stories and has promised to stop the wave of new arrivals  a decision reached before suicide bombers struck in Brussels last week, possibly stiffening its resolve.

E.U. officials argue that Turkey can provide a safe haven and have vowed to shut down the eastern Mediterranean route.

In exchange for accepting refugees returned from Greece, Turkey gets more than $6 billion in assistance, eased visa requirements for its citizens to travel to Europe and a renewal of negotiations to bring Turkey into the E.U.

Migrants arriving in Greece after March 19 are being taken to closed detention facilities on the islands. Greece will no longer let them pass through to the mainland. Frontex officials said the first ferries carrying asylum seekers back to Turkey are expected to set sail April 4, although Greek officials have wondered aloud whether the parties can get the repatriations up and running by then.

Cigdem Elibol, the deputy mayor of the Turkish seaside town of Dikili, where the ferries will land, said authorities are preparing to build a temporary processing center.

She said people in the town felt sorry for those who risk everything at sea, but they also fear their town will be overwhelmed by angry migrants denied their dream.

In Izmir, in the warren of side streets around the Basmane train station, the hotels that last year were packed with guests are now empty.

Not a soul here, said the proprietor of the Hotel Ahmet, who was hopeful that business would pick up if the refugees are returned from the Greek islands.

In the Syrian-style barber shops and coffeehouses, the middlemen for the smugglers were hustling for scraps. Hassan, who declined to give his full name because smuggling is illegal in Turkey and who considers himself more of an organizer for trips than a human trafficker, said his Turkish bosses are beginning to plan alternative routes to Europe.

One of his colleagues said Romania via the Black Sea was an option. The smugglers said there were rumors that the traffic could pivot again to southern Turkey, where desperate travelers were packed by the hundreds into decommissioned cargo freighters known as ghost ships, because the crews set the autopilot for the Italian coast and abandoned the passengers to their fate.

For many of the nearly 3 million Syrian refugees in Turkey, Europe is just too far away now.

To be honest, we ran out of money. So here we are, said Mohammad Alawaq, 45, who was putting on his shoes after praying in a mosque next to the train station.

Its not so bad, he said. The Turks treat us well enough. He makes a few dollars an hour hauling goods around the central market.

Alawaq said he heard they would start turning back Syrians anyway. So we will all be stuck here together, he said.

Read more:

E.U. strikes deal to return new migrants to Turkey

New plan for migrants draws scorn as Germanys Merkel struggles for unity

Todays coverage from Post correspondents around the world
Dries Valaert was getting ready to board a plane bound for Berlin when bomb blasts destroyed parts of the Brussels Airport killing 11 people. Valaert says his instinct took over and he ran to safety, but now the 30-year-old feels that he should have helped. (Cleophee Demoustier for The Washington Post)

Dries Valaert was getting ready to board a plane bound for Berlin when bomb blasts destroyed parts of the Brussels Airport killing 11 people. Valaert says his instinct took over and he ran to safety, but now the 30-year-old feels that he should have helped. (Cleophee Demoustier for The Washington Post)

On the morning of the deadliest attack in Belgium since World War II, Dries Valaert left home without waking his parents.

He was relaxed and excited. He was going to the Brussels airport. For the 30-year-old businessman, flying had always been an adventure.

Fatima, a 53-year-old Moroccan immigrant, was helping her daughter by dropping off the grandkids at a Brussels day-care center. The skies were gray; spring hadnt quite arrived.

For Serge van Duijnhoven, 45, it was a typical Tuesday. A Dutchman who had lived in the Belgian capital for 17 years, he was taking the subway to Parliament, where he prepared summaries of reports, part of the efficient machinery of democracy.

Like so many others in Belgium, the three had long known this country could be targeted by the Islamic State. Some 500 Belgian extremists had gone to fight on the battlefields of Iraq and Syria  the highest number per capita of any country in Europe. Belgians were also instrumental in plotting last Novembers massacre in Paris, which left 130 dead.

Serge van Duijnhoven survived the subway attacks in the train station of Midi-Bruxelles in Belgium. (Capucine Granier-Deferre/For The Washington Post)

But it wasnt until Tuesday that the Belgian militants struck at home.

When the nail-packed bombs burst, leaving 31 people dead and about 300 injured at the Brussels airport and a metro station, the country was caught off-guard, unprepared for acts of war on its own soil.

Now Belgium is waking from its slumber, its citizens reckoning with how this nation allowed murderous cells to metastasize in the heart of prosperous and orderly Europe.

For Valaert, the day would shatter his faith that his government could protect him. It would undermine van Duijnhovens comfort with multiculturalism. And for Fatima, the grandmother, it would drive home in the most painful way Belgiums inability to integrate its immigrants and their children. For it could have been her son who detonated the bomb, if his path hadnt taken a different turn.

[Belgium charges man in connection with attacks in Brussels]

The only thing I regret

The Brussels airport is a functional place. No architectural flourishes. Nothing fancy.

But for Valaert, it had always represented a gateway from his tiny country, wedged into the northwest corner of Europe, to a wider world.

The happiness that springs from travel  to learn from new experiences. Thats what an airport stands for, he said.

Of course, the threat of terrorism always lurked in the back of his mind. He had heard all the warnings.

But as he traveled from his parents house in an Antwerp suburb on Tuesday morning, he was comforted by what he saw: Between the train station and the airport, he passed no fewer than three contingents of heavily armed Belgian troops.

An earnest and practical-minded man, Valaert had faith in the Belgian security services. They had just arrested Salah Abdeslam, the last major suspect in the Paris attacks, in a Brussels neighborhood. If another plot was in the works, the authorities would surely be able to stop it.

I always think, Well, theyll be able to roll up these networks in the end,  he said.

[Key suspect in Paris attacks captured in Brussels raid]

In any case, he was more focused that morning on his work, in port logistics. He was on his way to Berlin to meet some prospective hires.

And he was running late. By the time he reached the security gates, he realized he had forgotten to pick up his boarding pass.

He had to go back: first to one line, where an elderly couple ahead of him bantered with the ticket agent about the weight of their luggage for what seemed like hours, then to another where a service representative informed him it was his lucky day.

The budget airline he was flying normally charged a fee to print a boarding pass.

But Ill do it for free this time, she said, smiling.

She turned to the printer behind her. And then the bomb went off.

The sound was so artificial, so unnatural, he said. It couldnt have been anything else.

People sprinted away in every direction. But before they could get very far, there was another boom  this one even louder and closer. The ceiling came tumbling down.

Now Valaert was running, past the wounded and the dead.

Thats the only thing I regret. I didnt think in those first 50 seconds that there could be a baby or an old guy I could help, he said. I was just thinking of self-preservation.

He scrambled behind a group of soldiers and pulled out his phone. Going to Facebook, he typed: Two bombs just exploded at brussels airport.

It was 8 a.m., exactly two minutes after the blasts.

He found his way out of the terminal. Others who had been closer to the explosions emerged, their hair coated in a fine gray dust. He saw a young girl whose hand had been pierced by a nail, and a large man whose leg was leaking blood.

Reflecting on the attack days later, he wondered how Belgian authorities could have failed to address the threats in their midst.

Its been known for 10 years there was a problem with integrating [North African] people, he said. It was just gravely underestimated.

[Five stories you should read to understand the Brussels attacks]

Time was closing in on us

It was one of the million seconds he had spent on the subway, commuting to work at Belgiums Parliament. Van Duijnhoven had taken a job there writing summaries of meandering reports. But his real passions were nonfiction writing, poetry and music. And, of course, his girlfriend, who at 9:09 a.m. on Tuesday sent him the oddest text.

Is everything okay? I hope you are safe, it said.

He didnt think much of it, until he heard some chatter among the other passengers. Something about a bomb at the Brussels airport.

He remembers shrugging it off. Probably rumors.

Then the explosion ripped through the tunnel.

And then the car stopped and the lights went off.

Van Duijnhoven had known that this kind of thing could happen. A former journalist, he had followed the news about the growing terrorist threat to Europe. And he had watched uneasily as an increasing number of Arabic-speaking immigrants moved into Brussels, their children sometimes becoming petty thieves or ultraconservative Muslims.

It felt like time was closing in on us, he said. The attack was what we had been waiting for. It was happening.

Even in the darkness, he could see clouds of smoke outside the subway windows. The rumors came back to him. A blast at the airport. Now this.

A woman on the train started crying uncontrollably. A young child called out for its mother. Frantic passengers raced to the back of the car, away from the smoke, screaming in Dutch and French.

Strangely, van Duijnhoven was struck by a feeling of relief.

I thought, Okay, thank God I changed my will. I had done it recently and had been thinking about doing it for a while.

The panic in the car grew. A group of men next to him began shouting, We have to get out of here! We cannot wait! van Duijnhoven recalled.

So they started to look for that tool you use to open the window in an emergency, he said. But they couldnt find it in the dark, and they began to bash the window.

It shattered, and smoke started pouring in.

It smelled like burning plastic, like burning flesh, he said.

The group of men climbed through the smashed window and disappeared down the tunnel. The rest of the passengers, van Duijnhoven included, waited in the car for 20 minutes. He tried to text his girlfriend. But there was no signal.

Finally he spotted rescue workers arriving with ladders. The passengers were led down the dark, smoky tunnel to the next station and then to the street, where a triage center was being set up.

He soon learned an explosion had engulfed a train a bit farther down the tracks. He felt numb, he said. Then he heard screams again, this time coming from below a subway grating. It was the men who had left the train earlier through the window.

They must have missed the emergency exit in the darkness, he said. And there was smoke coming up from the grill. Someone found a hammer, but the grill wasnt budging. They were yelling and yelling. I left. I couldnt feel anything anymore.

He went home, he said. He shut the door. He sat down. Suddenly, it hit him.

I was shaking and crying, he said. I just couldnt stop thinking about the guys who were trying to break through the grill. There was so much smoke.

The next day, he would pack a bag and travel to Amsterdam. He made a snap decision: to put his house in Brussels on the market and leave.

He had long enjoyed life as an expat in an international city, home to the European Union. But Brussels had changed.

Families of North African descent, he said, had moved in around him, with their sons turning into little drug lords and converting into radicals.

One of them on my block keeps sending me texts and telling me I should convert to Islam. The first language in Brussels is no longer Dutch or French, but Arabic. This is a reality.

[Bomb attacks show how Belgium became an incubator of terror]

Thank God he is dead

In front of the Brussels Stock Exchange, the sorrow of a nation is written on the sidewalk. Messages in chalk surround little memorials  flowers, homemade cards  to the victims. Peace Please, says one. Stay Strong, says another.

Among the mourners stood a group of Moroccan Belgians, their grief mixed with outrage.

Those guys who did this, it is the failure of their parents! said Naima Boukhoubza, 61, a resident of the Molenbeek area of Brussels, a neighborhood that has become home to dozens of young Islamist radicals. Yes, I blame the parents.

A woman nearby, stout and wearing a practical black jacket, seemed to suddenly go pale. She looked down at her feet.

It was Fatima. Unemployed caregiver. Moroccan-born Belgian.

Mother of a jihadist.

Her son, a computer whiz, fell under the spell of the Islamic State in 2014, when he was 26. He found the groups messages online, said Fatima, who agreed to be identified only by her middle name to protect her familys privacy.

He saw all the images of the bloodshed from the Syrian government's attacks on its own people, she said. He believed it when they [the radicals] said, You must come and defend because Muslims are being killed.  He eventually joined the Islamic States fighters in Iraq.

On Tuesday morning, she was dropping off the two grandchildren at day care when a friend called to say that the airport bomb had gone off.

I did not react, she said. I was numb.

An hour later, still in a daze, she was on the Brussels metro heading home when an announcement came on the loudspeaker. Please exit the metro, it said, in a loop. She was confused, she said, and just sat there. Then she overheard a group of people talking nearby.

The metro, she recalled hearing them say, it has also been bombed.

A complex wave of emotions hit her. Her son had died in Iraq in a bombing raid by the U.S.-led coalition in December. Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind  one that brought up a flood of tears.

I thought of my son, and I thought, Thank God, thank God he is dead,  she recalled, crying. I thought, He could have been one of them  one of the attackers  if he were still alive. I lost him, but that would have been worse. So many innocent people, dead.

And yet, she said, there is so much blame to go around.

She blames Belgian society for ostracizing people like her son.

My son, he was born here, but he was always the other,  she said. He left because of the racism here. He would try to get a job, but they would always say no. He was always being stopped and checked by police. He was born here, but they called him a foreigner.

She couldnt bring herself to condemn Tuesdays attackers.

They were taken and changed by the Islamic State, she said. That is not how they were born. They were indoctrinated. Like my son. They were victims, too.

Annabell Van den Berghe contributed to this report.
Women try to comfort a mother who lost her son in a suicide bombing in Lahore, Pakistan. The death toll from the massive attack targeting Christians gathered on Easter rose Monday as the country started a three-day mourning period.

March 28, 2016 Women try to comfort a mother who lost her son in a suicide bombing in Lahore, Pakistan. The death toll from the massive attack targeting Christians gathered on Easter rose Monday as the country started a three-day mourning period. K.M. Chaudary/AP

More than 70 have been reported killed in Lahore in a suicide bombing.

At least 60 have been reported killed in Lahore, Pakistan, after an alleged suicide-bomb attack..

At least 60 have been reported killed in Lahore, Pakistan, after an alleged suicide-bomb attack..

What the site of an explosion in Pakistan during Easter picnics looks like

What the site of an explosion in Pakistan during Easter picnics looks like

A suicide blast claimed by Islamist militants ripped through crowds of families celebrating Easter at a park in the city of Lahore on Sunday, killing at least 60 people and injuring an additional 300 in an attack the jihadists said had deliberately targeted Christians.

The attack was carried out by a suicide bomber in the parking lot of Gulshan e-Iqbal Park about 6:30 in the evening, transforming a joyful scene of picnicking families into a spectacle of chaos and horror. Many children were among the dead, local officials said.

A spokesman for the Jamaat ul-Ahrar militant group, which is an offshoot of the Pakistani Taliban, asserted responsibility in a telephone interview Sunday.

It was our people who attacked the Christians in Lahore, celebrating Easter, the spokesman, Ehsanullah Ehsan, said. Its our message to the government that we will carry out such attacks again until sharia [Islamic law] is imposed in the country.

Pakistan, a country of 190 million, has suffered for years from sectarian violence and Islamist militancy, including a Taliban-led insurgency in the tribal areas on the border with Afghanistan. Christians make up about 1 percent of Pakistans population but have maintained a larger presence in Lahore.





In Lahore, Parveen Masih, a 30-year-old Christian woman, said she had gone to the park with her husband and kids to celebrate Easter. They were there when the bomb exploded.

This attack was about nothing other than to sabotage our happiness, Masih, who was wounded in the face, said in a telephone interview. We had only a few days to celebrate, and they didnt even let us enjoy those.

The government of Punjab province  where the attack occurred, and which is Prime Minister Nawaz Sharifs political stronghold  announced three days of mourning. A statement from the office of Punjabs chief minister, Shahbaz Sharif, who is the prime ministers brother, pledged that the culprits would be brought to trial.

Those who targeted innocent citizens do not deserve to be called humans, Shahbaz Sharif posted on his Twitter account. We will hunt you down, he said. And make sure your terror infrastructure is dismantled completely.

Nawaz Sharif, the prime minister, met with his security advisers after the attack, and they reached key decisions on how to respond, a statement from his office said.

Ehsan, the Jamaat ul-Ahrar spokesman, declared that the militants would strike again in Punjab. The group broke away from the Pakistani Taliban, or Tehrik-e-Taliban, in 2014, as a result of infighting between top commanders. Jamaat ul-Ahrar rejoined the Taliban in March 2015, but it still maintains its own faction within the group.

The top security official in the province, Haider Ashraf, said an initial forensic investigation into the attack concluded that the suicide bomber had packed more than 20 pounds of explosives in his vest. Ball bearings, typically used in bomb attacks to maximize casualties, were found at the scene, Ashraf said.

A suicide blast exploded on Easter Sunday in a crowded park in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore claiming the lives of at least 60 people. (Erin Patrick O'Connor/The Washington Post)

We can say it was a suicide blast, in which most of the Christian families and Muslim families who went to Gulshan-e-Iqbal Park to enjoy the holiday were targeted, he said, adding that the attacker detonated his explosives near an area marked off for women.

Witnesses to the carnage described body parts scattered in the wake of the attack, Pakistans Dawn newspaper reported. Images on social media showed panic and chaos in the moments after the blast and medics ferrying the wounded away on stretchers.

In one case, four members of a single family were killed, a medic said. The only survivor was a 10-year-old boy, who was also injured.

I was about to enter the park with my kids when the explosion happened, said Anwar Ali, a resident of Lahore. My kids started crying, and I held them tightly when I saw the wounded.

In a statement on Sunday, the State Department said that the United States stands with the people and government of Pakistan at this difficult hour.

Attacks like these only deepen our shared resolve to defeat terrorism around the world, the statement said.

The government of Punjab announced on its Twitter account that it was offering free rides to those who wished to donate blood to the victims.

In Islamabad, Pakistans capital, the army was deployed on Sunday to the Red Zone area of the city to help quell unrest following a violent protest march by Muslims. Thousands of demonstrators turned out to denounce the execution last month of Mumtaz Qadri, who assassinated the former Punjab governor, Salmaan Taseer, in 2011. Taseer had spoken out against Pakistans blasphemy law.

Police could not halt the demonstrators, who rampaged across central Islamabad, setting buildings on fire Sunday. The Red Zone area of the capital houses a number of vital government institutions, including Parliament and the prime ministers house.

Read more:

One year after it went to war, Pakistan is safer but doubts persist

Cunningham reported from Kabul. Haq Nawaz Khan and Aamir Iqbal in Peshawar, Pakistan, contributed to this report.
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)

The investigation into last weeks bombings in Brussels extended farther across Europe on Sunday, after Italian police arrested a new suspect thought to have provided false documents to the Islamic State militants behind recent attacks here and in Paris.

The latest arrest adds to an emerging picture of the network that staged some of the worst attacks on European soil since World War II, another striking indication of the reach of the Islamic State beyond its strongholds in Iraq and Syria.

Fears remained heightened across the continent nearly a week after suicide bombers killed at least 31 people at Brussels Airport and, an hour later, in a crowded subway car. Tuesdays assaults shed new light not only on the shortcomings of European security agencies but also on the militants determination to launch attacks.

In St. Peters Square in Vatican City, worshipers were subject to tight security Sunday as they flocked to hear Pope Francis deliver his Easter address. Speaking to the crowd, the pope called terrorism a blind and brutal form of violence, according to the Associated Press.

In central Brussels, widespread anxiety was visible as riot police with shields and white helmets fanned out Sunday afternoon around a memorial site for victims. Police briefly fired water cannons after several hundred men dressed in black, apparently soccer fans, advanced into the area. The fans waved a giant banner against the Islamic State and, according to some media reports, shouted nationalist slogans.

One of the participants, who identified himself only as Steve, said the fans were not protesting against immigrants or Muslims. He said they had hoped only to show their condemnation of terrorists and of government failures to deal with such threats.

We are people who are just united against the [expletive] happening to this country, he said by phone later in the day.

[VIDEO: Protestors disrupt memorial to bombing victims]

Government officials urged organizers to postpone a solidarity rally planned for Sunday, saying that police could not provide adequate security.

Belgian authorities, meanwhile, expanded their hunt for new clues. They conducted 13 searches in Brussels and other areas Sunday, the federal prosecutors office said. Four people detained in those searches remain in custody.

Prosecutors also charged another suspect linked to the attacks, local media reported Sunday. The man, identified by authorities only as Abderrahmane A., has been in custody since Friday and faces charges of belonging to a terrorist organization. Belgian police did not provide details.

The man captured by Italian authorities Saturday was an Algerian suspected of providing several Islamic State supporters with false identification documents, allowing them to evade authorities while plotting attacks in Belgium and France.

Belgian authorities have released more details about the suspects linked to the deadly terror attacks in Brussels. (Claritza Jimenez/The Washington Post)

The Algerian arrested today in Salerno is part of a network of forgers of residency documents, police said in a message Saturday on Twitter.

According to the Italian news agency ANSA, 40-year-old Djamal Eddine Ouali had been the subject of a Belgian arrest warrant since January. ANSA said he was suspected of having given falsified papers to Salah Abdeslam, a suspected member of the cell that carried out the Nov. 13 Paris attacks who is now in Belgian custody. Ouali is also believed to have furnished documents to Najim Laachraoui, suspected to have been one of the suicide bombers at Brussels Airport, and to a man killed by Belgian authorities in a raid this month before the attacks.

[Security forces missed chances before the Brussels attacks]

The new steps in the investigation come as Belgian authorities seek to beat back criticism of their handling of terrorism threats.

Investigators acknowledged late last week that they did not question Abdeslam extensively after his March 18 arrest, possibly missing clues that might have helped them avert the attacks four days later.

On Sunday, Interior Minister Jan Jambon defended to local media the governments decision-making during last weeks attacks. He has come under fire for failing to protect other Brussels residents after the initial attack at the airport.

That criticism made the weekend announcement that authorities may have captured the most-wanted remaining suspect from Tuesdays attacks even more welcome news.

[The Islamic State is on the retreat on multiple fronts]

According to a European security official, the man is Faycal Cheffou, whose is suspected to be the third attacker at Brussels Airport. His explosives-laden suitcase apparently did not detonate.

The man, whom Belgian officials have not fully identified, was charged Saturday with participation in the activities of a terrorist group, terrorist murders and attempted terrorist murders.

According to Belgian media, Cheffou has described himself as a journalist in the past and has promoted radical Islamist beliefs.

Belgian authorities also have charged a man identified as Rabah N. with taking part in a terrorist group and another man, identified as Aboubakar A., with a terrorism-related offense.

The latest person to be charged may be Abderrahmane Ameroud, whom Belgian media has reported as linked to the attacks. Ameroud was sentenced by a French court to seven years in prison for involvement in a plot to assassinate Ahmed Shah Massoud, a legendary Afghan guerrilla leader. Massoud was killed in 2001.

It is not known what exactly each person is suspected to have done.

[Families still in desperate wait for news after attacks]

Over the weekend, militants continued to celebrate attacks that they said demonstrated the weakness of Western defenses. In a video released Saturday, a Dutch-speaking fighter, identified as Abu Hanifa al-Beljiki, addressed the government of Belgium.

You learned nothing from the lessons of Paris, because you continued fighting Islam and the Muslims, he said, according to a transcript from the SITE Intelligence Group. For this I want to tell you that the attack in Brussels is reaping what you had sown with your own hands.

More than 300 people were wounded in the attacks, Belgian officials have said. Nearly half of the victims were foreign nationals, including at least four Americans. According to Belgiums Foreign Ministry, not all of those wounded have been identified because some of them remain comatose.

Annabell Van den Berghe contributed to this report.

Read more:

Anti-terrorism crackdowns may have spurred attackers, Belgian prosecutor says

The many missing pieces in the Brussels attacks investigation

New ISIS recruits have deep criminal roots
Irish President Michael D. Higgins lays a wreath during the commemoration of the 100-year anniversary of the Irish Easter Rising in Dublin on Sunday. (Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)

Thousands of soldiers marched solemnly through the crowded streets of Dublin on Sunday to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Easter Rising against Britain, a fateful rebellion that reduced parts of the capital to ruins and fired the countrys flame of independence.

The Easter parade through Dublin featured military ceremonies at key buildings seized in 1916, when about 1,200 rebels sought to ignite a popular revolt against Irelands place in the United Kingdom.

The five-hour procession paused at noon outside the colonnaded General Post Office on OConnell Street, the rebel headquarters a century ago, where commander Patrick Pearse formally launched the revolt by proclaiming to bemused Dubliners the creation of a provisional Republic of Ireland.

A soldier in todays Irish Defense Forces, Capt. Peter Kelleher, stood in front of the restored post office on Sunday to read the full text of Pearses 1916 proclamation.

In the name of God and of the dead generations from which she receives her old tradition of nationhood, Ireland, through us, summons her children to her flag and strikes for her freedom, Kelleher said to an audience that included Irelands leaders and scores of grandchildren of the rebels.

A member of the Irish Armed Forces displays a copy of the Irish Proclamation before the commemoration in Dublin of the 100 year anniversary of the Irish Easter Rising. (Clodagh Kilcoyne/Reuters)

British forces, among them many Irishmen focused on fighting Germany in World War I, were caught off guard by the seizure of largely unprotected buildings in 1916.

But Britain quickly deployed army reinforcements, who were cheered by some locals as they marched into Dublin. Artillery based at Trinity College and a gunboat on the River Liffey, which bisects the city, shelled the post office and other strongholds of the rebels, forcing their surrender within six days.

The fighting left nearly 500 dead, most of them civilians. About 126 British soldiers, 82 rebels and 17 police officers were slain.

Many Dubliners opposed the insurrection as an act of treason in a time of war, but public sentiment swiftly swung in the rebels favor once a newly arrived British commander decided to execute Pearse and 14 other rebel leaders by firing squad in Dublins Kilmainham Jail.

Easter Rising veterans led Irelands 1919-1921 war of independence, their ranks swelled by combat veterans returning to Ireland from World War I trenches. As the newly founded Irish Republican Army fought police and soldiers in the predominantly Catholic south, Protestants in northeast Ireland carved out a new Britain-linked state of Northern Ireland.

A treaty accepted by most southern rebels established an Irish Free State in 1922 that grudgingly recognized the reality of the islands partition. The new Irish state survived a fratricidal 1922-23 civil war between IRA factions.

Ireland remained neutral in World War II and declared itself a republic on Easter Monday 1949.

Sundays commemorations are the centerpiece of an estimated 2,500 events nationwide this spring and summer reflecting on the uprisings legacy.

The anniversary date is imprecise, given that Easter falls on a different date each year and that the 1916 rebellion actually started on Easter Monday  an official holiday in Ireland  and not on the Sunday. The uprising began April 24 and ended on April 29, 1916.
On Saturday, March 26, Mexicans celebrated the Holy Week and set fire to their Judases, a popular ritual and annual tradition in this heavily Catholic country. Those demons are typically devils and dragons, and often, like this year, reviled politicians. (The Washington Post)

On Saturday, March 26, Mexicans celebrated the Holy Week and set fire to their Judases, a popular ritual and annual tradition in this heavily Catholic country. Those demons are typically devils and dragons, and often, like this year, reviled politicians. (The Washington Post)

Whom would you build, if you had to make a monster of mythical proportions? An evil equal to a biblical scourge? A traitor to be burned in effigy whose fiery demise would cleanse our corrupted souls?

In Mexico, that would be Donald J. Trump. (J for Judas?)

Or at least a 10-foot-tall papier-mache version of him: eyes wide, mouth agape, with a painted-on business suit and golden mane. On Saturday night, just as every year on the day before Easter, Mexicans gathered on street corners and church squares to celebrate the Holy Week and set fire to their Judases, a popular ritual in this heavily Catholic country. Those demons are typically forked-tongue devils and flaming dragons, and often, like this year, reviled politicians.

For Latinos here and in the U.S., hes a danger, a real threat, said Leonardo Linares, a 52-year-old artist who built a Trump effigy over the past week in his Mexico City studio. Hes a good man to burn as a Judas.

Linares, a jolly craftsman in paint-splattered clothes, presided over a block party that attracted hundreds of revelers, with kids chasing cotton candy wisps and pitched funny-foam battles. Linares and his relatives, who have been running this show for decades, chose the order of the Judas burnings, beginning with diminutive devils and wee minions and moving to the big dogs: President Obama with a cigar in his mouth and a Cuban flag, a black-clad Islamic State fighter with a kalashnikov, and the grand Trumpian finale.

A Donald Trump effigy stands on the street before it is burned as part of the annual burning of the Judas festival on March 26, 2016 in in the Merced neighborhood of Mexico City, Mexico. Every year Mexicans burn a Judas effigy representing Jesuss victory over evil but they often choose a reviled political character to stand in Judass place. (Jonathan Levinson/For the Washington Post)

All this Judas-burning is a symbolic attempt to destroy evil, a night of catharsis by way of pyrotechnics. The ceremonies take place across Mexico before Easter. Santa Rosa Xochiac, a hillside neighborhood to the southwest of the capital, has become one of the popular Judas-torching spots. More than a dozen groups spend months building their effigies, then parade them through the streets before rigging them with fireworks and sparklers and setting them ablaze.

Mostly its devils, monsters, said Ricardo Sanchez, a 27-year-old mechanic as he put the finishing touches on 20-foot-tall dragon. One year we burned Osama bin Laden.

Mexicans take special pleasure in skewering Trump, the Republican presidential front-runner who has threatened to deport millions of Mexicans and claims he will build a giant wall across the United Statess southern border and have Mexico pay for it. Since he launched his campaign last summer calling them rapists and criminals, Mexicans have fired back with a variety of satires. A pair of comedians put on a play, The Sons of Trump, featuring greedy villains bumbling around in blond wigs. Trumps likeness has been crafted into pinatas and bashed, digitized into a video game character and pegged with tomatoes. His name is the brunt of folk-song jokes.

There has also been more earnest criticism, from former Mexican presidents and current senior government officials, who have warned that Trumps xenophobic rhetoric is damaging relations between the two countries.

Hes crazy, said Alberto Rueda, a 30-year-old shopkeeper who attended the Trump burning in the La Merced neighborhood. His ideas are not the solution. On the contrary. If he builds a wall, people will build tunnels.

Linares, who has been building burnable Judases since he was a boy, has traveled extensively in the United States, including to Washington and New York, showing his art.

Making giant paper dolls has been a family business for decades, he said, and he has reduced many politicians to ashes over the years. Former president Carlos Salinas is a fan favorite, he said, along with corrupt former Mexico City police chief Arturo Durazo. His was not the only Trump on display. Fernando Padilla, 33, a neighbor, built a likeness of a Mexican drug lord riding an airplane while carrying Trumps severed head in his hand.

Mexican's set fire to an effigy of U.S. Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump on March 26, 2016 in Mexico City during Holy Week celebrations. (Yuri Cortez/AFP/Getty Images)

Latinos have contributed a lot to the United States, Linares said. Trumps a buffoon. With him as president, the U.S. will lose a lot of credibility in the world.

The mood on the street was a mix of neighborhood festival and war zone, with showering sparks, gigantic firework blasts that knocked people down, the whole street cloaked in a gunpowder haze.

The dolls seemed to stay in character. The Islamic State fighter exploded his payload in one chaotic blast; Obamas fuse was lighted repeatedly but refused to blow. When it came time for the climax, Trump went slowly, gruesomely, one leg blasting off, then the other, as the by-then boozy crowd chanted Death! Death! When his head exploded, there were thunderous cheers.

Linares looked spent as he surveyed the carnage.

Were satisfied, he said. The people liked it.
Syrias government declared Sunday that its forces had seized Palmyra from the Islamic State, driving the militant group out of the archaeologically significant city and dealing it a major blow.

Retaking the desert city, a UNESCO world heritage site known for its Roman-era ruins, is a substantial victory for Syrian President Bashar al-Assad. His forces appear to have seized the upper hand in a devastating civil war that has turned into a dangerous proxy conflict.

Palmyras capture also is a victory for Russias military involvement in Syria, an intervention launched in September that has inflicted heavy damage on rebel groups and bolstered Assad, a Russian ally.

Taking the city helps clear a path for pro-government forces to possibly push on to Raqqa, the city in eastern Syria that is the Islamic States self-declared capital.

[An ancient city faces modern scourge of Islamic State]

The liberation of the historic city of Palmyra today is an important achievement and another indication of the success of the strategy pursued by the Syrian army and its allies in the war against terrorism, state television quoted Assad as saying during a meeting with a French delegation, the Reuters news agency reported.

In a telephone conversation, Russian President Vladimir Putin congratulated the Syrian leader, Russian news agencies reported.

Putin this month announced that he would draw down the bulk of Russias forces in Syria. But many of Russias warplanes have remained in the country, and they provided crucial air support for the nearly month-long offensive to retake Palmyra, about 150 miles northeast of the capital, Damascus.

State television showed troops entering what it said was Palmyra. The images depict a deserted city that appears to have suffered heavy damage from fighting. Streets are covered with rubble and the facades of buildings heavily pockmarked.

Citing an unnamed military official, the state-run Syrian Arab News Agency said pro-government forces had eliminated the last gatherings of ISIS terrorists in the city and destroyed their last hideouts. The Islamic State is also known as ISIS.

But an activist and the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a Britain-based monitoring group, said that even though most Islamic State militants had withdrawn, clashes continued in the northeastern corner of the city.

ISIS sent two car bombs to the city center a while ago, said Khalid al-Homsi, an activist from the city who resides in Turkey.

A photo released by the Syrian official news agency SANA shows damage to the Palmyra citadel following fighting between government forces and Islamic State militants on Sunday, March 27. (Uncredited/AP)

[How the battle against the Islamic State is redrawing the map of the Mideast]

The extent of the damage to Palmyras 2,000-year-old ruins remains unclear. Images posted on social media purport to show recent explosions in the vicinity of the citys medieval citadel.

After taking over Palmyra in May, the Islamic State began destroying some ancient monuments, including the 1st-century Temple of Bel and the Arch of Triumph, which a Roman emperor built in about A.D. 200. The extremist group also used the monuments as forums for executions.

Islamic State militants have carried out large-scale anti-idolatry campaigns, destroying precious artifacts in the parts of Syria and Iraq under its control. Using extremist interpretations of Islam to justify the destruction, the group often targets pre-Islamic artifacts.

The recapturing of Palmyra is the latest sign that the group has been badly weakened in its strongholds in Iraq and Syria by both pro-Assad fighters and U.S.-backed Kurdish and Arab forces.

Late last year, Iraqi forces drove Islamic State militants out of the city of Ramadi. In February, Kurdish fighters defeated the group at al-Shaddadi, a town in eastern Syria.

U.S. military officials estimate that the group has lost more than 40 percent of the territory it held in Iraq and more than 20 percent in Syria.

The attack on Palmyra comes amid a nationwide cease-fire that has substantially reduced violence, despite numerous violations claimed by government and anti-government fighters.

The partial truce. which does not include the Islamic State, has received strong backing from Russia and the United States, even though the two powers support opposing sides in the conflict.

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
A prominent New York City emergency room doctor accused in January of sexually abusing four female patients was indicted this week on five criminal counts, PEOPLE confirms.



An indictment was returned Thursday against Dr. David Newman, a 45-year-old physician and book author who has given TED Talks and blogged for The New York Times and Huffington Post. An Iraq war veteran, Newman was the director of clinical research in emergency medicine at Mount Sinai Hospital in Manhattan.



Newman has since been fired, hospital officials confirm.



Authorities initially arrested Newman in January after a woman claimed he had drugged, groped and masturbated on her, according to a criminal complaint obtained by PEOPLE.



Newman has been indicted on one count of first-degree sexual abuse and four counts of third-degree sexual abuse, Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. said in a statement.



His alleged crimes occurred between August 2015 and his January arrest.



 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.



"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," Vance said. "One was sedated to the point of being physically helpless  a nightmare scenario for any patient to endure."



Vance contends Newman allegedly sexually abused three of his victims who sought treatment in August, September and October. In January, Newman allegedly sexually abused a female patient who complained of shoulder pain.



One of Newman's alleged victims, Aja Newman, filed a civil suit against the doctor last month, claiming he'd given her morphine during her visit and waited until she was sedated before assaulting her.



The lawsuit seeks unspecified monetary damages. It names other emergency room staffers who, the suit alleges, "failed to enforce internal policies."



The suit also claims the hospital allegedly "negligently" hired, trained, and supervised Newman, according to court documents.



Newman's Huffington Post biography claims his book, Hippocrates' Shadow: Secrets From the House of Medicine, "explores the underbelly of modern medicine and the fraying of the patient-doctor bond, using patient narrative and examples of misconstrued research."



Newman's attorney, Susan Necheles, did not return calls or emails seeking comment Friday.
Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders greets his supporters at a rally in Seattle last week. (Photo: David Ryder/Reuters)

Bernie Sanders has dubbed his presidential campaign a political revolution, but some of his supporters are rebelling against the very party he is hoping to lead.



A voluble group of die-hard Sanders backers is vowing online that its Bernie or Bust, saying they will never support his presidential primary opponent  and, at this point, the likely Democratic nominee  Hillary Clinton.

Nearly two months after voting began in the Democratic primaries, Clinton has racked up a lead among pledged party delegates that makes a Sanders victory increasingly implausible. In apparent recognition of this mathematical challenge and the need to begin aiming fire outside the party, Sanders in recent weeks has pivoted away from Clinton and toward Republican frontrunner Donald Trump. Yet at the same time Sanders is making the case that hes actually more electable in a matchup with Trump, he has also started talking about the circumstances under which he would endorse Clinton. His senior adviser, Tad Devine, has even suggested that Sanders would consider serving as Clintons running mate.

Despite these glimmers of reconciliation with his rival, Sanders may have unleashed a rebellion that will be beyond his power to control when it comes time to unify the party. Some Bernie or Bust stalwarts say they wont back Clinton even if Sanders joins her ticket.

After Clintons string of victories in the first weeks of March, this weekend begins a favorable stretch of the primary calendar for Sanders. This kicked off with a sweep on Saturday, with wins in the caucuses in Hawaii, Alaska and Washington. This momentum means that theres little reason for some Sanders backers to reconsider their primary season passions anytime soon.

Russ Belville is an Internet radio host and marijuana legalization advocate based in Portland, Ore. In late February, he wrote a column for the Huffington Post laying out the bones of the Bernie or Bust position. In a conversation with Yahoo News earlier this month, Belville said Clinton couldnt get his vote even by joining forces with Sanders.

Story continues

If Bernie Sanders were to accept a vice presidential bid from Hillary Clinton, it would so disillusion me to the integrity of Bernie Sanders that I dont know what I would do. I cant even conceive of him accepting that offer, Belville said.

James Scolari, a photographer in Los Angeles, echoed that view.

I would never vote for Hillary Clinton, and, God, I hope Sanders wouldnt serve as her running mate, Scolari said. I dont believe he would.

A supporter holds a poster at a rally for Sanders in Los Angeles on Wednesday. (Photo: Michael Owen Baker/AP)

Clintons campaign declined to comment on this story. The Bernie or Bust voters who spoke with Yahoo News cited several areas where they view Clintons policies as insufficiently progressive, including her stance on military intervention in the Middle East, fracking, the minimum wage, Wall Street regulation and campaign finance reform. They also pointed to instances where she has changed her position, such as on gay marriage, the Keystone pipeline and the Trans-Pacific Partnership.

I just cant see myself voting for someone thats a warmongering person, cinematographer Andy Kirn of Los Angeles said of Clinton. There are certain things about Clinton that are so unsavory and so undesirable that I cant see myself legitimizing that with a vote, and I dont think Im alone there.

Belville argues that Clinton is a Rockefeller Republican in Democratic clothing. I have longed for the return of moderate Republicans, just not in the Democratic Party, Belville told Yahoo News. I think my basic objection is: Im on the left. Id like there to be a party that represents me.

Michael Moore, a 36-year-old Iowan who volunteered for Sanders in his home state and neighboring Nebraska, said he wont vote for Clinton if shes the partys nominee.

She has always embodied whatever was most politically expedient at the moment, and she has come very clearly on the  neoliberal corpus of hawkish foreign policy and pro-corporate policies that very often harm individual Americans, Moore said.

Data compiled by Twitter for Yahoo News shows there were about 110,000 total tweets sent with the #bernieorbust hashtag in the month from Feb. 8 and March 8. The number of messages peaked on Feb. 28, the day Clinton began to pull ahead with a huge win in South Carolinas Democratic primary. A search on Facebook showed that as of Friday afternoon, there were about 100,000 conversations with the #bernieorbust hashtag on that site.

A child holds a sign supporting Sanders while awaiting the candidates arrival at the San Diego Convention Center on Tuesday. (Photo: Lenny Ignelzi/AP)

Bernie or Bust is not a position Sanders would want his supporters to take, says liberal radio talk show host and author Bill Press, a longtime ally of Sanders who hosted an early strategy meeting for Sanders campaign at his home in Washington, D.C.

I do not belong in that camp.  I dont think Bernie belongs in that camp. I havent talked to him about it, but Im pretty sure he does not belong in that camp, Press told Yahoo News. He told me early on, the first time we talked about the possibility that he might run for president, that  if hes not the nominee, he would do nothing to hurt the  Democratic nominees chances. He would do nothing, in other words, that might help a Republican get the White House.

Sanders is not exactly a part of the mainstream Democratic establishment. For more than two decades in Congress, Sanders identified as an independent, though he generally voted with Democrats. He only officially registered as a member of the party last year, after announcing his presidential bid. Naturally, many of Sanders supporters are independent voters rather than party stalwarts, as well.

Press is similarly distant from the party establishment. Last month, he published a book that made the case that President Obama let progressives down. The back cover featured an admiring blurb from Sanders. Nevertheless, Press is adamant that his fellow liberal Sanders supporters should back Clinton if she manages to win the primary.

Just to make it clear, Im for Bernie. If Bernie doesnt get the nomination, in a New York heartbeat Im for Hillary, enthusiastically. Enthusiastically! said Press, repeating himself for emphasis.

Press argued there is too much at stake for progressives to war among themselves and potentially aid a Republican candidate. Indeed, Bernie or Bust has generated backlash from liberals who believe the phenomenon could benefit the GOP. This criticism has been particularly fierce because Donald Trump is currently leading the Republican pack and many Democrats view him as an especially dangerous candidate.

INTERACTIVE: Delegate scorecard and calendar >>>

However, many of the Bernie or Bust voters who spoke to Yahoo News said they were not deterred by the prospect of a Trump presidency. Matt Rogina, an assistant chefs instructor in California, said hes more concerned about sending a message to the Democratic leadership.

If it hands the election to Donald Trump, that is the direct fault of the Democratic national party. Theyre the ones that have set the policy, theyre the establishment, theyre the status quo that were tired of, Rogina explained. Were tired of them pretty much being another corporate party, being a Republican lite party.

Belville, the radio host who wrote the Bernie or Bust column, argued that electing Clinton could cement American politics in a far-right/center-right state. Though he acknowledged Trump could do some dastardly things in office, Belville believes those problems would open up a lot of peoples minds to more progressive solutions and move the country to the left.

Moore, the Sanders campaign volunteer from Iowa, is also not concerned about the possibility he could help the GOP by hewing to the Bernie or Bust strategy.

Im not given to voting based on fear, said Moore. I believe that the two parties have, through the use of this fear of the other side, brought us to where we are today, where they throw up horrible candidates who are part of the oligarchic system  basically just two sides of the same coin.

Scolari, the photographer, took things a step farther. He said he plans to vote for Trump if Sanders bows out.

To me, Bernie or Bust means I will not vote for Hillary Clinton under any circumstances. And if that means I get a President Trump, I feel like hell be farther left than she would be anyway, Scolari said. At least hes a Beltway outsider.  Hes a lunatic, but I think hes probably going to be pretty easily handled by a professional Cabinet.

Supporters cheer Sanders at a campaign rally Monday at West High School in Salt Lake City. (Photo: George Frey/Getty Images)

Primary season divisions and vows never to back the opponent are neither unprecedented nor restricted to Democrats. Some conservatives are currently rallying around a #nevertrump hashtag and declaring their plans to refuse to back the Republican frontrunner. And when Clinton lost the Democratic presidential primary in 2008, some of her supporters promised they would not back Barack Obama. These Clinton loyalists called themselves PUMAs, an acronym for Party Unity, My A**.

Obama survived the PUMA rebellion  and data shows Clintons standing within the party is comparable to his at this point in the cycle during the 2008 election.

A Bloomberg/L.A. Times poll from February 2008 showed that Obama had a net favorability of 78 percent among Democrats, while just 13 percent viewed him unfavorably. An ABC News/Washington Post poll released on Tuesday found that Clinton has a nearly identical net favorability of 74 percent among Democrats. While her net unfavorability was 25 percent, higher than Obamas, she has universal name recognition among Democrats. In 2008, about 10 percent of party members said they had not heard of Obama or did not know enough to have an opinion about him.

Press cited his experience in a past liberal primary rebellion as evidence of why he wont vote Bernie or Bust.

My very first political campaign was 1968, [Eugene] McCarthy for president.  When McCarthy was denied the nomination and it went to Hubert Humphrey  a whole bunch of us, we all boycotted the election, Press recounted. We didnt vote for Humphrey.  And so what did we get? We got Richard Nixon. Lesson learned.

Though he disagrees with the Bernie or Bust strategy, Press said he understands the sentiment behind it.

We have two centrist parties right now, and the Democratic Party has become  not as much as the Republicans  but very much the party of corporate America and Wall Street, said Press, adding, I think Bernies mission is to win the presidency, but also to push the progressive agenda and get the Democratic Party to adopt the progressive agenda.

Indeed, all of the Bernie or Bust voters who talked to Yahoo News said they voted for Obama in 2008 and have been disappointed that his administration has proved not to be sufficiently progressive.

I voted for him twice, and I respect the man, and I think he was in some ways a splendid president, but he didnt end the Bush doctrine and the terrible war on terror, Scolari said of Obama. In fact, he expanded drone warfare in a way I find shameful and shocking.  He didnt get Guantanamo closed.

Kirn, the cinematographer, said he believed he was supporting someone like Sanders when he voted for Obama in 2008.

We were thinking we were getting what Bernie is, Kirn said. Well, he didnt follow through.

Moore, the Sanders campaign volunteer, said he has been drawn to a more activist approach since voting for Obama. That attracted him to Sanders  and its also why he wont follow along if Sanders lines up behind Clinton.

In the process of going from 2008 to the present, Ive kind of come into the revolution that was part of the Occupy movement and is now being embodied in the Bernie Sanders campaign, Moore explained. But that revolution isnt Bernies revolution. He is just the current battle in the revolution, and if he doesnt stand with the revolution, then I have no reason to support him.

This post was updated on March 27 with results from the caucuses in Alaska, Hawaii and Washington.
Donald Trump says he would refine key foreign policy positions under a new tagline: America first. (Photo: Andrew Harnik/AP)



Donald Trump says if elected president, he would consider a freeze on buying oil from Saudi Arabia unless the Saudi government provides ground troops in the fight against the Islamic State.

The answer is, probably yes, Trump said when asked by the New York Times if he would halt U.S. oil purchases from the Middle East without military support from Arab countries in the region. We protect countries, and take tremendous monetary hits on protecting countries. That would include Saudi Arabia, but it would include many other countries, as you know. We have, theres a whole big list of them. We lose, everywhere. We lose monetarily, everywhere.

And yet, without us, Saudi Arabia wouldnt exist for very long, the Republican frontrunner continued. It would be, you know, a catastrophic failure without our protection.

The real estate mogul insisted he isnt an isolationist when it comes to his foreign policy  rather, he is America first.

We have been disrespected, mocked, and ripped off for many, many years by people that were smarter, shrewder, tougher, Trump told the newspaper. We were the big bully, but we were not smartly led. And we were the big bully who was the big, stupid bully, and we were systematically ripped off by everybody.

The former Celebrity Apprentice star, whose lack of foreign policy chops have come under fire as he inches closer to the GOP nomination, named three additional military advisers  retired Maj. Gen. Gary Harrell, Maj. Gen. Bert Mizusawa and retired Rear Adm. Charles Kubic  to his foreign policy team.

Later in the interview, Trump suggested NATO is ineffective when it comes to countering terror.

Right now we dont have somebody looking at terror, and we should be looking at terror, Trump said. It has to be changed. It has to be changed to include terror.

Story continues

In an appearance on ABCs This Week, Trump defended his position.

I think NATO is obsolete, he said. NATO was done at a time you had the Soviet Union, which was obviously larger  much larger than Russia is today. Im not saying Russia is not a threat. But we have other threats. We have the threat of terrorism. And NATO doesnt discuss terrorism. NATOs not meant for terrorism. NATO doesnt have the right countries in it for terrorism.





Nobody will protect our Nation like Donald J. Trump. Our military will be greatly strengthened and our borders will be strong. Illegals out!  Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 26, 2016





The brash billionaire, who is quick to respond to his Republican rivals and their wives via tweets, was asked if he would engage in similar Twitter wars with world leaders.

Its a new way of communicating, Trump replied. Its very effective. Ive been very effective with it. I have, between that and Facebook, I have like 15 or 16 million followers. Its a great way of communicating. Now, other people dont like it, because they have 15 followers.

But if he makes it to the White House, dont expect the same volume of late-night tweets Trumps been known to fire off on the campaign trail.

Its a great way of communicating, as far as Im concerned, he said. But Im not going to be doing it very much as president.


The chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee said Europe is in pre-9/11 posture on terrorism.

Michael McCaul spoke with John Dickerson, moderator of CBS Face the Nation.

 I think, in many ways, I think Europe is in pre-9/11 posture, the Texas congressman said. They have many intelligence and security gaps. I traveled over there prior to the Paris attacks, met with the Belgian minister of interior, met with counterterrorism officials in France, went to Turkey.

The phenomena here is the foreign fighter threat, the revolving door from Europe to the region in Iraq and Syria and back through Turkey, back into Europe. And thats what happened in the Paris attackers. And now we know the nexus between the cells that became operational in Paris and now the ones that attacked in Brussels, all part of the same network, same bomb-maker, and all tied to the foreign fighter threat.

These are trained militants that have gone to the region and have come back. And its one of the greatest threats that Europe has, because theyre not prepared for it from a security standpoint.

Also Read: Two American Siblings Killed in Brussels Terror Attacks

Dickerson asked if Americans should worry about such soft-target dangers as attacks at airports and train stations, such as the attack in Brussels in which 31 people were killed and scores wounded.

Well, I think the threat is higher in Europe because of the number of foreign fighters, McCaul said. They also dont share databases as well as we do or intelligence. They have lot of restrictions with their laws that they need to change. 

I talked to the TSA administrator, who actually landed at Brussels when the bombing occurred. And we are ramping up security at train stations, at airports, at subway systems using canines and other things, but visible and invisible. So, there are things happening behind the scenes you may not see.

But I want to give the American people assurances that we are protecting them.



Story continues

Related stories from TheWrap:

CNN's Erin Burnett Sees Differences Between Post-Terror Paris, Brussels

Mariah Carey Cancels Brussels Concert in Wake of Terrorist Bombing
SUNDAY, March 27, 2016 (HealthDay News) -- Pets may bring many health benefits to homeless children, but they can also make it tougher to find shelter or to use other social services, new Canadian research suggests.

A team of researchers, led by scientists at the Ontario Veterinary College at the University of Guelph, found homeless young people who have pets are less likely to abuse drugs or engage in risky behavior.

Pets may also help ease depression among those living on the streets, according to the study published recently in the journal Anthrozoos.

"So many of these youth have lost trust in people, and the animal gives them unconditional love. They will do anything for their pets, which means they are less likely to commit potentially harmful acts," study author Michelle Lem, a graduate of the veterinary college, explained in a University of Guelph news release.

Jason Coe, a professor of population medicine at Guelph, added that, "We also found those without pets are three times more likely to be depressed, though we have not yet determined if this is directly relatable to having a pet."

Homeless young people with pets may also confide in veterinarians about the personal difficulties they are facing, the researchers found.

"We're able to collaborate with public health and social workers as they attempt to reach these marginalized people, essentially using the human-animal bond and veterinary care as a gateway to provide accessible social support and health care," said Lem. She is also the founder and director of the Community Veterinary Outreach, which offers mobile veterinary services to homeless people in Canada.

Despite these health benefits, there is a downside to pet ownership for homeless youth, the study showed. Pets can become a barrier to social services for these young people.

"Many shelters do not allow pets, so these youth may be limited in where they can sleep," Coe explained.

The researchers argued that pet-friendly shelters are needed to accommodate homeless people who have dogs and other animals.

"There is an opportunity here to use this information when we're developing services and plans for young people," said Bill O'Grady, a sociology and anthropology professor at Guelph.

More information

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention provides more information on the health benefits of pets.
The company is retailing these items ranging from Rs 2 to Rs 11,500 at six of its stores and has plans to make these items available at 50 stores in the next six months.

New Delhi: Multi-brand retail chain V-Mart plans to open stores in eastern states such as Jharkhand and Odisha next fiscal to take the number of its outlets to 150. The company operates 123 stores at present and is focusing on Tier-II and -III towns for opening stores in the next fiscal. "We will have up to 150 stores by the end of FY2016-17.

We will add around 27 stores in states such as Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, Bihar, Odisha and West Bengal," V-Mart Chairman and Managing Director Lalit Agarwal told PTI. V-Mart also plans to open two more stores in Jammu & Kashmir, where it operates a single store in Srinagar. It plans to open stores at Jammu and Udhampur.

Moreover, the retail chain has also tied up with Saksham Trust to sell specialised items for visually impaired. The product includes talking thermometer, talking calculator, book reading and recording devices and smart can devices.

The company is retailing these items ranging from Rs 2 to Rs 11,500 at six of its stores and has plans to make these items available at 50 stores in the next six months. He further said that the company is also approaching blind schools and organisations which work for visually-impaired people for these products. V-Mart had a revenue of Rs 720.50 crore in FY2014-15.
Hyderabad: A bespoke private jet that once belonged to beleaguered businessman Vijay Mallya is now up for sale. But not without a rider. According to a notice from the service tax department, the earnest money deposit to participate in the bid  for Indian nationals  is Rs 1 crore.

The jet, which was named VT-VJM  Mallya's initials can seat up to 25 passengers, six crew and has been exclusively designed for luxurious use, according to the notice. It has been parked at Mumbai airport for some years now. The e-auction notice was issued on March 23 and the auction will be carried out between May 12 and May 13.

The prospective bidders will be allowed to inspect the aircraft from April 2.

According to reports, the service tax department had also seized five ATR aircraft and two helicopters belonging to Kingfisher, back in 2013. The sale of Mallyas private jet is part of the department's efforts to recover around Rs 600 crore in dues from the airline.

Mallya-led Kingfisher Airlines owes Rs 9,000 crore to various banks and he has shifted his base to London. This is Mallyas second aircraft, which is put on sale. Almost a year back, an Kingfisher Airlines aircraft  for exclusive use of Mallya  was auctioned to recover dues owed by the now-defunct airline to Mumbai airport.

The aircraft was bought by a Mumbai-based company  Silent Enterprises for Rs 22 lakh. The buyer, however, did not use the aircraft as reports suggested that the company would sell it as scrap to recover his money
The government has constituted a panel under former Chief Economic Advisor Ashok Lahri to look into the demands of jewellers. (Representational Image)

New Delhi: Traders body CAIT and All India Bullion Jewellers and Swarnkar Federation (AIBJSF) on March 27 said they will not withdraw their strike till the time government rolls back the proposal to impose 1 per cent excise duty on non-silver jewellery. The strike by a section of jewellers to protest against the proposal entered the 26th day on March 27.

Releasing a white paper on the issue, representatives of Confederation of All India Traders (CAIT) and IBJSF urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley to intervene in the matter to resolve the issue.

"We have been on strike for last 26 days and will continue to do so for indefinite period till the time government rolls back its decision," All India Bullion Jeweller & Swarnkar Federation President Praveen Goel told reporters here.

He said that the worst affected with this proposal are daily wage artisans. Meanwhile, Jaitley has offered to walk the extra mile to ensure that small traders are not harassed but made it plain that luxury items cannot go untaxed.

"A luxury item must pay its share of taxes. So on procedural harassment, if they have any suggestions, I am willing to accept for simplification so that there is no harassment... I am willing to take an extra step. But indefinitely India can not have a situation where luxury items go untaxed," Jaitley told PTI.

CAIT secretary general Praveen Khandelwal said that the government should at least put its decision on abeyance till the issue get resolved. Khandelwal also said that the committee which was formed by the government on the issue should have equal participation from the traders.

"Government should take traders into confidence and open the door for discussion on the matter. Traders are not running from paying taxes. The profit of traders are very low and one per cent levy is very high," he said.

Refuting the allegation of black money generation in the jewellery trade, he said trader is not the source of black money. Although AIBJSF is continuing with the strike, three major associations - GJF, ABJA and GJEPC - called off the stir on March 19 after government's assurance that there would be no 'Inspector Raj'.

The government has constituted a panel under former Chief Economic Advisor Ashok Lahri to look into the demands of jewellers.
The take-up of terrorism insurance has increased since Paris, that is definitely the case. (Representational Image)

London: Rising risks in developed countries after a string of deadly attacks are driving up demand for specialist insurance to cover losses stemming from such events, putting upward pressure on premiums, underwriters and brokers say.

Insurers have generally excluded the risks of such attacks from standard property, event cancellation or travel insurance policies since the 9/11 attacks in New York in 2001, though customers can ask for the addition of specialist cover known in the industry as "terrorism insurance".

Attacks in Paris, Istanbul and San Bernardino in California in the past year had made company boards increasingly concerned about safety even before this week's attacks in Brussels, said Tarique Nageer, of broker Marsh.

"We have seen a change in demand as more of these events have occurred in more developed countries," said Nageer, who heads Marsh's New York department specialising in cover against such events.

The number of attacks and fatalities has risen sharply since 2011, insurance broker Jardine Lloyd Thompson said in a report published on Thursday, adding that the likelihood of further major attacks is expected to remain high.

The economic costs of the Paris attacks in November, which killed 130 people, were between $9 billion and $12 billion, the report said, though it added that insurance payouts on property losses are "likely to be minimal".

Cover for such events allows the largest companies to recoup losses ranging from about $250 million to $1 billion, according to Russell Kennedy, a divisional director at insurer Brit.

Other specialists in the sector have noticed a significant increase in demand for cover.

"The take-up of terrorism insurance has increased since Paris, that is definitely the case," said Julian Enoizi, chief executive of British specialist reinsurance fund Pool Re.

Rising demand has come from event organisers, as well as hotels, catering companies and breweries that supply the events, said Rob Montgomery, senior underwriter for contingency at insurance firm Ark.

"The higher demand, combined with the greatly increased exposure, is causing rates to rise," he said.
Around 95 per cent of the participants said their CSR projects are aligned with the government's development initiatives, including Swachh Bharat Mission, Skill India and National Health Mission.

New Delhi: Majority of corporates expect to spend more on social welfare activities in the next financial year as CSR increasingly becomes part of strategic decision making process, says a survey. However, the survey by industry body FICCI also revealed that companies find lack of clarity on laws and tax related regulations along with some other factors as obstacles in implementing Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) projects. Under the Companies Act, 2013, certain class of profitable entities are required to shell out at least 2 per cent of their three-year average annual net profit towards CSR activities.

The norm came into effect from April 2014. FICCI said 83 per cent of the participating companies anticipate an increase in their CSR spending in 2016-17. "While 6 per cent participants expected a decline, another 9 per cent cited no change. The remaining 2 per cent of the companies said that they have made a CSR allocation in their budget for the first time," it noted. The findings are based on a survey conducted between January and February covering 150 responses.

The respondents include public sector undertakings, private firms and foreign multinational companies, had a turnover ranging between Rs 1.7 crore and Rs 75,000 crore. As much as 77 per cent of the companies surveyed reported that an increase in their CSR budget in 2014-15 compared with 2013-14 period. On the other hand, the survey found "inadequate clarity on laws and tax related regulations", among others, was seen as an obstacle by firms in implementing CSR projects. When it comes to motivation, majority of the respondents indicated ethical considerations as the primary factor behind adoption of CSR activities.

"Companies are increasingly looking at integrating their businesses with the community to create shared value. About 49 per cent of the respondents... stated creation of shared value as a motivation factor, followed by social good compliance," FICCI said. Around 95 per cent of the participants said their CSR projects are aligned with the government's development initiatives, including Swachh Bharat Mission, Skill India and National Health Mission.

"It is encouraging to note that companies have continued to base their CSR programmes according to community needs aligning with the national development agenda, especially those impacting women and children," said Rajashree Birla, Chairperson, FICCI-Aditya Birla CSR Centre for Excellence.
The unions and management had two conciliation meetings with the Mumbai labour commissioner earlier this month but failed to resolve their differences.

Mumbai: A section of officers and employees of IDBI Bank are going on strike from Monday to protest against the government's plan to pare its stake in the lender. While a group of employees under the banner of United Forum of IDBI Officers and Employees has given a one-day strike call on March 28, another outfit United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions are on a four-day strike till March 31.

The unions and management had two conciliation meetings with the Mumbai labour commissioner earlier this month but failed to resolve their differences.

"We had two meetings with the labour commissioner on March 18 and 21 but both the meetings failed and we are going ahead with the four-day strike," said an office bearer of the United Platform of IDBI Bank Unions.

The bank has around 17,500 employees. The strike will be nation-wide, except in Karnataka where the High Court has restrained the unions from any kind of protest or strike. Employees are protesting the government proposal to bring down its stake in the bank from around 80 per cent to under 50 per cent.

In the Budget, Finance Minister Arun Jaitley had said the government was open to bring down its stake in IDBI Bank to below 50 per cent. "The process of transformation of IDBI Bank has already started.

The government will take it forward and also consider the option of reducing its stake to below 50 per cent," Jaitley had said. The management has tried persuading the unions to call off the strike.

"We have spoken to employees and asked them to call off their strike as it is year-end. We also held town hall meetings with the employees and have spoken to them at length," said a senior bank official. For convenience of customers, the bank opened its branches on March 26, which was an official holiday for banks.

"We will also try to keep some of our branches open during the strike period to help customers do their transactions," the official said. The bank will continue with its basic treasury operations during the period, he added.
'Raees' directed by Rahul Dholakia will see Shah Rukh Khan shaking a leg with Sunny Leone in reprise version of 'Laila O Laila'.

Mumbai: Shah Rukh Khan recently shot a song sequence with actress Sunny Leone for his coming film 'Raees'. The song is a reprise version of the 1980 chartbuster 'Laila O Laila' from the film 'Qurbaani'. The original track featured Feroz Khan and Zeenat Amaan.

Sunny posted a picture and wrote, "So happy I got to be a part of the 100th day of @RaeesTheFilm with @iamsrk @rahuldholakia @ritesh_sid #thegoodlife"

Director Rahul Dholakia praised Sunny for her performance and wrote, "Thanks @SunnyLeone for being such a fab Laila O'Laila !" He shared another picture and thanked his 'best cast and crew ever'.

Thank you @iamsrk @ritesh_sid @FarOutAkhtar and the best cast n crew ever! 100th day today and almost done! pic.twitter.com/L9PgG3OWSB  rahul dholakia (@rahuldholakia) March 28, 2016

A special set had been created at the Mehboob studio in Mumbai, for the song that will feature in the film. The set is that of an old retro bar where few people will be seen selling alcohol in the pretext of selling cold beverages.

This will be the first time Leone will be sharing screen space with a superstar, after her cameo in Akshay Kumars 'Singh is Bliing' last year.

Directed by Rahul Dholakia, 'Raees' is set in 1980s Gujarat. It tells the story of bootlegger Raees Khan (Shah Rukh) whose business is challenged and eventually thwarted by a police officer played by Nawazuddin Siddiqui. The film which also stars Pakistani actress Mahira Khan is scheduled to release this Eid.
Kangana Ranaut said, "We don't depend on a man for money or social standing. Women are fairly independent, seeking somebody who can treat them nicely."

New Delhi: Taking a swipe at her former boyfriend Hrithik Roshan and their controversial legal tussle, actress Kangana Ranaut today said that she does not understand why people have to approach lawyers to resolve the differences

in their relationship.

Kangana and Hrithik have been embroiled in a nasty spat since the former called her 'Krrish 3' co-star "a silly ex", prompting the 42-year-old star to slap her with a legal notice asking her to apologise and clear the air about their affair which he firmly refutes.

A defiant Kangana, 28, had said she was not a "dim-witted" teenager and refused to apologise. She instead shot off a counter-notice to Hrithik warning him to take back his notice or face a criminal case.

Sharing her view on marriage and relationships during a session at the CII-Young India here, Kangana said, "In today's world marriages have different meaning. We don't depend on a man for money or social standing. Women are fairly independent, seeking somebody who can treat them nicely. But I still don't understand the whole legality of this process. When it just does not work, why do people have to go to lawyers, that's a bit unfair because everything is changing and you can grow out of a relationship. I am not making laws so I can't do anything about it and have to follow them," the actress said hinting at her ongoing legal battle with her ex.

When asked if she has faith in the Indian judiciary system, Kangana laughed and said, "I have to believe in the legal system. What can you do when you are slapped with a notice because for all you know they can take you to jail!"

At one time during the chat session, the 'Queen' actress jokingly acknowledged that she has a "knack of choosing wrong people" in her life, evoking laughter and applause from the audience.
Though Willowbrook Girls dolls aren't for sale yet, Neha is nearing the end of her 'Kickstarter Campaign' to raise money for the first doll, Cara, a half-Latina with brown eyes and long blond hair.

New York: An Indian-American Harvard University graduate has come up with a new series of seven dolls that represent common girls with ethnic diversity and

celebrate them for their brains, talents and leadership.

Neha Chauhan Woodward, 29, has given each of the seven dolls unique personalities, which girls can relate to.

The doll collection created by her startup toy company Willowbrook Girls and story series is based on the similarly ambitious childhood friends she grew up with on Willowbrook Road.

"The toys I played with had such an impact on me, but they weren't a great reflection of me or my friends, who were so smart and so diverse in their interests and backgrounds. I knew we needed to do better," said Neha, who now lives in Manhattan.

(Photo: willowbrookgirls.com)

Neha said the idea came to her while she was a Stanford MBA student a degree she pursued after studying economics at Harvard and then working as an investment banking analyst at JPMorgan.

"Next door to the coffee shop I studied in was a very popular doll store," she said, declining to name the shop.

"The emphasis on appearances, with these doll hair salons and doll tea parties that parents were expected to bring their kids to really upset me. If anything, this company had a huge opportunity to empower girls," a local newspaper quoted her saying.

After years of working for successful e-commerce sites like Blue Apron and Diapers.com, Neha turned her tech marketing experience into a concept for a doll company that would more accurately entertain the modern girl: one who will

lead businesses, make medical breakthroughs, build apps and reform policies.

(Photo: willowbrookgirls.com)

"You have to see something to know that you can be it." When fully funded, each doll will have a corresponding book about their endeavours. The first one is about the Willowbrook girls starting a business at their school. The stories will give further depth to the characters, Neha said.

Growing up as an Indian-American, Neha also wanted to make sure the dolls appeared diverse.

"It was something lacking in the toys she grew up with, and hasn't gone unnoticed by young people of colour," she said.

"A lot of girls I spoke to said that they wanted dolls that looked like them," she said. "They wanted characters that were relatable. You have to see something to know that you can be it."

(Photo: willowbrookgirls.com)

Though Willowbrook Girls dolls aren't for sale yet, Neha is nearing the end of her 'Kickstarter Campaign' to raise money for the first doll, Cara, a half-Latina with brown eyes and long blond hair. After that, Cara will be sold online. Neha hopes that sales from that and other sources will enable her to release more of the dolls.

"I've always had a very entrepreneurial spirit, and this was a mission that I cared about," she said. "This was the right time to do it, and it's something that I really wanted to see happen."

Other dolls include Bailey, who wants to be a math teacher and dreams of education reform, and Maya, who wants to be a neuroscientist.
Salem (Tamil Nadu): A 49-year old man allegedly accused of sexually abusing a five-year old Dalit boy was thrashed by the public before being handed over to the police in Tamil Nadus Salem district.

The accused, Ravi, running a vegetable shop in Pethanaikenpalayam, took the boy, who was passing by the area, inside the outlet and sexually abused him on Saturday evening, police said.

The boy was rescued by the neighbours on hearing his cries. As the boy narrated his ordeal, the enraged public beat the accused who then had to be admitted to the government hospital here; He is under police custody.

The sexual offender has been booked under the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences Act (POCSO) and also under the SC and the ST (Prevention Of Atrocities) Act, as the boy is a Dalit, police said.
Raipur: Police on Saturday arrested another journalist in Maoist-dominated Dantewada district in Chhattisgarhs conflict zone of Bastar, on charges of entering an examination Centre in the area without authorisation a few months ago. Police said Dipak Jaiswal was arrested at Gidam in south Bastar district of Dantewada.

He was the fourth journalist to be rounded up in Bastar in the past six months.

Mr Jaiswal was arrested in a case registered against him a few months ago on the complaint of principal of Hiranpur high school in Gidam, alleging that he along with one of his accomplices Prabhat Singh forcibly entered the school premises, assaulted teachers and staff members and demanded money, Dantewada district superintendent of police Kamal Lochan Kashyap told this newspaper.

Mr Kashyap however said Mr Jaiswal was not a journalist. We have verified records with district public relations department. There is no record in the department to establish that Jaiswal is a journalist, he said.

However, local media claimed that he worked for a Gidam-based Hindi daily.

Prabhat Singh, a journalist with a local Hindi daily, was arrested last week for allegedly texting objectionable comments on a WhatsApp group against a senior police officer posted in Bastar.

Mr Singhs arrest sparked a wave of protests and condemnation with National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) expressing dismay and sending a notice to the Chhattisgarh government.
Police found a two-page note believed to have been written by the woman before her death, a police official said. (Photo: AFP)

New Delhi: A 25-year-old married woman was found dead under mysterious circumstances at her house in South Delhi's Defence Colony area, police said Sunday.

Priyanka, an aspiring model who had an event management company of her own, was found dead in the wee hours on Saturday.

Police found a two-page note believed to have been written by the woman before her death, a police official said.

The woman got married to a businessman in January. Priyanka's family members have alleged that her husband used to abuse her and took a huge amount of dowry.

After preliminary investigation, the police registered a case under provisions of IPC and the Dowry Prohibition Act.

Priyanka's husband, who owns a few clubs in the city, has been detained for questioning, the official said.

Prima facie, it appears that the woman committed suicide and an inquest has been taken up in the matter.

The woman's body has been sent to AIIMS for a postmortem examination and the cause of death is yet to be ascertained, the official said, adding that more sections are likely to be added in the FIR depending on further developments in the case.
Chennai: As an ordinary auto driver, Dr Iniyavan did not have the faintest idea that helping to transport idli batter to a cooks home would ignite his passion for the dish and pave his way to achieving a space in the Guinness World Records as well as making him a world-renowned name.

While he is already in the Guinness Book for making the heaviest idli in the world weighing 124 kg, Iniyavan is now attempting to make over 2,000 varieties of idlis for a new record on Sunday. When asked about the varieties, Iniyavan shoots off the list breathlessly, Thata idli, Orange idli, carrot idle, pineapple idli, chocolate idli, pizza idli Besides just the thrill of experimentation, the 46-year old said that he finds ways to make the idlis healthier.

The idli innovator often gets inspired by his children, My idea for pizza idlis came after my son suddenly said that he wanted to eat pizza, so instead of taking him out I just found some leftover poriyal and make a pizza ildi and he loved it. My daughter too had some eye sight problems and the doctor suggested that she eat vegetables but she hates to, so now I mix chopped up vegetables with idli and she eats it with no fuss at all.

Besides attempting the 2,000 varieties on Sunday, Iniyavan said that he would also be giving out tips explaining how to make the perfect fluffy idlis. Many dont know that replacing the water with tender coconut water can make the batter last longer and also make the idlis softer. Also, to avoid letting the batter get spoilt overnight, only the rice should be ground and the dal should be added the next day, he explained.

Even though he has only studied up till class eight, Iniyavan was presented a doctorate from an American University for his experimentation with idlis and he wants to continue his passion for idli making, The world is constantly changing so why cant idlis? he claimed.
With less than a week left, there is no clarity on the price of speed governors, the companies authorised to sell them, where the vehicle owner should get the speed governor installed.

Hyderabad: The Telangana governments decision to implement the Centres directive that all transport and goods vehicles install speed governors  a device which limits the speed of the vehicle  with effect from April 1 may run into rough weather.

The state government has still not finalised the modalities for implementation of the rule. And private bus operators and truckers are in no mood to install the devices on their vehicles. With less than a week left, there is no clarity on the price of speed governors, the companies authorised to sell them, where the vehicle owner should get the speed governor installed, how much time it will take for installation, who will certify it and whether there are sufficient numbers of speed governors available in the market.

Telangana joint transport commissioner B. Venkateshwarlu said the government is working out modalities. Motorists must understand that this is a Central directive to all states. In Telangana, we hope to start its implementation from April 1.

We dont expect that all transport and goods vehicles would queue up to install speed governors on a single day. As and when the vehicle comes for fitness tests, it can be equipped with the device. Guidelines would be issued shortly and sufficient time would be given. Only thing is we want to start its implementation from April 1 and it will gradually cover all existing vehicles as those being manufactured after October 1 are being released into the market with built-in speed governors, he said.

Transport expert Prof. P.R. Bhanu Murthy of JNTU said it makes no sense to make speed governors mandatory after the government spent billions on constructing four-lane, six-lane and eight-lane high speed corridors. Why invest so much money when you dont want vehicles to speed? he asked.

A senior RTC official said buses should be exempt from the rule because the corporation limits the speed of its vehicles to about 70 kmph by fixing a bolt under the accelerator pedal. Or, the government should help the RTC to install governors.

Mr Anand Kumar, managing director of Convertz Technologies India, one of the companies in the race to supply speed governors, said the price would start from Rs 12,500. There are many companies that manufacture speed governors. It takes half an hour to fix it. We have proposed that our staff will install it and the RTA has to certify it, he said.

Truckers, busmen for review of fiat

Operators of trucks and private buses said that the Central and state governments should withdraw the order making it mandatory to install speed governors in transport vehicles manufactured before October 1, 2015.

While private transporters have already gone to the High Court in Karnataka, those in Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and other states would soon follow suit.The rule has no rationale as it exempts private cars. Only the speed of transport vehicles would be regulated. If private vehicles like cars and SUVs can travel at high speed, is there any guarantee that they wont meet with accidents, said Telangana State Private Tour and Bus Operators Association president Syed Nizamuddin.

If the government is committed to regulating speed, it should provide speed guns to the police instead of insisting on speed governors on transport vehicles, he said. The speed guns will check speeding by all vehicles, he said.

Telangana Lorry Transport Union member A. Mallikarjun said the government should first close the openings on highways through which local traffic enters highways. Under passes should be constructed at these spots, he said. How can a truck loaded with 10 or 20-tonnes climb a gradient? The driver has to put it in first gear. That will increase fuel consumption and damage clutch plates, he said.

Orange Tours and Travels MD Sunil Kumar said there are large stretches where highways are wide and traffic is not much, allowing vehicles to exceed 100 kmph. Why construct the ORR for driving at 120 kmph and then ask motorists to drive at 80 kmph?

"When there is increasing demand from people to reduce transportation time, how can the government come out with orders reducing speed, he said. Private bus operators will abide by speed limits in urban areas if the government puts up signboards. But restricting speed to 80 kmph is not desirable, he added.
The Cabinet Secretariat has refused to give these details under the Right to Information Act saying Research and Analysis Wing which functions under it is exempted from any disclosures under the law except allegations of human rights violations and corruption.

New Delhi: Government has refused to give out details of rules and regulations regarding the extent of legal protection that is provided to officers and employees of the Research and Analysis Wing operatives abroad.

The Cabinet Secretariat has refused to give these details under the Right to Information Act saying Research and Analysis Wing which functions under it is exempted from any disclosures under the law except allegations of human rights violations and corruption.

The issue becomes important in the light of Pakistan's allegations that they have arrested a purported spy of RAW.

Ministry of External Affairs has refuted the allegations saying the arrested person has no links with the Indian Government.

"There is no information in public domain about what must be done if, heaven forbid, an Indian intelligence operative is murdered abroad.

"This is a concern that is very much valid even though it must not be taken as a comment on the latest incident of the apprehension of an Indian national in Pakistan," RTI applicant Venkatesh Nayak told PTI.

Nayak categorically told RAW in his RTI application that he was not seeking details of the manner in which its officers involved in overseas intelligence operations are trained to protect themselves against legal or illegal action by law enforcement agencies in foreign countries.

"The purpose of including this clarification was to reassure them that I was not seeking information that would expose the training and other measures that India's R&AW officers and other intelligence operatives are instructed to undertake to protect themselves as such disclosure would most likely endanger them and would not be in the public interest at this stage," Nayak, who is with Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative, said.
One of the injured suffered concussion. Greeshma Rai, a member of JAC, said the police started speaking anti women and anti-minority language.

Chennai: Four students suffered injuries when an SI punched them when they were staging a demonstration seeking justice for students of Hyderabad University. One of the injured suffered concussion. Greeshma Rai, a member of JAC, said the police started speaking anti women and anti-minority language.

The demonstrators have written a letter to deputy commissioner of police narrating the incident. The letter said members of JAC went on a peaceful fast for students rights and political justice in Hyderabad University and Madras University.

The students were detained in Nungambakkam jurisdiction and while police were discussing their release a sub-inspector allegedly started using anti-women and anti-minority fanatical language. The letter further read We were threatened with non-bailable charges and extremely abusive language targeting women students and students who could not speak Tamil.

The letter also said men students were manhandled using anti-Muslim chauvinistic slurs. Things escalated to the extent that the police officer punched four students. A student, M. Shreela, suffered a concussion above her left eye.

The demonstrators sought removal of Gopinath from SI post.
In the past year, four journalists have been arrested at separate places in Bastar division. (Representational image)

Raipur: The Opposition Congress in Chhattisgarh on Sunday alleged that journalists are being "implicated in false cases" in Bastar at the behest of the ruling BJP dispensation.

Journalist Deepak Jaiswal were held on Saturday while another scribe Prabhat Singh was arrested on March 22 by Bastar police on separate charges.

"We oppose the arrest of one more journalist Deepak Jaiswal. They police are deliberately harassing then at the behest of ruling BJP in Bastar. They are being implicated in false cases," Congress state general secretary Shailesh Nitin Trivedi alleged.

Police are being continuously misused in Bastar to suppress the voices of those who are speaking in open against the alleged loot of minerals in the region, he said.

"Innocent tribals are being killed branding them as Naxals. Neither social activists are being allowed to work in Bastar, nor political leaders. Those who oppose police action, they are being tagged as Maoists," Trivedi said.

To establish peace in Bastar all steps should be taken which are legitimate under the law of the land, but in the name of police action, journalists, public representatives and common men should not be harassed, he said.

Prabhat Singh was arrested on March 22 under the Information Technology Act for allegedly posting objectionable content on a Whatsapp group and three other cases. Jaiswal was held on a complaint for allegedly entering the school premises without permission during an exam and manhandling the staff members.

In the past year, four journalists have been arrested at separate places in Bastar division.

Meanwhile, AAP leader and tribal activist Soni Sori also lashed out at police for action against "innocent journalists.

Terming the arrests of journalists as a "conspiracy", she said, "The democracy is being murdered in Bastar."

"What's happening in Bastar. Why the voices of journalists are being suppressed. Bastar police is continuously targeting local journalists of the region who are raising the issue of tribals. They are being targeted under a conspiracy and we oppose it," Sori told reporters here.

Prabhat was actively reporting on issues of tribals. He had exposed the false claims of police in some incidents for which he is paying the price today, she said.

"Chief Minister Raman Singh is responsible for the entire incident (arrests and law and order situation in Bastar) as he is the head of the state...it is his responsibility to ensure protection to journalists," she said.

Sori also said that she will soon stage a massive protest in Bastar opposing the arrest of journalists.
New Delhi: Security at the Indira Gandhi International Airport here was scaled up after a local hotel received a call about bomb threat to half a dozen flights.



The Bomb Threat Assessment Committee (BTAC) is currently checking whether the call is specific or non-specific, a source said, adding operations at IGIA are "absolutely normal" at this stage.



Some of the flights mentioned by the anonymous caller do not exist, the source said.



"The call was made to a hotel in Paschim Vihar (West Delhi) at around 3 pm with the anonymous caller saying that bombs have been planted on six flights, including one on a Jet Airways plane," the source said.



The information was passed on to the security agencies concerned, including the CISF and Delhi Police, the source said, adding that "BTAC meeting is underway to check to whether it is a specific or non-specific call."



In the past week several such calls have been received by various airlines, impacting flight operations at several airports in the country.



Panic had gripped passengers at IGIA on March 22 after the Jet Airways call centre received threats about bombs on five of its aircraft that had departed or were to depart from here, hours after blasts ripped through Brussels airport, killing over 30.



On March 23, there was a major security scare at several airports in the country, including the national capital, following a phone call from the US that 11 aircraft of private carrier IndiGo could be in the danger of being blown up.



On Holi on March 24, security on Air India's flights was stepped up after the airline's Mumbai office received threats about presence of bombs on its planes.
Dr Gorringe, a faculty in the School of Social and Political Science, has slammed Prof. Appa Rao for using force to suppress the students voice.

Hyderabad: Dr Hugo Gorringe, senior lecturer of sociology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, has written an open letter to UoH vice-chancellor Prof. Appa Rao Podile saying that he and other members of the global community of scholars are reconsidering continuation of research links and ties with the university in view of its high-handedness with students.

Dr Gorringe, a faculty in the School of Social and Political Science, has slammed Prof. Appa Rao for using force to suppress the students voice.

For a university to thrive, it requires a culture of open discussion, vibrant debate and tolerance of alternatives. All of these public virtues are currently being eroded on your campus. To try and win an argument by force is a clear admission of the weakness of your position, said Dr Gorringe in the letter, which has now gone viral.

We of the global scholarly community make an urgent appeal calling for an immediate halt to the violence unleashed against peacefully protesting students at the UoH. The heavy-handed and forceful repression of protest has no place in a democratic society, still less in a seat of knowledge and debate, he said.

In the face of such flagrant repression, we find ourselves compelled to ask whether we can any longer continue to sustain research links and ties with the UoH. Many of us have strong academic connections and affiliations to colleagues at the UoH and admire the work of the many scholars based there.

Listen to the students, Hyderabad varsity V-C told

Slamming vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile for using force to suppress the students voice, Dr Hugo Gorringe, senior lecturer of sociology from the University of Edinburgh, Scotland, in a letter to the UoH, said, At present, the UoH in no way resembles an institution of higher education and erudition, he added.

Dr Gorringe, a scholar in the area of social and political movements both in South India and Scotland, has appealed to Prof. Appa Rao to listen to the students instead of using the police to silence dissent.

Dr Gorringe, who was one of the many professors from across the world who had earlier written an open letter in January demanding justice after the death of Rohith Vemula, said: Rather than trying to silence dissent, the university management would be much better advised to engage with and listen to their student critics. The tragic death of Rohith Vemula shocked the world and should have resulted in institutional reforms and learning. Instead, the situation is being exacerbated.
New Delhi: India is making all efforts to secure the release of a priest from Kerala who was abducted by a terror group in Yemen last month, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj said on Saturday.

The ministers remarks came in the backdrop of reports claiming that the terror group planned to execute the priest on Good Friday. However, there is no report of any harm having come to him so far.

Yemen is a conflict zone. We do not have an Embassy there. But we are making all efforts to secure his release, Ms Swaraj said.

Fr Uzhunnalil had gone missing in Yemen after the Islamic State militant group attacked a care home run by Mother Teresas Missionaries of Charity.
Ahmedabad: A video purportedly showing Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament from Porbandar, Vitthal Radadiya, kicking an elderly man at a religious function has gone viral on social media.

However, Radadiya has denied kicking the person. While talking to reporters Saturday night, he said the man seen in the video was at a religious function where he was 'trying to spread superstition'.

The purported video showed Radadiya, in his signature white shirt and trousers, approaching an elderly man sitting in a makeshift tent at the function.

An agitated Radadiya was seen kicking the elderly person who prayed to be spared.

The video also showed Radadiya picking up the man's belongings and gesturing him to leave the spot.

The video was apparently shot at a religious function held at Jamkandorna in Rajkot district about a week back. Denying that he kicked the person, Radadiya said he only asked him to leave the place. Radadiya was earlier at the centre of a controversy in 2012 when a video had gone viral in which he was purportedly seen wielding gun at a toll booth staff at Karjan near Vadodara.

In that video, Radadiya, who was then a Congress MP, was seen coming out of his car with a rifle in his hand and threatening to kill the toll booth staff when he asked for his ID proof.

There are also several police cases registered against him for alleged offences against government officials.
Hyderabad: UoH vice-chancellor, Prof. Appa Rao Podile, contended that have been no human rights violations in the university. He has stated this in his reply to a notice issued by the State Human Rights Commi-ssion, in response to a complaint from the Aam Aadmi Party.

The AAP had alleged that the university administration had shut all hostel messes depriving students of food and water. It had disconnected the internet connection and barred entry of media into the campus.

The V-C was supposed to report on Saturday but registrar M. Sudhakar went to the SHRC as his representative to submit the reply.

Prof. Appa Rao said none of the university students had approac-hed the SHRC complaining of rights violations which in itself was evidence that the charges were false.

The V-C said that the complaint by the AAP was motivated and does not reflect correct facts. It also said, A political party, which has no connection with the affairs of the university has lodged a false complaint against the Vice Chancellor.

The V-C replied that the allegation of closure of hostels on the university campus by the AAP was completely baseless. The hostel messes were closed on March 22 afternoon as a protest against the attack by students on the kitchen and some non-teaching staff, he said.

Prof. Appa Rao said he was instrumental in restoration of functioning of the messes; it was after his appeal that the protesting staff agreed to open messes.

Regarding the disconnection of the Internet as well, Prof. Appa Rao said that the staff employed at the campus network facility had switched off the internet services in protest but restored services a day later on his request.

The reply said that the media's entry was barred in university owing to the extraordinary situation prevailing on university campus and to avoid further aggravation of the situation.

Explaining the situation on March 22, when the V-Cs lodge was attacked after Prof. Appa Rao returned to the campus, the reply stated that some students raised slogans to the extent of killing the VC and their intention was to cause him physical harm. The SHRCs order is reserved for Monday.
SRINAGAR: Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president, Mehbooba Mufti, met Jammu and Kashmir Governor, N.N. Vohra, at Raj Bhavan in winter capital Jammu on Saturday afternoon to stake claim to form government with alliance partner BJP.

She was accompanied by BJPs legislature party leader Dr. Nirmal Singh who has been nominated by the saffron party as deputy chief minister, the post he held also in previous PDP-BJP government headed by Mufti Muhammad Sayeed who died in a Delhi hospital on January 7. Mr. Singh handed over letter of support from BJP to Ms Mufti for formation of the next government.

Ms. Muftis t wo senior party colleagues Muz-affar Hussian Baig and Tariq Hameed Karra were also with her. The 56-year-old PDP chief is likely to be sworn-in as Jammu and Kashmirs first woman chief minister early next week as the Governor has invited her to form the new PDP-BJP coalition government as soon as possible.

After her meeting with the Governor, Ms. Mufti said the focus of her new government would be on peace, reconciliation and development in Jammu and Kashmir. She said the date for oath-taking is being finalised.

Ms. Muftis was scheduled to meet the Governor on Friday afternoon to stake claim to form the government. But the meeting was deferred at the last moment as discussions between the alliance partners over allotment of portfolios remained inconclusive.

Later, PDP termed as baseless the reports that there were differences between the alliance partners over the issue of distribution of portfolios in the new government.
SP Rajesh Kumar said the claims of the family that Ravi was killed after he refused to become a terrorist are yet to be substantiated. (Representational Image)

Lucknow: A tutor in Allahabad district allegedly killed his 11-year-old student as the latter refused to subscribe to the ISIS ideology. The incident took place last week when Ravi Pal, a class 3 student from Kaserua Khurd village was choked to death by his tuition teacher named Irfan.

According to the victims father Pappulal, Irfan the teacher was pressuring Ravi to join terror outfit ISIS and when the latter refused to do so, the accused killed him.

The victims sister, Preity said that Irfan had lured her brother with the promise of getting him a bicycle on March 19. When Ravi did not return till the evening, his family became worried and started searching for him.

SP Rajesh Kumar said the claims of the family that Ravi was killed after he refused to become a terrorist are yet to be substantiated.
New Delhi: Union Cabinet met here on Saturday to consider the situation in Uttarakhand amidst speculation that it may consider the option of President's Rule in the state. The Cabinet met soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Assam.

Ahead of the meeting, a BJP delegation met President Pranab Mukherjee and demanded Presidents Rule in the state, saying Chief Minister Harish Rawat has no right to continue after a sting operation purportedly showed him bargaining with rebel party MLAs to win the support ahead of floor test on March 28.

BJPs memorandum to the President was also critical of state Governor K K Paul, saying he did not act on the request of the majority of the legislature to dismiss the state government and on the contrary granted 10 days time to Rawat to prove his majority.

Meanwhile, the rebel Congress MLAs have alleged that they were offered bribe by the Chief Minister for support during the floor test in the Assembly on March 28 and released a video of a sting operation purportedly showing the Chief Minister, who called it totally fake.
Srinagar: Two civilians were killed after they were swept away by an avalanche,near the Line of Control (LoC), in Jammu and Kashmirs Kupwara district on Sunday.

The duo identified as Manzoor Ahmad Cheechi, 25, and Muhammad Rafiq Cheechi 27, were working as casual labourers and were busy clearing snow from the road when the avalanche struck them, a report said.

The victims were buried alive under heaps of snow after the avalanche hit the stretch of Tangdhar-Chowkibal road at Khooni Nallah, along 3,000m high Nasta Chhun Pass in the Shams Bari ridge.

Later, police and Army teams along with local volunteers retrieved the bodies of the victims, reports said.

Parts of Jammu and Kashmir have been experiencing heavy rains, and at places, moderate to heavy snowfall for the past few days following which the authorities issued a medium danger avalanche warning, advising people not to venture into these areas.

In an earlier incident, ten Army soldiers including a junior commissioned officer were buried alive when a huge wall of frost and snow crashed into the remote Siachen Glacier, damaging a vast area which also had an Army camp located on it in the southern side of the area at a height of 19,600 feet in eastern Ladakh on February 3.
New Delhi: Uttarakhand Chief Minister Harish Rawat, in a press conference, accused the BJP of arm-twisting a small border state such as Uttarakhand with Presidents Rule.

"The Centre is threatening a small state like Uttarakhand with President's rule. It is not acceptable in a parliamentary system. There is a procedure for President's rule, which has emerged following precedence," Harish Rawat said, addressing the media in a press conference.

Read: Uttarakhand Speaker serves notice to 9 rebel Congress MLAs

"They (BJP) have attacked democracy with money and muscle power," he said and appealed to the 'right-thinking' people to condemn attempts by BJP to 'murder democracy'.

"It is low-level politics," he added.

Clarifying that the party was united, he maintained that there was no internal tussle. "We do not have any internal tussle. It is BJP and RSS which are hobnobbing with the Congress rebels to create the crisis," Rawat said.

Also read: Uttarakhand crisis: Centre mulls President's Rule

Meanwhile, suspense continued over the fate of the nine rebel Congress MLAs ahead of the trial of strength in Uttarakhand Assembly as lawyers of these legislators Sunday met Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal in a last ditch attempt to prevent action against them.

About half-a-dozen lawyers met Kunjwal in his chamber in the state Assembly seeking personal hearing and more evidence in support of the charges levelled against the MLAs in the disqualification notice served to them by the Speaker just a day after trouble erupted in the state assembly on March 18.

Read: PM Modi holds meet on Uttarakhand; Presidents Rule an option

It was their second meeting with the Speaker in two days. They had met him yesterday seeking personal hearing in the matter, a request turned down by the Speaker.

According to sources, replies to show cause notices issued to the MLAs are being examined and consultations are being held with legal experts on the issue.

Citing security reasons, the entry of media persons is not being allowed in the premises.

Chief Minister Harish Rawat and the Speaker held a prolonged meeting, which went late into the night at the latter's residence.

However, sources in the CMO said notification disqualifying the rebel MLAs is yet to be issued. Disqualification of the rebel MLAs, which is being considered almost a certainty in political circles here, will deprive them of the right to vote against Harish Rawat government which is slated to go for a floor test tomorrow in the state assembly.

It will reduce the effective strength of the House from 70 to 61 and the simple majority figure from 36 to 31, which is likely to make Chief Minister Rawat's task easier. Rawat is left with 27 Congress MLAs after nine revolted against him.

He also has the support of the six-member PDF which take the tally to 33, two more than the simple majority mark in the House.

BJP, on the other hand, has 28 MLAs of its own and nine of Congress who if disqualified will be of no use to it at the time of voting in the state assembly.

However, it claims at least five more MLAs on the other side are only waiting to cross over to its side.

BJP sources said state BJP MLAs, who were travelling to various places like Delhi, Gurgaon and Jaipur, are expected to reach Dehradun by tonight.
New Delhi: The political crisis in Uttarakhand took a new turn late on Saturday night with the Centre mulling imposition of President's Rule ahead of Monday's trust vote for Congress chief minister Harish Rawat amid reports that the state Assembly Speaker Govind Singh Kunjwal has disqualified nine rebel Congress MLAs which will dramatically alter the arithmetic of the assembly.

With the MLAs being disqualified, they cease to be members of the state Assembly, reducing its effective strength from 70 to 61, which may make it easier for chief minister Harish Rawat to scrape through Mondays floor test with 27 MLAs of the Congress and six of ruling ally Progressive Democratic Front.

The Congress party had sought the disqualification of sacked minister Harak Singh Rawat and former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna and seven other MLAs on the ground they have voluntarily given up membership of the Congress by joining the BJP MLAs by shouting anti-government slogans in the Assembly and thus attract the provisions of the anti-defection law.

Read: Uttarakhand Speaker serves notice to 9 rebel Congress MLAs

The Congress, which has a strength of 36 MLAs in the 70-member Assembly, faces revolt by nine MLAs, led by former chief minister Vijay Bahuguna, who are said to have voted against the government in the financial business last week.

The Union Cabinet met soon after Prime Minister Narendra Modi returned from Assam. Ahead of the meeting, a BJP delegation met President Pranab Mukherjee and demanded Presidents Rule in the state, saying chief minister Rawat has no right to continue after a sting operation purportedly showed him bargaining with rebel party MLAs to win their support ahead of floor test on March 28.

Read: PM Modi holds meet on Uttarakhand; Presidents Rule an option

The rebel Congress MLAs on Saturday alleged they were offered bribe by the CM for support during the floor test and released a video of a sting operation purportedly showing the CM, who called it fake.

The Congress alleged the dirty tricks department of BJP president Amit Shah was at work, while the saffron outfit demanded immediate dismissal of the Rawat government.
Nidhi Chaphekar, a 40-year-old Jet Airways flight attendant from Mumbai, right, and another unidentified woman after being wounded in Brussels Airport terror attack. (Photo: AP)

The death count from Tuesdays separate bombing attacks in Brussels continued to climb with Belgium police reporting at least 31 dead and over 270 injured. The atrocities are tragic and unacceptable.

But the West should understand that this is what winning may look like in the battle against Islamic State. The attackers coordinated strikes could well stem more from a sense of weakness, than strength.

Islamic State has recently taken a series of serious hits at its power and prowess. First, and most important, its territory in Iraq and Syria  the caliphate that has attracted foreign fighters from around the globe  has been steadily diminishing in size over the past 15 months, and the territorial losses are escalating.

Since January 2015, the militant group has lost an estimated 22 percent of its territory in Iraq and Syria  with 8 percent of those losses in 2016.

This past month, a cache of thousands of Islamic State documents was leaked to the European media. In Arabic, the documents consisted of Islamic State member forms, including such biographical information as names, ages, education, skills and whether or not the individuals were still alive.

Then, four days before the Brussels bombings, the supposed mastermind of the November Paris attacks, Salah Abdeslam was captured in the neighborhood where he grew up in Belgium.

This combination of circumstances  severe territorial losses in Iraq and Syria, leaks of revealing documents and the capture of someone who likely knows the extent of the wider network and its future plans  may have pushed the Brussels cell to the point of panic.

True, the networks plan had been laid out, its weapons amassed, its suicide bombers chosen. Yet the Brussels attacks may still have been a sign of a group feeling cornered and on the run.

For starters, law enforcement  the front line of this asymmetrical war outside of the Levant  should do exactly what it has been doing: find the perpetrators, identify the members of their wider network and seize the weapons and the persons responsible for the bombing attacks.

But the larger question of fear is at issue here. If the Brussels attacks are indeed a desperate sign of panic on the part of Islamic State, then the proper response to Brussels is not fear, but a sense of sorrow and loss. We  the public, the media, public officials and politicians  would do well not to yield to the inaccurate and inflame our sense of vulnerability and weakness.

The defensiveness of Islamic State on the run may well reap far more violence before the groups death throes. But the West should not be deterred from keeping up its pressure on Islamic State at home and abroad.The realities of terrorism call for constant vigilance as a fact of life, and will for a long time to come. No more and no less.
Hyderabad: World-renowned scholars Noam Chomsky, Lawrence Cohen and Gayatri Spivak along with 300 other prominent academicians and writers from universities across the globe have criticised UoH vice-chancellor Appa Rao Podile for creating a climate of fear and oppression in the university.

Professors from prominent institutes like MIT, Columbia University, University of Oxford, University of Gottingen, Peking University and IITs have issued a joint public statement seeking the immediate suspension of Mr Appa Rao. They condemned the V-Cs actions and the police brutalities at UoH. They also demanded the immediate release of the arrested students and professors and the withdrawal of police force from the campus.

The academicians also sought implementation of a Rohith Act in order to end caste discrimination in campuses across the nation.

Scholars call for independent probe

Calling for the recall of UoH vice-chancellor Prof. Appa Rao Podile for alleged atrocities against students, world-renowned scholars, in a letter on Sunday, said: We stand in support of the protesting students, staff and faculty of UoH. We, academicians, artists and writers condemn the ongoing brutal attacks and unlawful detention of protesting faculty and students of the campus, read the statement released by the academicians. Several professors from USA, China, Canada, London, Germany and other European countries have signed the statement. Apart from professors from Social Science schools, there are also several professors from the Life Science departments among them.

An independent inquiry into the incidents of violence on the campus including the role of the ABVP in vandalising the vice-chancellors office should be conducted. Action against police personnel named by students in their complaints (to human rights groups), should be taken, added the statement.

The scholars also demanded a judicial enquiry against the HRD ministry and Union minister of state Bandaru Dattatreya while mentioning the issues that occurred in FTII, JNU, Jadavpur University etc.
An armored vehicle moves near the Indian Air Force base that was attacked by militants in Pathankot. (Source: PTI)

NEW DELHI: A five-member Joint Investigation Team (JIT) from Pakistan that included an ISI official reached here on Sunday to carry out a probe into the attack at the IAF base at Pathankot marking the first-ever such visit to the country to probe a terror case.

It will also analyse investigations being carried out by the National Investigation Agency (NIA) so far. The team, which was received by officials of the NIA and Pakistan High Commission, will on Tuesday visit Pathankot for the probe into the attack at the Indian Air Force base.
Hyderabad: In an indirect counter to the nationwide call for protest and boycott of classes by the students Joint Action Committee, University of Hyderabad vice-chancellor Prof. Appa Rao Podile released a circular on Sunday night saying that students would get full support from him and the teachers in attending classes.

In February, when Prof. Podile was on leave, students had called for boycott of classes. Prof. Podile in his circular said students must focus on their studies and not get deterred by any advise or persuasion.

It read: Students should think only about their studies, classes, minor examinations and semester exams, and should not be deterred by any advice or persuasion to the contrary. You will get all possible support from me and your teachers in this regard.

HCU voilence: Pakistan students offer sparks online row

An offer of help from a Pakistan university student on the Facebook page of the Joint Action Committee for Social Justice of University of Hyderabad on Sunday attracted much criticism online.

The JAC had posted on its Facebook page seeking help from people to make posters and videos for a campaign. Replying to the post, one Aisha Ali Wains, a student from University of Central Punjab replied, Pakistanis are acceptable or not??? Wains post received a few likes and a few even welcomed her help.

But others criticised the JAC for taking help from Pakistani student.
As per the present arrangement, 30 tmc ft of water from Nagarjunasagar will be diverted to Puttamgandi from where it will be lifted to Akkampalli reservoir.

Hyderabad: TS irrigation minister T. Harish Rao on Sunday assured Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly K. Jana Reddy that the government will soon construct a separate pond for lifting water from the Nagarjunasagar to supply it to Hyderabad for the citys drinking water needs.

Mr Jana Reddy had brought to the notice of the government that without de-linking Puttamgandi and Akkampalli balancing reservoirs with the Hyderabad city water supply, it wouldnt be possible to cater to both irrigation and drinking water needs of Nalgonda district.

He suggested that it would be better for the government to construct Sunkisala pond exclusively for the purpose of Hyderabads drinking water needs.

As per the present arrangement, 30 tmc ft of water from Nagarjunasagar will be diverted to Puttamgandi from where it will be lifted to Akkampalli reservoir. From Akkampalli, it will be used for the drinking water needs of Hyderabad as well as irrigation and drinking needs of Nalgonda district through Srisailam Left bank canal (Alimineti Madhava Reddy lift scheme).

The original plan was entire 30 tmc ft of water should be used exclusively for the needs of Nalgonda district. However, due to increase in demand for the Hyderabad Metro Water supply scheme, 16.5 tmc ft of water was allotted exclusively but its being linked to the existing Puttamgandi-Akkampalli reservoirs.

This has resulted in a major portion of the 30 tmc ft of water going to Hyderabad. A scheme was proposed few years ago to de-link the system and provide a direct link from Nagarjunasagar to Sunkisala pond from where the entire drinking water needs of Hyderabad could be met. Since this is a drinking water scheme, getting permissions from the agencies would be easier.

Another bottleneck for the city drinking water scheme is that water from Nagarjunasagar cannot be lifted to Puttamgandi if the dam levels fall below 507 ft. In case Sunkisala is constructed, water could be lifted even at the level of 480 ft.

Revealing this, Mr Jana Reddy wanted the government to, instead of creating more problems for the people of Nalgonda district who are affected with fluoride, to go for the alternative of constructing Sunkisala for Hyderabads drinking needs at a cost of Rs 1,200 crore. Replying to this, Mr Harish Rao assured him that the government has already on the job of de-linking the system.
Being law minister, Mr T.B. Jayachandra often has to defend the indefensible. The recent constitution of the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) has attracted a lot of criticism and the government drafted Mr Jayachandra to defend itself during the recent Legislature session. In an interview with Deccan Chronicle, Mr Jayachandra felt that honest young police officers would bring about a real change through Anti-Corruption Bureau. Here are excerpts of his interview.

Can you elaborate who mooted the idea of creating Anti-Corruption Bureau?

This started in the Belagavi session. When issues pertaining to former Lokayukta Justice Bhaskar Rao and the extortion scam involving his son came up in the Belagavi session, I assured the House that we would come out with a comprehensive bill.

The natural choice before me was to go back to the system adopted at the all India level. We decided to bring a Lok Pal model here. I consulted other leaders and they too agreed.

But the opposition parties took objection to it. So, we changed the plan and brought an amendment to the removal of Lokayukta Act. But, a major problem happened.

Thousands of applications were pending before the Lokayukta. There are cases pending since 2009. Justice Venugopal Gowda said that since a vigilance cell can ease the pressure on Lokayukta, it is better to create a vigilance cell.

So, we decided to create the Anti-Corruption Bureau adopting the all India pattern. The intention is to strengthen the Lokayukta institution. If there is a judge heading it (Lokayukta), can we presume it is the best choice?

You know what happened after Justice Santosh Hegde(former Lokayukta) laid down office. People cannot even speak about the functioning of the institution because they are afraid of judges. There is nothing wrong in separating the police wing. No politician is behind the move nor do we shield anyone.

This Anti-Corruption Bureau system depends on political masters. If the individuals who comes to power are good, then the chances of the ACB working well cannot be ruled out. But instead of creating an individual-centric institution, the existing Lokayukta institution could have been strengthened..

When judges head the institution, we cant speak. If the Anti-Corruption Bureau is headed by police officers, we can discuss their conduct in the Legislature. The media can comment on their style of functioning. This question arises only when it is weakened. We are here to strengthen it. You will see in time.

The question is about corruption in the bureaucracy. Officials posted to Anti-Corruption Bureau are likely to protect corrupt officials. So, the whole idea of eradicating corruption will be defeated..

What was happening till now? Lokayukta police are also our people.

But the Lokayukta having administrative control over the police would be a better system than the Anti-Corruption Bureau..

It (Lokayukta controlling police) could work both ways. We had given administrative powers and the power of writing confidential reports to Lokayukta. What happened? What did the judges do? If the Anti-Corruption Bureau goes out of control, people can discuss it. We have vigilance cells in all departments which work as a deterrent.

Senior leaders like former Chief Minister S.M. Krishna and former Union minister B. Janardhan Poojary expressed their opinion against this. Do you mean to say, they were misled on the creation of ACB?

After interacting with me, many were convinced. We are getting a lot of feedback on social media. Whatever criticism we received, we have to prepare answers and put them in the public domain.

Then, where does your initiative to bring an comprehensive bill to strengthen the anti-corruption mechanism stand?

Even the Assembly Speaker had suggested it. We have fixed a meeting with floor leaders in the Legislature to discuss the issue.

The impression in civil society is that whenever Congress comes to power, it weakens institutions to encourage corruption. The previous UPA regime at the Centre got into it. This one (creation of ACB) will unleash similar charges against your government?

In the short term, such an impression may prevail. We have to address it. If they (officials at ACB) start taking action effectively, people will start comparing the situation of having the Lokayukta versus ACB. We can make people believe that we can bring change. We have to be effective and wipe out the image.

Former chief minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy and BJP state president, Pralhad Joshi had written letters to AICC president Sonia Gandhi on this issue. Has any direction come from Delhi?

I don't think so. The media will always write that the Congress high command is upset with this and that. They(high command) never interfere in government affairs in states where the Congress is in power.

This time, they may intervene if they are convinced that your move is going to damage your partys image.

No. See, we have the chief minister and party president. Then we have the All India Congress Committee General Secretary in-charge of the state. They will discuss this. We keep updating them. Why does Mr Joshi (Bharatiya Janata Partys state unit president) not write to his party top brass to set right the anomalies in the Lokayukta in BJP ruled Gujarat?

Fifteen states which have ACBs, failed to contain corruption. So, the ACBs are a failed option. Precisely for this reason, civil society might have opposed the constitution of ACB....

No. Our Lokayukta has powers to fight maladminstration, inefficiency and delay. We have not withdrawn the powers (of Lokayukta). If we had touched them, they could have criticized us. We have good officers, we can make the system effective.

Finally, your government failed to table the Anwar Manippady report on alleged misuse of wakf property by political bigwigs in the Upper House.

(Smiles) Let us see on Monday. Clause 10/2 of the Minority Development Act, is very clear.

The presiding officers ruling(that the Manippady report should be tabled in the House) is binding on the government.

In the light of the Chairmans ruling, we have a lot of precedents and procedures. We may appeal to him to reconsider his ruling.
Hyderabad: There was a war of words between Opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu and Minister K Atchennaidu in the Assembly on Saturday on power purchase and allotment of Fiber grid project to Terra Software company.

Participating in the debate on the Fiber Grid project after CM Naidus statement, Mr Jagan pointed out that the first phase of works were awarded to Terra Software which is blacklisted by none other than the government. The company is reportedly involved in scams worth hundreds of crores of rupees, he said.

Mr Jagan said V. Harikrishna Prasad, who owns the company, was reportedly booked for trying to steal an electronic voting machine (EVM) from Mumbai. "Mr Prasad was appointed as a member in the high-power committee on Fiber Grid tenders and finally, the government has awarded the works to the company owned by him," he said.

Reacting to the allegations levelled by Mr Jagan, the chief minister said that Mr Prasad went to jail for a social cause and not for looting public money like him. "Mr Prasad proved that EVMs could be tampered with to tweak results and all the political parties appreciated him," Mr Naidu said.
Vijayawada: Union minister for urban development M. Venkaiah Naidu said that the Congress and Left parties were supporting anti-national forces for their political interests.

Participating in a party meeting here on Saturday, he said that it is a shame on the part of the Congress and Left parties to support those who praised terrorists Afzal Guru and Yakub Memon.

He called upon the people to must aware on the forces. He also said that no one has right to oppose to salute the Bharat Maatha. He recalled that the freedom fighters like Bhagat Singh lost his breath by raising voice Bharat Maathaki Jai. He wondered how the anti nation activists opposed it. The nationalist and BJP activists should fight for securing the interests of country, he added.

The Congress and Left parties are following undemocratic policies to secure their identity he said and added that both parties lost the peoples faith. He alleged that the Congress had looted the public money during their last 10 years stint and Left parties are losing their identity globally.

He said that both parties are making plans to defame the PM Narendra Modi governments reputation. He lambasted them for trying to break the communal harmony in the country.

The central minister also questioned why the some incidents were happened in just three to four universities when 740 universities across the country are normal. He questioned several instances were happened in such universities in the past too but why those are being highlighted falsely linking with government.

The Congress party has been utilizing the Dalits and Muslims in the country for its vote bank so far he said and questioned why the still 40 per cent people in the sections are illiterates.

He said that the BJP emerged as worlds biggest party in the country and the congress and Left parties are not in a position to digest the facts. The BJP government would implement more welfare schemes as part of it five crores gas connections would be given for women, he added.
Hyderabad: Union minister M. Venkaiah Naidu on Sunday said that the vote bank politics practised by certain political parties in the country had belittled the image of India. What was wrong if one hailed ones motherland, he asked.

Participating in the launch of the book Pravasa Bharati here on Sunday, the Union minister said certain sections of the society were deliberately trying to downplay the greatness of Hinduism, the symbol of pluralism and making all efforts to insult the rich traditions and culture of the country.

What can we call those who dont want to say Bharat Mata Ki Jai which means saluting Mother India. Which religion preaches against saluting your mother? he asked.

He said even the electronic media was also partly responsible for spreading unnecessary controversies and breaking the hearts of the innocent and peace-loving people.

He said if Gandhijis mission was liberation of India from foreign rule, Prime Minister Narendra Modis mission was Resurgent India. Praising the Indian Diaspora for doing good work both on foreign soil and on Indian soil, Mr Naidu advised them not to forget their responsibilities towards India, in making the nation vibrant. He advised the Indian youth going abroad to Go learn, earn and return to serve your mother land.
A picture taken on March 22, 2016 shows the shattered glass facade of the departure hall of Brussels Airport in Zaventem following twin blasts. (Photo: AFP)

Rome: Italian police have arrested an Algerian suspected of having produced false documents for Islamist militants connected to the recent deadly attacks in Brussels and Paris, Italian media reported on Saturday.

Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was arrested by DIGOS anti-terrorism police in Bellizzi, a small town near Salerno in southern Italy, according to Sky TG 24 television and other media. DIGOS could not be reached for more details.

The reports said he was the subject of an arrest warrant issued by Belgian authorities for producing and procuring false documents to be used in illegal immigration.

His name was found in documents in a raid in an apartment near Brussels in October 2015, including some documents with photos of some of the militants involved in the attacks in Paris and on Tuesday in Brussels and the aliases they used, the reports said. They said Italian police had informed their Belgian counterparts and that the man might be extradited to Belgium in the next few days.
London: Britain must stand together and defend its Christian values in the face of threats from terrorism as witnessed in Brussels, Prime Minister David Cameron today said in his Easter message.

Cameron said responsibility, hard work and compassion were important to people of every faith.

The ideology behind attacks such as Brussels could be defeated by "standing up proudly" for those values, Cameron, who is on holiday in Lanzarote in Canary Islands, said.

The prime minister has faced criticism in the past from secularists and some other public figures for describing Britain as a Christian country.

He has previously described himself as a "committed" but only "vaguely practising" Christian, who is "full of doubts" on big theological questions.

The prime minister said Britain should be proud of being a "Christian country with Christian values".

"But they are also values that speak to everyone in Britain - to people of every faith and none," he said, adding that "we must all stand together and defend them."

"When terrorists try to destroy our way of life as they have tried to do again so despicably in Brussels this week - we must stand together and show that we will never be cowed by terror," he was quoted as saying by the BBC.

"We must show that in this struggle of our generation we will defeat the pernicious ideology that is the root cause of this terrorism by standing up proudly for our values and our way of life."

Cameron also praised the work done by faith and voluntary organisations - helping the homeless, caring for the sick and bereaved and risking their lives to help people in war-torn regions across the world.

At least 28 people were killed in a series of terror attacks on Brussels airport and the metro system on March 22.
US officials say Islamic State is losing a battle to forces arrayed against it from many sides in the vast region it controls. (Photo: AP)

Baghdad: Islamic State will struggle to recover from the death of a top aide, reported this week in a US air strike, whose overview of the group's finances, politics and administration was unmatched, Iraqi and US sources said.

Abd al-Rahman Mustafa al-Qaduli, also known as Haji Iman and Abu Alaa al-Afri, was a veteran jihadist with a bounty of $7 million on his head. That was second only to the $10 million offered for Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi and accurately reflected his importance to the group.

"This is the heaviest blow to Islamic State in terms of assassinations because Qaduli was at the heart of (its) ...administrative structure," said Hisham al-Hashimi, an analyst who advises the Iraqi government on the militants.

"Baghdadi can't replace Haji Iman with a person of equivalent value. He will have to appoint three people to fill the vacuum... That reduces (Baghdadi's)... efficiency and leaves him more exposed to danger than before."

As well as heading the Shura council that advises Baghdadi, Qaduli was governor of the Syrian provinces and the group's financial comptroller, Hashimi said. His death, and just before him that of war minister Abu Omar al-Shishani and the capture of an unidentified chemical weapons operative, "show that the United States has sources of information close to their top command level," the analyst added.

US officials say Islamic State is losing a battle to forces arrayed against it from many sides in the vast region it controls. The jihadist fighters were on the retreat this week in the strategic Syrian city of Palmyra.

In Iraq, the group has been pulling back since December when it lost Ramadi, the capital of the western province of Anbar. The Baghdad government is hoping this year to recapture Mosul, the largest city in northern Iraq, seized by the militants nearly two years ago.

"The loss of Haji Iman will be massive. Although (Islamic State) ... has a strong system in place to replace key leaders it still takes time to readjust," said Ranj Talabany, an official from the Kurdish Zanyari intelligence agency.

"He was fully aware of their finances, and key leadership decisions were made with Haji Iman being consulted."

Al-Qaeda Veteran

Unlike many Islamic State commanders, Qaduli came from Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda rather than the dissolved Baath party of Saddam Hussein, who was toppled by a US-led invasion in 2003. He was arrested several times under Saddam because of his extremist religions opinions and went to Afghanistan in 1998, where he met bin Laden, Hashimi said.

Bin Laden wanted him to take over command of the group's Iraq franchise in 2010. But Baghdadi, already settled in as the local commander, turned against al Qaeda in 2013 and declared himself caliph a year later, winning the backing of Qaduli, Hashimi said.

"He is considered the group's top civilian administrator," he added, with duties under Baghdadi including the deportation of religious and ethnic minorities and the organised rape of Yazidi women. The commander expected to replace Qaduli as Syria governor is the group's spokesman Abu Mohammed al-Adnani, who has a $5 million bounty on his head, Hashimi said.

Its likely new financial comptroller is Iyad al-Obaidi, also known as Fadel Haifa, a security officer under Saddam who took over the role of war minister after Shishani was killed, according to Hashimi.

Abdallah al-Khatouni, the group's head of justice, may become chairman of the Shura council, he added.

US Defense Secretary Ash Carter on Friday said Qaduli was likely killed this week in an offensive targeting Islamic State's financial operations. Carter said Qaduli had played a role in recruiting foreign fighters, but could not confirm he had anything to do with Tuesday's bombings in Brussels.

US Army Col. Steve Warren, Baghdad-based spokesman for an international coalition battling Islamic State, said Qaduli was also providing finances and counsel on launching attacks in the West, adding: "He had been an international terrorist for more than a decade. His experience and knowledge will be missed by (IS)."
Damascus: Ancient artefacts in the city of Palmyra are in much better shape than expected, Syria's antiquities chief said Sunday after regime forces recaptured the desert oasis from the Islamic State group.

Antiquities director Maamoun Abdulkarim said much of Palmyra's old city was intact and his department would try to restore relics destroyed during the jihadists' nearly year-long rule over the city.

"We were expecting the worst. But the landscape, in general, is in good shape," he said.

"We could have completely lost Palmyra," said Abdulkarim.

"The joy I feel (today) is indescribable," he said in a telephone interview from Damascus.

Known to Syrians as the "Pearl of the Desert", Palmyra is a well-preserved oasis and boasts colonnaded alleys, elaborately decorated tombs and ancient Greco-Roman ruins.

Since it overran the city in May 2015, IS destroyed the grand Temple of Bel, the shrine of Baal Shamin, and several funerary towers, which the ultraconservative Sunni Muslim extremists see as blasphemous.

The jihadists used the city's spectacular Roman theatre for executions and murdered the 82-year-old former antiquities chief of Palmyra.

Abdulkarim said the old ruins, located southwest of Palmyra's residential neighbourhoods, were in better condition than he expected.

Many of the most important ruins, including the Agora, Roman theatre, and city walls, were only lightly damaged, he said.

"The really great news is about the Lion of Al-Lat," the famous 15-tonne lion statue destroyed by IS last July, Abdulkarim said.

The limestone statue at the temple of Al-Lat, a pre-Islamic Arabian goddess, dates back to the 1st century BC.

Abdulkarim said the broken pieces "could be put back together -- we didn't lose this great statue."

The citadel west of the city had suffered some of the most severe damage, with parts of it walls blown off by shelling.

"We will discuss with the United Nations how to restore the two temples (of Bel and Baal Shamin)," said Abdulkarim.

An AFP correspondent said most of the stones from the collapsed Temple of Bel appear to be still on the site.

Abdelkarim said he would travel from Damascus to Palmyra soon to assess the damage.
Baghdad: UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon called on the Iraqi government on Saturday to step up efforts to foster reconciliation between the nation's Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim communities in order to combat ISIS.

"National reconciliation is an important part of the strategy to defeat Daesh (ISIS), who have ruthlessly exploited divisions and targeted the marginalized and disenfranchised," he told a joint news conference in Baghdad with Iraqi Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi.

The UN chief was referring to the country's minority Sunnis who say they were marginalised under the Shi'ite-led government installed after the US-led invasion in 2003 and some of whom have joined the militant group which seized swathes of Iraq nearly two years ago.

World Bank President Jim Young Kim and president of the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) Ahmad Mohamed Ali joined Ban in the rare visit to Iraq's capital and were expected to accompany him to the northern Kurdish city of Erbil later in the day.

The officials also met with Foreign Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari and later addressed a closed session of Iraq's parliament.

Kim told lawmakers that Iraq needed to do more to empower local governments, encourage the private sector and reform the state's economic policies which are hamstrung by waste and corruption.

"Inefficient state owned enterprises that stifle private sector development need to be reformed, so a more vibrant entrepreneurial sector can emerge," he said, according to a copy of the speech posted on parliament's website.

Kim added that Iraq would "feature prominently" in the bank's plans to invest $20 billion in the region by 2021, without providing details.

The World Bank lent Iraq around $2 billion last year for reconstruction, infrastructure, and emergency budget support to help it deal with the economic effects of the fight against Islamic State and the low price of oil, which accounts for around 90 per cent of government revenues.

IDB's Ali said the bank would contribute to the reconstruction of areas destroyed in fighting between ISIS and U.S.-backed Iraqi forces seeking to recapture them.
A man rushes a victim of the blast to the hospital. (Photo: videograb)

Lahore: At least 53 people, including children, were killed and dozens injured on Sunday as a powerful blast triggered by a suicide bomber ripped through a crowded public park in Pakistan's eastern city of Lahore, capital of Punjab province.

The explosion occurred at the Gulshan-e-Iqbal park in a posh locality near the city's centre.

Eyewitnesses said there were pools of blood and scattered body parts in the park, where a large number of families, especially women and children, were present on a Sunday evening.

Iqbal Town Superintendent of Police Muhammad Iqbal said that the explosion was a suicide attack.

The crowd was "unusually large" because of Easter, an eyewitness was quoted as saying by the Dawn. There was no security present in and around the park, the report said.

An emergency has been declared at all government hospitals in the city, and a heavy contingent of police has cordoned off the area.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi condemned the blast and offered his condolences to families of the deceased.

Heard about the blast in Lahore. I strongly condemn it. My condolences to families of the deceased & prayers with the injured: PM  PMO India (@PMOIndia) March 27, 2016

"Strongly condemn Lahore blast; condolences to families of the deceased and prayers for the injured," the Prime Minister's Office tweeted on Sunday.
Pakistani woman journalist, Zeenat Shahzadi who was allegedly kidnapped and missing for the last seven months, Zeenat was pursuing the case of an Indian engineer recently jailed over espionage charges in Pakistan. (Photo: PTI)

Lahore: Family of a Pakistani woman journalist, who was allegedly kidnapped while pursuing the case of an Indian engineer recently jailed over espionage charges, Sunday, sought Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif's help to trace her after her distraught brother committed suicide.

"Helping an Indian prisoner in Pakistan has cost us dearly - my sister is missing for the last seven months and my brother hanged himself after losing hope to get reunited with her," said Salman Latif, brother of the missing journalist Zeenat Shahzadi.

Read: Lovestruck: Missing Mumbai man faces trial in Pakistan military court

"Our family cannot bear more mental torture. We urge Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif to intervene and help in securing the release of my sister as she has not committed any crime in helping an Indian national," Latif.

24-year-old Zeenat, a local reporter of Daily Nai Khaber and Metro News TV channel, went missing on August 19, 2015, when some unknown men allegedly kidnapped her while she was en route to her office in an auto-rickshaw from her home in a populated locality of Lahore.

Police have registered an abduction case against 'unknown men'.

Latif said Zeenat had filed an application with the Supreme Court's Human Rights Cell on behalf of Fauzia Ansari, the mother of Indian national Hamid Ansari, who had gone missing in Pakistan since November, 2012.

She secured in August, 2013 a special power of attorney from Ansari's mother. She also pursued his case in the Peshawar High Court.

Ansari was reportedly in love with a Pakistani girl of Kohat, a district of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa, whom he had befriended on Facebook.

According to an official of the Human Rights Commission of Pakistan, unable to get a visa for Pakistan, the then 28-year-old IT Engineer and MBA from Mumbai managed to arrive in Kabul, on November 4, 2012.

He somehow reached Pakistan around November 12, 2012 and stayed with one of his online friends till another friend got him lodgings in a hotel in Kohat.

From there, police took Ansari away on November 14, 2012 and handed him over to an officer of a security agency, the rights official said.

The official said attempts to register an FIR for his arrest and detention failed.

Zeenat submitted application to the Commission of Inquiry on Enforced Disappearances that ordered registration of the FIR in 2014. At the same time, she also filed a habeas corpus petition in the Peshawar High Court.

"Zeenat received threats from unknown persons who asked her not to pursue this case any more. We also asked her not to put her life at risk but she said she wanted to help Ansari out of humanity. When she spoke to Ansari's mother she literally cried along with her and vowed to help," Latif said.

Ansari was sentenced to three years' imprisonment on charges of illegally entering Pakistan and 'spying' reportedly by a military court last month.

Her younger brother Saddam, who was emotionally attached to her and very much disturbed by her mysterious disappearance, on Thursday committed suicide.

The death of Saddam, an intermediate student, has hit the family which was already in a state of dejection because of Zeenat's disappearance.

"My mother's condition has deteriorated after the suicide of Saddam. My father is already in a state of shock. He has stopped talking. Our only plea to the authorities concerned to help free Zeenat," Latif said.

On the intervention of the court, Zeenat's case has been included in the missing persons cases being probed by the Joint Investigation Team (JIT) Lahore.

"I along with my mother had appeared in the JIT meeting in last month. Some officials in the meeting had assured us that Zeenat would be back home soon," Latif said, adding his family is hoping the JIT would keep its words.

The next meeting of the JIT will take place in Lahore in April.

Meanwhile, rights activists have also voiced for the release of Ansari, saying that since he has served his sentence, he ought to be set free now.
Debate can be done fairly and easily. Two simple steps.



1. NO AUDIENCE. The only people in the studio are the candidates, cameramen, and the panel who will ask the questions. Wives, campaign managers, entourages, and Secret Service can view it from another area within the studio.



2. Each candidate gets to answer the same question. Ask the same question to both of them or all three of them. Clinton can answer first, then Trump, then Johnson. Next question, Johnson, Trump, Clinton. Third question Trump, Johnson and Clinton.



2b. If a candidate "attacks" another candidate, the candidate attacked can be added an extra 30 seconds for a rebuttal of said attack plus the time allotted for the question, but the candidate who starts it cannot have their own rebuttal.



For example, Trump goes on his two minutes and then states, Hillary is a lesbian! Hillary gets 30 extra seconds to respond for that, and if she wants to throw back a charge back at Trump, Trump can't respond, understand? Basically try to use a mechanism where the candidates will be penalized for attacking each other over stupid **** like "small hands" or "Heidi's crazy eyes" or whatever.



3. Have the debate on PBS, with three moderators, one a liberal, a centrist and a conservative. Again, look at #2, each candidate gets the same question. Not necessarily these people, but Rachel Maddow/Wolf Blitzer/Sean Hannity on a panel, or a CNBC/CNN/FOX crew. This is the trickiest part and what would never be agreed to. Ok, well, let's have several debates from the different networks.



This is how debates were done back in the day somewhat, at least in 1960 and 1976. But again, to have a fair debate, I really preach my first point. Get rid of the fking hand slapping, half drunk, biased, oaf audience, get rid of the corporate sponsorship (like the Facebook logo everywhere) and make the affair less like WWF and something more serious, which it should be.



4. My fourth point is to make the Vice Presidential debate as important. Hillary and Trump will be over 70 in their first term and could easily die. Johnson himself is in his 60's. Again, the same format, a studio, no audience, each candidate has the same footing and gets the same questions.
coke said:





https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_accommodations



So, Sab. In your opinion. If a state says that a Church is public accommodation, then should the state be able to force that Church to allow gay marriage.? Thanks Sab. It is no coincidence the liberals wont "bite" on this question. Now, granted I know that you are a atheist. I get that. But I suspect you also believe in separation of Church and state. so here is the definition.So, Sab. In your opinion. If a state says that a Church is public accommodation, then should the state be able to force that Church to allow gay marriage.? Click to expand...

IMO it would depend on how the church had it rules written about renting the church out for a wedding. If it is open to the general public on a first come basis then IMO it would be discrimination for them to refuse on any reason. If it is reserved for members then it would be up to the board if they were to allow them to join or not.I had to attend classes for a few months as I am an atheist and not a member of the church I was married in even though my mother is a pastor and I have been involved in the church since its infancy.I also feel that churches should pay taxes and be treated as any other private business.


The American College of Pediatricians issued a sharply worded statement warning against any policies that condition children to accept transgenderism as normal.



Conditioning children into believing a lifetime of chemical and surgical impersonation of the opposite sex is normal and healthful is child abuse, the statement said.



One of the statements three co-authors is John Hopkins Medical School professor Paul McHugh. The former chief psychiatrist at John Hopkins Hospital, McHugh has long warned that sex-reassignment operations ignore and even worsen a patients underlying problems. Mondays statement made a similar point: Facts  not ideology  determine reality.



When an otherwise healthy biological boy believes he is a girl, or an otherwise healthy biological girl believes she is a boy, an objective psychological problem exists that lies in the mind not the body, and it should be treated as such, the doctors went on to say.


"I think the momentum is with us," Sanders said on CNN's "State of the Union" with Jake Tapper on Sunday. "A lot of these superdelegates may rethink their positions with Secretary Clinton."

The Vermont senator swept Saturday's Democratic contests in Washington, Alaska and Hawaii, easily winning the majority of the 142 pledged delegates in those states. The biggest prize of the day was in Washington, which offered 101 delegates to be split up on a proportional basis.The latest delegate counts still put Sanders behind Clinton, however, with 1,004 pledged delegates to her 1,712.Of those, 469 are superdelegates who have pledged to Clinton and only 29 have pledged to Sanders.Sanders on Sunday said those superdelegates may begin to see the "reality" that he's the best candidate to beat GOP front runner Donald Trump."I think when they begin to look at reality, and that is that we are beating Donald Trump by much larger margins than Secretary Clinton" Sanders said. "And then you've got superdelegates in states where we win by 40 or 50 points. I think their own constituents are going to say to them, 'Hey, why don't you support the people of our state and vote for Sanders?'"
Woman threatens partner at gunpoint

SPRINGFIELD  Springfield police spent five hours negotiating with a woman who held her partner at gunpoint inside their apartment and later refused to leave.

KVAL-TV reports that police responded to a domestic call at the Village Inn apartments at 6 a.m. Saturday.

When they arrived, they learned a woman was pointing a gun at her partner. They evacuated neighbors.

Emergency personnel negotiated with the woman and she eventually let the victim go. She escaped through a bedroom window.

The woman then turned the firearm on herself and police spent several hours negotiating and asking her to leave her home.

The woman cooperated just before noon and was taken into custody.

Family guilty in

angling license scam

SALEM  The family at the center of a fishing license scam in Depoe Bay has pleaded guilty.

The Statesman Journal reports that 67-year-old Timothy Harmon, 52-year-old Julie Harmon and their 24-year-old daughter Eva Harmon pleaded guilty to violation of a wildlife law and their business, Tradewinds Charter Inc., pleaded guilty to racketeering.

The family is accused of selling almost 2,700 fishing licenses to customers for $16.75 each and keeping the money instead of actually purchasing the licenses from the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife.

The Lake Oswego family has been ordered to sell their business to pay restitution of more than $125,000.

As part of a plea agreement, charges were dropped against six other people involved with Tradewinds who were originally charged in August.

Threats continue following takeover

SALEM  Officials say threats against police and public officials that started within hours of the Jan. 26 death of ranching standoff leader Robert LaVoy Finicum have continued.

The Oregonian reports that one anonymous caller threatened to kill Gov. Kate Brown on the day Finicum died.

Earlier this month, authorities documented up to 80 threats against police officers and others.

Finicum was shot by state troopers as he tried to evade arrest. He and others were part of the takeover of the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge.

The governors office reported Friday that threats related to the standoff and Finicum shooting continue to come in against Brown.

One email demanded the release of refuge occupiers jailed on federal charges. It also demanded indictments for the officers involved in Finicums death.

If that doesnt happen, the writer said, I am going to begin returning fire.

Man fatally hit

crossing Interstate 5

PORTLAND  Portland police say a 25-year-old man was killed while trying to cross Interstate 5.

North Precinct officers were called to I-5 northbound at Lombard Street at about 1:30 a.m. Saturday.

They found a man who had suffered traumatic injuries. Efforts to save him were not successful and he died at the scene.

Police believe the man was trying to cross the freeway when he was hit. Police did not immediately identify the man.

The driver of the car that struck the man was at the scene and cooperated with police. He did not show signs of impairment. No arrests were made.
On World Water Day [March 22], the U.S. Government, through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), launched USAID Lowland WASH, a new water, sanitation and hygiene activity, to support the Government of Ethiopias One WASH National Program in pastoral areas of Afar, Somali, and Southern Nations, Nationalities and Peoples regions.

The new activity will increase the availability of improved sustainable drinking water sources, increase access to better sanitation products and services, catalyze enhanced sanitation and hygiene behaviors, and build capacity for enhanced knowledge and data management, while also expanding sustainable water use for agriculture.

In the near term, the activity will help respond to the current drought, while working to build long-term resilience by helping communities to better manage and use their water resources. Given the magnitude of the current drought, the activity will prioritize well rehabilitation in acutely affected Kebeles (communities).

This is in addition to the nearly $10 million in humanitarian aid that the U.S. is providing to improve access to safe drinking water, rehabilitate water systems and sanitation infrastructure, and provide relief items like hygiene kits & water containers.

Ethiopia has made dramatic strides over the last 15 years to increase access to improved water and sanitation.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Christian Holmes, Global Water Coordinator for USAID, highlighted the importance of the work the new activity will undertake, "Safe water and sanitation is what enables a child to grow, learn, and rise out of poverty. It is what keeps communities healthy."

USAIDs lead partner, AECOM International Development, will implement the $23.8 million activity in cooperation with CARE USA and the International Rescue Committee.

Water is life and the United States is proud to partner with Ethiopia in developing this essential resource for the benefit of all the people of Ethiopia.
The discovery that has impressed me most deeply since arriving in India more than one year ago, said U.S. Ambassador to India Richard Verma, is the profound depth of the bonds between the peoples of our two countries.

Speaking at Virginia Commonwealth University, March 17th, Ambassador Verma noted:

The thousands of individual journeys that together make up this mosaic of friendship are not limited to statesmen or multinational executives. It is composed of the daily efforts of countless Americans and Indians working in their adopted communities to advance the values our countries both hold dear.

In Delhi, he said, I see them every day, for instance through the efforts of James Thurston, who is working with governments in India to help ensure that mobile phones include applications for the visually impaired. And here in the United States, we are fortunate to have among us Indian-Americans like Pradeep Kaleka, who, since his own father's murder in an act of hatred at the Sikh Temple in Wisconsin, has worked tirelessly, through his organization Serve to Unite, to turn despair into hope by teaching Americas youth that the redemptive power of tolerance and acceptance transcends race, religion, or national origin.

2015, Ambassador Verma pointed out, was a very strong year in US - India relations. I could go through all the categories and data that shows a record-breaking year in two-way trade (over $100 billion), number of Indian students in the US (over 135,000), [and] the number of Indian visitors to the US (over 1.1 million) and so on, he said. But perhaps, I can better demonstrate the increasing closeness between our two countries through a few illustrations of our work together.

These include U.S.  India cooperation on the historic agreement reached in Paris to combat climate change, increased U.S. - India cooperation on maritime security, and partnership between American and Indian health researchers and medical professionals to help end TB in India.

The United States and India are different countries, said Ambassador Verma, and will not always see eye-to-eye on every issue, but the journeys by our visionaries, thought leaders, and everyday citizens looking to serve their fellow human beings will continue to increase, laying the groundwork of the most promising relationship for the future of the planet and the human race.
During my term as Ambassador, writes U.S. Ambassador to Tajikstan Elisabeth Millard, I hope to increase our positive engagement with the government and people of Tajikistan, not only with respect to our shared interest in stability and economic prosperity, but also on other important issues like respect for human rights, freedom of speech, civil society, and democratic engagement.

In an introductory op/ed published March 16th, the new U.S. Ambassador writes: The United States supports Tajikistans goals of security, democratic reform, and economic growth. Since establishing diplomatic relations in 1992, we have provided over $1 billion in assistance to Tajikistan and are using these funds to improve food security, strengthen education and healthcare, develop local governance and civil society, and bolster Tajikistans sovereignty and security.

The Embassy of the United States in Dushanbe, she noted, is working in cooperation with the Government of Tajikistan, as well as other international partners, on a broad range of initiatives to help Tajikistan continue to develop its capacity to understand, identify, deter, and defeat legitimate internal and external threats, while respecting human rights and the rule of law. These initiatives support our mutual goals of promoting peace, security, and stability in Central Asia and beyond. I will work to strengthen our partnership with Tajikistan to address these serious challenges and to grow our robust security partnership.

The long-term security, stability, and prosperity that Tajikistan desires can only come through a strong commitment to improving governance, respect for rule of law, development of the economy and business environment, and protection of its peoples rights and freedoms.

The U.S., she writes, intends to continue to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms, including religious freedom, while also supporting Tajikistans efforts to counter violent extremism.

The U.S. also seeks to prepare Tajikistan to increase its economic prosperity. Historically, Tajiks were a nation of traders, writes the Ambassador, and we will work together with the government, business associations, and entrepreneurs to further improve the business climate for investments in this country.

The U.S. and Tajikstan, writes Ambassador Millard have accomplished so much during the past 25 years of our relationship and I look forward to seeing what we can achieve in the next 25.
Illustrative photo (Source: tapochitaichinh.vn)



The Long An Food Processing Export JSC and Rita Food & Drink Co Ltd will take part in the 17th edition of SIAL China 2016 at the Shanghai New International Expo Center.

About eight other Vietnamese companies have shown interest in attending as well.

The expo is expected to welcome 66,000 visitors and over 2,900 exhibitors from 65 countries, according to a representative of the organiser Comexposium.

The exhibition will showcase 21 kinds of products ranging from canned and preserved food to fruit, vegetable and seafood leading brands.

They include Helios, Spains jam market leader, Ceremony Gida, Turkeys leader in chewing gum and Super Group, well-known in Singapore with Asian Coffee, among others.

SIAL China 2016 will see the first ever milk- and milk-based product zone where Belgium and Germany will introduce their prestigious products.

Last year, 10 Vietnamese companies took part in the event displaying their products of rice, beans, fruit and snacks. Thirty-four Vietnamese entrepreneurs visited the fair last year./.
Delegates at the workshop (Source: dangcongsan.vn)



It is a must to assess Vietnams competitive edge in comparison with global competitiveness, and devise solutions to raise the national index, Hue said at an international workshop on March 26th.

Besides, the country should evaluate the competitive edge of local businesses as well as their products against the national backdrop, he added.

The official suggested Vietnam create solutions and institutions to attract the worlds venture capital funds in order to support startups, especially small and medium-sized, and private enterprises, explaining that apart from opportunities, the startups are expected to face a string of risks.

At the same time, the country should put in place specific solutions to help local firms better connect with foreign direct investment (FDI) partners and take part in the global value chain, he said.

Other delegates at the workshop emphasised the need for Vietnam to bring into full play opportunities afforded by the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP) agreement to which it is a member.

Administrative reform decides the presence of new waves of investments and startups, said Vu Tien Loc, Chairman of the Vietnam Chamber of Industry and Trade.

He proposed the Government create an optimal and equal institutional environment in tandem with rolling out measures and policies in support of SMEs. Businesses themselves should stick to those creations, he added.

World Bank Country Director to Vietnam Victoria Kwakwa said red tape in procedures, bureaucracy and corruption are the roots of a sluggish economy.

A transparent banking system and well-regulated financial market are necessary for institutional streamlining and infrastructure development which can ensure economic growth, she added.

The World Bank official also suggested Vietnam develop skillful labourers who can easily adapt to economic changes./.
Prosecutor General of the Supreme People's Procuracy Nguyen Hoa Binh (Source: VNA)



The official told the March 23th-25th event that the ratification of the laws, which will come into force on July 1, has contributed to creating a comprehensive legal framework for the organisation of procedural agencies and the fight against crimes in Vietnam.

Binh also proposed measures to complete a legal system, strengthen the role played by procuracies and heighten awareness of procedural officials of their tasks.

Since its inception more than a decade ago, the annual international conference on penal sciences has become a prestigious forum in Latin America, where prosecutors, lawyers, judges, professors and researchers exchange experience and policies on the criminal sector.

This years event was attended by about 300 delegates from nearly 30 countries worldwide.

During their stay in Cuba, the Vietnamese delegation also attended the first event of legality, law and society , and held a working session with leaders of the Attorney General of the Republic of Cuba./.




(Photo: nydailynews.com)

Obama met with Argentine President, Mauricio Macri, on March 23rd. He said Mr. Obamas state visit to Argentina, the first by a US President in nearly two decades, would allow the two countries to strengthen cooperation in the fight against drug trafficking, terror and climate change.

Obama met with Argentine President Mauricio Macri in a private setting and also spoke with students and locals in a town hall meeting in the city of Buenos Aires.

He answered questions on a range of issues, from sectarian strife to scientific and academic collaboration between Argentina and the US.

Earlier, President Barack Obama and his family arrived in Havana, Cuba for the first visit to the island nation by a sitting US president in nearly 90 years.

The visit came just 15 months after the announcement that the two nations would be restoring diplomatic ties./.
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
On November 26, 2015, President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka of the Czech Republic at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

Before Chinese President Xi Jinping kicks off his historic visit to Czech Republic, Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka accepted a written interview by Peoples Daily on Sino-Czech relations.

The following is the transcript of Q &A.

1. How would you evaluate the current relationship between the People's Republic of China and the Czech Republic? What is, in your opinion, the most promising development? What are the factors that strengthen this development?

The People's Republic of China (PRC) represents an important commercial partner for the Czech Republic and it is only natural that my government strives to deepen ties with your country. We have been intensively working on strengthening this partnership over the last two year, and I am glad that our efforts already began bearing the first results. I am therefore delighted at the first historical visit of the Chinese president to the Czech Republic.

Cooperation between China and the Czech Republic is and will continue to be beneficial for both countries. Czech Republic is unindebted country, it is the second fastest growing economy in the European Union, and thanks to its strategic position in the centre of Europe it represents an ideal transport and logistics hub.

2. What are your expectations for the Presidents Xi Jinpings visit? Whats your impression of him?

I met President Xi Jinping last autumn during my visit to China. I am glad to have the opportunity now to meet him once again in the Czech Republic. This time, Prague is the only European metropolis, which he will be visiting on his way to the USA. This reinforces the dynamic progress in the Czech-Chinese relations yet again. I am confident that this visit will present an excellent opportunity to sign bilateral agreements.

3. What potential do you see for the future that will benefit people in both countries? What are the areas with the greatest potential?

Czech Republic signed an agreement on cooperation between the Czech Republic and PRC last autumn concerning the new silk road project, the so-called One Belt, One Road, initiative in which dozens of countries from around the world participate. We would like to focus, in cooperation with China, primarily on the aviation and industry in general. Another important area of cooperation is in the financial sector. I had personally met with representatives of the largest Chinese, and in essence global, financial institutions such as ICBC, and the fact that the Bank of China is opening its branch in Prague serves as an excellent example to other investors. I would also see tourism as a very successful example of cooperation between our two countries, especially considering that a direct air link between Prague and Beijing was opened last autumn. Last, but definitely not least, we would like to continue in cooperating in the healthcare sector. Czech Republic became a base for traditional Chinese medicine, which is exemplified by the fact that we opened a clinic focusing on traditional Chinese medicine in the University Hospital in Hradec Kralove, and we continue in our focus on spa and rehabilitation care.
Moscow Kremlin (Xinhua file photo)

MOSCOW, March 26 -- Russiahas seen positive progress in its relations with the United Statesand a desire to communicate from both sides, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Saturday.

"I think it is possible to say that there have been positive advances ... If we compare the atmosphere with what it was a year ago, then of course there is an evident desire to communicate," Peskov was quoted by the RIA Novosti news agency as saying.

However, Peskov noted that there are "no illusions" that Washington would change its attitude toward Moscow in the short term.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry paid a two-day visit to Moscow this week. During his talks with Russian President Vladimir Putinand Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, the two sides reached some consensus on the Syriacrisis, but bilateral relations are far from thawing so long as sanctions against Russia are not lifted.

Kerry reiterated that anti-Russia sanctions will only be lifted when the Minsk agreement is fully implemented.

The agreement, signed in the Belarusian capital city in February 2015 with the mediation of Franceand Germany, calls for a cease-fire along with a range of political, economic and social measures aimed at ending the conflict in eastern Ukraine.

Lavrov said Russia stands ready to cooperate with the United States on an equal basis, warning of "counter-productivity of the trend to destabilize the foundation of Russian-American relations."
Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (3rd L, front) poses for photos with people at Sanya Resident & Visitor Information Center in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, March 22, 2016. Li had an inspection tour in Sanya and Qionghai of Hainan Province from March 22 to 25, during which Li presided over the 1st Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting and attended the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

HAIKOU, March 26 -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged efforts to cultivate new growth dynamics and promote the development of new economy.

During an inspection tour in south China's Hainan province from Tuesday to Friday, Li said tourism industry is a comprehensive industry, which helps boost the sales of farm produce and also promote the development of consumer-friendly industrial products.

He called for efforts to protect tourists' interests, create a fair market environment to boost the development of the tourism industry.

Local authorities should encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, create an environment that is tolerant of failures, and create enough jobs, as millions of college graduates and vocational school students enter the labor market each year, he said.

Li stressed that governments at all levels should streamline administration, improve their services, as well as raise administrative and resource-allocation efficiencies.

He urged greater efforts to develop the new economy and innovate new business models to improve people's livelihoods and bolster the economy.
The inaugural ceremony for the China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea was held on March 25 on the sidelines of the 2016 Boao Forum for Asia. [Photo: Xinhua]

China has established a joint research center on the South China Sea, to enhance academic and institutional exchanges and to help maintain regional stability.

The joint research center was unveiled on Friday at a symposium held on the sidelines of the 2016 Boao Forum for Asia.

The China-Southeast Asia Research Center on the South China Sea, includes the established think tanks across China and Southeast Asian countries.

Wu Shicun is the director of the Chinese institute.

"We'll focus on building up political mutual trust and on conducting maritime cooperation under the DOC framework. The cooperation covers such areas as scientific research, maritime search and rescue, navigation safety, and crackdown on maritime crimes."

The DOC is short for Declaration on the Conduct of Parties in the South China Sea.

Wu have said the center would invite scholars well acquainted with the South China Sea issue to conduct research. The center will hold frequent international symposiums and academic exchanges.

While speaking at Friday's symposium on the South China Sea, China's Vice Foreign Minister Liu Zhenmin has reaffirmed China's commitment to a peaceful solution to the South China Sea issue through consultation and negotiation.

"Lack of communication has caused cognitive divergence on some issues in the past. We'll enhance communication and the research center will serve as a platform for communication among think tanks and scholars in Southeast Asia."

Liu described the South China Sea issue as of major interest to China and of common interest to all countries either surrounding it or using it for navigation.

Dispute settlement through consultation and negotiation is conducive to the peace and stability of the sea and the region.

The Chinese vice foreign minister called for a return by the Philippines to the right path in solving existing disputes.

Liu has urged all affected countries to heed the negative impact solicited by the unilateral Philippine arbitration.
BEIJING, March 27 -- A two-part documentary to commemorate the 57th anniversary of the emancipation of Tibetan serfs was aired by China Central Television (CCTV) over the weekend.

The documentary features archive footage of the 1959 democratic reform of Tibet, which freed about 1 million Tibetans from slavery, and interviews with those who experienced and witnessed the reform, as well as Chinese and foreign scholars.

The documentary, broadcast on Friday and Saturday, recounts the origins of Tibetan serfdom, the significance of ending it and development in the autonomous region ever since.

The documentary will be rebroadcast on Monday, the day designated by the authorities in 2009 to commemorate the abolition of serfdom.
President Xi jinping meets Czech President Milos Zeman in Beijing on Sept 4, 2015. (Yao Dawei / Xinhua)

Chinese President Xi Jinping is to kick off his historic visit to the Czech Republic next Monday. Experts believe the visit demonstrates the significance of the Czech Republic as an important cooperation partner for China in the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region.

It is the first visit by a Chinese head of statesince the two nations established diplomatic ties 67 years ago. The three-day tour is Xis first visit to a CEE country as well.

The China-Czechrelationship has gone through a rough patch in the past 67 years, butit has started to warm up following visits to China by top-level officials from the Czech Republic in recent years.

Czech President Milos Zemanattended Chinas commemoration of the victory against Japanese aggression last September as the only head of state from the EU. His praise on Chinas contribution and sacrifices in the World Anti-Fascist War also captured much limelight.

The move was seen as a signal that the Czech politicians have reached a consensus on boosting ties with China.

Besides political exchanges, economic and trade ties are also flourishing. Zhao Junjie, a research fellow of the Institute of European Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, explained that the previous turbulence in bilateral ties can be attributed to both geopolitical factors and lack of economic cooperation areas.

But in recent years, with robust economic vitality and development potential, China and 16 CEE

countries including the Czech Republic have shown intense desire to seek cooperation and exchanges, he added.

Such momentum has accelerated especially after China and the CEE countries established the 16+1 cooperation mechanism. Their cooperation in economy, trade, investment, finance, manufacturing, aviation, nuclear energy has reaped fruits.

With bilateral trade volume in 2015 totaling $11 billion, the Czech Republic is now Chinas second-largest trading partner in Central and Eastern Europe, while China is the top trading partner of the Czech Republic outside the EU.

Skoda, the Czech automobile brand, exports 25 percent of its global production to the Chinese market.

Zhao noted that Xis visit will encourage the Czech Republic to take a more proactive role in building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

Hailed as the heart of Europe, the Czech Republic is situatedat ajunction point along the Belt and Roadroute. Last November, when Czech Prime Minister BohuslavSobotka attended the 4th summit of China and CEE countries in China, both sides inked a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on building the Belt and Road. It is the first MOU sealed by China and a CEE country concerning the initiative.

Europe is a priority region for the implementation of the initiative and establishment of production cooperation, and CEE countries can act as a bridge linking China and Europe, Zhao pointed out.

Its geographic location and influence onthe CEE countries makethe Czech Republic ideal for such a task, he explained.

Among the 16 CEE countries, the Czech Republic is the most prosperous country and is classified as a developed EU member by both the World Bank and the EU.

With rich industrial and tourism resources, the Czech Republic has also become a major investment destination for China. New energy, nuclear power, innovation industry, high-speed railway, textile and culture are expected to be new fronts for bilateral cooperation.

(Wu Qiong contributed to the story)
China-Czech ties have a huge potential for cooperation, Ma Keqing, Chinese ambassador to the Czech Republic, wrote in an article published in the Peoples Daily before Chinese President Xi Jinping kicks offhis Czech visit next Monday.

Xis visit will strengthen the bonds between the two peoples, he added. Xis three-day visit will be the first by a Chinese head of state since the two nations established diplomatic ties 67 years ago.

Many Chinese people hold special affection towardthe Czech Republic, one of first nations to establish diplomatic ties with China, Ma wrote in the article.

After the two established ties, many Czech experts and engineers traveled thousands of miles to aid the nascent China in its development. A friendship farm and machine tool plant built in the 1950s and 1960s highlighted cooperation and friendship between the two sides.

The recent years have witnessed frequent high-level exchanges. Xi and his counterpart Milos Zemanhave met four times to chart course for bilateral ties. Zeman also attended Chinas commemorations of the victory against Japanese aggression last September as the only head of state from the EU.

Economic and trade ties have also reached an unprecedented high level. By the end of last year, Chinese investment in the Czech Republic soared to $1.6 billion from $200 million two years ago, while the Czech Republics investment in China totaled $1.8 billion.

Last year, the Czech Republic increased its weight as a key partner of China in Central and Eastern Europe after inking a bilateral agreement to build the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

As almost all regions in the nation have established partnerships with Chinese cities and provinces, and local exchanges and cooperation in culture, technology, education, tourism and healthcare have mushroomed.

The number of Chinese travelers to the Central and Eastern European nationhas increased by over 30 percent annually with the launch of direct flights between Beijing and Prague, capital of the Czech Republic.

Traditional Chinese medicine, Spring Festival themed temple fairs, and other elements of the Chinese culture have gainedmore popularity among the local people.

These achievements in politics, economy and culture have brought bilateral ties to a new stage with rich dividends.

For their friendship, an apple tree can be regarded as a witness. The story dates back to 2014 when Zeman presented Xi an apple sapling as a gift during his visit to China. He explained at the time that the tree signifies the bilateral collaboration will take root, bloom and bear fruits in China.

Xi then called for both sides to nurture cooperation and reap harvest at an early date, saying that cooperation between China and the Czech Republic is like a forest of apple trees, and we should both pick apples and plant more young trees.

The apple tree has become a recurring theme in the discussions of the relationship ever since. Ma disclosed that during this visit, Xiwill present Zeman a young tree as a return gift.
Chinese President Xi Jinping is about to pay his first state visit to the Czech Republic since the two countries established diplomatic ties 67 years ago. Scholars believe the trip will send fourmessages.

To begin with, the visit will reaffirm Europes status as a diplomatic priority for China. Chinese Assistant Foreign Minister Liu Haixing also described the visit as a major diplomatic eventin China-Europe ties at a briefing on Thursday.

Over the last three years, Xi has set foot in several European countries. In March 2014, Xi traveled to the Netherlands, France, Germany and Belgium and visited the EU headquarters. Last October, the Chinese president paid a state visit to the UK. After his Czech visit, Xi will have covered both the new and old Europe in diplomacy.

The second message is that China values the unique role of the Czech Republic in advancing China-EU relations.

As an important Central and Eastern European (CEE) country, the Czech Republic is also a member of the EU. This dual identity endows the country with broad influence in both circles.

During Xis visit, China and the Czech Republic are scheduled to ink cooperation agreements worth more than $6 billion, covering a wide range of areas including trade, economy, infrastructure, finance, healthcare, aviation and technology.

Meanwhile, China and European countrieswill have more opportunities from the implementation of the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road.

The initiative has been echoed by many CEE countries, and they have worked to dock their development strategies with the Belt and Roadinitiative.

At the end of last year, heads of China and Central and Eastern European countries (CEEC)released a mid-term plan on bilateralcooperation, indicating that theChina-CEEC collaboration has grown intoa new highlight of China-Europeties and a testing ground of the initiative.

Sources disclosed that during this visit, Xi will discuss the Belt and Road construction with Czech leaders and propose cooperation plans between China and CEE countries.

Moreover, European countries will benefit from opportunities brought by Chinas rapid development. As China undergoes industrial upgrade, a spate of new ideashas been put forward. European nations are also paying more attention to China to see how they can benefit from the development of the worlds second-largest economy.

Economically unstable, Europe is struggling for recovery. Therefore it has a strong need of the Chinese market and investment, Cui Hongjian, head of the Institute of European Studies of Chinese Academy of Social Science,pointed out.

What needs to be pointed out is that this kind of opportunity is reciprocal. Through cooperation with Europe, China can also boost domestic economy and upgrade industrial structure, Cui added.
BEIJING, March 27 -- Chinese President Xi Jinpingwill make a state visit to the Czech Republic from March 28 to 30.

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 to Central and Eastern Europe (CEE) as head of state, and his first trip to Europe this year.

The visit signals a major diplomatic move toward Europe, and also demonstrates the significance of the country as China's key cooperation partner in the CEE region.

MAJOR DIPLOMATIC MOVE

As a major country not only in the CEE region but also in the European Union(EU), the Czech Republic has a unique geopolitical status.

Bordered by Poland to the north and Germanyto the west, the landlocked country plays the role of a "bridge" between Eastern Europe and Western Europe both geographically and politically.

Having taken over the presidency of the Visegrad Group, the Czech Republic is a member country of NATO, and in the meantime, also belongs to the Shengen region.

Given its geographical advantages and influence on the CEE countries, the country could play a vital and positive role under the framework of China-CEE cooperation -- the so-called "16+1" mechanism, as well as under the broader framework of China-EU cooperation.

Xi's upcoming visit will bring a brighter future for the development of friendly relations between China and the CEE countries, and even Europe as a whole.

His visit is expected to boost the integration of the major development strategies of China and Europe, and expand cooperation between China and CEE countries, analysts said.

The visit, described by many as a major episode in the history of Chinese-Czech diplomatic exchanges, will also usher in a new phase for bilateral ties that will witness a rapid development of their mutually beneficial cooperation in various fields.

MAJOR NATION ALONG "BELT&ROAD" ROUTE

With rich industrial resources and a per capita GDPof nearly 20,000 U.S. dollars, the Czech Republic is one of the most advanced and prosperous economies among the 16 CEE countries.

Trade and economic relations between the country and China have been growing rapidly over recent years. So far, the Czech Republic has become the second-largest trading partner of China in the CEE region, and China has been the Czech Republic's second-largest trading partner in the world, next only to the EU. In 2015, their two-way trade topped 11 billion U.S. dollars.

The country, situated at a junction point along the "Belt and Road" route, has been dedicated to transforming itself into a transport and logistics hub connecting Central Europe with Eastern Europe and Southeastern Europe.

Last November, China and the Czech Republic signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on jointly building the China-proposed "Belt and Road" initiative at the fourth leaders' meeting of China and the CEE countries in Eastern China's Suzhou city. It is the first MOU sealed by China and a CEE country concerning the initiative.

Czech Prime Minister Bohuslav Sobotka has on many occasions expressed strong enthusiasm and willingness to play a part in the "Belt and Road" initiative, hoping that the Czech Republic could become a bellwether for the cooperation between China and the CEE region.

Sobotka has also expressed the hope to make the Czech Republic a regional hub for financial cooperation.

Meanwhile, the two sides have also demonstrated strong willingness to expand cooperation on aligning the two countries' development strategies in such sectors as manufacturing, nuclear power, finance, aviation, nanotechnology and biology, and have discussed future cooperation in infrastructure projects, including the construction of high-speed rails, roads and bridges.

Under the Belt and Road Initiative, multi-faceted cooperation between the two countries is blessed with huge potential and definitely has very promising prospects.
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 27



By Azad Hasanli - Trend:



The World Bank's (WB) Board of Directors will discuss the "Absheron Lakes Cleanup and Rehabilitation" project on July 18, 2017, said the WB.



The estimated cost of the project is $100 million, $85 million of which are the means of the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development, which is a part of WB group, while other $15 million - of the country's government.



Bank financing would consider investment opportunities regarding four lakes - Khojasan, Lokhbatan, Gu, and Girmizi, according to the WB.



"Both the government and industry are paying increasing attention to the improvement of environmental quality in urban areas as a way to sustain investments and development. The residential expansion of the Baku area will occur to the west and to the east, where polluted lakes and lands are located," said the WB.



"Urban lakes are a key feature of the landscape that could, if properly cleaned up, significantly contribute to the improvement in the quality of life in the Greater Baku area. Land redevelopment, if managed appropriately, will also bring development and employment opportunities and share of prosperity to the local population," according to the WB.



Pollution from the oil sector is acutely observed and documented in many locations of the Absheron Peninsula - the center of the oil production area, which makes the Peninsula one of the regions with significant land contamination, said the WB.



There are an estimated 220,000 ha just in Greater Baku, of which about 23,000 ha, or approximately 10%, are oil-contaminated lands, and 7,200 ha contaminated lakes, according to the WB.



"The government of Azerbaijan undertook a strategic effort to clean up a part of the Boyuk Shor Lake and has already started the lakes' second phase cleanup," said the WB. "The government of Azerbaijan is committed to scaling up the cleanup and revitalization of the Absheron lakes and the surrounding area."



Regulating authorities also recognize that addressing such issues is highly complex, and requires a systemic approach and high level of technical expertise as well as significant financial resources, according to the WB.



The government of Azerbaijan is therefore seeking external support from the World Bank and other international financial institutions, said the bank.

---

Follow the author on Twitter: @AzadHasanli
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 27



Trend:



President of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev's visit to Washington is of particular importance, said in an interview with ANS TV channel Novruz Mammadov, deputy head of Azerbaijani presidential administration, chief of the administration's foreign relations department.



According to the official, during the Nuclear Security Summit in Washington, President Ilham Aliyev will talk about the work carried out in Azerbaijan on nuclear safety and on the challenges that are still to be implemented.



"On the other hand, the importance of this summit is that different meetings, contacts and discussions will be held within it. As a result of such meetings, important steps regarding bilateral relations are made," Mammadov said.



Given all this, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's visit to Washington is of particular importance, he said.
Trade turnover between Russia and Turkmenistan reached some two billion U.S. dollars in January-August 2011, Itar-Tass reported.



The vice-president of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Alexander Rybakov, described it as a good result. However, he told a two-day economic forum that opened in the Turkmen capital on Wednesday that the figure still didn't reflect the huge potential of Russian-Turkmen economic interaction.



A business delegation from Russia, including entrepreneurs from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Omsk, Saratov, Chelyabinsk and other parts of Russia has brought cooperation proposals to Ashgabad.



"Relations between Turkmenistan and Russia make the weather in the entire Central Asia. We fully share this assessment given by the presidents of Russia and Turkmenistan during their last meeting," the head of the Russian delegation said at the forum.



Alexander Rybakov, the vice-president of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that Russian companies were participating in more than 30 projects in Turkmenistan. Another twenty projects are ready to be launched in the sphere of hi-tech production. About a hundred proposals made by Turkmen agencies and entrepreneurs are in the process of development. Priority areas of cooperation as set forth by the sides include the power sector, textiles, the light industry, raw materials, building materials, education and tourism.



"We are focused on innovative projects. The future of our relations lies with them," Rybakov emphasized.
Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, March 27

By Huseyn Hasanov - Trend:

Turkmenistan and Russia have discussed the prospects for intensifying the interregional cooperation in various spheres, said the message from Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

The sides focused on the spheres of mechanical engineering, energy, chemical, oil and gas industry, agriculture, textile industry, pharmaceuticals, logistics and finance.

The discussions were held during Russia-Turkmenistan economic forum in Yekaterinburg.

During the forum, Alexander Rybakov, vice-president of Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said that the two countries are interested in using national currencies in payments for export and import operations. Moreover, he emphasized the necessity of creating joint ventures in light industry and agriculture.

Russia holds a leading position among Turkmenistan's largest foreign trade partners.

Turkmenistan has intensified the cooperation with Russia's largest regions such as Tatarstan, St. Petersburg, Astrakhan and Sverdlovsk.

However, Russia suspended the purchase of Turkmen gas in 2016.

Edited by SI
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 27



By Fatih Karimov - Trend:



Iran is in "serious talks" with the UAE Crescent Petroleum to supply gas in order to pay its fine to the company, Fars news agency reported.



Reportedly, some senior Iranian oil ministry officials want to supply gas from Iran's Salman gas field to Crescent Petroleum instead of paying the fine, the source said.



The UAE-based energy company Dana Gas said in 2014 that an international tribunal had issued a favorable ruling in the dispute over a natural gas supply contract between its affiliate Crescent Petroleum and Iran.



The tribunal ruled a 25-year contract for National Iranian Oil Co (NIOC) to supply gas to Crescent was valid and binding on both parties, and that NIOC has been obligated to deliver gas since December 2005.



Previously, Iranian media outlets quoted the industry minister Mohammad Reza Nematzadeh as saying that Iran has been fined $18 billion over the case.



NIOC and Crescent signed the 25-year contract in 2001, with the price linked to oil. Based on the contract, Iran was supposed to export unrefined natural gas from Salman gas field to the United Arab Emirates. However deliveries were delayed as oil prices rose and some officials and politicians in Iran called for a revision to the gas pricing formula.



The Iranian source said that intensive talks are underway between Iran's oil ministry and Crescent, adding it is expected that the contract price will be amended.



The source further said that the two parties seek to finalize the talks and implement the deal during the current Iranian fiscal year (started March 20).
Baku, Azerbaijan, March 27

By Fatih Karimov - Trend:

Tehran and Islamabad agreed to increase Iran's electricity export to Pakistan by 40 percent, the Iranian government's official website reported.

The agreement was achieved during the meeting of Iranian Energy Minister Hamid Chitchian and his Pakistani counterpart Khawaja Muhammad Asif in Islamabad on March 26.

The increase will be realized based on an amendment added to former agreement between the two countries which was signed in 2000.

The two ministers also held primary negotiations to increase the capacity of Iran's electricity exports to Pakistan to 3000 megawatts (MW).

It was agreed that the issue to be concluded during the visit of the Pakistani water and power minister to Tehran which is scheduled for May.

Earlier the Deputy Energy Minister of Iran Houshang Falahatian announced that exporting 3000 MW of power to Pakistan is possible. Without specifying the details, he also said that the delayed debt of Iran's neighbor power clients is about $1.5 billion.

Pakistan has about four percent share in Iran's 10-billion kWh electricity energy export, according to the annual report of Iran's Energy Ministry.

Coming to Pakistan's debts to Iran, The Express Tribune reported on March 10 that Pakistan is already importing 73MW to meet the requirement of Gwadar but payments could not be made since 2011. "Now that sanctions have been removed from Iran, officials believe banking channels will be opened, paving the way for payment of outstanding bills," the report said.
President Hassan Rouhani said Iran has laid the pipeline up to the border to export gas to neighboring Pakistan encouraging the government in Islamabad to speed up measures to complete its share on its soil, Shana reported.

Speaking at a press conference to wind up his two-day visit to Pakistan on Saturday, he stressed that Iran is determined to increase its relations with Pakistan in energy, ports, customs, roads, railways, cultural, academic, and scientific areas.

"Expansion of Tehran-Islamabad ties will serve the interests of the Iranian and Pakistani nations, regional and the world," he added.

President Rouhani also said Iranian port of Chabahar and Pakistani port of Gwadar are complementary and in a sound competition can be gateways of the land-locked Central Asian countries to the Indian Ocean.

"We are following up launching a West-East corridor between the two ports. Further road, railways, and shipping links can help establish the corridor and connect China to this region," he said.
A poll conducted by the TNS Emnid public opinion research institute revealed that 56 percent of Germans expect terrorist attacks to take place on German soil in 2016, the Bild am Sonntag newspaper reported.

A further 38 percent of respondents have rejected the possibility, according to the publication.

The poll has been conducted in the wake of Tuesday's terrorist attacks in Brussels. 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 Islamic State jihadist group, outlawed in many countries, including Russia and the United State, has claimed responsibility for the blasts.

On Thursday, a source from the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND) told RIA Novosti that the BND is aware of at least 70 battle-seasoned Islamic State (ISIL) members who have returned home to Germany from Syria.

In 2015, German Interior Minister Thomas de Maiziere put the number of German citizens who had joined the extremist group at some 600, or eight per million.
Turkish security forces killed 38 PKK terrorists on Friday, the military said in a statement Saturday, Anadolu reported.

In a statement, the Turkish Armed Forces said 13 were killed in Nusaybin, Mardin province; nine in Yuksekova, Hakkari province; one in Silvan, Diyarbakir province; two in Hatay province; and 13 in Sirnak province. Explosives were also seized.

More than 300 members of the security forces have been martyred since the PKK, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Turkey, the U.S. and the EU, resumed its 30-year armed campaign in July. Thousands of PKK terrorists have been killed in operations across Turkey and northern Iraq.
Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents updates: Man faces 44 years in jail for running a proxy site to help Pirate Bay and Kickass users in UK

KickassTorrents blocked by Chrome, Safari and Firefox as phishing website. (Photo : YouTube/Torrents)

A British citizen named Cullum Haywood, 22, could get up to 44 years in jail for running and assisting proxy sites that help users bypass blocked piracy websites like The Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents.



In 2014, Haywood was arrested for running several proxy websites, which included Piratereverse.info (The Pirate Bay), Kickassunblock.info (Kickass), Katunblock.com, h33tublock.info and movie2kproxy.com. He was also linked to services that assisted internet users to route their traffic using the proxy networks so as to circumvent government blockades, Torrent Freak reported.



Advertisement

As the questioning ensued at the police station, Haywood accepted to voluntarily hand over the domain names which served as "mirrors." Otherwise, he would give a complete copy of the torrent sites that the United Kingdom high court had ordered the country's internet service providers to block.



After two years, Haywood is getting charged by the City of London Police Intellectual Property Unit with six counts of possession of an article for fraud use, and one count of converting and transferring criminal property. Under the U.K. law, Haywood could receive a maximum sentence of 44 years in jail if convicted, Slash Gear has learned.



However, according to law analysts, it is highly unlikely that Haywood could get the maximum sentence if he was to be convicted. They say that it is only an indication that laws in the U.K. are very aggressive to torrent sites, with hundreds of mirror sites already blocked in the country.



Online piracy takes place when users visit websites to access magnet links and torrent files to pirated content and then proceed to download illegally or share the content through peer-to-peer networks. This has become a main concern for copyright holders who make claims of losing a lot of revenue because consumers access content without paying for it.



As the analysts claim, it seems that the U.K. is using Haywood as an example to show how tough punishments can become. Although he still insists that he is innocent on the grounds that he does not run the main Pirate Bay and Kickass Torrents sites, he will be forced to go on trial to give his argument.



Haywood will appear in Nottingham Magistrates' Court for a hearing on April 21. Here is a video showing torrent sites blockade in the U.K.:






The programme statement will include seven main points on national security, democracy, the economy, social justice, development, transparency, and Egypt's role in the Arab world

After a minor cabinet reshuffle that saw 10 ministers replaced on 23 March, Egyptian Prime Minister Sherif Ismail is scheduled to deliver his government's first policy statement before the House of Representatives Sunday.

Under Article 146 of the 2014 constitution, the policy statement must be debated by parliament within 30 days, after which it will be up to the house whether or not to vote with or withhold confidence in the government.

The session will be recorded and televised later, and will not be aired live, according to Ahmed Saad, secretary general of Egypt's House of Representatives.

Parliament deputy speaker Al-Sayed Al-Sherif told reporters Saturday that Ismail's statement will take around one hour to deliver and that the issue whether it will be aired live on television or not will be left to the majority of MPs to decide tomorrow.

"The sure thing is that a special parliamentary committee will be formed to discuss this statement, prepare a report about it within 10 days, and recommend whether it should be approved or not," said Al-Sherif.

Al-Sherif said he is in favour of airing Ismail's statement live on television.

"This is a national issue as highly important as President El-Sisi's statement before parliament and I think it should be aired live," said Al-Sherif, adding, "As the statement is directed to all Egyptians and not to parliament alone, it should be aired live."

Al-Sherif said Ismail and all of his government's 33 cabinet ministers will come to parliament tomorrow and that Ismail will hold a private meeting with parliament's internal bureau before he delivers his government's statement.

Al-Sherif said most MPs have already received print copies of Ismail's statement for review Saturday, ahead of tomorrow's session.

According to Article 146 of the constitution, if the government and its programme fails to gain parliament's confidence within 30 days, the president of the republic will ask the majority party or coalition to form another government and name another prime minister within 30 days. If they fail to gain confidence, parliament would be considered dissolved.

Al-Sherif disclosed that the parliamentary committee that will be in charge of reviewing Ismail's statement will include representatives from all political forces in parliament. "It will also include MPs who are experts in different fields, particularly finance and investment," said Al-Sherif.

Ismail has already held meetings with MPs from different governorates in the past few days in an attempt to convince them to vote in favour of his government.

MPs told reporters that although they might have no choice but voting in favour of keeping Ismail's government in office, they have strong tools to force its performance to serve the interests of the people more effectively.

MP Anwar Al-Sadat disclosed that "in their meetings with Ismail, MPs argued that the government's policy statement must explain in clear-cut terms the government's strategy to combat terrorism, fight corruption and improve public services."

Sadat noted that Ismail's government resorted to devaluing the Egyptian pound without getting parliament's prior consent.

"Ismail risked taking this decision before delivering its programme before parliament tomorrow because he knew quite well that it would be rejected by MPs," said Sadat, adding that, "The most important thing now is to compel this government to make sure that the devaluation will not make it harder for millions of poor people meet their basic economic needs."

In their meetings with Ismail, many MPs also warned that any plans to phase out subsidies on electricity and water or raise prices of basic goods or public transport could spark wide-scale street protests.

Independent MP Abdel-Moneim Al-Oleimi told reporters that Ismail's 19 March meeting with Nile-Delta governorate of Al-Gharbiya MPs had shocked many of those who attended.

"Not only did Ismail paint a bleak picture of the Egyptian economy, he also had the guts to announce that the government has no money to spend on new projects or improve public services," said Al-Oleimi.

"All Ismail said is that MPs should rally behind the government because we are all in the same boat and that we must work together to reduce the budget deficit, and tackle the trade balance, in order to weather the current economic crisis," Al-Oleimi said.

Informed sources told reporters that the government's programme to be presented before parliament tomorrow will include seven main points. "Ismail will vow that these points will be implemented by the end of June," said an informed cabinet source, adding that, "This well-timed programme will make it much easier for parliament to review the government and judge its performance."

The source disclosed that the first three points focus on safeguarding Egyptian national security, reinforcing democracy, and devising a new economic programme. "Other points will deal with achieving social justice and improving public services, and boosting development in industrial, agricultural and commercial sectors," the source said.

The source indicated that Prime Minister Ismail might propose phasing out in-kind subsidies in favour of cash subsidies.

The remaining two points will focus on administrative reform (fighting corruption and enhancing transparency) and reinforcing Egypt's leading role in the Arab world.

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Two other Egyptians were injured in the incident that took place in Al-Mafrek governorate

Seven Egyptian workers died early Sunday in Jordan when their microbus collided with a truck, MENA reported.

According to the Jordanian civil defence media centre, two more Egyptians were injured in the incident that took place in Al-Mafrek governorate, 75 kilometres northeast of the Jordanian capital Amman.

The statement added that a third worker who holds Jordanian nationality is also among the injured.

According to the Egyptian embassy in Jordan, all Egyptian workers hail from the same village in Egypt's governorate of Fayoum.

Egyptian Ambassador to Jordan Khaled Tharwat told MENA that the embassy will ensure the swift transport of the bodies of the victims back home.

Thousands of Egyptians have worked in Jordan for years.

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I would like to stress that the Egyptian citizen has the full support of the Egyptian government and that citizens were the main focus of this program, says Ismail in the statement

Egypt's Prime Minister Sherif Ismail presented to the House of Representatives on Sunday his cabinets seven-step vision for developing the economy and improving public services through 2018.

All 34 ministers in the cabinet attended Sunday's session, along with all 596 MPs.

The government program was titled "yes we can.

I would like to stress that the Egyptian citizen has the full support of the Egyptian government and that citizens were the main focus of its program, says Ismail in the statement.

The government's program was summarised in seven points: "safeguarding national security, reinforcing democracy, devising an economic programme prioritising growth, achieving social justice by improving public services, administrative reform through fighting corruption, promoting transparency, and strengthening Egypt's role in the region," the statement read.

Ismail highlighted these points as the "main principals" directing the work of the Egyptian government.

"First, we are serious about the reform process on all levels--political, economic, social, environmental, and administrative, and we will cooperate, coordinate, and work closely with the House of Representatives to implement this," the statement read.

Egypt faces huge problems and the government will adopt scientific methods to deal with them, the second step reads.

"Any economic action will be accompanied by social protection programs, and no social programs will be adopted unless necessary funds are available," the statement read.

The fourth point demonstrated the government's total rejection of any kind of corruption, saying that it will work alongside the parliament to combat it.

Reforming infrastructure and boosting economic competitiveness was the government' s fifth step.

More transparency and administrative reform necessary for economic growth is part of the sixth step.

The final step is the development of Egypt's leading role internationally and regionally.

According to article 146 of Egypt's constitution, "If [the] government does not win the confidence of the majority of the members of the House of Representatives within thirty days at the most, the president shall appoint a prime minister who is nominated by the party or the coalition that holds the majority or the highest number of seats in the House of Representatives."

If the government fails to gain confidence again, the parliament is considered dissolved and the president calls for parliamentary elections within 60 days.

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Hamas's Mahmoud Al-Zahar said the movement is going to treat the Egyptian demands 'positively'

A Hamas delegation returned to Cairo from Doha on Sunday to resume discussions with Egyptian officials in the second leg of talks on the future of the Islamist movement's relationship with Egypt.

The visit to Cairo by officials from Hamas, which has ruled the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip since 2006, comes less than two weeks after Hamas officials held similar talks with their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo.

Hamas is expected to respond on Sunday to Egyptian requests made in earlier talks.

Prior to the delegation's arrival in Cairo, a member of the Hamas politburo, Mahmoud Al-Zahar, said that the movement is going to treat the Egyptian demands "positively."

Egypt has stipulated several demands to improve its relations with Hamas, according to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, including a pledge of non-interference by Hamas in Egyptian affairs; cooperation with Cairo on investigations over issues that affect Egyptian security; and stopping extremists and hostile parties from entering or leaving the Strip from Sinai.

The demands also include severing Hamas' ties with the banned Muslim Brotherhood and the prevention of cross-border smuggling activity.

Hamas will present its requests to the Egyptian side during the visit, including the opening of the Rafah border crossing, which has been closed most days of the year by Egyptian authorities since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013; a halt of media campaigns against the movement, an end to the Egyptian flooding of cross-border tunnels; and the return of four Hamas members who "disappeared" last year in Sinai.

Hamas also wants more trade between the two sides; the resumption of Egyptian efforts in mediating the mutual observation of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel; and the continuation of Cairo's role in mediating between Hamas, the Palestinian Authority and Israel.

The Rafah border crossing between Gaza and Sinai is the only way for 1.5 million Palestinians who live under Israeli siege in Gaza in and out of the Strip.

A Palestinian diplomatic source privy to recent developments in Hamas-Egypt relations told Ahram Online that the movement has recently changed its attitude towards Egypt.

The source said Hamas has taken action on the ground in Gaza on security issues of concern to Cairo, and has revised its relationship with the Muslim Brotherhood ahead of today's visit.

According to media reports, the Palestinian Islamist movement has removed posters and slogans of the Muslim Brotherhood and its leaders around Gaza streets following the first round of talks with Cairo in an act of reconciliation with Egypt.

Relations between Hamas and Egypt soured following Morsi's ouster, with Egyptian officials repeatedly linking Hamas to terror acts in Egypt.

Egypt has regularly accused Hamas of supporting Islamist militants who have been waging a 10-year-old insurgency against Egyptian security forces in North Sinai.

Earlier this month, Egypt's interior minister Magdy Abdel-Ghaffar accused Hamas members of conspiring with the Brotherhood to assassinate Egypt's prosecutor-general Hisham Barakat in June 2015.

The Palestinian group has repeatedly denied these accusations.

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Egypt is looking into the possible involvement in the Italian student's murder of an alleged gang who authorities say specialised in robbing foreigners

Italy's interior minister Angelino Alfano said Sunday that Egyptian investigators in the case of slain Italian student Giulio Regeni agreed to extend the investigation after pressure from Rome, AFP reported.

Last Thursday, Egypt's interior ministry said they found belongings of Regeni in an apartment linked to a gang that the ministry says specialised in robbing foreigners, after police killed all the alleged gang members in a shootout.

"It is important that in the face of our emphasis on the quest for truth, the Egyptians changed tack in a few hours and told us that their investigations are continuing," Alfano told the Corriere della Sera newspaper, according to AFP.

"Our investigators should be directly involved, participating in questioning and evidence gathering... Our input is essential, Afano said on Sunday.

"I repeat to Giulio's parents and to the Italian public that the Italian government will get the name of the murderers."

Egypt is still investigating the case, questioning relatives of the killed gang members, for whom the prosecution has issued an arrest warrant.

On Friday, Italian investigators said "there is no definitive element confirming" the alleged gangs involvement in Regenis death, Italian news agency ANSA reported.

Later the same day, the Italian foreign minister Paolo Gentiloni said on Twitter, "Italy insists: we want the truth."

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A Hamas delegation returned to Cairo on Sunday following a visit to Qatar's Doha with positive responses to Egyptian demands.

The visit to Cairo by officials from Hamas, which has ruled the Israeli-besieged Gaza Strip since 2006, comes less than two weeks after Hamas officials held similar talks with their Egyptian counterparts in Cairo.

Hamas is expected to respond on Sunday to Egyptian requests made in earlier talks.

Egypt has stipulated several demands to improve its relations with Hamas, according to Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper, including a pledge of non-interference by Hamas in Egyptian affairs; cooperation with Cairo on investigations over issues that affect Egyptian security; and stopping extremists and hostile parties from entering or leaving the Strip from Sinai.

The demands also include severing Hamas' ties with the banned Muslim Brotherhood and the prevention of cross-border smuggling activity.

A senior Palestinian diplomat told Ahram Online on condition of anonymity that there have been clear indications of Hamas intent to strategically repair its relationship with Egypt, making it a major priority due to pressures the movement has been facing.

"These pressures include accusations of involvement in the assassination of Egypt's top prosecutor, as well as an Egyptian media campaign that has harmed the movement's image in front of the Egyptian public, which is considered one of the most important incubators of the Palestinian issue, the diplomat said.

He added that Hamas was also feeling the loss of Egyptian leadership, which differs in importance from any other forms of leadership in terms of its general role in the Palestinian issue.

The diplomat added that Gaza being on the Sinai border makes it imperative that Hamas presents concessions in its policies regarding Egyptian requests that the border be more tightly controlled, which could come through the stationing of Palestinian Authority presidential guards along the border.



Hamas-Brotherhood relations

The source said that the movement is also required to cooperate in investigations concerning Egyptian security by interrogating individuals wanted in Egypt and informing Egyptian authorities of the outcomes, or handing over fugitives to Egypt.

Egypt has reportedly also demanded the severing of Hamas' ties with the banned Muslim Brotherhood and the prevention of cross-border smuggling activity.

According to media reports, the Palestinian Islamist movement has removed posters and slogans of the Muslim Brotherhood and its leaders around Gaza streets following the first round of talks with Cairo in an act of reconciliation with Egypt.

"What Hamas did in removing these images is a formality, and Hamas still has a long test ahead of it where it has to overcome many obstacles, the diplomat said.

The Jordanian [offshoot of the] Muslim Brotherhood has severed ties with the [Egyptian] mother organisation, so why doesn't Hamas take the same initiative? We have to wait and see their policies following their return to Gaza after their series of regional visits."

Hamas will present its requests to the Egyptian side during the visit, including the opening of the Rafah border crossing, which has been closed most days of the year by Egyptian authorities since the ouster of Islamist president Mohamed Morsi in 2013; a halt of media campaigns against the movement, an end to the Egyptian flooding of cross-border tunnels; and the return of four Hamas members who "disappeared" last year in Sinai.

"We have to wait and see Egypts response to the requests by Hamas," he added.

Hamas's regional visits were supposed to include trips to Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Iran and Turkey, though a source in Gaza told Ahram Online that the "series of visits did not take place and the delegation will return to Gaza following visits to Cairo and Doha only."

"Saudi Arabia and Kuwait are currently busy, but there are open lines of communication with Hamas, the Palestinian diplomat said, adding that the same applies to Iran, where a delegation from Hamas and the Palestinian movement participated in the Islamic republic's celebration of Jerusalem day."

Egyptian observers, however, say that Kuwaiti and Saudi authorities want the Hamas delegation to visit Egypt before heading to the Gulf countries.

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Egypt President Abdel-Fattah El-Sisi issued a presidential decree pardoning "some prisoners" on Sinai Liberation Day, 25 April, reported Al-Ahram's Arabic site.

The decree includes the formation of a committee headed by the interior ministry aide responsible for prison facilities to decide on which prisoners are to be pardoned.

According to the decree, those eligible for pardon must have demonstrated that they are "trustworthy and not dangerous to public safety".

Sinai Liberation Day marks the 1982 withdrawal of Israeli occupation forces from the Sinai Peninsula.

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Britain's press regulator on Saturday censured Rupert Murdoch's The Sun tabloid for a "significantly misleading" story claiming one in five British Muslims sympathise with militant fighters.

The ruling on the front-page story from November comes amid heightened community tensions following the Brussels attacks this week claimed by the Islamic State (IS) group, which left 31 people dead.

The mass-selling daily claimed an exclusive poll revealed "1 in 5 Brit Muslims' sympathy for militants", and published a picture of Mohammed Emwazi, the British IS group executioner known as Jihadi John, alongside the shock headline.

The story generated more than 3,000 complaints to the Independent Press Standards Organisation (IPSO), most of them challenging the coverage on the grounds of accuracy.

A graph inside the paper clarified that five percent of those surveyed had a lot of sympathy, 14 percent had some sympathy and 71 percent had no sympathy with "young Muslims who leave the UK to join fighters in Syria".

Complainants argued that the question did not specifically mention the Islamic State group, and could include those fighting against IS group militants.

The Sun had denied that the wording of its poll was ambiguous, saying that previous questions in the telephone survey had made explicit reference to the IS group.

IPSO noted that the paper had provided various interpretations of the poll result inside but concluded that "the coverage was significantly misleading".

The Sun published the adjudication on page 2 of the newspaper's Saturday edition as required by the regulator.

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Syrian troops backed by Russian forces recaptured the famed ancient city of Palmyra from the Islamic State group on Sunday in a major victory over the Islamist militants.

Army sappers were defusing mines and bombs planted by IS groupin the city's ancient ruins, a UNESCO world heritage site where the militants sparked a global outcry with the systematic destruction of treasured monuments.

"After heavy fighting during the night, the army is in full control of Palmyra -- both the ancient site and the residential neighbourhoods," a military source told AFP.

IS group fighters pulled out, retreating towards the towns of Sukhnah and Deir Ezzor to the east.

IS group overran the Palmyra ruins and adjacent modern city in May 2015.

It has since blown up two of the site's treasured temples, its triumphal arch and a dozen tower tombs, in a campaign of destruction that UNESCO described as a war crime punishable by the International Criminal Court.

The militants used Palmyra's ancient amphitheatre as a venue for public executions, including the beheading of the city's 82-year-old former antiquities chief.

The oasis city's recapture is a strategic as well as symbolic victory for President Bashar al-Assad, since it provides control of the surrounding desert extending all the way to the Iraqi border.

IS group, behind a string of attacks in the West including last week's Brussels bombings, is under growing pressure from Syrian and Iraqi military offensives to retake key bastions in its self-proclaimed "caliphate".

On Thursday, the Iraqi army announced the launch of an offensive to recapture second city Mosul, held by the militants since June 2014.

IS group lost at least 400 fighters in the battle for Palmyra, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, a monitoring group.

"That's the heaviest losses that IS group has sustained in a single battle since its creation" in 2013, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.

"It is a symbolic defeat for IS comparable with that in Kobane," a town on the Turkish border where Kurdish fighters held out against a months-long siege by IS group in 2014-15, he added.

Russian forces, which intervened in support of longtime ally Assad last September, have been heavily involved in the offensive to retake Palmyra despite a major drawdown last week.

Russian warplanes conducted more than 40 combat sorties in just 24 hours from Friday to Saturday, targeting "158 terrorist" positions, according to the Russian defence ministry.

Elsewhere in Syria, a ceasefire in areas held by the government and non-Islamist militant rebels has largely held since February 27, in a boost to diplomatic efforts to end a five-year war that has killed more than 270,000 people.

The recapture of Palmyra sets government forces up for a drive on the militants' de facto Syrian capital of Raqa in the Euphrates valley to the north.

"The army will have regained confidence and morale, and will have prepared itself for the next expected battle in Raqa," a military source said on Saturday.

With the road linking Palmyra to Raqa now under army control, IS group fighters in the ancient city can only retreat eastwards towards the Iraqi border.

Palmyra was a major centre of the ancient world as it lay on the caravan route linking the Roman Empire with Persia and the east.

Pledging Russian support for the offensive to retake the city earlier this month, President Vladimir Putin described it as a "pearl of world civilisation".

Situated about 210 kilometres (130 miles) northeast of Damascus, it drew some 150,000 tourists a year before it became engulfed by Syria's devastating civil war.

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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the Israeli occupation army Sunday as controversy gripped the country over a soldier caught on video shooting a Palestinian in the head as he lay on the ground.

The incident on Thursday led to the soldier's arrest and strong condemnation from military officials, but some rightwing politicians and their supporters have reacted angrily to the response.

Netanyahu on Thursday joined condemnations of the soldier's behaviour but appeared to backpedal slightly Sunday in remarks at the start of a cabinet meeting.

"Any challenge to the morality of the IDF (Israel Defence Forces) is outrageous and unacceptable," he said.

"The soldiers of the IDF, our children, maintain high ethical values while courageously fighting against bloodthirsty murderers under difficult operational conditions.

"I am certain that in all cases, as in the current one, the inquiry takes into account all conditions. We must all support the IDF chief of staff, the IDF and our soldiers, who safeguard our security."

Netanyahu leads one of the most rightwing governments in Israeli history but holds only a one-seat majority in parliament.

Video from Thursday's incident in Hebron in the occupied West Bank spread widely online and threatened to further inflame tensions amid a wave of violence that erupted in October.

It was the latest incident in an almost six-month long surge of Israeli-on-Palestinian deadly repression met with violent responses by Palestinians against settlers and Israeli soldiers.

The recent surge in violence has raised concern of wider escalation, a decade after the last Palestinian uprising subsided.

Since the start of October, Israeli occupation forces have killed at least 200 Palestinians. Meanwhile, almost daily stabbings, shootings and car-ramming attacks by frustrated and unarmed Palestinians have killed 28 Israelis.

The video showed a 21-year-old Palestinian, who along with another man had allegedly stabbed a soldier minutes earlier, lying on the ground, apparently after being shot.

The soldier then shoots him again, in the head, without any apparent provocation. The Palestinian, Abdul Fatah al-Sharif, was killed.

Sarit Michaeli, a spokeswoman for Israeli rights group B'Tselem, which posted the video, called it an "execution".

The UN's special coordinator for the Middle East peace process, Nickolay Mladenov, called it "a gruesome, immoral and unjust act".

The soldier was detained, and Defence Minister Moshe Yaalon vowed that the incident would be treated with "utmost severity".

But far-right politicians, including Education Minister Naftali Bennett, have defended the soldier, while members of his family reportedly said he was being publicly "lynched" and would not receive a fair trial.

Bennett questioned whether the soldier thought the Palestinian had explosives on him, though there were reports that he had already been checked for a suicide belt before the shooting.

"The soldier is not a murderer," Bennett wrote on his Facebook page.

"Have we lost our minds? We are at war, a war against brutal terrorism."

Several dozen people protested to call for the soldier's release over the weekend, Israeli media reported, while posters were seen calling for military chief of staff Gadi Eisenkot's resignation.

Settlement-building, racial discrimination, confiscation of identity cards, long queues at checkpoints, as well as daily clashes and the desecration of Al-Aqsa mosque, describe Palestinians' daily suffering.

The surge in violence has been fuelled by Palestinians' frustration over Israel's 48-year occupation of land they seek for an independent state, and the expansion of settlements in those territories which were captured by Israel in the 1967 Middle East war.

Palestinian leaders say a younger generation sees no hope for the future living under Israeli security restrictions and with a stifled economy. The latest round of US-brokered peace talks collapsed in April 2014.

*The story has been edited by Ahram Online.

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At least 65 people were killed and more than 200 injured when an apparent suicide bomb ripped through the parking lot of a crowded park in the Pakistani city of Lahore where Christians were celebrating Easter Sunday, officials said.

Dozens of ambulances were seen racing to the Gulshan-i-Iqbal park, situated near the centre of the city of around eight million, with many women and children among the dead and wounded.

Lahore top administration official Muhammad Usman said the toll had reached 65 people. "The rescue operation is continuing," he told AFP, adding that more than 50 children were among the injured.

The army had been called in, he said, and soldiers were at the scene helping with rescue operations and security.

Senior police official Haider Ashraf said the blast appeared to be a suicide attack, adding that ball bearings were found at the park.

A medical superintendent at Jinnah Hospital, who gave his name only as Dr. Ashraf, told AFP the number of injured stands at more than 200 people, most of them are in critical.

"I fear the death toll will rise," he added.

He described a nightmarish scene at the hospital, with staff treating casualties on floors and in corridors.

Provincial health advisor Khawaja Salman Rafique told AFP meanwhile that authorities were asking citizens to donate blood.

Javed Ali, a 35-year-old resident who lives opposite park, said the force of the blast had shattered his home's windows.

"Everything was shaking, there were cries and dust everywhere.

"After ten minutes I went outside. There was human flesh on the walls of our house. People were crying, I could hear ambulances."

He added: "It was overcrowded because of Easter, there were a lot of Christians there. It was so crowded I told my family not to go."

Pakistan has been battling a homegrown Islamist insurgency since 2004, with groups such as the Pakistani Taliban routinely carrying out attacks as part of their struggle to overthrow the government.

But Lahore, Pakistan's cultural capital on the country's eastern border with India, has been relatively more peaceful in recent years.

On social media Pakistanis were retweeting the call for blood donations, while Facebook activated its "Safety Check" for Lahore.

Sunday's blast came as the army was also deployed on the streets of the capital Islamabad after thousands of protesters clashed with police in chaotic scenes, throwing stones and setting a container on fire.

The demonstrators were supporters of Islamist assassin Mumtaz Qadri, who was hanged on February 29 for killing a Punjab governor over his call for blasphemy reform.

Analysts called the execution a "key moment" in Pakistan's long battle against religious extremism.

But it has also exposed deep religious divisions in the conservative Muslim country of 200 million.

Earlier Sunday an estimated 25,000 supporters of the former police bodyguard gathered in Islamabad's twin city Rawalpindi to offer prayers.

They then turned toward the heavily-barricaded capital, which was patrolled by hundreds of police and paramilitary soldiers.

Riot police carrying batons and shields fired tear gas to try to prevent them pushing closer to the city centre. Some protesters set fire to a container while chanting slogans.

A military spokesman said late Sunday evening that the army had been deployed to secure the Red Zone around Parliament.

Nationwide, overall levels of militant violence have fallen since the army began a major offensive against Taliban and Al-Qaeda strongholds in the country's northwest border areas in 2014.

Last year saw the lowest number of civilian and security forces casualties since 2007, the year the umbrella Pakistani Taliban group was formed.

But militants are still able to carry out major attacks from time to time.

At least 16 people were killed and more than two dozen wounded when a bomb blew up inside a bus in Peshawar, the main city of Pakistan's insurgency-wracked northwest on March 16.

And Sunday's blast in Lahore saw the highest number of casualties since a suicide bomber blew himself up, killing 55 people at the main Pakistan-India border crossing at Wagah in an attack claimed by the Jamat-ul-Ahrar faction of the Taliban.

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Secretary of State John Kerry warned that the Republican presidential campaign has descended into "an embarrassment" that raises awkward questions abroad about the reliability of the United States.

Kerry said that everywhere he goes, every leader he meets asks about what is happening in America.

"They cannot believe it. I think it is fair to say that they're shocked. They don't know where it's taking the United States of America," Kerry said in an interview on the Sunday CBS news show "Face The Nation."

"It upsets people's sense of equilibrium about our steadiness, about our reliability, and to some degree I must say to you, some of the questions, the way they're posed to me, it's clear to me that what's happening is an embarrassment to our country."

Kerry was asked out the impact abroad of the Republican campaign with its calls for bans on Muslim immigrants, surveillance of Muslim neighborhoods and the return of waterboarding, an interrogation practice regarded as torture.

Frontrunner Donald Trump and his chief rival Ted Cruz have stepped up the anti-Muslim rhetoric since the suicide bombings in Brussels Tuesday that left 28 dead.

In an interview with The New York Times, Trump described his approach to foreign policy as "American first," borrowing the isolation slogan of Americans who wanted to keep the United States out of World War II.

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Hundreds of migrants stranded at a makeshift Greek camp protested near the border with Macedonia on Sunday, demanding that the border be opened as they clung to hopes of making it into Europe despite new EU moves to send some refugees back.

Around 50,000 migrants and refugees remain trapped in Greece after a domino of border closures by countries along the Balkan route has prevented them from continuing their journey into wealthier European countries. Many live in squalid conditions in tents near the town of Idomeni at the border with Macedonia.

Some 400 protesters gathered at the camp on Sunday, waving white napkins and holding signs that read "open the border". A man with a megaphone led them singing folk songs in Arabic.

Greek police formed a line to prevent the protesters from moving to the fence that separates the camp from Macedonia.

"We're here today, and everyday, because we won't give up. We protest here everyday for the sake of women and children," said a Syrian woman, Hana. "We are humans and we have rights, this is why we are here today and we will keep protesting until the borders open."

Greece has said it was a priority that migrants left the Idomeni camp and has boosted efforts to convince them to move to nearby shelters. It was also speeding 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.

The European Union and Turkey have agreed to stop the migrant flow to Europe in return for political and financial concessions for Ankara, in a bid to seal off the main route by which people have poured across the Aegean islands.

Under the EU-Turkey deal, hundreds of new arrivals have been detained since March 20, while refugees or migrants whose applications fail will be sent back to Turkey.

About one million people arrived in Greece last year, fleeing conflict in Syria, Iraq and other countries in the Middle East and Africa.

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Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump on Sunday doubled down on his criticism of NATO, a cornerstone of US foreign policy for decades, and called for the alliance's overhaul days before world leaders convene in Washington.

President Barack Obama will host the Nuclear Security Summit on Thursday and Friday with 56 delegations in attendance. While preventing nuclear terrorism will headline the discussions, Trump's views could be a topic as well, particularly behind the scenes.

In another sharp departure from historic US policy, Trump said in an interview published on Sunday by The New York Times that he would consider letting Japan and South Korea build their own nuclear weapons, rather than rely on America for protection against North Korea and China.

The billionaire businessman, vying to win his party's nomination for the Nov. 8 presidential election, also said he might halt US purchases of oil from Saudi Arabia and other Arab allies unless they commit ground troops to fight Islamic State or pay the United States to do so.

"NATO is obsolete," Trump said on ABC's This Week with George Stephanopoulos.

The 28-country North Atlantic Treaty Organization was set up in a different era, Trump said, when the main threat to the West was the Soviet Union. It is ill-suited to fighting terrorism and costs the United States too much, he added.

"We should readjust NATO ... it can be trimmed up and it can be, uh, it can be reconfigured and you can call it NATO, but it's going to be changed," he said.

On March 21, Trump said the United States should slash its financial support for NATO, which was formed in 1949 after World War Two and became a bulwark against Soviet expansionism.

Russia will not attend the upcoming nuclear summit, but China's President Xi Jinping will.

Obama said the United States will review international efforts to combat Islamic State militants during the summit in the wake of the Brussels attacks.

Trump's chief rival for the Republican nomination, Texas Senator Ted Cruz called the real estate mogul's views on NATO "catastrophically foolish." Speaking on Fox News Sunday with Chris Wallace, Cruz said Trump is "out of his depth."

"Abandoning Europe, withdrawing from the most successful military alliance of modern times, it makes no sense at all," Cruz said. "It would hand a massive victory to (Russian President Vladimir) Putin, a massive victory to IS," referring to the militant Islamic State group.

Cruz said if he were elected president, his approach to IS group would be to "carpet bomb them into oblivion."

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Egypt will repay $1.8 billion owed to Qatar and the Paris Club nations next July, governor of the Central Bank of Egypt Tarek Amer said.

The central bank will repay $800 million to the Paris Club and the remaining $1 billion it owes to Qatar, Amer said in a televised interview on Saturday evening.

Oil-rich Qatar, a supporter of Muslim Brotherhood rule in Egypt following the ouster of longtime autocrat Hosni Mubarak in 2011, gave Egypt billions of dollars in deposits, grants, and energy supplies during Islamist president Mohamed Morsis year in power.

The scheduled payments will be made on time regardless of the strain on Egypts foreign currency resources, Amer assured.

Egypts foreign currency reserves have dwindled to $16.5 billion, down from $36 billion on the eve of the revolution, as the countrys main sources of hard currency income have been hit by domestic political turmoil, security concerns, and the slowdown in the global economy.



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Egypt will float parts of two state-owned lenders on the Egyptian stock exchange this year and sell a stake in state-owned United Bank of Egypt, the central bank governor Tarek Amer said.

The sale of part of state-owned United Bank to a strategic investor is already underway, with the transaction to be completed before the year's end, Amer said in a televised interview on Saturday night.

Public lender Banque du Caire will also seek a capital increase on the stock exchange by floating a 20 percent stake before the end of the year, according to Amer.

Egypt and Kuwait will each offer a 20 percent stake on the Cairo bourse of the Arab African International Bank, a joint 50/50 owned venture this year between the Central Bank of Egypt and Kuwait Investment Authority, said Amer.

"We want to strengthen the bourse, to make it attractive [to investments]," added Amer.

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Egyptian business tycoon and Orascom Telecom CEO Naguib Sawiris expressed fears in a newspaper column on Sunday that government approval necessary to complete his acquisition of CI-Capital is under "national security review."

In December, the board of directors in Egypt's leading listed bank, CIB, approved moving forward with an offer by Sawiris to acquire its investment bank subsidiary CI Capital through a non-binding offer submitted by Orascom Telecom for Media and Technology (OTMT) for EGP 1 billion.

"A decision will be made towards the possible deal for OTMT to acquire CI Capital when all requirements are met," Sherif Samy, chairman of the Egyptian financial regulatory authority EFSA, told Ahram Online on Sunday.

Samy gave no details on the necessary requirements or timeframe expected for a decision, refusing to comment on Sawiris column.

Sawiris claimed in the column published in state-owned newspaper Al-Akhbar that several banks have pulled out from financing the acquisition after expressing their earlier approval based on instructions from the central bank.

But Egypt's central bank governor, Tarek Amer, denied instructing state-owned Banque Misr to withdraw from financing the deal, in a televised interview on Saturday.

"We introduced regulations, we said we will not block the acquisistion, but specified the percentage of financing an investor needs to provide from their own money," Amer said in the interview.

Egypt's leading state-owned bank had made a counterbid to acquire CI Capital in February but later withdrew for not having the time to conduct due diligence.

Speaking on amending regulations for financing acquisitions, Amer said that it would be risky for banks to finance acquisitions by investors with no track record in the sector they are buying in, adding that industry outsiders do not add value to the sector.

"We will not block acquisitions, but require investors to bring in their own money," added Amer.

OTMT said it would lend EGP 1 billion to its investment banking subsidiary Beltone Financial, which is acting as the purchasing entity for the acquisition of CI Capital.

"This comes in line with OTMTs strategy to combine CI Capital and Beltone to create a regional financial conglomerate," said the company in a press release in February.

Beltone Financial was acquired by OTMT for almost EGP 650 million in late 2015.

OTMT has investment activities in GSM, media and technology, and cable businesses, and recently expanded its operations into the new fields of energy, transport & logistics, and telecom infrastructure.

Orascom Telecom share price dipped 2.53 percent to EGP 0.76 and Commercial International Bank declined 2.38 to EGP 38.6 in the Egyptian bourse on Sunday.

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Egypt's main index EGX30 dipped 0.9 percent on Sunday to 7,480 points, almost erasing last week's gains due to profit taking, according to Wafik Dawood, portfolio manager at Cairo-based Compass Capital.

The bourse has surged in the past two weeks after the central bank devalued the pound by around 14 percent in a single day to close the gap between the official and unofficial exchange rates.

Arab investors were net sellers to the tune of EGP 34.4 million, while Egyptian investors were net buyers to the tune of EGP 28 million.

Daily stock turnover registered almost EGP 795 million.

Blue chip Commercial International Bank (CIB) fell 2.38 percent to EGP 38.6 a share, and Orascom Telecom for Media and Technology (OTMT) declined 2.53 percent to EGP 0.76 per share.

Naguib Sawiris, OTMT CEO, expressed concerns in a newspaper column on Sunday that government approval necessary to complete his acquisition of CI-Capital, the investment banking arm of the CIB, was under "national security review."

Broader index EGX70 also slipped 0.3 percent.

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In celebration of the many achievements of Egyptian and Arab women over the years, Ahram Online republishes this article as part of a nine-day special series of gratitude and pride for women's achievements  from 8 March, which is International Womens day, to 16 March, which is Egyptian Womens Day.

The series aims to refresh the collective memory of our nation of the many, and often forgotten, women who excelled against all odds.

While Egyptian women in the 21st century are still lobbying for basic human rights, these republished stories serve as a reminder to society that Egyptian and Arab women fought for and enjoyed similar rights as men across many decades.

From the first woman doctor in the world, to the first woman to fly in Egypt and the Middle East, these women's stories are interweaved, and all deserve to be shared with a younger generation that needs to learn the truth about the accomplishments of their grandmothers and great grandmothers.

----------

Since 1892, when the world was still debating women's rights, Egyptian women's voice was loud, clear, popular and in print.

The first Egyptian women magazine was created in 1892 by a Syrian girl.

"In 1892-1894, Hend Nofal established the first successful yet short lived attempt to Egypt's first women's magazine in Egypt. Al-Fatah (The Girl) was the first women magazine run and owned by Nofal, whose Syrian family, like many families, fled Ottoman rule in Syria for a better, liberal and cultural realm in Egypt," explained Hoda El-Sadda, director of the Women and Memory Forum, in the introduction to a republication of the magazine.

Nofal's father, a writer, helped her in the management and sustainability of the magazine. Mariam El-Nahas, Nofal's mother, had a great impact on Nofal since she was a published writer at the time of the book Maarad Al-Hasnaa fi Taragem Mashaheer El-Nesaa (Hasnaa's Exhibition of Famous Women).

Though shortlived, the magazine was the first cornerstone to encourage women to engage in journalism and writing, borrowing from the model of successful women in the West. Though focused on women's grand role in the home, the magazine also celebrated women who excelled outside the comfort of their family life, such as physicians of the time, explained El-Sadda, adding that the magazine witnessed the fresh beginnings of women and the press.

Another reason for the greatness of the magazine is the fact that it was launched at the time when Abdallah Al-Nadim, national figure and spokesperson of Orabi's revolution, launched his first social magazine, titled Al-Ostaz (The Master). A lot of interesting conversations were had between these magazines and their readers regarding women's rights and equality. Sadly  and not a little ironically  Al-Fatah soon came to an end by way of the marriage of Nofal, as she explained in the last issue of the magazine.

However, her impact remained and lots of women magazines started to flourish: Anis Al-Galis (Keeping One Company, 1898-1907), Magalet Al-Sayedat (Women's Magazine, 1903-1930), Fatat Al-Sharq (Girl of the Orient, 1906-1922), El-Gens Al-Latif (The Better Half, 1908-1925) and Al-Nahda Al Nesaeia (Women Renaissance, 1921-1939)



Following the same line came Farida Fawzi and her women's magazine Al-Hissan (Belle, 1925-1929). The cover of the third issue of this magazine reveals an interesting fact on the duel personality of Egyptians, with a portrait of an elderly woman, the photocaption explaining that she is the widow of a famous minister who refused to state her name. And yet her photograph is printed on the cover.

The magazine was focused in women's rights and dedicated a special section to the same, as a constant reminder to its readers. Music diva Munira El-Mahdia appeared on one of its covers.

The magazine also focused on publishing and translating international novels, as well as The Arabian Nights, along with pictures of aspiring young ladies, such as Siza Nabarawi, the secretary of the Society of the Renaissance of the Egyptian Woman, and Hoda Shaarawi, an icon of the Egyptian feminist movement.

Egypt's Woman magazine (1921-1939) was created and managed by Balsam Abdel Masih. It sustained the line of thought of the previous magazines, but depended on drawings and illustrations rather than pictures.

In parallel to it was Fatat Misr El-Fatat (Girls of Young Egypt) magazine in 1921 founded by Emily Abdel Massih, and Fatat Masr (Egypt's Girls) owned and directed by Hanem Mohamed El-Askalani, the principal of an elementary and vocational school teaching girls tapestry.



In 1930, Omahat El-Mostaqbal (Future Mothers, 1930-1932) was launched by Tafida Allam, along with many other successful publications.

All publications reviewed are courtesy of the Library and Documentation Centre at the Women and Memory Forum

*This article was first published on 23 March, 2016.

The series aims to refresh the collective memory of our nation of the many, and often forgotten, women who excelled against all odds.

While Egyptian women in the 21st century are still lobbying for basic human rights, these republished stories serve as a reminder to society that Egyptian and Arab women fought for and enjoyed similar rights as men across many decades.

From the first woman doctor in the world, to the first woman to fly in Egypt and the Middle East, these women's stories are interweaved, and all deserve to be shared with a younger generation that needs to learn the truth about the accomplishments of their grandmothers and great grandmothers.At the premises of Cairo Library, the hall was crowded with ancient Egyptian women  those who reigned, those who worked, and those who became the first doctors in history.

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In celebration of the many achievements of Egyptian and Arab women over the years, Ahram Online republishes this article as part of a nine-day special series of gratitude and pride for women's achievements  from 8 March, which is International Womens day, to 16 March, which is Egyptian Womens Day.



The series aims to refresh the collective memory of our nation of the many, and often forgotten, women who excelled against all odds.



While Egyptian women in the 21st century are still lobbying for basic human rights, these republished stories serve as a reminder to society that Egyptian and Arab women fought for and enjoyed similar rights as men across many decades.



From the first woman doctor in the world, to the first woman to fly in Egypt and the Middle East, these women's stories are interweaved, and all deserve to be shared with a younger generation that needs to learn the truth about the accomplishments of their grandmothers and great grandmothers.At the premises of Cairo Library, the hall was crowded with ancient Egyptian women  those who reigned, those who worked, and those who became the first doctors in history.

----------

A pioneer in Egypt's social development field, Marie Assaad has tackled contentious issues with a gentle but unyielding resolve.

In the elegantly understated reception of her home, Marie Assaad greets her visitors with her famous warm smile.

Assaad, an almost fragile-looking woman of 94, has for seven decades tackled many of Egypt's pressing communal issues with a gentle grit and unwavering resolve.

She has been a mentor to many. Trained to be an anthropologist but also holding versatile social interests, her ability to diagnose problems, scout potential and motivate teamwork makes her a driving force for many of the movers and shakers in Egypt's developmental and activism scene.

Among the many who consider Assaad to be their mentor are individuals well-known in their respective fields, including Vivian Foad, Ragia Omran, Azza Soliman, Mohamed Amin, Youssreya Loza-Sawiris, Dr Magda Iskandar and Laurence Mouftah.

Assaad gave impetus to combating the prevalent practice in Egypt of female circumcision, also known as Female Genital Mutilation (FGM).

Her initiative in the mid-1990s garnered community organisations, NGOs, the media and the government itself. The persistent campaign brought to national attention a topic that had hitherto been taboo. The campaign was born out of Egyptian civil society's preparation for the UN's International Conference for Population and Development (ICPD) held in Cairo in 1994.

A taskforce headed by Asaad to combat FGM was formed.

In 2008, the Egyptian government issued a law criminalising FGM, with the first case tried in 2015.

Female circumcision remains widespread in Egypt, but national statistics indicate a small but incremental decrease in the practice, as well as a growing awareness of its detrimental impact on young girls and women.

Assad's stints in communal service have been varied, characterised by an ability to initiate grassroots action and bring in a broad spectrum of partners in what she calls her community of love.

She has held key positions in both Egyptian and international chapters of the YWCA, and was the first woman and non-clerical figure to become deputy secretary-general of the Geneva-based World Council of Churches in 1980.

During her six-year tenure with the World Council of Churches, Assaad placed womens issues on the councils agenda, and presented a study on women and sexuality in the different religious traditions.

She also played a central role in establishing, as well as formulating a vision for, the Moqattam-based Association for the Protection of the Environment (APE). A landmark experiment in Egyptian social development, APE follows a comprehensive approach, empowering the zabbaleen (garbage collectors) community through education, entrepreneurial projects and instilling awareness of the importance of a sound environment.

Born Marie Bassili on 16 October 1922 in the Cairene district of Faggala, Assaad was the fourth girl in a family whose traditional preferences were for male progeny. Paradoxically, her mother, who was the driving force of the family, influenced Marie and introduced her at an early age to volunteering with the YWCA.

Assaad's maternal grandfather, Tadros El-Kharrat, was an artisan. His surname, El-Kharrat (etcher of wood), is an Arabic word denoting his profession as a craftsman of fine Arabesque woodwork.

El-Kharrat crafted the exquisite Arabesque decorations and furniture of Cairo's El-Rifaei Mosque, which was constructed over two phases in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

Prior to becoming involved with the YWCA, Assaads voluntary social work started early.

As a schoolgirl at the Cairo American College for Girls, she volunteered to tend to disadvantaged families suffering tuberculosis, and giving literacy instruction to their children.

She became active with the Egyptian branch of the YWCA as junior leader, and held a 16-month stint with the World YWCA in Geneva in the early 1950s.

She became secretary-general of the Egyptian YWCA, which became more closely consolidated with the World YWCA, but resigned when she married in 1954, though continuing to volunteer for the organisation.

In 1965, Assaad joined the American University in Cairo's Social Research Center, focusing her anthropological research on population studies.

As part of her MA requirements, Assaad presented a research paper on the role of traditional and new leadership in the village of Deir Mina, an acronym for the village of Deir Mawas in Minya, Upper Egypt  her husband's homestead.

In Deir Mawas, the family of her husband Assaad Abdel-Motagali had in the 19th century been appointed by the ruler, Mohamed Ali, to levy taxes and keep the villages financial records.

The function of multazim (tax collector) remained in the Abdel-Motagali family from father to son, with parallel social status retained by the traditional Umda, or leader of the village.

Charting the changes in social structure in Deir Mawas before and after the 1952 Revolution, Assaad dedicated the thesis to her husband, a man whom she loved and held in high regard.

In 1970, Assaad published her seminal study on FGM in Egypt and Africa, the first of its kind to cover such a wide-scale range as well as shed light on the social and cultural factors perpetuating female circumcision. It became the basis of work for the committee preparing for the 1994 ICPD Conference.

During the campaign against FGM, Assaad typically opened up boundaries, bringing both Muslim and Christian clerics to the table.

Despite her autonomy and refusal to take on formal positions, she did not hesitate to solicit the support of the government. Combating FGM consequently took centre-place in the agenda of the government-affiliated Council for Motherhood and Childhood.

Born an orthodox Copt, Assaad is a deeply spiritual woman who played a role in the establishing The Coptic Church's Bishopric for Social and Ecumenical Services.

Her concept of service is faith-based, laced with a warmth emanating from her ability to reach out and with empathy accept diverse strains of thought.

Allowing and never imposing, she listens, encouraging others to speak out, and calling the variations in opinion collective wisdom.

During her annual Christmas parties, which have remained an uninterrupted tradition year after year, her generous home teems with generations of friends, Muslim and Christian, the young outnumbering the old.

She calls the friends and working partners whom she has garnered and cherished over the years her social capital: a community of love, given and reciprocated.

*This story was first published on 27 March, 2016.

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Egypts foreign service has a long history and accumulated experience and weight. It is perhaps one of the very few government bodies where aptitude is central to recruitment and career advancement and where favouritism is almost sidelined.

For the most part, irrational diplomatic moves were associated with moments when the doors of the foreign ministry were open for non-career diplomats who were inevitably lacking in necessary skills and qualifications.

Traditionally, the foreign service provided the head of the state with necessary and effective advice. And also it traditionally acted to airbrush any unfortunate presidential choices.

It is against this backdrop that one is left to wonder about some of the actions undertaken by this long-standing and prominent foreign service.

In a recent act, Egypt was the only country in the 15-member seat UN Security Council to abstain from voting for a resolution designed to penalise blue helmets and other UN sponsored peacekeeping soldiers if involved in cases of sexual harassment during their missions.

It was certainly a defaming decision. Why should Egypt be the only country to abstain from voting for this resolution? And what is the world supposed to gather from this decision? Are we telling the world that we tolerate harassment?

Shortly after, Egypt came under a heavy attack form several US and international human rights organisations for its track record of human rights violations. And this was followed by the demand from the spokesman of the White House for Egypt to better observe human rights standards, added to direct criticism of Egypts record on human rights from the US secretary of state.

The Egyptian reaction was certainly unfortunate, as the Egyptian foreign minister launched an attack against the US over its human rights practices. Worse still, the head of Egyptian diplomacy chose to attack the US over deporting an Egyptian student who had made an open threat on social media against the life of US presidential candidate Donald Trump.

This style of verbal assault has been for long outside the pale of diplomatic norms.

We know, as the rest of the world does, that we are in an unfortunate situation when it comes to observing human rights standards. Therefore, the only meaningful reply was for us to acknowledge the problem and to underline commitment to improve human rights standards in Egypt.

We could have said that we sense that the criticism was exaggerated, and that we would examine whatever allegations are made. But certainly we should accept that we need to work on improving our observation of human rights standards.

We also failed to come up with the right reaction to the overwhelming vote in the European Parliament critical of the human rights situation in Egypt, in relation to the brutal torture and killing of an Italian postgraduate student in Cairo.

In fact, it was shocking to read the details of the debate in the European Parliament over the situation of human rights in Egypt, detailing the violations to which Egyptians are subject at the hands of their government.

When one looks at the pattern of voting and the recommendations made in favour of a harsh position against Egypt, one realises the deep trouble  or rather the dark tunnel  we are in.

The fact that the European Parliament declined to receive an Egyptian delegation is very alarming.

I think we are looking a disaster in the eye.

There have been incidents during past decades where Egyptian presidents made impulsive decisions and it was always the foreign ministry that used its skills to accommodate to the situation. Today, however, we face a situation where the foreign service is playing the role of an obedient servant.

We cannot ignore the fact that we are part of the world. And we cannot either ignore the fact that we are currently in a very vulnerable situation due to our economic and political problems, and also because of our violations of human rights.

We need to carefully examine the situation that we have landed ourselves in and we need then to be poised in our reactions.

We need to work on gaining people on our side, rather than jumping to irrational political reactions that only gain us more enemies.

The more enemies we have, the lesser our chances to encourage tourism and investment. And this is not something we can afford at this point in our economic problems.

We need to better manage the situation.

The foreign ministry needs to present the president with sound advice on what needs to be done and what should be avoided, rather than leaving crucial matters to the limited means of poorly experienced officials at the presidency.

The foreign minister needs to be a lot more forthcoming in offering his views and analysis to the president.

This article was published in Al-Masry Al-Youm on Tuesday, 22 March.

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Italy arrests Algerian suspect wanted by Belgium in terror probe

2016-03-27 09:43

Belgian soldiers patrol as people pay tribute to the victims of Tuesday's bomb attacks at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, Belgium, March 26, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

ROME- An Algerian national wanted by Belgium over a probe into fake ID documents used by the Paris and Brussels attackers was arrested in Italy on Saturday, local media reported, citing police sources.

The suspect, named as Djamal Eddine Ouali, 40, was detained under a European arrest warrant in the southern region of Salerno, the reports said.

Ouali was arrested in the southwestern town of Bellizzi as part of a joint operation between anti-terrorist forces and Rome's special operations police, they said.

He was suspected of being part of a criminal network that produced fake documents for illegal immigration, the AGI news agency reported.

The alleged accomplice of the Brussels attackers would be extradited to Belgium in the coming days, it added.

Suspicions were raised after local immigration officials checked Ouali's residency permit. Police had been searching for a man with the same name and belonging to the same organisation since Jan 6.

Hundreds of digital photographs were then seized from a counterfeiter's workshop, including three of those who planned the deadly attacks in Paris in November.

One of those photographed was Najim Laachraoui, a suicide bomber at Brussels airport, reports quoted police as saying.

Investigations are ongoing as to how Ouali came to be in Italy and into the networks of which he may have been a part.

A cyclist rides past a graffiti reading "infamous reality" as people pay tribute to the victims of Tuesday's bomb attacks at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, Belgium, March 26, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

American couple confirmed killed

An American husband and wife missing since the suicide bombings in Brussels have been confirmed to have died in the attacks, according to family members and their employers.

Justin and Stephanie Shults, Belgium residents originally from Tennessee and Kentucky, were last seen dropping off her mother at the Brussels airport shortly before the check-in area was rocked by a powerful explosion on Tuesday, one of three blasts that took at least 31 lives.

"Today we learned from Stephanie Shults' family that she and her husband, Justin, were among those killed in the attack on the Brussels airport," Mars Inc, Stephanie Shults' employer, said on its Facebook page.

"We are mourning the loss of our colleague and friend. Our hearts and thoughts are with their families, and with all those who are suffering during this terrible time," the company said.

Justin Shults' brother, Levi Sutton, remembered the slain man in a post on Twitter.

"He was smart and kind and generous. I never met a single person who didn't like him. He worked hard his whole life and achieved goals that most could only dream about," Sutton said in the post.

Of Stephanie Shults, he said: "Stephanie was always so happy. I really enjoyed any chance I got to be around her. The world lost two amazing people today. It's not fair."

Justin Shults was employed by Clarcor Inc, a Tennessee-based filtration system company.

Girls light candles as people pay tribute to the victims of Tuesday's bomb attacks, at the Place de la Bourse in Brussels, Belgium, March 26, 2016. [Photo/Agencies]

Chinese national killed in Brussels attacks

A Chinese national was among those killed in the serial terror attacks in Brussels, the Chinese embassy in Belgium confirmed Friday.

The victim is surnamed Deng, said the notice.

The victim who went missing since Tuesday has unfortunately fallen victim to the terror attacks, said the embassy after confirming the news with the emergency center of the Belgian Ministry of Interior and the Belgian Foreign Ministry.

"We express deep condolences over the death of our Chinese compatriot and strong condemnation on the criminal act of the terrorists," said the Chinese embassy on its website.

The embassy said it will continue close contact with Belgian authorities as well as the family of the Chinese victim and do its utmost to deal with the aftermath.

On Tuesday, two suicide blasts hit the departures hall of Brussels International Airport and a subway carriage at the Maelbeek station, close to the European Union institutions, killing at least 31 people and injuring over 300 others.
Premier urges efforts to develop new economy

2016-03-27 06:51

HAIKOU, March 26, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang (3rd L, front) poses for photos with people at Sanya Resident & Visitor Information Center in Sanya, south China's Hainan Province, March 22, 2016. Li had an inspection tour in Sanya and Qionghai of Hainan Province from March 22 to 25, during which Li presided over the 1st Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting and attended the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) annual conference 2016. (Xinhua/Rao Aimin)

HAIKOU, March 26 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang urged efforts to cultivate new growth dynamics and promote the development of new economy.

During an inspection tour in south China's Hainan province from Tuesday to Friday, Li said tourism industry is a comprehensive industry, which helps boost the sales of farm produce and also promote the development of consumer-friendly industrial products.

He called for efforts to protect tourists' interests, create a fair market environment to boost the development of the tourism industry.

Local authorities should encourage entrepreneurship and innovation, create an environment that is tolerant of failures, and create enough jobs, as millions of college graduates and vocational school students enter the labor market each year, he said.

Li stressed that governments at all levels should streamline administration, improve their services, as well as raise administrative and resource-allocation efficiencies.

He urged greater efforts to develop the new economy and innovate new business models to improve people's livelihoods and bolster the economy.

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Premier Li underscores global cooperation while meeting entrepreneurs at Boao

BOAO, Hainan, March 24 (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" while meeting with entrepreneurs in a symposium on the sidelines of the BFA annual conference held in the southernmost island province of Hainan. Full Story

Premier Li stresses livelihood improvement at Boao Forum

BOAO, Hainan, March 24 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday highlighted the improvement of people's livelihood in areas including employment, education, medical care, old-age care and housing.

Achievement in development should be manifested in the improvement of livelihood, which in turn fuels consumption and economic growth, Li said. Full Story

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China Focus: China mulls upgrade of Lancang-Mekong ship route

2016-03-27 00:35

KUNMING, March 26 (Xinhua) -- China is working with five ASEAN members to improve the main shipping lane on Lancang-Mekong river that the six nations share.

The second phase of dredging begins soon and will allow 500-tonne ships to navigate the river year round. Ports and safety will also be improved, said Sun Yongzuo, director of the Yunnan bureau of shipping affairs.

Known as the Lancang in China, the Mekong rises on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and flows through China, Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, Cambodia and Vietnam before emptying into the South China Sea.

The first Lancang-Mekong Cooperation leaders' meeting was held in Sanya, Hainan Province, this week. A joint declaration issued after the meeting said that Lancang-Mekong countries would work together in the sustainable management and utilization of the river.

Ran Mujiang, a captain on the river for nearly 20 years said the river could be very dangerous as waterway is a very complex one.

"The passage is narrow, sometimes with big turns. It is very shallow at some points and there are many submerged rocks," Ran said, adding that navigation had improved in recent years, but much remained to be done.

Five years of dredging have greatly improved China's stretch of the waterway and the second phase will extend into Laos. China has been working with its neighbors to improve navigation since 2002 with joint patrols by law enforcers from China, Laos, Myanmar and Thailand every month.

Since the channel was opened in 2001, over four million tonnes of cargo has been transported along the river, representing a trade volume of more than 30 billion yuan (4.6 billion U.S. dollars), but the route continues to face problems such as poor infrastructure and underutilization.

"International cooperation along the river needs to improve in areas such as dredging, new ports, telecoms and emergency response," Ran said, before the "golden waterway" eventually creates opportunities for all.

Related:

China Focus: Leaders of Lancang-Mekong countries convene, China plans loans for infrastructure

SANYA, Hainan, March 23 (Xinhua) -- China plans to provide loans and credit to support the infrastructure development in countries along the Lancang-Mekong River, Premier Li Keqiang said on Wednesday.

China will offer concessional loans of 10 billion yuan (1.54 billion U.S. dollars) and credit lines of up to 10 billion U.S. dollars to fund infrastructure and improve connectivity in Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam and China, according to Li. Full story

Across China: A captain's life on Mekong River

KUNMING, March 24 (Xinhua) -- At Guanlei Port, a crane was unloading timber off a ship, and bags of fertilizer were stacked-up, waiting to be loaded. Cpt. Ran Mujiang decided to take a break.

The timber originated from a port in Thailand, while the organic fertilizer, manufactured in China, is bound for the downstream countries of the Lancang River, which is called the Mekong once it flows out of China. Full story
Full Text: Li Keqiang's speech at the opening plenary of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2016

2016-03-27 00:35

BOAO, Hainan, March 25 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday delivered a speech at the opening plenary of Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2016.

The following is the full text of Li's speech:

A New Vision for A Dynamic Asia Through Joint Efforts

Speech by H.E. Li Keqiang

Premier of the State Council of the People's Republic of China

At the Opening Plenary

of the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference 2016

Boao, 24 March 2016

Distinguished Guests,

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Dear Friends,

I am delighted to be back for the Boao Forum for Asia Annual Conference and to meet with so many friends, both old and new. On behalf of the Chinese government, let me extend warm congratulations on the opening of this year's annual conference and give my hearty welcome to all participants coming from afar.

Just two days ago, Belgium was hit by serious terrorist attacks, and Prime Minister Charles Michel had to cancel his scheduled attendance and address today. Here, we give our deep condolences to the families of the victims. China stands firmly opposed to terrorism of all forms.

We gather here in Boao at the beginning of the spring season, on an enchanting and peaceful day. But looking at the global economy, we see difficulties lingering and undercurrents lurking. Boao brings together heads of government and leaders from businesses, think tanks and the media. I look forward to hearing your wisdom and insights about how we could together open up a new vision for a dynamic Asia.

Today, almost eight years after the international financial crisis struck, the ripples of its implication are still being felt around the world. The world economy is going through profound adjustments. Developed economies are experiencing slow recovery and emerging economies are performing unevenly. Global trade continues to contract, and both global commodities prices and financial markets are fluctuating. Geopolitical risks are growing, and uncertainties and destabilizing factors are on the rise. In Asia, the problems of underdevelopment and imbalances remain acute. Many Asian countries are faced with export decline, growing debts, and economic slowdown. Some have even witnessed sharp depreciation of their currencies coupled with faster capital flight. No wonder some say that the Asian economy is facing one of the toughest times in recent years.

While things may not look good, we must not lose confidence. The truth is, Asia has emerged only stronger from the two previous financial crises. Quite many Asian countries have become much more experienced as to how to beef up the real economy and fend off financial risks. Regional cooperation in Asia has also delivered fruitful results. Last year, growth in Asia was still faster than the global average. Asia's share in the global economy further increased, and Asia contributed to about one third of global trade. This part of the world has remained one of the most dynamic globally.

At last year's annual conference, President Xi Jinping put forward the major initiative to build a community of shared destiny and open up a new future for Asia. The theme of this year's annual conference is "Asia's New Future: New Dynamics, New Vision". The community that we are committed to build is one of development and cooperation. Asia is a major force for world peace and development, as well as a major engine driving world economic growth. It is also an important factor promoting progress of world civilizations. As long as Asian countries work together with firm commitment and unity, we will be able to get over difficulties and embrace an even brighter future. Along that line, I wish to share the following thoughts with you:

First, we need to jointly uphold peace and stability. When we drink water, we should not forget its source. Asia owes the past decades of rapid growth to an environment of overall peace and stability in the region. As the saying goes, good neighbors mean good life. The past sufferings of war and turmoil have taught the Asian people the value of peace. Asia's post-war development shows that at all development stages, we must stay committed to good-neighborliness and must never let the minor differences or disagreements between us stand in our way. It is through dialogue and cooperation that we could find the "golden key" to development. We need to continue to treat each other as equals and live with each other in peace, and we need to work together to increase common ground, reduce differences, and build a solid foundation for peace and stability in the region.

Second, we need to jointly promote economic growth. Emerging economies and developing countries now account for 40% of the global economy. They once contributed up to two thirds of the growth of the world economy, and played a major role in the global efforts to tackle the 2008 financial crisis. But things have been tough over the past two years, as some of them have experienced significant economic slowdown and even negative growth. Asia, which is home to the largest number of emerging economies, has on the whole maintained a strong growth momentum. Last year, the growth of developing economies in Asia reached 6.5% and accounted for 44% of global growth. Therefore, Asian nations should enhance confidence, foster new impetus of growth from within, and stimulate vitality to play a bigger role for economic recovery not only in this part of the world but also globally. It is our hope that countries in the world will join hands to deepen cooperation, form synergy, strengthen macro-policy coordination, oppose trade protectionism of all forms, adopt more growth-friendly policies, and try to avoid the spillover effect of the policy adjustments in certain countries. China proposes establishment of an Asian Financial Cooperation Association, and China stands ready to work with all parties to improve Asia's financial market and prevent massive regional financial turbulence from happening again.

Third, we need to jointly deepen integrated development. To achieve development and prosperity in Asia, we must make sure that no one is left behind. China hopes to align its initiative of building the Silk Road Economic Belt and the 21st Century Maritime Silk Road with the development strategies of other countries in the region and regional organizations. Together, we could foster a new pattern of regional development through integrated planning and production and coordinated actions. China is ready to provide high quality and cost-effective equipment and production-lines that could tailor to the needs of Asian countries. We may carry out production capacity cooperation in infrastructure building and industrial equipment making. The Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership (RCEP) is the biggest regional trade arrangement in Asia that attracts the largest number of participating members, and we hope that negotiations under the RCEP could be concluded by 2016. For the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank and the Silk Road Fund, their priority should be placed on serving developing countries of Asia first, and on connectivity and production capacity cooperation projects, so that people in the region could share in the benefits of such integrated development.

Fourth, we need to jointly uphold openness and inclusiveness. Being open and inclusive is the fine tradition and very basis of Asia's culture. In Asia, over the millennia, different nations, religions and cultures have coexisted with and learned from each other and all have contributed their major share to the progress of human civilization. Almost all religions with world-wide influence originated from Asia. The people in Asia crave for peace, good-neighborliness and harmony. It is this piece of land that has given birth to the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and brought into being the Asian way, highlighting mutual respect, consensus building and accommodating the comfort level of all parties concerned. Asian countries are linked by close people-to-people exchanges. Each year, several hundred million tourists travel among Asian countries. We need to make good use of all dialogue platforms in Asia to deepen people-to-people exchanges and enhance the unity of Asia. China proposes that an Asia Civilization Dialogue Conference be held and we welcome all countries and regional organizations to take an active part in the conference. The more challenging the task of development is in the region, the more imperative it is for us to join hands, build on our traditional friendship and pool our collective wisdom, so as to carry forward the Asian Consensus and achieve our common pursuit for development.

Fifth, we need to work jointly to trigger innovation. Innovation holds the key to development. Asia is home to 48 countries and over four billion population, and the "Asian miracle" was created by the talented and hard-working Asian people. To keep up the momentum of prosperity and development in Asia, we need to give full play to Asia's unique advantage of abundant human resources, and bring out the potential and creativity of all its people. Asia's new future relies on innovation and talented personnel. We need to improve education and training in Asia to build a high-quality labor force, strengthen the talent pool and increase productivity. We need to step up R&D investment, adopt new models of development, including the "Internet Plus" model, and build cooperation platforms for innovation to develop the new economy and a shared economy. We may also conduct due exchange of experience. This way, the hundreds of millions of our people, especially the young people, will have the chance to engage in innovation and entrepreneurship, and have their ingenuity and creativity fully unleashed. This also allows countries in the region to quickly embark on a path of innovation-driven development and upgrade the level of growth.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

China's development is closely linked with that of Asia, and I know that many friends are interested in the economic situation in China. So I wish to take this opportunity to say something about how we should look at the Chinese economy and what we intend to do in China to ensure continued growth.

First, how should we look at the Chinese economy? China's total GDP last year was RMB67.7 trillion yuan, or over US$10 trillion. Every move of this economy attracts world attention. Meanwhile, China is in the process of structural readjustment, and there is divergence among different regions and sectors. This is like what a Chinese poem says, one gets different impressions of a mountain when viewing it from the front, sideways, at a close range or from afar. Given the sluggish growth of the world economy, the lowest ever in six years, and with the Chinese economy undergoing transformation and upgrading, it is simply natural that different people may see the Chinese economy differently.

In my view, when we look at the Chinese economy, we should first of all look at its overall performance. Last year, China grew by 6.9%, a bit slower than in the past, but still one of the fastest among the major economies. It was achieved on the basis of the huge size of the economy which was in the process of transformation. Since the beginning of this year, the Chinese economy has on the whole enjoyed steady performance and seen new, positive changes. The number of measures we introduced to promote steady growth, restructuring and reform are being paid off.

Second, we need to look at the overall trend of the economy. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, over 13 million new jobs were created in China's urban areas last year, and the growth of people's income was faster than that of the GDP. The employment situation in the first two months of the year has stayed basically stable, with surveyed unemployment rate standing at around 5.1% in 31 major cities, roughly the same as last year. As industrial upgrading picked up speed, the service sector, high-tech industries and equipment manufacturing industries all maintained fast growth. Domestic demand continued to rise, and consumption growth stayed at double digit. Consumption and services have now become the main drivers of growth. Both energy intensity and the discharge of main pollutants went down, an indication that the quality of growth is getting better.

Third, we need to look at the prospect of the economy for the long run. China has become the world's second largest economy, but its per capita GDP is still at the middle level in the world. There is both a gap to fill and a potential to tap, especially in China's central and western regions, where we see huge space and room for development. China is now in the process of industrialization and urbanization. There is strong impetus for reform and much space for expanding domestic demand. Development is resilient, and the tools are many to boost innovation. The fundamentals of the Chinese economy have stayed unchanged and will remain sound in the long run.

Of course, we are fully aware that the Chinese economy is now deeply integrated with the world economy. Some international agencies have lowered the growth forecast for this year and destabilizing factors and uncertainties are on the rise. The impact will be felt in the Chinese economy. At the same time, in China, the deep-seated structural problems have become more prominent, and the economy still faces growing downward pressure. As the economy goes through transformation and upgrading, temporary problems have occurred, and companies in certain industries are facing a hard time with their operation. We will not dodge these problems. In fact, knowing where problems are have made us all the more confident. We will expand aggregate demand as appropriate, and at the same time press ahead with structural reform, supply-side structural reform in particular. On the whole, for the Chinese economy, we believe there are more hopes than difficulties.

Next, what do we intend to do to ensure continued growth? The Government Work Report adopted by the NPC has laid that out in great detail. Yesterday evening, we took the bullet train to travel from Sanya to Boao. A bullet train is powered not just by its locomotive, but also the facilities installed in between carriages. If we are to compare the Chinese economy to a bullet train, what we need to do is to keep it steady and move at a reasonable speed. With growing environmental and resources constraints, high-speed is not economical; nor is it environment friendly or sustainable. Our goal is to maintain medium-high speed of growth. China's development will be guided by the new vision of innovative, coordinated, green, open and shared development. We will continue to give priority to development, and work to build dynamic engines to propel the economy, making sure that it maintains medium-high speed growth and moves towards the medium-to-high end of development.

Like running a bullet train, to develop the economy, the first thing is stability and safety. In the past few years, we have adopted innovative approaches to macro-control, including a new range-based approach. We have set it our upper limit to keep price rises in control and our minimum target to ensure sufficient employment. This range-based approach has effectively stabilized market expectations. This year, we expect the economy to grow by 6.5%-7%, a new range designed to allow certain flexibility with the growth target. Short-term and minor fluctuations in the economy can hardly be avoidable. We will not try to redress these minor fluctuations with moves that are against market rules. But once the economy slips out of the reasonable range, we will definitely take overarching measures in line with the laws of the economy. Currently, the debt-to-GDP ratio of the Chinese government is less than 40%, and for the central government, it is only 17%. We also have a high savings rate. The space is ample to develop a multi-tiered capital market, and new tools are available to introduce innovative regulatory measures to the financial sector. We are not only well positioned to prevent systemic, regional financial risks, but also supported by enough policy tools to keep the economy steady. Last year, for instance, with collaboration among relevant agencies and financial institutions, special funds for specific projects were raised and used based on market-based approaches to expand effective investment. Such an approach strongly facilitated economic restructuring and ensured steady growth. This year, we will continue this practice.

For the Chinese economy to move steadily forward for the long run, we need to stimulate internal forces and develop new engines.

The growth momentum comes, first and foremost, from reform and opening-up. The rapid development of the Chinese economy over the past three decades proves that as long as reform continues, the economy will keep going forward. This year, we will continue to deepen such reforms as streamlining administration, delegating powers, and improving oversight and services. We will provide easier market access. The government can focus more on ongoing and ex-post supervision, step up protection of intellectual property rights, fight against fake and substandard products, create a level-playing field for competition, and boost market vitality and social creativity.

We will actively promote reforms of the fiscal and financial systems. For example, business tax will be replaced with VAT in all sectors, a major step of structural reform that will save businesses more than RMB500 billion in tax. This will not only help us form a consistent tax system and eliminate double taxation. More importantly, it will strongly boost the development of the service industry, especially high-end services, such as R&D, and support the transformation and upgrading of the manufacturing sector. Most enterprises will benefit from the tax reduction to varying degrees, and small and micro businesses will see their tax burden significantly lightened. In times of fiscal difficulties, the government is doing this to release more water to nourish the fish in the pond, i.e. to generate continued momentum of growth with a short-term drop in fiscal revenue. It is also indicative of the room for fiscal flexibility left at our disposal. Let me give you another example. For reforms in the financial sector, we can explore market-based approaches for debt-for-equity swap to help lower corporate leverage ratio.

Greater openness is also a way of reform. We will open the country wider to the outside world, including orderly opening of the services, financial and other sectors, and make China a most preferred destination for foreign investment with more opportunities and better environment. The year before last, we launched the Shanghai-Hongkong Stock Connect. This was a major step in opening up China's capital market. At an appropriate time this year, the Shenzhen-Hongkong Stock Connect will also be launched. We will continue to maintain the basic stability of the RMB exchange rate at an adaptive and equilibrium level. The economic fundamentals are such that allows for no basis for continued depreciation of the RMB exchange rate. China is a responsible major country. We will continue to make the RMB exchange rate more market-oriented by acting on the principles of voluntarism, gradualism and controllability. We will not fight a currency war, and will never stimulate export by depreciating the currency.

The growth momentum comes from restructuring. Restructuring holds the key to economic transformation. We will actively develop the new economy, foster new engines of growth while upgrading traditional engines, and build the "twin engines" for development. In this process, we will reduce overcapacity, particularly in the coal, iron, steel and other industries that are experiencing difficulties. We will also foster new growth areas, follow an innovation-driven strategy, encourage mass entrepreneurship and innovation, further develop the service sector, high-tech industries, SMEs and micro companies, carry out the strategy of Made in China 2025, and increase the competitiveness of the real economy. In the process of reducing overcapacity, we may need to resettle and rearrange for some employees. However, thanks to the development of the new economy and new drivers of growth, a host of new businesses and industries have emerged, bringing along many new job opportunities and providing the conditions for upgrading traditional industries. Governments at all levels should, acting under the pressure of market forces, help employees get new jobs, and arrange for basic living necessities for those who face temporary difficulties. Both the central and local governments should bear these responsibilities. At the same time, we will actively advance urbanization, and that is the biggest source of potential domestic demand. We will expand effective investment, such as those in infrastructure, to remove obstacles, improve the environment and create better conditions to upgrade the consumption level and improve people's lives. This will also promote the development of agriculture and the rural areas, propel agricultural modernization, and continuously increase farmers' income.

The growth momentum comes from efforts to improve people's livelihood. Development should result in better livelihood. The new jobs created as a result of improved livelihood will in turn help boost consumption and economic development. In other words, to improve people's lives, development is something imperative, and development is also a litmus test to the success of reform. The day before yesterday, I visited a tourist center in Sanya where I found a group of university graduates who were enthusiastic participants in the mass entrepreneurship and innovation program in tourism. They turned agricultural produce into handicrafts and travel souvenirs, and developed special tools to meet people's daily need. There, tourism becomes an integrated business covering the first, second and tertiary sectors, which makes it different from traditional tourism. Over the past five years, tourism revenue in China grew by 19% on average. Last year, four billion domestic travels were made. This gave a strong boost to the expansion and upgrading of household spending, and in particular, created many job opportunities. This is only one example of the development of new economy and better life of the people. This year, to ensure and improve people's livelihood, we will continue to focus on fostering a "safety net" covering the five major areas of employment, education, medical care, pension benefits and housing. We will ensure that the people are employed and paid for their work, and people of the right age enjoy equal opportunities of education. We will gradually resolve the problem of access to and affordability of medical services, and make sure that pension funds play the role of ensuring basic and subsistence needs for the old-aged. This year, we will continue to renovate rundown areas and dilapidated old urban houses. We will combine the measures of reducing housing inventory with cash subsidies to relocate people from rundown areas, and better meet the justified housing need of our people. In addition, we will adopt differentiated measures, based on local conditions in different cities, to promote the stable and healthy development of the housing market. We will pay particular attention to poverty relief and make tremendous efforts to reduce poverty, so as to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and achieve inclusive development.

Eventually, the growth momentum comes from the vigor and creativity of the Chinese people. China is the largest developing country, with over 1.3 billion population. Hundreds of millions of them are skilled professionals with higher education background. In the next five years, 30 to 40 million more will graduate from college. To leverage our strength in labor supply and human resources will unleash the greatest potential and momentum for development. We will improve incentive mechanisms to encourage science professionals to devote themselves to innovation, and in return, they will be held in high respect and receive reasonable returns for their achievements. We will develop better methods for performance evaluation to mobilize the enthusiasm of officials in doing their job and showing initiative. We will build platforms and create conditions to support SMEs while they embrace and become part of the new economy. At the same time, we will transform and upgrade traditional engines for the economy. This way, those interested in starting their own businesses or introducing innovations will be able to put aside any burden they may carry, feel free to act, and make their life worthwhile in the process of creating social wealth. The wisdom and creativity of hundreds of millions of people will be pooled together into an incomparable force for development, taking the Chinese economy over various hurdles and onto new levels.

An upgraded Chinese economy means not only self-improvement for China but also opportunities for the world. Many countries in Asia are China's close neighbors and they will naturally be the first to benefit from China's development. A few days ago, China released the 13th Five-Year Plan for Economic and Social Development, which will take China towards the ambitious goal of finishing building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. In the next five years, China's economy will grow at an average annual rate of above 6.5%, import over US$10 trillion of goods, and make US$600 billion of outbound investment. Several hundred big projects and programs will be launched and put into operation. This will be an open process to be shared by all. I hope that the business communities present here will seize the good opportunity and achieve big success.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

It has been 15 years since the Boao Forum for Asia came into being. These 15 years have witnessed Asia's remarkable development achievements, which is in fact the best and fastest growing period in Asia's history. As the saying goes, "small things add up to become something really big." As long as we work together to foster new dynamics for our economies, we will surely open up a new vision for regional development and embrace a more invigorated new future for Asia.

To conclude, I wish this annual conference a complete success.

Thank you.
Chinese-built highway opens in Jamaica

2016-03-27 00:35

KINGSTON, March 23 (Xinhua) -- A highway built and funded by a Chinese company opened in Jamaica Wednesday, as local officials praised the project as a feat that paved the way for a prosperous future.

The newly completed Jamaican North-South Highway links the capital city of Kingston in the South with the tourist city of Ocho Rios in the North, halving the travel time between the two cities.

The four-lane 67.2-km-long expressway, which cost 721 million U.S. dollars, was financed, constructed and will be operated by China Communications Construction Company.

Jamaican Prime Minister Andrew Holness said at the opening ceremony that the Chinese-led project blazed through the magnificent Blue Mountain, which gave the renowned coffee blend its name, to fulfill a decades-long dream of the Jamaican people.

"We must treat this roadway as a runway for other investment projects to take off and secure a brighter, more prosperous future for Jamaica," he said, adding his country looks forward to further cooperation with Chinese corporations.

For his part, Chinese Ambassador to Jamaica Niu Qingbao said the friendly partnership between the two countries "will have a smooth rise like what the motorists will have on the highway."
China to offer humanitarian aid to Ethiopia and Somalia

2016-03-27 00:35

BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China will provide 10 million U.S. dollars to the United Nations World Food Program to help hungry people in Ethiopia and Somalia, the Ministry of Commerce said on Friday.

Eight million U.S. dollars worth of food will go to Ethiopia, while the rest will go to Somalia, the ministry said on its website.

The ministry is discussing details of the plan with the UN World Food Program.

The two African countries have suffered famines in recent years, leaving millions of people starving.
China, Russia should work to settle hotspot issues: President Xi

2016-03-27 00:35

BEIJING, March 25, 2016 (Xinhua) -- Chinese President Xi Jinping (R) meets with Russian Presidential Administration chief Sergei Ivanov at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, March 25, 2016. (Xinhua/Xie Huanchi)

BEIJING, March 25 (Xinhua) -- China and Russia should strengthen communication and coordination in international and regional affairs to promote the political settlement of major hotspot issues, President Xi Jinping said on Friday.

"China-Russia strategic cooperation plays a key role in safeguarding peace and stability in the region and the world at large," Xi said when meeting with Russian Presidential Administration chief Sergei Ivanov.

China and Russia are each other's most important partners and developing a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership is the mutual choice of both countries, Xi said.

He called on both countries to take the 15th anniversary of the China-Russia Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation as an opportunity to carry forward friendly bilateral cooperation.

In July 2001, China and Russia signed the Treaty of Good Neighborliness and Friendly Cooperation, laying a strong legal foundation for the two countries to develop a strategic partnership.

Xi said both sides should maintain close high-level exchanges and deepen practical cooperation in major areas by synergizing each other's development strategies.

Xi stressed he and Russian President Vladimir Putin support the General Office of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the Russian Presidential Administration in holding exchanges, cooperation and learning from each other.

"This is an important display of our high-level mutual trust," Xi said.

Ivanov said close high-level exchanges guide the development of bilateral relations, and the two countries have maintained rapid development in cooperation in various fields and close communication and coordination in international affairs.

Ivanov said the Russian Presidential Administration is willing to work with the General Office of the CPC Central Committee to implement the consensus reached between the two heads of state and contribute to the bilateral relationship.

Wang Qishan, member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, also met with Ivanov on Friday.

China's anti-corruption drive and the strict discipline of the CPC will continue, said Wang, secretary of the CPC Central Commission for Discipline Inspection. "Comprehensive reform and institution building will be carried out to eliminate the soil that breeds corruption."

Ivanov said Russia attaches great importance to anti-corruption exchanges and cooperation with China.

Li Zhanshu, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, held talks with Ivanov on Thursday.

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China-Russia ties not to be affected by changing int'l situation: Premier Li

BEIJING, March 16 (Xinhua) -- Premier Li Keqiang said Wednesday that China-Russia relations will not be affected by changes in international situation and pressures from a third party.

China follows the principle of non-alignment, and China-Russia cooperation will not target at a third party, Li told a press conference after the conclusion of the national legislature's annual session. Full story

China, Russia commit to brighter energy cooperation

BEIJING, March 22 (Xinhua) -- Vice Premier Zhang Gaoli met with Gazprom CEO Alexei Miller here on Tuesday, vowing to improve China-Russia energy cooperation.

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With Sunday's success, ISRO put behind the anomaly experienced in its August 7 Small Satellite Launch Vehicle (SSLV) mission, that had then made the satellites unusable.